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The furniture and decorations were neatly arranged, but there were no windows, so it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night. With the misunderstandings between us resolved, I decided to ask about something that had been on my mind. "So, this place is...?" "This place is the basement of my mansion. The prepared carriage was sent back, and I arranged for another carriage to bring you here." "I see. Is the workshop also located here?" David, who had been shrinking his shoulders awkwardly, answered hesitantly. "Ah, yes. I feel sorry for the children, but all the work is done in the basement... Of course, I've prepared rooms for them as servants upstairs." "I understand. Since this is the workshop, it would be best to install the teleportation array here." Judging by my hunger, it doesn't seem like much time has passed. If I'm only a little late getting back, Sergio probably won't mind. "I sincerely apologize for my rough behavior this time." "No, I'm the one who should apologize. If it's alright, could we redo the tea party? My throat is a bit dry." "Are you sure...? It has been my dream to have a tea party with Lady Sheriel." David, on the verge of tears of joy again, was hurriedly calmed down. "Please, calm down. You knew about me?" "Yes, of course. You're the child of the embodiment of beauty, Lady Dior, with silver hair that is unique in the world. And recently, you've created the House of Beauty where everyone can be reborn as beautiful. As a trader, one must be sensitive to domestic information." David added, somewhat awkwardly, that his interest had been piqued by the dark auction incident. "When you two replied that you would attend, I had a premonition that this would happen. Even so, I wanted to have tea with you both in person... I thought my dream had come true during the day, but after hearing from Anne, I just had to, one last time..." "I'm not blaming you. I'm honored. Let's have a tea party!" Didn’t those cursed by Beriards lack a sense of guilt? Right now, I feel incredibly sorry... Didier showed no signs of remorse at all and was sipping the tea the maid had prepared. "If you'd like, we can have a tea party in the salon as well. Shall I invite my mother? We're also developing beauty products, so feel free to try anything that interests you." "Lady Sheriel, please don’t make me dream any more... I'm already so happy I can hardly stand it.” No, no, the bar for happiness... I might understand if he was troubled by his appearance and hobbies in this rigid aristocratic society, but still... Gathering myself, we discussed getting outfits tailored exclusively for me and the days to visit the salon. The date for setting up the teleportation array would be decided after consulting with Julius. "Lady Sheriel, thank you so much. For recognizing the real me, and giving me the job of my dreams, truly, truly..." Ugh, stop it. David's gratitude felt almost like torture to me, who had forced him to come out about his cross-dressing hobby in the course of trying to snatch his slaves. When we left the mansion, it was already evening, but not too late. Lights were spilling from the windows of the surrounding mansions. Since David couldn't go outside dressed as a woman, Ellie came out to see us off. "I'm sorry we've kept you past dinner time. Please take care on your way back." "Yes, I apologize for the trouble to everyone. I look forward to seeing you all again soon." After retrieving Dirk, who had been put to sleep in another room, we got into the carriage, and I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. "That was quite amusing! It's never boring when I'm with Sheriel." "It has nothing to do with me, does it?" "Well, it was you who suggested the slave snatching operation in the first place and decided to make Lord David a fashion designer! Haha! Normally, people would be put off." Didier, however, didn't seem put off. Those cursed by Beriards didn't empathize with others, nor did they harbor special aversions to particular hobbies. Their judgment of the nobles they had attacked up till now was solely based on values trained in human nature classes, determining their actions as wrong. Lately, though, it seems Didier has been somewhat influenced by my values... "Dirk, what do you think? Will Lord David's hobby be accepted by the aristocracy?" "Well, if someone like that were born into a noble family, they would likely be confined for life or dealt with secretly. Personally, I think Lord Didier is more problematic." "Ah, yes, people in Beriard's territory seem more tolerant in that regard." Didier, looking displeased, poked at Dirk, but Dirk casually swatted his hand away. "You're a terrible assistant, aren't you?" "It couldn't be helped since it was a slow-acting poison. Isn't it your fault, Lord Didier, for not bringing a guard knight?" "What? You know Licht was dumber than expected, and there was no one else to move, right?" There are many types of poison, but most work better on those with the blessing of life. I had survived because I was still small and only a tiny amount of poison had been mixed in. If it had been worse, my heart might have stopped. Considering this, I could understand why Didier had drawn his sword initially, and I could only reflect on my own lack of crisis management skills. Listening to the lively banter between the two, we returned to Beriard's castle via the royal capital. The next morning, Didier's cheerful voice echoed in the dining hall. "Alright! I summoned Julius today, so the safety measures are perfect!" "Um, Didier? You promised I would help. Why are you taking Sheriel and Julius?" Sergio, who had expected to be involved, questioned, looking puzzled and somewhat betrayed. Today, we were planning to confront the noble who had been collecting the last remaining corpses. Seeing Sergio's frustration, both Julius and I nodded in agreement. "After