Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Another Maid Joins Today
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Creaaak—!!!
The rocking chair let out a grotesque creak. Even atop such a chair, the woman sat as if it were nothing, enjoying her little game.
Not that it was anything grand when she called it a game. How much fun could there be in a damp, dark space like this?
Maybe just one thing.
Sizzle—!!
A rat thrashed wildly in midair. It wriggled and twisted around its suspended tail, putting on quite the show. Watching it was oddly entertaining.
The woman rested her chin on one hand, blankly observing the rat's desperate struggles.
"Why do they cling to life so desperately?"
As if responding to her words, the rat went berserk. Tail severed or not, it flailed frantically to escape into the air.
The woman found the whole display pathetic. Why obsess over life when death was inevitable anyway?
The rat overlapped in her mind with someone. Not just one person. Two.
"The boss and that runaway."
A weird noise emanated from the rat's tail. Stretched thin like a rubber band about to snap, it radiated an ominous vibe.
"Just die already. Why grovel so uglily to survive?"
Snap.
The tail broke. Freed from constraint, the rat soared through the air.
Its destination was, naturally, the ground.
"Right?"
But life doesn't always go as planned. The rat landed right in the woman's mouth.
Crunch. Crrrunch.
A death rattle. A bursting sound. A squishing sound. Noises that should never come from a living being echoed from her lips.
After the final gulp, the woman let out a small burp.
"Sewer rats taste like absolute shit."
Creak. Creeeak.
The sound rang out once more, and the red glow—the only light in pitch-black darkness—vanished.
"They won't find me here."
She had set up a barrier just recently. No one could enter or leave.
Being already inside beforehand was sheer luck.
"I'll just hole up until the bitching stops."
Creak—
The eerie sound echoed hollowly.
"Will Sophia get back first? Or will that old hag quit her whining first?"
Who knew. The woman surrendered to the darkness.
"Wow."
The first thing out of my mouth upon returning home was a gasp of admiration.
Sparkle, sparkle.
A phrase I'd never actually used in my old world. But nothing else fit the scene before my eyes right now.
My dorm room was gleaming. Was this even possible? Glancing sideways, Raphael looked just as dumbfounded.
"What in the world happened?"
"Beats me."
Our place was usually a pigsty—no exaggeration. Raphael and I weren't the tidying type, so we'd let trash pile up until it was unbearable.
Only then would we rock-paper-scissors to decide who cleaned. Weird, though.
I slipped off my shoes and stepped into the living room when something came toddling over with a patter-patter.
[Daddy!!!]
It was Levatein. Arms outstretched as it toddled toward me, so I scooped it up into a hug. Nestled naturally in my arms, it grinned wide and said something like "Welcome home~" so I nodded back.
Following right behind came something else. A prim maid outfit, dark red hair, emerald eyes sparkling like gems, and two horns sprouting from her head.
Her tail wagged like a dog's greeting its owner. She'd probably just finished the dishes— she was wiping her hands on a towel.
「You're back.」
"You're back?"
「....Welcome back.」
Raphael's echo immediately corrected her speech. Was our angel secretly an etiquette bot?
"You cleaned the house?"
「That is.... yes.」
Impressive specs. I lightly tapped the blonde glaring daggers at the demon beside me, then scanned the living room.
It was radiating light. Seeing CG-level sparkle in real life felt surreal. She really did all this?
"No magic involved, right?"
「No.」
Really? All by herself, huh. If she could cook decently, she'd be the perfect maid.
This level of work made her trustworthy enough to babysit Levatein.
I started toward the living room sofa, Levatein in my arms. But as I stepped from the entryway into the room proper, Lilith blocked our path.
Wondering what was up, I waited, and she brought over what looked like slippers, setting them down before us.
"What's this?"
"No idea. Isn't it those indoor slippers rich folks wear?"
"Oh? Are we loaded now? Makes sense—with all these maids, it'd be weirder if we weren't."
Our maids don't live here, though.
「I worked hard cleaning, so wear them... no, please do.」
After making the place sparkle like this, how could I refuse? Smiling, I slipped on the slippers.
As I smiled at Lilith, her face paled.
"Mr. Seong-hoon, you have a talent for intimidating people just by looking. Got some kind of aura? Rubber man? Figures. You always survive impossible situations. Caught you red-handed!! You bastard!"
I ignored her poking my cheek and placed a hand on Lilith's shoulder.
Levatein, nestled in my arms, mimicked me by patting Lilith's face.
"I hereby appoint you as our household's exclusive maid!"
[I hereby appoint you!!]
Thrilled by my decree, Lilith flashed a rotten grin, tail thumping the floor. Clear sign of joy. Yep, definitely.
Heading past her to the sofa.
"Another maid added today."
"Exclusive maid, so even better."
Is it? Raphael half-heartedly replied and tossed off her socks. Great example in front of the kid. Or so I wanted to say.
This temptation was hard to resist. The guilty thrill of making a mess in front of the cleaner.
No one could hold out against it.
Not even Buddha, in my opinion.
"Seong-hoon."
"Yeah."
Raphael called to me as I casually peeled off my socks and chucked them. Looking over, she was proudly thumbs-upping with a smug face.
"Lives with separate cleaners and mess-makers. Not bad at all!"
I smiled at her while hurling socks at the demon whose forehead vein was bulging, then addressed Levatein in my arms.
