Previously
Despite her low physical stamina, Henrietta pushes through training to prove herself to the Duke. She experiences the harsh reality of military life, including tasteless food and the difficulty of maintaining long hair without servants.
Owoo— Grrr.
The cries of unidentified birds and beasts sounded chilling.
Though it was not yet deep in the night, darkness had painted the surroundings black, and not a soul was in sight.
Watching the back of Corporal Dudery leading her down the secluded path, Henrietta felt a twinge of fear.
‘What is this? Hazing the newbie, or something?’
A sudden sense of deja vu washed over her. She had been through this before in prison. Orientation, or the initiation rite, or the welcoming ceremony. Under constantly shifting names, senior inmates would frequently assert dominance and torment foolish newcomers.
The corporal’s suspicious behavior right now was just like that woman who had dragged her off to a deserted washhouse back then, intending to waterboard her.
Of course, she had taught that woman a lesson—namely, that you shouldn't mess with someone who beat down her own husband.
Yet this was the military, and if she had to yield to a superior's command no matter how unjust, things were going to get rather troublesome.
Just as she was agonizing over whether to make up an excuse about an urgent matter and head back—
The dark silhouettes of men loomed ahead.
“Hey!”
The moment Dudery raised a hand to signal his presence, two soldiers got to their feet from the shadows, as if they had been waiting all along.
“You’re here, Corporal?”
Dudery gestured toward Henrietta with both hands tilted sideways.
“Here, I brought her!”
“Gah?!”
“C-Corporal Dudery, this… this seems like a bad idea, doesn't it?”
The enlisted men also freaked out the moment Trainee Matyas appeared with a freshly washed face, having barely been able to meet her gaze in the mess hall.
Corporal Dudery nodded as if he completely understood their reaction, slinging an arm over each of their shoulders.
Then he whispered so only the two of them could hear.
“Get a grip, both of you. At the end of the day, she's just a newbie. And she holds the lifeline to our sweets!”
Understanding what that meant, the two soldiers exchanged solemn glances.
Operation Sweet Rescue was up to them.
Trying their best to look natural and easygoing—though in truth, they were as stiff as wooden boards—the soldiers greeted Henrietta.
“Welcome, newbie. We've been waiting for you.”
“Welcome to the team.”
“Ah. Thank you for the welcome!”
Henrietta was slightly—no, deeply touched by such a warm reception. Though she had tried to ignore it, the unfamiliar surroundings had repeatedly made her feel vulnerable. Contrary to their rough looks, they were good people.
“This is Private First Class Luther Miller, and this is Private First Class Johnny. The youngest of our squad.”
“My name is Henrietta Matyas.”
“We know, newbie. The truth is, the reason we called you here is the talent show tomorrow.”
Private First Class Miller said hurriedly.
“A talent show? You do things like that here?”
“We get a few chances every year.”
A talent show was an opportunity, not a duty. That meant there had to be a worthwhile prize.
Within the Krakow forces, there were chapels for three of the five major religions: the God of Wheat Ears, the God of Red Rain, and the Spring Light in the Forest.
“Tomorrow is the feast day of the God of Wheat Ears. So there's a service and a talent show at the chapel. And the reward is an overnight pass for two full days!”
Private First Class Miller placed heavy emphasis on the word 'pass.' Private First Class Johnny beside him looked just as thrilled.
Henrietta, however, had nowhere to go even if she earned a pass. Nor did she want to go anywhere.
The soldiers grew flustered at Henrietta’s unimpressed face. Come to think of it, that made sense. She had just volunteered for the army, so it was only natural she didn't grasp the true value of leave yet. Dudery, ever quick on his feet, hastily changed tack.
“Trainee Matyas. It's practically mandatory for a newbie to participate in the talent show. You can introduce yourself at the same time.”
“Introduce… myself…?”
Henrietta could agree that an introduction was necessary. Even when debuting in high society, a proper stage was essential.
“Right! An introduction. Just giving your name and age isn't a real introduction. You can naturally show everyone where you came from, what you did, and what you're good at during the show.”
“However, I am not particularly good at anything.”
“You are, you are! All you have to do is stand still right next to us. We’ll handle everything.”
Private First Class Miller tried to reel in Henrietta’s heart, seeing she was nearly convinced.
“What will you be doing?”
“These guys are crossdressing.”
“…”
Henrietta could not immediately reply as she turned Dudery’s words over in her mind.
“Let’s do it together. Crossdress.”
Private First Class Miller extended a hand with a bright, earnest expression.
“It is not as if I am disguised as a man right now.”
“Ah! Well, that’s true, but… we're going to wear dresses.”
Now they looked solemn again.
“How is it a talent for me, a woman, to put on a dress and dress as a woman?”
“Good question. You’re just going to be the backdrop that makes us shine, Trainee Matyas.”
“I am… a backdrop to make you shine?”
Frankly, that made no sense. Anyone looking at her objectively would call her a beauty. Even bare-faced and clad in a military uniform, it was a loveliness that could never be hidden. Not that she considered it her defining strength, but facts were facts.
Corporal Dudery then offered a solemn explanation.
“You misunderstand what we mean by 'shine.' On that stage, we're going to win by shining with ridiculousness. And to do that, we need a beautiful doll to contrast and highlight just how ludicrous we look.”
