Apparently, Her Highness Princess wants to keep her relationship with me a secret (what does she even mean by 'her relationship with me'?) - 2-10

2-10

After surveying the room and making a fuss, Aya finally took her seat. Dishes were brought out one by one to the table in the center of the room—small portions in a dinner course style.

As she savored the kind of cuisine she wouldn’t usually have the chance to eat, Aya’s gaze sharpened slightly.

“Itose-sama. Are you really going through with this? From what I could see, there are a few nobles among the staff as well. Those dangerous-looking guys, seem like real combat professionals—if we cause trouble here, we’ll be caught right away.”

“Of course. Besides, I won’t make any mistakes that would get us caught by them as well.”

“But… if I’m not wrong, wasn’t your request…”

I had informed Aya beforehand as she’s my partner in crime—about the secret meeting between Princess Emma and her fiancé at this restaurant, and the outcome awaiting her later.

Today, she would disappear from this country.

Her fiancé despised the engagement with Princess Emma, who lacked any magical quirk, and had enough power to make her vanish under the guise of an ill-happening.

“Haa… Aya won’t say anything anymore. After all, I’m just here to assist you—!”

It may be so that, Princess Emma had sensed something as well.

Despite her scandalous engagement, she had confided in me a day before after all. However, she probably hadn’t yet realized the gravity of the trial that awaited her later tonight.

“I’ve brought you your dessert.”

“Wow! Thwank hiyu syo much! Let me carry it, Oneesan!”

The staff member bringing food to our room, the Tenryuu no Ma, wore a perfect snug uniform and had completely let her guard down in front of Aya’s angelic smile.

Well, after all—the only ones able to enter this restaurant were the difficult-to-please nobles.

“It’s all right, young lady. I’ll carry it.”

“It’s fine! I want to carry it! I want to bring it to my Oniichan!”

“Fufu. Then I guess, I’ll leave it to you then.”

Then Aya accepted the tray from the staff member, flashing a sweet smile. Tiptoe-ing so as to align her gaze with the woman’s as much as possible.

“Wow… Oneesan, you have such beautiful eyes! Say, whose eyes do you think, are prettier—yours or Aya’s?”

The staff member looked into Aya’s gaze.

And unfortunately enough.

Aya’s magical quirk—Mind Control—activates.

“Now then, Onee-san. Could you bring some clothes for Itose-sama?”

“Understood… I’ll bring them right away.”

“Oh, but before that… where is Princess Emma’s room?”

“I don’t know… I’ll investigate that immediately.”

“Please do.”

The staff Onee-san swiftly turned and left the room.

After finishing her first task, Aya, still holding the dessert tray, returned with a triumphant smile.

“All done!”

“Good job. I’ll give you my share of dessert too, Aya.”

“Eh! Really?! Yay!”

No matter how many times I saw it, her quirk was terrifying. Anyone who gazed into Aya’s eyes with their guard down would immediately fall under her mind control—even if only for a short time.

I almost wanted to applaud facing her. Yet, no matter how I look at it, it is a godlike quirk—one that could easily be abused if its existence became known.

It was Her Excellency who had saved Aya, the girl with such a rare and dangerous quirk like the mind control.

“…Fuu.”

I can feel my heartbeat quicken.

It was always like this. I got nervous right before a job. Would I be able to pull this off well? Just why do I always carry these pathetic doubts before going on with the job?

“Itose-sama. I have a message from the manager.”

Nibbling on a strawberry from her dessert with a fork, Aya spoke.

“He said, ‘Leave the cleanup to Rank Seven—so, just do as you please.'”