Several hours later, I regretted my decision to go along with Anna's plan. It was early afternoon by this point, and I was walking through the streets of Eastwatch. This was my first outing in three days; four, if I counted the day I spent unconscious.

It was a beautiful day out. The sun shone high in the sky, and the temperature was a little cooler than usual. Well, cooler by Eastwatch standards. Despite this, I felt no joy. Instead, I felt a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.

As usual, tourists and locals crowded the streets of Eastwatch. The sound of music filled the air, while the smell of delicious food teased my nostrils. However, I paid little mind to either. Instead, I focused on the other people around me.

To my dismay, I attracted a lot of attention. Men stared at me with stunned expressions on their faces. So much so, that some even tripped over their own feet. They eyed me with awe, admiration, and lasciviousness.

The women weren't much better. Most stared at me with envy and hatred in their eyes. They looked like they wanted to tear my eyes out and claw my face to shreds. However, a few eyed me with appreciation.

I ignored them all as best I could and continued on my way. The sooner I finished luring the succubus into the trap my companions had set up, the sooner I could get rid of my current disguise.

By the gods, why had I agreed to this?

To my dismay, a trio of men stepped into my path, forcing me to stop. They looked like tourists rather than locals, though they had been here long enough to get a good tan. One was a Second Ranked Awakened, while the other two were First Ranked. All three of them ogled me with barely concealed lust in their eyes. I felt disgusted. Only Anna was allowed to look at me like that.

"Greetings, my lady," the Second Rank Awakened said. "I am Tyler Simmons of the Simmons family. May I know your name?"

Yes, he said my lady. Not my lord. That was because I was dressed as a woman. This was Anna's brilliant plan. Pretend to be a woman and lure the succubus into our trap.

"No, you may not," I said, pitching my voice to higher than usual. "I have an appointment with my fiancé, and I am late. Good day to you."

I moved past Tyler Simmons and his friends. They tried to stop me, but I released killing intent so strong that all three froze in place. Once past, I continued on my way. As I walked towards my destination, a single thought repeated in my mind.

Why had I agreed to this?

As I faced Tyler Simmons and his friends, I thought back to several hours ago, when Anna convinced me to go along with this nonsense. We were still in the Southside Inn, and she had just finished giving us the rough outline of her plan.

In short, Cally would create a runic circle, one powerful enough to hold a succubus. I would dress as a woman and lure the succubus into this runic circle. Afterwards, we would attack and beat them into submission. From there, Anna and Cally would interrogate the succubus for information.

"No," I said. "Absolutely not. I refuse to dress as a woman."

Anna pouted at me.

"Why?" she asked. "You were fine with playing bait earlier. What difference does it make?"

I glared at her.

"That's my point!" I said. "Why do I need to dress as a woman? Succubi don't care. I can lure one out as a man."

"Perhaps," Anna said with a serious expression on her face. "However, the succubus would be more likely to lower their guard if you presented yourself as someone soft and delicate."

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm an Awakened," I said. "Beyond a certain point, the differences between men and women don't matter."

I looked at the others. Cally smirked, while Leroy looked a little uncomfortable.

"Please tell her this is a ridiculous idea," I said.

"It is ridiculous," Cally said. "However, Anna's idea does have merit. A succubus would let their guard down around you if you pretended to be a weak and pampered lady."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"You just want to see me get dressed up as a woman," I said.

Cally shrugged, but didn't deny my words.

"It has to be you," Anna said. "You're the best fit. Cally can't do it since she needs to draw the runic circle. Leroy's size disqualifies him." She gestured to herself. "As for me… Well, no one has ever accused me of being soft and delicate."

I studied Anna's muscled body, honed through countless hours of training.

"Are you implying that I'm weak?" I asked her, an edge to my voice.

"Never," Anna said with sincerity. "However, it's true that you take after your mother in appearance. You look soft and delicate. That is what's important here."

I sighed.

"Is there no other option?" I asked. "One that doesn't involve emasculating me?"

Anna nodded.

