Chapter 103: Traps, and Fashion
["I don’t know what to wear, come and pick a dress for me."]
"...?!"
Asher read the whole thing thrice, and still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Anything related to the brutal Awakened world was entirely under Sara’s palm—she commanded battlefields and deciphered dungeon mechanics with ruthless efficiency. But here she was, asking what dress to wear.
Asher blinked again, finally looking up at her. What was he thinking? Sara’s whole life centered on rigorous training, bloody fighting, intense energy cultivating, and high-stakes dungeon raids. He perfectly understood why she was clueless about high-society fashion, but her asking him to pick a dress completely stunned Asher in place.
"Um... You sure about that?" He asked nervously.
What the? He was someone who had been trapped in a void-like dark space for all his early life; would he even know what to pick? To Asher, any clothes would look beautiful on any of his wives. Now having to manually pick?
This was the greatest war he would ever embark on.
Sara nodded her head at him, then stood up, her movements disciplined and precise, walking towards the elevator.
Asher blinked a couple of times, staring as she got inside, and it closed shut; he listened to the low hum of the elevator sound, still frozen in place.
In his mind, he was already seeing all sorts of outfits, from white bikinis to delicate lace stockings, and...
Asher abruptly slapped his cheeks, shook his head to clear the creeping flush, then stood up: "Stop thinking useless stuff, and get to work."
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[Sara’s Room Entrance.]
Asher took a deep breath, and exhaled, then raised his hand towards the heavy oak door, and gently knocked on it thrice. He held his breath, and waited.
Luckily, Juliana’s high-grade healing pill was in effect, so Sara’s damaged senses were recovering and she should hear the knock. If it wasn’t, he would have slowly opened it. After some agonizing seconds, he heard the locks on the door click open.
Asher took a step back, his heart beating like a novice before a Boss room, and then the door opened wide.
".....?!!"
Asher was completely dumbfounded. He had actually expected... He forcibly stopped his thoughts, moving his gaze over the simple white garment Sara was currently in. He was a bit disappointed it wasn’t bikinis, but his expression remained as flat and composed as usual:
"Well... Um... Where are the clothes?" He stammered. He didn’t know why he was stammering; maybe he was in heat.
’Gosh, can a human Awakened be in heat?’ He thought inwardly.
Sara walked inside, leaving the door opened for him as a welcome gesture. Asher didn’t waste a second, and entered the room, securely closing the door behind him.
The first time he had entered here was to apologize, so he didn’t take any view of the bedroom layout. But now, he made sure to take note of the slightest detail—that was his plan. Yet, when he stepped inside, everything looked utterly plain and average.
There were no massive decorations, or lavish portraits, nothing. Just her pristine make-up table, a sturdy Queen-size bed, a simple rug, and some basic room furniture like a sofa. When he got this massive estate, he gave the peaceful Juliana millions to decorate everything to his wives’ liking, but it seemed Sara truly didn’t like fancy, ostentatious things.
Asher instantly took note of that critical intel. If he wanted to pick a dress, he should at least know what she genuinely likes and doesn’t.
Sara paused, and pointed silently at the bed, then walked towards the expansive walk-in closet. Asher moved towards the bed, and sat down on the edge, waiting patiently. He felt like a stray cat stuck in an old witch’s hut.
Ten minutes Later...
’For Heaven’s sake! I am an SSS-RANK Awakened, why am I so nervous!!’ He snapped at himself, and the moment Sara walked out, his head snapped upward.
Asher froze, his eyes wide opened as he stared at Sara in absolute shock. She was in a red dress but...
It was made of smooth, matte crimson silk that hugged her athletic frame before spilling down into a clean, flowing A-line skirt. It had no heavy sequins, no dramatic train, and no complex beadwork—just understated pleats at the waist and a graceful neckline that perfectly highlighted the sharp line of her collarbone. The rich color did all the heavy lifting, radiating a quiet, effortless warmth that contrasted her usual icy combat aura.
It was so beautiful, Asher sat frozen, just staring at her in shock, and disbelief.
"Ahem!"
Sara’s pointed cough snapped him out from his stare. Asher chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck: "Sorry, you’re just too beautiful." He said truthfully.
Sara tilted her head to the side, staring at him, silently waiting for his next word.
"Well, I can’t decide without seeing another dress... How many are there?" He asked, staring. She showed him two fingers.
"Alright, I should see the second."
Sara nodded, and walked back inside, and after another agonizing ten minutes, she walked outside again:
This time, she was in a beautiful white gown, which was nothing short of a royal masterpiece. Crafted from layers of luminous ivory satin and shimmering tulle. The off-the-shoulder corset bodice was encrusted with thousands of hand-sewn crystals and delicate pearls that caught the bedroom light with every breath she took. Fine, silver-embroidered vine patterns cascaded past her waist, scattering tiny, sparkling jewels down the skirt like a constellation of fallen stars.
"....?!"
Asher blinked. The gown was indeed beautiful, and well, very fancy, but his tactical mind could tell this wasn’t her type. It restricted movement and felt entirely foreign to her spartan nature. Asher shook his head:
"Nah, the second is better, the red is the best... But you do look beautiful on either one." He said with a warm smile.
Sara nodded, giving him a rare, small smile, then walked back inside. While Asher was left entirely lost in thought:
He could clearly see she didn’t like the second dress, maybe because it was too fancy. Then why ask him to pick from those two, when he had bought her more than a hundred tactical and casual dresses?
Was this a subtle test?
He sighed heavily. Just when he thought he understood his wives, their next action would completely confuse, and shock him.
’My life is fantastic, and it’s also filled with traps.’ He thought to himself, sighing deeply as he navigated the most complex dungeon of all: his marriage.