After hiding in the alleyway in Aria-san’s embrace for several minutes, the tension in her posture finally melted away. Through my Sympathy Magic, I felt a wave of profound relief wash over her.
It seemed Beatrice-san had passed by without noticing us.
"That was a close call. If she had caught sight of me, my Maidric Aura would have given me away instantly... Was she out shopping? She works at the Royal Castle, so it wouldn't be unusual for her to be in the city for errands. Oh! Kaito-sama!? My apologies! I acted on instinct... I didn't squeeze you too hard, did I?"
"Ah, no, I’m fine."
It hadn't been painful at all. If anything, her hold had been soft, warm, and quite pleasant. I had been desperately trying to maintain a state of Zen-like emptiness to keep my thoughts from wandering, so I hadn’t even had the leeway to consider discomfort.
While the situation had been a textbook 'Lucky Pervert' scenario, as a practical matter, there was no way I could have broken free from the grip of a Peerage-class High-ranking Demon like Aria-san on my own. Besides, making a scene in that alley would have ruined everything. I wanted to believe it was just an unavoidable accident... though Aria-san herself didn't seem particularly bothered.
"That aside..."
"Yes?"
"You're Alexandra-san... aren't you?"
"..."
I couldn't see her eyes because they were hidden behind her bangs, but her panic radiated through her emotions with overwhelming intensity. I’ve been caught! What do I do!? her feelings seemed to scream.
Next came a sense of inner conflict. She was likely weighing whether or not to keep up the charade. To be honest, her reaction alone provided all the confirmation I needed that she and Alexandra-san were the same person. If she chose to keep lying, I had no intention of pushing the matter further.
However, after a short silence, Aria-san spoke up with an air of resignation.
"I am sorry for keeping it a secret."
"No, I understand you were incognito. To be honest, I’d had a feeling that might be the case for a while now, but since your voices were so different, I lacked the confidence to ask."
"Yes, I change my voice when I’m working as Alexandra. As I mentioned earlier, I can manipulate sound, which allows me to alter my speech at will."
"I see... Wait. If you only do that while working as Alexandra-san, does that mean your current voice is your natural one?"
"It is. To add to that, Aria is my real name. Alexandra is... well, it started as a temporary alias for various reasons, but it eventually stuck and became the professional name I use for work."
Aria-san didn't seem to have any intention of deceiving me further, explaining the situation clearly now that she had admitted her identity.
"Um, Kaito-sama... if possible, regarding this matter..."
"Don't worry," I assured her. "I promise not to tell a soul."
"Phew... Thank you. Over the years, people have built up this image of Alexandra as being so refined and noble. There are many girls who admire me or look up to me as a goal."
"I figured as much. So, your personality as Aria-san is your true self?"
Since she had mentioned earlier that her public image had become so rigid that she couldn't show her real self, I felt certain I was right. Aria-san gave a wry smile and nodded.
"I’ve spent so many years as Alexandra that it isn’t exactly a forced act, but it’s like a switch. I’m Alexandra when I’m working as a maid, and I’m Aria in my private life. It wouldn't be a catastrophe if the truth came out, but the two personas are so far removed from each other that it would cause unnecessary confusion. Besides, if I were to meet a professional acquaintance while off-duty, I wouldn't know which version of me to present."
"That makes sense. In my case, perhaps it's a good thing we only spoke a few words during the Maid Olympia?"
"Exactly. Thanks to that, I was able to interact with you naturally as my true self, Kaito-sama. If we had been closer as 'Alexandra,' I likely would have made an excuse and fled the moment I realized it was you."
Thinking about it that way, the fact that we hadn't interacted much during our first meeting was a blessing. It allowed me to become close with the real Aria, who was easy to talk to and shared my sense of humor. Back then, the sheer scale of the Maid Olympia had left me so overwhelmed that I’d had a bit of 'maid-fatigue,' limiting our interaction to basic pleasantries.
"Well, shall we get back to our walk... Aria-san?"
"Hehe, yes."
Even knowing her secret, I made a point to address her as Aria. She noticed the sentiment immediately and smiled with genuine joy.
Serious-senpai: "A special person with whom one can be their true self, huh? Damn it... this Flag Architect has captured her in the blink of an eye..."