The Duchess of the Attic

"It's almost season and you've been borrowed a lot, haven't you?

Opal, who stepped out of the carriage, asked Claude in front of the mansion in the heart of King Société's capital.

The mansion itself is not that big, but the ages are quite old, and overall the taste of the hobby also comes from the exterior.

Perfect location from and close to Count Holloway's residence.

Many do not have mansions in the King's Capital, which the uppermost members of society will massively push over if the season begins.

It should have been difficult to rent a mansion like this without booking it from last year.

Opal, impressed that it was a hurried return, saw Claude's face and reconsidered his thoughts.

"You bought it? And quite a while ago."

"I bought it for investment. You were right not to lend it this year."

"Why didn't you lend it this year?

"... anticipation? Well, let's go in anyway."

"Yeah, right."

We know each other well, but there's still something we don't know.

Deciding to look forward to that, Opal began to climb the stairs to the front door with his hands on Claude's offered arm.

"Pretty nice interior, too."

"I'm glad you said that."

Having been introduced to deacons and other servants who came out of well-timed open doors, Opal stepped into the mansion and glanced around the entrance hall to voice his honest thoughts.

Then Claude laughs and answers, leading Opal to the living room.

Seeing Naja talking to the maid amicably, Opal went straight into the living room, leaving the loading supervisor to decide she seemed ok.

And leaks an exclamation exhale.

The interior was decorated with furniture and decorations of Opal's choice.

"It's lovely..."

Opal gently stroked the seat of the damask weave as he lowered his back to the couch.

Claude looks happy to see such an opal.

I wanted to say a lot, but it was simple and important words that came from Opal's mouth.

"Claude, thank you for bringing me to such a lovely house"

"You're welcome. If you liked Opal, it was worth the purchase."

Opal looked nostalgic with a smile as if the prank had succeeded.

Of course I wasn't so nice back in the day.

(Yeah. Claude was always nice. It was just a little hard to understand...)

Opal was more busy and my best.

Opal, who remembered that, while embarrassed, stared again at Claude.

"What's wrong?

"I'm glad Claude liked me. I thought so."

After answering Claude's question, Opal realized it would be a streamlined misunderstanding of the story.

So I hastily add.

"It's not because this house is nice, is it?

"I know. But can I ask why?

Apparently Opal's werewolf was funny, and Claude asks even more when he speaks up and laughs.

Although I hesitated slightly as to how I should answer, I quickly found the exact answer to Claude now.

"Claude will fight with me."

"Of course, if it's for Opal, I'll throw this life out too!

Opal erupted into Claude's trick of holding his chest in exaggeration.

Then Claude gets the look that he's out of his mind, and then he laughs.

"So, how are you getting ready for this fight?

"For now, I know where Beth is."

"The charity Opal founded - were you in an institution for the protection and independence of women?

"No. I don't think I visited the facility. Apparently, Mrs. Northam gave her some pooled sum as a retirement pension. That's all you have to save."

Opal wrote to a deputy in the Kingdom of Société soon after Hubert's visit, asking him to look into Beth's news.

The deputy was introduced to Jonathan Kenzitt, Opal's uncle, but he's quite a doer and reliable.

As soon as the Opals descended into the port of the Kingdom of Socieux about Beth, they were given a letter of inquiry by an agent.

It should only be about two or three days since we received Opal's letter, and Opal thinks we've probably been keeping an eye on the trend for the Duke McCloud family for a long time.

"So do we need the results of McCloud's friends' recent bareback survey here?

"Thank you, Claude. That's very helpful."

Perhaps Claude is also independently investigating Beth.

It's not that I don't trust Opal, it's that he moves to help me at all times.

"Tomorrow I'm going to visit Beth."

"Should I not be with you?

"Right. Because it's comforting to me, but Beth might get scared."

"Then I'll arrange a carriage. Would you like something plain with no family crest? And I want you to take my escort with you."

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks for everything, Claude."

Opal thanked Beth for ending the topic and then turned it into a topic about the recent situation in the Kingdom of Société.

And the next day...

Opal, who got off the carriage outside the Wang capital, looked up at the old collective home.

They don't seem to take much care of it, but there is no litter scattering or odor.

I confirm that security is not that bad either.

Still, both your men and your servants were carrying guns, and even a little further away, the escorts were arriving.

"Well, shall we go?

"Yes, ma'am"

Opal nodded gently and signaled to his lord when he spoke to Naja, who was looking up at the building with him.

In response, he touches his hand by the hat and begins to run the carriage.

The carriage will wait a little further away, and the squire and escort will be on alert in the immediate vicinity so as not to be conspicuous.

The room in the report is the western corner room upstairs.

Opal stood in front of the room of interest as he went up the stairs in light footsteps with Naja.

There is no name on the door where the corrosion is starting, knocking firmly, albeit a little anxious.

I'm pretty sure Beth is at home because I confirmed it in advance, but it took me a while to respond.

The moment Naja, who had cut off the paralysis, tried to open her mouth with some good call, there was a noise on the other side of the door and the sound of unlocking.

"- Yes?"

The face I peeked at from the slightest gap was certainly Beth, but it's been pretty snappy since Opal last saw it and looks old.

Opal grinned, forcefully opening the door wide, even though he was small and shocked by Beth's change who was so strong.

"Hello, Beth"

"- Become!?

Surprised Beth shuddered for a moment, but immediately tried to close the door.

Momentum pushed the door away from Opal's hand, but pinched his leg tightly.

Ignoring the tingling toe pain, Opal opened the door wide again.

"No, Beth. It's been a while, so let's talk a little bit."

"... did you come to laugh at me?

"Oh, it's not even funny, but it's not funny. But it could be something similar. It's just a wild horse."

Beth cried woefully at Opal's words, which she would not even comfort.