Encore 76 — The Fake Nobles (III)

I am one of the Suisha siblings today.

"Make sure you look alive."

Mei suggested to me. I sighed as I put my black gloves on. I found out today that if my hair is an absurd colour, I look completely different.

My hair is similar to aquamarine blue while my eyes look cerulean like the sky. I gelled my hair back and even I don't recognise myself.

I am posing as Hikari Suisha. I'm the older brother but I'm not the CEO of this Free-whatever company Mei mentioned.

She's been doing the prep work all by herself. I have no idea what I'll have to do. I'm going to have to improvise.

Mei, on the other hand...

"We have to deliver. I didn't build us up for no reason."

She was a different person, I felt uncomfortable even talking to her knowing that she was Mei. For me, I still look like myself since I can only change my hair and eye colour. Because Mei had a disguise made by Nishimura, she was someone else.

In this appearance, she went by Guira Suisha.

The strangest thing about her disguise to me was the fact that she was taller. She wasn't wearing high heels either. Her hair was longer too. It was a shade of dark blue, resembling the night sky. She wore glasses and a turquoise dress covered in crystals.

The dress itself was cheap despite its look.

"Build us up? There's no way you made an authentic company from nothing."

Mei smiled. It looked less devious in this form. For that, I was slightly thankful.

"I didn't. What I did would be similar to misdirection. This plan had succeeded by about 50%. I just need the other nobles to accept the existence of the company."

I frowned, still unsure of what Mei was talking about. Reading my expression, she explained to me.

"The Otsuka Group decided to help us. FreeLive is affiliated with them as a separate facility or company. It was probably said to have been made like two years ago. If credited by another, the nobles have to accept what Otsuka is saying. Even if not, there is no way for them to disprove our existence, although, at the same time, there is nothing to prove it either. It could go both ways which is why we need to see how the nobles react."

I nodded.

I think I get it now. We're not in the clear until we interact with the nobles and even if they don't know us, we have the perfect excuse. Working secretly for the Otsuka Group.

That may seem easy enough but there's a downside, at least for the leader. With us being shown to other nobles, we're stopping Rentaro Otsuka from getting more money. If we're made public, funds coming in from other nobles may lessen because they may believe that the Otsuka Group have more money than they let on.

That was what surprised me. Rentaro Otsuka accepted our help. He didn't tell us why but I assume it has to do with Saito Eiji. We didn't plan on taking him out, even if we do deem him evil, but Rentaro Otsuka insists.

On our part, we will since there is no benefit of keeping him alive. It would've been better to decide to kill him in the first place.

"Let's go,"

I opened the door to the car. Mei left after me and closed the door. We went to the entrance of the meeting hall.

"Woah..."

"What family are they from?"

"They're so beautiful."

Like I thought, we would stand out instantly. Blue was an overkill colour. This isn't bad, however, it seems like people, including nobles themselves, are convinced.

We arrived at the doors to the hall.

"Tickets,"

A man said.

We showed them to him. His eyebrow rose.

"Suisha...? I don't think I've ever heard of you."

"I don't think it matters since we were invited."

Mei spoke with a strong smile.

"But..."

"Are you doubting my ticket?! Are you now? I don't like being kept waiting."

She said with a demanding presence.

"Y-yes, please go through!"

And so, he let us through into the hall. That was easy enough. We're in.

We walked into the central hall. When we entered, we were on the far edges of the hall, connected by stairs. The middle was the hall itself. It would've been a large space, but it was filled with tables and nobles.

"I'm seeing a bunch of top-end nobles here."

I whispered to Mei.

I recognise a few of them too. There's...

"The Duke of Arlight, Mr Inuzuma, the head of Japan's monster tamer business, oh and even the Goldengates."

I'm impressed. Mei managed to name some of the bigger nobles in here. I forgot that she's a foreigner, honestly.

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

Mei asked as we turned around the corner, descending down the next staircase.

"Goldengate? You mean that Goldengate? The English family, Goldengate?"

I asked.

"Yes, why—"

She stopped, looking back at me. I glanced at the table where the Goldengates were at. She was there. There was an older woman and man, along with a younger boy and girl. The girl was older than the boy. She was Ameri Goldengate.

"You'll have to refrain from conversation with her."

Mei clicked her tongue.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll do my best to avoid her."

"That, altogether, will be hard but you'll have to do your best."

With my Alter Ego, I can only change my hair and eye colour. What I can't change is features like my voice or height. Ameri is sharp. If I speak with her, I have a feeling that she'll pick up that it's me. Mei is worried about that too.

Sooner or later, we reached the bottom of the stairs. We were met by another man in a suit.

"Hello there, esteemed guests. May I have your names?"

As I thought he was going to check a list, he brought out a pen. He's going to assign us a table and sit us down.

"Guira and Hikari Suisha."

"Guira... Hikari..."

He mumbled as he wrote the names down. He ripped off the paper and handed it to us.

"You're on Table 9."

I followed Mei as we walked through the tables, searching for others. I gazed at anyone who dared to sneak a look at us.

The act was that Mei was supposed to act conceited and proud while I acted in her defence and stood tall.

"Oh shit."

Mei stopped. Her eye twitched.

"You two look like fine fellows."

A blonde-haired man said in a slightly broken Japanese.

That's great. Table 9 is right next to the Goldengate table.