As the Autumn Harvest Festival drew closer, the originally somewhat gloomy Trost District finally became lively.
The shops along the streets hung colorful cloth strips early on, and the square was filled with temporary stalls.
Sellers of baked apples, sellers of honey bread, and merchants rushing in from other places to hawk cloth and spices shouted one after another.
“Hurry up, hurry up!”
“Annie, if you dawdle any longer, the market over there is going to pack up!”
On the crowded street, Ellie was as excited as a little girl.
She tightly grabbed Annie’s wrist and, taking advantage of her small stature, drilled back and forth through the gaps in the crowd, dragging the other person forward the entire way.
In her other hand, she was still clutching a shriveled little cloth bag, inside it was the private money Ellie had managed to save while helping the church organize archives and register supplies over the past half year.
Although it sounded like a lot, in reality, it was only enough to buy a few cheap clothes and enjoy a few meals of snacks.
“Let go of me.”
Annie frowned and, finally unable to bear it any longer, withdrew her wrist.
“I don’t need to buy new clothes.
The ones I have now are just fine!”
“Fine?
What’s fine about them?
Look at the cuffs of your clothes.
They’ve shortened by a whole section!”
Ellie suddenly turned around and complained.
“Besides, the Autumn Harvest Festival is a festive event!
How can you wear your usual old clothes while strolling through the festival?”
“If you ask me, you must change into a new set of clothes!”
Actually, this was just Ellie’s high-sounding excuse.
Her real purpose was only one—
To see Annie wearing a little skirt!
Half a year!
She had waited for a full half year!
Watching Annie wear that grayish trouser suit every day, Ellie’s gentlemanly soul was bleeding.
How could such a cute blonde loli not have a decent little skirt?!
Seemingly detecting the wolfish ambition in Ellie’s eyes, Annie felt a chill run down her spine.
“Why does your demeanor feel so similar to that of a greasy middle-aged guy…”
She decisively turned around, took a step, and prepared to walk back.
“You stroll by yourself.
I’m going back.”
“Don’t go!”
Seeing that Annie was really going to leave, Ellie hurriedly rushed forward and used a move called Bear Hanging on a Tree.
With both arms wrapped around Annie’s arm, she kicked her feet off the ground and hung onto Annie like a human pendant!
“I’m begging you, Annie!
Just try it once!
I’ve never seen you wear a skirt before!
With your looks, you’ll definitely be super pretty after changing into one!”
“Please, Annie!
Just once!
Once is fine!”
Ellie raised her little face, her fluffy hair trembling along with it.
“If you don’t agree, I’m staying right here!
It won’t matter who comes!”
With that, the little loli closed her eyes in defiance and stopped moving.
Annie tried to take a step forward but Ellie swayed along with her, still clinging to her like a human-shaped pendant.
The surrounding pedestrians couldn’t help glancing over.
Annie was pestered so relentlessly that she couldn’t take another step.
She could only lower her head and stare in disgust at the blonde loli clinging to her.
The two stared at each other in a stalemate for quite some time and in the end, Annie surrendered first.
“Let’s get this straight first…
only one piece is allowed to be tried.”
“And if the clothes are too exaggerated, I’m leaving immediately.
You’re also not allowed to say anything weird afterward.
Understood?”
“Yay!
Annie is the best!”
Ellie immediately released both hands, and the moment her feet touched the ground, she was resurrected with full health.
“Let’s go to that clothing store in front!
I already spotted one that suits you especially well!”
Annie helplessly supported her forehead.
She suddenly realized that she seemed to have been set up from the very beginning.
A few minutes later.
Inside the narrow yet cozy tailor’s shop, Ellie, like a professional shopping guide, lined up three carefully selected outfits.
“Ta-da!
These are the three outfits I carefully selected for you!”
“The first is this light blue dress!
The second is a white shirt paired with a suspender skirt!
And the third is this handsome short jacket paired with long boots!”
“How are they, Annie?
Do you like any of them?”
Ellie clasped her hands together, smiling like an obsessed fan.
Under Ellie’s half-pushing and half-coaxing, Annie finally hugged the light blue dress and walked into the fitting room with an extremely reluctant expression.
“Each piece of clothing is only tried once!” This story is hosted at g.com.
“Got it, got it!”
Ellie stood outside the cloth curtain, waiting with a face full of anticipation.
Inside, there was quickly the rustling sound of clothes being changed, occasionally mixed with Annie’s impatient little hums.
