The Unveiling of Secrets

A pang of hunger stirred in my stomach. Upon informing Leidi, he, with a simple gesture, pulled my hair into an unfamiliar ponytail and draped a coat over my shoulders before leading me to the dining room.

The path we took was indeed a journey in itself. The house I now found myself in appeared immensely vast, its decor exquisitely beautiful. Artistic carpets stretched along the entire route, while numerous exquisite vases, holding flowers of unknown species, and what I presumed were rather expensive wall hangings adorned the walls. The ceiling light fixtures, too, were remarkably opulent, making it feel as though I had stepped into the residence of some noble.

Could it be that Leidi was, in fact, nobility?!

I couldn’t be sure; as a commoner, I knew precious little about the lives of the wealthy. As I gawked around, marveling at my surroundings, I was led to an absurdly long table, draped in a fine tablecloth and set with various unfamiliar utensils.

Was this table truly meant for dining? I was utterly dumbfounded. It was far too extravagant! This belonged in an art museum for public display! Though, truth be told, I had never actually been to one.

After a maid pulled out what felt like an exorbitantly expensive chair for me, allowing me to sit, Leidi settled into the seat opposite me.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat? Anything at all,” Leidi inquired with a gentle smile.

Leidi’s movements seemed to have grown remarkably graceful; I found myself almost captivated. What was happening? Was it simply due to the presence of the servants?

“Though my mind has already conjured up a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, I’m afraid a little bread will suffice,” I replied with a wry smile. Despite my hunger, my appetite wasn’t particularly robust—likely a lingering effect of being bedridden for two months.

At Leidi’s command, a maid swiftly presented a plate of square bread and several jars of jam before me. Leidi, for his part, requested a cup of black tea, served in a beautiful cup resting on a white saucer adorned with golden patterns.

“Is this truly all you wish for? There’s no need to be reserved with me,” Leidi said, taking an elegant sip of tea from his saucer-held cup.

“A few pieces of bread are plenty; I don’t have much of an appetite, having just woken up.”

“Should you desire anything else, simply let me know.”

“Thank you,” I said, smiling, genuinely grateful to have such a friend.

“Ah—” A sudden realization of something important struck me, causing me to momentarily freeze.

Noticing that I had something to say, Leidi dismissed the maid standing nearby, who then exited the dining hall, before he moved to sit beside me.

“Leidi, did you send someone to look for me and Grandma?” The thought of that perverted woman suddenly crossed my mind.

Leidi replied, spreading jam onto his bread as he spoke:

“Yes, I did, but I suspect it’s not the person you’re asking about. By the time I sent someone, you were already unconscious.”

“Huh? You know who I’m asking about?” I asked, utterly surprised.

“The short-haired one, who was with your Grandma, groping your chest before you were brought here, right?”

“…Yes.”

I was speechless. The next time I saw her, I’d simply have to send her to the surface of the sun.

As for Grandma… I really needed to educate her, lest she, too, turn into a pervert.

Leidi handed me the jam-covered square bread,

and then spoke:

“I don’t know the specifics, but she was likely a relevant associate.”

“I see…” I took a small bite of bread, lost in thought.

If that was the case, who exactly was that perverted woman? I couldn’t fathom it; there were simply too many unknowns.

Perhaps I should ask about something else.

“Did Grandma say anything else before she left?” This was also important.

“Oh, yes~ Would you like to hear it?” Leidi seemed to be sporting a smile that suggested “waiting for the rabbit to hit the tree” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘shǒu zhū dài tù’, implying a naive expectation of opportunities to fall into one’s lap without effort).

Could it be?

“Of course I do!” Regardless, I decided to listen.

Leidi looked me squarely in the eye:

“The first message: [Live with me, and let trouble find its own way to you.]”

Letting trouble find its own way to me…

“As expected, nothing good ever comes of it… What else?”

Leidi tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a truly wicked grin:

“As for the second message…”

“Gulp—” I swallowed hard. What kind of news was this? Please don’t scare me.

“Your Grandma told me to keep a close eye on you, lest you accidentally let your maternal instincts run wild and get snatched away by some scoundrel, hahahahahahaha~”

Leidi burst into uproarious laughter, completely abandoning his earlier elegance! His hands flailed about! It was utterly infuriating!

I took a bite of my bread and, with a regretful expression, raised my middle finger at him.

‘Grandma… you truly think your grandchild is gay?! And what in the world is “maternal instincts running wild”?! I’m really angry now!’

