For a moment, I couldn’t even speak. I was afraid the assassins would come, and harm Levi.
Benjamin looked at me with a curious look on his face.
“Are you worried about the Young Master now?”
“Of course! Oh, I have to bring him back as soon as possible…”
“Only Aisha would be worried about a Bastion.”
“Levi is only eleven years old.”
“Before that, he’s a Bastion.”
Bastion, Bastion! Of course we all knew that the Bastions were great!
“…Do the Bastions have two lives? No, they don’t.”
As long as he was a human being, whether he was a descendant of a god or whatever, he only had one life. The moment he lost it, it was all over. It was over.
That’s why it has always been my belief that I had to struggle to survive, even if I had to act a little dirty and sneaky.
‘Life may be unfair, but death was fair.’
Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore and suddenly had to stand up from my seat.
Shatter!
The window next door was smashed.
That moment when shards of glass, a blade, and a masked assassin all rained down on my head at once.
“Oh no.”
Benjamin hugged me, and avoided it.
What, was this Benjamin…?
I wondered if it was a coincidence, but after that, he rolled or tumbled a few more times to avoid the assassin’s swift attacks.
As a result, the intruder’s breathing became rough and raspy.
It was no wonder, since the limp good-for-nothing was dodging his attacks with strange movements, whether accidental or not.
“…Die!”
Eventually, the assassin took out a lot of weapons that looked like knives, and threw them at us.
Benjamin, who had me tucked against his stomach, pretended to fall again and kicked the desk.
Thud! Boom!
The award was given to the desk that had fallen over. It was a staggeringly exquisite defensive action.
What was this?
I stared alternately at the desk and Benjamin, then a smile spread across my lips.
Benjamin, who was leaning down with a gloomy face, looked only at the papers that were torn apart and scattered in this mess.
“It took me three days to get this approved…”
You don’t look familiar, bro.
The assassin, who was as perplexed as I was, immediately charged forward like an angry bull.
“Why did you have to come here, when neither His Excellency or the Young Master was here?”
Benjamin grumbled, turned around, and casually set me down on the floor.
Smack!
He kicked the assassin in the jaw. Two molar teeth flew away with the sound of the mandible being smashed.
Oh, that must’ve really hurt.
My jaw dropped for no reason.
The assassin, who looked like he was going to fall at any moment, stumbled and maintained his balance until the end.
Benjamin glanced at me with an uncomfortable look, perhaps he knew that he’d only bought a little bit of time.
Of course I would only get in the way. I couldn’t believe I was in a situation where I couldn’t even protect my life.
I ran out of the office before he could stop me.
“I’ll go get someone…!”
Please don’t become a corpse before then!
I thought I heard Benjamin yell out behind me that it was dangerous, but I didn’t turn back.
To be honest, this was the best way.
I didn’t know where to go, but I knew the outside of the mansion was dangerous, so I ran as fast as I could inside the mansion.
Please, anyone come out. Please! As long as they were big and powerful…!
“Aisha!”
I stumbled when a voice called out to me, and for a moment I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I was surprised to see a group of maids peacefully doing needlework behind a half-open bedroom door.
“You shouldn’t be walking around alone. We can play with you for a little bit.”
“Yeah, it’s dangerous. Weren’t you with the Young Master earlier?”
“Some of them must’ve crawled in. You probably went to go get him.”
“Don’t ruin the carpets or curtains.”
Kim grumbled and put oil on her needle, and my mind went blank.
Was this place abnormal, or was I abnormal? Everything felt abnormal. What was normal in the first place?
Then the maid beckoned me inside.
“Why don’t you come in, and eat some cookies.”
“Oh, thank… No! Benjamin! The old man is going to die!”
I approached them reflexively, then shouted.
The words wouldn’t come out right, so I explained with hand gestures, and as if finally understanding, Joan stood up with a gloomy sigh for some reason.
“I’ll go.”
“Me, too!”
Sarah raised her hand, and sprang after Joan.
The maids laughed and chatted as they left the room.
“Sarah’s love for Mr. Cooper remains the same.”
“His charm just makes you want to take care of him.”
“That’s right. He’s weak by nature.”
