Chapter 17
The capital of the empire was located near the southern sea.
Thanks to that, a short one-hour carriage ride was enough to reach the beach.
As we admired the vast ocean and the golden shore stretching endlessly, we couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
“The sea! Claire!”
“Wow, it’s been so long since I last saw the ocean!”
Standing next to us, Sabrina frowned while shading her eyes with her hand.
“Seriously? Wearing a dress at the beach? Does this even make sense?”
Lilianne and I just stared at her blankly, unimpressed by her ever-practical T-type personality showing again.
Realizing the mood, Sabrina awkwardly laughed and quickly corrected herself.
“Wow… Strolling on the beach in a dress sure feels… different. Ha. Ha. Ha.”
I let out a small chuckle at her forced laughter and looked around again.
It wasn’t hard to spot other nobles who had come to enjoy the beach like us.
Strangely enough, they were all dressed in regular clothes or formal dresses.
Some women wore odd-looking pumpkin pants, but they didn’t exactly look like swimsuits.
Instead, they resembled undergarments worn beneath dresses.
Even more bizarrely, some people were actually stepping into the water while wearing them.
Watching them curiously, Sabrina asked me,
“So… I guess they don’t have swimsuits here?”
I had no idea.
I was also someone who had transmigrated into this world, so how would I know?
As I stared at Sabrina blankly, Lilianne jumped in eagerly to answer.
“This world doesn’t have the kind of swimsuits we know yet. That balloon-like underwear? They actually call it a swimsuit.”
“That’s supposed to be a swimsuit?”
I asked in disbelief, and Sabrina muttered next to me,
“If you tried swimming in that, you’d get soaked and sink like a rock.”
…Or maybe the air inside those balloon pants helps them float?
Could that be the reason for their design?
While we were busy making absurd guesses, Lilianne chuckled and clarified,
“In this world, women don’t like exposing bare skin while swimming. That’s why most of them just sit elegantly on the beach, drinking tea and chatting.”
Sabrina looked at her in amazement.
“How do you even know all this?”
“I did my research.”
“Ooooh….”
Just as she said, most noblewomen on the beach were sitting under parasols, elegantly sipping tea.
Some even had full tables set up, enjoying an elaborate tea party.
Meanwhile, Sabrina and I stood in the hot sun, relying only on the brims of our hats for shade.
We watched the noble ladies in envy.
Then, out of nowhere, Lilianne clapped her hands twice.
Clap! Clap!
Immediately, the marquis family’s attendants sprang into action.
In the blink of an eye, they set up a parasol and a luxurious tea table right in front of us.
We stood there, dumbfounded, as the servants swiftly arranged everything.
Before we knew it, we had a fully prepared tea setup.
“Come, let’s sit,” Lilianne said naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Still in a daze, we took our seats.
Moments later, maids began setting down teacups, pouring tea, and serving delicate pastries.
I sipped my tea absentmindedly before asking,
“But Lilianne, didn’t you say swimming at the beach was one of your dreams?”
At that, Lilianne smiled shyly.
“Yes, it is.”
Lilianne’s Dream List:
- Walk through the city with her arms full of designer shopping bags.
- Have a picnic at Central Park (?).
- Go swimming at the beach in a real swimsuit. Sabrina gasped.
“Wait, you mean you’ve never actually gone swimming at the beach before?”
Lilianne laughed awkwardly.
“I’ve only ever dipped my feet in the water. I was always too self-conscious, and I never really had the time.”
Well, to be fair, most people don’t actually swim at the beach once they’re grown up.
Even I couldn’t recall the last time I had put on a swimsuit and gone swimming.
Then Sabrina asked skeptically,
“But… can we even wear swimsuits here?”
Lilianne nodded with a determined look.
“Of course! I came prepared for this!”
She clapped her hands again.
Clap! Clap!
Once more, the attendants moved swiftly.
A maid brought over a rolling clothing rack, while others carried large white fabric panels.
Before we could even process what was happening, a makeshift changing booth was set up beside us.
It was nothing more than some fabric draped over a frame, but still…
Sabrina looked at it doubtfully.
“Wait… don’t tell me we’re supposed to wear those?”
She gestured toward the noblewomen wading into the water in their pumpkin pants.
Lilianne smirked and wagged her finger.
“No way. I’ve already prepared everything. Just go inside!”
Before we could protest, the maids quickly pulled us into the changing booths.
We barely had time to react before they stripped off our dresses and dressed us in something new.
When I finally came to my senses, I found myself standing in front of a full-length mirror.
I let out a shocked gasp.
“Lilianne!”
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
Lilianne stood beside me, grinning in a bright yellow bikini.
She looked like a goddess who had just emerged from the sea.
“W-Well… it is pretty, but…”
I was too stunned to finish my sentence.
Lilianne’s swimsuit was a perfect blend of sexy, elegant, and graceful.
Meanwhile, Sabrina was adjusting the back of her swimsuit and muttering,
“Are we really going out like this…?”
Goodness, Sabrina!
She was wearing a black bikini top with stylish cutouts, exposing her side, back, and cleavage.
It was chic, bold, and incredibly sexy.
As I stood there, mouth agape, she turned to me with a mischievous grin.
Then, she suddenly wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in front of the mirror.
“Claireee, aren’t you just too sexy and adorable?”
“Wha—! No way! That’s not—!”
“Even your reaction is cute!”
In the mirror, I saw myself blushing furiously in a dusty rose bikini.
It had delicate frills and a few thin ribbons wrapping around my waist, making it look almost like underwear.
It was… way too daring.
Panicked, I turned to Lilianne.
“If we walk around like this, won’t we be like animals in a zoo? Everyone will stare!”
Lilianne gave me a knowing smile.
“Did you forget? We decided to live however we want.”
Thankfully, she had also prepared swim cover-ups.
They were long, flowing silk robes that reached our knees, each in different colors—pink for me, yellow for Lilianne, and purple for Sabrina.
I instinctively held the robe shut with my hands, but Sabrina walked over and pulled them away.
“If you keep fidgeting like that, it’ll look even weirder. Just own it! Stand tall and be confident!”
I swallowed nervously.
Well, easy for her to say—she had the perfect figure.
Sensing my hesitation, Lilianne gently patted my shoulder.
“We promised, remember? No more worrying about what others think.”
…She was right.
We had already decided to live freely.
Not just Claire’s life before the broken engagement, but even my own life before I ended up here.
Always worrying about what others thought, trying not to fall behind, trying to fit in.
I lived like a factory-made product, suppressing my own desires and dreams, stuck in a boring routine.
But wasn’t I the one who first suggested breaking free from those rules?
With that thought, I straightened my back and stood tall.
Yeah, life is short! Let’s just enjoy it!
Seeing that I had finally made up my mind, Sabrina and Lilianne exchanged glances before linking their arms with mine.
“Alright! Let’s go!”
And with confidence, we stepped out of the temporary changing room.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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