By Zephyria 
Did the Divine Revelation not echo thunderously throughout Owen?
Felice Withrow was among the more devout Sieran Citizens. She believed that if a god was truly watching, no harm would come to the Second Prince, who had received Divine Blood. Thus, she seemed to think we should be sent to Owen.
Furthermore, she provided means to conceal our identities so we could be safer. It was evident how fiercely Duke Withrow had pondered this for us.
Tedros could skillfully distinguish and use the native tongues and dialects of the Sierran Empire and the five kingdoms. We were greatly impressed when he explained that the items in what appeared to be ordinary food sacks were actually materials for disguise.
The group suddenly began to ponder what roles would suit each of them.
There were piles of fabric brought in a cart, with the pretense of acting as merchants. We could transform into anything. The only problem was deciding who to impersonate, and from where.
Marianne draped a smooth silk cloth over her head, tilting it as she showed off.
“I’ll just be a wizard. A mercenary wizard. My face isn’t widely known, so I think I could even escort a merchant.”
“Marianne, wizards aren’t mercenaries.”
“Ah. Then what should I do? Should I wield a sword?”
At Hugh Benson’s remark, Marianne extended her hand to Benjamin. Benjamin quickly unbuckled his sword, scabbard and all, and handed it over. Oh my. A sigh escaped me. How could a martial artist entrust their sword so carelessly?
Benjamin’s sword was large and heavy, fitting his height. Marianne, who had trained diligently, could hold it but not swing it. Marianne’s efforts to lift and drop the sword, which was almost as big as her body, were merely cute and utterly unsuited for her.
Seeing this, Teddy quickly intervened.
“Then shall I be your father? I’ve always wanted a daughter like Marianne.”
“Shall we, Mother? I’d love that!”
Marianne promptly returned the sword to Benjamin and nestled into Teddy’s embrace. She was quite bold. How could she be so intimate after knowing them for such a short time? Her overflowing sociability was even astonishing.
Hugh Benson, after a moment of thought, joined the family play.
“If a mother and daughter are traveling for trade, it would be natural to have another male family member. Then I would be…”
“Father?”
“Are you crazy? You’re the uncle.”
Marianne quickly teased, and Hugh reacted with great disgust. Teddy let out a laugh, closer to a chuckle than a giggle, and roared with laughter.
“Ah, I could have gotten a young husband. What a shame.”
“Oh my goodness. I shall serve you well, elder sister.”
“Yes, yes. I have a younger brother… And these two.”
As Teddy’s gaze fell upon them, Elwin and Benjamin exchanged a brief look and shrugged.
They had hair colors and builds common in both the Sierran Empire and Owen. It was very common for those who wielded swords to cross borders, earning their living day by day. And it was even more common in Owen.
Was there any need to say more? Elwin and Benjamin, without much deliberation, agreed to act as escort mercenaries.
“Two mercenaries hired by the merchant group…”
“Benjamin just needs to put on some armor.”
“Wouldn’t something that looks used be better? It’s in the second cart. Shall I get it?”
“I’ll do it.”
Benjamin was given light armor. After that, everyone’s gaze turned to me and Ruben. Marianne, with a very serious expression, furrowed her brow and scanned me up and down several times.
“…Ah, those two are the problem.”
“Hmm.”
“If you walk around with your face covered in Owen, what will people say?”
“Crazy? Criminal?”
“Ah, I have scars on my face, so I’m covering it! Even then?”
“There are plenty of mercenaries who walk around with their heads held high even with knife wounds on their faces.”
I touched my face with my hand, puzzled.
“Why?”
“You have a face that people don’t forget once they see it.”
“What a…”
I thought they were talking nonsense, but it seemed to be another trivial joke. I had long grown accustomed to receiving compliments about my appearance whenever I almost forgot about it.
As I laughed weakly, Marianne clapped her hands loudly, like striking an instrument. Hugh Benson, standing beside her, grumbled unnecessarily.
“Hey, what about me?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be forgotten before?”
“That was then, this is now.”
“Uncle, honestly… you’re not handsome. Just kind of warm?”
“…”
Hugh Benson’s face contorted horribly. Marianne, after agonizing, was a bit more generous.
“No. Or maybe cute?”
“Enough, get lost.”
Facing the bickering pair, I pondered and swept my hair up.
My portrait as the eldest son of a Count’s family circulated only within the family. My hair and eye color were widely known, but blue eyes were surprisingly common. Moreover, one had to look closely to discern the exact color of one’s eyes, so as long as my hair was somehow covered, it seemed it would be fine.
“If the hair color is the problem, can’t we just wear a hat?”
“Hmm. Yes. Well, a hat, for now… But even with a hat, the hair color is visible.”
As Marianne countered, Teddy quickly grabbed a long, thin cloth from the cart and showed it.
“Men from Felix often wrap their heads tightly, so not a single strand is visible. They use a long cloth like this.”
“Wow, that must be hot.”
“Heat is… something we can endure well.”
