(EP-337.2) Of Hearts #6
337 – Queen of Hearts #6
Suksuk-.
Mirna rubbed her palms in the empty air.
She continued doing this for a few seconds. Then, I noticed—there was now a small, folded piece of paper in her hand.
Mirna said.
“There. This will get us into the villa.”
“What is that?”
In response to my question, Mirna unfolded the paper and showed it to me.
“It’s a job offering with the Lioness family seal. We’ll enter the mansion as newly hired servants.”
‘I see.’
The paper contained a written contract stating that Theo and Mirna had been employed as servants. And at the bottom was the unmistakable seal of the Lioness family.
She actually forged something like this…
Wasn’t this creating something out of nothing?
The training for lucid dreaming was amazing.
I tried to replicate her, but it didn’t work.
Feeling a mix of regret and curiosity, I asked Mirna.
“Can you make more?”
“I tried, but it’s not working. Maybe it’s because it’s not my dream. Creating one piece of paper was already my limit. It’s quite tiring.”
‘I see.’
So it was not something that could be used freely.
Still, this one piece of paper was more than enough for now.
* * *
We rang the bell at the main gate of Lioness villa again.
Ding-ding.
A small chime echoed through the rain. Soon, someone approached us with an umbrella.
It was the butler from earlier.
Seuk-.
The butler took the paper from Mirna and scrutinized our faces. Then, he carefully examined the writing and the seal on our document.
“I, Rowan, am in charge of hiring servants. However, I don’t recall hiring two people recently. Which means…”
Snap.
The butler snapped his fingers, producing a small flame. He then held the paper over the fire, moving it back and forth. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he looked like an inspector checking counterfeit bills.
And, in truth, it was probably something similar.
“All the official documents used by the Lioness family have been specially treated. If this is real, a faint lion emblem should appear when held up to a flame.”
“……”
Hearing the butler’s words, I tensed up.
Would we get exposed?
“Huu…”
Mirna also looked nervous. She probably hadn’t known that the Lioness family’s documents had this kind of feature.
Was it my turn?
Activate—
—Fairy’s Trick!
The sugar and glucose I had been saving up seemed to energize my brain. Thanks to that, my overheated mind came up with a brilliant idea.
“We were specially hired by Lady Lioness.”
At my words, Rowan’s gaze shifted to my face.
“… By the Young Lady?”
“She needed extra help in preparation for Her Majesty’s uping birthday. We’ve traveled a long way, it would be nice if you could let us in and rest.”
“……”
I wasn’t sure how my confident attitude came across, but the old butler’s eyes behind the monocle narrowed slightly.
Elga was always impulsive, buying slaves or hiring servants on a whim.
Her indulgence would be convincing.
Now, how about that?
“Hm.”
Soon, the butler rolled up the document in his hand and tucked it into his inner pocket.
“The document is undoubtedly genuine. You may enter.”
Giiik-.
Soon, the heavy iron gate opened with a creak. The plan worked.
Just as Mirna had said, we were able to walk proudly through the front gate!
“I’ll escort you to the Young Lady.”
In that manner, we followed the butler through a vast garden. As we walked behind him, I spoke to Mirna in a low voice so the butler couldn’t hear.
“You managed to replicate the Lioness family’s documents. Did you know about the special treatment?”
“Of course. When it es to the Lioness family, I might even know more than Lady Lioness herself. We’re that close.”
I doubted it was a romantic kind of relationship, however.
Perhaps like spies gathering enemies’ information?
I figured it was best to keep that thought a secret.
What was important now was that we had successfully infiltrated the Lioness family’s villa. It was a familiar place to me, but Mirna was busy looking around.
“So this is how it looks. Sir Theo mentioned having stayed here before. Does it look the same pared to the real place?”
“It’s the same. I’m not sure if it’s because of the rain, but it feels a little more gloomy. It’s usually bustling with people.”
After that, we followed the maids’ guidance to the bathroom, washed up, and changed into clean clothes.
Since we were about to meet Lady Lioness, daughter of a great family, it was only natural that we couldn’t do so while soaking wet. Once we had tidied ourselves up, the butler led us through a familiar hallway.
The left corridor of the mansion’s second floor.
Walking down that path would lead to Elga’s private office.
Stopping in front of the door, the butler knocked and spoke.
“Young Lady, the two servants you hired have arrived. Shall I send them in?”
From inside, a response soon followed.
━Did I hire anyone recently? That’s strange…. Let them in.
Clack, creeeak—
The butler gently pushed the door open. Through the slight gap, a thick and unpleasant stench seeped out, assaulting my senses. It was like a gas chamber.
Mirna also frowned and coughed a few times.
“This smells like magic herbs. It’s like sticking your head in some bonfire.”
“Elga-nim has always been a heavy smoker.”
But she had quit.
I had never seen her smoke since she got pregnant. That resolve and determination had certainly earned my respect.
But as I stepped into the room, it was thick with an unpleasant odor and filled with dense smoke like dry ice.
Had Elga also reverted to two years ago?
“So, who are you?”
Unfortunately, it seemed she didn’t recognize us.
Edit by: faker
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