"Uwaah uwaah."
Soft cries echoed amidst the bustling sounds of nearby maids helping a noble lady through the birth of her first child.
An older maid, dressed in a traditional black-and-white uniform, her slightly plump figure shaped by age, gently cleaned the newborn of blood. She then wrapped the child in a soft, white silk towel and handed him to his mother.
"My lady, it's a boy... with the same reddish hair as yours."
The noblewoman took the child into her arms, smiling with the love only a mother who has given her all can express. As she gazed at the baby, he looked back with pure, watery red eyes—confused, blinking slowly, than giggling as he reached out and grabbed a strand of her beautiful red hair.
She chuckled softly, kissing his cheeks, his nose, his eyes—and even his lips. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as the baby clumsily reached for her face, as if trying to wipe the tears away, though his little hands lacked the control to succeed.
Startled at first, she then laughed with delight.
"My little baby is a genius, isn't he?"
And as if he understood, the baby clapped and giggled sweetly.
In this harmonious moment, she felt as if every hardship had been worth it. For the first time in a long while, she was truly happy—happy to be alive.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. A young maid collapsed to the marble floor, clutching her chest, gasping for breath. Without warning, another maid standing nearby pulled out a gleaming knife and lunged at the mother and child.
"Die, you demons!"
It happened so fast that no one had time to react—not the helpers, not even the two battle maids stationed at the door, one with blue hair and the other green.
Only the mother sensed the danger. Acting on instinct, she shielded her baby with her body.
The assassin aimed her knife at their hearts, determined to kill them both. But before the blade could land, a deafening roar erupted, freezing everyone in place.
A blue blur dashed forward—and in a flash, the assassin's hand, still gripping the knife, hit the ground. Blood splattered across the room.
The blue-haired maid kicked the would-be killer away from the mother and child.
The green-haired maid moved swiftly, releasing everyone from the paralysis. As the assassin tried to move, she was met with the icy blade of the other battle maid—plunged directly into her vitals.
The green-haired maid rushed to the mother and said urgently:
"Bear with it. This is going to hurt."
With a swift motion, she yanked the knife from the mother's body.
"Ahhh!"
The woman screamed in pain—followed quickly by a soothing green glow as the maid tried to heal the wound.
But even before the healing could take effect, the mother's skin turned a sickly green, then a poisonous purple. She began coughing up blood.
"My lady! What's happening? Are you okay?" the green-haired maid asked, panicked, her hands glowing green again.
"It's poison... from the Demon Continent..." she coughed. "I don't... have much time."
Wiping blood from her lips, she looked at her newborn one last time.
"I'm sorry... I won't be able to raise you, my baby."
Tears now flowed from sorrow instead of joy. She smiled and whispered into his ear:
"As my own blood, you shall be named Guy Crimson... and for your father's blood—"
She turned to her trusted maids.
"Blue. Green."
"My lady!"
Both knelt before her, though she was little more than a dying shell, showing their eternal loyalty.
"From today onward, I release you from your duties as my servants and declare you the personal maids of my son, Guy Crimson—until death."
"We hear, We obey." they replied in unison, saluting her one final time.
Freed from all burdens, the lady smiled at her two loyal companions—no, her friends.
"Blue. Green... thank you for everything."
"What are you saying, my lady? It's our fortune to serve you."
Still smiling, the lady gave her final order.
"This castle is full of traitors. He will not be safe here. Bring him to Boreas Greyrat. He is trustworthy, And if he ever tries anything with you two—you're allowed to kick him in the balls."
She laughed, weak but hearty. She handed over a key and her baby, after giving him one final kiss on the forehead.
"Now go. I'll take care of this assassin myself."
Both maids nodded and vanished like shadows.
The lady's smile faded. Her face turned a deathly shade of purple. Still, she stared coldly at the wounded assassin.
"I wouldn't have cared if you tried to kill me," she whispered. "But you dared to threaten my son and the future king of this kingdom."
All motherly warmth vanished. What remained was the maniacal smile of the Crimson Demon—feared even on the Demon Continent.
She whispered a single word:
"Die."
And then—everything turned white.