With Agatha and Renéee’s assistance, Hilda worked her craft until the smallpox disguise was genuinely convincing.

“Even looking in the mirror, it seems so real…”

Annabella gazed at the unfamiliar face staring back at her from the hand mirror, letting out something between astonishment and admiration.

“All of you are truly remarkable.”

At her words, the ladies-in-waiting dipped in a collective curtsy.

“With this, there’s no chance of drawing the Crown Prince’s interest. Even if any had remained, this would drive it away entirely.”

Alexis was an insufferably fastidious man in his pursuit of beauty. In her past life, he had once remarked that a tiny speck of a mole — barely visible — grated on him. There was nothing more to be said about smallpox scars.

“I truly thank you all.”

Annabella’s warm gaze turned toward her ladies-in-waiting.

“I’m sorry for making use of your scars.”

“Please don’t be, my lady. Even after the pockmarks were left on us, His and Her Majesty told us to hold nothing in our hearts — to wash it all away.”

“Yes. We have already put it behind us, and to be of help to you like this, and repay Their Majesties in even some small way — we are only grateful.”

It spoke volumes about the King and Queen’s character.

“My lady — please wear this veil.”

Renéee presented a tray laid out with semi-translucent veils in an array of colors.

“Her Majesty the Queen prepared these herself. Wearing a veil to match your dress will lend an even stronger impression that you bear scars.”

“Yes — it would be best to start wearing it now and grow accustomed to it.”

Annabella nodded at that and put on the veil.

“Very well.”

Her vision blurred somewhat — but if it was what it took to deceive Alexis, there was nothing she would not do.

***

The Elaise royal palace, on edge with anticipation over when the delegation might arrive, received a welcome visitor first.

“I present myself before Your Majesties.”

Cedric, who had slipped into the palace in plain clothes, offered his greetings to the King and Queen.

“Thank you for the great help you’ve given us this time.”

“Not at all. I only did what was right.”

“Thanks to you, we are able to protect our granddaughter. That alone is an immeasurable help to us.”

Grace, standing beside Milton, nodded in agreement at his words.

“I scouted quietly on my way here — the Crown Prince is traveling by carriage, so it will be at least two more days before he arrives.”

“By carriage?”

Anyone leading a delegation was expected to ride at the head of the procession on horseback, cutting an imposing figure. To think that the Crown Prince was part of the delegation and yet riding in a carriage like a lady — it was baffling.

“The Crown Prince has always been a poor rider. He makes a show of riding on horseback from the palace to just outside the capital, then secretly switches to a carriage partway — so it’s nothing to be surprised by.”

“We share the same cause — it is only natural.”

Milton spoke with a warm smile, stroking his distinguished beard.

“And have you made preparations against the delegation?”

The King and Queen of Elaise were wise. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have trusted them without needing to ask — but strangely, now that Annabella was involved, he found himself unable to help but inquire.

“We’ve already put out word that she fell ill with smallpox, so when the delegation arrives, she will appear with the pockmark disguise. As it happens, there are ladies-in-waiting in our palace who actually survived smallpox, so she will appear alongside them.”

At Milton’s words, the tension in Cedric’s chest eased considerably.

“It may seem a ridiculous measure — but there is nothing we would not do to protect our granddaughter.”

“It is not ridiculous in the least. What is needed now is a means to protect the young lady without provoking open conflict with the Empire.”

Just then, the lord chamberlain who had been standing guard at the entrance to the audience chamber approached quietly, bowed, and whispered to the King and Queen.

“Oh? Is that so? Tell her to come right in. I’ve always said she needs no permission…”

Color rose in both their faces, and Cedric felt himself grow subtly tense. There was only one person whose arrival could draw such a welcome from them.

“Cedric — our granddaughter has come to pay her respects, as it happens. If it would be uncomfortable for you…”

“No.”

Cedric answered before Milton had even finished speaking.

“We’ve met face to face several times already — it’s quite all right.”

Perhaps sensing that the response had come too quickly, Cedric added another word in a manner uncharacteristic of him. But the King and Queen were too overjoyed at the news of Annabella’s arrival to notice any such change in him.

