I stare at her and, she stares at me.

Pink sighs, patting me on the shoulder, and with a smug, she says, "You should have been faster." Pulling me closer, she leans over to my ear. "But I guess it would have been more fun if both of us were conscious," she adds in a seductive whisper.

When Pink pulls back, she grazes my ear with her lips. I can feel my face burning.

Pink stands up, pats her clothes, and checks her short sword. "We have a knight and maid to confront."

The statement snaps me to attention. "Wait, what?" What does she mean?

"What?"

"Isn't it the rat- I mean, the shapeshifter who poisoned everyone?"

Pink stares at me for a while. "So you didn't know..."

"Know what?"

"The maid with the orange hair, she helped with serving the meals tonight. She's never done that before, neither did the other knights' servants. I have a feeling that, under an order, she messed with our food."

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That can't be right. The image of the rat mocking me with its squeals is still fresh in my mind. "Are you sure about this?"

"No, however that is why we must confront them. If anything, my guts are telling me that they are guilty."

Captain Greene and I met Orange in the hallway before going to the mess. In the years that I've known Pink, her guts have always been right.

"All right, Pink. Lead the way."

Pink shuts my lips with her finger. I wonder how something so small can feel so warm.

"Lieutenant, my name is Rose. I'd like it if you can call me that when we're alone," Rose tells me with a sweet smile.

"...Okay, Sgt. Rose."

"Ah ah ah," she reprimands playfully with a wave of her finger. "Just Rose."

"Rose," I mutter as I cover my face with my wrist. If I see myself in the mirror right now, I probably look like a red onion.

"All right, Brad."

When she sees me flinch in surprise, she chuckles.

"I guess we can continue this conversation later. Right now, it's back to work. Lieutenant, I know I said that we should confront the maid and her master but do you have any specific plan in mind?"

"You want me to do the planning?"

"I trust your judgment, after all."

How could a single sentence be so satisfying to hear?

I nod. "Okay, I understand."

Stretching myself, I work the gears in my brain to find the most viable options available on hand.