Ball gown

For her first job interview, Sybill had chosen an elegant crimson ball gown adorned with black flowers, its neckline baring her graceful shoulders above a black choker necklace.

Had this been a dance, men would have been lining up to ask her onto the floor.

She was beautiful enough to be mistaken for a goddess, after all.

Her lavender eyes had been changed to blue, and a matching flower pin adorned her hair.

The roses hanging from her ears had been genuine only an hour ago.

They had since transformed into glittering rubies.

Sammy followed beside her, disguised as a servant in beige trousers, a matching shirt, a waistcoat, and a cummerbund.

His blond hair had been changed to brown, his bright blue eyes were now the lightest shade of brown, and the shape of his nose had been subtly altered.

Silvi remained tucked beneath Sybill's long sleeve.

Sammy had questioned her choice of clothing several times, but Sybill paid him no attention.

Her earlier observations remained firmly etched in her mind.

More importantly, it was what she wanted to wear, so she wore it.

A small bump in the road of learning human.

The espionage had truly begun.

The carriage came to a halt outside the castle gates.

Sammy showed the guards a letter from the grandmaster confirming Sybill's interview.

After examining it, they allowed the carriage to pass through the gates.

As the carriage rolled along the wide path towards the castle, Sammy looked out through the window.

Tall white-marble towers rose above the walls, their pointed roofs gleaming beneath the morning sun.

Long rows of arched windows reflected the gardens below, while statues stood at intervals along the balconies and terraces.

Sammy's gaze lingered on them for a moment.

The castle looked almost exactly as he remembered it.

Almost.

Sybill, meanwhile, had pressed herself closer to the opposite window.

Her wide eyes moved from one thing to another.

The white marble.

The towers.

The fountains.

The guards standing perfectly still beside the entrance.

Humans had apparently put an extraordinary amount of effort into making one house.

Once they reached the castle entrance, Sammy stepped out, paid the coachman, and began unloading their luggage.

Inside the carriage, Silvi sensed Sybill's uneven breathing and tried to calm her.

"Sibi, if anyone in the world is capable of doing this, it's you."

"I can fight the armies and the monsters."

Sybill paused.

"I can even do the summoning of the lightning... and the arrows."

Another pause.

"But the talking to the humans is..."

She searched for the words.

"The most difficult part of the espionage."

"Remember how Silhvester Holmes analyses people before he speaks. You do that. I will be here with you."

Sammy glanced inside the carriage.

It was time to disembark.

As Sybill stepped out of the carriage, Sammy began transmitting a quick description of their surroundings to Silvi through the enchanted button on his shirt.

"The garden is lush, green, and beautiful. There are a few maids nearby gawking at Sybill."

A burst of muffled laughter came from somewhere behind him.

One of the maids leaned towards another.

"Did she get lost on her way to a ball?"

"The last one was two days ago."

"Perhaps she is simply very late."

A third maid glanced at Sybill's gown and snorted.

"Or very hopeful."

The girls covered their mouths, trying unsuccessfully to hide their laughter.

Sammy's expression tightened.

"I told her the gown was too much," he whispered into the button.

Silvi would have face-palmed, but her porcelain hands were fixed in place.

Sybill noticed none of it.

She was far too mesmerised by the castle's elegance.

Up close, the white marble walls were threaded with faint grey veins, while golden detailing curled around the enormous doors and climbed the stone pillars on either side.

Above them, ornate artwork covered sections of the walls and archways, depicting gods, angels, saints, and even a few figures who looked remarkably like her.

Sybill tilted her head as she studied one of them.

She decided humans had interesting taste in decoration.

Her gaze wandered again.

Colourful flower beds bordered the pathways, fountains glittered beneath the sunlight, and the freshly mown grass stretched across the grounds in immaculate green patches.

The fragrance of countless blossoms filled the air.

Warm rays of sunlight struck the white castle, making it appear to emit an ethereal glow.

For the first time since leaving her Domain, Sybill momentarily forgot that she was supposed to be nervous.

The grandmaster's arrival was announced by the sounding of a horn.

Sammy gathered himself and took Sybill gently by the arm.

"He is here. Stand with me."

"Now, Sibi, listen to him," Silvi's voice echoed from beneath her sleeve.

Sybill truly paid attention.

The grandmaster approached with two attendants following behind him.

He appeared to be in his fifties and wore a crisp white coat bearing a golden badge.

His hair was grey streaked with black, and a neatly trimmed beard framed his face.

The moment he laid eyes on Sybill, he stopped.

Something about her seemed deeply familiar to him, although he could not quite place it.

His intrigue appeared great enough to distract him from her overly extravagant choice of clothing.

After examining the letter, he looked at Sybill again, his expression noticeably softer.

"Please proceed to my office. We will conduct the final interview there."