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nChapter 75 – Marriage Disguise

nAs Hobb and Hector made some off-hand comment about how small his face was, Levisia caught herself staring intently at Pel. Mostly about how good he looked in the mask, as it highlighted his features.

n“What? Is there any reason you are looking at me like that?”

nLevisia, unable to give an answer, merely shrugged her shoulders.

n“I see your point, Pel. I’ll go with this mask.” Levisia gave the mask a try, getting a thumbs up from both Pel and Levisia.

n“Thank you, Your Majesty. The ringleader might be at the black market, so we don’t want to take any risks than necessary.” Hector said as he removed the two half-masks. “Of course, even with an invitation and mask, entering will not be so easy as waltzing up to the front door. What you need to be disguised as other people.

nHe handed two small portraits to Levisia and Pel. Taking a closer look at hers, Levisia saw a woman with long silver hair tied back in a bun. She had a delicate smile, and her eyes were the same colour as Levisia. Despite this, it was obvious that the woman in the photo was much older.

nShe snuck a quick peek at Pel’s portrait, which was of a blond-haired man with sharp features. His eyes were similar, except Pel’s eyes were vivid gold. It was hard to find a person with similar eyes.

nLevisia said, after looking at the man in the portrait for some time, “Pel’s hair needs a bit of trim in order to match the man in the picture.”

nThe man’s hair was bobbed at the sides, with a fringe that reached his eyebrows. It was very different from Pel’s long, uneven hair.

nAs she debated about how she was going to convince Pel to get a haircut, Hector brought out a blond wig. Before he could say anything, Pel snatched it up. Levisia got her answer there and then: no haircut for Pel today.

n“So, are we pretending to be these people?” Levisia asked, placing her portrait back on the table.

n“Correct. You’d be relieved to hear that these nobles have been getting invitations for years but have no record of going to the black market. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, you should be able to blend in.”

n“What are their names?”

n“Sarah and Edgar Wonstein.”

nWhen she heard that they had the same surname, she paused. The fact that two people who didn’t even look alike were using the same surname…

nPerhaps Pel was thinking the same thing, because he, too, flinched. Both of them turned their gazes to Hector, silently demanding an explanation to what they already knew.

n“The young count and countess are married. Is that a problem?” Hector said, as though their reactions were out of the ordinary.

nPerhaps. Because Pel had posed as Levisia’s boyfriend on the day of the fairy festival, but pretending to be married?

n“It’s a rough plan.” Levisia said, trying to keep her voice calm and not betray her inner emotions.

n“How so?” Hector looked down at Levisia, Pel following suit. With both men staring at her, Levisia let out a heavy sigh.

n“I mean, it’s a great idea,” she said, trying to form an excuse on the spot. “I just wonder if-”

n“Hold on, wait.” Pel cut her off, as if he already knew what she was about to say. Levisia was about to explain to Hector what had happened on that day where they pretended to be lovers, but she was worried because Pel’s eyes looked desperate.

nShould she not tell him? She contemplated, but seeing him like that made her think a little bit more. Because he acted like the biggest shame in his life was being unveiled in front of everyone. It would embarrass him if she spoke of it. So Levisia nodded in agreement, and Pel exhaled.

n“You know what, let’s do it. It’s not like we have much of a choice. And there isn’t much time left.”

n“Yes, you’re right.” Pel muttered under his breath as he turned around. Levisia could tell that he wasn’t too happy about this whole deal, either.

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