A new morning arrived, bringing with it the warm sun that bathed the domain of the upstart noble...
However, the bright light also revealed the aftermath of last night's chaos—debris scattered across the land, and the signs of a recent struggle still etched into the soil.
Fortunately, this ss wouldn't be here for long because—
The cleaning crew had arrived to fix the land! Which, of course, consisted of all the denizens of the region: Anastasia and her three loyal servants.
Dressed in their usual working attire, they diligently moved across the land.
Martha and Sebas took on the heavier labor, shoveling dirt into potholes and hauling larger debris, while Anastasia and Bella handled the lighter tasks, gathering and sweeping smaller rocks and clearing away scattered twigs.
"Tsk, what a ss," Martha grumbled, wiping sweat from her brow before driving her shovel into the dirt once more. "You just had to go all out, huh?"
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry," Sebas replied with a sheepish smile. The butler then effortlessly picked up another large rock before tossing it onto the growing pile. "I did try holding back as much as I could, you know."
His response, however, only made the knight sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "...I don't even want to imagine you not holding back..."
anwhile...
Bella diligently picked up smaller stones and debris, before then hurriedly placing them into a provided basket.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, she turned toward her mistress, who was currently sweeping the ground with a broom.
"U-um... my lady, I-I think this place is already clean enough," she muttered, glancing around uncertainly. "S-so, should we clear that side next?"
"Hmm... let's see..." Anastasia paused, sweeping her gaze over the area before giving a small nod. "Yes, let's. But make sure nothing gets left behind before we move on."
"Y-yes, my lady!"
With that, the four of them pressed on with their work, making slow but steady progress...
However, the three ladies would occasionally pause, their gazes shifting toward the center of the campsite—unease flickering in their eyes.
There was sothing that had been lingering in the back of everyone's mind...
And that was... the tent standing in the middle of their camp.
Once used as their sleeping quarters, the tents had since been repurposed—one serving as temporary storage for their belongings, another as a makeshift pantry for Bella and Sebas's cooking ingredients.
Normally, these campsites held a sense of familiarity and nostalgia.
But now... sothing—or rather, soone—was inside the largest tent.
"Sir Sebas?" Anastasia called, her grip tightening on the broom as unease welled up inside her.
Sebas stopped mid-step, balancing two large stones in his hands. "Yeah, my lady?"
There was a brief pause before she hesitantly asked, "...Is it really safe to leave her there?"
"Hmm..." The butler humd in thought. "I think it should be fine. Last I checked, she was still sound asleep, believe it or not."
"R-really...?"
That "sleepy soone" was none other than their so-called "guest of honor"—and the very culprit behind the ss they were now cleaning.
The Sonic Thief, Vivi.
Having knocked her out last night, Sebas had unceremoniously thrown her into the tent, using it as a temporary holding space for the mischievous adventurer.
With their wooden lodge in ruins—thanks to the clash between the butler and the thief—keeping her inside the main house had been out of the question. The re thought of Vivi's presence had been enough to stress out the three ladies.
"That damn scoundrel of an adventurer should be locked in a cell..." Martha muttered with a scoff, shoveling dirt with renewed vigor.
"Hah, I'd like that too, Miss Knight," Sebas chuckled, "but you really can't lock her up—she'd escape from just about anything."
"R-really, Sir Sebas?" Bella asked, though there was a slight tremor in her voice. "I-Is she like one of those escape artists I've heard about?"
"Haha~, yeah, you could say that. That's why I didn't even bother tying her up—nothing would hold her down anyway."
His remark did little to ease the concerns of Anastasia and Martha.
"...Shouldn't we check on her, then, Sir Sebas?" Anastasia asked, her brow furrowing slightly. "If she's awake, she might start making a ss of our supplies..."
"Hmm... let's see..." Sebas, still holding onto the large rocks in his hand, took a glance at his wristwatch. "Yeah... it's almost noon, so let's check on her, my lady."
And so... leaving the rest of the work to Martha and Bella for now, Sebas and Anastasia made their way toward the tent.
< | X | >
Inside the tent, sunlight seeped through the gaps in the fabric, casting a soft haze over the supplies and scattered belongings…
And, of course, revealing the one anomaly within.
