The Maid's Hidden Secrets (2)
First, Yustina and I decided to hear the truth straight from Charlotte once the other kids had left and only she remained. Until then, we spent some time getting to know the special class friends who'd come under the pretense of visiting the patient.
Yustina, Charlotte, and Yozef were already on friendly terms, but Konet and Gines still felt a bit distant.
Getting close to people is my specialty, after all.
In my past life, I was an assassin. An assassin's targets come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes you have to infiltrate heavily guarded places by hiding your body and slipping in unnoticed.
When you think of infiltration, the image that pops up first is probably a black-clad figure scaling walls or creeping through shadows. But surprisingly, that's not all that common.
It's easier to just walk in with a legitimate identity, even if you're spotted by the guards.
Simply put, it's about disguise or impersonation.
If your target is at a noble or tycoon's social party, it's far simpler to pose as an invited guest than to sneak past all that security. Knock out one of the actual invitees for the night, slip into their clothes, and waltz right in—no one notices a thing.
Once you're inside the party, it's even easier. Chat up your mark with some bold banter, mix naturally into conversations, and slip poison into their drink when no one's looking. They sip it casually, and by the time the party's winding down, the toxin kicks in and they collapse.
And done.
It sounds simple, but it actually requires serious social skills and charm to befriend strangers on the spot. Contrary to the image of the lone, masked killer, assassins often had to force themselves into being outgoing in those situations.
Konet and Gines...
In that sense, I needed to bond with them quickly while figuring out a way to send everyone else away and keep only Charlotte behind.
All I knew was that they were students at Denebergen Academy like me, which gave us some common ground. So, I started with a classic top-five topic for early-semester student chats.
"Hey, by the way, how'd you guys do your course registrations?"
It worked like a charm. Starting with Konet and Gines, the conversation flowed to Yozef and Charlotte's schedules, opening up the floodgates.
We munched on snacks and swapped stories about our first week of school life, and time flew by.
"What about you, Yuz? How'd you set up your schedule?"
"......"
"Oh, it's the same as mine."
"With Deneb? That's weird. Coincidence?"
"Nah, Yuz just copied mine."
"Th-that's not true, is it?!"
It had started as just a way to kill time, but the more they talked, the more interesting it got.
The bit that stuck with me most was the class on the brink of cancellation because so few students signed up—especially since Gines was there listening.
"Magitech class?"
"Yeah, I'm really into magitech, so I signed up... but everyone seems to focus on straight magic. No interest in magitech, I guess."
Yozef twitched an eyebrow at Gines's wry smile.
"Hmm, magitech is definitely promising, but it still can't quite surpass magic's prestige. That said, the imperial family has been steadily investing in it."
"Oh, I'm not planning to major in magitech or anything. Just curious... It's only freshman year, so it's too early to decide. Heh, hehe."
Gines was clearly a summoner mage with real talent. Magitech probably felt like a side interest to her.
"Hmm."
It must suck to have a class you're excited about facing cancellation. But my interest stemmed from yesterday's incident, naturally.
Magitech, huh.
For some reason, the last king of Drelin—the Imperator—seemed deeply tied to magitech.
According to Yustina and Elfin, Hans, the brother of the demon siblings, had overdosed on magitech drugs, while their sister, Gruetta, wielded a magitech flamethrower.
And that wasn't all. He'd even had a magitech brainwashing leash to control monsters and Katarina.
Even elite mages couldn't pull that off, and freeing monsters from Yustina's domain? Terrifying stuff.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll win every battle.
Those magitech devices plastered all over Katarina's body. The stealth barrier cloak, life-support gear, and more—I knew next to nothing about them.
Charlotte knew too much, sure, but as an old soul from five hundred years ago, my own info gap was real.
If the Imperator wielded magitech as a weapon, I needed to learn about it too.
"...The add-drop period's still open, right?"
"Yeah, I think so. Wait, are you thinking of signing up for magitech?!"
I'd only floated the idea, but Gines clasped her hands, eyes sparkling at me. I dodged that intense gaze, sweating bullets.
"W-well, if my schedule allows..."
Brushing off her eager expectations somehow brought us to sunset before I knew it.
As we saw off the special class students who'd visited a perfectly healthy patient, Yustina and I exchanged a glance.
"Hey, Charlotte."
"Yes? Did you call me, young master?"
"Yeah, could you stick around a bit? We need to talk."
"Sure... But Yuz is here too. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, we'll ask together."
The other girls shot me suspicious looks as we left them alone together, but they all headed back to the dorms anyway.
Now the room held just me, Yustina, and Charlotte. Yustina had stayed for Charlotte from the start, so it felt like the appetizers were done and the main course was served.