"Yes," she said. "However, this plan gives us the highest chance of success with the least amount of risk.'

I felt my defenses crumbling. Against my better judgment, I felt Anna's words swaying me.

"Do you mean that?" I asked. "Or do you just want to see me dressed as a woman? I still remember our conversation in the Icefall region, the one we had during the feast."

Anna took a moment before answering.

"I'll admit, I like the idea of you dressing as a woman," she said. "However, I would never have suggested it if it weren't for the circumstances." She grinned at me. "Rather, I would've preferred to keep it between us."

Of course. What had I expected?

"I still don't like it," I said.

Anna pursed her lips and studied me for several moments.

"How about this?" she said. "If you agree to go along with my plan, I'll…" She leaned forward and whispered an enticing offer into my ear, before pulling back. "What do you say?"

My eyes flickered to her chest.

"How often?" I asked, looking back into her eyes.

Anna smirked.

"As often as you want," she said. "All you have to do is ask."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Fine," I said. "I'll dress up as a woman." I opened my eyes and glared at her. "You better keep your promise."

Anna tried, and failed, to keep a smile off her lips.

"Of course," she said.

Cally looked at Leroy.

"If you ever get married," she said. "Don't marry a perverted degenerate like Anna. Look at how she's corrupting your lord. Find someone sweet and wholesome."

Leroy nodded with a serious expression on his face.

"Cally," I said. "Go talk with Marcio. If we're going to do this, we need to do it somewhere private. See if he has any ideas." I looked at Leroy. "Go with her."

Leroy frowned at me.

"I'm not leaving your side," he said.

I gestured to Anna.

"Don't worry," I said. "She'll be with me. The two of us will go see Mireya."

Anna raised an eyebrow at me.

"We are?" she asked. "Why?"

"Mireya runs a clothing shop," I said. "If we're going to do this, we might as well do it right. We'll have her dress me up."

Anna scowled at me.

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"What?" she asked. "You don't think I can do it?"

"Can you?" I asked.

Anna opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth and crossed her arms.

"No," she admitted.

Cally snickered.

"You're a great warrior," she said. "However, all know that fashion and makeup aren't your fortes."

Anna huffed and turned away from her.

"I'm not leaving your side," Leroy repeated. "Every time I do, something bad happens to you."

I sighed.

"Leroy," I said. "I'm about to dress up as a woman, something I find personally embarrassing. The last thing I need is for one of my retainers to witness me in such an undignified state. Please don't add to my shame."

Leroy stiffened.

"Very well, my lord," he said, though he still seemed unwilling.

I stood up.

"Let's get going," I said. "The sooner we get this over with, the better."

My companions nodded. With that, the four of us headed out.

Anna and I headed to Mireya's shop and met with her in the underground chamber. Her eyes widened and she looked at us in disbelief when she heard our request.

"You want me to dress you up as a woman?" Mireya asked.

"Yes," I said. "A minor noble to be exact."

Mireya looked me up and down.

"I'll try my best, but I don't think it'll work," she said.

I sighed, before I revealed my "true" appearance. Rather, I switched disguise rings and wore the one that made me look like Grandfather Gabriel. In other words, I looked like myself but with red hair and green eyes.

Mireya's jaw dropped the moment she saw me.

"This is what you look like?" she asked.

I nodded.

"No wonder you wear a disguise ring," Mireya said. "If you walked down the street looking like this, women would be throwing themselves at you."

Anna grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to her.

"They would try," she said in a cold voice. "It wouldn't end well for them."

Mireya gave her an amused smirk.

"Easy now," she said. "I have no designs on your man. Remember, I'm married." She gestured to me. "He looks divine, but I love my husband."

Anna just narrowed her eyes in response.

"Alright," Mireya said, turning back towards me. "You want me to dress you up as a woman. I can do that. May I ask why?"

"We found a lead," I said. "However, I need to dress up as a woman in order to investigate it further."

Mireya snorted.

"That must be some lead," she said. "Do you want to look like a local or a tourist?"