Lying atop an old cloth bed—one that had originally belonged to Sebas—was Vivian, sleeping soundly. Blissfully, even. As if she had not a shred of guilt over the chaos she'd caused just the night before.
Sebas stood over her, arms crossed, staring down at the sleeping adventurer with sheer exasperation.
"…Still sleeping, huh," he muttered before letting out a sigh.
The butler was understandably annoyed by this woman's complete lack of sha.
After all, he had been the one to knock her out and toss her into the supply tent like a sack of potatoes.
Yet now? The amber-haired thief had made herself right at ho, even claiming his cloth bed as if this were her personal quarters.
Her expression was one of utter peace… as if she hadn't just thrown the entire domain into disarray the day before.
Beside him, Anastasia watched in silence. But unlike Sebas—who was clearly irritated—her gaze carried sothing else.
Worry.
A justifiable worry.
This wasn't just so foolish troublemaker. This was an S-rank adventurer.
An unpredictable force.
A dangerous one.
The battle from last night still replayed vividly in Anastasia's mind, reminding her exactly what kind of person was currently resting within her domain.
"…Are you sure it's safe to wake her like this?" she asked, lowering her voice. "She seems… quite volatile."
Sebas sighed again—though this ti, there was sothing different about it. A certain weightlessness. It was almost… amused.
His expression softened slightly as he turned to his mistress, offering her a calm, reassuring smile.
"It's alright, my lady," he assured her, his voice firm yet easygoing. "She's reasonable… with the right amount of 'coercion,' that is."
His words should have been comforting, but… the way he said them sent a different kind of chill down Anastasia's spine.
And just as quickly, the warmth in his expression faded, replaced by sheer annoyance as his gaze returned to the still-slumbering thief.
Sebas crouched down beside the cloth bed, resting an arm on his knee as he reached out to the sleeping adventurer.
"Alright, enough lazing around." He gave her shoulder a light shake. "Ti to get up, Vivian."
"Ugh…"
Vivian only let out a soft grumble before rolling slightly to the side, her face half-buried into the makeshift bedding.
"Mmn… five more minutes…" she murmured in her sleep.
"Sigh… I don't think so."
This ti, he shook her a bit more firmly… but to no avail.
Vivian remained completely still. Far too still.
And then… a faint curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
"Hehe~."
A small, knowing smile.
Slowly, one eye cracked open, revealing a glint of mischief as she peeked up at him.
"You're no fun, Sebastian~," she teased, amusent lacing her voice.
"So you were awake already, huh."
Vivian lazily stretched her arms before flopping back onto the bed with a satisfied hum. "Mmm… kinda. But I am still tired, y'know? After all, soone went all out last night."
"Went all out?" Sebas scoffed. "That's rich, coming from you."
Vivian let out a breathy laugh, clearly enjoying herself.
Sebas, however, was far less amused.
"Enough of this nonsense. Get up already."
But just as he was about to grab her arm—
—she suddenly latched onto him.
"Wha—?!"
Before he could react, Vivi wrapped both arms snugly around his neck, pulling him down toward her.
The unexpected movent threw him off balance, forcing his hands onto the bedding as he hovered dangerously close over her.
"W-what…?! W-what are you two doing…?!" Anastasia's voice wavered, eyes wide in disbelief.
"O-oi! Vivian, let go already—!" Sebas tried to pull back, but her grip was surprisingly strong.
The thief tilted her head, a slow, playful smirk gracing her lips.
"Didn't you say sothing about 'coercion' earlier, Sebastian?" Her voice was practically purring now. "Maybe I need so of that to get up properly~."
"Seriously…?" His shot back at her. Then, he braced himself, pushing against her hold. "Quit screwing around, Vivian."
"Oh? But I like screwing around~."
"G-Good grief, knock it off already!" Anastasia's voice cracked as she turned away, visibly flustered by their rather inappropriate act. "Both of you!"
After a brief struggle—one that lasted far longer than it should have—Sebas finally wrenched himself free, imdiately backing away with a sharp glare.
Vivi, now sitting cross-legged on the bed, only grinned up at the two of them as if nothing had happened.
"Hah~ What a refreshing morning." She stretched her arms overhead before flashing them both a cheeky smile. "Good morning, you two."
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