Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Yuria (Revised)
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A month had passed since Yuria became Ian's sexual relief? Sex slave? Maid.
Under the butler's special supervision, Yuria's scheduled daily routine was extremely regimented.
Even her occasional breaks were spent practicing the mana breathing method that her Master had taught her, and her sleep was limited to just over four hours.
At 5:30 a.m., she would rise and sit cross-legged to steady her mana—that was her morning exercise.
Then, at six, she would get up, wash her sweat-soaked body, change out of her soiled nightclothes into a fresh maid uniform, and apply a light touch of makeup using the special cosmetics that were her Master's gift.
It was originally a time when she wouldn't need to wake up.
After all, since everyone had different responsibilities—cleaning, cooking, basic attendance, and so on—there was no need for her to rise so early.
Especially since she was practically Ian's exclusive attendant, she could have slept longer, but to learn human skills, she always started work by at least 6:30.
"Heh heh, good morning, Yuria."
"Yes, good morning, Harzen."
Around seven, when she arrived in the kitchen, the head chef was already there, holding a ladle and preparing the meal in advance.
He looked at his handiwork and let out an exclamation of admiration.
"Oh, you seem to have outdone yourself a bit today, haven't you?"
"It's because today is the day I get to see the Young Master from the morning. Might I trouble you to taste it, just in case?"
In her hands were two bowls of soup.
At a glance, it looked like ordinary corn soup, but up close, the aroma revealed the depth of flavors and care poured into it.
"Mm... the one on the right, then?"
"Yes, either way, the one I haven't touched will go to the Young Master."
"Got it."
As always, he carefully and seriously took a spoonful and nodded repeatedly in approval.
Receiving his thumbs-up that it was perfect today as well, Yuria nodded back.
Deep down, she wanted to satisfy Ian by mastering all sorts of sophisticated dishes, but that was beyond her for now. For reference, Yuria's current skills were already perfect and incredibly fast—good enough to be scouted by any major household. The other maids were amazed at her machine-like speed.
But when it came to Ian's food, since he was someone she held dear, she focused on adding layers of enjoyment even to simple dishes, which took time.
'He definitely said... it's an incurable disease.'
However, since Ian hadn't shown any signs of illness so far, she couldn't quite grasp its severity.
Through her vampire senses, it felt more like a curse than a disease, but since she wasn't yet accustomed to using it on others, even that was vague.
...
The day's routine was just beginning.
At noon, she received private tutoring from Sophia, who had been introduced as an acquaintance of Head Butler Harzen and a former academy professor.
Ian had been informed as well, and he had clapped, saying it was about time and instructing her to master every lesson thoroughly, so she approached it with even greater seriousness than usual.
Sophia, originally a commoner teacher who had instructed the academy's top students, had started with a bit of suspicion, like testing if this maid could keep up.
"Ooooh! Outstanding!!! How can you grasp magics that even take a full semester to teach third-year academy students...!"
She reacted with daily astonishment, teaching Yuria more passionately than anyone.
She had originally thought someone of lower caliber wouldn't be worth teaching.
Most nobles who came for lessons looked down on her commoner status, belittled her endlessly, and blamed her for their own lack of talent. In a way, it was understandable.
But she had grown intrigued by this maid mistaken for a fallen noble.
Not to mention, there was some desire to meet a pretty woman.
Yet what she saw before her was...
"Incredible!! How on earth did you interpret this magic formula?!!!"
Romance or even love had no room to grow—every day was pure shock.
She hadn't expected herself to teach with such passion.
As Old Butler Harzen had said, you learn a person's true worth by teaching them work?
No, in magic, this maid had mastered over a hundred times that.
Whoever had taught her, this maid understood magic formulas profoundly and even possessed the ingenuity to create new ones.
"I could tell at a glance that you are an exceptional professor. The traces of mana in your hands and the state of your dantian reveal how much effort you've put in.
For example, even now, explaining these magics to me feels easy, but creating new concepts introduces entirely different variables.
