Ophis immediately morphed her expression into a pained one. anyone that saw her right now would think that she was greatly hurt by what Priscilla said! She kept this expression on her face as she spoke up in a rush!
"Your highness, although you say that I should bare with it, how am I supposed to survive when I know those two men will always be after me!? Even when I'm trying my best to avoid them, there is no escape! The Grand Commander controls the army and the soldiers report to him, while the Head priest controls the church with all the priests there reporting to him. No matter where I go, one of these two groups would always find me. There is nowhere I can go in Uta without them finding me!"
Priscilla furrowed her brow in annoyance and she nodded absentmindedly while thinking. Priscilla could see the sense in what Ophis said but Priscilla really didn't see how that was any of her problem. Ophis was starting to become an annoyance with how much she was complaining. Do you think people will chase after you that much just because you are beautiful?
Priscilla had this thought as she joined her hands together and looked back at Ophis. There was a little bit of jealousy in Priscilla's heart that was affecting the way she was thinking right now, but she refused to acknowledge that jealousy. No matter how beautiful Ophis is, she is nothing compared to a queen.
"So, what would you have me do about it then?"
It was a simple question that Ophis asked Priscilla, but Ophis knew that this was the moment of truth.
"Please, your highness. Just help me."
This is the moment that Ophis has been aiming towards all this time and Ophis hoped that Priscilla was feeling guilty enough to say something that would allow Ophis to predict how the future would be at this moment.
Priscilla sighed tiredly and Ophis tightened her hands against her dress under the table. Yes! Just like that! Just let your guard down a little bit more!
Priscilla was tired and she didn't have any sort of reason to keep up appearances at this moment. Since she has already told Ophis to bare with something that she normally shouldn't have to, there is no way that she will not try to ease her guilt by saying something that she wouldn't usually say!
And Ophis was right. Usually, all humans are very guarded with their secrets. We all try our best to make sure that the things that we consider secret aren't revealed to people we don't trust. But whenever we do something wrong to someone, there is always something inside of us that thinks we can make up for that wrong by revealing something that we usually wouldn't reveal. It is this feeling that most policemen use to interrogate criminals, and it is also this feeling that makes cheating couples reveal their sins because of guilt.
And at that moment, Priscilla felt just enough guilt to let something secret slip. Once Priscilla spoke, Ophis couldn't stop the smile that formed on her face even if she tried!
"Just bare with it for two weeks. That shouldn't be a problem for someone like you, should it? Try your best not to get involved with them and I'll also try to make them leave you alone. Now, please excuse me, I have work to do,"
Ophis bowed her head in thanks once Priscilla told her to leave and she immediately stood and left the office. Ophis already had exactly what she wanted, so there was no need to stay anymore!
.......
Pyra and Andromeda walked down the corridor of the demon lord's palace in silence. They passed some of the maids that were working and all of the other maids stopped whatever they were doing in order to bow to the two of them. It was no longer news that Pyra and Andromeda were not on the demon lord's good side! Everyone and their grandmother knew about it in the palace! So Pyra wasn't surprised to hear some whispers from some of the maids behind their backs.
"Do you think the demon lord will forgive them for what they did?"
"I don't know, but I wouldn't even be able to leave my room if I embarrassed the demon lord like they did. I would be too scared to do anything. Don't you remember what the demon lord did to Madam Rosavellt's brother, Reginald?"
"D-don't talk about that. My room is above the dungeons, so I could hear everything. I don't want to remember that."
"Those two are really strong to be this relaxed."
Things like these were passing through the hallway, but Pyra and Andromeda simply ignored them. It's not like the maids are wrong. We failed the demon lord's mission and the demon lord was angry at us for that failure.
But that does not mean they lost their respect in the castle. the demon lord did not cast them out even after their failure. Both Pyra and Andromeda were still part of the demon lord's household, and even if the demon lord was angry at them, the other maids must still show respect to the two of them!
Pyra and Andromeda were on their way to one of the inner rooms of the palace according to the demon lord's orders. Today was when they were supposed to start their training with Quinn. Pyra could still remember how shocked she was when the demon lord commanded her and Andromeda to take over Quinn's training. Pyra did not have any right to say anything when she was receiving the order from her master, but it was obvious that she was not happy about this!
Pyra was one of the strongest maids in the entire castle! Her physical strength alone was enough to challenge most giants! She trained her whole life in order to serve her master to the best of her abilities and she didn't think that this was the sort of job she was meant to be doing! Pyra is meant to be beside the demon lord at all times protecting him from danger! She isn't meant to be babysitting that child! One of the lesser maids could easily take over Quinn's training.
But even though she didn't like it, Pyra knows she did not have any right to complain. She is still under punishment and she hopes that this will be enough to finally appease the demon lord.
Pyra and Andromeda were walking in silence for a long time, but as they got closer to the room where Quinn was staying, Andromeda spoke up.
"D-Do you think the demon lord will ever forgive us for what we did, Pyra?"
