Episode 2: True Villain (7)

I woke up to the light scattering into the room. The fuzzy air was slightly warm, and the singing of chirping birds tickled my ears.

I raised my head from the bed and looked out the window. The sun was already high up in the sky. It was already noon.

Noon? Then my classes…

“I overslept?!” I gasped.

I rushed out of bed, or wanted to, but to stop when I noticed a girl laying seated on my bedside.

Reene. 

Her features were softened in slumber, delicate shoulders lightly shook at each breath. Her once pale cheeks were now a rosy red.

She wore a maid uniform, the one our manor uses, adorned with delicate lace and intricate embroidery. Her black hair was split over the duvet, tumbling like silk ribbons. 

With an appearance as cute and innocent as her’s, even if she wasn’t a succubus, no man wouldn’t be tempted by such a belle. Well, even if she was, as long as she kept her tail and wings hidden, no one would know. 

Seeing her, I suddenly recalled the mess I caused last night.

After returning home, both Reene and I were treated by the doctor. Mother cried, while my father demanded an explanation. I could only tell them that I had snuck out of the house because I needed to do something… anyways, it was complicated. They kept asking me questions, and at some point I couldn’t handle them anymore because fatigue was getting the better of me.

The discussion ended there, and I went to bed.

The wounds on my body were gone, as if it had never been there thanks to the proficient healing magic executed by the in-house healers. Of course, I still had to take some medication, as the blood loss, or any strain to my body’s system wouldn't recover from magic alone.

I gently stroke Reene’s hair. It was soft and silky.

Her expression tensed as she stirred from her sleep. Slowly, she got up. Her eyelashes fluttered open, revealing her jewel red eyes.

“Your Grace…?” She rubbed her eyes and then in a dazed-shock, looked at me as if I were a ghost.

“Yes, I’m here.” I was also slightly taken aback by her reaction. In the first place, wasn’t it wrong to let a servant sleep in the same room as me?

“Your Grace!” She glomped on me. On the receiving end, I almost fell from the force. She started crying aloud.

“R-Reene, cut it out! What’s wrong?” Either way, Reene was probably ignorant of the ways nobles handled things so I’ll forgive her this once.

“I-I thought you wouldn’t wake up again… uwuwu…”

She thought I wouldn’t wake up again…?

Then as if the world had planned for this to happen, a maid entered the room pushing a trolley with what looked like a bucket of rose water. She looked at me in shock. 

“I-I’ll call the doctors!” She left the trolley and rushed out.

…What? 

⌌✧ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ✧⌍

Apparently, it’s been two nights since I brought Reene home. I’ve been unconscious for an entire day, it’s no wonder everyone was so worried.

Fortunately, despite my absence, Reene was not thrown out of the manor. I’m glad everyone took care of her well during the time I was asleep. Of course, it had been a stressful time for her as she had no one she really trusted.

It’s really a novel-like development for someone to pass out for at least a few days. I missed class today, and still had the afternoon to recuperate before attending class again tomorrow.

However, I didn’t intend to waste this small time available.

“My dear daughter! Why are you here? You should be resting in bed?!” Duchess Aria, my mother, was panicking.

“I believe you must’ve had a good reason for leaving without notifying us of anything.” Duke Orion, my father meanwhile, maintained a poker face so it was really hard to tell what he was feeling right at this moment.

A good reason… I couldn’t say it was because I wanted to stalk Lowe and as a result, accidentally saved Reene could I?

“...I was just trying to save Reene.” I muttered. “I’m sorry for the trouble I caused, and thank you for taking care of her while I was unconscious the past few days.” 

“And that girl, what do you intend to make of her now that you’ve gotten her?” Mother asked.

“I plan to take her as my maid.”

Father and mother looked at each other confused.

“Daughter dear, may I ask. Is she perhaps… that person’s sister?” Mother was slightly apprehensive about my decision to make her my maid. 

“Right.” Perhaps Reene had explained her situation to them. In that case it would make sense why she wasn’t kicked out. 

“A-Ah… I see…” Mother looked at me rather worryingly… why? “But why is she… a slave?”

Why is she a slave?

“Her family sold her into slavery.”

“S-Slavery? It seems… what the girl said was true.” Mother looked at father with a sorrowful expression. Then giving each other a nod, it seems they’ve decided on something, not that I knew what.

“I see… so that girl, Reene. She is really important to you, I presume?”

Was Reene important to me? “Yes.” 

Not because she was a significant character, but because I didn’t want her to tread down her dark fate.

“Now that you’ve taken the Copper family’s daughter, what do you plan on doing next?” Duke Orion, my father asked.

“What do I plan to do next?” I didn’t think my father was repeating my mother’s question for no reason. So analysing it a little more, I realised that what he was referring to is the entirety of the Copper Family.

