The Puppy Beastkin Maid and Losing Virginity

The night had grown dark. A single carriage raced along a gloomy forest path. It was a luxurious carriage bearing the crest of the Reinhardt family. The rattling of wooden wheels against the dirt road disturbed the quiet of the forest night.

From inside the carriage came a woman's irritable voice. She was scolding the coachman. "Hey, can't you go any faster?"

The man seated in the driver's box replied, "My apologies, Lady Masha, but increasing the speed further on a night road would be dangerous."

The woman's name was Masha. She was Masha Valeri, Arwen's tutor and Isabel's loyal subordinate. Yet even after the coachman's polite explanation, Masha's voice remained cold.

She glared at the coachman through the small gap and said, "You're not deliberately slowing us ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down so we'll arrive late at the mansion, are you?"

The poor coachman, subjected to such an absurd suspicion, gripped the reins helplessly. "N-no, sir! Why would I ever do such a thing…"

"Hmph. Just hurry up anyway."

Masha Valeri reached for the sword at her waist. With a metallic shrrring, she drew the blade halfway. The chilling sound of steel mingled with the carriage's noise. The coachman's hands began to tremble violently.

Masha spoke again. "If we don't reach the mansion by noon tomorrow, you won't want to know what punishment awaits you."

"Eek! Y-yes, ma'am!"

Sweat pouring down his forehead, the coachman urged the horses onward with desperate energy.

"I can't trust those Reinhardt bastards."

Fortunately, the increased speed seemed to satisfy Masha. She sheathed her sword and pulled out a perfume bottle decorated with a purple flower from her bosom. She sprayed it liberally inside the carriage as if it were an air freshener.

"Haa~ Now I can finally breathe."

The perfume Masha used was the same kind Isabel always wore.

"Sniff~ Haah…"

She inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet scent with a dazed expression. The coachman's crude male sweat smell had completely vanished from the carriage.

With eyes still hazy from the fragrance, Masha murmured, "Lady Isabel, please wait just a little longer."

There was something almost fanatical in her devotion to Isabel.

In Masha's childhood, Isabel had been her only ray of light. Born into a branch family of the Valeri house, Masha Valeri had a talentless father. The Valeri name was nothing more than a hollow title to her. She lived in poverty so shameful that she hesitated to even introduce herself as nobility. She drifted from place to place, relying on the Valeri name, without servants or even a proper home.

But what hurt Masha most were the mockery and contempt from her own relatives. "Shame of the family." "Useless parasites." The relatives' harsh criticisms of those leeching off the main family struck Masha's young heart like stones.

Then, when Masha turned eight, salvation finally arrived. While visiting the main family's mansion with her father to beg for help, she met Isabel. Isabel, the second daughter of the current Valeri head, lived in an entirely different world. Masha still didn't know why someone like her had taken an interest in a girl from the very bottom. Even now, she lacked the courage to ask. Perhaps Isabel had simply needed a friend to confide in, or maybe it was just pity for a pitiful girl. What mattered was that Masha's life changed after meeting Isabel.

From that day on, Isabel always brought Masha along to important occasions. Naturally, those around her tried to dissuade Isabel. "She's a useless child." Yet they couldn't break Isabel's stubbornness.

"Masha is the person I chose. Are you questioning my judgment?"

Though only three years older than Masha, Isabel spoke with a firmness beyond her years. Watching Isabel protect her, Masha made a decision. She would devote her entire life to serving Isabel. To do that, she needed power. Standing beside Isabel without ability would make her no different from her father, who had spent his life leeching off the family. That, Masha's heart could never accept.

Masha's only talent was the swordsmanship blessing inherited from her mother, who came from a lower noble house. Driven solely by her desire to stay by Isabel's side, Masha swung her sword every single day until she nearly collapsed. Later, with Isabel's help, she even entered the prestigious Academy despite its high tuition. Thanks to her swordsmanship, honed by loyalty to Isabel, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠graduated with excellent grades, ranking second in her year. Now, no one complained about Masha standing beside Isabel.

When Isabel married into the Reinhardt family, Masha went with her.

"Damn it."

Masha bit her lip hard as old memories surfaced. She couldn't understand why her precious Lady Isabel had to be embraced by that idiot who had fallen for northern barbarians.

"It was for the sake of the family."

She only felt frustrated that Lady Isabel had accepted the marriage so meekly, unlike her usual self. Though she had followed Isabel to the Reinhardt mansion, Masha disliked everything about the Reinhardts. The knights who took pride in serving the Sword Saint's descendants. The Reinhardt territory, which was no better than a rural village compared to Valeri lands. The constant invasions by monsters and barbarians. And most of all, Lady Isabel treating Arwen, who carried barbarian blood, like her own son.

So when Ethan and the elite Reinhardt knights were annihilated during the second northern subjugation, Masha had raised a toast alone. And now, the Reinhardt family was on the verge of falling into Lady Isabel's hands. With the foolish northern knights scattered, nothing stood in their way except the weak Arwen.

"Damn it, to think I had to leave Lady Isabel's side at such a crucial time."

Masha had been forced to step ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠away briefly upon hearing news of her father's death while she and Isabel were boldly taking over the Reinhardt mansion. Her eyes held no trace of a daughter mourning her parent.

"Useless fool. Even at the end, you're nothing but a hindrance."

If not for her mother's desperate plea, she wouldn't have attended the loser's funeral of a man who had tried to parasitize his daughter until the very last moment.

"Well, whatever. I'm back now."

The Valeri family's goal was to turn Arwen into a cripple before he left for the Academy. For the heir of a great house, Academy life wasn't just about studying. It was the process of networking with other noble children and stepping into proper aristocratic society. That was why they needed to deal with Arwen before he escaped Isabel's grasp.

