The room was elegant.
Organized round tables.
Four chairs to each.
A cafeteria—clearly meant for maids.
Luxury clung to everything anyway.
In the polished floor.
In the quiet spacing between tables.
In the way everyone moved with practiced grace.
The maids themselves stood out the most.
Curves. Poise. Effortless beauty.
Soft chatter filled the space.
Laughter followed.
Small groups sat together, settled into familiar circles.
Tsukasa turned away from the counter.
Plates balanced carefully in both hands.
She scanned the room.
The food was unmistakable.
Modern.
Out of place here.
"Hey, Tsukasa! Over here."
The voice cut through the noise.
Tsukasa's eyes widened slightly.
A slim young woman waved both arms high in the air, unapologetic.
Messy crimson hair.
Piercing red eyes.
A fierce grin stretching across her face.
Gothic black-and-red maid uniform.
Sharp. Loud. Impossible to miss.
Oh. It's Maki, Tsukasa thought, adjusting her grip as she walked over.
She reached the table near the wall.
Tsukasa set her plate down in front of the empty chair.
Three other plates were already there—half-eaten.
"You're quite late today, Tsukasa," Althea said gently.
The slender silver-haired maid sat straight, hands folded neatly.
Violet-blue eyes calm. Observant.
Tsukasa pulled out the chair.
Sat down fully.
Let out a small breath.
"Yeah… I had to prepare Lord Haruto before he started his day," she replied softly. "Althea."
Althea's eyes widened—just a little.
Then narrowed.
"Oh? Really?" she asked, tone light. Curious. Teasing.
"You're so lucky…" Iris added coolly.
She sat with elegant posture, crimson eyes half-lidded.
Black-and-red hair framed her composed face.
"Being in Lord Haruto's presence every day," Iris continued. "He's very handsome."
Althea and Maki nodded in agreement.
"So," Maki leaned forward, elbows on the table, grin sharp.
"What do you actually do with Lord Haruto?"
She tilted her head.
"Anything spicy?"
"Have you slept with our Lord yet?" Iris asked calmly.
Tsukasa choked.
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, coughing hard.
Her shoulders shook.
Her face flushed.
She grabbed her glass and took a quick, deep sip.
Forced the food down.
Althea watched her closely.
Then smiled knowingly.
"Judging by that reaction," she said, sipping her blue drink,
"You haven't."
"I'm sorry," Tsukasa said once she recovered, voice quiet.
"I can't talk about what I do with Lord Haruto. Any of it."
The three sighed in unison.
"That's understandable," Maki said with a shrug.
Tsukasa picked up her fork.
Stabbed into a juicy steak.
Cut it cleanly with her knife.
Juices spilled across the plate.
"Why are you all so obsessed with Lord Haruto?" she asked.
She lifted the piece.
Ate elegantly.
Althea leaned forward.
Both elbows on the table.
Hands resting beneath her chin.
"Me, personally," she said softly, smiling,
"I think he's cute."
Her eyes softened.
"I don't love him romantically," Althea continued.
"But I love him deeply."
She didn't hesitate.
"If he sent me to my death," she said calmly,
"I would go. And still love him."
Iris nodded once.
"I feel the same," she said quietly.
"There was no place for me in this world."
She played idly with her food, removing leaves from her burger.
"Our Lord welcomed me as if I belonged," Iris said.
"As if I always had."
Maki's hands tightened on her thighs.
"We get everything as maids," she said bluntly.
"A home. Food. Safety."
Her jaw clenched.
"My existence was meaningless after the War of the Seven Lands," Maki continued.
"I lost everything."
Her fingers dug into the fabric.
"I gave up on life," she said.
"Until I met Lord Haruto."
Silence settled.
Althea and Iris's eyes narrowed slightly.
Sadness—quiet, controlled.
"It must have been difficult," Althea said gently.
"So many innocent lives were lost."
Iris slammed her fist onto the table.
Glasses rattled.
Drinks shook.
"That wouldn't have happened," Iris said sharply, voice low,
"If those pieces of dog shit species had stayed on their side."
Her eyes burned.
"They always think they're the center of the universe."
Tsukasa stiffened.
"Huh!?" she said, startled.
"I'm human too—so am I a piece of dog shit?"
She pointed at herself nervously.
The three stared.
Then—
They laughed.
Quietly.
Careful not to draw attention.
"No, come on," Maki said, laughing softly, eyes narrowed warmly.
"You're a saint. Way beyond human standards."
Iris smiled.
"We're family," she said calmly.
