Chapter 18.3 (1/2)

So, where’s her hideout?」

Ignoring Mark’s loud protest, Avin got back on track. Seeing this, Mark had decided that he would only be teased more no matter what he said. So, little Mark-O sat quietly.

「I was thinkin’ the workshop. It’s pretty hard to break into right now.」

「A workshop that’s safer than here? That’s some irony.」

「We don’t got pests walking around over there.」

In a little less than a month of the Japanese party renting the workshop, it’s defenses had surpassed the average fortress. Anyone that wasn’t on the “whitelist” or had been invited in properly would be welcomed by all sorts of creative traps, courtesy of Mio blending her high-level skills as a craftswomen and trap-artist. In fact, there were ridiculously powerful barriers set around the parameters to begin with.

The rushed defense systems that they scrambled to improve when they had to protect the two VIPs, Elena and Aearis. Funny how the defense system (which they thought were useless now with the princesses at their residence) would come in handy after the fact.

「I could set it up for Lord Layotte and Princess Elena… And Elle’s room too, if ya like?」

「Not a good idea for Layotte and Elena, but Aearis might need it.」

「How ’bout y’all just make up an excuse so Elle stays the night at Haruna-san’s room?」

「I see. From their point of view, it’s the perfect opportunity where two of their targets converge. They may suspect a trap, but they’re running out of time I doubt they’ll have any other option but to bite. What’s better for them, the perfect scapegoats are right here.」

And so, the party cemented their plans.

「Then we’ll have Doul and Rayna-san go back there too. I’ll stay in Haruna-san room here as a decoy.」

「W-Wait a minute! You’re going to be alone where assassins could strike tonight!? Don’t you think that’s too dangerous!?」

「I think it might be better with just me. Can’t expect ’em knights to be too quiet.」

「Still, that isn’t something you should do, Hiroshi-sama!」

After listening through to the conversation where no one seemed to know who was who’s bait, the Head Priest left to take care of things. Mark had given up on interjecting with logic, and started discussing logistics with Avin. Watching them, each member of the party returned to fulfil their role. Things were just getting heated up.

Elena’s head servant, Oria, wasn’t sure what to make of her emotions.

(How am I struggling this much to control my emotions…?)

Without being told by Elena, she was aware that her attitude towards Hiroshi (and the rest of the Japanese party) was unacceptable for her position. Every time an examination is coming up, she would consciously prepare herself to act in a way that would not embarrass her mistress, the princess. But when the time came, all she could do was hang onto her sanity by a thread, as her gushing hatred attempted to overwhelm her.

Sure, Oria had some reservations about Elena leaving without her to be treated. But that all dissipated once she saw Elena return healthy, albeit skinnier than before.

She felt a change within her when she was introduced to Hiroshi as Elena’s physician, the day after the ball. It wasn’t that she was repulsed by him, and he didn’t have a stuck-up attitude. If anything, her impression of Hiroshi should have been a pleasant one. The moment Oria saw him, however, she nearly clocked him the face, instinctively.

Shocked by her own urge to do so, she bottled it in throughout the examination. However, she couldn’t conceal all of her unexplained hatred. After the examination, she was about to ask Elena to keep her off duty until she could cool her head. When she opened her mouth, the rage that she thought had been resolved erupted again, spewing unreasonable complaints instead of her intended proposal.

(It’s like my heart doesn’t belong to me anymore…)

When she didn’t cross paths with the visitors, she could perform her duties without issue or rush of emotion. But as soon as she saw one of the guests (Hiroshi and Haruna, especially) inexplicable anger and hatred consumed her, flooding her mind with urges to do things that should be unthinkable. All of her self-control was spent keeping her from enacting those things, leaving her unable to bottle in her emotions on top of that.

Perhaps she had been afflicted without her knowledge. Judging by the pieces of tales she had heard, an afflicted person usually had no knowledge of it. While Oria would be the exception, since she was aware of her changes. With this possibility in mind, Oria had herself purified in the temple, but she felt no changes. She also had herself checked for any curses, and there were none.

After Elena’s second examination here, Elena had apparently sensed the situation and gave Oria some time off. The problem was, Oria had no other ideas to go on. She couldn’t return to serve Elena without solving this issue. Her only options were to quit or be fired. However, she wasn’t confident that she could even go through with quitting.

(Something irreversible is going to happen. I have to do something, quick.)

Stewing in her conundrum, Oria looked around her room. Almost hoping that some strange object in her room was controlling her mind.

What she didn’t realize was that an unfamiliar, black vase was sitting on her desk. An unassuming, unfamiliar, black vase.