“This…so much money! Mother, this is—”
The fat Baruch originally wanted to ask what trouble Jenny had gotten into just now, but the moment he saw the pile of glittering gold on the table, he immediately forgot all about his half-sister.
He stepped forward, grabbed a handful of gold coins from the table, the greed in his eyes completely undisguised.
“This…hehe, this is your sister who stole from the family reserves, and I caught her…”
Bijia, although she valued this son greatly — even saw him as her lifeline — still wouldn’t tell him the full truth.
“Hah? That little slut, just like her mother!”
As Baruch stroked the gold coins with his big hands, his small eyes darted around restlessly in their sockets, as if…plotting something.
“Mother, where’s father?”
“Your father went to Baron Ross’s territory to oversee a hunt, probably won’t be back for three days.”
Bijia answered her son’s question without the slightest hesitation.
Baron Ross’s territory, huh…
Baruch licked his somewhat dry lips, his gaze unconsciously shifting toward the doorway.
Suddenly, as if he discovered something, he took a few steps to the side, bent down, and pinched up a slightly curled strand of golden hair with his thick fingers.
While Bijia was still counting her coins over and over, he slowly brought the strand to his nose and inhaled greedily.
Morning, in the young lady’s room.
Ileia wasn’t sleeping in, but was holding a cup of black tea, her red eyes gazing out over the castle estate below.
At a glance, there were at least thirty people working busily in the garden.
It sounded like a lot, but if you actually went down, you might walk for half an hour without meeting a single person.
Of course, right now the young lady wasn’t paying attention to the gardeners and servants.
She was thinking — where could she get a corpse?
The best method would naturally be to go to yesterday’s mass grave and dig around, but those skeletons were probably already rotted beyond recognition.
Even if she made them into skeletal servants…they’d only be low-level fodder.
Aside from looking scary, they wouldn’t have any combat power.
Thinking of this, she slowly turned her head to look at her two maids standing by her side: Veil and Yumina.
At this moment, the twin-tailed girl Veil looked bright-eyed and full of energy, standing very properly by Ileia’s side, ready to serve at any moment.
As for Miss Goddess…that one’s eyes were half-open, dark circles faint under them, her head nodding sleepily.
Clearly…she hadn’t rested well last night, but still had to fulfill her duty as a personal maid, standing post for this detestable aristocrat.
“Do you…want to go get some sleep?”
Ileia suddenly looked at Veil and spoke.
“Eh?”
Veil blinked rapidly, stunned for a moment.
“Re…really? Is that okay?”
“Mm! Young lady, you’re spoiling her too much…”
Professional maid Yumina lightly shook her head.
How could a maid sleep while on duty?
“It’s fine. If you want to rest, Veil…I allow you to sleep a bit longer.”
Ileia smiled and waved her hand.
“I want to!!” said the goddess-turned-maid without hesitation.
Was up all night thinking about you, you damn bastard — of course I didn’t sleep well!
So today, just consider it your way of making it up to me~
Hmph!!
Though she complained this way in her heart, Veil seemed to have already learned the essence of “thinking one thing, saying another.”
Her eyes were still full of eager expectation.
“Alright~ go rest then~”
“Tha…thank you, young lady~”
This might be the most sincerely she’d ever called Ileia young lady in these past three days.
But just as she was about to turn away, she suddenly heard Ileia speak again.
“Hmm? Where are you going?”
Where?
Wasn’t it you who told me to go back and rest…
Veil turned back, blinking her big eyes in confusion.
“I told you to rest, but I didn’t say you could leave~ Sleep here, in my room, on my bed~”
Ileia curled her lips into a rather wicked smile and pointed at her bed.
“Ugh…I…”
Veil’s cheeks instantly puffed up in protest.
But after a second of thought…
“Fine, I’ll sleep! Who’s afraid of who! Hmph!”
Veil quickly trotted over to Ileia’s bed, kicked off her shoes, revealing little feet wrapped in black thigh-high socks.
After another second of consideration, she decided not to take off her clothes and just climbed under the covers.
Three seconds later, she poked her little head back out, peeking through the white gauze canopy at Ileia, who seemed…to be smiling softly.
What the heck…what’s she smiling at…what a weirdo.
Someday…
I’m…totally going to…beat her up…
Mmm~ this bed smells…sniff sniff~ so nice…
As she thought this, her eyelids grew heavier, her breathing evened out, and her consciousness was slowly pulled into the realm of dreams.
“Heh…”
Seeing Veil fall asleep almost instantly, Ileia couldn’t help but chuckle.
This girl really is…so carefree.
“By the way, young lady seems to really like little Veil?”
Yumina couldn’t help but ask.
“Hmm? Like her? I suppose so — after all…liking a pet is also a kind of liking, isn’t it~?”
Ileia lightly sipped her tea, her red eyes still fixed on the sleeping girl.
Do people…kiss their pets?
Ah…
I guess they really do…
Could it be the young lady truly sees Veil as a kitten or puppy?
In that case…poor little Veil.
Yumina scratched her cheek.
For some reason, she suddenly felt…a little sour inside.
Of course, with her professional training, she wouldn’t show it, only pursing her lips slightly.
But Ileia just happened to catch this tiny detail.
Speaking of which…
I really have been paying a bit too much attention to Veil these past few days, making it seem like I’m cold and indifferent toward Yumina…
“What’s wrong? Are you jealous?”
The young lady asked with a smile, without the slightest attempt to be subtle.
“Eh?! W-What? Jealous…I…um…young lady, please don’t say things that could cause misunderstandings…”
The twin-tailed maid was stunned at first, and the moment she processed it, her little face turned bright red, her head slowly tilting to the side.
“Mmm~ so was I mistaken? Yumina, you’re tired too, right? Come~ sit for a bit and chat with me.”
Phew…
A faint feeling of disappointment flashed through Yumina’s heart, but she still let out a long breath.
She had never expected to have any sort of intimate relationship with the young lady.
As long as…she could always stay by the young lady’s side, she would already be content.
Clap clap~
But before she could respond or look for a chair to sit on, she saw Ileia pat her own pale thighs — still clad in a nightgown and covered lightly by a sheer veil — then leaned back slightly.
“Sit here~”
Huh?!
“Y-Ya…Young lady? Σ(2°A:)2”
“What? Is Mina going to defy my orders?”
Ileia rested her head on one hand, the corners of her mouth curled into a smile, her brows lifting slightly.
“N-No…of course not, but I’m a maid, how could I sit on my master…”
The twin-tailed girl waved her hands in a fluster.
“So…do you want me to repeat the order a second time?”
For a maid, that would be a career-ending blow!
“No! I…I’ll sit…”
Yumina’s face turned bright red, her eyes instinctively looking aside as she took tiny steps forward, moving in front of Ileia…
Seeing her like this, the malicious delight in Ileia’s heart flared up once more.
“Or…Mina, why don’t you face me, let’s sit face to face~ how about it?”