Marian Cultivation Plan
“Hah, haa….”
Chloe let out a ragged breath as she seized the man by the nape of his neck and dragged him along. It had been a close call. If the man had been even a bit more cautious about his footing or a touch more skilled with his hands, her dagger would have plunged into his heart before her final strike could land.
“I really thought I was done for…”
But in the end, it was Chloe who stood victorious. A blade in the ass would stiffen anyone, assassin or not, and in that split second, she had slipped her bonds, escaped, and severed the tendons in all his limbs. Even with his arms and legs crippled, the man thrashed wildly, so she leaped down from the rooftop to knock him out—and the result?
“Guhk…”
He foamed at the mouth and passed out. He'd landed on his back with Chloe on top, unable to brace properly… His spine was surely damaged. Even if he woke up later, he'd never walk on two legs again.
“Gotta show this to Rosetta first.”
Tsking under her breath, Chloe hauled the man to Haksen's office, avoiding prying eyes. Then she waited. For Rosetta Evergreen, Haksen’s proxy, to arrive for work. It was past midnight already, so she'd be there in a few hours at most.
“Sleepy…”
With the man securely bound to prevent escape, Chloe took the brief respite to close her eyes.
“She's here.”
The sharp click of heels on the floor roused her. Moments later, Rosetta arrived.
“Wha— you scared me!”
Clutching her chest in surprise, Rosetta glanced back and forth between Chloe and the bound man.
“I thought some stranger had broken into the office—what are you doing here?”
“Caught an intruder last night.”
“Figures. Another one? How's the bastard girl?”
“Safe and sound.”
“Not sure if that's good or bad.”
With a deep sigh, Rosetta eyed Chloe and the prisoner alternately.
“But why's there blood coming from his ass?”
“He went for a vital spot in the fight. That's where it was decided.”
“Eww, gross… Butler! Maids!”
As if she'd seen something repulsive, Rosetta summoned the staff.
“Butler, get rid of that thing. Maids, clean the blood off the floor. It's filthy…”
“Ma'am.”
“What now?”
“This guy's got an artifact. How should we handle it…?”
“Take it.”
“Pardon?”
“The castle's full of artifacts. Missing one won't matter. Anything you get from protecting that bastard girl is yours. An assassin bitch like you needs that stuff to do her job right, doesn't she?”
“I… thank you.”
She even went so far as to hand over the artifact straight from the assassin's pocket.
Isn't all this Evergreen property? Not that there's any reason to refuse a gift…
Chloe couldn't shake the nagging doubt if this was okay. Was it the grand ducal house's famed generosity, or just Rosetta's whims during her erratic moods? No way to know.
“Then I'll head out for lessons.”
“Good luck. Hope you get results.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Leaving her unease behind—lingering might invite trouble—Chloe slipped away. Business done, time for the day's work.
Leaving the grand duke's office, Chloe returned to her bedroom and sank into the attached bathtub. She scrubbed off the grime of sweat, combed out her battle-tangled hair, then sat at the vanity wrapped only in a towel, replaying the fight.
“That shouldn't have been a fight I could lose.”
More precisely, there shouldn't have been such a razor-thin margin. And what had closed that gap? Her drastically weakened physical abilities.
“Maybe I should start on mana…”
No doubt assassins would come once a year, at least. Children born between Haksen and Rosetta typically died on that schedule. External forces aimed to destabilize House Evergreen, and attempts on Marian's life would continue. The next one would likely be stronger than last night's foe.
“No real countermeasures…”
She needed a solid plan, but mana was out. At nineteen, freshly adult, starting mana training now rarely yielded results. Better to hone her assassination skills further and rely on artifacts. Luck like tonight wouldn't hold forever. Maximize efficiency with what she knew—that was an assassin's creed.
But that was her creed. Marian was different.
“Get the young lady started on mana?”
It wasn't a bad idea practically. Marian was young, so she'd pick it up fast. Chloe would leave her side in five years; Marian needed to be strong on her own to avoid future issues. With the full backing of House Evergreen as its lady, plus Chloe's peerless assassination training on top of mana basics? She'd become a monster no assassin could touch.
“Alright, I'll report that to Rosetta after lessons today…”
Next: how to strengthen herself. Propping her chin, Chloe pondered gravely until a rough plan took shape.
“Coming in.”
“Enter…”
A procession of maids burst in, hauling overloaded racks of clothes. Chloe's words caught in her throat.
“What… is this?”
“From Ma'am. She said she'll keep sending clothes as rewards for your successes.”
Even in her fluctuating state, Rosetta remembered to reward loyal retainers. Catching last night's assassin earned these dresses, apparently.
Plunging necklines, thigh slits, backless designs—mostly revealing gowns. A bit unsettling, but modest ones were mixed in if you looked.
“This one.”
Chloe picked a simple black dress—the least flashy. The other maids hauled the racks away, leaving just one: the same maid who'd kept serving her even after nearly dying to a poisoned dagger.
“Allow me to help you dress.”
Until now, Chloe had managed Haksen's uniform alone. But this noble gown? Impossible without assistance.
“Ah…”
With a wry smile, Chloe dropped her towel. It slid down her curves, baring her violently voluptuous figure in all its raw glory. Even the maid—a woman herself—widened her eyes. Chloe kept a blank face as the maid dressed her.
I knew it'd come to this eventually…
She'd known. How could she not? As Edwin, infiltrating noble soirees, friendly ladies would send maids with fine clothes to dress her. She'd accepted without fuss; such touches were familiar.
But…
Ugh…
Women took longer to dress than men, meaning more time exposed to another's hands. That subtle difference amplified the discomfort, the shame.
Still, the maid finished with a bow and left.
“Gonna have to do this every day now…?”
Her head spun. No choice but to get used to it.
“Five years…”
Just endure five, retire to a seaside villa, live free. No one to care how she dressed or made up then.
Comforting herself, Chloe headed to Marian's bedroom.
“Young la…”
“Ch-Chloe! Don't come in yet!”
A light knock, and she entered to find Marian dressing alone. Her half-on blouse awkwardly accentuated her budding breasts. Chloe had little interest in such small ones—what irked her was…
Don't nobles have maids for this? Even a bastard, she's a lady now…
“D-don't look! I'm not done…!”
“I'll step out.”
“Yeah…”
What to make of it? Bizarre scene, hard to pin down. She'd probe later. A lady dressing herself? Not normal.
Anyway, time passed…
Another gentle knock, permission granted, and she entered.
“Tell me about catching the thief!”
Marian shouted.
She saw? Last night…?
Chloe's mind reeled, but…
“Want to catch thieves too, young lady?”
“I wanna catch 'em!”
Seeing Marian's bright grin, Chloe thought she might take well to mana training and assassination lessons. The reaction was promising. Very good.