With the floor staff, Alfred, leading the way, the group quickly arrived at their destination. Not just "one of," but rather, "the most" expensive establishment on the entire 10th floor.

Of course, the reason the man led them there wasn't because he wanted to drain their wallets dry. That was already a given, but no matter how he tried, it was impossible to even dent the buying power of a Campbell.

The main reason was because this one had the most extensive assortment on the entire floor. From children's clothes to ball gowns, they had it all.

As soon as they entered, multiple female sales clerks approached, each looking prim and proper, smiles covering their faces.

"Welcome, customers. Please come this way~!"

And that... was the start of Xu Tao's struggle.

It was obvious, but women's shopping took a long time. And by that, it wasn't measured in minutes, but rather, hours.

"I'm sure this one suits your skin tone better, customer! It even synergizes with your black hair!"

"Rather than going full-on display, it's better to be a little conservative, emphasizing your natural beauty, Miss Jehanne."

"What do you think about this, Miss Henrietta? It's the latest fashion straight from the capital!"

With every little word added by the clerks, the number of dresses they were choosing from just kept piling up. There were so many that Xu Tao worried it'd take until tomorrow before they could decide on which one to get!

"This one looks good, but... I think I like this design better." Jehanne whispered worriedly, comparing two completely opposite styles of clothes. One sporty and one "spicy."

"Don't you have clothes like mine, with a lot of fabric?"

Zetian herself had her own likes and dislikes, making it hard to select just one type. After some struggle, and with the clerks' assistance, the girls finally decided to try on some of the clothes they had narrowed down.

"S-Sir Tao... What do you think of this?"

The first one to come out was Jehanne. Instead of checking the mirror, she made a beeline to Xu Tao, who was standing in the middle of the store, arms behind his back, trying to be like air itself.

"Hmm?"

His senses snapped back to the mall as soon as he heard Jehanne's voice. His eyes scanned her figure instantly, making his eyes open wider for a moment.

Jehanne was wearing simple, tight, black pants, flaring at the end. The fabric looked expensive, seeing how it sparkled depending on the angle one was looking at. Her upper was a mix of a royal blue tube top, covered by a semi-transparent crop top polo shirt, and a pale red veil around her shoulders. Finally, she also wore a matching shiny black stiletto on her feet, completing the image.

At a glance, she might look racy, a bit too exposed, but the mixture of ethereal transparency and her well-toned body made it quite a balanced, natural look instead.

"I think it's good." Xu Tao nodded. "Although it shows a lot of skin, it's not vulgar at all. You look like a goddess descended to earth with that attire."

"...!"

Not expecting a barrage of praises, Jehanne's cheeks flushed as she ran back to her cubicle, not daring to say another word.

"Hmm?"

Xu Tao was confused as to why she ran away, though. It didn't look like she was embarrassed by her clothes either.

Although puzzled, he didn't have much time to think too deeply about it. The next one already came out of her changing cubicle and marched straight to Xu Tao's face, striking a pose.

"Master, what do you think of this?"

It was Henrietta this time.

Her attire wasn't as impactful as Jehanne's, more like a "fashion model in winter" style of attire. She had a dark-green knitted turtleneck sweater with a peek-a-boo window up top, showcasing her deep valley.

The sweater hugged her every curve and extended down to halfway up her thigh, leaving the rest of her legs exposed. She didn't wear a skirt or pants below, only a long piece of dark-toned knee socks and high-cut black boots.

Judging from how there were no lines that showed off her underwear, she didn't seem to be wearing one underneath. A bold choice.

"You..." Xu Tao narrowed his eyes, trying to find the right words to say. "Although it looks great, wouldn't you feel colder wearing that instead?"

Despite it being a "sweater," both her arms from armpit to fingers were exposed. Furthermore, it stopped just at her thighs, meaning there was a large "opening" down below. If the one wearing it didn't feel cold, then they were either insensitive to temperature changes or just plain numb.

"Hehe, it's not for wearing outside, so it's fine," Henrietta smiled, leaning forward with a playful grin. "This is worn specifically to be removed shortly after, if you get my drift~!"

"Ah..."

Xu Tao sighed, shaking his head, before waving his finger. The moment he did, Henrietta's figure flew back to whence she came. "M-Master?!" She shouted from within, but the door remained closed despite her attempts at opening it.

"You're too young for such things. Pick a more proper one." His voice echoed in Henrietta's ears, reprimanding her.

