“Ha… I’m jealous. I want to go out too~”
I could see a dazzling red carpet stretching out so far that its end wasn’t visible.
In addition to that, there were elegant and beautiful demon noblemen and women who had arrived late and were hurriedly moving toward the entrance to enter on time.
After seeing off Lady Yuria, who had left the carriage to move, I was left all alone inside the carriage, feeling lonely.
With my identity as a mechanical doll, and my status as just a maid, it was nearly impossible for me to leave the carriage and wander around.
In the end, the only thing I could do was gaze at the surroundings through the window.
Still, the good thing was that it wasn’t too boring.
After all, the Imperial Palace, where the Demon Lord and the royal family, along with high-ranking officials, worked, was such a grand spectacle that even the bustling streets of the capital couldn’t compare to it.
Although I could only see part of that magnificent palace from the carriage parked near the entrance, it was still enough to completely capture my attention.
Of course, that was just a temporary distraction.
It didn’t serve as a perfect solution to make me forget this boredom and anxiety.
Honestly, I wanted to secretly sneak inside the palace and watch Lady Yuria’s debut in the social scene.
However, the risk of getting caught was far too high for that.
In contrast to the Qing Palace, where no one would care about someone like me sneaking out, the Imperial Palace was completely different.
From elite guards stationed in every area to the top-tier security magic—
If I had to choose the most secure place in this vast capital, I wouldn’t even have to think about it.
It would definitely be this Imperial Palace.
In other words, even with my exceptional physical abilities, if I carelessly stepped into this place, I would be detected by the guards and obliterated by the deadly security magic without a chance.
If I had the spirit magic I saw from Riel, maybe I would have a hope of bypassing such hellish security, but without that, it would be a hopeless attempt.
However, despite already concluding that it would be a suicidal act with my mind, the constant temptations and worries were something I couldn’t break free from.
Above all, the view of the entrance, which kept coming into my line of sight, constantly stirred the forbidden desire within me.
At this rate, it was really dangerous.
If I wasn’t careful, I might lose control and unconsciously dash out of the carriage.
Since this place where the carriage was parked was a relatively secluded area, stepping out for a moment wouldn’t attract too much attention, but the inherent risk couldn’t be overlooked.
After some time, I lost control and kept trying to reach the handle, slipping my hand under my skirt or into my pocket, desperately hoping for the time to pass quickly.
In the end, I made a drastic decision.
Rather than continuing to suffer, I decided to forcefully switch to energy-saving mode and fall into a deep sleep until Lady Yuria returned, letting time pass by.
The downside to this method was that I couldn’t freely choose when to wake up, which meant I wouldn’t be able to greet Lady Yuria when she returned.
But for now, there was no other choice.
To resist the tempting urge right in front of me, this was the most effective and simplest solution.
After a brief hesitation, I made my decision and immediately lay down on the chair like a small animal.
As expected, the seat in the expensive high-end carriage was as soft as my own bed, and its size was certainly not cramped at all.
Finally, I convinced myself that Lady Yuria, being kind, would surely understand my situation.
I forced the faint sense of unease down and slowly closed my eyes.
Fortunately, the persistent temptation didn’t follow me into the depths of my consciousness.
***
“Confirming that the subject has entered a sleep state.”
“…Yes, understood. I will proceed with the operation according to the original plan.”
Meanwhile, as Kaya, who was left alone in the carriage, fell into a deep sleep, somewhere near the entrance to the Imperial Palace…
A figure, hidden in the faint darkness, was watching the lone carriage, their eyes narrowing slightly.
The being, almost perfectly concealed, received the approval to start the operation through a small communicator.
Carefully, the figure revealed themselves onto the bright ground.
…Huff.”
Long silver hair, neatly tied into a ponytail.
A black mask covering half of the face, sharp eyes visible above it, and clothing specialized for stealth and infiltration.
Their skin color, which was clearly different from the demons, suggested that this figure wasn’t of their kind.
Despite the figure being fully concealed, the general outline that was revealed showed they were unmistakably human.
However, unlike ordinary humans, the bright purple glow in their eyes and the eerie mechanical appendage growing from their shoulder suggested that this person was not human.
If it weren’t for the difference in age and eye color, their overall appearance might almost resemble Kaya’s.
Of course, the atmosphere each of them emitted was worlds apart, making it nearly impossible for a normal person to recognize the similarities at a glance.
…This was the location pre-arranged for parking, a tiny gap in the security system surrounding the palace, an unsuited place for carrying out the operation.
As the silver-haired woman emerged into the light, she quickly processed all the information and then, like the wind, rushed toward the carriage.
The extraordinary and wondrous movement of her body was so remarkable that even the demons, who usually paid attention to everything, could have easily missed it if they weren’t paying close enough attention.
Especially the part where, despite running so fast, she made no sound at all, as if a feather had fallen to the ground.
That aspect demonstrated the woman’s considerable skill.
At the same time, it also further emphasized the fact that this woman was not human.
Perhaps a few quick-witted individuals would have roughly figured out her true identity at that moment.
Despite the considerable distance, in the blink of an eye, she approached right next to the carriage and opened the door without the slightest hesitation.
Inside, just as she had confirmed from afar, a small-framed girl, deep in sleep, appeared before her eyes.
A cute girl in her mid-teens, wearing a maid’s outfit, with silver hair just like the woman’s.
More precisely, she was the prototype model of a military automaton, codenamed Original.
She was the first of all the siblings in her squad, the original being, and the one who received the most attention from her creator, the Master—an important subject.
The woman stared at the sleeping girl with calm eyes for a moment.
Although they had never formally met, the woman was already well aware of the girl’s existence.
The image of the girl living as a mere maid doll, escaping the fate of a military automaton, naturally stuck with her.
Especially since, to meet the “temporary Master,” the woman had often secretly visited the Imperial Palace, where she had seen this girl much more frequently than her other siblings.
The Master had always shown great interest, yet had consistently left the Original unattended.
In the midst of that, the sudden and enigmatic mission was incredibly difficult to comprehend.
From the moment she was assigned the mission until this very moment, the woman had been overwhelmed with deep questions and confusion.
What she was about to do now would inevitably place the girl in grave danger.
‘If she wasn’t careful, the girl might be annihilated without a trace.’
It was a dangerous order—’why was it given?’
No matter how much she respected the temporary Master’s will, what had been the purpose of all the attention and interest shown up until now?
There were many things she didn’t understand, but after a brief moment, the woman swiftly hid all traces of her confusion and her eyes sparkled with determination.
Though many questions remained, the mission was the mission.
She was not foolish enough to let personal feelings interfere with it.
With all distractions cleared from her mind, the woman slowly extended her hand toward the girl before her.
This suspicious mission, whose purpose was hard to discern.
In order to accomplish it, it was necessary to tamper with the girl’s consciousness lightly.