"First question. Let's start with something easy. What's your name, and when did you join the Organization?"
"Eh?"
The lady in black froze for a second; she had not expected Elena to open with a question like that.
"What? You won't even answer something that simple?"
Elena twirled the dagger in her hand and shot her a glare.
"N-no! My name is Sarah, and I only joined the Organization recently..."
The killer named Sarah appeared to have very little tolerance for being frightened.
"Only recently? Are they out of people upstairs?"
Elena found that rather hard to believe — then again, she had taken her own contract as a newcomer, which made it make sense after all.
"Never mind. Next question. Tell me why you came here."
"That's... uh, well..."
Sarah started stammering.
The sight of it left Elena dissatisfied. She was a prisoner — how did she still have it in her to resist?
"Hey now, you don't have the right to refuse to answer at the moment. Or have you forgotten your position~?"
As she spoke she planted her right foot between Sarah's legs, the toe of her shoe pressing into her lower belly.
One good push and Sarah would probably bring up everything she had eaten yesterday.
"Eep! I-I'll talk! It's just that upstairs suspects you've defected, so they sent me to investigate!"
"Huh?"
Elena listened, and her head filled with question marks.
Defected? When had she defected? Why were they spreading rumors!
She had been toyed with and turned into a maid just to complete this contract. She had given up all of that and they still suspected her?
Wait, no.
It suddenly came back to Elena: the only one who knew anything about her situation was Vier. Vier had not said something she shouldn't have after going back, had she?
Never mind. Vier was not that stupid; this probably was not her fault.
Thinking that, Elena met Sarah's eyes again, and Sarah gave an involuntary shudder, plainly terrified.
"So besides you, is there anyone else? They can't have sent one rookie greenhorn on her own."
"Ah... that's, um..."
"Hm?"
Sarah had barely started stammering before another fierce glare from Elena made her turn honest instantly.
"There are two more besides me! But I don't know when they're coming. I was the first..."
"Two more? ...Ugh, what a nuisance."
Elena scratched her head. What a mess this was.
No. She could not let anyone else disturb her grand plan — never mind whether they could actually kill Lilith.
The Organization clearly had no intention of letting her off either! She had to make them believe she had not failed.
"Never mind, forget them for now. Here's what happens: you go back and report again, and say I'm still on the job and have not defected. Understood?"
"U-understood!"
Sarah nodded hard, as though terrified Elena would change her mind.
"All right, all right. That's that, then. Off you go."
As she said it Elena drew her foot back and stepped forward to untie Sarah's ropes.
"And remember — don't go embroidering it with anything strange."
"I absolutely won't say anything odd!"
Sarah's answer was thoroughly sincere — or rather, thoroughly driven by the will to live.
"Fine. Go on, then."
With that, Elena was about to turn and head home when Sarah called after her.
"Um... Senior Elena, could you help me up? My legs seem to have gone weak..."
Elena turned back around. Sarah's cheeks were faintly red, and though she tried to push herself up she could not manage it at all.
"You... never mind. I really don't know why the Organization sent a greenhorn like you."
Elena gave in; the girl was her junior of a sort after all, and a hand was a hand.
She stepped over and helped Sarah up — and only then did she notice that the fabric between Sarah's legs was somewhat damp.
It looked like... she had wet herself. Surely not?
She could hardly believe it. So that was why Sarah's face had been red just now? Wasn't that a bit...
Sarah plainly knew Elena had discovered the state of her trousers, and turned her burning face away.
"Um, thank you! I'll be going now, I won't keep you!"
Embarrassment made Sarah suddenly capable of movement again — she even ran remarkably fast, vanishing in a streak. A medical miracle, frankly.
Elena watched Sarah's retreating back and put a hand to her forehead in resignation.
Back at the villa.
In the living room, Lilith was sitting on the sofa with a book in her hands, reading quietly.
Seeing Elena come back, Lilith closed the book and smiled at her.
"Welcome home~?"
"Ah. I'm back."
Elena answered on reflex, and the moment it was out she felt something was slightly off, though she could not say what.
"There's hot water in the tub~ Go and bathe. I've hung your new nightwear in the washroom for you~"
"I know!"
Elena answered and headed for the washroom. If someone was going to wait on her, she would of course enjoy it as her due.
Halfway there, though, she turned back to look at Lilith once more.
"That is, thank you..."
The words were barely out before she fled into the washroom.
They might be hunter and prey, but one thing was one thing; when you were helped, thanks were owed.
Yes, that was it exactly. She was thanking her because she had manners!
Elena talked herself around once again.
Time in the bath is always short, since soaking too long will make you faint.
After toweling off and changing into her new nightdress, Elena came back to the living room.
Lilith was still on the sofa reading, and looked thoroughly absorbed in it.
That made Elena curious again, and she sat down beside Lilith — though not very close.
The book in Lilith's hands looked quite new. Not an ancient tome, but with no cover, so there was no telling what it was.
After turning it over in her mind for a long while, she failed to resist her curiosity and leaned in.
A movement that large was hardly something Lilith could miss, and the moment Elena leaned over, Lilith closed the book.
"What is it~ my little maid~?"
Asking what she already knew — though the tactic did work on Elena.
"I'm curious what you're reading. Is that not allowed!"
"Oh~ Is that so. But you may not read this book. It isn't good for you~"
Lilith gave the warning kindly.
But by the time it reached Elena's ears the meaning had changed: she felt Lilith simply did not want her to see it, and was trying to tease her!
She had no intention of letting Lilith succeed. She would turn the tables and take the initiative!
"Never mind that, looking won't kill me!"
With that Elena snatched the book out of Lilith's hands.
Lilith showed not the slightest sign of resisting — she even let go of the book as Elena reached for it, so that Elena got hold of it easily.
"Hmph~"
Having won it, Elena gave a small snort, the picture of triumph.
Then she opened the book at once, unable to wait — except...