Chapter 36: The Drunken Young Lady?

After making up her mind, Tia continued, “For the next several days, do not leave this manor. It is best to find a place to hide. If they cannot find me, they will likely target you.”

Viola froze, worry flashing in her eyes. “Lady…”

Tia’s gaze softened, and she reached out to gently pat Viola’s tense arm, trying to instill a sense of reassuring power.

“Don’t worry, I will be fine.”

With that, she stood up and walked toward the bedroom door, her silhouette appearing slightly haggard.

Tonight, she decided to sleep in the study.

Viola lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.

A deep sense of helplessness and self-reproach gnawed at her heart.

Her lady was facing a life-threatening danger, yet she could do nothing and help with nothing except obey the arrangement to hide.

This realization stung.

She looked up at Tia’s profile, which appeared exceptionally gentle under the candlelight.

A mixture of guilt and reverence almost overflowed from her heart.

Her lady was always like this, bearing everything alone, keeping the danger for herself while leaving safety for them.

She was too kind and too perfect—so perfect that it made one’s heart ache, and even more so, it made one feel ashamed of their own inferiority.

As personal maids, they could never just accept this fate.

They had to become stronger, strong enough to protect their lady!

***

Entirely unaware of the change in her personal maid’s resolve, Tia left the manor the following day near dusk, taking a carriage toward the Inquisition.

The assassin from the previous night was, of course, herself.

The reason she had done it was simply to find an excuse to get close to Mephia.

Then, she would use Mephia’s blade to handle—er, help Grey Cat with her Reincarnation.

Being a Witch for a lifetime was too painful.

In her next life, Grey Cat would not have that worry.

After making a few inquiries inside the Inquisition, Tia found where Mephia lived.

Standing before the door, she took a deep breath and knocked.

The door opened almost immediately, as if the person inside had already been waiting.

Mephia stood inside the doorway, wearing a simple long white dress with a dark coat draped casually over her shoulders, carrying a strangely tranquil aura.

“I knew you would come looking for me.”

After saying that, she took the initiative to grab Tia’s wrist and led her into the room.

The space inside was not very large, resembling a room in a tavern or an inn.

Aside from a double bed, the room only contained a sofa, a round table, and a private bathroom.

Compared to the luxury of Earl Harris Manor, this could be described as exceptionally meager.

Walking in and sitting on the sofa, Tia asked somewhat nervously, “What is the task you want me to do?”

“No rush.”

Mephia pushed a water cup over, her tone flat.

“We can discuss that later. Instead, tell me what happened to you. You look quite haggard.”

Tia subconsciously touched her face.

Then, she recalled the previous night, and a genuine expression of lingering fear and exhaustion appeared on her pretty face.

“Yesterday, I survived an assassination attempt.”

“Hmm?”

Tia took the Dark Arrow out of the cloth bag she was carrying and placed it gently on the round table.

The arrow shimmered with a cold, hard luster under the dim light.

“This is the arrow that was shot at me. If I had been sleeping in the bed at the time, I am afraid I would not have been able to see you today.”

Mephia picked up the arrow, observed it for a moment, and murmured softly, “Agave…”

“What is it? Do you know something?”

“Agave is the common mark of the Witch Council. It means that the assassin is likely a Witch.”

Upon learning it was a Witch, Tia breathed a subtle sigh of relief.

However, after seeing Mephia’s surprised expression, her heart stirred, and she asked with some confusion, “Is that not a good thing? At least there is a clue.”

Mephia shook her head.

“I was just thinking that this Witch should not be her. Such a low-level assassination could never be carried out by her.”

“Her?”

“Do not worry about it. Just a Lustful Witch.”

Mephia spoke very casually, but a small “vein” popped on Tia’s temple.

‘Who is she calling a Lustful Witch?! Who is she calling lustful?!’

‘I do not even know which one of us is the lustful woman attracted to a G-cup!’

‘Hmph, badmouthing people behind their backs. I’ll remember this!’

‘Just wait, you icy block! Sooner or later, I will get my revenge!’

*Grumble — *

Just as she was venting her frustrations internally, her stomach suddenly growled.

Soon, her entire face was flushed crimson, and she became quite flustered.

Mephia remained calm.

She looked at Tia, her brow arching slightly. “Are you hungry?”

Tia was filled with embarrassment.

She subconsciously pressed her stomach and nodded bashfully.

“Yes, I did not eat dinner before coming here.”

Mephia said nothing.

She turned and took some food out of a cabinet in the corner of the room, placing it on the round table.

She also brought out two wine glasses, some juice, and red wine.

“Eat,” she said simply.

The two of them sat at the small round table.

They were very close, close enough to clearly see the trembling of each other’s eyelashes.

Tia did not stand on ceremony; she picked up a piece of bread and took several bites, moving quickly yet elegantly.

As for the juice and wine, she chose the red wine.

After she had taken several sips and the flush on her face had deepened into a wine-red hue, Mephia finally spoke, asking curiously, “Are you good at drinking?”

“No,” Tia replied honestly.

“Then why are you drinking it?”

Tia lowered her head, her fingers rubbing the cool wall of the wine glass.

Her voice was as soft as a sigh.

“I just… I just heard that alcohol can bolster a coward’s courage.”

She looked up, her blue eyes shimmering with candlelight and a watery sheen, carrying a fragile honesty.

“I have made a fool of myself. In the end, I am just an ordinary young girl. Facing something like an assassination, I am also very afraid. I do not know what to do…”

As she spoke, she quietly shifted her body, moving a bit closer to Mephia.

At the same time, she looked at Mephia with shimmering eyes full of dependence and hope, yet laced with a bit of uneasy weakness.

“You will protect me, right?”

“Yes.”

This promise seemed to give Tia some kind of courage, or perhaps the alcohol was starting to slowly take effect.

She took another small sip of wine.

The spicy liquid made her frown slightly, but it also made her cheeks redder and her gaze gradually more blurred.

She stopped looking at the food and instead stared at the dancing candle flame, her voice becoming somewhat ethereal.

“Sometimes I feel that the manor is my biggest cage. Everyone looks at me and calls me ‘Young Lady,’ but not a single person is truly looking at me, except…”

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, her tone gaining a hint of attachment.

“Except Viola and Lily, and… you.”

Her pale blue eyes were now stained red by the candlelight and the wine fumes.

Mephia withdrew her gaze from her and said softly, “You are drunk.”

“I am not.”

Tia retorted, but with the specific stubbornness and soft mumble of a drunkard.

“My tolerance is not that low… It is just, it is just that your room is too hot, and I am wearing quite a lot…”

As she spoke, she unconsciously used her fingers to tug at the fabric of her collar, revealing a small patch of pinkish skin underneath.

Her gaze fell upon Mephia’s hand resting on the table.

That hand was very long and slender, with distinct knuckles.

The skin was so white it was almost transparent, and the Silver-white Ring served as the most beautiful embellishment, making the hand look even more perfect.

As if possessed, Tia reached out, her fingertips gently touching the back of Mephia’s hand.

The icy sensation made her tremble slightly, but she did not pull away.