I stood up from my seat not long after Aiden left. Everyone, who had been staring blankly at the door he had exited through, turned their gaze toward me.
“I’d like to try on some clothes. Is that alright, Madam?”
“Of course, Lady. But I heard you weren’t feeling well...”
“I’m fine. More importantly, may I try on that dress?”
I pointed to a dress displayed in the corner of the catalog—a simple white one with a soft beige gradient at the hem.
“Of course, but Lady, this isn’t the kind of dress typically worn to a garden party. It’s more suited for outings.”
“I like it regardless of the garden party. Is that a problem?”
“N-Not at all! Of course, you can. Please, follow me.”
Mia and Vivian, seemingly uncomfortable being left alone, rose to their feet as if to follow.
“No, you two stay here. I won’t take long.”
Caught in an awkward half-rise, they hesitated before reluctantly settling back down. Their expressions were far from pleased, but that wasn’t my concern. I had my own problems to deal with.
“Well then, Lady Selina, I’ll look for a garden party dress that suits you in the meantime!”
Vivian’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, while Mia, lips pursed, stared off into the distance.
“...You really do the most...”
She muttered under her breath—but the issue was that it wasn’t quite under her breath. It was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Vivian, who had been beaming at me a moment ago, stiffly turned her head. Her gaze locked onto Mia.
“The most, you say...? Lady Mia?”
“Oh dear, why are you eavesdropping on other people’s words, Lady Vivian Jonas?”
It seemed another battle was about to erupt between them. I had long lost count of how many times this had happened.
Good. That means they won’t even notice when I disappear.
Like flipping the channel on a loud, melodramatic drama, I turned away and stepped through the door. The Madam had already walked ahead, holding the dress I had chosen and guiding me forward.
“Would you like assistance in changing, Lady?”
“No need. Rather, does this boutique have a back door?”
“A back door? Why...?”
“I’m just... curious about the layout of the salon.”
The Madam’s face lit up instantly.
No doubt she was already dreaming of a bright future in which House White became a patron of her shop.
“Yes! The back door is just behind the hangers over there.”
“Ah, I see. Thank you. I’ll change and come back to the parlor afterward. In the meantime, could you mediate between those two? When I left, it seemed like they were on the verge of a fight. If word spreads that noble ladies quarreled inside the salon... that wouldn’t be good, would it?”
“Oh my! That’s... true. But...”
The Madam fidgeted, eyes darting anxiously. The idea of noble ladies brawling in her establishment must have horrified her. However, she was also hesitating over whether it was acceptable to leave a customer to change alone.
“I’ll be fine. Surely you don’t think I’m incapable of dressing myself?”
Feigning offense, I nudged her toward the door. She flailed, shaking her hands in protest.
“Oh, heavens, no! Lady, of course not! Well... then, I shall go ahead! If you need any help while changing, please pull the cord over there.”
I nodded, and the Madam, beaming with relief, quickly headed back toward the parlor. She really had her hands full today. Poor woman. She got tangled up with the wrong crowd.
Not that I’d be here much longer, anyway.
Some days were just particularly unlucky like this.
I stepped into the dressing room and changed. The dress was simple in design, making it far easier to put on than most.
I also removed the pearl pin from my hair and placed it atop the neatly folded blue dress I had just taken off. Folding a dress like that... if the maids saw, they’d probably weep in despair.
Even in this moment, my mind wandered to such trivial thoughts.
In the full-length mirror stood a familiar yet unfamiliar figure—Selina White, dressed in white.
“...Looks like a burial shroud.”
This was really the end.
I quietly opened the dressing room door and walked toward the hangers the Madam had pointed out earlier. Parting the garments aside, I reached for the hidden door.
...This is a high-end salon, yet the back door security is pathetic. That’s not good. Security is the backbone of any business.
I fumbled with the lock and turned the handle.
Creak.
The old wooden door groaned louder than expected, likely from disuse.
But it wasn’t the loudest sound in the room.
