After entrusting Loa to Sara and Daru, I head to the kitchen with Kuro.
“Yes, no one is here.”
“No one’s here~.”
“Hehe.”
Since Kuro is leading, I can move forward confidently.
Next to Kuro, a group of young spirits, who appeared out of nowhere, float happily around.
The young spirits might think that Kuro and I are starting to play.
Like Kuro, the spirits are invisible to everyone except Sara and me.
They’re not even physical entities, so they can pass freely through walls, ceilings, and doors.
Spirits can truly be called the ultimate scouts.
“Yes, it’s fine. Let’s run.”
“Run, run~!”
“Hehe.”
By following Kuro’s instructions, we easily infiltrate the kitchen.
Without the spirits, we would have had to move cautiously, checking carefully. If we had done that, it would have taken three times, no, maybe ten times longer.
“Thank you, Kuro, everyone. You saved me.”
“It’s too early to relax.”
“Hurry, hurry~!”
“Hehe.”
Kuro continues flying around outside the kitchen, keeping up the reconnaissance.
“Luria must hurry and finish the job too.”
I work together with Carol, who had arrived at the kitchen earlier, to gather food.
Just before Carol ran out of the room, she had grabbed a handkerchief, and she was spreading it out, arranging nuts inside it.
“You’re so clever, Carol.”
Carol gives a proud look, wrapping the nuts in the handkerchief and slinging it over her back.
“I learned from Carol, so I brought some too.”
I spread out a towel and start placing food on it.
I need food that’s compact, nutritious, won’t get soggy, and can be eaten raw.
“Indeed, sausages and bread work best.”
Sausages can be eaten raw, apparently. They don’t get soggy. And bread tastes great.
Carol silently helps by placing nuts like walnuts on my towel.
“Nuts are tasty too, aren’t they? Loa will surely like them.”
Carol nods quietly in agreement.
“Is this enough? I hope I didn’t overfill it.”
Carol doesn’t say anything but simply nods in agreement. She must know that her cries echo far and wide.
I wrap the food in the towel, slinging it over my back and tying it around my neck.
“Oh, I should bring eggs too.”
If I wrap the eggs in the towel, they might crack.
So, I shove them into my pockets. With four eggs, the pockets are now completely full.
“I really wish I had clothes with bigger pockets, lots of them.”
Next time, I’ll ask for clothes with more and bigger pockets, along with a bag I can stuff food into.
As I’m thinking this, Kuro’s voice rings out.
“Luria-sama! Mother is heading towards your room!”
“This is bad, this is bad.”
“We need to hurry!”
I quickly head back to my room.
“Hurry, Carol!”
Together, Carol and I leap out of the window into the rainy outdoors.
My body gets wet, but the sound of the rain helps mask our noise. Maybe we’re lucky.
Mother is heading towards my room via the only corridor. If I try to go back inside, I’ll run into her.
“The attendants aren’t looking this way, but I don’t know when they’ll sense us.”
Kuro peeks into the attendants’ quarters and warns Carol and me, who are running outside.
“Ah, the maid is heading to the kitchen. Good luck!”
The little spirits continue to provide updates about the situation inside the mansion.
Thanks to them, Carol and I can run with all our might.
I focus, using my special skill to listen closely, and peek into the situation with Sara and the others.
“Good morning, Sara. Daru. Oh? Where’s Luria?”
“She’s still asleep.”
“Baau!”
To buy some time, it seems like Sara went out into the hallway to talk to mother.
“I see. Oh, Daru, aren’t you going to be sweet today?”
Normally, Daru would rub his head against mother when he sees her.
“Wow?”
Daru seems to be pretending not to notice.
Just hearing his cry tells me that Daru is tilting his head and pretending to be unaware.
“Loa is hiding under Daru’s neck! It’s dangerous!”
“So fluffy.”
Kuro and the spirits inform us.
Why is Loa hiding there? The risk of being found is much higher.
Maybe I should have hidden Loa in the wardrobe instead.
But no, that might have made Loa anxious, and Sara likely judged that Loa would cry.
Sara’s judgment is probably correct.
“Baau!”
“Daru went to the toilet.”
“Oh, I see.”
It seems Daru ran outdoors.
Though, he went to the opposite side of the mansion, not where I am.
Maybe Daru ran to draw attention, to help me get back to my room more easily.
