They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World-Chapter 126: Glamour [2]

Then, slowly, reluctantly, she lowered her hands.

Her claws retracted slightly, though she kept them visible.

"If this kills me," she said quietly, "I’m haunting you. Forever. I’ll make your afterlife absolute hell."

"Noted."

I activated the skill.

The effect was immediate and startling.

Scarlet’s breath caught sharply, her hand flying to her chest as her body began to change. I could see the panic in her eyes even as the transformation started, her entire frame going rigid with shock.

Her hair shifted first. The vibrant red, that distinctive fox-fur shade began bleeding away like color draining from waterlogged fabric.

It was replaced by a rich, natural brown that spread from roots to tips in a wave, transforming each strand as it went.

Then her eyes. The bright, almost luminescent green flickered once, twice, like a candle struggling against the wind. Then it deepened, the color transforming into warm amber. Still striking, still beautiful, but undeniably human.

I watched, fascinated despite myself and the pounding headache still hammering at my skull, as her fox ears began to retract.

It wasn’t instant. They didn’t just vanish in a puff of smoke. They pulled back slowly, almost organically, folding inward like flowers closing at dusk. They shrank gradually, the soft fur seeming to melt away, until they disappeared completely into her skull.

And in their place, human ears appeared. Positioned exactly where they should be on either side of her head, partially hidden by her new brown hair.

Her tail was last. I glanced down just in time to see it shrink, compressing in on itself like it was being pulled into her body by invisible strings. The fluffy red fur faded to nothing as it withdrew completely, leaving no trace it had ever existed.

Just like that, she looked completely human.

A timer appeared in my debug vision, overlaid in the corner in glowing blue text.

[Glamour Duration: 4:59:58]

Five hours.

I sighed internally, feeling the emptiness where my mana had been.

Cost me almost half my mana reserves just to force-unlock this damn skill.

And it only lasts five hours.

Better than nothing, but we’d need to find a more permanent solution before the clock ran out.

"What..." Scarlet’s voice came out higher and more strained than normal. "What just... what did you do?! What the hell did you do to me?!"

She backed away from me like I’d grown a second head, her hands running frantically over her head, fingers desperately feeling for ears that were no longer there.

She reached back for her tail, patting at empty air where it should have been, her movements growing more frantic with each failed attempt to find her familiar features.

"How did you do this?!" Her amber eyes went wide with shock and something that looked dangerously close to genuine fear. "This isn’t... this can’t be real! Give them back! Change me back right now!"

"Don’t worry," I said quickly, trying to sound reassuring while wiping the last of the blood from my nose with my already-stained sleeve. "It’s just a temporary disguise. Not permanent. But it should work well enough to get you past the guards and slave hunters."

She blinked at me.

Then her eyes narrowed.

"Really?" The word came out flat, clearly not believing me even slightly.

I pulled on my cloak, fastening it at my throat and adjusting the collar.

"Yes. Really. Though I’m not sure how well it’ll hold up against detection spells or trained tracking hounds." I turned toward the door of the alley, gesturing for her to follow. "So we should probably leave before anyone gets the chance to test it."

"Useless idiot," she growled.

A vein bulged at my temple. I turned my head sharply to glare at her over my shoulder.

"Miss, at least it’s better than me just walking you around the main streets with fox ears on full display and a giant ’I’m escaped property’ sign over your head."

She growled again, but she huffed and looked away with her arms crossed defensively over her chest.

"Fine," she muttered. "But if this wears off in the middle of the street..."

"It won’t. Just stay close and try not to draw attention."

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"Just play along and I’ll get you out of town safely." I stepped out.

She pulled her hood up, covering most of her face and her new brown hair, and followed after me without another word.

We descended the inn’s stairs together.

The common room was still busy with diners, though the crowd had thinned slightly as people finished their meals and headed out. The warm smell of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air, along with the sounds of conversation and laughter.

I spotted Agnes immediately.

She was sitting at the table. She looked up as we approached.

Then they slid to Scarlet beside me.

Her expression went carefully blank.

"Who is she, Young Master?" Her voice came out low, careful.

I cleared my throat.

"Agnes, I want you to meet my new maid." I gestured to Scarlet, who bristled slightly at the title, her shoulders stiffening.

"Sara."

Scarlet shot me a look that promised extreme violence later. But she gave a light, stiff bow to Agnes anyway.

"And Sara," I continued, trying to sound normal, "this is Agnes. She used to be my personal maid."

Agnes’s face went very still.

"Used to be..."

She whispered the words so softly I almost didn’t catch them.

Her jaw worked for a moment.

"I see," she said. "Of course. A new maid. Younger. Prettier."

"Agnes—"

Then she stood abruptly, turned and walked toward the door with quick steps.

The door swung open, and she disappeared into the evening street.

I stood there, staring at where she’d been, running a hand through my hair.

What the hell happened?

"Wow," Scarlet said beside me, her voice dripping with amusement. She wasn’t even trying to hide her smirk. "That was smooth. You sure know how to handle women."

I shot her a glare that could have melted steel.

"Shut up."