During this time, Natsuki Subaru had unknowingly become one of the group with Petra and the other innocent and cheerful children.
Of course, this also included the seemingly harmless Meili.
"Subaru, I've kept you waiting." Rem walked over slowly, carrying a basket full of ingredients, holding down her blue hair that was being blown by the wind, her eyes looking at Natsuki Subaru, "Are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm completely fine." Natsuki Subaru turned around, his face still bearing the smile from playing with the children,
"Has Rem finished buying everything?"
"Yes, it's all purchased." Rem lifted the basket in her hand, her fitted maid uniform outlining her slender figure, looking at Natsuki Subaru who was surrounded by the children, she said,
"It seems Subaru is very popular with the children."
"Hehe, that's where my charm lies," Natsuki Subaru said half-jokingly.
"Goodbye, Big Brother Subaru."
The sensible Petra, seeing that the adults had things to attend to, immediately pulled her little friends away.
Meili, hugging her puppy, also left with them, not forgetting to turn back and give Natsuki Subaru a sweet smile before leaving.
This girl definitely won't give up just like that.
Watching Meili's retreating figure, Natsuki Subaru muttered to himself inwardly. He was about to explain Meili's situation to Rem, but she spoke first:
"Subaru, wait a moment, I forgot to buy a portion of sweet potatoes."
"Let me go, Rem." Natsuki Subaru volunteered, "You've been busy for half a day, you should rest a bit."
Rem looked at Natsuki Subaru with some suspicion in her eyes: "But, does Subaru know where to buy them?"
"I still know this little thing." Natsuki Subaru confidently pointed towards the village entrance, "It's the first shop at the village entrance, Rem, you took me past there just now."
"By the way, what did Subaru want to say just now?" A trace of doubt flashed in Rem's blue eyes.
"Nothing."
Natsuki Subaru shook his head, swallowing the words that were about to come out.
Speaking of which, Meili's target was himself, there was no doubt about that, she would definitely attack again.
It was just that, the current situation was calm and peaceful, and nothing abnormal had happened yet.
Even if he told Rem the truth now, straightforwardly saying Meili was a killer and was after him, Rem would probably find it hard to believe him immediately.
After all, Meili's disguise was too good, that innocent little girl appearance would make anyone lower their guard.
It's better to wait until we return to the mansion and tell Emilia and Ram first, saying I accidentally discovered Meili was a bit suspicious, and then if we investigate together, we'll definitely find evidence to expose Meili's true identity.
Natsuki Subaru secretly made up his mind.
...
Meanwhile, Petra was chatting with her little friends as they walked.
"The stories Big Brother Subaru tells are even more exciting than the village bard's..."
"Yeah, the servant big brother from the Lord's house looks even more handsome than a knight."
"Big Brother Subaru said he's an adventurer from a very, very far away place, he promised to tell us stories about his hometown next time..."
"Eh, stories about the servant big brother's hometown, I'm really looking forward to it..."
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, Meili's cry of alarm came from behind.
The puppy in her arms suddenly twisted its body, struggled out of her embrace, and jumped away.
"Gray! Don't run!"
The flustered little friends hurried to chase, but the puppy was not so easy to catch.
Just like that, the puppy squeezed out of the white fence set up outside the village and ran into the forest.
"Oh no, oh no..."
"The little dog, it ran into the forest..."
"What should we do... Mom said there are man-eating monsters in the forest..."
The children looked at each other, their faces full of anxiety.
That forest, which the adults had strictly forbidden them from entering, was a dangerous area isolated by a magic stone barrier, inhabited by various dangerous creatures.
"Petra?"
All the children instinctively looked towards their leader.
"This..."
As the children's trusted leader, Petra felt the heavy responsibility on her shoulders, but for a moment, she didn't know what to do.
She knew very well the dangers of the forest, but Meili's puppy...
"Mei-Meili...!?"
Just as Petra hesitated, Meili had already nimbly slipped through the fence, her blue pigtails drawing an arc in the air.
"Wait! It's dangerous in the forest..." Petra hurriedly shouted.
"I-I have to find Gray, he's my most important partner..."
Meili turned her head, her voice trembling slightly from nervousness, but her sparkling eyes were unusually firm.
Meili's words, full of responsibility, struck Petra like a thunderbolt, leaving her stunned.
Even Meili, usually a shy and timid child, had summoned the courage to go on an adventure, while she, as everyone's leader, was hesitating here.
"I'll go into the forest with Meili!" Petra suddenly made up her mind, her small hands tightly clenched into fists, "Everyone..."
"No! It's too dangerous!"
"We'll go with Petra."
"We must find Meili's puppy..."
A few of the bolder children chattered.
In the end, Petra, along with a few little friends, caught up with Meili, and together they searched for the puppy that had run into the forest.
However, no one noticed.
Meili, who was walking at the front of the group and originally seemed timid, suddenly had a strange smile on her lips.
...
A moment later.
"Hmm?"
Rem, who was carefully counting the purchased ingredients, felt her skirt being gently tugged.
Looking down, she saw Meili, the little girl with blue pigtails she had met earlier. At this moment, her little face was full of anxiety, her eyes red-rimmed, looking pitiful.
"What's wrong with you?"
Rem squatted down, her blue short hair falling on her shoulders, and asked with some confusion.
"Maid-neechan, Petra and the others..." Meili's voice was choked with sobs, "To find Gray, they ran into the forest..."
"What?!"
Rem abruptly stood up, her expression instantly becoming grave.
That forest was a dangerous area where Mabeasts roamed. Even ordinary adults were forbidden to enter, let alone a group of children.
Meili looked up, tears welling in her emerald green eyes:
"It's-it's all my fault... Gray suddenly ran off... Neechan, quickly, quickly save them..."
"You wait here, don't run around." Rem's face became unusually serious, "I'll go find them right now."
"But..." Meili raised her tear-streaked little face, "I want to go too..."
"No! It's too dangerous there, you wait here, I will bring everyone back safely."
After saying that, Rem sprinted towards the forest, her blue short hair flying in the wind, and soon disappeared into the shadows of the trees.
"Sorry~ Maid-neechan, and everyone." Watching Rem's retreating figure, the innocent expression on Meili's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold smile unfitting for her age,
"But, this is my job~"
___
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