“I think your Grandma is absolutely right; you’re quite easy to trick. Besides, even when you were a guy, I thought your maternal instincts were pretty strong, okay? Now that you’ve become a girl, who knows, you might get swept away by some bad (man) one day.” Leidi, having ceased his boisterous laughter, spoke with a straight face, uttering what I desperately hoped were mere absurdities… Please, let them be absurdities!

“No way,” I waved my hands dismissively in front of me. “I’m not gay, are you?” I teased Leidi.

Though I instantly regretted it with the speed of light…

“Yes, actually~ I’ve been pretty much ‘bent’ for about half a year now,” Leidi replied, his expression one that could only be described as a “goddess-like smile.”

…

…

Was the Earth about to be struck by another giant meteor?!

Was the universe about to be reset?!

I sat there, mouth agape, utterly dumbfounded.

“After being forced to live as a ‘femboy’ for a year, even if I’m not entirely bent, I’m certainly not straight either.” My goddess-like friend continued to twist the knife… Stop it, already!!!

Huh?

I seemed to recall…

“Wait a minute! According to what you said before, most of the gender-changing magic took effect on me, right?! You said you were barely affected! Which means!” Please, don’t let my fears come true! I prayed inwardly.

“Mmm~ I’m still a man~”

Don’t state such a terrifying reality with such a beautiful, pretty, magnificent, cute, sparkling expression!!!

“Didn’t you say we’re sisters now?!” I was on the verge of a breakdown…

“I’m going to have surgery anyway, so it’s not wrong to say that. Legally, money can fix everything.” Leidi replied with a smile, apparently resolved to become a “woman”…

As a friend, though my heart ached, I knew I had to respect his choice:

“Since you’re already ‘bent,’ why not use the gender-changing magic one more time?” I suggested, attempting to come to terms with the situation.

“Unfortunately, it seems to be a high-level magic that can only be used once in a lifetime.” Reality was harsh… Leidi would have to undergo surgery…

Huh?

Only once in a lifetime?!

My expression stiffened, and I spoke with a tremble:

“D-does this mean… I can’t change back either?!”

Leidi, still smiling, delivered the good news:

“There’s still hope! Just like how [one plus one equals two, and three minus one also equals two], there are other spells that can achieve the same effect.”

“Then use it! Use it on me too!” Upon hearing this news, I felt as though I had ascended to heaven!

“However, regrettably… there’s only one existing gender-changing spell. While we’ve begun developing new ones, judging by the progress, we’ll likely be dead (of old age) by the time they’re complete.”

I was already dead! I had plummeted from heaven to hell!!! I roared and screamed inwardly.

“Hey, hey, hey, can you stop making me eat a fatally sweet candy only to then pour bitter gourd juice into my mouth?! This is beyond cruel!!!” I twitched, my face contorted in a furious grimace. “Seriously, your twisted sense of humor hasn’t changed in years, and now you’re even messing with me, aren’t you?”

“How dare I? Oh ho ho ho ho.”

This guy was a wicked woman!

Still, never mind…

These were already established facts…

“By the way, if you’re still a man, what’s with your voice? Your voice is feminine; have you had surgery?” I asked, puzzled.

“It’s a falsetto. I have several vocal registers, including my original voice,” Leidi explained proudly, spreading his thumb and forefinger apart.

“A femboy, truly formidable…”

I was impressed… I was truly impressed!

“I want to become a true girl…”

Having said that,

“Clap! Clap!”

Leidi clapped his hands:

“Alright, let’s stop this topic here.”

Leidi returned to his seat opposite me, leaning forward with his hands clasped on the table, looking like an interviewer:

“Let’s discuss what will happen to us next.”

Indeed, it was best to end this dreadful conversation…

“As for you, you’ll live with me as my legal younger sister and my bodyguard. Of course, you’ll use the same fake surname as me. The character ‘Ping’ is reserved for you; your current name is [Ping Colt].”

“I understand the name, but what’s this about being a bodyguard? You certainly don’t lack them, do you?” Leidi wanted me to be his bodyguard? At most, I had only repelled petty thieves from the orphanage; I was hardly the type to handle assassinations.

“Of course I don’t lack bodyguards, but—” Leidi offered a wry smile. “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about the power to protect and manage the ‘Gate’ that resides within you…”

“Y-yes, that’s right. Ha… haha…”

I had forgotten about that… This was truly a mess.

“As for me, I’ll gradually undergo hormone therapy over the next few years and probably have gender reassignment surgery around the time I graduate from high school.”

“Are you really… going to cut it off…?” Still finding it hard to accept, I asked once more.

