第二十五章
“Seriously, why are you calling me a gorilla again!”
After her initial reaction, Angelina frowned in displeasure and lightly tapped Lisbeth’s head. Normally, Lisbeth would have argued back without hesitation, but the problem was that to escape Natalie’s seal, she was currently in her transformed state.
In other words, she was not only wearing a very conspicuous cloak, but her original maid uniform had also transformed into light armor. Anyone with eyes would know her attire clearly indicated a rogue class.
Lisbeth quickly took a deep breath and said, “Angelina, why are you suddenly here?”
“Hmm? Of course, Hilda asked me to come to the warehouse to check if the delivery had arrived.”
“Huh? Then why here?”
According to Natalie, no one should have come to the warehouse where Lisbeth was imprisoned. The fact that Angelina was the only one around was proof enough. Hearing her words, Angelina nodded and said, “Ah, actually, I got lost and ended up here without realizing it. I have to say, this is the first time I’ve ever known there was such a large warehouse tucked away here. I wonder what’s inside.”
“Oh, there’s nothing inside. Anyway, you should hurry to the other warehouse. Hilda must be waiting for you, right?”
“That’s true. But Lisbeth, why are you here? And your clothes look a bit strange.”
As expected, Lisbeth’s current attire hadn’t escaped Angelina’s notice. So, she quickly shook her head and then simply spun around in place, saying, “Look, I found these clothes in a nearby warehouse. Don’t they look cool? I definitely prefer this kind of outfit over a maid uniform.”
Of course, everything Lisbeth said was a lie. But in this urgent situation, it was the best excuse she could conjure. Angelina frowned, then proceeded to scan Lisbeth up and down.
‘Damn it, what do I do now? If this gorilla sees through me, I’m finished.’
Fortunately, Lisbeth had managed to conceal her magic before transforming. Otherwise, she would have been exposed the moment Angelina saw her. At this moment, Lisbeth felt like a prisoner awaiting judgment, watching Angelina nervously, simultaneously racking her brain for what to say next.
“Lisbeth, you…”
“W-what about me?”
Finally, after a thorough inspection, Angelina spoke. Lisbeth stared back at her anxiously and asked in a slightly trembling voice, “D-do you think this outfit doesn’t suit me?”
“Huh? Of course not, I think it suits you quite well. It’s just that I feel like I’ve seen this kind of attire somewhere before.”
“Ah… ahaha… These clothes are probably quite common, right? It’s not like they’re anything rare.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
To Lisbeth’s surprise, Angelina didn’t press the issue further. She merely nodded and said with a smile, “But it really does suit you. At the very least, it seems to have changed your demeanor quite a bit.”
“Really? But I’ll have to change back soon, or else I’ll be in big trouble if the old hag sees me.”
“That’s true. Anyway, coming back to it, Lisbeth, why are you here?”
Having been preoccupied with the clothes, Lisbeth had assumed this topic would simply be glossed over. Fortunately, she had already prepared an answer for this question. So, she offered a small smile and said, “I’m not here for anything important, just simply slacking off.”
“Oh, you’re slacking off all the way out here? If Hilda finds out, you’re dead.”
“So, Angelina, you have to keep this a secret for me. It’s best not to tell anyone I’m here, or I’ll be dead if the old hag finds out.”
Lisbeth’s excuse wasn’t particularly convincing, but based on her understanding of Angelina, she knew Angelina wasn’t one to readily suspect others. As long as she didn’t offer a completely flawed explanation, she’d be fine. Just as she expected, Angelina immediately chuckled and said, “Alright, I’ll keep your secret this time. I know things have been busy lately, so you wanted to slack off, but if you take it too far, even I won’t be able to protect you.”
“I know, I’m planning to head back to the Demon Lord’s Castle now. So, Angelina, you go on and do your thing.”
“No, since I’ve run into you here, why don’t we go to that warehouse together? I’m not very familiar with the area, so perhaps you could show me the way?”
“No, no, no, I’m new here too! How could I possibly know if you don’t?”
