CHAPTER 104
"No. Magic can dry this out. I can ask my companions to help later."
The high-ranking person at the Magic Tower is excellent at drying wet clothes.
Though I gently declined, the maid persisted.
"But if the master hears about this, I’ll get into big trouble for making a mistake with a guest. Please, come with me."
"It’s really fine..."
"No, miss!"
Refusal and insistence.
After a few rounds of similar conversation, I started to feel uneasy.
Was there a specific reason she needed to take me?
It would be one thing if it were a different family’s banquet, but given the place, I was beginning to doubt it.
...Could it be someone sent by Madden?
Considering Madden might target me, I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
What if this maid was sent by Madden?
"Miss, come on."
With her persistent urging, I was becoming more certain.
Since I was looking to recruit someone anyway, maybe I could try her?
You’ve picked the wrong person! I gave the maid a look that said so.
"Alright. This will be quick, right?"
"Of course."
The maid smiled brightly.
Her happiness was also suspicious.
I pretended to comply and followed the maid.
* * *
Was this intentional?
There was not a single servant in the hallway. It was just the two of us.
"Where are we going? You said it’s just an empty room."
"It’s just ahead."
This was the second time she said that already...
I followed the maid, keeping my guard up.
"Here it is."
The maid stopped in front of a room and opened the door.
It was not a guest lounge.
The direction was different, and we had passed the guest lounge long ago and were now deep inside.
The room appeared to be a small one with a table and a bed.
A guest bedroom?
Once inside, the maid followed me and closed the door behind us.
"Please sit comfortably."
While telling me to sit comfortably, her expression was too serious.
She looked like she was about to do something right then.
Did she notice even if she wasn’t expecting this?
Though she claimed to clean the stain, the maid brought a basin of water and a towel.
She then began to wipe the stains from my dress.
Meanwhile, I surveyed the room.
Did she just bring me to an empty room? I had no idea what it was used for.
As I waited, some of the stains were removed.
However, the maid did not let me leave, saying it was not finished.
"I’ve diluted the magic solution for removing stains. It will gradually fade, so please wait here."
Ah, so the water in the basin wasn’t just water.
"I see."
I agreed to assess the situation.
The maid poured a cup of tea from a kettle on the nightstand.
"I thought you might be cold due to the wet clothes, so I prepared some warm tea. The kettle has a heating magic on it, so it will stay warm."
A maid who uses magical tools in everyday life, yet acted like she knew nothing about magic earlier...
And a room that seemed pre-prepared with tea...
Something was definitely suspicious. It was time to use the spray.
I waited for the right moment to use the magical tool.
"Please drink this, miss. You might catch a cold otherwise."
"Getting wet like this won’t give me a cold..."
It seemed like we both had other things on our minds.
I needed to act quickly and get things done.
"Could you get me a blanket? My ankles are cold."
To divert the maid’s attention, I pointed to the blanket on the other side.
"Oh, while you drink the tea, please use the blanket."
As the maid went to get the blanket, I quickly turned and rummaged through my pouch.
There it was, the spray...
"Miss, here’s the blanket."
"Thank you."
Now, goodbye!
Just as I was about to spray the maid, I made a mistake and accidentally bumped into her.
She was holding the blanket in one hand and a cup and saucer in the other.
I hit the cup, and the tea spilled all over her.
"Ah!"
"Are you alright?"
Fortunately, the tea was not hot enough to burn her.
"It’s better to offer the tea after you’ve given me the blanket. How eager were you to feed me this—"
I was flustered and trying to explain when suddenly she screamed.
"Ahhh..."
Are you angry?
I snapped to attention and looked at the maid.
She was staring blankly at the air, as if under a spell.
"Are you okay? ...No, you’re not okay."
I hadn’t even used the spray yet, and this happened.
With only the two of us in the room, it was frightening to see her like this. At least, speak up!
If she remained like this, there was no way she’d tell me the internal locations I asked about.
