"Let's go one thing at a time. First, the matter of revenge."
Lycaon paused for a moment before continuing, "While I was in the hospital, did you manage to find any leads?"
Phaga gave a small nod. "We've already confirmed who did it."
"Down to the individuals?"
Lycaon looked surprised. The photos Rina had shown him were only of two backs. He hadn't expected Phaga to have identified them so precisely.
"Yes. One is Lucius, the other is Mors. Both are members of the Outer Ring Vanquishers," Phaga reported.
The moment he said that, Lycaon's brow furrowed tightly.
Lucius? Why does that name sound so familiar?
Then, as if something clicked, Lycaon quickly pulled out his phone and made a call, his voice low and serious. "Hey, are you asleep?"
"Haa~~ If Lord Lycaon calls in the middle of the night, even if I were asleep, I'd have to get up and work, wouldn't I?"
"My apologies, but please bring me the Outer Ring Development Contract we retrieved from Vision Industry the other day."
"As you command~"
Lycaon hung up. Before long, a graceful woman—so elegant she seemed almost ghostlike—floated down from upstairs.
She set the contract lightly on the table, then stood quietly to one side.
Tilting her head, she noticed Phaga had returned home. Rina squinted her eyes and smiled faintly.
"Phaga, coming home this late isn't a good habit."
Phaga looked a little embarrassed and scratched his cheek. "Uh... sorry, I didn't mean to disturb your rest."
"Hmm~ Not at all. Being ready whenever needed is one of a maid's basic skills."
Despite her words, there wasn't a hint of annoyance on Rina's face—only a warm, reassuring smile. She reached out to gently ruffle Phaga's hair.
"Besides, since Mr. Lycaon called me down, I'm guessing you've found something useful? Well done!"
"...Thank you."
Phaga lowered his gaze slightly. Even now, he still wasn't quite used to Rina's praise.
Thankfully, Lycaon, ever the considerate one, stepped in to ease the moment. He cleared his throat, looked over the Outer Ring Development Contract again, then said evenly, "Alright, Rina, find a seat."
"Yes, sir~"
Rina floated gracefully into a chair and waited.
Lycaon didn't waste time. "Phaga just told me he's confirmed the real masterminds behind the car accident—Lucius and Mors."
At that, Rina's eyes brightened. She turned toward Phaga, her smile filled with elder-like pride, ready to shower him with praise—
Thump! Thump!
Lycaon tapped the table twice, stopping her. Rina puffed her cheeks a little but kept quiet.
He continued, "After reviewing the Outer Ring Development Contract again, I noticed that this Lucius has signed deals with several companies in New Eridu."
"That reminds me of something else."
Lycaon paused briefly, his gaze flicking toward Phaga before going on.
"When Phaga first joined Victoria Housekeeping, his first job—with Ellen—was protecting an elderly entrepreneur."
"Later, that entrepreneur paid us fourteen million Dennies and asked us to investigate who was behind the gangs targeting him."
"And not long after that, Phaga and Ellen were nearly killed in a car crash. Am I remembering correctly?"
Phaga nodded. "Yes."
"Then it all lines up."
Rina held up two fingers and gestured lightly. "Lucius, a member of the Outer Ring Vanquishers, has ties with multiple New Eridu corporations."
"And right when we started investigating, those corporations got spooked. So Lucius, acting as their pawn, helped them plan a 'car accident.'"
As Rina finished her theory, Lycaon's crimson eyes glinted with a dangerous light. He pressed his finger firmly against the name "Lucius" on the contract and said coldly,
"Looks like whether it's to avenge Phaga and Ellen or to fulfill our client's commission, Victoria Housekeeping will have to take full action against the Outer Ring."
"The only question is—was the car crash Lucius's idea alone, or the Vanquishers' decision as a whole..."
Just then, light footsteps echoed through the room, and Lycaon fell silent.
Ellen appeared, carrying two plates of fried rice. She set one before Phaga and took the other for herself as she sat beside him.
"There's more in the pan if you want seconds... but what were you all talking about just now?"
Her curious gaze moved between the three of them, searching for any sign of tension.
She wasn't trying to pry—but Phaga had confessed his feelings to her, and she was still in a delicate state, unsure whether to tell Rina and Lycaon.
Rina soon broke the moment with a soft laugh, pressing her hands to her cheeks as she smiled.
"What we were discussing isn't important, but Ellen..."
"...Tomorrow's Monday. Once you finish that fried rice, go straight to bed. And I better not get a call from your homeroom teacher tomorrow!"
"Ugh!"
In a panic, she shoveled down the rest of her rice in a few frantic gulps, grabbed her bag, and bolted upstairs—
leaving Phaga sitting there, still holding his fork halfway to his mouth.
"Phaga, once you're done, head to bed early too."
Lycaon gave Phaga's shoulder a light pat before heading upstairs.
He stopped briefly at the landing and turned back. "Oh, almost forgot—cleaning Ballet Tower is scheduled for next Wednesday. Remember to request leave from school."
With that, he disappeared upstairs.
The first floor was now quiet—only Rina and Phaga remained.
"Looks like it's just the two of us now," Rina murmured, tapping her lips as she gazed at the stairway where Lycaon had vanished.
Phaga lifted his head slightly, intending to glance at her face—but his eyes froze somewhere around her chest and stomach before quickly darting away.
Something told him Rina had noticed.
Sure enough, just as he lowered his head and focused on eating, Rina leaned across the entire table, her cool breath brushing against his ear as strands of her hair swayed before his eyes.
She whispered, "Looks like our little shark has been lured away by a vampire, hmm~?"
"Ugh!"
Phaga felt lightning strike through his chest. His heart skipped, then raced to make up for the lost beat. His body flushed hot, his pale face burning enough to cook an egg.
"Um, Rina..."
Phaga looked up, ready to respond—
But she was already gone, vanishing like a true phantom.
He glanced around the room. She had completely disappeared.
"Ah... this..."
"She teases me, then just vanishes..."
...
Two stars shining from the same sky.
Meanwhile, deep within the Doppelgänger Hollow—
Hoshimi Miyabi once again led her team in pursuit of the Black Phaga.
But this time was different. They had come fully prepared, their trap already set, ready to close in and take him down!