I finally got up from the bed and took out a bottle from the bottom drawer of the dresser. It hadn’t even been a week since I brought it, but already less than half remained. Thinking there should be enough to drink tonight, I shook the bottle, and my eyes suddenly caught the cloak placed on the table.

Though reason argued it couldn’t be, my mind drew the picture I most desired. I knew someone who used to wear such a cloak.

Come to think of it, it was the same the first day I met him face to face.

The day I went to the theater with Mark, he had thrown his cloak at me while saving me from a drunk man. He pretended not to know me but appeared again and accompanied me on my way home, and he got me out of prison when I was suspected of murdering Baron Bickman. That’s how everything began.

I put the bottle back in the drawer and draped the cloak over my body. The heavy weight combined with the soft texture gave a strange comfort.

Though it was so large that my shoulders drooped and the hem dragged on the floor, I fastened the front and climbed onto the bed. It felt as if a person’s firm skin was wrapping around me.

Closing my eyes in the darkness, the blue mask appeared again. Taking a deep breath, I desperately tried to recall the man in black clothes.

The strong back of the one who effortlessly knocked the blue mask away from me, kicked the rabbit mask’s chest hard enough to break his ribs, and then knocked Rumon down and pressed his knee into his solar plexus.

When I called his name with a trembling voice, he slowly turned to face me. Beyond the black mask, green eyes that shone even in the darkness sparkled. It was exactly as I remembered him.

A tear rolled down the corner of my closed eye. I buried my face in the cloak instead of the blanket.

Strangely, the darkness created by the cloak seemed like it would perfectly protect me from outside dangers. Something like the blue mask wouldn’t dare pierce through this cloak.

I inhaled in the cozy darkness.

Was it my imagination? The dry scent of wood wafted in from somewhere.

Whether it was an illusion or a dream, I didn’t care. Praying only that this moment would last a little longer, I let go of the tension.

She was pulled into sleep in an instant.

* * *

Hectic days passed by.

While overseeing territory-related matters, she purchased suitable accessories, shoes, and hats to attend parties. For the last dresses that arrived, she even had to undergo Maya’s inspection while trying them on.

“Perfect. It’s perfect. I think this hair ornament would be better with a little more adjustment… Just take it off for a moment.”

“This is enough, Maya. You’ve already fixed it five times.”

“I’m telling you, one more adjustment and it will be truly perfect! It’s all because Miss has such short hair that we’re struggling.”

Maya had become an excellent maid who never lost a verbal exchange. She lost her words and obediently removed the hair ornament. It was an extremely delicate decoration that Maya had poured her soul into adjusting.

She pinned a fairly large hairpin with five emeralds embedded like flower petals, and beneath it, a silver mesh cloth hung like a veil covering her entire hair. By tying this abundant cloth at intervals with hair ribbons to make it fuller, it looked as if she had tied up long hair. This was Maya’s strategy to conceal her short hair as much as possible.

“Everyone knows my hair is short, so there’s no need to go this far……”

“Miss. You still don’t understand. What you know in your head and what you see with your eyes are different. Look at this—without the hair ornament, you look much less… well, you’re still pretty though.”

Maya, who had been speaking passionately, looked at her face reflected in the mirror and sat down on the chair with a grumble. Watching Maya fix the shape of the pins attached to the hair ornament, she turned her gaze to the mirror. In the mirror stood herself wearing a green dress that matched the color of the jewels.

It felt awkward because she hadn’t worn such clothes for a while. Her exposed shoulders looked somewhat gaunt, but they seemed to be partly concealed by the splendor of the dress. It was an extremely elaborate dress with gold and silver threads meticulously embroidered on the center and cuffs.

“We could hang lots of jewels, but that would just make the dress heavy and likely look extravagant. Rather than that, it’s better to emphasize the hair ornament to make it more eye-catching. Let’s skip the earrings and necklace too. Since you have beautiful neckline and shoulders, let’s highlight those instead.”

While speaking, Maya quickly fixed the twisted parts and stood up again to pin the ornament in her hair. A satisfied smile finally appeared on her face, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“My goodness, Miss, being so beautiful like an angel, what man wouldn’t fall for you? Even if marriage proposals flood in like the tide, never accept them on the spot. You must respond with a composed appearance. Don’t show any signs of desperation. Understand?”

