Chapter 47: Deal?
Scrutinising eyes.
Disgusted eyes.
Calculating eyes.
Eyes, eyes, eyes-
Speaking of eyes, here's your eye.
Handing over a roaming pair of eyes, I strolled through the mansion. I wasn't so sure if Hilda could endure their gazes, but I didn't mind.
The servants' judgmental faces are of no concern to me.
I could hear their distant whispers:
"Isn't that the Ghost?"
"That thing that appeared out of nowhere and is said to vomit black blood?"
"Is she actually related to The Curseless One?"
"Hah. Her? No way. That thing could never-"
...And so on.
Do I mind?
No.
How could I mind it when they speak the truth, nothing but the truth?
I do, however, feel slightly sorry for Hilda. She doesn't seem like the type to easily handle the stern words of adults.
Even now, at this very moment, she's hiding behind me whilst fiddling with her sword.
...Now that I think about it, she's been quiet since that day, hasn't she?
It has been 5 months since that day, and 6 months since the creature was perfected.
Half a year.
Not a long time, nor a short time.
A sweet spot.
Oh, I'm back here.
Stopping in an empty banquet hall, I slowly traced the details of the room; the vase in the left corner has yet to be cleaned, and the chandelier has been partially cleaned from the bottom, but traces of dust can still be seen.
And the terrace doors still, to this day, retain my fingerprints.
This place is nothing special.
It's just, after five months of confinement, I've come to appreciate this quiet banquet hall.
With the lack of external noises, it makes it easier to filter out the endless voices; the endless cries.
Other than Hilda's rare complaints that she'd quip in every so often, I don't have to listen to the whispers of the truth trickling in from all sides.
The servants, the guards, and mother's constant presence.
...Right, what was I thinking again?
The servants and the guards.
I don't have to deal with their pestering voices here.
While I don't mind it, it does get quite annoying listening to them parrot the same comments over and over again.
Walking onto the terrace, I wiped the marks off the door with my gloves.
...Now that I think about it, how are there fingerprints on the door-
...Fingerprints on the door?
...Oh, right, there are no fingerprints.
Smiling behind my mask-
Woosh!
-I leaned over the railing as my long, golden hair swayed like a vast curtain. Every so often, it would sweep over my vision, filling my eyes with the brilliant strands.
It almost feels like a reminder of Esme.
We are, yet we are not, the same.
"What's wrong, Hilda? You've been fidgeting for a while." I tossed those words backwards at the hesitant girl.
"...It's just, little dummy, Lady Esme requested that you do not move around too much as you are still-"
"Who cares?" I interrupted her, waving her words off without a care in the world.
Hilda wouldn't pass on anything I say to anyone within these private settings unless I specifically order her to, so I wasn't worried she'd tell Esme that I said that.
It's not that I'm dismissing Esme's worry; it's more so that if I followed through with her worries, I'd eventually become a bird in a cage. I'd become useless.
And if I become useless...
Esme will suffer, and if she suffers, it is my fault.
And if I make Esme suffer...
Then, for what reason do I exist?
But that's besides the point.
For now, I must investigate.
Yulei is temporarily off the table.
St. Neuvae's Clinic is a possibility, but the current goal should be-
"Say, Hilda, it won't be difficult for you to turn a blind eye, would it?"
"Huh? What do you mean, little dummy?"
Looking back at the confused girl, I grinned, "It'll only be for 6 hours, keep your mouth shut, got it?"
Leaning back on the railing, I leaned further, and further...
"See you soon."
...and fell over the railing, toward the bushes 10 meters below the terrace.
Let's give that underground market a visit. Vanessa might hold some interesting secrets.
"L, little dummy?!" Sprinting to the railing, Hilda reached me with an exasperated face.
Winking at her ruby-red eyes, I turned my head away and stared at the rapidly approaching ground.
Flooding and cracking my legs with Curses, I endured the splitting and bursting cells as I-
Thud!
-slammed into the bushes, through them, and into the ground. Pushing myself forward in a roll, I dampened the impact but came out of the fall with a couple of bruises and wincing bones.
But I'm alive.
A fall from this sort of height was no longer enough to kill me; but it certainly would have been enough 5 months ago.
I've grown a decent amount since.
Well, 'grown' is the incorrect word.
Technically, I'm Descending.
Freely stretching my ailing limbs, I heard them crack a couple of times from the stress and smoothly glued the issue back together.
When in doubt, glue it tight!
