Evelyn’s office was conveniently just one floor above the room Finn and Iris had been allocated. This was, of course, done on purpose for convenience’s sake. Finn boarded one of the many elevators in the building, then pressed on the only floor above his own. It was marked with a star rather than a number to separate it from the rest, and apparently only certain people who Evelyn previously authorized could press on the button. It was embedded with a built-in fingerprint reader, meaning those who were not approved of by Evelyn herself could not even reach the top floor, keeping it nice and tranquil, free of unwanted visitors.

It didn’t take long for Finn to reach said floor. After all, it was right above him. Last time he was here, he had been blind, so he couldn’t appreciate the beauty of the place and could only attempt to visualize the place through Iris’s descriptions. Today, however, he could see with his own two eyes. It’s been a couple of months since he lost his vision, but it felt much longer than that. Needless to say, Finn felt grateful for getting his sight back.

That said, was he going to abandon Iris? No. Not yet, anyway. His body seems to be reacting in a strange way to her, and when they touch, Finn feels… empowered. It was a mystery why or how, but he intended to find out more before leaving Iris. After all, she could become a vital piece of power to him. Besides, having a partner isn’t too bad, even if Finn *did* prefer being solo.

With his vision, walking down this long black corridor certainly felt different. It was a lot more ominous than Iris had been making it out to be… though perhaps it was just because right now was daytime. The windows along Finn’s left-hand side were providing more than enough light to easen the atmosphere, whereas at nighttime, the hallway would definitely be a lot more gloomy.

Either way, Finn soon reached the large wooden double doors and respectfully knocked on them. The person inside wasted no time in responding.

“Come in,” she said, voice soft and alluring. Finn did as told, opening the doors and entering before closing them behind him.

“My, my. You’re early,” Evelyn said with one eye shut, the other beautifully staring at Finn. “And… a fine armor set, if I do say so myself~”

“Is that so?” Finn glanced down at his hands, hidden beneath thick black leather gloves. “I suppose you’re right.”

Evelyn didn’t miss this almost unnoticable action, and shifted her legs slightly in interest, leaning forward and taking the cigar out of her mouth.

“Oh…? You can see? That didn’t look like an act just now.”

“… Smoking in the morning is not healthy,” Finn replied, attempting to change the topic. He hadn’t been intending for Evelyn to find out about this so quickly, but what was done was done.

“Ara ara~” Evelyn laughed playfully in amusement, then put out her cigar and tossed it in the trash bin under the desk without even looking. God knows how many times she’s done the same thing in the past; it was like muscle memory to her now. “Just when I was worried about the one possible way this operation could go wrong, you managed to nullify it completely. Choosing you really was the right choice, it seems.”

“… So?” Finn tilted his masked head and folded his arms. “What do I have to do as part of this… training?”

Evelyn smiled seductively. “Spend time with me. That’s all.”

“… That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

“…”

“Fufu, were you expecting militaristic training?” Evelyn giggled in a manner befitting of her maturity, able to charm any man—but not Finn. “I am training you to act like me, not to be my bodyguard. To do that, you obviously need to first know about me, no?”

“… I suppose—”

“But,” Evelyn suddenly teleported in front of Finn and cupped his chin with her two fingers seductively, catching him off guard. “We can do that tonight. Right now… I’m bored. What do you say we go for a stroll in the streets of this Underground City? It’s not as pretty as District B, but at the same time, far more entertaining, fufu…”

Finn could hardly refuse. After all, he was here to learn how to act like Evelyn. If she wanted to head out for a walk in this Underground City, he could study her day-to-day actions and patterns. These tiny details will all contribute to how accurate his Shapeshift is when he finally changes into her on the day of the dance party.

“… Let’s go,” Finn said at last.

Evelyn smiled flirtatiously, then licked her lips.

“That’s what I like to hear.”

After Evelyn put on her diamond cat mask, the two set out of the hotel. On the way, they attracted many gazes. It wasn’t everyday the queen of the underground city, Carmen, went on a stroll on the streets, after all. About 80% of the stares were admiring Evelyn’s beauty and alluring figure that could bring armies of men to their knees, but the remaining 20% were directed at Finn. This was the first time he was showing up in a public space wearing that armor, so naturally, everyone was confused and had no idea who he was. Given his appearance, though, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he was a bodyguard.

“… Under broad daylight…” Finn muttered, walking behind Evelyn dutifully. Naturally, she didn’t miss this, and chuckled softly.

“What? Embarrassed? How cute~”

Finn shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I was just wondering… if you’re spending your day here, what of the guild?”

“You needn’t worry about that. I spend most of my time here anyway, so I’ve long appointed a director to take charge of things while I’m away and give me updates whenever an emergency occurs. She’s done well so far.”

“I see… so she knows the truth about your two identities?”

“… Not fully, but yes, you could say so.

“And what of your daughter?”

At this, Evelyn fell silent for a long while. Finn didn’t say anything further, waiting patiently for her to answer him as the two continued walking, out of the hotel and onto the wider, relatively empty streets under the bright morning sun. And finally, after nearly a full minute, Evelyn finally responded.

“She… she doesn’t know. And it’s best she never does.”

Her voice, usually mature and seductive, now carried a slight tremble, much like that of a helpless little girl’s.

“… I see.”

Finn didn’t say any more. Those two words of acknowledgment were all that was needed. He knew he had touched on a sensitive subject for Evelyn, and even he had the basic common sense to not pry about it. That fox-masked man had been right. It was best not to bring up the matter of her daughter.

Still… it would be a lie if Finn said he wasn’t—at least a little—curious. Just what had happened in this seductive and mature woman’s past? He knew the basic gist of it, but there were countless more mysteries and unknowns to unravel. These mysteries were essential to solve if Finn wanted to Shapeshift into the splitting image of Evelyn.

After all, it is said that one’s personality is determined by the events that occurred in their past—and Finn intended to get to the bottom of this.

But not now. An opportunity would present itself. And Finn was, if nothing else, patient.