That guy? He just looks feeble on the outside, but he was playing with the assassin well enough.
In the midst of all this, was Kim’s voice praising Lord Winston’s skill and grandeur.
Was I the only one who was being serious? What the heck were Sarah and Joan going to do?
This place was no good either, I had to find another room as soon as possible…
“Aisha, are you hungry? Do you want a snack?”
Let’s stop looking.
When I met another group of maids preparing dinner in the kitchen, my brain really stopped working.
At this point, I was sure that I was out of my mind.
Yes, whether or not assassins showed up. Rice was more important. The problem was that they were making a meal to go with the rice.
I was chewing on the snack Betty had fed me, when I heard a loud drumming sound in the distance.
“That’s a request for support.”
“Looks like it’s a bit too much today.”
The maids who were glancing out the window shook their aprons, and stepped out one by one. It felt so relaxed, as if they were going for a walk.
“Betty, you stay behind, just in case.”
The kitchen maids disappeared in an instant, leaving only the frail and timid Betty.
Then the surroundings became deathly quiet, it seemed that the maids from the bedroom had gone out as well.
I finished chewing mechanically, then I squeezed Betty’s hand and said.
“You should have some too, sister.”
“Hmm? It’s okay. You should eat a lot.”
“You never know, this could be our last supper…”
Betty, who’d been smiling kindly, suddenly froze.
Why?
There was no need to ask.
Thud
I heard the strange sound of footsteps.
What was really going on here! They followed me everywhere I went, and made a big deal out of it too!
If it was a coincidence, it was a really terrible and deplorable coincidence.
“Aisha, here.”
Betty looked around, then hid me somewhere as my teeth chattered. It was in a small, secluded cupboard in the corner of the kitchen.
“Stay hidden. I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t even say what she would be doing.
I was frustrated that I had to go into the cupboard right away.
“…Aisha?”
“Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute.”
I took a deep breath, and prepared my mind.
Betty looked at me, who must have turned pale, and whispered softly.
“One, two, three…”
A voice that counted numbers as I asked her to someday.
I closed and opened my eyes. Then I smiled at Betty, as if I was all right now.
I shouldn’t be unnecessarily stubborn, or waste time. Even if I wasn’t helpful, I shouldn’t be a nuisance.
I scrambled into the new cupboard Betty had opened, and the door snapped shut.
It was dark.
It was fortunate that a small amount of light came through a gap in the twisted door, and I could see outside a little.
Betty had pushed me into the island cupboard that was in front of the previous one I’d hidden in, then walked out of the kitchen.
Was she trying to find another place for me to hide? Surely she wasn’t trying to steal me, was she?
How many minutes had it been? I listened anxiously, but couldn’t hear anything.
‘Please, I hope you’re all safe.’
All I could do now was pray.
Thud Thud
More footsteps from the persistent intruders.
I shut my mouth, and held my breath, as a strange man trudged into the kitchen.
I wondered if Levi had lied about what he was doing, since dozens of these men had come in like dogs.
Otherwise, he would’ve come across them like a stalker in this large and spacious mansion…
‘Hey.’
What was that?
I narrowed my eyes.
There was something round in the man’s hand besides a sharp weapon.
A small hand mirror. Wait, it wasn’t an ordinary mirror.
‘The Mirror of the Holy Spirit…!’
I was surprised and suspicious at the same time.
How did an assassin get a hold of a holy object? Most temples were lucky to have one, let alone two.
Even William, who was a wealthy man, could barely afford to rent anything slightly larger than that hand mirror.
Yes, rentals.
The sacred object could only be made in the Holy Land, and the temples in each country had to rent them for an exorbitant fee.
In short, Lumiere was an idol business with a company pushing expensive official goods. It wasn’t even permanent ownership, but in the form of a loan!
Even if the rental fee was too much for a temple to bear and the priests didn’t want to rent one, the temple would be treated as ‘third-rate without a sanctuary’ by their followers…
‘William also paid the rental fee every year, while crying his eyes out. Couldn’t you feed a small village with that amount of money?’
Well, it didn’t actually cost that much money, but as a holy object it had its functions.
First of all, the Mirror of the Holy Spirit showed the energies hidden within instead of a normal reflection.
