Clomp clomp clomp…
In the corner terrace of the party venue, a woman wearing a peculiar heart-shaped earring sat at a table, sipping tea.
“…So, what was the reason you brought the guest late all by yourself, Clock Rabbit?”
“Eek… The guest was just too handsome, so I tried to flirt with him…”
“Sigh…”
At the woman’s cold voice, Clock Rabbit raised both hands in the air.
“I’ve told you repeatedly, small organizations like ours must always remain neutral.”
“But, Queen, you’ve got some experience too…!”
“Shut up and just say I’m strong.”
“But, Queen, you’re as strong as the bosses of other villain organizations! Isn’t it okay to show off a little?”
The woman, sipping her tea, paused for a moment.
“What good is it if only I’m strong? You guys are weaklings. Keep this up, and you’ll get seriously hurt.”
“Eek… But I’m strong too…”
She chuckled at Clock Rabbit’s words and set her cup down.
“Fine, let’s say you’re strong. Can you and your underlings protect yourselves with just the two of us?”
“…I just want to enjoy irresponsible pleasures.”
“I’m the problem for entrusting someone like you as an executive…”
“Eek.”
Clock Rabbit hung her head low at the woman’s sarcastic remark.
“Aside from flirting, you didn’t cause any other trouble, right?”
“Nope, just asked if he wanted to spend the night with me and to recommend me…”
“That’s not flirting; that’s sexual harassment.”
The woman flicked her finger.
Clink.
A mannequin appeared near her, swaying weakly as she moved her fingers.
Whack!
“Kyaa!”
The mannequin mercilessly struck Clock Rabbit’s head.
“Ugh, you’re nothing but a horny rabbit! Did you catch the rabbit’s heat cycle too when we made your outfit?”
“B-but the new executive of Eclipse was just too tempting! It’s all his fault for being so unnecessarily hot!”
Whack!!
“That person is an Eclipse executive! Get a grip!!”
“I don’t care! You should see him too, Queen! Even with the mask, his handsomeness is obvious!”
“Why is she like this?!”
Clock Rabbit rolled on the floor, her eyes spinning. The woman was shocked at her behavior.
‘What does he look like to cause such a fuss?’
Of course, it wasn’t entirely because of Maker. It was more likely that the stress from the woman’s scolding had triggered this bizarre reaction.
But, curiosity was still curiosity.
Having raised her since she was young, the woman knew Clock Rabbit’s taste in men was almost identical to hers. She wondered just how handsome he must be to cause this.
Pssst—
Just then, a signal from the dolls she had scattered around the party venue.
“…Queen, what are you doing?”
“…The command I gave the dolls is complete… Ah, found him. Maker.”
The woman closed her eyes and saw through the doll’s vision a man in a black coat.
‘Well, I should apologize…’
Upon hearing that Clock Rabbit had caused trouble in Eclipse, the woman immediately ordered the dolls scattered around the venue, and now they had found him.
‘I can just use the doll to apologize, right?’
To avoid any potential threats, she always hid her identity and had no intention of revealing her face. And as for the apology, it didn’t need to be grand.
She planned to possess the doll, apologize, give him a few gifts, and be done with it.
Grooo—
The woman focused her energy on the doll, attempting to possess it. Moments later, she succeeded.
‘Good, now to apologize…’
Quickly, she approached…
‘Hey.’
As soon as she possessed the doll, she heard a call and instinctively turned around.
Finally, she saw Maker up close in clear detail.
…
Gasp.
“Queen, are you done possessing the doll?”
“……”
“? Queen? Where are you going?”
After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, suddenly stood up, gathered her things, and started moving.
“Where else? To apologize~”
“Suddenly so polite… And didn’t you say you shouldn’t show your face?!”
“Oh my~ Apologies should be made in person, face to face, right?”
‘…This girl?’
Clock Rabbit had a feeling she knew why the Queen was suddenly acting like this.
“You liked him too!!”
“Hmm~ What are you talking about? I’m just going to apologize for my subordinate’s mistake~”
“Stop snorting and talk properly!”
