“It seems everyone is ready for bed,” he remarks before clicking off the lights. As darkness envelops the room, I force myself to sleep.
CHAPTER26
?BIONIC & BESPOKE?
?MARTA?
We waitfor the fitting appointment, and I anxiously sit on my hands, feeling a surge of nervous energy. Meeting someone new doesn’t happen often around here, and the anticipation is making me giddy. It’s as if Raf’ere is fulfilling his promise to trust me.
As I wonder if the alien tailor will belong to the same species as Raf’ere, a knock on the chamber doors startles me, and I restrain myself from jumping out of my chair. I wait impatiently for the sound of the doors clicking shut before turning around. I don’t want my first impression to be one of panic if I glimpse the ocean over the ballroom.
“Your Grace, the tailor, Hisso, has arrived,” Jens’i says in a curt tone, and I swiftly spin my head to face him. The tailor, almost as tall as Raf’ere, is impeccably dressed in a sophisticated blue suit. He exudes a striking handsomeness and is entirely made of gleaming metal. It’s shocking to realize that he’s a robot.
“Shall we?” Raf’ere stands, acknowledging the shiny metal man with a nod. It annoys me I'm not meeting a real person, but the feeling fades when the robot speaks.
“Indeed,” he says in a deep, resonant voice that reverberates through the room, grabbing my attention. I follow them as he approaches Raf’ere’s mirror, his movements smooth and deliberate.
At that moment, I can’t help but wonder if a robot can be hot. I find myself drawn to his presence. He reminds me of some proper English love interest from a Jane Austen film. His design is undeniably human-like, yet there is a hint of otherworldly grace in his towering stature and elongated features. Maybe he’s intentionally crafted to resemble a different species altogether.
“Well, yes actually, Hisso,” Raf’ere responds,. “I require some clothing for Marta. The fi’len cuts simply don’t suit her.”
The android swiftly turns his head toward me, his movement precise and calculated. His gaze is unwavering, unblinking, as he locks eyes with me.
“Something different, indeed, Your Grace,” he replies, his voice lacking the natural fluctuations of a human’s. Surprisingly, for as bizarre as he is to me, he doesn’t trigger a feeling of uncanny valley uneasiness.. For a robot, he emanates a warmth and kindness I didn’t expect.
I stand in front of the mirror, the giants behind me, feeling small in their presence. I gaze up at the android in the reflection as he assesses me, his eyes scanning my form with a discerning eye. He delicately twists the tip of his finger, causing a vibrant blue laser light to emanate from it, casting a mesmerizing glow.
“And what, if I may ask, do we require?” he asks, turning his attention back to Raf’ere.
“Everything,” Raf’ere says solemnly, his gaze fixed upon me.
“Lift your arms please Marta.”
I meet Hisso’s eyes in the reflection before I do as he instructs. As I comply, he points his glowing finger towards the crown of my head.
The cool sensation of the blue light washes over me, scanning the contours of my body. I glance upward, glimpsing Hisso’s face as he works. His mechanical green eyes have rolled back, and it’s a rather unsettling sight. Uncertain of what to do, I remain still, shifting my gaze to Raf’ere.
He stands with crossed arms, his eyes narrowing and his nostrils slightly flaring as he focuses on Hisso’s finger. Suddenly, the blue light clicks off, and the android’s eyes return to a less disconcerting position.
“Excellent, thank you, Marta,” he says, his smile remarkably human. “You can lower your arms now.” Hisso winks at me, a gesture I didn’t expect from a robot.
“Are you sure you got my measurements already?” I ask, taken aback by the swiftness of the process.
“Well, you tell me,” he says, his voice tinged with pride, as he lightly taps the toe of his shoe against the floor. A strange, soft hum fills the air, and I realize it’s the sound of a hologram materializing.
The room is suddenly bathed in a warm, pulsating light, and I can’t help but marvel at the intricate details that come into view. The hologram paints a dress over my body, its ethereal fabric flowing and shimmering, even adding a layer of skin where my slip dress lies underneath. The gown is an elegant formal number, with its sweeping train and alluring low neckline.
“Wow, so you can make this?” I say, my voice filled with awe as I examine how perfectly the fake dress fits my form.
“I certainly could, but if you’d allow me a few alterations,” he says, his fingertips lighting up once again with a soft blue glow. With graceful movements, he draws on the hologram with his lit finger, making subtle changes. His finger traces along the sleeves, he cuts them up to my elbows.
“A shorter sleeve,” he murmurs as he slashes away the excess fabric. “And maybe a bit of a deeper neckline—” His finger hovers just above my collarbone.
Before he can finish his sentence, a voice interrupts, cutting through the air with a hint of impatience. “We get the idea, Hisso. I trust your judgment. We’ll discuss the specifics of the wardrobe later. Do you have all the measurements you need?” There’s a subtle tension in Raf’ere’s voice.
Hisso withdraws his hand, the lights on his fingertips abruptly extinguishing. “Yes, Your Grace. I have everything I need from the lovely Marta.” A small smile plays on his lips as he catches my gaze in the reflection of the mirrors.
“Thank you, Hisso,” I say, turning to face him fully, my hand resting innocently on his arm.
