The Peaceful Life of a Maid Who Hides Her Power and Enjoys It

<Episode 183>

 

I looked down, forgetting even to swallow my dry saliva. 

The sky, where snowflakes danced, was pitch black and dark. Despite the tattered curtains wide open, not a single beam of moonlight could enter the room. Only the sound of the wind seeping through the window crack added to the eerie atmosphere.

 

Through sparse shadows, I could make out more than five fallen fruit-shaped heads.

 

“The capture of Puskov Castle…”

 

“Done.”

 

“Surely, you didn’t, all of them…”

 

“Executed.”

I looked down again.

 

Though I couldn’t see their faces, judging by the hair color and length, I could deduce that one of these heads belonged to Locke Serenier.

 

Rue asked me insinuatingly,

“Any more questions?”

 

“…What happens to the Kingdom of Astrosa now?”

 

“War requires justification. The royal family may have labeled us as seeds of rebellion, but we have our own justification: to reclaim the lost throne of the Seven Princes and end the chaos within the nation and the royal family.”

 

Was the next ruler of the throne already decided? It seemed that there were royal members cooperating with this powerful and ruthless army.

 

“What about Dian? What will happen to Dian, Serenier’s legitimate son?”

“Ah, Dian Serenier. I don’t like him.”

 

A grumpy response came from the darkness.

“Of course, you too.”

 

This response was no different, but I couldn’t criticize Rue.

If my instincts were correct, Rue was exceptionally sensitive today. His eyes, touching my skin, felt as sharp as an icy blade. Even more so than the eerie screams carried by the distant, ghostly wind.

 

“You’re always like this, Ash. You’ve never answered any question nicely. With you, it’s either paying a corresponding price or having to resort to threats…”

 

I struggled to pretend not to hear the murmured voice which sounded like he was talking to himself, unlike usual. But my courage fell short when it came to ignoring the remarks that followed.

 

“Do I have to take off my clothes to make you speak?”

 

“No!”

 

“No? Then tell me now. Which head is it?”

 

I scanned through the tangled mess of heads with a complicated feeling. Just a few days ago, I had vowed not to easily talk about Dian’s personal affairs…

 

“Ash.”

Once again, Rue’s voice came, almost like a sigh.

 

“I’m telling you, I don’t like secretive bastards. Those kinds of people are rarely helpful. They only ruin the atmosphere.”

 

At that point, I decided to raise my hand obediently.

‘Dian’s situation or whatever, it’s probably better to just come clean.’

 

The Rue today was too strange.

Strangely persistent, restless, and although not exactly oppressive, but oddly threatening. Since I couldn’t predict what would happen, I had to move somewhat according to Rue’s wishes.

 

I picked up a head from near the bed.

 

“Here.”

I personally turned the unlucky face to show him, but Rue, with a click of his tongue, warned me in a cold tone.

 

“Don’t hold it like a teddy bear.”

 

“What do you mean hold it like a teddy bear? Anyways, you can have them all. Thank you for your care. Dian will surely be grateful for today…”

 

…or so I think?

 

‘But why is Rue trying to find the one who hurt Dian’s back?’

 

Out of pity? Was the glimpse he got of my back’s condition accidentally that terrible? But Rue wasn’t the type to easily sympathize with someone.

 

“You’re so damn fearless.”

 

Rue let out a long sigh and slowly emerged from the darkness.

 

He looked tired. It was difficult to distinguish whether it was a shadow or not, as the blood splattered widely around his chest and knees was very black, but his gaze was sharp.

 

The unfeeling golden eyes scrutinized my face, as if searching for something.

 

“Woman, fearless personality, exceptional martial arts skill, light-green eyes… and this face. No matter how much I think, the image is not in my head.”

 

“….”

 

“How do you know me?”

 

“There is no successor to Serenier who doesn’t know about the Tower monster.”

 

“Yes, even if they know about the tower monster, they wouldn’t know about Rue. No one knows about ‘Rue,’ that… it’s the name I abandoned when the slave farm I was raised in was engulfed by a raging river.”

 

Slave farm?

Rue, who strode through the cluttered heads, stopped in front of me and looked down at my face.

 

“I wonder why you pretend to know me. If you knew about my past, there’s no way you could do that.”

 

As the long and delicate fingers touched my chin, something intense and eerie gripped my heart like a lightning strike.

 

And I knew it wasn’t because of Rue.

 

‘This unpleasant energy.’

