"Pick something you like."
Even though Shinji said this, he didn't believe Lorelei would find any clothes that satisfied her.
After all, Her Majesty the Queen had obsessive-compulsive tendencies and was a typical perfectionist. She could tolerate capable subordinates like Shinji, but when it came to herself, there was no room for compromise.
Take her signature, for example.
To Shinji, a signature was just a mark. As long as it wasn't ugly or embarrassing, a bit of tilt or a slight imperfection didn't matter. But for Lorelei, her standards were far stricter. Even a tiny extra flourish at the end was unacceptable. To achieve her desired signature, she secretly practiced over ten thousand times, eventually reaching a level of perfection comparable to a photocopier.
When Shinji heard this story, only two words came to mind: "Terrifying indeed."
If she was this meticulous about her signature, how much more so about her clothes, which were the face of a noble!
As expected, by the time the entire morning had passed, they had gone through the entire clothing section of Debenhams. Lorelei had tried on dozens of outfits, but none were satisfactory—something was always either flawed or uncomfortable.
Shinji didn't get angry or impatient. Playing the role of a dutiful companion, he accompanied the young lady from one section to the next, helping her pick out garments one by one. Occasionally, he even offered his own opinions, maintaining the same calm demeanor throughout.
As noon approached, he reminded her: "It's time for lunch."
This made Lorelei feel a bit embarrassed.
"Is it already that late? I'm sorry, I've taken up too much time."
Shinji smiled and waved a hand dismissively.
"It's nothing, this is quite normal. Haven't you heard? Shopping is in a woman's nature. Normally, you'd get tired after walking for just a bit, but when shopping, you could walk all day without feeling exhausted."
"Is that a thing?"
Lorelei raised an eyebrow.
"No one's ever told me that before."
"That's because you never thought to ask."
Your status ensured that no one would talk to you about such things, and the information you receive is limited to what's on paper, which can't convey such everyday experiences.
"Yes, I've never thought about it before. I used to think it was meaningless, but now it doesn't seem that way... Can you tell me why?"
Lorelei had a good quality: when she didn't know something, she never pretended to understand. She would always ask sincerely.
Shinji replied, "This is just my personal view, for your reference. The Barthomeloi family, as rulers and controllers, are undoubtedly excellent. You understand the necessity of knowing the class you rule and control."
Lorelei nodded.
"Because class is defined through comparison. Without them, we wouldn't be nobles, and if we don't understand them, we can't talk about ruling or control."
"Exactly. The issue is that some things can only be understood through firsthand experience. You've certainly thought about what ordinary life is like, but you haven't had a chance to experience it—until today."
"That's true. This isn't just a novel experience but also a valuable sample—was that why you brought me here?"
"No, I didn't think that far ahead. I was just bored and wanted someone to have some fun with me."
"You can only believe half of what you say."
"Oh dear, you've seen through me, huh?"
Shinji shrugged helplessly.
"After all, we've known each other for a long time."
Lorelei's lips curled into a slight smile. She could more or less guess what Shinji was thinking.
Boredom was real, and fun was real, but letting her experience life as an ordinary person was probably real too. That was just the kind of person he was—sometimes playful, sometimes serious. Although she found his playful side exasperating, without it, he wouldn't be Shinji.
"You mentioned lunch earlier?"
"Yes, do you have anything you'd like to eat?"
"I'll leave it to you. Since you want me to experience an ordinary person's life, let's go with something a commoner would choose."
"Alright, let's go with that—"
Shinji casually pointed behind him, and Lorelei followed his gesture with her eyes.
"That's... a fish and chips food truck?"
"Exactly. When it comes to British food, aside from the infamous stargazy pie, fish and chips are probably the next thing that comes to mind. It's not nutritious, but it tastes all right. Want to give it a try?"
"Let's give it a go then."
"Alright, wait here for a moment while I go buy it."
The food truck was quite popular, with a decent line of people waiting. By the time it was Shinji's turn, about ten minutes had passed.
He casually ordered two meal sets that included drinks. When he turned around, he noticed that someone had appeared next to Lorelei—a young man.
"Is someone hitting on her?"
Shinji observed the situation quietly while waiting for his food.
"Well, with her looks, it's not surprising. For her, this is probably a novel experience too—wait, no, it doesn't seem like a pick-up. That guy is... dancing?"
At that moment, someone beside him spoke up.
"Oh, that's the Danish artist. He's kind of a local celebrity here, often dancing and interacting with customers."
"Hey, Dancer!"
Someone whistled at the dancer, and the performer responded with body language, immediately lifting the mood of the area. Customers stopped to watch, and many young people joined in, dancing along joyfully.
Of course, this kind of behavior was incomprehensible to Lorelei. She asked Shinji, who had just returned with the food.
"Is there any meaning to this?"
"There's no meaning, it's just for fun. The dancer finds joy in it, and it brings joy to the people around him. You saw their reactions yourself."
"Joy? Just for joy?"
"What else? Ordinary life isn't complicated, nor does it have grand goals. Social development, and faction struggles—those are distant matters. People just want to live each day happily. Even little things can make them happy, like this."
After saying that, Shinji quickly took a few bites of his food and then, copying the other customers, called out.
"Hey, Dancer! Look here!"
In response, the dancer performed an impressive flip, earning cheers from the crowd.
The Danish dancer glided over with smooth steps, circling Shinji.
"Asian?"
"Yes!"
"Martial Arts?"
"Ah-da-da-da~~~~"
Shinji launched three consecutive kicks into the air, imitating Bruce Lee's iconic Three Kicks.
Seeing Shinji's enthusiastic performance, the dancer wasn't one to be outdone. He showed off some of his true skills, executing a series of smooth, lively dance steps and gesturing for Shinji to join him.
Shinji didn't immediately respond. Instead, he extended his hand to Lorelei: "Care to join me?"
"I-I think I'll pass."
Lorelei seemed a bit flustered. She had experience with court dances and had often visited Buckingham Palace, but street dancing—this form of folk art—was new to her.
"It's okay, just dance however you like. It's simple," Shinji encouraged her.
"Come on, join in," the Danish dancer chimed in, "Show off in front of your boyfriend."
"No, we're not—"
Lorelei instinctively wanted to correct him, but in the end, she didn't. Silently, she followed Shinji and joined the happy crowd.
Boyfriend? So that's how others see us.