Looking at the trembling girl before her, who couldn’t even lift her head as she carried the basin, Annabell felt suffocated.
‘The fourth death flag… and it’s been chained up in my own dorm room this whole time!!!’
Annabell screamed internally, clawing at her hair.
The personal maid, Emily, whom the original owner had treated like a dog, even chained up with a magic dog collar… she was no ordinary person at all!
She was the orphan of a rival Marquis family! Not only did she bear a blood feud, but in a certain ending later in the game, she would awaken the extremely rare 【Shadow Saintess Constitution】, becoming the number one assassin of the villainous church.
She would lurk by the protagonist’s side, and in the final battle, she would stab her in the back with a fatal blow—the ultimate traitor!
Right?!
‘It’s over, it’s over. The original owner tortured her in every way possible. Given the system’s nature, her affection level is definitely at 【Negative Level 5: Blood Feud】 now.’
To change this tragic fate, Annabell, possessing a modern soul, decided to take immediate remedial action—
She must treasure this girl! Resolve the hatred!
“System, show me Emily’s affection level.” Annabell gave the command with trembling resolve in her heart, while walking toward the girl.
“Eek—! I’m sorry, Miss! I adjusted the water temperature half a degree too hot! Please don’t whip me! Please don’t burn me with magic!” Seeing Annabell approach, Emily was so terrified she fell to her knees.
With a clatter, the washbasin tipped over, spilling warm water everywhere, even soaking Annabell’s expensive black leather boots.
Annabell didn’t even bother with her boots. She took a deep breath, crouched down, and her long fingers directly grasped the magic lock chain around Emily’s neck.
Click.
The magic dissipated, and the chain representing ultimate humiliation and slavery fell to the ground with a clatter.
Emily froze completely. A hint of extreme bewilderment flickered in her hollow eyes as she dazedly touched her now-bare neck.
Then, Annabell pulled out the large bag of high-grade magic crystals she had just obtained as a reward from her system space, and without hesitation, shoved it into Emily’s hands.
“Emily, take this money.” Annabell tried her best to make her voice sound like a gentle, caring big sister.
“Go. You’re free. I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. Leave this academy, leave the Imperial Capital. These magic crystals will be enough for you to live a stable and comfortable life for the rest of your days.”
‘Please leave quickly, you little ancestor! Take the money and run far away. Don’t ever awaken the Shadow Saintess Constitution and come back to stab me in the back!’ Annabell prayed frantically in her heart.
However, the air around them seemed to freeze.
The imagined scene of Emily crying tears of joy, thanking her profusely, and then running away never happened.
Emily looked down at the heavy crystals in her hands, then back at the chain on the ground. Her originally pale little face instantly lost all color. Suddenly, she let out an extremely shrill scream.
“No—!!!”
Emily pounced like a madwoman, throwing the crystals far away, and fiercely hugged Annabell’s long legs. Tears and snot instantly smeared all over Annabell’s black-stockinged thighs.
“Miss! Are you abandoning Emily?! What did I do wrong?! Is it because I wet your boots?! Please put the chain back on me! Please hit me, scold me, anything but drive me away!”
The girl cried hysterically, even lowering her head to frantically kiss Annabell’s water-stained boots, groveling in the dust like a bereaved dog about to be abandoned by its master.
Annabell was completely stunned by this sudden turn of events, standing frozen on the spot.
‘Wait, what the hell kind of twisted development is this?! Terminal Stockholm Syndrome?!’
Just then, the system’s prompt finally arrived, albeit belatedly:
[Ding! Affection level reading complete!]
[Target: Emily]
[Current Affection Level: Positive Level 5 (Max Level: Till Death Do Us Part)]
[Note: Extreme fear and long-term abuse have spawned a severely twisted dependence in her psyche. You are her nightmare, and also her only god in despair—the sole meaning of her existence.
Even if you ordered her to die right now, she would smile and slit her own throat without hesitation. Please note: Max affection level never betrays.]
Annabell stared at the glaring red “Positive Level 5” on the system panel, utterly flabbergasted.
‘Are all the female characters in this game freaking mentally unstable?!’
‘I thought you were going to hold a grudge and stab me in the back, but you just want to be my dog for life?! I already took off my pants—wait, no—I already broke out in a cold sweat from terror, and you show me this?!’
Looking at Emily, who was crying so hard she was about to pass out and frantically kowtowing, Annabell knew that if she insisted on driving her away, this girl might bite her tongue and die right in front of her on the spot.
No choice. Since the max affection level guaranteed no betrayal, she had no choice but to go with the flow!
Annabell immediately dropped her gentle facade and put back on the original owner’s arrogant, villainous young lady expression.
She stretched out her foot and gently kicked Emily away a little, but not hard.
“Stop crying! Disgusting! Can you even afford to replace my boots if you get them dirty?!” Annabell shouted harshly. “I’m not kicking you out! Now, go make me a cup of black tea immediately! If the water temperature is wrong, I won’t let you off easily!”
This cold, scolding reprimand sounded like heavenly music to Emily’s ears.
The girl instantly stopped crying. Tears turned into a smile as she scrambled to her feet, her eyes shining with manic delight. “Yes, Master! Emily will go right away! Emily is always Master’s dog! Woof!”
Watching her even let out a bark and then run off happily to make tea, Annabell painfully clutched her forehead.
What a sin! What kind of insane world is this?!
[Ding! Detected target ‘Emily’ has reached max affection level, Positive Level 5. Issuing ultimate max-level rewards!]
[Reward One Obtained: High-Grade Magic Artifact ‘Whip of Punishment’!]
[Reward Two Obtained: Exclusive ‘Essence of Shadow Saintess Constitution’ and matching top-tier Shadow Magic Book!]
[Reward Three Obtained: Invincible Defense Magic ‘Absolute Shelter’!]
[Reward Four Obtained: Overwhelmingly Domineering Forbidden Curse Magic Book—’Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin’! Dragons are a symbol of kingship!]
Annabell looked at the rewards popping up on the panel, the corners of her mouth twitching wildly.
‘The first few are relatively normal… But what the hell is the last one?! Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin??? Next time, will I get a strange fire or Blue Silver Entanglement?!’
However, when she saw the “Shadow Saintess Constitution,” Annabell’s heart stirred.
Since the system had certified that Emily’s affection level was locked at “Till Death Do Us Part,” she was definitely not a traitor. Instead, she would be the most loyal death warrior in this treacherous world!
To avoid being killed by the heaven-ordained protagonists, she had to cultivate her own faction!
“Emily, get over here.” Annabell sat upright on the luxurious velvet sofa and spoke coldly.
The girl who had run over with the tea immediately placed the cup on the table, then knelt with utmost obedience and familiarity at Annabell’s black-stockinged leather boots.
Annabell took out the extracted essence of the Shadow Saintess Constitution and the magic book, then threw them directly in front of Emily.
“Eat this, and learn this book.” Annabell said in a condescending tone. “I don’t keep useless people. If you can’t show me enough strength and value by tomorrow, I’ll really throw you out to feed the beasts. Understand?”
Emily looked at the treasures on the ground, feeling the surging power within them. She didn’t ask what they were, nor did she hesitate.
She clutched them in her arms like they were precious treasures, looked up at Annabell, her eyes no longer timid. Instead, they were filled with a sick, fanatical devotion willing to destroy everything for the person before her.
“Understood! Master’s task… Emily will complete it even if she’s ground to dust!”