PUT YESTERDAY'S THING DOWN ON THE FLOOR.
...DID HE JUST GET HERE?
WATCH YOUR MOUTH, WATCH YOUR MOUTH.
YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THIS EVERY TIME...
PARDON?
IT'S BECAUSE HANDLING IT MYSELF IS FAR BETTER THAN LEAVING IT TO YOU.
PAST ATROCITIES
What are you burying here?!
DON'T TELL ME YOU FORGOT?
What's that burning smell...? Goodness!!!
OH, DEAR...
REGARDLESS, I WILL HANDLE THE CLEANUP, BUT...
I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WERE CAREFUL
SO THAT THE CORPSE INSIDE DOESN'T END UP BEING YOU, MISS FREYA.
— ED — ALTHOUGH HE IS THE GRAND DUKE'S AIDE, HE TOOK ON THE DUTY OF GUARDING ME IN PLACE OF SIR ALLEN, WHO SET OUT ON THE EXPEDITION.
AS YOU CAN SEE.
HE'S A PRICKLY GUY WHO MAKES IT PAINFULLY OBVIOUS THAT HE'S MY WATCHER.
HMPH, IF HE HANDLES THE ANNOYING, DIRTY WORK FOR ME, I'M ALL FOR IT.
...MISS FREYA.
YES?
WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS?!
THIS CARPET! THIS IS A LIMITED EAST CONTINENT EDITION!
THAT'S WHY I TOLD YOU!
DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO AVOID SPLATTERING BLOOD ON THE THIRD FLOOR IF POSSIBLE?!
...THINK ABOUT IT, ED.
WHY WOULD AN ASSASSIN BREAK INTO THE GRAND DUKE'S MANOR?
OBVIOUSLY TO TARGET HIS HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE-
THEN WHERE IS THE FIRST PLACE AN ASSASSIN WOULD GO?
...THE THIRD FLOOR.
EXACTLY. MOST OF THEM TRY TO INFILTRATE RIGHT HERE
ON THE THIRD FLOOR, WHERE HIS HIGHNESS'S BEDROOM IS.
NOW THEN.
IS IT MY FAULT THAT THE CARPET GOT RUINED?
OR IS IT ED'S FAULT FOR LAYING A CARPET IN A PLACE SO EASILY RUINED?
...MY FAULT?
OF COURSE NOT.
WHY WOULD THAT BE EITHER OF OUR FAULTS? IT'S THE FAULT OF THE ASSASSIN WHO BROKE IN.
...SIGH. YES, THAT MAKES SENSE.
I'LL BE ON MY WAY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, THEN.
PLEASE GET SOME SLEEP NOW, MISS FREYA.
THAT GUY ALWAYS POPS UP WHENEVER HE SMELLS BLOOD IN THE MANOR.
HE'S THE PERSON I NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR THE MOST AFTER THE GRAND DUKE.
I HATE IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A BOY'S NAME!
WHAT A... BIZARRE DREAM.
ALL RIGHT.
I CAN'T LET HIM SEE ME MAKE ANY MISTAKES TODAY LIKE I DID YESTERDAY.
FIRST, BEFORE THE GRAND DUKE WAKES UP, I'LL START BY LAYING DOWN A NEW CARPET ON THE THIRD FLOOR-
...WAIT! IT'S ALREADY BEEN REPLACED?!
SERIOUSLY, DOES THAT ED GUY NOT SLEEP AT NIGHT?!
He's even worse than me..
ARE YOU AWAKE, YOUR HIGHNESS?
Me?
TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE... WITH ME ACCOMPANYING YOU?
ED SAID SOMETHING CAME UP, SO HE CAN'T GO.
I GAVE HIM THAT WORK.
YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TAKE HIS PLACE, BUTLER.
I HEAR YOU'VE BEHAVED YOURSELF FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
I EXPECTED YOU TO TRY ESCAPING THE GRAND DUKE'S MANOR AT LEAST ONCE.
DID HE JUST ACKNOWLEDGE ME? ...WHY SO SUDDENLY?
AS I TOLD YOU, I HAVE ONLY DONE MY BEST
TO HONOR MY PROMISE TO YOUR HIGHNESS.
IF I MEANT TO BREAK MY PROMISE AND LEAVE THE GRAND DUKE'S MANOR,
I WOULDN'T HAVE BECOME YOUR BUTLER IN THE FIRST PLACE.
VERY WELL. I DID RECEIVE THE REPORTS,
BUT EVEN JUST LOOKING AROUND THE MANSION BRIEFLY YESTERDAY,
YOUR HARD WORK WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT.
THEREFORE, I WILL PUT ALL MY SUSPICIONS OF YOU TO REST.
YOU MAY NOW STEP OUTSIDE THE GRAND DUKE'S MANOR.
!!
OH, MY GOODNESS.
I GET TO LEAVE THIS PLACE MUCH FASTER THAN EXPECTED!
NOW I CAN GATHER INFORMATION ON THE TENASIS EMPIRE, TOO.
First, I'll Track Down An Information Guild—
THOUGH IT WILL ONLY BE ONCE.
WHAT IS IT? DID YOU ACTUALLY EXPECT ME TO GRANT YOU FULL FREEDOM?
BUTLER.
I HAVE NO USE FOR A BUTLER WHO ONLY PRETENDS TO BE CAPABLE AND TELLS ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR.
I NEED A BUTLER WHO CAN SPEAK THEIR MIND TO ME, EVEN AT THE RISK OF THEIR LIFE.
IN THAT SENSE...
YOU STILL HAVEN'T KEPT YOUR PROMISE, BUTLER.
IF YOU PROVE YOURSELF SO INDISPENSABLE THAT I CANNOT DO
PERHAPS I WILL WILLINGLY REVEAL THE SECRET YOU SO WISH TO KNOW.
I HAVEN'T KEPT MY PROMISE?
WHAT MORE DO I HAVE TO DO HERE? HOW MUCH BETTER MUST I BE TO SATISFY HIM?
HE'S REALLY GETTING ON MY NERVES...
I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT YOU MEAN, YOUR HIGHNESS.
HOWEVER!
I HOPE YOU KNOW I ALWAYS SPEAK FROM THE HEART.
VERY WELL. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HIDE IT,
BUT GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT.
I SHALL WAIT AND SEE.
OH, YOU'RE ON.
LET'S SEE WHO COMES OUT ON TOP.
IF HIS BUSINESS IS AT THE IMPERIAL PALACE, HE MUST BE MEETING SOMEONE FROM THE IMPERIAL FAMILY, RIGHT?
RIGHT, STEPPING OUTSIDE THE GRAND DUKE'S MANOR WON'T BE THAT DIFFICULT, FREYA.
WHEREVER IT MAY BE, I WILL HANDLE IT FLAWLESSLY.
FREYA'S SURVEILLANCE AND ESCORT TEAM.
Freya neutralizes an assassin who infiltrated the mansion at night on the third floor, and clashes with Ed over the valuable Eastern Continent carpet stained with blood. In the morning, she sees the carpet has been replaced. Since the Grand Duke has given Ed another job, he takes Freya with him to the Imperial Palace. He praises her two years of work, says he has set aside his suspicions, and allows her to leave the mansion, but instead of full freedom, he puts her through a test of honesty and indispensability.
