"Do you know, that Faye who’s very close to your brother, is actually someone with his nose held too high," people would always say this around Maya.
"I heard he has a marriage proposal in the Capital," someone else would divulge new gossip to Maya.
"She ran away," sometimes, a Historian filled with conscience would add after the former statement.
"You can’t be fooled by her smile," and at that moment, another would step forward to seal the conversation with their conclusion.
Every time, Maya would listen to their lies with a smile.
Maya could hear their real thoughts; they were envious, resentful, wondering why they were not the ones by Brother Malin’s side.
I, Maya, would not let deceivers and the envious snatch Brother Malin from me.
They are unworthy. Compared to them, Faye might have her little flaws, but Maya could feel her sincerity and love for her brother.
That’s why Maya accepted Faye as a sister.
Father had said, those who can’t even offer sincere words can’t become friends.
So, Maya only trusted Brother Malin and Father, and now there’s also Faye and Lillim.
"Maya, come see, does this dress suit me?" A little lamb popped her head out of the dressing room and waved Maya over, so Maya walked over to see her in a khaki-colored leather dress and black tights that wrapped around her legs.
"I feel like I’ve gained some weight, is it too tight?" the little lamb asked, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.
"I think it looks good," Maya replied, looking at the little lamb in the mirror, who was different from the real one— the reflection had red horns, a slender tail, and a devilish figure that didn’t match her age at all.
Just like Maya herself, who in the mirror was even taller than the little lamb, with long, thick hair cascading down her back and a hefty tail coiled in front of her, not losing to Sister Faye at all.
When could she see Brother Malin’s reflection in the mirror?
Maya was very curious.
This was her power, awoken two months prior, even without being an Apprentice, nor having a talent for Spell Formation.
An awakening known only to her, she wanted to keep this secret because she worried if someone discovered it one day, she might be taken away.
For it seemed the Church of the Goddess of Harvest couldn’t teach her how to move forward.
And being far from Brother Malin, if danger came, he might not arrive in time.
Thinking this, Maya smiled at her reflection.
"What are you smiling at?" Noticing the smile on her friend’s face in the mirror, and having decided to buy the outfit, Lillim asked while reaching for her coin purse.
"I’m laughing at myself; I really have no talent for buying clothes," Maya responded with a laugh.
"Is that so? Shall I help you pick something?" Lillim’s interest was piqued.
"Alright, it’s all on you now," Maya said, watching her new friend emerge from the changing room, looking over the several outfits she had picked out for her.
Uh-huh... they’re all styles my brother likes the most.
She is a great new friend, Maya.
With that thought, Maya squinted her eyes.
Malin glanced at the clock on the wall. it was 1:17 p.m. Thirty minutes had passed since they left the restaurant, but why did Malin feel like it had been a century?
"Speaking of which, you really do suit this style of dress," the girls battled it out in the clothing selection area, while Malin was sitting in the resting area, reading the newspaper—after all, it was a women’s clothing store, and Malin was unabashedly making the most of his youthful face. Just now, a dwarf had been scolded for merely glancing at the selection area, and now two dwarf clerks were eyeing him.
"Malin, take a look. Do I suit this one?"
Jessica’s voice forced Malin to look up from his newspaper, only to see her choice of a dress he liked paired with black tights.
Ah, Faye is dressed like that today too.
Feeling his vitality returning, Malin smiled and nodded, only to hear the anguished cry of the dwarf customer: "Why is it okay when that guy looks over here!"
"His Church insignia indicates that he’s only eleven, sir, whereas you are forty-one," a dwarf clerk said with a cold laugh.
"So what, he’s not male? What if he looks at my female companion?" The gentleman looked very unhappy. Malin turned his head, flashed a smile, and pressed a handprint onto the armrest beside him.
The three dwarfs instantly quieted down like chickens that had been killed.
"Sorry about that, everyone. I’ve just recently become an Apprentice, and sometimes I can’t control my own strength," Malin said with a smile, explaining his situation in the shop for the first time: "Please forgive me for any inconvenience."
The underlying message was, don’t trouble me or I’ll flay you alive.
"No problem at all, please rest assured... Our store will not charge you for this, especially considering you are a Transcendent of the Goddess of Harvest’s Church," the dwarf clerk came over and apologized to Malin after checking the material of the armrest: "Sorry, we hadn’t realized how strong you are."
"It’s okay," said Malin, flashing a very professional smile at the dwarf gentleman.
You idiot, didn’t you think, why would I bother looking at your female companion? Your dwarf companion is a North dwarf, for crying out loud, with a beard! My companions are beauties!
Even if it gave me sty eyes, I wouldn’t bother looking at yours!
Thankfully, the store manager was always on the ball. The lady, having heard the news, came over and without a word, gave a discount on the clothes for Faye and Jessica. After confirming the dwarf gentleman’s identity, she also apologized to Malin.
"I never imagined that dwarf would think you were peeking at his companion."
"I’d rather peek at you than look at a dwarf with a beard all over her face," Malin felt that his luck had really turned sour recently, with all sorts of misfortunes heading his way.
"Well, that’s true. Compared to her, we’re as normal as beauties get," Faye said, then noticed another store across the street: "How about that place, have you checked it out yet?"
"No, why don’t we go take a look?" The two girls ran excitedly towards their new destination, leaving Malin hanging with bags all over, following them with a pained expression on his face.
That’s right, where’s Colin? What’s he doing?
You gotta come and save me from this plight.