Now, would spraying her work?
Still, just in case, I sprayed the maid’s face.
"Now, answer me."
"Yes..."
"Oh?"
I didn’t expect her to respond just from that, but she did!
I immediately asked her.
"Is there a study in the Marquis's mansion?"
"There is no study... separately."
"Then what about an office? Could you guide me there?"
Even if she didn’t know what was inside, she would at least know the location of the office.
It’s one of the places the servants clean.
"Yes, I’ll guide you."
The maid led me out of the room and took me to the office of the Marquis.
Earlier, I noticed that there wasn’t a single person in the hallway.
If I had been caught in that state, no one would have known. I was lucky not to have fallen victim...
The Marquis's office was located at the farthest end of the mansion.
Clunk. With the maid, I entered the Marquis's office.
I left the maid behind and began to rummage through the bookshelves and drawers.
I had to find something quickly...
Busy searching, I found a notebook on a lower bookshelf.
It had dates written like a diary.
"Ah?"
At first, I thought it was just a diary, but as I skimmed through, I noticed disturbing words.
[Ordinary curses cannot achieve the desired effect, so I have attempted other methods.
Hoping for a more powerful effect.]
Details of the attempts made with curses, how the level of magic was adjusted, and the results of each attempt.
Was this a research journal?
The research journal that Louis mentioned?
Though there was no explicit mention of Louis, it was definitely not something to overlook.
"I need to show this to the Marquis."
I handed the notebook to the maid.
"Go downstairs to the Marquis Bloomberg. Give this to him."
I sent the maid away and stayed in the office.
I looked for anything else that might be worth finding.
If someone were to come, I needed to tidy up quickly, so I checked one book at a time and put it back in its place.
As I continued, I lost track of time.
"The only thing that mentioned curses was that research journal... Maybe the other materials are in the palace?"
I muttered to myself when suddenly, there was a commotion outside.
* * *
Lewis was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His gaze was directed out the window.
"Marquis, you are lost in contemplation even tonight."
A lady of the court commented admiringly upon seeing him.
"Isn't he just gazing at the moonlight idly?"
Someone else murmured dismissively.
In truth, neither was correct.
Lewis was thinking about Selina.
At the same time, he was attentively monitoring whether the magic he cast on her was activating.
He was supposed to receive a signal if the magic or magical tools he prepared for her were used.
'The shield and the spray. So two types of magic have already been used.'
Fortunately, the most dangerous magic ring had not yet been activated.
'I wonder how she’s doing.'
He was deeply concerned about her.
'Should I go and check on her?'
He seriously considered whether he should go see her.
Just then, a maid approached him with a notebook in her arms. She wordlessly extended it to Lewis.
There was only one person who would approach him suddenly with something like this.
'Is this a maid affected by the spray?'
Lewis received the notebook and asked.
"Who sent you with this?"
"Selina Elsner... the Count's daughter."
The candid answer made Lewis chuckle.
'If she answers like this, she would answer the same way to Madden, right?'
That would be troublesome.
Lewis quickly dispelled the magic on the maid.
For some reason, the maid had been affected by double layers of magic.
After dispelling everything, the maid looked at Lewis with a puzzled expression.
"Why am I here...?"
"Who asked you to bring this?"
Lewis held up the notebook.
The maid tilted her head.
"I don't know what this is..."
The memory of Selina instructing her had vanished.
"Marquis! What is this you’re holding?"
Just then, Madden approached quickly.
He seemed to have just realized that the maid was talking to Lewis.
"This maid came up to me and gave me this."
"Me?"
"Yes, she approached me directly. I’m sure there were many witnesses."
Lewis said, glancing around.
"She suddenly handed this to me, so I asked what it was."
Standing alone, there was enough distance that no one could hear their conversation.
So, it was a plausible excuse.
"Let’s see what it is."
Lewis smirked and opened the notebook, and Madden’s face turned pale.
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