- XVII -
"Wooh, it's so big," I said while looking at the giant mansion in front of me.
With high fences crawling around it, the mansion hid the joy and happiness inside it. Only a grim-looking old cat stood at the front, guarding the gate by himself. Yet the way he calmly breathed and his strong posture told me he was powerful. Must be a seasoned adventurer, I thought.
Ayunda, Arthur, and I were watching the orphanage from the second floor of a crowded restaurant, blending with the many families enjoying their vacation.
"So what's the plan? Should we storm the orphanage? Or maybe assassinate the old guard to gain access inside? Whatever your decision, Junior always follows her senior, " I asked Arthur.
Arthur flicked my forehead, "No way, violence isn't the answer for anything, Princess."
Ayunda shrugged, "You're being mean to her, Master Arthur. Except for her strength, she's nothing but a newbie," she said while flipping her tiny book, "But even with your power, I still have doubt you can take out that old cat, Princess."
I raised my eyebrow, "Uh, why?"
"That cat was Old Danius, the Previous Thundering Pulse. A year ago, Bianca inherited the title from Danius who longed for freedom. Yet Pater killed him and turned him into a puppet. He erased all of his old memories and installed new personality inside the puppet. But though the memories had gone, that cat still had the body of a Lector. If we fight him… I'm worried that the Children would get hurt."
Hmm, her reaction seemed honest. If Ayunda was the one behind the shadow last night, she should've known that all the children had already escaped. Then it might be safe to assume that Ayunda wasn't the one who set up Bianca.
I smiled and clapped my hands, "Then, how about a disguise? We can pretend to be a married couple who struggled to have a child, thus looking to adopt one, right?"
Ayunda baffled, "That's freaking graphic, Princess."
Arthur nodded thoughtfully, "Actually, it's not a bad idea. That way, we can enter the orphanage without raising suspicion. The question is… your illusion magic, Yunda. Can you fool the eye of a Lector?"
"Are you testing me, Master? Very well," Ayunda closed her book and stood up, "But I rather not do this half-heartedly. If you rely on my illusion magic, then we do it my way."
Ayunda dragged us into the store, full of shiny dresses. As we tried on various clothes, I couldn't help but feel like a doll being dressed up by Ayunda. She was like a fashionista on a mission, determined to transform me from a fashion dummy into a fashion queen.
But then my eyes widened as I browsed the collection, "Eh, this is… cute," I commented on the frilly white dress in the store. I cringe, oh my, a single mother like me wore something cute like this? Hehe.
"You like it? Alright, Miss, put it on my tab too," Arthur said as he wrote a check and gave it to the clerk. He was already dressed up as a gentleman, charming everyone in the store with his sharp eyes and charisma.
I was pleasantly surprised when he bought me the dress that I like. But, it made me wonder. Why was it almost felt like… we were on a date?
"W-What? N-No, this is too expensive. And probably it's not going to look good on me," I declined.
"What are you talking about? It's for the mission! We have to look like a perfect married couple," Arthur crossed his arm, "While we're at it, why don't we practice our role?"
"H-huh? Y-you never said anything about—"
No… I took it back. This guy is a fricking maniac!
"Hey, c'mon, closer! "Arthur scolded me.
"S-Shut up, I-I never did this before," I grunted as I clumsily clung my hand to Arthur's arm.
"Ehem, you're forgetting something again," he scolded me again.
Flustered to my ear, I look away from the dashing man dan grunted, "… d-d-dea, ugh, forget it, I-I can't do this," I let go of the man's hand and hold my chest tightly.
Oh, my poor heart! We were practicing to be a couple in the store while being watched by everyone! I was so embarrassed that I wanted to crawl into one of the clothing racks and disappear forever. But this guy, he was like a pro - cool, calm, and collected. Meanwhile, I was a hot mess, sweating and blushing like a teenager on their first date. Ugh, why did I agree to this in the first place?
Ayunda giggled, "Oh, I never expected our Princess to be a pure-hearted maiden like this. On the other hand, even if Master Arthur is the last man in the world, I don't want to become her wife," she said sarcastically.
Arthur grasped his head, "You're not helping, Yunda the Maid" he replied but Ayunda just laughed.
Fidgetting, I suggested an idea, "W-Well, perhaps if Arthur becomes a girl, I-I'll be a little more comfortable in this mission?"
Arthur looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eye and said, "That's a fantastic idea- let's switch roles! I'll be the wife and you'll be the husband."
I couldn't believe my ears - had he lost his mind? I could feel my palms getting sweaty as I imagined myself trying to pull off a deep voice and a manly swagger. Arthur, on the other hand, seemed positively thrilled at the prospect of playing the blushing bride. Oh my God, is it too late to back out now?
"You know what, it sounds fun! Let's do it!" Ayunda replied with the same enthusiasm.
G-Geez, are the two of them in their right mind?!
After haphazardly trying to pace myself against the two, I found myself looking at the mirror, surprised at how easily I had transformed into a dapper gentleman. With my hair cropped short and my chest bound flat, in addition for the fake glasses added a touch of sophistication, I looked like I had stepped straight out of a gangster novel. Of course, it helped that I didn't have much to hide - my small breasts were a blessing in disguise today. Uhh… why did I feel so defeated at the same time?
"How do I look, dear? Do I charm you with my beauty?" Arthur asked.
Arthur, on the other hand, was a different story. Despite his best efforts, he still looked more like a bearded lady than a blushing bride. I tried my best to stifle my giggles as we headed out the door.
"You're the most beautiful lady I've met, honey," I replied.
"Perfect. Let's finish this quickly," Arthur smiled so confidently, while Ayunda hid her laughing.
As we stepped out into the street, all eyes were looking at us some were intrigued, and some were laughing at us. Haahh… I couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble we were getting ourselves into.
All I know this was going to be a long day.