Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Leasis was excluded from the mission. She sighed and looked around the empty art museum. The huge interior was filled with sculptures and works that were emitting cold air.

Somehow it felt like an imaginary house where Hizen could have lived. Leasis smiled unknowingly. The beautiful and chilly art museum looked good enough to believe that Hizen was the owner.

After looking around for a while, she sniffed. Since it was like this, should she look at the pieces of art? Leasis moved with a light heart.

Her favorite was a small statue, representing a mother and daughter, where the mother was holding her child. She felt calm just by looking at it.

Someone approached her while she was looking at it with a smile. She was an exceptionally tall woman in an imperial maid’s uniform.

Who was she? Leasis thought a little bit. The maid seemed to have gray hair and hazy eyes.

It seemed that Princess Ashley had not left yet. Leasis was a little curious, but she turned her attention away. She was a person who did not have much noticeable behavior, and she wanted to see more sculptures.

“Does it look expensive?”

It was an exceptionally beautiful voice. She turned her head around, wondering who had talked to her. But she could only see the gray-haired maid.

She was smiling at Leasis. Her appearance was impressive. The blurry impression from a while ago seemed to have changed dramatically.

While Leasis was wondering about her, the maid reached out her hand and stroked the piece of ice. Surprised, Leasis grabbed her arm.

“Don’t touch it!”

“Don’t worry. This is cheaper than you think.”

It was ridiculous. The Ichrissen family’s ice sculptures were luxurious items that could cost more than a castle. Even if she worked as a maid all her life, she could not even touch it.

“Ice is useless on a hot day like today. It’s going to melt anyway.”

“No. The Ichrissen Museum of Art is an ice castle, so it never melts.”

“Whoa. Okay. As long as the whole castle doesn’t melt, it’ll be fine.”

The gray-haired maid, murmuring quietly, said as if whining.

“Will you let me go? It hurts.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“You’re pretty strong.”

Leasis immediately took back her hand.

The maid touched her bloodless hand and was lost in thought.

“Your… your hands are a little cold.”

The gray-haired maid who said so took Leasis’ hands. Warmer than a magic stove, her body temperature wrapped both hands. Leasis looked at her with wide-opened eyes. She was as friendly as a lover.

“Your pretty hands are frozen.”

Her face turned red with embarrassment. It was too much to say that Leasis’ hands were pretty. Her fingerprints were all worn out due to a long history of bad work, and her fingernails were all broken. Leasis muttered as if making excuses.

“It must be because the museum is cold.”

“Hmm. You must meet a man who has a warm heart and warm hands.”

It was strange. Giving such advice did not seem to match her age. Leasis smiled awkwardly and bowed her head.

“Thank you.”

“If you’re grateful, can you do me a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Shh. I want you to be quiet from now on.”

The gray-haired maid raised the corners of her red lips. It was a smile that felt dangerous because it was beautiful.

She felt a sense of incompatibility. Leasis looked around hurriedly. There was no one in the museum. Not even the knights guarding the perimeter, or the maids of Princess Ashley.

Among them, only she and the woman were standing. Leasis shook her hand.

“Who… are you?”

“That’s what I want to ask. Why are you still here?”

The gray-haired maid glanced over Leasis with a troubled face. Facing her, Leasis recalled a name.

[Neren-nim, is this really true?]

[Huh? What?]

[In the book. You wrote that Count Dratius-nim caught the legendary thief. But it is known that this thief can disappear like smoke…]

[Huh, is smoke enough to escape? Hizen’s sword can penetrate everything.]

[Count Dratius-nim is amazing. I can’t believe he caught the legendary thief.]

[Yeah, it was great. I was there, too.]

[How was it?]

[Hm. Hold on a second. The guy was caught by Hizen, and then gritted his teeth and said his real name. His name is…]

“Veryoros Von Germa.”

“Correct. How do you know my real name?”

“I heard it from Neren-nim.”

“Neren?”

She remembered everything Neren had told her. Leasis took a deep breath and shouted.

“My name is Veryoros Von Germa! Count Hizen Ben Dratius, we’ll see each other again!”

“…That was a memory I wanted to forget. I couldn’t sleep for a while in prison after spitting it out.”

The gray-haired maid’s face turned red, maybe he[1] was lying. He smiled awkwardly and took off the long hair that came down to his shoulders.

“Yeah. That was the fine silver hair guy that was with Count Dratius at that time. He did have a big mouth.”

“Excuse me. Don’t insult Neren-nim. He talked a lot, but he was a handsome man.”

Leasis put her hands on her waist and opened her eyes wide. He laughed because she was pretty cute. Veryoros muttered, brushing off his shorter hair.

“Yes, yes. I got it. I apologize. But… I don’t have time for this.”

Veryoros quickly took off his maid’s uniform. He changed into a tight black suit, that was a more comfortable outfit with excellent elasticity.

“Let’s stop talking here.”

Veryoros did not blink. He whispered in a soft voice as if talking to a lover.

“Just rest.”

As he pulled a dagger out of his arms, darkness fell in the museum. Could it be that a wire was cut off? In a panic, Leasis looked around. It was difficult to find him because the ice castle was completely dark. Unable to break through the expensive pieces of ice, Leasis bit her lips without being able to do anything.

The darkness was Veryoros’ doing. She had no doubt about it. She could not hear any breathing or footsteps. Leasis shouted in a hurry.

“Give up! Count Dratius-nim is here so you won’t be able to steal the Ice Unicorn!”

“Pretty lady, thank you for your concern.”

Veryoros, who was out of the hallway, smiled beautifully. His calm voice rang in the dark.

“There’s a way to win against him, so don’t worry. Besides… I’m not here to steal today.”

He was not here to steal? Leasis was puzzled, but his faint appearance disappeared completely.

TL notes

[1] I’m changing the pronoun of the maid/thief from she to he from here on, as his identity is revealed.