The doll, in the appearance of Oppensia, slowly opened its eyes. There was no focus in her red eyes.
"You want that too, Oppensia?"
"..."
"I'm sorry for poisoning you. I didn't mean to kill you. For a while, I was just going to pretend to hate you and shake off my family's opposition. I didn't expect to get so many paralyzing drugs like this."
"..."
"I'm collecting human souls to revive you. If you survive, will you call my name and laugh at me again?"
Felix left the room with a short kiss on the doll's forehead. The demon that remained in the spot grinned as he watched Felix move away.
***
The organizer of the tea party, 'Isolene', appeared. As Isolene took her seat with a courtesy greeting, those with invitations also took their seats.
Perhaps because there were no designated seats, everyone struggled to sit close to the organizers.
Then, Catherine, who took advantage of the gap to hide in the Grand Duke's residence, went to an inconspicuous corner and spied on the scene. Her red hair was covered with a hood.
'Damn Isolene...! How dare you send out invitations on the day of my ball? Because of you, all the participants flocked here, so I had to cancel my ball! Now you're going to tell me openly, right?'
Looking at it, it seemed like she was overwhelmed by the topic of being pushed by a maid named 'Mori.'
'Do you know I'm going to be beaten like this? Today, I will expose your secret and ruin this place. It was so hard to get this necklace!!'
Catherine took out the necklace she had hidden in her arms. It was a necklace made of gold and rubies, as if it were an heirloom in any family.
'If I use this to expose Isolene's secret and make her kick out of this house, and then somehow push a woman named Mori away, His Highness the Grand Duke will take care of me, right?'
When she was in the middle of looking at the timing, she started to feel the momentum. Catherine hid in the grass.
The voices of the child and the maid were getting closer and closer to her.
"Oh, that's why you caught scarabs as a gift from me? Thank you, Seara!"
"Thank you for liking me! It was a bit difficult to catch, but I'm glad Alice ate it deliciously!"
When she heard it, it seemed that the youngest Princess, Seara, and her nanny, who had run away from the Imperial palace, were playing in the backyard.
'By the way, what? Eat scarabs? Oh, I must have heard it wrong.'
Catherine plucked her ears and waited for the Princess and her nanny to pass. It was then that she opened her eyes and watched through the bushes.
Blood splattered for a moment.
An intruder dressed in black appeared. The intruder moved in an instant and attacked the nanny. The black-haired nanny's body quickly collapsed.
"Wow! Chession bro... Ugh!"
Seara, who was screaming and fell out, was stuck in the back of her throat. The black-clad intruder carried the fallen nanny on his shoulders and fled the scene.
Catherine was trembling with only her necklace in her hand.
"What... Just? What the hell happened?"
What was certain was that now was not the time to focus on selling Isolene. The black-clad intruder may be looking for witnesses. She had to hide her presence, even if it meant holding her breath.
By the way.
"Oh, please help me... Is there no one around...?"
Seara, who had a stinger stuck in the back of her neck, crawled around and looked around. Her body was becoming paralyzed, so she couldn't reach out to the back of her neck and pull out the saliva.
Is that poison really simple paralyzed her? She didn't think so. If the stinger is not removed quickly, the little Princess may die.
'Did the man go? What if you're still around?'
The strength gradually loosened from Seara's body. The hidden became irregular, and the face turned pale.
"Please, please spare me..."
Catherine was worried. If she saves Seara here, they will find out that she is here, an uninvited guest. She also had to think about the possibility of being attacked by an intruder who might still be nearby.
However, she couldn't bear to look away from Seara, who was wriggling in pain.
'No, what kind of trick am I? I don't know how to handle a single dagger properly, but what if the intruder attacks me?'
At that time, she closed her eyes tightly and turned her head. There was a thought that crossed her mind.
'I heard that His Highness loves that Princess inexhaustibly. What if I save her quickly now and ruin the party by talking about the intruder? I can win the love of His Highness and ruin the party."
