— Hikari's measurements —-
[1.4 meters to her knee]
[2.6 meters to her hip]
[1.0 meters waist width]
[2.0 meters arm length]
[0.8 meters foot length]
[0.4 meters foot width]
— Ria's size —
[Height : 1.3 meters]
[Weights : 50 kg]
"Airy? How do you mean?"
"It's airy."
Hikari places her hands on her waist, adjusting it uncomfortably.
"Oh, silly me. I forgot. It's the small box."
"Hm?"
Hikari picks up the box that fits into one hand.
It seemed too small to hold anything that would fit her.
"My lady."
"Open it and try it on."
Hikari opens the box.
She pinches the thin silvery string between her fingers.
The triangular piece of black silk unfolds itself.
"My lady."
"I know. I know. It's a lot smaller than the ones you usually wear. It obviously can't absorb the sweat from your workouts. But you're going to a ball for Silora's sake. "
Stretch. Stretch.
Hikari tugs at the string.
Stretch. Stretch.
The small triangular area.
She stretches and tugs at it, wishing that it were bigger.
"Hikari… stop it."
"Yes, my lady."
She drops the thin saddle on the ground and steps into the hoops.
With a flick of her finger, she lifts the saddle up her leg.
"My lady."
"I know it's a bit airy down there. But just bear with it. You can't wear one of your thick ones to the ball. It'll ruin the elegance of the dress."
Hikari shuffles her dress uncomfortably.
A gust of wind from a window blew into the slit in her dress.
The air swirls in the confined space below her.
"My lady."
"Anyway. Now for the most important part. This one was the hardest to get my hands on. Especially because it had to be custom-made from the Moradale workshop."
Ria climbs down the ladder.
She points towards a rectangular-shaped container.
The largest container of the bunch.
Hikari opens it.
"What's this?"
A pair of strangely shaped objects.
Mirror images of each other.
Two pieces of rubber reinforced with steel cores.
A gap in the middle.
Supporting a curved surface slightly larger than Hikari's foot.
Long straps attached to either end.
"It's your new shoes. Try them."
Hikari holds up the strange object by the heel.
A confused look.
"Here, let me show you."
Ria took out a pair of shoes.
Glittering glass heels.
They were barely the size of Hikari's toenails.
"Ah."
Hikari placed them on the ground.
She placed one foot on the black rubber.
It fit the shape of her foot nicely.
Hikari pressed her weight onto it.
Thud. The heel fell over.
"Oh, that's normal. The high heel makes it hard to balance. You should sit down while wearing them."
Hikari sits atop her wardrobe, lifting both feet off the ground.
The magical material from the spire city could hold her weight.
The massive shoes float off the ground.
Ria catches a glimpse of Hikari's pinkish soles just before the heels press against them.
The straps crisscross over the giant feet.
The silver varnish on the shoe's rim.
The blood crystal bracelet just above her ankle glows.
Clack!
The heels hit the ground.
The sharp sound of the steel core makes Ria jump.
The flawless skin.
The black straps over them.
"My lady."
Clack!
Hikari tries to walk.
She wobbles, holding onto the wardrobe for support.
"It's like that. Start by walking slowly. You'll get used to it."
Clack!
Hikari pauses after each step to stabilize herself.
Clack!
Hikari steps in front of Ria.
Ria jumped.
She looks up and sees Hikari high above her.
The heels made her even higher.
Tall. Beautiful. Strong.
Her arched foot.
Ria fell to her knees.
"My lady?"
"Oh! um… I'm…"
Hikari's toes resting on the platform heel reached her stomach.
"Look at these dreadful toenails! Don't you ever trim them?"
Ria placed her hand on Hikari's toenail that was the size of her hand.
"I know."
Ria darted to her backpack and took out a case.
She knelt before Hikari's toes.
A piece of metal the maid uses to polish her tiny nails.
Ria saws away at the nail tip.
It had no effect.
She pressed harder, but Hikari's nails were harder than the metal itself.
The metal file dropped on the ground.
"My lady?"
Hikari leaned forward.
Her lady looked so cute from above.
Kneeling at her feet and shaving her toenails.
"Let me try again."
Ria shaved away at her toes.
The metal couldn't dent the thick toenails.
Yet she continued.
She couldn't stop.
Hikari watched.
"My lady."
"Ah. Huff* Huff*."
Her arm couldn't take it anymore.
Hikari's nails still looked the same.
"Your nails sure are tough. Looks like I have to think of something else."