Felix’s clothing was loose-fitting. Over a loose outer garment resembling a long robe, they wore a sash to define the waist. The waist was cinched once with a thin cloth, and the wrists and ankles were also reinforced and tied with cloth. Apart from covering the head, it resembled Central Plains attire.
I put on the light linen-colored clothes they brought out, saying they would suit me. With my hair tightly wrapped and a small conical hat placed on top, the only exposed skin on my body was my face and hands.
There was a suitable shadow beneath my eyes, and the clothes themselves were comfortable. I swung my arms a couple of times, wondering if it would hinder wielding a sword, and was moderately satisfied.
Now only Ruben remained.
However, he was the biggest problem. He was the Second Prince of the Sierran Empire, and his portrait was widely distributed across the continent. Portraits from the Sierran Empire were drawn with extreme detail, so anyone with a keen eye could recognize him immediately.
After much thought, I asked first.
“Are there any noble individuals who habitually wear their faces covered?”
“…Why would they?”
“Like being carried around in a carriage…”
“But we’re just traveling for trade. We need to disguise ourselves as people who would work or associate together.”
Then, Elwin, who had been silent all along, spoke.
“A new bride?”
“…Yes?”
“In Felix, there is a custom for new brides to wear veils.”
You want to dress Ruben in women’s clothes?
Hugh Benson looked incredulous and pointed at Ruben.
“No, you’re insane. With that build?”
“Wow… You truly have no prejudice, Elwin Seonbae. I see you in a new light.”
“In this case, isn’t it excessive prejudice?”
“…No, but then again… If they were truly from Felix, it wouldn’t be impossible…”
As Marianne and Hugh exchanged sighs and reprimands, Tedros hesitated.
I knew nothing about Felix’s customs. Puzzled, I asked.
“…What exactly do you mean?”
“Among the nomadic tribes of Felix, some tribes have a custom where a bride married for less than three years wears a veil and does not show her appearance to others.”
“Why on earth?”
“It’s said to be to prevent the groom’s associates from making advances by seeing the new bride’s appearance. It’s such an unusual custom that it’s often used to demean desert people, but… it’s also famous enough that few people find it strange. If someone tries to lift the veil, the groom can punish them.”
I can stop them? …That sounded reasonable. Intrigued, I closed my mouth instead of asking further.
However, Hugh Benson still seemed dumbfounded.
“No matter how much they call each other ‘my dear wife,’ would that hide the fact that he’s a man?”
Benjamin, who had been silent for a long time, sided with Elwin.
“Felix’s clothes are baggy… And wouldn’t he look a bit small between me and Elwin Seonbae? Or, when he’s likely to attract attention, he could just sit or crouch.”
“Is he a child?”
“Well… If Mikael carried him around as usual, it might be fine…”
“…”
Hugh Benson shut his mouth. Tedros exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my, oh my,” several times.
As gazes converged, I felt unnecessarily awkward. Did I carry Ruben that much? Thinking back, it wasn’t that frequent. I only carried him on my back a few times when the child was struggling. I felt unfairly accused.
Rubel, who had been listening quietly, wiped his face with one hand.
Ruben’s sigh, drawn from deep within him, sounded profound and distant. Indeed, to be born a man and wear women’s clothes, what a disgrace. But…
Ruben, after contemplating, tugged at my sleeve. I instinctively reached for the child’s fingertips and grasped them.
“Will it be alright?”
“…Will it look strange? Will I be seen?”
“Yes?”
Ruben squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them.
“…From your perspective…”
“…Well, Ruben, you’d look beautiful in any outfit.”
“Do you want to see?”
I inhaled sharply. I couldn’t answer immediately.
…If asked whether it was appropriate or not, I had no answer, but Ruben in a bride’s attire… I was certainly curious.
It wasn’t Sierran Empire style or Central Plains style, but it was bridal attire. And he would wear it to match me, so how could I dislike it?
I pursed my lips and watched him quietly. Rubel smiled softly.
How could a person be born and smile so seductively? The more I looked, the more astonished I became. My heart melted. I swallowed dryly. Ruben, who had been quietly observing my state, squeezed my fingertips once more, then let go and spoke with firm resolve.
“I will do it.”
My heart ached uncontrollably at the sight of the child’s black eyes shining brightly, and my breath caught.
Hugh, watching this scene, tapped his forehead unnecessarily and joked.
“…Wow, fuck… I’m genuinely starting to worry about the future of the Sierran Empire.”
“Mmm. We can overcome everything with the power of love.”
Marianne quickly chirped cutely. Tedros rummaged through the cart to find the clothes.
“Alright, alright. So, we’re traveling for trade, from Felix to Sierran, from Sierran to Owen, and back to Felix. I’ll get your clothes first. Come this way.”
“Yes.”
“From now on, I’ll be the head of the merchant group. Is it okay if I speak informally?”
“Of course.”
Since I had to do it myself from now on, I practiced the method of carefully wrapping my hair several times. Still, I felt happy thinking that Ruben, dressed as a bride, would travel comfortably in the carriage.