Chapter 26
It’s a little embarrassing to say, but why is it that when ‘formal dress’ is mentioned, I immediately think of ‘high heels’? Maybe… deep down, it’s just been subliminally ingrained that they should be paired together.
The Head Maid suggested we wear formal dresses to disguise ourselves as guests. I feel… this is yet another psychological challenge for me as a boy. Just thinking about wearing a maid uniform and facing the stares of passersby was embarrassing enough… now I have to wear a formal dress to a banquet… Uwaah…
Opening Liluo’s family’s wardrobe was like opening the door to a new world. An array of every kind of dress imaginable filled my vision. I couldn’t help but exclaim—
“This is just like Tristina’s wardrobe!”
“Are you talking about the Queen?” Lian Qi asked me.
“Mhm. The Queen has this many stocked in her wardrobe at Fontainebleau Manor.”
“…Hah? Don’t tell me you’ve not only seen it, but you’ve also secretly worn them behind my back?”
“I have not!” I quickly denied. To be honest, I had secretly worn Tristina’s swimsuit… and admitting it normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but the thought of me, a boy, secretly wearing someone else’s women’s clothes… I was too ashamed to say it.
“Fei’er? See any dresses you like?” Qifeng stood beside me, surveying the wardrobe with me.
My gaze landed on a pink dress. It was so cute.
The style was very “cute,” which was perfect for my flat chest. But then I had a second thought: if I choose a pink dress, won’t Lian Qi tease me for being too ‘girly’ or something?
It was too embarrassing. I resisted the urge to say it and shifted my gaze to other dresses. But, in the end, I didn’t escape Qifeng’s eyes—
“Fei’er, you were looking at this one just now, weren’t you?”
“Urk?”
Being seen through is so embarrassing!
Qifeng pulled the pink dress right out of the wardrobe and held it up in front of me.
“See! It suits you perfectly,” Qifeng said with a smile.
“Mhm, it is… rather lovely.”
But—
I shyly looked toward Lian Qi. My stare clearly startled her.
“Why are you looking at me? If you like it, just wear it. I won’t tease you.”
“You’re… not going to tease me for wearing pink… for being ‘girly’? The sun must be rising in the west.”
“…What’s wrong with teasing you for being girly? You are that kind of girl. It’s rare to have a banquet; just go ahead and ‘let yourself go’ today.”
I gave an awkward laugh. “What on earth is ‘let yourself go’?”
For me, a boy, “letting myself go” means wearing a little pink dress?
“By the way… do we all have to wear one?” Lian Qi asked, a look of anxiety on her face.
I suddenly got excited, and the words just tumbled out—
“That’s right! This is a great chance to see you in a dress!”
“Eek! What’s with your attitude? It’s like I’m the boy, and you want to see me in girl’s clothes? Besides, aren’t I wearing a skirt right now?”
Lian Qi said, plucking at the hem of her school uniform skirt, her expression a little unnatural.
“A formal dress and a school uniform skirt are definitely two different feelings!”
“How about this one?”
Qifeng pulled a gorgeous gown from the wardrobe and handed it over. Lian Qi glanced at it, her expression visibly tensing.
“My short hair won’t suit this kind of dress, will it!?”
Even her cowlick sprang up as if in shock.
“Look what I found in the wardrobe—Ta-da~!”
I showed Lian Qi the wig I had just found.
“Hah? What is this? Is this a trap’s wardrobe?”1
“A true trap doesn’t need a wig.”
I smiled. For example: me.
Now, with both the wig and the dress presented to her, Lian Qi was in a tight spot. She hesitated for a moment, then said, “It’s just a dress. I’m a girl, what’s there to be afraid of?”
As she spoke, she started to unbutton her clothes.
“Great!”
I clapped my hands, smiling like a blooming flower. It seems Lian Qi couldn’t win against my stubbornness in the end.
But as for her undressing in front of me… anyway, I’m already used to it.
Just like that, Qifeng helped Lian Qi get the dress sorted, and I helped Lian Qi put on the wig. Wow~! Lian Qi’s entire aura was completely different.
“…Why do I feel like I’m playing Juliet?” Lian Qi said, embarrassed. She lightly patted her own chest, feeling even more shame at her “flat life.”
“Lian Qi, you look so good with long hair.”
“…It’s not like you haven’t seen it before. Don’t I have photos of my old long hair on my phone?” she said, blushing and glancing at me.
“It’s even more stunning in person.”
…She fell silent, her expression a bit subtle.
“Now it’s my turn!” Qifeng said, eager to try.
“Then I’ll go get changed, too.”
Of course, I couldn’t possibly change in front of them. I clutched the pink dress and fled to another room.
“Hey, when are you finally going to be able to change without hiding from us?” Lian Qi called out from behind me.
“Fei’er gets especially ashamed when changing clothes. I’ve gotten used to it over all these years,” Qifeng said.
I’m not listening, I’m not listening—!
I leaned my back against the door, glancing at the dress in my arms. I’m a little… excited. I’m hopeless. As I changed, my heart was filled with a mix of shame and excitement!
After I changed into my cherished pink dress, I returned to the other room. At first, I was a little shy, so I just hid half my body behind the door and peeked out at them. I saw that Qifeng had also changed into her formal dress.
She had even undone her ponytail, letting her hair fall to her shoulders. She looked like she had transformed from a student into a princess. But, compared to the surprise Lian Qi gave me, Qifeng was completely within my expectations. She’s always been this pretty, after all.
“Fei’er, you’re changed?” Qifeng asked me. “Why aren’t you coming in?”
I gave a weak laugh. “To be honest… I’m a little embarrassed.”
Hesitantly, I… stepped out from behind the door, revealing myself completely to them. I’ll never forget the way they looked at me. The longer they stared, the more awkward I felt.
“Wow~ Fei’er, come give me a hug~” Qifeng said.
“Hah!?”
“Not bad. Pink really suits you,” Lian Qi said.
But I still felt like… something was missing.
I looked down at the shoes on my feet. They were just the ordinary little brown leather shoes I wore with my school uniform. They definitely didn’t match the outfit I was wearing now.
I thought to myself… should I take this opportunity to try… high heels?
Although it’s too shameful for a boy to wear high heels… but… I’m already wearing the dress anyway. Who cares about high heels at this point?
Mmph… am I just giving up on myself?
“Qifeng… are there any high heels in the wardrobe?” I asked, my face red.
“They even have wigs, how could they not have high heels?” Qifeng said, handing me a pair of pink high heels.
I held them in my hand, examining the stiletto heel. “…This must be eight centimeters, right?”
Eight centimeters…
I swallowed nervously.
Isn’t Qifeng making this a little too hard for me? This is my first time wearing high heels—!
Footnotes
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“女装大佬” (nǚ zhuāng dà lǎo) is a popular internet slang term literally meaning “female clothing big boss,” referring to a male who is very convincing or skilled at cross-dressing. “Trap” is the closest, albeit more controversial, Western equivalent. ↩