Chapter 8
Episode 8
"A strong fragrance emanates from you, miss maid."
It was the same thing he'd said last time.
Like a beast entranced by a flower, he observed me with hazy eyes, dissecting me bit by bit.
"And yet, when I smell that fragrance, the pain goes away."
"......"
"Even without the Mana Suppressant, it doesn't hurt."
Rihart's fingertips brushed ever so slightly against my forehead, then gently stroked my cheek.
"No pain. Whenever I meet you, miss maid."
A strange heat flickered in Rihart's gaze. Meeting the madness hidden in his gleaming blue eyes, I reflexively swatted his hand away.
A fierce instinct warned me.
If his shackles weren't on.
If I had met him outside the Evantes Marquis Family.
I would have been utterly captured by him, dissected inch by inch wherever his curiosity's sharp blade reached.
It was a disgustingly chilling sensation.
"If it doesn't hurt, that's good, right?"
Contrary to my jumbled thoughts, my mouth uttered something very simple.
"Is that so."
"Yes. No pain is the best."
A fragrance from my body.
A scent that neither I, nor Emily who was with me, nor anyone around me could smell—only Rihart had noticed it.
Was it a possession buff, or was he lying to me?
It didn't matter either way.
I wouldn't have to meet Rihart after a week anyway.
Today, as always, I kept my mouth shut to say as little as possible and watched him eat.
The sight of his wounds gradually healing felt beyond wondrous, almost inhuman.
In the end, I turned my head away.
But in the original story, did Arjen whip Rihart like that?
No.
A prerequisite for beauty is an 'unmarred, intact state.'
Arjen extremely disliked any blemishes on Rihart's body, even when occasionally punishing him.
'Then what was that?'
Why was he injured?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure it out. Did Arjen really do it?
The curiosity didn't last long. Soon, I learned the reason Rihart was hurt.
Why this person......
Once Rihart finished eating, I habitually cleared the dishes and left the room.
But then I saw something I hadn't noticed before entering. More precisely, something I hadn't paid attention to.
Only then could I finally realize it. Who was responsible for putting Rihart in that state.
I smiled faintly at the person standing before my eyes. But inwardly, I was shocked by the completely unexpected figure.
It was someone I knew well.
"Are you leaving, miss maid?"
Now that we were somewhat familiar, the Guard spoke to me as I exited Rihart's room.
I looked at the whip on his waist and quietly sneered.
His whip was stained with darkened blood.
It was you.
The affable Guard suddenly looked different from usual.
If I hadn't seen his waist, I probably wouldn't have paid him any mind.
To think the Guard was assaulting Rihart.
He must have known Rihart's monstrous regenerative abilities and acted accordingly.
Come to think of it, in the early parts of the novel, Arjen rarely visited Rihart.
Arjen only started visiting Rihart frequently after some time had passed and their love-hate had built up.
Did he think he wouldn't get caught?
'What a headache.'
If I hadn't known from the start, I wouldn't have cared.
But why had Rihart just taken it lying down?
Even with the shackles on, Rihart had the ability to easily overpower a single Guard.
My head was getting complicated.
It seems I spent most of the morning lost in those thoughts.
"Rosie! What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"......Just this and that."
"You keep spacing out after meeting the monster."
It's all because of my desperate efforts to avoid death flags.
"......But Rosie, are you really going to work there?"
Seeing me peeling potatoes right next to the Guard with a tray full of them, Emily's expression turned troubled.
I flashed a bright smile at the stiffly standing Guard beside me. His expression grew even more rigid.
Why are you like that? I haven't done anything yet.
I had decided to thoroughly monitor Rihart's vicinity.
And while I was at it, monitor the Guard too, in case he caused trouble and put me in danger.
"I asked the Head Maid if it was okay to work here, and she said no problem."
The reluctant look on the Head Maid's face when she answered lingered vividly.
"......Rosie, that's not the issue, you know."
"Then?"
"Why are you working so hard? Do you have to peel potatoes right in front of the monster's door?"
True. To those unaware of the original story, I might seem overly diligent.
"You're acting strange lately, Rosie."
"Emily, let's be clear. I've always been strange."
"......"
Emily looked at me with eyes at a loss for words, then shook her head as if she couldn't stop me, and headed upstairs.
Scrape, scrape.
In the now-empty floor, only the sound of peeling potatoes echoed.
"......Miss maid, what are you doing outside?"
Even Rihart, who had been quietly inside the room, approached as far as his chains allowed and called out to me.
"Working."
"Next to the Guard?"
"Yes."
Even the usually sly Rihart seemed awkward. How must the Guard feel, struggling to maintain a poker face?
The Guard was breaking out in cold sweat.
"Let's get friendly."
I brazenly spoke to the Guard.
"Don't you want to get friendly with me, miss maid?"
"No, I don't."
And Rihart was even more brazen toward me.
Go away, shoo shoo.
Imagining shooing Rihart away like a ghost, I peeled the potatoes.
Then lunchtime arrived. Time to go eat.
"Rosie, you've still been peeling potatoes there?"
Emily, who came to fetch me for lunch, darkened at the sight of the half-peeled potatoes.
I maintained my shamelessness adeptly despite her expression.
Emily, now half-resigned, said let's go eat.
I jumped up excitedly.
I wondered what menu would be served today.
Several maids had gathered in the dining hall to receive their meals.
I happened to make eye contact with one maid and smiled at her.
But she averted her eyes as if she'd seen something unpleasant.
'Huh?'
Something felt off.
The atmosphere in the dining hall was cold.
Emily seemed to notice something strange too and frowned.
I ignored it and went to get our meals. But......
"Oh dear, how unfortunate. Yours are gone."
The brown-haired maid smirked at Emily and me.
"What do you mean our food is gone?"
"Just what I said. Someone must have thrown them away by mistake."
"Hey!"
Emily approached the brown-haired maid with an angry face.
I was already starving, so what the hell is this? I got mad too but decided to watch quietly for now.
"Emily, I'm sorry. Why get mad over it."
"Sorry? You're the one talking about throwing away people's food! What the hell is this all of a sudden?!"
The brown-haired maid glanced at me in response to Emily's words. And then she said......
"The monster's maid—what if his curse spreads."
"What?"
At the absurd remark, Emily glared wide-eyed at the maid before her.
"What nonsense is that, Marie?!"
"Why is it nonsense? He's a 'monster'."
The brown-haired maid smiled as if the word 'monster' were an invincible logic solving this ridiculous contradiction.
It felt a bit absurd to me.
It had only been a few days since possession, but I'd maintained good relations with the maids so far.
There'd been no signs of trouble, and if serving Rihart was a problem as this Marie claimed, what about all the others who'd done it before?
"Anyway, I'm anxious it might spread the curse, so could you leave?"
The brown-haired maid looked triumphant, assuming I'd comply.
I thought to myself.
Messing with food is really crossing the line.
"Why should I leave?"
"......"