After a while, the cloth curtain was slowly lifted by a hand.
Annie slowly walked out.
She seemed very unused to this kind of clothing, with one hand constantly holding the hem of the skirt.
She walked somewhat cautiously, as if afraid she might accidentally step on it.
However, she had to admit, the dress really suited her.
The light blue fabric softened Annie’s usually icy temperament quite a bit, while her light blonde short hair appeared exceptionally soft beneath the sunlight and although there was still little to no expression on her face, the tips of her ears had already quietly turned red.
Seen from afar, she looked just like a young noble lady who had been unwillingly dragged out to attend a banquet—cold on the surface, but extremely shy underneath.
Ellie stared at her for a while, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
“Whoa——!”
“How gorgeous!
Annie, you’re practically an angel descended to earth!”
“Shut up.”
Annie’s small face turned slightly red, and she immediately turned her head, refusing to let Ellie continue staring at her.
To cover up her awkwardness, she raised her leg slightly to test her movement but, the moment her knee came up, the hem of the skirt restricted her movement.
“Wait!
This clothing can’t be worn for anything practical, right?”
“My legs will get tangled up just by raising them a little!
In case of danger, how am I supposed to fight?”
At this, Ellie covered her forehead with a speechless expression.
No!
Which girl wears pretty clothes for the convenience of fighting?!
We are going to stroll through the Autumn Harvest Festival, not participate in the Training Corps selection!
Annie, are you really a girl or not?!
Ellie crazily complained in her heart, but still stuffed the other two outfits into Annie’s arms.
“Fine, fine, fine!
Then try this short jacket and long boots!”
Annie looked down at the clothes in her arms, then reluctantly nodded and walked back into the fitting room.
Before long, the cloth curtain was lifted once again.
Unlike the completely uncomfortable look she had when wearing the skirt, after changing into the short jacket, long pants, and laced short boots, Annie was noticeably more relaxed.
The form-fitting cut not only didn’t restrict her movements, but instead gave her a hint of neat and decisive heroic spirit.
Annie walked in front of the full-length mirror and looked at herself in the reflection, briefly lost in thought.
The girl in the mirror wore a well-fitting short jacket and brand-new long boots.
Looking at her, she seemed just like a spirited city girl preparing to attend the Autumn Harvest Festival, but ever since she was little, her adoptive father’s only requirement of her had been to become a qualified warrior.
No one would care what clothes looked good on her, let alone drag her out to buy clothes.
The feeling of being cared for as a girl by Ellie was indeed something that took some getting used to but, somewhere in the softest corner of her heart, a faint trace of happiness quietly stirred.
“This set isn’t bad.”
Annie turned her face away and said with satisfaction.
“Hehe, didn’t I say my eye is accurate?”
The corners of Ellie’s mouth curled into a cunning smile but just as Annie was preparing to check out, she noticed that the little loli was still standing in place, hands behind her back, clearly hiding something.
“What are you trying to do now?”
“Nothing.”
Ellie smiled innocently.
Then, she suddenly pulled a fluffy one-piece pajama set out from behind her, holding it high above her head.
Two huge cat ears stood upright on the hood, and a soft, long tail even dragged behind the outfit!
“Ta-da——!”
“Come on, Annie!
Try this!”
A dangerous light flashed in Ellie’s eyes.
“This is the cat-ear pajama I secretly bought while you were changing!”
Looking at the two huge cat ears sticking up from the hood, Annie’s face instantly turned black.
“Don’t even think about it.
Absolutely not!”
“Don’t be so cold!
Blonde hair paired with cat ears—how fitting!”
Ellie stood on tiptoes, grabbed the cat-ear hood, and tried to pull it over Annie’s head and immediately Annie turned her head to dodge while raising a hand to block her wrist but Ellie, of course, refused to give up so easily.
After failing three times in a row, she hugged the pajamas and retreated two steps, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
“Annie, you forced me!
Since peaceful negotiation has failed, I can only take mandatory measures!”
Annie expressionlessly moved her wrist.
“You can try.”
That bland response instantly sounded like a blatant provocation to Ellie.
Damn it!
She was actually looking down on her!
Ellie had been following Annie to learn combat for the past half year, and considered herself to have mastered quite a few practical skills.
Things like dodging, grappling, disrupting her opponent’s center of gravity…
Although every actual combat session still ended with her being pinned to the ground and completely dominated by Annie, Ellie felt that must simply be because she hadn’t been serious enough!
