Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 195: Arc 4, Act I, - 40: Tailor-Made

"Alright dearie, if you could stand with your feet apart?"

Jotou—who stood with her arms completely out to her sides and head straight, with two other seamstresses wrapping measuring tape around her arms and collarbone—slowly shifted her feet to spread her legs without bumping into the seamstress behind her.

Jotou’s view was of herself, staring into the mirror of her vanity with her body going tired and holding back a yawn. Her blonde locks tied completely upward in a bun and stuck together with pins.

The three seamstresses danced around, throwing around measuring tape and noting down the centimetres after an average of five measurements each.

Hotaru opened the door and entered, her head swivelling to the side, "Oh sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," one of them replied.

"We are almost done, don’t mind us," another answered with a polite smile.

Jotou side-eyed Hotaru; a smirk was worn on the redhead’s face as the blonde’s only expression seemed to be ’kill me’.

"Your appointment is tomorrow I believe Ms Kinoshita."

"Yes, I’m aware. Thank you again."

"Alright," the woman stood up from measuring her ankles and feet, "That should be all for now. We can have multiple outfits, much of them ’flexible’ as you requested by next week."

Another packed up her notes, "And we would be delighted to make anything else after as well, you have a wonderful frame. With the ball coming up, is there any sort of style of fashion you would like dearie?"

"Uh... Is there anything you’d recommend?" Jotou cocked a brow.

"Hm..." the last seamstress eyed her up and began removing the pins in her hair, releasing the bun and letting the wavy near-golden locks down, ending in black, "Oh dear..."

"What’s wrong?" Hotaru glanced over.

The seamstress held a few strands of Jotou’s hair that had fallen and took a closer look at them, "You seem to have the same, uniqueness as the princess; your hair has turned, completely black," she held them up.

"Huh..." Jotou’s eyes widened, "My hair’s fallen a lot of times, I promise I brush it, but I guess I just, throw it I never actually, looked at it..."

Hotaru stepped closer, "It makes sense, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single blonde hair in our house. I guess yours can be easily mistaken for Meko’s without a second glance..."

"Well, I hope that’s not some kinda omen..." Jotou squinted.

"You did come back from the dead," Hotaru cocked her head.

"If nothing’s happened so far, nothing to worry about then," Jotou took a breath, letting her blonde hair fan out.

"Sorry to cause any distress," the seamstress surveyed for a bin to throw it away, whilst another observed her hair.

"Perhaps you should trim it down a bit before the ball, there are multiple hairdressers, I myself can do it as well," she held a few strands.

"I, like how long it is..." Jotou shifted her eyes away.

"Don’t deny an offer like this," Hotaru’s eyes glazed over.

"But..." Jotou clenched her fists, "It can get, in the way sometimes and I know you can make it, uhm, p-pretty, so I’ll take you up on that offer..." she sighed, defeated while her face reddened in embarrassment.

Hotaru’s fangs glistened, "I’m sure you’ll look very ’pretty’. You said it yourself~"

"Shut it."

"How about something in a Burntish style dearie? I think it would fit you swell."

"Well, seeing as I’m the Thundering Blade of Kria, something Krian fits the theme a little more."

"Kria doesn’t have a unique style, it’s a melting pot, remember?" Hotaru replied, "Much of the attire there mimics Burnetrout."

"Yes, yes," a seamstress continued, "Much of the world’s fashion stems from Burnetrout. They do not call it the City of Fashion and Flare without reason!"

"City of Fashion and Flare huh? I guess Fumeko’s little pinafore and that poofy-sleeved shirt can be cute."

"Shame about the rest of her though," Hotaru shrugged.

"She’s not even here."

"Oh, she might feel a sneeze, who knows? It’s out of my control," Hotaru rolled her eyes with a grin.

"Then, it’s settled? Something in a Burntish styling for the ball?"

"Sure, if it can somehow fit a sword, that’s a plus," Jotou replied.

"Uhm..." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Hotaru shook her head.

"We shall see what we can do."

"Great. Thanks and other outfits—do I need to say colours or anything?"

"Oh, that would be appreciated, but it is not a rush and the palace covers any of your payments so we will tailor some up for you, then you can start looking into other styles, colours, what you like, what you don’t, such and such."

With a final thanks, they packed up their equipment and left the room, allowing Jotou to let out a large groan and slump for a moment onto the vanity chair.