 

This strange yet familiar, musty presence, like the scent of a poisonous flower blooming in a back alley… It reminded me of Mephisto’s power.

 

“Hang on, Rue.”

 

With a sense of unease and the worst possible hypothesis lingering in my mind, I tried to turn my head to escape from Rue’s grip, but his large hand didn’t budge.

 

“So, Ash, stop beating around the bush and reveal the truth quietly.”

 

“Wait.”

 

“If you annoy me more, I won’t let you, much less Dian Serenier, leave this room…”

 

If I couldn’t escape, I had to forcibly focus his attention. I grabbed Rue’s head with both hands and forcefully pulled it down, shouting.

 

“I said wait, you fool! Shut up and answer my question!”

His golden eyes widened slightly. Taking advantage of Luga’s silence, I quickly blurted out my business.

 

“Listen carefully. There’s a faint, unsettling energy emanating from you. Did you eat the heart of Calepa?”

 

No response. In that brief silence, I felt my heart sink to the floor.

 

“Really… Did you eat it?”

Rue, who had been meeting my gaze, wore a deep smirk.

 

“Why are you so desperate? You keep confusing me. Is it because you’re just so interested in other people’s lives, or is it because it’s me?”

 

Rue’s expression as he spoke was grim. His eyes, twisted and boiling with suppressed emotions, entangled me in them.

 

“Do you do this to others too?”

 

The hand that had been gripping my chin suddenly tightened around my throat, as if it could crush my bones at any moment.

 

“Or is it because I’m a valuable tool to save Dian Serenier?”

 

I could only manage a bitter laugh.

A tool?

 

Did he just call himself a tool? And what, did he just ask me if I was just that interested in other people’s lives? 

 

After I was focused solely on survival since my resurrection, you appeared before me and shook my life to its core. How dare you say such things to me?

 

‘Ah.’

 

This won’t do. If this continues, I might become overloaded.

No, I’m already overwhelmed.

 

“You bastard! You were the one who asked to have a child together first!”

 

In that moment, the grip around my neck vanished without a trace, as if it were a fleeting illusion.

 

With the most dumbfounded expression I had seen since reuniting with Rue, he questioned me.

 

“…What?”

If you could imagine how much I despised that expression, it was enough for me to clench both hands into fists and strike Rue with all my might.

 

“You, first, you seduced me when I was still young, you playboy bastard! You trash! Even if I fed you the dishes made by the head maid for a thousand years, I wouldn’t be satisfied!”

 

“What nonsense, when did I… ugh.”

 

Rue, who was being beaten for quite some time, seemed to think that this was going too far and mumbled again with a foolish expression, restraining both of my arms.

 

“Are you delusional?”

 

Was it because the switch had already flipped? I managed to maintain a calm demeanor in the face of Rue’s highly realistic yet pathetic question.

 

“Yes, I’m mentally ill. That’s why I call you Rue. Are all your doubts cleared now? I don’t care what you think of me anymore. You’re not that great either.”

 

No matter what curse I uttered, Rue’s face, which had been dazed, gradually began to soften. He looked into my face with eyes that had become gentle enough to provoke my nerves.

 

“You’re much younger than me? Hm. It doesn’t feel like that at all.”

 

“Shut up…”

I was about to tell him to shut up, but I closed my mouth. If I really shut him up, I wouldn’t be able to tell if the source of power swirling within Rue’s body was truly the heart of Calepa.

 

With a serious expression, he asked me.

 

“So, did you have the child?”

“Shut up!”

“Why are you getting angry? You said I seduced you first…”

 

I snatched the sword at Rue’s waist and aimed it at him before I could hear any more unpleasant barking, warning him.

 

“Just answer my question honestly before you or I die.”

 

Fortunately, Rue obediently nodded. I couldn’t understand why he looked so satisfied, and his overly satiated expression somehow offended me.

 

“Did you eat the heart of Calepa or not?”

 

“I didn’t.”

 

“Don’t lie! You say you didn’t eat it, but that impure…”

 

“It’s a curse.”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you remember the blue magic artifact that was stuck in my back? Rogue’s demi-god cursed me, Ash. It’s a shackle to prevent his precious avatar from escaping.”

 

Rue whispered affectionately, leisurely continuing the rest of his words as if it were someone else’s business.

 

“In four days, my heart will stop.”

---

…the baby T0T I WANTED TO SEE THEIR BABIES WHY REMIND ME OF THE PAIN LIKE THIS