“…”
Henrietta’s face hardened coldly. It might have been meant as a compliment in their eyes, but she utterly despised being called a doll.
“We’ll get the dress ready, so all you have to do is stand there quietly.”
Henrietta raised a hand to cut Dudery off.
“Did you not say this was to introduce myself? How could that possibly be an introduction? An introduction and a talent show—I shall show you how it is done. Just trust me and follow my lead.”
On a debut stage, the protagonist never served as the background.
***
The feast day of the God of Wheat Ears was one of the Krakow military's major annual events. Once the afternoon duties were finished, everyone gathered in the mess hall to partake in special rations prepared by the chapel. That marked the start of the festivities.
With their spirits pleasantly elevated by delicious food and sips of wheat wine, the soldiers gathered in the chapel. Once the tedious agenda—a service by the priest and a congratulatory address by the Division Commander—came to an end, it was finally time for the soldiers to take over.
During the talent show, even mocking the Division Commander would be forgiven. Naturally, since the Division Commander and Priest Ronda were the judges, no revolutionary soul had dared to attempt such a stunt yet.
Still, wasn't this the one time they could cast off the oppressive weight of regulations and run wild? The soldiers were ready to party.
Bizarre dances, lively songs, and witty banter filled the stage with fanfare.
Yet as always, amid the audience's breathless laughter, the faces of the Division Commander and Priest Ronda remained solemn. This year, too, the Krakow troops had failed to make them laugh.
“Uh, that was originally the end of our program, but we have some last-minute contestants who signed up! Let’s have a round of applause!”
Prompted by the host, the crowd applauded as Private First Class Miller and Private First Class Johnny stepped onto the stage. The sight of Miller wearing what looked like a maid's uniform had everyone bursting into roaring laughter.
Even a genuine maid's uniform would have looked absurd draped over such a rugged build. But as if he had felt too ashamed to insist a ripped pair of pants stitched together was a skirt, he had frantically glued crude ruffles all over it to pass it off as a maid outfit, which made the spectacle all the more hilarious.
Johnny, walking behind him, wore a vest with frills glued to the cuffs. On top of that, claiming exposed ankles were the mark of high nobility, he had hoisted his pants up high, looking for all the world like a drunkard who had outgrown his clothes.
In truth, they were funny merely because they looked so pathetic; no one could fathom what they were actually trying to do. They would probably just clown around and leave. With such relaxed expectations, the audience eagerly waited for some base humor.
And then, an unexpected figure appeared on stage.
The laughter died out instantly. The newbie, Henrietta Matyas. Appearing not in military fatigues but in her own clothes, she looked unmistakably like a noblewoman. An exquisitely beautiful one, at that. Even without makeup, her radiance pierced straight through the hall to the farthest rows. Perhaps heightened by the two buffoons beside her, her beauty stole every breath in the room.
A flicker of life entered Kalinin’s eyes as he sat bored in the judges' seats. It was not because of her beauty.
Those were the clothes Henrietta had worn when she came looking for him. Yet her presence was entirely different now. She looked like solid ice.
Sitting on a chair on the stage, she remained utterly still like a doll, even as the maid and the count giggled and chattered around her.
‘What is she trying to show us?’
For the first time, Kalinin felt a genuine interest in the stage.
At that very moment, Corporal Dudery and several squad members quietly slipped out of the chapel. Having used a decoy to distract the enemy, the squad cautiously approached the enemy's encampment.
‘Hurry.’
Corporal Dudery gave the command with a flick of his eyes. With a curt nod, the squad members moved into the dark without hesitation.
Just then, something like a scream echoed from somewhere—or rather, from the direction of the chapel.
“W-What was that just now?”
“Who cares! Don’t worry about it and focus on the job!”
Leaving the pitiful screech behind, Corporal Dudery callously urged his squad forward.
***
“Aaaargh!”
The stage descended into complete mayhem.
“You should have been satisfied having a pretty doll, but no, you wanted me to manage the household too! Why should I have to cover for your sheer incompetence?! I told you once I played the part of your trophy wife, you had to take care of the rest yourself! Did you expect me to be some queen of domestic devotion?! I can't take this anymore!”
Henrietta unleashed a magnificent kick right on stage. Her boot struck Johnny square in the solar plexus, sending him tumbling across the floor, gasping for breath. Without skipping a beat, Henrietta planted her foot right onto his back.
Johnny and Miller were filled with regret.
‘We should have rehearsed when she told us to!’
Henrietta had insisted on reenacting how she beat her husband and escaped her marriage. She had claimed that was what a true introduction was.
At the very least, her introduction seemed to be an absolute success. Johnny’s lifelike performance was not acting in the slightest. When she prepared to crush his groin beneath her heel, the blood draining from Johnny's face was unmistakably real.
“Gaaah! I-I was wrong! I won’t make you do anything, I swear! Spare me! Please spare my life!”
Had Miller not held Henrietta back, Johnny might never have lived to see a future generation of his bloodline.
The other squad members rushed in a mob to drag Henrietta off, leaving the stage in utter shambles.
Yet amid all the uproar, not a single soul noticed the slight upward curve playing at the edge of Kalinin's lips.