These Dangerous Girls Placed Me Into Jeopardy-Chapter 7Vol 2. : Shirley and the Sister

After the afternoon classes ended, I was planning to head to the library for evening study. But before I could leave the school building, I caught sight of a familiar figure standing at the school gate from the window.

Since the distance was a bit far, I squinted and adjusted my glasses to get a clearer look. A faint green title came into view.

It was Ms. Shirley.

I turned back to look at Lillian, who was still packing up her books.

"Lillian, Shirley’s here to pick you up, right?"

"Oh my? She’s probably here to pick you up, Ethan."

"Huh? Me? Ah..."

Now that she mentioned it, I did recall Ms. Shirley mentioning that she’d come to pick me up this morning.

"Hehehe... Well, I’ll be going now, Ethan. Although I’d love to go home with you, I still have some classes tonight, so let’s part here for now."

She still seemed to be in a bad mood. Ever since I returned late at noon, she hadn’t been quite herself.

By now, I could easily read her mood from her smile and laughter. If she was genuinely happy, her laughter would have a lilting, four-note rhythm. But right now, it was a descending, three-note laugh, indicating she was feeling irritable.

I thought for a moment, then grabbed Lillian’s wrist just as she was about to leave the classroom. I pulled her close and gently wrapped my arms around her, stroking her hair softly.

After all, as her boyfriend, it’s only right to comfort her when she’s feeling down, isn’t it?

"See you tomorrow."

"...You’re so sly, Ethan."

She stiffened for a moment, then buried her face into my chest, rubbing against me like a kitten. No... more like a snake coiling around me. It sent an eerie chill down my spine.

"Lillian?"

"Hehehehe~ Bye-bye then~"

Looks like her mood finally lifted.

As long as she stays in a good mood, my personal safety is ensured. Like they say, feeding a tiger with your own body... I have to be mindful of this tigress’s temper at all times.

I bent down to organize my notes, placing the textbooks for tonight’s assignments into my backpack and stashing the rest under my desk.

"Ethan?"

"Hm? What is it? Did you forget something?"

I thought she had already left, but she unexpectedly popped her head back {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} in, waving at me. That pure pink title above her head made my heart skip a beat.

"See you tomorrow?"

"...Ah, yeah! See you tomorrow!"

So even a tigress can act like a little kitten sometimes...

I watched from the window as Lillian exchanged a few words with Shirley and got into the luxury car. Only then did I sling my backpack over my shoulder and head out of the classroom.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched...

Lillian’s gone, so who the hell is still staring at me?

I looked around, but couldn’t pinpoint the source of that prickling gaze. Scratching my head, I made my way out of the school building and found Ms. Shirley still waiting at the gate.

"Ethan, I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Shirley."

Today, Ms. Shirley wasn’t wearing her usual maid uniform. Instead, she had on a white cashmere sweater and a pair of jeans, giving her a mature, elegant look that was completely different from her usual refined maid appearance.

I didn’t expect her to really come to pick me up, and to even go so far as to change out of that conspicuous maid outfit just for me... She was being very considerate.

"Just call me Shirley. Right now, I’m not a maid, okay? Hehe."

Shirley, now out of her work attire, seemed far more relaxed and approachable. I guess she had switched from her working mode to her casual mode.

"Then you don’t need to call me ‘young master’ either, and no need to be so formal."

"Ah, you’re right. Then can I call you Ethan? Or should I call you what the young lady calls you — Ethan-kun?"

"Please, no more ‘Ethan-kun’... She keeps flipping my name around so much that I’m starting to believe my name really is An Ethan instead of Ethan An."

"Hehe, understood. Then I’ll call you Little Ethan, okay?"

"That’s fine. And, um... Shirley, you look really nice in that outfit."

Since I rarely compliment people, saying stuff like this felt awkward. But at least I managed to get it out.

Being called "Little Ethan" for the first time felt oddly intimate, like interacting with an older sister. Well, given Shirley’s mature aura, she did seem older than me — she already felt like an older sister.

"Thank you very much."

Shirley smiled slightly, bowing her head as she thanked me, then touched her cheek as if feeling a bit shy.

"I heard from the young lady that you planned to attend evening study, right? Did I come at a bad time?"

"It’s fine. I’m not going to evening study tonight."

After all, I still had a few more excuse notes signed by Lily. Skipping evening study for today wouldn’t be a problem. Besides, since Shirley went out of her way to come pick me up, it would feel rude to keep her waiting longer.