"Tourist," I said.

"In that case, follow me."

Mireya led us upstairs, to a dressing room located at the back of her shop. Over the next several hours, she proceeded to work her figurative magic on me. In addition to finding a dress that made me look slimmer, Mireya also worked my makeup and hair. I wanted to watch her progress through a mirror, but she refused to fetch one. She said she wanted the final look to be a surprise. Meanwhile, Anna stood off to the side and watched the entire process.

When Mireya finished, she stepped back and studied me with an envious expression on her face.

"Life is unfair," she said. "How is a man the most beautiful woman I have ever seen?" She turned to Anna. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Anna didn't respond. Instead, she stared at me with a hungry expression on her face. I felt like an innocent lamb in front of the big bad wolf.

"Give me a mirror," I said. "I want to see what I look like."

"Very well, my lady," Mireya said in an amused voice.

I glared at her as she grabbed a full length mirror and placed it before me. When I saw myself in the mirror, what I saw stunned me. Mireya had managed to transform me into a completely different person.

I wore a green dress, one that matched the color of my eyes, as well as a few tasteful accessories. Mireya had also set my hair into a fashionable style, even though she hadn't had much to work with. She also applied the perfect amount of makeup: enough to accentuate my beauty, but not enough to overpower my features.

I glanced at Mireya.

"That's me?" I asked, pointing at the mirror.

Mireya nodded with a satisfied grin on her face.

"Not a bad job, if I do say so myself," she said. "If you were a House scion, you'd have high society eating out of your palm within a week."

As much as I wanted to disagree with her, I couldn't. One of the reasons why Mother held such a lofty position within high society was because of her looks. Appearances weren't everything, but they mattered a great deal. In many ways, beauty was a superpower.

I resumed studying myself in the mirror. The more I looked, the more I realized how much I resembled my mother. It was even more pronounced than usual, since the disguise ring gave me red hair and green eyes. Given mother's youthful appearance, if I stood next to her in my current state, the two of us would've looked like sisters.

At least I inherited my height from Father, though that was a small consolation at the moment.

"Well, if I ever get tired of being an adventurer, I could always get adopted into a House as a daughter," I said.

I looked at Mireya and smiled. She nodded.

"With your looks, it's possible, even as a man," she said.

My smile stiffened.

"I was joking," I said.

"I know," Mireya said. "I wasn't."

I sighed.

"Well," I said. "Thank you for your help. Gina and I should head out now."

I stepped towards the door, but Mireya held out a hand to stop me.

"Hold on a moment," she said. "We're not done yet."

I blinked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Mireya gestured to me.

"You may look like a lady from a minor noble family," she said. "However, you don't act like one. If you don't want to expose yourself as a fake, I suggest you rectify that."

Anna swallowed and cleared the hungry expression from her face, before nodding.

"Mireya's right," she said. "We need to work on your mannerisms and behavior."

For some reason, Anna seemed oddly excited by this prospect.

"We don't have much time," Mireya said. "So we'll have to settle for the basics."

I closed my eyes and offered a small prayer to the gods.

"Right," I said. "Let's get this over with."

And so, for the next several hours, I learned the basics of being a proper lady from Anna and Mireya.

After learning everything I could, Anna and I left to meet up with the others. I grew up as a House scion, so I already had a solid foundation in manners and etiquette. Learning how to act like a lady took much less time than I feared. I wasn't an expert or anything of the like. In fact, my manners were rough around the edges. However, I knew enough to get by.

To avoid attracting too much attention, Anna and I rode in a closed carriage. Anna also insisted that I wear a veil while out in public. At the time I thought it was unnecessary, but I went along with it anyway.

We met the others at the ambush site. It was an inn similar to the Southside Inn, one that catered to minor nobles and wealthy commoners. However, it was located in a quieter part of the city and didn't have as many guests. This made it perfect for our needs.

