“What do you think, miss? Isn’t it beautiful?”
The moment I laid eyes on the dress tailored just for me, my first impression was…
“…”
That it looked incredibly uncomfortable to wear.
…Seriously, am I supposed to wear this?
Seeing the shopkeeper’s confident expression, I couldn’t refuse.
Letting out a deep sigh, I turned my gaze back to the dress.
It was a stark contrast to my usual dark attire, crafted from a bright white silk fabric.
The skirt was so voluminous that just securing it would involve a significant amount of work, and at the hem, intricate flower patterns were engraved that I couldn’t even dare to replicate.
It seemed less like a regular dress and more like an outfit for a wedding or something.
Well, if that were all, I could somehow bear it.
But…
“Did they run out of fabric for the top…?”
It seemed like there was no upper body part above the bust because they were lacking material.
“Little lady, this is all the rage these days.”
“…What in the world.”
I gaped in horror as the shopkeeper smiled at me.
Crazy, there’s no other way to describe it.
How in the world could such shameless clothing become fashionable?
What on earth are these young folks thinking these days!?
With my face turning red, I stomped my feet.
But, with the outfit already made, I felt powerless to do anything about it.
Maybe my helplessness struck the shopkeeper funny, as they snickered and then delivered a shocking line.
“Little lady, you do realize that the outfit you’re wearing shows even more skin, right?”
“…Shows skin?!”
My current outfit is all about convenience…!
Seeing that I was ready to protest, the shopkeeper waved their hand dismissively and nudged me along.
“Let’s focus on your basic makeup first~”
“My point isn’t over-!”
“Yes, yes~ I get it, little lady!”
“Ugh!”
Thus, I was half-forced into a chair in front of a massive mirror and sat there, staring blankly, when the shopkeeper finally spoke up.
“Miss, it’s all done now, but…”
“…Right, thank goodness.”
I nodded while desperately trying to avoid the reflection in the mirror.
No matter how much I dressed up, in the end, my original face wouldn’t become prettier, and even if it looked strange, it was too late to change outfits now.
“Ugh.”
It was just me putting faith in the shopkeeper’s skills; Nameless had surely waited long enough.
As I came to terms with that, I suddenly noticed the shopkeeper’s expression.
Furrowed brows as if they were frustrated, they tilted their head and spoke.
“Is there a problem?”
“A problem…? Yeah, there is one….”
The shopkeeper released a deep sigh and then opened their eyes wide, pointing at a single hair sticking straight up from my head with a raised voice.
“What on earth is going on with this hair?!”
“Huh? What’s wrong with it?”
I tilted my head in question, and the shopkeeper looked at me as if I were the village idiot.
“You little fool… it has no intention of settling down…”
Unable to contain my curiosity about what they meant, I glanced at the mirror.
“Oh.”
In the reflection, there was one stubborn tuft of hair that seemed to want to assert itself.
And my slightly different face.
It didn’t seem like I had changed much, but my droopy eyes and disgruntled eyebrows looked a little softer.
“…”
Feeling a bit strange, I bit my lip.
Just then, the shopkeeper’s reflection seemed increasingly anxious.
“…No, what are you going to do about that hair?!”
However, I couldn’t come up with a solution either, so I just kept biting my lip.
For some reason, I felt excited about meeting Nameless.
*
“Hmm… did I wander off somewhere?”
Surely when I first entered the banquet, it wasn’t this crowded.
Why were there so many people now?
I sighed deeply at the throng of people surrounding me.
…This is troublesome.
At this rate, it’ll take ages to find Nameless.
Of course, if I used my skills, I could locate him in no time, but the Emperor specifically requested that such behavior be minimized…
For now, it would have to wait.
As I absentmindedly twirled a stray hair with my index finger, I scanned my surroundings.
“Nice to meet you, young lady.”
A particularly slick-looking man with a cheesy grin approached me.
…Who is this guy?
I didn’t recognize him, so he could be suspicious, but I wondered if he might be someone the Emperor sent to find me.
“Hmm?”
“May I have the honor of knowing your name, young lady?”
With his unpleasant smile and outstretched hand, I scowled.
…What’s this situation?
I felt so confused that my mind went blank and I couldn’t respond.
I wondered how this jerk managed to approach me with such ease.
“Pfft.”
The dude squinted his eyes and took a step closer to me.
“You don’t need to be shy.”
Realization struck me about his creepy intentions.
