Chapter 5
If that black car hadn’t helped her, Sincere would have struggled for a long time at the crosswalk.
People say Fritz is a place where you can get cheated even while wide awake, but the kindness she received for the first time—on an empty road late at night—felt very warm.
Warm enough to make her feel a little braver about walking through this frightening city to find Erze.
“Maybe Fritz is warmer than I thought.”
Thinking that, Sincere got ready for bed and lay down, trying to sleep.
But sleep didn’t come easily.
Her first night alone felt cold and lonely. The moonlight pouring in through the window kept bothering her eyes.
Only after hiding her face under the blanket to escape the light did she finally fall asleep.
Sincere found herself wishing for a moonless night.
“My, Miss Visvaren! This dress looks wonderful on you too. You’re so beautiful—anything would suit you.”
Inside a dress shop in Fritz, Sincere stood in front of a mirror wearing a yellow frilled dress.
The dress, bright like a yellow rose, didn’t suit her usual quiet image at all. Still, everyone there agreed that it looked very good on her.
That included her grandmother, the Visvaren matriarch, who had brought her here. She was even smiling—a rare sight.
“Mrs. Reinke is right. It suits you very well. I knew it would. But the neckline is a bit too low. Go and try the next one.”
“Oh my, these days in Fritz, dresses are much more revealing than that. This one is actually very modest, Madam.”
Mrs. Reinke proudly explained how much more revealing other dresses were, then had her assistant lead Sincere behind a partition.
Behind it were more than ten dresses hanging on a rack—all the ones Sincere had already tried on today.
At least the next one—a light blue dress—was the last.
They had arrived before lunch, but now the clock showed it was already well past noon.
That made Sincere uneasy again.
“I need to find Erze as soon as possible… why am I at a dress shop?”
How did things turn out like this?
That morning in Fritz, Sincere had planned to focus entirely on finding Erze.
At least, until her grandmother said this after breakfast:
“You’re coming with me today, Sincere. We’ll leave before lunch, so get ready quickly.”
She had wondered why—
but the answer became clear soon after they got into the carriage.
They arrived at a shop filled with mannequins wearing beautiful dresses.
Mrs. Reinke’s dress shop.
It was obvious that this place wasn’t meant for someone like her grandmother.
Most noble ladies didn’t even visit dress shops in person. They usually invited dressmakers to their homes before the season began, chose designs from catalogs, and had dresses custom-made.
Coming to a shop like this usually meant only one thing:
There wasn’t enough time to order a dress—so you had to buy something ready-made immediately.
Someone like Sincere Reverke, who only had worn-out clothes, fit that situation perfectly.
“Grandmother, I’m really fine. I brought some clothes with me.”
“You mean those clothes that look like something a laundry maid would wear? No—even a laundry maid wouldn’t wear those. A lady of Visvaren must dress with dignity. If you truly want to embarrass me, then go ahead.”
“…And yesterday, I was truly shocked. I’ve been sending money every season for your clothing. Didn’t your aunt buy you anything?”
Sincere fell silent.
She hadn’t known her grandmother had been sending money. Her aunt always said the household budget was tight just buying clothes for Erze.
Sincere had willingly given up her share for her sister.
After all, she lived almost like a servant—she didn’t need expensive dresses.
But if I say that, Grandmother will be hurt.
So she quickly smiled.
“It’s not like that, Grandmother. I just stayed at home a lot, so those clothes were comfortable. I’m sorry.”
Now that things had come this far, she couldn’t stop her grandmother from buying her clothes.
But she hadn’t expected to try on so many dresses.
And just because she was introduced as the matriarch’s granddaughter, everyone naturally called her “Miss Visvaren.”
Wearing the final light blue dress, Sincere stepped out and stood before the mirror.
Behind her, Mrs. Reinke and her grandmother both praised her again.
“I think this one suits you best of all. You’re truly beautiful, Miss Visvaren.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Reinke.”
Sincere forced a smile and looked at herself.
The woman in the mirror had slightly flushed cheeks, perhaps from embarrassment.
Her golden hair, which she usually kept tied up, had been styled and left flowing long by the assistant.
Her lilac-colored eyes shimmered with mixed emotions—surprise, unfamiliarity, and something else.
She wasn’t used to dressing like this.
More than that, it felt strange to look at her own face properly after so long.
“Without a veil…”
Back in Visvaren, she always wore a veil so people wouldn’t confuse her with her identical twin, Erze.
But in Fritz, she didn’t need to.
That alone felt unfamiliar.
She stood there quietly—
until a sudden voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Lady Visvaren, what a surprise to see you here. And is this your granddaughter? Miss Visvaren?”
A young noblewoman appeared, dressed elegantly and holding a feather fan.
The Visvaren matriarch greeted her with a polite smile.
“Yes. She arrived in Fritz yesterday. Sincere, greet her. This is Lady Vester.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Vester.”
Sincere lifted her skirt slightly and bowed gracefully.
Her voice was calm and gentle, like ripples on water. Though slightly unfamiliar, her manners were flawless—she had always tried to maintain dignity.
Lady Vester’s eyes sparkled when she saw this.
Like someone who had just discovered gold in a stream.
There was a well-known fact about Lady Vester—
she loved matchmaking.
Where men and women gathered, love naturally followed—and love made for very entertaining stories.
And today, she had found something interesting.
A shy, beautiful country girl who had just arrived in Fritz.
Behind her fan, Lady Vester smiled.
“So this is why the Visvaren matriarch asked to meet me here at this time.”
“You wanted to show me something.”
Whether it would be good luck or bad luck—
today, the weather was beautiful.
“It seems the goddess of fortune favors this young lady very much.”
Feeling pleased, Lady Vester lowered her fan and extended her hand.
“Well then, Miss Visvaren. It’s lovely to meet you. Since we’ve met like this, why don’t you visit my residence and have some tea? There happens to be a small social gathering today.”
“A social gathering?”
“Nothing too serious—just a light get-together for conversation. No need to worry.”
“You’ll enjoy it very much.”
