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I read the newspaper every day with Mom.
I think it’s been since I was maybe 3 years old? Or 4 years old.
Mom hid me safely in our house and showed me the world through the newspaper instead.
Even if I hadn’t been there myself, I knew what was happening in the Warfordia commercial district, the capital of Warford, and which stores in the commercial district sold the best.
I also knew how the slums worked and what the biggest incidents and accidents of the day were.
When she was here, Mom read to me every day, but when I came to Grandpa’s and Uncle’s, I read it myself or Zenda often read it to me.
And I read it yesterday, and today too.
I clearly saw that it was written in the newspaper that petty thieves are rampant these days, so lock the door!
I guess I’ll have to use that one first.
“They say that there are a lot of petty thieves these days, so they secretly chase people home and steal things from inside the house. And there were people who were injured. They say it’s very, very dangerous!”
“I understand. I will make sure to be careful on the way.”
Leto nodded with a pleasant smile and was about to go again.
Nonono! It’s not that!
“Letooooo!”
“Y-Yes? Miss?”
“I’m nervous, Leto. I really wish Leto was here today. Can’t you tell Uncle that you’re off from tomorrow? I’ll do it! I’ll even give you my favorite chocolate!”
Only then did Leto make a troubled face.
I stared at him stubbornly and pulled Leto’s clothes even tighter.
If Uncle was here, he would have taken me and scolded me, but now I’m the boss!
“Miss.”
“Hm? Will you not go?”
After a while, Leto nodded.
“Yes. Then today, as the Miss said, it’s dangerous, so I won’t go. Shall I take you to your room?”
Leto must have seen me as a very young kid, I didn’t readily believe what Leto was saying.
I already had a history of being beaten by Uncle many times, you know.
He will calm me down and disappear like dust when he gets off work in a little while. It’s obvious.
First of all, I smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, Leto take me there!”
From the side, I heard Serpens mutter, “You’re so cunning-ing.”
***
Mission! Have Leto sleep in the mansion.
Leto picked me up and went back to work.
There is still a long way before Leto gets off work, but I need to create a job to keep his feet tied.
“Let’s start with something. What do you think would be good?”
“Wouldn’t you be scolded before then-ing? Seeing from the side, your uncle is pretty scary-ing.”
“It’s okay. It’s not that I get scolded only once or twice, I get scolded every day.”
“…You seem to be stronger than I thought-ing.”
“Think about it. Five hours left.”
“What does he do-ing?”
“Um, he does everything. He takes care of the servant brothers and the maid sisters, and does some documents and gives them to Uncle. What else…”
“There’s the document-ing.”
“Huh? Document?”
Ah! Those documents earlier!
He said he’d bring it to Uncle.
“Uncle hasn’t come in yet. Let’s hurry!”
After waiting just a little longer, I decided to raid Uncle’s office.
First of all, Leto was going to leave the papers first, and then he would come later.
“Ser, then you mean that I can see it comfortably like today if I’m with you?”
“I’m Serpens-ing.”
“I know, it’s a nickname. We’re friends now.”
“Friends?”
“Yeah, we’re friends because we’re always together. Do you hate it?”
“No-ing.”
Actually, I wanted to call it like this a few days ago.
Serpens is a long word.
“Okay, Ser. Should I focus on someone when the red wavelength is like before?”
“Mm, practice like that first-ing. The more dangerous it is, the darker the color or the more dangerous color it can be, so check carefully-ing. But.”
“But?”
“If it’s black, pretend you don’t know-ing. Because you’re still young-ing.”
“Black? Is that the most dangerous?”
“Mmhm. So, you should never step out-ing.”
“…It’s dangerous, how can I pretend not to know? Leto, who was red, also had an injured arm?”
“But you can’t-ing.”
“Then black means people get hurt more!”
At that moment, Serpens hit my forehead with its mouth.
“It hurts!”
“Pretend you don’t know. Don’t you think it could be more dangerous for you?”
