Caius knew better than to give it to her directly. Belle would never accept it like that—after all, she’d even turned down the school uniform offered by Instructor Holan.
Don’t be fooled by how gentle and obedient this girl seemed. Deep down, she had her own brand of stubbornness and a strong sense of independence.
Just look at how she directly took 3,000 out of her 5,000 research funds to buy herself a Teleportation Magic Array Plate. That alone showed she wasn’t some passive pushover—she had her own mind, and she made her own decisions.
So when it came to giving gifts, one had to be tactful. All the more so when the gift was... a dress.
A man giving a woman a dress—it was laced with implication. It carried a hint of intimacy.
But silly mushroom probably wouldn’t notice a thing. She had intelligence but zero emotional perception, like many introverts.
Holan, on the other hand, was a different story.
Which meant Caius absolutely could not give Belle a dress in front of Holan.
So... what now?
As Caius racked his brain for ideas, Holan suddenly pulled out a glowing badge, glanced at it, then said, “I’ve got an emergency meeting. Looks like it’s about the Bloody Lands in the Nofalark Forest.”
Caius’s eyes lit up instantly.
Instructor Holan was this considerate?
He didn’t even need to find an excuse—she was leaving on her own?
Perfect~
“Then you’d better go,” Caius said. “Matters in the Bloody Lands can’t be delayed. Let me know if there’s any news.”
“Mm.” Holan nodded and stood up to put on her shoes. Caius even walked her to the door.
But just as she was about to leave, Holan suddenly turned around and said, “While I’m gone, don’t bully Belle.”
“Don’t worry!” Caius patted his chest confidently.
“And no funny business, either!” Holan added.
Caius paused, then put on a completely innocent face. “Funny business? Come on, I’m a grown man—what, you think I’d steal something?”
Holan: “……”
Oh, keep acting innocent.
Like she’d ever believe Caius didn’t get it.
That guy was anything but pure!
Holan pouted slightly. “Just no. Got it?”
“Got it, got it. Don’t worry—if you can’t trust me, who can you trust?” Caius waved his hand dismissively.
Holan gave him a long look, then nodded. “Fine, I’m going.”
“Go on, go on.”
Caius might be a bit loose-lipped and slippery, but he was dependable in the ways that mattered. Holan didn’t think he was the kind of guy who would take advantage of someone.
And so, Instructor Holan left—leaving behind one silly mushroom, a sly big bad wolf, and a mischievous little cat who’d definitely take Caius’s side.
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As she walked away, Caius waved after her. When she turned back, he even wore that goofy, honest grin.
Only after Holan disappeared down the road did Caius step back inside and shut the door with a mischievous chuckle.
“Hehehe~”
Back inside, he saw Belle standing at the table. She reached out a finger and gently nudged a glass of water, pushing it toward where Caius had been sitting earlier.
When she noticed him return, she quickly retracted her hand, like a child caught sneaking a treat.
Caius chuckled and flopped down on the couch without a care, grabbed the glass, and chugged it.
Seeing this, Belle reached out, trying to quietly take the glass and pour more water for him.
But Caius suddenly grabbed her hand.
Belle froze. Slowly, she raised her head to look at him, only to find his gaze fixed on her sleeve.
“You’ve been wearing this sweater for quite a while, haven’t you? The color’s starting to fade.” Caius gently rubbed the fabric between his fingers, feeling the wool.
It was good quality wool, but after so many washes, the fibers had become loose and thin.
Belle nodded. “Three years.”
“Three years, huh? Then it’s time for a new one.” Caius saw his chance—he could steer the conversation toward clothes and lead into giving her the dress.
But then Belle seemed to remember something. She quietly pulled her hand back.
Caius let go, curious what she was about to do.
She turned and walked into her room. A few moments later, she came out carrying a huge pile of sweaters, leaving Caius stunned.
Belle placed them in front of him, then poked her finger out of her sleeve and pointed at them.
“They’re finished…”
Caius twitched at the corner of his mouth. “All for me?”
Belle nodded softly, then looked over at the little cat munching on fruit. “Some are for Kiki too.”
Caius picked up one of the sweaters—wow, they were huge.
He pulled one over his head and stood up for a look.
He was already a big guy, but the sweater was even larger—its sleeves hung low enough to almost cover his fingertips.
Clearly, Belle had knitted them oversized on purpose, so they’d last longer.
But Caius was honestly curious—how had she known his measurements?
Belle had never asked… Had she just eyeballed it?
Your eyes are measuring tools now?
“Hey, little cat, you try yours too,” Caius said.
“New clothes, meow!” Kiki squealed with delight and put hers on.
It was also a bit too big. Her little paws disappeared inside the sleeves—just like Belle’s now. And her sweater was styled like a dress, long enough to reach her knees.
It was slightly loose, but once she wore it, it felt unbelievably cozy.
Especially charming was the hoodie—when Kiki pulled it over her head, it covered the upper half of her small face, and the top even had soft, fluffy cat ears.
“So comfy~ meow~” Kiki hugged the sweater with delight.
Caius smiled and nodded in satisfaction.
Belle’s knitting skills were no joke—the quality was truly impressive!
He even counted them.
Belle had knitted six sweaters for him, each one different.
Some had hoods, some had pockets, one had a snowflake pattern, another had a higher collar...
And Kiki had three sweaters of her own, each full of Catfolk elements—she had even thoughtfully added tail holes.
Belle looked at Caius with anticipation, seemingly waiting for praise.
But Caius suddenly put on a stern face.
"One is enough for me. Why did you make so many?"
"Isn’t that wasteful?"
Hearing this, Belle slowly lowered her head, her fingers fidgeting nervously.
Caius could tell she was a little disappointed.
But he didn’t stop. He continued, “Your main task right now is to study properly. Knitting sweaters takes time. Making so many—how am I supposed to believe you still have time for your studies?”
Belle, head down, pinched her fingers together and whispered, “I knit… really fast…”
Caius chuckled, his tone softening as he reached out to rub her head.
“Fast isn’t good either. What if you prick your finger rushing it?”
“These are enough. No more sweaters, alright?”
The moment Caius said that, Belle’s eyes widened and she looked up in a panic.
“But… winter’s coming…”
“It’s not like we don’t have money. Just buy new clothes.”
“They’re too expensive…”
“I know a place that’s really cheap. I always buy in bulk there,” Caius replied.
Belle tilted her head, staring at him.
Caius, oblivious to her gaze, kept talking: “While I was there getting clothes this time, I saw a dress that would look perfect on you.”
“It was pretty affordable and had great value for the price, so I bought it.”
“It’s only fair—you made sweaters for me, so I should return the favor.”
As he spoke, Caius took out a beautifully wrapped gift box and handed it to Belle.
Belle was stunned and quickly waved her hands in refusal.
But before she could say anything, Caius frowned and said, “Take it!”
“I’m a man, you know. You’ll hurt my pride if you refuse.”
Belle hesitated for a moment, then slowly and cautiously accepted the gift box, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, “How… how much was it?”
“I already told you—it wasn’t expensive,” Caius said, waving dismissively. “Just one hundred and fifty gold.”
Belle: “…”
Caius froze.
Don’t tell me even 150 gold sounds expensive to her?
He quickly added, “It was on sale—an 80% discount across the whole store. So it was just 30 gold.”
Belle still didn’t say anything. She just looked at Caius.
For some reason, Caius suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
