episode_0034

day off. Magical words that keep me tied to the bed even though I wake up early.

I lay down on the bed in a daze, looked up at the ceiling, and closed my eyes again. I already knew I had to get up, but I didn’t want to get up.

Well, it’s a long-awaited holiday. I just want to sleep and do nothing for today… … . With the morning sun stinging my eyelids, I covered myself up to my head with a thick blanket and curled up.

smart–

[miss. Are you awake?]

I don’t want to answer. It just felt like that, but I forced myself up and looked blankly at the door. Why are you bothering me until my day off? … .

I thought about making him wait for a while without answering, but a memory suddenly came to mind.

‘Would you like to go with me to the festival?’

ah… … . Now that I think about it, we talked about going together to the festival yesterday… … . ha. okay. I have to go out. That’s what I said, and I had to go out anyway.

I took a deep breath, lowered my legs down the bed, and opened my mouth.

“Come in… … .”

“Then, excuse me for a moment.”

As soon as I gave permission, Mel walked in and showed me a dress with a design I had never seen before. The red dress wasn’t the rococo design she usually wore, so it looked comfortable to walk around in.

By the way, why did you suddenly bring that dress?

Maybe it was because I had just woken up from a good night’s sleep, but I couldn’t remember why Mel had brought that dress, so I was staring at it blankly. Mel, who was looking around at the dress, looked at me and said,

“Don’t like the dress?”

“Huh? No, nothing. I think it’s just that I’m a little tired.”

Oh yeah. I told you to bring me a new dress because I had to go out today. ha… … . I guess I slept too late last night because I had a lot to think about… … . Why can’t I come to my senses like this?

I washed my face dry and stood up.

“I’ll take a shower first and then come out. Just hang it over there.”

“Yes.”

It’s a bit awkward to go into the large public bath in the morning, so I’m about to head to the bathroom where I can take a quick shower. I remembered leaving Sarah lying on the floor of the large bathroom last night.

“Mel, how is Sarah?”

“It is said that he was sick due to a cold.”

“Oh my.”

It’s a pity. After saying that, I went to the bathroom, washed my body lightly, and came back.

With Mel’s help, I dried my hair and even put on light makeup. I said it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t do it, but I nodded when I heard that it was a festival and a lot of people would be watching so I should do it lightly.

“The corset is――”

“I don’t. I don’t want to do it because I haven’t done it once. Also, I don’t have a body that really needs a corset. Isn’t that right?”

Mel nodded and put on the dress. This is very comfortable. Unlike what I usually wear, it doesn’t have a pannier, so it’s not uncomfortable. Damn rococo dress. Should I just wear this on a daily basis?

Oh, no. If I become the head of the family, there will be no need to wear a dress anymore. I forgot that. I looked back and forth at the dress, then nodded and looked at Mel.

“I think we’re ready, so let’s go out.”

“Yes.”

Before leaving, I put a thick fur coat on my shoulders and came out of the room.

As I was leaving the room and heading outside, I met the maid in the hallway and told her to take care of it since I had a guest. Then I left the villa, got into the carriage, and headed out into the street.

As I was leaning against the backrest and staring blankly out the window, Mel spoke to me.

“Lady. That’s the final that took place yesterday.”

“Huh?”

“It’s no different, it’s because I don’t understand what the young lady said during her last conversation with the crown prince, ‘I had an illusion from the beginning’.”

Mel said that and looked at me, and I laughed and shook my head, seeing Mel worried that I too was hallucinating.

“Mel, don’t worry because I didn’t hallucinate you. I don’t lie to my people.”

Actually, I’ve modified the imprint so that I can hallucinate at any time, but there’s no need to tell me. I smiled and lied calmly.

Mel, of course, was deceived, and nodded slowly, slightly averting her gaze, and spoke.

“Ah, I… … . yes… … .”

I looked at Mel, who had her head down for a moment, as if she was embarrassed that her true intentions were revealed, and then looked out the window and remembered the day when I first planted the seed of hallucination in the crown prince.

“So. Now Mel is wondering when I placed the hallucination curse on the crown prince’s body?”

When I said that, Mel nodded and looked at me and said.

“Yes. Hallucinations and auditory hallucinations are high-level techniques that cannot be cast without physical contact. However, I understand that you have never had any physical contact with the crown prince, so I was curious as to how that was possible.”

