“You idiot!”
Mel slapped the girl across the face, knocking her to the ground.
As if that weren’t enough to vent her hatred, Mel then viciously kicked the girl several times in the stomach.
If Rita were here, she would immediately recognize that the girl before her was none other than Miss Rabbit, the very same who had taken her sightseeing just last night.
Miss Rabbit clutched her stomach in pain, sobbing as she repeatedly apologized, “I-I’m sorry, ma’am, I… I really didn’t expect that she was the one…”
“Didn’t expect? I have spies planted all over the city! I want to closely monitor Rita’s every move, and yet she was right under my nose. You let her stroll around so blatantly, and you tell me you didn’t expect it was her?”
Mel ground her teeth as if she wanted to crush them all, then stomped several more times on Miss Rabbit’s back.
Only when she was out of breath did Mel collapse into her chair, panting heavily.
“Ma’am, please… please calm down,” a girl in a Miss Dog uniform cautiously said beside her.
That remark was like a spark to a flame, reigniting Mel’s fury.
“Calm down? You stupid women! That Rita went to my black market yesterday, wandered around for a long time, then came to my shop at night. You tell me! Is that a coincidence? Do you think that could be a coincidence? They’ve already found my trail! And you’re telling me to calm down?!”
Miss Dog was too late to take back her words, forced to explain with a stiff face, “Maybe… she was just… just looking around?”
“Looking around? Don’t use those brains of yours, rotted from ○○, to guess other people’s intentions! You expect the Fourth Princess to go to the black market and the pleasure house, and do absolutely nothing? No watching performances, no eating, not even playing with my little birds, just look around and leave? What leisure and elegance.”
Mel grew more agitated as she spoke, unable to resist smashing a cup from the table toward the curled-up Miss Rabbit on the ground.
“Yet this idiot didn’t notice anything unusual and just let her go? Even if you’d just reported to me, I would’ve considered that doing your duty!”
“This Rita seemed quiet and low-profile a few days ago; I thought she was an idiot too. But the moment the examination ended, she not only extinguished the rumors but came knocking directly at my door. Truly a stunning surprise. I don’t know how many useful clues she’s gotten, but no matter what, this person can’t be allowed to live! Sigh, so that’s what that lord meant by ‘taking a chance!’ If only I had known sooner…”
The room fell into a heavy silence, only Mel’s angry, ragged breathing could be heard.
After quite some time, Mel finally gathered herself and pointed at Miss Rabbit with a trembling finger.
“You, go kill Rita for me.”
“I… me? Kill Rita? Are you serious?” Miss Rabbit stammered.
“If you can’t do it, you know what the consequences will be!”
“Ah-choo!”
Rita sneezed, then rubbed her nose as she hurried to catch up with Cecilia’s pace.
Being called out by the leader for a team-building event on her day off had suddenly awakened memories she wanted to avoid.
Today, Cecilia wasn’t wearing that luxurious gown but had chosen a more subdued plain long dress instead.
It still made her look less like a noble princess and more like a highborn noble lady.
She had also prepared a Wallet full of gold coins, which she tossed to Rita before they set out.
Was Cecilia going shopping? Or did she have another purpose?
Carrying the heavy Wallet, Rita couldn’t help but wonder if this was yet another test from Cecilia on someone.
Yet at this moment, Cecilia had no such intentions in mind.
She was only thinking of one thing—how to properly make it up to Rita.
After hearing Rita’s account that morning, Cecilia realized something.
She had probably misjudged Rita.
Her insecure nature made her suspicious of everything, but there was no way Rita would randomly lie about a nightmare demon attack.
The fact that Rita happened to walk into a guest room at a pleasure house—the exact crime scene of a nightmare demon’s attack—seemed too coincidental for Cecilia to believe.
When she questioned Rita last night, Rita should have explained it to her.
But Cecilia had never given her the chance, immediately grabbing her small wand and starting to cast spells.
Rita should have told her something once she finished, right?
Considering it was Rita, it was also possible she hadn’t thought much about it.
Whatever the process, the fact remained that Cecilia had let Rita take a beating for no reason.
Rita obeyed her only because of the corresponding payment, and because Cecilia held the decision power over the Holy Knight examination.
But money wasn’t unique, and once the examination ended and Cecilia’s status no longer special, others could easily offer Rita more money and benefits.
At that point, would Rita still listen to her?
If Cecilia wanted to hold Rita firmly in her hands, she couldn’t rely only on that.
She needed to understand Rita more and offer her emotional value.
Today was the perfect opportunity.
“Rita,” Cecilia began, cutting to the chase, “Since I came to Solus City, I haven’t had time to properly explore it. Today, since there’s nothing else, it’s the perfect chance. But there are still evildoers in this city who covet my life, so you must stay by my side at all times and protect me, understand?”
“Understood,” Rita replied respectfully, though inwardly she was silently grumbling.
So that’s it—it was just to accompany her shopping and carry her bag!
Damn it, she had wanted to rest for a whole day!
But she had no right to refuse.
“There are quite a few people around, aren’t there?” Cecilia said suddenly, looking at the bustling crowds weaving through the streets.
As one of the examination sites, Solus City was quite large, and the influx of people brought by the exam made it even more crowded on this day off.
Rita simply took Cecilia’s words as a casual remark, thinking all she had to do was add some emotional value, like a comedic foil in a dialogue.
“Yes.”
“You’re just going to follow behind me like this? What if the crowd separates us? What if someone approaches me secretly and you can’t react in time? What then?”
T-Then what am I supposed to do?
As if responding to Rita’s unspoken question, Cecilia raised her hand, tentatively reaching out as if a little kitten testing where to place its paw.
What was she doing now?!
Rita felt like her brain was about to explode.
She’d never received any training as a servant or knight, so what was Cecilia trying to do?
After waiting a long time with no reaction from Rita, Cecilia sighed softly.
“Hand.”
“Ah.”
Rita imitated Cecilia, raising her hand like a tiny paw.
Unexpectedly, that made Cecilia’s sigh deepen.
Cecilia didn’t exert much force but firmly twisted Rita’s hand, then slipped her own small hand into Rita’s palm.
She gave Rita a helpless glance at the confused and uncertain expression on her face.
“Hold my hand.”
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