Dancing with the Devil

Mystery thief

Kalista's week here has been filled with doubts. The castle bears an eerie resemblance to Serafinia, the Count of Vladimir's behavior was suspicious, and demons were imprisoned in an underground palace... There were too many mysteries here, and she suspects that the truth behind them might be even more absurd than what she's currently witnessing.

But Kalista doesn't care. Her goal was to escape the castle. To achieve this, she's willing to work with the devil, maybe even kill the Count for him.

Kalista furrowed her brow and lay back on the bed. She closed her eyes, and Lancelot's face appeared before her. The way he smiled sweetly, the way he pretended not to hurt even though his face was covered in blood, and... He took on the shape of a devil.

That devil, she knew, was not Lancelot. Her Lancelot had been buried by her own hands and lay in her native land. But in the face of that devil, she can't guarantee that she won't be swayed.

Kalista went to sleep with her own struggles.

The next day, Kalista sat in front of the mirror to get her makeup done, her hands smeared with powder but not on her face - the bruises were all gone, but there were two visible dark circles under her eyelids.

She was confused, but had no time to think, ate a baked potato, and then rushed to the utility room to organize the new arrival of the morning goods. One piece of cloth needs to be taken to the butler's room.

The maid who was supposed to pick up the goods was late, and Kalista didn't want to miss the chance to visit the housekeeper. She picked up a small pile of fine fabric, closed the utility room door behind her, and walked to the second floor.

The butler's room, at the eastern end of the second floor, was a corner room, much larger than the usual servant's room, and must contain a lot of collections.

Kalista stopped at the housekeeper's door and was about to knock when her hand stopped in mid-air.

The door stood open.

Just below the door, a skirt peeks out, matching the color of Kalista's maid dress. There was no smell of blood and the sound of gentle breathing - the maid who was supposed to pick up the clothes in the morning had been knocked unconscious.

The noise of rummaging through the room tells Kalista that the thief hasn't left yet.

The interior was turned upside down, and a wooden casket was placed horizontally in front of the door and the display cases beside it, preventing it from closing. Kalista stood outside the door and glanced quickly through the c***k.

There were two maids lying on the ground, sleeping soundly. Their clothes were flat, and there were no blunt or sharp objects around them, as if they were properly placed on the ground after being knocked unconscious. By contrast, the fate of the furniture was far more tragic - carpets have been cut to pieces, various cabinets have been turned upside down, drawers have been torn out of place, and keyboards hang crooked on the walls. It was a mess as far as the eye could see.

It didn't seem like the unsub's goal was to steal expensive artifacts, nor was he interested in killing people, and if someone found him, he could take him down on the spot.

Kalista opened the door carefully and stepped into the room.

The rummaging in the room stopped suddenly, and the prisoner, with his keen hearing, seemed to have discovered her. Calmly, Kalista kicked open the wooden box against the door and closed it with her back.

A shadowy figure slipped out of the room, moving with a grace that belied the chaos within. The intruder, while not as swift as a demon, was still quick enough to evade the scattered debris. Kalista caught sight of the intruder—a red-haired woman, her face partially obscured by a black cloak.

Kalista, holding a bundle of cloth to cover her neck and face, spoke before the redhead could act. "I know what you're searching for," she said, her voice steady.

The redhead halted two steps away from Kalista, her gaze fixed and unwavering. Under her fiery red hair, a pair of cool turquoise eyes scrutinized Kalista from head to toe.

Kalista continued, her words measured, "You're seeking a key. Look at that wall-mounted corkboard, the one that's in disarray. Notice the key strings that are out of place. I believe you've seen the key's general shape, so you must realize it's not the one you're after."

The woman crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "Continue."

Kalista explained, "The butler's quarters do indeed hold spare keys for many of the castle's rooms. However, he wouldn't hang particularly significant keys on a corkboard that's so easily accessible without entering the door."

Her explanation seemed to resonate. The woman pondered, "Where would she hide the key, then? Do you have any ideas?"

With a confident smile, Kalista set aside the cloth she was holding and scrutinized the two rows of lockers beside her, overlooking the unconscious ladies. She tilted her chin and spoke thoughtfully, "I'm not entirely certain. Considering the housekeeper's character, she might store important spare keys in places one wouldn't expect. A jeweler's case could be a likely hiding spot."

The woman picked up a wooden box from the cabinet, examined its contents, and, finding nothing, discarded it. "Is that so?"

Kalista, picking up several wooden cases from the floor, searched through them. "I can't guarantee that the important keys are hidden in jewelry cases, dress layers, or bedding, but it would be quicker if we both looked for them."

The woman nodded in agreement and joined Kalista in the search, both of them now focused on the task at hand.

Kalista felt a wave of relief as she scanned the housekeeper's display cases and lockers, still coming up empty-handed for the metal buttons that had been stolen from her earlier. The housekeeper couldn't have sold them already, could she? It seemed unlikely. There were silver items in the cabinet, along with more valuable gemstones.

With renewed determination, Kalista opened each wooden box with care. Suddenly, the red-haired woman emerged from the back room and approached Kalista.

Kalista's brow furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?"

"The master of the room has returned," the woman whispered, making a silent gesture.

Could she discern the master's presence from his footsteps alone? It was an astonishing ability.

Whether it was true or not, Kalista chose to trust the woman. She made a swift decision, sliding down the side of the cabinet to the floor, feigning weakness and collapse. She then winked at the woman, signaling her to knock out the approaching figure.

The woman's mouth twitched and she jumped helplessly to the door, dragged the man in before the butler called for help, quickly gave him a knife, and then tore off several pieces of fabric, tied the butler's hands and feet, and blindfolded him. At the end, she brushed the dust off her hands and pressed it to her chest. "Please forgive me for what I had to do."

Kalista rolled her eyes in silence, got up from the floor, picked up a piece of porcelain that had just fallen to her hand, and put it away. She saw the woman staring at herself, laughing: "I have never seen this material, anyway, it has broken. Pick up a small piece of it ?" The first thing is to find the key, before they wake up, let's hurry..."

The woman said, "I just realized that the most important key may not have been backed up at all." The man who owns this castle carries the key I seek with him at all times."

Kalista knows what she's looking for.

But why would someone who appears to be a believer in the gods be fixated on getting the key to a cell where demons are held?

The way she lowered her head in thought seemed to be hesitation in the woman's eyes.

Kalista raised an eyebrow, her voice tinged with skepticism. "If this key is so vital to you, why haven't you attempted to steal it from the Count yourself? And even if you didn’t, how can you be certain that I, or anyone else for that matter, will succeed where skilled individuals have failed?"

The woman reached out and wiped Kalista's cheek with her thumb. Rubbing the dust from her fingers, she said cheerfully, "The Count is very wary of anyone who comes near him, and he won't let anyone who has practiced martial arts near him, but you can." After all, no one can say no to a blonde with a pretty face."

In other words, using Kalista as bait.