When Lux demanded another game, Luke obviously wasn't about to refuse.
But unlike the duelist's stubborn obsession, Lux realized just how massive the gap between them was by the fourth game.
No matter what anyone said, she wasn't starting a fifth.
Trying to force a draw? Total nonsense!
"Four games. That's four days."
Luke smiled, pretty satisfied with the outcome.
Honestly, he hadn't even been planning to mess with Lux.
She delivered herself right to his doorstep—so of course he was going to take the opportunity.
Fiora saw the look in his eyes and immediately guessed what he was about to say next.
She glanced at Yurna Doer, coughed lightly, and said, "We probably don't have any extra maid outfits for both of us. Let's just talk about it tomorrow."
She hadn't planned on losing before the match, but now she was regretting it.
Just imagining herself in a maid outfit in front of this guy made her want to die of embarrassment.
Lux nodded along at once. "Yeah, yeah."
From the side, Yurna Doer—who'd watched everything from start to finish—spoke up calmly. "Ladies, I keep two spare sets of clothing in my room for changing and laundry."
Fiora, Lux: "…"
So, a few minutes later…
The door to Yurna Doer's room slowly opened.
Luke sat on the couch, chewing on an apple with one hand, his eyes fixed with amused interest on the doorway. When the two of them stepped out, his eyes brightened.
Fiora came out first, dressed in a maid outfit. Her head was slightly lowered, but it was obvious she was trying her best to hold it together.
And the way her hands were clenched tight around the skirt said plenty about her current mood.
The outfit fit her surprisingly well. Below the hem, her long legs were wrapped in black stockings—firm calves with just the right shape to them.
Seeing the proud, aloof duelist in an outfit like this added a completely different kind of charm.
Maid Fiora: unlocked.
After struggling internally for a moment, Fiora seemed to decide to just commit. She released the skirt, lifted her chin, and shot Luke a cold, disdainful look—like his "taste" was beneath her.
Now that was the right vibe.
The difference between Fiora and Yurna Doer was that Fiora's contempt was probably sincere from the heart.
Yurna Doer's, on the other hand, was something Luke had ordered her to do.
Which was better?
Luke could only say: evenly matched.
Lux walked out behind her. She was shorter, so the maid outfit looked a little big on her.
But "doesn't fit" wasn't quite right either—there was something nice about a small frame wearing oversized clothes.
Unlike Fiora's shame, Lux was simply curious, looking down at what she had on without feeling embarrassed at all.
It was more like… the novelty of wearing a maid outfit for the first time.
She blinked at Luke. "Well? How do I look?"
Luke gave his verdict. "It suits you."
"Really?" Lux looked delighted and even spun in a little circle.
She gave off the vibe of a brand-new maid who'd only been on the job for two days—sweet, clueless, and naive in the most obvious way.
Honestly, Lux could pull off just about anything.
No wonder Riot kept giving her new outfits.
She and Fiora really were opposites—one in the cute lane, one in the elegant, mature lane—both equally good for Luke's eyes.
And looking at beautiful women was, unsurprisingly, great for the mood.
Luke was in an excellent mood now. He waved like a rich landlord. "Come on. Massage me."
Yurna Doer wasn't the "warm the bed" kind of maid, but massages were definitely on her service list.
So even if Fiora and Lux weren't thrilled, they still had to come over.
When Luke saw the two of them standing there like they had no idea what to do, he glanced at them with obvious disgust. "You're hopeless. You can't even handle something this simple. Yurna Doer—show them."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Yurna Doer stepped up, placed her hands lightly on Luke's shoulders, and started kneading with even pressure.
Then she switched to a rhythmic tapping technique—clean, practiced, professional.
Luke closed his eyes and enjoyed it.
Lux watched closely, then asked curiously, "Yurna Doer, you look so young, but your technique is really good. How long have you been a maid?"
Without stopping, Yurna Doer answered, "Miss Crownguard, this is my first year."
Lux blinked. "Just your first year?"
"Yes."
Luke actually knew that. Back when he'd been choosing a maid-steward, he'd been given their information.
Some were highly experienced. Others were brand-new.
Yurna Doer's file said she'd once been a noble lady, but her family had fallen apart. Her father died because of some conflict involving her mother and her sister. After a huge fight, she left home in a rage.
But she still had to survive somehow, and she happened to see the royal palace recruitment notice.
She went through round after round of screening, and in the end, she stood in front of Luke—who chose her.
Luke hadn't asked for more details.
If she'd passed the royal screening, her background was clean.
Otherwise, how could the crown possibly feel comfortable placing a combat-trained maid beside him?
And after all this time, aside from always wearing the same expressionless face, Yurna Doer's obedience made Luke extremely satisfied.
At this point, even the expressionless part felt… pleasant to look at.
That cold, restrained maid vibe? Excellent.
"Alright, that's enough. Let them take over."
After a while, Luke opened his eyes and glanced at Fiora and Lux. "Why are you still standing there?"