Of course, with Xu Tao actively sealing her cubicle's door, she wouldn't be able to come out until she did change to another set of clothes she picked... But without a pause, the next figure—or, rather, figures—came out.

"Master Tao! What do you think?!"

This time, it was Yifa, dragging a shy Uriel behind her.

Their attires weren't really casual at all... rather, it was more like cosplay than anything. Yifa wore a red and gold flower-patterned Chinese qipao dress, with long slits on both sides, exposing a healthy portion of her thighs. Given her childlike stature, the attire looked more energetic and adorable than sexy.

Uriel was also wearing the same thing, but given the difference in their body maturity... Even Xu Tao felt like he shouldn't stare too much.

She was wearing another qipao, but as if to match her hair, it was of a dirty white with silver dragon-like embroidery. The dress crossed over her chest and around her neck, leaving a small diamond-shaped opening on top of her chest. Furthermore, the two slits running across the sides weren't only exposing her thighs but also half of her ass.

Xu Tao watched the two for a couple of seconds before closing his eyes and commenting.

"Yifa, we'll talk later. Uriel, it looks wonderful, but I think you should change to something else as soon as you can."

"Ehh?!"

"I-I knew it...!"

Yifa's grunt and Uriel's shy whispers overlapped before their figures were sent back into their changing room in a flash. Xu Tao let out a soft sigh, feeling like they weren't choosing clothes to wear but playing around instead.

"Rather, it was Yifa playing with Uriel, no doubt." He grumbled. "I'll properly rewar—I mean, punish her later."

Ahem!

Although Xu Tao had practically lost his lust for others, it wasn't like he forgot how to appreciate beauty. Such sights were always welcome for him... However, he did not want to appreciate beauty if it meant being forced by someone else.

Just as he was thinking about how to reprimand Yifa later, the last member came out.

"My Emperor..."

"Oh, Zetia—"

The one who came out was... a bride wearing a pitch-black dress. No, really. The design of the dress was specifically mimicking a flared dress. The volume of the pannier made a great contrast to her surprisingly thin waist.

Her loose hair, lying over her right shoulder and resting over her chest, and the semi-transparent embossed veil covering her face added a hint of coolness to her beauty.

But that wasn't all. The dress had a wonderful split down the middle, exposing the front. Yes, Xu Tao could see the lower part of her black leotards, highlighted by the pair of cool grey thigh-high stockings.

At first, Xu Tao thought it was a wardrobe malfunction, but when he saw the staff admiring her attire from afar, he realized it was intentional.

"Zetian..." Xu Tao spoke before Zetian had the chance to ask her question. "The dress suits you perfectly. However, I don't think this is a suitable alternative to your empress robes as everyday wear."

Not only did this look too expensive and easily damaged, but it was definitely hard to move in. Although Zetian's fighting style was usually just her standing still, the fact didn't change.

"Well, I heard that... this dress..."

Zetian crossed her hands, covered in elbow-length black gloves, before her chest. Her eyes flickered with unrest as she glanced shyly at Xu Tao. "This is worn by women when they're getting married, so... I thought it might be a good choice..."

"..."

She need not say the rest, for Xu Tao already guessed what was on her mind.

However, it wasn't like he could just nod to her words either. After all, he wasn't going to marry her now, or anytime soon, maybe never. A promise from a past life? He couldn't even remember it himself.

"Well, just keep it for now, then. Choose something more casual next."

Xu Tao commented before gently sending her back to her changing room the next instant. But as if they were waiting for this moment, Jehanne came once again, now wearing a different set of clothes.

This process of the girls choosing clothes, changing into them, asking for Xu Tao's opinion, and returning to change again... repeated dozens of times.

By the time the girls were done picking, they were arguing about which one to keep...

"Just wrap them all up. I'll pay for it." Xu Tao said.

Words that made Alfred realize that his suspicion was on point. "So he really is Miss Henrietta's sugar daddy!"

...Of course, he wasn't.

Anyway, just as they were walking away, with Xu Tao thinking their day was finally over...

"Master? Where are you going?"

"Huh?" Henrietta stopped him, tugging at the edge of his robe. "What? Aren't we going home now?" He asked.

"Umm... no?"

But Henrietta's words made him stiffen up. "We haven't seen the men's section yet!"

The time then was 4 p.m.

And with five distinct tastes conflicting, arguing over which one fit him better, they only finished shopping when the department store was about to close. Way past 8 p.m.

With this learning experience, Xu Tao swore to himself.

"...I'm never going shopping with girls again."

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