"Nice to meet you! I'm intruding. My name is Karina Burton, I went to the same school as Marie-chan!"
She loudly announced herself and awkwardly curtsied. The baron and Mio-sama had already met face to face before. Still, Mio-sama showed no sign of unease, meeting the baron's gaze steadily through her round glasses.
The baron's face was stern.
"…Same school? I thought only boys attend there now. Besides, Marie doesn't have any girl friends."
Mio-sama promptly showed her student ID, a certificate proving that Karina Burton had studied at the school and dropped out mid-way.
"I quit this spring and now live in the capital. That's where I met Marie-chan and became friends."
"…In the capital…"
"Yes. And that's why she asked me to run an errand. To fetch something she left in her room."
"…Tania. Why did you bring the guest here?"
He didn't question us but the maid, who puffed out her chest.
"Because that girl asked me to take her to Marie-sama's room."
Even I, who was not involved, felt a bit irritated by the maid's foolishness. I couldn't help but expect the baron's angry outburst— but the next moment, the baron reacted unexpectedly.
He laughed brightly.
"Hahaha! Tania, you naughty girl, did you do it again? I'm sorry, guest. As you can see, this is just a storage room, I'm sure you were surprised!"
…Huh?
Of course, Mio-sama, the maid, and I were all left standing there, question marks floating above our heads. The baron laughed heartily, first patting the maid's back, then gently tapping our shoulders.
"How could I assign such a dirty room to a cute girl? Hahaha— let me show you around the mansion. Follow me."
He said it unilaterally and turned his back. The maid, realizing her mistake, fell silent. It seemed we wouldn't get any more information from her.
Mio-sama acted quickly. She caught the boy's shoulder as he tried to follow his father.
"—You must be Marie-sama's younger brother, Cedric, right?"
The boy stiffened. He seemed to have severe social anxiety. He managed to nod slightly, trembling.
"Y-yes. I…"
"Cedric!!"
Called by his father, the boy's body jumped violently. The baron, in a low voice, ordered the cowering boy.
"Go back to your room and continue studying."
"Y-yes, f-father."
"Stay in your room until you solve that problem. Since you're not very smart, you don't have time to rest."
"I understand. I'm very sorry."
The boy bowed repeatedly to his father and ran off. We couldn't stop him.
The baron quickly returned to his smile and led us through the mansion.
"Marie's friends have never visited before. Marie is shy, a bookworm, and rather gloomy, right? I'm glad you became friends with her."
"Ah, is that so? Marie-chan is bright, kind, and always smiling. She's well-liked by everyone, a good girl."
Mio-sama immediately countered. The baron was momentarily speechless but quickly replied in a cheerful tone.
"Hahaha. I'm glad you say that as a father. …By the way, you said you came to fetch something. What is it?"
"Hehe, it's a secret. It's something very important to girls."
"…If you don't tell me, I can't help you find it."
"Don't worry, if you just show me the room, I'll find it. Marie-chan gave me permission."
"……Alright. But if you can't find it, it can't be helped. Hahaha."
At the center of the mansion, the baron stopped.
"Here you go, this is Marie's room."
I entered and sighed in relief. There really was a proper room. Good. It was spacious and bright, with a pastel pink theme. The room was so girlish, with cute curtains and floral bed sheets, it was almost overwhelming. The large closet was surely full of dresses.
But Mio-sama quickly scanned the room and laughed.
"Oh no, Baron, this isn't Marie-chan's room, it's her sister's!"
"…Why do you think so?"
"Because there are no bookshelves or desk. Marie-chan is a very studious girl, so it's strange for her to not have either."
"…Ah… That's because…"
"Stop joking. I'm not fooled."
—For a few seconds, the baron narrowed his blue eyes and stared down at Mio-sama. Then, with a gentlemanly smile, he apologized for the prank and started walking again. Of course, I didn't believe him.
We continued through the mansion and reached the very back.
"Here we are. This time, this is Marie's room. I'll leave you to search. I have to go."
He said and quickly left.
"He's running away."
Mio-sama, without any sign of pursuit, returned to her usual expressionless face. She opened the door. The room was as expected by 'Marie-chan's friend, Karina.' A large bookshelf lined the wall, and a functional desk sat in the center like a throne. The bed and closet were in the corner. It was rather plain and unadorned— from a male perspective, it lacked charm and cuteness.
Whose room is this? It can't be Marie-sama's… I idly touched the furniture and looked at the bookshelf— then I was startled to see Mio-sama with her upper body out the window.