“What are you going to do knowing that?”

“Pure doubt.”

Considering Mel couldn’t lie to me, it was true that the question was purely out of curiosity. Be unique too.

“Umm… … . Now that I think about it, it was quite a while ago. Because it happened not long after you became my maid.”

Mel, who was thinking about something, opened her eyes wide and looked at me.

“Surely, the crown prince came to your banquet?”

“That’s right. I ‘accidentally’ bumped into the crown prince who was there at that time. ‘Coincidentally,’ my ankle was in bad condition at the time, so the shock that normally would have caused me to stumble caused my ankle to lose its strength and almost fell. The crown prince accepted that. And then I took a peek… … . You know?”

He covered his mouth with a fan and chuckled. In fact, even back then, I was able to use the subordinate’s curse. If I had used the subordinate’s curse, the person I hit would have stumbled and fallen.

But he didn’t use the subordinate’s curse on me. why? Well, we had to make the situation as natural as possible.

If I had just turned around and gone to a different spot, I wouldn’t have crashed, but why did I step back?

‘Oh, I’m sorry, Lady Charlotte. ‘I was careless.’

That’s right――I knew from the beginning that the crown prince was there.

okay. From one to ten, it all happened right in the palm of my hand. The words I recited when I was in a 1:1 situation with the crown prince were all words to activate the hallucination curse that had been planted. That doesn’t mean that the words themselves caused me to hallucinate.

“Anyway. My story ends here. Are your questions resolved now?”

“… … Yes.”

Mel lowered her head as if she was thinking deeply about something. The nape of her neck was naturally exposed, and I smiled and ran my hand over Mel’s nape.

“Higeut!? Ah, lady!?”

“Mel. Am I scared?”

I wiped the smile from my face and looked at Mel quietly. Mel, who made eye contact with me, swallowed dry saliva and slowly lowered her head.

The answer that came back was silence.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Mel. Because you are mine.”

I stretched out both hands and gently cupped Mel’s cheeks, then lifted them up and made eye contact with me.

The trembling eyes, still shining softly due to the accidental fall, reflected my complete appearance.

“Ah, lady… … . I am… … .”

“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. Because I am a very kind person to those who are mine.”

Slowly approach, just as you are about to close your lips. The carriage, which was slowing down, stopped.

The tip of my upper lip touched, but I didn’t go any further and just smiled and bit down.

“It’s a shame. If Mel had approached me first, we could have had a deep kiss――”

coward.

He muttered that while looking at Mel and licked his lips with a sad expression.

As I was about to get off the carriage, leaving Mel unresponsive, Mel grabbed my wrist. I trembled at the fairly strong grip and turned around to see Mel’s face with her evil eyes shining.

“Tonight, I will go to your room.”

Feeling my whole body shiver and my lower abdomen feeling like it was being pressed, I smiled in satisfaction, grabbed Mel by the collar, and kissed her.

“Well, you can do it if you want to.”

He chuckled and got off the carriage.

.

.

.

After getting off the carriage. I walked through the street where the festival was in full swing, enjoying Mel’s gaze that was burning my back. Despite the fact that it was the middle of winter, the citizens were so happy about the festival itself that they walked around the streets, ignoring the fact that their noses and ears were turning red.

As I walked around like that, I wonder how much my mind calmed down. Mel, who had been following me for a while, came up next to me.

“Miss, I think you said there was something you should look into. May I ask what you are going to see?”

“Cat thief.”

“… … ? Yes?”

“There is such a thing.”

He smiled brightly and walked slowly again. Mel made a face saying she didn’t understand, but I didn’t bother to explain it to her because she would understand when the time came.

ruler. There are a lot of people on the streets during festivals. And this kingdom is rotting from the roots due to the corruption of the nobles. So what often happens on these crazy festival days?

Isn’t that decided?

[Oh, you’re a thief!!]

It’s a pickpocket.

“Bingo.”

Hearing a woman’s scream coming from afar, he smiled and looked at Mel. Mel immediately nodded, went into the alley, kicked both walls alternately, and climbed up the building.

After watching the stunt-like movement for a moment, I followed Mel into the alley.

ruler… … . Then, shall we go somewhere to see the face of a cute stray cat?