episode_0031

Arriving at the inn, we entered the room with trunks in both hands.

We packed everything into the trunks except for the furniture.

“Rotoseu! Don’t touch the wardrobe under any circumstances.”

“Got it.”

I kept Rotoseu as far away from the wardrobe as possible and started packing my clothes.

It wasn’t easy to put the dresses in without wrinkling them. I had to be careful not to let the decorations get tangled.

I carefully placed each dress into the trunk.

“What’s going on, Miss… Eek?!”

Miné cautiously entered my room, probably hearing the commotion.

She saw me and my two friends messing up the room while packing.

“Oh? Miné, you’re here?”

I smiled kindly at Miné.

“Where are you going, Miss?”

“Oh, I’m going home now.”

I had a house now, so there was no reason to stay at the inn.

“What?!”

Miné was shocked as if she had heard surprising news.

“Don’t cry, Tuk.”

“Yes…”

Miné sniffled at my words.

“Don’t cry so easily.”

I approached Miné and gently stroked her head.

“If you leave, we won’t be able to see each other anymore…?”

“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

“Hee…”

Miné clung to my thigh.

“Miss…”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Can I work at your house?”

What is she suddenly talking about…

“No.”

I rejected Miné’s request outright.

“You should stay here and help your father.”

I lightly tapped Miné’s forehead.

Miné held her forehead and looked up at me.

“If… you’re disappointed, would you help us pack?”

I asked Miné, who looked disheartened.

“Yes!”

She smiled widely and helped us pack.

We loaded the packed trunks onto Aramis’s carriage.

“Goodbye, Miss…”

Miné sadly waved goodbye to me.

“Don’t be too sad. We won’t be completely unable to see each other.”

“Right, I’ll come around here often for a drink, so we can meet then.”

Rotoseu shrugged beside me.

“Yes!”

After bidding farewell to Miné, we set off for my house.

#

When we arrived at my house, a mansion made of red bricks (formerly Andre’s mansion), the maids sent by Marquis La Juran greeted us.

“Welcome. We are the maids sent here to work by Marquis La Juran.”

The maid in charge bowed to us respectfully.

She had sharp eyes and tied her glossy black hair back with a crimson ribbon.

“Oh…”

My friends and I looked at the maids in their neat uniforms with sparkling eyes.

Maids… I had only seen them in my childhood home other than that.

While we had seen Flancher and Grimmo-like servants of Aramis, it was hard to find proper servants like the maids Marquis La Juran sent.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Lea.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Shall we go inside?”

Lea turned and led the way inside.

Her footsteps echoed with each step.

We followed Lea into the mansion.

As I entered the house, it was much cleaner than the last time I saw it, thanks to the efforts of Rajurang and the Marquis.

Every time I looked at the house that Rajurang and the Marquis had decorated so meticulously, I felt a sense of pressure building up.

“It seems like our Marquis has really put his mark on this place, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

I blurted out, my face turning red at Aramis’s words.

“Wow~ This place is filled with expensive things, no matter where you look.”

Lotus marveled at my house, which was filled with expensive items everywhere.

“It’s… almost overwhelming…”

I could only admire the interior of the house like Lotus.

“By the way, it’s about time we start planning.”

“That?”

At my question, Aramis nodded.

“Yes, we need to… ”

Kidnap someone and take them to the basement to interrogate…?

I pondered, stroking my chin.

“Well, let’s sit down and have a drink first.”

Lotus gestured with his wrist, indicating that we should have a drink.

“Sure, that sounds good.”

I nodded and called for Leia.

“If there’s any alcohol in this mansion, bring a bottle.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Oh, and please guide us to the library or the drawing-room.”

“Yes, understood.”

After instructing another maid to bring the alcohol, Leia led us to the drawing-room.

As we entered the drawing-room, we each took a seat on the sofa and waited for the alcohol to arrive.

“I wonder what kind of alcohol they have here?”

Lotus rubbed his hands together eagerly, his eyes shining.

“Well, in this mansion, there’s mostly Turgignon and Roque.”

Leia replied in a cheerful voice to Lotus’s question.

“Oh…”

Upon hearing the names Turgignon and Roque, Lotus shed tears of joy.

“Finally, I get to drink such high-quality alcohol…”

“You’re always obsessed with alcohol, aren’t you? Since alcohol isn’t good for you, why don’t you try some other beverages?”

“Easy for you to say. Are there any substitutes for alcohol?”

“Like coffee or tea, for example.”

“Water is not the same as coffee or tea. How can I drink something as precious as Roque like it’s alcohol?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Knock, knock.