“The young lady of House Lates has arrived.”

The lord chamberlain announced with a respectful bow, and the doors to the audience chamber opened. Annabella appeared, dressed in a soft rose-pink gown. To match her dress, she wore a semi-translucent veil over her face.

Annabella had already been told outside the doors, so Cedric’s presence came as no surprise to her. Cedric, however, was momentarily transfixed — Annabella wore a veil he had never seen on her before, lending her an air of quiet mystery he had not encountered until now.

“I present myself before Their Majesties.”

Annabella offered her greetings to the King and Queen first, then turned slightly.

“And…”

She gave Cedric a small, unhurried bow of her head.

“I present myself before Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

That clear, gentle voice calling to him made Cedric nod without thinking. The regret came instantly — he wished he had offered something more graceful in return — but for a man who had never once said such things in his life, it was far too tall an order.

“Come, give Annabella a seat. …Oh — I nearly forgot to offer you one as well, Cedric.”

At Milton’s words, Cedric gave a small tilt of his head as if to say it was no matter. The lord chamberlain promptly brought two chairs and arranged them so the two could sit side by side.

“Annabella — Cedric is the one who brought us word of the delegation.”

“I am deeply indebted to you for this.”

Annabella spoke with careful propriety, and Cedric — ahem — cleared his throat without meaning to.

“It was nothing.”

“No — to me, it was the most important thing in the world. Thank you, once again.”

At their first meeting, he had thought her nothing more than a bold, forward woman. But seated close like this, with a faint, delicate scent drifting toward him and that clear voice resonating nearby, Cedric found his thoughts growing oddly unsettled.

Hmm.

Strange — he kept clearing his throat today.

“If there is nothing further, I will take my leave.”

“Ah — I’ve had the lord chamberlain prepare the detached palace for you, so please stay there.”

“Thank you.”

Cedric rose, gave a bow, and looked once more at Annabella in her veil. Though most of her face was hidden, the elegant line of her features from their first meeting remained visible still.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

With a parting glance by way of farewell, Cedric finally withdrew. Only then did Annabella feel the tension ease from her shoulders. She hadn’t even realized she had been tense — it was a peculiar feeling.

“Now then, Annabella — how are you settling in?”

Milton looked after his granddaughter with concern. Annabella lifted her veil in response, revealing her face in full smallpox disguise.

“Very well. Thanks to Agatha and Renéee, I’ve grown quite accustomed to going about like this.”

“Even so, I can’t help but worry…”

Grace lamented.

“Nor can I. Even with the smallpox disguise, she’s still this lovely… What if the Crown Prince refuses to withdraw?”

Milton voiced what Grace was feeling as well. It was true that even with the disguise, the natural beauty beneath remained striking — though it was equally true that the King and Queen’s adoration had rendered them somewhat blind.

“It will be all right. The Crown Prince is a man who pursues perfection and beauty to an excessive degree — even the slightest scar  would be beyond what he could tolerate.”

That much she had learned well enough through the pain and cold of her past life. And so in this life, she would escape his clutches without fail.

“That would be a relief — but don’t let your guard down too soon.”

Grace spoke with quiet urgency.

“Yes — we won’t be able to breathe easy until the delegation has gone. Cedric has agreed to remain at the palace until they depart, so if anything should arise, we’ll have his help.”

Annabella had already set her worries aside, having witnessed the Crown Prince’s nature firsthand in her past life. Perhaps because of that, what registered more clearly than any sense of danger was the fact that Cedric would be staying at the palace for the time being.

“You likely know this already, but we are the Grand Duke’s hidden supporters.”

Grace added quietly.

“He is a ruler worthy of trust. So put your mind at ease.”

“Yes — I trust him as well.”

Annabella answered with a certainty that surprised even herself. She couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. He had humiliated her at their first meeting — was it because he had saved her life since then?

She let the thought go without dwelling on it further. Somehow, the more she thought about it, the more she sensed she might be in for a surprise and so she left it well enough alone.