Upon hearing Angelina’s suggestion, Lisbeth quickly shook her head and continued, “Besides, I have to run an errand for Hilda, so how can I go to the warehouse with you right now?”
“Hmph, listen to the one who was just slacking off. If you don’t know the way, then we’ll just look for it together. Otherwise, I’ll tell Hilda about your little secret later.”
‘Damn it, why is this gorilla so difficult at a time like this?’
According to Lisbeth’s original plan, she intended to ditch Angelina, use the restroom, and then return to the warehouse where she was originally imprisoned. However, Angelina’s sudden appearance had completely derailed all her plans. What’s more, having not used the restroom all morning, she was truly at her limit.
So, she looked at Angelina with a twisted expression and shifted her body slightly, saying, “Um… I can go to the warehouse with you, but at least let me go to the restroom first… I really need to go right now.”
“Huh? Your acting to try and escape is far too clumsy, isn’t it? You want to run off the moment you hear about going to the warehouse with me? That won’t do. So stop messing around and come find the warehouse with me.”
“Hey, hey, hey!? I’m telling the truth! I really need to use the restroom!!”
“No, if you need to go, at least help me find the warehouse first. And you should change your clothes quickly; your current outfit is far too conspicuous.”
“…”
Honestly, Lisbeth hadn’t expected to dig her own grave here. It was also her fault for speaking without thinking. A normal person hearing “I need to use the restroom” would certainly assume it was an excuse to escape. So, Lisbeth could only nod helplessly and say, “Alright, then at least let me change my clothes in the corner, okay? My maid uniform is in that warehouse. I’ll come out once I’ve changed.”
“Alright then, but don’t even think about escaping, Lisbeth. I’ll be guarding the warehouse entrance the whole time.”
“Yes, yes…”
With no other option, Lisbeth reluctantly dismantled the seal Natalie had placed at the warehouse entrance. She then went inside and changed back into her original maid uniform. As she left, she secretly restored the seal. After completing this series of tasks, she endured the urge to use the restroom and went with Angelina to search for the warehouse she was looking for.
****
All of the Demon Lord’s Castle’s warehouses were located within its lower district. To facilitate transportation, most of them were not far from the lower district’s main gate. However, the warehouse where Lisbeth had been was precisely in the furthest, most secluded corner of the Demon Lord’s Castle. This was why Natalie had felt safe leaving her there.
Meanwhile, Lisbeth’s expression had been contorting progressively throughout their journey, as she desperately held back her urge to use the restroom. Unfortunately, Angelina, seemingly blind to her plight, completely ignored her changing face and remained focused on finding the warehouse she sought.
So, Lisbeth scanned her surroundings as quickly as possible, trying to locate the damned warehouse so she could finally relieve herself. It had to be said that fate was somewhat kind to her. Shortly after arriving in the lower district, Angelina found the warehouse she was looking for. Seeing this, Lisbeth immediately let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, “Alright, now that you’ve found the warehouse, can I go? Hilda is really waiting for me.”
“Ah, alright then, you go quickly. But don’t slack off again next time, and don’t use such a clumsy excuse like needing to use the restroom to escape.”
“Yes, yes… I know…”
Regardless, Lisbeth had finally found an opportunity to escape. But before she could make a mad dash for the restroom, Clotilde urgently contacted her.
[Ah, Lisbeth, are you still in the restroom? It seems it’s mealtime, and Natalie is planning to go to your location to bring you food. So hurry back!]
“What!? Are you kidding me!?”
In that instant, Lisbeth truly felt as though fate was toying with her. The place where she and Angelina were standing was a necessary route through the Demon Lord’s Castle’s lower district. If Lisbeth abandoned Angelina here and returned to the warehouse, and Natalie happened to run into Angelina on her way back, everything would be ruined.
So, Lisbeth, on the verge of tears, halted her steps. She then slowly, step by step, returned to the warehouse where Angelina was and asked her, “Angelina, when do you think you’ll be leaving here…? If you need any help, I can assist you…”
“Oh? That would be wonderful, thank you. I came to check on the warehouse and pick up a few things. If you could help me find them, that would be great.”
“Is that so… Then let’s hurry and find them…”