While we were chatting, the maid arrived with the alcohol.

“Please leave us alone with just the three of us.”

“Yes, understood.”

Leia bowed to us and then left with the maids.

With just the three of us left in the drawing-room, we began to plan.

“So, we need to kidnap one of Orléans Marquis’s subordinates. Who should we kidnap?”

“Do we even know anyone?”

“Other than Dushark and Rashpor Marquis… we don’t know anyone else, right?”

“Um…”

We sighed in despair at our lack of options.

“This is a mess…”

In our hopeless situation of only knowing Dushark and Rashpor Marquis’s subordinates, we could only laugh bitterly.

“Do we really have to kidnap Dushark?”

At least, if it’s that guy, one punch from me would knock him out.

“Um…”

We pondered seriously while taking sips of alcohol, considering whether to kidnap Dushark.

Thud!

I slammed my hand on the table and stood up.

As I stood up suddenly, my two friends looked at me.

“Why did we waste so much time pondering over something so futile? Let’s just go for it and see what happens.”

“You’re right, Mari.”

Aramis also stretched and got up from his seat.

“So… let’s kidnap them and lock them in the basement of this mansion.”

“When we lock them up, should we use chains for confinement?”

“How about just tying them to a chair with a rope?”

“That sounds good too.”

“Should we gag them when we catch them?”

“To gag them, we’ll need a bundle of cloth.”

We started enthusiastically making plans after not realizing how time flew by on the undecided topic of who to catch.

“The execution…”

“Tonight.”

As I trailed off, Aramis finished my sentence.

With plans laid out like this, it seemed somewhat plausible.

“Then… shall we go to a tavern?”

“Let’s go.”

Upon my suggestion, Rotus quickly headed out of the reception room.

“I’ll be back after I go somewhere. Take care of the house.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Oh, and by the way…”

After asking Leia to tie up the people after kidnapping them, I headed to the tavern.

As I went out to the front gate to get on the carriage, I saw Laurent riding a horse towards the mansion.

“Laurent is back.”

Laurent was coming towards us with a completely vacant look in his half-dead eyes, staring blankly into space.

“What happened with Lady Razurang and the Viscount…?”

Seeing his uneasy appearance, Aramis looked at Laurent with a puzzled expression.

“Ugh…”

Laurent groaned strangely as he dismounted from his horse.

“Laurent, what’s wrong?”

“Ugh… It was so hard to refuse Lady Razurang’s demand to engage with her recklessly.”

Laurent looked at us with exhausted eyes.

I glanced up at the sky, which was starting to turn orange, as if they had been in a scuffle with Lady Razurang for about three hours.

If they had been fighting for about three hours, it would have been quite draining.

“Why did you waste such a good opportunity?”

“Sigh…”

Laurent let out a long sigh at Rotus’s words.

“Rotus…”

“Why are you calling me?”

“Just… let’s go have a drink together without asking questions.”

At Laurent’s words, Rotus smiled broadly.

“What?! Did you say drink again? You said drink, right?! Come on, what are you all waiting for, let’s go!”

Somewhere along the line, Laurent had completely mastered Rotus’s training methods.

#

We started walking the streets at night, trying to decide which tavern to go to.

“With so much money, do we really need to go to a cheap tavern?”

Aramis pointed to a high-end bar with his finger.

I stared at Aramis, who wanted to go to a fancy restaurant, and said, “Aramis… I think I’m lucky that you gave up on the bride.”

It’s better that he gave up on the bride, but who would want to be with a woman and drink? That’s what I mean.

“Let’s go there when I’m not around.”

“Alright.”

Aramis easily agreed and stepped back.

We decided to look for another place instead of the fancy restaurant that Aramis suggested.

I didn’t particularly want to drink cheap beer or rum.

And since we had to kidnap one of Orléans’s henchmen later, it was better not to get drunk.

“Sir Mari.”

Laurent called out to me as I wandered around trying to decide which tavern to go to.

“Look over there.”

I saw a man in a uniform similar to the soldiers of Orléans’s troops looking around and then entering an alley.

“Well done.”

I almost missed something important because I was distracted by the tavern.

“Rotus, it’s a shame, but we’ll have to drink next time.”

“No, you can drink at your house.”

“Don’t even dream of it. I won’t hesitate to pour all that alcohol into your stomach if you start dreaming.”

“You’re as cunning as a woman.”

“I’m already a woman, so I’m naturally cunning.”

“Tsk.”

We cautiously started following the man from behind.