The Monster's Reaching Hand
“Ugh…”
Katrina lay face down on the bed, gently stroking her hips while letting out soft, pained sounds.
Veronica’s sex had felt good, but the aftershock of the next day was merciless. Just as one savors strong liquor, the hangover the following morning was the worst. The events of last night blurred between dream and reality, leaving her entire body aching.
…Well, after such rough treatment, hoping to stay unscathed was probably sheer greed.
If she felt even a little better, she should go see Veronica. This time she had lost consciousness at the very end, so it must have been quite painful. At the very least, she should offer a thank-you and, while she was at it, collect the credit for the favors she had already received.
Veronica was reading the letter her father had sent when Katrina was still lost in the afterglow of last night in the next room.
As she read the contents, Veronica’s expression gradually darkened.
Of course. The letter said the investigating officers were searching for Leopold.
Backed by public outrage against corruption and nepotism, the investigative team had not stopped at Hans von Meisen. Their arrogance had only grown. They had begun digging through the entire Meisen family.
In the process, evidence had surfaced that Leopold had fled while hiding his true identity. The team leader seized the opportunity to fan the flames of public opinion even hotter. He gathered the media and started a briefing, vowing to catch Leopold at all costs.
In other words, it was no wonder if the investigative team barged into the mansion at any moment.
“Tsk—”
One corner of the letter in Veronica’s hand crumpled.
She had never imagined it would escalate this far. All the opportunities she had thought she had seized would come back to her as a snowball. The only saving grace was that her father had no intention of kicking Leopold out. He had said he wanted to honor his friend’s request and entrust his son to him.
I can’t lose Katrina. Although the reasons were different, the goal of protecting her was the same. I need to plan.
Veronica rang the bell beside her. A moment later, Emma entered.
Emma flinched at the unusual aura radiating from the young lady but lowered her head without showing it.
“Emma, there’s a problem.”
“If you say it’s a problem…”
“Reading is faster than explaining.”
Veronica slid the letter toward Emma. Like Veronica, Emma’s expression darkened as she read it. A new wrinkle appeared in the corner.
“I will obey the young lady’s orders.”
“Thank you.”
Since the most important person in her plan was cooperating, her heart felt steadier.
“Leopold staying in this mansion as Katrina is dangerous.”
“Yes. The relationship between the Meisen family and the Neuschwanstein family has likely already been investigated.”
“Pretending to be disguised will be noticed quickly. The transaction for the crossdressing magic tool left a trail.”
“Then it’s impossible to catch him as another person.”
“Yes. So Katrina will leave this mansion.”
Emma’s eyes widened at the words, and she looked up at the young lady.
Veronica simply stared down at the crumpled letter with a calm expression. It looked both determined and resigned.
Emma lowered her head with a disappointed face. At first she had hated Leopold to death, but that was no longer true. It had been one-sided, but she had received a great deal, and…
Sigh, what else was there to say. The relationship had improved a lot anyway. So the feelings were even more complicated.
Leaving like this…
If only she hadn’t stopped after the climax.
Feeling deep regret, she waited for the young lady’s next words. But Veronica’s next words were far from what Emma had expected.
“So I’m going to create a new identity for you.”
“Huh?”
“Pretending to be Katrina working as a maid in our mansion.”
“But you said she would definitely leave the mansion…”
“Haha— Emma. Where would Katrina go?”
Veronica let out a low, hollow laugh as if she had heard a ridiculous joke.
“She has to stay by my side.”
“Disguise… as escaping? This is it?”
“Yes. That way, when the investigative team comes, there will be something to say.”
Emma let out an internal sigh of relief. She had once hated Leopold, yet now she was relieved that he would stay in the mansion. If it had been her from a few months ago, she would have looked at her with an incredulous expression.
“Anyway, this plan requires your help desperately.”
“Yes. I will assist you in every way possible.”
“Besides that, I’m sending Katrina to your room.”
“My, my room?”
“You can’t send her to another maid’s room.”
“But…”
For some reason, Emma’s face flushed red. Veronica saw this and chuckled, warning her.
“I won’t say not to do it at all. Instead, restrain yourself a little. The soundproofing isn’t great.”
“Yes, yes!”
It was Veronica’s way of lightening the tension. Although the other party seemed to have taken it as a serious statement rather than a joke.
Veronica explained the plan in detail and sent Emma away. The tasks suddenly increased: from identity forgery to preparing maid clothes.
Left alone, she fell into thought. Keeping Katrina in this mansion was a big risk. Veronica knew that too. Nevertheless, the plan to send Katrina out of the mansion had never crossed her mind. She hadn’t suspected that he would run away. With no home to return to, where would the fragile one go? But for some reason, her heart was constantly uneasy. The thought of ‘what if’ kept disturbing her mind.
No. It’s fine.
Veronica grabbed her shaking heart and woke from her thoughts. Now all that remained was to go to the party involved in the plan and persuade them. Of course, it was closer to one-sided notification than persuasion.
Katrina welcomed Veronica with a happy smile. At the same time, she had been about to go meet her, and perhaps their hearts had been in sync. Thinking that, she leaned her body against Veronica’s shoulder. It was Katrina’s secret coquetry, who had never dated or even flirted with anyone in her life. But there was no reaction from Veronica. Rather, Veronica gave a somewhat bitter smile and looked at her.
Katrina sensed something was wrong. Veronica silently handed the letter to her. Although she hadn’t read the content yet, a huge sense of unease was rising. As she slowly read the letter, Katrina’s face distorted like the crumpled edge of the letter. Her hands began to tremble. The trembling didn’t stop and spread from her arms to her whole body. Like a runner who had completed a marathon, he breathed heavily, and finally his body collapsed. His face upon sitting was pale with fear.
“It’s okay. Katrina. I’m here.”
“Eh, sister…”
“It’s okay. I have a way.”
Veronica hugged him and calmed him down. A warmth like being held in a mother’s arms made her feel at ease. The trembling subsided and breathing returned to normal. After regaining composure, Katrina asked with a desolate expression.
“…What is the way?”
“It’s simple. Think of it as an extension of your crossdressing.”
Veronica patted his back while he was in her arms and explained the plan. Katrina made some complaining sounds in the middle but eventually nodded. A noble young master like herself becoming a maid overnight. It wasn’t a plan she liked, but it was the best plan for both. Veronica, who couldn’t lose her, kept her in her grasp. Since there was nowhere to go, she would receive protection under the Neuschwanstein family. In a way, it was the same relationship as when she had first come to this mansion. The difference was that now she didn’t want to leave this mansion either. If she ran away, she would become a wanted fugitive chased by the country and live a worse life than being a mansion maid. Better to remain as Veronica’s faithful dog. Surprisingly, she started thinking this way, which was funny and absurd. If it had been in the past, she wouldn’t have been able to suppress her shock. Where did the nobleman’s pride and man’s self-esteem go? She had surrendered while accepting it. Then she wanted to object to this. This is not resignation but obedience, not surrender but submission.
Katrina quietly pulled Veronica into her arms with her own arms that had been still. There was no longer a choice to return.
The next morning, the mansion was literally turned upside down. Because the young lady Katrina was nowhere to be found, and the rooms were in a mess as if thieves had broken in. The old butler gathered all the maids and started searching around the mansion. In the meantime, no one noticed that a maid with black hair and golden eyes had joined.