The Young Lady Has Disappeared

After finishing my shower and coming out, I was bombarded with questions. Only after giving plenty of excuses to Yulia, who was looking at me with very worried eyes, and Lillian, who seemed a bit angry with a sulky face, was I released. I threw my exhausted body onto the bed. And so another day passed.

Although there had been such an incident, after that day, daily life flowed peacefully until the day right before the ball.

As time passed, Aptem Academy began to bustle more and more, but since they were putting on airs as nobles, no big commotion occurred.

Yulia and Lillian were also spending their daily lives with me in between. Although things were still awkward with Lillian.

Lillian would sometimes get angry, looking at me as if frustrated and asking why I was acting like this, but I just brushed it off saying it was nothing. After all, I couldn't tell her that I was a 'former male' reincarnator from Earth, and that I had noticed she was a possessor because her words and actions were too Earth-like.

"...rine!"

Or can I? Would it be okay to tell her? As I was deep in thought, suddenly having such an idea, what awakened my mind was Yulia's shout.

"Catherine!"

"...Ah, yes."

"How's this dress? Does it look okay?"

I nodded after carefully observing Yulia, who was twirling around once while wearing the dress Lillian had gifted her.

"It's good."

It's pretty indeed. Her golden hair sparkling in the sunlight and her lively eyes look at me and then gently crinkle at the corners.

Feeling as if my heart was being tightly squeezed, I stared blankly at Yulia. Next to Yulia, Lillian carefully walked out. Then she looked at me with a very nervous face.

"H-How about me?"

"...I already said a lot while dressing you, young lady."

"Ugh, but you could say at least one more thing, couldn't you?"

"You're beautiful."

"Really? Hehe."

Lillian, with a silly smile that didn't match her appearance, twirled around following Yulia.

Looking at her, I felt a strange sense of dissonance. The young lady also used to twirl around happily like that when she first wore a dress. The young lady when she was young couldn't be called a good child even as a white lie, but she was cute.

I quietly looked at Lillian and then fixed her dress.

"Ah, thank you, Catherine."

"..."

The young lady doesn't say thank you. Feeling as if I had been doused with cold water, I stared at Lillian for a moment and then turned my head away sharply.

Sometimes when Lillian acted similarly to the young lady, I kept remembering the young lady. But then when she acted completely differently from the young lady, I would suddenly realize.

This person is not the young lady. She's a completely different person wearing the young lady's mask.

"Catherine?"

"...Yes."

"Is something wrong?"

Seeing Yulia and Lillian looking at me with worried eyes, I shook my head and started to undress Lillian.

"No. I'm fine. Anyway, you've tried on the dresses, so you can wear them when you go out tomorrow."

"Ugh, it's uncomfortable..."

"It's troublesome if you're already this uncomfortable when you haven't even put on makeup or jewelry."

"Ugh."

After carefully removing Lillian's dress with delicate hands, I dressed her in her nightgown again. The see-through nightgown that revealed everything inside wrapped around Lillian's body.

Yulia was staring at me and Lillian. What does that gaze mean? Does she want to be attended to as well?

"...Would you like me to undress you too, Miss Yulia?"

"Huh, what?! Ah, no. I'm fine?!"

Was it too sudden? Yulia waved her hands in surprise. But Lillian also seemed surprised, as she jumped up and looked at me. Then she pointed at me and Yulia alternately with a trembling finger.

"Wh-Wh-What are you going to do?!"

"...I just said I would undress her, that's all?"

"Th-That's too erotic!"

Then what does that make what I just did? I sighed deeply, feeling dumbfounded, and opened my mouth.

"...Then what was I just doing?"

"No, well. The relationship between you and me is essentially family, so it's okay, but Yulia isn't! She's a friend! Who undresses their friends?"

"...Hmm."

Is that so? As I tilted my head, Yulia also chimed in.

"Yes, even so, that doesn't seem quite right, Catherine. Besides, we're friends. You don't need to attend to me."

"...Hmm, if that's the case. I understand."

If even Yulia says so. As I readily accepted Yulia's words, Lillian looked at me with slightly aggrieved eyes. But unlike Lillian who had Earth common sense, Yulia was perfectly a person of this world, so she knew this world's common sense better. So I couldn't help but trust her more.

