MTLNOVEL Chapter 30
The holy knight approached Elsez and showed her a vision sphere.“Is this the boy who was said to have the Shard of the Rift?”Inside the sphere, the face of the boy Elsez had encountered appeared. She nodded.“Yes, that’s him.”“There’s a report that this boy was seen entering House Lortr on the same day you witnessed him.”‘House Lortr? That name sounds familiar…’Hearing the knight’s words, Elsez tried to recall her memories.As she traced her lips in thought, Astaire spoke.“It would be easier to sneak in if there was an event, like a banquet, that could distract both the household servants and the master.”“I’ll look into it.”“Sneak in?”At Elsez’s question, Astaire nodded.“There’s not enough evidence to formally request a public search of the earl’s estate just because that boy was seen entering.”“Hmm, that makes sense. I’m the only one who saw him with the Shard of the Rift.”“And the imperial family is already reluctant to have this matter exposed. If we recklessly target an imperial noble without solid proof, it could put the Holy Nation in a difficult position.”Astaire was a citizen of the empire, but more importantly, he represented the Holy Nation as a cardinal. Any misstep could escalate tensions between the two powers.“The best course of action would be to infiltrate the estate, find concrete evidence, and then formally request a search of the earl’s residence.”Turning to the knight, Astaire gave his orders.“Lancelot, check if there are any upcoming banquets or other occasions when the estate might be empty.”“Yes, Your Eminence.”Lancelot bowed and was about to leave when Elsez suddenly remembered where she had heard the name Lortr before.“Wait a moment!”Both Lancelot, who was about to step out, and Astaire, who had been deep in thought with his hand on his chin, turned to her in surprise.“I… I think I can get into that house.” ***** Late in the afternoon, after taking a bath, Elsez returned to her room and pulled out a gift box she had set aside.Inside the box was a luxurious dress that, at a glance, looked incredibly expensive.Elsez’s eyes widened in shock.‘Wait, why did they send something this pricey?’At that moment, Lerti, who had been lying on the table scribbling numbers for practice, grew curious and approached.“What’s this, human? It’s super sparkly.”“It’s a dress.”“What do you do with it?”“Infiltration.”Elsez answered absentmindedly before suddenly realizing something.“I don’t think I can bring you along to the banquet today since I don’t have a coat to cover you. Do you want to stay home?”She had observed Reti for a while now and figured it wouldn’t be a problem to leave him alone in the house.But his response was unexpected.“I can move into other objects too.”As soon as Reti finished speaking, the rabbit plushie standing upright collapsed with a thud.Then, a wisp of black mist seeped into the fountain pen he had been using, and his voice emerged from it.“Ta-da! Cool, right?”“As long as it’s not a living thing, you can move into anything?”“Yep. If something already has a soul, I can’t take it over.”“Then move into this brooch.”Elsez tapped the brooch that had come with the dress inside the box. Immediately, the black mist shifted into the brooch.Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Lenny entered.“You called, my lady?”Stepping inside, Lenny gasped in amazement when she saw the dress on the table.“Wow, did the Duke give this to you? My goodness, it’s so beautiful!”“Uh, um. Yeah.”Even though Tezette wasn’t the one who had sent it, Elsez didn’t bother correcting her.It was awkward enough receiving a gift from another man when she already had a fiancé, and explaining everything would take too long.In reality, the dress had come from Astaire.A few days ago, when they had discussed their plan to infiltrate the Lortr estate—Elsez had revealed her noble identity and mentioned the invitation she had received from the earl’s household.She had hidden her identity initially to avoid complications with her guild activities, but it wasn’t something she intended to conceal forever.It wasn’t a grand secret, and she felt guilty pretending otherwise when a simple solution was at hand.After hearing her story, Astaire had insisted that they would provide everything needed for the mission.“Since this is for the operation, of course, we should cover the costs.”A few days later, after taking her measurements, Astaire had the dress delivered.