Chapter 176 Marie the Mafia Boss
Under the night sky, a large flat area outside the forest was plunged into darkness, with only a bright castle emitting a dim, yellowish light. The crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall were already turned off, and the candles on the long table were extinguished.
After their conversation, King Louis took the Princess and returned to the annex to rest. Shirou and the others returned to Jeanne's room, where they analyzed the characteristics of this world with Da Vinci, Mash, and the others from Chaldea.
Based on the current intelligence, this was a dream world. Humans or Servants drawn into the dream were assigned their respective missions, playing a specific role. Although they retained their original personalities, in the eyes of others, there was a setting that forcefully advanced the story.
"Shirou, the one you encountered when you came to this world is the famous French fairy tale, Puss in Boots!" Da Vinci said.
"Yes, it's a classic fairy tale written by the 17th-century French author Charles Perrault, which tells the story of a magical cat helping its destitute owner defeat an ogre and achieve happiness..." At the mention of a book, Mash's eyes lit up, and she began to introduce it.
"That's exactly right. Thanks to her, I seemed to have gained a castle and land without doing anything. There should be a limit to getting something for nothing, or it becomes truly unsettling." Shirou nodded.
If the Demon in the castle hadn't been Jeanne but the real deal, wouldn't it have been a story about an even more powerful yōkai cat eating a great yōkai and giving the ill-gotten gains to the human who cared for her?
"Meow-ha-ha, Meow received boots as a gift from Master. Will Meow get radishes next time?" Tamamo Cat raised her hands, boasting to everyone.
Shirou looked at the carefree Tamamo Cat beside him. Although she claimed to be a cat, she was actually a fox. But there was also a princess here who claimed to be male.
Perhaps this type of Servant was surprisingly common.
"And when Jeanne d'Arc Alter-chan arrived here, she first met Merlin, who was playing a rabbit, and ate various foods that made her shrink and grow."
"That's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alice chased the White Rabbit and experienced various marvelous things, and she also attended a tea party with the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse," Mash said.
"Ah... that tea party was hell." Jeanne covered her forehead. Just the memory of that magical sound made her head ache.
"Speaking of which, did Merlin come here too?" Shirou asked in surprise.
"Ultimately, this castle was created by him, but he ran away afterward," Jeanne said, spreading her hands.
"Is that so? Never mind. That guy is always mysterious, and he's probably plotting something behind the scenes. We'll just stick to our own plan," Shirou said.
"It seems that the important roles are being played by those with stronger Spirit Origins, so we've encountered many strange Servants," Da Vinci analyzed.
"But we haven't seen the Cheshire Cat..." Mash said, slightly disappointed.
"Meow? Are you talking about Meow?" Tamamo Cat poked her head out and asked.
"No, even the nationality has changed, hasn't it?" Mash shook her head.
"That's not right, nya! When you talk about a cat, that's Meow, nya, nya~! Right, Alice?" Tamamo Cat suddenly pounced towards Jeanne, asking with a smile.
"Hah? What are you talking about? I don't understand at all?" Jeanne frowned and said.
Tamamo Cat shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No! Not right, nya! Jeanne-chan should be asking Meow where she should go now."
Jeanne said, "You're impossible... Fine, where should I go?"
Tamamo Cat smiled and replied, "That depends on where you want to go first."
"Hah?! Are you trying to fool me?" Jeanne grabbed her and shouted in anger.
"It's just a line, a line, nya. Jeanne is the European one, yet she doesn't understand at all," Tamamo Cat said, disappointed.
"Speaking of which, they are indeed already interacting," Mash from Chaldea realized when she saw this scene.
Seeing that the night was late, Shirou spoke up, "Well, let's rest for tonight."
"Shirou, is your bedroom ready?" Jeanne asked.
"Yes, the maids seem to have spontaneously prepared a bed for me in the room next door," Shirou replied.
"Next... next door!" Jeanne cried out, her face flushed.
