APIBAGS Chapter 40

Gabriel had her in custody, which meant I could always visit later and ask my questions then.

Come to think of it, the convent director had been on the arrest list too. Both directors. Funny how people at the top always seem to have the most to hide.

"That's all settled, then."

I trudged back to find that Gabriel had apparently gotten the full story from Daisy while I was away.

"Sir Gabriel has offered to take the children," Kanna told me, updating me on where things stood.

"I'd like to place them in the temple's childcare facility. It wouldn't be appropriate to leave sole responsibility with either of you at your ages."

Fair enough. Daisy and Troy were young. Managing all those children between them would be more than either could handle.

"Load the children into the carriages."

At Gabriel's order the knights moved as one. Then—before I had time to step aside—the children came charging over and folded themselves nearly in half.

"Thanksh—thank you. Thank you very much."

The bravest among them, the one who apparently wasn't scared of me, spoke for the group. Seemed to bite their tongue midway through; the words came out garbled.

"...Yes."

Receiving genuine thanks was strange. I'd felt similarly displaced when Raphaela thanked me. There's something about the characters in this novel—when they do things like that, they feel like people who are actually alive.

The children, having cleared the considerable hurdle of gratitude, were escorted back to the carriages by the knights.

Troy would accompany them, since sending the children off alone felt wrong. Daisy stayed—she had things to discuss with me, apparently.

Wait—hadn't Troy mentioned borrowing money? I really hoped he hadn't spent it. I was still turning that over when Gabriel, apparently reading my expression as concern about something he'd said, launched into elaboration.

"I was raised in such a facility myself. So you need not worry that the children will come to any further harm there."

Oh. Gabriel just dropped a backstory hint.

"Education is rigorous, but administration is equally rigorous—no corruption, full freedom of career paths, well-supported, unlike your typical—"

He kept going. Yes, the education is strict but fair, management is clean, career paths are open, support is genuinely funded, completely unlike the standard grim alternative—I know, you can stop—

"I see. How reassuring, to hear it from you personally."

Only then did Gabriel conclude his pitch.

For approximately three minutes, he had looked less like the romance fantasy male lead and more like a promotional employee who'd been handed a pamphlet.

Jelly and his coachman friend climbed into our carriage. Pudding followed Jelly. I was about to board when the children approached again—the two who'd been operating independently downstairs. Ranen and Yulma.

We'd already said farewell. What was this?

"Would it be all right if we came with you?"

"Ranen! What are you saying all of a sudden?"

Daisy went pale—clearly this hadn't been coordinated.

"If we made it out safely, I'd promised Yulma we'd find work together."

"We know it's very presumptuous, but... Kanna said we should at least ask."

Kanna found the middle distance suddenly very interesting.

When exactly had she gotten close to the children. The heroine who had fallen entirely for the villainess apparently wanted to broadcast my personal reformation to every available person.

Well. It wasn't difficult. I was in a position to simply hand over a donation without question; they were asking to work for it instead, which was frankly admirable.

"If you don't mind working at my estate, you're welcome."

"Thank you!"

Just agreeing to employ them, and they were delighted. They'd found jobs. Of course they were pleased. Daisy, on the other hand, went visibly anxious—probably dreading the inevitable mistakes two young first-time workers would make.

"My lady, but—"

"If you're that worried, you can come back to the estate yourself. It's not as though you have anywhere else to go."

"...Yes."

If she was fretting over the children being there without her, she could simply come along. And Jelly was at the estate. If Troy ended up elsewhere while Jelly was under the same roof, wouldn't Daisy naturally end up spending more time near Jelly?

"I wanna come too!"

One additional voice attached itself to the group. The aggro-pulling kid.

"Mary!"

Daisy actually got angry this time. Understandably—Ranen and Yulma were old enough, but Mary was too young.

"I'm so sorry. I'll send her right back."

"She's too young to work, but there's no reason she can't stay."

I had money. One more child wasn't going to bankrupt anyone.

"...Thank you."

Daisy clasped Mary's small hand and bowed. Her bowing figure looked particularly small. Because of that director, a kid ended up having to take responsibility for other kids.

Gabriel appeared to have finished his side of things. The temple carriage stood ready and waiting. But hadn't he said he had business to discuss with me at my estate?

"Come to think of it—didn't you say you had something to discuss with me?"

"Yes. I had things to tell you, but —" His gaze moved toward the carriage full of children. "Sending them off without someone responsible accompanying them weighed on me."

Fair enough. Ten children arriving at a childcare facility without a proper escort would create its own complications.

