The girl nodded quickly, all nerves and eagerness, and retrieved the dress with a reverent sort of care. She approached Amanda and gently reached out, taking her hand like she was guiding a guest, not a customer.
Amanda hesitated.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cloth bundle of undergarments now tucked under her arm. She looked over her shoulder, uncertain.
Leo met her gaze. Then gave her a quiet smile and tapped her lightly on the back.
Go on.
Amanda's eyes dropped to the dress again.
It looked out of place in her hands, too elegant, too delicate. But for the first time in years, she let herself wonder what it might feel like. To wear something that wasn't stitched from scraps. To look in a mirror and not just see the next job or the next meal, but a version of herself she hadn't met yet.
She let the girl lead her away.
Leo gave a slight nod to the attendant. She caught it, nodded back, and disappeared behind the curtain with Amanda, the rustle of fabric following them.
He waited.
The sounds of the shop returned around him—soft steps, murmured words, a squeaking cart of polished shoes being rolled across the floor. Leo let himself breathe. Just a bit.
Then someone else stepped close.
"Hey." The voice came low and rough, but not hostile.
Leo turned.
The adventurer from earlier stood before him. Bigger up close. He scratched the back of his head, not meeting Leo's eyes at first.
"Sorry. About before," he muttered. "Didn't recognize Amanda."
Leo tilted his head slightly. "You know her?"
The man nodded. "Yeah. Used to run into her party years back. During extermination quests. Out past the southern ridge."
He offered his hand. It was large, calloused, and scarred. The kind of hand that had held a sword longer than it had held anything else.
"Name's Boris. Heavy Knight."
Leo shook it, firm but not showy. Respect, not challenge.
"Leo."
Boris nodded. "She hasn't changed much."
There was a pause. Not awkward. Just full.
"She saved my life once," Boris said, eyes focused somewhere past the shop walls. "Boss monster broke formation. Then everything went to hell. Her team cut a path and pulled me out without hesitation."
Leo watched the man speak, saw the small shift in his shoulders, like he'd been carrying that memory for a long time.
"She didn't talk about it," Leo said.
Boris shrugged. "She wouldn't."
They stood in silence for a few seconds more. Then Leo glanced up.
The curtain at the far end twitched.
The girl waved.
Leo gave Boris a quick nod and stepped away.
He approached the girl quietly and leaned in. "Everything ready?"
She smiled. "Under control."
"Thank you."
Leo reached into his pouch and handed her a small gold plate. A total of 600 gold and 400 silver, enough for the clothes, undergarments, and a few extra pieces.
But before she could turn away, he reached out again and placed 10 gold coins in her palm.
Her eyes widened instantly. "That's… that's too much."
Leo shook his head, smiling. "It's fine. You've been kind."
The girl looked down at the coins. Her fingers curled slowly around them, as if afraid they might vanish.
"…Thank you," she whispered. Not loud. But something in her voice cracked the usual retail polish she wore. Like no one had thanked her like that in a long time.
As Leo turned toward the front, he saw Boris watching.
The man gave a small wave, then nodded toward Amanda, now stepping out behind the curtain, dress neatly folded in her arms, her posture relaxed.
Leo started to raise his voice.
But Boris shook his head slightly. Let her be.
So he did.
They left the shop without another word. The sun was just starting to lean westward. Shadows stretched long and lazy across the cobbled road.
The market welcomed them back with noise and motion.
Sellers shouted offers. Pots clanged. The smell of grilled meat and hot oil pulled at Leo's stomach. Amanda's too, judging by the way her eyes kept drifting to the food stalls.
They stopped at one that sold thick skewers, the meat charred just right, juice dripping into warm flatbread. Another had honey pastries stacked like gold bricks. They tried both.
Neither of them talked much while they ate, but their silence was different now. Not heavy. Just… comfortable.
A little later, with the sky darkening, they walked to a nearby inn.
It wasn't flashy. But it was warm. Clean. The kind of place where the bed didn't feel like an afterthought.
Five gold coins got them a room on the second floor, with two beds, thick quilts, and a small window that overlooked the street below.
Amanda stepped inside first and stopped short.
"This is more than I could've asked for," she said, her voice barely above a breath.
She hugged the clothing tighter against her chest, her fingers gripping the bundle like it might disappear.
Leo watched her take it all in—the bed, the lanterns, the quiet. The safety.
He smiled.
It wasn't grand. But it mattered.
Amanda sat on the edge of her bed, still holding the clothes. Then slowly, she eased back against the pillows and let out a sigh that sounded like it had been stuck in her chest for years.
Leo placed their things near the nightstand and took one last glance at her way.
Her expression had softened. The tension in her shoulders finally unwound. Sleep caught her fast.
He lay down on his own bed. The mattress welcomed him like a memory. His limbs ached in that good, tired way. The kind that came after doing something that mattered.
His eyes closed.
The city hummed somewhere outside.
But in here, everything was still.
Today had been a good day.
Tomorrow could wait.