"Wh-why is it me?! N-no, I don't want this! I don't want to lose my beautiful form..."
"Right now, you're the ugliest one here."
Of course, that wasn't about her appearance.
She had apparently been a beauty that everyone envied in her youth.
Letitia's outstretched hand fell limply to the ground.
Her dying moments were not beautiful.
◇◇◇
Letitia's closest attendants who were present, surprisingly, didn't try to do anything to me.
Rather, they even wore relieved expressions, as if freed from tyranny.
Well, they just silently watched as I appeared and Letitia began to suffer, without even attempting to help her — so you can tell how little she was loved.
Letitia did have a spouse, but it was a live-in arrangement and he couldn't stand up to her; he had nothing to say about her sacrificing young girls to maintain her youth and beauty, either.
And this whole affair was to be filed away as a sudden illness death.
The typical noble thing, you know. I get it.
◇◇◇
"Randy!"
"Elise!"
I rescued Elise and the others and sent everyone back to where they had been.
I took Elise to where Randy was — the one who had probably been the most worried — and on the spot the two of them confirmed each other's safety and embraced.
"Elise, I'm so glad you're really safe!"
"Yes, I'm fine. A little blood was drawn, but Alan saved me."
Elise explained to Randy how she had been kidnapped without even realizing it, all the way up to when I rescued her.
"Alan, thank you! Really, thank you!"
After hearing the explanation, Randy briefly stepped away from Elise, then grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously to express his gratitude.
"Ah, yeah, you're welcome. I'm glad Elise is safe."
Elise also looks a bit younger now, but no need to mention that.
It'll revert back with time anyway.
And from Randy, as thanks for this job, I received free drink tickets for his shop.
By the way, Sharl — who was supposed to have taken on the request — wasn't brought along.
She might click her tongue at the sickeningly sweet atmosphere the two of them were giving off.
◇◇◇
I immediately grabbed two takeout sets of cake and juice and headed to the café out front where Sharl was.
"Here you go, Sharl. Got some more."
"Again...? If you have juice, do you still need coffee?"
"No, I want that too. I like the coffee you brew. Besides, even as a thank-you, I'm not going to use the free tickets every single time."
"Is that so? Then I'll brew you some."
Sharl started making the coffee with a somewhat pleased look on her face.
She had probably selected the beans with care as well, because a bitter, mellow aroma began to drift from the coffee maker.
While waiting, I had nothing to do, so I asked Sharl.
"Sharl, did Randy end up never confessing to Elise?"
She had been targeted by [Iron Maiden], after all — so maybe that was what happened.
"No. After you saved him, he confessed without so much as a flower, and it apparently went off without a hitch."
"Hmm, maybe premarital relationships are taboo in this country?"
"Hmm?"
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just surprised a young guy like you knows such a word. It's not forbidden or anything. But well, I imagine the approach differs for everyone. What about you?"
"No comment."