"...Is something wrong?"
Poor clueless Charlotte just tilted her head, unable to read the suddenly serious mood.
The moment we three were alone, Yustina fired off telepathy right away.
[Yustina]: There are about three methods... But since she's a maid of your house, this Yustina shall do as thou wishest, ne?
[Deneb]: Three methods?
[Yustina]: The first is to casually probe through normal conversation. If Charlotte's hiding something she knows, she won't bite easily.
[Deneb]: Straight-up asking her outright won't work?
[Yustina]: It wouldn't be impossible. We could use Elfin's memory wipe potion if needed. But there's still a chance she won't answer honestly. That was the second, by the by.
Beat around the bush or go straight for the throat. Those were the first two options, then.
[Deneb]: Hold on.
[Yustina]: Hm?
Before hearing the third, a doubt hit me. Yustina was only considering the chance that Charlotte knew everything but was hiding it from us on purpose.
Of course, full honesty from her would be ideal, but another possibility nagged at me.
[Deneb]: What if Charlotte really doesn't know anything?
[Yustina]: Targeted by Drelin's last king, and she knows nothing? Even with all that talk of her being a key piece for rebuilding the kingdom?
[Deneb]: ...Isn't that possible?
Yustina narrowed her eyes at me behind Charlotte's back.
[Yustina]: Deneb, this Yustina knows thou art close with her, but dost thou truly think that makes sense?
[Deneb]: No, Yustina—this time, thou might be off the mark. The evidence she's hiding something is pretty thin, really.
[Yustina]: ...Is that so?
Since it came up, we sorted through it point by point.
If we hadn't heard the Imperator was after Charlotte, I never would've suspected her.
Even if she'd hidden things about herself, it was just not spilling what we'd seen in the Trial of Terror. Her freakish recovery and durability, or her magitech knowledge—none screamed "hiding something major."
[Yustina]: Hearing it laid out... aye, thou hast a point.
[Deneb]: Then the third method it is.
[Yustina]: Aye—beating around the bush makes it hard to tell, and confronting her risks her hiding it still. So, we cast a spell to make her speak only the truth.
[Deneb]: Hmm... The one thou used on that captured demon yesterday?
[Yustina]: Precisely. This way, we'll know for sure if she grasps her own situation.
Yustina hesitated a moment, shrinking back as she glanced at me.
[Yustina]: This Yustina hesitated only because it might trouble thee.
[Deneb]: ...No objections, but yeah, it's iffy. No choice, though.
[Yustina]: Indeed. Thy understanding is appreciated.
[Deneb]: Eh, no big deal.
Yustina smiled faintly. Charlotte, standing before us, just tilted her head blankly.
The moment we agreed, Yustina flicked her fingers, casting a simple spell on Charlotte.
"It'll be quick—sit comfortably and wait."
Charlotte's eyes glazed over as she shuffled to the bed I'd lain in earlier and plopped down.
Boundless mana poured from Yustina, shaping into magic that flowed toward Charlotte.
"That's the spell?"
"Aye. From now on, she'll answer all our questions truthfully. This Yustina swears it on her name."
Yustina shrugged nonchalantly.
"If thou sayest so."
I could trust her guarantee. Even if she often came off as hapless and laughable, Yustina was a dragon, after all.
No human mage—even the pinnacle ones etched in history—could match a dragon.
The magitech brainwashing leash was an exception, but even that Yustina could undo with a wave.
"Now, let us ask."
"All set?"
Charlotte's eyes had gone fully vacant, confirming the spell's hold.
"Aye. Once the Q&A ends, she won't even remember answering us—so ask freely."
"No need for Elfin's memory wipe potion? Thou can do memory erasure too...?"
"What dost thou take this Yustina for, Deneb? Anything Elfin can do, this Yustina can as well."
Yustina puffed her cheeks indignantly. I swallowed a retort about her swordsmanship and pondered my first question for Charlotte.
We'd start with the nagging doubts, one by one.
"...Charlotte."
"Yes?"
My heart pounded fiercely. Her answer here could shatter every memory between us.
If she'd hidden her true identity or origins, hiding among us as a maid to evade enemies...
Our family could've gotten hurt bad by those demons gunning for her.
Beating the demon siblings and the witch possessing Katarina had worked because we were at the academy.
Back in our territory without Yustina or Elfin? Massive casualties for sure.
Someone in the family might've died protecting her.
That's why, to me at least, whether she'd known and hidden it—or truly known nothing—was crucial.
"...Didst thou know the last king of Drelin and his forces were targeting thee?"
"The last king of Drelin?"
"Aye. Didst thou? Answer yes or no."
Finally voicing it, Charlotte replied with utter simplicity.
"No, I did not."