Swallowing the words “it’s more like the ebb tide,” she nodded earnestly. She knew that was the only way to escape from Maya quickly.

Suddenly, with a gloomy expression, Maya muttered softly:

“If only you had just one friend to accompany you, I would feel so much more at ease.”

“Don’t worry, Maya. I’m not the type to feel intimidated anywhere.”

She didn’t miss having friends. Her mind was busy thinking about how to find a naive young man who was unfamiliar with the ways of the world and persuade him with sweet talk.

“That’s true. It’s time to leave, so let’s get going.”

Maya, who had made the final adjustments to her appearance, wrapped a prepared shawl around her shoulders. The light and cozy fur along the edges touched her body softly.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed into the carriage and headed for Lady Isabel’s mansion.

* * *

Isabel Belzak was the only lady of the Belzak family and had been greatly cherished since childhood because she was his niece. Her great-uncle, the marquis, had bequeathed her a fairly fertile territory and castle, allowing her to grow up without want. After enjoying the social scene to her heart’s content, she became engaged to the second son of the captain of the royal guard.

Unfortunately, she was one of the group who had tormented her and laughed during Kirhin’s succession ceremony. And naturally, since she hadn’t been invited to this engagement party, there was a possibility that in the worst case, she might be turned away at the door as an uninvited guest.

Though considering appearances, they probably wouldn’t go that far.

Despite the evening darkness, the castle, brightly lit, emanated a pleasant bustle and vitality. Well-dressed people were eagerly disembarking from various luxurious carriages.

Though she had boldly told Maya she wouldn’t feel intimidated, the thought of joining that crowd made her chest tighten. She would have to act as shamelessly as possible, imagining she was wearing a mask. She took a deep breath and got out of the carriage.

As she walked slowly toward the entrance, she could feel people stirring upon noticing her. She maintained an upright posture and forced a smile on her face, determined not to let this smile fade no matter what happened.

“Lady Bickman. Excuse me, but could you show your invitation?”

The butler bowed respectfully. Just as she had resolved, a crisis arrived, and she put more strength into her already stiff cheeks.

“I don’t have an invitation, but I came to congratulate Lady Isabel on her engagement.”

For a moment, a troubled look flashed in the elderly butler’s eyes. However, he quickly erased it with a practiced smile.

“I should inquire with the young lady. Please wait a moment.”

“Very well. While you’re at it, please tell her I’ve brought Landrop silk and a box of pearls that can decorate a dress as a gift.”

She could hear people behind her whispering in surprise after overhearing her words. The butler, with widened eyes, disappeared with quick steps, saying he would return shortly. She lightly opened her fan.

It was a gift she had prepared knowing that Isabel wanted to make a dress with Landrop silk. She wouldn’t refuse. Landrop silk was not easy to obtain, and what the Nix merchant group handled was of the highest quality.

The butler truly returned in the blink of an eye and gladly admitted her inside. After instructing the coachman to unload the luggage from the carriage, she walked into the crowd of staring people.

It was indeed a splendid party. Everything from the curtains to all the furniture seemed to be decorated as luxuriously as possible. The scent of fresh flowers that made every table look like a small garden was enough to make her head dizzy. She looked around at people with a composed expression, making eye contact.

There must be at least one somewhere. A poor, timid young man who couldn’t adapt to the atmosphere and was sipping wine in a corner.

“What an unexpected guest.”

As she was scanning the surroundings with the eyes of a hawk looking for prey, a sharp voice flew in from behind. When she turned her head, she saw Isabel decorated from head to toe with flowers.

She wore a light pink dress with jewels shaped like flowers hanging like fruits all over it. Though the jewels weren’t of particularly good quality, being dress ornaments, they certainly looked extravagant.

“I didn’t expect you to come to a place like this, Lady Bickman.”

Even the lace around her neck was full of flower-shaped decorations, making her already short neck look even shorter. She clearly didn’t have a strict maid like Maya.

She smiled at Isabel like a stiff wooden doll, making sure to keep the corners of her mouth turned up.

“I happened to acquire some good quality Landrop silk and remembered that you were engaged. Though I haven’t been able to socialize much due to circumstances, I heard the news and thought it would be impolite to pretend not to know. I hope this visit doesn’t appear rude.”