Saito gripped Derflinger, who was rolled up in a cloth. Due to a recent incident, he was always carrying Derflinger with him. Reluctantly, he decided to carry it around, even though he knew how obstructive it could be.
The moment he opened the back door and stepped out into the alley, he saw a hooded woman running in short steps in his direction.
Don! The woman knocked up against Saito, who just opened the door and fell on the ground. This made Saito flurried.
“S-sorry...Are you all right?”
The woman hid her face with her hood and said in panic,
“…That, is there a 'Charming Fairies' inn somewhere around here?”
“Eh? That’s here…”
Muttering, Saito noticed that woman’s voice sounded familiar. At the same time the woman became aware of the same thing as well. Quietly, she lifted an edge of her hood and stole a quick glance at Saito's face.
“Princess!”
“Shh!” she said, covering his mouth. Henrietta, wrapped in the lobes of gray hood, hid herself behind Saito, to avoid being seen from the Main Street.
“Search there!”
“Maybe she headed to Bourdonne Street!”
From the Main Street the rough voices of soldiers could be heard. Henrietta put the hood back on again.
“…Is there a place where I could hide?”
Henrietta looked so tiny.
“There is an attic here where we live…”
“Please guide me there.”
Saito quietly brought Henrietta to the attic. She sat down on the bed and breathed out deeply.
“…Safe for now.”
“It is not safe. What was that about?”
“I just sneaked away for a minute… and such uproar happened.”
“Huh? Weren’t you kidnapped the other day? No wonder it turned into a fuss!”
Henrietta became silent.
“Princess, aren’t you a ruler now? And you still act so selfishly?”
“That not it. It’s because I have important business… And I heard from reports that Louise is here… I’m glad I could meet you at once.”
“A-anyway, I’ll call Louise.”
Louise after noticing that Henrietta disappeared would surely go ballistic, but this might help to ease her up a bit. Louise’s behavior was easy to predict. Like always.
“Don’t.”
Henrietta stopped Saito.
“W-why?”
“..I do not want to speak with Louise.”
“What?”
“I do not want to disappoint that girl.”
Saito sat on the chair and stared at Henrietta.
“Then, what else? Sneaking out of the castle without permission is not a good thing to do.”
Then Saito realized.
“But, if you didn’t come here to meet Louise, then what did you come here for?”
“I came to borrow your power.”
“M-me?”
“If it’s all right, I want you to guard me till tomorrow.”
“W-why me? Aren’t you the Queen? You have many soldiers and mages to guard you...”
“For today and tomorrow, I want to blend in with commoners. And, naturally, I do not want anyone from the palace to know that. So…”
“What?”
“I trust only you.”
“That’s… don’t you have anyone else?”
“Yes. I know you are good, and I, myself, am almost lonely in the palace. Many people there do not like me as a young queen…”
And after a moment of hasitation added,
“…and as a traitor.”
Saito recalled Wardes. Asking Louise, who was her best friend after all, to travel incognito – there might be something that cannot be spoken even to Louise.
“I see. Only because it is the Princess' request I will do it, but…”
After that Saito watched Henrietta’s face.
“It’s dangerous isn’t it?”
Henrietta veiled her eyes down.
“Yes.”
“Really? Then Princess, do not tell that to Louise about going through danger. Please promise me.”
“All right.”
She nodded.
“Then it is good, but…”
“Then, let's leave. I cannot stay around here forever.”
“Where are we going?”
“We won’t be leaving town. Please calm down. For the time being, I want to change clothes…”
Henrietta looked at the dress under her robe. It was a white, clean and elegant dress, hiding behind the robe would be too noticeable. Even a noble couldn’t complain about this attire.
“These are Louise’s clothes but… She bought them to make her look as a commoner.”
“Please, lend them to me.”
Saito pulled the box from under the bed and took out Louise's clothes. Then Henrietta turned her back to Saito, not worrying about him looking! Saito started to panic once she took off her dress. He accidentally caught a glimpse of Henrietta’s chest from behind. Though it was not as big as Kirche’s, it was still bigger than Siesta’s. After all, she was a queen, so her breasts must be Queen-like as well. But then he realized.
Can she wear Louise’s shirt?
It was just like he thought.
“The shirt… is rather tight.”
Not ‘rather’. The shirt was bought following Louise’s size, and it could not match Henrietta’s breasts. The more she strained, the more buttons flew off.
“Mhm. Very.”
Saito said while holding his nose.
“Mh, good?”
Good! Nothing else one could expect from the queen. Henrietta should not worry about that. “I hope it won’t be too flashy if I do this,” she muttered as she unfastened her top two buttons.
It only emphasized the valley of her breasts - this was as if there were no shirt at all to begin with. Though it might be embarrassing, walking next to a man in such attire. This also made one forget that she was queen and made her look more like a woman.
“Let’s go.” Henrietta urged Saito.
“We cannot go yet.”
“Eh? Really?”
“You should at least change your hairstyle.”
“Then, change it.”
Henrietta is similar to Louise after all, what an inexperienced princess, Saito thought while fiddling with Henrietta's hair. Even changing clothes could not mask that…
He lifted her hair up into a ponytail, the way that he occasionally did for Louise too.
This changed the atmosphere a lot. Then, Saito put some light make-up on Henrietta, using Louise’s cosmetics.
Wouldn’t they need make-up in the inn? Because she said so, Saito bought it… But since Louise did not use it, there was plenty of it left.
“Fufu, this way you look like a town woman.”
With a light make-up and in the front open shirt… She certainly looked like a cheerful town woman.
Because she came forth to the attic, it seemed like they would not inform Louise about anything. Saito felt uneasy for a moment. He guessed he’d have to talk with her later. It couldn’t be helped, as it was the Queen’s wish.
Saito and Henrietta quietly sneaked through the back door to the alley.
The alerted state about the Queen’s disappearance seemed to have increased… The exit to Chicton was heavily guarded again.
“They placed a cordon.”
Saito reported things that seemed like a police drama in his world. Somehow understanding the meaning, Henrietta nodded.
“What now? Would it be all right not having your face covered?”
“Hiding it would be even more suspicious. Drop your hand over my shoulder.”
Saito held Henrietta’s shoulder as he was told. They approached the place where the guards stood. The tension rose and thier pulse quickened. Henrietta muttered in a hard tone,
“Pretend to lean into me. Like a lover.”