Ria took out bottles of nail polish.
A whole bottle would only be enough for one of those giant nails.
Nevertheless, Ria polished over the rough parts, especially at the edges.
"There! At least it won't be so obvious."
"Thanks."
A shiver ran down Ria's spine as she turned her head and saw herself in the mirror.
Kneeling at her knight's feet. Doing her nails like a servant.
It was such a humiliating position for her. But it felt so good.
Especially when her knight praised her.
Slap! She slapped both cheeks.
She hastily put her nail polish in her bag and closed it shut.
"Stand at attention!"
She shouted at Hikari.
She grabbed her glass heels and climbed the ladder to the top of Hikari's wardrobe.
"Time is short. The maids will paint over your nails before we go. Now, I'm going to teach you how to present yourself properly. The art of being a lady requires discipline and precision. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Now, place your feet together."
Clack. Clack.
Hikari shuffled her heels closer together.
With her legs wide apart, she was already struggling to balance on the high heels.
"Closer. Like this."
Ria's heels touched.
Her shoes pointed diagonally outwards for just a tiny bit of stability.
Hikari nudged her heels closer again.
"Closer!"
Ria shouted at the top of her voice.
A high-pitched, squeaky voice.
Hikari nudged her heels closer.
"Closer!"
Hikari spread her arms to steady herself.
She began to wobble as her strangely shaped shoes raised her center of gravity, making it hard to balance.
Finally, her heels were inches apart.
"Good enough for now. Now for your hands, put them in front of you, resting on your stomach."
Hikari reluctantly moved her hands closer to her centerline.
Her calves bore the weight, keeping her from falling over.
"Good, we don't have much time, so let's move on to walking. Now follow my lead."
Ria paced back and forth along the top of Hikari's wardrobe.
Hikari observed.
Click! Clack! Click! Clack!
"No! No! Not like that, you're marching like a soldier."
"My lady?"
"Imagine a straight line in the ground in front of you. Land your feet on the line with every step."
Hikari's eyes turned to the floor.
She hesitates.
Clack! She wobbles to one side.
Her quick reflexes allowed her to rebalance.
Clack! She wobbles to the other side.
"Good, keep at it. It was hard for me at first as well."
In fact, Ria remembers falling over many times before she could even make it across her room.
Clack! Hikari wobbles to the left.
Clack! She wobbles to the right.
But she managed.
"Now, you still need to practice turning."
Clack! Clack! Hikari turned by stamping her heels.
"Watch. This is a dummy way of turning. But at least you shouldn't fall over with this."
Bit by bit, Ria turned her heels by a tiny angle with each step.
Click. Click. Click.
Hikari mimicked her.
She managed a full turn without wobbling.
"Good, but It's something we do to turn quietly as it's not particularly elegant. Now continue with normal walking."
Click! Clack! Click! Clack!
Hikari walked before Ria.
She was flying.
Her dress fluttered.
Ria was astonished at how quickly Hikari got used to the heels.
Her strides were even.
Her arched foot.
Click. Click. Click.
The clumsy shuffling at the end killed the elegance.
"My lady."
"Oh.. Ahem!.. Good, looks like you're getting the hang of it. Since you're making such good progress, perhaps we can try turning?"
"Yes."
"Watch closely."
Pat. Pat. Pat.
The sound of Ria's tiny heel on Hikari's wardrobe top.
As she approached the end, she lifted the back of both her heels and turned on one heel, her other leg swinging behind her.
"Gosh, I can't begin to think about how many tries it took me to get this right."
She mumbled to herself.
"There, you try."
Scree. Scree.
Hikari tried to lift the tall black heel off the ground and turn.
The heel's sole screeches against the ground.
Her movements were forceful.
"That's enough, don't-"
Hikari turned a full circle on one heel, balancing on one heel.
"Like this?"
Ria's eyes widened.
She was at a loss for words.
Click! Clack! Click! Clack!
Hikari walks across the room in front of her.
Clack! She anchors one heel and turns in a seamless motion.
Click! Clack! Click! Clack!
Her sharp but elegant steps.
Not a hint of wobbling.
Clack! She anchors one heel and turns.
Click! Clack!
She stops in front of Ria and turns toward her.
"How is it?"
Her lady's mouth was agape.
Her eyes widened.
"My lady?"
Her lady couldn't speak.
She was blushing red.
Her knees weak.
"Oh! Ahem!"
She cleared her throat.
"It…"
She was shivering.
"It's acceptable…"