190. Mannequin

"Wow! Dad is so smart!" she exclaimed in admiration.

Reina, who heard the praise, felt slightly offended. "So you think Mom isn't smart?" she asked in a pretendingly offended tone.

Lia immediately stammered. "It's not like that! Mom is also smart!"

"Oh, so I'm just 'also' smart?" Reina narrowed her eyes, pretending to be angry.

Lia panicked and hurriedly hugged her mother. "Mom is the smartest!"

Yosan chuckled at their interaction, while Reina finally sighed in surrender. "Haa... this kid."

Meanwhile, Kkum, who had been sleeping curled up on the carpet, only stirred lazily, seemingly undisturbed by the small commotion around him.

Lia only laughed until she then looked at her mother when she remembered something. "Mom, tomorrow Lia wants to play with her friends again and will be late coming home, is that okay?"

Reina looked at her daughter for a moment before answering, "Mom doesn't mind, as long as you're careful and always supervised. Wherever you are, Mom doesn't want anything bad to happen to you later," Reina said in a soft but firm tone.

Lia nodded quickly, but Reina added, "And you also need to ask Dad for permission." She glanced at Yosan, who was putting clothes into the closet.

Hearing his name mentioned, Yosan turned and smiled thinly. "I don't mind, as long as Lia does what you just said," he said casually.

Getting permission from both her parents, Lia cheered happily. "Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!" she exclaimed with a sparkling face.

However, unlike Lia, who looked excited, Reina was silent, lost in her own thoughts. Lately, Lia has been playing outside the palace more often, away from her direct supervision. Honestly, she felt quite worried about her daughter, especially since some of her enemies were still lurking, watching her every move and looking for an opportunity to attack her or the people she cared about.

Her enemies may have decreased, but that doesn't mean they've completely disappeared. There's always the possibility of new enemies appearing.

Moreover, she had previously been quite open to the parents of Lia's friends to allow them to visit the palace. However, not all of them could come as often as she hoped.

Reina thought for a moment before finally suggesting, "Hmm... how about in the future you invite your friends to play in the palace, Lia?"

Lia seemed hesitant. "Is that allowed? Won't they know that Lia is Mom and Dad's daughter? Didn't Dad say to keep it a secret?"

Reina smiled gently. "Of course it's allowed. Besides, Mom doesn't mind, especially if only they know. I've also talked to your friends' parents that they're allowed to visit."

Lia became even more radiant with happiness. "Alright, then next time Lia will invite them to come to the palace!"

"That's good. Building relationships and maintaining good relations is important," Yosan said, lifting Lia from Reina's lap and laying her on the bed. "Now it's time to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"But Lia's not sleepy yet," Lia said, looking at her father with a pouty face. However, her face immediately changed when Yosan started doing something she didn't like. "Dad, stop it!" Lia protested when Yosan kept giving her small kisses on the cheek.

"Who told you to be so adorable like this, hmm?" Yosan chuckled, not stopping teasing his daughter.

Reina, who had just finished tidying up Lia's things, could only shake her head with a thin smile. She then picked up Kkum and joined them on the bed. Now, Lia and Kkum lay comfortably in the middle, flanked by her and Yosan.

Slowly, Lia began to be lulled by Yosan's soft singing until she finally fell asleep into a beautiful dream. After making sure her daughter was sound asleep, Yosan arranged some pillows as a barrier, then moved Lia and Kkum slowly to the other side of the bed.

Seeing Yosan suddenly crawling closer to her, Reina frowned suspiciously. "What are you doing?" she asked softly.

Yosan smiled meaningfully. "Nothing. I just want to sleep next to you and..." Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly pulled the blanket and covered himself and Reina under it.

"Yosan, stop it!" Reina protested in a soft voice. "Lia's still here! You said we shouldn't do it when Lia's here?"

"Don't mess around," she added, looking at Yosan sharply.

