Seeing Lin Ke leave, Moliya’er continued to watch Elka, urging her to explain clearly.
“Miss, please use your brain. With her current condition and skill level, do you really think she can flawlessly pull off so many things? It’s just an illusion. We didn’t give her any props, and your head maid doesn’t seem to have any either. So if she managed to create the effect of the supervision magic failing, it can only be her own ability.”
Elka spoke as a slender black metal pen appeared in her hand.
This was one of her frequently used wands.
The metal pen spun between her long fingers.
Moliya’er knew this was a habit Elka had when deeply thinking, so she crossed her arms and watched her calmly continue explaining.
“A person who can develop that mediocre healing magic through training, after gaining that body, quickly combining the knowledge she once learned to assemble various basic magics and achieve this wondrous effect—it’s by no means impossible.I suspect this is a mutation in her innate ability, aside from the weakening of side effects. Her healing magic probably has an effect we don’t yet know about. Let’s just call it an illusion.”
To illustrate, what Flora did to the supervision magic they set up was like tying a flowing water pipe with a rope to stop the water flow, rather than destroying the pipe itself.
That’s why they felt the magic’s effect weakening until it disappeared instead of abruptly failing.
Elka shared her viewpoint, her expression growing increasingly pleased.
At first, she thought someone had come to rescue Flora, so she hurried downstairs worried that the body reshaping would be discovered and cause trouble.
Now that she knew everything was done by Flora herself, not only did she relax greatly, but she also somewhat understood Moliya’er’s mindset.
Elves are a race with lifespans easily stretching over a thousand years.
Living that long, their perspectives on many things differ from short-lived humans.
For example, emotions—they rarely have very vivid feelings.
Elka had tried many times over the long years to understand human emotions.
Playing with people’s hearts through words was just a bit of entertainment for her.
What she enjoyed most was the challenge sparked by geniuses.
It was rare to find someone who rejected her sweet talk.
Even rarer was someone who dared to challenge her in the magical field.
She treasured them and looked upon them with admiration.
She never expected that now Flora, after giving her a sense of frustration, would also bring such a surprise.
She increasingly felt agreeing to Moliya’er’s plan was truly a wise decision.
【Now I have the idea to steal your heart away.】
Elka thought so inwardly as she looked at Moliya’er’s face, which had returned to calm.
“So, she’s hiding in that corner watching our reactions? Interesting.”
Moliya’er was unsurprised by this result.
She hadn’t neglected to leave herself a backup plan to ensure Flora wouldn’t escape too far.
She just found Elka’s change in attitude interesting and wanted to probe further.
“Yeah, so when she’s found, what will you do? Put on that pitiful act you mentioned earlier?”
Elka smiled without realizing her own psychology.
Seeing her so lively, Moliya’er shrugged and glanced outside the door, saying:“For someone who trusts none of us even a bit, you can’t expect those little tricks to affect her much. Next time, how about giving her a magical restraint, like a collar?”
She already had a plan for what to do once Flora was caught, but hadn’t yet decided on the punishment for her escape attempt.
Though discovering Flora’s new trick was a surprise, the original plan to observe her was completely ruined.
She couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless.
“I think that’s a good idea. Give it to her as a gift at the ball.”
Elka, in a very good mood, proposed a suggestion that Moliya’er found quite amusing.
【Yes, just like that. The main event really should be at the ball.】
As she thought this, Lin Ke had already returned to the villa with her team.
“Miss, we patrolled around and didn’t find any sign of Miss Flora.”
“Hmm, if she’s not outside, then she must be inside. Lin Ke, check her room. Also, hurry up and fix the villa’s power supply network.”
Moliya’er, her mind elsewhere, gave these casual orders and then headed into the villa.
Suddenly remembering something, she called out to the maid.
“Wait, how much time has passed?”
Lin Ke was momentarily stunned, then glanced at the clock.
“Thirteen minutes.”
“Then no need to check her room. Let’s wait. Elka, you come too. Let’s see where our lovely Miss Flora plans to end today’s cat-and-mouse game.”
Lin Ke and Elka found Moliya’er’s words strange but did not ask further.
They stood together at the villa’s entrance on the first floor.
【I know better than anyone how well you keep your promises, Flora.】
Leaning against the wall, Moliya’er’s gaze fell on the obedient maid.
The color in her eyes was dark and unreadable.
【Because of that, you must be worried she’ll be punished for helping you, right? Since she didn’t go out looking for help but played hide-and-seek inside the villa, that means you think running out is unwise, so you made other moves instead.
Now you want her to come to you or prove she never left, so that Lin Ke won’t be punished by me. Haha, that’s exactly how I understand you, Flora.】
Feeling Moliya’er’s gaze, Lin Ke chose to close her eyes.
She knew her resourceful mistress had already discovered the trick.
Giving her a show of force later was a done deal.
Fortunately, the current situation did not affect her mission much.
The Duke had instructed her to investigate Flora, and she had gained quite a bit of information in such a short time.
Moliya’er used her as a means to further restrict and pressure Flora, which was still feasible.
Even if neither side trusted her, it didn’t matter.
As long as they saw her as useful, she had reason to exist.
For a servant, that was a pretty good position.
“Eh…”
Elka sounded surprised.
Before the pointer representing fifteen minutes reached its position, the supervision magic resumed its effect, with a very clear location.
Even without the magic, just the bright presence from the invisibility magic being lifted was noticeable to both Elka and Moliya’er.
Someone was in the dining room.
“Little mouse hungry and wants a midnight snack?”
Moliya’er joked, smiling at Elka.
“I have this inexplicable feeling… after searching for so long, she’s just hiding in the dining room…”
Elka rubbed her forehead, glanced at the maid’s complicated expression, and shook her head.
“So that’s what ‘darkness under the lamp’ means?”
The three walked into the dining room.
The villa’s power was not restored yet, so Elka put away her wand and followed Moliya’er, putting on a forlorn look as if caught and led to be questioned.
Moliya’er illuminated the room with a lighting spell.
Flora, sitting at the table eating cake, froze for a moment and looked guiltily at the newcomers.
“What’s going on here?”
She spoke first. Seeing Moliya’er’s half-smile, she stiffened her neck.
“I was hungry, looking for something to eat. What’s wrong with that?”
“I thought you had escaped. Such a big commotion, such a rare chance…”
Moliya’er walked up slowly, naturally sat on the table, lightly ran a finger along Flora’s mouth to wipe off some cream, then licked it with her tongue and smiled.
“But this cake is so delicious it’s worth getting up late at night to sneak some. Lin Ke, you did well.”
“Miss.”
Lin Ke immediately knelt upon hearing that.
Moliya’er didn’t look at her, only at the nervous Flora, smiling gently.
“I’m glad you weren’t thinking of running away.”
“I’m not stupid enough to take the chance to escape just because there’s chaos. Don’t think I…”
“Mm-hmm, I know. Our Flora has always been clever. That’s why we like you.”
Moliya’er didn’t intend to let her continue.
She glanced at Elka, then at the maid on the floor.
“If you really ran away, I’d suspect these two were conspiring to take you away. Now I’m relieved.”
“If I had that ability, would I still be locked up by you?”
Flora sneered, and Moliya’er nodded in agreement.
“But no one planned all this commotion, I don’t believe it. And with all this noise, someone has to be punished. Lin Ke trained you today; you must be very angry, right?”
“What?”
Flora suddenly felt something was wrong.
Moliya’er’s smile grew even brighter.
“Well then, Lin Ke was negligent and didn’t do her guard duty properly. Nobles must learn to punish their servants. Why don’t you give her a few dozen lashes to vent your anger?”
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