Pyra looked to the side and saw how Andromeda was twiddling with her fingers nervously. Andromeda was even more depressed than Pyra because of how easy it is for her to be affected emotionally. Before Floid came to the demon castle, Pyra always told Andromeda that Andromeda was too emotional and she should learn how to hide her emotions better. How exactly is she going to survive in this world if she is affected by everything that she is exposed to? Demons are not known to be affected by emotions. We only use other people's emotions against them.
But Pyra was surprised to find out that Andromeda didn't allow her emotions to affect her during battle. Andromeda was still very effective on the battlefield and Andromeda has been able to survive somehow until now so Pyra no longer bothered trying to change Andromeda. It is obvious that this is just how she is.
Pyra answered Andromeda's question stoically.
"I don't have any right to presume what the demon lord will or will not do. As far as I know, he might have already forgiven us and he is simply putting us in this position to make sure we don't forget this lesson. Or perhaps, he has decided that this is all we amount to in his eyes. I truly do not know. But... I hope he forgives us soon."
Andromeda was silent for a while after hearing what Pyra said! Pyra was right! None of them had any right to presume what Floid was thinking! Andromeda knew that there was a high likelihood that the demon lord was still angry at them but Andromeda decided that she would follow Pyra's lead and hope that the demon lord already forgave them.
Pyra didn't know this, but she was actually right. Floid was no longer angry at the both of them for their failure and he didn't even see this as a punishment for them. Floid understood that no one was perfect and he didn't expect them to pass every mission he gives them. Right now, floid wasn't even punishing them at all! If Floid wanted to punish them for their failure, he would have done something far worse to them! The last person that went against Floid ended up in the torture chamber and it is easy for Floid to take them to that place as well and torture them if he wants to.
The reason why they are looking after Quinn is simply that she is his sister. Regardless of how things may seem, Floid didn't actually want Quinndead. Floid cared about Quinn in his own twisted way, and since he had given her a chance to prove herself to him, he is not going to let her fall behind. He gave this mission to Pyra and Andromeda because he knew that they are two of the strongest maids in this castle and they can train Quinn better than any other maid in the castle.
Pyra and Andromeda didn't know all this, so they are still thinking that this is some sort of punishment. Andromeda spoke up as the both of them reached Quinn's room door.
"Do you think the demon lord's sister is anything like the demon lord?"
"Hah!!"
For the first time in all her years serving in this castle, Andromeda heard Pyra scoff in amusement! Andromeda turned to Pyra with wide eyes. Did Pyra really just scoff!? Was that question I asked that funny!?
Pyra immediately comported herself again after letting out that scoff. She didn't even do it consciously! The question that Andromeda asked was just too funny for her to not scoff! How can Andromeda even think that Quinn was anything like the demon lord? Even if Quinn had a thousand years to train her mind and body, she will still be nothing like the demon lord. The demon lord's presence is not something that you can work towards achieving. you either have it, or you don't.
If Pyra put the two siblings side by side to compare them, then the gap in abilities and intellect would be unfair! Floid was someone who was born lucky. Meanwhile, Quinn was lucky to be born.
At least Pyra is sure that the demon lord would not have allowed himself to be captured the way Quinn was captured.
"Don't make such expensive jokes, Andromeda. I don't know why you think this girl will be anything like the demon lord. Even though they are blood, it is obvious that that is as far as their similarities go. The demon lord is completely different from her in every way possible. Now stop standing there and let's go in and finish this,"
Pyra pushed the door to Quinn's room open and her eyes widened as she saw a massive bat flying toward her face! Pyra put her forearm up quickly and allowed the bat to shatter against her forearm.
Smash!!
Pyra looked to the side with a glare and she saw Quinn glaring at both of the with great annoyance in her eyes! Pyra lost her own glare and she turned back to Andromeda with a blank look. Is this the person that you're saying is just like the demon lord?
"Dammit, you're the wrong person! Where's Floid!? Bring me Floid right now! I'm tired of staying in this damn place!!"
"Shut up, girl. Do not address the demon lord in such a familiar way."
"!"
Quinn's eyes widened in shock as she heard Pyra talk. Quinn knew that her plan was already fucked the moment she saw Pyra and Andromeda. Quinn initially planned to attack the next maid that comes into her room and escape after knocking the maid out. But Quinn didn't think that things would go so wrong. What the hell are these two maids doing in front of me again!?
These are the same maids that attacked Quinn's caravan when she was a hero and Quinn didn't want to see them for any reason! She only had bad memories of them! They were the reason why she ended up in this situation in the first place!
The bat that Quinn used to hit Pyra was reinforced with a lot of mana. Quinn used one of her skills [Mana Surge - A] to strengthen the bat until it was strong enough to knock out an A-class without any trouble at all! If it was the maid that usually brings Quinn's food for her, Quinn was sure that she would have knocked the maid out easily! But Pyra was able to tank the blow like it was nothing and Quinn can't even see a scratch on her hand! Just how strong are the maids in this castle!?
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