The Governor's Special District was livelier in the afternoon than after nightfall.
Streets paved with white stone slabs gleamed in the sunlight, and smartly dressed pedestrians came and went among the shops lining them.
Outside the inn, the girl waiting up ahead was still dressed as a man today, though her outfit was far more elaborate than it had been aboard the ship.
She wore a crisp, pale blue naval shirt. Silver embroidery edged the collar, tracing the folds of the lapels all the way to the shoulder seams, while the embroidery at her cuffs gathered into two delicate, curved sprays of flowers. White riding breeches outlined her long, slender legs, and her black, knee-high, flat-soled boots had been polished to a shine.
Yet when Andreia turned around, Renato's words faltered for a moment.
Compared with her casual, even unkempt appearance aboard the ship, Andreia now presented an entirely different sight.
Scarlet lip color made her lips look fuller than usual. A thin layer of white foundation covered her already fair skin, and her wheat-colored hair had been meticulously combed, its ends curled into neat waves that fell over her shoulders and down her back, gleaming bright gold in the afternoon light...
No wonder the receptionist had looked so uncomfortable when passing on her message. Lavish makeup fit for a banquet, applied to a girl in men's clothing, created a strange clash no matter how he looked at it.
The instant Andreia saw the tall nobleman emerge from the doorway, a clearly rehearsed smile appeared on her face, stiff from trying too hard.
She cleared her throat, then recited in a strained, high-pitched voice:
"'I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a strong wind...'"
Watching Andreia recite