"Even if you were human, we'd never hold that against you."
Her smile narrowed her eyes.
Tsukasa smiled back.
Warmth spread through her chest.
Her cheeks turned pink.
"A weird family," Althea said fondly.
Iris turned to her.
"Why do you say that?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"We're not one species," Althea replied.
"Humans stick with humans. Elves with elves."
She gestured lightly around them.
"But here—we're all mixed."
Maki nodded eagerly.
"Yeah!" she said.
"Like a nation of monsters!"
Tsukasa smiled.
A knowing smile.
"That's Lord Haruto's goal," she said.
All eyes turned to her.
"He wants a world where every species lives in peace."
"That's a huge goal," Iris said thoughtfully.
"I wonder how he plans to achieve it."
"The easiest way," Maki said flatly,
"Is to delete evil."
"A world without evil," Tsukasa replied calmly,
"Is a world without choice."
Althea nodded as the bell rang.
"That's true."
"Back to work," Iris said.
They stood, leaving their half-eaten meals behind.
"Today's an easy day for me," Maki said cheerfully as they walked out with the other maids.
Tsukasa followed behind.
They've all had it hard, she thought quietly.
My time with Lord Haruto… isn't difficult at all.
Haruto's bedroom was quiet.
Too quiet.
A large window stretched along one side of the room.
It overlooked the garden below.
Bare branches. Dark leaves. Still paths.
Cold steam clung to the glass.
Gray clouds hung low outside.
Heavy. Pressing.
A cold day.
(I can't wait to see you again.)
Ronóva's voice slid into Haruto's mind—soft, intimate.
She was in another room.
Far away.
Haruto sat in a chair before a small round table.
A single flower pot rested at its center.
Unmoving.
(It's only been two days since we last saw each other.)
Haruto replied internally, gaze drifting toward the window.
"Through Communication" bridged the distance.
Thought to thought. No space between.
(Two days feel like a month when you're apart from the one you love.)
Ronóva answered softly.
Her voice tickled his ear.
Warm. Lingering.
On the other end, Ronóva lay back in a bathtub.
White porcelain.
Golden trim lining the walls.
Bubbles floated lazily across the surface.
She lifted one long leg from the water.
Droplets slid down smooth skin.
Slow. Deliberate.
(A month, huh…)
Haruto replied, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling.
(Either way, we'll see each other at the royal party.)
(Yes.)
Ronóva lowered her leg back into the bath, water rippling.
She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers.
(I'll wear something special for you—so don't look at any other woman.)
Haruto's eyes widened slightly.
Then softened.
He leaned back in his chair.
Elbow resting on the armrest.
Head tilted into his palm.
(I chose you.)
He smiled faintly.
(So whether I'm surrounded by countless women or none at all… they don't exist to me.)
Ronóva froze.
A soft blush bloomed across her cheeks.
She sank lower into the bath until the water reached just beneath her mouth.
Hiding.
(You really have a way with words.)
Her tone stayed gentle—but flustered.
(If you keep that up, more women might fall for you. But it doesn't matter.)
A pause.
(You're already mine. And I'm yours.)
Haruto hesitated.
Just for a moment.
(Yeah.)
His foot began tapping lightly against the polished floor.
(I'm yours. And you're mine. I was just… saying what I felt.)
(Really?)
Ronóva asked.
(Did you inherit that from your father?)
The tapping stopped.
Silence stretched between them.
Too long.
(Y… yeah.)
Haruto answered, voice uneven despite himself.
(You could say that.)
Ronóva noticed instantly.
(Something wrong?)
Concern slipped into her tone—quiet, controlled.
(No.)
Haruto replied quickly, his voice smoothing out.
(I just don't like talking about him.)
Ronóva exhaled softly.
Relief—thin, incomplete.
(I see…)
A pause.
(Do you hate him?)
(No.)
Haruto answered.
Then, quieter—
(And yes.)
A breath.
(Sorry, Ronóva. I need to get back to work. I'll talk to you later.)
(O… okay.)
Her voice dipped, disappointment barely hidden.
(See you later.)
(Yeah. See you later.)
Haruto replied—and cut the connection immediately.
Silence rushed back in.
Ronóva stared up at the ceiling of the royal bathroom.
Bubbles popped softly around her.
Again.
He loves his family deeply.
But it troubles him just as much.
Haruto stood abruptly.
The chair scraped against the floor.
He crossed the room and yanked the bedroom door open.
Fast. Restless.
Moments later, he stood before the bathroom sink.
