When I finished changing I made sure to get over it before I got back to Matthew. To be honest... I am not really sure what I was crying on about... I don't want people to ever see me exposing my weak side...

I ditched my old ones cause no matter how much I washed them, the filth would still cling on. Trust me I know, I'm a guy lol.

"It looks good on you Angelica." [Matthew]

"But, it's so frilly and girly." [Angelica]

I really don't like the feeling of this maid outfit. It's the standard black and white one that has frills on the edges of the skirt.

It would've been fine if I could take the apron off so that it would look like a plain black skirt, but noooooo the apron is finely stitched onto the skirt, what the hell is the big ass ribbon on the back for decoration?!

Also, the skirt is so long and heavy that I could easily trip over it. The clearance above my ankles is only 3-4 inches dammit!

Seriously, though... it baffles me how the maids effortlessly move with this thing on.

Other than that, they also gave me a pair of black shoes, a small black ribbon to tie my hair with and black stockings that you can strap in the skirt with a hook.

I threw away the maid cap and said screw that. I'm not going full cosplay.

"You don't like girly clothes?" [Matthew]

Try saying that to a guy!

"Angelica?" [Matthew]

I put one hand over his cheek and lifted his face towards mine.

"You know, looking closely you do seem like a girl." [Angelica]

"E-eh?" [Matthew]

"You'd make a fine trap." [Angelica]

"Trap??" [Matthew]

I see multiple question marks flying on his head. I'd bet if I put him into some girly clothes people wouldn't even notice that he was a boy.

"Nevermind... Do you know a way out of this place?" [Angelica]

"To be honest my mother only brought me here once when I was a child so..." [Matthew]

"That's fine, we can ask the locals for directions when we get back to the city." [Angelica]

"Get back?! Why!" [Matthew]

"When escaping what do you do?" [Angelica]

"Get away as far as possible." [Matthew]

"That is somewhat correct, but I don't trust the magician. Since she is the one who teleported us she may know our location." [Angelica]

I'm not sure if it's possible to teleport people to random places, but the thought of being randomly teleported over the cliff scares me. The risk of teleporting at random is so great that they probably wouldn't risk us dying in a freak accident and just sent us to their usual spots.

Also, once they discover that my curse was a ruse they will most likely go after us.

"Ah! So we can confuse them while they desperately searched for us here on the mountain." [Matthew]

"Uh, huh." [Angelica]

When we get to the city we'll ask around for information and if possible hitch a ride with someone going to the nearest border of the Republic.

"Matthew, let me carry your bag." [Angelica]

"N..." [Matthew]

At first, he hesitated but gave his bag soon after.

As I slung the bag, I said to him "Trust me on this." He must've been betrayed so much that it was hard for him to trust anyone.

I'm so thankful that the cities in this world barely had any walls except for castles and fortifications. We can enter the city anywhere with little to no repercussions.

When we got there, the atmosphere inside the city is a little disheartening. I saw people men, women and children on the streets begging for food and money.

Most of the children were malnourished, their bones visible from their arms and legs, and they wore ragged clothing not suitable for the cold...

I wanted to help them, but in my current situation, I wasn't able to...

In the corner of my eye, I saw a woman sitting in an alley. Her body was bruised all over, her lips popped dripping with blood and her clothing was all torn up...

"Angelica?" [Matthew]

Matthew, followed me as I walked up to her so I can offer to heal her wounds, but... as I got closer I came to realize that she has already passed. Her lifeless eyes looking up at the clear blue sky...

"You're free now..." [Angelica]

I used my hand to close her eyelids and offered her a prayer.

"Hey, what's in the bag?"

Turning my head back I saw Matthew and I were being surrounded by thugs.

"It's none of your business!" [Matthew]

"C'mon was just asking."

"May I know what is the problem?" [Angelica]

"Hi, there sexy, mind showing us what's inside the bag?"

"What if I told you no?" [Angelica]

"Then, you'll be just like that woman over there~"

He smirks and points at the woman to whom I just offered a prayer to.

"..." [Angelica]

"You seem to get the idea."

"Psst."

One of the guys whispered to the one talking to me. As he whispered to him, I saw his eyes scan me from top to bottom and as he finishes both of their mouths formed a smile.

"Mmn, good point."

My blood boiled as I glared at the lecherous scum that was in front of me.

"Lady, do you wanna come with us? We'll take you to a place that can pay you much-much more~"

"Is that so?" [Angelica]

"Angelica! They're just tricki-" [Matthew]

"I know." [Angelica]

"Heh, so what do you say?"

