Chapter 40

The revolving door closed with a click, and the lock engaged.

There would be no way to find the entrance now, as it had merged with the wall.

Even if someone were to notice it, there would be no way to unlock it.

This was because Flamm had destroyed the dial key hidden behind the bookshelf.

It had miraculously opened when they entered, but it would not happen again.

In other words, the room where Satyrs' body was left would likely remain undiscovered unless something extraordinary happened.

Flamm and Welcy, carrying Milkit, finally made it outside after passing by the adventurer's corpse.

Welcy stretched her body with a "Hmm!" and inhaled the clear air deeply.

"The air in the capital isn't said to be that clean, but compared to that space just now, it's like a feast for the senses!"

For her, who was not used to corpses, the smell must have been unbearable.

Flamm also took a deep breath, as if drawn in by her.

The murderous expression from earlier was gone from her face.

Milkit was more relieved that her master had returned to her usual gentle self than that they had made it outside.

They headed for Reach's mansion, taking as deserted a route as possible.

Welcy, who was familiar with the geography of the eastern district, led the way.

They arrived at the back of Reach's mansion without being seen and slipped in through a side door, which led to the kitchen.

A chef who was working looked at them intently, but after Welcy waved and smiled, he tilted his head and returned to his work.

As they stepped into the hallway, they encountered Reach by chance. Of course, he was greatly surprised to suddenly see his sister and Flamm, who was carrying a girl with bandages covering her face.

However, that was just the beginning.

When they told him about bringing back a large amount of documents from Satyrs' secret room and about killing her, his eyes widened even more in shock.

First, he questioned Flamm about why she had killed her.

When Flamm explained that Milkit had been kidnapped and nearly killed, he sighed and held his head.

"I never thought her twisted tastes would go that far..."

He had heard about the abuse but never imagined she would commit murder.

Or rather, he didn't want to imagine it.

After that, he seemed worried that Flamm might be punished for killing Satyrs, but he relaxed when she explained that the body was in a place no one would find.

However, Flamm had not considered this at all in her emotional state.

Even though Milkit had been kidnapped, she had acted too rashly. She thought she should be more careful in the future.

But once Milkit was hurt, it was impossible to remain calm.

She decided to leave it at that for now.

"Well, at least we have evidence of Satyrs' misdeeds, so as long as we handle the information correctly, our position shouldn't worsen, right?"

If Satyrs were to go missing, and they used the information from the documents to write an article condemning the church, Welcy's newspaper would likely be the first to be suspected as the culprit.

Even without concrete evidence of the murder, the suspicion would be strong.

To corner the church, they needed to first erode its influence and increase public dissatisfaction.

If they were to kill a merchant to get information, they would be the ones cornered.

Fortunately, the documents Welcy had taken included evidence that Satyrs had abused and tortured slaves to death.

It was a matter of the amount of information they released and the timing.

If they could judge this correctly, they could reduce the church's power without being suspected of involvement in Satyrs' death—this was what Welcy thought.

Reach agreed.

They continued to discuss complex matters, but Flamm couldn't follow.

In any case, she wanted to let Milkit rest, so she left the handling of the documents to Reach and Welcy.

Reach kindly offered them a guest room in the mansion.

Guided by a servant, they laid Milkit on a fluffy bed prepared for her.

"I'm fine, you didn't have to go this far. I'm not injured."

She tried to be strong, but Flamm shook her head.

It was still morning, and the incident had been short, but Milkit must have been exhausted.

"Even if you're not injured, you should rest for an hour or two. I want to take a break too."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Flamm stroked Milkit's forehead.

When she said, "I want to take a break too," Milkit couldn't resist.

Flamm seemed to be getting better at handling her.

The situation was complex, but it was because she was worried about her.

Milkit resigned herself and closed her eyes.

Within five minutes, she was snoring softly.

"See, you were tired after all."

Flamm looked at her angelic sleeping face and gently poked her cheek.

Then, she flopped onto the bed and soon started snoring too.

They slept for about three hours, and by the time they left Reach's mansion, it was mid-afternoon.

◇◇◇

Eterna must be in a bad mood—Flamm imagined as she cautiously opened the front door.

There, she saw Eterna leaning against the wall with a worried expression.

Their eyes met through the crack in the door.

Seeing them both unharmed, Eterna sighed in relief and approached Flamm, tapping her forehead with her index finger.

"Ouch!"

Flamm recoiled slightly and cried out.

Of course, it didn't hurt much.

It was more a matter of feeling, as she could clearly sense Eterna's anger.

"I was worried when you both disappeared after waking up."