"Hmm... it is a bit too close, isn't it? Then I'll go find any room on the other side." Shirou said thoughtfully. He could completely understand the girl's feelings. Indeed, if a man and a woman slept next door to each other, a girl who wasn't used to it would definitely be shy and unable to sleep well.
"No!... Just sleeping next door is no big deal! Is that so, it's arranged? That's good..." Jeanne turned her face away, unwilling to look at the young man, and said.
"Eh? You don't have to force yourself, you know," Shirou said kindly to the silver-haired girl, whose voice was noticeably higher and was clearly pretending to be strong.
"Stop looking at me! Just hurry up and go!" Jeanne got angry instead, pushing Shirou out the door and saying, but her mind was in turmoil, thinking, 'Next door? What should I do? What if he hears me snoring?'
Tamamo Cat's eyes lit up, and she was about to pounce on Shirou, shouting, "Meow wants to sleep with Master~! I'm sure I'll sleep so sweetly on Master's stomach~!"
"You stray cat, get back here! You stay right here, and don't go anywhere!" Jeanne grabbed Tamamo Cat by the scruff of her neck.
"Yes, Tamamo Cat, you stay here," Shirou agreed strongly.
"Master, don't you want Meow anymore?" Tamamo Cat looked at her Master pitifully and asked.
"No, sharing a room with a girl at night is too much. I wouldn't be able to rest at all. Tamamo Cat, please stay here. I beg you," Shirou said to the cat girl.
"Alright, Meow will endure it." Tamamo Cat was surprisingly obedient and stayed put. At this moment, she turned her gaze towards the girl and said with a smile, "But Jeanne-chan is such a demanding child, nya. You're impossible. Meow will lend you her soft tail to use as a body pillow tonight."
"Who wants that~!" Jeanne shouted loudly.
Shirou walked out the door and headed towards the room on the right. But when he opened the door, he saw a beast-eared girl, only wearing an apron, standing there with a grin to welcome him.
Tamamo Cat pinched her claws and said with a sweet voice, "Master, welcome back. Would you like to eat Meow first, or take a bath first, or Meow, meow, meow~!"
Shirou looked past Tamamo Cat and noticed that the side of this room was connected to Jeanne's master bedroom by a door. If the door inside the room was opened, one could freely enter and exit both rooms.
"You stray cat! Get back here!!" Jeanne carried Tamamo Cat, dragged her back into the room, and tossed her onto the bed.
Then she stomped back and looked at the young man, saying word by word, "Shirou! Lock this door from your side. Listen well, absolutely do not open it! Absolutely! Do you understand me? - "
"Yes, I understand..." Shirou agreed.
Before he could finish, the silver-haired girl immediately turned around the moment she received the young man's assurance. Bang! She closed the door, and the sound of a lock clicking echoed.
Shirou reluctantly stepped forward and locked the door. He finally understood why the maid aunties had smiled so ambiguously when they mentioned this room.
This design was probably based on the architecture of medieval noble houses. It was one of the bad habits of aristocratic society, such as making it convenient for the noble lord to pass through the bedrooms of his first wife and concubines at night. After sleeping with the first wife in the early evening, he could directly enter the rooms of his concubines, mistresses, or perhaps the girls set aside for the droit du seigneur, without having to go outside.
Shirou sighed, but when he remembered that the castle's designer was Merlin, everything suddenly made sense.
The young man immediately changed out of the noble attire, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes. He had to conserve his energy for the possible battle tomorrow.
What he didn't know was that the silver-haired girl, her face flushed crimson, was leaning her head against that door, muttering, "Damn it, how am I supposed to sleep tonight!"
.
.
.
The next morning, Shirou woke up automatically at six and saw Jeanne standing by the door as soon as he stepped out.
"Good morning, Jeanne. You're up early," Shirou greeted her with a smile.
"..." Jeanne turned her head away huffily.
"?" Shirou looked at the silver-haired girl in confusion, wondering what he had done to anger her, and why she was so furious as soon as they met.