It was when Catherine tucked the necklace into her arms and was about to run out of the grass. Something fell from the sky. It was a man dressed in black.
"Oh, really. I tried not to use my strength for fear that I might have eyes to see. Seara, are you okay?"
The black-haired nanny followed and flapped down from the sky. Then she pulled out the poisonous stinger from the back of the Princess's neck and sprayed an unidentified green liquid.
Then the Princess jumped up and scolded the nanny.
"What is this? No matter how much you are kidnapped, what if you kill someone? I told you to be a good witch! I could have just stunned you moderately."
"But Seara was in danger, and there was no one around. And I didn't kill him. He just lost his mind because he was caught in my spell."
Catherine's golden eyes flickered back and forth. What are they saying now? Witch? And what else about the bizarre liquid she just sprayed? And how did that nanny fly down from the sky? Did the nanny kill that sleek intruder?
Catherine, who was curious, boldly poked her head through the grass. The moment when there was a small sound.
"What are you doing here?"
She heard an eerie voice behind her.
"Uh-oh!"
A frightened Catherine screamed as if she were about to faint. Gremory touched her stinging ears and frowned.
"What are you so surprised about? It's not the first time you've seen me."
"Wow, it's because you pop out of nowhere! And what the hell is that nanny? How did she catch the intruder on the topic of the nanny?"
"Then what, did you think the Princess's nanny was an ordinary person?"
"That's right... What did the witch say? I think I heard that to be a good witch...!"
"You must have heard that she was told to be a good beauty. Where are the witches in the world?"
"That's right."
Relieved, Catherine stood up and shook off the dirt and leaves from the hem of her dress.
Seara and Alice seemed to notice Catherine's presence only then. Gremory gestured to the two of them to put the man in black in a quiet place. Then the two moved quickly and cleaned the scene.
After that, Gremory focused on Catherine again.
'What should I do? Will she be brainwashed to manipulate memories? No, it's so stupid that it doesn't seem necessary. In addition, she even wears holy earrings that prevent sorcery, so if I try to brainwash her forcibly, there is a high possibility that she will be released quickly.'
After making a decision, Gremory decided to just deal with Catherine in moderation.
"Hey, uninvited guest."
"What, what?"
"This kind of thing is very common in the Grand Duke's residence. As you know, it has been widely known by rumors."
"I know that!"
"You just need to know. And if you want to be at a party, sit over there."
The place Gremory pointed to was a distant place where Isolene looked as small as an ant. Catherine snorted.
"Hah! How can I, Ortega, sit in such a place? There we go! Just go home!"
"I thought the dirt floor in this bush would be satisfactory, so I thought that you would be satisfied with that place."
"What? How long have you been watching me here? Damn it!"
"Isn't it the same as being gloomy? What is it hiding in your arms?"
Catherine thought for a moment. The purpose of her visit today was to expose Isolene's ugly past through the necklace. So it was right to finish that work while she was here.
"A gift of reconciliation for Isolene. So please don't stop me from going to Isolene?"
"A gift?"
Gremory's eyes narrowed. She wants to see Catherine's darkness, but she couldn't see it because the witch's power was blocked because of the pretty, good relic earrings.
"No. If you give it to me, I'll deliver it to her as soon as the party is over. If an uninvited guest comes in the middle of the party and gives her an unwanted gift, it will make Isolene feel dirty."
"Yes, that's It! How do I trust you? I'll give it to her next time!"
That's how Catherine disappeared as if she were running away. Gremory stared at the back of her head for a long time.
'What?'
Gremory ignored Catherine and decided to put out the fire first. To go to the man who tried to kidnap Alice.
Meanwhile, Catherine, who left the Grand Duke's residence as if she were being chased, wiped away tears and vowed.
Someday, she will definitely get rid of Isolene and Gremory and take the seat next to Chession.
It was a very earnest wish.
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