Both hands braced against the porcelain.
He stared into the mirror.
Pale skin.
Tight eyes.
A smile that didn't reach them.
A rainbow aura flickered around his body.
"Mental Attack Nullification" activated.
Instantly stabilizing his mind.
And yet—
The pressure returned.
Again.
Again.
Seraphina's voice surfaced within his consciousness.
『Master, you must clear your mind and release that memory.』
"I'm trying,"
Haruto muttered aloud, breathing deeply.
Slow. Forced.
『Negative.』
Her tone was precise.
『This is not a mental attack. External influence has already been nullified.』
A pause.
『The issue persists because Master continues to reprocess the memory voluntarily.』
Haruto didn't answer.
There was no point.
Seraphina wasn't something he could lie to.
She existed within his soul.
『Switching to autonomous decision-making.』
『Activating Reality Memory Projection.』
The world collapsed.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Haruto felt himself pulled forward—
Dragged.
When he opened his eyes,
it felt like they were still closed.
Haruto's vision flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Confusion barely had time to settle before a blinding light crashed into him.
White.
Burning.
Haruto squeezed his eyes shut—then opened them again.
His hands came into view.
Pale. Steady.
He looked down at himself.
White hair.
Long white lashes.
Golden eyes reflected faintly in the shine of the floor.
His original form.
Unchanged.
A presence brushed past him.
Cold.
A female figure walked straight through his body like mist.
Haruto stiffened.
His eyes widened slightly as he turned.
A woman.
Long, silky white hair reached her knees.
She wore a thin hospital gown.
Loose. Fragile.
She didn't walk normally.
One step—
Then she was several meters ahead.
Like teleportation without light.
Haruto's jaw tightened.
"Mother…"
The word slipped out softly.
Shocked. Barely there.
He followed.
The hospital hallway stretched endlessly.
White walls.
Muted lights humming overhead.
She turned a corner.
Haruto quickened his pace.
"Wait—"
His voice caught.
A man passed straight through him.
Tall. Lean. Slightly muscular.
Silver-white hair—
But his face was blurred.
Unrecognizable.
Haruto turned sharply.
The rooftop.
Cold night air.
Cars streamed below like veins of light.
A clear sky overhead. Too calm.
His mother stood at the edge.
One step away from nothing.
The man—his father—stood near the barrier.
Hands gripping the metal rail at stomach height.
"Reiko—"
His voice shook despite the softness he forced into it.
"Honey, it's not safe there. Please… come down."
She turned slowly.
Stepped away from the edge.
Only a little.
"I couldn't stand being in that room anymore,"
Reiko said quietly.
Fear trembled beneath the words.
She moved toward the stairs.
Slow. Careful.
Her hand slid along the wall beside her.
Grounding herself.
"Not with him looking at me like that,"
she whispered.
Haruto's shoulders trembled.
"Reiko,"
his father said—firm.
Desperate.
"He's trying to hurt me,"
Reiko said, stopping mid-step.
Her voice shook harder now.
"I don't care if you don't believe me,"
she continued, breath uneven.
"But he is."
She swallowed.
"He's trying to kill me."
Haruto froze.
His breath hitched.
Pain reflected sharply in his golden eyes.
He stepped back.
His father rushed forward.
Hands gentle. Careful.
He took her hand.
Guided her down the stairs.
Pulled her into a tight embrace.
A shaky breath escaped him.
Relief. Raw.
"You have to remind yourself,"
he said, holding her shoulders and pushing her back just enough to meet her gaze.
"That it's the disease."
His hands rubbed her upper arms.
Slow. Reassuring.
"Remember what the dementia does."
Haruto didn't know where to look.
His mouth parted slightly.
Eyes glassy.
Tears pooled without falling.
"It gives you delusions,"
his father continued.
"Makes you think people are out to get you."
Reiko stared at him.
Wide-eyed.
Lost.
"You don't see the way he looks at me,"
she whispered.
"Reiko,"
his father said, voice breaking now.
"He's nine years old."
"He's trying to kill me,"
Reiko repeated.
She turned.
Her gaze locked onto Haruto.
Haruto flinched.
He looked away.
Down.
He wiped at his eyes roughly.
Under his nose.
Skin red. Burning.
When he looked up—
The world had changed.
A modern living room replaced the rooftop.
High ceiling.
Marble floors.
Glass walls stretching upward.
Minimalist.
Cold. Expensive.
Haruto's father stood at the center.
Half swallowed by shadow.
White T-shirt.
One side tucked in.
Black pants hanging loose.
