The Crester family's covert group, known as "The Darkness".

Dressed in black robes, they perform special tasks on a daily basis, such as hiding under ceilings and floors, eavesdropping on suspicious conversations, fighting enemies in the middle of the night without being seen, and using mysterious techniques to deceive people's minds.
Of course, they don't only perform such flashy missions, but also perform humble and steady jobs, such as posing as ordinary townspeople or merchants to conduct espionage, or pretending to be officials of the royal court to obtain evidence of noble misdeeds. The darkness is not always lurking in the attic.

--But in the special place of the inner palace, the hiding place is necessarily limited.





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It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sure you'll understand.
I'm sure you'll understand. But it's just like Diana to put her maids and maids of honor before herself.
That's true.

The next morning after the confrontation with the head mistress, in a corner of the palace, behind the servants' quarters, there was a regular communication between the darkness and Rita. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. In short, random.
Sirius is on duty this morning. He's been on duty since last night's battle with the Matriarch, and will be replaced when the next shift arrives. Sirius, the leader of the Darkness, has been mostly in the Inner Palace since Diana entered.

I'll be sure to keep one of the chief ladies on the payroll so that I'll know if she's up to no good. But just to be on the safe side, I'd like to have one in the vicinity of the maids and maids.
But won't that mean we'll be short-staffed?　I'm not sure.

Rita, who was familiar with the inner workings of the Darkness, would naturally be concerned about that. It was obvious that the solution would enrage Rita, but she couldn't stop herself from saying it.

"...... With Duarisse's approval, we'll have to remove Diana's guards for a while.

As expected, Rita exploded.

I'm not sure what you're thinking, Sirius!　If you're not protecting Deanna, who are you protecting?
'I know, don't be so angry. Listen, Rita. We must respect the wishes of the Cresters and act accordingly. Even if it means putting the Lord's life in danger.
I don't know!
Listen!　Listen! What do you think will happen if any of the maids or maidservants are harmed in this matter?

The question was met with silence. Sirius nodded, though he could not see what Rita was thinking.

"Master Diana would be devastated. She will be disappointed that she failed to protect you when she could have foreseen the danger, and that she dragged you into it when she asked for your help.

The people of the Crester family are all naturally different in character, but they have one thing in common for generations. When they're down, they're bad.

Thanks to their appearance, their mental strength has been trained to a certain extent, and they rarely lose heart. They are the typical "I'm sorry, but I don't regret it! type. There is no point in regretting what has already been done, but to reflect on it and make the most of it next time.
However, there are exceptions. There are exceptions to this rule. The worst is when the person you put inside yourself loses his life due to reasons other than force majeure. The worst case is when someone close to you dies in a way that you are involved in.
That's when the family falls apart. It's like the end of the world would be better for them.

--For those of us who serve her, this is a situation that must be avoided at all costs.

"Master Diana has not yet had any real experience of being involved in the lives and deaths of people in that muddled palace of power and intrigue. The first dead person to recognize you and become your maid of honor. You're not going to the garden party.
"I'm sure Master Diana would be grieved and depressed. But is it really that fatal?
"Deadly.

I assured him with confidence. I'm proud to say that I know better than anyone how bad the Cresta family is.

"Even Mr. Dualis, the first time he lost a friend, it took him three months to fully recover. How long did it take us to get over that?
"I've heard rumors about .......
Anyway, it will be useless. Anyway, it would be useless. First of all, try having that face whispering at you all the time. I don't know what to do with him.

At that time, I finally got him back on his feet by saying, "Don't you ever die before me, Sirius" and "I understand, I promise", which is obviously a wrong conversation for a lord and a secret agent to have. At the time, Sirius was seriously wondering how this family had survived the war.

"In order to ensure the success of the garden party, the safety of Diana and her close friends must be ensured. The family won't die easily if we let them out of our sight.
"...... Sirius-sama has always been bold, hasn't he?
"You're too overprotective of Master Diana. It's understandable.

For Rita, Diana is her only and absolute master. You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the best results. This is why she often loses sight of her surroundings.

I will still protect you, Master Diana, first and foremost.
"Of course you will. I'll take care of the maids.

