[Lavinia's Pov—Dawnspire Wing—lavinia's Chamber]
It was damn hard to convince Papa to let me walk out of the imperial palace. Honestly, if I didn't use my most serious "responsible face," I think he would've just locked me in the tower like some fairy-tale princess.
But this wasn't about adventure—this was about duty. My duty. I was in charge of the empire's food supplies, so if a rat was sabotaging us, then it was my solemn responsibility to catch that criminal with my own two hands.
"Alright, Sera…" I twirled dramatically in my commoner's dress, skirts fanning out like I was about to star in a village festival play. "Do I look like a normal lady of the empire now? Just… ordinary. Blending in. Nothing suspicious at all."
Sera tilted her head, smiling in that way that told me she was definitely thinking something strange. "Yes, yes, Your Highness. Perfectly normal. Except you still sparkle too much."
Before I could protest, Osric walked over, holding a rough brown cloak.