Eterna pouted.

She seemed more worried than angry, which was more painful for Flamm.

Eterna then leaned in close to Flamm's neck and sniffed.

"...I smell blood."

They had taken a break after that, but hadn't washed their bodies.

They had been careful not to get blood on their clothes, but the air in the room had seeped into their clothes to some extent.

Someone with a good nose would inevitably notice.

"I'm sorry. Milkit was kidnapped, and I went to rescue her."

"Even though you say it casually, it was a huge incident."

"I know. But as you can see, we rescued her safely."

Milkit bowed her head awkwardly.

Eterna exhaled.

"Church-related?"

She suspected that first.

If so, they couldn't relax even after the rescue.

There was a possibility of another attack at any moment.

"Regarding Milkit's kidnapping, it wasn't related. The culprit was Satyrs, her former master."

"In that case... since you're not injured this time, I won't say anything. But in the future, I want you to rely on me. I think it's better to go together rather than chasing after the culprit alone."

At the time, Flamm was focused on chasing the culprit.

She felt that if she lost sight of them for a moment, she might never be able to rescue Milkit.

Besides, Eterna was still asleep, and she thought it would be too late to wake her up and start the chase.

However, in reality, they might have solved it faster with Eterna's help.

Her water magic was more skillful than Flamm imagined.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Flamm reflected sincerely.

Seeing this, Eterna smiled contentedly.

"That's what I want. By the way, I tried making lunch. Do you want to eat it?"

From the living room, a faint but pleasant aroma wafted over.

Flamm's stomach growled.

She had never seen Eterna cook, but she had lived long enough to have some experience.

They both nodded almost simultaneously.

◇◇◇

The rest of the afternoon, after such an event, Flamm and Milkit spent most of their time in the room.

Eterna also had to check on the ink, so no one left the house.

For dinner, they used what they had.

Flamm had planned to go shopping that day, so the menu was a bit simple, but Milkit made it delicious.

Eterna's lunch wasn't bad either.

But Flamm thought this was better, and Eterna declared her defeat a bit regretfully.

Milkit looked unusually proud of beating the hero.

"Want to take a bath together?" Flamm suggested, but Milkit, embarrassed, declined.

Flamm had also been thinking about what to do if she agreed.

However, even though they couldn't bathe together, Milkit seemed very anxious and sat in the changing room the whole time.

When it was time to sleep, the two, wearing matching but different-colored nightgowns, removed their bandages and headed to their respective beds.

But Flamm called out, "Hey, Milkit," and invited her to her bed.

"Um, that's a single bed, and it's too small, I think."

"It'll be fine if we snuggle up."

Flamm lifted the blanket and gestured for her to come in, a bit more forceful than usual.

She looked like the usual Flamm, but she was actually scared.

She was afraid that Milkit might disappear from in front of her eyes while she slept, just like that morning.

People can disappear so easily in an instant.

Thinking about it, she couldn't even sleep.

She needed to hold Milkit and confirm her presence constantly.

"Um, is it really okay?"

"Actually, I'm the one asking..."

"Is that so? Then, I'll join you."

Milkit slid into the bed with a guilty look and pressed her body against Flamm.

The space was already filled with her master's warmth, making her feel as if she was being embraced entirely.

She felt both happiness and embarrassment.

For some reason, being held was more stimulating to her sense of shame, making her more alert.

"Can you come a little closer?"

"Ah..."

Flamm still didn't feel close enough and pulled Milkit closer.

It wasn't a good situation for sleeping, but it was comforting.

Flamm, like Milkit, still had the fear of being kidnapped.

She had been suddenly hit and lost consciousness.

When she woke up, the person she thought she would never see again, her former master, was in front of her.

The terrifying smile she saw then would be a trauma that wouldn't fade for a while.

Just thinking about it made her body tremble.

Without the warmth Flamm provided, she might have been crying and shaking alone.

"Um, Master?"

"What is it?"

Flamm responded softly.

"Help me" — when Milkit was attacked by Satyrs, she had wished for this.

She had hoped that her master would come to her rescue.

In the end, Flamm did save her, but at that moment, the relationship between master and slave seemed to be completely broken.

No, Flamm had never treated Milkit as a slave.

It was just a convenience for Milkit.

She didn't know any other relationship besides that of a slave and master.

When the relationship between her and Flamm became something else, she didn't know how to interact.

So far, she had continued to call herself a slave, understanding it as a formality.

It allowed her to communicate at a minimum level.

However, if even that formality couldn't be maintained, she had to explore a new distance.

Milkit was taking the first step on her own.

