Chapter 91

"In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there."

---

"Let's do something fun, shall we?"

Lying on the bed, Alicia muttered, and upon hearing this, Mary reached for a cushion nearby.

She then held the cushion like a shield and approached Alicia. Pushing her to the edge of the bed, Mary's intention became clear to Alicia, who started to panic.

"Ms. Mary! Wait... Look, let's think of something fun! It's a pajama party, after all!"

"What's a pajama party? You barged into someone's house...! Fall off already!"

"Wait, Ms. Mary, wait... Ah!"

With a pitiful thud, Alicia fell off the bed.

Seeing this, Mary stroked the cushion contentedly... but immediately frowned and readied herself again when she saw Alicia stubbornly crawling back up. Without standing up, Alicia grabbed the bed and climbed back on, in a rather exaggerated manner. Mary, too, dramatically held the cushion.

Thus, Alicia was pushed back again and fell off the bed with a scream of "Ah!" Mary sighed softly, having watched this unfold. Of course, no matter how many times she pushed her off, it was only the height of a bed. As Alicia crawled back up, Mary, muttering "Something fun," threw the cushion at her.

"Tea parties and pajama parties are fun, but I want to do something... different."

"True, tea parties and night raids are a bit monotonous."

"Beautiful dresses are nice, but sometimes I want something else..."

As she started to say "something else," Alicia's expression brightened.

Then, with shining eyes and excitement, she inched closer and said, "Ms. Mary! I have a great idea!"

In response, Mary, after once more pushing Alicia off the bed, tilted her head and asked, "Something fun?"

---

A few days after that night raid...

"Interesting, something fun, huh?"

Adi groaned in a complaining tone. Invited to a tea party hosted by Princess Alicia, she was dressed in a gorgeous, deep red dress, a stark contrast to her usual servant attire.

...Yes, a red dress.

The beautiful dress, made of fine fabric, covered Adi's tall, well-toned body. The decoration was simple, with lace only at the hem and cuffs, and the deep red gave it a classical feel.

If this were Mary's dress, it would have beautifully adorned her, and everyone would have praised the Albert family. However, the one wearing it today was Adi, who wore a look of exasperation despite the dress's elegance. Perhaps the rust-colored wig prepared for today did not suit her, as she looked at her own tightly curled hair with a cold gaze.

If she had smiled gracefully, her natural good looks might have made her look somewhat—albeit somewhat—presentable.

"Beautiful, Adi, it suits you well."

"...Well, you look good, Miss."

Beside Adi, who muttered resentfully, Mary was dressed in a dark gray suit with a red flower on her chest, her silver hair tied at the shoulders, and she was laughing elegantly.

Normally, a suit is worn by a man, and a dress by a woman... It was as if they had mistakenly swapped outfits, a truly mismatched sight.

However, in Mary's case, her beauty and grace gave her a somewhat aesthetic and dignified air even in a man's suit.

The sight of the two of them together was almost comical.

How did it come to this? Of course, it was due to Alicia's "something fun" from the other night.

On that night of the raid, Alicia proposed to switch men's and women's clothes for a tea party.

What a whimsical idea. But when Alicia suggested it, her eyes were shining brightly, and Mary, listening to her, felt her heart leap with excitement.

Despite being a princess of a country and the daughter of the most prestigious noble family, their true identities were a country girl and a dumpling lady. There was no way they would reject such a proposal.

Thus, they arrived at this comical present.

"I've been invited to the princess's tea party, so don't make such a dissatisfied face. Besides, your parents, my parents, and even all the people serving the Albert family praised you."

"That's true. Everyone came out, even those on leave."

"Father even said, 'It feels like I have another daughter,' while trying hard not to laugh."

"Even if it's praise from my husband, I can't be happy about that."

Adi's frown deepened, probably recalling the excessive praise she received from the Albert family.

But it was that serious. Everyone gathered to see her in the dress, and everyone praised her while trying to suppress their laughter.

Adi, dressed in a red dress, returned the compliments with a strained smile, but her expression was clearly tense. However, she managed to respond relatively calmly, despite her clenched fists trembling, and Mary remarked, "I thought you'd refuse more."

When the tea party was mentioned, Adi had widened her eyes and shown a dissatisfied expression, but she obediently submitted to the measurements and, though somewhat resistant during the corset fitting, obediently put on the dress and appeared before everyone, albeit reluctantly.

"It's a state of resignation, I suppose. ...And"

"And?"

"I'm five years older than you."

"So what?"

