Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [133]

Hilda spoke cheerfully.

"Then let’s go with this one!"

"I made it two years ago. Sylphy, your figure is quite petite—it might be a bit loose on you, but that relaxed fit happens to be in vogue lately in the Capital. It’ll suit you nicely."

Sylphy’s eyes flew wide open, and she shook her head furiously—displaying a Sword God Style-level reaction worthy of Allen himself.

“L-L-L-Lady Hilda! Allen and the others are still outside! I can’t—this isn’t appropriate!”

Before she could even finish her flustered protest, Sylphy turned to flee—only to crash headlong into the wall.

She staggered in place, clutching her forehead in pain, utterly dazed.

It took her a good while to recover before she finally snuck a glance at Hilda, her cheeks burning red.

Hilda could only chuckle, shaking her head helplessly.

She moved her hand away from the evening gown and rested it instead on a moonlight-colored long dress with a corseted waist.

"Then how about this one? I made it for Eris three years ago. Back then, I called her to come take a look, but she wouldn’t even step inside. That girl… Heh. But judging by size, it should fit you perfectly now. Don’t you like this color?"

Sylphy blinked, her eyes lingering on the pale blue-gray dress.

"I-I do like it… but isn’t it too presumptuous of me? Wearing something you made yourself..."

"But no one’s ever worn it before. You’d be the first, Sylphy. Wearing it, taking it out of this dim wardrobe... letting it finally see—"

"The sun."

A smile softened the corners of Hilda’s eyes.

Sylphy blinked at that.

And by then, Hilda had already picked up the dress and held it up to Sylphy’s front to compare the fit.

“Looks like a perfect match.”

She looked at Sylphy with a gaze full of anticipation.

Sylphy hesitated for a moment before carefully reaching out and accepting the dress.

For a brief moment, the two of them simply stared at each other in silence.

Hilda blinked.

"Is it because we haven’t spent much time together that you feel shy changing in front of me?"

Before Sylphy could answer, she turned and walked toward the door.

"I’ll wait outside."

"Okay..."

Once the door closed, Sylphy couldn’t help glancing again at that rather daring evening gown still hanging in the wardrobe.

The color was one she liked...

But still, it was far too...

Too much, she thought, lowering her gaze to the moon-colored dress in her hands, a quiet spark of joy surfacing in her eyes.

She turned.

Beside her stood a massive full-length mirror.

In the mirror—

A girl with white hair and crimson eyes stood in a soaked white dress, clinging tightly to her body. Her shoulders and back appeared a little fragile, and her collarbones curved softly outward beneath her neck, drawing a graceful arc across her chest.

The gentle swell of her hips was just beginning to show, giving her waist a soft, lovely line—youthful, but already feminine.

Unlike her slender arms and calves—

Her thighs had begun to fill out, carrying the signature curves of the long-eared race, drawing an eye-catching line from leg to hip. The white garter straps pressed against her skin, and after wearing them so long, faint red marks traced shallow lines across her thighs.

"Whew."

Sylphy reached down to touch the garter stockings—still dry.

She let out a sigh of relief.

Lilia had picked them out specifically to go with this dress, saying they suited her well. Apparently, they were standard issue for the maid uniforms Lilia used to wear—but judging by the size, there was no way they would have ever fit her.

Sylphy had originally tried them on once, felt they didn’t suit her, and was going to return them—only for Allen to “accidentally” walk in, catch her in the act, and shower her with praise.

And so she ended up keeping them.

There were only two pairs.

Which was why she didn’t usually wear them on rainy days. But today’s weather was beautiful, so she’d brought them out again.

Sylphy stood before the mirror for a long moment, then exhaled slowly. She crossed her arms over her chest and reached back to grasp the soaked hem of her dress—

And began to lift it.

Sunlight poured into the room from the window.

The drenched hem trailed upward.

Her skin was pale.

Even compared to the translucent white of her wet dress, it held a gentle, rosy glow.

Softer. More luminous.

Plop.

The soaked dress dropped to the floor and was carefully draped over the back of a nearby chair.

Sylphy stepped forward onto the soft carpet, toes nudging against it, slowly sinking in.

Then lifted her foot again.

One step.

Two steps.

With a faint rustle of carpet beneath her, she walked to the wardrobe.

Her hand reached out toward the moon-colored corset dress.

The fabric felt different from the one she’d just removed.

It was slightly stiff to the touch—but wonderfully soft at the same time.

The sensation came from a high thread count paired with exceptional materials.

Sylphy picked it up and was about to put it on when her gaze flicked, almost involuntarily, toward the other side of the wardrobe—the side holding that bold evening gown.

She quickly looked away.

And yet her hand froze.

She glanced back.

Her red-brown eyes widened, as if she’d just spotted something that shocked her.

After a pause—

Sylphy slowly reached out.

She opened the other half of the wardrobe.

What came into view—

Was row after row of finely crafted garments, packed tightly together.

Men’s clothing.

From children’s wear to adult-sized garments, spanning every age group, complete and thorough.

Sturdy hunting coats; long cloaks trimmed with fur; sleek, jet-black formal wear.

Crisp white dress shirts; fine short-sleeved tunics of luxurious fabric; smooth tailored trousers.

The stitching grew finer.

The materials more refined.

In that moment—

Looking at the clothes, Sylphy felt as though she were witnessing the passage of time itself.

Woven into every stitch and thread.

A testament to Hilda’s extraordinary craftsmanship.

A testament to why—even as the lady of House Boreas—she still held onto sewing as a personal joy.

And a testament to—

Years upon years of silent, unwavering hope.

Because—

All of the clothes were brand new.

Never worn. Not once.

Sylphy’s fingers trembled.

She wanted to reach out and touch them—but pulled her hand back.

A clarity bloomed in her chest.

So that’s why Hilda had invited Allen, too.

Because—

She hoped that Allen, who so closely resembled her own child, might help her try on these clothes.

Clothes that had accumulated through long, lonely nights over more than a decade.

And yet—

Had never once been worn.

Expectations. Waiting in silence.

Hilda stood outside the door, gazing toward the treetop outside the window.

Whenever she was alone in her room, she always did this.

Sometimes, new maids would blush and say things like, “The Lady’s eyes seem so faraway... and yet so warm.”

To which Hilda would only respond with a gentle smile, never explaining a thing.

But in this moment—

If one looked closely at her eyes, the source of that “faraway” feeling would be plain to see.

Because her gaze wasn’t resting on the leaves of the tree.

The tree swayed gently in the breeze, its rustling leaves audible even from inside the room.

But Hilda’s eyes did not waver.

She was looking far, far beyond it.

The tree stood near the western edge of the window—blocking only half the sunlight.

And west of the Fittoa Region—

Far off in the distance—

Lay the Capital of Asura.

This tree—

She had planted it eleven years ago.

And she—

Had watched it grow.

---

T/N: AHHHHHHHHH HILDA

This is a fan translation of 无职转生：剑，魔法帽与恋爱系统 by 意外火灾 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!