MPBAGS Chapter 2

'Let's ransack everything!'

The diary I couldn't find yesterday might turn up. I've already searched Evangeline's room, so let's search the other rooms.

Here's the toilet, here's the bath, here's the reception room, and—ah! Here it is!

The door was stiff and difficult to open, but it appeared to be a storage room. Some objects were covered with cloth, and miscellaneous items were stored in wooden boxes rather than paper ones. Wow... how would they move house with all this?

The cloth-covered items were all paintings. Finding paint supplies suggested Evangeline had a hobby of painting. There was even a bookshelf, so it seemed to be an art studio combined with a reading room. No wonder curtains were drawn.

Setting aside the paintings, I examined the books. Though I can't read letters, a diary would be handwritten so it should stand out. Then I caught a big one! The cover being pitch black was somewhat strange, but this was definitely handwritten. There were even traces where ink had bled and smeared. Seeing numbers written on top, it was one hundred percent certain.

While casually flipping through pages, something strange fell out. Some kind of note? I picked up the paper.

'A summoning circle?'

A circle with geometric patterns. This is one hundred percent a summoning circle! Crazy—a summoning circle came out of the diary!

Seeing this, the place I transmigrated into seems to be a somewhat dated novel. These days people don't contract with non-humans much.

I didn't agonize over it. I should draw the summoning circle. Whether a spirit or dragon appears, I need to draw it first. A villainess needs at least one ability to protect herself.

Paint supplies were conveniently available. No blank canvas and no suitable paper visible, so I decided to draw on the floor. Originally these things are all drawn on floors anyway.

Worried the paint might run out mid-drawing, I decided to use red paint since it had the most volume. All the brushes had hardened and wouldn't bend, so I just dipped my finger in paint.

First draw a large circle, then triangles, stars... lots of letters too. While diligently drawing, my hand got pricked by the wooden floor. Fortunately no splinter embedded, but it bled. It hurt like hell for what it was, so I drew the rest with the stiffly hardened brush. Though inconvenient, it was manageable. Should have used this from the start. When your head is bad, your body suffers.

'Done!'

Though somewhat distorted and strange, I completed it! I thought something would pop out immediately like in novels or some change would occur, but nothing happened. Should I still recite an incantation after finishing the drawing? Below the ornate summoning circle drawn on paper, an incantation is written.... But so what? I can't read it!

Since drawing it would be a waste, I'll try spouting random words.

"Spirit King? Spirits? Dragon? Excuse me...?"

Nothing happened.

"Um... I want to contract with something, so would anyone willing please appear?"

Clinging desperately was futile. I definitely need to recite the incantation. I should learn letters first and retry. What kind of bullshit world is this where illiteracy prevents even summoning?

Count Rohanson looked down at the maid before him.

Though not a criminal, Daisy was trembling with closed eyes, bowing her head low. Considering Count Rohanson was not such a callous employer to his staff, she appeared excessively frightened.

With good reason—Daisy had attended to that Young Lady Evangeline at close quarters for the past two days. Whatever dwelt inside, the exterior looked extremely similar, so she must have glimpsed fragments of the young lady in Count Rohanson.

Well aware of this, Count Rohanson did not rebuke the maid. The Daisy before him had been on close terms with his deceased daughter regardless of status, and had therefore readily volunteered to serve 'that thing.' Count Rohanson slowly opened his mouth.

"So. What was that thing doing?"

"She asked about Young Lady Evangeline. How old she is, what her family relations are like. Whether there are foods she likes or actions she frequently performed. And she acts as if she's truly become the young lady. When I said the young lady goes for walks at 8 o'clock, she said she would do the same. She wears the young lady's clothes and walks, but...."

The cute impression with freckles distorted. Tightly closed eyelashes trembled. Daisy spoke as if confessing to a priest.

The scream filled with indignation gradually died and blurred. Unable to complete the latter words 'It seemed like she wanted to become Young Lady Evangeline' was because she realized she'd been too emotional. The one who would find it most horrifying would be Evangeline's father, Count Rohanson.

"She showed no concern whether maids who saw her fainted or not."

Was that all? Daisy recalled Young Lady Evangeline watching the maid whose mouth was covered and who was led away. Despite such desperate cries to be spared, the emotion dwelling in those red eyes watching was unmistakably contempt. Disdain like looking at earthworms wriggling on the roadside lingered there.

The Young Lady Evangeline that Daisy knew was not like that. That fragile girl could not utter harsh words to others even while sickening herself. If she wanted to become the young lady, she shouldn't have looked at people with such contempt. Don't look like that. Daisy lowered her head, afraid their gazes might meet. But still... is that thing, are those eyes still watching me?

