“Eil… become my person.”
The calm, straightforward words came so suddenly that Eil's hand slipped while pouring tea.
She hurriedly reached for the teapot, but someone else's hand caught it first.
“Y-Young Master!”
“I can't do this without you.”
Though he had just grabbed the scalding-hot pot with his bare hand, Lys didn't even blink. His expression remained perfectly composed.
“You're the one who said it, Eil. Business and personal matters should never be mixed.”
His low, pleasant voice drifted lazily through the room, drawing her gaze almost against her will.
The moment her eyes met his unwavering violet ones, a memory from long ago surfaced.
When they were children...
'Eil, become my person.'
Back then, she had assumed it was nothing more than the innocent whim of a young master attached to a maid his own age.
So she had answered without much thought.
'Young Master, you need to keep business and personal matters separate.'
Yet now, years later, the unfathomable young master was saying the exact same words again.
When she gave a small nod, the corner of his lips curved into a flawless smile.
“My business and my personal life... they're both you.”
What was that supposed to mean?
For some reason, her heart dropped.
After eighteen years as an assassin, she'd always believed the funniest thing a target could say was, Please spare me! I'll become a better person!
Apparently...
She'd been wrong.
“...That's an amusing joke.”
“I've always been serious, Eil.”
He dismissed her response with effortless ease.
His gaze stayed fixed on her—hot, unwavering, almost predatory.
It made her feel like a rabbit standing before a hungry beast.
Instinct screamed danger.
Her hand slowly drifted toward the concealed throwing knife hidden beneath her belt.
Then Lys spoke again.
“Did you know?”
“I'm the richest man in the Empire.”
...Huh?
Where had that come from?
Well... I definitely know that already.
Everyone knew Lys was obscenely wealthy.
But hearing him brag about it himself was another matter entirely.
She stared at him blankly.
Still wearing that perfectly calm expression, he looked straight into her eyes.
“You like money, don't you, Eil?”
“I... well... yes.”
To be fair, every time he'd asked her why she did something, she'd always answered the same way.
"Because of money."
"Money is the best."
"Because it pays well."
But what did that have to do with this?
“I'm richer than the Emperor.”
“So... like me too.”
The words floated toward her with an almost intoxicating confidence.
Whether he was joking or completely serious, she couldn't tell.
This wicked young master has finally decided to seduce people with money.
Every professional assassin knew the first rule of the trade:
Never fall for the honey and sweets your target offers.
It was one of the most basic principles of survival.
She knew that.
She really did.
“Hmm? Eil?”
Tilting his head slightly, Lys smiled with infuriating gentleness.
It was the smile of someone who knew—
Absolutely knew—
That she couldn't bring herself to reject him.
Thump.
Thump.
Her heartbeat lost all rhythm.
Something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Slowly biting her lower lip, she couldn't help thinking—
If I'd known the young master I served would grow up to become this dangerous...
...I should've killed him years ago.
How in the world did things end up like this?
He definitely wasn't like this when he was little...
Clink!
Moving swiftly through the dense forest, Eil suddenly came to a stop.
She carefully reached for the pouch hanging from her waist.
“Let's see how my babies are doing.”
Untying the tightly knotted string, she opened the pouch just enough for the contents to spill into view.
Golden coins gleamed brilliantly.
Jingle.
“They've all been behaving so well. My precious little darlings!”
Jingle. Jingle.
The bright chorus of gold coins accompanied the affectionate strokes of her fingers like an orchestra performing at a grand banquet.
“...Looks like I only have about five hundred gold left to pay off.”
The Black Forest—
A place so infamous for monstrous beasts that most people refused to enter.
Perched casually atop a branch shrouded in pale mist, Eil carefully tied the pouch shut again.
People only ever knew half the story.
Yes, the Black Forest was filled with monsters.
And corpses.
But what they failed to realize...
...was that it was also filled with abandoned treasure whose owners would never return.
“I'd love to go deeper inside...”
Her blue eyes lingered on the darkest reaches of the forest.
Unfortunately, that territory belonged to House Cassio—
The infamous ducal family the Empire called the Monster Dukes.
No one approached those lands lightly.
“No one's ever come back after going in there.”
She clicked her tongue.
Over the years, plenty of fools had ventured into that forbidden region, dreaming of striking it rich.
None had ever returned.
Guess it's time to head back.
Looking up at the crimson sky as darkness gradually settled over the forest, Eil rose to return to the assassin headquarters.
Then—
“AAAAAHHHHH!”
A shrill scream suddenly tore through the heavy mist.
The tranquil light vanished from Eil's blue eyes, replaced by icy killing intent.
“What idiot is screaming at this hour?!”
The Black Forest was dark even during the day.
At night...
It became absolute darkness, where one couldn't see even a hand stretched out before them.
The perfect hunting ground for monsters.
Those things are ridiculously sensitive.
Make even the tiniest sound, and they'll hear you before you know it.
Even Eil, a highly trained assassin, avoided the forest after nightfall.
“Now you're making this my problem too.”
No sooner had she grumbled than a flock of black crows with crimson eyes burst across the brick-red sky.
In the Black Forest, crows usually gathered wherever there were monster corpses...
Or human ones.
Which also means...
There's a good chance valuables are lying around.
Her foot twitched.
“...If someone's going to die, I hope it's someone rich.”
Dead monsters and dead people alike sometimes carried expensive belongings.
Large monsters were especially useful.
They swallowed anything they found, meaning their stomachs were occasionally stuffed with priceless jewels.
“It'll only take a minute.”
She glanced once more at the now pitch-black sky.
Then turned away from the path leading back to headquarters.
Estimating the direction the crows had flown, she dashed through the trees with practiced agility.
Oh... right.
A voice suddenly echoed in her memory.
'Eil! The moment the job's done, come straight back! Don't go wandering off anywhere!'
"...Someone definitely said that."
"Who was it again?"
"The captain?"
Brushing her windblown hair behind her shoulder, Eil shrugged with a carefree grin.
“Mm... don't know.”
“Can't remember.”
“Eil has absolutely no recollection of hearing anything like that.”
Before long she reached the destination.
Leaping effortlessly into a large tree, she concealed herself among the branches.
Then she cautiously peeked toward the place where the scream had originated.
"Hmm?"
"...This isn't what I expected."
In the middle of the gloomy forest stood a crowd of burly men wearing dark navy robes.
There wasn't a single monster in sight.
“Another assassin guild?”
Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be assassins like her.
Though, calling them colleagues felt generous.
Their skills looked embarrassingly mediocre.
Then Eil noticed someone standing beyond them.
A boy about her own age.
Snow-white skin.
Jet-black hair.
Brilliant violet eyes that sparkled like amethysts.
He was remarkably beautiful.
Wow... he's gorgeous.
No, focus!
His appearance.
His clothes.
Everything about him screamed young noble raised in luxury.
“Don't tell me...”
“Are they shaking down a little kid with a whole group of grown men?”
Having pieced together the situation, Eil let out a disbelieving laugh and closed her eyes.
She'd come looking for treasure.
Instead...
She'd found a bunch of pathetic thugs and one absurdly pretty young master.
“AAAAAH! I'M GOING CRAZY!”
“H-Heeelp! Somebody save me...!”
“Grrrk.”
Flash!
The instant Eil opened her eyes again—
Every one of the assassins had been violently thrown across the clearing, sprawled among the bushes.
...Didn't someone just scream again?
She tilted her head.
Should I save them?
“Hmm...”
“Rescue work isn't exactly one of my hobbies.”
