Wait, what?! This development isn’t right at all!
Why did you come to save me, Miss Eileen? Didn’t I already reject your invitation? We only met once—aren’t we basically strangers?
Is it really worth risking your life for someone like me, who has no reason to keep living?
“Ugh, finally made it in time. Those illiterate mercenaries—writing a threatening letter saying to meet in Witheredwood Forest but not giving any exact location! The forest’s huge! I spent forever trying to find the spot!”
Eileen grumbled loudly, flicking her silver hair with annoyance.
“I’ve never seen such unprofessional kidnappers. Anyway, where are they? I only saw a few monsters.”
Rita reflexively replied, “Inside the monsters’ bellies.”
Eileen snorted. “Serves them right. I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty.”
“But… there are still a lot of monsters out there. Eileen, they’re coming for me. If you just put me down, they won’t attack you…”
“Not happening!” Eileen snapped, cutting Rita off mid-sentence with irritation.
“Rita, do I really look like that kind of villain to you? The kind who’d toss a comrade to the monsters and run?”
No wonder she rejected me! It’s all Serena’s fault!
Rita shook her head. “No, Miss Eileen, you’re a good person. And it’s because you’re a good person that I don’t want you to get caught up in my mess. I told you before—anyone who gets involved with me won’t end up well…”
Eileen reached out a slender finger and pressed it gently against Rita’s lips to silence her.
“You’re talking about the curse, aren’t you?”
Rita nodded. “Eileen… you saw it too. Those mercenaries died terribly…”
“It’s fine! I thought it over last night. If a curse can be cast, then there must be a way to lift it, right? Now, let me take a look—where’s the curse mark?”
Smiling, Eileen began running her hands all over Rita’s body as if inspecting her. Rita’s cheeks instantly turned red as she muttered, “Eileen! I’m not joking… anyone who gets close to me ends up in trouble. And it’s not just because of the curse…”
“Huh? There’s more?”
Rita opened her mouth but no sound came out. In the end, she just turned her face away and whispered, “…Just stay away from me, okay?”
She had already accepted death. She had no hopes for life or the future—just waiting for the right moment to die.
Yes, to protect Roseweiser, and for the sake of the plan—her death had long been set in stone. There was no changing it.
In other words, Rita was someone without a future.
So why… was Eileen being so kind to someone like her?
If this kept up, she might start to—
At that moment, a group of pea-shooter-like plant monsters surrounded them, launching “projectiles” straight at Rita. Startled, she was forced out of her thoughts, her face going pale.
“Miss Eileen… put me down! It’s too dangerous! If you stay with me, more monsters will come after us!”
Rita didn’t resist or struggle—she knew she wasn’t a match. She never had a reason to live in the first place; her death had long been predetermined.
Only if she died could Roswither live on properly, even though she had never even met her.
The world was just that unreasonable. To her, Roswither was a complete stranger, yet she had to die for her! Of course she felt unwilling—there had indeed been a moment of resentment. But in the end, it all felt meaningless.
She had intended to close her eyes, but the silver light was just too dazzling.
A figure descended from the sky, and with the sound of the tree demon’s shriek, punched the monster into shattered pieces.
As Rita fell, she felt herself caught in a soft, warm embrace.
“Sister Irene?”
*****
Irene wasn’t afraid at all. Her talent was downright overpowered. In her case, the so-called mana bar was actually her health bar—so long as she hadn’t exhausted it, she was practically invincible!
“What’s there to be afraid of? They can’t even hit us! Trust me, Rita, your curse won’t affect me!”
Irene had more than enough magic to outlast these monsters!
“Lilisah! Take these monsters out!”
“Yes, Master!”
A doll-like girl’s voice echoed from midair.
Then came the scene that left Rita completely dumbfounded. Irene stood completely still while holding her—barely moving at all—and yet every ranged attack from the monsters missed by a hair, practically outlining her body but never landing a hit!
No way… seriously?
Was something like this even possible?
Of course, Irene noticed the awe and admiration in Rita’s eyes. It completely satisfied her vanity.
In the past, Irene had always been regarded as useless, an unnecessary existence, constantly subjected to the cold stares of others. But now things were different!
As the saying goes, every dog has its day. Never look down on a poor girl!
Even though the Laws of Endymion turned out to be a scam, Irene hadn’t come all this way for nothing! Luckily, she had listened to her companions and brought Lilisah along. Otherwise, with this many monsters, her mana would’ve been depleted eventually.
Originally, she’d thought she could rescue Rita on her own if it were just those mercenaries.
“…Sister Irene, you’re like a prince from a fairy tale,”
Rita whispered softly, face blushing, as she curled up in Irene’s arms.
Irene nodded. “You can rely on me.”
Rita nodded obediently.
At that moment, just beyond the forest edge, three pairs of eyes were watching Irene intently—one pair already unfocused and lifeless.
“…Um, Miss Layla, the young lady didn’t mean she doesn’t need you anymore, so please don’t make that face like your life has lost all meaning…”
Claret was trying her best to comfort Layla.
She understood how Layla felt. Layla’s duty was to protect Irene’s safety. But now, that role had been snatched away by the synchronized soul Lilisah! The doll girl could sense Irene’s thoughts, making her far more efficient.
“Exactly. When we fought the Shadow King, if it weren’t for you shooting through its throat at the critical moment, who knows how things would’ve turned out,”
Helga chimed in to console her as well.
But honestly, she would’ve been better off not saying anything—because the moment she spoke, Layla looked even more devastated.
Miss Maid was in tears, wiping her eyes with a silk handkerchief as she cried, “But as a maid, I can’t do laundry or cook. The only value I have is protecting the young lady. But now she doesn’t need me anymore… I might as well be dead. In the organization, useless people get eliminated…”
Claret tried to comfort her. “But we’re not part of Dawn Night anymore!”
Laila was stunned and asked in return, “How do you know the name of the assassin organization I used to be part of—Dawn Night? I’ve never told anyone except the Marquis!”
A drop of cold sweat slid down Claret’s forehead. She quickly gave a silly laugh and said, “It’s just… because Dawn Night is the only assassin group I’ve ever heard of…”
Even she was puzzled by why she blurted that out.
When did she even learn that name? Could it be related to the memories she’d lost?
Irene carried Rita back to the inn in town—
Now, Rita was paying the price for having trusted Irene too easily. In the locked room, she curled up in the shadows cast by Irene, trembling.
“If you won’t undress yourself, then let big sis help you. Let me take a look at how well-developed you are, hmm?”
“Irene, this… this isn’t what we agreed on! You said you were just going to lift the curse. Is it really necessary to undress this much?”
Rita took back what she’d said earlier—Irene wasn’t the prince from a fairy tale, she was the big bad wolf trying to eat Little Red Riding Hood.
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