"Yes," came the voice. He was clearly relieved. Laughing inaudibly, Sirius changed his voice.

The Darkness will leave you for a while, Diana. You'll have to keep that in mind as you move forward.


"Yes, sir.
See you later.

Sirius said goodbye and left the place. He was now on an infiltration mission, so he was in a covert passageway (as we called it, but in reality it was a space where he could move around unseen, under the floor, in the ceiling, between the walls, etc.). Rita was right next to the building, so even if someone had seen what she was doing, it would have looked like a maid taking a rest alone.

I passed through the ceiling without a sound, landed in a hidden passage, and passed through some hidden rooms, when I felt a presence that I was already familiar with. As if the other side had noticed him, he peeked out from around the corner.

"Oh, it's you, Sirius.
"What are you doing?

It's Kai.

I'm taking a break and gathering information. It's a good idea to make it as clear as possible who is friendly to the Red Rose camp and who is not.
...... We all do that.
That's true, but... It's not easy to pick up a wide and shallow range of people because of the division of roles and other factors. I'm more mobile in that regard.

I can't quite figure out what this boy is thinking. Although he's employed by Peony, he's very friendly to the Red Rose, and aside from attacking Diana in their first encounter, he's not harmful, but rather a useful source of information about the Peony side. I wonder why he is still employed by Peony.

Since this is a good opportunity, I'd like to ask you. How long do you plan to stay at Peony?
"Hmm?　Well, since I've come this far, I might as well stay as long as I can.

He said it so matter-of-factly. Sirius furrowed his brow.

As long as you're stuck in Peony, we'll never be able to fully trust you.
"That's fine. That's fine. It's natural.
As far as we're concerned, your continued presence at Peony is a shame. I'd like to see you turned at once, if possible.
It's almost as if he's already turned.

With a chuckle, Kai turned on him. Sirius sighs.

If you know what you're doing, then get on with it.
"No, honestly, I don't either. I'm sure you've heard of it, but you're not the only one. But ......, there are some information that I can pick up because I'm employed by Peony, right?

For the moment.
Kai looked up at Sirius with a straight face.

I was wondering if I could be of more use to you if I stayed at Peony for now. Your daughter may not look like it, but she seems to be quite a reckless little thing. I think it's essential for you to be in a position where you can spy on the enemy's movements without attracting attention.

Sirius was inwardly impressed by Kai's ability to observe people. Sirius was impressed by Kai's ability to observe people. He was able to accurately describe Deanna's personality in a very clever way. I've always had a hard time with the tomboyish young princess of the Crester family, who is usually calm and collected but can be reckless at the right moment.
And that's it.

...... So you're saying you're staying in Peony for Diana's sake?
It's not the same at first,......, but I'm getting more and more attracted to her, and I can't leave her alone when I see her.

It's funny, it's harrowing, it's never boring," Kai said with a laugh. Apparently, he likes Diana a lot.

"Last night, that was pretty dangerous, wasn't it? There must have been other ways to hunt down the High Priestess. There was no need for her to come out and confront him directly, but she went out of her way to show up and show her compassion.
I can't help it. That's what the Cresta family is for. If you're getting worked up over something like that, you won't be able to hold on to your heart for much longer.
Seriously?　How deep are the Crester family's pockets?
Unfortunately, they're not known for their deep pockets because of that face.

Kai shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile.

I'm sure you'll want to talk to him to find out what he's really thinking, no matter how evil he is. You know I'm not the only one who wants to tell you to choose your partner, right?
"...... I'm surprised. You know that much about me?

I'm sure that's what Deanna was really thinking when she confronted the Chief. I'm not sure if even she is aware of it, but this boy sees right through it.

--I suddenly thought. I can trust this boy, Kai.
He may not be trustworthy as the leader of the Darkness, but he is trustworthy as Sirius himself.

"...... I'm talking to myself.
Hmm?
"Diana's guard will be stretched thin until the garden party. I'm glad you're paying attention.
There you are. ....... --All right.

Even though I didn't tell him the details, he seemed to have a pretty good idea of what was going on. I nodded, my face serious.



The preparations for the garden party began in earnest that day.
On the other side of the stage, various people began to run to assist the people in the front.