This was definitely revenge—and the most underhanded kind at that.

As Roy was ushered into a tailor shop by her own first mate and saw the exquisite gowns hanging on the oak-paneled walls, she became even more certain. Kain might look like a man of great bearing, but he was petty after all.

“Dad, we’ve got customers!”

The little girl, sitting on a tall wooden stool behind the counter and swinging her legs, sprang down as soon as she saw someone come through the door. In a high, childish voice, she called for her father through the curtain behind her.

A moment later, the curtain was pulled aside, and a middle-aged man wearing a monocle stepped out. He looked to be in his forties, with such an honest face that you could almost see the story of his diligent, hardworking, family-centered life unfolding before your eyes.

The man sat down behind the counter and adjusted the crystal lens perched on his nose. With practiced ease, he took paper and a pen from a drawer and asked, “Are you looking for something custom-made, something ready-to-wear, or just a few alterations?”

All the while, the man didn’t even look at his customers. After decades as a tailor, he was used to keeping things efficient.

“Ready-to-wear, Uncle Hunter.”

“All right. What sort of style are you after? A shirt, a formal gown, or perhaps…” The middle-aged man was about to write down the customer’s request when he realized there was something unusual about the way he’d been addressed. It had been nearly ten years since anyone had called him that.

Hunter was so honest and strict that, to the brats of Fran Island, he seemed stiff and coldhearted. He was always keeping them in line and scolding them for their rude behavior, so they’d given him the nickname “Poker Face,” mocking the expressionless look he always wore.

The young men who came to his shop for black formalwear to wear to banquets or on trips inland called him “the tailor,” at most. A more familiar greeting was out of the question.

There was only one exception: the fair-skinned young master of House Howard.

That little boy raced around with the soldiers all day, moving so fast even the household servants couldn’t catch him. He seemed to approach everyone in the world with the greatest kindness.

Even a dull fellow like Hunter, who was never popular with children, would hear the boy’s clear, bright greeting whenever he ran past the tailor shop.

“Good morning, Uncle Hunter!”

The greeting still seemed to ring in his ears. Hunter looked up at the young man before him, now so changed, and found traces of the boy he’d once known in those somewhat unfamiliar features. Only then did a genuine smile break through his usually expressionless face.

“Are you… the young master?”

Roy looked curiously at the two old acquaintances, then stared in utter amazement as she saw Kain smile so gently. His sea-blue eyes were perfectly clear, without a hint of guile. He looked just like a young man fresh out into the world. Perhaps this was what he was really like when he let his guard down.

He actually looks pretty good when he smiles.

Roy thought with a quiet laugh. But the smile soon froze on her face, because her first mate had completely ignored her fierce objections that morning and was still asking for a woman’s gown.

“It’s me, Uncle Hunter. I’m here to pick out a gown for my dance partner. It doesn’t need to be especially fine—whatever you have in stock will do.”

When the young man confirmed who he was, Hunter’s smile grew even brighter. He glanced at the captain beside him, whose expression had turned a little sour, and said, “Time really flies. The young master’s already thinking about marriage. As it happens, I have plenty of gowns that should fit this lady. I’ll go fetch some for you.”

As soon as Hunter went behind the curtain to get the clothes, Roy couldn’t hold back any longer. She’d even forgotten the tailor’s earlier misunderstanding. Grabbing Kain by the lapels, she glared at him and said, “Weren’t we clear that I wasn’t wearing a dress?”

Kain looked steadily at her face, so close to his, and lowered his voice. “Captain, you have to understand: a ball hosted by a governor is court-level at the very least. The rules for etiquette and attire are strict. If you show up in men’s formalwear, you probably won’t even get through the door.”

“But you said before…”

“If I hadn’t said that, would you have come with me?” Kain’s earlier friendliness vanished. He felt no guilt at all about tricking the captain.

“You… You…”

“Besides, Captain, I begged you, and I agreed to all the extra conditions you insisted on last night because you were getting impatient. You can’t back out halfway through. Otherwise, you’ll have no credibility with me at all.” Kain spoke with such righteous conviction that Roy swallowed the curse she’d been about to spit out.

Thinking of all the shameless conditions she’d laid down for her first mate the night before—“the captain comes first, no questions asked”—Roy reluctantly let go. Her voice softened. “Fine, I’ll wear it. This captain can play along, but I’m warning you: if you… if you dare pick one with a low neckline, I’ll break your nose.”

“Don’t worry. I know where to draw the line.”

After carefully considering their options, Roy and Kain settled on a high-necked, pure-white gown. Aside from a few gold stripes, it had no other embellishments or decoration, and it wasn’t too revealing. It was a common style for court balls in the Orlan Empire.

Their reason for choosing it was simple enough. It went well with the captain’s long blond hair, but more importantly, the fabric was thick enough to hide practical underlayers and trousers beneath it, so the troublesome gown wouldn’t trip her up when it mattered.

After paying the discounted price the tailor offered them, the two left the shop with the gown and headed for the town’s only jewelry store.

A court ball called for more than a gown; fine jewelry was essential, too. Fran Island might not have anything luxurious enough to meet the proper standards, but something to make do would be fine.

“Hey, how come we only bought something for me? Aren’t you getting a suit?” Roy glanced at the little wooden box in Kain’s hand, carefully wrapped so there was no way to tell what was inside, and asked curiously.

“I expect my formalwear has already been taken care of.” Kain spoke casually, thinking of the major’s overjoyed expression when he’d visited the garrison that morning.

“I see.”

Now that Roy knew how much weight the Howard Family carried in the Empire, she wasn’t surprised by whatever strange and wonderful things her first mate could arrange. He’d managed to prepare a two-masted merchant ship in a single day. A formal outfit was nothing by comparison.

They walked on in silence for a while. After hesitating for a long time, Roy finally furrowed her brow and said, “I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I was just so excited yesterday that I didn’t think some things through. Maybe… I should sit this ball out after all.”

Kain slowed to a stop. To Roy’s surprise, he wasn’t angry. He only asked, puzzled, “What things?”

“My identity, for one. I really don’t think just putting on a dress will fool Federo. You know how sharp the old man is—even the Great Captain admires his instincts.” Roy explained in a low voice, unusually serious.

If the governor known as Darkness discovered who she was, the ball would immediately turn into a bloody battlefield—not to capture, but to kill, a legendary pirate.

“Don’t worry.”

Now that he understood the captain’s concern, Kain remained perfectly relaxed. “Forget the governor. Aside from me, I doubt there’s anyone in the world who could figure out your identity.”

“After all, who could ever guess that Captain Roy is a young woman?”