“You’re the one who took my spot—!”
Mia’s shrill voice rang from the parlor, drowning out even the door’s noise. My ears hurt just hearing it. Honestly, if she were in a nursery, random passersby would probably rush in to comfort the “crying baby.”
I silently thanked her for the distraction and slipped outside.
The back door led into a narrow alley, its wall looming just ahead. I closed the door as quietly as possible and glanced around.
I felt oddly out of place in this unfamiliar street.
But that was fine.
I had a destination in mind.
Raising my head, I set my sights on the towering clock tower and began walking.
“Do you have strawberry flavor?”
“Oh! Of course! Young ones dislike bitter medicine, after all.”
The merchant, a warm-faced man, chuckled as he handed over a small glass bottle filled with red liquid.
...Young ones?
Aiden hesitated, recalling Selina’s expression—completely deadpan as she’d emphasized “strawberry flavor.” A small smile tugged at his lips as he paid for the potion.
“I took longer than I expected.”
The clock tower’s minute hand had moved significantly.
He had wandered all over looking for a place that sold the exact “strawberry-flavored” potion she wanted, which had cost him time.
Of course, had the Lady attempted to go out alone, the noblewomen or the Madam would have stopped her. And there were guards stationed at the boutique, so there wasn’t much to worry about.
Even so, something felt... off.
‘I should head back quickly.’
Aiden quickened his pace toward the salon.
He knocked on the door firmly a few times, and soon, the Madam answered. Her face was pale.
“...You don’t look well.”
“It’s nothing. But thank you for your concern.”
She covered her mouth with a small laugh, but her voice lacked energy. It was the weary, resigned laughter of someone utterly drained.
She couldn’t exactly tell him that she’d exhausted herself trying to stop two noble ladies from tearing each other apart like rabid dogs.
“More importantly... how is Lady Selina feeling?”
“She’s better now. She should be changing right about... now...”
The words trailed off into uncertainty.
The Madam slowly glanced at the clock. A considerable amount of time had passed since Selina had entered the fitting room. Even if she had been trying on a grand ballroom dress, she should have finished by now.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
She had been so caught up in everything that she hadn’t realized how much time had slipped by.
Her already pale face began to turn an alarming shade of blue. Aiden, watching her, also felt his expression harden.
Something was definitely wrong.
She had been in there for far too long.
Had she... collapsed?
Both of them came to the same conclusion at once.
The Madam took the lead, Aiden following closely behind. Their hurried steps were nearly a full sprint—completely unfitting for the elegant atmosphere of the salon.
“L-Lady! Lady, may I enter?”
Despite the urgent knocking, there was no response from inside.
The Madam clenched her fists anxiously and turned to Aiden.
“Sh-should we open the door?”
“Yes. I’ll turn away.”
“O-okay!”
With trembling hands, the Madam grasped the doorknob.
It turned effortlessly.
‘Why is it unlocked...?’
Perplexed, the Madam pushed the door open wide.
For all the anxiety she had worked up, the scene before her was surprisingly mundane.
An empty room.
A neatly folded blue dress. A single pearl hairpin placed atop it.
But as much as it looked ordinary, they could not simply dismiss it as such.
Because the one person who was supposed to be here—Selina—was nowhere to be seen.
Whether collapsed or standing upright, she should have been here.
“...She’s gone?”
“What?”
Aiden, already on edge, immediately spun around at the Madam’s muttering.
Pushing past her, he stepped into the room.
It was completely empty.
Only the discarded clothes lay there, like a shed husk.
“This...”
Aiden’s green eyes gleamed ominously as they locked onto the Madam, making her shudder.
Why was a servant this terrifying?
Trembling, the Madam suddenly recalled something.
“Oh...! Now that I think about it, the Lady asked me earlier if there was a back door!”
“...A back door? And? Is there one?”
“Yes... just behind the hangers...”
Aiden’s gaze snapped to where she pointed.
