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Chapter 15
“Switch”
“You’re lucky, Lady. You can change your hair color, sure—but eye color? That’s something even magic can’t touch.”
Lafer spoke playfully as he locked eyes with me.
Feeling awkward under his gaze, I averted my eyes. Then he casually held out a glass of champagne.
“Here, anyway—this is the last of the potion. Once you go back and share this with Heidi, your hair colors will switch.”
I stared at the two glasses in my hands and cautiously asked:
“Will Heidi’s hair color last three months like mine?”
“No. Hers will likely revert after midnight tonight.”
I nodded lightly at Lafer’s response.
He studied my reaction, then added with a teasing smile:
“And as for you, your hair color will last about three months—just as requested. But there’s a chance it could revert early.”
“Revert early?”
I asked in surprise. Lafer leaned in and whispered near my ear:
“Of course. This was meant to disguise your identity. So if someone sees through the disguise, it’ll break.”
“…”
“To put it simply—even if you change your hair and clothes, if someone can still tell that Heidi is Heidi and Levelia is Levelia… then the magic can’t fool them. That’s when it’ll break.”
Nodding at his explanation, I glanced at him and asked cautiously:
“Then… could I ask you one more favor?”
“…”
“It’s something you were probably going to do anyway.”
Lafer’s face twisted in mild irritation, clearly displeased. After a moment of thought, he let out a shallow sigh.
“Fine. Let’s hear it.”
“Until I safely leave Zeroth, erase both mine and Heidi’s presence from people’s memories.”
“…”
“You were going to do that much anyway, weren’t you?”
At my firm statement, Lafer looked a little taken aback. Then, he smirked.
“Sometimes I wonder if you’re really just an ordinary lady.”
His tone wandered somewhere between curiosity and suspicion. Feeling uneasy, I quickly looked away and added,
“…It just seemed like the safest and most reliable way to do things.”
“Let’s go with that, then.”
He didn’t sound convinced. Feeling it best not to linger and make more excuses, I quickly turned to leave the terrace—but not without looking back.
“…Thank you.”
Lafer simply stared at me, dazed, as I practically fled the terrace.
So I never heard the soft words he muttered to himself behind me.
“The lady has a way of stabbing at your conscience without even trying.”
“It’s just a hair color change, but I feel nervous. Maybe because I’m also wearing your dress?”
Now I was wearing Heidi’s golden gown, and Heidi was wearing my white dress.
Heidi checked herself in the mirror and turned to speak.
“When I first saw you at Adelly Plaza, I thought we looked so alike. Our hair, our eyes—everything.”
Blushing with embarrassment, her words reminded me of a passage I once read in a novel.
[Delphian regretted it. He wondered if things would’ve been different if he’d been brave enough to answer Heidi when she asked that night, “Do you love me?”]
It was a reflection of Delphian’s guilt as he remembered the last time he saw Heidi before she was kidnapped.
The passage laid bare his self-reproach—but I took a different meaning from it.
Heidi simply wanted Delphian to prove his love.
As children, they had grown close like childhood sweethearts. From the beginning, Delphian had fallen for her like it was fate—and Heidi felt the same.
Why, after over a decade of devoted love, did Heidi suddenly need confirmation of his feelings?
I had no way of knowing.
What was certain, though, was that I could use it.
Feigning ignorance, as if this were nothing more than a playful moment, I whispered to her:
“No need to be so nervous. It’s just a temporary change, right? The color will go back soon anyway.”
I glanced at her, as if to show my own hair returning to its original color. Heidi gave a sheepish laugh.
“I guess I’m being too timid?”
“It’s natural to be worried. You don’t know much about me, after all.”
“Oh—no! That’s not what I meant at all!”
She flailed in panic, face flushed bright red.
I gave her a reassuring smile.
“It’s fine. Don’t overthink it. We’re just changing hair colors and pretending to be each other for a bit.”
“W-Well, that’s true…”
“And I’m curious, too. I wonder if His Highness will recognize the switch.”
Her body visibly flinched.
Pretending not to notice, I went on:
“I’ve never had a lover, so I wouldn’t know. But if I did, I think I’d be curious too.”
“…”
“To see if they really loved me—if they could recognize me even when I looked different.”
“Y-Yes! I never doubted His Highness’s feelings!”
“…”
“I was just curious, that’s all! In books, they always recognize each other at a glance, no matter how they look…”
Her face turned as red as a ripe tomato. I smiled in understanding.
“Of course. Don’t worry. After midnight, your hair will return to normal anyway.”
“…”
“Unless someone recognizes you before then, of course.”
Heidi nodded, seeming slightly more at ease. She reached for the champagne glass I handed her, then paused to ask hesitantly:
“But… why are you doing this, Lady Levelia? Why this… trick?”
“…Because I want to live.”
“Pardon?”
“Because I want to survive.”
“I didn’t think this plan would actually work.”
I stared at the now-empty champagne glass and let out a soft laugh.
In hindsight, it had been reckless—borderline absurd.
But whether it was luck or sheer desperation, everything had gone smoother than expected.
Thinking of all those miraculous moments, I clenched my fists tightly.
It’s okay. This is it. The final step.
I stepped onto the terrace near the ballroom and gazed up at the bright crescent moon.
“Wow…”
The moon looked far larger and brighter than I had expected.
Bathed in its silver glow, I slowly examined myself:
Golden hair just like Heidi’s. Clear, water-colored eyes. The golden gown she had worn. Even the hairstyle and accessories were hers.
Anyone would mistake me for her.
Rumors about Heidi’s dress and hairpin were already circulating inside the ballroom. There was no reason for Karlier to suspect anything.
As long as he didn’t run into the real Heidi.
I swallowed hard and exhaled slowly.
Dragging this out would only hurt me—so I headed back into the ballroom. But the moment our eyes met, I turned and fled.
Hoping he would follow.
‘Time to focus. From now on, I can’t afford a single mistake.’
My heart pounded as tension gripped my entire body.
Then, feeling someone approach from behind, I dropped my empty champagne glass and turned.
I acted surprised, as if I hadn’t expected to see Karlier.
“You vanished the other day. I’ve had a lot to say since then.”
“…”
“I imagine you did as well.”
He spoke as if he knew I had come here deliberately.
Pretending not to hear him, I replied:
“It didn’t seem like your request was just for a guide.”
“…”
“I didn’t want to do anything I couldn’t be proud of in front of Lord Delphian. So I’m going to pretend I never heard what you said that day. Please don’t bring it up again.”
As I watched his expression carefully, Karlier’s lips curled into a twisted smile.
He took a moment, then slowly stepped closer, reducing the distance between us.
Then, looking down at me, he held out his wine glass.
“If you’ll drink with me, I might consider accepting your proposal to forget that night.”
I hesitated, then carefully took the glass he offered.
He nodded slightly, encouraging me to drink.
“I trust you won’t break your promise.”
“I swear upon the name of Esperos.”
Looking at the seemingly ordinary wine, I cautiously raised my glass to his.
Karlier clinked his own against mine and said:
“La vie l’orbie.” (For this moment.)
“La vie l’orbie.”
A clear clink rang out as our glasses met, and I slowly emptied mine.
As my vision blurred, I thought—
Everything is going just as I planned.
