Chapter 79: A Familiar Figure and Lingering Memories

Rewind to the moment the trio had just converged. As the Red Fox Miss discerned the identities of those before her, a fleeting flicker of distraction crossed her features.

“Oh, we have guests. Young Master, please bear with me for a moment; I shall attend to them first.”

With a graceful nod, Jenny offered a slight bow to the Red Fox Miss before turning and approaching Gern and Lilia.

Gern’s gaze swept across the surrounding decor, which largely mirrored the layout and furnishings of the ground floor. The starkest difference, however, lay in the merchandise on display.

An array of peculiar garments Gern had never encountered, alongside an assortment of intimate toys exclusively for ladies, caused her face to flush a deep crimson.

“Ladies, how may I assist you today?”

“This young lady, my friend here finds her undergarments to be a tad ill-fitting.”

Lilia returned the greeting with an equally elegant bow, her demeanor suggesting that the surrounding novelties were far from unfamiliar to her.

“Oh? Is that the case? Has this young lady’s size been taken?”

“Hm? Ah? Are… are you asking me?”

Gern, whose focus had been entirely captivated by the curious trinkets, finally registered the presence of someone standing before her.

She awkwardly scratched her head before speaking.

“Ah, well, they took my measurements downstairs just now, but I didn’t commit them to memory.

My, my, it seems the young lady is quite forgetful indeed.”

Jenny let out a delicate laugh, her every gesture, from a subtle tilt of her head to a fleeting smile, exuding an undeniable allure.

She moved gracefully behind Gern, her voice a soft murmur.

“Young lady, I’ll take your measurements now. Please hold still.”

As she spoke, Jenny produced a soft measuring tape from her pocket.

****

“There, all done. Please wait for me a moment, young lady.”

Jenny departed to retrieve undergarments in Gern’s size. Once the two were left alone, Lilia cast a knowing, somewhat significant glance at Gern.

“Is Little Luoya quite curious about the items here?”

“Ah, haha, not… not really. Just a tiny bit curious, that’s all.”

“Would you like me to purchase some for you to take home, then?”

At this, Gern shook her head. While she wasn’t entirely sure of the specific use for these particular items, Lilia had already showered her with numerous gifts today.

Her conscience simply wouldn’t allow it; she couldn’t possibly let Lilia buy *everything*, nor could she truly package herself up as a gift for Lilia.

“I see.”

Lilia did not press further. These little trinkets were not unfamiliar to her, and she reasoned that she could always find an opportunity to ‘play’ with Gern another day.

Gern eyed Lilia with a peculiar expression, a nagging sensation telling her something was amiss, yet she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.

Just then, a set of footsteps echoed, and both women simultaneously turned towards the sound, spotting a familiar figure approaching.

“My apologies for the wait, ladies. Young lady, please try this on to see if it fits.”

Gern’s hand trembled slightly as she accepted the delicate, sheer undergarment from Jenny. Her mind, unbidden, conjured the memory of Lilia helping her don it earlier.

Her face flushed, she darted a furtive glance at Lilia. Finding her friend still, Gern promptly scurried into the fitting room, as if fearing Lilia might follow.

“Pfft~”

Witnessing this, Jenny could no longer suppress her laughter.

“Your affection for one another is truly charming. Your relationship must be quite special, wouldn’t you say?”

“Indeed, it is far from ordinary.”

Lilia nodded with a smile, her eyes now surveying the surroundings. It seemed there were new arrivals, and she found herself contemplating whether to secretly purchase a few items to leave at Gern’s.

It was during this very survey that her gaze met that of the Red Fox Miss, who stood deeper within the establishment.

Lilia paused for a fleeting moment, then offered a slight, exceedingly elegant bow to the Red Fox Miss.

Upon realizing she had been spotted, the Red Fox Miss ceased her concealment and emerged with an open, confident stride.

“My, my, young lady, it seems fate truly brings us together.”

“What a remarkable coincidence. Might I inquire if you are also an employee here?”

Lilia’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, her cerulean gaze brimming with an investigative glint.

“Hmm~ I suppose you could say that.”

The Red Fox Miss offered a radiant smile, clearly having no intention of initiating a new topic of conversation.

Lilia was not well-acquainted with her either; at best, they were mere acquaintances from a single encounter, so a lack of immediate conversation was hardly surprising.

Before long, Gern emerged from the fitting room, having tried on the garments.

The sight of the two women already engaged in conversation caused her expression to freeze for a fleeting instant.

Now, she finally recognized the fox girl standing beside Lilia. It wasn’t merely from the earlier encounter when the woman had come to her aid, but from her *previous life*.

Previously, the distance and the bustling crowd had obscured her vision, making her feel only a vague sense of familiarity.

Yet, from this close proximity, with Lilia positioned exactly as she had been in Gern’s past life, the memories began to resurface. She recalled the figure who had perpetually stood behind Lilia in that former existence.

That fox girl, Miss Mina Doyle, was none other than Lilia’s partner from her previous life.

Memories concerning Mina began to surface, one after another.

For one, the woman before her had never harbored much killing intent towards Gern; more often than not, she simply appeared alongside Lilia.

Mina had never pursued Gern alone, which further contributed to Gern’s rather faint impression of her.

However, the woman was brimming with cunning schemes. Despite her outwardly generous and elegant demeanor, beneath the surface lay a heart of pure darkness.

In her past life, Lilia frequently employed Mina’s devious methods, which had left Gern utterly tormented.

A faint pang of disappointment unexpectedly stirred within Gern’s heart.

‘In this life, they will likely still follow the path of the last,’ Gern mused. ‘They were meant to be together, to form a family, just as they did in my previous existence.’

‘What’s wrong with me? Why am I suddenly becoming so melancholic?’

‘They should be together, and I should be happy for them. That way, Lilia wouldn’t cling to me so relentlessly.’

‘But… why does my heart ache so much?’

‘It must be the hypnotic potion! Yes! Lilia must have implanted some command in me when she hypnotized me earlier!’

‘It has to be!’

“Hm? What’s wrong, Little Luoya? Do the clothes not fit?”

Lilia tilted her head in confusion, sensing a metaphorical dark cloud hovering above Gern, her melancholic emotions on the verge of spilling over.

“Ah, haha, nothing at all. It fits perfectly.”

“Lilia, let’s pay and head back.”

“Hm?”

Lilia frowned, studying Gern intently. The little dragon girl seemed deeply unsettled, as if she had lost something vital.

After a moment of contemplation, she took a step closer and gently pinched Gern’s cheek.

“Eh? What… what are you doing? Others are watching!”

“Is Little Luoya unhappy?”

“Tell me, tell me quickly, what exactly is going on?”

“Ugh~”

Nearby, Mina and Jenny exchanged a knowing glance, both offering helpless smiles. As members of the fox tribe, renowned across the continent for their extravagant pleasures, such scenes were far from uncommon to them.

With a silent understanding, they left the remaining space to the two.

****