"Levatein."
[Yeah?]
"Don't become someone who demands privileges without the skills to back them up. Got it? Especially leeching off others—that's the worst."
[No idea what you're talking about.]
She'll get it when she grows up. I patted her head, and she giggled happily.
"Who're you talking about? Not me, right? I have skills!"
The blonde, looking ready for a headbutt, shoved her face in with a grin.
"You're out the moment you flinch!"
I have no idea—!!
The blonde charged. I barely held her off by grabbing her shoulders. Lately, she'd gotten way too into headbutts.
[Lachesis. Let's go over there.]
Nyaang~
Listening to Levatein and the cat chat as it jumped down from my arms, I blocked the supreme strength headbutt with my whole body.
—Talk it out, damn it!?
—Violence. The finest form of communication!!
—She won't listen!!!
"Huh."
I'm in full-blown panic mode right now. And the reason? Right in front of me.
Not the angel over there chucking trash at the maid from afar.
Nor the weapon below me sticking post-it runes (runes) on Lachesis while watching cat torture videos.
This blue window.
So Benia's not waking up now? For 70 days? That's over two months.
"....."
Is this the universe telling me to die?
I anxiously opened [Inventory] and poked around, but no response. After freezing like that and pondering for about three minutes...
"Maybe it's actually for the best?"
That was the conclusion.
Timing couldn't be better. The barrier over Justitia makes raids nearly impossible. That last demon was a special case—pre-hidden. Otherwise, no chance.
So yeah, best to recover now. Once our damn maid drops the barrier, demons will swarm for sure.
"Yep. Perfect."
I nodded at Benia's wise choice. Justitia was peaceful. Until summer break.
Now I could leave Levatein home too. I'd kept it in [Inventory] just in case, but...
No need anymore. Even if we went out, Lilith was here—no forcing it into storage.
As if reading my mind, Levatein came over hugging Lachesis.
"Levatein. Lilith play with you okay?"
[Yeah? Yeah! She played with me again today!!]
"Good?"
Great then. I'd tested it today by leaving them together, and this result? Solid.
[At first she wouldn't play, but when I said I'd tell Mommy, she did!!]
Eh, as long as she plays, fine. Results matter. Process? Adults don't care. Results rule. Only first place remembered—best world ever!
I lifted the giggling Levatein onto my lap when a post-it slipped out of [Inventory].
Snatched it mid-air twirl: rune writing.
[Can't stand seeing that demon play with Levatein, so I'm off to recover. Can't wake even if forced. Take note.]
Our dragon's recovery reason was legendary.
"What the hell."
Sophia muttered while sorting magic books in the clubroom. Her lips were pursed, broadcasting her sulk loud and clear.
Isia beside her? Pouting even harder, eyes narrowed to slits.
Openly advertising her bad mood.
"We were gonna do it together."
"We're doing it together. I wanted to go watch too, but here we are."
"You shouldn't have texted him that you got close."
Sophia shut her mouth, out of excuses. Otherwise, she'd have nagged weekly to get friendly?
Backfired spectacularly, but worth the gamble, she thought.
As the two sorted in silence, Sophia's pocket rang.
Probably some pointless call, as usual. But glancing at the screen nearly made her drop her phone.
[Caller: Lee Seong-hoon]
"Ahem!! Ahehem!!"
Aa~ aaah~~ Clearing her throat repeatedly, Sophia resisted snatching the phone. Answering instantly would look too eager.
Let it ring two more times. That's the plan. Ignore the 'what's with her?' stares from beside.
"H-Hello~?"
Sophia answered in her most alluring voice. Isia, predictably, glared murderously.
No way? Same thought in her eyes.
[Hey. Sophia?]
"Yeah. What's up? I'm busy."
Total lie. They'd been taking their sweet time sorting, nearly done anyway—not busy at all.
Still, she said it thanks to that [push-pull] technique from a book. Act busy, make him—
[Oh yeah? Call you later then—]
"No? I'm not busy. Spill it."
[??]
Sophia forgot. That tactic wouldn't work on him!
He barely replied to texts without purpose. Hang up now, who knows when he'd call back.
"Why. Not busy. Tell me. Tell me please. No, do."
[That desperate? Nah, nothing big. That ring you mentioned. Strike while the iron's hot—let's grab it this weekend.]
[Sophia?]
For a split second.
Sophia's mind blanked. What did I just hear? Brain stalled ~3 seconds before the info slammed in.
Weekend. Ring. Let's go.
Her sluggishly rebooting brain issued one command.
"Just us two?"
[Or make it three?]
Boom!!!
Something exploded in Sophia's heart. Two angels firing fireworks!
This was a date!! A smile bloomed on Sophia's face when someone snatched the phone.
"Lee Seong-hoon? That you?!"
[Isia? You two still sorting the clubroom?]
"Yes!! I said I needed help cuz it's tough!!"
[Drag Shin Ga-yeon then. I'll tell her. Told Sophia what I needed to—I'm hanging up.]
"That's not it?!"
Isia wailed. The call cut off unilaterally, screen cracking like craaack—!! as she froze.
Sophia smirked smugly before her.
"We have a date."
I won. That expression. Seeing it, Isia's mouth uttered one word.
"Shiiit!!!"
The most vehement "Shiiit" yet.