Eliana’s voice was very soft, blurred by the surrounding sound of splashing water and laughter, yet it pierced clearly into Irose’s ears.
A few strands of her black hair were wet, clinging to her smooth forehead and cheeks. Droplets of water slid along her jawline, disappearing into her collar. A large patch of the front of her maid uniform was soaked, the fabric darkening significantly. Her expression remained calm, and her eyes seemed to carry a playful mockery, as if she had long known Irose would make such a move. Of course, these were all futile efforts and struggles.
“I…”
Irose opened her mouth, but no complete sound came out. Her clenched fists drove her fingernails deep into her palms, bringing a sharp pain that failed to suppress the frantic spread of panic and coldness in her heart.
What she cared about now wasn’t the question Eliana had posed, but the Holy Water. It was Holy Water personally blessed by the Pope—why was it useless against Eliana?
She was a demon; there was no mistake about that. Could it be… that Holy Water could no longer suppress her?
“Miss, are you troubled by my question?”
Seeing that Irose had not responded for a long time, Eliana took a step forward, closing the distance between them. The soaked clothing didn’t make her look disheveled; instead, it lent her an indescribable sense of eeriness. She reached out, appearing as though she wanted to tidy Irose’s slightly messy hair as usual.
Irose, however, recoiled a step like a startled small animal.
This movement caused Eliana’s hand to stop mid-air. She watched Irose quietly for a few seconds before slowly withdrawing her hand. She took another clean handkerchief from her apron pocket and began to methodically wipe the water from her face and neck.
Only then did Irose snap back to her senses. She forced a smile and said, “I-It’s nothing, Eliana. I just wanted to play a little joke on you…”
“So that’s how it is…” Eliana said with a half-smile.
“Yes… that’s right. Eliana, if you were a demon, you certainly wouldn’t have come here with me, right?” Irose continued, terrified that Eliana would become suspicious of her. However, she had no idea that upon hearing these words, a desire to tease her immediately rose in Eliana’s heart.
“Hehe~ What kind of bad things does Miss think I would do if I were a demon?”
Eliana shifted her steps, coming to a stop in front of Irose and leaning down slightly. Though there was a smile on her face, it made the girl’s back go cold.
“Eliana, you—”
Hearing these words, coupled with Eliana’s sudden proximity, the forced smile on the girl’s face vanished instantly, replaced by terror and a deathly pale complexion.
Seeing this, the corners of Eliana’s lips curled into a wicked arc. She took another step forward, appearing to further crowd Irose’s personal space.
“I guess~ if I were a demon, I would definitely catch Miss first.”
“Waaah!”
Irose let out a startled cry because, as the maid spoke those words, her hand suddenly rested on the girl’s shoulder.
“Miss, don’t be afraid~ I’m not a real demon~” Eliana continued with a smile. “After catching Miss~”
The maid struck a thoughtful pose. Her breath brushed vaguely against the curve of Irose’s ear, and her voice dropped even lower, like a snake flicking its tongue.
“After catching Miss… Miss is so beautiful and cute, I would first hide Miss in a place where no one could find her, and slowly tas—appreciate her~”
‘Oops~’ I almost spoke my true thoughts aloud. Eliana kept the smile on her face.
‘She was speaking her true thoughts, wasn’t she? Just now, she—she wanted to use the word “taste,” definitely!’
Irose was frozen stiff. The hand on her shoulder was slightly cool, exerting a force that brooked no escape. A faint, mysterious fragrance drifted into her nose, and only then did Irose realize their distance was far too close!
“And then?”
Eliana’s answer hadn’t ended; she continued her soliloquy. Her fingertips lightly traced the skin on the side of Irose’s neck, inciting a shiver. “Doesn’t Miss like listening to stories? How about I tell Miss stories every day?”
“I… I…”
Irose hadn’t expected the demon to use a joke to reveal her identity. For a moment, the girl was tongue-tied, not knowing how to answer Eliana’s question.
“Alright, Miss, let’s go back. If we’re any later, we might be seen by the Madam.”
Seeing Irose stammering, Eliana didn’t press further. After all, if she pushed too hard and the young lady broke down, the loss would outweigh the gain. She took a step back and extended her hand, this time properly making a “please” gesture.
Irose looked at the maid before her, then looked once more at her outspread, fair palm with a sense of indignity. There were no traces of burns from the Holy Water—not even a red mark.
The Holy Water was ineffective, and her verbal probing had been turned against her. Every path of retreat seemed silently sealed. Irose took a deep breath; the cold air stung her lungs but allowed the surging panic to be momentarily suppressed.
She couldn’t panic here. She couldn’t let the demon see that she was afraid of her.
“…Let’s go,” she heard her own dry voice say.
Eliana called for a carriage. During the ride, Irose felt as if she were sitting on a bed of needles because Eliana sat opposite her, watching her with a smile.
“Miss, you don’t seem very happy~ Is something troubling you?”
Hearing this, Irose looked up at the “trouble” sitting across from her and forced out a smile. “It’s nothing, Eliana.”
“Miss shouldn’t force herself. Come on, give me a smile~” Eliana comforted.
Just as Irose thought the demon had found her conscience, the next sentence made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
“Miss, children with long faces are easily haunted by demons, you know~”
‘Is… is this a threat?’
Irose’s heart tightened, and she reluctantly hooked her lips into an arc.
‘It seems the young lady really is afraid of me…’ Eliana thought to herself, secretly laughing at Irose’s smile, which couldn’t have been more fake. She already had her young lady completely under her thumb; next, it was time to try a compliance test~
Thinking of this, she gently grasped Irose’s hand, which was resting on her lap.
This was clearly not behavior befitting a maid!
‘She’s starting again,’ Irose realized instinctively. Yet she didn’t dare offer any resistance. She wanted to pull back, but her hand was firmly held by those seemingly delicate fingers.
Eliana’s thumb began to lightly stroke the back of her hand. The movement was slow enough to cause heart palpitations, moving from the knuckles to the wrist bone, and then slowly upward along the faint blue veins.
Silence remained between them. Irose’s small face was flushed red, and she unconsciously turned her head away. Just as the ambiguous atmosphere inside the carriage reached a peak, Eliana suddenly leaned down and lightly bit the back of Irose’s hand…