"Sss–ow. That stings!" Luther frowned, holding his reddened cheek.
"Why did she hit me?" he muttered. "I only demanded she speak to me at once."
The heir remained alone, puzzled, replaying the moment over and over–unable to understand why his future wife would dare raise her hand against him.
Meanwhile…
Keita and Celestia made their way out of the back alleys, the stone beneath their feet gradually changing from polished roads to cracked pathways filled with dust and refuse.
"So what's the plan?" Celestia asked, hands folded neatly behind her back.
"Hmm… I guess we start with the largest brothel nearby. That should be our main target," Keita said casually.
"But first… we'll need a disguise. Well—you, to be exact."
"It's probably for the best that you aren't recognized. That may alert the guards."
Celestia looked around uneasily.
"...my hair stands out too much."
"I got it… I know just the place," Keita said, a lightbulb moment flashing across his face.
"In order to fit in, you have to look like everyone else."
They crossed into the lower section of the district.
The change was immediate.
The air grew heavier–thick with smoke, sweat, and something sour she couldn't name. Voices overlapped in loud arguments. Men brushed past one another without apology.
"No order… no guards," Celestia whispered, eyes widening.
Children ran barefoot through puddles while adults shouted across crooked wooden stalls. Torn banners hung from broken beams like forgotten relics.
"Do people really live like this?" she asked quietly.
Keita shrugged. "For the most part… yeah."
They continued walking further down until the buildings thinned and piles of discarded materials appeared–broken crates, cracked porcelain, shredded fabrics tossed aside by nobles who would never see them again.
"This is… the lower section?" she asked. "I thought the playground was the worst of it."
"Lower than that," Keita replied. "This is where the poor of the poor survive."
Celestia swallowed.
"The castle throws things away without thought… and here, people live from those things."
Keita stopped beside a rigid, half–unsealed box filled with defective noble fabrics and garments.
"Ahh, these should work," he said, digging through the pile.
Celestia hesitated before touching the material. The textures were rough, uneven–nothing like the smooth silks she was used to.
"You're really taking clothes from the trash?" she asked.
"One man's trash is another's treasure," Keita corrected with a grin.
"It might be trash in the eyes' of nobles… but it's still good clothing."
"...What happens if people get sick here?" she asked suddenly, noticing a coughing child leaning against a wall.
Keita paused for a moment.
"...They deal with it," he said simply. "Same as everything else."
Celestia tied her silver hair tightly and covered it with a piece of dark headwear.
"The dress… " she murmured, staring down at her noble attire.
"I guess a coat could work," Keita suggested.
She wrapped the oversized coat around her shoulders, the rough fabric swallowing her figure..
"No one's staring," she whispered.
"In the castle, eyes followed every step I took. Here… I am invisible."
"Welcome to the world of the commoners," Keita said.
"And for you, my little friend," he smirked.
The black cat sat silently between them, tail curled neatly around its paws. Its three eyes shifted back and forth between Keita and Celestia as they spoke, as though it were following their conversation.
Keita wrapped a small strip of cloth around its head like a bandana, hiding the strange third eye. For a brief moment, the cat glanced up at him before gently licking his hand.
"It feels like it understands us," Celestia murmured.
"Yeah," Keita chuckled. "Acts more human than some nobles."
She glanced at him.
"Those eyes… I forgot how lovely they looked," she thought to herself.
"Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful your eyes were?"
Keita inclined his head.
"That's a first. Everyone else says it's weird."
"I should probably cover it too, to not cause any problems," he added, searching through a box of accessories.
"These glasses should do," he said.
They adjusted their disguises.
Celestia looked down at herself–no longer a princess in silk, just another figure in the lower quarters.
"So," Keita said, stretching his arms.
"Ready to explore the real world?"
She hesitated, then nodded.
"Lead the way."
They transitioned from the lower section into the business district of the middle zone where guards patrolled frequently. Men and women darted up and down the busy streets, shops and merchants lined the roads in tight rows beneath hanging signs.
A man walking past bumped into Celestia, forcing her to take a step back.
