Reincarnated Maid is About To Be Captured by All Players

Perhaps due to the fatigue from yesterday’s journey, Lily came out of the cabin about two hours later.

The Lolita dress is not suitable for activity in the forest, so I prepared lighter clothing for Lily.

“Good morning, Lily.”

“Um… Good morning, Sister Anna.”

Lily clutched the hem of her skirt and looked at me somewhat timidly. Is she worried about the unwashed sheets? I don’t really mind. In fact, I find it a bit embarrassing and hope Lily doesn’t dwell on it.

“The toiletries are over there. The food will be ready soon.”

“…”

Lily didn’t respond, standing at the doorway of the cabin, seemingly wanting to say something several times.

I was puzzled about what Lily wanted to talk about. Bathroom issues? Or concerns about safety?

Finally, Lily seemed to muster her courage and looked up determinedly.

“Sister Anna.”

“?”

“There’s something Lily wants to tell Sister Anna. It’s about… Duke Bogia.”

I didn’t know the exact reason why Duke Bogia was after Lily. Although Siegrid and I had some guesses, we never asked Lily, considering her feelings.

“Don’t force yourself, Lily.”

“Lily just feels… she can’t keep silent. Waiting for Sister Anna to help me…”

Lily wanted to help—her actions last night were based on this principle. Perhaps realizing she’s too young to be of much use, she decided to at least tell me what’s going on.

She’s likely pushing herself. I don’t believe she could have fully escaped that nightmare in just a few days.

However, just as Lily was about to speak, my always-active [Detection] skill sensed the arrival of unexpected guests.

“Lily, come here.”

Lily was slightly stunned but quickly ran behind me. Even without explicit explanation, she probably guessed something from my serious expression.

There are intruders.

To be precise, the two individuals entering our area were both familiar to me.

One was Carol, and the other was…

Baron Trafalgar, Hester.

It makes sense for Carol to find us, but why is Trafalgar, who has no known relation to Carol, with her?

Although I haven’t spent much time with Carol or Trafalgar, it’s clear I seriously underestimated Trafalgar. I have no idea what kind of person he is.

Unable to understand the reason behind their arrival, I decided to take action.

Aiming at Carol, I threw my chain straight out.

[Aim], target Carol, silence magic attached.

Activate skill [Hook].

When using a whip or other flexible weapon, this skill can be triggered to damage and entangle a target, forcibly dragging it to oneself.

The chain flew into the forest. Carol, detected by my [Detection] skill, shuddered and was then pulled toward me at breakneck speed.

“Meow meow meow—?!”

“My apologies, Lady Carol.”

Using the Hook skill, I decisively pulled Carol over first. I’ll ask her what’s going on, and if it turns out to be a trap, I’ll dispose of her. Then I’ll deal with Trafalgar outside.

“An… Anna Miss… that was scary…”

Carol’s legs gave way, and she collapsed, her speech slurred. The experience was probably as jarring as being unexpectedly put on a roller coaster and potentially crashing into trees—wetting oneself wouldn’t be surprising.

“Ugh… so noisy…”

Siegrid was awakened by Carol’s yells. I took the opportunity to stand up, feeling no discomfort despite having used Siegrid as a lap pillow for two hours.

“Lady Carol, I need an explanation.”

“Meow?”

“Did you bring Baron Trafalgar here?”

“The Baron asked me to deliver a message to Miss Anna… No, it’s not meow! I’m innocent meow!”

Carol whined in her defense. Was she coerced by Trafalgar?

“Anna, what’s going on?”

Siegrid pinched her cheeks to wake up faster and anxiously asked me what had happened.

“Baron Trafalgar is here too.”

I answered simply. In a short amount of time, Trafalgar had successfully penetrated the outer traps with the aid of magic. Without Carol, his direction was slightly off, but he was still approaching us.

Siegrid’s face changed, and she quickly entered stealth mode.

“Wait, wait!”

Carol hurriedly tried to stop us from preparing for combat.

“He said he won’t lay a hand on you meow!”

“What is he here for, then?”

Siegrid obviously didn’t believe her, but one detail caught my attention.

Trafalgar came here alone following Carol.

Either he thought he could break through our defenses and kill Lily alone, claiming Duke Bogia’s reward, or he had another purpose.

Before long, Baron Trafalgar finally emerged from the forest.

Sword in hand, he was constantly on guard, probably wary of Siegrid’s stealth attack. Elven stealth almost guarantees the first strike.

However, when he stepped out of the shadows, both Siegrid and I were dumbfounded.

How to put it? Baron Trafalgar had completely lost his noble demeanor. He hadn’t changed his clothes, but his body was covered in cat scratches. Three scratch marks crossed his face, and there were bite marks on his wrist.

Was he attacked by feral cats on the way here?

Aware of his embarrassing state, Trafalgar awkwardly waved his hand.

“Don’t mind the injuries on me. Anastasia, I’d like to have a word with you.”