While Eleonora could not sleep as she thought every Shadow in her bedchamber had lusting eyes on her, Drak and his Maids could sleep in peace, but knew there would be a great heap of trouble waiting for them. Next Week is the Meeting with the Syndicate and at that time they were now at war with the Spies of the Empire.

“Did you find out anything, Seria?”

“Yes, while we are seen as a Calamity situation, we are rather low on the priority. For this occasion they put Eleonora in charge to make her learn the Ropes in a controlled environment. As she also needs to go to the School to be impartial of their own People, it was already a good Idea. As of this, she was drawn back last year from School, as Master did not go right away.”

“Huh, I didn’t even know her back then, but I made trouble for her anyhow.”

“Master, you do not need to think about that in this way. The Empire ordered her, so the Empire is at fault, not you.”

“Thanks, it still feels somewhat bad.”

“Ahem! Next is in relation to Eleonora. Her Seer ability is flawed, and therefore made a disposable spy by the higher ups.”

“Flawed, in what way?”

“She can only see Visions of people near her and about herself. While they have a rather high clarity, the need of her being near the target makes her unusable, especially as she has to be near the target multiple times and needs to see her Visions in a dream.”

“But the one time she did not need to sleep, didn’t she?”

“This was because she touched you, Master. You understand yourself best, don’t you?”

“So she is compatible. This makes all the things more problematic.”

“They are already extremely problematic. We already have to put around breadcrumbs for them to think it was an external group under Black Merchants contracts.”

“Well it is not wrong.”

“Master, you are wrong.”

“Hey!”

“I… I meant you are the Black Merchant and not only Drak Berklin. We worked to have those personalities split in their minds, but it might crumble at any moment.”

“I know what you mean. It just was a bit blunt from you Seria.”

“I apologise.”

“Nothing to apologise, you are always so serious, I would love for you to be a bit more relaxed.”

“I… I will work on it, but Master you know…”

“That time is over. You are not the City Flower any more, but can still be a bit more relaxed. I want you to be happy, like everyone around me.”

“Thank you, Master. You do not know how happy I am to have you as my Master. If we have a bit of leeway, I would love to go a bit around the City with you, if you would allow me to.”

“Of course! Um, now back to the Briefing?”

“Understood. Eleonora is fully explained. She is seen as a Spy in training from the Gracia bloodline. While she is from the direct bloodline of the Emperor, she is still just a chess piece, and maybe even happy about it.”

“Is she brainwashed?”

“No, this has no magical reasons, but might be trained on beliefs.”

“That is possible?”

“Many things are possible, but because there are easier ways through Magic, many do not think about them. For example there are wooden sticks with a small chemical drop on one side, if struck they start Fire instantly without Magic or Alchemy.”

“Woah. That I did not know, why do they not talk about this in the School?”

“Because it is not useful, as it is just a gimmick. Now, no more sidetracks. She is working for us, but can not be used as a hostage or anything else. She has no worth to the Empire itself.”

“She is in a similar Situation as me then. What is next?”

“The Spymaster itself has no direct Name. They just call him Shadow, but every Spymaster is called that. He is just a Number.”

“So someone, which does not even have a true life.”

“Exactly. His demotion is a mystery and might be through an injury or prior targets have seen his face. For this he is made observer and trainer for new recruits, but seems not really cut out for this job.”

“If he is a good spy prior to him becoming a teacher, why does he struggle? Does he not have much insight into the Job?”

“While he has experience in infiltration, assasination stealing and Intel gathering, he has no direct social skills. By his behaviour the bloodsworn have noted, he might be specialised in direct intrusion and being invisible. Also he has no experience with the other gender.”

“So, while he is capable, he is socially awkward and it goes beyond reason, if he has to work with a Girl like Eleonora.”

“Yes.”

“Why was he made a trainer for Eleonora?”

“...maybe, because he was available and no one really looked into it?”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“And the Empire is not already in ruin because…?”

“Prophecies. They have Seers on their side, and the ways to block those are hard to come by.”

“Figures… Anything else?”

“We do not have much Information, but I would think the next time we meet the Syndicate, there might be a visit from someone from the Empire.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because of your blatant slight against the people that are watching us. Everyone would cry out, if someone struck them on the foot with a massive hammer.”

“Oh… yeah, sorry about that, I was a bit impulsive because of them trying to watch you bathe and change clothes.”

“We appreciate your concern, but could have just made the Crystals see fake Images.”

“Even if they are fake, they would think they would see you naked, I can not bear that.”

“...I understand Master. Thank you.”

While talking the other Maids heard Drak’s words and had a warm smile on their faces.

-

In the School next morning Eleonora was extremely quiet and gave Drak angry looks, while also often blushing. The prank had a great effect on her, as she was rather incensed about what had happened.

As the silence between them progressed and the School day progressed a small ball of paper was thrown to his side of the table from Eleonora.

Sighing Drak made a mental note to find an opportunity to talk to her.

