"Both options you gave… lead to the same end. It is either death, or slow death. Whether I fight the beast or try to clear the rocks, I waste time, energy, and life. The real problem isn't which I choose. It's that I'm choosing between two ways to die."
A faint glint flickered in his eyes.
"So, I would use another option. If the creature is strong enough to live in the cave, it's strong enough to destroy the rocks that trap me. I would draw its attention, let it chase me to the entrance and when it strikes, I'd move aside. Its power would do what I could not. I escape without wasting my strength."
It was dead silent. Not a single breeze stirred the courtyard. I swallowed and added softly;
"That way, Young Master… I don't choose between death and death. I rewrite the question itself."
He looked at me for a long moment. I could practically feel my heartbeat echoing in my ears, each thud reminding me that maybe I'd just embarrassed myself in front of one of the most important figures in the estate.
"You actually gave the correct answer. That was what I wanted."
My breath hitched. Wait. What?
He leaned back slightly in his chair, one arm resting lazily on the armrest.
"There were other acceptable answers. You could have said you'd explore deeper into the cave to find another path. Or hide until rescue came. But yours was the one I had in mind. You didn't choose survival. You chose control. You saw through the illusion of choice. That's what I was testing for."
I could barely stop myself from smiling. I think I might have grinned a little too wide for a maid in front of her master, but who cares? My hands were trembling slightly out of adrenaline. Phasnovterich rose to his full height.
"You've passed."
A few of the other maids gasped quietly.
"And since you passed them all and impressed me, I'm appointing you as the second in command of the Null Handmaidens."
My heart actually stopped for a moment. I just… stood there, blinking at him like an idiot. Did he just...
Second in command? Me?
I forced my face into something neutral, but inside, I was screaming. Outwardly, I bowed deeply, my hair falling over my shoulder.
"Thank you, Young Master. I'll make sure not to waste the chance you've given me."
When I lifted my head again, he was already giving his next order, calm and commanding as always.
"Go to the tailors and tell them I ordered a uniform prepared for you. It's a Null Handmaiden's combat attire. Have it made to your measurements. I already described the designs. It will be ready by morning."
"Yes, Young Master."
I left the courtyard slowly...well, slowly at first. But the moment I turned the corner and was out of sight, my whole body burst like a shaken soda bottle.
"I PASSED!"
I actually jumped with both feet off the ground, twirling like a lunatic in the empty hallway. My hands flew to my mouth just to muffle my scream of excitement, but it didn't help. I wanted to yell it to the entire estate. I passed the Black Bleeding Rose test. I survived his Void Dome. And I solved his trick question.
And not just passed. I got promoted!
I'm the second-in-command of Phasnovterich Argemenes' personal assassin unit, a Null Handmaiden.
The MoDS lore never mentioned this faction existing. This was completely new, meaning, I'd just entered uncharted story territory. My thoughts raced as I hurried down the corridor, nearly tripping over my own feet in excitement. The tailors were in another section of the estate but I barely cared where I was going. My brain was already writing headlines.
"Rielinne, Second-in-Command of the Null Handmaidens, and personal aide to the Argemenes Heir!"
Do you know how insane that sounds?
I'm literally going to be close to a hidden main character.
Phasnovterich Argemenes, the fan-favorite, the tragic, handsome, doomed heir who dies in the Masquerade of Dreams Shattered arc.
And I'm going to serve under him. And maybe, I have a chance to save him now that I'll be directly serving him.
For a moment, I just leaned against a wall, trying to calm down. I could still feel the faint heat of his gaze in my mind. The way he said "clarity under deception" replayed again and again. He wasn't just strong. He was terrifyingly smart. Every test had a psychological edge. He'd been looking for assassins, not servants.
I would follow him, even if that meant killing people and crossing lines I used to think were sacred. Because this world was cruel and I was finally strong enough to play its game.
Tomorrow, I'd wear the assassin's uniform. Tomorrow, I'd be Rielinne of the Null Handmaidens.
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