Chapter 50

My party and I huddled into a corner and exchanged glances. In the suffocating silence, it was Lilian who broke the ice first.

“What are we going to do?”

“For now, you two should just move around. It’s a shame that I can’t accompany the Young Lady, but there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

“Hmm. Is there anything I can help with?”

Just as I was about to firmly say “no,” a brilliant idea suddenly struck me, and I stepped closer to Lilian. Ignoring her slightly flustered expression, I leaned in and whispered slowly.

“Could you come to this square around 5 PM? I need your help.”

“Huh? Uh? Oh! Okay!”

I cocked my head at her odd sounds and enthusiastic nodding, but Lilian took a step back, sweat dripping down her forehead. Was I too close? But to whisper, you have to be this close, right?

“What’s going on? What did you talk about?”

Yulia, feeling left out, asked, giving Lilian a quick glance. I shook my head vigorously at Lilian. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Yulia, but the fewer people involved, the higher the chances of success.

It wasn’t exactly a grand plan either; it was just a simple idea that popped into my head. Initially, I just thought of hiding for a few days until the commotion died down, but if they were going to use public power like this, I figured I might as well use power myself.

“See you later then.”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, what? Tell me too!”

After parting with the two, I strolled slowly down the street. I stopped by a clothing store to change out of my maid outfit and unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.

“…Huh? Catherine.”

“Your Highness, what brings you here?”

“What do you think? I’m here to buy some clothes. Are you shopping too? I doubt you’ll find anything suitable for Lady Portus here.”

“Actually, it’s for my own clothes.”

“…Aren’t you glued to that maid outfit?”

“Of course not.”

I mused about how the person who had gifted me clothes was talking nonsense. I took a quick glance around the store. There certainly weren’t any clothes that matched Lilian’s taste, but I found several pieces that fit my own style. Choosing tight-fitting pants and a shirt, I made my purchase and changed into them.

“You know, that outfit surprisingly suits you. Are you trying to cross-dress?”

“No. I’m just wearing it. If I wear this, they’ll think I’m a crazy woman and stay away.”

The outfit I picked was very masculine. In this world, it’s practically unheard of for women to wear pants. Sure, country girls might wear them for comfort, but in a noble city like the Tarakan Free City, you’d hardly ever see a woman in trousers.

The staff, who had just been smiling and ringing up my purchase, suddenly looked horrified. They probably thought I bought it as a gift. What were they thinking? A crazy woman dressed in men’s clothing? Or perhaps imagining a deranged employer dressing and undressing an employee in bed?

Neither was an appealing thought, but I had to make an impression different from the maid’s outfit. Yet the princess furrowed her brow at my choice.

“You should hide the tree in the forest.”

“Huh?”

“No matter how tall a tree is, it looks ordinary in a forest. There, staff! Come here.”

“Oh, yes!”

The princess gestured for the approaching staff to bring her a few outfits. After inspecting the garments presented by the staff and nodding in approval, she handed them to me.

“Now, wear this.”

“…This is a bit much.”

The outfit she handed me was a fluttery dress, white stockings, and pastel pink shoes. I thought it was a bit too childish, but under the intense gaze of the princess, I reluctantly accepted the clothes and changed in the fitting room. Ugh, was my shoulder too bare? After wearing the maid outfit for so long, this was a huge shock.

Thankfully, my face didn’t turn red due to my deadpan expression. After putting on the shoes, I emerged from the changing room. The staff gasped in surprise, pointing at me with wide eyes. The princess, seemingly satisfied, nodded approvingly.

“Not bad.”

“I’ll give it an 8 out of 10. Whatever it is, it’s definitely better than before.”

“I’ll give a 7. It looks nice on you, but the colors are too flashy. Now, next up is this.”

More? Stunned, I stared at the princess as she handed me yet another outfit, urging me to change quickly. Eventually, I shuffled back into the fitting room and unfolded the new attire. It looked like a modified horseback riding outfit: a shirt and pants. I thought it seemed similar to the previous clothes, but still, I put everything on.

Hmm… but honestly, this outfit accentuated my figure a bit too well. Especially my rear; my hips were too wide. Wasn’t it a bit inappropriate to go out like this? It felt rather revealing. At least my bust wasn’t too embarrassing, but my lower half was definitely a bit much.

Steeling myself, I stepped outside again, and the staff began applauding with teary eyes. Next to them, the princess cleared her throat, slightly flushed.

“10 out of 10… 10 out of 10.”

“I want to give it a 10 too, but isn’t this a bit too revealing? You’ll become the target of every man out there.”

“Hmm, you’re right about that.”

“In that sense, wear this.”

The princess handed me yet another outfit, looking a bit disappointed. I sighed, wondering how many outfits she had brought.

“Is there more?”

“Don’t worry, this is the last one.”

Okay, so it was the last one. I took the outfit and stepped back into the fitting room. What I had received was a trendy two-piece dress that clung slightly to the body, unlike a typical dress or one-piece. That was also part of the reason noble ladies were shedding pounds these days.

It looked pretty. To be honest, I liked it visually but never imagined I would be wearing something like it. Slowly slipping into the beige dress, I sighed softly. It was tight around my hips.

However, it wasn’t unwearable, so after finally managing to put it on, I stepped back out. The staff was teary-eyed and clapping again. Really, that much? I glanced at the princess, but she was simply staring at me, lost in thought.

“Your Highness?”

“…You’re beautiful.”

“Huh?”

“My eyes have never deceived me. Buy it all.”

“Thank you!”

Wait a second, even though these aren’t custom-made, isn’t this going to be quite pricey? It wasn’t really my place to worry about a princess’s finances, but accepting this felt a tad guilty.

“Wait, I… I should pay for this…”

“How much do you think a maid earns? This is no burden for me, so just accept it.”

“…Sigh.”

As I sighed and nodded, the princess smiled and said, “That’s right,” grabbing my arm. Surprised by her sudden action, I looked at her, and our eyes met for an instant.

“Let’s hang out for a bit. Think of it as a date.”

“…Understood.”

Since I had received the clothes, a little outing wouldn’t hurt. Just hanging around with the princess wouldn’t mess up my plans. After all, I was planning to spend most of the morning hiding anyway.

Dressed in the outfit gifted by the princess, I began walking down the road beside her. People, recognizing the famous princess, seemed curious about who I was, but no one dared to approach. Even a few clueless ones who tried to get closer were met with the princess’s piercing gaze.

“This is a nice cafe.”

“Isn’t it? The desserts are good, but I really enjoy this tranquil atmosphere.”

The cafe was filled with barely a sound, apart from the soft chatter and the clinking of dishes. Located on the outskirts, it didn’t have many customers, all of whom were quietly engrossed in conversation.

“How did you come to know of such a place?”

“I heard about it from my brother. Hehe.”

“You mean… the First Crown Prince?”

“That’s correct. My brother is indecisive, but he’s got skills.”

Mayer Selvius. The younger brother of Princess Chloe and the most likely candidate for the next crown prince. Speaking about him seems to draw a pained smile from the princess, but suddenly, a man’s voice broke through.

“Chloe?”