The hangers had been disturbed. The clothes were slightly parted.
“...Ha...! Damn it!”
There was no doubt about it.
Lady Selina had left through that back door.
“Send someone to the Duke’s estate immediately. Discreetly. Make sure those noble ladies don’t catch wind of it.”
“Y-yes!”
The moment the Madam nodded, Aiden strode over to the back door and yanked it open.
With a sharp crack, the weak lock gave way, and broken latches fell to the floor.
The Madam could only stare, dumbfounded, as Aiden stepped outside and disappeared.
A second later, her legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground.
“Hah... what kind of mess is this...?”
This place was far more complex than I had expected.
Aside from the rural farmlands of the territory, this was a massive commercial district that had developed into a city centered around a grand plaza.
It was also the busiest transport hub closest to the capital.
So this was White Plaza.
At least the clock tower stood tall above it all, making it easier to get my bearings.
I sat down briefly, tapping my legs to shake off the stiffness, then pushed myself back up.
There was no time to waste.
Unfortunately, I had a poor sense of direction.
Or rather, even if I weren’t bad with directions, anyone would struggle to navigate an unfamiliar city like this.
It only made sense.
But the world was round.
I wasn’t sure if this was Earth, but... still, it was probably round.
If I just kept walking, even if I had to take a few detours, I would eventually reach my destination.
Just like now.
I nearly choked up with relief as I gazed up at the towering clock tower.
Thankfully, I had made it before my feet swelled up.
A lone guard sat outside the entrance, slouched in his chair.
That must be miserable.
It couldn’t be easy sitting there all alone in such an empty part of the city.
But then again, public officials always had jobs that seemed both easy and not at all easy at the same time.
“Excuse me.”
The guard, whose eyes had been drooping, immediately snapped upright.
“What business do you have?”
“I’d like to go up the tower.”
At my words, he shook his head firmly.
“Apologies, but entry is restricted to civilians. If you wish to enter, you’ll need a permit from the security office.”
The security office seemed busier than I had expected.
Dealing with women who smashed canes over their knees, chasing peacocks around, issuing permits to people who wanted to climb clock towers...
It was a tough job.
Feeling a rare sense of sympathy, I decided to lighten their workload.
I pulled out an envelope from my sleeve.
It was an invitation to last year’s Founding Day Ball, sent from the imperial family to House White.
Bearing the imperial seal and the Duke’s name, it was something no one would dare forge.
I had found it while rummaging through Selina’s desk.
...So she collected things like this.
Did she have some romantic fantasy about the imperial family?
Did she like Lukas as a man but want to marry into the imperial family instead?
No, that was probably too far-fetched.
Anyway, I had brought it just in case.
As I showed the invitation, the guard blinked in surprise, glancing between the letter and me.
Then, all at once, he straightened and bellowed,
“An honor to meet you, noble Lady of the Duke’s House!”
His voice was so thunderous that I instinctively took a step back.
That was practically a lion’s roar.
“That’s enough with the formalities. More importantly, I’d like to take a look inside the clock tower. May I enter?”
“Oh... normally, that wouldn’t be allowed, but... as the Lady of this land... hmm... I suppose I can make an exception.”
The guard hesitated for a moment before flashing a bright smile and nodding.
Technically, even a noble lady should have needed a proper permit, but...
Well, I wasn’t about to start caring about how other people did their jobs now.
“Thank you.”
At my gratitude, the guard’s ears turned red, and he saluted crisply.
Receiving thanks from a noble must have made him unexpectedly proud of his work.
“Shall I escort you?”
“No need. I’m only taking a quick look. I’ll be fine on my own.”
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“Understood! If you need anything, please call for me!”
After watching him bow stiffly, I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
Thud.
The bright light outside was cut off.
Only faint rays of sunlight streamed through the small windows above, illuminating the towering spiral staircase.
It was a stairway leading up to the sky.
I let out a quiet breath of admiration before slowly beginning my ascent.