"I should have emphasized that weapon maintenance and floor dusting are daily essentials, right?"
Von Lycaon first glanced at Corin beside him, then turned toward the drowsy Ellen behind him.
- Lycaon[1] -
"Ellen, it's work time. Maintain your composure!"
"Tch… I'm coming."
Despite her quiet complaint, Ellen still straightened up, momentarily setting aside her usual careless attitude.
"Hmm? Little Corin? Ellen?" Wise called out as soon as he saw them.
Corin, hearing the call, immediately brightened, while Ellen looked slightly surprised.
She knew that voice belonged to Wise, yet she couldn't see him anywhere. What she saw instead was a Bangboo cradled in the arms of a white-haired girl.
Ellen's expression hardened as she clenched her teeth, snapping the stick of her lollipop.
Completely absorbed in her happiness, Corin didn't catch that change and greeted them without hesitation.
"Ah! It's Miss Nekomata, and Wise!"
"Hmm? Corin, and Ellen, do you know them?"
Lycaon looked at the two of them. Ellen remained silent, so Corin stepped forward and explained their connection in detail.
"Yes, Mr. Lycaon. They're the kind people who rescued me when I got lost in the Hollow last time. Wise also saved me when I was in trouble."
Once Corin finished speaking, the heavy tension between both parties quickly dissolved. Billy straightened up, puffed out his chest, and confidently stepped out from behind Anby.
"Understood… Rina, you can stand down."
"As you wish~"
- Rina[2] -
The moment her words fell, a woman dressed in a maid uniform floated into view from behind Anby.
At the sight of this, Anby's face filled with unmistakable shock. She immediately pulled Wise back, retreating a step as she drew her weapon with caution.
Wise had already noticed Rina approaching, but given his current position, he couldn't turn around. Otherwise, if Ellen were to see him acting so intimately, she would probably explode.
[Warning! Current Favorability Target: Ellen emotional state changed drastically to doubt, anger, unwillingness, jealousy.]
'Oh well, it seems she already has…' He thought, glancing in her direction.
She was staring right at him. That look made him feel a bit guilty, yet backing off now wasn't happening.
So Wise met her eyes, gave a quick wink, and waved cheerfully.
In the end, all he got was a roll of Ellen's eyes, but at least her mood had clearly improved compared to earlier.
Anby didn't notice Wise's actions in her arms. Her gaze was still fixed on Rina, who had floated back to her own team.
"Since you are not strangers, things will be much simpler. Allow me to formally introduce ourselves. We are Victoria Housekeeping," Lycaon said, his tone calm and his demeanor elegant.
Along with the poised stance of the other three beside him, their collective aura was hard to ignore.
"Victoria Housekeeping? I've never heard of it."
"Hey, Anby, even if you hadn't heard of them before meeting little Corin, saying it so bluntly will make them lose aura."
Nekomata quietly reminded her. Anby, however, didn't seem to care, her expression remaining as calm as ever. More than anything, she was focused on why Wise appeared to know two of them.
"Heh heh, this little girl is really thoughtful. You don't need to worry. Victoria Housekeeping usually works with a small group of wealthy clients in New Eridu and doesn't pursue public attention," Rina explained with a warm smile, sounding just like a friendly older sister.
That kindness made Nekomata feel a bit awkward.
"Ugh, I feel like I'm being looked down on, but I can't prove it!" Nekomata complained in frustration, her voice nearly turning into a growl.
At the same time, Wise discreetly checked the newly appeared system message, noting Rina's addition as a potential favorability target.
[Ding! New favorability target detected.]
[Name: Alexandrina Sebastiane (Rina)]
[Gender: Female]
[Charm: 94]
[Unique Traits: Exceptionally skilled at cooking! (Do not even think about questioning it).]
[Hobbies: Cooking]
[Current Status: Curious and confused]
[Current Favorability toward Host: 20]
[Evaluation: An elegant and intellectual older sister archetype with mild tsundere traits. She is highly responsible and detail-oriented, though beneath that calm exterior lies a rather cunning personality. Additionally, due to her unique condition, she is surprisingly light when held, yet possesses a firm texture.]
[Inner Thoughts: Ellen's reaction earlier was rather strange… was it because of that Bangboo?]
Rina looked at Wise, who was comforting Ellen from a distance, with clear interest.
Lycaon cleared his throat twice before speaking, "Everyone, please allow me to apologize on behalf of my colleagues. I am Von Lycaon, the head of Victoria Housekeeping. We were hired by the owners of Ballet Twins today to carry out facility maintenance services."
"Huh? The owners hired you? But I thought the Ballet Brothers, the ones who built this place, went bankrupt a long time ago."
Nekomata looked visibly confused, yet Mr. Lycaon responded with calm patience.
"You are correct, madam. Ballet Twins has indeed been under mortgage for quite some time. Recently, the activity of the Lemnian Hollow has weakened, and the government is preparing to eliminate the associated Hollow in this area.
"Seeing the building's future value, the owner decided to step in and put down a deposit."
Even though Nekomata was still a bit confused, she was happy to see little Corin again.
"I'm happy to see you again too, Miss Nekomata. It's just a shame I didn't run into you when I went to Wise's place a few days ago."
Nekomata and Anby immediately caught the key words.
Since Corin had gone to Wise's house again, did that mean the girl named Ellen had been there as well?
Pushing the thought aside, Corin tilted her head slightly and asked, "By the way, what brings you here today? The building already has an owner, so the Hollow association shouldn't be handling anything here, right…?"
"Uh, this… well…"
Nekomata immediately started sweating, stumbling over her words and failing to form a proper response.
At that moment, Ellen interjected, "Corin, isn't the answer to that question rather obvious? But let's ignore such minor details for now. What truly matters is…"
Her eyes moved calmly between Anby and Wise. With Wise's identity now confirmed, his situation deserved a closer inspection.
Still, Ellen wouldn't deal with personal matters during work, unless it counted as a side task.
"Huh? Miss Ellen, what do you mean by obvious?"
Corin looked completely lost, so Rina stepped in and offered a calm explanation.
"It means these guests aren't actually investigators."
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