Shirley didn’t seem surprised by my decision to skip evening study. Maybe she already knew about the excuse notes from Lily.

Considering her title as the [Perfect-Type Head Maid], it wasn’t surprising that she always seemed omniscient and omnipotent.

"Well then, since this is a rare chance, why don’t we have a little chat, Little Ethan?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"About the young lady."

I wasn’t surprised. The moment Shirley mentioned a chat, I had already expected that the topic would be Lillian.

During our first meeting, Shirley seemed to have something she wanted to tell me but couldn’t because Lillian was present. Now that we were alone, it was finally time to have that conversation.

"The young lady’s... peculiar tendencies — they stem from a reason. When she was young, she witnessed an overwhelming amount of death. The trauma from that incident twisted her perception, leading to her current worldview."

"Witnessed a lot of death?"

"Yes. The young lady and her mother were caught up in a mass slaughter. At the time, the young lady was still a child, but she survived because her mother held her in her arms. However, her mother..."

"Passed away?"

So, she lost her mother too, just like me... Now that I think about it, our experiences really aren’t all that different.

"...Yes, the madam passed away," Shirley said, her tone flat.

In that instant, I felt a distinct pressure emanating from Shirley, an oppressive aura so intense it was almost suffocating. It was just like Lillian’s... No, even more pure and concentrated than hers!

A chilling, murderous intent radiated from Shirley’s body. In the upper edge of my vision, beyond my glasses, her title had turned blood red. The letters were now blurred and scattered, like the static on a TV screen with no signal, distorting and tearing apart.

Was this... really the aura of a human being?

"Shirley?!"

At my shout, the ominous aura dissipated, and Shirley reined herself back in.

"Sorry, did I frighten you? After that incident, I was the one who took care of the young lady. But by then, her mind had already been twisted. You should be aware of that by now, right?"

"Yeah."

I knew all too well. But I still didn’t understand why she ended up becoming the [Necrophiliac Killer]. Didn’t anyone notice that something was wrong with her?

"What about her father? Didn’t he try to help her?"

"That man... Help her? He didn’t just ignore her problems — he actively fueled them, encouraging her to develop even more warped values."

She didn’t address him as "Master," nor did she use any honorifics. Despite being the head maid, Shirley spoke of her employer with outright disdain. Did she not recognize him as her master at all?

Seems like Lillian’s family situation is a lot more complicated than I imagined.

"The young lady’s father is, to put it simply, a pure-blooded opportunist. He seizes, plunders, and devours whatever he wants. He’s a man entirely composed of greed."

That would explain how he managed to build such a massive conglomerate.

When I was in the hospital a few days ago, I did some research on Lillian’s family background. The Ji family wasn’t just wealthy — they were a global economic powerhouse, capable of influencing markets worldwide.

"But he wasn’t satisfied with that. He felt that his empire should be inherited by his children. However, his other illegitimate children were nothing but useless parasites, rotted away by excess wealth. This disappointed him... and that’s when he noticed the young lady’s talent."

"Talent?"

"Yes. The young lady has a ‘talent for discernment.’ She can instantly judge a person’s worth, identifying how they can be of use to her. She once described it to me as being able to ‘smell’ a unique scent emanating from each person."

"Ahh..."

No wonder Lillian always says, ‘I can smell you.’ It wasn’t just her being weirdly perceptive — it was literal.

"Since she equates a person’s value with the value of an object, she looks down on life and emotion, dedicating her time and energy solely to scheming for personal gain."

Viewing people as objects... That would explain why she’s so obsessed with corpses.

"Over time, her sense of empathy withered away, and she grew increasingly numb to beauty and joy. One day, she will become an emotionless, unfeeling being — precisely what that man desires. He hopes she will inherit his empire and even surpass him as an absolute ruler."

Shirley stopped walking, turned to face me, and looked me directly in the eyes.

"I don’t want Lillian to become that kind of cold-blooded ‘demon.’ Humans have emotions. And in our short lives, only emotions can truly shine brightly."

That sentence sounded... odd. It was almost as if Shirley wasn’t speaking from a human perspective.

I discreetly removed my glasses and looked up at her title. It had reverted back to its usual green, [Perfect-Type Head Maid], and her name was still Shirley. Maybe I was overthinking it.

"But fortunately, the young lady met you, Little Ethan. Hehehehe~"

Shirley’s sudden, melodious laughter dispelled the heavy atmosphere.

