The door hinges creaked slightly.
Eluse’s heart skipped a beat before pounding frantically. The ropes of the net dug into her skirt and skin as her vision swayed upside down. Although she couldn’t see exactly how she looked right now, she was certain it was pathetic.
Hanging upside down, she saw the excited faces of the children. As footsteps approached, a pair of small black leather shoes entered the girl’s field of vision.
Eliana walked forward slowly, followed by a middle-aged woman who looked somewhat elderly.
The afternoon sun sliced across the maid’s face, dividing her delicate features into halves of light and shadow.
Her gaze first fell upon the children, then shifted to Eluse hanging in the air, her eyes filled with shock.
The middle-aged woman behind her looked at the children below with a hint of gentle reproach.
“Amy, Kelly, I told you not to use this Bird-catching Net recklessly. It’s dangerous.”
Her voice was calm and her tone incredibly gentle.
‘This must be the Headmistress of the orphanage,’ Eluse guessed. However, the thought of making such a fool of herself in front of an outsider made her cheeks burn.
“Lady Eluse?”
Eliana’s voice was filled with surprise and confusion, as if she still couldn’t understand why the noble daughter of a Duke would appear at the orphanage in such a state.
“Why are you here? And… in this manner?”
“I… I…”
Eluse’s cheeks were scalding hot. Her mind raced, but she couldn’t squeeze out a reasonable explanation. Could she say she followed her? Could she say she suspected Eliana was a serial killer?
Obviously not!
“Quickly, let the lady down,” the middle-aged woman said to the children, her tone gentle but firm.
The children scrambled to untie the ropes. Eluse finally felt her feet touch the ground, but her skirt and hair were a mess, covered in grass clippings and dust. She had none of the dignity expected of a noble lady.
If Madam Vanessa saw her like this, she would surely be severely punished.
The girl stumbled, and Eliana reached out just in time to steady her arm.
That hand was cold and steady, but Eluse yanked her arm back as if she had been burned, taking a half-step back.
It was a pure instinctual reaction, leaving no time for thought.
Eliana seemed somewhat stunned. Her outstretched hand paused in mid-air for a moment before dropping naturally to her side.
She then looked at Eluse, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly before smoothing out again.
“My Lady, what is this?”
‘This is bad.’ Eluse knew her behavior might have been too obvious, so she hurriedly explained in a panic.
“I’m sorry, Eliana. I just injured my arm.”
As she spoke, she clutched her arm, her expression appearing pained.
“I see,” Eliana nodded and continued. “My Lady, you seem to have been startled. This isn’t the place to talk. Please follow me.”
After greeting the middle-aged woman, she took Eluse’s hand and led her inside.
With her wrist held by Eliana, Eluse took a deep breath and stepped forward, but her nails dug into her palm. ‘What will the demon say to me?’
Things had already reached this point; running away or refusing would only make her look more suspicious. The girl could only steel herself and follow Eliana around the main building toward a small, independent hut in the back.
The hut looked old but tidy. Chopped firewood was stacked by the door, and several simple but vibrant flowers sat on the windowsill.
Eliana pushed the door open. The interior was simply furnished: a wooden bed, a table, two chairs, a crude fireplace, and some woven items and small carved wooden toys hanging on the walls. The air was filled with a faint scent of herbs and sun-dried fabric, bearing no resemblance to any horrific scene Eluse had imagined.
“This is already the best-decorated room in the orphanage. Please don’t mind it, My Lady.”
“It’s fine.”
Eluse waved her hand and then looked at Eliana. What exactly was she doing here? And what was in that parcel she was carrying?
The girl’s eyes unconsciously darted around, trying to find a flaw in Eliana.
Eliana turned around, poured a cup of water from a jar in the corner, and handed it to her.
“Have some water, My Lady. You look like… you need it.”
“Thank you…”
“So… My Lady, can you tell me why you appeared here in such a strange position?”
Hearing those words, Eluse constantly told herself not to be afraid, not to reveal any weaknesses, and to maintain a calm heart. ‘That’s right… keep a calm heart…’
She took a deep breath and took the cup. Her fingertips brushed against Eliana’s cool skin, causing another jolt of alarm.
The girl lowered her head and took small sips, her brain working at high speed. What kind of excuse should she find? It couldn’t be too casual, or Eliana would see through it.
‘Should I take the offensive?’ That was it! She was the eldest daughter of a Duke! Even if Eliana was a terrifying demon, her current status was merely that of a maid. What right did she have to question her?
At that thought, Eluse raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.
“It’s because you were acting too suspicious today!”
“S-suspicious?”
“That’s right!” Eluse nodded. “You probably don’t know this, Eliana, but you have little habits whenever you lie.”
Eluse lifted her chin slightly; she wanted to gain the upper hand in terms of presence.
In reality, she hadn’t noticed any habits at all. She had just made it up on the spot, but looking at Eliana now, it was clear the maid was starting to doubt herself.
Apparently, her tactic worked. Eliana was mentally retracing her previous actions. As a demon, she shouldn’t have developed such habits, but seeing the young lady’s certain expression…
‘Could it be…?’ A light flashed in Eliana’s pale gold eyes. She didn’t question Eluse, only offering a bitter smile.
Seeing this, Eluse was overjoyed and quickly pressed her advantage.
“Eliana, tell me, why did you come here?!”
As she said this, the girl’s entire body tensed. She could only imagine Eliana’s reason for being here was to hunt. If anything seemed off, she would bolt immediately.
“Sigh. My Lady, you should see for yourself.”
With that, Eliana pulled a contract out of the parcel Eluse had seen earlier.
“This is a contract for Madam Vanessa’s Merchant Guild to supply food to the orphanage. Madam specifically asked me to come alone.”
“Huh?”
Eluse was stunned. Her mouth hung open in utter shock. ‘She didn’t come here to eat people?’
Perhaps because the surprise was too great, Eliana immediately read the expression on her face.
“My Lady…”
“Yes?”
“What exactly… did you think I was doing here?”
Eliana’s eyes narrowed slightly as she stared straight at the girl…