Chapter 26
Lisbeth felt as though she were on the verge of losing her mind. Not only was she grappling with an impending, overwhelming urge to use the restroom that threatened to burst forth at any moment, but she also contended with an unavoidable sense of anxiety about the current situation.
For reasons unknown, Angelina’s current retrieval mission involved far more items than anticipated. As Angelina slowly searched for her things, Natalie was steadily drawing closer to the warehouse where they were currently located.
“Angelina, haven’t you finished searching yet?”
“Not yet, but Lisbeth, if you’re truly in a hurry, you should go ahead. You don’t have to force yourself to help me, you know.”
Evidently, Angelina believed Lisbeth was eager to leave. A gentle smile graced her lips as she waved her hand, signaling that Lisbeth was free to depart.
“Are you kidding me?! I already said I’d help you! So hurry up and find the damn things, then we can leave this place together!”
“Huh?”
Angelina’s goodwill was not met with a pleasant response from Lisbeth. Lisbeth’s entire face was flushed crimson from holding it in, and her legs trembled incessantly, as if she were enduring immense strain.
Witnessing this, Angelina tilted her head in confusion. She paused her work and asked, “Lisbeth, what’s wrong? You can tell me anything; I can help you.”
“I, I’m fine. I just want to finish helping you find your things quickly so we can leave. Have you found them yet?”
Lisbeth knew she had lost her composure. Normally, she would have found a way to calmly handle such an emergency, but the overwhelming urge to use the restroom, surging from deep within her, had completely disrupted her thoughts, almost causing her to say something irreparable.
Seeing that Angelina was about to speak further, Lisbeth took a deep breath. She forced herself to speak in as steady a tone as possible.
“To be honest, Angelina, I need you to leave quickly because Hilda will undoubtedly dump a huge load of tasks on us later. If I go back alone, I’ll probably be saddled with the entire mess again.
“That’s why I want you to head back first. Just help me take on some work, alright?”
“Oh, so that’s it.”
Upon hearing Lisbeth’s explanation, Angelina didn’t express any doubt about her rather flimsy excuse. She simply smiled and playfully poked Lisbeth’s cheek.
“I knew you were just looking for an excuse to be lazy. Now you’re trying to push your work onto me? Unfortunately, once I’ve collected these items and delivered them to the other warehouse, I can go back and rest. So you can’t count on me for that, you know~”
“Is that so… What a shame, then…”
‘Damn it! Can’t you just get out of this warehouse, for heaven’s sake!’
Lisbeth knew that while she had been talking to Angelina, Natalie had been steadily drawing closer to their location. The clearest proof was Clotilde’s continuous updates on Natalie’s position.
[Alex, aren’t you back yet? Natalie is almost at the middle levels of the Demon Lord’s Castle. She’ll be with you soon. Forget about needing the restroom; hurry back now!]
“I know, don’t rush me. I’ll be done here soon.”
After responding to Clotilde, Lisbeth took another deep breath. “Angelina, in that case, let’s hurry up and find these things, then take them to the other warehouse.
“Consider my help now as your payment for keeping my secret.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t expose you even if you didn’t do this. But alright, help me find the things now~”
With that, Angelina smiled and told Lisbeth what she needed. Upon hearing the list, Lisbeth began searching the warehouse for the required items at an astonishing speed.
It is often said that when a person is driven by extreme physiological urgency, they often unconsciously unleash power they wouldn’t normally possess. Lisbeth, at this moment, was personally proving that very point.
Incredibly quickly, Lisbeth gathered all the items Angelina needed. After verifying the count, she transported them at an equally astounding speed to another warehouse not far away.
****
Once everything was done, Angelina looked at Lisbeth with a touch of surprise. “Lisbeth, I had no idea your efficiency was truly astounding! If you worked with this kind of diligence every day instead of slacking off, Hilda wouldn’t give you such a hard time.”
‘No, no, are you kidding me? Do you seriously expect me to work while constantly suppressing the urge to use the restroom?’
