Marchioness Bella Biconti was the daughter of a vassal family of Dratva who had married into Selon. It was such an advantageous marriage that it became the talk of even her homeland at the time.

Of course, his uncle knew well of Bella’s existence, so if Gillian went to Selon, he would easily anticipate that Gillian would try to contact her. That’s precisely why he couldn’t contact Bella. Not unless he was in his Priscilla guise.

Hidden among the women the Marchioness Biconti kept close, he could finally discuss reclaiming his family and estate with her. 

In fact, Bella was the biggest reason Gillian chose cross-dressing, and above all, using her connections in both Selon and Kirak, she provided the greatest help in establishing a foundation for Gillian’s return to Landriga.

Suddenly remembering something, Bella said:

“I was just about to contact you, but I’m worried whether we can afford the price Dalba is asking.”

Gillian waved his hand.

“The Dalba mercenaries are just auxiliary forces. A thousand should be enough.”

“But the Dalba mercenaries are the world’s strongest. We should bring even one more…”

“If we rely on mercenaries, we’ll just be manipulated even after reclaiming the territory. What’s more important is the loyalty of the Dratva knights.”

Bella remained silent for a moment, then looked at Gillian.

Even though she had married into Selon, her homeland would be her homeland until death, and after the Dratva Count title passed to the dissolute former Count’s brother, she had worried greatly about what would become of her hometown Landriga. But it seemed Landriga’s fortune hadn’t run out yet.

“Shall we go out now?”

Gillian said.

Bella chuckled softly. Her young master looked so natural in women’s clothing that it felt somewhat out of place in a situation where they were planning a rebellion, but she decided to think of it as adding a spoonful of humor to what could become an overly serious atmosphere.

***

Andrea, who had been sitting on the window sofa with other women, quickly stood up when she saw Bella’s group returning.

Bella, who entered the hall first, saw Riemann waiting at the entrance. Riemann, anticipating his victory, waited for her words with a rather confident expression. But Bella’s gaze toward him turned cold.

“Riemann Flogel. What on earth were you thinking making such false claims? Can you even imagine how insulting this is to the lady?”

For a moment, Riemann looked dumbfounded, unable to understand the situation, then suddenly snapped to attention.

“What b*llshit! You’re all in on it together!”

The guests began murmuring. Seeing Riemann rage like a madman even toward the Marchioness Biconti, they seemed to sense something strange about him.

Riemann quickly spun around and tried to rush at Gillian, who was just emerging from the room.

“Reveal your identity right now! Take it off!”

Jerome lightly tripped his feet, making him fall. Gillian pretended to be startled, but Andrea could see the extremely cold mockery in his eyes.

‘The Marchioness Biconti sided with him.’

She knew the Marchioness Biconti’s homeland was Kirak, but seeing no apparent connection between her and Gillian, she never thought they might be acquainted. Moreover, she was a ‘Marchioness.’ Even Andrea was seeing her this close for the first time.

That’s when it happened.

“Excuse me. Please step aside.”

There was commotion at the entrance, and uniformed police officers burst in. They pushed through the surprised people and seized Riemann.

“What…!”

Caught from both sides and flustered, Riemann heard a police officer say:

“Riemann Flogel. You’re under arrest on charges of s*xual harassment against Millina Dorison.”

“That, that’s…!”

Riemann, who was about to shout something, became conscious of the watching people and urgently whispered to the officer in a lowered voice:

“We reached a settlement!”

“She returned the settlement money and said she’d press charges.”

“What money does that woman have…!”

Then Riemann suddenly looked at Theodore. There was no need to ask who had reported it or who had returned the settlement money to the victim.

“This is your doing! You’re all in it together!”

Riemann struggled wildly, but naturally such reactions only planted doubts about his mental state and worsened the situation. If he had at least dressed properly, it might have been different, but his hastily thrown-together outfit, worn in his rush to expose Gillian’s identity, didn’t help him either.

“D*mn it, what did I even do!”

Riemann shouted frantically even while being dragged away.

Watching this scene, one lady muttered like a sigh:

“Heavens. What kind of chaos is this?”

Yet not a single person left this pandemonium, seemingly afraid to miss such an exciting spectacle.

***

After Riemann was dragged away, the gathering ended somewhat early.

Theodore and Andrea saw off all the departing guests one by one at the front of the house, apologizing for today’s disturbance. Fortunately, people seemed to think the Ulrich family was also just a victim.

Finally, Gillian and Jerome came out.

“Get plenty of rest.”

Since there were still people in carriages outside, Andrea couldn’t say more and only greeted them like that. Gillian also seemed conscious of the people and only managed a weary smile.

After everyone had left and they stood together in the evening breeze, Theodore suddenly spoke:

“Andrea, nothing has happened between you and that person yet, right?”

Andrea flinched inwardly. But she soon turned to her father with a gentle smile.

“Yes. Of course.”

Though she worried her nose might grow, it was a necessary lie to keep her father from falling over backward.

“After gaining confidence in my diligent and hardworking attitude during lessons, he confessed his identity and proposed quite romantically.”

Whether he believed that lie or not, Theodore remained silent for a moment before speaking:

“I wanted you to live well. So no one could harm you. Still, I didn’t choose Riemann just because he was a noble. He was tall and handsome according to your taste, and had such a good reputation.”

‘Ah, you knew.’

That his daughter was the type to be drawn to faces.

