Chapter 29
The Holy Knight approached Elsez and showed her a crystal orb.
“Is this the boy who was said to possess the dimensional fragment?”
Inside the orb appeared the face of the boy Elsez had once encountered. She nodded.
“Yes, that’s him.”
“There are reports that this boy was seen entering Count Lort’s mansion on the day you encountered him.”
Count Lort? That name sounds familiar…
Elsez furrowed her brow, trying to recall where she’d heard it.
While she was lost in thought, Astaire stroked his chin and spoke.
“If there’s some kind of event, like a banquet, that could draw the attention of the servants and the master, that would make it easier to slip in unnoticed.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“Slip in?” Elsez asked.
Astaire nodded.
“There’s not enough evidence to publicly request a search of the count’s estate just because that boy was seen entering it.”
“Well, that’s true. I’m the only one who saw the boy carrying a dimensional shard.”
“Especially since the Imperial Family wants this matter kept quiet. If we act without solid proof and offend a noble of the Empire, it could put the Holy Kingdom in a difficult position.”
Astaire, though a citizen of the Empire, represented the Holy Kingdom as its cardinal. A conflict between the two nations could easily arise from a single misstep.
“It’d be best to infiltrate the mansion, find solid evidence, and then request an official investigation.”
Astaire turned to the knight.
“Lancelot, find out if there’s an upcoming banquet or any time when the mansion might be empty.”
“Yes, understood.”
Just as Lancelot bowed and turned to leave, Elsez suddenly remembered where she had heard the name “Lort.”
“Wait a second!”
Both Lancelot, who had been heading out, and Astaire, still lost in thought, turned toward her.
“I… I think I can get into that house.”
Late in the afternoon, after her bath, Elsez returned to her room and opened a gift box she had set aside.
Inside was a luxurious dress that looked expensive at a single glance.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
Why on earth would they send something this extravagant?
At that moment, Luti—who had been lying on the table doodling numbers—looked up curiously.
“What’s that, human? It’s so shiny.”
“A dress.”
“What do you do with it?”
“Infiltrate.”
Elsez replied absentmindedly, then seemed to remember something.
“I don’t think I can take you with me tonight—there’s no cloak to hide you. Want to stay home?”
After observing Luti for a while, she’d concluded that leaving him alone at home wasn’t too dangerous.
But his reply surprised her.
“I can move into other objects.”
As soon as he said that, the rabbit doll that had been standing upright suddenly collapsed.
At the same time, black smoke swirled into the fountain pen he’d been doodling with, and a voice came from it.
“Ta-da! Impressive, right?”
“So you can move into anything that’s not alive?”
“Exactly. If something already has a soul, I can’t enter it.”
“Then move into this brooch.”
Elsez tapped the brooch that came with the dress. The black haze shifted from the pen into the brooch.
At that moment, there was a knock, and Lenny entered.
“You called for me, my lady?”
Seeing the dress on the table, Lenny gasped.
“Oh my goodness—did the Duke send this? It’s beautiful!”
“Uh, yeah… that’s right.”
It wasn’t a gift from Tezet, but Elsez didn’t bother correcting her.
It would be awkward to explain that it came from another man when she was engaged—and too long a story besides.
In truth, the dress had come from Astaire.
A few days earlier, when they’d discussed infiltrating Count Lort’s mansion, Elsez had revealed her true identity and mentioned that she already had an invitation to the estate.
She hadn’t planned to hide her identity forever—only to avoid complications in her guild activities. It wasn’t a big secret, and pretending otherwise had started to weigh on her conscience.
After hearing her out, Astaire insisted that they would provide everything needed for the mission.
“It’s only right that we supply what’s necessary for the operation.”
After taking her measurements, the dress had arrived the next day.
He didn’t need to send something this extravagant… Am I even allowed to accept it?
She was only going to sneak in and look around—not do anything dangerous—but the gown was so beautiful that the thought of damaging it made her nervous.
Still, since she had sold all her own gowns to pay off debts, she had nothing else to wear.
“Can you help me get ready, Lenny?”
“You’re attending a banquet, right? Leave it to me!”
Excited to show off her skills, Lenny eagerly began dressing Elsez up.
By the time they finished, the sun had almost set.
“My lady, please stand.”
Dozing off, Elsez blinked awake at Lenny’s voice.
In the mirror stood a delicate young noblewoman of striking beauty.
Elsez stared blankly at her reflection.
Her platinum hair was half-tied and cascaded gently over a pale blue dress embroidered with tiny gemstones. Her skin glowed softly under the warm light.
I thought this face was pretty from the moment I possessed it…
If only this face and body didn’t belong to someone carrying a demon’s power, it would’ve been a blissful life.
Suppressing a sigh, Elsez looked back at Lenny.
“You’ve got real talent. Thank you, Lenny.”
Lenny smiled bashfully.
“Should I get ready as well?”
“No need. They’ll provide an attendant there.”
It wasn’t unusual to bring a maid to such events, but sometimes servants were restricted from entry—usually for security reasons or because the nobles wanted a more private gathering.
All the better. It’ll be easier to move alone anyway.
Just then, Mrs. Mars entered the room.
“My lady, the carriage has arrived.”
The carriage, too, had been arranged by Astaire, knowing the state of the Lohain family’s finances.
After pinning on the brooch that now housed Luti, Elsez descended to the mansion’s entrance.
There, a carriage bearing the Lohain crest waited, and beside it stood a young coachman with brown hair and a beret.
He looked barely past adulthood, still with a boyish charm. Smiling, he greeted her.
“Good evening, my lady.”
It was a face she didn’t recognize—but the voice sounded oddly familiar.
As she approached, Elsez’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized the familiar features beneath the disguise.
The freckles and wig couldn’t hide the gentle smile and melodious voice. It was unmistakably—
“Ye—”
“Shh.”
Astaire pressed a finger to his lips, speaking just loud enough for her to hear.
Mindful of Lenny and Mrs. Mars watching from behind, Elsez closed her mouth.
Escorting her into the carriage, Astaire said softly,
“The Duke has prepared a little surprise for you, my lady. May I?”
Knowing her situation, he tactfully pretended the “gift” was from Tezet, her fiancé.
A surprise?
Elsez tilted her head but nodded.
Once she agreed, Astaire climbed into the carriage and shut the door behind them, taking the seat across from her.
He looked at her intently.
Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Elsez spoke first.
“Um… do I look strange?”
Truth be told, she felt strange.
She’d never been one for makeup or dresses, even in her past life, and everything—from the heels to the long gown—felt alien.
Astaire smiled faintly and shook his head.
“No. You look beautiful. I almost regret that I can’t escort you myself tonight.”
Don’t say things like that—it’s embarrassing!
Flustered, Elsez looked away, scratching her cheek. Then she remembered something.
“By the way… what’s this ‘surprise gift’?”
“Oh, that. I forgot to send it with the dress.”
Astaire took out a small box from his coat—smaller than his palm—and removed something from inside.
“Pardon me for a moment.”
What is he doing?
Elsez watched in confusion.
Then, suddenly, his face drew close—so close that she could feel his breath.
Through his long lashes, his eyes glimmered like a frozen lake in winter.
Blink.
Elsez’s amber eyes fluttered slowly as she stared back at him.
