The small northern town was quiet that morning—cold enough for a faint mist to cling to the air, yet bright as the sun cast gentle warmth over the stone–brick streets. Merchants were rolling out crates, children darted between stalls, and townsfolk passed by with baskets and early chatter.
Among them walked Catalina and Lady Heather—or rather, Erika beneath her carefully crafted noble façade.
Lady Heather held a delicate lace–trimmed parasol above her shoulder, the kind noblewomen carried more for elegance than sun. Her steps were graceful, poised… at least on the outside. Her gaze drifted toward her lady, who had wandered close to a shop window displaying strands of silver and gem–studded pendants.
Catalina leaned in slightly, the glass catching the sunlight as she admired the pieces. The corners of her lips lifted in a soft, thoughtful smile.
Lady Heather felt her own breath hitch.
Is she seriously just… smiling? Just like that?
Is she testing me? Waiting for me to confess? Gods, please… I'm going to faint if she keeps acting this casual…
Her gloved hand tightened around the parasol's handle, the faint tremble hidden well enough. On the outside, she looked perfectly composed. Inside, she was mentally rolling across the cobblestones.
Catalina, meanwhile, remained completely unaware of the storm brewing inside her companion.
I wonder if she likes these kinds of things… Catalina thought quietly, eyes tracing the jeweled necklaces.
Maybe these are too flashy. I shouldn't overwhelm her. Something simpler… something gentler might suit her more…
A small breath left her lips as she stepped back from the window.
"Lady Heather," Catalina called out softly.
Lady Heather nearly jumped.
"Y—yes, my lady!" she said, voice a touch too sharp before she forcibly softened it. "I mean—yes?"
Catalina blinked, a little puzzled by the burst of energy, but offered a gentle smile.
"Let's look around the next street. I heard there's a bakery there with good honey bread."
"O-of course," Lady Heather replied, straightening herself with all the noble dignity she could scrape together.
"Lead the way, my lady."
Dammit… pull yourself together, Erika… you're going to die from nerves at this rate…
Erika followed closely beside her lady, parasol shifting as her fingers fidgeted against the handle, trying desperately to maintain composure.
Catalina, completely unaware of the panic walking at her side, walked forward with soft steps and a quiet warmth in her eyes—toward the next street, toward the next shop, and toward a talk she didn't know Erika had spent the entire morning bracing for.
The café—if it could be called just that—was a warm little sanctuary tucked between two stonework shops. Soft lamplight glowed from brass sconces, casting a honey–colored warmth over polished wood and shelves stacked with pastries. The air carried the mingled scents of fresh bread, roasted beans, and sweet cream.
Catalina and Lady Heather sat across from one another at a small round table near the window. Outside, morning light trickled through the glass, but inside everything felt calm… almost too calm for Erika's liking.
Lady Heather held her teacup delicately between her gloved fingers, but she wasn't drinking—only staring at her lady with a quiet intensity, as though waiting… or bracing. Her shoulders stiffened every time Catalina moved even slightly.
Catalina, meanwhile, brought her freshly brewed coffee to her lips, savoring the warmth as the sweet blend rolled over her tongue. A gentle smile curled at the corner of her mouth.
"Lady Heather," Catalina said softly, lowering her cup.
"Is your tea alright?"
Erika blinked—too fast, too startled.
"Ah—yes, my lady. It's wonderful."
Catalina nodded toward the plate between them, stacked with golden pastries dusted lightly with sugar.
"Have you tried those yet? They're quite good."
"N-not yet." Erika swallowed.
Focus. Don't tremble. Don't look so weird.
She reached out and took one carefully, biting into the flaky crust. Warmth melted in her mouth—soft, buttery, sweet enough to ease some of the tension tightening her chest.
No. No, don't get distracted.
Stay sharp…
Shit what is this..? It tastes so good.
Catalina placed her coffee down, fingers wrapping around the cup's warm porcelain. Her eyes softened, amusement quietly flickering behind them.
"So then…" she began.
Erika straightened immediately, pastry halfway to her mouth.
Catalina tilted her head slightly, her voice dipping into a playful tease.
"I feel as though I've been stabbed by a thousand swords with the way you're staring at me, Lady Heather."
Erika froze.
Catalina smiled—warm, gentle, disarming.
"Do you want to say something to me?"
Erika inhaled sharply— and almost choked on the bite of pastry she hadn't finished swallowing.
Erika cleared her throat, a small cough breaking the silence. Her fingers fidgeted nervously around the edge of her teacup. Finally, she spoke.
"Well… you see, my lady…" Her voice wavered. "…about the other day… and the party…"
Her eyes flicked up, pausing mid-sentence. She couldn't stop herself from staring at her lady—golden hair catching the morning sun through the window, bright green eyes glimmering, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"And…?" Catalina prompted gently, genuine curiosity in her tone.
Erika swallowed hard, straightening as best she could.