For example, the holy power within the body.
“…Found it.”
Loom.
As soon as the man with the mirror’s footsteps stopped in front of the cupboard, I ducked down.
Crack!
A long, bright blue sword was hammered right into the cupboard exactly where my head had been.
“What, why is it moving?”
The man muttered in a panic, pulled out his sword, and began swinging it around.
Crunch. Crunch again. I crouched as much as I could, but my hair and the hem of my clothes were cut mercilessly.
As the back of my hand, which was wrapped around my head, began to burn, the man tried to open the door.
Crash!
A commotion seemed to be going on, but soon calmed down.
I just curled up tighter, and bit my lip. I didn’t let a single breath escape.
I didn’t exist. I was only air.
That’s right, when I was being punished, I was able to stay as quiet as a corpse no matter what…
“I told you to wait.”
“….”
“Come out.”
A familiar voice, and the surrounding gradually brightened.
I finally raised my head, which had been pressed against the floor.
Levi had his back to the light, and was reaching out to me, who seemed to be trapped in a miserable hole.
Levi shook his hand, as if he was urging me to come out.
I just blinked my eyes with a head that wasn’t working well yet, and took hold of his hand.
As I crawled out on my knees, his grip suddenly tightened.
“…You’re hurt.”
“Oh, me? You’re right.”
When I felt the heat on my hand, I must have cut the back of it a little bit.
Red blood dripped down onto Levi’s hand. He quickly released my hand as if he’d touched something that burned him by mistake.
“I’m sorry.”
Oh, a quick and proactive apology.
It was an unusual reaction, unlike his normal canned responses.
For some reason, a proud smile was about to leak out. Then my gaze fell on to the assassin who was laying on the floor.
“Levi… Is he dead?”
“Not yet.”
Did he just faint with his eyes open? And what did he mean by ‘not yet’? That sounded ominous.
I was clinging to Levi’s back when the maids returned.
Fortunately, Betty and Sara were safe. Joan looked rejuvenated while she carried Benjamin on one shoulder.
“Is he dead…?”
“I’m not dead.”
A battered Benjamin replied.
For a moment, I couldn’t even speak. I was afraid the assassins would come, and harm Levi.
Benjamin looked at me with a curious look on his face.
“Are you worried about the Young Master now?”
“Of course! Oh, I have to bring him back as soon as possible…”
“Only Aisha would be worried about a Bastion.”
“Levi is only eleven years old.”
“Before that, he’s a Bastion.”
Bastion, Bastion! Of course we all knew that the Bastions were great!
“…Do the Bastions have two lives? No, they don’t.”
As long as he was a human being, whether he was a descendant of a god or whatever, he only had one life. The moment he lost it, it was all over. It was over.
That’s why it has always been my belief that I had to struggle to survive, even if I had to act a little dirty and sneaky.
‘Life may be unfair, but death was fair.’
Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore and suddenly had to stand up from my seat.
Shatter!
The window next door was smashed.
That moment when shards of glass, a blade, and a masked assassin all rained down on my head at once.
“Oh no.”
Benjamin hugged me, and avoided it.
What, was this Benjamin…?
I wondered if it was a coincidence, but after that, he rolled or tumbled a few more times to avoid the assassin’s swift attacks.
As a result, the intruder’s breathing became rough and raspy.
It was no wonder, since the limp good-for-nothing was dodging his attacks with strange movements, whether accidental or not.
“…Die!”
Eventually, the assassin took out a lot of weapons that looked like knives, and threw them at us.
Benjamin, who had me tucked against his stomach, pretended to fall again and kicked the desk.
Thud! Boom!
The award was given to the desk that had fallen over. It was a staggeringly exquisite defensive action.
What was this?
I stared alternately at the desk and Benjamin, then a smile spread across my lips.
Benjamin, who was leaning down with a gloomy face, looked only at the papers that were torn apart and scattered in this mess.
“It took me three days to get this approved…”
You don’t look familiar, bro.
The assassin, who was as perplexed as I was, immediately charged forward like an angry bull.
“Why did you have to come here, when neither His Excellency or the Young Master was here?”
Benjamin grumbled, turned around, and casually set me down on the floor.
Smack!