To avoid involving innocent bystanders, we rented out every room in the inn, including those already occupied. While we paid a hefty sum for the latter, that wasn't a problem. Anna and I both came from very wealthy families. The innkeeper, a friend of Marcio's, was very happy about this.

When Leroy and Cally saw me in my new attire, their jaws dropped. They stared at me for a solid minute, neither one saying a word. This surprised me. I expected a sarcastic comment or two from Cally, but she was too busy staring.

After Cally recovered from her shock, she looked up as if beseeching the heavens.

"That's not fair!" she cried out.

I resisted the urge to laugh.

Afterwards, the four of us further refined our plan. I would go to the nearest food stall succubus and pretend I was waiting for my "fiancé". As time passed by, I would act more and more distraught. This, combined with my appearance, should be enough to attract the succubus' interest.

At that point, I would bring them back to the inn and lead to them the room that Cally had prepared. There, we would spring our trap and deal with the succubus.

All in all, it was a solid plan. There was a possibility that something could go wrong. However, I was confident in our chances. If nothing else, I was strong enough to ensure self-preservation. Not only that, but Anna and Leroy would be keeping an eye on me from afar.

With all these safety measures in place, what could go wrong?

When we were all ready, I left the inn and headed towards the nearest food stall succubus. Leroy and Cally had already scouted the location earlier, so I knew where to go. Anna and Leroy followed me from a distance, using one of the invisibility bracelets to remain hidden. Anna already had her own invisibility enchanted item. However, it only hid her. The invisibility bracelets could hide multiple people.

Walking to the food stall succubus proved more annoying than I expected. I decided to go without a veil, which was a mistake. People, both men and women, kept staring at me. A few tried to hit on me. While I dealt with each of them with ease, by releasing killing intent, that didn't make the encounters any less annoying. Worst of all, they kept using the same lines. Why couldn't they have more imagination?

I almost sighed with relief when I reached the area where the food stall succubus had set up shop. It was a busy intersection that saw plenty of traffic.

Finding the succubus proved easy enough. Cally cast the counterspell on me, which allowed me to see through their concealment. The succubus appeared like a local with a slim build and androgynous features.

I took a moment to compose myself, before heading towards the succubus. To avoid being too obvious, I walked towards a spot near the succubus. Close enough to attract the succubus' attention, but far enough away to avoid revealing my intentions. After I reached my destination, I stood there and acted like a young lady waiting for her fiancé to arrive.

As before, the skewers' delicious scent enticed me. However, I resisted it this time. I didn't need the distraction right now.

To my annoyance, several people tried to hit on me as I waited. Most of them were men, but a few were women. Soon, a small crowd gathered around me. Unlike before, to avoid alerting the succubus, I didn't release my killing intent. This made getting rid of them more difficult. They were a persistent bunch. No matter how many times I told them that I had a fiancé, they kept bothering me.

They kept jostling each other, vying for my attention. Some else might've found it flattering. Not me. Anna was the only one I needed.

In the midst of all this, I noticed a commotion in the distance. An opulent black carriage came into view and headed in my direction. However, I was too busy dealing with my annoying suitors to pay it much mind.

To my surprise, when the carriage neared me, someone from inside called for it to halt. It stopped right in front of me. I felt a bad premonition.

The door to the carriage opened and a young man, around my age or so, stepped out. He looked like a local, with dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. However, unlike other locals, he carried himself with an air of elegance and refinement. This elevated his somewhat plain features. He wore an expensive looking tan and white outfit.

I sensed that the young man was a Second Ranked Awakened. Given the situation, he was likely a wizard. With all that in mind, it was obvious that the young man was as House scion.

Please don't be from House Sandstrike. Please let him be from another House with a collateral family in Eastwatch.

The young man wore an indifferent mask. However, he couldn't conceal the awe in his eyes when he looked at me. He walked in my direction. The crowd of suitors, who had been annoying me a moment ago, made way for him.

The young man stopped in front of me.

"Greetings, my lady," he said in a pleasant sounding voice. "My name is César Sandstrike of House Sandstrike. May I know your name?"

Fuck.

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