ワンライ"Acting"“What's the matter, Hugo Are you lacking confidence”
“You said that, didn't you...”


　I can't help but think I was too gullible.
Hugo sighs as he looks at the outfit he's wearing.
If I were to ask why things turned out this way, it's because I bought into the argument that was sold to me.
“You're so beautiful... It might be weird for a guy to say this, but...”
“It suits you” Karin praises him with mysterious enthusiasm.
　Honestly, he wasn't happy that the cross-dressing suited him, but this time he had a reason to be seen as a woman, so Hugo took Karin's words as a compliment.
He knew that the arrangement of his facial features was beautiful, but he would have preferred to be praised in a more masculine way. However, looking at himself in the mirror, Hugo gave up, thinking, “Well, that's impossible.”
　The white lace veil was delicately woven and rippled smoothly with Hugo's movements.
The white mermaid-style dress had a long train in the back, making it heavy to walk in.
There was a slit below the chest, and thin layers of lace overlapped from right to left, making it incredibly difficult to walk on the carpet of the ceremony hall due to friction.
“But... why did you choose this design”
“Well, that's...”
No matter how he thought about it, given the circumstances that led to him wearing this, being difficult to move in meant being difficult to escape in.
If he were told to fight back while wearing this, Hugo would have to start by cutting off the long train.
“What can you do The only other option was a romantic princess dress that looked like a girl's dream, and it didn't suit him anyway.”
Ellen interjects while sucking on a lollipop.
Indeed, among the rental dresses at the venue, the only ones Hugo could wear given his height were the mermaid-style dress he was currently wearing or this princess dress adorned with an abundance of lace.
　Even Hugo refused to wear something that looked like a party trick. Plus, the sweet-looking maiden dress just didn't suit his face type.
“Is this really it Is this the outfit a bride targeted by a stalker would wear”
“I guess so.”
The cause of the argument, sparked by a cheap sale, was this.
　The popular model had been commissioned by the Victoria Household to hold a wedding ceremony, but apparently some extreme fans had somehow gotten wind of it and sent a threatening letter saying they would ruin the ceremony.
She had agreed to take on the role of bodyguard, or rather, decoy for the ceremony, but as a popular model, she was not only stylish but also tall for a woman.
　With her heels on, she was the same height as Hugo, and even Rina was not tall enough. The model was also quite slender, so Rina was not suitable as a stand-in because she was too curvy.
So, the mayor sent a request to Mockingbird, which is currently closed.
Hugo remained silent about the contents of the message, and it seems that the DM was deleted to the point where the data could not be restored.
　According to Vivian, he smashed the device on the floor and broke it.
Hugo refused outright, thinking it was a ridiculous request, but Lycan egged him on, leading to the first incident.
“I'll do your makeup too...”
“Really That much”
“Yes”
Karin, who is usually timid, nodded with a bright smile, holding various makeup tools between her fingers. Ellen, who was assisting her, completely avoided Hugo's gaze.
“...There's no choice.”
It was just a decoy, hidden by a veil, but if it had to be done, there was no choice but to do it.


The solemn sound of a pipe organ echoed through the church.
　Everything was calculated down to the minute, and soft sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows at the front, creating a fantastical scene.
Only the relatives and associates who knew the circumstances were present, and it seemed they planned to hold a separate wedding reception, as the seats were only half filled.
Hugo walked slowly down the aisle, escorted by the father of the client who had commissioned him.
　Due to Hugo's height, including his heels, he is wearing low-heeled shoes under his dress, but since they are delicate women's pumps, they are not entirely comfortable to walk in. However, he takes each step toward the groom without showing it.
Of course, the groom is not the actual model husband. It seems that he is marrying an ordinary person and has appointed a stand-in.
　He didn't know who the other person was because he hadn't been told, but as he saw the figure through the veil, his expression gradually hardened.
He wanted to shout, “Why are you there” but he held back and stood next to the fake groom waiting at the altar as the fake bride.
“Hey.”
He glared at the other person through the veil, wondering what was going on, but the other person acted as if he didn't know anything.
　He wanted to curse him as a fool for being an ordinary person like himself, but he had to proceed with the ceremony as a fake decoy in place of the real one.
As the priest blessed the bride and groom in a clear voice, he glanced sideways at the fake groom next to him.
The prosthetic leg was probably hidden under his slacks. Since his feet weren't in his usual heels, it might have been a different prosthetic leg.
　The eye patch, which gives a stern impression, has been replaced with a standard leather one, and for some reason, his hair is neatly combed back, though I'm not sure if it's called an all-back style.
He's wearing a white three-piece suit that fits his well-built body, and he's looking straight ahead without glancing at Hugo. I feel like sighing in frustration, but I know it's not appropriate here, so Hugo耐ers quietly.
　“If the stalker doesn't show up, this will be a complete farce,” he thought as he listened to the priest's blessing.
The church door opened with a loud bang, and a man who appeared to be the stalker ran down the aisle holding a cylindrical object in his hand.
“You really came”
“I told you I received a threatening letter.”
“I didn't take it half seriously.”
The man uttered some strange words as he charged at the fake bride, but Hugo skillfully dodged his charge by fluttering the hem of her dress.
As he tried to cut the long train with a knife hidden in his garter belt for self-defense, a kick flew at the man from the side.
“Gyaaa”
The stalker, who was a novice at combat, was easily lifted into the air by Leika's kick and fell onto the aisle.
The man, screaming in pain, was restrained by security guards stationed in the church.
"Nooooo Nooooooooo She's mine"
The security guards struggled to subdue the stalker, who was crawling and desperately reaching out his hands, but the man, seemingly pushing his body to its limits, dragged the security guards with him as he reached out toward Hugo.
Hugo sighed at the man, who was still stalking her despite realizing that she was a fake, and lifted the veil.
"Unfortunately, that woman isn't here. I'm just a decoy to protect her from you. Too bad."
Hugo's face, made up to look like a woman by Karin in case anything happened, appeared from under the veil.
With the lighting from the stained glass windows, Hugo looked like an absolutely gorgeous woman, and the stalker's movements stopped.
In the meantime, the security guards handcuffed the man behind his back and finally subdued him, then stood him up and dragged him away.
　What the stalker thought of the decoy, who looked like a goddess glaring at him, was unknown.
“Well, does this mean my duty is over”
“I suppose so.”
“Then let's get changed quickly. This dress is so heavy that it drags on the ground, making it difficult to walk without exposing my chest.”
　Hugo muttered under his breath and tried to follow the man who had been arrested, but his arm was pulled back.
“What”
When he turned around, Lycan's face was right next to him, and he felt a soft touch on his lips.
Before he could process what was happening, Lycan had already walked away, turning his back on Hugo.
“No... no, no, no, no.”
“Wait, wait,” Hugo said, touching the spot where the lips had touched his mouth.
“That's too cliché,” Hugo said, pressing his lips, which were probably chapped.
“And you just ran off like that”
Without the priest's blessing, Hugo lifted the hem of his awkward dress and chased after the fleeing Lycan.