What did the age difference matter now? When Mary looked up at Adi with a questioning gaze, Adi returned her gaze...

"I'm five years older... which means I'm wearing the uniform of the high school I should have graduated from long ago."

He said this with a serious expression.

"...That's true. Now that you mention it, it is."

"Compared to those three years, a day in a dress is nothing. ...Besides, if it makes you happy, I'll do anything."

He said this in a gentle tone, and his hand slowly reached out to Mary. His large, manly hand gently took Mary's hand as if handling a fragile object, intertwining their fingers.

What a sweet word and warm sensation. Mary couldn't help but let out a feverish sigh and looked up at Adi, who gazed at her lovingly... "I can't swoon," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Under normal circumstances, she might have been swept away by this sweetness and allowed a kiss, but today, the sight of the elegant dress kept pulling her back to reality.

"Didn't you make me do this?"

"Not just me. The idea came from..."

As Mary was about to mention the originator, she turned her silver hair with a shake at the sound of a carefree voice approaching. "Ms. Mary!" The voice grew louder, unmistakably...

"Alicia, wearing pants gives you even more mobility than usual."

"Come on! I can move easily too!"

Mary, determined, glared at the approaching Alicia, who was running at an unprecedented speed. Just as Alicia was about to reach her, Mary extended her arm to deflect her. She grabbed Alicia's arms and collar before she could hug her, changing her direction.

Mary was confident, "I've won!" But the next moment, her eyes widened as her extended arm grasped at air. In front of her, Alicia's golden hair swayed, like a bright and intangible golden trail, and Mary couldn't help but exclaim, "Afterimage!"

Then, something wrapped around Mary's waist, and the pressure of a squeeze accompanied the words, "Good morning, Ms. Mary!"

"Your suit looks great too, Ms. Mary!"

"Ugh... N-no, let go of me!"

With a loud slap, Mary hit Alicia's forehead.

Even as she turned away with a huff, this level of scolding wouldn't make Alicia reflect. Laughing joyfully, she turned to Adi, who watched the exchange with a sigh.

"Good morning, Adi. You look beautiful!"

"Good morning. Thank you for the compliment."

Alicia bowed, and Adi, understanding her intention, pinched the hem of his skirt and bowed his head.

Alicia smiled happily at this reversed greeting. She had her golden hair tied back in a ponytail and wore a navy suit with gold embroidery, a formal men's attire that suited her lively personality, making her look like an innocent prince.

Mary, who had been angry at being hugged, couldn't help but say, "You still have a bit of a country girl vibe, but you look quite good."

"Ms. Mary, you're beautiful and stylish, and I couldn't help but hug you."

"Stop it!"

She sternly stopped Alicia, who was about to hug her again, and glanced around. "Where's Patrick?" She mentioned her friend, assuming he was already at the palace.

Indeed, according to Alicia, he had already arrived and was ready.

Hearing this, Adi looked at a point and called out, "Miss."

"Miss, I have a question..."

"What is it?"

"By any chance, is that young lady with the long, wavy blue hair sitting elegantly by the window..."

Could it be...? Mary followed Adi's gaze to the window.

At a table with a view of the palace's beautiful garden, a young lady with long, wavy blue hair sat alone. Her eyes of the same color were cool, and her well-defined features exuded a dignified beauty.

What a noble young lady. Noticing the gaze directed at her, she slowly raised her head and looked over.

"Three hours!"

She announced the time required for completion in a calm... man's voice.

"Patrick! Is that you, Patrick!?"

"Three hours! Lady Patrick, to complete this in three hours!?"

Mary and Adi, wide-eyed, rushed to the window, and the blue-haired young lady, Patrick Dice, stood up in response. The tall young lady... or rather, Patrick Dice, in a navy dress, swayed.

Alicia, admiring his appearance, said, "Lady Patrick, you look good in anything," and Mary also praised him, "Impressive, Patrick."

However, Adi, in the same situation, had a slightly strained expression.

"...Wow, Lady Patrick."

"Heh, not that impressive. Adi, you're not bad either."

"No, no, I can't compare to Lady Patrick. Look, the male servants have been glancing at you."

"What are you talking about? You've been getting intense looks too."

With a forced smile, Adi and Patrick exchanged compliments, but the temperature of their exchange was clearly different from the cheerful praise between Mary and Alicia. They were stubbornly refusing to admit that the dresses suited them.

In the midst of this fake lady's battle, a cute voice cut in. "Ms. Mary!"

At the same time, a small shadow clung to Mary's back and hugged her arm.