He kicked the assassin in the jaw. Two molar teeth flew away with the sound of the mandible being smashed.
Oh, that must’ve really hurt.
My jaw dropped for no reason.
The assassin, who looked like he was going to fall at any moment, stumbled and maintained his balance until the end.
Benjamin glanced at me with an uncomfortable look, perhaps he knew that he’d only bought a little bit of time.
Of course I would only get in the way. I couldn’t believe I was in a situation where I couldn’t even protect my life.
I ran out of the office before he could stop me.
“I’ll go get someone…!”
Please don’t become a corpse before then!
I thought I heard Benjamin yell out behind me that it was dangerous, but I didn’t turn back.
To be honest, this was the best way.
I didn’t know where to go, but I knew the outside of the mansion was dangerous, so I ran as fast as I could inside the mansion.
Please, anyone come out. Please! As long as they were big and powerful…!
“Aisha!”
I stumbled when a voice called out to me, and for a moment I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I was surprised to see a group of maids peacefully doing needlework behind a half-open bedroom door.
“You shouldn’t be walking around alone. We can play with you for a little bit.”
“Yeah, it’s dangerous. Weren’t you with the Young Master earlier?”
“Some of them must’ve crawled in. You probably went to go get him.”
“Don’t ruin the carpets or curtains.”
Kim grumbled and put oil on her needle, and my mind went blank.
Was this place abnormal, or was I abnormal? Everything felt abnormal. What was normal in the first place?
Then the maid beckoned me inside.
“Why don’t you come in, and eat some cookies.”
“Oh, thank… No! Benjamin! The old man is going to die!”
I approached them reflexively, then shouted.
The words wouldn’t come out right, so I explained with hand gestures, and as if finally understanding, Joan stood up with a gloomy sigh for some reason.
“I’ll go.”
“Me, too!”
Sarah raised her hand, and sprang after Joan.
The maids laughed and chatted as they left the room.
“Sarah’s love for Mr. Cooper remains the same.”
“His charm just makes you want to take care of him.”
“That’s right. He’s weak by nature.”
That guy? He just looks feeble on the outside, but he was playing with the assassin well enough.
In the midst of all this, was Kim’s voice praising Lord Winston’s skill and grandeur.
Was I the only one who was being serious? What the heck were Sarah and Joan going to do?
This place was no good either, I had to find another room as soon as possible…
“Aisha, are you hungry? Do you want a snack?”
Let’s stop looking.
When I met another group of maids preparing dinner in the kitchen, my brain really stopped working.
At this point, I was sure that I was out of my mind.
Yes, whether or not assassins showed up. Rice was more important. The problem was that they were making a meal to go with the rice.
I was chewing on the snack Betty had fed me, when I heard a loud drumming sound in the distance.
“That’s a request for support.”
“Looks like it’s a bit too much today.”
The maids who were glancing out the window shook their aprons, and stepped out one by one. It felt so relaxed, as if they were going for a walk.
“Betty, you stay behind, just in case.”
The kitchen maids disappeared in an instant, leaving only the frail and timid Betty.
Then the surroundings became deathly quiet, it seemed that the maids from the bedroom had gone out as well.
I finished chewing mechanically, then I squeezed Betty’s hand and said.
“You should have some too, sister.”
“Hmm? It’s okay. You should eat a lot.”
“You never know, this could be our last supper…”
Betty, who’d been smiling kindly, suddenly froze.
Why?
There was no need to ask.
Thud
I heard the strange sound of footsteps.
What was really going on here! They followed me everywhere I went, and made a big deal out of it too!
If it was a coincidence, it was a really terrible and deplorable coincidence.
“Aisha, here.”
Betty looked around, then hid me somewhere as my teeth chattered. It was in a small, secluded cupboard in the corner of the kitchen.
“Stay hidden. I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t even say what she would be doing.
I was frustrated that I had to go into the cupboard right away.
“…Aisha?”
“Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute.”
I took a deep breath, and prepared my mind.
Betty looked at me, who must have turned pale, and whispered softly.
“One, two, three…”
A voice that counted numbers as I asked her to someday.
I closed and opened my eyes. Then I smiled at Betty, as if I was all right now.
