Secret

Sigh

Lady Serena? Is something troubling you?

At that moment, the atmosphere of the slave market was growing tense due to the various incidents and accidents that were happening.

No, its nothing.

Serena, who had been staying at the academys dormitory, was having a conversation with her personal maid.

Once again, its because of Frey! Again!

Add an honorific.

Sigh.

Seeing Serenas depressed appearance, the maid, who had grown annoyed, wore a dumbfounded expression when Serena spoke in a quiet voice like that.

Oh dear The heavens are so heartless. What in the world did our Young Lady do wrong

Quiet.

What is it? Are you sulking, Lady Serena?

I dont know.

As Serena, who had been sitting at the desk, turned her head away as she said that, the maid spoke with a mischievous expression.

Do you dislike it that much when I badmouth Lord Frey?

.

Our Lady seems to harbor such deep affection for that good-for-nothing, the one who shamelessly flirts with his butler whenever you approach, possessing only a good-looking face but the rest is a total mess

Stop it.

Serena tried to cut off the maids words with a firm voice, yet the maid remained undeterred, continuing her muttering with a mischievous expression.

Recently, there have been scandals involving the princess There are rumors that the mage enters his room every day There are also witness accounts of him being spotted on a date with the Saintess

You were the one who advised against blindly trusting information, werent you?

That was why I checked from various angles, and they were all true

Since I havent checked, its not true.

As Serena maintained her resolute stance until the end, causing the maids previously smiling expression to darken.

Lady, do you remember when you were young?

I remember most things.

Im talking about the day when Lord Frey made you cry for the first time.

Hearing those words, Serenas expression hardened.

Do you know how much my heart ached that day?

The maid, who had taken care of Serena since she was young, spoke softly, discarding her playfulness for the first time in a long while.

At first, it was great. After enduring all sorts of torture and training from your family, living like an emotionless machine, it was when you smiled for the first time.

A smile?

It was a month after you met Lord Frey.

By then it was when Frey correctly answered all the questions I asked him.

As Serena spoke and showed a faint smile reminiscent of that time, the maid sighed and said.

At that time, I believed that fortune had finally smiled upon you. But, its time for you to admit it now.

What?

Please dont pretend not to know, youre a smart person.

As Serena maintained her silence after hearing those words, the maid, who had been watching her carefully, cautiously opened her mouth.

Ever since the day he made you cry, the Frey you knew no longer exists.

Ah.

Upon hearing those words, Serena flinched, and the maid spoke with a grave expression.

Now that the influence of the Secret Family Lord has diminished, you should start looking for another partner. Otherwise, you wont be able to get married.

Im not thinking about it.

Really, look at me. I missed my marriageable age, and my future is uncertain.

With a self-derisive tone, the maid continued to elaborate as Serenas gaze started to waver.

From the beginning, whats so exceptional about Frey? Handsome? Rich? Other men have those qualities too.

Are you holding onto him because of past memories? Thats not love, thats clinging on to the past. Sometimes, the past can hold you back.

As Serena nodded at the maids serious words, the maid clenched her fists and stood up, prepared to shout.

Alright, then Ill start looking for a new groom candidate right now

Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!

Hee-Heeek!!

As the owl suddenly lunged at her, the maid panicked and scrambled onto the bed, hiding herself under the covers.

I-Im sorry! I wont do it again! I dont know what I did wrong, but I apologize first!

Kuu! Kuuuu!

Desperately pleading with the owl, perched near her head and seemingly awaiting an opportunity, the maid hurriedly asked Serena for help.

Lady Serena, please help me! Your pet is trying to kill me!!

Irion.

Kuu!

At Serenas call, the owl flew to her outstretched hand. After glaring fiercely at the maid for a while, it settled on her arm and began preening its feathers.

Lady Serena, Ive always been curious What exactly is that owl?

Its a spirit.

What!?

As the maid questioned with a frustrated expression, she was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

That thats a spirit?

Yes, its a spirit.

Why didnt you tell me about this until now?

You never asked, did you?

As the maid asked with a bewildered expression, Serena responded with a look that seemed to say, Why would you ask something like that?

But Do spirits really exist? Is there any proof that its a real spirit?

Considering its unusual strength for an owl, the fact that it makes wing flapping sounds despite being an owl, and its incredible intelligence, you can roughly deduce it.

No, but what

Anyway, lets put that aside for now.

The maid, who was about to dispute the deductions, regained her composure at Serenas words and stood up once again.

Anyway! Just wait a moment, Ill find a prospective groom for you right away

Im fine.

What?

Seeing Serenas sudden smile, the maid tilted her head in confusion.

I already have a prospective groom in mind.

Really?

Soon after, Serena continued speaking, and the maid, now smiling brightly, cautiously approached her and began asking her questions.

Who is it? Whats their social status? How do they look? What about their wealth? And their personality?

Looking at her, Serena began to speak in a quiet voice.

First of all, their social status is high. Even compared to me, they wouldnt be inferior.

Oh

And their face is um

Pausing for a moment, Serena blushed slightly before continuing.

Theyre delicate, cute, and innocent. So, they give off a strong feeling of wanting to protect them? That kind of feeling.

Wow!

Their wealth is also tremendous. Theyre among the wealthiest people in the empire.

Upon hearing this, the maid, who had been touched by the information, put on a serious expression and asked her final question.

Then what about the most important thing, their personality?

Its the best, I doubt youd find anyone kinder, even if you searched the entire world.

As Serena answered with a content smile to the last question, the maid shed tears of emotion and rushed towards Serena.

My Lady!

