Chapter 8

A Little Girl’s Outing Plan
The next morning, I was standing in front of my closet when I suddenly ran headfirst into what might have been the greatest conundrum of my life so far.

The challenge was simple and brutal:
“How do I dress cute, yet so plain that nobody remembers me?”

I mean, let’s be honest, I’m cute even if I just stand there quietly. Dressing in a way that leaves absolutely no impression is actually a pretty high-level problem.

“Alice Ojousama! How about this one? Pure white lace adorned with pale pink ribbons, an adorable dress that would really catch the eye anywhere in town!”

My personal maid, Sera, held it up with sparkling eyes. And yes, it really was a dress as sweet and cute as candy.
The fluffy skirt would definitely sway like flower petals every time I took a step.

… No, wait, that’s way too cute!

That’s the kind of outfit where you’d get scouted on the street and make your debut as a child actress on the spot! Walking around in that would be like carrying a sign that screams “Look at me!” on your back!

I threw a massive mental retort.

This outing was supposed to be strictly “incognito.”
Under no circumstances could people find out that a duke’s daughter was walking around town.
And besides, the real objective was to secretly find bad people and… deal with them.

An assassin needs a “Villager A” skin that blends perfectly into the scenery.

“Sera. It’s super cute, but… if it’s too flashy, people will notice I’m not an ordinary girl, right? So I’d like something more normal. Not very ‘Ojousama-like,’ if possible?”

I tilted my head and looked up at her as I made my request.
Sera looked a little disappointed and murmured, “But it’s so cute…,” yet she quickly recovered and brought out another outfit.

“Then how about this navy-blue dress? It’s chic, but the embroidery around the collar is elegant. I think it suits your intellectual aura perfectly, Ojousama.”

“Yeah, that one! I like it! I might even look a bit more grown-up in this!”

Decision made. Instantly.

Darker colors blend into crowds better, and if I happened to get splashed with blood, stains wouldn’t stand out as much, just kidding.
… Ah. That dangerously pragmatic calculation? Totally secret, of course.

After changing, I stood in front of the mirror.
A deep navy dress with a white cardigan. My hair was tied into a side ponytail so I could move easily.

“… Yeah.”

The girl in the mirror looked like a well-bred young noble no matter how you sliced it.
At worst, I’d probably just be mistaken for a wealthy merchant’s daughter.
I tried to dress plain, but… I feel like my refined air is still leaking out everywhere.

… Heh. No matter how hard I try, I end up cute anyway. What a sinful little girl I am!

I relaxed my lips into a smile and struck the perfect “smug angel face” at the mirror.
Alright. Disguise complete.
Now then, time for some fun shopping!

◆◇◆

When I went down to the entrance hall of the mansion, two guards were already waiting.
Since Father had personally selected them, just standing there they radiated an aura that said, “Yeah, these guys are strong.”

“We have been awaiting you, Alice-sama.”

One of them was a huge knight built like a boulder.
His name was Guork Baragan.
With a stern face that looked like seriousness personified, his body resembled a fortress of steel.
Even though we were going into town, the muscles straining beneath his simple leather armor were practically shouting, “Look at me!” Reliable, sure, but isn’t that a bit intimidating?

“Thank you for coming. Lovely weather today, wouldn’t you say, Princess?”

The other was the complete opposite, a tall, slender, handsome man.
His name was Rusker Vintel.
His reddish-brown hair fell carelessly around his face, and two slim curved swords hung at his waist.
He wore a carefree smile, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all. Sharp like a beast’s, and his stance had no openings. He looked flashy, but he was actually the type with no gaps.

Apparently, these two were rumored to be the aces of the Kleinert Ducal Family’s private Knights Order, even candidates for the next captain.

For the record, the serious-looking Guork-san held the rank of baron.
He came from a family of retainers who had served our house for generations, going all the way back to his grandfather.
Normally, someone of that rank could swagger around ruling their own land, but the Baragan family’s creed was “serve and protect the duke for life.” A pure warrior lineage through and through.
That level of loyalty is almost suffocating!

On the other hand, the handsome Rusker Vintel was a newly minted “quasi-baron.”
Originally a commoner orphan, Father had taken him in after being impressed by his sword talent, elevating him into the lowest rung of nobility as a special case, a classic rags-to-riches story.
No pedigree, just raw ability. A self-made prodigy.

Different backgrounds, same common point: their patron was my father.
Unlike royal knights who served the king, their gear, salaries, and delicious meals were all paid straight out of our family’s pocket.
Which meant that if they ever went against the ducal house, they’d be out on the streets the very next day… yeah, no wonder their loyalty was maxed out.

… Honestly, they might be kind of a pain.

With two ultra-high-performance watchdogs glued to me, how am I supposed to move freely?

“Nice to meet you, Guork-sama, Rusker-sama. Thank you for taking care of me today.”

I pinched the edge of my skirt and performed a flawless curtsy.
A calculated angle, downcast eyes, and then, boom, a blooming smile the instant I raised my face.
Yes. Alice-chan is cute today too!

“Guh…!!”

