Sidney, who habitually looked around, frowned deeply. Then she declared in an irritated voice:

“That person thinks I’m a man.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

Victoria exclaimed urgently as she blocked Sidney’s path. Then she continued speaking with exaggerated expressions and intonation like a theater actor:

“That man has fallen for you without even realizing it. He’s been tormenting you while denying the reality that he’s come to like another man.”

Her voice was so loud that even passersby glanced over. Sidney lowered Victoria’s hand and warned in a low voice:

“Victoria Owello, I don’t know what Walter said, but…”

“It’s not like that at all?”

“That person dislikes humans in general.”

Men, women… he doesn’t care about such things. Logan Redford is that kind of person, perfect all on his own.

Sidney gently pushed her lovely friend’s back, urging her to keep walking.

The five-story grayish-white building had spacious terraces on each floor. Sidney murmured the address written on the outer wall:

“34 Mayfield Avenue.”

“Why are you reading the address?”

“It’s a habit. In investigations, you need to be able to state the address at any time.”

Sidney pressed the doorbell, thinking of her superior Logan Redford. The curtain on the glass window of the front door was pulled back, revealing a man’s face. He confirmed Victoria’s face and opened the door.

“Did you enjoy sightseeing the square, Lady Owello?”

“Yes, thank you. This is my friend, Sidney Warden.”

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Warden. I’m John Durfman, the caretaker.”

“Nice to meet you.”

After the usual greetings, John led them inside. He opened the black iron gate of the elevator installed in every tall building.

As Victoria and Sidney entered the elevator, he closed the iron gate again and pulled the lever.

The elevator, powered by magic stones, slowly ascended.

With each floor change, Sidney carefully observed the corridor visible through the iron gate. The doors on both sides, the carpets in the hallways, and even the lighting.

This too was one of her occupational habits developed from Logan’s barrage of questions.

Ding. The needle pointed to the number 5 written above the elevator entrance.

Victoria stepped out of the elevator and greeted John:

“Thanks for your trouble, John.”

“Have a good day.”

So this is what they call a penthouse. It was markedly different from the other floors she’d seen on the way up. Sidney inwardly marveled at the white marble floor with red carpet, luxurious wallpaper, and chandelier.

“Sidney. But who asks about such things?”

“That bastard… I mean, that poor soul you mentioned earlier.”

Sidney changed her term for referring to Logan.

It was because Logan Redford’s pitiful circumstances suddenly came to mind.

To think that was the reason he couldn’t get engaged even at the not-so-young age of 25. Sidney clicked her tongue briefly as she pressed the bell on the black door.

“Walter didn’t say anything like that… Maybe every superior you meet is that kind of guy.”

“Well, that’s because that bastard is that person.”

“What?”

As the door opened, a maid smiled brightly at Sidney.

“Welcome, Lady Sidney.”

“It’s been a while, Sarah.”

Sarah, dressed in a black maid uniform, guided Sidney to the reception room. As Sidney took off her coat and handed it to Sarah, Victoria could no longer hold back and burst out:

“Crazy! That guy who tormented you on the battlefield. So… that germaphobic superior is still your boss now?”

“He recommended me, so I got to work here.”

“Why! Doesn’t he hate you? Doesn’t he get irritated by everything you do?”

Sidney gestured with her eyes for her excited friend to sit down. After Victoria sat on the sofa, Sidney continued her story:

“Anyway, thanks to him, I got to work comfortably in the Imperial Guard. And I get to meet you like this.”

“I must be crazy. Just listening to Walter’s words… thinking this new superior likes you…”

Finally realizing the reality of the situation? Victoria shook her head vigorously, lamenting, then suddenly stopped. And in a dazed voice, she said:

“Sidney, could it be that man… knows you’re a woman?”

Sidney, who had been resting her chin on the sofa armrest, raised her eyebrows as if to say ‘what nonsense’. Taking this as permission to continue, Victoria’s eyes sparkled as she went on:

“That would make sense. In novels too… the male lead torments the woman he likes like that. Not even realizing he’s fallen in love… And the point here is that the man keeps trying to keep the woman by his side.”

For the last part, Victoria even brought her fist down on her palm like a judge delivering a verdict.

It was the same story as before. If there was any difference, it was that earlier Logan liked male Sidney, and this time he liked female Sidney…

“Ha, Vicky. I’m telling you seriously, stop reading those novels.”

“Oh my! They’re so interesting though.”

“Such things don’t happen in reality.”

“They do!”

Tap tap, Sidney lightly tapped the sofa armrest with her middle finger. At the rhythmic sound, Victoria’s fists quietly lowered onto her knees.

Sidney’s husky voice spread through the reception room:

“If he knew I was a woman, he would have kicked me out of the Imperial Army immediately.”

Logan Redford. Sidney doesn’t know why he torments her.

But what’s certain is…

Logan had very much wanted to kick Sidney out of the army. It would be the same here too.

“It’s strange. Why would he bring you all the way to the Imperial Guard?”

My thoughts exactly. Sidney pressed her index finger against her temple, trying to suppress the throbbing headache. It was because she had rushed through paperwork before her vacation.

“Anyway, that’s enough about that person.”

“Right, enough of that! Now, let’s get to the main point.”

Main point? Sidney alternately looked at Victoria, who suddenly stood up, and the maid Sarah.

“Come this way, Lady Warden.”