After the Lunch, Drak came back into the class with his own note and something wrapped inside, putting it stealthily on her table. Inside was a small key and written:

Not quite understanding what he meant, she read the Note a few times before putting both items in a secret pouch on her clothing. While not really understanding she just took it at face value and made sure if they did not meet to make the next Note more threatening.

-

Going into her Room Eleonora ordered to be undisturbed. All Servants and Agents are accepting her whims right now as they knew, she was still aggrieved about ‘the incident’. Everyone knew the best way was to give Eleonora space and especially not becoming the target of her wrath.

Closing her door and locking it she looked out of the Window. While it was on the east side, she could see the colour of the Sky starting to vanish. Closing her curtains she goes to her door, pulls the original key out and compares it with the one Drak gave her. Drak’s key was way smaller and would never be able to open that door, which means she might need to find a different door if this one does not work.

With a sigh she put the small key into the door and twisted it. Shockingly the Key grabbed something and a * click * was heard. Opening the door she saw a Foyer, which should not be behind this door, as it would originally go into the Corridor of her Mansion.

“Miss Eleonora, please this way!”

Celia noticed the door opening and showed her the way to the Study with a smile. In the Study Teacups and Cookies were already draped on a table while Drak was being forced to read a book about Imperial History by Seria.

“Master, your Guest has arrived.”

After Seria said these words, he felt saved and smiled at Eleonora waving her to the chair on the other side of the table. Raja was already working hard on the Tea, while the daze of Eleonora started to abate and questions bubbling out of her mouth.

“How am I here? Why is my Room suddenly somewhere else? What is going on? Where am I?”

“Um, Elly-”

“Eleonora!”

“Wait, now back to Eleonora? Whatever, Eleonora I just made a ‘Door’ with the key you had. The one is rather unstable and we will not have much time, as it will close after being drained of all Magic or being closed again, so better make this quick.”

“A Door?”

“Yeah, Magic of the Sixth Circle. [Door] is a space distortion creating a connection between two different places, connecting them by displacement of-”

“Master, you are veering off.”

“Ah! Just think of it as a Teleport without needing to teleport.”

“Is that how you go to the Imperial City?”

“Not like that, as such an unstable Door can only work on close points. To create a long distance one, there must be way more complicated work being done. Ah! Can I get the Key back? It is one of my private Drawers. I would have problems without it.”

Giving the Key back without thinking, Eleonora realised why she was here and got angry again.

“Drak! How dare you put those Crystals in my Bathroom and Bedchamber! Do you want me to die from embarrassment?!”

“Miss Eleonora, it was your side that had put them in private places first. Are you really blaming our Master for things your People have already done too?”

The counter from Seria was unexpected and so sudden, Eleonora was shocked for a second.

“They… I was not… It was them, that… ARGH! Fine, they did it first, but why did you target me?!”

“Master did not target you directly. The ‘workers’ were just told to put them where your side will understand their mistake and also in similar places.”

“So they put them inside, while I was already bathing?”

“Wait, you were bathi-”

“Master, please reign your thoughts in, she is not even that developed yet.”

“What do you mean ‘not developed’?!”

“Back to the topic, they were already put there before and just activated after the passphrase was ushered, that was set.”

“And what was that passphrase?”

Eleonora was rather livid and wanted to know how she suddenly was seen by all of the Imperial Agents.

“The passphrase was… um… Alice, what did you set it to?”

“...~”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“What makes sense?!”

“Miss Eleonora, did you perchance sing or make melodious noises while you were in the bathroom?”

“Even if I did that, what does it have to do with-”

“The passphrase was singing or the like, so it would activate while someone was in a relaxed state, therefore ‘vulnerable’, like we would be in our own Rooms, thinking we are secure and unseen.”

“...ah!”

“So it just so happened to start, when you were singing.”

Drak suddenly disturbed the talk between Seria and Eleonora.

“Seria, can I say something too?”

“Of course Master.”

“Eleonora, I am sorry if you are angry, but see it from our side. They put Crystals first in places that were logical, like corridors, the Study or the Lounge, but suddenly they put them in more and more unreasonable places.”

“...you can call me Elly again. I was a bit oversensitive, but I hope you understand my feelings. I was seen by my Subordinates in a rather… uncouth way.”

“Yeah, I understand. Both sides should understand how we feel.”

“This will make your position more troublesome again. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking about how my Maids would be seen changing their clothes and watched in their most private moments, and I would rather make the whole Empire my Enemy than let that happen.”

“I, I understand.”

While they were talking some more and drinking Tea, Eleonora had to go back, as the Door would not stay stable for so long. Drak wanted to bring her to the Door himself, but was shot down by Seria to read the book again.

When Eleonora got through, the Maids were about to close the door as Seria said something.

“Miss Eleonora, this was seen as a warning. Master Drak is lenient to everything, except if it comes to us or his other underlings. So please be careful, or the next time you might need to check the toilet bowl as otherwise the best case scenario would be seeing ‘just a bit of rain’ and worst a ‘mudslide’”

Seeing the colour drain from Eleonora’s face with a look of horror, Seria closed the door with a smirk.