As the saying goes, some people rejoice while others worry. Unlike the harmonious bliss between Xiliya and Ximo, Masha paced irritably in her room.
Damn it, she couldn’t figure out where exactly her plan had gone wrong. This scheme to frame Xiliya was known only to her and Charles, and every step had been flawless.
The pocket watch had actually been taken by Masha herself. She had enthusiastically invited Selina out for afternoon tea and set up the “trap” while Selina was away from the guest room.
Then, in Selina’s presence, Masha instructed Annaer to clean the corridor. It was at that moment that Charles “happened” to visit the Camberlan Mansion. Masha excused herself from Selina to greet Charles and handed him the pocket watch.
Everything that followed was recorded on Xiliya’s surveillance monitor. Since Xiliya had gone to Selina’s guest room, Charles should have returned to the drawing room faster after planting the watch.
Yet Xiliya had turned the tables on them. Masha couldn’t understand how she had done it. She vaguely felt that, at some point, this weak young lady had changed.
All of Masha’s schemes against Xiliya were deftly resolved, almost as if… Xiliya knew exactly what she was planning.
Masha wasn’t one to dwell on failures, but she knew that if she couldn’t eliminate Xiliya with her own methods, Samuer would surely intervene with his… and Samuer’s methods were undoubtedly dangerous, leaving her no room to refuse.
Masha now deeply felt the backlash of bargaining with a tiger. She knew she was trapped in a vortex, unable to escape.
No… she had to try one last time with her own approach. She couldn’t let things spiral into the worst possible outcome…
Masha stood irritably by the window, staring at the view outside, when she spotted Xiliya’s figure. The young lady of the Camberlan Family seemed to be heading out with her personal maid. Masha immediately noticed their tightly clasped hands.
Masha narrowed her eyes slightly… She had previously suspected Ximo might be Xiliya’s ally and paid extra attention, but now it seemed their relationship went beyond a simple master-servant bond.
Perhaps she could exploit this for one final attempt. If it failed, she’d have no choice but to let Samuer handle it.
“Mama—”
A childish voice interrupted Masha’s thoughts. She turned around—it was Malisi, clutching a teddy bear and a storybook.
“Mama, can you tell me a story? You haven’t told me one lately…”
Seeing her daughter, the gloom in Masha’s eyes quickly softened into tenderness. She lifted Malisi onto her lap and spoke gently.
“Mama has important business to attend to. Go play with Annaer for a bit, okay? Mama promises to join you once it’s done.”
—
Over the next few days, Selina took advantage of her stay at the Camberlan Mansion to organize the materials the City Guard had sent at Xiliya’s request. Once back in the Imperial Capital, she planned to report the Northern Border Beastmen issue to the Queen in detail.
The usual conflicts between Xiliya and Masha had vanished these past couple of days—perhaps the previous incident had made Masha back off. In any case, Xiliya had plenty of time to spend intimately with her little maid.
The Beastmen Clan’s recent harassment of Camberlan City had also ceased, and the city was peaceful—except for today’s events at the plaza.
Camberlan City’s central plaza had been built to commemorate an illustrious ancestor of the Camberlan Family. At its center stood a massive, timeworn bronze statue of that very ancestor.
Today, a simple platform had been erected beneath the statue, drawing a crowd of ordinary citizens. Their gazes—curious or mocking—made Charles, standing on the platform, increasingly uneasy.
“…For my previous actions, I deeply apologize…”
Amplified by the magitool, Charles’s reluctant voice echoed across the plaza. Though only a few days had passed, he looked haggard; life in the City Guard’s jail clearly hadn’t been comfortable.
Laughter from the crowd stabbed at him like needles, making him squirm. The Textile Merchant Guild’s young master was used to lording over the city, and many resented his arrogance.
This once-high-and-mighty heir now stood like a drowned rat under public scorn… Ximo could only say, good riddance, meow.
“Wow,” Luo Keke said in surprise, nudging Ximo with her elbow. “I’ve been busy these past couple of days and haven’t visited. Feels like I missed quite the show.”
“We actually met twice last week at the mansion when you delivered the wine, meow?”
Ximo and Luo Keke whispered as Xiliya glanced behind Luo Keke. Hans, the driver from the Black Currant Chamber, stood silently as ever, showing no reaction to Charles’s predicament onstage.
“Charles was caught stealing at the Camberlan Mansion two days ago and framing others. The charges are confirmed. Sentence: one month imprisonment…”
Onstage, Sifuke solemnly announced the verdict to the crowd. As people began to disperse, having enjoyed Charles’s downfall, Xiliya took Ximo’s hand.
“Shall we head back? Want to browse the shops first?”
“Huh? Sorry, Miss, I zoned out.”
Ximo jumped, Xiliya’s words pulling her from the System’s newly issued task.
[As the weak young lady, you ultimately couldn’t outmatch the scheming Masha and were framed and expelled from the Camberlan Family.]
[At a banquet held by the Camberlan Family, Masha publicly announced she would send you to the Imperial Capital Magic Academy for training, to return and inherit the family upon graduation.]
[But you know her true intentions. Unable to endure any longer, you finally snapped and confronted her publicly.]
[Please complete the plot task “Confront Masha (Incomplete)”. Warm reminder: Failure will result in punishment.]
With their fingers intertwined, Xiliya leading her through the crowd, Ximo couldn’t help thinking this System task at least didn’t make her play the pushover again.
In the original plot, it would have been a pushover task—confronting Masha like that would only humiliate her.
But now…
Ximo glanced at Xiliya. In the current situation, Masha shouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble.
“What’s wrong? Something on my face?”
Noticing Ximo’s gaze, Xiliya leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek. The little maid’s face flushed crimson.
“M-Miss… there are too many people here. This sort of thing…”
Xiliya smiled. This little maid was just too adorable, always tempting her to tease.
