Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 71: That’s illegal

The city smelled of rain.

Shion stared at the rain-blurred cobblestones of the capital, sitting beside Calista in the gently swaying carriage. She had no idea where they were going. Calista had only said one word: "Shopping." Then she’d thrown on a cloak embroidered with a dragon and smiled like a fox who had just found a lost chick.

Now, Shion felt like that chick.

"Is this... really necessary?" she asked, glancing at her worn-out cultivation robe.

"Little bunny," Calista sighed, not turning away from the window. "You’re under my care now. That means you have to look like someone who deserves attention, not like an orphan from a mountain monastery."

Shion was about to respond, but the carriage stopped. Before them stood a marble gate with flowing qi lines dancing across its surface. Warm light seeped from the building’s interior, reminiscent of the morning sun, and the air carried the scent of lavender and burning wood.

"Welcome to the Lotus Pavilion," Calista said with a smile, stepping out of the carriage with the grace of a goddess.

This wasn’t a shop. It was a temple of fabric, a place where every thread had a soul. Shion walked step by step behind Calista, her feet barely touching the gleaming floor, as if afraid to leave a trace. The air was warm, saturated with the scent of silk and incense, enough to tickle the nose. Dresses floated everywhere—not hanging, but drifting like spirits in the colors of morning mist. Each of them felt alive—whispering, beckoning, begging to be touched.

Shion instinctively moved closer to Calista, nearly brushing her shoulder against her cloak. Amidst all this opulence, she felt like a stain. Like a smudge on a snow-white tablecloth.

"Breathe, little bunny," Calista whispered over her shoulder, amusement in her voice. "They won’t eat you."

"Calista!" From behind a curtain, a woman in a green and gold gown rushed out.

The woman was a spectacle in herself—tall, with a storm of curly lavender hair cascading down her back like soft, fragrant lava. Her body held the curves worthy of a painter’s brush: full hips, a narrow waist, and a bosom that seemed to have its own independent rhythm. Every movement exuded a confidence that required no words—only a glance to command the room. Her silk gown clung tightly, as if begging for mercy and a few extra seams.

She smiled radiantly, her eyes sparkling like emeralds in the glow of qi lamps. "You finally came! And with... oh, what a gem!"

Ardella’s gaze swept over Shion from head to toe—hesitant steps, a thin frame, clenched hands. The girl blushed furiously, as if her mere presence in such a place was inappropriate. She averted her eyes and instinctively crossed her arms, trying to hide under the shadow of her own shoulders.

Shion instinctively took a step back.

Calista smiled brightly and approached Ardella with open arms.

"Ardella, you look as fabulous as ever. I hope your wild creations haven’t consumed the capital’s entire silk supply yet."

Ardella laughed melodically and embraced Calista with theatrical flair.

"Only half of it. The rest I keep for people like you." Her gaze shifted curiously to Shion. "You didn’t come alone this time?"

"No," Calista replied, proudly placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. "This is Shion. I brought her because... she needs a wardrobe. Not just a dress, Ardella. A whole new world."

Ardella looked closely at Shion. Her eyes paused on the girl’s red irises and auburn hair curling shyly around her cheeks.

"Rare colors. And a unique gaze." She tilted her head with interest. "So what style are we looking for? Sweet? Elegant? Something for cultivation?"

Calista smiled softly.

"All of it."

"Do I really have to...?" Shion looked at the raspberry dress with frills as if holding a weapon of mass destruction.

"If you don’t try it on, I’ll have Ardella sew you a tail. A bunny tail. With a bell," Calista stated flatly.

Shion shuddered, then nodded quickly and darted toward the fitting room, leaving behind a trail of embarrassment and hurried footsteps. Her auburn hair danced behind her like flames, and Calista smiled to herself with undisguised satisfaction.

Ten minutes later, Shion stood in the center of the pavilion, red as a rose petal. The dress wrapped around her gently, the frills swaying with every movement.

"This isn’t me," she whispered.

"No. It’s you—you just don’t know it yet," Calista replied, sitting with a cup of tea in her hand. "You look like a dessert. And I don’t mean pudding. I mean something to be looked at, not eaten. Because eating you would be a crime."

Shion looked like she might explode.

"Please, I’ll take it off, just stop saying things like that!"

"We’re taking this one," Calista said without taking her eyes off the blushing Shion, then turned to Ardella. "Ardella, add it to the order. And bring the next set, please."

Ardella nodded with a smile that spoke volumes, turned on her heel, her gown twirling in the air, and disappeared behind a velvet curtain. A moment later, she returned with another ensemble—something white, light, with a bow and delicate embroidery.

"Time to see how the bunny looks in utterly irresistible mode," she announced with a playful gleam in her eye.

When Shion saw the headband with ears and the white dress with a bow on the chest, her heart froze.

"No. No. No."

"Yes. Yes. And yes."

"Please, Calista–"

"One more ’no,’ and Ardella will design you a full priestess outfit from the Northern Order of Love."

Shion froze.

Five minutes later, she peeked out from behind the curtain, trembling like a leaf.

Calista looked at her. Slowly, very slowly, she put her teacup down.

"Holy hell," she murmured. "That’s illegal. In three provinces. And two kingdoms."

"Can I take it off now?!"

"Absolutely not. Ardella! Sew it in three color variants!"

