Chapter 48: You Don’t Have to Be a Saint

"Where did you get your perfume, Erin? Star apple fragrance, right? I really love the scent." Lydia smiled coldly as she watched the maid tremble before her.

"Lady Lydia, I—"

"Remember, I dislike dishonesty. You can tell me the truth, Erin." Lydia slowly circled the maid like a hungry predator, enjoying the way Erin’s shoulders stiffened with every step she took.

"I am really sorry, Lady Lydia!" Erin immediately dropped to her knees, her voice shaking. "I got it from Tilly. But I never stole anything from you, my lady. I promise!"

Like a cat that just caught its prey, Lydia plopped onto her bed as she regarded the trembling maid with a calculating look.

The star apple perfume had been a limited edition, and the Ludenberg Perfumery had never reproduced it. There was no way Erin could have purchased the same fragrance elsewhere.

Considering that Tilly had stolen several of Lydia’s belongings before, the answer was painfully obvious to Lydia.

"You know that doesn’t make you any less guilty than her, right?"

Erin lowered her head until her forehead nearly touched the floor. "Please forgive me, Lady Lydia! I was wrong. I shouldn’t have accepted it, but I swear I never stole anything from you myself!"

"That’s enough, Erin." Lydia raised a hand, stopping the maid before she could continue begging. "I know you didn’t steal that perfume yourself. But if you still want to keep your position, you’ll have to earn my trust."

"I will do anything, Lady Lydia!" Erin blurted out far too readily.

Oh, Erin. You have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into. You walked right into my trap.

Lydia closed the luggage she had prepared for the upcoming Imperial Hunting Competition before clapping her hands merrily.

The sudden change in her demeanor left Erin blinking in confusion, especially when her mistress rose from the bed with an almost cheerful expression.

"Then accompany me, Erin. And let me borrow your clothes. Ordinary ones will do."

"What? B-but, why, my lady?"

"I only take yes or no as an answer, Erin. Now, which one is yours? Answer me."

A small smile tugged at Lydia’s lips as the young maid hurried to fetch some of her dresses, leaving Lydia alone in her room.

When Erin returned, Lydia had already prepared several dresses of her own and casually tossed them toward the maid.

"I need to get rid of these. You can do whatever you want with them."

"My lady—"

Despite her cold words and intimidating attitude, Lydia was being surprisingly generous.

Even Erin could tell that these beautiful dresses were all brand new, and purchasing even one of them would cost her nearly a year’s worth of salary.

"Thank you, my lady!"

Lydia gave her a satisfied nod before delivering the words Erin would remember for a long time.

"You don’t have to be a saint to work for me. You do, however, have to know whose side you’re on, Erin."

"Yes, Lady Lydia!"

Erin clutched the dresses to her chest, her eyes shining with renewed determination to not waste this second chance.

But it faltered just within an hour.

"Where are we going, my lady? It’s almost midnight already. Duke Valendorf will—"

"Shhh." Lydia raised a finger to her lips, cutting Erin off before she could finish her question. "The real fun begins when the night starts."

Both of them are tiptoeing their way out of the Valendorf mansion.

They had managed to leave without attracting attention after Erin helped Lydia change into a simple dress and hoodie.

Erin pressed her lips together, silently praying that whatever gods she ever knew that she wouldn’t regret agreeing to this.

Since Lydia didn’t want anyone tracing her movements too easily, she had decided to borrow Erin’s bracelet whenever they needed to make a payment.

The device was linked to Erin’s account, allowing them to avoid using Lydia’s own registered information. However, Lydia had another surprise waiting for the poor maid.

When Erin checked her balance, she nearly fainted.

"L-Lady Lydia! You topped up my account?"

"Of course. We need money for tonight, don’t we?"

"But this is so much!" Erin stared at the displayed amount, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

The money Lydia had transferred was worth far more than Erin would earn in half a year!

Erin had never imagined seeing such a sum in her account, let alone receiving it in a single transaction.

"You can keep the change later. Now, pay for the bullet glider, Erin."

"Y-Yes, my lady!"

The long, silver capsule floated above the ground and accelerated rapidly, leaving a thin blue light trail to the downtown area of Illisa, the capital of Adelstein.

Thanks to her memories of her previous life, Lydia knew the city like the back of her hand.

Lydia had a personal mission to uncover and she couldn’t afford to let anyone know about this. Not even her personal maid.

Once they arrived near her destination, Lydia turned toward Erin.

"You can go back to House Valendorf for now. But I still need to borrow your bracelet."

"My lady!" Erin nearly jumped out of her skin. "His Grace and Duke Valendorf will be furious if they find out about this!"

"Make sure they don’t, then."

Lydia handed her a small golden brooch, her expression leaving little room for argument.

"Don’t make me repeat myself."

Erin whimpered at the order, but she eventually nodded.

She had already promised to do anything Lydia asked, and this was her first real opportunity to prove her words.

"I will guard your room and won’t let anyone enter it until you return, Lady Lydia. Please be quick!"

With that, Erin hurried back toward the mansion. She almost fell when she turned back to Lydia several times.

Being an accomplice sure put her in a dangerous position, after all.

After making sure Erin was out of sight, Lydia slipped on the borrowed bracelet and linked her own to it, allowing her to switch between their accounts whenever she needed.

With her disguise in place and her registered identity safely out of the way, she turned toward the streets ahead.

The darker alleys of Illisa were considerably livelier at night than they appeared during the day.

Lydia passed through several narrow streets before reaching the Pleasure District, where the atmosphere changed almost immediately.

Bright neon signs illuminated the buildings and loud music drifted through open doorways.

Multiple women in bikinis and see through fabrics stood outside a luxury brothel with inviting smiles and provocative gestures.

"Welcome, sweetie. We can guide you to heaven. Just go inside, darling."

"Let this big sister pamper you tonight."

"Feeling lonely? Let us warm you, love."

Several women called out to Lydia as she passed, making tempting gestures with their hands in an attempt to draw her attention.

One particularly voluptuous woman with red hair approached her, deliberately rubbing her breasts in front of Lydia while offering a seductive smile.

Yet Lydia barely bothered to look at her. Her attention shifted to the bright sign above the entrance.

Sinful Desire.

Lydia approached the entrance terminal and tapped her borrowed bracelet against the reader.

The system chimed softly to confirm her payment, and the door unlocked with several naked men and women greeting her.

"Let’s have a sinful night, my lady!"