Free PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 1 by Shinobu Wakamiya Page B

devices. They had to help.
    Ordinarily, cross-dressing wasn’t anywhere on their list of preferred activities, but even so, they’d carried out their strategy, donning dresses they didn’t want to wear and appearing in front of Gilbert. As Oz, who’d come up with the idea, had said,
“This is all to mess with Gil… I mean, to
help
Gil. If it’s for that, I don’t mind if I get hurt.”
    And, since they were doing it anyway, they’d decided to go for broke. They’d quelled their sense of reluctance and shame by brute force.
    “By the way, Break,” Oz said.
    Break glanced over at him. “Hmm?”
    “Was Gil crying?”
    At Oz’s words, Break delicately pinched up the frilly skirt of his long dress.
    “I’m sure he was moved by our kindness. He can’t have imagined we’d go
this
far for him, I’d wager.”
    “Oh, I see. So that’s what it was…” Oz looked down at himself and nodded, his expression satisfied. “He didn’t have to run, though. Gil’s so bashful. Ah-ha-ha.”
    “Isn’t he
just
. Ha! Ha! Ha!” Break said, laughing airily.
    After they’d laughed together for a bit, their faces abruptly went serious, and they exchanged sharp glances.
    Then:
    “Shall we move on to the next item?”
    They grinned.
    At last, Gilbert and Dahlia entered the square that held the fountain.
    Gilbert was breathing hard. In part, this was because he’d just run a good distance, but most of it was due to his mental upheaval. Beside Gilbert, Dahlia was catching her breath, one hand pressed to her chest.
    She didn’t seem as if she exercised much as a rule, and the run might have been hard on her.
    “I’m sorry,” Gilbert apologized. Dahlia shook her head slightly. Her cheeks were flushed. “Let’s sit on one of the benches and rest.”
    At Gilbert’s proposal, Dahlia, still out of breath, said, “I…I’m sorry…May I ask…?”
    “Hmm?”
    “Those…women, back there…”
    Gilbert considered pretending he couldn’t hear. Dahlia went on.
    “Was the smaller one…Oz-sama, perhaps?”
    She knows?!
    Gilbert twitched.
    He was sure he hadn’t called Oz’s name back there. Dahlia was very perceptive.
    Dahlia looked puzzled; she seemed to be thinking hard. She murmured, “…But why would he dress as a woman…?”
    Gilbert had no hope of explaining that one.
6
    “……What in the world is
that?
” Echo muttered.
    She’d been following Gilbert and Dahlia on orders from Vincent, and she’d witnessed Oz and Break’s cross-dressing intrusion from beginning to end.
    It had been a terrible brouhaha. She’d nearly gotten a headache just watching it. Still, this morning, Vincent had said:
    “It’s likely that some odd characters will show up today, too…”
    She’d been told as much before she left. On top of that:
    “Watch the whole thing closely and report it to me, would you? It should be rather amusing.”
    Echo thought she had no idea what was amusing about this.
    As Echo watched, Gilbert ran off, pulling Dahlia by the hand. Oz and Break, who’d stayed behind, put their heads together and began whispering. Echo had absolutely no interest whatsoever in finding out what they were talking about.
    Echo must go after Gilbert-sama.
    With a small nod, Echo launched herself, beginning to leave the shadow of the tree. Just then…
    “Hey, Eko-chan! Here, over here!”
    “?!?!”
    Suddenly hailed by Oz, in spite of her best efforts Echo came very close to falling. She’d been sure she hadn’t been noticed.
    Break, sounding thoroughly entertained, chimed in. “We’d like your help. Come on out.”
    To Echo’s ears, his voice seemed like venom so lethal it would kill on contact.
7
    That night.
    After Gilbert parted with Dahlia and returned to his apartment, carrying a shopping bag filled with the makings of dinner…
    “Man, Gil, that’s not safe. You forgot to lock up.”
    Oz sat up from where he’d been sprawled on the bed, tossing a casual welcome Gilbert’s way.
    Gilbert’s eyes went wide