“My voice has always been like this, you know, Rabbit~”
Seeing the woman’s twisted expression, Clock Rabbit felt something was off.
“Small organizations must remain neutral!!”
“I’m strong, so it’s fine!”
“What about our underlings?!”
“I’ll enjoy some irresponsible pleasures!”
“Ugh, you crazy lunatic!”
Clock Rabbit’s head hurt as the woman repeated the same words she had just said.
“Well then, goodbye~ I’ll come back as an adult~”
“Queen, you’re already old enough to be… Wait, where are you going?!”
By the time Clock Rabbit looked, the Queen was long gone.
Following the noise, I noticed a crowd gathering. It seemed most people had come to see what was happening.
‘As expected of villains.’
Some even brought snacks, clearly not planning to stop the commotion. Well, I might as well enjoy the show while eating.
Munch munch munch…
“……”
Munch munch munch…
“Hey.”
“…Yes, did you call me?”
I called over a small, flustered staff member wearing a trump card-shaped mask. They tilted their head, looking at me, and then their eyes widened.
“…Oh my god, crazy!!”
“…Huh?”
“Ah! No! No! It’s nothing! Just talking to myself! Hehe!”
The staff member blurted out an exclamation upon seeing me. They apologized immediately but kept giving me strange looks.
‘…Sigh. Are they insane?’
Knowing the original Black Night and its master, it was unlikely they’d employ such poorly trained staff. Moreover, if they were one of her ‘dolls,’ they wouldn’t act like this.
“…I’ll just take one non-alcoholic cocktail.”
“Sure! Take it!”
I reached out and picked a bubbling drink from the tray the staff member was holding.
‘Forget about the staff, let’s just enjoy the show.’
After all, what’s more entertaining than watching a fight?
With my drink in hand, I slipped into the crowd.
Thud! Bang!
“You cheated, you bastard!”
“Got any proof, you jerk?”
From the conversation, it seemed one side had cheated, and the other was seeking revenge. The fight was getting more intense.
‘Is anyone going to stop this…’
“Ooh! That’s an uppercut!”
“You idiot! You should’ve stepped back there!”
As expected, no one was going to intervene. Well, I’ll just enjoy the show.
Watching the two in suits turn into rags as they brawled, I sipped my drink.
“Mmm.”
“……”
“Ooh.”
“……”
“Pretty entertaining.”
Huh?
A woman had appeared beside me, sipping a cocktail and watching the fight.
She kept muttering to herself, and at first, I thought she was just the type to talk to herself a lot…
“Those two were sworn brothers, you know. But one of them betrayed the other.”
“…I see.”
Now it seemed she was talking to me. I awkwardly responded.
“First time seeing you. Where are you from?”
While keeping her eyes on the fight, she started asking me questions. I jokingly asked her,
“Is this flirting?”
“A little? I’m not entirely uninterested, so I’m asking.”
Well, I didn’t expect her to agree.
Well, showing interest at a party like this isn’t unusual. But at a villain’s party…
‘This seems like it’s going to be a hassle.’
Villains have a higher percentage of psychopaths than you’d think. Of course, the organizations invited by Black Night are somewhat reputable, so they wouldn’t send a complete lunatic as their representative.
But still, getting involved with villains like this could get messy.
‘Better to just run away.’
The fight seemed to be winding down anyway.
Wham! Thud! Thud!
“Die, you bastard!”
The villain who had been furious about being cheated finally mounted his opponent and started pummeling him.
After watching for a while, I turned to leave.
“Not staying?”
As I quietly tried to leave, the woman grabbed my sleeve. I figured I should at least exchange a few words.
“…No, the outcome is clear now.”
Once one side starts dominating, the fight’s over. A few others watching seemed to think the same and started leaving.
“That’s it! Gouge his eyes out!”
“Ugh, you idiot! How long are you going to lie there and get beaten?!”
Of course, some wanted the beating to continue or for a counterattack.
Seeing the blood splatter, the villains were getting more excited.
“…Shouldn’t someone stop this?”
“……”
I muttered, staring blankly at the scene.
But I had no intention of intervening. These people had nothing to do with me, and stopping them wouldn’t benefit me.
