Two days of being holed up in her room, Ethel had finally sent the letters. There was a day remaining before the ball would begin. The weather had turned calm after the heavy downpour that plagued the city for two days.

A month.

After poring over her plan, she deemed it was necessary for her to win Mars. To gain a noble title meant having connections to other nobles and establish her place within the faction of the lower nobles.

If she could gain a connection to the current Duke of Vandenberg, then she could find out the significance of the memento in her hands. Moving as a noble was much easier than being a commoner.

She could kill two birds with one stone.

“Ha…” she sighed. Looking out the window of the little inn, the sky turned clear and iridescent, as it always looked after the rain.

Then what was the point of lying low in Agora? To proceed with her plans, it meant putting herself in the middle of danger.

Another sigh left her lips.

Despite her initial plans going awry, she had to take extra precaution. To rid herself of these chains and find out about her real identity, everything would start here.

But first, she had to head over to the Cyprus Estate. Ethel had no contact with the family since three days ago and she doubt their guards could find her, considering that she was under a different guise when she entered the city.

Before setting off, she grabbed the dusty satchel and put on her hood, before alerting the helper of the inn that she would not be back for a while.

In front of the Cyprus Estate, everything looked vibrant. From the intricate gates to the magnificent display of the landscape, it was appalling that such a family could have control over such a large plot of land.

The knight that guarded the gate was the same one that stopped her from a few days ago, after reverting back to her appearance, she greeted the guard.

“Good day, knight.”

The guard stiffened at the sight of her but nevertheless nodded and let her in. His companion tilted his head in confusion, but that was his superior. If his superior was familiar with her, then he wasn’t going to protest.

Usually when visiting a noble’s house, you had to send a letter in advance so that they could welcome your arrival. But she wasn’t a noble, and she had been here a few times that she had the house memorized.

As for the servants, she was always careful not to bump into them. It was such a large mansion that it was hardly a chore for her. Except for the old servants like the butler and the head maid, the rest of the lot were unfamiliar with her.

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Making her way to the courtyard where the knights trained, Ethel saw the sight of Apien and Fleur fighting. Of course, Fleur was at a disadvantage, what with her exhausted figure and the grip on her spear had weakened.

“That looks fun. Can I join?”

The siblings were caught off-guard and immediately took a defensive stance. Once they knew it was only Ethel, they relaxed.

“It was only you, Ethel.”

“Well, I’m out,” Apien said as he began to walk away.

Fleur rolled her eyes and approached Ethel, slinging an arm over her shoulder she then asked, “So, are you excited for the ball?”

“Not at all.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

There were hardly any chances that Ethel showed off her femininity. This was a rare chance for Fleur to dress her up and take her outside.

“Then, you don’t have plans for today, don’t you?”

Ethel nodded. The only thing left to do was to wait for the return letters and win Mars, but the latter was something she didn’t plan on revealing.

“Come with me, quick. Before an attendant notifies mother and she finds us.”

Fleur pulls her inside the mansion while brushing off the rest of the servants. They went up the stairs and in her room, locking the door behind her.

“There was no need to haul me over, you know.” Ethel frowned.

“It’s better to be precautious and take measures.”

“In any case, what’s the occasion?”

Ethel settled herself on the sofa. Her manly attire did not suit the elegant style of the room. Everything was decorated with the deep shade of yellow, that it felt a little overbearing to stay in such a luxurious room.

Fleur walked over to another adjoining door and replied, “I was invited to a tea party today but I put off replying because I did not want to relinquish myself to a bunch of gossiping madwomen.”

Ethel widened her eyes and realized her plan. She ran towards the balcony of the room and prepared to jump but Fleur was quicker and tackled her to the ground.

A groan escaped her lips.

“You’re lucky the floor is carpeted. And besides, you have no choice.” A glint flashed in Fleur’s eyes. “You’ve been putting off my invitations since we were of age but now that we’re alone, you have nowhere to escape.”

Ethel rolled over and pulled herself up. “I can accompany you as your knight, women aren’t that rare in the order anymore, aren’t they?”

“No!” Fleur berated. “You are a blossoming lady in prime. I, as a fellow woman and eternal best friend, cannot handle such injustice. I mean, look at you. That hair you always liked to keep short and the preference of wearing such manly clothes. My maiden heart cannot take it.”

Ethel rubbed her temples. She knew it was going to come sooner or later. After all, she could only avoid it for so long. And it was seemingly unfair to do that to someone like Fleur.

“Fine, but nothing gaudy or fancy!”

“Great!” Fleur clapped her hands and pulled her into her wardrobe. “Now come along, I will make sure that you shine the brightest in that tea party!”