Naturally, Lisbeth would never voice her true thoughts. She knew Angelina was unaware of her dire need for a restroom. So, with the task completed, Lisbeth simply told Angelina, “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, you know. Anyway, since the job’s done, you should head back.
“I forgot that old hag told me to check out another warehouse earlier.”
“Huh? How about we go together? I happen to be…”
“No, no! I can go alone!”
‘I’m begging you! Can’t you just leave already?!’
Truthfully, Lisbeth desperately wanted to kneel and beg Angelina to leave, but she couldn’t possibly do such a thing. Thus, aside from her internal panic, there was nothing else she could do.
Upon hearing Lisbeth’s words, Angelina, though puzzled by her reaction, nodded. “Alright, in that case, I’ll head back now.”
“Good, good…”
Finally, Angelina was actually leaving, and Lisbeth was so relieved she felt like crying. However, her moment of emotional release was cut short as Clotilde’s voice chimed in once more.
[Alex, hurry back! Natalie has almost reached the lower district!]
“What!?”
Lisbeth’s mouth fell open at Clotilde’s words. She stared at Angelina, who had already turned to leave. Angelina was heading back to her own room, and if she encountered Natalie on the way out, everything would be ruined.
Instinctively, Lisbeth grabbed Angelina’s hand. “Angelina, wait a moment! There’s something I forgot to ask you!”
“Hm?”
Angelina tilted her head in confusion, looking at Lisbeth who had suddenly grabbed her hand so urgently. “Lisbeth, what’s wrong?”
“W-well, if you’re not busy, could you please go to the residential area and buy something for me? I have to go to Hilda’s place, so I can’t leave right now.
“Please buy it for me and give it to me in a couple of days. I don’t have any money on me at the moment, so I’ll pay you back when I get my next salary.”
“Huh… I suppose I could, but what do you want to buy?”
“A hairpin. A beautiful, delicate hairpin. Don’t spend too much, just keep it under two silver coins.”
Given the urgency of the situation, this was the best item Lisbeth could think of. A hairpin wouldn’t arouse suspicion, and if Angelina decided to deliver it early, handing it to Natalie wouldn’t pose any issues.
However, while Lisbeth saw no problem with buying a hairpin, Angelina’s mouth twitched slightly upon hearing her request. “Um… Lisbeth… you’ve been getting more and more feminine lately…”
“Huh?”
“No, no! I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, it’s just, well, you were once a man, and now you’re buying such feminine things, so in the future…”
“No, no, no! What are you thinking?! This is a gift for someone else!”
Seeing Angelina about to misunderstand her sexual orientation, Lisbeth frantically shook her head. “Just don’t overthink it, please. I’m really counting on you for this. And the sooner, the better! Ideally, you could go right now! Please!”
“I, I understand. I don’t know why you’re in such a rush, but I’ll go now.”
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
At Lisbeth’s desperate pleading, Angelina dutifully headed towards the lower district’s city gate. After watching her pass through the gate, Lisbeth gritted her teeth, intending to dash to the nearest restroom.
However, before she could even move, Clotilde’s voice chimed in again.
[Lisbeth, Natalie has already emerged from the lower district!]
“Damn it! Why is she so fast!!!”
If she weren’t currently in a female body, Lisbeth would have seriously considered finding a corner and just relieving herself right there. However, she wasn’t so shameless, so she merely wiped away tears that had somehow appeared in the corners of her eyes, then rushed back towards the warehouse where she had been imprisoned earlier.
Fortunately, there was no one around the warehouse at that time, so Lisbeth returned unnoticed. Once back inside, she pulled the warehouse door shut, then re-applied the standard seal to the door.
Soon after, Natalie emerged from the lower district and appeared before her. However, as Natalie approached with food in hand, Lisbeth’s mouth dropped open.
“Little Sword, wait a minute. Why did Natalie come out in her Thunder Concealment state?”
“Well, of course? Otherwise, wouldn’t it be far too conspicuous for her to just walk out holding food?”
“Little Sword! I hate you!!! Do you have any idea how much unnecessary trouble I went through because you left out one crucial detail!”