Oops.

Ugh.

As she tried to hug Serena, the maid fell to the floor, pushed away by the sudden movement of Serenas fan.

Once I finish what Im currently doing, I have to somehow capture the Secret Lord.

Su-Suddenly?

Yes, and when I catch the Secret Lord

As the maid, who had been rubbing her sore bottom while shedding tears, listened

Ill have a child with the person I mentioned.

Gasp.

As Serena whispered with a captivating smile, the maid unknowingly gasped.

Co-Congratulations? But arent you moving too fast? Dont you need more time to get to know each other?

Weve already spent so much time together that there isnt much time left.

What do you mean Wait, what about the engagement? You should at least terminate the engagement first

It doesnt matter.

Due to Serenas shocking statement, the panicked maid began to perspire and tried to persuade her.

Wait a minute, you cant do that! Even if its Frey if you dont even break off the engagement before doing that

Huh?

But Serena paid no heed to the maids words and stared blankly into space.

What is that wench doing?

Serenas hand was touching a crescent-shaped ornament in her hair, identical to the one on Freys staff.

Can our pet cat not chase away even one uninvited guest like that?

My Lady?

Prepare the carriage, right now.

Serena, retracting her hand from the ornament, issued a cold command to the maid in a chilling voice.

Understood.

The maid, who had always been by her side, adjusted her demeanor to a colder one as Serenas attitude changed and left the room.

In any case, my lady has found a new partner. So, its a good thing.

The maid, though internally happy that Serena had finally found a new partner, had unintentionally created a huge misunderstanding due to the timing of her advice coinciding with the setting sun.

Koo woo!

Hmm?

As the maid left the room to fetch the carriage, the owl began to make a cute hooting sound.

Oh, my.

Serena, tilting her head while observing the owl, noticed an item left beside the owls foot and her eyes lit up.

[Ferloches Diary!] Warning! Do not snoop!

Good job. As a reward, Ill give you your favorite cookie.

As she stroked the owl, Serena stared at the cover of Ferloches diary, where something was written in cute handwriting.

Why did you leave your diary at the dormitory today when you usually carry it around all the time?

She murmured, tilting her head.

Well, you are quite a fickle person

Serena, lost in thought as she gazed at the diary, soon began to quickly skim through the pages.

Swish!

HalfDemon God, Lets go to the cellar, DLC.'

Serena, who had been speaking words intermittently, soon let out a chuckle and murmured,

Youve written such cute things in this diary, havent you?

Without even looking at the hint on the last page of the diary, she had already deciphered how to uncover the hidden code.

Hmm?

Serena, who had been flipping through the diary without hesitation, suddenly stopped.

Year, July 11

Can you handle it?

In the diary entry for July 11, there was only a single sentence, without any hidden code.

Swish, swish, swish.

Flipping through the diary with growing anticipation, Serena froze upon reaching the empty pages after July 14.

!!!

Lady, the carriage is here. You need to come down now

Let the coachman go.

What?

After standing motionless for a long time, Serena said,

Ill drive it myself at full speed.

What do you mean

Pushing the confused maid aside, Serena climbed into the coachmans seat of the carriage and muttered,

I need to check something as soon as possible.

Shortly after, a lone carriage began to race through the streets of the empire at full speed as the sun set.

Ive successfully activated the magic of the cabinet. Ive increased the space and enhanced the stability. Now, Ill start replicating the magic in identical cabinets in all areas of the market.

Weve engaged in battle with the demon army that has appeared all over the slave market. No executives have appeared yet, so we have the upper hand for now.

As ordered, I and the combat staff are not involved in the battle. As Frey said, the priority is the sacrificial magic circle.

Yes, everyone is working hard.

The operation was progressing smoothly.

Irina and Clana were performing their tasks brilliantly, and the Demon Army was grasping at straws.

If things continued like this, we would be able to save everyone again.

Heh.

Krrr

However, a slight unease had crept in because of this fox thats gone berserk and is strangling my neck.

Couldnt it strangle me a little more gently? My arm was growing numb at this point.

Ugh

A glimmer of hope arose, but the pressure around my neck only grew stronger.

Young Master Is it still not done yet?

In such a situation, Kanias voice began to flow into my head.

Her voice seemed a little faint, probably because the transmission was unstable due to being strangled.

If I dont react anymore. Break in immediately and calm Miho down.

A-Alright Ill do my best

As always, thank you, Kania.

I love you, too

In such a situation, I did my best to maintain consciousness and communicate. Once the sound stopped, I shifted my gaze back at Miho again.

I just I just wanted to live longer I just wanted to gain freedom

The method to capture Miho was to let yourself nearly be killed by her.

The key to clearing her route was to redirect the rage of the berserk spirit, corroded by negative emotions, solely toward me until I lost consciousness This was really a terrible game.

Of course, since she hadnt fully vented her emotions yet, she might drain my energy, so I had already secured a backup plan with Kania.

Irina and Clana had their own tasks to complete, and Kania was the most suitable for this job.

At first, when I revealed the true nature of the operation to her, she was horrified and tried to dissuade me. However, she eventually sighed and agreed to follow my intentions. I was infinitely grateful to her.

Ugh

As I thought about it, my consciousness began to blur.

I am I am just

As I watched Miho gradually descending into confusion, I deliberately showed a pained expression and struggled fiercely while gripping her arm.

..Ugh.

Eventually, I lost consciousness, trembling in her grasp.

Kiii

The last thing I saw was the door to the waiting room opening, and someone coming in

Frey!!

!

It was Ferloche, holding someones hand.

Huh?