Masha's eyes narrowed. 'It would be so simple to just kill him in one stroke like Gunter suggested.'

Gunter Valeri was Lady Isabel's twin brother. He was a pathetic man with no talent except for eating, no better than Isabel in any way, but this time Masha agreed with his opinion. She also thought it would be fine to behead Arwen and blame it on the barbarians. However, her cautious master Isabel had forbidden it, saying it would draw too much attention. So they had chosen the uncertain method of poisoning him into a cripple.

'Well, keeping him alive might not be so bad if we want to control the loyal territory residents as we please.'

Lady Isabel had surely thought that far ahead.

"Hehe, she's truly wise."

With that final praise for Isabel, the carriage fell silent.

I was currently sitting on the bed. On the desk beside it sat a glass bottle and a pair of handcuffs glittering under the lamplight. They were the spoils I had obtained during my outing to the village today.

I picked up the handcuffs. They were shaped like ordinary handcuffs. As the chains clinked, an item window appeared.

These handcuffs were just as great a haul as the aphrodisiac.

"A silence effect even without the Silence skill? I can't pass this up."

Though the cooldown was quite long, the ability to silence both skills and traits for a full hour was still enormous.

"At least with these on, I won't die from getting hit by Masha's skills while I'm busy pounding her."

The handcuffs had cost a whopping 60 gold. In the end, I hadn't bought a single weapon or piece of armor and had blown my entire 70 gold fortune on adult goods. I had bought the aphrodisiac for 20 gold, leaving 50 gold. How had I afforded the handcuffs? When I said I didn't have enough money, Wolfgang had gotten scared and knocked 10 gold off the price.

"Well, thanks for that."

After warning him not to even dream of disappearing from the territory and making sure he kept his mouth shut, I had returned. It should be fine for a while.

"Raibel should be here soon. It's about that time."

After arriving at the mansion and parting with Raibel, I had promised to meet her in my room tonight. It wasn't because I called her here to have sex—though I was a little hopeful—but to explain the poison she had discovered that morning. I couldn't discuss the Valeri family's attempt on my life just anywhere or at any time.

My ears, listening to the sounds outside the hallway, finally caught the footsteps I had been waiting for. Knock knock. A cautious knock.

"Young Master, I'm here."

It was Raibel's voice. I quickly opened the door before anyone else could see. The darkened hallway was lit only by the small candle Raibel held.

"Come in, Raibel."

I let Raibel into the room while checking the hallway. Thankfully, it was quiet. There were no signs of anyone following her. After carefully closing the door, I saw that Raibel was already sitting on my bed.

She wore a long silk nightgown with lace trim. Unlike her highly revealing maid uniform, the nightgown's design was surprisingly modest. When I sat beside her, a pleasant scent of soap wafted over. She must have bathed recently.

Raibel spoke first. "Young Master, um, well…"

She dragged out her words, her gaze darting around nervously. Then she sighed and said, "I'm sorry. This is the first time I've come to a man's room this late at night…"

Her honest confession and restless demeanor were adorable. I replied, "Don't worry too much. I didn't call you here to do anything naughty… at least not yet."

'For now, anyway.'

"I-I wasn't worried at all. If anything, I was hoping to be with you, Young Master…"

Raibel turned her reddened face away, unable to finish. 'Her reactions are always so entertaining.' She was fun to tease. But it was time to get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the main point.

I lowered my voice and said to Raibel, "As promised this morning, I'll tell you everything."

Raibel seemed to notice the change in atmosphere and looked at me with a slightly calmer expression. She swallowed once and answered, "All right. It's about the poison I found, right?"

"Yeah. And you can't tell anyone about this."

"Not anyone?"

"That's right. No one in the mansion."

At my firm answer, Raibel quietly nodded.

"Good. Now, where should I start…"

After that, I told Raibel everything except the fact that I had possessed this body. Isabel and Cordelia had been feeding me poison every morning, not medicine. Their goal was to kill me and take over the Reinhardt family. The Valeri family wanted to deal with me before I entered the Academy. If they realized the poison wasn't working, they would send someone to kill me.

When I finished, I watched Raibel's reaction. Even after hearing a story more dramatic than any morning soap opera—where a stepmother tried to kill her son—Raibel remained surprisingly quiet. After a moment, she cautiously spoke.

"So… Lady Isabel is trying to take your life, Young Master?"

"Yeah."

"Lady Masha too?"

"Yeah."

"And Lady Cordelia?"

"Cordelia… I'm not sure, but probably."

"Howoo…"

Raibel let out a frightened puppy-like sound after hearing the shocking confession. She hadn't been calm because she was unaffected—she had been frozen in shock. Her hips shifted restlessly on the bed.

Raibel asked in an urgent voice, "If that's true, shouldn't we ask others for help?"

I slowly shook my head. "We can't do that."

Raibel shook her head in confusion. "Why not?"

"If they realize I know about their plan, they'll try to kill me on the spot."

"That's…"

Raibel's ears and tail drooped in place of Arwen's despair. Instead, I found myself comforting her.

"Don't worry too much, Raibel. I've already thought of a way."

"A way?"

"Yeah. The most dangerous thing right now is being attacked by Masha before I leave for the Academy."

The only person in the mansion who could directly attempt to kill me was Masha.

"And once I arrive at the Academy, even the mighty Valeri family will have to stay quiet for a while."

The Valeri bastards weren't stupid enough to harm the heir of the Reinhardt family at the Academy, where children of the empire's greatest houses and the imperial family gathered.

'Even if they resume their plan, it'll probably be after I return to the mansion during break.'

"So if I can get Masha into my hands, I'll be able to breathe easy for now."

"Get her into your hands? How…?"

Raibel's eyes widened as she noticed something. Her gaze was fixed on the aphrodisiac and handcuffs I had bought with her earlier that day.