MPBGS 8

Chapter : 08

Somehow, the kid was just too good! So strong-willed! Thinking that way, the whole situation suddenly made sense. Judging from my experience with romance fantasy, it was obvious how the original story unfolded.

Here we have the villainess Evangeline, her loyal servant Donau, and the maid who serves the villainess—Canna, the heroine’s younger sister.

Evangeline usually tormented the servants of the Count’s household, and among them, she probably bullied Hena the most. Her cruelty went too far, and she ordered Donau to kidnap Canna, Hena’s only younger sister. And then, as Canna faces danger, the male lead’s first meeting event occurs!

Even if I had possessed Evangeline’s body, wouldn’t Donau have kidnapped Canna because of the plot pressure of the original story?

That also explained why Donau babbled nonsense. He muttered that he was just doing what he was told. Wow… the original story’s plot force is terrifying.

Did that mean I had hijacked the male lead’s scene? Should I have just left it alone? No—but even if they’re just characters in a book, how could I watch that situation and do nothing?

“Do you have no more questions? Since you seem tired, I’ll be leaving first.”

After explaining the situation, Canna abruptly ended the conversation. Her attitude toward the male lead was far too cold.

This must also be the result of me saving Canna instead of the male lead. The original heroine sticking to the villainess… this is completely a villainess-possession story! As expected from a romance fantasy world.

“If any problems arise, come to the Rohanson Count’s household.”

I inwardly admired her as I greeted the male lead and turned to leave. Whether it was the kidnapper, the victim, or the person who saved them, they were all from the Rohanson mansion, so if I got stuck writing a report, I was told to go see them. Good, that’s one act of kindness noted.

Hena led the way to where the carriage was waiting. I was about to follow when a sharp gaze struck the back of my head. Turning around, the male lead was glaring at me fiercely.

I hadn’t done anything villainess-like, so why the glare? Could it be that Canna sided with me, making him jealous? This is bad. It seems I ended up on the rival route instead of the villainess route…

“Captain, the fire has been extinguished.”

“Good work, Rafaella.”

Gabriel, who had been staring at the alley where the pure-white figure disappeared, finally snapped back to reality at his subordinate’s call. He had been so distracted that the fire had already been put out. The buildings ravaged by the flames were now so destroyed they could barely be called houses.

Unlike the pale woman who escaped the fire without a single soot mark, everyone else was covered in soot, showing how hard they had worked clearing the debris.

“Apologies. I was unable to help as I was investigating the young lady.”

“It’s fine. The fire extinguished itself.”

“What?”

Gabriel asked, and Rafaella scratched her head while explaining.

“It’s true. The fire blazed and then suddenly died down. It was odd from the start that it only burned this house and didn’t spread to the surroundings…”

Gabriel looked at the ruins with an uneasy feeling.

At first glance, Gabriel had thought the woman was possessed by a demon. In such a dense, cramped slum, any fire would normally spread throughout the surrounding area. That’s why he had hurriedly led the knights to help with evacuation.

They arrived expecting a disaster, but instead of evacuating, the people stood and watched as the house burned alone, as if an invisible firewall protected the rest.

However, what captured Gabriel’s attention wasn’t the anomaly, but the woman standing before the fire.

At first, he thought she was a statue amidst the crowd. There was no way such a delicately carved marble figure could exist in this slum.

He didn’t recognize her as human because there was nothing he could call life in her. Compared to her, even a broken branch would seem closer to a human.

Thus, when he witnessed a bizarre sight—something that should be dead with bright red eyes staring at him and a red mouth speaking human words—he was momentarily speechless.

Gabriel composed himself and spoke to the woman. As expected, she was far from human.

Even when speaking about the death of her servant, or when she looked at Gabriel himself, not an ounce of warmth could be sensed. Just as humans ignore passing ants, Gabriel would be nothing more than an ant to her.

At least she seemed interested in the maid Canna beside her. Perhaps because it was the attention of a non-human, the maid’s state wasn’t completely normal either. Her blind and fervent gaze was like watching a fanatic.

“Captain! We found the body!”

A subordinate shouted. Gabriel went to check. Was her name Donau? Even after death, the body, charred and with limbs detached, resembled a sculpture.

“This is…”

“Amazing, isn’t it? Pure coincidence, I suppose?”

