Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Survived...?
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Survived...?
Chapter 6 (previous installment) has been revised.
It was a morning just like any other.
Just... the fact that my entire body was wrapped head to toe in bandages made things a bit more uncomfortable than usual.
After that, everything started falling into place smoothly.
It had been a few days since Yuria joined as the new maid and the slave trader incident blew over.
In the meantime, it seemed various rumors had been circulating. Even among the knights, word had spread through the old butler that I'd thrown myself into danger just to save a single maid.
'...Something the original Ian would never have done.'
As far as I remembered, Ian was a scoundrel even among scoundrels.
There was no record of him ever being kind to the mansion's servants, and he treated slaves—who weren't even seen as people—like dirt. He'd even come close to beating one to death in a fit of violence.
Because of that, rumors swirled for a time that the Britna family was some heinous den of evil, chopping off slaves' limbs and hanging them from the gates to wither away.
And it didn't stop there. He carried out all sorts of illegal deeds, to the point where heresy inquisitors became regular visitors to the mansion, constantly dragging the family's name through the mud.
In the end, even the benevolent Rachel developed resentment toward Ian, and he ended up despised by every servant in the mansion, brothers included.
'But...'
Now, about one-tenth of them—roughly 10%—were reconsidering their views and starting to form somewhat favorable impressions.
As proof...
[??? Johansson feels interest in you. Favorability resets from - to 0.]
[??? Yuse feels interest in you. Favorability resets from - to 0.]
[??? Laquine feels interest in you. Favorability resets from - to 0.]
[??? Yuria's favorability has reached 40 or higher.]
[Status: Favor, Worry, Possessiveness.]
With those actions, I'd succeeded in pushing Yuria's favorability all the way over 40.
...
-Knock, knock.
A familiar knock echoed through the room.
"You may enter."
With my permission, Yuria entered alongside the white-haired old butler.
Her fists clenched tight.
Lips parched, eyes flickering.
The woman was breathtaking. Unlike the frilly standard maid outfits worn for mere decoration, hers was tailor-made, hugging her curves perfectly—accentuating her slender waist and full bosom. Through the black see-through fabric at her cleavage, a single dark spot gleamed, as if beaded with sweat.
Yuria appeared before me, adorned like a masterpiece of art.
A maid dressed like this? Impossible.
It was a collaboration born from her otherworldly beauty and the old butler's keen sense for styling.
"I am Yuria, the castle slave starting work today."
Her face flushed with shame at the degrading title prefixed to her name, but it suited her so perfectly that I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Good. How's your body holding up?"
"Y-Yes... Thanks to you, it was just abrasions."
...Just abrasions, huh.
My bones had snapped. Racial perks really were no joke.
"From now on, you'll handle morning greetings and meals every day. Yuria."
The old butler, scribbling notes and handing them over, clearly took a liking to her.
And who could blame him? Around Ian, where no decent maid lasted, having a fresh twenty-year-old girl with final-boss-level talent pitch in was bound to charm anyone.
He'd simply told her to organize the storage warehouse, and in mere days, she'd adapted enough to handle most of the work there on her own.
"Hmm..."
From sorting ledgers and dusting statues to tending the withered garden and even learning to cook—rumor had it her morning meals were now flawless, no substitute needed.
In short, forget "castle slave." She was worth twenty maids on her own.
'To adapt this thoroughly after just three days unconscious...'
I was tempted to give her a standing ovation.
But there was something specific I needed to teach Yuria.
'The one thing that's lingered since I arrived in this world.'
Magic formulas. Teaching them to her.
To start... the Mana Breathing Method?
At exactly twenty, with her pristine constitution, it was perfect timing—the peak of mana awakening.
Yuria tilted her head, eyeing me oddly as I chuckled to myself.
"Master? Shall I... attend you tonight...?"
Her voice trembled ever so slightly.
Ah, right—you're a sex slave.
With all her workload, I'd momentarily forgotten.
In my view, putting her to her "original" use right now would be idiotic.
Rationally speaking, forcing myself on a girl with noble trauma at night? I might wake up tomorrow torn into three pieces.
It'd definitely hurt her deeply, and the hard-earned 40 favorability would go down the drain.
Thus...
'Gotta gently rebuff her here.'
Acting the merciful noble, I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No need for that."
But.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the right answer.
"..."
-Thud.
A silent jolt.
Yuria, holding the tray steady, nearly fumbled and dropped it—only for the old butler to catch it just in time.
Her expression turned icy in an instant.
Eerie, like the innocent girl who'd come expecting praise was now silently gazing up at me with chilling detachment.