"Then she suddenly said she wanted to learn letters."

"Letters?"

Daisy nodded and continued.

"She said she can't remember letters due to memory loss and asked me to buy some."

Daisy had promised to serve that thing, so unable to go buy books herself, she briefly left to convey a message asking someone else to go.

In that brief interval, the room was completely empty. Thinking it had fled somewhere with the young lady's body, she searched the entire fourth floor. Then she saw the door at the very end standing open. The room where the young lady had permitted no one entry. Unable to find the key, they'd just left it alone. Briefly wondering how it had opened when it was locked.

The door gap was opened very slightly. Opening it further would make noise. Then Daisy would receive that contemptuous gaze too. Holding her breath, she peeked into the room through the door gap. That thing was definitely holding a book.

"Saying she doesn't know letters and asking me to buy books was definitely a lie to get rid of me. I saw her reading when I returned. And, and...."

What followed remained vivid. She wanted to forget but the more she tried, the clearer it became.

"Blood was coming from her finger. She must have drawn patterns on the floor with that blood. Just looking at it was sickening."

She was drawing on the floor with her finger, yet harsh sounds emerged. Like nails scraping wildly across the floor.

"After finishing drawing it, she muttered something. All I clearly heard was... 'contract.'"

The sound didn't carry well. So Daisy brought her ear closer to the door. And inadvertently, she nudged the door slightly open. Please don’t notice, she prayed. But their eyes met. Terrified, Daisy squeezed her eyes shut. And that was all Daisy saw.

"Contract...."

Count Rohanson stroked his chin. Patterns drawn in blood and contract. No matter how he thought about it, this didn't seem like a good situation. Some kind of sorcery? His insides were already burning up over that thing that entered his daughter's body, and now another monster summoned with blood might emerge?

Count Rohanson sighed. This was all because his daughter had committed suicide. The temple wouldn't even preside over the funeral or accept enshrinement, so an evil spirit nested in that body. The problem was that even holy water couldn't drive out that evil spirit.

With no method available, continued surveillance was the only option. He was about to encourage Daisy to endure a few more days when the appearance of the maid still with eyes squeezed shut struck him as newly curious.

"But why have you been keeping your eyes closed since earlier?"

"Why, you ask? Of course because I'm frightened. That thing keeps watching me. My Lord."

Rather, Daisy asked back as if finding it strange. Watching? The Count suddenly turned his head.

And his gaze met with the clustered eyes watching him.

I was chosen by a three-eyed tabby cheese cat. What's with this isekai quality...? Why is even the cat extraordinary?

I don't know where it entered from, but when I woke up, it was lying in bed with me. Is this a cat the Count's family keeps? I should ask the maid who came to attend me.

But it's a different person from last time. Well, they'd be busy, so they'd rotate shifts.

"Are there many cats in the Count's household?"

"Cats? They were all killed long ago."

They killed them all?

The maid provided additional explanation that it was because of an epidemic spread by cats. Seems something like the Black Death was prevalent here too.

Meow.

"...Don't you hear a cat crying?"

"I don't hear anything."

"That's strange.... I can hear it so close by."

I desperately feigned ignorance. Of course you hear it close by! No! Baby, don't cry! If you cry, we're caught! We'll die!

Fortunately, the maid returned without searching the room.

Wow, I thought my heart would drop out. I was originally opposed to adopting pets without family permission.... I hated those "Our dad who opposed cats is now actually...!" status update content! But what can I do? I've become someone who picked up a cat without family consent!

No, but they'll die! They said they killed them all because of epidemics, so this one's family probably already died too. Can't I have it examined by a priest and doctor and raise it myself? They wouldn't kill a Count's young lady's pet cat.

First I need to get the Count's permission.

His office is on this floor, I think? Fortunate that I remember where the rooms are located. I descended the stairs and headed to this floor. When I knocked on the door, the butler emerged.

"I wish to see the Count."

"I will inquire momentarily."

The butler promptly returned.

"My apologies, Young Lady. The Count is currently occupied and conveys he cannot see you."

"Is that so?"

Wow. The villainess father is really too much. His daughter died and came back to life yet he doesn't visit—I figured it out when we never ate a meal together even once. He refuses me at the door even when I come myself? This is why the daughter became a villainess. Being too busy isn't an excuse either, is it?

"If you have something to convey, you may tell me."

The butler bowed his head low. What was Evangeline that an elderly man bows ninety degrees to her? When I placed my hand on his shoulder telling him to stand, the butler was startled. Ah, I'm not hitting you!

"I want to raise a cat."

"A cat...?"

"Is that not permitted?"

"No...."

Yes! Permission received!

I returned with light, cheerful steps.

"Your name is Pudding!"