Behind the severed limbs, the soot on the floor spread like wings, and behind the head, it formed a halo-like glow, resembling the kind of aura painted behind angels or gods in famous artworks.

“This figure… looks just like an angel.”

Gabriel wasn’t the only one to think so. He fell silent. An angel… but wings made of ash would crumble and fall into the abyss before even flapping. The halo would also flicker, he felt as if it were about to vanish.

“Shall I prepare a room at the mansion?”

On the carriage ride back, Young Lady Evangeline spoke. Hena doubted what she heard but couldn’t bring herself to ask again.

“It must be scary to return home. I’ll take care of you.”

It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Hena had been about to decline politely, but when she realized the lady’s gaze was on her sister, she stayed silent.

The question was directed at Canna, not Hena. Hena tightly held Canna’s hand. She wanted to tell her to refuse, but if they annoyed the lady…

The horrific image of how Donau died because he offended the lady was still vivid. What was even more incomprehensible was that Canna seemed satisfied with that disgusting, revolting death.

The lady didn’t rush for an answer.

Hena felt a chill run down her spine at the unmatched kindness. The lady, pretending to be merciful while wearing her mask, was not someone to be feared.

Evangeline was generally somewhat generous to Hena, but she seemed especially kind to Canna. Even if it looked like rescuing a trapped animal, it still held.

“Can I stay with my sister too?”

“Of course.”

“I want to choose my own room as well.”

“Do as you wish.”

Canna was equally enthusiastic. Seeing her chatter happily in front of the lady left Hena breathless.

Canna had been fearless since childhood, but even in front of the lady, she never showed weakness. Seeing Canna’s satisfied smile reminded Hena of the past.

When her father was alive, the lovely Canna would sometimes throw meals to test affection. After her father’s death, she had matured, so that behavior ceased.

Was it because the lady had saved her that she opened her heart?

She might even consider herself twice rescued, having stolen the holy water and used it as if it came from the lady. And she wasn’t entirely wrong. If it weren’t for the lady’s cat, Canna would still be bedridden; and if the lady hadn’t come today, Canna’s injuries wouldn’t have stopped at her neck.

“Then, may I stay in the room directly below the lady’s?”

The lady told her to choose any room except the fourth floor where she stayed. Canna picked the room directly below it on the third floor.

Canna had never worked at the mansion, so she probably chose randomly. The third floor was where the late Countess Rohanson had resided. And the room she picked belonged to the Countess. Of course, Lady Evangeline wouldn’t care about the dead kin of her empty shell.

“Lady, that room belonged to the Countess.”

“She’s already gone. There’s no owner now, so it doesn’t matter. The furniture is there, so it’ll be convenient.”

Hena carefully explained, but the lady insisted that the empty floor didn’t matter. She even said she would inform the Count and the butler.

Hena couldn’t argue about giving the Countess’ room to the maid’s sister. She nodded almost unconsciously and then hesitated.

The butler knew Hena’s sister had been seriously ill. If she suddenly recovered overnight, it would seem strange. And perhaps, remembering the holy water and the theft, it might be discovered.

‘That can’t happen…’

“Lady, I’ll inform the butler.”

“Do so. I’ll tell the Count myself.”

They just needed to keep the butler from noticing. Hena recalled the butler’s usual whereabouts. He stayed on the second floor and rarely went up. Especially since he avoided Lady Evangeline, he wouldn’t notice if Canna stayed near her.

Just hold out a little longer. Count Rohanson wouldn’t allow a mere maid’s sister to occupy the Countess’ room, so they’d soon be evicted. Until then, they had to remain quiet.

Once that was arranged, the carriage headed to Hena’s home. Hena and Canna packed enough belongings to stay for a few days. They didn’t have much, so it didn’t take long.

After loading the luggage onto the carriage, they traveled a long while and arrived at the Rohanson mansion.

Normally, a maid would get off first to escort guests, but Evangeline didn’t hesitate to step down first.

“Pudding! You came to meet me.”

She noticed the cat draped over the gate bars and a smile spread across her previously indifferent face.

Young Lady Evangeline adored that bizarre creature. Watching the monster become just a pet in her arms was always an unusual sight.

The cat, with three glowing eyes, looked at Hena and Canna before lazily closing its eyes. Canna whispered softly.

“The eyes are gone…”