"NO!" Shion shouted suddenly, and Ardella raised an eyebrow. "One is enough!"

A short silence fell. Calista looked at her with a raised brow, then sighed.

"Fine. One. For now." She turned to Ardella and sighed with light amusement. "Ardella, add it to the order. And bring the next set before she starts protesting again."

Ardella chuckled softly, nodded, and disappeared behind the curtain. She soon returned with another outfit—this time, a slightly shimmering silk robe in pastel shades, adorned with delicate cherry blossom embroidery and a golden belt at the waist.

"Time for something more delicate," she said with a smile, handing the set to Shion.

The lotus robe felt like the touch of a cool lake at dawn. When Shion put it on, she couldn’t move for a moment. As if her body feared ruining something so pure.

"This is... too beautiful," she whispered. "I shouldn’t be wearing this."

Calista approached, standing behind her, looking into the mirror.

"Maybe that’s exactly why you should. Because no one ever gave you the right to feel beautiful."

Shion swallowed and slowly stepped toward the mirror. She looked at her reflection—the silk robe clung to her body with such softness that it seemed afraid to touch her. The pastel colors lit up her skin, and the golden belt highlighted her waist in a way that made her barely recognize herself.

Her fingers shyly touched the fabric on her shoulder. She had never looked... like this. So beautiful.

Calista watched in silence. When she saw the corners of Shion’s lips lift slightly, a subtle smile graced her own face.

"Ardella," she said quietly. "Now I want something elegant."

Ardella disappeared for a moment, and when she returned, she carried a black evening gown—smooth as the surface of a night lake, with thin straps woven from qi threads. Its hem cascaded like shadow, and the embroidery near the hips resembled stardust.

Shion looked at the dress and froze—but this time, not in fear, but in awe. Her eyes sparkled, and her hands reached out to touch the fabric. Before anyone could react, she gently took the dress from Ardella and disappeared behind the curtain.

Calista raised an intrigued brow and followed her a few moments later.

"I’ll help you," she said softly, and instead of protesting, Shion simply nodded.

Together, they arranged the fabric on the girl’s body, fastened hidden clasps, and smoothed the folds around her hips. When Shion stepped in front of the mirror, silence fell.

The black evening gown flowed over her like a shadow cast by stars. She looked like she belonged to a place she didn’t yet know existed.

"Do you like it?" Calista asked softly.

Shion looked at herself once more, then nodded with wide eyes and a shimmering blush on her cheeks.

Calista felt warmth spread in her chest. That one gesture—that enthusiastic nod—meant more than all the words in the world.

"Ardella," she said again, calm but commanding. "Now I want one last thing."

"Of course," Ardella replied with a smile. "A cultivation robe?"

Calista nodded.

Ardella returned with the final set—a cultivation robe in deep navy blue, embroidered with delicate qi runes. The material looked as light as a feather but radiated a quiet strength, as if woven from mist and silence.

Shion accepted it carefully, almost reverently. She tried it on silently, and when she stepped out from behind the curtain, her movements were freer.

"The first one that doesn’t itch," she said in surprise, rolling her shoulders.

"Because it’s made for you," Calista replied, watching her with satisfaction.

She turned to Ardella and nodded.

"That’s all for today. Add everything to my account."

Shion nodded... then froze. Her gaze swept over the clothing sets beside her, the gleaming robes, the delicate embroidery, the intricate accessories. Her heart started beating faster.

"C-Calista..." she began softly, trying to find her words. "All of this... must be terribly expensive. I... I don’t need this much, really..."

Calista looked at her coolly, and that one glance was enough for Shion to fall silent mid-sentence. Then a smile lit up the woman’s face. She stepped forward, raised a hand, and gently patted Shion’s head.

"That’s enough for today," she said quietly. "Come on. Time for lunch."

They paused in front of the restaurant, and Shion’s eyes widened at the gilded facade and red lanterns with qi runes slowly spinning above the entrance. Inside, the aroma of spicy ginger, toasted rice, and something else—something sweet and strange—tickled her senses.

The menu was just as surprising: moon lily soup, caramelized qi beetles, lotus-petal fried rice, dumplings filled with celestial nut paste... Shion didn’t know what to look at first.

"People really eat this?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Try it before you judge," Calista said, already placing the order.

Shion tried the soup first—and immediately reached for another spoonful. The flavors were odd, foreign, but addictive. Then came the dumplings. Then dessert. Then another dessert. When the waiter brought warm tea made from sun essence, Shion was already holding her belly and leaning back in her chair.

"I’ve never eaten this much at once..." she whispered, blushing.

Calista simply raised an amused brow.

After the meal, they wandered through the city—crossed a bridge made of glowing qi tiles, peeked into a shop with magical amulets where Shion stared long at the color-changing pendants, and paused by a fountain where water fell upward.

By the time they returned to the carriage, Shion slumped into her seat, curled up in her new robe and clutching a bag of clothes. She closed her eyes, and seconds later, she was asleep with a soft sigh.

Calista looked at her from the side, gently brushed a lock of hair from her face, and leaned her head against the carriage wall.

"Good bunny," she whispered with a smile.

"Thank you," came a quiet voice, without opening her eyes. "For everything."

Calista didn’t reply. She simply patted the girl’s head, as if that one gesture said it all.

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