Rafina followed Florin around the Duke’s Mansion to get familiar with the place, then headed to the study as His Blackstone had instructed.
The space inside was much larger than she’d imagined.
The walls were lined with towering bookshelves, packed with countless volumes.
“Wow…”
Raised in a poor family, Rafina couldn’t help but let out a sigh of amazement.
“You’re here?”
His Blackstone looked up from the book he was reading and pointed to a shelf nearby.
“The books on the top two shelves over here haven’t been organized in a while. They might be dusty. I’ll need you to climb up and clean them, and put any misplaced books back in order.”
“No problem! Leave it to me, Young Master His!”
Rafina rolled up her sleeves, brimming with enthusiasm.
She fetched a small ladder from the corner, set it against the bookshelf, grabbed a dust cloth, and climbed up.
But for Rafina, the ladder still seemed a bit too short.
Standing on top, she rose onto her tiptoes, stretching her arm as far as it would go.
“Hmm… just a little more…”
She leaned forward even further, completely unaware that the ladder below had begun to emit a faint creak.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, the ladder slid backward, and Rafina’s whole body toppled backward.
This is it!
She closed her eyes, bracing for her rear to make intimate contact with the floor.
Yet the expected pain never came.
A pair of arms caught her firmly around the waist.
“Be careful—this ladder isn’t very stable.”
His Blackstone’s voice carried a hint of exasperation.
Rafina opened her eyes and realized he was holding her from behind, the back of her head resting against his shoulder.
The distance between them… seemed a little too close.
“Um… Young Master His…”
Rafina’s voice grew quieter, the tips of her ears flushing red.
Seeing this, His Blackstone quickly steadied her and took a step back.
“Maybe you should come down first. I’ll have someone bring a taller ladder…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Because from his angle, with Rafina still on the ladder, her skirt had been slightly lifted by her earlier movements. The lace edge of her white thigh-high stockings was tightly pressed against her pale, supple thighs, revealing the girl’s absolute territory without any concealment.
His Blackstone spun around abruptly, taking several deep breaths before speaking again.
“You—come down first. We’ll talk after.”
“Huh? O-okay.”
Though Rafina had no idea what was happening, the sudden fluster in His Blackstone’s tone made her obediently jump off the ladder.
When she landed, her skirt fluttered briefly before settling back into place.
“Ahem. Take a break for now.”
His Blackstone returned to his desk, grabbed a random book, and tried to calm himself down.
“Okay… thank you, Young Master His.”
Rafina stood by the bookshelf, her fingers unconsciously twisting the strings of her apron.
She opened her mouth as if to speak several times but stopped.
His Blackstone noticed her gaze.
“What’s wrong? Is there something else?”
Rafina hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered her courage.
“Young Master His, may I ask you something?”
“Ah… go ahead.”
“Why… do you treat my sister and me so well?”
Her voice was soft, but her eyes were earnest.
“You not only healed my body and gave me a job, but you even let Ni Wei enter the Duke’s Mansion…”
The girl’s head drooped lower, and her voice began to tremble.
“I’m just a commoner. I don’t deserve such kindness from you…”
‘He watched Rafina’s lowered profile as memories churned in his mind.’
‘In the original story, after Rafina fled the Duke’s Mansion on that rainy night and was rescued by Feng Aotian, she had cried to Feng Aotian about her misfortunes.’
‘And what Feng Aotian said to her made Rafina follow her with unwavering loyalty from then on.’
‘Those few lines became famous quotes in the game.’
‘Since that’s the case, why not use them?’
His Blackstone stood up, walked over to Rafina, and spoke in a calm yet earnest tone.
“In this world, no one should have their destiny decided by their birth.”
Rafina’s head shot up, her emerald eyes filled with astonishment.
“Your worth should not be determined by your birth, and no one has the right to judge you.”
His Blackstone met her gaze, his tone steady and firm.
“You deserve to be treated well. That’s all.”
The study fell silent.
Rafina stared blankly at the “evil young master” before her, her lips slightly parted, unable to utter a single word.
Tears glistened in her eyes, little by little.
In all her life, no one had ever said such things to her.
“Young Master His…”
Her voice was a little hoarse, but the corners of her mouth lifted into the most sincere smile she had shown since entering the Duke’s Mansion.
“Thank you.”
‘Yes, yes! That’s the effect!’
‘Feng Aotian, oh Feng Aotian, I can recite your romance lines backward!’
“Alright, alright. No more crying.”
His Blackstone waved his hand, his tone returning to its usual casualness.
“The work in the study can wait until the ladder arrives. For now, go to the kitchen and see if they need any help.”
“Yes!”
Rafina wiped the corners of her eyes vigorously, bowed deeply to His Blackstone, then turned and quickly walked out of the study.
His Blackstone leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands behind his head, and wore a very smug expression.
‘At this rate, she probably won’t think about running away for at least a short while.’
He muttered to himself.
‘Next, I just need to stabilize that little Ni…’
Before he could finish, the familiar glowing text appeared before his eyes again.
‘Again?!’
His Blackstone sat up straight, his gaze fixed on the new headline.
[Today’s Flash Report! “The Fallen Noble’s Daughter Ventures Alone into the Demon Beast Forest Tonight? Courage or Suicide?” For details, pay 100 gold coins to unlock.]
‘Demon Beast Forest?’
His Blackstone’s brow furrowed slightly.
On the kingdom’s eastern border, there was indeed a dangerous demon beast habitat.
But what kind of lunatic would go alone to a place like that?
‘And what does this have to do with me?!’
Before he could make a decision, the glowing text slowly expanded, and a portrait of a young woman appeared.
Flame-red hair, golden pupils, a face full of heroic spirit…
Even from just a portrait, one could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from her.
The details of the flash report followed:
[Sijina Kalundina, only daughter of the former Kalundina family. The Kalundina family was once a prestigious noble house in the kingdom, but fell from grace several years ago, and their former glory has long faded. From a young age, Sijina displayed combat talent far beyond her peers. After the family’s decline, she made a living by taking on mercenary missions. Yesterday evening, she accepted a B-rank Demon Beast subjugation mission. She has already entered the depths of the Demon Beast Forest with her team.]
The moment he saw the portrait, His Blackstone’s expression froze completely.
‘Th-this…’
‘Isn’t this Feng Aotian?!’