Duke Alister's estate was not built for peace.
Outside the third-floor recovery wing, the gardens were under constant repair, their rose bushes decapitated anew by noble ladies dueling for bouquet rights. Inside the manor, chaos had become so routine that the maids no longer screamed when a chandelier fell—they just swept the shards and replaced the wine.
And in the middle of this aristocratic battlefield was Rei.
He sat frozen on the velvet-upholstered bed, his tiny hands gripping a pillow like it was a shield. The elegant room still smelled of lavender and antiseptic—though beneath that lingered the scent of... desperation.
"System," he whispered. "Please tell me that hug wasn't a death flag."
[System Response: Host survived Hug Quest with minimal trauma. Congratulations!]
[Bonus: +2 Affection (Rosette), -3 Jealousy (Others), +1 Suspicion (Everyone).]
[Side Note: You are now being watched.]
Rei squinted at the last notification.
"Watched…?"
He turned, cautiously scanning the grand room. Silk drapes danced in the breeze. The fireplace crackled with enchantment. The white roses in the corner vase had been freshly replaced.
And then he saw her.
The maid.
She stood in the farthest shadow of the room, quiet as ever, back straight, hands folded. Her uniform was pristine: black and white lace trimmed, the Duke's crest stitched in silver over her heart. Her hair was a deep midnight blue, tied in a low bun that somehow looked like a noose in this lighting.
Rosette.
"Th-thank you for the hug," Rei mumbled, his voice sheepish. "I didn't mean to—well, I wasn't sure you were going to—y'know, kill me…"
Rosette said nothing.
Instead, she curtsied.
Slowly. Gracefully. Dangerously.
Then she took a step forward.
Rei felt his spine straighten involuntarily. The System pinged.
[Warning: Rosette's aura has changed. Threat Level: Unquantifiable.]
[New Trait Unlocked: "Masked Devotion" — Rosette has revealed a deeper side.]
She moved like a ghost in silk, her footfalls so soft they didn't even creak the wooden floorboards. When she reached his bedside, she stopped exactly two feet away. Not one inch closer. But Rei still felt like her presence was crawling up his skin like a cold wind.
"Master Rei," she said, her voice low and almost… kind. "Are you in pain?"
Rei blinked. "N-No… I mean, just emotionally. And psychologically. And spiritually."
"Good." She smiled.
It was the kind of smile that did not reach her eyes.
"Your health is my highest priority. I cannot allow damage from outside sources. Nor internal ones."
"I—Internal?"
She reached into her apron pocket.
Rei's survival instincts screamed.
But instead of a dagger—or a vial of poison—she pulled out a folded cloth. A handkerchief. Embroidered with tiny red roses.
He relaxed slightly.
"Your shirt," she murmured, "is wrinkled. I must fix it."
She leaned forward. Rei tried to scoot back, but the headboard offered no retreat. With gloved hands, she adjusted the collar of his linen shirt—slow, careful movements. Her fingers brushed his throat. It was like being pet by a cobra.
"There," she whispered.
[System Notification: Threat Level remains dangerously ambiguous.]
[Hidden Action Detected: Rosette has attached a magical surveillance node inside your shirt.]
Rei's eyes widened.
"What did you—?"
"I stitched a little gift into the hem," she said calmly, stepping back. "It will allow me to monitor your temperature, heartbeat, and geographic position at all times. For your safety."
"…That's a tracking device."
"It's love."
"It's surveillance!"
"Only because I care."
Rei opened his mouth to argue further.
And stopped.
Because he noticed something.
The shadows behind Rosette were wrong.
They flickered independently of the fireplace. Like something alive was coiled behind her. And when she turned slightly to the left, just enough for the candlelight to hit her side profile—
He saw them.
Knives.
Ten of them.
All tucked into hidden loops along the inside of her maid apron. Labeled.
He squinted.
They had names.
— "Jealousy"
— "Seduction Deterrent"
— "Meal Prep (Last Resort)"
— "Emergency Grooming Tool"
— "Necklace Opener" (???)
Rei swallowed hard.
"You're… very prepared."
Rosette tilted her head slightly. "It is a maid's duty to be thorough."
[System Advice: Compliment her or she may test 'Seduction Deterrent.']
"You're incredible," Rei blurted. "Like, ten out of ten. I feel very… protected. Super safe. A little too safe."
Rosette nodded once.
"I am relieved to know you feel secure."
Her gaze slid sideways to the door.
At the exact moment, a knock echoed.
"Rei~! It's Seraphina! I brought my poetry album and a declaration of war!"
Rosette didn't move.
But Rei could swear the air in the room dropped ten degrees.
Then, a second knock.
"Big Sister Lilia wants to brush your hair!" came another voice. "Don't worry, I sterilized the comb with holy fire!"
Rosette closed her eyes.
And exhaled slowly.
"I see."
In a flash of movement, she stepped away from the bed, her hands flicking upward. The candle flames dimmed. The drapes fluttered as though a wind had passed—but the windows were shut.
She pulled the privacy screen across the bed with a soft clack.
"You are tired," she declared, voice steel under velvet. "You will now sleep."
"Wait, no—I'm not even—!"
Before Rei could protest, she pulled the heavy comforter up to his chin and tucked it in so tightly he could not move his arms.
Then she leaned in.
Face inches from his.
"Rest," she whispered. "I will deal with the others."
Her breath was warm.
Her eyes were cold.
Then she turned.
She walked to the door.
She opened it.
Rei could only see shadows through the screen, but the hallway immediately filled with a blizzard of voices:
"Oh! Rosette—!"
"You're still here? I thought you only worked days."
"Step aside, maid. I have to read him my blood-oath sonnets!"
"There will be no entry," Rosette said simply. "The young master is resting."
"Oh, we'll be quiet!" Seraphina's voice chirped. "He'll barely notice I'm painting our wedding mural over his ceiling!"
Rosette's voice dropped half an octave.
"Your presence is harmful to his recovery. Your obsession—disturbing."
Silence.
"W-What did you just say?!"
The hallway trembled with aura.
Rei curled into himself under the blankets, heart thundering.
He heard what followed:
A hiss of magic.
A blade unsheathing.
A deep exhale.
Then, a brief sound—
Like silk sliding over steel.
And then…
Silence.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Then—
Rosette returned.
She walked to the bed, carefully smoothed a wrinkle in the sheets, and straightened a pillow beside Rei's head.
"All distractions have been removed," she said softly.
[System Alert: Rosette's Dominance Affection Trait unlocked.]
[You are now registered as her "Primary Emotional Anchor."]
[Meaning: She will not allow death… or escape.]
Rei whimpered. "What… did you do…?"
Rosette smiled.
"I taught them respect."
[Side Notification: Three noble girls are currently unconscious. One is in a magical straightjacket.]
[You may want to sleep with one eye open.]
Rosette stepped back into the shadows once more.
The candle flames flickered as she moved.
And then—
She vanished.
Gone.
Not a sound. Not a trace.
The room was calm.
Rei stared up at the ceiling, sweat dripping down his temple.
His heart still beat.
That was the good news.
The bad news?
The quiet ones were always the worst.
And Rosette, it seemed, had just declared herself the apex predator of the harem.
"…I'm not surviving this arc," he muttered.
[System Response: Nope.]
To be continued…