Sidney sensed an ominous feeling from the smiles of the two women. And it soon became reality.

In the spacious dressing room, Sarah knelt down and was tying Sidney’s dress with strings while Sidney stood still.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Sidney asked:

“Sarah, why… are you tying it like that?”

“If we tie up the bodice and skirt from the inside of the dress like this… it’s easier to walk.”

Victoria, who was watching from the side, explained in a sing-song voice in place of Sarah. Only then did Sidney, who finally understood why women’s dresses were so puffy, mutter to herself:

“So that’s how it’s done.”

“Above all, you don’t have to wear heavy panniers or watteau pleats. Still, you need to wear a corset…”

“No thanks.”

As soon as the word corset came out, Sidney blanched. Victoria and Sarah burst into laughter, finding something very amusing.

“I thought you’d say that… so I prepared a firm waist band instead of a corset.”

“This is burdensome too.”

As Sidney grumbled while stroking her abdomen, Victoria added:

“Still, it’ll be easier to put on and take off by yourself.”

“Wait, this dress and even the waist band… were all custom-made for me?”

“Yes, the young lady prepared lots of dresses that Sidney would like to wear…”

Sarah, who was answering the question while buttoning up the dress jacket, closed her mouth. It was because Sidney’s expression didn’t look good.

So that’s why she asked for my measurements. Sidney murmured quietly, looking at Victoria:

“I see…”

“No! That’s because I didn’t know what kind of dress you’d like.”

“Thank you.”

Victoria’s eyes widened as she was waving her hands and continuing to make excuses.

As the Warden family’s fortunes declined, Sidney became the de facto head of the family. At just 14 years old, she had to become a man to enter the military academy to earn money.

That’s not all. As they say, misfortunes never come alone… Her younger sister’s condition worsened, and medical expenses kept increasing.

At the young age of 16, Sidney enlisted in the Imperial Army and went to the battlefield. With the salary she exchanged for her life, she paid for her younger sister’s medical treatment.

Every time Victoria and the Owello family extended a helping hand, Sidney politely declined.

For that Sidney Warden to say thank you… Victoria nodded her head vigorously with tears in her eyes.

“Yes! Yes!”

“I like it.”

“Me too, I like it.”

Victoria secretly wiped away her tears and smiled broadly. Sidney, who had been staring at her friend, opened her mouth:

“You’re planning to go out, right?”

“On a day like this… staying at home… Of course, if Sidney wants to rest… I can understand.”

In the end, Victoria burst into tears. Like a child, she wiped her tears with her fists while trying hard to say it was okay.

In front of such a friend, Sidney clenched her fist, trying to hold back her tears.

Pride…

The moment she signed the papers handing over her ancestral lands and castle, Sidney abandoned her pride and self-esteem.

The reason she refused Victoria’s help was… because she was afraid this relationship would be ruined.

Afraid that she would see her only friend as a patron. And that she would no longer see her as a friend… That’s what scared her.

The one who changed her thinking was Logan Redford.

Logan grabbed Sidney by the collar as she was blaming herself for her comrades’ deaths and dragged her to the military hospital.

Listening to his words, Sidney thought of Victoria.

If she could make this child who always liked her smile…

She would gladly do even more than wear this dress.

Sidney pulled off the black ribbon that had tightly tied her hair into one bunch. Her red hair flowed down over her shoulders.

Then, meeting Victoria’s eyes in the mirror, she fiddled with her earrings.

The red hair that had flowed down to her chest turned blonde, and her eyes changed from green to blue. Sidney, who had been watching her transformation, closed and opened her eyes before moving her lips:

“Sarah, do my makeup to match this appearance.”

“Yes? Yes! Please sit over here.”

Sarah sat Sidney down in front of the vanity. Then she busily moved her hands like a painter working on a canvas.

“Is that an artifact? My goodness, even your eye color and earring shape changed.”

“I’ll tell you the real important secret later.”

Sidney chuckled at Victoria’s question. Victoria’s face lit up at the word ‘secret’.

“But it’s a bit of a shame.”

“…?”

“Blonde hair and blue eyes are too common, aren’t they? Sidney looks better with fiery red hair and clear emerald green eyes.”

“That’s right.”

Sarah, who was grooming Sidney’s eyebrows, quickly agreed.

With the earring artifact, Sidney could change her hair and eye color to anything. But she always insisted on blonde hair and blue eyes.

There wasn’t any particular reason, so Sidney tilted her head quizzically.

“Is it common?”

“A considerable number of Arsenal nobles are like that.”

Come to think of it, that did seem to be the case. Sidney’s younger sister, Emilia, also had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Walter and Logan…

No, Logan’s hair is closer to platinum blonde.

Sidney frowned and erased him from her mind. Then she looked at Victoria, who was waiting for her answer.

Her hair and eyes, seeming to crave her owner’s touch…

“But I like that we look like sisters.”

“I’ll be the older sister! My birthday is earlier, you know.”

“If you say so.”

A bright smile spread across Sidney’s lips as she looked at Victoria raising her hand enthusiastically.

After finishing their preparations for going out, they boarded the carriage. Victoria looked at Sidney with a contented expression and whispered:

“Sidney, it’s ‘Lovers’ Night’. With a man you’ve never met before, a passionate night…”

“Vicky.”

“I’m joking.”

She should have realized it then. What this adorable friend was planning for Sidney.