Your superiors probably don't appreciate such labors and just keep pressuring you."
It was just like something her former academy professor self would say.
"Have you... held a similar position before?"
"No, I still lack the patience to teach others."
"Th-then how do you understand my thoughts so well..."
"As a student receiving instruction, it's only proper to understand the hardships a teacher endures."
A pang hit her.
It struck the heartstrings of the bookworm who had been wallowing in sentiment.
Moreover, her constant politeness and deferential tone toward her senior made Sophia feel respected as an educator for the first time in ages.
Having already discovered the joy of teaching for the first time, and with her fondness solidified, Sophia was even willing to write a recommendation to the Magic Tower—the highest institution accessible only to nobles.
"Yuria. As I said before, the Magic Tower doesn't care about status. Someone like you could thrive there. If it were up to me, working there now, I'd write your recommendation myself. It would benefit you far more than lessons here."
She grasped the girl's hand, her eyes sparkling like stars, her youthful face full of earnestness.
"...I'm sorry. I'm truly grateful beyond words, but I have no intention of going to the Magic Tower yet. I owe the Young Master Ian a debt of gratitude. Betraying that would go against my principles."
Principles.
The Magic Tower was an absolute forbidden zone.
Unable to argue, the girl nodded reluctantly.
"If you ever have any complaints about Young Master Ian, tell me. I'll come running."
"There's no need. I'm more satisfied here than I could ever have imagined before. Leaving would be painful for me."
Even probing a bit rudely yielded the same answer.
Yuria was blindly loyal to Ian.
To keep such talent subservient—Sophia had to reevaluate the wastrel Britna Ian. To her, Yuria was a treasure worth coveting.
Of course, Yuria had no intention of becoming a Magic Tower mage and was simply engrossed in pursuing magic more than her current situation.
...
Afternoon, four o'clock.
Having swiftly finished all her tasks, Yuria returned to her room and collapsed onto the bed.
It wasn't rest from fatigue.
With heated breaths, she buried her face in the pillow and rummaged through it fervently.
What emerged was a small handkerchief.
She pressed it close to her nose, half-wringing it to savor the lingering scent from the vivid red bloodstain.
Just inhaling his blood's aroma made her head spin.
"Huu... ha, mmph..."
Being a woman in her prime, she couldn't stop the room's heat from growing stifling.
She was usually poised and cool, but lately, her desires had intensified day by day.
Stopping her blood abstinence and starting minimal intake had set her body buzzing.
"Mmph... heuk, hak...!"
Yuria let out a soft breath.
Her lower abdomen and chest ached.
She writhed on the bed. In her fantasies, Ian was embracing her. She instinctively remembered how he had held her then, saving her life in the carriage.
Her Master's well-being came first above all.
Even in cooking, she had subtly arranged things to monitor the kitchen, ensuring no one harmed Ian.
She had thoroughly gathered info on him, and his incurable disease had been revealed not by him but by Old Butler Harzen in advance.
He had mentioned declining physical abilities, occasional delirium with blood-mixed coughs and nosebleeds.
When attending him closely, she half-hoped such an "event" might happen to her.
If other maids saw Young Master Ian's blood, envy would outweigh worry—her withdrawal symptoms swelled daily.
'M-Master's blood... I need it...'
More. More. More. A lot more.
This was far too little.
Her throat burned.
Something crawled in her mind, etching that pleasure into her brain over and over.
But blood-drinking days were fixed: once a month, on the full moon, Ian would graciously offer a tiny amount in preparation for emergencies.
"Uuung..."
The handkerchief crumpled in her grip.
Her gently closed eyelids twitched.
The ecstasy she had once felt left her so parched that sometimes she suffered hallucinations, her vision blurring strangely.
Each time, she whispered Ian's name in her room, secretly soothing her withdrawal.
"Ian..."
She substituted her own finger for the one she had licked back then. It was utterly pathetic.
It had been a few nights ago, when Yuria caused her first incident in the mansion.