"Ahm, ahm, Zephyr, you must be tired. Shall I carry you to your room?" Alexander said gently.
Honey, it seems like you're embarrassed and trying to change the subject," Evenline said with a smile.
"Yes, yes! I want to hear the story," Soren said excitedly.
Alfred was also paying close attention to what the duchess was saying; he seemed just as interested in the story.
"Wait a minute, Zephyr. I know I haven't seen you in a long time, but you've grown to look more like a young lady than a young lord," Alexander teased Soren with a smirk, trying to divert attention from the previous topic.
"It seems you're right. Even I forgot for a second that I have a son, not a daughter," Evenline said, chuckling.
"What if our son was actually a daughter and we never knew?" Alexander added with a playful grin.
Soren, whose appearance as Zephyr was already quite feminine, was also wearing an artifact that made the wearer look even more feminine due to its side effects.
"Father, Mother, it's not nice to tease me," Soren protested with a pout.
Alfred, sitting across the table, chuckled quietly and gave Soren a look that clearly said,
"You're a princess to all of us."
"Mother, it's because of the artifact that Lord Alfred helped me with," Soren said, taking off the ear cuffs that were the artifact.
But it only made a slight change to his appearance—making his Adam's apple a little more prominent and subtly altering his facial structure. The changes were very minimal; there was almost no noticeable difference.
"But you still look the same to me," Evenline said, chuckling at her pouting son, while Alexander gave Alfred a pointed look that clearly said, "You better explain later where you got him this from."
Alfred knew that Alexander meant for him to stay back after dinner to explain in detail everything that had happened during the time he was away.
"By the way, joking aside, what is this artifact for?" Evenline asked.
"To store things—especially my extra pairs of prosthetics," Soren replied.
Evenline nodded, seemingly satisfied with the artifact.
"Mother, I have another request," Soren said hesitantly.
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
Soren lowered his gaze, clearly embarrassed.
"Can you teach me how to walk in heels?"
There was a brief pause.
"What?!" both Alex and Evenline exclaimed in unison.
Soren was so embarrassed that he wished he could dig his own grave and bury himself right there.
"Ask Lord Alfred to explain," he muttered, avoiding eye contact.
He stood up using the support of the table, then signaled to George.
"George, please help me to my room," he added quickly, eager to escape the situation.
His parents didn't stop him. They knew they had teased him enough for one night, and more importantly, he needed rest. Instead, their eyes slowly turned toward Alfred.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Hey, kid! Why'd you leave me behind with your scary-looking parents?" Alfred muttered under his breath, glaring in the direction Soren had escaped.
"Start now. From the beginning," Alexander said in a commanding, authoritative voice.
"Don't miss a single detail—if you value your life," Evenline added with a sweet smile that looked far more threatening than friendly.
"We wouldn't want to resort to violence in front our little boy," Alexander said, casually rolling up his sleeves. "But now that he's not here…"
Alfred sat up straighter, his back stiff. A drop of sweat formed at his temple.
"Forgive my life, Duke, Duchess… I will tell you everything. Every last detail," he said, his voice tense with dread.
...
"So, let me get this straight," Alexander began, narrowing his eyes. "You say the servants claimed he started having nightmares… then one day, he suddenly had a complete personality shift and turned friendly?"
Alfred nodded stiffly. "Yes, Your Grace."
"And after a few days," Evenline continued, raising an eyebrow, "he inquired about you from his maid, then called for you. At first, he was this perfect noble boy, full of etiquette… but then he suddenly flipped and started calling you an old hag?"
"Yes, Duchess. That's exactly how it happened," Alfred admitted with a resigned sigh.
"By the way," Alexander added dryly, "that nickname suits you."
Evenline gave him a warning look but didn't argue.
"And then," she continued, "you took him to a shop where he bought artifact prosthetics. But since his figure was too slim, the men's models didn't fit—and the only ones that did had heels?"
Alfred nodded again. "Yes, Duchess."
Alexander chuckled quietly, amused just imagining the scene. "And he wasn't thrilled about it, I presume?"
"No, not at all," Alfred replied, allowing himself a small smile. "He was absolutely mortified. Especially when the shopkeeper—who's an old friend of mine—called him 'Princess' without hesitation."
At that, Alfred realized too late that he had let his guard down. The air grew tense again, and he straightened immediately, wiping the smile from his face.
.....
Soren sat on his bed, clutching his teddy bear tightly, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I've decided to enter the academy, he thought, but what will everyone's reaction be when they see me walking in heels? He let out a frustrated sigh. Great, I'll probably be the class clown. Just my stupid luck.
....
For the next few weeks, Soren spent his days with his parents, who had taken leave from their duties to be by his side. He practiced walking steadily, mastering the use of heels bit by bit, and began learning the basics of swordsmanship and firearms. Alongside this, he was introduced to the fundamentals of other weapons and deepened his understanding of the concept of Depth—a knowledge he already partly possessed from the memories he had gained. Much of his time was also spent in the vast Ukiyo Fort library, immersed in books that broadened his mind. Gradually, Soren grew closer to his parents, their bond strengthening as they shared laughter, lessons, and moments of quiet companionship.