It was around eleven o’clock in the morning when Eve and Cece boarded a luxury carriage made of dark polished wood, adorned with golden designs.
Evelyn had a soft smile on her face, but her eyes burned bright with childlike curiosity at the thought of stepping out of the academy and roaming the busy market streets of Bastian. She couldn’t wait to explore, and the fact that she wasn’t alone made her even more excited—now her new friend would be there to experience it with her.
She decided not to think about Ivan, since there was nothing she could really do about it. All she could do was not let him get to her anymore and pray to every god out there to help her build immunity to that oozing sex appeal.
After about a twenty minute ride down the hill, they finally reached the market area of Bastian. Cece turned to look at Eve and said, "Okay here we are! Just make sure to always keep your hood up and stay as close to as possible. While the market doesn’t see much trouble thanks to city guards patrolling every now and then, it’s the narrow alleys that are dangerous and there are vampires everywhere."
Hearing this, Eve grew a little worried, but Cece noticed and reassured her, "Don’t worry, we always have two guards trailing behind us. Just stay close to , okay?"
Eve gave Cece a nod and replied, "I’ll make sure to do that."
Both of them pulled the hoods on their robes to cover their heads and stepped out of the carriage one by one. Eve could hardly contain her excitent. Her eyes darted around, trying to take in every bit of the vibrant and bustling surroundings.
She saw the market area exuding old world European charm. The streets were paved with cobblestones with nurous street lamps on each side. Elegant stores with large glass windows displayed antiques or luxurious goods to attract the custors.
Each shop was frad with wrought-iron detailing and trimd with potted plants. The buildings above the stores were designed with stone facades, french balconies, and sloped rooftops.
Since Eve and Cece were in the high-end section of the market, the crowd was much more refined compared to the common market area filled with street vendors. Regardless, it was fairly crowded, considering it was the weekend.
As they began to walk, they noticed a few familiar faces of the academy students, who were out enjoying a break.
"Welco to Crimson Hollow. This is one of the best markets in Bastian. We should be able to find everything we need here," Cece said. After thinking for a mont, she asked, "Should we get the dresses and the masks first? Since the ball is tomorrow, we’ll need to have them adjusted according to our asurent."
"Sounds good! You must know so good shops around here, I’ll just follow your lead." Eve said with a smile.
"That’s right, there’s one shop that would be perfect for us. Let’s go there first." Cece replied, and they started walking.
As they strolled through the market, even though their faces were half-covered by their hoods, they still managed to attract the attention of passersby. Despite wearing plain dresses, it was clear to the onlookers that the two won were no ordinary people. The fine quality of their fabrics, their natural elegance and two vampire guards walking closely behind, also in plain clothes and hooded robes, gave them away.
Evelyn ignored the stares and focused on her surroundings. n and won, impeccably dressed, moved gracefully around them. Most of them were vampires.
So were out with their families, walking into restaurants to enjoy a al together, while others were browsing or testing items inside the shops. A few were simply taking a stroll with their significant others, hands wrapped intimately as they shared a quiet laughter.
It was a lively and peaceful atmosphere, even though most of them were vampires, they looked just like anyone else.
They reached their intended store two blocks away and stepped into an elegant boutique called Mada Vesper. As soon as they entered, a sophisticated lady in a high collar dress ca to welco them,
"Good Morning to our esteed guests. Welco to Mada Vesper. My na is Lily, and I’ll be assisting you today."
Cece took her hood off and said to Lily, "Hello Lily. Is Mada Vesper available in the shop today?"
Lily’s eyes widened as she instantly recognised Cece. She bowed her head deeply and said, "Lady Cece, welco back to our humble shop, Mada Vesper is here today, she is currently with a guest. Let guide you to a private room, and I will personally fetch her for you."
Cece nodded, then turned to Eve, "You can take your hood off here, Evelyn. I know these people, you can be at ease."
"Alright," Evelyn said as she raised her hands and took her hood off.
Curious of who Lady Cece was being so kind to, Lily raised her head to take a look and was srised by the stunning beauty before her. Having served high-society ladies for years, Lily had seen countless beauties, but none had co close to this young lady standing in front of her.
When she continued staring at Eve, Cece cleared her throat, and Lily snapped out of her trance. She quickly said, "My apologies, esteed guests. Allow to guide you to your room."
With that, they were led to a quaint and elegant room, where a set of sofas were placed in the middle and exquisite gowns were displayed along the sides. They took a seat on the sofa and were served so flower tea as they waited for Mada Vesper.
Not a minute later, an older looking woman stepped in the room. Her grey hair was tied in a neat bun, and she was adorned in an expensive high collar gown. She moved her gaze subtly from Cece to Evelyn and then back again. Bowing her head, she said, "Welco, Lady Cece, to my humble shop once again. How may I be of service to you today?"
Cece gave a slight nod to Mada Vesper and said, "Thank you, Mada Vesper. I’ve co today to find a gown for myself and my dear friend, Princess Evelyn, for the Blood Moon Masquerade Ball that will be held at the academy tomorrow."
"Certainly, my lady," she replied to Cece, then turned to look at Evelyn and gave her a bow as well. "Welco, Your Highness to my shop. I had already set aside a couple of carefully selected gowns for Lady Cece, as I anticipated she might co here in search of one. Do let know if you have any particular preferences and I will make sure to cater to you to the best of my abilities."
Evelyn acknowledged her greeting with a nod and said, "Thank you Mada Vesper. I don’t really have anything particular in mind, apart from sothing suitable that matches the the."
"Yes, Your Highness. I do have a couple of newly designed gowns that just arrived today. I am certain you’ll find sothing amongst them. Let go fetch them, in the anti, please enjoy your tea." she exited after speaking politely.
As Mada Vesper left to get the gowns and instruct her staff, Cece shared so insight about her to Evelyn.
She told her that Mada Vesper was the wife of a count who had passed away ten years into their marriage. The count had left behind a mountain of debt and to make ends et, she started designing and stitching dresses to sell to the high society ladies in her circle. Won loved her unique sense of fashion and soon she beca one of the most sought-after seamstresses. Today Mada Vesper runs one of the most expensive boutiques in the capital.
Evelyn found a newfound respect for Mada Vesper, admiring her ability to make a na for herself despite finding herself in a difficult position.
Soon, the staff started pouring in with dozens of dresses, and they spent nearly an hour before finally selecting one each for themselves. Cece chose a beautiful wine-red gown, while Eve picked a dark blue gown.
After bidding farewell to Mada Verper, they went to pick up shoes and masks.
Reviews
All reviews (0)