Her face was about to flush, realizing even her father had noticed. Though the decisive reason she came to like Priscilla or Gillian was more about their character than appearance, she didn’t bother explaining since it would sound like an excuse made after the fact.

“I’m aware that I’ve been sensitive with you lately because things haven’t been going well.”

“No, you haven’t.”

At her father’s unexpected apology, Andrea didn’t know what to say and fidgeted with her fingers before speaking:

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just… everything. The fact that I can live without lacking anything is all thanks to you, Father.”

Seeing Theodore’s faint smile, she felt like her old father had returned.

***

Creak.

The door of a carriage bearing no family crest opened.

In the darkness barely illuminated by the carriage lamp, Jerome stood in a hood that blended with the darkness itself.

When he extended his hand, Andrea accepted his escort and carefully stepped down from the carriage. She too wore a modest black dress like someone attending a funeral, with a black bonnet and gloves.

In the darkness where surroundings were barely distinguishable, water lapped against something. And a little distance away, Gillian in a black hood stood alone with his back turned.

“Gillian?”

He, who seemed to have been looking at something, turned around.

Dressed entirely in black like on parade day, Gillian held a carbide lamp in his gauntleted hand, from which soft light spread. Holding the lamp at the end of the dock, he looked like the ferryman of the underworld.

Drawn to that light, Andrea approached Gillian. Then he held out a bouquet of several blue flowers he’d been holding in his other hand. Only then did Andrea realize what it was.

“This is…”

“Fresh flowers aren’t easy to get right now, so it’s rather modest. Think of it as a keepsake.”

They were fresh Fire Blue flowers. True to their name, they were flowers with blue petals shaped exactly like blazing flames.

Andrea hid her face that was about to cloud over and received the bouquet with a deliberately pleased expression.

“Even a single stem would be wonderful.”

For a moment, a silence like parting lovers settled between them. Only gentle water sounds could be heard around them.

The setting was that Priscilla, shocked by the incident at the Ulrich party, had become completely reclusive, then lost her attachment to the capital due to that incident and immediately returned to her hometown. And today was that day.

If she disappeared right after the incident, some might suspect she really had been a man after all. But since there was no evidence anyway, it was fine. 

Rather, if she stayed in the capital and someone really did ambush her to check her body, it would only confirm Riemann’s words, so disappearing as quickly as possible was the best strategy. It was time to leave anyway.

But that meant the day had come for the two to part for a while.

Gillian’s face grew somber as he looked at Andrea.

“I’d like to call it a proposal… but I’m sorry. If my uncle finds out you’re my wife, he’ll try to use you.”

Andrea gripped the bouquet tightly in her hands.

She wasn’t unaware of this. It was something they’d already agreed upon.

They would have an unofficial engagement for now and marry after Gillian reclaimed his family. Theodore had made the maximum concession. Though unspoken, if Gillian should meet his end in the process of reclaiming his family, his daughter would simply become a widow.

Andrea looked up at Gillian.

He suddenly seemed like a completely different person from when they first met, whether as Lady Priscilla or as the somewhat idle Gillian. And that wouldn’t be wrong. This person was the real Gillian, heir to Dratva.

“Can’t I come with you?”

She had tried not to be demanding, but thinking they might not know when they’d meet again if they parted like this, the words came out before she knew it. But Gillian shook his head. As expected.

“It’s too dangerous a path.”

“But…”

“If you’re there, I won’t be able to concentrate.”

It was a cold but realistic statement.

Looking down with her head bowed, Andrea suddenly resented her cumbersome dress that she could see below.

Then Gillian took her hand. Gillian wore cold, hard leather gauntlets, seemingly showing the dirty work he would have to do ahead.

“I know this is selfish. Asking you to wait indefinitely when I don’t even know when I’ll return. But I will come back.”

With eyes full of strong conviction, Andrea struggled to hold back tears and gripped his hand tightly.

“I don’t care if Gillian becomes nothing. Just promise me you’ll return alive.”

“I’ll return alive.”

Gillian promised without the slightest hesitation. Andrea embraced him.

“I love you.”

She had come to love him more than she had intended.

“It’s time to go.”

While they had been embracing for some time, Jerome approached and spoke quietly. Only then did the two separate and look around to see men dressed similarly to Jerome. About ten in total, all prepared for a long journey. They were Gillian’s guards who, though Andrea hadn’t known until now, had been scattered throughout Misolr watching for whether Gillian’s uncle sent people.

While Andrea and Gillian said their farewells, Theodore, who had been waiting, offered a handshake.

“Return. Alive.”

Gillian clasped that hand.

“I won’t let your help go to waste.”

Soon the group boarded a boat moored below the dock.

Gillian’s party was scheduled to board an Ulrich Trading Company merchant ship already departed and waiting for them on the horizon, then secretly enter Kirak. There they would meet those who had agreed to join their cause.

Before boarding the boat, Gillian turned back one last time and kissed Andrea’s hand hotly.

“I’ll return as Dratva.”

While watching Gillian board the boat, Andrea held back her words, struggling to suppress her emotions. If she opened her mouth, she felt she might just ask him to take her along.

Soon a knight pulled out and threw the thick mooring rope that had secured the boat. Then the boat gradually began to leave the dock.

The boat grew more distant until it was visible only as the hazy light from carbide lamps on the night sea. Andrea watched endlessly until even that light was no longer visible.