Chapter 76 – The Dashing Nobleman

It was quiet inside the carriage, which gave Levisia time to stare intently at Pel. He was seated opposite her with his short, blond, curly wig and white mask. Underneath the mask, his eyes were closed as though he was deep in thought. He had been like that ever since they got in the carriage.

Levisia dared to sneak a peek at Pel’s outfit once more. He wore a white dress shirt with a deep burgundy coloured vest, along with black trousers and knee-high boots. His black jacket, with embellishments of red and gold, was partially undone. Completing the look was a black robe, and a white cravat that had never seen the light of day.

Levisia still vividly remembered Hector, who was the one to prepare Pel’s ‘nobleman disguise,’ had almost respected him when he had seen it.

Who would think he was a servant with his attire?

Pel had an indescribable air of nobility, something that was unlikely his usual shabby appearance. Given how Levisia was used to seeing him, it was a shock to see him dressed up. She immediately understood why he wore that bizarre wig and exhibited a poor posture. He could only hide his domineering aura through something strange.

Considering that Pel strangely caught Levisia’s eye even with his shabby appearance, his natural preciousness seemed to be inevitable. And he seemed to know it, too, which was why he had been sticking to that exterior the whole time.

Levisia, too, was dressed for the occasion. A floor length black gown with lace sewn on the hems of her sleeves and collar, it perfectly complemented her mask. Her hair was delicately coiled into ringlets and secured in place by a black ribbon.

She was fiddling with the hems of her dress as Pel opened his eyes, seemingly aware that she had been staring at him for the past five minutes. Perhaps her stare was burning a hole in him, as he opened his eyes and asked, adjusting his wig that had ever so slightly slipped. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Huh? I was just wondering if you wanted to take your mask off, that’s all. You know you are allowed to take it off.” Levisia pointed to Pel’s mask. Hers was resting on her lap, having opted to wear it when the carriage got closer to their location. Pel, on the other hand, had not taken his off during the entire journey. There was no one else around but them, and the carriage was being driven Hector, someone they both trusted.

“I think Hector will let us know if something goes wrong.” Levisia quietly urged Pel to remove his mask, if only for a few minutes to give himself a break. Pel shook his head, apparently unable to let his guard down. Levisia, seeing that she was unable to change his mind, let the matter drop. She gathered that he was preparing himself for what was about to happen, and talking to him wasn’t helping.

Pel was looking out the window, his eyes half-closed. Lights from outside reflected off his white mask. As she looked at him, Levisia put on the mask she was holding. After adjusting it so that it wouldn’t fall off, she saw that Pel was looking at her suspiciously.

“What?” she asked, rearranging her hair so the mask ribbon didn’t interfere with her curls.

“You told me to take mine off; why are you wearing yours?”

Truthfully, she wasn’t a hundred percent certain herself why she had put her mask on. She did it on a whim without stopping to think about it.

“…I just thought I’d better get used to it ahead of time.” was the only excuse she could give. It was a pathetic excuse, but it was the only one she had.

As she was struggling to wrap her head around Pel’s stubbornness, the sound of Pel’s laughter startled her out of her thoughts. As Levisia lifted her eyes, she could see Pel’s twinkling eyes. It was a clear laugh that hung around his faintly curved eyes.

“What’s so funny?” She asked, wondering where this sudden shift in behaviour came from. Pel could only shrug, which made her even more curious. Pel wasn’t one to laugh for no reason.

She opened her mouth to demand an explanation, but Pel cut her off and nodded out the window.

“I think we’re here.”

Levisia pulled down the window and looked out to see a long queue of carriages. Just like theirs, each one was dull and dark-colored. Any sign of individuality was nowhere to be seen.

“All these carriages are here for the black market…?” Levisia queried.

“That may be. If not, they wouldn’t all be lined up like this.”