This was the most reasonable explanation William could think of, after all, he hadn't used Legilimency to read Dobby's thoughts.
Upon hearing this, Dobby's large ears twitched suddenly, as if he was startled, and he quickly shook his head with all his might, his sharp voice filled with urgency, "No! It's not true, sir! Kabuda has been very well-behaved recently... he hasn't stolen Dobby's Golden Galleons—" Clearly, such incidents had happened more than once.
As he spoke, the little elf's large eyes timidly and quickly glanced at the woman standing silently behind William like a statue, her slender fingers nervously twisting the towel with an exaggerated sunflower pattern on her chest, and his voice lowered, almost mumbling, "Dobby just... just wants to know... who... who is she?"
The little elf raised his hand to point at Athena, his gaze full of unease and a hint of imperceptible aggrievement.
He looked at the black and white, well-fitted maid uniform the woman wore, then at his own colorful, self-mixed "fashionable" outfit, and a sense of professional crisis surged up within him—could he perhaps be unprofessional?
William followed Dobby's finger and glanced at Athena behind him, then suddenly understood and couldn't help but laugh.
Of course, he understood a little of Dobby's small thoughts—this guy was clearly afraid his position might be threatened and his job snatched away by this newcomer who looked more like a professional maid.
"Her?"
William said with a light wave of his hand, his tone relaxed, "Don't worry, Dobby, she's just a temp here. You're indispensable in this room, and nobody can take that away." These were the kind of words that someone employed might wish to despise the boss for, but for Dobby, they sounded like music to his ears.
William then paused and glanced back at Athena, showing unabashed disdain in his tone, "That old coffin smell on her, standing nearby feels suffocating—" Finally, he began to think about making arrangements for Athena's departure, just like he said, her body indeed carried that stench of decay—
William had no intention of keeping her around.
Upon hearing this, Dobby's large, ping pong ball-sized eyes instantly brightened up like a pair of light bulbs, clearing away the previous gloom, and he excitedly tugged at the studded leather vest with "Rock Never Dies" printed on it, "Really, sir? Too—no, I mean, Dobby… Dobby will always be your most loyal elf!"
"Of course."
William nodded affirmatively, then seemed to remember something and fished out a communication Rune Stone from his pocket, infusing it with a hint of Magic Power.
Then, almost at the moment he let go of the Rune Stone, the flames in the fireplace "poofed" and turned green, and a short, chubby figure spun out somewhat clumsily, stumbling a few steps before finally steadied, clearly arriving in a hurry—
It was Mundungus Fletcher, who hadn't appeared for nearly a hundred chapters. The little thief seemed a bit more respectable than before, with only those eyes still spinning shrewdly, exuding a clever and cunning aura. However, at the moment he met William's gaze, his demeanor immediately collected into a respectful manner.
"Sir."
Mundungus brushed the ashes off his coat and quickly bowed to greet, "What can I do for you?" He happened to be in Scotland recently, otherwise the Floo Powder network wouldn't have been able to transport him here, as the old-fashioned travel method isn't suited for long-distance travel—
"Hmm."
William nodded his chin toward Athena beside him, "Take her away, place her… anywhere you see fit, make sure she doesn't cause trouble, and don't let her die." His tone was indifferent, as if dealing with some superfluous furniture, "Just don't be overly cautious, as long as things don't spoil."
"Got it! Sir, leave it to me."
Mundungus thumped his chest in assurance a few times, then cautiously approached Athena, gesturing for her to "please," while Athena kept her eyes downcast the whole time, expressionless, as though nothing around was related to her, silently walking toward the fireplace.
Meanwhile, the circle of bluish flame pattern on the woman's wrist flickered slightly as she stepped—that is the reason why William dared to let her go, after all, a Restriction had long been placed, the other party couldn't conjure any rebellious sentiments.
Yet, just as Mundungus grabbed the Floo Powder, ready to leave, William suddenly remembered something, "Wait, right, Fletcher, the matter I tasked you with earlier, how's the arrangement going?"
Upon hearing this, Mundungus instantly froze his actions, turned around, piled up a flattering smile, and spoke with an ingratiating tone, "Rest assured, sir, everything is going smoothly, all done as per your instructions. We've set up 'branches' in every country that has a Ministry of Magic, and the signboards are up! Although most are just small outlets for now, the framework is successfully established, and we've sent people there to ensure they're well-informed and can respond to your commands at any time—"
Upon hearing this, William nodded approvingly, "Well done. You can go down now."
"Yes, sir!"
Mundungus bowed once again, then stepped into the fireplace one after the other with Athena, disappearing amidst the green flames.
Watching the woman's disappearing silhouette, Dobby finally breathed a sigh of relief and cheerfully said, "Sir, Dobby is off to prepare your dinner, tonight's roasted beef you'll surely enjoy!" After receiving William's nod, he snapped his fingers with a "pop" and vanished from the spot.
And thus, the Room of Requirement fell into complete silence, leaving only the occasional crackling sound from the burning wood in the fireplace.
Finally, William let out a long sigh, tiredly rubbing the bridge of his nose, sinking deep into the soft sofa, resting with his eyes closed. This period of running around, although his physical strength barely kept up, for him, it was the mental exhaustion that was truly the crux.
Yet, just as he relaxed for not even ten seconds, a pair of slightly cool, soft hands suddenly slipped quietly over the back of the sofa, precisely covering his eyes, followed by a deliberately lowered yet still excited female voice in his ear, carrying a bit of cunning and inquiry—
"Confess truthfully, Mr. Richard."
The girl, who had somehow lain in ambush here, peeked from behind the sofa, gently leaned forward, her warm breath brushing past William's ear, "You've been mysteriously elusive lately, even the owls can't find where you've been. Speak! What have you been up to? Don't even try to fool me; I'm not as easy to appease as Dobby!"
William's body first stiffened then quickly relaxed, without trying to pry her hands away, merely sighed helplessly, yet the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.