Alizeh arrives at the servants’ entrance of Follad Place carrying her carpet bag and the boxed magical gown Hazan left for her. She has come only to return Miss Huda’s unfinished commission and accept the consequences, because losing her position at Baz House has left her homeless and without a warm place to work.

While waiting in the cold, Alizeh reflects on her mixed fortune: her injuries have healed, her snoda is no longer physically necessary, and Hazan’s rare magical gown may conceal her identity at the royal ball. She remains wary of the gown’s power because such personalized magic is rare, dangerous, and usually available only through skilled Diviners.

Miss Huda abruptly drags Alizeh inside, panicked that Alizeh has come unannounced while the household prepares for the ball. Miss Huda insists her mother would be furious if she discovered the secret commission. Alizeh, using the nosta’s reactions to gauge truth and exaggeration, becomes concerned that Miss Huda might actually fear violence at home, but Miss Huda clarifies that she is speaking dramatically.

The exchange shifts when Miss Huda asks why Alizeh seemed ready to help if Miss Huda had truly been in danger. Alizeh admits she would have found a way to protect Miss Huda, and Miss Huda is unsettled by the sincerity. Miss Huda then reveals her insecurity about being the illegitimate daughter of an Ardunian ambassador and a courtesan, and Alizeh understands that Miss Huda’s harshness masks fear of judgment and rejection.

Alizeh tries to confess that she cannot finish the gown because she has lost her workroom and home, but Miss Huda refuses to let her leave. Since ambassadors have arrived at Follad Place and Alizeh has nowhere else to go, Miss Huda demands that Alizeh complete the gown there and stop behaving like a snoda. Alizeh worries this delay will make her late to the ball, where Omid and Hazan expect her, and where her escape depends on arriving safely.

In desperation, Alizeh admits she is Jinn and suggests she can leave unseen, but Miss Huda condemns the illegal suggestion. With no better option, Alizeh decides the snoda no longer matters if she will leave Setar that night. She removes the silk from her eyes, and Miss Huda reacts with fear and recognition, saying, “It’s you.”