"Instead of coming with you. I want to show you something." [Angelica]

"Please do."

I lifted my skirt up just below the knee revealing the black stockings.

"Ohhhh!"

"You like that?" [Angelica]

"Higher-higher!"

This time, I pulled it up to half of my thighs. It showed the end of the stockings with their strings hooked up.

"Arf! Arf!!"

"More!!"

"Do you want to see it?" [Angelica]

"YESSSSS!!!"

I lifted it then.

"What's that?"

"A knife?"

I tied the cinquedea to my waist cause I have no place to stash it at and knowing that people rarely do checks on certain areas of the body I used that to my advantage.

"Ha! A little knife won't scare us."

"Bring it on bitch!"

"We'll mess you up before selling you to the slave merchant!"

Again... I'm getting sick of it! Is that the only thing going through their heads!

"Go easy on her we don't want to damage the goo-"

(Drop)

"David?!"

"Ggurgh?!" [David]

I used the wind enchant and slit the guy's throat in a flash. He lays on the floor holding his neck as he choked on his blood before dying moments later.

"I'll kill you bitch!"

Then I switched to fire enchant.

"Arrgghh?!!"

"Noel!"

Sparks fly as I intercepted his attack. Slicing his sword down the middle up to his arm. Like a crab claw, his right arm dangled in two pieces with the bones sticking out from either side.

The wound opened and closed instantly like magic, the fire enchants cauterized his arm to a fine crisp preventing the blood from spilling out.

"Potion! Edmond!" [Noel]

"Here!" [Edmond]

He caught the thrown potion and quickly gulped it down healing the wound in an instant. Despite being low lives they were able to procure expensive potions such as those maybe from their criminal/illegal activities.

"A magician?" [Noel]

"Aren't magicians supposed to be weak up close?" [Edmond]

"Her dagger is also made up of mythril... she isn't a normal servant..." [Noel]

"Who the hell are you calling a servant you prick!" [Angelica]

I got mad and forgot to control myself. My fire enchant went and covered the whole cinquedea in an inferno. Luckily it hadn't melted, I'm starting to like mythril equipment.

The two of them panicked when they saw my enchant.

"We're no match for her, we should make a run for it!" [Noel]

"Let's tell the guards that they murdered David." [Edmond]

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

They turned tail and ran...

(Slash, Stab)

Consider this as karma for what you did to the woman.

"..." [Angelica]

"I need to hea- guh?!" [Noel]

"Noe- ak?!" [Edmond]

(Gush!)

Blood came rushing out of their wounds like it was being drawn out by a pressure washer. I had just used the water enchant on them.

I wasn't planning on killing all of them, but we have already wasted too much time here, and it'll be problematic if somebody else had seen us.

"Matthew let's go." [Angelica]

I called him, but there was no answer.

"Matthew?" [Angelica]

I glanced behind me and saw Matthew on the floor. He was giving me this scared look.

"Y-you killed them?" [Matthew]

"There was no other way." [Angelica]

I wasn't planning on ending them, but once they said that they'll tell the guards they left me with no other choice.

... I have killed people again, this time it was three... this still counts as self-defense right? They did threaten to harm us.

"We're looting them now?" [Matthew]

Matthew asked as I checked their pockets.

"Let's see... some high-grade potions... and a ton of silver coins." [Angelica]

Wow, these guys are loaded. I know that stealing is bad, but they had probably taken these off of other people too and we needed some funds for our escape.

"Hey! You there?!"

"It's the guard's Angelica!!" [Matthew]

I was startled and dropped the remaining silver coins. What the hell is with this crazy response time?! They even put the police response time in my past life to shame!!

My head is currently in overdrive trying to think of a way out of our situation.

"Kyahhh?!!" [Angelica]

"Angelica?!" [Matthew]

"What happened here?! Are you alright?"

I acted like I slipped and fell on my butt. The guards hurriedly ran to us swords drawn.

"T-these people tried to k-kidnap me and my master, but a rival gang f-fought them so they c-could have us all to t-themselves!" [Angelica]

"Mast-?!" [Matthew]

I held Matthew from behind and put my hand over his mouth, please bear with it...

"Where are they then?"

"They ran when the guys at your side shouted. They bolted down that alley!" [Angelica]

"Okay we will handle this, you may go and thank you for your cooperation!"

Whew... crisis averted...

"Anlc! I cndbrht!!" [Matthew]

"Oh sorry, Matthew." [Angelica]

He gasped for air. I forgot that I was still covering his mouth tee-hee.