If a girl couldn't sleep, tossing and turning with a pounding heart and a blushing face because the boy she cared about was next door, but she heard the boy next door's steady breathing continuing until dawn...
'Anyone would be annoyed!!!!' Jeanne roared in her heart.
A lavish breakfast was presented to King Louis, the Ministers, and, of course, the gender-ambiguous Princess D'Eon: French bread made from refined flour, baked well, served with a rich duck broth, and a vegetable salad. It was simple but delicious.
Afterward, the group joined the Emperor's carriage procession and headed back towards the palace.
They advanced slowly on the small road, then stopped in the middle at a scenic spot. Everyone sat on the lawn, feeling the breeze blowing across the green grass, and ate lunch. Fresh vegetables, pork and duck sandwiches, paired with well-brewed black tea, made for a delightful experience.
After several hours, Shirou finally saw the massive palace built on a high point in the center of the forest from horseback.
The building covered an area of at least tens of thousands of square meters.
The symmetrically flat-topped architecture appeared stately and grand. Marble statues could be seen everywhere on the upper parts of the palace's exterior walls. Huge stone columns connected the main palace to the other wings, forming a spectacular, massive whole. From a distance, one could feel its imposing momentum and its precise and coordinated layout.
Outside, there were gardens, lakes, and large green areas that could be used for golf.
When Shirou saw this, he knew that this palace was the famous Palace of Versailles, though it had been reduced in size by eliminating some unnecessary buildings due to the size constraints of the forest. Otherwise, it would have been even more spectacular.
When the carriage stopped at the entrance of the main palace, the Emperor was helped to the ground by Princess D'Eon.
"My dear, D'Eon~!" A sweet girl's voice called out.
The one who ran over was a noble girl in a large black hat. She had a carefree smile, like a spoiled and naive princess, and she rushed into King Louis's arms.
"Oh, my dearest Queen, you've come out to meet me," King Louis said happily, embracing his Queen.
'Queen Marie, she's here too? D'Eon mentioned earlier that she was following the Queen's orders to wear female clothes and comply with the arrangements of this world, taking on the role of a princess,' Shirou thought.
"Speaking of which, Marie, were you playing croquet?" King Louis asked his wife.
"Yes, my dear. Do you want to come and play too?" Queen Marie asked with a smile.
Shirou looked from afar and saw a strange and comical sight. The white soldiers, who were on their hands and knees, arching their backs to serve as wickets, had a red bird as the mallet and small hedgehogs running around restlessly on the ground as balls.
The people playing with the Queen on the other side were a group of black men, who were now giggling, showing their white teeth. However, the white soldiers were all angry but dared not speak out.
"We can play croquet later, Marie. First, let me introduce you to Marquis Shirou, a young and promising gentleman from the neighboring country outside the forest," King Louis said, pulling his wife towards the young man.
"Hmm~! So this is the husband my dear has chosen for my daughter?" Queen Marie, dressed all in black, examined the young man with a girlish gaze.
"What do you think? He's a rare and excellent young man, and he has a very special connection with me," King Louis said with a smile.
When she saw Tamamo Cat and Jeanne behind the young man, her expression suddenly changed, and she showed a look of deep disgust. "A country bumpkin and a filthy stray cat..."
Tamamo Cat and Jeanne immediately retorted unhappily upon hearing this.
"Filthy? Meow is very focused on cleanliness, nya! Meow grooms herself every day, nya!"
"Hah? This Queen seems different from that Princess with the cake on her head. I don't care if she doesn't know me, but what kind of attitude is that? Is there something wrong with her head? Is she looking for trouble?" Jeanne said angrily.
Queen Marie, who had been smiling a moment ago, now had a dark look and screamed hysterically, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You rude commoners! You show insufficient respect for the Royal Family! Are you revolutionaries?! Off with their heads! Off with their heads! Do it! My homies!"
The black men who were playing croquet heard the Queen's cry, immediately threw down the red bird mallets, and rushed over, shouting, "Off with their heads! Off with their heads!"