It had all seemed like a good idea.
Being invited as Raven’s companion to the Nemesis Corporation’s party, imagining the soon-to-be complete Troubleshooter Agency—everything had felt exciting and hopeful.

But, as it turns out, happiness rarely comes without a price.
Before long, I was sweating bullets over an unexpected trial.

“Dress code?”

Alice turned to Raven, her eyes wide as if encountering the term for the first time in her life.

“Yeah. Apparently, Nemesis wants everyone to follow a minimum dress code. Men wear suits, women wear dresses, that sort of thing.”
“Ah… dresses…”
“Do you have anything suitable to wear?”
“Well… I have some outfits, but they’re all traditional Japanese style. Would that be okay?”
“Traditional Japanese? Hmm…”

Raven stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Typically, such parties didn’t outright reject traditional clothing styles, especially when the invitation was as casual as this one. If they were relaxed enough to invite someone like Raven, they probably wouldn’t mind.

The important thing about a dress code was to show respect and formality.
Traditional attire might stand out a little, but it wasn’t exactly against the rules.

Of course, wearing a kimono at an event where most people would be in suits and dresses would draw attention.
But who cares, really? Buying an expensive dress just for one party seemed unnecessary anyway.

“Well, it should be fine. I’ll check with the organizers just in case. But no overly revealing outfits. No strings showing or anything.”
“Wha—s-strings?! That’s… That’s harassment!”

Alice turned bright red, her outrage filling the room.

Wait, now that I think about it, Raven has a point. With a slit that high, wouldn’t something peek out?
Why haven’t I ever noticed Alice’s strings before?

As I pondered this mysterious phenomenon, Alice suddenly grabbed me and yelled,
“Forget about me! What about Yuria?!”
“Huh? Oh, right. The temp doesn’t have anything to wear, does she?”

Why is this suddenly about me? I was just minding my own business!

But Raven wasn’t wrong.

The dress code for the party posed a real problem.
With nothing but pajamas and a maid uniform to my name, I was utterly unprepared.

And buying suitable attire wasn’t an option either. Dresses for such occasions were expensive, and I didn’t have a single coin to my name.

“Alice, do you have any old clothes from when you were younger?”
“All of that is at my parents’ house. Plus, I hit my growth spurt early…”
“Yeah, I see what you mean.”
“W-where are you looking while you say that?!”

Wham!
Alice’s foot lashed out, striking Raven’s thigh like a whip.

Even from where I was nestled in Alice’s arms, I could understand the attack. I’d seen where Raven’s gaze had lingered, after all. Alice really did grow early.

Though the kick wasn’t delivered with proper form, Alice was strong enough that Raven rubbed his thigh in pain. Feigning nonchalance, he suggested an alternative.

“Alright, how about renting a dress? It’ll be much cheaper than buying one.”
“Are you sure? Those can still be pricey, and you’re broke.”
“I’ve set aside a little for emergencies like this. Think of it as employee benefits.”

Raven had opted for practicality—renting rather than buying.

Special occasion clothing often feels wasteful to purchase outright. Take wedding dresses, for instance. Why spend thousands on something you’ll wear once?

That’s where rental shops come in, offering clothing for a fraction of the cost.

Still, I wasn’t thrilled about wearing a dress…

“When should we go? Sooner would be better, considering the schedule.”
“Let’s go today! You’re free, right?”
“Well, sure, but it depends on the temp. What do you think?”
“Yuria, are you busy tonight? Want to go dress shopping with me?”
“….”

Alice’s eager eyes bore into me, while Raven gave me a calm, almost expectant look. It was clear I couldn’t refuse.

What was I supposed to say? No?
Skip the party? Miss the moment the agency becomes whole?

“Ugh… Fine. Let’s just pick something simple…”

Resigned, I slumped further into Alice’s arms, my fate sealed.

Never in my life did I think I’d wear a dress.
It felt… wrong.

The rental shop was located in a bustling part of downtown.
According to Raven’s research, it was one of the most affordable children’s clothing rental shops in the area.