"Um... if it's okay, from tomorrow..."

She spoke hesitantly, stammering from nervousness,

"Can we... sleep in the same bed together?"

But she clearly stated the important part.

It wasn't a word a slave would say to a master, but a "whim" as a partner, to an equal.

Flamm leaned in and touched foreheads with Milkit.

Then, she smiled and said,

"I was going to suggest it myself."

Flamm never lied to Milkit.

Even if it was called "flattery," she always faced her sincerely.

So those words seeped deep into Milkit's heart.

And she felt it.

She was now wishing for the same thing as someone important to her — the joy of that.

"Tomorrow, let's go shopping for clothes together."

"For today's replacement?"

"That too, but I also want to buy some new ones. Is there anywhere you want to go?"

"Hmm... I want to eat something delicious."

"Something delicious? How about we splurge and go to a fancy restaurant?"

"Don't overdo it. If it's too fancy, I won't be able to replicate it at home."

"Good point. I said I wanted to eat something delicious with that in mind."

"Yes, I want to make my cooking better than any restaurant."

They made plans for the next day while lying in bed.

In the end, they got so excited that they stayed up an hour later than usual.

But compared to the fun time they had, it was a minor issue.

◇◇◇

Eterna couldn't miss the floating atmosphere between the two the next day.

She was eating a sausage, took a bite, chewed, swallowed, and then said softly,

"Are you two going on a date today?"

"Choke, cough!"

Flamm, who was about to drink soup, choked and coughed loudly.

Milkit rushed to her side, patted her back, and handed her a glass.

Flamm drank the water in one gulp and glared at Eterna, breathing heavily.

"No, we're not!"

"It just looks like a date to me."

Eterna had thought so all along but hadn't said it.

However, with the two getting this close, she couldn't help but point it out.

"We're just going to buy new clothes to replace the ones that were torn yesterday. We might make a detour."

"That's what people call a da—"

"It's just shopping! Besides, why would going out with me and Milkit be a date? That's ridiculous. Right, Milkit?"

"Yes, Master and I are just going shopping."

They said so, but Eterna was still unsatisfied.

Of course, they had no such intention.

They were partners, not friends.

Their relationship was ambiguous, but they were content with it.

If anything, they were like a family, but their relationship was too intense to be called that.

"...I don't get it."

The situation was so delicate and thin that even Eterna was at a loss.

◇◇◇

Flamm and Milkit ventured into town.

Their first destination was the same clothing store where they had bought Milkit's maid uniform.

There were only a few stores that sold maid uniforms, so they often ended up returning to the same place.

The staff already recognized them, and thanks to their good spending habits, they were no longer treated poorly for being a slave.

It was nice to shop comfortably, but it was a bit awkward to be happy about it.

They held hands and browsed the store, discussing which items they liked and which they should try on.

"Wow... it's nice to do this sometimes, isn't it?"

"It's a bit plain, I think."

"Plain as in normal? But everything looks good on you, Milkit, which is kind of unfair."

"Not everything. Master is just too lenient."

The first outfit Milkit tried on was a simple maid uniform: a beige dress with a thick white apron.

The cap was more functional, designed to keep hair from falling out, with no hint of seduction.

It had a homely feel, suitable for housework, and had a certain charm.

"Is it really that good?"

Under Flamm's scrutinizing gaze, Milkit asked anxiously.

"Usually, you're so beautiful that I worry you might be taken away, but in this uniform, you look... reassuring, I guess."

Hearing this, Milkit turned to the mirror, pinched the hem of the skirt, and adjusted the angle of the cap.

"I don't quite understand what Master means, but I'll consider this as the first choice?"

"Sure, let's do that!"

They decided to keep it for now.

The curtain closed, and she changed into the next outfit.

"By the way, I didn't realize you liked frilly things, Milkit."

"Frilly dresses are cute."

"So, you didn't really like the last one?"

"To be honest, I preferred something with more decoration, but after hearing Master's opinion, I changed my mind."

While they were talking, she finished changing.

The curtain was supposed to open, but Milkit only showed her face, her cheeks and neck flushed red.

"Did Master choose this one?"

"Yes, I think so. I thought it would be cute with all the frills, as we discussed... Is there a problem?"

"Well, um... just, please take a look."

The curtain slowly opened, revealing the full outfit.

"Wow..."

Flamm couldn't help but exclaim.

The top was as expected, cute with many frills, but the problem was the bottom.

The skirt was extremely short, barely covering her underwear, revealing Milkit's recently more shapely thighs.

She was blushing and desperately trying to hide her legs by gripping the hem of the skirt