CH 64

“Look at this.”

I opened the map in front of Richard, who had finished eating.

“What is this?”

“Memorize it in advance. I marked how to escape with a red line.”

Richard received the map with interesting eyes.

“Did the maid prepare it by yourself?”

“Then who am I going to share this with?”

Such a secret thing.

“So the maid is planning to leave the country.” 

Richard, who saw the red line on the map leading to the sea, said.

“… It’s not necessarily like that, but if it isn’t, I’ll leave for a faraway place.”

In fact, the line I drew on the map is at the opposite point to where I will run away.

I will help Richard escape, but I have no intention of running with him, so I will only give him information in moderation.

As in the novel, I intend to help Richard avoid the hardships he endured when he escaped from Argen’s knights.

But Richard kindly folded the map and handed it to me.

“I memorized everything.”

“…Already? That fast?” 

He really saw it, right? 

I can’t believe he memorized all the maps in such a short time that it was too much just to see them all.

“But, maid, what would you do if there is a better way than that?”

“Better way?” 

The plan focuses on the shortest time distance and the safest route after thinking over a few days.

Are there any better plans than this?

“It’s a very safe and fast way.”

“What is it?”

That’s very tempting.

“It’s a secret.”

“…What?” 

“I would be very sad if the maid abandoned me and ran away after I told you.”

In the end, he still doesn’t believe me.

I looked at him with cold eyes, and Richard smiled softly and pulled me in.

When I got close to his stunningly beautiful face, I felt embarrassed, but I didn’t show it.

“If it doesn’t hurt, go away.”

“…Ah, it’s hurt.” 

“…Do you call that acting now?”

“Well, should I do it like this?”

Richard looked at me with a pathetic face.

Because he had such a sad expression on his face combined with such a pretty face, I was afraid that my heart would start to weaken, so I covered his eyes with my hand.

Security complete.

But Richard removed my hand and looked at me.

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to see the maid soon.”

“…What do you mean can’t see me?” 

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

It was a meaningful word.

As Richard said, the day was approaching when I learned the word’s meaning.

An unexpected storm struck.

* * *

[To the west warehouse at midnight]

When I went into my room after work, a note was hidden under the door. 

Why are you asking to meet already?

Is there anything else to do?

So far, there has been no problem. Richard has acted like he’s crazy.

I was nervous, but I put the pin I received from the maid on my head and headed to the west warehouse.

‘Turn the hairpin and the knife–’

It was a kind of spell that I memorized like a talisman these days.

Entering the warehouse, I looked around. I can’t feel any presence—.

“You’re here.”

Speak of the devil.

“…Is there anything you want me to do?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then what brings you—”

Before finishing my sentence, he pushed a knife against my neck.

When something sharp and cold touched my neck, I instinctively swallowed dry saliva.

Something went wrong somewhere.

“Are you sure you fed the monster what I gave you?”

“…I fed it properly. There’s a rumor all over the house that a monster is crazy, don’t you know?”

“He shouldn’t go crazy, he—” 

What do you mean?

I couldn’t understand the man’s words.

The fruit causes the transcendent to go crazy. In other words, if he doesn’t eat the fruit, he won’t go crazy.

Don’t tell me—.

No way, it can’t be.

As I was trying to figure out what was going on, the man opened his mouth.

“Did you use the bottle I gave you a few days ago to feed him?”

“…He ate it.” 

I left it in the incinerator.

“Then why is the monster crazy?”

“What?”

“It was an antidote.”

…Damn it.

It was a mistake to believe the man who said that what was in the bottle was more poisonous.

The suspicious man threw out the bait, and I took it.

I never thought he’d give me an antidote, and most of all—.

<This time, I’ve got a stronger one, so put it in.>

Hearing those words, I thought it must have been poisonous and threw it into an incinerator.

‘Let’s be calm.’

Things went wrong, but I didn’t just think it would work out.

I have to get through this situation.

“…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I must have fed the monster what you gave me. Something is clearly wrong.”

How do I get over this situation?

I’m biting my lips and worrying about it, but I can’t find a solution right away.

When the knife was sticking out of my neck, it was hard to stay calm. I turned my head slowly because I was worried about the knife.

Damn it.

“Don’t be silly. Do you think you can get over this by pretending you don’t know?”

“But really—!”

“I paid you well. I thought we were quite on the same page, but it wasn’t.”

The man was really going to kill me, so he put strength into his hand holding the knife.

How can I get over this situation—Ah.

“I think I know why this happened.”

The man stopped moving at my urgent cry.

“What is this?” 

“…Something strange has happened recently. When I entered the room, the object’s location was slightly changed.”

“…It wouldn’t be good to lie.”

“I am not lying. Because I think I know who the culprit is.”

The man’s hand holding the knife loosened. The man asked me in a low voice.

“Who is the culprit?”

“The culprit—”

It was when I tried to connect the words.

“Rosie Nuna!”

I heard a familiar voice outside the warehouse.

…Anri?

“Rosie Nuna! I think she went this way, but it’s strange—” 

Why is Anri here?

I don’t know why, but it was good for me.

“…Damn it.”

The man who had a knife pointed at my neck spit out a swear word and pulled it back.

He realized that there was nothing good about killing me here.

The man opened the back door of the warehouse and disappeared.

I sighed in relief and rubbed the back of my neck.

It was then.

The warehouse door opened with a rattling sound.

“Nuna, what are you doing here?”

“…Anri-ssi.”

Anri’s blonde hair shone brightly like platinum blonde hair in the moonlight.

Anri’s illuminated face was instantly creepy, and I almost took a step back.

However, as Anri stepped back from the warehouse, his shining brightly in the moonlight was filled with a sense of goodness as if an angel had come down.

“…I was in the warehouse because I had a work for a while.”

I got out of the warehouse without showing anything.

“At the warehouse at this hour?”

“It’s not a job where the servant can work in a time-limited way.”

“…Well, it is.”

“But, Anri-ssi, what are you doing here?” 

“I thought I saw Nuna coming this way, so I followed you to say hello.”

Then, I noticed something so natural that I didn’t know. Nuna—?

The name Anri used to call me has changed.

Perhaps he noticed my mysterious expression, Anri opened his eyes gently and immediately replied.

“Emily is my sister.”

“If it’s your sister….”

“It’s my older sister.”

It’s a fact I didn’t know.

When I opened my eyes wide and looked at Anri, he grinned.

“Ah, no wonder—” 

“No wonder?” 

“Emily told me not to get close with Anri.”

Since they are siblings, it felt like pieces of a puzzle that had been hidden were put together.

Siblings usually hate each other, aren’t they?

The contempt in Emily’s eyes as she looked at Anri was understandable.

“…Maybe I can’t call Nuna? Maid Rosie seems to be close to Emily, so I’m the only one who doesn’t have friends….”

“No, Anri-ssi. You can call me Nuna.” 

Anri’s expression brightened at my answer.

Somehow I thought it was familiar, but when I looked closely, it looked like Emily.

Hair color and eye color.

“Please feel free to talk to me, Nuna.” 

“Uhm… Shall we?” 

“Good, Nuna.” 

I just knew it was Emily’s brother, but I feel like we’re already close.

“Rosie Nuna, but the blood on your neck—” 

“Oh, I must have scratched it while I was looking for something in the warehouse. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Anri looked at me anxiously, but I smiled and raised my hand to cover my neck.

“Shall we go in then?”

Anri, who nodded to my words, followed me.

“But Nuna, you smell good.”

“…Uhm, thank you?” 

The day after, Anri and I parted away.

Just as Richard had said, a storm came.

“For a crazy bastard, punishment is medicine.”