Honestly, Yurna Doer had it way too good with a master like him.
She didn't even have to cook—and now she had two extra helpers sharing the workload—while still collecting a salary.
You didn't find that kind of treatment anywhere else.
Seeing Luke's smug face, Fiora drew a deep breath, forced her emotions down, and placed her hands on his shoulders.
Because it was summer and his clothes were thin, Luke could clearly feel Fiora's slender palms and the steady pressure starting to build.
He nodded approvingly. "Not bad. More force. Don't worry—I can take it."
Fiora increased the strength.
Luke then turned to the side and looked at Lux, who was clearly trying to back away. He lifted one leg and rested it on the table. "You—hammer my legs."
Seeing him acting like some arrogant lord, Lux crouched down with visible annoyance.
Reluctantly, she raised her small fists and tapped his leg in a rhythm—calf to thigh, thigh back to calf.
Both girls were thinking the same thing: if only they were better at the game, they'd be the ones ordering Luke around right now.
Watching him enjoy himself so comfortably, both of them clenched their teeth and swore silently that one day, they'd make him pay it all back.
Tap, tap, tap…
Lux started getting distracted.
She kept replaying that last game in her mind, feeling like the loss was a waste. She'd held out so long—if she could've held a few moves more, maybe she'd have had a chance.
"Ugh…"
She sighed without thinking—and her fist came down a little too hard, landing right on a sensitive spot in Luke's thigh with no warning.
"Hiss—!"
Luke sucked in a sharp breath and glared at Lux. "Can you at least act like a maid?"
That surprise hit—what was that, an assassination attempt?
Lux snorted, refusing to feel guilty. "You're lucky I'm doing it at all! Stop nitpicking!"
Yeah, this one had a rebellious streak.
Luke thought for a moment and decided to tolerate it. "Fine. If this were anywhere else, you'd already be scrubbing toilets."
Lux rolled her eyes and stayed quiet.
Then Luke shot a smug glance back at Fiora. "So I can criticize her but not you? Do either of you have any maid professionalism at all? If I sprinkled rice on my shoulder, a chicken could massage better than you."
Fiora's eyebrow twitched. Her lips tightened.
And the killing intent in her eyes was basically visible.
They said you can't hide the look of someone who wants to stab you.
Unfortunately, Luke was too busy feeling smug to notice. He kept his chin up, playing the part of the master.
"Honestly, you two just need more practice. But no rush—there are plenty of days ahead, and you can—hiss—yeah, that pressure's good. Good. More."
Feeling the force increase, Luke even signaled her to press harder.
Fiora said coldly, "Your Highness, you should lie down. It'll be easier for me."
Luke cracked one eye open. "Oh? Improvising now. Not bad."
He pulled his leg back, then flopped face-down on the couch, switching positions.
Fiora moved to his side, placed her hands on his back, and asked evenly, "Your Highness can take pressure, yes?"
Luke answered confidently. "A lot."
"Can take pressure" meant the heavier the pressure you could handle, the better.
So Fiora began massaging slowly.
At first it was normal. Luke could feel the strength gradually increasing.
Then, at a certain moment, Fiora pressed down hard on two points on his back—suddenly and viciously.
"HISS—!"
Luke's head shot up as he inhaled sharply.
Before he could even recover, Fiora kept going at that same intensity, continuing the massage without mercy.
"This pressure—"
"Didn't you say you could take it, Your Highness?" Fiora cut him off smoothly. "Or are you already done?"
Luke snorted. "This pressure is nothing. We're not even getting started!"
A man could not admit he wasn't tough enough.
Even if he wasn't tough enough, he still had to be!
Fiora smiled. "Good. I haven't even used real force yet."
Luke: "…"
For the first time, he felt a faint sense of danger.
The next second, an even heavier wave of pressure slammed into his back—straight into his soul.
In that moment, Luke finally understood what it meant to be suffering… and somehow enjoying it.
"Your Highness, is this pressure okay?"
"Okay…"
"And this?"
"Oka—"
"And this?"
"…"
As time passed, Fiora stopped getting any response at all.
She kept pressing anyway.
Lux leaned in, studied Luke's face, and said, "Uh… I think he's about to start foaming at the mouth."
Only then did Fiora stop, wearing a calm, satisfied smile.
Luke wasn't foaming, but his consciousness really was starting to drift.
Lux poked his cheek. No response.
She muttered, "Is he dying?"
Luke slowly regained a sliver of awareness. His clear eyes were full of confusion as he mumbled, "I think I just saw my mom…"
His late mother stood on the other side of a river, smiling gently, waving at him, calling him over.
Lux poked his cheek again. "Before you go, can you leave me the recipes for cola and candy apples?"
Luke glared at her with irritation, forced himself upright—and the moment he moved, his face twisted with pure, electric misery.
His back didn't feel like it belonged to him anymore.
He shot Fiora an angry look.
