“…Could it be that this guy is crying now?”

Michael Easter, the loyal subordinate of the renowned temple known for its cold-bloodedness, shedding tears?

Surprised, I couldn’t say anything, but Benedict and Zero threw blunt remarks.

“Nonsense.”

“It’s nonsense!”

Benedict, in a grave tone, poked Michael.

“Hey, Lady Paladin. It’s not my business to pile up guilt you don’t need, but don’t get too carried away with the words Sienna the zombie says. What she says is more like, ‘You have to annihilate me immediately as soon as you get close because the divine power in your body will show aggression.’ It’s not much different from what the spirits tell me.”

“…”

“That kind of thing isn’t Sienna’s decision; you should know it best. As soon as you approach her, the divine power in your body will show aggression and eliminate her. It’s not much different from what the spirits tell me.”
Benedict tapped my forehead with his finger as he spoke.

The spirits looked dejected at his actions.

【Bene… Were we bothering you, perhaps?】

【Sorry! But a bothersome being was approaching you, making me nauseous…】

【We couldn’t let go of our precious Ben and couldn’t get close due to the divine power!】

【We just wanted to protect you!】

“Yes, yes. Spirits, you don’t have to say it. I understand.”

Benedict, who had appeased the spirits to some extent, sighed.

“Lady Paladin, did you find it strange that the Duke arranged holy water in cups in your room after feeling uneasy?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“After that, did Sienna’s visits noticeably decrease? The difference was quite evident.”

“That’s also true. She seemed to prefer the sponsored area or the greenhouse after the flowers bloomed.”

Even with this information alone, I could roughly deduce what was happening.

Sienna, suspected to be a mutant zombie, was sensitive to divine power and holy water.

‘If she is hit with concentrated divine power, something will change.’

Either all her actions would freeze like other zombies, or… her human-like facade would crumble, revealing her original form.

Either way, it was uncomfortable.

Could the mastermind who sent Sienna here want to witness her thoroughly being torn apart?

The sticky malice was repulsive and hateful.

“The reason for asking Ruth to show a weapon against zombies may also be related to this.”

The weapons developed by Ruth were based entirely on divine power, a force that zombies feared.

Mentally paralyzing them first and then piercing through their heads was the easiest and most effective way to deal with zombies.

“If Professor Perang opened the laboratory door for him, there would undoubtedly be many artifacts that malfunctioned for unknown reasons.”

“Behind Sienna, there must be someone who, wanting Sienna to act as a human, sent her to this mansion.”

Benedict, clenching his anger, acted as if he had been insulted.

“Sienna was a precious being to me, to the Lady Paladin, and to Rue. In making such a person… It’s infuriating that it became difficult for even salvation, including her soul.”

“…I feel the same way, Benedict Fairman.”

Now, the two of them wanted to rectify this situation not for the unrequited love they would no longer receive but purely for the sake of a cherished friend.

“Hmm… But there’s no progress at all like this. Sienna has perfectly imitated human behavior and infiltrated the mansion. Now, openly suspecting her and trying to gather evidence is very delicate, so we can’t approach easily.”

The mansion’s servants, being good-natured, melted at Sienna’s soft personality like peaches, making them very favorable towards her.

‘When one rolled stone falls out, the lodged one must be removed…’
As of now, it’s somewhat manageable, but if Sienna’s goal is me, then there might be plans to swallow this mansion whole.

Sitting on the water pillow, I expressed my dissatisfaction.

“Ruth, Michael, Benedict. And Aston will absolutely not know. Since Sienna arrived, I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep! Duo 1 Zone is just the beginning, and to quickly occupy other areas for zombie eradication, it seemed like I would suffocate as an intruder appeared in my homeground. Ugh.”

Sienna, pretending to be friendly, continued to monitor my actions.

The excuse was a clichéd expression of wanting to repay the favor of sparing her life.

Anyway, I couldn’t ignore the Crown Prince’s words, so I allowed her to freely come to my home office… But I couldn’t stand the intrusive presence like a fishbone stuck in my throat.

“Is, is it to that extent?”

It wasn’t even his fault, but Michael felt excessively sorry.

“Yes, it was. I told her so. Even though she bothered me by taking away Lena’s duties under the pretext of bringing snacks… I was going crazy because I saw through her scheme to withhold information.”

I didn’t know who the mastermind was, but they chose the wrong pawn.

Sienna succeeded in causing chaos within the mansion and among the party members…

‘According to the spirits, the soul is tainted with darkness.’

Still, despite her innate disposition, I was too focused on taking the conventional route.

What should I do about this? Lost in thought, all four of us, including Zero, sighed, and a dense shadow fell over my head.

“What are you doing here?”

A quite thick and soft blanket covered my shoulders.

“Ah… Ashton.”

“Can I join in as well?”

While seeking permission, he smoothly took a makeshift stool made from cut logs and sat down above my shoulders.