I didn’t think the conversation would go in this direction. My original plan was to handle things myself. But since he asked, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to reveal to them the truth.

“Knowing how much of a threat they are to Reene’s life, I want to dispose of the rest of them. They don’t deserve to live.”

“Dear.” Mother called out to father.

“I will take action on it.” Now that there was sufficient grounds to take action against the Copper Family, there was no reason not to act. I rejoiced inside. “That however, still doesn’t justify why you couldn’t have told us about it before you went.” 

Punishment or whatever, I felt that the trouble was worth what I had gained. So I won’t complain here. “I have no excuses. I will accept appropriate punishment for what I did.”

“Is that so? Then it has already been done.” He snorted.

“Yes…?” I thought father would say I was grounded or something along those lines but no? Then what was the punishment then?

Feeling that something was out of place, I began thinking. Then I realised that I hadn’t seen Elysia since I woke up. It was a different maid that entered my room intending to nurse me. Elysia should’ve been the one to serve me under normal circumstances...

“Elysia, she…” 

“She’s been laid off.” 

“What…” I almost screamed.

“For due negligence, as punishment we have decided to send her back.” His voice was stern and inviolable, suggesting that I had no right to argue in this matter.

No… this can’t be my punishment. It was my fault, Elysia merely followed my orders. This can’t be… “F-Father, she did nothing wrong!” 

“It is not a matter of right or wrong. It simply is that she had allowed harm to be done to your safety. Had she reported the matter to us through proper channels, we would’ve reserved an escort to which all of this could’ve been prevented.” Father folded his arms. “This is your punishment.”

So… because of me, Elysia will have to be sent back to her abusive household? Elysia put her trust in me, how could I just abandon her after that? I felt my chest tighten.

“Father, please… I’ll accept some other punishment. Anything but that.” Please don’t… I’ll do anything… bring her back!

“It’s a bygone decision.” 

Elysia Alchn, was one of my most trusted accomplices in my previous life. She was the only person who I could truly confide in, for any personal or private matters. My request, whether it be big or small, she would give it her utmost and provide me with the best.

She was always watching out for me. One… of the last few people who continued to stay by my side in that crumbling world.

I depended on her for so many things. Without her, all my future plans would be for naught. In this life… if she disappeared, I wasn’t sure how I would be able to go through this ordeal alone.

I dropped down on my knees.

“W-What in the name of Privia…” My father’s expression cracked.

“Please.” On the ground I begged.

“D-Dear, e-enough.” My mother quickly pulled me back on my feet. I realised just how badly shaken I was. 

“I’m sorry.” I could accept this punishment. If they still refuse my plea, I will even use force to bring her back. “Elysia did nothing wrong… I need her to be my personal maid, it can’t be anyone else. I will accept any other punishment. Just not this.”

“T-Then how about the slave you brought back?” Father asked, his tone slightly inundated. “Did you not desire to make her your maid?”

“I do. But she is not a replacement. Elysia is indispensable to me, please bring her back!”

“D-Dear…” 

He scratched his ashen hair and heaved a sigh. “Seems like you’ve learnt your lesson. Alright, then promise us this.”

“I will…”

“Next time talk to us.” Father spoke sternly. 

Should I have any future plans, I should notify my parents. Now isn’t that just too much? I can’t possibly tell them the truth about the future…!

“I promise… if there’s anything significant I will let you know in advance.” I bit my lips. I reasoned inside that per my agreement, ‘significant’ here is subjective—

“Elysia’s dismissal is a joke.” Father quipped.

“Huh?” 

Wait.

What?

I raised my head. “A joke?” 

“Yes, a joke.” Father’s expression didn’t change one bit. “Elysia is still here, in the manor. We’ve simply told her to rest in her quarters. She had been taking care of you the entire time you were asleep.”

A shuddering silence descended. The wave of despair I felt quickly receded, and from the earth scorch began burning.

“Father… you…” Anger burned within me. “How could you joke about something like that!”

“Enough, enough!” Mother suddenly pitched my cheeks to stop me from speaking further. Her cheeks were cutely puffed up, eyes teary with an expression full of protest. “Do you understand now how worried we were when you returned so late, and heavily injured at that!”

“Mow, buwt that dowsn’t…!” I didn’t think her two pincer fingers were so strong. Can you let go of my cheeks? It genuinely hurts.

“Your father had to cancel all his trips to the castle because he couldn’t leave his daughter behind. And I couldn’t sleep a wink last night worried sick about you dear.” Now that she’d mentioned it, there were notable dark circles around mother’s eyes. “My dear daughter, do you know how scary it was to us? You never told anyone, you didn’t even bring an escort. What if you never returned? What should we have done then?”

“...” Hearing all that, I suddenly felt guilty for what I had done.

