Chapter 94

I think I was quite careless. Even though the incense made me lose my rationality, what happened just now was really a stain. It was a new approach that I hadn't tried before, and my curiosity got the better of me because it seemed like a spy movie and looked fun.

Let's just put it that way. Yeah, it's good for my mental health. I am reflecting, but I'm not regretting! ...No, I am regretting. He was a guy, and there was something familiar about him.

I'm sure Yomi will make the guy spill the detailed information, so I just need to wait. Yomi is reliable, right? ...Hey, are you sure? You won't mess up, right?! Please, Yomi!

For now, I'll head back to the castle.

"Welcome back, Master, did you find anything out?"

"Back, Luna. ...Well, I caught one of the guys who probably took the Dark Guild's request. Yomi is interrogating him now."

Yeah, I'm not lying.

"Wow! Just as I expected from Master Owl!! To get a lead in such a short time!"

I can't say it... I can't say that I was drugged by incense and went into a love hotel with a guy! Look at how Luna is looking at me. She really respects me, and her eyes are sparkling.

...Ugh, guilt is running wild inside me. I'll try to make it up to her on our next date.

"No, yeah. Well, yeah..."

"?"

I'm really sorry, Luna.

Still, the Dark Guild's methods are really dirty. I didn't expect them to approach me this way instead of using force.

But now that I think about it, if they just wanted to kill me, there would be no need to fight. Assassination is probably meant to be like this.

"Yomi will probably tell us the details tomorrow, so let's get some sleep today. Luna, you should rest today too."

"Understood. I'll leave the night watch to Din. However, I'll be taking over from Yomi tomorrow, so I'll leave the castle in the morning. Please take care of the princess then."

"Ah, got it. Then good night."

There are some concerns, but there's no point in worrying now. I'll just keep it in mind.

Good night...

『――Owl... be... careful! That... is... dangerous!』

!!

"Who? ...Was it a dream? But I had a similar dream yesterday too."

...Could this have some meaning? Maybe it's a premonition. The voice of the person talking seemed familiar, but it was too broken to remember.

It's just a dream, so there's no need to worry, but for some reason, it won't leave my mind. It feels like it's right there, but it's frustrating.

Knock knock knock

"Master Owl, it's Yomi. Hehehe, I'm here to report on 'yesterday's incident.'"

Damn... You don't have to emphasize 'yesterday's incident.'

"Come in."

"Excuse me. ...Oh, you just woke up. Hehe, shall I help you change?"

"No, I can change myself! So, did you find out anything from the guy from yesterday?"

Yeah, the real Yomi is different. The fake one was good, but compared to the real one, there's a huge difference.

"Yes, I have some valuable information."

Yomi is as reliable as ever. Let's have breakfast while I listen. ...But first, I need to get ready for the morning and be near the princess.

"Once I'm ready, I'll listen to the information near the princess's office."

"Hehe, understood. ...Can I have breakfast too?"

"Ahaha, of course. Let's eat together! While we're at it, let's invite the princess for an information exchange."

"......Okay. Understood..."

Hmm, she seems a bit down... Did she want to have breakfast with just the two of us? Maybe I said something wrong.

"Let's have breakfast together first, share the information, and then go to the princess. We can talk over tea after she's done eating."

"Hehe, yes!"

Women's hearts are so complicated...

Well, I've brushed my teeth and washed my face. Now I just need to make breakfast. What should I make?

"......By the way, it's hard to cook when you're being watched so closely."

"No, please don't mind us! Cook as you please!"

I'm using the castle's kitchen to make breakfast. Apparently, my cooking is famous, and the six chefs are very interested.

The chefs at Alice's place had high pride and were difficult to deal with, but the chefs here are different. They have pride, but in a different direction.

They are very curious and strive to make even better dishes. I think the food here is already delicious, but I still want to eat my own cooking.

By the way, today I'm making 'Egg Benedict style, onion soup, smoked sausage, and salad.' I'll use vinegar instead of wine, but it should be fine.

When I made the poached eggs, the chefs exclaimed, "Wow!!" but I ignored them. The dish is complete with a hollandaise sauce made from butter and egg yolk. I'm using regular bread instead of English muffins.

"Alright, it's done. ...I made extra for everyone, so please help yourselves if you want."

"Thank you!"

Hmm, I feel like I'm making disciples. But good food is better when shared. Maybe someday I'll run a hidden gem restaurant in the countryside, using vegetables I grow and game I hunt.

Hey, this sounds pretty fun, doesn't it? Maybe I should seriously consider it.

There's a familiar woman among the chefs. ...Clearly someone I don't want to remember.

"...What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't meet you, so I came. Then I saw this delicious breakfast and couldn't resist..."

I only made extra for the six chefs, so there's no portion for Camille. But to the chefs, Camille is like a goddess, so the youngest male chef reluctantly offered his meal. ...Poor guy.

Can't be helped... Even if this situation isn't entirely my fault, I am partly to blame.

"Here, have this."

"Is it okay!? But Master Owl's portion..."

"I'm fine. Here you go."

While Camille is focused on the food, I'll slip away. The more I get involved, the deeper I'll get stuck.

"Back, Yomi. Sorry for being late."

"No problem at all."

Oh, it looks like she was reading a book. ...I thought I saw 'How to Raise People' on the spine, but I must be mistaken. No way such a cute Yomi would read such a scary book. It must be 'How to Raise Dogs.'

...Why does thinking about Yomi raising a dog turn into something weird in my head? I'm sorry, Yomi.

I gave the breakfast I made to Yomi and will eat the meat skewers I prepared in advance.

"So, can you tell me while we eat?"

"Yes, first about the Dark Guild, I didn't find out much. The only thing I learned is that the right-hand man of the Dark Guild's top is called 'Belias.' It's a strange name, isn't it?"

Belias... The first thing that comes to mind is the demon Belias. In this world, names from Earth are often used.

If that's the case, it's probably safe to assume that demons and similar beings are also present. I remember Belias is a third-tier demon. If he's the right-hand man, then the top is probably a second-tier or first-tier demon.

Surely not a devil like Satan or Beelzebub...? No, as the old man said, since there's a hero, it's not strange for there to be a devil. But I don't think it's related to this case.

"The Dark Guild is full of mysteries. Did you find out anything about the client?"

"Regarding that, the information I obtained is still 'a beauty with a mole.'"

Again... This might mean I need to talk to the third lady. But it still feels off.

"...Understood. I'll do some investigating too. With Yomi and Din guarding the princess, I think we're safe as long as we're in the castle, but please be cautious."

"Understood."

Now, I need to share the information with the princess.

"---So, I'm reporting this. I'll be careful, but Lily, you need to be careful too."

"Such a thing... But I'm glad you're safe. Yes, I'll keep it in mind."

"About the third lady..."

"The third lady is still confined to her room and hasn't come out. She's still not feeling well."

Not feeling well, huh. I'll try to meet her under the pretext of treatment.

Despite the busy situation, I'm trying to update as often as possible.

I'd be grateful for ratings and bookmarks.

Thanks to everyone, I won the [Net Novel Award] and will be published by Futabasha.