“Yes. My psyche is pretty much feminized now. I have absolutely no confidence living as a male anymore. There’s really nothing I can do about it.”

“…”

Leidi seemed distressed; this was a last resort, and she must have resisted it.

“Leidi, is your mother in Japan too? I think I should talk to her.” I tried to keep my expression from looking too sad.

“…”

Leidi met my gaze silently, saying nothing.

“Thank you, but you don’t have to do that for me. It’s just a change of gender; it won’t have much impact on my life. I’ve long since deviated from normal anyway.” Leidi smiled at me, her eyes closed.

“You don’t resent your mother?”

“Not really… How should I put it? After all, she’s my mother,” Leidi looked up, meeting my eyes. “She’s actually quite good; she just has a bit of an obsession with having a daughter. During this year she’s been in Japan, during this year I was forcibly feminized, she was still very good to me. It’s just living as a female; I think it’s fine.”

“Also…” Leidi gave an awkward laugh. “Actually, because my mother directly caused the separation of the [Gate] and the [Power], the family decided to discipline her. However, she ran away beforehand. She’s probably somewhere on Earth now… I hope she’s okay…”

“…”

Served her right? No, I inexplicably felt a bit of sympathy for Leidi’s mother…

I should change the subject; something important had just occurred to me.

“By the way, if you’re having surgery after graduation, does that mean you’ll be attending school?”

“Hmm? Yes.”

He wasn’t hiring a private tutor, surprisingly.

“You said I’m both your sister and your bodyguard, right? So, I have to go to school too?” This needed confirmation.

“Yes, why?”

This was going to be troublesome…

“I mean… this is Japan, right?” I confirmed again.

“Yes, Japan.” Leidi nodded in response.

“I don’t speak Japanese…” I replied with an awkward, wry smile.

“Ha, so that’s what you’re worried about.” Leidi laughed as he looked at me. “You can rest assured about that; your Grandma gave you a piece of black technology. I’ll get it for you later.”

“What is it?” So Grandma had considered this.

“A choker.”

“Cho-ker? What’s that?”

I had never heard of such a thing.

“It’s a type of ornament, similar to a collar. Just think of it as a necklace.”

A collar? A pet?

“What does that ‘choker’ do?” I continued to ask.

“Once you wear it, it solves verbal communication problems, regardless of the language.”

“Regardless of the language! That amazing?!” I was shocked by Leidi’s explanation; this ‘choker’ sounded incredible.

“But its drawbacks are quite obvious,” Leidi chuckled.

“Hmm? Isn’t it a very convenient tool?”

Were there drawbacks? I thought it was amazing, tilting my head in confusion.

“Didn’t I just say it? It solves verbal communication problems, but only verbal communication problems.”

“I don’t quite understand.”

Leidi held up his index finger in front of me, wiggling it back and forth. “To give you an example with Japanese: after wearing it, you, who has never studied Japanese, would be able to speak and understand Japanese. But!” Leidi raised his voice. “You wouldn’t be able to read or write Japanese.”

Leidi explained it very clearly.

“A tool that only covers half of listening, speaking, reading, and writing…” I pondered for a moment. “By the way, isn’t that really inconvenient? As a student, you wouldn’t even be able to take notes, right?” In a sense, it was a rather problematic item.

“You’ll just have to learn Japanese slowly. Of course, I’ll help.”

That would be for the best, I thought.

“Actually, you don’t need to worry too much about school. You can just get by. I can also have people handle things for you.” Leidi picked up his cup and took a sip of tea, perhaps a little parched.

“If given the chance, I think it’s better to study and learn properly… I used to suffer all sorts of losses because I knew nothing.” Unpleasant memories began to surface in my mind.

“‘Once bitten by a snake, for ten years you’ll fear a well rope,’ right?”

“I’m truly scared… I even had the painful experience of drinking mosquito repellent when I was homeless!” I illustrated by mimicking the action of drinking.

“That sounds truly awful,” Leidi chuckled, indicating he couldn’t imagine how terrible it must have been.

****

“After you finish your bread, I’ll have someone cut your hair.”

“Eh?”

Leidi suggested as the meal was nearing its end.

“Your hair is already quite long, you know?” Leidi gave me a pointed sideways glance.

“Oh.” It made sense; earlier, while still in bed, my hair had constantly fallen in front of my eyes. If Leidi hadn’t tied it into a ponytail, even eating now would have been troublesome.

“Don’t cut me bald,” I joked with him.

“It’s not impossible if that’s what you want,” Leidi replied with a smile.