Chapter 24
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Chapter 24
It was widely known that Hata was the familiar of the enchantress Lichesia.
That fact served as Hata's shield.
Behind closed doors, people might curse her as a foolish, incompetent beast, but none dared treat her carelessly to her face.
Though Lichesia had been absent from sight recently.
Even so, it seemed reckless to provoke Hata so directly.
'Who on earth is this person?'
Chesa fell into deep contemplation.
Without the butterfly's response, I couldn't move to where Hata was.
Even if I could travel, accomplishing anything in this infantile form would be difficult.
'First, I need to return to my adult form.'
Hata possessed the potion.
'I'll have to visit the shop tonight.'
Behind the Hat Shop that Hata operated in the Underworld lay a workshop where hats and accessories were crafted.
And if I opened the hidden door concealed there.
A space where Hata manufactured potions would reveal itself.
The potion to restore me to my adult form must be stored in that very place.
Few knew that Hata could craft potions by harnessing the power of beast-kin.
Even those who knew assumed she only produced ordinary remedies and enhancement elixirs.
The fact that she concocted such an eclectic variety of potions remained a closely guarded secret.
Thanks to this, I had been receiving Hata's assistance whenever I needed to alter my appearance in such clandestine ways.
This time too, I would surely manage to commit the perfect crime without incident.
Chesa hummed softly and crossed her arms.
Her arms were too short to manage it gracefully, but she crossed them nonetheless.
'The problem is how to slip away.'
Karha would be going out this evening, but Ishuel remained at home.
He would undoubtedly cling to my side until bedtime, pestering me relentlessly.
If necessary, I was prepared to simply vanish, consequences be damned.
'I do hope another solution presents itself.'
Yet Chesa's dilemma resolved itself with surprising ease.
It was during an etiquette lesson with the new tutor, followed by tea time.
Chesa sat wedged between Karha and Ishuel, enduring their torment.
"Hehe, my dear sibling. You're so lovely because you resemble me."
Despite sharing no blood, Ishuel brazenly insisted on the resemblance while holding various enormous ribbons up to Chesa's head.
The ribbon, nearly half the size of Chesa's head, was part of Ishuel's personal collection.
He was freely adorning her with accessories entirely unsuited to masculine attire.
While Ishuel played with Chesa like a doll, Karha remained far from idle.
He greedily snatched up the desserts arranged on the tea table while occasionally reaching out to touch Chesa here and there.
Poking her soft cheeks or placing her tiny hand upon his own, marveling at the novelty....
"Ugh!"
Ultimately, he seemed to derive amusement from Chesa's inability to restrain herself and her irritation.
Chesa was in the midst of striking the twins, one blow each, with her small chestnut fists.
"Karha, Ishuel."
Belzeon appeared with a hardened expression.
This was decidedly not the face of someone arriving to enjoy tea time.
As his demeanor proved unsettling, the twins immediately ceased their playfulness and turned their attention toward him.
"Both of you need to come with me. Right now."
It was a terse command, offered without explanation.
Yet the twins seemed to comprehend immediately.
Ishuel set down the ribbon he had been about to fasten in Chesa's hair and asked.
"Are you coming too?"
"The situation demands it."
At the mention that Belzeon himself would be going, the twins' faces both became expressionless in perfect unison.
Karha tilted his head to the side at an awkward angle and asked.
"What's happened?"
"The Holy Knight."
At that single utterance, both Karha and Ishuel's eyes widened.
Their reaction was one of complete surprise.
Karha scratched his head with his hand and spoke.
"Uh... What's going on with them? This is certainly serious. I'll prepare."
"I'll prepare as well."
Both of them rose from their seats at once.
Even Karha, who would normally have grumbled a word or two, moved without complaint.
"Take her to the nursery. Keep her entertained and make sure she doesn't get bored."
He scooped up Chesa and handed her to a servant, then immediately set about preparing for departure.
'Oh?'
"Miss Chesa. We'll play with you!"
Eager servants arrived with all manner of toys and jingled them about beside Chesa.
'Ohoho?'
Yet such things could never capture Chesa's attention.
'I'm alone now, aren't I?'
