“Oh, no… oh, no!”
Hearing Naqiqi’s shocked whisper, Histori felt her heart skip a beat.
‘No, wait, isn’t Shadowdeep Town a hundred thousand miles away from the Demon King’s Castle? How could I run into someone who knows me in a backwater place like this?!’
And she had to shout it so loudly, of all things!
Watching Naqiqi look like she was about to say something more, Histori bolted upright from the surgical bed.
She clamped one hand firmly over Naqiqi’s mouth while holding a finger of her other hand to her own lips.
“——Shh!”
This wouldn’t do; she had racked her brain to craft her image as a pure, innocent, and flawless maiden—a pitiable girl snatched away by the evil Demon King and subjected to endless suffering in his castle.
If some nameless witch by the road addressed her as “Lady Histori” the moment she saw her, what kind of situation would that be?
If Amir heard, she would definitely start doubting her identity again, wouldn’t she?!
Histori cautiously glanced back at the tent’s curtain, confirming that Amir didn’t seem to have any intention of coming in, before letting out a slight sigh of relief.
She then pointed to the paper and pen on the table.
“…”
Naqiqi was clearly a clever person.
After a moment of stunned silence, she nodded in understanding, scribbled a line on the paper, and handed it to Histori—
[Lady Histori, why are you here? Do you need a Face-Changer to alter your hair color? Did something happen at the Demon King’s Castle?]
‘Hmm? The fact that the Demon King is dead—has that really not spread yet after a whole day?’
‘That makes sense. I was the only witness at the scene, and I’ve been with Amir ever since. There was no time to send word out…’
‘I suppose the news won’t spread across the continent until that party of knights reaches the Demon King’s Castle.’
Still, it worked out well enough, saving her from having to make useless excuses.
Histori bit her lip, then picked up the pen and paper from Naqiqi’s hand and scribbled quickly—
[Don’t ask so many questions. I am on a secret mission, a very secret mission. You are not allowed to let anyone know I was here, and you are forbidden from mentioning me to anyone!]
As she wrote, Histori lifted her head and looked over Naqiqi’s face.
‘Tch, I don’t recognize her at all, no matter how hard I search my memories. Could she be someone I knew before the transmigration?’
‘So, what kind of attitude should I take toward her? Cold and distant? Friendly? Or should I be professional, like dealing with a subordinate?’
‘Never mind, I just need to get her to shut up. Amir cannot see a single flaw!’
Histori bit her finger hard, preparing to use the safest, most emotionally detached script to end this dangerous conversation—
[Anyway, just get on with your work. Like the person outside said, help me dye my hair blonde—pale blonde, just a little lighter will do.]
Naqiqi took the paper, read it, and nodded earnestly—
[Understood. However, what specific eye color would you like? For blue tones, I have sea blue, ink blue, and indigo. My green options are limited; I only have emerald green.]
[Then let’s go with blue. Describe what those three look like, or show me a final preview…]
“—There was no need to write that on paper, was there?!”
Frustrated, Histori threw the pen onto the table.
“Oh… oh right!?”
Stung by the reminder, Naqiqi realized her mistake.
She nodded blankly and was about to take out her color palette, but after glancing outside the tent, she suddenly remembered something and continued to write on the paper—
[However, Lady Histori, who is that woman with you? Why are you traveling with her?]
“…”
‘That woman… who is she?’
‘She is a legendary Hero, a living cheat code who kicked the Demon King away within five seconds of meeting him, and my current Blood Contract partner. If I leave her side for even a moment, I’ll spontaneously combust and turn into a rampaging vampire…’
‘…I definitely can’t tell her that!’
Histori pondered for a moment and decided to give Amir an arbitrary identity—
[A bodyguard. A bodyguard assisting me in this secret mission.]
“—So that’s it, a bodyguard.”
“SHH——!!!”
Hearing the noise beside her, Histori instinctively grabbed the person’s shoulder and placed a finger to her lips, making a loud “shh” sound—
“Hey, I told you not to make a sound! This is classified information of the highest order. If someone hears us, we’ll…”
“You will…”
“Will…”
“…”
“…”
Looking at Amir, who was being held by the shoulder and wore a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and then at a bewildered Naqiqi, Histori sat in silence.
Her mind went completely blank.
—’Cunning member of the Demon Race, to think you’d dare lie to me. You’re addressed as “Lady Histori” and yet you claim to be an innocent human girl? I think you’re nothing more than one of the masterminds behind the Demon Race’s atrocities.’
Even though Amir didn’t speak, Histori felt she could see those very words etched in the cold glint of her eyes.
“…”
She swallowed hard, pressed the paper filled with evidence under her arm, and flashed a naive smile at Amir—
“Oh my, why did you come in so suddenly, my dear He…”
“—Shh, Lady Histori.”
Before Histori could finish, Amir smiled and extended a finger, gently pressing it against the corner of Histori’s lips—
“Remember? We are on a super-secret mission. There is an outsider present; it would be safer for you to say less.”
“…Al-alright…”
Realizing Amir had seen everything on the paper, Histori nodded bitterly and moved her arm away.
Watching Histori’s expression, Amir nodded in satisfaction.
She elegantly circled to the side of the surgical bed, turned around, and fixed a cold stare on Naqiqi, gesturing for her to proceed.
“Get to work, strange Face-Changer. Remember, only the hair and eye color need changing. After all… Lady Histori’s face is a treasure of the Demon Race.”
As she spoke, Amir reached out and lightly traced the outline of Histori’s cheek, her touch as gentle as if she were handling a rare gem—
“…It would be such a pity if her face were to be scratched by a blade.”
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