Chapter 11
The fitting room was somewhat small compared to the size of the shop.
Probably because it was designed based on Madam Boura’s small body.
I stood almost pressed against the mirror, while Aiden stood right behind me, slightly lowering his head.
Being alone with Aiden in such a narrow, enclosed space felt strangely awkward.
When I was younger, I used to hide tightly inside closets during hide-and-seek. So why was I feeling so embarrassed now?
“Hey. Can you move a little further back?”
I curled my body slightly and asked due to the uncomfortable feeling.
Aiden replied grumpily.
“This is already the best I can do. If you’re not happy, should I go out?”
From the rising noise of the angry customer outside, it didn’t seem like Madam Boura would return anytime soon.
And the corset was tightened so tightly that if I waited like this, I might suffocate before she came back.
“No, no. I’m fine. I’m not complaining at all.”
I forced an awkward smile, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“So where exactly is it tangled?”
“Here. In this inner part.”
Just as I lifted my hair with both hands—
“Cough… cough…”
As if something was stuck in his throat, Aiden suddenly started coughing.
“Aiden…? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
When I turned around worriedly, Aiden cleared his throat and nodded as if nothing was wrong.
But his slightly flushed cheeks and unfocused eyes looked strange.
Ah… I get it. He must have caught a bad cold.
Honestly, he should’ve just said he was sick. Now I feel bad for calling him when he wasn’t well.
“You don’t look fine though… so—”
“I said I’m fine. More importantly, this isn’t the time to worry about me.”
Aiden, who had been quietly looking at my tangled hair, cut me off while frowning.
“Why…? Is it that bad?”
“Hmm. I think we might have to cut it.”
“…What?!”
At that shocking news, my eyes widened.
No way. I’ve been growing this hair for so long…!
In a crowd full of plain-looking extras like me, my long, silky hair was my only pride.
“Isn’t there any other way?”
I looked at him desperately.
Aiden shrugged.
“I’ll try.”
He tilted his head like he was facing a complicated puzzle.
But then…
This is kind of embarrassing…
Through the mirror, I could see Aiden’s gaze fixed on my exposed back.
Seeing that, my face gradually turned red.
I must be crazy. Why am I blushing? He’s just helping untangle my hair.
I tried to calm myself down, but it didn’t work.
My already red cheeks showed no sign of cooling down.
Failing at mental control, I finally squeezed my eyes shut.
“Tell me if it hurts.”
“Okay.”
Aiden carefully began untangling my hair caught in the hook.
And at that moment, my heart started pounding loudly.
“…!!!”
Ah, closing my eyes was a mistake.
With my sight blocked, my sense of touch became even sharper.
Every time his fingertips brushed my bare skin, a strange sensation clouded my mind.
I was extremely flustered by this unfamiliar trembling feeling.
No matter what, he was my friend—someone like family. I shouldn’t be feeling something like this.
Besides, why was I even here?
This was all to connect Aiden and Agnes.
So why was I the one feeling nervous?
I must be insane. Otherwise, this wouldn’t make sense.
Get a grip, Leticia. I need to remember my role.
“Aiden, wait a moment.”
Unable to bear the rising guilt, I made a decision.
“Just pull it.”
“What?”
“Even if it rips out my hair, just pull it hard and get it done.”
At my rather extreme request, Aiden asked again in surprise.
“Are you sure? It might hurt a lot…”
I nodded in resignation.
Hair grows back anyway.
Compared to this uncomfortable heartbeat, physical pain seemed better.
“Then I’ll count to three and pull. One, two…”
Aiden placed one hand on my waist and gathered the tangled hair with the other.
I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
The moment I had mentally prepared to part with my precious hair—
“You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you? Sorry for taking so long. It got a bit complicated outside. You must have had a hard time changing alone, so I’ll help you.”
The fitting room curtain slid open.
After dealing with the troublesome customer, Madam Boura appeared with a tired expression.
“…Oh my?”
Through the mirror, my eyes met hers.
And in that moment, Madam Boura’s gaze wavered violently.
As if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
“I knew the young lady was in the fitting room… but I had no idea the two of you were ‘together’…”
Inside the narrow fitting room, two people were pressed closely in a suspicious position.
To anyone who didn’t know the situation, it was easily misunderstood.
“Ah…”
I awkwardly smiled and shook my head.
“Madam Boura…? It’s not what you think. My hair got tangled, that’s all—”
Before I could finish explaining, Madam Boura quickly backed out and pulled the curtain shut again.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry for interrupting something important. I’ll go pick more dresses. Please continue what you were doing.”
Where are you going, Madam…! It’s not that at all!
* * *
“The dresses will be sent to your home according to schedule. Please come again!”
After Madam Boura’s cheerful farewell, Leticia turned away and nervously bit her nails.
—It really wasn’t anything inappropriate. Right, Madam? My hair was just tangled. Don’t misunderstand, okay?
—Of course. I absolutely won’t misunderstand.
Remembering Madam Boura’s meaningful smile, Leticia pressed a hand to her forehead with a serious expression.
“She definitely misunderstood. You saw her face too, right?”
“Yeah. She did look a bit surprised.”
Aiden replied calmly as if it had nothing to do with him.
Leticia sighed.
“You’re not worried?”
“About what?”
“What if Madam Boura spreads weird rumors.”
Unlike Leticia, who worried that a misunderstanding might ruin things between Agnes and Aiden, Aiden actually thought it might not be a bad rumor.
If people started believing they were a couple, then annoying men who approached Leticia would naturally disappear.
Aiden walked slowly beside her and asked casually.
“What rumor?”
He already knew, but asked anyway.
It was simply because he wanted to see Leticia flustered and blushing again.
“You heard what Madam said earlier. That ridiculous rumor about you and me being… a couple.”
Leticia coughed awkwardly and looked away, unable to meet his eyes.
As intended, her cheeks quickly turned pink.
The idea of being lovers seemed to disgust her, which irritated Aiden slightly, but a faint smile still formed on his lips.
Aiden looked at his own hand for a moment.
When she suddenly dragged him into the fitting room asking him to untangle her hair, he almost lost his self-control.
Even if they were close friends, she was completely defenseless like that.
What man could stay calm when the woman he liked was half-undressed right in front of him?
Aiden recalled a passage from scripture he rarely thought about and forced himself to calm down.
Meanwhile, Leticia, unaware of his struggle, kept complaining that his hands were too slow.
Every time his fingers brushed her skin, it felt like fire.
His heart beat faster and faster.
He worried she might hear it.
She would never know that this moment felt like torture to him.
As he sighed inwardly, Aiden noticed something.
Under her lifted hair, the tips of Leticia’s ears were slightly red.
‘I thought she was just a careless fool…’
But now he realized.
Her body flinched slightly every time his hand moved.
Aiden barely suppressed a small laugh.
‘So she does have some awareness that I’m a man.’
He didn’t ask for much.
Since Leticia always kept him at a distance, calling him “family-like” and never giving him hope, even this small change was more than enough for him.