Yosan chuckled. "Who's messing around? I just want to sleep while hugging you," he said casually. "It's you who shouldn't mess around. Can you only think about that?"

However, when Reina felt Yosan's hand start moving to places it shouldn't be, she immediately brushed it away. "Hey, where are your hands going?"

Yosan only chuckled, then whispered in her ear, "I'm just finding a comfortable position..."

Reina snorted, but her face flushed slightly. With a little hesitation, she finally let Yosan come closer and rest his head on her shoulder.

That night, in the warmth of the blanket and each other's presence, they fell asleep peacefully.

***

Morning had arrived, greeted by the warm shining sun, stirring up activity in various corners of the city. For some people, this was just the beginning of an ordinary day, but for the owner and several employees of the boutique who had received an invitation letter from Reina yesterday, this morning was the beginning of an important task they couldn't waste.

In a large room specially chosen by Reina, the boutique employees began to work deftly, sorting out the best clothes for Yosan. Some of them flipped through robes and suits on hangers, looking for the most suitable ones, while others adjusted the sizes, ensuring the fabric fell perfectly on the man's body.

Previously, the boutique owner never thought they would get this rare opportunity. Being called directly to the palace by Reina, the queen and leader of the Lumina Kingdom, to prepare some sets of men's clothes for Yosan to buy if they were suitable from their boutique.

For them, this was not just an ordinary transaction. Yosan, the man who had been praised for his handsomeness, had become an inspiration for many designers in creating elegant men's clothing. But today they could see for themselves how their designs were worn by such a charismatic figure. Their eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, hoping one of their designs would get approval from Reina and Yosan.

In the corner of the room, Reina sat gracefully on a sofa, observing their performance with a watchful eye. Since earlier, she hadn't said much, only giving slight nods or shakes as a sign of approval or rejection. Her aura of authority made everyone cautious, not wanting to disappoint the high taste of the woman who had chosen this place as the location for clothing selection.

Yosan, who was the center of attention, stood with a calm demeanor, letting the employees adjust the clothes he was wearing. Although he wasn't the type of person who cared about details like this, seeing how serious Reina was in arranging everything, he chose to remain silent and follow the flow. For him, what mattered wasn't the clothes, but the reason behind it all, which was Reina's care and affection for him. Even so, he was starting to feel quite tired.

"My goodness... He really looks amazing," whispered one employee to her colleague, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"More handsome than I imagined," another employee replied, restraining herself from showing too much awe.

Amidst the employees' attention, Yosan remained calm. He changed clothes casually, although he was actually a bit uncomfortable with the admiring gazes that kept focusing on him every time he tried on another suit after changing behind the curtain.

Reina, who was sitting on the sofa sipping tea, only smiled thinly at the boutique employees' reactions. She was used to this. Since long ago, Yosan's charm had always made many women fascinated, both inside and outside the palace.

"What do you think, Your Majesty?" asked one of the designers hopefully.

Reina looked at Yosan from head to toe, paying attention to every detail of the clothes the man was wearing as he stood and faced her. The clothes were indeed made with high-quality materials and designed very well, but...

"Hmm... I don't think this is very suitable," Reina finally said.

The designer looked a little disappointed, but Reina immediately continued, "The cut is good, but this color doesn't suit Yosan very well. Try something else."

Yosan sighed softly. "Why do I feel like a living mannequin?" he murmured, a little too clearly.

Reina looked at him and smiled mischievously. "Is there something wrong? You're handsome, so it's only natural they want to see you in various beautiful clothes."

Yosan only sighed resignedly. He had never cared much about clothes, as long as they were comfortable to wear. However, since he got closer to that woman, he had gotten used to the various small changes that Reina brought into his life.

Currently, he had to go through a clothing selection session because almost all of his old clothes looked worn out, outdated, and some didn't fit anymore. These were the reasons that made Reina take the initiative to buy him new clothes, of course not only for comfort, but also to make the man look more classy and in line with his position.