But did it really have to be children’s clothing? And a dress, no less?
I felt like crying from the indignity of it all.

“Welcome~ Oh my, are you two parents?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
“I’m the one who called earlier. We’re looking for a dress for a child. And we’re not a couple.”
“Oh dear, my apologies! You just look so good together. Anyway, the children’s section is this way.”

The shopkeeper chuckled and led us inside.

As expected of a kids’ boutique, the clothes were all adorably small.

‘Wow… this is… uh… yikes.’

And the designs on display left me reeling.

White dresses, blue dresses, red dresses, purple dresses…
Every single one was covered in frills, adorned with oversized bows or fake flowers.

The kind of thing a young girl dreaming of being a princess might adore.

I’d thought I was mentally prepared, but imagining myself in one of those made my face burn with secondhand embarrassment.

“Oh, this one’s nice! Yuria’s pale skin would look great with a bold red.”
“Yeah, not bad.”
“Wow, this pastel one is cute too. She’d look like a fairy!”
“Hmm, not bad.”
“Hey, Jin, could you at least pretend to care?”

While I stood frozen, Alice and Raven discussed the merits of different dresses.
When I glanced at Alice, she was holding up a rich raspberry-colored dress and a pastel-themed one.

I had no eye for fashion, so I couldn’t tell if they were good choices.
What I did know was that the thought of wearing them made my palms sweat and my heart race with dread.

‘Do I really have to wear one of these…?’

Honestly, I didn’t want to.
Unlike my maid uniform, which at least had the dignity of being work attire, these dresses screamed “I’m a little girl!”

Physically, that might not have been wrong, but I wasn’t ready to accept it.

‘Ugh… But for the sake of seeing the original story unfold…!’

I could skip the party entirely if I refused.
No one was forcing me, and Raven wouldn’t drag me there against my will.

But weighing my embarrassment against my desire to witness the event firsthand…
The scales tipped toward the latter.

‘You can’t back out over something like this, idiot. You’re wearing a mask anyway. What’s there to be embarrassed about?’

“The young lady will wear it, right? Why don’t you try one on? This way, please.”
“Huh? Try it on? Here?”

Before I could process what was happening, I was ushered into a fitting room with a dress in hand.

Inside, I stared blankly at my reflection, the oversized mirror looming.

‘Alright, fine. I’ll try it on. I’m going to wear it at the party anyway.’

I hung the dress on a hook, hesitated, then began changing.

Slipping out of my maid uniform with practiced ease, I carefully donned the dress. Its design was simpler than I expected, but still unfamiliar.

When I finally looked in the mirror, I froze.
Staring back at me was a girl in a fox mask, looking like something out of a fairytale.

‘Nope. I can’t.’

I hastily changed back into my maid uniform, clutching the dress to my chest.
No one else had seen, but the overwhelming cuteness reflected in the mirror was too much to bear.

Why couldn’t it have been less fitting?!

“Yuria? Is something wrong? Does the dress not fit?”
“….”
“Should I get a different one?”
“….”

Shaking my head vigorously, I shuffled out of the fitting room, still holding the dress.

Seeing me so dejected, Raven stepped forward with a suggestion.
“Would you prefer something other than a dress?”
“W-what?”
“Like a suit. Would that be okay?”

How did he know?

Staring at him in surprise, I noticed a faint sadness in his eyes as he turned to the shopkeeper.
“Do you have any children’s suits? Something that would fit her.”

Before I could process the unexpected turn, Alice and Raven started sorting through options.

A suit wasn’t just less embarrassing—it actually felt comfortable.
For the first time that day, I smiled.

Several outfit changes later—somehow with Alice snapping endless photos and Raven cutting her off when he’d had enough—I found the perfect suit.

When the day of the party finally arrived, I stood outside the towering Nemesis building with Alice and Raven, my heart pounding in anticipation.

“Alright, remember

, we’re just guests. No trouble. Eat, look around, and leave. Got it?”
“Got it!”
“…!”

With a shared determination, we entered the building.
I couldn’t help but feel excited. The original story was about to come to life.