" If you've got time to keep spouting nonsense then you definitely have time to keep looking for her so stop asking questions and help me find her." No 4's voice carried a rare irritated tone.

He didn't dare to offer any further elaborations, his bony steps clattering as he unconsciously picked up his pace.

Hitoshi frowned before hurrying to keep up, monologuing inwardly. ' Is he too scared to talk about her or something?' Hitoshi came to this conclusion when watching Skeleton No 4's reaction at his simple question. He obviously didn't know of the young miss's reputation within the estate so it was naturally he'd behave in such a way.

' Could this Aiko person really be that scary.' Hitoshi thought, his brows furrowed, his teeth bitting his lower lip.

 Unknowingly, even he was beginning to feel traces of fear. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the large tree directly in his path.

Wham!

Hitoshi collided headfirst with the thick trunk, falling flat on his backside with a yelp. "Ow, ow, ow!" he winced, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead.

Grumbling, he glanced upward and froze.

High up on one of the branches stood a young girl with silky silver hair cascading down her back. Her milky pale skin glowed faintly in the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. She wore an elegant purple dress that contrasted sharply with the rugged tree bark beneath her feet. But what truly caught Hitoshi's breath was the glimpse of pink-striped cotton panties peeking out from beneath her dress.

His face turned bright red. "W-what the heck?!" he stammered, hurriedly scampering backwards on his but. When he had backed up a bit he quickly rubbed his eyes as if that would undo what he’d just seen.

Yet his gaze shamelessly drifted back up, this time taking in the full view of the girl’s poised stance atop the branch. 

' Huh?..' A soft sound of confusion escaped her lips, Her scarlet eyes gleamed coldly as she turned to glance downward as if detecting their presence.

" And who might you be?." The young heiress Aiko asked coldly, her frosty expression sending a shiver down Hitoshi’s spine when her gaze fixed on him.

' hahahaha, serves you right you little brat!.' Skeleton No. 4, seemingly not bothered about Hitoshi's plight, instead satisfied, quickly bent a knee in greeting.

 "Young Miss Aiko. " he said, relief evident even in his monotone voice, having, finally found her.

The girl, Aiko, regarded them both with a regal air, her expression unchanging yet her gaze still remained fixated on Hitoshi, inwardly wondering where this human boy had come from since as far as she could recall, the estate had no dealings with any humans nor human servants to begin with.

Hitoshi who felt the brunt of her icy gaze gulped, his mind racing. 

' So this is the scary Young Miss?, So that's why no 4 was so scared....her eyes looks scary but........ definitely not scarier than Eri Onee-san's...' he thought to himself.

Despite his initial fear, a tiny spark of curiosity flickered within him. One thing seemed clear now, this search had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

_________________________________________

Meanwhile..... Somewhere else within the estate.

Eri Onee-san's sharp heels clicked against the polished marble floor of the manor’s endless corridors. The cold air clung to the walls, carrying with it the faint scent of ancient wood and lavender polish. 

Her expression, as always, was composed, though there was a slight crease between her brows, a rare sign of concern no one within the estate would've ever expected to see on her face before.

' Just where could that little rascal have gone?' she wondered, her thoughts flickering to the mischievous boy with messy hair and seemingly boundless energy.

 Hitoshi had vanished without a word, leaving her to comb through the expansive estate like a mother hen searching for a stray chick.

As she turned a corner, voices echoed faintly from ahead. 

" Hmm?." She raised a brow, instinctively slowing her pace, her ears sharpening to catch the conversation ahead.

The deep, guttural tone of a ghoul mingled with the raspy drawl of a zombie and the hollow clattering of a skeleton's speech.

"I’m telling you, that little human brat must've gotten into the estate by accident." the ghoul snickered, its gravelly voice scraping the air. " I mean, just think about it, What’s a weak little flesh bag like that doing in the estate, I'm sure No. 4 must've caught him snooping around for scraps and was going to kick him out?"

"I betcha, you ain't too far from the truth, Maybe he’s some kind of lost pet," the zombie croaked, wheezing between words as if breathing was a chore. "Looked pretty tasty, though. All soft and pink. Bet his meat would've fallen right off the bone kekekeke." He laughed sinisterly.

The skeleton cackled, its jaw rattling noisily. "Doesn't look like much muscle, but hey, a snack’s a snack right?."

" Hahahaha, you said it!." The other undead cackled amongst themselves.

Eri Onee-san’s lips thinned into a hard line after having gotten the gist of their conversation. 

' These useless fools...instead of working their here talking about grabbing a bite?!." Moreover they were planning on harming the servant which she herself had gone out of her way to pick, though out of leisure, he was still her's non the less and hearing these useless piece's of shit joke about harming him so openly left a revolting taste in her mouth.