"Is it that hard for the famous Phantom to erase a sleeping little girl?"
The name Phantom is the only thing that was written in the novel about this woman, and no more information about her or the mastermind behind her actions, except for the fact that she was a top-notch assassin.
Surprised by the sudden interruption, without a second thought the assassin's hand moves by her wild instinct, she points out her sharp dagger to the source of the voice in reflex.
Unexpectedly, at the tip of her shining dagger, the angel stood still in serene-eyes looking at her directly without even budge her small body.
Her shimmering blue pair of glassy eyes and the long silky white silvery hair waving softly by the gentle breeze comes from the window beneath the moonlight.
Stunned by the breathtaking views of a living doll, she let down her guard.
"Wha-"
Before she finished her words, Grizel uses her utmost speed to get on behind her back and knocked her out, even the top-notch assassin can't follow her sudden move.
Thud!
An unconscious assassin fell on the floor, Grizel just hit her lightly because this female assassin needs to wake up soon after Grizel took all her belonging and hidden weapons.
It will be nice to have a chat without any of those.
-•-
In the novel, this event was briefly mentioned, the villainess Grizel has a trauma of darkness and loneliness because of an assassination attempt a week right after her 6th birthday.
But there is something amiss about the story of the novel, it was said that the assassin failed to kill the sleeping Grizel and was killed by a passing maid instead, and the guards who come later only see the aftermath of the scene, a maid holding the crying Grizel and the body of the died assassin.
Back in the time when Angela read the novel, she was confused with the assassin strange behavior, it should be done quick and easy to kill the lone sleeping Grizel, or when she deals with the passing maid, it was nonsense that a top-notch assassin died in the hand of a mere maid and failed to kill a harmless little girl.
For whatever reason the assassin doing it, Angela, no, Grizel was certain of one thing.
Since the beginning, the assassin has no intention to succeed in the mission.
"Urgh..."
A painful groan heard in the spacious chamber, she touches her back neck that was hit. Looking at her surrounding, she felt weird waking up in the unfamiliar fancy room.
"Wait, this..."
She abruptly getting up and searching for something at her back but found nothing.
"Your dagger is in my possession"
Grizel said to the startled assassin, her wariness forced her to stand in a defense position by reflex, ready to protect herself even without any weapons in hand.
"W-who are you?"
She asked in a stuttering voice, her memory was vague a moment ago but all is clear when she recognizes Grizel's feature, this little girl was the one who knocked her out with inhuman speed.
"That's odd. I think at least you have been informed about your assassination target, right Phantom?"
Lagertha Grizel Von Belial, of course, she had basic information about this girl, it was collected by the spy implanted by her master, the spy says nothing suspicious about the Miss, but she is too strong as a normal 6 years old, her mind is in chaos right now.
Sigh...
She is trying to calm down, even if she is extremely confused with the current situation, at least she felt that the Miss didn't harbor any malicious nor hostility toward her, she should have been dead if this Miss wanted to kill her.
She let go of her defense position and standing awkwardly like a trapped mouse, after witnessing Grizel's speed, escape from this situation is mostly impossible.
"What do you want? Even if you torture me I can not betray my master"
She means it, even if her biggest wish was to run from her master and betray him, she simply couldn't do it.
The Slave Seal, it was a magic seal contained a restriction on the body, shaped like a chain tattoo and carved on the neck of the slaves to prevent them from betraying their masters, and it can only be lifted by the master agreement or the slave's death.
"I know, torture isn't a solution in your case. Instead..."
Grizel paused a moment before saying the rest of the words.
"What if I have a way to lift your slave seal?"
The assassin flinched hearing that hopeful phrase, she doesn't know what is Grizel's intention of helping someone who came to assassinate her, but even if it a lie, even if it a fake hope, at least she wants to say her deepest desire.
"I..."
She glances at Grizel desperately as if saying her last will.
"...Wish to be free"
Plop!
The assassin sits on the floor, her body is shaking greatly, tears can not be held anymore, she has no more power to maintain her body to stand still, the slave seal is a dreadful thing, it prevents her to attempt suicide by herself, and unless killed by others, she couldn't be free.
Up until now, she was following a thin ray of hope that someday she will be released even though she slowly is dying inside. But she has thrown all the naive thought when she was assigned to this mission.
If the girl could not lift her seal, killing her is the only way to set her free, it was her desperate last will she asked to the little girl.
Grizel walk towards the crying assassin, she bends down to face her, she knew that the assassin is feeling guilty about her selfish wish, of course, if Grizel can not lift the slave seal, it means that she asked for a 6 years old little girl to stain her hand by killing a miserable assassin and set her free.
Grizel wipes the assassin's tears with her soft pajama sleeve.
"You're too young to meet the God yet"
Grizel's voice is cold but it sounds warmer than the morning sunlight, she is looking at Grizel who is busy wiping her tears, the spy reported that Miss Grizel is known as a kind girl who always smiles sweetly, but the one in front of her has a cold gaze yet warm hands.
"After I lifted your seal, you are free to choose your own path, but if someday you longed for a place to come back..."
Grizel smiles serenely and taps her own shadow on the floor.
"You will always welcome here"
Grizel wanted the assassin to be her shadow and personal maid soon, but for someone who lives as a slave for years, forcing the assassin right now wouldn't earn her loyalty towards Grizel.
If freedom is what she yearned for, then Grizel will give her time to taste it.
However, Grizel knows even if she gained her freedom back, she has nothing else, no family, nor home and friends.
She lives too long as a Phantom, normally, coming back to society is almost impossible because those who have tasted of the dark side of the world wouldn't have a simple normal life ever again.
Grizel, no, Angela Samael in her former life was someone who experienced in handling her problematic subordinates, and how to gain their loyalty, after all, she was born to be the lord of others.
"Will you accept me if someday I chose to come back here?"
'Aaah, she took the bait'
Grizel hold her grin inwardly, she offers shelter to the homeless assassin, no one in the right mind would offer their home to a killer without any hidden motive.
The stray assassin who took the bait thought it was the kindness of an angel who offers a place for someone like her.
"Yes"
Grizel let out her divine smile that beaming more than the moonlight.
To be continued...