I couldn't leave a sleeping Maria alone in the mansion when she was in such a mental state, so I carried her on my back and took her along. Not before gulping down a potion to fix my wound though.
As I made my way back to the city, I thought more about things. About myself...
Drinking a potion to fix a small wound, that was pretty weak. Even though that wasn't my direction, my thoughts just ended up flowing that way.
Eventually, I reached the office building where I had left Keith and Dawn behind. On my way up, a person came over to me.
"OOH! Young lord! You're back!"
"Excuse me, who?"
"Y-young master, you don't remember me? You made the mayor—"
"Ah, the old man. Yes," I nodded. "Good work."
Perhaps encouraged by my recognition, another man popped out from behind the mayor.
"A-and me! Do you remember me?"
"No idea. Who are you?"
"Jim! Young master, I am your loyal Jim!"
I pursed my lips.
"Yeah, no clue."
"Ah! I wrote the first play, young master. I write all the scripts for the theatre—"
"That fucking Jim!? Mayor, fire this bastard."
"Y-young master!!"
Sorry, Jimbo, just remembering your script gives me a stroke. I ignored the two as the mayor bowed and Jimbo cried before going back up. I knocked at the door of the office, and Dawn opened the door.
"You're back..." her words trailed off as she noticed Maria on my back. "That's her?"
"Yup," I nodded and Dawn reached out to take her off my back, but stopped.
I could feel Maria's head shifting on my back. Dawn stupendously alternated her gaze between me and Maria before lowering her hands.
"S-she seems tired, why don't you put her down."
SHE WAS AWAKEEEEE!
I bit my lips and nodded. Maria had become more cunning than I thought. I considered keeping her on my back for the rest of the day and turning this into a war of attrition but decided against it when Keith sighed.
"What is it?" I tossed Maria away on the couch and walked over to the desk at the head of the room. The stacks of papers and documents were quite interestingly filled out.
"Well, young master, I knew you would help Maria. But maybe don't meet Lily for sure."
I almost frowned.
"What now? I thought Lily was the best of you all."
"Well... it's our fault this time. If you meet her you won't forgive us."
I didn't like the sound of that. Keith had locked his fingers and was gazing at his feet as he spoke. I held in a sigh and sat on the desk, inspecting the documents Lily had processed. All of them were managed competently with not a single digit wrong.
I checked more and more of them, the flow of the writing and her signs made it clear that she didn't take any breaks between any of them. Originally, it was within my expectations that Keith and Maria would be supporting her, but Lily seemed to have become hyper-competent here.
Then, what was wrong? Has she not been taking care of herself or something?
I didn't get a chance to ponder as the door to the office crashed open.
Standing at the gates was a young woman with long brown hair reaching her waist. She stood gracefully as she held the doors of the office open, her eyes fixed on me.
"Young master...?" she said as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Welcome back..." she said. "'cum' keke... hahahaha!"
And she started laughing.
What?
What what?
I felt my eyes widening to the point they would pop out as Lily continued laughing. Slamming the table, I rushed over to Keith and grabbed him by the collars.
His eyes downcast, Keith kept staring away.
"What have you done!?" I screamed. "You rat! I trusted you!"
"I am sorry..." Keith answered.
"Lily! Our Lily's dad jokes have changed! She now has the soul of an old pervert and all you say is sorry!"
Keith clenched his fists, his eyes not meeting mine.
What did these guys do. I couldn't just end it here, so I also glared at Maria. The girl who was pretending to be asleep turned away too.
These bastards. Useless.
"Lily, you... are you alright?"
"Alright, yes, of course," she beamed and leaned closer. "Hm, you should probably keep another of those buttons open, young master. It's gotten pretty hot here."
It was over. She was beyond help.
Lily glared at my scar too, but her jokes all died as she noticed the intensity of the injuries, and then her face paled at last when she noticed my hand.
"W-what... was all this done by the demon king?"
She knew.
She had already heard of it.
"Not all of it," I answered vaguely.
"T-then, is it also true that you're getting engaged into the Acacia duchy?"
"HEH!?" Keith shouted and even Maria stood up.
"E-engaged! You're engaged?!"
"Not yet," I answered. As I thought, Lily was overcompetent. She had already heard things that neither Keith nor Maria had a chance to. "Eventually."
"W-what the?" It was very satisfying to see Keith stammer. "I thought it was just a fling! Those romance stories weren't just rumors?"
"Romance stories?" Maria spoke up, her voice cold. "What romance stories."
"Those are rumors," Lily said. "The truth is much different, isn't that right, young master?"
Wow.
I nodded. "Did you hear it from glasses?"
"Most of it."
She was also utilizing the Dark Moon Bandits.
"Where were you anyway?" I asked, ignoring the slightly surprised Keith and Maria. When they noticed they won't get anything from me, they started bombarding Dawn with their questions.
"Hm," Lily stretched her hands above her head and turned around. "let's go on quick walk, young master. I am sure you're curious about the city you left me."
She took right off. I gave a nod to Dawn and followed behind.
These guys sure were making an injured man run around a lot.