HPDBC Chapter 72
Chapter 72
“Hey, Amelia.”
“Yeah?”
The promised day. The day to head to the sea had arrived.
On the way to Arte’s house.
Unable to endure the boredom, Dorothy fell asleep.
Taking this chance, Siwoo spoke to Amelia, who was sitting comfortably.
He had more than a couple of things he wanted to ask her, who was grinning from ear to ear.
That huge pile of luggage was one thing, but her joy made him anxious.
Whenever Amelia was happy, strange events always occurred.
However, more than that, he wanted answers to the questions that suddenly came to mind.
“Why is Arte going on a trip with us?”
“...What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Amelia narrowed her eyes and looked at Siwoo as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.
...Was it too out of the blue? No, but what can he do when it comes to mind?
“Wasn’t Arte’s goal to steal the artifact in the secret room?”
“Ah... Was it...? I think it was, but...?”
‘Did you forget?’
Finding it absurd, it was Siwoo’s turn to stare intently at Amelia.
She must have found it absurd as she smiled and tried to brush off the topic.
“Th-That’s right! So? What about it?”
“...Sigh.”
Should he let it slide this time?
It seems like she remembered, even if belatedly.
Now, a more important question had to be asked.
“No, hasn’t the goal already been achieved? Can’t she drop out now?”
“What?”
“Didn’t you mention before? The secret room was exposed, and they decided to rebuild the academy completely.”
“Huh? What?”
“Then haven’t the artifacts already been brought out? Have you heard anything about what was in the secret room?”
“...No, I haven’t.”
Right, that’s how it was.
There was no need for Arte to stay in school.
The night before the trip, those thoughts suddenly crossed his mind.
Arte is a member of Arachne. Her purpose for infiltrating the school was to find the artifacts inside the secret room.
I’m not sure if she wanted them for herself or just wanted to bring them out... But one thing was certain.
Arte’s objective now lies outside the academy.
He was about to say those words out loud but swallowed them back down along with his saliva.
...He was afraid that if he said that, Arte would suddenly disappear.
At first, he was scared, and even now, he had no idea what she was thinking.
But Arte was a friend now.
Even if she entered the academy with an ulterior motive, the fact that they became friends doesn’t change.
A friend who helps when times are tough and sets you straight when you stray.
But if she stops coming to the academy...
“You were speaking so seriously that I thought it was something else. Of course, there’s a reason for her to stay.”
“...There is?”
“Yes, there is. You’re at the academy, aren’t you?”
“I’m being serious right now...!”
“Listen well, Siwoo.”
Unlike earlier, Amelia spoke with the playfulness gone from her smile.
“I know what you’re worried about, too. You’re worried about Arte, aren’t you?”
“...Yeah.”
Siwoo was worried about Arte.
He didn’t know why, but Arte’s mental state was unstable.
Siwoo had briefly glimpsed Arte’s inner thoughts inside that Ferris wheel.
The image of her speaking incomprehensible things about dolls and puppet shows came to mind.
That highly unstable appearance.
That momentary change in her demeanor, as if she had suffered a setback, was probably her true self.
“M-Maid? But she’s a villain?”
“Ah. Well, you see... She left the villain organization and came to me saying she couldn’t survive. Right?”
Arte sought agreement from the maid.
Then the maid hastily nodded, stroking her throat with a tearful expression.
“Y-Yes, yes! O-Of course! Thanks to you, Master, I’m happy!”
“...”
No matter how he looks at it, it’s suspicious.
Like it was made up on the spot.
That maid’s reaction also seemed like an overreaction.
“By the way, where’s Dorothy? Are we going to Dorothy’s place now?”
“No, you’re the last one. Dorothy is sleeping.”
“Aha... Have you eaten yet? The timing seems a bit awkward.”
“No, not yet.”
“Then it works out well. Shall we bring her too? Since you’ve come here, let’s have a meal before you go.”
No matter how he looked at it, she seemed to be trying to change the subject.
Why would Übermensch, who hates villains, spare a remnant of Übermensch and employ her as a maid?
There were several questions, but he decided not to ask.
Arte probably wouldn’t answer anyway.
“...Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
In a different way than they expected, the three entered Arte’s house for the first time.
***
“...Hide yourself.”
I whispered softly into the air.
It was close to me mouthing it, but Lyla should hear it.
She has four ears, after all.
Irritation surged within me.
You’re the one who knows best that your lower body is a snake, so why did you go outside and create trouble?
You should have just stayed still.
I made up a random story to change the subject, and now I must serve them something.
Should I punish her later? I should make her drink snake alcohol.
“Yawn...”
“It’s smaller than I thought?”
“...Small? This?”
Amelia and Siwoo were commenting on the house, and Dorothy was walking unsteadily in a half-asleep state.
[...Small?! That’s unacceptable! Reader-nim, let’s move!]
Move? No way.
This is big enough already.
What would other houses be like if a country house with a swimming pool were small?
Amelia is being weird, just like a rich young lady.
“Do you like steak?”
“I absolutely love it!”
“...Well, I don’t dislike it.”
As for Dorothy... Well, she’s nodding off, so even if I ask, I probably won’t get a proper answer.
Shall I show off my skills after a long time?
“Then please wait. I’ll make you a delicious steak.”
Thud!
Spira, banging her head on the floor, slipped again, making a loud noise.
“...”
“Eek! I-I’m sorry! Master!”
“You can do it well, right?”
“Y-Yes, yes!”
The fact that she slips easily because of her snake tail is none of my business.
If you make a mistake, you should be punished.
Stay like that until we eat.
Author’s Notes
I thought I would be able to write my research over the weekend, but I had no luck.
When people rest, they write less...