It’d be a hassle if I got involved.
“It’s getting worse.”
Now even the watching villains were causing a ruckus.
“Who’s still rooting for that bastard getting beaten? His head’s already smashed! Keke!”
“? What did you just say?”
The situation was getting more heated, and the villains started growling at each other.
“Kekeke, yeah~ Picked the wrong side and got screwed, huh? Blew all the money your underlings worked hard to save?”
“You reverse-betting bastard!!!”
“Ugh, smells like reverse-betting… Jiji, Jiji.”
“..You damn bastards!!”
Wait, did they bet money?
No wonder they’re so worked up.
‘If a fight breaks out, the plan might get delayed.’
Two people fighting is manageable, but if it turns into a brawl, it’ll be a headache for the party host. Naturally, the schedule I’m aiming for would get pushed back.
“Hmm…”
I considered stopping it but…
“Better to step back before things escalate.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Rather than risking getting hurt, it’s better to just let the schedule slide a bit. It’s not like it’s being pushed back ten or twenty years.
‘Besides, I’m not confident I can handle them all.’
Killing or seriously injuring them is one thing, but subduing them without harm is beyond me. So running away is the right choice.
Having made up my mind, I turned to the woman beside me. For some reason, she looked flustered when I looked at her.
“I don’t know who you are, but it’s probably best to step back.”
She seemed a bit out of it, so I gave her a quick warning and turned to leave.
“Well then…”
“W-wait!”
But for some reason, she tightly grabbed my sleeve.
“…If I clear that up, will you stay?”
“Huh?”
“Okay, got it.”
Did she take my question as a yes? The woman glared at the chaotic scene with shining eyes.
Whoosh—
A breeze blew by, making her heart-shaped earring sway.
—
Clomp clomp clomp…
In the corner terrace of the party venue, a woman wearing a peculiar heart-shaped earring sat at a table, sipping tea.
“…So, what was the reason you brought the guest late all by yourself, Clock Rabbit?”
“Eek… The guest was just too handsome, so I tried to flirt with him…”
“Sigh…”
At the woman’s cold voice, Clock Rabbit raised both hands in the air.
“I’ve told you repeatedly, small organizations like ours must always remain neutral.”
“But, Queen, you’ve got some experience too…!”
“Shut up and just say I’m strong.”
“But, Queen, you’re as strong as the bosses of other villain organizations! Isn’t it okay to show off a little?”
The woman, sipping her tea, paused for a moment.
“What good is it if only I’m strong? You guys are weaklings. Keep this up, and you’ll get seriously hurt.”
“Eek… But I’m strong too…”
She chuckled at Clock Rabbit’s words and set her cup down.
“Fine, let’s say you’re strong. Can you and your underlings protect yourselves with just the two of us?”
“…I just want to enjoy irresponsible pleasures.”
“I’m the problem for entrusting someone like you as an executive…”
“Eek.”
Clock Rabbit hung her head low at the woman’s sarcastic remark.
“Aside from flirting, you didn’t cause any other trouble, right?”
“Nope, just asked if he wanted to spend the night with me and to recommend me…”
“That’s not flirting; that’s sexual harassment.”
The woman flicked her finger.
Clink.
A mannequin appeared near her, swaying weakly as she moved her fingers.
Whack!
“Kyaa!”
The mannequin mercilessly struck Clock Rabbit’s head.
“Ugh, you’re nothing but a horny rabbit! Did you catch the rabbit’s heat cycle too when we made your outfit?”
“B-but the new executive of Eclipse was just too tempting! It’s all his fault for being so unnecessarily hot!”
Whack!!
“That person is an Eclipse executive! Get a grip!!”
“I don’t care! You should see him too, Queen! Even with the mask, his handsomeness is obvious!”
“Why is she like this?!”
Clock Rabbit rolled on the floor, her eyes spinning. The woman was shocked at her behavior.
‘What does he look like to cause such a fuss?’
Of course, it wasn’t entirely because of Maker. It was more likely that the stress from the woman’s scolding had triggered this bizarre reaction.
