-Felicity-

I stared at the dress as the maid awkwardly fidgeted beside it. This was my last chance to back out. I’d brought a suit to wear. 

Clenching my fists, I closed my eyes. “Should I be petty?” I asked the woman. “I really should. Given everything he’s done. He’s so stupid! But I should stop. I should… just give up. He’s not going to notice.”

Standing there, I knew I’d not actually given up on trying to get him to realize I was there. Opening my eyes, I looked at the maid. “Make a bet with me. I bet he won’t figure it out unless someone tells him.”

“Figure what out?” the woman asked, eyes wide.

“What’s the one question I didn’t answer in that report? What’s the question he specifically asked me to answer?”

The woman’s eyes widened. She stared at me, then at the dress. “Good. Gods,” she whispered and covered her face. To my surprise, she started laughing. She laughed so hard she gripped her stomach and bent over. Wiping her eyes, she straightened and struggled to draw a breath. “Be petty, My Lady! Wearing your aunt’s dress after destroying her is just too funny!”

I grinned. “I know, right?”

Reassured, I lifted my hands and started unbuttoning my coat.

It didn’t take long to get the dress on, at least. The maid decided to tone down the redness of my scars but otherwise left them alone. She focused on my eyes and hair. “Despite what you’ve done to it, your hair is so soft, My Lady,” the maid said.

I couldn’t help but flush.

“Do you plan on growing it out?”

“Probably. I’ll be the princess’s guard now,” I said. “Not as much danger of getting it grabbed.”

The maid nodded and affixed the flowers in place. “There. You look beautiful.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

The maid cracked a giggle.

Infected by it, I started laughing as well.

A knock on the door interrupted us, and the woman went to check. “Yes, Your Highness,” the maid said.

As I now had guests, I stood and turned to face the door. Daniel strode in confidently, then stopped, a look of dumbfounded shock on his face for a second before he recalled himself. Clearing his throat, he said, “The results are much better than I’d ever imagined.”

I rolled my eyes at him as I strode closer. “I’m sure you’ve imagined a lot.”

This earned a flush. “I swear it was an accident!”

“I believe you,” I said. “But you didn’t have to stare for that long. Is my escort here?”

“He’s waiting in the hall.” Daniel snorted. “Did you really need to go this far with it? Just coming out in a dress would be embarrassing enough for him.”

The maid snorted and hastily covered her mouth.

“This goes deeper than that,” I told Daniel with a cheery smile. “If he ever figures out why I’m going to this extreme, I’d be surprised. But the longer it goes on, the worse it’s going to make him look if he ever does figure it out.”

Daniel stared at me, then shook his head. “I will trust that the gods will have me stumble into the answer, should I need it.”

“You’re smart. You’ll probably put it together,” I said. “Now. I’ve got a reputation to ruin.”

“Yours or his.”

“Both!” I grinned and stepped past him into the hall.

As I’d been promised, my escort for the evening was waiting outside. Cecil Lambs casually leaned against the wall, dressed in shades of purple, his long silvery hair braided and draped over his shoulder. He looked up from playing with the iris corsage he wore and stared in shock.

I smiled at him. He’d probably intended to play with me. He’d clearly thought I’d asked him to escort me because I was already infatuated with him. I could see him calculating as he looked me over and come up short on how to address me.

“My Lady, Sir Mortuary, Baron Mortuary,” I supplied. “Any of those work, Emeritus.” I gave an unpracticed curtsie. “Thank you for agreeing to escort me this evening.”

“So you were a woman this whole time,” he said, his gaze on my dress again. I knew he knew whose it was.

“Yes. I would have continued hiding it if it hadn’t been for Duke Lyon insisting I be ennobled. Since my title is hereditary, I decided it was time to tell the truth. I’m ill-equipped to have a wife, after all.”

“And the dress?” he asked, finally.

“Two days before a big event?" I feigned with a hand to my cheek, "No dressmaker could get me anything worthy, and this one was available.” I couldn’t stop my mouth from twitching. I heard the maid wheeze behind me.

Cecil looked me over again as he decided whether to be amused or offended that he was getting used like this. His grin was charming. Offering his arm, he said, “Shall we go, my most fascinating lady?”

I placed my hand on his arm. “Though, being fashionably late would suit my purposes better. I want everyone to see.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll notice. You’re wearing the dress of the woman you destroyed, after all,” Cecil said cheerily. “What a power move. Almost as if you intend to become the new queen of High Society.”

“I’d much prefer if you acted offended to be seen with me,” I said.

“Never!” Cecil said. I could sense his growing conviction in the choice he’d made. “And miss out on the trouble you’re going to stir up? I couldn’t possibly!” He leaned closer, “It’s not every day someone declares war on Duke Lyon. Do you truly think you’ll win?”

“I know I will,” I said as I walked with him. The dress was annoying, and it took everything I had not to pull at it. “He doesn’t even realize why I’ve taken up arms against him. He probably never will.”

“I admit I’m a bit confused as well,” Cecil said. “You saved his life five times, I recall.”

“I tried to resign, and he wouldn’t let me,” I answered. “Seems to think I need to be taken care of.”

Cecil lifted both his brows this time. “Well! That is rather insulting. But what would you have done with yourself? You’re still young and a Vice-Captain. You could’ve easily continued climbing the ranks.”

“As His Grace’s subordinate?” I asked. “He liked me fine where I was. Exactly where he put me.”

The mage nodded in understanding as we entered the public hall where guests were already gathered to enter the ballroom.