Chapter 35: A Chilling Realization
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: A Chilling Realization
Drip.
Drip.
In the dim, cramped space, liquid dripped from an unknown source, the sound echoing with a ghostly chill that made the skin crawl.
With both hands bound in heavy shackles, Muen remained suspended in a crucifixion-like pose, unable to move. The most vital and vulnerable parts of his body were left entirely unprotected, exposed to the cool air—a state that brought both intense unease and a strange, jarring stimulation.
It reminded Muen of a little white rabbit awaiting slaughter, or perhaps... a very specific kind of roleplay between a man and a woman.
As things stood, it was arguably both.
An had shed her usual dignified and elegant demeanor. She was like a serpentine seductress, her soft, lithe body coiling around Muen as she greedily drank in everything about him.
"Um... An, can you get up first? I think we can talk this through."
Muen swallowed hard. The exquisite sensations pressing against him sent an uncontrollable heat rising in his chest. He frantically recited the Calming Incantation in his mind, struggling to keep his voice from trembling.
An pulled back slightly, her pink tongue darting out to lick her glistening red lips.
"What does Young Master wish to talk about?"
Her cheeks were still flushed with an unnatural fever, and her eyes were hazy with lingering desire—yet deep within those pupils lurked a flash of annoyance, as if she resented the interruption.
"Well..."
Muen hesitated for a long time, desperately organizing his thoughts. "You like me, right?"
"That’s right," An replied with a smile. "I have always, always, always, always, always, always, always liked you, Young Master. I like you to the point of madness."
"No need for so many 'always'..."
Muen wanted to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, but his hands were pinned.
Suddenly, An leaned down. She extended her soft, fragrant tongue and licked the sweat from Muen’s brow, sucking the moisture into her mouth.
"Mmm... the taste of Young Master..." An wore an expression of pure bliss, as if savoring a rare delicacy.
"..."
Muen froze.
Before he could even process the sensation, his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
This was bad.
Very bad.
An’s yandere tendencies were far more terrifying than he had imagined!
But he had no room to retreat now. He could only steel himself and press on.
"Actually, An, you really didn't have to do all this."
"Oh?" An tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"If you like me, we could have just started dating normally. Like a regular couple."
Muen spoke urgently, "An, you might not know this, but Father told me before he left that he doesn't care about social status. Even though I'm a Duke's son and you're a maid, there wouldn't be any resistance to us being together. There was no need..."
Muen glanced at the shackles. "There was absolutely no need to go this far. This is a crime."
"I see. So that’s what Young Master thinks?"
An rested her face in her hands, looking as though she were envisioning a beautiful dream. A look of profound happiness crossed her face.
"To truly be united with Young Master... just thinking about it makes me so happy."
"Exactly. So, let me go first."
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Muen struck while the iron was hot. "We'll start as a couple, get to know each other, and then—"
"Ah, but that won't work."
An abruptly cut him off.
"Eh?"
Muen looked up in shock, only to find that the warmth in An's eyes had been replaced by a bone-chilling coldness.
"Dating you would be wonderful, truly. But that is far from enough to satisfy my needs."
"Needs?"
"Didn't I just say it?" An whispered. "What I want is all of you. If we were just 'dating,' would you give me every single part of yourself?"
"No—that’s asking too much!" Muen growled, his fear turning to anger. "I'm a living human being, not some object to be owned!"
"But I spent ten whole years just to achieve that goal, didn't I?"
Ignoring his anger, An gently stroked Muen’s cheek, her touch filled with genuine, terrifying infatuation.
"Unfortunately, it seems I failed in the end. Forced by circumstances, I had to resort to this final method."
"Ten years... what do you mean by that?"
Muen suddenly felt lost.
A deep chill seeped into his heart, as if some horrific truth was about to breach the surface and drag him into an abyss of terror.
"What do I mean? I mean everything I've done for you, Young Master," An answered softly.
"Guiding you, protecting you, pampering you... making you arrogant, ignorant, and conceited. Turning you into a true, useless profligate so that everyone would loathe you—especially those flirtatious noble sows. I made sure no one but me would dare get close to you. I made it so that if you left my side, you wouldn't be able to do a single thing."
"To ensure that you belonged solely to me, I have spent every waking moment of the last ten years working toward this."
"What...?"
Muen’s brain felt like it had been hit by a physical shockwave. This sudden revelation left him reeling.
He stared blankly at An, seeing his own terrified reflection in her eyes, which were now burning with manic desire.
Wait.
What did she mean?
According to her, the reason Muen Campbell was such a piece of trash in the original novel was because of her? Because his personal maid had intentionally groomed him that way?
How was that possible? Who would carry out such a deranged, long-term plan just to possess someone?
...No, it was possible.
Because whether it was the descriptions in the original book or Muen’s own inherited memories, they all pointed to one fact:
Muen Campbell trusted his personal maid, An, implicitly. He trusted her so much that in the original story, he didn't even hide the fact that he was drugging the Princess from her.
No—wait. In the original book, the idea to drug Celicia was actually An's suggestion!
A flash of insight struck Muen’s mind.
The original novel mentioned that Muen Campbell was furious because Celicia was getting closer to the Protagonist. At that moment, An had casually remarked:
["In that case, why not make the Princess yours completely, Young Master?"]
Yes! It was that very sentence that gave the original Muen Campbell the resolve to go through with it!
But why would she do that? Wasn't she just digging her own grave? In the original book, she was executed as an accomplice!
Muen looked at An, a horrifying thought taking root in his mind.
In the original story... did An really die?
If she were just an ordinary maid, she would have undoubtedly been executed. But given the strength she had shown—the ability to knock Muen unconscious in an instant—was she really that easy to kill?
Her execution was only mentioned in passing in the book. What if she faked her death? What if she used some method to make everyone believe she was dead?
Taking it a step further... in the original story, did the Protagonist really catch Muen Campbell in the act because of "Heaven's Mandate"?
Based on what Muen was experiencing now, "Heaven's Mandate" wasn't exactly a reliable concept.
And finally... the original Muen Campbell, who lost an arm and a leg and became a beggar... was it really because of gambling debts like Muen had guessed?
Or did he lose those limbs—and choose to become a beggar—just to escape from someone?
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.