"I don’t think you hate doing these things as much as you act like you do," Hotaru’s tail swayed.

"Wrong."

"If only Daiyu was here to tell me you’re lying; luckily, I know you are."

"I’m just tired," Jotou closed her eyes, leaning her head against the headboard. "Arabella nearly slit my throat a couple of hours ago," she let out a single chuckle.

"WHAT!?" Hotaru rushed forward and held Jotou’s cheek. Her tail now spiked and the reds on her ears all standing up.

She tilted Jotou by the chin left and right, up and down, much to the shock of the blonde. "This is how dangerously you two train!? I’ll have a few words with her!"

The words were about to leave Jotou’s lips to explain what happened, but instead a soft laughter escaped.

"What?"

"Nothing, I’m just used to you scolding me when I get hurt."

The drops of water on her fingers dissipated. Hotaru held fists to her waist, "I do not ’scold’ you- Okay, maybe I do, but still."

"Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s gonna be persistent. She thought I was a traitor and I had to explain what me and the countess talked about to her.

She thought it was suspicious that I brought it up today. It wasn’t without good reason is what I’m trying to say."

Hotaru’s ears flickered, "She threatened your life over it!? Good reason or not, I’m still furious about this," the glare in her brilliant blue eyes said as much.

"Don’t be, seriously. She doesn’t know you or Meko knows, but I think she needs some time to herself. You don’t need to be angry for me, trust me I already was."

Hotaru took a few breaths, gently controlling her anger, "Okay. But if she does something like that again, I will end her myself."

"You and what fighting skills?" the blonde snarked. "You barely slapped the water babies down. It’s cute of you to try though~"

The redhead folded her arms and pouted her lips, "Hmph! Maybe I’ll just have to learn then, to put you in your place too."

"You can certainly try," Jotou stood up. "Now, I think dinner’s soon, isn’t it?"

_

"Thought I’d find you out here," Jotou walked onto the balcony on the fourth floor. The late eleven-ish to midnight sky loomed over them, with thick swirls of puffy clouds.

Under the waning crescent moon, a princess leaned on the balustrade, staring off into the city lights; twinkles of little puddles making their way to her gaze from far below, before she turned.

The purples of her hair whisked, "Nice to see you wear something different, stalker," she smirked.

"Oh, I’m the stalker?" Jotou cocked a brow walking forward in her yellow nightgown.

The two then looked back to the city below; life was coming to the end of its daily routine, but lights still polluted the air while a few frogs croaked a symphony around the garden.

"So, a lot of the ball’s been planned. Crazy to think how fast and then slow time passes. It feels like weeks, but it’s barely been one since you got here," Daiyu sighed.

"Time’s weird like that. Sometimes it’s faster than light and sometimes it’s slower than a hypothermic sloth. I mean, I feel like I just aged two weeks."

"That’s cause time shit literally happened to you smart-ass."

"Huh, I almost forgot," she rolled her eyes. "So, what plans haven’t been completed?"

"Hmm... Still debating on the location. We better have all our plans ready before notifying the council tomorrow that we’re doing this.

All the invitations are, right now going across borders with the location being Tamara Palace. There’s the like, obvious ballroom, but there’s also like the courtyard or the swimming pool," she weighed out her hands.

"Well, I wouldn’t throw a pool party for this..."

"Yeah..."

"And courtyard sounds pleasant; definitely more to my tastes, but it’s gonna be a New Moon, so not much moonlight and you can’t really predict the weather around here—might just rain. Indoors is probably better."

"Yeah, screw it, ballroom it is."

"Don’t overthink it, it’s basically an impromptu United Nations party, not prom."

"Not like you would know."

"You didn’t go either psychopath."

"Yeah, cause I was sick!"

"All I hear is excuses."

"You’re telling me I should’ve just gone while sick?" she half-closed her right eye.

"Yeah, get everyone infected, it’ll be fun."

"Dumbass."

"Bitch."

"I’ll throw you off this roof."

"It’s a balcony."

"Smart-ass."

"Princess thinks a balcony’s a roof, get a load of this."

"I think I’ll throw you in the dungeons during the countess’s conjugal visits instead, concubine."

"Ew."

"Liar."

"That wasn’t even a statement!"

"I didn’t even tap my feet," she hummed.

"Oh, what are you, psychic now?"

"No, but you were defending them."