"Here," Keita said quickly, extending his hand. "Stay close."
She hesitated only a second before placing her small hand in his. The man who bumped her never looked back, swallowed by the moving crowd.
The cat rested quietly in Keita's arms–until suddenly its ears twitched.
Its body stiffened. Then, it leapt free.
"Hey—!" Keita yelped.
The cat darted through legs and crates, weaving between people with alarming precision.
"Wait!" Celestia cried.
They chased after it as it slipped down a side street where the sounds changed–laughter louder, voices rougher, the smell of alcohol thick in the air.
The cat skidded beneath a wooden door just as it swung open.
A tavern.
Inside, men laughed over mugs while others slumped against tables. Keita and Celestia lingered near the entrance, trying not to be noticed.
The cat sat beneath a nearby table like it had always belonged there.
"...you seen her lately?" one drunk man muttered
"Nah," another replied, slurring his words. "Only comes around when fancy pants pay big bucks. Expensive one… silver hair an' all."
Celestia froze.
"Highest floor too," a third man added with a grin. "They keep her locked up there like some rare gem. The big one up road, with em ole red lanterns."
Keita slowly turned his head toward Celestia, her fingers tightening around his sleeve.
That was enough, they slipped out and ran quietly.
"It got to be that big one down the road. That's the lantern they guy said." Keita huffed as he pointed at the large building.
The brothel towered over the street, taller than the surrounding buildings. Hanging lanterns meant to mesmerize and bring in customers.
Celestia stepped forward immediately, where there were guards stationed at the entrance.
"I need to–"
The guard blocked her path with a firm arm.
"Children aren't allowed," he said flatly.
She tried to push forward again.
"Please–"
Keita grabbed her wrist gently but firmly. "Not here," he whispered. "You'll draw attention."
Her shoulders trembled as she stepped back and a lock of her hair unfurled from beneath her covers.
They circled toward the back alley, searching for another way inside.
"We need to get inside somehow," Keita muttered, puzzling back and forth.
Before either could speak further, a quiet voice called out behind them.
"Are you perhaps… Lady Celestia?"
They spun around
A caretaker stood there, carrying a covered food tray. Her eyes widened as she noticed silver hair from the cloaked girl.
Celestia stiffened.
"You're going to call the guards," Keita began.
The woman lifted a finger to her lips. "Please, be quiet."
Relief came over Celestia's face.
"Stay here," the woman said, "I will return shortly."
High above, behind iron barred windows, a faint silhouette appeared.
The caretaker returned once more.
"The madam would request your presence immediately, however she cannot meet you in person. Only I, her personal servant, am permitted to move freely."
Celestia's breath caught.
"...Mother?"
The figure on the top floor pressed a hand to the glass.
The maid stood between them, relaying each word.
Celestia's voice trembled as everything poured out–the marriage, the cold treatments, the loneliness… the way her fiancé destroyed the flowers her mother once tended.
Her composure cracked. Tears fell freely.
"I didn't know what to do," she whispered.
Above them, the silhouette pressed closer to the window, shoulders shaking, but no sound reached them.
The servant's eyes softened as she listened.
Minutes passed like hours.
Finally, the servant bowed her head slightly. "She wished to send you something."
She returned shortly after with a uniquely shaped silver and gold hairpin delicate and familiar.
Celestia's hands trembled as she placed it into her hair. Her posture straightened and her eyes regained a quiet strength.
"Thank you," she whispered.
The servant turned toward Keita next.
"Thank you for being her friend. This is both the madam's and I appreciation," she said gently.
Friend.
The word lingered as they walked from the building together. They reached the edge of the street where their paths would split.
Celestia hesitated.
"...I never asked your name," she realized.
Keita blinked
"It's Keita," he replied, scratching his head.
Celestia removed the coat and covering.
"I am Celestia Lancaster. Daughter of Aurelia Lancaster," she bowed gracefully.
Both smiled and waved before taking a different fork in the road.
A soft sound echoed from behind them. The black cat reappeared and followed one of them into the fading crowd. Neither looked back in time to see which.