I pointed at myself, feeling a bit taken aback.

"Me? She’s only interested in my corpse, right?"

"At first, yes. To her, you were just a collectible, a toy she found interesting — just a ‘thing.’"

"And now, it’s still the same, isn’t it?"

"Oh my, Little Ethan, you’re so dense. Haven’t you noticed how she’s been different lately?"

"Um..."

How should I put it... She’s become somewhat easier to deal with, less prickly. But when I look at that pink title above her head, I can’t let my guard down. Even if there’s just a trace of red, I won’t relax.

"It’s because she can’t completely treat you as an object anymore that another version of the young lady has been born."

"Huh?! You already know about Soft Lillian?!"

Shirley chuckled, her eyes twinkling.

"Hehehehe, that other young lady is quite adorable too."

Now that I think about it, Lillian really does have a lot in common with Shirley — from their smiles to their signature laughs, even to that terrifying, oppressive aura when they’re angry.

To Lillian, what kind of person is Shirley? A mentor? Or perhaps... a mother figure?

I could tell that Lillian didn’t see Shirley as a mere servant. There was a lot more respect and trust there.

"Oh, by the way, Little Ethan, did you know that April 4th is the young lady’s birthday? Don’t forget to prepare a gift, okay?"

"That’s coming up really soon!"

"Yes. The young lady will definitely invite you to her birthday party, so make sure to get a gift befitting her boyfriend. Don’t let her down, okay?"

Due to the upcoming Qingming Festival, we’d still have classes tomorrow, even though it’s Saturday. But from Sunday to Tuesday, we’d be off for the holiday, and Lillian’s birthday was on Monday.

I see... So I really should get her a gift, huh?

It must be nice having someone as thoughtful as Shirley always looking out for her...

As we approached the house, Shirley adjusted my collar and leaned in close, her breath tickling my ear.

"If you marry the young lady, I’ll be able to serve you every single day too, you know?"

That sounded incredibly tempting! But the price... was marrying Lillian?

"What kind of joke is that? Why would I marry someone like—"

"Little Ethan, you’re already addressing her by her first name in your heart, aren’t you? Hehehehe~"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

She could tell?!

Shirley, are you secretly a mind reader?!

No, no, no — who would ever fall for that woman?! Definitely not me!

"Are you sure about that?"

Please don’t tease me like this, my heart can’t take it...

Before I knew it, we had already arrived at the house. I could see the front door from here.

"We... we’re here," I stammered.

Suddenly, Shirley hugged me from behind, pressing my head against her chest. Soft. Too soft.

"S-Shirley?!"

She tightened her grip on my shoulders, her cheek resting atop my head as she whispered in a gentle, almost sorrowful tone.

"You make my heart ache too, Little Ethan... If there’s ever anything troubling you, tell your big sister Shirley, okay? Big sis can help you with anything..."

"E-Er... Shirley...?"

"It’s big sister."

"S-Shirley... big sister?"

"Mm-hm. When I’m not wearing my maid uniform, you can just call me big sister. I’ve always wanted a little brother like you, hehehe~"

Somehow, she felt a lot younger and more approachable than I initially thought. Maybe she wasn’t that much older than me after all.

"...If you keep hugging me like this, Lillian’s going to put a curse on me."

Shirley finally let go, spun me around to face her, and took a respectful step back.

"Well then, Little Ethan, I’ll come by to visit you tomorrow morning. Sleep well tonight."

She’d returned to her perfect head maid demeanor, her smile as poised and professional as ever. But there was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Watching her walk away, I headed inside.

Back home, Cora jumped into my arms and dragged me to watch her latest obsession — some anti-corruption drama. Surprisingly, it was quite good.

Before I knew it, it was almost eight. I cooked a late-night snack, ate with my sisters, and coaxed Cora to sleep. Then, after doing some homework, I finally got ready for bed around ten.

Just as I changed into my pajamas, Serena knocked and came in.

"...Brother, does your wound still hurt?"

"The rest are okay, but the one on my stomach still hurts a bit. It should get better once the stitches come out."

"I see... Got it."

Serena nodded, closed the door, and left.

She wasn’t going to stay tonight? Well... that was fine.

Yawning, I sank into bed.

What kind of gift should I get... I’ll think about it tomorrow...

Today was pretty uneventful, almost felt like my old, mundane life.

Hope this isn’t the calm before the storm...