"You can't shake off Sakuya's pursuit, and I can't escape the demonic grasp of that depraved shopkeeper. If we let them keep fixating on us, we're doomed sooner or later."
"We have to come up with a way to divert their attention!"
"Tell me more." Remilia looked at Marisa with a serious expression.
Ever since the contract, Sakuya had been acting like she wanted to devour her whole. Diverting her attention wasn't just difficult—it was practically impossible.
"My demonic boss is obsessed with beautiful girls. You can tell just by looking at the shop."
"I've already been tormented beyond belief. Patchouli? I bet he only tricked her into coming here because of her… assets."
"And then there's another one—she might be a little older, but still decent-looking—ow, ow, ow! Let go! I won't say it anymore!"
A delicate hand stretched out from a gap in space, pinching Marisa's cheek, making her wince in pain.
Once she finally broke free, she changed targets—
"And then there's that lazy shrine maiden—also ridiculously pretty. The boss keeps staring at her all the time. There's no doubt about it—this guy is a complete scumbag pervert!"
Thinking about her own suffering, Marisa's face contorted in frustration.
However, Remilia gave her a strange look.
You're cursing him out, but… why is your body trembling with excitement? (T/N: MC really turning her into an M)
Oblivious to Remilia's gaze, Marisa pointed toward the storage room and continued—
"Sakuya is also stunning, and she's definitely his type."
"With a prime target like her dangling right in front of him, there's no way he wouldn't take notice."
"If we just create a… special atmosphere and let them hit it off—wait, no, never mind, cough, let's think of another plan."
At this point, Marisa got a little flustered, her words becoming vague.
Remilia's expression grew even more skeptical.
Is this girl really reliable? She looks like she's already been completely broken in…
"The boss never lets thieves or troublemakers off the hook. If he catches someone in the act, he'll subject them to inhumane punishment and… reconditioning. That's how I got caught!"
"If we stir up some trouble and pin it on Sakuya, the boss won't miss the chance to take action."
"Then, while he's busy disciplining her, I'll be free, and Sakuya will be too preoccupied fighting back to bother with you. A perfect win-win!"
"Oh! That actually sounds like it could work!" Remilia's eyes lit up.
This girl might be a bit unreliable, but her scheming is unexpectedly sharp!
From now on, you're the official strategist of the Scarlet Devil Mansion!
"It's settled, then!"
"You're close to Sakuya, so you'll plant the evidence. Then, I'll jump out and accuse her!"
"You just need to chime in and confirm the crime. Once that happens, we're home free!"
"Got it!" Reaching an agreement, the two of them grinned mischievously in unison.
Meanwhile…
In the room next door, Rin and Sakuya, who had just overheard their entire criminal conspiracy, exchanged dangerous glances.
After a brief silence, Sakuya spoke first—
"Boss, do you have anything else for sale… something as useful as that wine?"
"Sakuya, your thoughts are getting dangerous."
"Don't misunderstand. It's purely for the young mistress's comfort."
Sakuya smiled sweetly—only missing the words "use them up and leave no trace" written across her face.
Rin's eye twitched, but before he could say anything, the head maid lowered her voice and curiously asked—
"Boss Rin, did you really… do that to Marisa?"
"Ahem, well… that was just a minor punishment, nothing as serious as she makes it sound."
Sakuya decided to take his words as the exact opposite.
'Just from Marisa's reaction earlier—how she was practically conditioned at this point—Rin had to have used some truly forbidden techniques on her. If she could master them too…'
She imagined herself casually patting a bed, only for her young mistress to instinctively come over and snuggle up beside her…
The tip of Sakuya's nose tingled, as if she were on the verge of a nosebleed.
"Can you teach me?!"
"Marisa's case is a bit special… It's not really something that can be replicated—"
"I'll lend you Patchouli for another month. If the shop ever needs help, I'll come whenever you call. I'll even teach you my signature dishes."
"…Hmm."
"Your clothes are looking a little worn. I'll make you a new casual outfit, nice and comfortable. Plus, I'll throw in three bottles of the young mistress's prized wine."
Rin's gaze turned sharp.
You think you can tempt me with that?
"…It's special, but not impossible to replicate."
"The two key techniques I used on Marisa were sensory adjustment and my family's special massage and realignment skills."
"For sensory adjustment, you can check with Patchouli. She might know of a similar spell or item. Since Remilia isn't human, she'll probably have a higher tolerance—but be careful."
"As for the massage… do you know anything about that?" Sakuya shook her head.
If it was just casual massage for relaxation, she could do it. But professional techniques? Not at all.
Rin thought for a moment before making a suggestion—
"They're all going to be drinking at lunch, right? If anyone gets drunk and passes out, use them as a practice dummy. After a few tries, you'll get the hang of it."
"Deal!" Sakuya agreed instantly.
At that moment, everyone else in the shop shivered simultaneously.
Even Yakumo Yukari, who was lurking in the warehouse, felt an ominous chill.
Her golden eyes locked onto a certain point.
'Two unfamiliar presences had been circling the store for a while now, clearly scouting the area. They weren't making a move just yet—waiting for the best opportunity to strike.'
"Quite patient, huh? Let's see who outlasts who."
Muttering to herself, Yukari instinctively reached for a sip of wine—but after reconsidering the alcohol's effects, she instead grabbed some melon seeds, chicken feet, peanuts, and sugar tangerines.
Sensing the snacks inside, the presences outside grew agitated—but ultimately held back, even going so far as to erase their presence entirely.
Yukari's gaze sharpened.
After a moment's thought, she opened a gap and yanked out a certain tengu reporter—
"I have a job for you. Keep watch from the roof. If you see any suspicious people, lure them away—as far as possible. If you do well, I'll give you some juicy scoop and a few cups of sake."
"Deal!"