An opportunity had fallen from the heavens.
***
Escaping the Basilian Estate without Kieran and the three brothers was easier than eating a cookie.
Chesa spent the evening playing obediently with the servants.
After finishing dinner.
I claimed to be tired and would retire early, then locked myself in my bedroom.
I could sense the presence of those stationed outside my bedroom door.
As long as they didn't enter and examine things closely, it didn't matter.
I carelessly stuffed pillows under the blanket to create a lumpy silhouette.
'Why did Kieran even mention the Holy Knights?'
House of Basilian entangled with the Holy Knights—what a development.
If it were Kieran, I'd assume he'd finally been caught causing trouble, but it was strange that even the three younger brothers were involved.
I was curious, but Hata took priority right now.
I postponed my questions.
And I moved directly from the Basilian Estate's bedroom to Hata's Hat Shop.
Flowers bloomed from the floor of the empty shop.
Emerging alongside the flowers, I immediately frowned.
"What in the world?"
The shop was in complete disarray.
The hats that should have been neatly arranged were scattered everywhere.
Hata treasured her hat shop dearly.
Because I had provided it for her.
She would always marvel at the hats and accessories she painstakingly crafted, and seeing her talent go to waste, I had equipped her properly to do things right.
Upon receiving the shop as a gift, Hata couldn't bear the overwhelming emotion and wept for three days and nights straight.
"From now on, this is Hata's treasure number one! I'll make it the finest hat shop ever!"
She had sworn solemnly to me and managed the shop with meticulous care ever since.
There wasn't a corner that hadn't been touched by Hata's hands.
And yet, the shop she had cherished so much....
Was completely devastated.
While I suspected a burglary, the expensive hats remained untouched.
"...."
I carefully navigated around the hats and accessories scattered on the floor, heading toward the back of the shop.
The door behind the counter was unlocked and half-open.
The workshop was equally chaotic.
Thread and needles, fabric, lace and ribbons, jewels and such lay tangled and scattered in every direction.
I stood still for a moment, taking in the sight.
Then, without hesitation, I moved deeper inside.
I stopped before a twenty-drawer wooden cabinet.
The drawers of the cabinet, which had once held various materials neatly organized, now hung open haphazardly.
I placed my hand on top of the cabinet.
With a soft creak, the cabinet split apart on both sides, revealing a small wooden door.
Opening the bronze handle shaped like a butterfly and stepping inside, a dim laboratory appeared.
The Laboratory was overflowing with flowers.
Shelves entwined with flowering vines displayed rows of potion bottles, while the workbench itself was scattered with blossoms of every variety.
Many of the bottles, rather than containing medicine, held elaborate floral arrangements instead.
Every single flower had been cultivated by Chesa.
Hata found the work of potion-making most enjoyable when surrounded by the fragrance of flowers.
"This helps Lichesia! I'm becoming such a useful puppy!"
I could still picture her vividly—the way she would dash over whenever I successfully brewed a convincing potion, displaying it with such pride.
As I lingered on thoughts of Hata, I drew in a deep breath.
Then I made my way to the shelf where the potions rested and examined them one by one.
A potion sat directly before my eyes.
[Enlargement Potion]
[Shrinking Potion]
After reading the small labels attached to each glass vial, I reached for the one containing the enlargement potion.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
I downed the enlargement potion in one gulp.
The taste was peculiar.
First, it tasted like freshly baked cherry pie.
Then came clotted cream and jam spread on a scone.
And finally, it finished with the flavor of cucumber sandwiches.
I was savoring the enigmatic taste when it happened.
"Ugh!"
My body suddenly began expanding, stretching upward.
My head crashed against the ceiling with a heavy thud.
I had become a colossal infant.
"That blasted mutt!"
This wretched puppy had brewed utterly useless potions.
I hastily consumed the shrinking potion, and fortunately, my body returned to normal.
I was wiping away cold sweat and searching frantically for the restoration potion when I heard it.
A faint bell chimed.
Someone had entered the shop.
I pricked up my ears.
A familiar voice echoed from a distance.
"What's this? The shop's been completely ransacked."
It was Karha.
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