"What are you doing? It's dangerous!"
"Shh. Be quiet."
She was reprimanded. Mio-sama paused for a moment, then gestured for me to take over. Confused, I stuck my head out the window. My shoulders got stuck in the window frame. Still— I could hear something.
…What? …A woman's voice. I looked up and saw the window of the room two doors down was open.
—Is that so? That's good… Hahaha…—
…It was a voice I had never heard before. I knew who the room belonged to. There was only one woman in the Shaduran household I didn't know.
"…On the night of the birthday party, I was ordered by my husband to search for Marie-sama. I know the layout of the house. That is the lady of the house's room."
Mio-sama said. I nodded in understanding and looked down, shuddering. The maid was in the courtyard.
What? Why? The baron just ran off to the left. Who is the lady talking to!?
—Hehehe… Yes, I think so too—
—Hahaha, oh, you're joking again. Stop making me laugh, Anastasia.—
Just as I was about to scream, I was pulled back into the room with great force. I fell on my butt as Mio-sama closed the window. The door to the room opened immediately. It was the baron and Cedric, both wearing cloaks and carrying some heavy luggage.
The baron, slightly out of breath, was laughing with his hands spread wide.
"Hello, guests! I'm sorry, I forgot we had a family outing today. I'm sorry for making you come all this way, but I have to ask you to leave now."
What, here? I thought Mio-sama would argue, but surprisingly, she backed down. She pasted on an innocent girl's smile.
"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry for the sudden visit. I'll take my leave now."
"Are you going back to the capital? If so, tell Marie that if she wants to fetch her forgotten items, she should come back herself."
Mio-sama's smile didn't waver.
"That's right. But Marie-chan is busy now. It's not surprising. There's less than a month until her engagement ceremony with the count."
The baron's smile didn't waver either.
"That's true. But—"
The baron's smile didn't waver.
"If the ceremony hasn't happened, the engagement hasn't been made. The girl is still part of the baron's family. —I can't let the count's family take her away."
Mio-sama's smile didn't waver.
"Ahaha. Baron, you really care about Marie-chan, don't you?"
I was too scared to look at either of their faces.
The baron left the room and knocked on the door two doors down.
"Elvira! Come out!"
After a moment, a slender woman appeared. Lady Shaduran… Marie-sama's mother. She was a beautiful woman. Her hair was a stunning blonde, but she was tall and her face resembled Marie-sama's. Surprisingly, she was a normal adult.
She noticed us and immediately came out, bowing.
"Guests… were here? I'm sorry, I didn't notice. I'll prepare tea right away."
"No, Elvira, they're leaving. We're going out too."
"Oh, is something happening today?"
"Just get ready quickly, no, you can go as you are."
"…Please wait a moment. Let me at least say goodbye to Anastasia."
Lady Shaduran said it casually, as if it were the most normal thing. She returned to her room.
"—I'll be out for a while, Mom. Be a good girl and wait for me, Anastasia."
She returned quickly, looking no different from before. She smiled at us, bowed, and locked her room's door.
The baron was already far ahead. We hurried to catch up, but the lady walked slowly at her own pace, keeping a distance from the baron. —The young son was in the middle, running, walking, and stopping. When he caught our eyes, he quickly turned away and ran off.
The baron first asked us which direction we were heading. When Mio-sama answered, he left in the opposite direction. Mio-sama waved goodbye. When the baron's family was out of sight… I squatted down, suddenly breaking into a sweat.
"Ah… I was scared. In many ways."
"Good work. But we have to go back to that scary place."
"Eh!?"
When I turned around in shock at Mio-sama's words, she was already gone. She had slipped through the broken gate and entered the courtyard. When I tried to call out to her, she put a finger to her lips.
"The maid is still here. I don't think she'll actively clean the garden while her master is away, but let's avoid talking."
I wanted to ask if I could wait in the carriage, but it was too late. Why am I always dragged along like this?
I don't want to anymore. I want to go home. After all this, I have a bad feeling about what's to come!
After a while, Mio-sama motioned for me to follow. This position… is it below the room with all the books? She gestured for me to brace myself against the wall. I thought, what am I supposed to do? Then Mio-sama stepped on my waist, back, and shoulders in quick succession, and jumped. My neck cracked.
Mio-sama used me as a base and jumped onto the second-floor window frame of the Shaduran mansion. She easily opened the