He staggered.
Barely steady.
"It's you,"
his father said.
Silence.
"All of it,"
he continued.
"It's you."
Haruto didn't move.
Didn't speak.
"You know,"
his father said, lifting a bottle of expensive wine and pointing it with a shaking hand,
"every day I watched her lying in that hospital bed. Dying."
His voice cracked.
Anger bled through grief.
"And all I could think was—how am I supposed to take care of this stupid kid?"
He laughed bitterly.
"The one who keeps ruining my life."
He pointed the bottle harder.
"It's you, Haruto,"
he hissed.
"You killed your mother."
A step closer.
"You hear me?"
His eyes burned.
"You killed her."
Another step.
"And now you're killing me."
The anger in his eyes was naked.
Unfiltered.
For a moment—
It looked like he might actually do it.
Haruto stood still.
Small.
Silent.
The memory closed in around him.
Haruto found himself suspended in white.
No floor.
No ceiling.
Only endless space.
His body shifted.
Like water running backward.
His earlier appearance peeled away smoothly, color flowing down him until his presence form reasserted itself.
Hair cascaded differently now.
A smooth gradient—
Deep indigo at the roots.
Fading into luminous light blue at the tips.
A faint starry shimmer threaded through it.
Like a quiet night sky.
Scattered constellations breathing softly.
Haruto stood still.
His head was lowered.
Hair veiled his eyes.
Whatever he felt stayed hidden.
"T… that was unnecessary, Seraphina,"
Haruto said quietly, voice steady despite the weight beneath it.
"But I understand now."
A pause.
"So… thank you."
『Of course.』
Seraphina replied calmly.
『I am Master's partner and guide. My existence is to assist you—without exception.』
Haruto stiffened.
The voice didn't come from inside his head.
His eyes lifted sharply.
Seraphina stood a few steps away.
Solid.
Real.
She resembled him—but not quite.
Same hair.
Same shimmer.
Same lashes.
Yet her form was feminine.
Naked.
Unhidden.
Lean and curving naturally.
Not provocative.
Not inviting.
Simply… present.
Her expression was neutral.
Perfectly still.
"Are you… Seraphina?"
Haruto asked, a slight tremor slipping through despite his control.
『Affirmative. Correct.』
She answered without inflection.
Haruto stepped closer.
Slowly.
He studied her face from close range.
No lust in his eyes.
Only curiosity.
Recognition.
"So this is me… if I took a female form,"
he murmured, touching his chin thoughtfully.
"Why a woman?"
『Clarification: This form is not mandatory.』
Haruto stayed silent.
『Further clarification: Biological sex is inapplicable.
My existence is informational and conceptual.』
She met his gaze evenly.
『This manifested form was selected to optimize trust, emotional regulation, and communication efficiency.』
Haruto absorbed it.
Didn't argue.
Didn't recoil.
"…That was considerate of you,"
he said quietly.
No embellishment.
『Analysis: Early life contained loss, accusation, and isolation.
A neutral or masculine presence would provoke resistance.』
She took a single step closer.
『A feminine form optimized reassurance, guidance, and cognitive stability.』
A beat.
『Simply put, Master… this is the form that allows me to remain closest to you.』
Haruto exhaled slowly.
(…Logical.)
He thought.
『I can alter my form upon request.
This is not deception.
It was chosen for your stability.』
Haruto smiled faintly.
"I think…"
he said, voice low,
"you're the only one who truly understands me."
Seraphina stepped forward.
She embraced him.
Her arms wrapped around his back with measured precision.
Her chest pressed lightly against his.
Haruto didn't react to it.
Didn't notice.
His right hand lifted, resting behind her head instinctively.
Protective. Familiar.
Seraphina's expression didn't change.
She simply held him.
When Haruto closed his eyes—
The white vanished.
He opened them to his reflection.
The bathroom mirror stared back.
Pale face.
Controlled breath.
Eyes steady again.
Haruto felt it instantly.
Someone approaching.
He turned away from the sink and exited before the knock came.
Outside his bedroom—
Tsukasa raised her hand to knock.
The door opened instead.
She froze.
"Hey…"
Haruto said softly, leaning lightly against the frame.
Tsukasa bowed immediately.
Hands folded in front of her.
Posture perfect.
"I've come to serve you, my Lord,"
she said respectfully, voice calm.
Haruto stepped out.
The door closed behind him on its own.
"Well then,"
he said, stopping beside her,
"I'll be needing your service… for something."
The words carried weight.
Not command.
Expectation.