Chapter 36 (2/2)

“I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s okay. It’s quite common to have unexpected developments like this one. What’s important is to deal with them. I’ll fix things this time, so you just stay there quietly.”

Leaving those words, Conrad left the hallway with elegant movements.

Attracted by the sounds, some other people had arrived.

“Menué-sama, what was that noise…?”

“Uhuhu, my butler accidentally broke a vase.”

The sounds of a peaceful conversation, and then more dull sounds of constriction, reached Fii’s ears.

A few minutes later…

“I’m done~”

Still as elegant as ever, Conrad returned to Fii. He hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“I’ve pretty much gotten all of them, so let’s head back.”

“Umm… I’m really sorry…”

This time was a huge failure.

Fii was feeling depressed.

“It’s fine. I thought I would let them swim free for a little longer, but I was going to report them soon anyway, so there’s no real problem. More importantly―――”

Conrad approached Fii, and stroked her cheek.

There was a small cut there, from when she failed to completely avoid a knife.

“You really have to take care of your face. You’re a girl, after all.”

“Ah-, yes…”

She nodded for an instant, but once she digested the words in her head, Fii shook her head in a great fl.u.s.ter.

“NONO! I’M A GUY!”

Conrad gave an impish smile as he watched Fii’s reaction.

“I’m an expert in disguises, you know. Did you really think you could fool me with your half-baked cross-dressing? But well, I suppose none of those other blockheads have noticed, though.”

Apparently she had been outed a long time ago. Fii was completely shocked.

And at the same time, she felt relieved that apparently n.o.body else had noticed.

“Umm… If possible, could you keep this a secret…?”

“That’s fine. It’s funnier this way.”

Conrad readily gave his consent. But ‘funnier’…? Fii was now plagued with a different kind of anxiety.

Together, the two of them headed for the shop exit.

Every person in the shop had been strangled into unconsciousness.

(All of this, unarmed…!?)

A cold sweat ran down Fii’s back as she observed this unbelievable scene.

When they finally left the shop, the only one left was the guard outside. Apparently he hadn’t noticed any of the events inside the shop, and stood there just like when Fii first arrived.

“Why if it isn’t Menué-sama―――”

The moment that the guard turned their way, Conrad reached for his neck in an instant and stole his consciousness too.

Conrad dragged the man along for a little before tossing him into an alley.

“Now then, let’s alert the knights and have these guys arrested, shall we?” slapped Conrad, as she smiled at Fii.

“Yes…” nodded Fii, as his smile gave her another cold sweat.

Today, Fii learned three things.

First, was that Conrad-san was an incredibly fearsome person.

Second, was that he was actually a very busy person too.

It was after they alerted the knights, and headed back to the castle that she knew.

Apparently he regularly disguised himself, and infiltrated crime syndicates for information.

Because of that, he was the one who had the least time in the 18th’s gathering place. Apparently Conrad purposefully adjusted his schedule so that he could be there when Fii was.

As for why he went to so much trouble to do so, it was apparently because watching Fii was fun…

Finally, the third thing she learnt was…

“How was it, today?”

“It was tiring because of all the shock and nervousness. And I failed too…”

“Huhu, good. But you really don’t have to worry about your failure. I brought you along because I wanted you to get a feel for infiltration.”

“I see.”

When they returned to the castle, the two of them were the centre of attention.

And naturally so. Because one of them was a peerless beauty.

Fii had immediately changed, and returned to her apprentice knight’s outfit. But Conrad was still cross-dressing, and walking about as a woman.

Because he had taken off his veil, the gazes of the Capital’s men were all nailed to him.

And under these gazes, for some reason Conrad seemed 20% happier than usual.

Watching this, Fii was sure now.

(This person’s penchant for cross-dressing has nothing to do with his mission…)

Today was the day that Fii finally got to know Conrad.

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