That's my motto!
Now then, that's enough messing around.
My goal:
Starcrossed Alley, clothing store Sparkles.
-----
One hour and thirty-five minutes is about how long it took to smoothly get there whilst avoiding prying eyes.
The difficult part was escaping the palace grounds, the Mistress definitely knows, and maybe some of the other kids, and by 'some' I mean Nemora. As long as Esme remains in the dark, then everything will be fine.
Nemora is likely to collect information on the downlow and spring it on me all at once some point down the line, but that's an issue for far into the future.
Until then...
I'm free again.
It only took Esme five months to drop her guard.
As for whether that's a long or short time...
No idea~
Skipping along Starcrossed Alley, I sneakily passed by other kids, teenagers, and older family members. A couple of groups were also headed in the same direction as Sparkles, so I followed loosely behind to not draw attention.
I couldn't exactly outpace them without using the Curses running through my veins, and that would be a foolish usage of it.
Not to mention~
83,001,311Mybodywon'tbesohappyifIdidthat83,001,464
Not long after, I came across Sparkles.
It shone with bright colours in one of the busiest sections of Starcrossed Alley, right beside it was its sister shop, Sparked.
One issue with this shop was that it was relatively quiet compared to the rest of the stores on the street, its goods were higher-end and only ever bought by nobles or wealthy merchants. Kids from poorer families only ever stood outside to admire the cute clothing.
I have to sneak in and get through that door without getting spotted.
And that was easier said than done.
A couple of workers stood at the front of the store, welcoming all customers, while a plethora roamed the innards to guide and aid the customers.
Getting by the ones walking around the inside was the easy part; dealing with those at the front, on the other hand, would prove difficult.
I have two options: wait for a group to enter and naturally walk in with them, or...
...
Yeah, there's no other 'or'.
That's the only option.
-----
"Lady Vanessa, I implore you, please do not taint yourself further-"
Frowning, the girl brushed her dark hair with a comb, gently separating the tangled strands. "And why shall I listen to you?"
"How many a time have you attempted to bar me from saving his life; how many a time have you stood back and observed me make a fool of myself?"
Slamming her brush down, "Yet you dare beg? You dare?!"
"Driver, how long till we arrive?!"
Nervously, the carriage driver opened the hatch, "In a minute, Milady."
"Good, and you, butler, if you dare-"
Hurriedly lowering his head, "I dare not." He pathetically lowered himself, blankly allowing his Lady to push herself further into the abyss. A cowardly, useless adult, that's all he was.
Clicking her teeth, Vanessa rested her head on the window. She watched the streets outside with a hollow heart.
They strolled and strolled, smoothly passing over the well-paved Starcrossed Alley.
And, as they rolled-
"...Is that?"
-Vanessa caught sight of a vaguely familiar body, a vaguely familiar mask...
"Driver, stop the carriage."
"Yes, Milady!" His muffled voice came through the shut hatch, and the carriage proceeded to come to a rolling stop.
The horses whined with nasal breaths as they collected their composure, their master, on the other hand-
Slam!
-she crashed the door open with force and rushed off with scurrying steps.
Darting her head left and right, she vigilantly surveyed their surroundings...
"There you are."
...and promptly chased after the girl standing before Sparkles.
Rushing up to Alora, she skidded to a halt right behind her and- Pah! -she clasped her shoulders from behind, causing the girl to jump.
"Got you! What are you doing here, you?!"
Slowly turning, Vanessa received the glinting white eyes through the silver-white mask. They glittered with intrigue and a sense of both surprise and...
Scheming?
Catching that emotion in her eyes, Vanessa carefully scooped back with a:
"Hmph. Aren't you meant to be stuck in that mansion of yours, L-a-d-y A-l-o-r-a." Enunciating each letter, Vanessa scrutinised Alora's appearance in Starcrossed Alley. While she outwardly pouted with sharp eyes, her brain was firing at a million miles per hour.
'Why is she out here? Why in front of Sparkles? Where is Hilda? How did Esme allow this outing? Wasn't she sick? Didn't Nemora say-'
"Say, Lady Vanessa."
Alora shut down every thought process as she leaned closer, close enough for her breath to ooze past the mask and brush onto Vanessa's face.
The empty scent of her breath sent odd shivers down Vanessa's spine.
"Sneak me into the underground market, and I won't tell anyone, in exchange, you won't tell anyone about this either. Deal?"
'...?'
Vanessa's brain froze.