But, curiosity was still curiosity.
Having raised her since she was young, the woman knew Clock Rabbit’s taste in men was almost identical to hers. She wondered just how handsome he must be to cause this.
Pssst—
Just then, a signal from the dolls she had scattered around the party venue.
“…Queen, what are you doing?”
“…The command I gave the dolls is complete… Ah, found him. Maker.”
The woman closed her eyes and saw through the doll’s vision a man in a black coat.
‘Well, I should apologize…’
Upon hearing that Clock Rabbit had caused trouble in Eclipse, the woman immediately ordered the dolls scattered around the venue, and now they had found him.
‘I can just use the doll to apologize, right?’
To avoid any potential threats, she always hid her identity and had no intention of revealing her face. And as for the apology, it didn’t need to be grand.
She planned to possess the doll, apologize, give him a few gifts, and be done with it.
Grooo—
The woman focused her energy on the doll, attempting to possess it. Moments later, she succeeded.
‘Good, now to apologize…’
Quickly, she approached…
‘Hey.’
As soon as she possessed the doll, she heard a call and instinctively turned around.
Finally, she saw Maker up close in clear detail.
…
Gasp.
“Queen, are you done possessing the doll?”
“……”
“? Queen? Where are you going?”
After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, suddenly stood up, gathered her things, and started moving.
“Where else? To apologize~”
“Suddenly so polite… And didn’t you say you shouldn’t show your face?!”
“Oh my~ Apologies should be made in person, face to face, right?”
‘…This girl?’
Clock Rabbit had a feeling she knew why the Queen was suddenly acting like this.
“You liked him too!!”
“Hmm~ What are you talking about? I’m just going to apologize for my subordinate’s mistake~”
“Stop snorting and talk properly!”
“My voice has always been like this, you know, Rabbit~”
Seeing the woman’s twisted expression, Clock Rabbit felt something was off.
“Small organizations must remain neutral!!”
“I’m strong, so it’s fine!”
“What about our underlings?!”
“I’ll enjoy some irresponsible pleasures!”
“Ugh, you crazy lunatic!”
Clock Rabbit’s head hurt as the woman repeated the same words she had just said.
“Well then, goodbye~ I’ll come back as an adult~”
“Queen, you’re already old enough to be… Wait, where are you going?!”
By the time Clock Rabbit looked, the Queen was long gone.
Following the noise, I noticed a crowd gathering. It seemed most people had come to see what was happening.
‘As expected of villains.’
Some even brought snacks, clearly not planning to stop the commotion. Well, I might as well enjoy the show while eating.
Munch munch munch…
“……”
Munch munch munch…
“Hey.”
“…Yes, did you call me?”
I called over a small, flustered staff member wearing a trump card-shaped mask. They tilted their head, looking at me, and then their eyes widened.
“…Oh my god, crazy!!”
“…Huh?”
“Ah! No! No! It’s nothing! Just talking to myself! Hehe!”
The staff member blurted out an exclamation upon seeing me. They apologized immediately but kept giving me strange looks.
‘…Sigh. Are they insane?’
Knowing the original Black Night and its master, it was unlikely they’d employ such poorly trained staff. Moreover, if they were one of her ‘dolls,’ they wouldn’t act like this.
“…I’ll just take one non-alcoholic cocktail.”
“Sure! Take it!”
I reached out and picked a bubbling drink from the tray the staff member was holding.
‘Forget about the staff, let’s just enjoy the show.’
After all, what’s more entertaining than watching a fight?
With my drink in hand, I slipped into the crowd.
Thud! Bang!
“You cheated, you bastard!”
“Got any proof, you jerk?”
From the conversation, it seemed one side had cheated, and the other was seeking revenge. The fight was getting more intense.
‘Is anyone going to stop this…’
“Ooh! That’s an uppercut!”
“You idiot! You should’ve stepped back there!”
As expected, no one was going to intervene. Well, I’ll just enjoy the show.
Watching the two in suits turn into rags as they brawled, I sipped my drink.
“Mmm.”
“……”
“Ooh.”
“……”
“Pretty entertaining.”
H