I was confident I wouldn’t die from any assault, but that didn’t mean my parents were happy to see me injured… actually, let me correct myself. I nearly died that night.

“I’m sowwy.” I spoke with a lisp.

“I can’t hear you… hm…! Say that again, and to your father!” Mother fummed.

“I’m sorrrwwwy! Father! Mother!” Seriously, it hurts!

“Good girl.” She then finally let go of my cheeks and hugged me. I felt her soothing warmth in the embrace. “Next time, remember to tell us anything important. We will listen, don’t keep us in the dark.”

“I… understand.”

I can’t promise that I will, but I’ll try my best not to do anything that’ll make you so worried next time.

⌌✧ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ✧⌍

“It seems our daughter is growing up too fast these days.” Duchess Aria sighed, holding her cheeks in her palms. “To think she’d not be afraid of blood.”

Astraea Winterfall had left the office. The tense air lightened up considerably.

“Indeed… I did not expect her to react in that manner towards her maid.” Duke Orion looked pensive. He then turned to one corner of the office and spoke. “Elysia, you may come out now. She’s left.”

From behind a forest of scrolls, the girl with light brunette hair came out of hiding. Her cheeks were flushed red. 

Indeed, Elysia was in cahoots with Astraea’s parents to carry out the fake ‘dismissed as a maid’ plan. However, during the discussion on how they would enact this punishment hidden as a prank, Astraea made her presence known outside the office. In panic, Elysia was shoved into a corner of the office to prevent things from falling through.

When she saw Astraea on her knees, she almost jumped out to put a stop to the duke’s joke. But she withheld herself, and in the end discovered something astonishing.

Astraea Winterfall, the lady whom everyone revered and respected, found someone like Elysia 'indispensable’. It was the highest praise Elysia never thought she would receive.

Hearing that, she couldn’t help but feel her heart race and temperature rise. It was an unusual feeling. She had never been recognised by anyone to such a high standard, so to think that she was such an important person to Astraea… made her stomach itchy.

“It seems the plan is no longer needed. Please return to my daughter's side and protect her.” The duke said, showing his confidence and respect to Elysia.

“It’s an honour, Your Lordship the Duke. I shall serve her with my life.” Those weren’t just empty words. Elysia had long ago resolved to give up everything for her lady.

True to Astraea’s word, Elysia was an excellent servant. But, let’s face it. Elysia was being disloyal, acting as a double agent for her lady and her parents. The information regarding Astraea’s secret excursion to the auction? The duke and duchess had known about it long ago. 

The Winterfall knights had been stationed near the auction area that very night. How else was it that Astraea ‘coincidentally’ bumped into them? Moreover, why would Elysia even suggest an escort if they hadn’t prepared one in secret in the first place?

Everything had been planned out with Astraea’s best intention in mind.

But, even the best plans had its cracks. 

“There isn’t much we can do about the unknown man who tried to kill Astraea. However, I believe the assailant had connections to the Copper family.” The Duke said. They hadn’t expected an assassin to target Astraea, causing her to almost die in the process.

“Now, it seems we may have made a mistake in our judgement of them. At first I assumed our daughter was only interested in the boy, but who would’ve known it was for Reene.” Duchess Aria mulled. “It’s a real pity, but at least we now know she is able to judge critically, and not simply head over heels for someone like that.”

“In that case, there is no reason to keep them around if they pose a risk to Astraea’s life.” A cruel glint shone in the Duke’s eyes. 

The duchess hugged him from behind, pouring cold water over his overflowing ardour. “Dear… let’s not jump to conclusions, yes? Though they may not have the best of relationships, and maybe the man had played a part in abandoning his sister, who is to say he is the perpetrator? What if he too, like Reene, was a victim? Given the circumstances, it isn’t unlikely.” 

The duchess had talked to Reene regarding that night’s circumstances. Based on what she gathered, it seemed that Reene harboured a strong hope that her brother would’ve saved her. This would’ve been impossible if the girl didn’t somehow have some trust in her own brother.

The duchess’ intuition told her that there was something more to this. If the man was indeed bad, then what would explain the positive influence he seems to have on their daughter?

“We may be missing the trees for the forest. How about we give him a chance?” The duchess suggested.

“A chance…” The duke considered his wife’s proposal. “Elysia, being our eyes and ears, what are your thoughts on this?”

“T-That… well. Based on most recent information, I have grounds to believe he did indeed try to save his own sister. However, that conclusion holds weak because of his history of other misdeeds.” Elysia muttered.

“How so? What is the evidence?”

“I-It’s supposed to be a secret, but… if it will influence his sentence, then I think it’s a vital piece of information.” Elysia swallowed. “I bumped into him once, and the person himself was very different from the impressions people have of him. He’s cool headed and diplomatic and… he really just doesn’t give off the impression that he wanted to hurt anyone.”