It was Parfait, dressed in a small, cute tuxedo, whose tails swayed as she trembled.

The appearance of this cute prince made Mary and Alicia smile.

"Good morning, Parfait. What a lovely outfit. It suits you well."

"Ms. Mary, you're elegant and beautiful. Lady Adi is also elegant... Oh, that one!"

Parfait let out a high-pitched exclamation.

In front of her was the blue-haired young lady, Patrick.

"Good morning, Parfait."

"Lady Patrick! Oh!"

"Mary, what's she saying?"

"Don't treat me like an interpreter. She's praising Patrick."

"Is that so? Then I should thank her. Thank you, Parfait, you look lovely too."

"Ah!"

"The pitch and trembling changed... Mary?"

"Don't ask me! She's being modest!"

"Is that so? Don't be modest, it suits you very well."

"Hmm..."

"Mary?"

"I'm swooning!"

Don't ask me everything! Mary complained, and Patrick nodded, turning to Parfait. ...Being stared at made Parfait tremble even more, but Patrick was already used to this level of vibration...

Everyone watched their exchange with a wry smile, and when a hesitant voice called out, they froze.

A sturdy figure in a light pink, elegant dress. The dress, likely chosen by his partner, was adorned with large ribbons and had large lace at the cuffs. The design was adorable, and it would have made a beautiful young lady look even more charming.

...If a beautiful young lady wore it. At least, it wouldn't make the most muscular Gaius Eldland look charming. Moreover, he wasn't wearing a wig, which only emphasized the contrast with the dress.

"...This, this is...!"

Mary couldn't help but step back. Even Alicia, who was usually quick to react, was wide-eyed with shock. Finding their reactions amusing, Parfait laughed mischievously and stood beside Gaius, taking a ribbon from her pocket and decorating his short, black hair.

Meanwhile, Adi and Patrick, who had been exchanging strained compliments, looked at each other and nodded, "This is better."

Among them, Mary, with a strained expression, called out to Gaius.

"...Gaius. You look... very... well... I guess..."

"I'm well aware. Honestly, I'm surprised I made it this far without being caught."

"Parfait is with you, so that's probably why. But don't get too comfortable. The palace guards have been circling us. The moment you're alone..."

"Parfait! Stay by my side all day!"

Gripping Parfait's hand—shaking the large ribbon on his back—Gaius pleaded. His expression was intense, and indeed, several guards were casually passing by, subtly keeping an eye on Gaius. It was understandable that he was desperate.

Despite the lively atmosphere, this was the palace, and they couldn't let a suspicious man roam freely.

...The instigator was the princess, after all.

As for Alicia, the culprit, she seemed to have gotten used to Gaius's appearance and smiled brightly, "Let's start the tea party!"

"Wearing a dress is troublesome, but I can eat a lot, which is good."

Mary, with her silver hair tied at the shoulders, swayed in the wind. She elegantly handled the silverware and took a bite of cake, her expression brightening. She glanced at the cake stand.

Unlike the dress that emphasized a slim waist, the suit had some room around the stomach. She could eat one or two more pieces...

Beside her, Alicia, also enjoying the cake, smiled, "Tying my hair makes eating easier."

Her long, wavy hair sometimes fell and got in the way of eating. Mary, who used to have alloy drills and now had gently swaying hair, nodded in agreement.

"It's sad not to have ribbons and lace, but the suit is comfortable."

Parfait, talking, swayed the tails of her tuxedo. Eating cake and swaying the tails... she seemed to really like it.

"Having a tea party in different outfits is fun! Let's do it again!"

"That's true. For a country girl's idea, it's not bad. If you have another one, I might attend."

"Me too, I'd love to be invited!"

The three young ladies, or rather, the young men and princes, laughed happily.

---

On the other hand,

"Wearing a dress, I realized I might be cold-blooded... My legs are cold..."

Adi, whose skirt swayed in the wind, complained about the cold. Unlike pants, a skirt was well-ventilated, and the shoes that went with the dress exposed the top of his feet, making the wind touch his skin directly.

He borrowed a blanket but couldn't wrap it around his legs, so he covered his knees, but cold was cold.

Beside him, Patrick was elegantly... but much larger than usual, cutting a piece of cake. He ate it in large bites, as if giving up.

"Alicia runs at that speed while wearing such a heavy dress..."

He sighed, marveling at his wife's agility.

"More guards are coming..."

Gaius, who had no time to calm Adi and Patrick today, said.

Knowing he was a suspicious person, the wary gazes were terrifying