A lot of ladies gathered in the grand hall, waiting for their debut. A platform oversaw the venue with two chairs on it, likely where the queen and the crown prince were scheduled to be seated. Ladies had gathered around this stage in a neat row to have their audience with the royal family.
“Vil, is the culprit nearby?” I whispered.
“Not yet,” he replied in a low voice. “But they’re headed here.”
“Then shall we confront them first?”
“That’s a good—”
He placed a hand on his lips and frowned, deep lines creasing his brow. Did something happen? I wondered. A moment later, Vil drew me in close and whispered into my ear.
“I lost the signal.”
“What?!” I hissed.
Did the culprit see through our plan?!
“I still sense the mana, but it’s difficult to sift through in this large crowd,” Vil whispered.
“Then you should head off by yourself,” I suggested. “I’ll stay here and try to blend in with the crowd.” I couldn’t move nimbly in this dress, and I wasn’t keen on slowing him down. It would be best if he moved on his own for now.
“But…” he started.
“Don’t worry,” I told him. “I’ve got Gem with me.”
I gently touched my pearl necklace, and Vil widened his eyes.
“All right,” he whispered. “Wait for me in the corridor.”
“Okay.”
Vil expertly weaved through the crowd and left the grand hall. I waited for a few moments before following him, but I wasn’t as skillful in pushing through the crowd. Thank goodness he left first. I would’ve definitely slowed him down. It took fifteen minutes before I managed to wade through the people and out of the grand hall, but the corridor was also packed with those waiting for others.
Maybe I’ll have a bit more room if I walk away from the grand halls… As I walked ahead, I ran into a door that was guarded by a knight.
“Only VIPs are allowed from this point forward,” he said.
“Oh? But I came in through the back entrance, I’ll have you know,” I replied haughtily.
“Pardon me! Please, go on ahead, my lady!”
I just went for it, and I’m surprised I’m allowed in, just like that. The security here isn’t very tight, is it? But I’m grateful since it was getting stuffy and suffocating with all these people. As I glanced around, hoping to find a spot to rest until Vil returned, I spotted a young girl in a dress crouched on the ground.
“Are you okay?!” I called out to her.
She wore a white dress, so I assumed she was going to make her debut today as well. And since she was in this restricted area, she was a noble of high rank. When I approached her, she raised her face; her golden locks and emerald eyes were dazzling. Her stunning beauty almost made me freeze on the spot. But she looks oddly familiar… No, I don’t have time for that, do I? The girl looked surprised when she saw me, but she immediately faced the ground with a pained grimace.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Does it hurt somewhere?”
The girl pressed against her waist, her clenched fist a telltale sign that she was enduring the pain. Maybe her shapewear is too tight…
“I think it’s better if we loosen your shapewear,” I suggested. “Shall we head somewhere else?”
I lent her my shoulder and tried to bring her into a nearby room. This was a break room for VIPs, and there was a refreshment table with wine, fruit, and cheese.
“I’ll loosen your shapewear for you,” I said. “Excuse me…”
I received no response, and the girl appeared unable to breathe, so I didn’t wait for her consent. I undid the buttons on the back of her dress and tugged on the ribbon of her shapewear—her body had turned red from the shapewear being too tight around her. It must be painful to even stand like this. I quickly undid the ribbon, and the girl let out a relieved sigh. She’ll probably be fine with a bit of rest. But as I was inspecting her carefully, she began to have a coughing fit.
“Oh no! A-Are you okay?” I stammered.
She coughed so much that I feared she might’ve been poisoned. Her voice slowly became feeble and hoarse, and I knew this required some kind of emergency medical attention.
“I’ll call a doctor right away!” I cried.
As I tried to stand, the girl grabbed my arm—she was much stronger than she looked, and her voice put me to a screeching halt.
“Dammit! Stop!” she roared.
“Huh?!” I gasped.
I was shocked to hear the low voice of a young, adolescent man, not the adorable, shrill cry of a lady. I gingerly turned back and locked eyes with the girl, her dress half undone, and noticed that her chest was completely flat.
“A-Are you a ma—mmph!”
Before I could get my sentence out, she silenced me and tugged on my arm, forcing me to sit on the sofa.
“You’re the little vixen stuck to my brother, aren’t you?!” she snarled.
“Vixen?! And what brother?!”
“You heard me, you mutt!”
What animal am I? I mean, that’s not what I should focus on here!
“Your brother?” I asked. “Are you Vil’s—”
“Younger sister,” she replied.
“Y-Younger sister?”
But your voice is so low, your chest is flat, and you don’t really look like a woman at all…
“M-May I ask what your name is?” I inquired.
“Noah. Noah von Lindenburg.”
“Wait, Lindenburg?!”
I only know one family with that name—the house of the grand duke. Ricardo von Lindenburg, the current director of the school and younger brother of the king… Which makes Vil… I let out a cry and buried my head in my hands. If Vil was the director’s son, it meant he came from House Lindenburg—he was a member of the royal family. He wasn’t just some son of a high-ranking house; his house belonged all the way at the top! I made someone like that teach me, and I made him eat my simple meals! Now that I think about it, he’s got golden hair and emerald eyes, a clear characteristic of the royal family! I noticed it when I saw the director; how did Vil slip past me?! I hated how stupid I was.
Since the grand duke was his father, Vil was Prince Rena’s cousin. I should’ve realized he wasn’t just some noble the moment he claimed he knew the prince quite well.
“Hey,” Noah growled.
“Ugh… I’ve committed so many sins…” I groaned.
“Hey! Swine!”
“Y-Yes?!”
And now I’m a pig. He really has a sharp tongue. Vil did mention that his younger sister was making her debut this year, but was he referring to Noah? When I asked him if he was going to be her escort, he looked a bit uneasy… Maybe he felt awkward faking that his brother was his sister so that Noah could make his debut… Why was Noah raised as a woman anyway? Something complicated must be going on…
“Just keep the string of my shapewear loose, and rebutton my dress,” Noah ordered.
“S-Sure,” I replied. “But are you sure you’re okay?”
“Just do it.”
“All right, all right.”
As I turned to face his back, he took out a piece of candy. He undid the silver wrapper and popped it into his mouth, all while maintaining his elegance. I tried to do as he asked and loosely tie the ribbon of his shapewear before fastening his buttons again, but…
“Oh dear,” I said. “I can’t do your buttons unless you tighten your shapewear.”
“That can’t be right!” Noah snapped.
“I’m being serious.”
Boys around this age grew out of their clothes quickly, and I couldn’t blame him for outgrowing his dress. Men and women had a different frame as well, so it was nigh impossible for a growing boy to fit into a petite dress sewn for ladies.
“Was this dress sewn after you wore your shapewear?” I asked.
“Duh?” Noah replied. “How else would I be able to look cute in a dress?”
Fair enough… A lot of dresses do look beautiful on slender women, but…
“Dammit!” he spat. “Just when I’ve got something important to do!”
He was probably going to meet the crown prince… But he can’t even stand properly if his shapewear is loose… Hmm… What can we do here?
“Wait, what if we remove all the buttons?” I suggested. “We can weave your ribbon through the buttonholes and tie it up. Your back might show a bit, but you’ll be able to breathe, and it’d look better than this.”
“Let’s do that!”
He swiftly removed his shapewear and the ribbon while I took a nearby fruit knife and began cutting the thread that tied the buttons. Once I got them all off, he handed me his ribbon.
“Hurry,” he urged.
“I know,” I replied.
Why am I even doing this for him? But he did lend me the dress I’m wearing—he doesn’t seem to realize that, though.