Chapter 2 - III -

 

I didn’t know whether it’s a good thing that Lily showed up just as I was about to give in to temptation.  Well, it’s good because she stopped us from ‘crossing that line’, but catching us in such a ‘compromising’ pose puts me in a bad spotlight.

 

By this time, Maddie was already fully awakened, and her face contorted in horror and disbelief as she watched the head maid walked menacingly towards her.

 

“Your Holiness, I don’t think you should flirt with Mister Kuro all the while you have important duties to do.” Lily’s hands gripped Maddie like an iron vice, so as not to let her go.

 

“L-L-L-L-L-Lily!” the Saint couldn’t help but stammer; her entire face was red up to her ears, “How d’you know I was fl-flirt—I mean, I’m asleep all the time!”

 

“Stop with the jokes, Maddie!” Lily sharply rebuked her, “The fact that you asked me how’d I know what you’re doing tells us you knew I was spying on you all along!  You’re just pretending to be sleeping!”

 

Cold blood ran through my face.  I couldn’t help but think what would happen if I gave in to my instincts…

 

“Good thing I intervened just in time…” The head maid looked at me with her iron-cold eyes, as if sizing me up.

 

Uh…come on Lily, I did my best to hold my fort.

 

The head maid never let go of Maddie’s hand, “Come on Your Holiness, you need to get yourself together.  You still have to talk to those kings waiting for you at the palace.”

 

“Ehhh?  I don’t want to!” Maddie protested.

 

“Huh?  Those kings are already here for the congress?”

 

“Indeed, some of them are early.” Lily curtly answered me, before turning back to Maddie, “Your Holiness, even if you don’t like it, you still have to.  You’re the only one left who commands great respect from those people.  The royal majesties are already getting impatient waiting for you.”

 

“Let them be!” Maddie wailed and waved her hand dismissively.

 

“What, are you going to let your efforts go to waste?” the head maid’s expression became so frightening, and the aura around her significantly darkened, “Or do you wish for Mister Kuro to disappear?”

 

Err…disappear?  Isn’t that too dangerous, Head Maid?

 

Maddie then fell silent, as if to weigh her available options.  I could see from her face that she’s extremely reluctant to follow Lily, but she knew her friend spoke the truth.  With no other choice, Lily finally snapped her out of her tantrums.

 

Lily called a few maids over to her, “Please get Her Holiness a fresh change of clothes.  And don’t let her out of your sight!”

 

The other servants nodded in agreement and led the saint out of the room.  Seeing that she had no other choice but to obey, Maddie grudgingly followed them.  And then, I found myself alone with Lily.

 

“Head Maid?” the atmosphere was tense and awkward, so I reverted to calling Lily by her official title.

 

“It’s Lily, Mister Kuro.” she replied, emphasizing on ‘Mister Kuro’.

 

However, I tried not to take notice of it, “If I may ask, did Maddie run away from her duties again?”

 

“You’re more than right, Mister Kuro.”

 

“I thought she told you to look for a replacement for Miss Franceska?”

 

“Lies.  Maddie’s the only person left after Granny Franceska that is well-respected by most of the human kings and rulers.” Lily then gave out a long sigh, “I know it’s pretty tiring, however, as of the moment we have no other choice but to force her to do a bit more of her duties as someone trusted by many.”

 

“I see…” I finally understood what was going on, but there’s one thing that remained in my mind, “Head Mai—I mean, Lily?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What do you mean earlier by ‘disappear’?”

 

“Well, it is what it is.”  Lily then added, “Good thing you stood your ground there, Mister Kuro.  Or else, I’ll be forced to move my hand…”

 

Move your hand…isn’t that the same as getting me killed?

 

“Remember that time when we just arrived?  I told you to be careful, right?”

 

“Yes?  I controlled myself; I did nothing to Maddie!”

 

“If you’re concerned about my words, I’d like to ask for your understanding, Mister Kuro.  I’ll just have you banished somewhere, not killed.”

 

Ugh…I don’t know if I’d be afraid or be happy with that.  In the first place, it’s my original intention to go far from here in the end.  However, if possible, I’d like not to depart here on bad terms with anyone…

 

“Just to be clear, it’s not you whom I worried about with limits, Mister Kuro.” Sensing my anxiety, Lily explained, “It is Maddie that I’m concerned with.  What you saw and experienced is the true nature of Her Holiness.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“In case you need further confirmation, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth takes after her mother, Erika Annie Michelle, very well—a true, closet pervert.  Madame Erika is Nerfes’ legendary seductress; no one in our history has equaled her skills in seducing someone.  She’s reputed to possess a gentle face that no man can ever resist.”

 

I could only stare blankly into space as I try to understand what was revealed to me just now.

 

“If Madame Erika sets her eyes on someone, consider it a done deal.  For that, she earned the moniker, ‘The Gentle Temptress’.”

 

“…”

 

“Think of that.  And Her Holiness is her daughter…”

 

“…”

 

A holy saint.  A bastion of morality in this world.  A living god…

 

“…”

 

…and a true closet pervert.  Daughter of a temptress.

 

“…”

 

It’s so amazingly ironic, it felt all so surreal to me.  That would also explain that painting of hers that she tried to hide from me back in Fen…

 

Haa…what the freaking hell?