"That means I’m DTF, to you?"

"I don’t know, you were the one who brought it up."

"No, Meko did and I didn’t ’defend’ them."

"Yeah, but you’re the one who instigated the idea not to tell the public."

"Through logical reasoning, yes."

Daiyu groaned into the air, "Fair..." she conceded. "I just, I like, can’t believe we’re letting them off the hook for this... They’re criminals, criminals to like, the crown even!"

"I know, it wasn’t easy for me to suggest that either."

"I know, your reasoning’s probably better and I’m just being mad."

"I don’t think it’s wrong for you to be mad. Besides, they’re still imprisoned, not running free, and we’re benefiting from them for this, that’s all."

Daiyu punched Jotou on the shoulder, as ’soft’ as Daiyu could punch, "I get it loser, it was the right call, stop rubbing it in."

"I mean," Jotou rubbed her own shoulder, "Statistically speaking, happier countries in the world, well, our old world, treated their prisoners with kindness and rehabilitated them.

Think about it, they committed treason and if they see you being somewhat hospitable towards them, you’ll only prove them wrong and sorta, convince them and most doubters that you’re a worthy princess.

You don’t only lead the ’good citizens’ and nobles; you lead everyone. That includes the troubled, the criminal, the deranged, the saints, the children, the elderly, the poor, the rich and everyone in between.

Outcasting people? Well, that’s a good way to make a rebellion rise and overthrow you," the blonde chuckled in the end.

"Man..." Daiyu sighed, as if more boulders just stacked upon her shoulders, "You should’ve been the princess and I should’ve been fighting in Kria, you’re way better at this than me..."

"Ah-hah, so you admit defeat?" Jotou giggled. Daiyu stuck her tongue out and Jotou responded in kind. "It’s not like I chose. And things have sorta worked out so far, so I don’t think anything happened wrongly."

The two leaned in silence, accepting that fact. How would either fare in the other’s shoes...? "Kaleb would’ve been better than either of us here."

Daiyu burst into a laugh, "You’re not wrong there," before her face drooped into a frown and she stared into the city, much longer.

Though Jotou smiled, "Sorry I brought him up..."

"Nah, I’m fine just, moving on."

"Moving on?" the blonde turned.

"Duh. I mean, I like know he’s here in this world somewhere, maybe, but I’m not like sitting here hung up on him. Well, I was to be fair... I love him, but I can’t just like, wait while my life keeps going; both our lives for that matter."

"I got ya... Poor, poor Kaleb. What will he do with all the mental sanity he’ll save without you."

"Oh go find him and marry him if you want," Daiyu rolled her eyes.

"Kidding."

"I know," Daiyu leaned an elbow and faced Jotou with her head in her palm, "Speaking of which, people are allowed to bring plus ones to the ball, like their dates and stuffs."

"Alright, it’s not mandatory is it?"

"Yeah, specifically for you."

"Screw you. Who’re you going with?"

"Feyan obviously."

"Hm, cute."

"Excuse you?" Daiyu half-closed her right eye, "It’s nothing like that."

"Liar."

"He’s my royal advisor, my ’lady-in-waiting’, it’s not a date. More like, taking my friend to a date," she averted her eyes.

"I can tell you’re unsure of what you just said."

"Excuse you again?"

"You’re not apprehensive about these things, it would’ve been a yes or a no, but the reactions you’re giving? You haven’t decided yourself," the blonde gave a smug grin.

"Yeah, I’m not apprehensive about romantic stuff, so it’s a no," her eyes widened as she cocked her head before shaking it, "You’re the one who’s apprehensive."

"Why are you so hooked on this?" Jotou gazed into the sky.

She grabbed Jotou by the shoulders and shook her violently, "Cause I want you to be happy idiot and I can’t do that if you’re in denial about this!" Jotou held the railing and steadied herself.

The blonde’s eyes glazed over, "I am happy."

"But you could be happier, correct?"

"...I guess, it’s the right occasion to ask for a date... Since you know, it’s political and having a date, probably fits the objective and I guess, I’ll less likely to be surrounded again..." she blushed.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night... Look, you have like three plus days to find a date. You got the time to think of it and pull it off."

Jotou let out a tense breath into the cold night air, "Alright, I can do it." Daiyu beamed brighter than the crescent moon, before knocking her shoulder into Jotou’s, feeling like she accomplished the greatest feat in history.