Lin Shu moved into the private little room reserved for the personal maid.
It wasn’t far from Serphina’s bedroom. The furnishings inside were simple—a bed, a small writing desk, and a wardrobe with an inset mirror.
Lin Shu looked around at the room. There were no signs of anyone ever living here, but it was spotless.
It was as if it had been prepared in advance.
The Head Maid had already brought over the maid uniform, and Lin Shu had put it on as expected.
“Mmm… As I thought, I’m still not used to it.”
She tugged at the hem of her skirt in front of the mirror. The lacy edge barely reached her thighs, and the tops of the long white stockings squeezed just above, exposing a small stretch of her bare thigh.
It felt like… the other maids’ skirts weren’t this short, were they? Was the personal maid’s outfit specially tailored?
Forget it. While the Bloodkin are still resting, I might as well explore the castle a bit more, since today’s only my first day here.
Lin Shu pushed open the door, and sunlight streamed in from outside.
In the Demon Clan’s territory, night lasted twice as long as the day, making it more suited to the nocturnal habits of the Demonfolk.
Passing through the empty corridor, Lin Shu noticed that the handle of a room at the corner of the third floor was thick with dust—clearly untouched for a long time.
There was a scroll carved into the door.
A library?
Lin Shu pushed open the door. A cloud of dust immediately fell, making her cough.
The library was bigger than she’d imagined, with shelves lined densely with books. The air was thick with dust and the scent of old paper.
Serphina had mentioned seeing a key symbol among the books in the library.
If that was true, maybe she could try to find it herself.
Lin Shu moved among the shelves, trying to make sense of the scattered categories.
If it was a symbol of the Holy Race, then it should be in a book related to the Holy Race…
She murmured this to herself as she scanned the dusty stacks.
Suddenly, a faded book cover caught her eye.
She quickly pulled it out. A string of unknown characters was printed on the cover, and from the remnants of the pattern she could barely make out the image of a halo.
This halo looked like the mark of the Angel Race of the Holy Race.
So this book was probably related to the Holy Race—it was just extremely old.
Lin Shu was about to open it…
“Ding-ling-ling!”
A clear bell rang—that was the master bedroom’s bell. Serphina was awake and calling for her.
Lin Shu immediately put the book on the shelf nearest the door and hurried out of the library.
She had a feeling that book held some record—she’d come back to take a closer look next time.
Lin Shu ran to the third floor master bedroom, straightened her clothes, and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Serphina’s lazy voice floated out.
Lin Shu pushed open the door.
Last night, after Leah’s offending visit broke the glass in Serphina’s bedroom, Serphina had moved to another master bedroom on the third floor to rest.
Right now, Serphina was sitting on the bed, her long purple curls spilling messily over her shoulders. The thin sleepwear revealed her graceful figure and fair skin.
She moved to the edge of the bed, her honey-colored thighs hanging down, her bare, smooth feet slightly raised to avoid touching the floor.
Unlike Leah, Serphina was more laid-back, her aura like that of a languid cat.
“Little cutie,” Serphina yawned softly and looked at the approaching Lin Shu. “Good morning.”
“Master.” Lin Shu walked to the bedside, picked up a light jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.
Serphina put on the jacket, curled up her legs, propped a hand on her knee, and tilted her head at Lin Shu, her eyes brimming with amusement.
Lin Shu felt a little uneasy under her gaze. “Wh-what is it?”
“The new clothes look nice,” Serphina replied. “Very cute.”
Lin Shu’s fingers unconsciously curled. “Thank you…”
“Come a little closer to me.” Serphina’s voice dropped a pitch, a teasing lilt in her tone.
Lin Shu hesitated for a moment but still took a step closer to the bed.
Serphina spread her arms and pulled Lin Shu into an embrace.
The only sound in the quiet room was the rustling of their clothes.
Since Serphina was still sitting at the edge of the bed, her hands naturally circled Lin Shu’s waist.
She rested her head against Lin Shu, the spot landing precisely at Lin Shu’s chest.
Serphina felt the curve beneath her cheek gently give way, her face enveloped in soft warmth.
She nuzzled a little, the scent of girl’s clothing and Lin Shu’s own fragrance swirling around her nose. Serphina breathed in deeply, exhaling softly against Lin Shu’s body.
Satisfied, she smiled and murmured, “Finally…”
She had finally snatched her little cutie. This wasn’t a dream.
Lin Shu was so flustered by the close contact that her body went rigid. Her hands hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure where to place them. “Sorry, Master, I might be a little dirty…”
She had just come from the dusty library, after all.
And, though she knew Serphina didn’t care about boundaries, being this close really was a bit embarrassing.
Lin Shu’s pupils reflected Serphina’s figure leaning against her.
She could feel that Serphina really seemed to like her. But before yesterday, she hadn’t spent much time with Serphina at all, and yet Serphina was so enamored with her.
Maybe in the past, she’d been so focused on Leah that she hadn’t noticed Serphina’s gaze?
Was Serphina’s affection the same as what she herself once felt for Leah—that kind of love at first sight…
Lin Shu’s feelings grew complicated.
No, there was no point thinking about this.
In this world, humans were so weak—always sheltered by others, and once the novelty wore off, being abandoned was only a matter of time.
I have to go back. I have to complete the wish value task, and then return.
It seemed Serphina had had her fill. She let go, raised her head, and noticed the specks of dust clinging to Lin Shu’s hair.
“Where did you go, little cutie? Why is there dust on your head?”
Lin Shu weighed her options and finally decided to be honest.
“I went to the library.”
“Hmm? What did you go there for?” Serphina walked to the dressing table and sat down, handing her brush to Lin Shu.
“I just wanted to get familiar with the castle. I saw the library and got curious, so I went in.”
“You went to look for the book I mentioned—the one related to the key, didn’t you?” Serphina saw right through her, but wasn’t angry. “You’re so eager, little cutie. But don’t worry, I’ve already sent people to ask the Holy Race’s subordinates about it.”
“…Thank you.” Lin Shu took the brush, gently gathering up Serphina’s curls and carefully brushing the ends.
“But what does that key mean to you?”
The brush slid through Serphina’s soft hair, and Lin Shu’s hand paused a moment.
She was just thinking of how to answer when an urgent knock sounded at the door.
“Miss Serphina, the family head needs to see you about something.” The maid’s voice outside sounded anxious.