Fiora tilted her head and put on the most innocent expression imaginable. "Does Your Highness have any other orders?"
Luke looked away. "Not right now…"
Lux, meanwhile, bounced on her toes like she'd been waiting her whole life. "My turn to massage! My turn!"
"Like hell!" Luke glared at her. He really couldn't do anything with these two. In the end, he could only grit out, "Massage service is canceled forever!"
Lux looked disappointed—like she'd missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Luke rolled his aching shoulders and back.
One or two sessions like that might be fine.
A few more, and he really would end up crossing that river to meet his mother.
He looked at Lux and Fiora and sighed internally.
Both of them had that rebellious streak.
Seriously… his own maid was the best.
So the punishments were limited to things like washing dishes and doing laundry—normal maid duties, only now falling on the two rich girls.
Neither of them complained anymore. A bet was a bet.
And when there was nothing special to do, things went back to normal.
Like now—Lux and Fiora were back to playing five-in-a-row in the living room.
Luke sat beside them with the air of a grandmaster, watching two amateurs peck at each other.
Every so often he'd sip some tea, then deliberately exhale a slow breath near the board just to break their concentration—
And earn two synchronized glares.
When the girls finally couldn't take it anymore, they kicked him out.
So Luke went outside, sank into a rocking chair in the yard, and looked up at the night.
The sky was fully dark now. Unlike the cloudless day, the night was packed with stars.
They stretched from one end of the sky to the other like a river of light—beautiful.
Luke took a sip of Smoky Earl Grey Tea, and the system's voice rang out.
[Aptitude +1]
[Congratulations, host. Aptitude has broken through to 40. Aptitude rank: one in a hundred.]
Aptitude increased again?
Luke yawned. He didn't really feel much.
Aptitude was vague to begin with. From "hopelessly average" to "one in a hundred," Luke still couldn't tell what the difference was.
Maybe he just hadn't had the chance to show it yet.
After all, the system's skills—stuff like Intro to Spiritual Power—had been sitting there ever since he got them, and he'd never trained once.
So even if his aptitude was high, it didn't mean much.
Around 9:30 p.m., Lux and Fiora got ready to leave.
They couldn't miss curfew.
They took the five-in-a-row board with them, too. Fiora had taken it the day before, so tonight she gave it to Lux.
And before Lux left, she also grabbed seven candy apples.
The way she was carrying them, it looked like she planned to wipe them out in a single night.
Luke stayed sprawled in his rocking chair. Seeing the candy apples in Lux's hands as she said goodbye, he kindly warned her, "Don't say I didn't tell you—there's a lot of sugar in those. Eat too many and your teeth are going to hurt."
Lux waved it off. "Toothache is nothing!"
Then she left.
Luke didn't bother trying to convince her. He just lay there lazily, staring at the stars.
On the way home, Lux hummed happily, staring at the candy apples and planning how to distribute them.
She'd already eaten one, leaving six.
"Mom gets one… five left. Aunt gets one… four left. Garen—Garen said he doesn't want any, so… still four left."
Thinking that, Lux smiled to herself.
Life with candy apples was a happy life.
Soon, she returned to the Crownguard estate.
Her aunt was on the couch reading.
Her mother was, as always, working on needlework.
Garen looked like he'd just gotten back—fatigue written across his face.
"What's that you're holding?" Augatha asked curiously, eyeing the glossy, bright-red candy apples. They looked appetizing.
"Candy apples!"
Lux immediately pulled out one and handed it to Augatha.
Then she gave one to Tianna.
Finally, she looked at Garen. After a moment's thought, she handed him one too. "Here. It's really good."
Garen took it instinctively, gave it a look, then bit down hard.
Unlike Augatha and Tianna—who tasted it in small bites—Garen went one big bite at a time.
Chewing, he nodded slightly. Yeah… it actually tasted pretty good.
To Lux, it was a tragic waste. She sighed in her heart.
Any food that ended up in that guy's mouth was doomed to be swallowed in three bites.
But she still had three left, so her mood improved instantly.
"Did His Highness make these too?" Augatha asked casually while eating.
"Mm-hm!" Lux nodded fast, proud like she'd made them herself. "Good, right?"
"Very good," Tianna said with a small smile, then glanced at the other thing Lux was carrying. "And what's that?"
"Five-in-a-row. His Highness came up with it too."
Lux set the board on the table, took out the black and white pieces from the bag, and explained the rules.
"Sounds interesting," Augatha said, and Tianna looked intrigued as well. They decided to try a game.
Lux was desperate for people to practice with, so she agreed immediately.
At first, it went fine. Tianna, Augatha, and Garen rotated in, and most of the time they weren't her match.
But once they got used to the rules, the games started going back and forth.
Eventually, it turned into Tianna versus Augatha.
Lux could only watch from the side, on the verge of tears, not even qualifying to play.
As for Garen—once he realized he wasn't getting a turn, he went to rest early.
He had Dauntless Vanguard training tomorrow.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.