Volume 2, Chapter 16 – Blackthorn Guard

Meanwhile…

Beneath the shadow of Lilith School’s clock tower, several figures nearly indistinguishable from the night hung upside down from the stone beams of the vaulted ceiling.

Their black-and-white lace skirts clung silently to their legs as though defying gravity. They remained perfectly still, with only their icy gazes piercing the darkness as they patiently watched the silver-haired girl below, who was leaning out of a floor-to-ceiling window and looking around outside.

They were the Blackthorn Guard, the Valentine family’s most loyal force of maids.

They wore black-and-white uniforms adorned with lace, yet bloodstained blades were concealed beneath their skirts.

As deathsworn servants, they were specifically responsible for handling the noble Elector family’s more unsavory affairs.

Whether it was a vassal who had betrayed the family or an illegitimate child left wandering outside and regarded as a disgrace to the family, in their eyes, such people were nothing more than stubborn stains on a carpet that needed to be wiped clean.

Often, the Family Head’s teacup would have only just tapped against the tabletop, its lingering sound not even faded, before the Blackthorn Guard had already transformed into thorned shadows and silently placed the target’s severed head on a dinner plate as though it were an exquisite dessert.

If being too efficient could also be considered a flaw, then that was probably their only fatal weakness.

“Mission log 03/7 updated.”

“Professor Katerina has been observed smashing through the window of her office and fleeing in a panic. Because we maintained a considerable distance, we were unable to observe the situation inside… therefore, the cause is unknown, and her current whereabouts are also unknown.”

“Core target confirmed. Stella Darkfallen remains indoors. Without question, this is an excellent opportunity for assassination.”

“Execution mission assessment complete. Principal Gehenna Jelansika is currently attending the Abyss Nexus Conference and will be unable to extricate herself for some time. Professor Katerina has also fled in a panic. All interfering factors have been eliminated.”

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The Head Maid leading the Blackthorn Guard slowly drew the slender sword at her waist, its blade entwined with poisonous thorns.

“Now is the best time to begin the deep cleaning.”

“Um… Captain Riko.” The young maid beside her did not draw her sword. Instead, she anxiously pressed down on the captain’s wrist. “Do we… really not need to wait another fifteen minutes? Or confirm with the Family Head one more time?”

“Confirm? Confirm what?” The captain called Riko turned around in displeasure. “The Family Head’s secret order could not have been written any more clearly, ‘Dispose of the family’s stain. Sever Stella Darkfallen’s head as a warning to petty scum.’ Are you trying to question the Family Head’s will, or are you questioning my reading comprehension? We are professional cleaners, not aunties haggling at a vegetable market!”

“No, this subordinate would never dare question your professionalism.” The team member swallowed, her gaze drifting uneasily. “This subordinate is just a little worried…”

“If you have something to say, then say it. Stop dragging your feet. We came here to act swiftly and decisively, not to hang beneath the clock tower like decorations.” Head Maid Riko urged her sharply.

“Alright. Do you still remember last month’s mission to deal with the rebellion of that Frost Count in the northern territory?” The team member’s voice took on a trace of tears. “Back then, we were just as swift and decisive as we are now, emphasizing speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. As a result, I’d just cut off that poor bastard’s head and was about to pack it into a gift box and send it back to the manor… when the Family Head’s urgent recall order came crashing through the window.”

“I watched with my own eyes as the messenger charged inside on a nightmare beast, shouting, ‘Stay your blade! The Family Head has changed her mind and wants him alive!’…”

“And at that exact moment, I was holding his still-dripping head in my hand, staring at the messenger while he stared back at me.”

“That awkwardness… Captain Riko, I really don’t want to experience it a second time. The way the Family Head looked at me afterward was like she was looking at an idiot who’d spilled red wine all over a white carpet.”

The Blackthorn Guard member’s words caused the murderous atmosphere around them to freeze for an instant.

Several members of the Blackthorn Guard looked at one another. Clearly, everyone still remembered that disastrous misunderstanding vividly.

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The thoughts of Lady Vivian, the Valentine Family Head, were as unpredictable as the weather of the Abyss. One second, something might still be a disgrace that absolutely had to be erased, while the next, it might become a plaything she wanted to keep in her collection.

If they cut off the wrong head again this time…

At the thought of their Family Head’s elegant yet cruel smile, even Captain Riko’s sword hand stiffened slightly.

But she quickly cast that hesitation aside.

“Idiot. This time is different.”

Head Maid Riko gave a cold snort and refocused her gaze on Stella’s back below, her eyes filled with conviction and disdain.

“That Frost Count was nothing but a useless piece of trash with no real talent. Killing him was killing him. At most, the Family Head merely felt she’d lost a source of amusement. But this target is completely different.”

“Her name is Stella Darkfallen, a lowly illegitimate daughter abandoned outside the family. If she were merely an illegitimate daughter, then so be it. But she actually used underhanded methods in a public duel to defeat our legitimate heir, Cheryl Valentine. Obviously, this whole affair was a scheme arranged by another family. They resorted to methods that could not see the light of day precisely because they wanted to see our Valentine family humiliated.”

“This is no longer merely a matter of bloodline. They’re throwing the Valentine family’s reputation onto the ground and stomping all over it. We have to hit back hard!”

“For our proud Family Head, this kind of humiliation is absolutely intolerable. There is no possibility whatsoever that she would show any mercy toward a mongrel demon who brought disgrace upon the family.”

Head Maid Riko made up her mind. Her killing intent was settled.

“I’ll put my word on the line right here. There will be no recall order for this mission, nor could there possibly be one.”

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“This time, the only thing the Family Head wants to see is the illegitimate daughter’s severed head.”

“Then do we act now?” The Blackthorn Guard member asked tentatively.

Head Maid Riko glanced at the clock. More than half of the seventh watch had already passed.

“No…”

The words had already reached Riko’s lips, yet the fingers gripping her sword tightened unconsciously.

Though she had spoken with absolute certainty and had practically guaranteed it with someone’s head, for some reason, the incident her subordinate had just mentioned truly did linger in her mind like a curse she could not shake.

Better safe than sorry.

‘What if the Family Head really did… lose her mind again?’

The target was already a turtle trapped in a jar anyway. Waiting a little longer would make no difference.

For the sake of her own career, and to avoid becoming the laughingstock of the profession again…

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, leaving a buffer period was also a display of professionalism, right?

With that thought, Riko deliberately lowered her voice, making herself sound profound.

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“Wait another half Watch.”

“Once the Seventh Watch passes and the First Watch, the Valentine Watch that symbolizes awakening and blood, arrives, the auspicious hour will be upon us. I will personally do it——”

Riko made a beheading gesture.

“When the time comes, no matter who dares interfere, execute them as well.”

Better to kill the wrong person than let the right one escape.

Such was the philosophy by which the servants of the Valentine family lived.

Translator Note

I never expected the assassins were all female maids…