yesterday, I reconsidered. There might be legitimate reasons, you know? But if we bring Father along, he would cut everyone down without listening to any explanations." "That's...! This is terrible! You're taking everything from me! Am I not your father?" Sergio's voice rose to a near-scream as he protested. Didier signaled Zaris, who was standing by the wall, and had Sergio, who was nearly hysterical, escorted to the study. "Are you sure about this? And why am I involved in this?" "Because I realized things are more interesting with you around, Sheriel. If we bring Father, everything gets resolved too quickly," Didier replied with a breezy smile. He seemed to be growing more like Sergio, or perhaps Sergio's increasingly childish behavior made Didier seem more mature by comparison. The last target of our slave snatching operation was a noble in the Marquisate of Beriard. Within the domain, Sergio had absolute authority as the lord, and he could execute them on the spot if he wished. It was likely they wanted to avoid this, especially considering Sergio's mounting frustration due to the ongoing war. While I believed it would be best to leave such matters to the lord, it seemed Didier had other ideas. "...So, an exorcism ritual is necessary, isn't it?" "You're quick to catch on, Sheriel." "And why do I have to accompany you?" Julius, who was also being roped into the Beriard family's troubles, was understandably the most dissatisfied. "Yesterday was a bit dangerous, so you're the bodyguard, Julius. We can't afford to have something happen to an important student, can we?" "It would be helpful if you could avoid situations where your life is in danger," Julius responded dryly. Despite his complaints, Julius had dutifully brought the outfit that concealed his entire body. He was unexpectedly good at taking care of things. Despite everything, I ended up going along with Didier's scheme. "Alright, today it's an attack with the four of us! This is going to be fun!" Using the map, Julius repeatedly teleported us, including Dirk, and we moved through the territory. We borrowed a carriage partway and quickly arrived at our target mansion. We boldly broke through the front gate and, with Julius in his black garb in tow, quickly reached the mansion's owner. "What on earth is this!? Lord Didier!?" "Good morning, Count Cussion. You really have no idea why I'm here today?" Didier, leisurely entering the study and blocking the exit, peered at the count. To the flustered man in front of him, Didier pressed, "You're selling corpses, right?" Realizing he couldn't talk his way out of this with the lord's family visiting in person, Count Cussion collapsed to his knees, resigning himself to his fate. "Hand over the slaves you bought at the dark auction." "No, such people are not..." "We've already investigated. Or would you prefer some torture?" The completely gangster-like intimidation made me want to avert my eyes, even though he was my brother. After the fruitless exchange, two slaves were brought by the servants. Upon seeing Didier, they knelt, tears in their eyes. "You two want to be released from your servitude to Count Cussion, correct?" "Yes...! Yes! Thank you!" "Still, they really stink... Clean them up." Didier glanced at Julius, who sighed and enveloped the two slaves in water. The smell was so strong it lingered in the room... One wash wasn't enough, so I helped clean them several times. From their exhausted state, it was clear managing corpses had been a grueling task. "So, who were you selling to? Write down everyone's names on this paper." "Please, anything but that! This is also for the kingdom!" "For the kingdom? Oh, you have clients in the capital. ...A magician... no, a sage." Watching Count Cussion's reactions, Didier deduced the identities of the buyers. Dealing with a sage could be troublesome... Leaving the interrogation to Didier, I quietly spoke to Julius. "Do you think dealing with a sage is alright? Could there be pressure from the kingdom?" "Who knows? Managing that is Didier's job.” Julius, with a cool and detached demeanor, watched as Didier gathered evidence. "So, now that we've uncovered a major secret, they're going to dispose of us?" "I doubt they'll go to that extent. They probably used it for magical research." "Like resurrection or immortality? It seems plausible." As I chatted with Julius, Didier was busy dragging Count Cussion around, seizing ledgers and letters. Judging by the satisfied smirk on Didier's face, he had found the necessary evidence. Didier's plan had unraveled much more quickly than anticipated, taking only about an hour. It seemed the only significant backer was the sage, which was a bit anticlimactic. At least, that's what I thought. Didier, however, had already found another source of entertainment. "Hey, there's someone interesting nearby. Why don't we check it out? We have some time to spare." Let's go home... I'm still exhausted from yesterday. "Isn't it just some guy doing human experiments or something?" "You got it! But hey, accumulated corruption is bad, right? That's why I brought you two along." "I understand, but..." Corpses are directly linked to corruption. Therefore, in this country, they are always subjected to a purification ritual and cremated. This makes fresh bodies hard to come by and leads to their trade on the black market. The buyers of these bodies might accumulate corruption themselves. "This was the original plan, right? This is part of the Beriard family's duty!" "Alright, alright... So, what will we do with Count Cussion?" "It's our territory, so we'll have Father call him later. We've achieved our main goal anyway." Count Cussion, now completely subdued, bowed his head, indicating he had no intention of resisting. I sighed and reluctantly followed Didier, who was in high spirits. Even though we successfully rescued the last of the illegal slaves, it seemed I still wouldn't be able to return home just yet.