Ser’s voice instantly lowered and it sternly urged me on.
I flinched and opened my eyes wide in surprise.
“S-Ser?”
“Whew, so-ing… I’d rather find someone stronger and solve it. You can never do-ing.”
Serpens’ voice came back, but it still scared me.
Somehow, it told me not to even think about looking at the black light in the future.
It’s good to save people, but I shouldn’t act to the point of putting myself in danger.
I reluctantly said yes.
Otherwise, I don’t think Serpens will help me.
But, but…
What if Uncle has black light? What if Grandpa has black light?
What should I do then?
I couldn’t lose a precious family member like Mom again.
“But I can’t help but to see it right away that day?”
“Because you still lack the ability. It will get better.”
“Ah, that’s a relief then.”
According to Serpens, the more I practice, the more I try, the more accurate the concept of time will become.
If I run out of time, it will become increasingly difficult to rescue them.
Ah, but not this time.
“Let’s go.”
I almost missed the good timing while talking to Ser.
I hurried to Uncle’s office.
“Until here, it’s clear.”
I stopped at every corner of the hallway, pricked up my ears, and activated the radar.
And the next corner.
“It’s clear-ing.”
The moment I turned the next corner.
“Huaaaak.”
I was startled and hid myself.
I saw Leto’s back.
He must have left some papers in Uncle’s office some time ago.
He was definitely holding the papers earlier, yet now he was empty-handed.
Great, now is my chance.
I quickly jumped on my heels and ran along the path Leto had passed.
Quietly and quickly!
It wasn’t difficult to get into Uncle’s office.
“Here it is!”
As expected, on the desk were the documents that Leto had earlier.
Hmm. Uncle will have to come and see this in the evening, right?
These days Uncle often goes outside for work, so everyone was busy reporting in the evening.
“Tear it up-ing.”
Serpens encouraged me from the side.
“T-Tear it up?”
“Yep-ing, tear it up-ing.”
“…”
If I tear it, it will surely disappear, but for some reason I don’t think I should.
However, it seemed that Leto would be very surprised and sad if I just got rid of it altogether.
“Let’s just take it.”
I made a decision.
“If you get caught-ing. I’m sure you’ll tear it up-ing.”
“I just don’t have to get caught!”
It seems like there’s a bit of an extreme side to it.
I opened the collar of my dress and tucked the papers into it.
When I smoothed it out with my hands, my chest hardened as if I was wearing armor.
“Let’s go now.”
Because no one can come in and find out.
I just slipped out and ran out of the hallway.
And ran straight into my room.
“W-Where should I put it?”
It’s the first time I’ve done such a bad thing.
My heart is beating so fast that it’s about to break through the papers.
Serpens, who was dangling on my shoulder, turned around its head.
“That drawer?”
“T-That’s something Zenda sees very often. That won’t do.”
“Then what about under that table?”
“…I have nothing to attach.”
“How about the bed?”
“Bed? S-Shall I do that?”
The maid sisters touch it when they tidy up the futon at night, but before that, they don’t touch it often.
Besides, if I lay there, I don’t think they’ll touch it any more.
Alright, it’s set to bed!
I quickly took off my slippers and climbed onto the bed and lifted the covers.
Then I quickly opened my clothes and took out the papers again.
I lifted another shallow pad placed between the bed sheet and the duvet, put the documents in it, and covered the duvet.
“Uuuum. I can hear it.”
From the outside, it seemed good, but when I touched the part where the papers were laid, they kept crumpling.
I looked around again, but I couldn’t find a better place.
“No one will lie down on this, right?”
“I think it will be okay if you don’t lie down.”
“…Good. Let’s pretend we don’t know!”
Now I just have to hold out until night.
I lay down on the table to rest for a while, then a thought came to my mind and I got up again.
“Ah, let’s bring that too!”
“Bring what-ing?”
“Newspaper! They keep collecting it and using it as a firelight. We have to go to the dining room!”
There was no time to rest.