See? Even the stoic Guork-san was clutching his chest in agony.
His face was bright red, and his eyes had completely melted. Where did that “ironclad fortress” dignity from earlier go?

“I-I would give my life for you…! And yet… how adorable… an existence…”

Your inner thoughts are leaking out, Baron-sama.
Rusker-san widened his eyes in surprise, then narrowed them again with an amused grin.

“Heh… just like the rumors. A full-blown angel. Guess we’d better guard you properly, or some bad wolf might snatch you up.”

“Fufu, I’ll be counting on you, then?”

I tilted my head and smiled sweetly at both of them.
Alright. Control established.
For Alice-chan, this level of manipulation is a total breeze!

◆◇◆

The carriage prepared for us was a plain box carriage, modified so the Kleinert family crest wouldn’t stand out.
Sera and I got inside. Guork-san took the driver’s seat, while Rusker-san rode alongside on horseback as our escort.

Clatter, rattle, the sound of wheels striking cobblestone.
I pulled the curtain aside just a little and looked out at the scenery.

Our destination was the domain capital, the fortress city of Aubernil.
The heart of the Kleinert territory, and a vital transportation hub where east–west highways crossed.

The season was early summer.
The breeze flowing in through the window carried the fresh scent of young leaves mixed with a nostalgic smell of earth.
As far as the eye could see, wheat fields stretched along the road, their ears beginning to turn golden, swaying like waves in the wind.

“Amazing…”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.
This wasn’t acting.
After all, for the six years since I came to this world, I’d been a super sheltered girl who lived only within the mansion and its gardens.
I’d read about the world in books and gazed at it from afar through windows, but this was my first time actually feeling its vastness with my own skin.
The brightness of the sunlight, the heavy scent of grass, the distant voices of farmers at work, everything felt new to me.

… So this is what this world looks like.

Needlessly beautiful. Needlessly vivid.
Thinking that every single person working out there had a lost-memory player inside them made my feelings complicated.
And to top it off, because of some rotten AI, their lives were now in my hands.

“We’ll be entering the city soon, Ojousama.”

Sera’s voice snapped me back to reality.
Ahead of us rose sturdy stone walls, and from beyond them, lively noise drifted on the wind.

Aubernil was a city of commerce and craftsmen.
Though built of stone, the rooftops and signboards had a unique flair.
Rows of red-brick roofs, markets filled with goods from all over the continent, adventurers and merchants passing each other by.

The gate guards checked the carriage, snapped to attention, and opened the gates.
The moment we passed through the walls, a flood of sound crashed over us.

“Welcome! Fresh fruit from the northern mountains!”

“For weapon repairs, head to Iron Anvil Tavern!”

“Hey there, cute young lady! How about a grilled skewer?”

Energy. Heat. Vitality.
This was unmistakably human life.
A raw sense of people living with their own wills.

“Wow…! Amazing! Sera, look, look! There are so many people!”

I grabbed the window frame and leaned out as I exclaimed.
So this is what it’s like outside the mansion, so lively and colorful!

The savory smell of grilling meat, fruits I’d never seen before, shiny mysterious trinkets.
Even the clothes people wore looked like they’d stepped out of a picture book, bursting with color. Everywhere I looked, there were new discoveries, no amount of eyes would ever be enough!

“They’re doing street performances over there! What’s that shop over here?”

What my eyes were searching for were tasty sweets, cute knickknacks, and interesting events!

Yeah, this might actually be really fun!

“Hey, hey, I want to get down and walk around already! Can I take a closer look at that shop over there?”

I turned back and gave Sera and the others my very best pleading smile.
Since we’d come all this way, it’d be a waste not to enjoy this huge city down to the marrow, right?

――――――――――――――

—

1 Anonymous Diver
IT’S HERE━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━!!
Today’s the legendary god-tier episode: “Incognito City Walk”!
Been waiting naked for this, no regrets.

—

2 Anonymous Diver
Whoa, Alice-sama in a navy dress today?!
Her purity stat is maxed, I can’t even look straight at her…
Sera-san picking this outfit is honestly too OP.

—

3 Anonymous Diver
> 2
Right?! Sera-san’s coordination skills are legit.
And the way she fixes Alice-sama’s hair inside the carriage, overflowing with love.
That look she gives Alice-sama is 100% big-sister energy.

—

4 Anonymous Diver
I’m totally Team Sera.
That dignified presence, and then the soft, gooey expression she shows only to Alice-sama… I want a maid like that to take care of me for life.

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5 Anonymous Diver
>4
For real.
If Alice-sama is an “Angel,” then Sera-san is the “Angel’s Guardian.”
Their master-servant relationship is just too precious…
I could watch this forever.

—

6 Anonymous Diver
Did you see Alice-sama bouncing while looking out the window?
That “Waah!” and the way she leaned out, total tail-wagging puppy vibes!
And Sera-san supporting her from behind so gently!
This space alone is emitting way too many negative ions.

—

7 Anonymous Diver
No wonder the knight uncles went all soft, lol.
I mean, even I can’t stop grinning at my screen.

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8 Anonymous Diver
I’m watching Alice-sama and Sera-san’s “first errand” with everything I’ve got!

What do you think about this chapter?