The Real Thing

“We lost. Burn us, boil us, do whatever you like. Even if it was for work, we did what we did. We were prepared for this.”

The man who seemed to be the leader of the assassins spoke in a dignified tone.

It was an attitude that conveyed pride and dignity.

I decided to bind them and hand them over to the vigilante corps.

When I informed him of their treatment, the leader frowned suspiciously and said,

“I do not think that is a very good choice, little lady. If you hand us over to the vigilante corps, our custody will be turned over to the High Court. That place is a breeding ground for corruption and collusion. Plenty of our clients are there. They will come up with some convenient excuse and let us out in less than a week.”

“That is fine. We can show the other nobles our strength. It would be troublesome if they kept sending assassins every time something happened.”

“If that is your goal, then there is no reason not to kill us. If you lined our corpses up in front of some noble’s house, you could expect an even greater effect than with your plan.”

“Do you want to die that badly?”

“It is not that I want to die. I simply felt you were being a little too soft.”

The leader said,

“The ones you are facing are scum who can kill people without hesitation for the sake of profit and self-preservation. They are irredeemable villains, and precisely because of that, they betray others without a second thought, trample them underfoot, and enjoy prosperity. If you start indulging in luxuries like not wanting to kill, you will get the ground swept out from under you.”

“Thank you for the advice. But the reason I do not choose killing is simply because I do not think that way is the best option.”

I said.

“I am the kind of person who cannot throw things away. I always think it would be such a waste. I keep thinking maybe I can still use them somehow. It is the same with people who have opposed me. If they stay alive, perhaps I can make use of them someday. In that case, is it not killing them the better choice? Especially in your case, you seem like the sort of person who would recognize being spared as a debt of gratitude.”

“So you are laying the groundwork now to keep me alive and make use of me later.”

“Yes. I am right in the middle of plotting, actually.”

At my words, the leader laughed.

“What a girl you are. Honestly.”

Shaking his head in exasperation, he said,

“You really are something. Maybe people like you are the ones who change the world.”

After handing over the bound assassins to the vigilante corps, Vincent and I made plans to defeat Father.

This time, we had managed to avoid any casualties, but there was no guarantee it would go well again next time.

Once Father learned that the assassins he had sent had failed, he would likely try to erase me with even harsher methods.

There would definitely be harm done to my allies and to the people of the territory as well.

Before that happened, I had to crush Father and create a situation where he could never do such a thing again.

However, despite the gravity of the situation, I was in intense confusion over the unexpected scene before my eyes.

“Um, Ciel… you are a little close.”

“You do not have to force yourself. There are anxieties that can only be eased by doing this.”

Everyone who had come back was worrying over me to an excessive degree.

Ciel would not stop hugging me, and Vincent too kept glancing at me repeatedly while bringing me sweets and cakes and all sorts of things.

“Please tell us anything at all without hesitation. If I am sufficient, I will listen for hours or even days.”

His perfect butler’s expression, without the slightest opening, carried an unmistakable trace of concern.

(I cannot exactly say that I am bewildered by how kind they are being to me…)

Seen objectively, I was indeed a ten-year-old child who had been attacked by assassins and rescued at the last possible moment, so it was natural that they would worry.

They were probably afraid that I had been emotionally scarred and that it would have bad effects on the rest of my life.

The former rioters turned agents were no different in that regard.

“If there is anything we can do, please tell us.”

“This is a cherry tart I made.”

“At any time, in any situation, we are always on Lady Mythia’s side.”

I could not help but be bewildered by how cherished I was.

I never imagined they would worry this much.

Even so, I did not dislike it.

It was almost my first time being worried over and treated kindly by so many people like this.

Remarkably, the strategy meeting that day proceeded entirely in a pampering-Lady-Mythia formation.

While being hugged from behind by Ciel, I listened to Vincent’s investigation report.

“We have identified Ravel Lumiore’s vital point. The thing we should aim for is the confidential material in the safe in his private room.”

Vincent said,

“He keeps notes there regarding dark dealings and the flow of money within noble society. If they were leaked outside, the status and reputation he has built would suffer a serious blow. More than anything, if it were known that he had allowed forbidden documents and information to leak, he would no longer be able to survive within noble society.”

“If we can sneak in and obtain that, Father will no longer be able to lay a hand on us.”

At my words, Vincent nodded and continued.

“The problem is that the Lumiore estate has one of the strictest security arrangements in the magical kingdom. Over the past few days, they have increased the personnel even further. I must say that slipping through that security net, infiltrating the interior, and obtaining the confidential material would be extremely difficult.”

“But we can do it. Right?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

The two of us exchanged smiles.

But since Ciel was hugging me, it did not quite feel villainess-like.

That was regrettable, but I was also happy to be cherished, so it could not be helped.

The former rioters turned agents, whom Vincent had trained, also helped with planning the operation.

“We infiltrated the atelier of the architect who designed the estate and obtained the structural plans of Count Lumiore’s mansion. Please make use of them.”

“Here is a list of the people who routinely enter and leave the Lumiore estate grounds. We investigated their backgrounds across the board and marked the strong candidates who would be easiest to impersonate.”

“We identified the craftsman who made the safe that is the operation’s target. We are continuing to search for any remaining materials such as structural plans. We should have the results by tomorrow morning.”

There was not the slightest opening in the appearance of those people, wrapped in elegant coats.

Polished shoes and suits without a single wrinkle.

Their bearing had been further refined through Vincent’s training.

They looked like an agent team that had stepped straight out of a story.

(They really are completely the real thing… or rather, they may have gone beyond the real thing by now…)

They were the same territory people who, until not long ago, had been rampaging around as rioters while shouting things like “Hyahha!”

I was dumbfounded by how much they had changed, but as allies willing to cooperate, they were incredibly reassuring.

“It is precisely because everyone is grateful to you, Lady Mythia, that they are working so earnestly.”

Returning the smile of Vincent, who spoke in a low voice, I smiled as well.

The first true comrade I had ever found who shared the same hobby had raised such splendid play-acting companions for me.

That meant I too had to display the skill of a master class villainess role-player.

“Ciel. Please.”

“Yes, Lady Mythia.”

Apparently understanding what I wanted to do, Ciel narrowed her eyes and gave me a push from behind.

I stepped forward, turned around, and coolly brushed back my hair.

“I show no mercy to those who come at us. We will thoroughly crush them to the point that they can never defy us again. That is how we do things.”

I said.

“Let us educate those bloated, corrupt nobles. We will show them what true evil worthy of ruling this world really is.”