Chapter 1

When she woke up, she felt enveloped by something warm.

The memory that came to mind was from over ten years ago.

In the corner of the annex of the earl's house, she and her mother would often share the same bed to keep warm on cold days. The room was indeed cold, but their hearts were warm. It was a gentle memory that she could now only vaguely recall.

(…It’s warm)

Not wanting to let go of this warmth, she naturally leaned towards the source of the heat, and in response, the closeness increased. At the same time, her head was stroked, and she felt as if she were dreaming of her childhood.

However, she soon realized that this was a great misunderstanding.

"…You're so cute."

The voice whispered in her ear was clearly male. At that moment, Margaret woke up completely.

Startled, she raised her face and saw sapphire eyes that seemed to melt like molten gold looking at her.

"Good morning, Margaret."

"O… Good morning…?"

"I'm glad you slept well. I was just about to wake you up."

While Margaret's eyes darted around at Percival's smile, she tried to get up, thinking she had to get away. But,

"…Lord Percival…! That, your arm…!!"

"Sorry, just a little longer."

"Ah!?"

She was pulled closer as if being enclosed in his arms, and she let out an odd sound. Blushing with embarrassment, Margaret felt Percival press further.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, right? We are husband and wife, after all."

"Wh-What, n-no, that’s…!"

She didn’t have the courage to deny it. She felt that if she did, Percival’s mood would plummet. However, she couldn’t just stay like this, and Margaret was at a loss for what to do. If she resisted seriously, she could probably get away, but to be honest, Margaret wasn’t really against it. She was just embarrassed. If she said it out loud, she felt that even that pretense would be seen through.

Margaret was in a bind, but a savior came from outside the room.

Two knocks were followed by a familiar female voice.

"…My lord, may I enter? Breakfast is ready."

"Ah, yeah. Wait a moment."

Percival replied to the other side of the door and then said to Margaret, who could hear him,

"Too bad, time's up."

He then released her from his arms. Margaret felt a mix of relief and a slight sense of loss, which made her flustered. She instinctively grabbed a nearby pillow and pressed it to her face to hide, and Percival chuckled.

"Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be so embarrassed. I’ll go ahead, so take your time getting ready. Let’s have breakfast together."

He patted Margaret’s head and left the room in high spirits. Natalie, who entered in his place, saw Margaret sitting on the bed with a pillow in her arms and sighed.

"…Honestly, my lord can be quite a handful."

But she quickly changed her mood and approached Margaret with a gentle voice.

"Good morning, my lady."

"…Good morning, Natalie."

Margaret slowly lifted her face from the pillow to look at Natalie. She wasn’t Julia anymore, but Natalie treated her as Percival’s wife without any prying.

While Natalie helped her get dressed, Margaret gathered her courage and spoke.

"…Natalie, don’t you find it strange? My appearance…"

"Of course, it’s strange. But the essence of who you are hasn’t changed."

"…Is that so?"

"Yes. I can tell from your expressions, gestures, and the way you speak. More than anything, I feel that this is more like you. This is your true appearance, isn’t it?"

Nodding, Natalie smiled as if a long-standing question had been answered.

"Now I understand why my lord was so particular about the colors of your clothes. He was choosing outfits that suited the real you."

"…!!"

It was only then that she realized it. Indeed, there had been a sense of discomfort.

Julia, with her chocolate-colored hair and ruby eyes, and Margaret, with her platinum-gold hair and peridot eyes, had very different color palettes, and thus, the colors that suited them were different. Reflecting on it, the clothes and accessories given to her by Percival were clearly in colors that suited Margaret.

(He really knew all along… my true appearance)

Her heart ached.

She realized that she had been cherished and protected all along, even without her knowing.

After changing, Margaret went to the dining room, where Percival was waiting. As soon as she sat down, breakfast was served.

"Lord Percival, is it really alright for me to stay like this?"

"Of course. Besides, there’s no need for you to change back."

In the dining room, now empty of servants, Percival said with a serious expression. He seemed to really not want Margaret to use her unique magic.

"Lord Percival, how much do you know about my unique magic?"

Without hesitation, she asked, and Percival prefaced his answer with, "I can guess to some extent."

"The unique magic of transformation, which allows you to change your own or others' appearances at will—am I wrong?"

"…No, you are correct."

"By the way, is it okay if I ask about the details and limitations?"

"Yes, of course."

Margaret had no intention of hiding anything. She explained everything carefully, including the matters she had promised her mother.

After listening to everything, Percival said with a distant look in his eyes,

"…I can only be grateful to Margaret’s mother."

"To my mother…?"

"Yes. If Earl Wordsworth had known your true power, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation."

"What do you mean?"

"It’s hard to explain in a few words—"

Just as Percival was about to continue, Graham, with a serious expression, entered the dining room without waiting for a response.

"…My lord, I apologize for the intrusion."

Seeing this, Percival spoke first.

"…They’re here. How many?"

"…Three. What shall we do?"

"They won’t give up even if we turn them away. Just show them to the parlor."

"Understood."

As Graham turned to carry out the order, Margaret couldn’t hide her anxiety as she looked at Percival. Noticing her gaze, he smiled reassuringly.

"Don’t worry, Margaret. I won’t let you go."

"…So, they are…"

"Yes, uninvited guests."

In other words, three people from the Wordsworth family had arrived.

Margaret clenched her fists, remembering the events of last night. Percival stood up and gently embraced her from behind.

"Let’s go meet them as a prelude."

His voice was strong and full of confidence.