"Well then, I hope you go to sleep early today. We have to wake up early tomorrow."

As I clapped my hands to change the atmosphere and said that, the faces of the two changed strangely.

Why, what? Is it your first time going to a ball?

Ah. Is it their first time? No. Come to think of it, they both attended the entrance ball.

Why are they reacting like this?

"Ugh, do we have to do that again?"

"...Should we not go to the ball?"

Oh? Do they dislike it that much? As I was about to say something while looking at Yulia who seemed deflated, Yulia shook her head and clenched her fists.

"No. We should still go. Because we promised."

"Promise? With whom?"

"With Lillian."

"Yes. With me."

The two looked into each other's eyes and smiled brightly. Watching this, I suddenly realized. Come to think of it, do these two have any friends other than each other?

"Ah."

Hmm. Isn't this quite serious? The young lady of the Fortus family and the future empress having no friends. I was a bit worried, but I couldn't interfere in social affairs, so as I was about to quietly back out, Lillian handed me a dress. A red dress with deeply cut shoulders. It was the dress she had given me saying it was mine. I had put it in the closet because I didn't dare to wear it, but when did she take it out?

"Come on, Catherine should try it on too."

"That's right. It's a bit unfair if only we wear them."

"...The reason seems a bit strange, but."

"No, no. It's a valid reason. Right? Lillian."

"Yes. That's right."

These two only agree unnecessarily at times like this. I let out a small sigh and accepted the dress.

At times like this, it was less troublesome to just wear it once. I went into the dressing room in the corner and took off my maid uniform with familiarity, then slowly started to put on the dress.

It felt a bit strange as I had only ever helped others put them on and never worn one myself, but somehow I managed to put it on and turned around once in front of the mirror.

Hmm. Let's stop this. I'm not this kind of cheerful character.

By the way, isn't the exposure too high? Perhaps because my usual maid uniform is such a neat outfit, seeing a dress with shoulders so openly cut made me feel a bit strange.

Moreover, the problem was that it was cut low on top as well, revealing a bit of cleavage. Although I wasn't particularly large, I had a body with some volume, so it was even more embarrassing.

"Catherine? Why are you taking so long?"

"...I'm coming out now."

Overcoming my embarrassment, I came out and slowly walked towards Lillian and Yulia. Trying my best to avoid their gazes, I stood in front of them and slightly lowered my head.

"...Wow."

"Whew."

"Um, I'd like to change quickly."

"Wait, wait a moment. Let me save this in my brain camera."

"Camera?"

I glanced at Lillian, who was muttering blankly without knowing what she was saying, and then turned to look at Yulia. Yulia also looked at me with slightly dazed eyes.

"Well, even so, isn't this... too revealing?"

"It is, but... doesn't it match Catherine's atmosphere well? If we left her dressed like this, people would believe it if we said she was a princess from some small kingdom."

"Y-You're right about that."

What nonsense are these people talking about? After serving as their eye candy like that, I covered myself with a nearby blanket and opened my mouth.

"Can I change now?"

"Ah, yes. Okay. Go ahead and change."

As soon as Lillian's words fell, I strode quickly to the dressing room and changed back into my maid uniform.

Ah, my heart feels at ease. Indeed, my soulmate. Feeling once again the preciousness of my maid uniform, I returned to my original place.

The two were closing their eyes and slowly nodding their heads, who knows what they were thinking. What on earth are they thinking like that?

"Ah, right. I said to sleep early. Yes. I'll go to sleep first. Lillian."

"Oh, ah. Yes. Good night."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Yulia twisted her body this way and that before leaving the room with a reddened face. Lillian, who was watching Yulia, also had a similar complexion.

"Your face is too red. Are you perhaps catching a cold? We should quickly call a doctor...!"

"Ah, no. It's just, something happened."

"Something?"

"Um. Catherine. Would you go out for a bit? Yes. Go for a walk or something. I'll be getting ready for bed."

"...? Yes. I understand."

Although I tilted my head at the sudden order, I answered that I understood and slowly closed the door and left the room. Why are they acting like this?

'Well, since the imperial princess called for me anyway, I might as well go meet her.'

Thinking this, I headed towards the garden, the usual place where I meet the imperial princess, taking advantage of having come out.