As ordered by her master, the blushing twin-tailed maid Yumina slowly moved to stand in front of her mischievous young lady.
“Um…Young lady, I…I’m going to sit down now.”
“Mmm~”
“I’m really going to sit down!”
“Ah~”
“I…I’m really heavy…maybe the young lady should reconsider— eh Σ(2A)?!”
Huff!!
Before Yumina could say anything more, Ileia wrapped both arms around her and pulled her straight into her embrace!
Their eyes met — one pair with the corners crinkled in amusement, the other face flushed red, looking as though it might burst into flames.
“Hey~”
Ileia tilted her head slightly, her voice dropping a little.
“Yumina…are you perhaps a little jealous of Veil?”
Eh?
I…
Yumina’s already overheated mind suddenly seemed to stop working.
Am I?
“I…I…I might be…just a tiny bit…maybe?”
Without thinking, Yumina blurted out the words that were in her heart.
Really…so adorably honest.
It made Ileia want to tease her even more…
“Ehh~ that’s quite troubling, you know. I don’t want there to be any rift between my personal maids. So…”
“I’ll give you the same treatment as Veil~ how about that?”
Without waiting for Yumina to agree, Ileia leaned forward, opened her mouth, and — bit down gently on Yumina’s slender neck!
“Mmm (〃’A’〃)~”
Yumina didn’t instinctively resist the way Veil had.
Her body only tensed for a moment, then merely trembled slightly, her breath quickening…but otherwise, she hardly reacted.
So little reaction, huh?
Just trembling and breathing faster…
Thinking this, Ileia suddenly bit down harder!
“Ah! Young lady ”
“I…I’m not angry, young lady…I…I will never…ever be angry at you.”
Yumina spoke her true feelings, her hands — which had been nervously flailing with nowhere to go — now trembling, gathering courage…as if wanting to hug the young lady in front of her…
Knock knock knock!
But just then!
Someone knocked on the door!
“Eep!!”
Yumina jumped off Ileia like a startled kitten.
Her face seemed ready to drip blood, and she quickly, quietly returned to her original standing spot.
Ileia was momentarily stunned by just how lightning-fast the twin-tailed maid had moved.
But very soon, the playful glint in her crimson eyes darkened, replaced by irritation.
Having her fun interrupted while teasing her own maid left Ileia extremely displeased, violent urges bubbling up inside.
If it’s anyone other than my mother outside that door…they might just be out of luck.
Huff…
Ileia stood up and personally walked to the door.
With a sharp motion, she flung it open.
Standing there was that girl wearing crystal glasses, her face always bearing a weak, timid expression — the self-proclaimed servant girl, Amisa.
“Reporting to the young lady! It…it was madam who sent me to call you, to come to the council hall.”
Amisa quickly adjusted her posture after being struck, dropping to her knees and bowing deeply before Ileia.
Huff—!!
Since it’s mother’s order, then fine.
“I understand. In the future, before you knock on my door, you’d better think carefully.”
Bang!!
The door slammed shut.
Amisa still remained kneeling outside, head pressed low.
“Hah…hah…hah…”
It was like she suddenly had asthma.
She started gasping desperately, greedily sucking in the air close to the floor.
Her body seemed to melt and twist out of shape, shifting from black to its normal color and back again.
Tiny sparkling droplets dripped from the corners of her wide, high-stretched mouth, falling to the floor and soaking the golden-patterned red carpet.
“Why…why was it just a slap?”
Young lady…why didn’t you use your foot…to grind my head into the floor…while hurling the filthiest insults at me, this lowly, shameless servant?
Hehehehehe…
If that happened…it would truly…be wonderful ~
Ten minutes later…click!
The sound of the door handle turning echoed through the room.
“Did the young lady just get angry? Who was outside?”
Yumina’s voice came from inside the room.
Ileia didn’t answer.
She simply walked down the corridor toward the castle’s council hall.
As for Miss Goddess — it was best not to let that clumsy, disgraceful maid see her mother.
No need to embarrass herself in front of her.
Inside the castle’s vast council hall, there were only two people seated: one in the main seat, and the other in the secondary seat.
The mistress of this castle —
Shudrian, and the young lady of the castle — Ileia.
“Yaya, lately…it seems you’ve been pursuing matters related to magic and the extraordinary?”
Shudrian lightly sipped from the cup of black tea before her, her face wearing the same gentle smile as always.
Mother…already knows that I’ve stepped into the realm of the “extraordinary?”
This was the first thought that popped into Ileia’s mind.
And that thought was quickly confirmed.
But this matter…really didn’t need to be hidden.
“Yes, Mother, I…have already become an extraordinary being.”
As she spoke, Ileia extended her left hand.
Crack crack…
Her fingernails instantly darkened, grew sharp, and lengthened…like the mutated claws of a zombie.
“……”
Shudrian was silent for a second, then asked again: “Yaya, was it the call of some higher existence that you heard? Or did you obtain materials from a higher being or their kin?”