Chapter 66

“Hmmm...”

He fell into thought.

Sending another average spy certainly wasn't as promising as sending one of his trusted operatives.

But none of the spies I've sent so far were incompetent.

That was the problem.

This wasn't about skill.

If Aisha had truly betrayed him, then the Kreutz family already knew who his spies were, and they would stop them without fail.

A spy was at their strongest when they remained unseen.

But if they were exposed before they even reached the estate...

Unfortunately, brute force alone could never bring down the Kreutz family.

In that case...

“You won't be going.”

Duke Pose came up with another plan.

“Then whom will you send?”

The knight's question hung in the air.

Without answering, the duke stared silently at the chessboard for a long time.

Then—

“If bringing Aisha back proves difficult... then this time, we'll make that little girl come to us first.”

“...Pardon?”

Duke Pose's fingers closed around the queen standing behind the fallen pawns.

“Bring me that woman.”

Checkmate.

As his final card came to mind, he quietly began arranging his strategy.

***

The day of the banquet.

Exactly six hours before it was scheduled to begin.

“We have a problem.”

Around my cushioned chair stood a circle of maid sisters, all wearing expressions as serious as knights preparing for battle.

The source of their concern was—

“No matter what anyone says, Lady Aisha looks cutest with the bun.”

“But this is a royal banquet! The bun is adorable, but what about soft waves?”

“A royal banquet absolutely calls for an elegant updo. The bun wins.”

The great battle:

Waves versus the bun!

Apparently they were debating how to style my hair.

...It's not a bun. It's a dumpling bun.

Startled by their unfortunate choice of words, I puffed out my lips and prepared to correct them.

Then—

I glanced around.

...No. Something's wrong with their eyes.

The maid sisters were far too excited about dressing me up for me to ruin their mood.

Besides, there was no way they'd know what dumplings from my previous world even were.

That left only one solution.

I sprang up from my chair and triumphantly raised one finger.

“I like the bun!”

As the young lady of the Kreutz family, I would settle this conflict myself.

“See? Lady Aisha says she likes the bun.”

“No! Let's at least try the waves! Why won't any of you trust me? She'll look gorgeous!”

“Fine. We'll do half with waves and half with the bun, then decide which looks better.”

“Alright. Let's do that.”

...

Not a single person paid any attention to me.

After the maid sisters thoroughly fussed over my hair—

“We're running out of time! Straight to the dressing room!”

—I was transported like a mannequin into the dressing room.

Only after trying on ten different dresses did I finally receive their approval.

The result—

“Eeeek! Lady Aisha is absolutely adorable!”

“Oh my, no one at the banquet will be able to look at anyone else.”

The little girl reflected in the mirror barely looked like me anymore.

Instead of my usual twin tails, my golden hair had been brushed smooth with scented oil and flowed in soft waves below my shoulders.

The white dress, as pure as a snowy field, had delicate puff sleeves that were slightly sheer, making it look light and airy.

At the same time, the skirt flared beneath my knees like an opened parasol, giving it graceful volume.

“Oh...”

Spin—

I slowly twirled in place.

The skirt blossomed around me like flower petals.

Wow... I really feel like a princess.

“Do you like it?”

“Are you happy with it?”

The maid sisters smiled warmly from either side of me.

“You're all amazing! You're fashion geniuses!”

One thumbs-up wasn't enough.

I raised both hands and gave them double thumbs-up.

The maid sisters blushed shyly.

“We were probably a little overenthusiastic. We're sorry if it tired you out.”

“Not at all! Well... it was exhausting... but I look so pretty! From now on, every time you help me get ready to go out, please fuss over me just this much!”

If they'd lived in modern Korea, they'd probably have become famous stylists.

The maid sisters blinked in surprise before smiling again.

“Actually...”

“......”

Was something wrong?

They exchanged hesitant glances before continuing.

“This is the first time we've done this in five years.”

“Five years?”

“Yes... back when Duchess Ariana was still here.”

“She treated us so kindly. Fixing Her Grace's hair and helping her into her dresses... those were some of our happiest moments...”

Their voices trailed away.

Perhaps realizing the subject was too heavy for a child my age, they quickly changed their expressions.

“But ever since you arrived, Lady Aisha, the atmosphere at the estate has changed completely.”

“That's right. We're so happy we can dress you up.”

“To tell the truth... the dress you're wearing is almost identical to Duchess Ariana's favorite white gown.”

Gasp.

I looked down at my dress again.

It had simply looked beautiful before.

But now...

It somehow felt different.

Just then—

“If preparations drag on any longer, Lady Aisha's going to get exhausted. Why is everyone taking so lo—”

Mai opened the door, ready to scold everyone.

Then she froze.

“Mai?”

I was already completely dressed.

Yet—

“Lady... no... Lady Aisha.”

Mai rubbed her eyes in disbelief before looking at me again.

“Dressed like this... you almost resemble... the Duchess...”

“Huh? Me?”

At first I assumed she was simply complimenting me.

But she looked completely serious.

Her eyes even seemed slightly misty as she quietly asked,

“The Duchess's portrait hangs in the estate's grand hall. It's a little late, but... would you like to pay your respects?”

“...Huh?”

My eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.

Duchess Ariana.

The tragic woman from the original story who disappeared together with her newborn daughter.

...If she's still alive somewhere, like Lucas was... maybe I could even help find her.

Clenching my fists, I nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! I'd love to!”

***

A short while later.

The grand hall of the Kreutz estate.

“This way.”

Mai's quiet voice echoed beneath the towering ceiling.

A massive domed roof.

A luxurious marble floor broader than a football field.

Lanterns cast a warm glow across the dim hall, illuminating wallpaper decorated with little cherubs.

“This hall used to host the estate's banquets,” Mai explained.

“It hasn't been used once in the last five years.”

Just as she said, the enormous hall felt less like an active ballroom and more like an ancient monument that had simply been kept in perfect condition.

I can't even imagine people holding banquets in a place like this.

I looked around in wonder while holding the maid sisters' hands and following behind Mai.

Then—

“This is Her Grace.”

Mai suddenly stopped.

I turned my head.

At the very center of the hall, atop an elegant platform, hung an enormous portrait taller than a grown man.

Calypse stood there with his usual calm expression.

Beside him sat a breathtakingly beautiful woman.

“...Huh?”

So this was Duchess Ariana.

The moment I saw her face—

My breath caught.

Her rich golden hair flowed like strands woven from sunlight itself.

Her brilliant golden eyes shone like the sun [N O V E L I G H T] rising over the frozen north.

She wore an elegant white gown embroidered with silver thread.

“...Wow...”

The only thing I could do was stare in awe.

She was unbelievably beautiful.

And just like the maid sisters had said...

The dress in the portrait looked almost exactly like the one I was wearing.

...Now that I look closer...

I glanced down at my own chest.

Then back at Ariana.

...Do we kind of look alike?

Gasp.

That's so disrespectful!

Cold sweat immediately broke out across the top of my head.

Golden hair and golden eyes.

That combination was fairly common in this world.

The biggest difference between us was that my eyes were blue.

Other than that...

Well, I was certainly adorable enough that nobody could overlook me.

But she was breathtakingly beautiful.

...

Still... we do kind of—

No!

I vigorously shook my head before I could finish the thought.

Don't be ridiculous! We don't look alike at all! Stop thinking such disrespectful things!