Interlude: Mone And Roze

“Hey, Sis.”

As she tucked several knives into her waist belt, Roze flicked a glance toward her sister.

Mone was in the middle of putting on a vest to serve as protection against blades and fastening it with cords.

When she did that, her ample chest was flattened, and combined with her height, her build alone made her look almost like a young man. Over that, she dressed herself in the same black outfit as Roze. Her long, beautiful hair was tied into a bun and fastened at the back of her head, then wrapped over with black cloth so it would not come loose.

“What is it, Roze?”

She moved her right arm several times.

To keep the wound from reopening, it had been wrapped again and again with bandages, with a thin bamboo splint laid against it as well. She was probably checking her range of motion.

“…Shouldn’t we stop? I mean, to the people above us, we can just say, ‘As expected of the Winter Bear of Tidros—he had absolutely no openings,’ right?”

She said it in a deliberately joking tone. Mone gave a soft, amused laugh.

“That’s true. Then Roze, go down the mountain path. With your speed, you can still catch up to the wagon carrying Lady Shitoen’s full set of clothes.”

“…That’s… not what I mean.”

Roze lowered her gaze and stuck out her lips.

She waved away a buzzing insect that flew near her ear.

Certainly, if Roze ran, she would be able to catch up to the wagon of their companions carrying Shitoen’s outfits.

But it would not mean anything if only she rejoined them. Her sister had to do so as well.

“You already investigated the inside of the building, the hot spring, and the positions of the guards, and reported them to me properly. Your job is already finished, you know?”

She had kept quiet about trying to seduce Saryu.

In truth, it had ended in failure anyway, and what her sister had asked her to do was only “check the security and the bathhouse.”

When she remained silent with a sullen expression, Mone reached out and removed the black cloth covering from Roze’s head.

“Ah…”

“Your hair is sticking out. Here, turn around.”

Roze had thought for sure she was about to be told, “Go down the mountain,” but apparently that was not it. Relieved, she obediently turned her back to Mone.

This was right beside the residence where Saryu and Shitoen were staying. There were many trees here, and the rocky ground cast enough shadows to hide them.

From where Mone and Roze were, they could see the state of the residence, while from the other side, they could hardly be seen at all. It was the perfect spot.

“It’s all right. Once this mission is over, both you and I will be free.”

Redoing her hair and covering her head once more with the black cloth, Mone said that in a voice almost like a song.

“Free…”

Roze murmured the word.

She herself did not know what freedom was supposed to be.

From the time she first became aware of the world, Roze had lived among the Cleaners.

When orders came down, it was only natural to obey them.

Of course, when she was little, she was kept away from actual missions and was used either as a tool to lower the target’s guard or as someone to be trained.

It was her sister who had carried out missions through assassination and bedchamber arts.

“Even without Mother, the reason we’re able to live like this is thanks to Father.”

That was what her sister had said, but Roze thought their father was scum.

A man who dirtied not his own hands and instead used children, and who would feel nothing even if his own child died, was no father at all. He was nothing but poison.

Roze wanted her sister to leave this work behind.

Because when Mone was alone, she cried while staring into the distance.

She did not want to do this kind of work at all.

And yet there was a reason she had to keep doing it.

The fact that that reason was Roze herself made her heart feel even heavier.

If only she were not in the position of being the younger sister.

Then her sister—

No, if she herself were an older brother—

If she had thick arms like Saryu’s, and a large body and powerful muscles, then she could protect her sister.

But she was a girl.

And she was Mone’s little sister.

There was no use grieving over what could not be helped.

That was why she had said it.

“Sis. I hate this place now. Let’s leave together.”

Those were the words her sister had wanted to hear.

Roze would never forget the expression her sister had worn at that moment.

She had— smiled as though she were happy from the bottom of her heart.

“That’s true. Your sister also… thought so, just a little. Let’s speak to Father about it.”

As a result, Mone and Roze were given their “final order.”

Assassinate Shitoen.

So that was how it was, huh. Roze had stamped her feet in frustration.

The people above them had never had any intention of letting them leave. The only way out was death.

Among the Cleaners, it was well known that the attempt to assassinate Shitoen had failed.

Even though carefully selected Cleaners had been sent, the operation had failed. The rumor that the Winter Bear of Tidros and his knightly order were simply that formidable spread quickly.

Kill Princess Shitoen, whom that Saryu adored.

There was no way they could do that, Roze had insisted to her sister.

“I was wrong. Sis, let’s just stay in the organization like this.”

And then, they would watch for an opening and run away.

Even though she had said that, her sister had become fired up as though this were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Her eyes had shone.

“It’ll be fine. Just leave it to your sister.”

Later, she heard from one of their companions that even if the mission failed, those above had apparently promised that if her sister died, the younger sister would be released.

(Sis is rushing things…)

Roze understood the reason.

It was because before long, Roze herself would also have no choice but to take on bedchamber-related work.

More than anyone, Mone hated the idea of Roze entering that line of work.

By rights, Roze had already reached the age where she could have been put to work using seduction. Mone had continued to refuse that.

Mone wished for Roze to remain “pure.” She had continued wishing for it.

But if they remained here, sooner or later her little sister would have to do that work.

Mone had become desperate.

(Even in something like this… I’m only weighing Sis down…)

From behind, Mone gently embraced the downcast Roze.

“You don’t need to worry. Your sister will do it properly.”

“But… but that Shitoen person is a good person.”

Shrugging off her sister’s arms, Roze looked up at her.

“She took care of you seriously when you were sick, and that man Saryu isn’t a bad person either.”

The work of the Cleaners was not limited to assassination.

They also served as bodyguards for important people.

Nobles and royalty.

They would stand in as doubles for them or attend to their personal security, but the higher the rank, the prouder and more arrogant they tended to be. Both Mone and Roze had been treated like trash more times than they could count.

But Shitoen had been different.

In order to make contact, Mone had deliberately cut her own body with a blade, but even when the resulting fever left her unable to move, Shitoen had nursed her with genuine care. She had wiped away sweat, changed her clothes, and even cleaned up her vomit.

Honestly, it had shocked Roze. She had wondered if nobles like that really existed.

The same was true of Saryu.

Though she had not yet been assigned to bedchamber-related work, Roze was often approached by men. Some had even tried to lay hands on her.

But Saryu showed absolutely no interest. The only woman in his eyes was his lawful wife.

It was the first time she had ever seen nobles or royals like that.

“…Which side… is wrong?”

Roze asked her sister in deadly earnest.

Was it the people who had treated the two sisters kindly?

Or was it the people who had raised them with every material comfort, yet ordered them to kill others?

“…Your sister will do it.”

Mone held Roze in her arms.

“I failed a little before, but this time it will be all right.”

She gently stroked her back.

Roze knew.

If things had gone as they should have, after her injury, once her strength returned and they spent that night in the same bed because “it will be the last time we spend together,” her sister should have killed Shitoen then.

When they met again, after saying, “Why don’t you have the prince show Roze around the residence,” she should have killed Shitoen and the maid together.

But— her sister had not been able to kill her. She had not wanted to kill her.

Shitoen.

“This time, I’ll absolutely carry it out.”

Mone buried her face against Roze’s neck and gently stroked her back.

“Let’s become free.”

“…Okay.”

Roze nodded and hugged her back.

It was Mone, more than anyone, whom Roze wanted to become free.