So this was farewell here.

Gabriel extended his hand. That noble greeting again. I couldn't bring myself to call it a 'hand-kiss'—too embarrassing a phrase.

I'd planned to wear gloves next time, as a buffer. But I hadn't anticipated meeting him today, so here I was, bare-handed. It was just etiquette. He was doing it because that was what one did.

I offered my hand.

Gabriel bowed—and his lips came down.

Soft. What. Soft?

"Today's visit was conducted without following proper procedure, which is entirely my failing. I will call on you tomorrow. Formally."

This—this—this madman—

Too stunned to form words. Had he actually—but how was he so calm about it. Right. He was a romance fantasy native. His entire physiology was constitutionally configured for this.

Gabriel left. A knight with melon-colored hair remained behind.

Fantasy-appropriate hair, as was only fitting. He wasn't leaving.

"Meeting you again is truly moving. Do you remember me, by any chance?"

I thought I recognized him from somewhere—oh. The person I'd poured holy water over.

"That time—you're —?"

"Yes! I am Michel, the one you saved. I was too overwhelmed in the moment to thank you properly, and it has stayed with me since. When the commander said he was coming to see you today, I asked to accompany him. I also heard you saved the children today. As I felt then—you are truly compassionate."

"Michel. That's enough—let's go."

At Gabriel's prompting, the melon-haired knight bowed and departed. More good-deed points added to the ledger, apparently.

"Shall we depart, my lady?"

Yes.

I'd been vaguely worried about fitting everyone, but the carriage interior was more comfortable than expected. Where had Jelly's friend and the children gone, though? Henna too—she'd definitely gotten in.

"Jelly transported them ahead to the estate."

Smacked my knee. Of course.

Jelly's specialty was teleportation. I'd spent the entire day treating him like a dog with a particularly good nose. In retrospect.

"You two can go ahead as well. I have something to discuss with Daisy."

"Should I leave?"

Not particularly. I shook my head.

"Then I'll stay."

Pudding looked at me as though asking permission, and I picked him up and settled him in my lap.

Jelly relayed the address to the coachman and vanished.

The wheels turned. We started moving.

I'd thought Kanna and Daisy might have bonded somewhat during everything that had happened. The carriage was quiet enough to suggest I'd imagined it. Was this silence only unbearable for me? Possibly. But I had things to say anyway.

The children were safe now. Was it all right to slip the question in? Though asking someone whose mental state had just been comprehensively shattered—wasn't that too shameless?

Whatever.

"Daisy."

"...Yes."

"About the price for granting your wish."

Daisy swallowed. Visibly tense.

"Just answer my questions honestly. That's all."

It wasn't asking for anything terrible. Just answer what was asked. She was practically getting this for nothing.

"What did you tell Gabriel about me?"

Daisy's breath caught. She looked like she wanted to flee; the moving carriage made that inconvenient for her. I waited. After a long pause:

"I told Sir Gabriel... that you are not my mistress."

What? What did that mean? That Evangeline wasn't her employer anymore, now that she'd left the estate?

"Y— you aren't Evangeline Rohanson. I told him that."

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait—

I'd been found out. The possession had been found out. When? How? The amnesia cover was perfect.

In this genre, magical girls' secret identities don't get exposed. Possession shouldn't get discovered either—that was simply how the rules worked. Was the 'possession gets discovered' plot development even possible in a possession story?

Occasional exceptions existed. A confession near the finale, or a reveal used as an emotional obstacle. But for now, I was just playing the field. And if Gabriel withdrew his protection I was facing immediate execution, which felt relevant.

And Daisy had told him.

Gabriel wouldn't know what 'possession' was—he'd assume ghostly or demonic inhabitation. Was that how he was thinking about it? He hadn't shown any sign of it when they'd just met...

Or—was this exactly what he'd been planning to tell me. A chill moved through me. How was I supposed to face Gabriel tomorrow.

'I wish tomorrow wouldn't come.'

I couldn't believe I'd agreed to the visit so casually five minutes ago.

Had Henna been told too?

That explained the drained look she'd had. Finding out the young mistress she'd been serving was a different person entirely—the betrayal, the confusion—of course she'd looked like that.

And now Kanna knew. I'd bracket Pudding for later. If I'd known this conversation was coming, I'd have sent Kanna out beforehand.

This couldn't stand. I needed to be at least slightly prepared before Gabriel tried to exorcise me tomorrow. Build up some immunity.

"Kanna. What do you think. Do you feel betrayed?"