Her hollow eyes fixed on me felt downright ominous.
My gut screamed bad-end screen incoming.
First things first—to get some privacy, I turned to the butler.
"...Sir Harzen, would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
I shooed out the old butler, who was watching the drama unfold with keen interest.
That bastard.
Did he set this up?
As I inwardly seethed toward him outside the door, a voice piped up.
"M-Master... Do you dislike me attending you at night...?"
Yuria lifted her gaze slyly, gauging my reaction—I had to hold my poker face.
"Ah, no! I'd love for you to come attend me at night, absolutely."
Ian backpedaled in a panic.
At his frantic outburst, Yuria's sly smile made her seem like a fox wagging its tail.
"Hmm... Is that so?"
"Y-Yes! I need you—absolutely.
That's why I risked my life to save you."
I spat out the answer I'd barely scraped together from my racing brain.
Flinch.
Her fox tail twitched sharply at the mention of "risked my life."
"...Th-That... Y-Yes. I'm... grateful... Mas-ter, mmph."
Flustered by my sudden closeness, she bit her tongue.
Seeing her cover her mouth, unable to hide her distress—good, she wasn't a fully matured vixen yet.
'If she seduced me with those hips and breasts...'
Honestly, I wasn't sure I could hold out.
...
"Yuria."
"Yes?"
Wiping the window, she turned with a puzzled look.
For a twenty-year-old who'd been fussing about night duties moments ago, her composure was unnervingly mature.
'...All an act? Or maybe not.'
A genius like Yuria could pull it off easily.
In awkward vibes and ambiguous positions...
Words tend to slip out.
"By any chance... are you hiding something from me?"
Crunch.
Yuria's hand froze mid-wipe.
She clasped her hands together and shook her head firmly.
Ah, so there is.
"It's fine. I've already proven I'd risk my life for you. What are you scared of hiding? Are you feeling hurt by me?"
"Ah, n-no...!"
The downcast winter fox wilted.
I pulled her shoulders to meet her eyes. Flustered anew, she barely looked up.
"Then it's a deal. I'll share one of my secrets—so spill yours."
Perk.
Her fox ears twitched upright.
She hesitated, set the rag aside, then raised her arm.
Her index finger pointed at my nose.
More precisely, my nostril.
"?"
I glanced down puzzled and touched the twitching spot.
"Ah."
Blood.
My nose was bleeding that badly.
So that's why she'd been stealing glances. She'd taken a tiny sip earlier, then held back.
"...Craving blood?"
"........."
Yuria fell silent.
With her trauma and myriad reasons to clam up, I held back on pressing my status, inching closer carefully.
"You can be honest with me. No need to guard so much. It worries me more. Am I a burden? Do you dislike me?"
"...! N-No...! Ngh, hic."
She bit her tongue again, tears welling up.
She had the reputation as the mansion's perfect ice beauty. Why only melt like this around me?
I beckoned her onto the bed. She slid off the chair and knelt beside it.
"M-Master likes it."
"You like?"
"But... can't suck blood. It... hurts too..."
She trailed off, unable to continue.
I couldn't pinpoint the reason, but there had to be another one.
"Think you can't do it yourself?"
She nodded vigorously.
But I couldn't leave it like this.
No clue how much blood a vampire needed to satisfy—but first, I wiped the blood from my nose.
"Lick."
No.
"Suck."
Listening quietly, Yuria shuddered, blinking as if doubting her ears.
Not my nose, of course.
The command was for her to lick the 'hand' dirtied from wiping it.
A bit unhinged? I secretly worried she'd hate me, watching closely.
"...Gulp."
But enchanted, Yuria seized my hand and began licking.
Not a casual lick,
She savored it earnestly—stretching her long pink tongue from top to bottom. Then she shoved my index, middle, and ring fingers into her small mouth at once.
"Kgh."
Tears pricked her eyes, but she seemed to relish it, savoring them again.
Lifelong deprived of touch, my only experience porn foreplay—her pure eroticism with just my hand had my second brain standing at attention, unstoppable.
"Later."
Once the blood was gone from my hand, she licked for five more minutes before I withdrew my index and middle fingers.
Her mouth gaped in a perfect triangle, my hand dripping saliva onto her tongue.
Her downward gaze and protruding pink tongue teased me relentlessly.
Threads of saliva stretched from her fingers to mine, snapping with a drip.
Pant, pant—as her eyes turned crimson with ecstasy, Yuria parted her lips.
"Th-Thank you... for the meal."
Yuria's face was one of satisfaction.
In a whole different sense.