"All right, take off your shirt and shorts so we can try some things on," Oanh instructed.

Solae had been led into a bedroom that was a stark departure from the luxury of Lord Armon's estate. It was large and comfortable, with a bed that slept two comfortably, but it did not have the expensive drapes, plush rugs embroidered in metallic threads, brocade-upholstered antiques, or fine pieces of artwork. There was a small table in a corner by a window that was clearly for Oanh's exclusive use judging by the design and perfumes arranged by its large mirror. There were two nightstands, a wardrobe with a door half-ajar revealing men's clothes inside, and brackets mounted on a wall for safe weapon storage.

As the marquise undressed Oanh manually opened a walk-in closet that was filled with apparel. Most was blouses, skirts, slacks, dresses, and wear exclusively for woman, but Solae spotted a few unisex or masculine garments interspersed. The sniper wandered around as she plucked out options, measuring them visually against Solae, and then either draping them on her arm or shoving them back into the order. This took several minutes and left the noble beauty standing uncomfortably exposed as she waited patiently.

"I have some undergarments I haven't worn as well," Oanh said as she produced well over a dozen ensembles for Solae including vacuum-sealed unmentionables in their original packaging. "Only one of the tops [i]might[/i] fit and I doubt the bottoms are your style, but maybe Rene will appreciate my taste."

"Oh, he's not... I mean to say we're not... involved," Solae stammered as she awkwardly shuffled off the rest of her clothing and began to try on the pile that had been given to her. Oanh waited quietly without judgment or further commentary which only made Solae feel compelled to explain. She did not want to appear to be lacking in social graces or lacking in gratitude for the generosity being displayed at this moment. "We just met and I'm the most wanted woman on the planet."

Oanh folded her arms. "I'll say," she remarked with a half-bemused smile. "I'll let you finish trying these on in peace. Pick one outfit to wear and one to take with you so you can alternate what is dry and clean with what needs to be washed. When you are on the move you need to pack light."

Before Solae could protest Oanh had slipped out the door and out of the room. Being alone sent a shiver down her spine but she focused on the task at hand so as to not let emotions overwhelm her. It was only after her hostess had abandoned the bedchambers that Solae realized that everything selected for her had been in blue or purple jewel tones to match the hues of her iris. Military women invoked a certain stereotype but Oanh had not let them define her judging by the overflowing closet.

----

"Still working on the clothes," Oanh said as she entered the kitchen where Rene and her husband were setting the table. "Now, before she comes out here we need to address the elephant in the room and I don't mean Hyun Tae's wretched attempt at facial hair." Min Ho rolled his eyes but didn't object. Discreetly he touched at the stubble of his jaw that had failed to fill in properly.

"The higher up you go with noble titles, the more genetically engineered they are. I can tell just looking at Solae her parents left absolutely nothing to a roll of the dice. Of course enhancements come at a cost regardless of what propaganda tells you. For women in particular they have a higher pain tolerance- because child birth is a messy affair even with our current tech- but they can't handle trauma as you, Hyun Tae, or myself. I doubt Solae herself has been made aware. There's no imminent danger judging by the two injuries she's sporting right now, but I am warning you that you might take a couple bullets and still have a chance to react, but she will have a lower threshold to into shock." Oanh's brows furrowed slightly in concern.

"Oanh can give you a crash course in how to react to medical emergencies," Min Ho remarked with a gesture. "Patched herself up enough."

"The hell I did. My job was to watch your back [i]at a distance[/i]. I would have been the worst sharpshooter of this vector if I had waltzed out from under cover and engaged the enemy." Oanh sported a charming smile as she turned towards Rene. There was no doubt that between the two that Min Ho was built to destroy anything foolish enough to be within an arm's length of his person. "But my husband's right. I could give you a crash course if you feel so inclined."

"I'm going to sweep the perimeter before we eat," Min Ho stated as he started towards the front door.

"We also only have one guest bedroom. Is that going to be a problem for you?" Oanh asked Rene politely.