"Ahem… I mean…" She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "…I… I'm not really a noble. As you already know."
Her gaze dropped to her fidgeting fingers, twisting and untwisting nervously. The weight of her confession pressed down on her chest.
It's punishable… punishable for a commoner to disguise herself as nobility. And worse… I'm a northerner.
Her thoughts raced. What would she think? What kind of punishment would she face?
The famous Red Lady of high society—the woman whose reputation could command respect across the city—was, in truth, just a common northerner behind the pretty masks and silks.
Catalina leaned forward slightly, placing a warm hand over Erika's trembling ones. Erika's eyes shot up in surprise, confusion flickering across her face.
"Don't worry about it," Catalina said softly, voice calm and even.
"It doesn't matter to me whether you're noble or not. That's not what I see. You… you've been honest with me, and that's what matters."
Erika's heart raced, guilt mixing with relief.
Catalina gave a small, amused tilt of her head.
"Besides…" she added lightly, teasing just enough to make Erika's cheeks flush, "…You've been a good teacher, haven't you? A friend, certainly. And a northerner? Well… I have no complaints there either."
Erika blinked, the tight knot of fear loosening in her chest. A warm rush of relief and disbelief filled her as she finally allowed herself to breathe.
"You… really don't mind?" she whispered, voice barely audible.
Catalina's smile deepened, reassuring yet playful.
"Not in the slightest… though, between us, it would be quite punishable if anyone else ever found out."
She gave a small wink. "So… keep it our little secret, Lady Heather."
And in that moment, the tight knot Erika had carried since the day they met finally loosened. The fear, the guilt, the constant dread—all of it softened, replaced by a small, unexpected sense of safety. Safety she never thought she'd feel while sitting across from the woman she feared she had deceived most.
Catalina, meanwhile, watched Lady Heather—Erika—calm down bit by bit as she resumed nibbling the pastry she'd abandoned earlier. The sight softened something in Catalina's eyes, and a quiet thought drifted through her mind.
So it really was her… the nervous little commoner from the tailor shop.
Lady Heather.
Erika.
Her lips curved faintly as she lifted her cup.
How amusing, she mused to herself.
How fun, even. To know the truth while she remains completely unaware…
Unaware that her 'lady' is the very same woman she once chatted with over scraps of fabric. And unaware that I'm also Lady Liana—the patron she admired so earnestly.
Between them lay three identities tangled together, and only Catalina could see the whole knot.
My teacher… my tailor… and now, Lady Heather.
The thought delighted her more than she expected. A soft, private smile bloomed on her face—one Erika, in her flustered state, completely missed.
Catalina took another slow sip of her coffee, savoring the quiet victory of knowing something no one else did.
Yes, she thought.
For now… I can enjoy this all on my own.
Catalina paused mid–sip, the rim of her cup barely touching her lips. Her gaze drifted—slowly, subtly—toward the window, as though something outside had brushed against her awareness.
Her expression didn't change, but there was a faint shift in her eyes… something sharp, something knowing.
Erika noticed immediately.
"My lady?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Did you… see something?"
Catalina didn't look away from the glass. Instead, a soft smile curved her lips—one far too calm for Erika's comfort.
"Oh, nothing," Catalina said lightly.
"I thought I sensed a stray that wandered too close, that's all."
"A… stray?" Erika echoed, confused.
Catalina closed her eyes briefly, almost as if dismissing a thought. Then, without another word on the matter, she lifted her cup again and resumed sipping her coffee, her gaze no longer fixed on the window.
Erika, curiosity ignited, couldn't help but turn. She followed the exact angle of Catalina's earlier stare, searching outside the café window.
Stray? What stray…? There's nothing there. Maybe it really was just a feeling…
Catalina set her cup down with a soft click, drawing Erika's attention back instantly.
"Lady Heather," Catalina began, her voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of intent, "would you like to step out of town with me?"
Erika blinked. "Out… of town?"
Catalina nodded once. "There's a place nearby. A ridge, just north of here. It has the best view of the whole valley and town. I'd like to show it to you."
Erika stared at her lady, caught between surprise and fascination.
A moment ago she'd thought this outing was nothing more than strolling from shop to shop. Now it sounded like she was being invited into something far more…adventurous.
Still, she found herself smiling—small, flustered, but genuine.
"If… if that is where you wish to go, my lady," she said softly, "then I'd gladly accompany you."
Catalina's lips lifted in quiet approval.
"And besides," Erika added quickly, glancing toward the entrance where their escort was likely waiting, "with Ser Roderic with us, I'm sure nothing dangerous will happen."
Catalina's faint smile deepened, just barely.
"We'll be perfectly safe," she replied. "Come then. Let's go before the mist lifts."
Erika rose from her seat, parasol in hand, a shimmer of excitement rising beneath her remaining nerves.
She thought she was merely spending the morning with her lady. She didn't yet realize she was stepping into something else entirely.