Chapter 6

Recently I've been noticing that my physical abilities have risen quite a bit. And on top of that, at a totally weird rate. I mean anyone would wonder what's going on if a girl, who used to be sick because of malnutrition and a lack of exercise, suddenly became able to run five times the distance without being out of breath, right? Before my sickness it was questionable whether I'd be able to do 10 push-ups, and now I don't feel anything even after having done 50...

You see. It's totally weird, isn't it? Moreover, I'm a girl, so what's up with that?

My current stamina is exceeding that of the otherworld me at her prime time, even though I'm only five years old! But, it's not like I've become a buffed bulk of muscles...

...Somehow I feel like I get the reason though.

Anyway, it's muscle training, and such training has the goal to build muscle strength, so I've decided to repeat the exercises until I get tired.

*

One day, Primrose showed up.

I've been telling this girl each and every single time to stay away from me, and yet she doesn't listen. No matter how often I warn her to not come into my room as she pleases, she does it anyway. Since she still hasn't learned any manners either, I'm pretty sure that she's got a tough future ahead of her.

Or maybe the outside world isn't so fussy about manners? It'd mean that only the woman, who gave birth to me, and that man have been so naggy about my manners.

While brooding over these things, I nonchalantly kept ignoring her, but this girl has been steadily upping her resistance against my cold attitude, and nowadays she rattles on without a care about what I think or do. I must admit, in a certain sense, she forces me to pay her respect.

"...And therefore, I replied that I would attend the tea party together with you, Elder Sister."

Just when I was ignoring her as usual, she blurted out something unbelievable.

"Hah?"

"We were invited to a tea party that's going to take place in five days! I've begged Father to be allowed to go together with you."

......What was that?

"I don't have any dresses to wear for such an occasion."

My growth period as a child quickly resulted in me not fitting any of my clothes. I'm sure the outfits hanging in my closet are all too small for me by now.

The casual dress I'm currently wearing is something the head maid secretly prepared for me as she couldn't stand watching me always run around in the same old, dirty training wear. That man probably doesn't know about this either. Or rather, I don't remember having received any new clothes since that woman died.

"I'll lend you one of my dresses! I've got lots of them!"

"Even if you've got many clothes, no one says that they're going to fit my size, right? Or to put it more bluntly, they won't fit. And even if they did fit, your father would definitely slap me after blaming me for stealing his daughter's clothes."

"..."

Primrose sank into silence.

Good, now that we've settled this, it's time for her to get lost.

"Okay, this conversation is over and done with. Goodbye."

"Ah, wait, Elder Sister..."

Given that I had raised my physical strength, it was a breeze to throw her out.

*

Primrose apparently begged her father. Even the butler and head maid joined in, and used various arguments to persuade him, or so it seems.

Just when I thought I heard a knocking on the next day, Primrose stormed into the room, excitedly shouting, "Elder Sister! I asked him to buy you a dress! Hannibal and Coral helped me, too!!"

Ah, Hannibal is the butler's name, and Coral the head maid's.

I clicked my tongue.

"Doing something uncalled-for..."

"Now then, Elder Sister!"

...I don't want to go to something like a tea party, though.

As I was wavering, the head maid entered the room with an unknown woman in tow.

"Excuse us. I have brought the seamstress with me."

I refused while alternatively looking at the head maid and the seamstress, "The tea party takes place in four days, doesn't it? In other words, you'd only have two days. It's impossible to prepare something like a dress in such a short period of time!"

I can't really believe that this world has something like ready-made clothes. Moreover, dresses of all things.

"I am terribly sorry since it would be secondhand clothing, but rest assured, I can prepare something from among those. Of course they have been washed properly, and since they have been worn several times, they will not pinch you."

Argh, secondhand clothing! ...That was a blind spot! But, with secondhand clothing it's even less certain whether they'll fit my size, right?

"...I find it a bit hard to believe that you have fitting sizes at hand, however."

"I think I can adjust them quickly as long as no big changes are needed."

Seriously...? But, I totally understand. I mean my otherworld self has sewn as well, so it should be possible to get it done quickly, if pushing it.

"In addition, I would like to be allowed to make new dresses for you. I think you are going to require them in the near future."

I gave up with a sigh.

*

The secondhand clothes arrived on the next day.

Whoaaa, how faaast. And how unwanted...

The clothes had been chosen based on how well they fitted my size, and not whether they suited me or not.

...Despite clothes and accessories having been a hobby of the otherworld me, these dresses don't make my heart throb at all. No, I'd rather say it's just the dresses of this world that I don't like. They undeniably seem cheap...kinda like rental outfits from the past.

This fabric...isn't silk, is it? I wonder what kind of yarn has been used?

While pondering about all this, the fitting came to an end.

"By the way, milady, your...underwear is... It looks like you have been wearing something rather unusual..."

Yep, I earned myself that retort. I had hoped that she'd overlook it, but I guess that was too naive.

――The circumstances for clothing in this world: Jersey fabric doesn't exist, nor elastic bands. Only underpants bound to the waist with cords. And since the restroom situation over here is bad as well, it makes you want to hold back on going to the toilet as much as possible.

But, untying the cord with the bladder pressing down on you takes time and is an annoying hassle. At first I had the idea to make buttoned underpants, but since buttons are just as troublesome, I challenged myself to make a rib stitch. It was super difficult! Yes, super difficult!

As a reward for all the hardships, it tightens moderately while not slipping off, and it's easy to take off and put on.

Ha ha ha, all hail my otherworld knowledge!

――That crystallization of my efforts ended up being seen.

"It's something I made after coming up with the design myself. Please don't steal it, okay?" I told her while cracking a smile.