I shouldn’t be unnecessarily stubborn, or waste time. Even if I wasn’t helpful, I shouldn’t be a nuisance.
I scrambled into the new cupboard Betty had opened, and the door snapped shut.
It was dark.
It was fortunate that a small amount of light came through a gap in the twisted door, and I could see outside a little.
Betty had pushed me into the island cupboard that was in front of the previous one I’d hidden in, then walked out of the kitchen.
Was she trying to find another place for me to hide? Surely she wasn’t trying to steal me, was she?
How many minutes had it been? I listened anxiously, but couldn’t hear anything.
‘Please, I hope you’re all safe.’
All I could do now was pray.
Thud Thud
More footsteps from the persistent intruders.
I shut my mouth, and held my breath, as a strange man trudged into the kitchen.
I wondered if Levi had lied about what he was doing, since dozens of these men had come in like dogs.
Otherwise, he would’ve come across them like a stalker in this large and spacious mansion…
‘Hey.’
What was that?
I narrowed my eyes.
There was something round in the man’s hand besides a sharp weapon.
A small hand mirror. Wait, it wasn’t an ordinary mirror.
‘The Mirror of the Holy Spirit…!’
I was surprised and suspicious at the same time.
How did an assassin get a hold of a holy object? Most temples were lucky to have one, let alone two.
Even William, who was a wealthy man, could barely afford to rent anything slightly larger than that hand mirror.
Yes, rentals.
The sacred object could only be made in the Holy Land, and the temples in each country had to rent them for an exorbitant fee.
In short, Lumiere was an idol business with a company pushing expensive official goods. It wasn’t even permanent ownership, but in the form of a loan!
Even if the rental fee was too much for a temple to bear and the priests didn’t want to rent one, the temple would be treated as ‘third-rate without a sanctuary’ by their followers…
‘William also paid the rental fee every year, while crying his eyes out. Couldn’t you feed a small village with that amount of money?’
Well, it didn’t actually cost that much money, but as a holy object it had its functions.
First of all, the Mirror of the Holy Spirit showed the energies hidden within instead of a normal reflection.
For example, the holy power within the body.
“…Found it.”
Loom.
As soon as the man with the mirror’s footsteps stopped in front of the cupboard, I ducked down.
Crack!
A long, bright blue sword was hammered right into the cupboard exactly where my head had been.
“What, why is it moving?”
The man muttered in a panic, pulled out his sword, and began swinging it around.
Crunch. Crunch again. I crouched as much as I could, but my hair and the hem of my clothes were cut mercilessly.
As the back of my hand, which was wrapped around my head, began to burn, the man tried to open the door.
Crash!
A commotion seemed to be going on, but soon calmed down.
I just curled up tighter, and bit my lip. I didn’t let a single breath escape.
I didn’t exist. I was only air.
That’s right, when I was being punished, I was able to stay as quiet as a corpse no matter what…
“I told you to wait.”
“….”
“Come out.”
A familiar voice, and the surrounding gradually brightened.
I finally raised my head, which had been pressed against the floor.
Levi had his back to the light, and was reaching out to me, who seemed to be trapped in a miserable hole.
Levi shook his hand, as if he was urging me to come out.
I just blinked my eyes with a head that wasn’t working well yet, and took hold of his hand.
As I crawled out on my knees, his grip suddenly tightened.
“…You’re hurt.”
“Oh, me? You’re right.”
When I felt the heat on my hand, I must have cut the back of it a little bit.
Red blood dripped down onto Levi’s hand. He quickly released my hand as if he’d touched something that burned him by mistake.
“I’m sorry.”
Oh, a quick and proactive apology.
It was an unusual reaction, unlike his normal canned responses.
For some reason, a proud smile was about to leak out. Then my gaze fell on to the assassin who was laying on the floor.
“Levi… Is he dead?”
“Not yet.”
Did he just faint with his eyes open? And what did he mean by ‘not yet’? That sounded ominous.
I was clinging to Levi’s back when the maids returned.
Fortunately, Betty and Sara were safe. Joan looked rejuvenated while she carried Benjamin on one shoulder.
“Is he dead…?”
“I’m not dead.”
A battered Benjamin replied.
