I arrived at the stables just as my clone and Lady Julienne were nearing the carriage. I moved silently, a shadow within a shadow, slipping up behind the illusion that wore my face.
Swish.
I slid under the clone's robes, dissolving the construct and pulling its essence back into my core.
Click.
The merge was instant, but the aftershock hit me like a physical blow.
"Priest-san?"
I froze. Julienne stopped, looking back at me with concern. "Is something wrong? You stopped walking."
It took a solid minute for me to answer. My brain was frantically downloading the memories the clone had gathered while I was busy "baptizing" Kara in the kitchen.
Processing...
Conversation Log: The grandeur of the villa furniture... The oil paintings on the second floor... The history of her great-grandfather...
"Priest-san?" she asked again, tilting her head.
I blinked, the headache fading as the memories settled. "Sorry. It's just... early morning rituals."
"Rituals?" She raised an eyebrow. "Standing frozen in the middle of a driveway?"
"It is a moment of silence to appreciate the morning sun," I lied smoothly. "My faith requires sudden bursts of contemplation."
"Your kind is weird," Julienne chuckled, shaking her head. "Do all mermen have this kind of ritual?"
"It is unique to me," I replied, offering a sheepish smile. "A personal quirk of my devotion."
To my surprise, Julienne laughed. It wasn't the polite, noblewoman titter she had used yesterday. It was a genuine, full-throated sound. For a woman so deprived of sleep and desire, hearing her laugh felt like a victory in itself.
I smiled back. I felt the connection blossoming. The clone had done good work softening her up, and now I was here to seal the deal.
Perfect, I thought.
We reached the carriage, but before I could offer my hand to help her up, a blur of pink rushed forward.
"My Lady!"
It was Sofia. She was dressed in her maid uniform, but she stood with a rigid, military-like posture.
"The carriage is available," she announced, breathless. "I shall accompany you today as your security and assistance."
Julienne blinked. "Thank you, Sofia, but I think Priest-sama is more than capable of handling any issues. He is quite... strong."
"But I insist!" Sofia blurted out, stepping between us. She looked at me, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance. "I feel worried. If something happened to you... I would be responsible."
I stood there, keeping my face neutral, but inside, I was grinning.
Does she think I'm going to do something bad to her Lady?
I remembered the pink hair bobbing at the door last night. She had seen everything. She had seen the tentacles. She had seen the size of me. No wonder she was protective—she probably thought I was going to drag Julienne into the nearest bush and ravage her.
I mean... I intend to ravage her, I corrected myself. But not in a bush. I have standards.
"Well," I interjected, my voice calm and reassuring. "It is better for her to tag along. We don't know what's in store for us in the slums today. Another able hand is a blessing for my cause."
Julienne looked between us, then nodded. "Very well. If it eases your mind, Sofia."
"Thank you, My Lady!" Sofia exhaled, looking relieved.
Before we could board, the heavy wooden doors of the villa opened again.
"Lady Julienne."
A stern woman with a tight red bun marched out. It was the Head Maid, Rose. I sensed no pheromones from her—she was the only one who hadn't peeked last night. A tough nut to crack.
"I should accompany you as well," Rose stated, eyeing me with suspicion. "Kara has been instructed to handle the laundry, so I am free."
"No need, Rose," Julienne cut in, her voice carrying the authority of the house. "It is best you stay here. We have a guest, after all."
"But—"
"Provide better accommodations for tonight," Julienne ordered, cutting off the protest. "Same as last night, but better. And the food... I trust you to do it in my stead. I apologized to Priest-san earlier for the salad we served yesterday. I want a proper feast tonight."
Rose flinched at the subtle reprimand, bowing stiffly. "As you wish, My Lady."
Nice assist, Julienne, I thought. Isolating the target.
"Let's go," Julienne said, turning to the carriage.
I stepped forward to sit next to her, but Sofia was faster.
Zip.
She cut right in front of me, hopping into the carriage and planting herself firmly next to Julienne, effectively blocking the seat.
"Gaston!" Julienne called to the old man, who was gripping the reins, through the small window. "To the slums, if you would."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
The carriage lurched forward. I sat on the opposite bench, facing the two women.
The small cabin created a close, intimate space. My knee brushed against Sofia's, sending a jolt of thrilling excitement through me as I refined my plan. She was convinced her employer was in danger, yet she was my actual target. I grinned, leaning back and crossing my arms, my gaze settling on the pink-haired bodyguard. Sofia, however, was intensely focused on the view outside, clearly avoiding my eyes—a slight blush suggested she was perhaps thinking of last night's show.
She was petite compared to Kara—small-breasted, with slender shoulders. Yet, beneath the maid dress, her frame hinted at a compact, athletic agility.
She thinks she's protecting her mistress, I mused, my eyes raking over her form, lingering on her tightly pressed thighs.
I'll eat you first.
Sofia flinched. She caught a glimpse of my perverted gaze, and her head snapped up for a split second before she averted her eyes again.
A deep crimson blush spread again across her cheeks but this time wider.
Bingo.
It wasn't just fear.
My heightened olfactory senses picked up a new scent in the enclosed carriage. It was faint, masked by the smell of leather and dust, but unmistakable to a creature of the deep.
Drip.
She was wet.
She was thinking about last night. About the sounds Pearl made. About the tentacles.
She's curious too, I realized, a predatory smile touching my lips. Welcome to the show, Sofia.
I kept my knees pressed together, creating a rigid barrier, my eyes darting between the drowsy noblewoman and the stiff-backed maid.
"The walls... they were built high during the Second Rebellion," Julienne explained, her voice dragging with fatigue. She gestured vaguely out the window at the looming stone structures. "Back then, this wasn't just a village. It was a fortress. But now... people leave. The only ones who stay are the wounded, the old, and the children who have nowhere else to go."
"A tragedy," I murmured, feigning interest.
In truth, I couldn't care less about the architecture. My entire focus was locked on the pink-haired prey sitting across from me.
I tried to make eye contact with Sofia. She held my gaze for a split second—long enough for me to see the tremor in her pupils—before she frantically averted her eyes, staring at her knees. I could hear her heart fluttering against her ribs like a trapped hummingbird.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Then, the opportunity arrived.
Blargh-Thud!
The carriage wheel slammed into a deep pothole, jolting the entire cabin violently.
Now.
As gravity threw us forward, I drove my knees between Sofia's. With the force of the impact masking my movement, I pried her legs apart, forcing her thighs into a wide 'V'. Before she could snap them shut, I locked my ankles around hers, pinning her legs open.
"Eep—!"
Sofia's squeak was cut short instantly.
Skill Activated: Optical Camouflage.