What’s more, Annie was currently holding the clothes she had just changed out of, her jacket wasn’t properly put on yet, and her long boots were still sitting to the side.
Her movements definitely weren’t as convenient as usual!
If Ellie couldn’t even seize such a good opportunity, wouldn’t her half year of training have been completely wasted?
Timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony were all on her side!
If not now, then when?!
“Take this!!”
Ellie shouted loudly and lunged toward Annie with the cat-ear pajamas.
Half a minute later.
“Bang!”
I’m done!
I’m done!”
Ellie’s arms were twisted behind her back, while Annie held her firmly against the floor.
The little loli flailed a couple of times like a fish out of water, and finally went completely limp.
After being thoroughly defeated, her cheek pressed against the floor as she blankly stared toward the mirror not far away.
The reflection showed absolutely no trace of the imposing aura she had imagined.
Forget putting the cat ears on Annie’s head—she couldn’t even break free from Annie’s grip!
At this moment, she finally sorrowfully recognized reality.
Damn it!
After learning combat for half a year, in front of Annie, she still wasn’t even worth five points of combat power!
“Let me go!
I just think this outfit really suits you…”
Ellie was still muttering unwillingly.
“Is that so?”
Annie’s voice suddenly took on a subtle change.
When she lowered her head and saw the little loli pinned beneath her, unable to move, a mischievous thought she had never entertained before suddenly popped into her mind.
It must be…
It must be because I’ve stayed on this devil’s island of mine for too long…
It must be because I’ve lived with a troublemaker like Ellie for half a year…
I’m still a child.
I don’t understand anything.
If I hadn’t met someone like Ellie in this world,
I wouldn’t…
I wouldn’t have developed this strange sense of humor either!
At that moment, Annie felt as though some previously locked-away attribute of hers had suddenly been unlocked.
She released Ellie’s wrists, and just when Ellie thought she was finally free and quickly prepared to crawl back up.
Annie grabbed the back of her collar.
“Eh?”
The next second, Annie lifted her off the ground like a little chick and dragged her straight toward the fitting room.
“Wait, what are you doing?”
“Annie, we can talk things out!”
“Hehehe, Ellie, since you like cat ears so much…”
Annie’s mischievous voice came from behind the cloth curtain.
“Then you can personally demonstrate whether this outfit is worth buying.”
“Wait!
Annie, what are you planning?!
Σ(っ°Д°;)っ”
Ellie was terribly shocked.
“Clearly, I was the one who proposed trying on clothes!
Why am I the one wearing it?!”
“Hey!
Don’t pull so hard!”
“Careful!
You’re going to knock everything over!”
“Annie!
Stop laughing!”
Outside the room, the proprietress of the tailor’s shop sat behind the counter, turning a deaf ear to the commotion coming from behind the cloth curtain.
She smiled and took a sip of tea.
“My, youth is truly wonderful.”
The waiter beside her couldn’t help complaining.
“Boss, do you really not need to go in and check?
That’s definitely not the noise people normally make while changing clothes!
Someone’s screaming, hey!”
“Don’t worry.”
The proprietress elegantly sipped another mouthful of black tea.
Ten minutes later.
Annie walked out from behind the cloth curtain looking completely refreshed.
She not only bought the set of short jacket and long boots, but also casually packed up the white shirt and suspender skirt set.
And as poor little Ellie slowly shuffled out from behind the cloth curtain, she was dressed in the fluffy cat-ear pajamas, with the two fake ears on top of her head wobbling with every step.
Her already cute face was red with embarrassment, and she tightly covered her cheeks with both hands, not daring to face anyone.
“Annie…
where are my original clothes?
Give them back to me…”
Ellie looked at Annie sorrowfully and indignantly from between her fingers.
Annie waved the bulging cloth bag in her hand, which contained Ellie’s original clothes.
“Before we return to the farm, this outfit will be kept by me for now.”
Annie smiled slightly, then turned and pushed open the door of the tailor’s shop.
“Annie Leonhart!
You devil!
Give my clothes back!”
Ellie let out a wail and could only march outside in shame and indignation, sporting those conspicuous cat ears as she chased after Annie amid the surprised yet amused gazes of the passersby.
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Cat Girl Ellie…
Annie still had to show Ellie there’s levels to this h2h fighting stuff.
null are fodder & the wraiths are free maces.