I suddenly became the villain and I liked it

The days pass as I keep harassing Lyn. I make sure to do it in places with few people. From what I know, no one has better stealth capabilities compared to Melanie. If she says there are no other people, she is correct. Melanie is overpowered but she is balanced by her timid disposition. One I will keep on using, I see no need to change anything about her.

“Sylvia, have there been no movements?”

“None, mistress. I do keep hearing Juliet say about their presence but they have not done anything directly at them.”

Hmm, have those girls learned? Are they going to stop? How surprising.

“Although from out sources, they seem to be consulting some merchants for items.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Some of the people that I made friends with were mentioning how a bunch of noble girls were asking around for stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Things like noise suppression or cancelation. They are asking for things that can hide their presence.”

Ah. They fear being found out by the prince. Understandable choices.

“Let me guess. The items are too expensive, correct?”

“Yeah. Well, its not expensive for some nobles but if you’re going to use a large amount of money, the parents will definitely find out.”

They are only noble’s children after all. Only specific nobles would let their child buy anything they want. In my case, I have an agreement with father so he does not question my spending. It would be like the royal family, I assume. But they are not the heirs, only daughters of their families. They are not allowed to spend a large amount. They could spend their allowance if they have some but that would still be troublesome.

“Understandable. They wish to make sure that their activities remain clandestine. However, that is impossible with Melanie around. Given the effort, she can find them as long as they cannot erase their very existence.”

“Yeah. Anything creates a shadow. Did you know, shadows of living creatures feel different from things? Like, the shadows are also alive!”

“Can you explain that?”

“Uh, its more of a feeling though. Like, I know if its someone living since their shadow also carries some part of them.”

“Then you can discern puppets from people?”

“Yeah! A person’s shadow always moves. Even when we are just standing in place, the movement of the chest, blinking of the eyes, every single movement someone has is copied by their shadow after all!”

“I see. How interesting. What about creations with a sense of self?”

“Huh? What are those?”

“Puppets with souls, can you discern those?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen one before. You know of those things?”

Ah. I made a mistake. There was no mention of anything similar to that in the game. My other self’s knowledge is making me curious.

“No. Just something that I imagined myself.”

“Oh, okay. But woah, puppets with soul. Kinda weird if you ask me.”

“Let us move on from that topic. It is something that is not important.”

“Okay. That’s really all I have. They were looking for stuff that helps hiding them. There were some cheap things but anyone who has a working mind knows that those are useless.”

“I see.”

“They’ve already gone through all of the shops that I know. So, either they give up or go to even more dangerous shops.”

“What about that old man the four of you met?”

“Oh! Well, he told me that a group of girls entered the shop and they ran away after he yelled. Something like, “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU ROBBERS!” it was really funny.”

“From what I heard. This is how he greets everyone?”

“Yeah. Whenever I go to visit, he always shouts something. It’s different sometimes too.

“Hmm, does his shop also has a noise suppression mechanism?”

“Yeah. That’s probably why no one outside hears him screaming every time. It scares some people out of his shop too. Its funny when you’re just watching.”

“I see.”

“So, yeah. That’s all I got from my connections. At least regarding those girls.”

“This means that they will be moving soon.”

I did enjoy my daily splashing with Lyn. All things must come to an end, at least for now.

“Are you sure, mistress? Maybe they will just give up.”

“Do you truly believe that, Sylvia? How about you Melanie? Do you think they will stop?”

“Nah, they won’t stop. Nothing has really happened yet to make them stop after all.”

“But mistress has already warned them.”

“You misunderstand, Sylvia. I warned them on destroying school property but I never specifically stated that they should stop with the harassment.”

“Ah, I understand mistress.”

“Yes. That is why they will not stop. If no dire consequences were to occur, they will continue to do so. The only reason there is a lull to their activities is due to the prince becoming friends with her. They are probably biding their time checking the situation.”

“The situation?”

“Answer me this, if you were being harassed and we were friends. What would you do?”

“Uh, well I won’t tell you.”

“Neither will I, mistress.”

“That is normal mentality for a noble. We want to take care of our own messes after all. It is only when things have gotten to the point of no return that we will seek help from others. Although in your case Melanie, it is quite different. Even with your current noble status, you still have the mind of a commoner. Your choice stems from the fact that our difference in stature prevents you from causing trouble for me. Hence, you feel the need to hide your troubles.”

“Yeah. If we were just normal friends, I wouldn’t want you to be involved in mine but don’t worry, I don’t think like that anymore.”

“Yes. I shall remind you that if I ever find out that you are in trouble and you did not tell me, I will make you suffer more myself. The same goes for you Sylvia.”

“Okay!”

“Understood, mistress.”

Good. I do hope this starts before the kidnapping.