‘There was no need to send such a luxurious dress. Can I really accept this?’Of course, she was only going to infiltrate the mansion, not engage in anything dangerous, but—It was such a stunning outfit that she’d probably cry if anything happened to it.Besides, she had already sold all her old banquet dresses to pay off her debts, so she had nothing else to wear.“Can you help me get ready, Lenny?”“You’re attending a banquet, right? Leave it to me!”Lenny, excited for the rare opportunity to showcase her skills, enthusiastically got to work.The preparations lasted until the sun had almost completely set.“My lady, please stand up.”Elsez, who had been nodding off, opened her eyes at Lenny’s voice.In the mirror of her dressing table, a refined and elegant noblewoman gazed back at her.She stared at her reflection in a daze.Her platinum-blonde hair was gently tied in a half-up style, cascading softly over a light blue dress adorned with finely cut gemstones.Her face, illuminated under the soft lighting, shimmered as if touched by morning dew.‘From the moment I possessed this body, I knew it—I really love this face.’With this appearance, this body… If only she didn’t carry the power of the Demon God, she could have lived a happy life.Suppressing a sigh, Elsez turned to Lenny.“You’ve got great hands. Thanks, Lenny.”Lenny blushed shyly at the compliment.“Oh, should I get ready too?”“No need. They said they’d provide an attendant for me.”It was common to bring at least one maid when attending a banquet, but some noble events restricted the presence of servants.This was usually done to maintain security or when the gathering was meant to be an exclusive, private affair among nobles.‘Actually, that works out better. It would’ve been hard to move around with Lenny following me.’Just as the preparations finished, Madam Mas entered the room.“My lady, the carriage has arrived.”The carriage, too, had been provided by Astaire, knowing the financial situation of House Loraine.With a final touch, Elsez fastened the brooch where Reti was hiding and headed downstairs.At the mansion’s entrance, a carriage bearing the emblem of House Loraine was waiting.Standing in front of it was a young coachman with brown hair under a beret.He had just come of age, his youthful features still evident despite his attempt at a mature demeanor.As she approached, he smiled and greeted her.“Good evening, my lady.”The voice was familiar, but Elsez was certain she had never seen this man before.She drew closer, her gaze scanning his unfamiliar face—until she suddenly recognized something beneath the disguise.Even with a wig and drawn-on freckles, the smooth, melodic voice and warm smile were unmistakable.“You’re—”“Shh.”Astaire whispered softly, just loud enough for Elsez to hear.She quickly shut her mouth, conscious of Lenny and Madam Mas watching from behind.Guiding her into the carriage, Astaire spoke with a playful tone.“The Duke sent a surprise gift. May I step inside for a moment?”Since Astaire knew her situation, he carefully framed it as a gift from Tezette, respecting her position as his fiancée.‘A gift?’Elsez tilted her head in confusion but nodded.Once she gave permission, Astaire smoothly stepped into the carriage and shut the door.Then, he sat across from her and stared at her in silence.Feeling awkward under his gaze, Elsez was the first to speak.“Um… Do I look that strange?”To be honest, she herself felt uncomfortable.Even in her past life, she had never been one for dressing up—makeup was foreign, high heels were cumbersome, and long dresses were the most unfamiliar of all.Astaire, who had been watching her closely, suddenly chuckled and shook his head.“No, you look stunning. It’s a shame I won’t be the one escorting you tonight.”Why did he have to say things like that?Elsez averted her gaze in embarrassment, scratching her cheek absentmindedly before remembering something.“Oh, right. What’s this gift you mentioned?”“Ah, that.”Astaire reached into his coat and pulled out a small box, smaller than the palm of his hand.Then, from within the box, he retrieved something else.“Excuse me for a moment.”What is it?Elsez blinked as she watched him, puzzled.And then—Astaire suddenly leaned in.Close enough that she could feel his breath.From beneath his long eyelashes, his eyes, the color of a frozen lake in winter, locked onto hers.Blink.Elsez’s amber eyes slowly fluttered shut.