CXnovel Chapter 325: Rank A Party
Chapter 325: Rank A Party
"That’s a cute hairpin. It suits you very well, Theodora."
"Right? Right? I fell in love with it the moment I saw it and bought it immediately!"
Theodora found herself soothed by Qiong Xing, who listened to her with a smile and without the slightest hint of annoyance.
If it had been her party members like Scion, they would have looked annoyed and outright told her she was being a nuisance.
The only one who understood a woman’s heart was Danan, but his femininity was so much stronger than hers that he often ended up calling her crude instead.
"You need to calm down a little."
That was something everyone had told her so often she was sick of hearing it.
Even she knew she was quick-tempered and hardly what one would call ladylike.
Still, she was a woman who loved cute and beautiful things.
"The nerve of him trying to touch my chest. Maybe I should repay him by breaking that arm."
The first time she met Qiong Xing, she had been doing something most women probably would never do.
She had been picking a fight with a man who had tried to grope her.
"Um... sorry for interrupting."
At first glance, she had thought he might be a girl because he was so cute.
But from his mannerisms, she quickly realized he was a boy.
She had wondered what someone like him was doing in a guild.
Not wanting him caught up in a fight, she told him to stay away, but he shook his head.
"Your anger is understandable, but it would be pointless if you got hurt because of it. Your beautiful hair has become messy too. If you’d like, may I fix it for you?"
The beautiful blonde hair she had inherited from her mother was one of Theodora’s greatest sources of pride.
She had never paid much attention to her appearance, but her hair was different.
She took diligent care of it.
"Really?"
She released the man’s collar and turned toward the boy.
He smiled and nodded.
When he offered her a nearby chair, she sat down.
After muttering something to the men from earlier, he moved behind her and gently combed through her hair with his fingers.
"Those guys looked scared. What did you say to them?"
"I told them that if they kept behaving so disgracefully, some very scary people might start taking an interest in them."
"Ahahahahahaha! And that made them run away with their tails between their legs? Pathetic."
At the time, Theodora had not known who those "very scary people" were.
When she later learned that they were the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master, both of whom absolutely adored Qiong Xing, she had shuddered from head to toe.
People called her party Rank A Adventurers, but those two possessed a kind of terror that was impossible to describe.
"You have very beautiful hair, but doesn’t it get in the way when you leave it down?"
"It does. But tying it up every single time is such a hassle, and I’m not very dexterous, so I can’t do any complicated hairstyles."
Her hair reached past her waist, so naturally it got in the way during combat.
Of course, she tied it into a ponytail when necessary, but she struggled daily to find a better solution.
"Hmm... can you do braids?"
"I can manage that much. But isn’t it embarrassing for a woman my age to wear cute hairstyles like braids?"
She was nearly thirty.
Surely that sort of style was pushing it.
"I think it depends on how you do it. Could you try braiding these sections here and here?"
As he spoke, Qiong Xing handed her small sections of hair from both sides.
Having nothing else to do, she awkwardly began braiding them.
When she showed him the finished braids, he told her to wrap them around the ponytail she had tied at the back.
She followed his instructions.
"And then, if you tie it with a ribbon or something... what do you think?"
"Oh, that’s cute."
The change was not dramatic, but it looked much cuter than a simple ponytail while avoiding anything too flashy.
She examined her reflection from every angle in the mirror, enjoying the sight.
"Of course, you don’t have to wrap them around the back. You could simply tie the braids together. Doesn’t that look stylish too?"
"Yeah! This is pretty impressive for me!"
She was delighted to discover that she could actually do it herself.
It was a simple change, but there was definitely a difference between doing it and not doing it.
"Hey, what are you two doing that’s so interesting?"
The anger she had felt toward those men had completely vanished.
While she happily listened as Qiong Xing taught her other hairstyles she might be able to do herself, Danan arrived after hearing the commotion and approached them curiously.
"Look, look, Danan! I did this myself. Cute, right?"
"Theodora did that?"
Knowing just how clumsy Theodora was, Danan looked at her with obvious disbelief.
She was about to explain that this boy had taught her how to do it when she suddenly realized she had never asked for his name.
"Sorry for introducing myself so late. I’m Theodora. And this is Danan, one of my party members."
"Likewise, I’m sorry for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Qiong Xing."
After they exchanged greetings and introductions, Theodora began telling Danan about Qiong Xing.
"Oh my. If that’s the case, perhaps you could teach me something as well? A maiden should always strive to remain beautiful, no matter her age."
"Huh? But you are a guy."
"Be quiet, you wild mare."
Danan shot her a sharp glare, and Theodora wisely closed her mouth before she angered him any further.
When he got angry, he was absolutely terrifying.
Anyone who thought about doing something to such a sweet kid would have to answer to her!
Having unilaterally decided to treat Qiong Xing as a little brother, Theodora continued chatting with him while simultaneously wondering what should be done about those unfamiliar Rank A adventurers.
The thought remained firmly planted in the back of her mind throughout their conversation.