“Oh.”
He was trying to express his interest in me.
“…Uh-huh.”
But even if I understood, there was no way I would accept.
Not because I had someone in mind or that I was still trying to figure out my identity.
Living more years as a woman than as a man made this body weirdly feel no desires, so I thought I couldn’t fall in love…
And then.
Even putting all that aside, this guy was just repulsive.
He looked so slick that it was clear he was raised with love at home, boosting his confidence through the roof.
Well, he might look decent to someone else.
However, after meeting Nameless, my standards have risen, so this average appearance just wouldn’t cut it.
So how could I reject him without causing a scene? I pondered when…
“Wait a second.”
A familiar cold sensation chilled my hand as I felt something grasp it.
Startled, I turned to see…
“…Nameless?”
Furrowing his brows menacingly, Nameless was glaring at the guy with a low growl.
“I’m sorry, but I have business with this young lady.”
Nameless raised our joined hands, shaking them for the creep to see.
While still bowing slightly, it showed the unnecessary kindness that made Nameless’s good nature shine.
The guy, momentarily stupefied, frowned and muttered.
“…Who are you?”
Just a simple question, but Nameless didn’t answer the man directly and instead looked to me, trying to gauge my reaction.
How adorable… and thoughtful.
I chuckled softly and shook my head.
I could somewhat guess his reasoning.
He probably noticed I was in trouble and bravely stepped in, but if he were to reveal our relationship as master and disciple, it would only make things awkward.
Letting out a deep sigh, I stepped forward and, with a somewhat flushing face, spoke up.
“Umm… this is just my, uh, fiancé, so you can go now.”
I’m sorry, Nameless… I’ll apologize later,
Casting a quick glance at Nameless, for some reason, his face had turned redder than mine.
“…”
He didn’t say a single word.
Neither a denial nor an affirmation.
Feeling my heart race in this oddly charged situation, I was baffled.
…Have I developed arrhythmia with age or something?
*
Though the proper banquet hadn’t even begun, I was mentally exhausted and decided to drag Nameless along to the terrace.
After my rather shocking declaration, a chain reaction occurred among the surrounding crowd.
I couldn’t focus on what everyone was saying, but I vaguely heard words like, “It’s disgusting to hit on someone who’s already committed…”
The reaction from the guy upon hearing this was quite amusing.
Blushing fiercely, he huffed with indignation and quickly left the scene.
He seemed to understand shyness, albeit he was oozing confidence.
Speaking of which…
“Ha.”
The night air was chilly because it was autumn, and even my soft sigh released a cloud of breath.
As I stared dumbly at the vapor rising from my mouth, I pondered what I should say to apologize to Nameless.
Honestly, I felt that Nameless would somewhat understand my action.
But when thinking calmly, it wasn’t the optimal response, and I could’ve thought of countless better excuses to evade that situation.
And…
“Ahem, Nameless.”
“Yes…”
Nameless surely wouldn’t have liked my choice either.
Seeing someone they viewed strictly as a mentor suddenly referred to as a fiancé must’ve bothered them.
It was obvious.
…Their red face was probably from frustration.
I sat there for a moment, chewing on my lip, and finally sighed deeply.
“Um, I’m sorry for suddenly saying something weird.”
If I remained awkward, my pounding heart showed no signs of calming down.
“That was just an excuse to escape the situation, so don’t think too much about it.”
“…”
Nameless didn’t respond.
As I felt my heart grow cold, I rambled on.
“Ahaha… I know it must’ve felt weird getting tangled with your master—”
I couldn’t even look directly at the moon hanging in the sky, continually averting my gaze.
“Master…”
Suddenly, the chilling wind that had been brushing against my back vanished, replaced by the warmth of someone close.
“No, Harang.”
“Uh, yes?”
Nameless called me by name, not as a master, which surprised me to the point of wanting to turn my head, but I couldn’t move because Nameless had me trapped.
…Oddly, it didn’t feel suffocating.
I trembled a bit, trying to wrap my head around the unexpected situation, when I heard a soft whisper followed by a sweet voice.
“There are still many eyes watching.”
Gulping, I stared at the moon instead.
…My vision was too hazy for a clear look.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, so we must continue to pretend to be engaged for now, don’t you think?”
Nameless added quietly, as if they were unsure of how long this charade would last before the banquet ended, and I nodded slightly, conveying my understanding through body language.
With my face flushed, I resolved to be careful moving forward.
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