Chapter 209
When Sebastian returned to the inn’s guest room, Sherry was applying makeup to Charlotte.
Charlotte didn’t need to look back; she saw the Flame Elf who had entered in the mercury mirror and chuckled,
“Done chatting?”
“Yes, chat’s over.”
Sebastian nodded his head, looking unconsciously toward Charlotte, who was facing away from him at the dressing table.
That one look, and he quickly froze.
What he saw was that Charlotte had changed out of her noble attire and instead wore a patch-covered commoner’s dress.
But that wasn’t the most astonishing aspect—the fluffy wolf ears atop her head and the wolf tail somehow fastened behind her, and her hair dyed grey to match that of a Werewolf, were.
Meanwhile, Sherry’s task continued, carefully attaching Werewolf-like fur to the sides of Charlotte’s cheeks.
Sebastian: …
“How about it? Do I look similar?”
Charlotte signaled Sherry to stop, turned her head, and gave Sebastian a smile, revealing a pair of red eyes.
Of her whole appearance, only these eyes were not a disguise.
Under the sweet smile of hers, Sebastian was momentarily taken aback and couldn’t help saying,
“Yes, very similar, exceedingly like a destitute young miss from the Werewolf Clan who has run away from home… Hmm, the clothes you’ve prepared are quite authentic.”
Charlotte: …
She turned back to the mercury mirror, pondered for a moment, and said to Sherry,
“Make the skin look rougher and duller…”
Sherry nodded and continued her work.
Sebastian just felt that her hands were rapidly moving across Charlotte’s face, as if casting magic, and Charlotte’s appearance was quickly transforming.
Watching her face become more and more like an ordinary Werewolf girl, he couldn’t help saying,
“Sherry’s makeup skills… are truly comparable to a Magician’s…”
But Charlotte laughed,
“Of course, as a maid, Sherry is a professional.”
Afterward, she met Sebastian’s eyes through the mirror, thought for a bit, and asked,
“I noticed at the dinner table, Luf seemed to be troubled?”
Sebastian’s expression instantly turned peculiar as he nodded,
“Yes, indeed troubled, he has just told me everything.”
“Does it have anything to do with me?”
“Yes, it’s related to you.”
“Tell me.”
“Thanks to the ’Divine Miracle’ of the coming-of-age ceremony, he truly believes you are the Saintess of the Holy Royal Court.”
Charlotte: …
“Even Luf thinks so. It seems this label is sticking tighter than I imagined,” Charlotte said helplessly.
She indeed had the idea of borrowing the Saintess’s name to facilitate her movements within the domain.
However, borrowing was borrowing—if it was too high profile and attracted too much attention, it could backfire.
On the one hand, it meant she became a target representing the Holy Royal Court, possibly causing unnecessary misunderstandings or even accidentally harming “one of her own”; on the other hand, it might attract the top echelons of the Holy Royal Court.
Charlotte wanted to shear the sheep, not get entangled herself.
“Indeed, the rumor that you are the Saintess has spread farther than we imagined, but it seems to spread even more fiercely in the Castel Domain. Certainly, someone is behind this, stirring the waters,” Sebastian stated.
Hearing his words, Charlotte narrowed her eyes,
“It’s just those Nobles opposing me. Let them jump around a bit longer.”
Changing the subject, she said,
“For tonight’s operation, you and Nisi will come with me; we’ll pose as new miners, you being my brother, and Nisi as my pet.”
The robust miners in the Castel silver mine would mysteriously disappear, so the majority of miners were the old, weak, sick, and handicapped, with an innumerable number of child laborers.
Of course, for Sub-humans and Beastmen, even child laborers had the strength comparable to slightly weaker adult Human males.
The pay for the old, weak, sick, and handicapped was certainly less than that of average miners, but not at night. The Castel silver mine operated around the clock every month of the year, with miners working every night.
To earn a little extra, many child laborers chose to work at night.
Yet, many Sub-humans naturally were nocturnal, and indeed, they performed more efficiently at night.
All this information came from Werewolf Luf, who shared it with Charlotte.
When she learned about the large number of child laborers in the mines, Charlotte’s feelings were somewhat complex.
After all, in name, she owned the rights to the Castel silver mine; in a sense, she was the boss exploiting child labor.
Naturally, what the mine really entailed, she now had the opportunity to see for herself.
“What do you think about it, Brother Sebastian?”
Shaking off these thoughts, Charlotte turned her head, moved the faux ears atop it, and gave her butler a radiant smile.
“Brother… brother…”
Hearing Charlotte’s address, Sebastian couldn’t help but gasp, his whole body straightening instinctively, suddenly feeling an enormous pressure, yet also an indescribable sense of relief.
“What? Is there a problem with ’brother’? Should we change it to ’elder brother’?”
Charlotte pouted and tilted her little head.
Watching her incredibly adorable appearance, Sebastian swallowed and with vigour said,
“Let’s keep ’brother’… but, no need to use my name.”
“Do I sense that you’re actually enjoying this?”
Charlotte teased on purpose.
“You’re mistaken; I’ve always wanted a sister who is as lov… um, beautiful as you.”