"Master, huh." [Matthew]

"Isn't it a good cover?" [Angelica]

"Alright, we'll go along with that, but still, being called master..." [Matthew]

Heheh the way he tried to hide his embarrassment is so adorable.

We got out of there quickly so if the guards returned we won't be there for questioning.

"At last we're here." [Angelica]

"The market? This is perfect!" [Matthew]

He and I are on the same wavelength.

While in the market, we shopped for food, spices, and supplies. Why the spices you ask? Because we may run out of food and may have to rely on the land.

We have also managed to get our hands on a map which is extremely helpful.

I checked the distance from here to Pilapil and almost fell to my knees... and no, I'm not being overly dramatic, because-it-is THAT far!!

After looking for a while, we had finally gotten ourselves a transport. It was a plain wooden wagon with a roof, the owners were apparently newlyweds and they are planning on settling down away from the city because they were used to living in the countryside.

I have told them that I was an adventurer taking a quest to escort Matthew safely on his journey. Then they asked me about the maid outfit...

I just said, "This is my cover so that the bandits would let their guard down." But, before agreeing I saw the wry look on their faces. They aren't buying it... they had probably thought that I'm into some weird shit...

A week passed by without incident, but Matthew and I were both having migraines due to lack of sleep. The fear of being caught and captured prevented us from sleeping properly so I chose to stay on guard whenever I can.

I ride shotgun with the wife in the morning while the husband and Matthew rode in the evening. The sole reason why I chose to ride with the woman is to not create a friction between the couple. For instance, if I stayed up with the husband the wife may become a bit... jealous.

Yes, I may think that way, but you will never know what goes on in people's heads. I don't want to be blamed or bothered for something that isn't true and be kicked out from our ride...

By evening, Matthew swapped with me when I was finally able to sleep from the amount of fatigue that I have accumulated.

I saw him sleeping a couple of times with the husband while on watch, but good thing the husband is fine with it. Matthew and I were both subjected to the same type of stress, as with him being a child he could easily be affected by it.

It's not like I'm doubting the couple or anything. I wouldn't exactly want to be caught with our pants down if we were suddenly ambushed by monsters, bandits or those guys from the Empire.

(Sigh...)

Being on the wagon started to get boring after a while. We only made frequent stops when we needed to use the toilet or to camp for the night. The scenery is the same-old, same old. Sometimes forests sometimes plains and mountains.

We rarely got to engage in monsters which is a blessing and also a curse. No monster = no meat and no meat = no food...

Great thing that the couple are good at picking and preparing fruits and vegetables for us to eat. They may seem plain at a glance but they're actually really-really delicious.

I wish things were this peaceful until we get back to Pilapil.

~~~At Herxheim Castle~~~

"Imbeciles!!"

(Clang!)

Emperor Lucius due to his anger threw a cup filled with red wine at Lionel, its contents splattered all over Lionel's face and clothing, dyeing it red. His group kneeling next to him paid no attention as if nothing happened just now...

"You mean to say that you haven't found them yet?!" [Emperor Lucius]

At this time Matthew and Angelica were able to throw off the Empire Corps for a week. After discovering that the curse was fake, they had immediately healed the Emperor and gave chase in the mountains, knowing that they couldn't have gotten far.

"My Excellency, I deeply apologize for not being able to track them properly, but I do assure you that we will find them." [Lionel]

Still, with his head down. Lionel apologized to the Emperor in a calm, professional, manner despite him being splashed with wine.

"Sigh... I am sorry Lionel." [Emperor Lucius]

"It is our duty to serve you, you need not to apologize." [Lionel]

When Lionel finished, the Emperor smiles at him. He knew that his subjects show absolute loyalty to him that is why he felt that he could get away with doing whatever he pleased no matter the demand.

"Thank you... It is just that... when I thought that I have finally had something within my grasp, it slips away from me again..." [Emperor Lucius]

"We will get them back your Excellency." [Lionel]

"Oh, and don't forget, I want Angelica alive and unscathed~ Hahahahahah! Hahahahaha!" [Emperor Lucius]

The Emperor rested his head on the seat, he looked up with a sinister smile as he licked his lips, breaking the silence of the room with his maniacal laugh.

"... I'll do... what I can..." [Lionel]

Lionel hesitated a bit, but not only him everyone present at the throne room was baffled at the changes the Emperor was exhibiting. From the usually elegant and majestic demeanor of the Emperor that they all know of was gone, it was as if he was a totally different person.