Episode 16
Cecile went around asking the staff, looking for a man named “Jack.”
She was told he was in the male employees’ lounge with the others.
Standing in the hallway next to the lounge, Cecile scanned her surroundings sharply.
She ensured no one was around—and that no one would come—then steadied her breathing and brought her fingers together to chant a spell.
Then something unbelievable happened.
Cecile’s short black hair grew longer and faded in color, turning into long brown locks.
Her short limbs stretched out, becoming long and slender.
The frilly, lace-covered purple dress meant for a child turned into a kitchen maid’s uniform.
She was the spitting image of the kitchen maid she’d seen in the garden earlier.
[Cecile! That appearance is…]
“I layered that maid’s appearance over mine using an illusion spell.”
Even her high-pitched, childlike voice changed into a low, husky adult tone.
“Hmm, this is consuming more mana than I expected. I can’t hold it for long.”
[Hurry, Cecile!]
With Nibelung’s urgent prompting, Cecile opened the door to the men’s lounge.
“Didn’t think the head chef was that kind of guy.”
“You never know. There are plenty of people in this world who act all innocent on the outside but are pitch-black on the inside.”
In the humble but sunlit lounge, a few men were chatting, smoking, or flipping through newspapers.
When a maid stepped into this male-only space, all eyes turned to her.
Among them was a familiar face—Sous-chef Jack.
“Edna! What are you doing here…?”
He didn’t seem pleased or happy to see her—more like annoyed and startled.
Cecile motioned for him to follow her, and although he grumbled and tousled his hair in irritation, he ultimately did as she asked.
“Are you kidding me, Edna? Unless it’s urgent, we’re not supposed to interact like this in public. If people see us together too often, they’ll start getting suspicious.”
Even earlier, when he had scattered warily at the sight of a mere eight-year-old Cecile, she could tell—he was a cautious one.
“We just saw each other twenty minutes ago. What, you got some huge news in that time—?”
“I do. Big news.”
“What?”
Cecile gestured toward the back garden.
“I’ll tell you there.”
They arrived at their destination—the marigold patch in the rear garden.
‘Has Isaac arrived yet?’
Cecile was concerned. What she was about to do would be meaningless unless Isaac witnessed it.
‘If I were Isaac, I’d be hiding behind that bush.’
She glanced briefly at the shrubbery. It was within hearing range of their conversation and thick enough to completely obscure anyone hiding behind it.
But she didn’t have the luxury of mulling it over—Jack, growing impatient, pressed her.
“So what’s this big news? If it’s not worth dragging me out in front of everyone, you’re going to regret it.”
‘Impatient, aren’t you.’
Still, Cecile launched into the lines she had prepared in advance.
“We got word from Schuama Grocery. They can’t cover for us anymore. At this rate, we’ll be exposed soon.”
“What? You said earlier that everything was fine!”
“Things can change at any moment, Jack. You knew this job came with risks.”
Cecile’s acting was flawless. She perfectly mimicked Edna’s habits, speech patterns, and expressions—all based on a brief observation.
Jack wiped his face with both hands, groaning in frustration.
“Didn’t think we’d be caught on this fast. Damn that butler… They say he used to be a fixer—guess he really doesn’t leave any loose ends.”
“Let’s dispose of the evidence and get out of here by this afternoon. Got a plan?”
“I already buried the evidence at the top of the Vermisa Cliffs before dawn. No one goes there, so it’ll never be found. Even if they try, we’ll be long gone by then.”
Vermisa Cliffs!
Cecile felt a mix of triumph and anxiety at this vital intel.
‘Isaac better be hearing all this.’
If Isaac hadn’t overheard this conversation, she’d have to relay it herself. But then he’d have to prove the info was trustworthy, giving the suspects a window to escape.
‘And I’d also have to explain how I got this information. What a pain.’
She kept glancing at the bushes, but couldn’t tell if Isaac was really there.
‘No choice. I just have to trust him now…’
Then Cecile sensed something wrong—
Her mana was nearly depleted.
At this rate, the dark magic would unravel, or she would collapse. She could not let that happen in front of anyone.
Quickly turning her back to Jack, she said,
“Then let’s prepare. Meet here again after the fourth bell.”
Just as she turned to leave—
A rough hand seized her arm.
“Wait! I can’t let you go just yet. You got another transmission within 20 minutes?”
Cecile hadn’t truly taken on an adult body—only created an illusion of one.
So when a grown man gripped her still-8-year-old arm, she felt excruciating pain.
“Urgh! Yeah, so what?”
“So what?! Fred told me there haven’t been any transmissions from outside since 8 a.m. You know Fred, right? The guest footman.”
“Oh, that. The second message must’ve come after Fred’s shift ended.”
“Then how about we check the log together? Nothing to hide, right?”
“This isn’t the time. We need to start preparing to run—”
“Don’t try to slither away like a snake. What are you plotting, Edna?!”
‘Damn it. Of all times—’
If Cecile had her usual powers, she could’ve outwitted this low-level villain with ease—
Either with silver-tongued persuasion or unspeakable, terrifying magic.
But right now, she was an eight-year-old child.
Her mana was drained, and she was suffering from both magical exhaustion and physical pain from Jack’s grip.
She tried to reason with him, but the pain made her thoughts cloudy and her words jumbled.
[Cecile, snap out of it!]
With Nibelung’s voice ringing in her mind, Cecile bit her tongue hard to stay conscious.
Then she glared up at the growling Jack—
And with every ounce of strength she had left, she kicked him in the groin.
