174 THE SECRET REVEALED TO THE MAID
Eventually, they arrived at an enormous gate made of shimmering willow branches. Amara clan warriors guarded it fiercely.
"Why did you bring a maid here?" the captain asked, eyeing Sakema suspiciously.
"Your soldiers were too busy drinking and... entertaining your princess," Megane retorted dryly.
"Ah, Princess Bara is having an orgy again," the captain muttered with exasperation before waving them through.
Megane led Sakema to a laboratory deep within the fortress, where she dropped off the ingredients. "You may leave now," Megane said dismissively, more interested in her potions than in security.
"Yes, Mistress. I'll find my way out," Sakema replied with a sly grin. But instead of leaving, she ventured further into the labyrinth.
Her exploration was abruptly halted by shimmering magic webs barring her path.
"Spiders?" she muttered uneasily.
Suddenly, a sticky liquid web shot toward her, ensnaring her in a cocoon. She struggled, but the bindings were unbreakable.
A massive spider emerged, dragging her toward its lair. It lifted her into the ceiling, where other unfortunate victims hung suspended in webs.
"Damn it! My powers haven't returned yet. Am I going to die here again?" she thought desperately.
The Spider Queen loomed closer, her mandibles clicking ominously. Just as she prepared to strike, a commanding presence interrupted.
A woman appeared, her mere gesture halting the Spider Queen. The creature released Sakema, lowering her gently to the ground.
Sakema's eyes widened as recognition dawned.
"Who are you?" Yun-Yun asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Sister Yun-Yun? I am Lillsa do you remember me?" Sakema replied, equally shocked.
"Weren't you traveling with Dassa to find a cure for the unicorns?" Yun-Yun asked.
"We split halfway. One thing led to another, and I ended up in Sodom looking for work. That brought me here to Court La Mood. I was delivering ingredients here when I got lost," Sakema explained.
Yun-Yun used a magic knife to cut through the webs and freed Sakema. Sakema glanced at the path Yun-Yun appeared from.
"What's behind there?" Sakema asked.
"That's a secret. It's better if you don't know," Yun-Yun replied firmly.
Sakema's gaze lingered beyond the spider's lair, noting the labyrinthine corridors. "This place is insanely well-secured. Not even the strongest army in this kingdom could breach it," she mused.
When they reached the Amara warriors' checkpoint, Yun-Yun handed Sakema over. "Take her back to Court La Mood. Ensure no unauthorized persons enter here ever again."
"But Mistress Megane—" the captain began.
"There are no exceptions," Yun-Yun interrupted before walking away.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards, Sakema was escorted back, her mind racing with the mysteries she had glimpsed.
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"What do you mean Lillsa was here?" Leo demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"I found her trapped in a cocoon, nearly devoured by the Spider Queen," Yun-Yun explained, her tone grim.
"That's strange," Leo muttered, frowning. "Lillsa should be with Dassa."
"She's not," Yun-Yun replied. "And there's something else—you might find this odd—she bears an uncanny resemblance to Sakema."
"My sister Sakema?" Petunia interjected, her voice sharp with surprise.
"Yes," Yun-Yun confirmed. "We forgot to mention, but Sakema looks remarkably like a maid Leo had in Gomora. Her name was Lillsa. We lost touch when we arrived in Sodom City."
"That's quite a coincidence," Petunia said cautiously. "Sakema joined us just a few months ago."
"Isn't she your sister?" Grangya asked Petunia, raising an eyebrow.
Petunia sighed. "My mother found her long-lost daughter, my sister—Sakema—only recently in suspicious circumstances. Ever since, she's been favoring her, doting on her more than she ever did me. It's infuriating."
Envy.
"Do you think she's a fraud?" Grangya pressed.
"Fraud or not, she's definitely Lillsa," Leo said firmly. "She admitted it to Yun-Yun when she was saved."
"But how did she even bypass our security?" Petunia questioned.
"It was Megane," Yun-Yun answered. "She brought Sakema into the dungeon to help her carry ingredients."
"Wasn't that Bara's responsibility?" Grangya asked, scowling. Then realization dawned on her. "Damn that woman! She's utterly fucking unreliable."
"What do we do now?" Petunia asked, glancing around the room.
"First, we need to revamp our security," Leo said decisively. "Having the pharmacy brewery inside the dungeon is too risky."
"But the brewery relies on the dungeon's magic to operate," Grangya pointed out.
"We'll relocate the cauldrons to another tower in Court La Mood," Leo countered. "I'll channel the dungeon's magic to the new location. My control over the dungeon's powers have improved."
"And Sakema?" Petunia pressed.
"She didn't come all this way without a purpose," Leo replied. "We need to stay vigilant. Whatever she's planning, we must be ready."
"What is she up to here?" Petunia asked.
"She's getting very close with the Roses," Grangya noted grimly.
"Which Rose?" Yun-Yun asked.
"All of them," Grangya said. "They're drawn to her like desperate lovers. They've even started ignoring customers and even Letcha to spend time with her."
"Really, they ignore Letcha now? She has that much influence on the Roses, stronger than the pull of a demon?" Leo asked, intrigued.
Yun-Yun remained silent and deep in thoughts.
Yun-Yun pondered aloud, "Leo, how did you first meet Lillsa in Gomora?"
Leo thought back. "She came to me directly, asking to be my maid for free. She claimed she was a Rose."
"Why would a Rose approach you out of nowhere and sell herself to you for free?" Petunia questioned suspiciously.
"I don't know but maybe my good looks was a factor", he replied with a wicked smile.
"There must be another reason besides that," Yun-Yun concluded with a reciprocal smile. "We just haven't figured it out yet."
"But why are the Roses so drawn to Lillsa?" Grangya asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and frustration.
Yun-Yun's expression darkened with understanding. "There's only one explanation," she said, her voice calm but firm. "She's their true master—the real Rose Demon."
"There is another Rose Demon?" Leo asked in surprise.
"Not another Rose Demon, the original Rose Demon. The Rose Demon that we killed was probably an impostor, created by Lusifar to enable his resurrection", Yun-Yun explained her hypothesis.
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