"Oh, Senior, I've been wanting to ask this whole time — what is that maid outfit you're wearing...?"
"Eh?"
Elena had not given this any thought at all, and certainly had not thought about how to explain why she had turned into a maid!
And at that very moment, Elena felt other eyes on her again.
Only then did she realize that the two of them were still rather conspicuous up on the roof — especially with her in a full maid outfit.
"That's... hold on, let's talk somewhere else first. We stand out too much here."
She hauled Vier up and brought her down to a small alley at street level.
Beyond the alley was a street thick with passers-by; inside it was dim, with only Elena and Vier there.
Vier pulled back the hood of her black outfit, revealing short, pale-pink hair full of girlish charm, with a single stray tuft standing up on top.
No wonder Vier kept herself wrapped up so thoroughly; that pink head of hers stood out far too much.
Not that any of that mattered right now.
Vier took a step closer to Elena and pressed the question Elena had not yet answered.
"You can tell me now, can't you, Senior? There isn't a soul here."
"Eh... that's..."
Elena turned it over for a long while before speaking again.
"It's a disguise. Yes. I'm disguised as a maid, looking for an opening to make the kill."
That was the best explanation she could come up with, and it was also the truth — flawless!
"Ehhh — really...?"
Having watched Elena think about it for that long, Vier still looked unconvinced.
"Really. That old hag... no. This target is far stronger than I expected, and extremely wary as well. In a head-on fight..."
Elena paused. She did not much want to admit that she could not beat Lilith, but... it happened to be the truth.
"I'm no match for her... So! The disguise is necessary. Find the weak point, then one strike, one kill — isn't that what Teacher taught us?"
Hearing Elena answer so earnestly, Vier began to waver.
"For Senior to rate her that highly..."
After a moment's thought, she did after all want to believe Elena.
"All right. I'll believe you for now, Senior."
At that, Elena finally let out her breath. She had bluffed her way through it.
"So does Senior need any help? Two of us should make it easier, shouldn't it?"
Vier asked it with a trace of worry on her face; she seemed to want to contribute something too.
"Absolutely not!"
Elena's rebuttal came out on reflex.
"She's my target. I don't need anyone's help — not even yours, Vier."
Setting aside that it would expose the fact that she had lost, there was also the question of what that old hag might do if she found out Vier existed.
Elena had no desire to put Vier in unnecessary danger, so she had to refuse.
"Eh? I see... All right..."
Vier lowered her head slightly. She had worked up the courage to offer, only to be refused without hesitation, and it left her rather deflated.
Elena saw it. She stepped forward and rested both hands on Vier's shoulders.
"Don't worry about me. You know how strong I am, Vier. So — go back and wait for me to come home, all right?"
Elena's sudden closeness startled Vier a little, and she raised her head slightly.
Looking at Elena right there in front of her, Vier felt her cheeks warm and redden, the picture of a bashful little girl.
She knew Elena was worried about her, so as the junior, all she needed to do was support her quietly.
"Understood..."
Vier closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and let it out. When she opened them again the flush was gone and the smile was back.
"Then Senior! Do your best. I'll be waiting at home for you to come back!"
"Mm. Trust me, I'll be back soon!"
Elena promised her in complete earnest.
And just then an unexpected call broke the mood between them.
"Elena—"
It was Lilith's voice. She had come out remarkably quickly.
Elena leaned out of the alley and picked out that distinctive silver hair at a glance among the passing residents; Lilith was heading toward the alley she stood in.
She turned back to tell Vier to go quickly, but before she could get it out, Vier spoke first.
"Ah, it looks like Senior's 'Master' has come to find her. I won't get in the way then~"
Vier said it as though joking, then pulled her hood back on and wrapped herself up again.
"I'm off, Senior!"
The words had barely finished before Vier withdrew into the shadows and vanished.
Only once she had watched Vier leave did Elena let out her breath.
Thank goodness Vier was sensible. If Lilith had found her, there was no telling how she would have explained it.
Elena felt rather relieved that it had been Vier and not someone else.
She then straightened the clothes she had disarranged in the scuffle, tossed the swiped fruit knife into a corner of the alley, and finally walked out.
The moment she stepped out, she came face to face with Lilith, already standing there.
"Elena~ What are you doing here? You weren't doing anything bad, were you~?"
Lilith said it with a smile, but in Elena's eyes this was an interrogation!
"Th-that is, I just saw a cat go in, and I was curious, so I followed it...!"
Lilith had not discovered Vier, but Elena turning up in a place like this was strange in itself.
That left her no choice but to invent a reason on the spot, and hope Lilith would not dig too hard.
"Oh~? I never imagined my little maid liked cats. I'm very fond of cats too~ But you see... I only like obedient cats~"
Lilith clearly had not believed a word of it, and closed in on Elena step by step.
Elena did not resist; she knew she could not dodge this, and shut her eyes as though resigned to her fate.
"So then, is my little maid an obedient cat~?"
"Meow~~"
Lilith's words had barely finished before a cat's cry came from deep in the alley.
Lilith looked over, and Elena, as though grasping at a lifeline, turned her head to look as well.
Deep in the alley, a small grey cat had appeared at some point, its eyes glinting faintly yellow in the dark.
Seeming to notice Elena and Lilith's gazes, it gave a light spring and leapt off to who knew where.
"Oh my. So there really was a cat."
Lilith put on a look of surprise.
There really was a cat?!
Elena was rather shocked herself; she had thought she was finished.
"I'm sorry~ I misjudged you."
Lilith's apology left the already-stunned Elena frozen all over again; it had never occurred to her that this old hag would apologize to her.
It left her at a loss for how to answer, and she was beginning to wonder whether the person in front of her was really Lilith at all.
"There now, don't look so shocked. Your Master is perfectly fair about rewards and punishments."
Lilith reached out and gave the frozen Elena a light flick on the forehead, which finally brought her back to herself.
"Come along~ I'll take you somewhere with good food, and Elena may say if there's anything she wants. Consider it compensation for misjudging you~"
Even so, Elena still could not quite believe it. This wasn't some kind of test, was it?
"Really...?"
She worked up the courage to confirm it with Lilith one more time.
"Of course. Go on~ What is it my little maid wants~?"
Lilith nodded, but put extra weight on the words "little maid."
This old hag has an ulterior motive after all!
Elena was glad she had been cautious enough; otherwise she would have handed Lilith another reason to punish her.
But what could she ask for that would satisfy Lilith and still be of use to her?
Elena sank into thought again... That's it!
"I want some ordinary clothes... the kind I can wear at home and outside!"
Lilith smiled at that, though there was a trace of mischief mixed into it.
"New clothes? Very well~ But I'll be the one choosing them~"