The Head Maid’s Unconventional Devotion

“Huh?”

Seraphina was startled by Levian, who was performing a perfectly standard dogeza right before her eyes.

‘My goodness… Where did she learn this? She might as well have taken off her clothes, folded them neatly, and set them aside…’

Observing Levian, her legs curled, hands supporting her head, and forehead pressed to the ground in utmost respect, Seraphina couldn’t help but recall the maid’s previous arrogant demeanor, how she had seemed to wish her dead.

A powerful, unprecedented thrill swelled within Seraphina’s heart.

‘Is this the feeling of conquest? It’s exhilarating; no wonder Iqiyah enjoys it.’

‘Hehehehehehe…’

However, appearances still had to be maintained. After all, this rather dim-witted Head Maid was currently just experiencing an emotional breakdown.

If Levian were to regain her senses and realize she had been utterly subjugated by someone she had always considered trash, it would be hard to say who had truly conquered whom.

Seraphina swallowed hard, her throat still aching faintly ever since her brush with death.

‘Learn from past mistakes, remember the bloody lessons—I must be cautious! Extremely cautious!’

“Oh, Head Maid, I can’t accept this, truly I can’t!”

Seraphina tried to help Levian, who was kneeling before her, to her feet.

However, halfway through, she found herself utterly unable to budge the Head Maid.

At that moment, Levian remained in her half-kneeling posture, facing Seraphina with her hands pressed together.

“I, Levian, have drifted half my life, regretting only that I have not met a wise lord. If you do not abandon me, I am willing to pledge myself as your disciple… Oh, no, Master!”

Seraphina was on the verge of breaking down.

‘First, there was Sylvie, then Pokémon, and now dogeza and Lu Bu… You blood kin certainly know a lot.’

But the thought that the one kneeling before her was a powerful individual with immense power and a rather dim wit made Seraphina break out in a cold sweat.

Moreover, being acknowledged in such a dramatic fashion… was truly not a good omen.

“Oh, my disciple Levian, please rise!” Seraphina hastily helped Levian to her feet.

“Thank you, Master!”

“Pfft.”

‘This one is really getting into character.’

“Master, why are you laughing?”

“Nothing, I just remembered something amusing.”

“Also, please stop calling me Master. I’m not that formidable…”

‘All this talk gives me a sense of indebtedness, like I’ve used a time-stop gadget to brazenly invade a Japanese girls’ high school.’

‘In other words, it’s the villain’s delusion of “enjoying it now, but eventually having to pay it all back”.’

“Yes, Lady Seraphina, you truly are a model of humility for our blood kin.”

‘This title somehow feels even worse.’

****

Suddenly—

“Hiss.”

A sharp pain shot through Seraphina’s body, making her gasp.

She looked at the source of the pain: the spot where Levian had just whipped her.

Perhaps due to adrenaline, she had been so tense moments ago that she hadn’t noticed the excruciating pain of her wounds rubbing against her clothes.

Now, her brain likely registered that she was out of danger, and the adrenaline’s effects subsided. The slightest movement caused her wounds to chafe against her attire, unleashing a flood of agonizing pain.

“Ugh…”

“Lady Seraphina, what’s wrong?”

“You really don’t need to use such formal language…”

More than the pain, Seraphina was concerned about this dense Head Maid’s attitude towards her.

“Thanks to you, I’ve acquired quite a few wounds.”

Her experience from two lifetimes taught her that the best way to interact with people was to make them feel a slight sense of indebtedness towards her.

This way, when others interacted with her, they would instinctively want to compensate for that debt, and thus naturally consider her interests.

“I am truly sorry, Lady Seraphina! I will treat you right away!”

With that, Levian raised her hand, and a surge of light pulsed in her palm.

Seraphina’s wounds, however, showed no reaction.

“Ah,” Seraphina said, her face ashen, “I knew it…”

Due to the effects of the [Divine Blessing], Seraphina was unable to receive any healing.

“Eh?”

Likely realizing her magic had no effect, Levian’s face instantly filled with astonishment.

“This, this can’t be, Lady Seraphina, I… I…”

“It’s alright, this isn’t your fault.” Seraphina gently patted Levian’s shoulder, “This is a divine blessing, you see~”

Seraphina wasn’t sure if it truly was a blessing, but if such a deity existed, she’d personally give them a good hammering.

“There’s a medical room in the mansion, right? Just take me there to get it treated.”

“Yes, Lady Seraphina.”

“…”

‘This title, it seems, won’t be changing.’

****

Seraphina had to admit, Levian was indeed a top-tier maid.

In the maids’ medical room, Levian meticulously disinfected, treated, medicated, and bandaged Seraphina’s wounds.

Her professional touch was perhaps no less skilled than that of the doctors surrounding Iqiyah.

“Lady Seraphina, all treatments are complete. You’ve been through a lot.” Levian snipped the end of the bandage.

“From past experience, blood kin usually make a full recovery in about a day after being whipped.”

“Compared to previous experiences, your injuries are relatively light, so you should recover even faster.”

“Well, thank you very much…”

‘You stupid maid, who do you think caused these wounds anyway!’

“For your health… please wear this garment for a while. It’s more breathable and gentle on the skin, which will aid your recovery.”

As she spoke, Levian retrieved a sheer, translucent gauze dress from the medical room’s wardrobe.

It was entirely white and appeared incredibly light.

“…”

As Seraphina looked at Levian offering the clothing, a sudden impulse rose within her: to crack open Levian’s skull and see if it contained paste or mud.

“Is something wrong, Lady Seraphina? Is there a problem?”

“You want me to change into something so sheer, where my skin is visible… Aren’t you afraid Iqiyah will see the bandages on my body?”

“It doesn’t matter. From the moment I entered the basement, I was already prepared to be punished by Lady Iqiyah.”

‘You’re truly noble, then.’

“However, Lady Seraphina, for you to consider me so thoughtfully, you truly are gentle.” A rare blush appeared on Levian’s face, “Even though I was the one who hurt you…”

“Gentle… I’m not, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense!”

Seraphina’s face darkened. She knew that for a transmigrator protagonist, being called “gentle” was a pure, unadulterated prerequisite for a bad ending.

“Oh, right, this is for you.”

“What? Did I give you something?” Seraphina asked, utterly confused. Given their previous hostile relationship, she couldn’t imagine having given the maid anything at all.

“Hehe, you truly are a busy person with a short memory…”

With that, Levian pulled something out of her chest pocket that left Seraphina dumbfounded: the tattered piece of cloth that Levian had whipped off her.

“This is a treasure bestowed upon you by Lady Iqiyah,” Levian gazed at the scrap of cloth as if it were a long-lost lover, “and yet I selfishly desired to possess it. What a transgression…”

Watching Levian look so utterly enraptured by a piece of clothing—a mere scrap, at that—that Iqiyah had casually created, Seraphina’s scalp tingled.

This person… her feelings for Iqiyah were no longer simple love; they were clearly mixed with an obvious, inherent worship… practically a born yandere saint.

However, such a yandere was also quite easy to tame.

“…You can keep this yourself. Consider it a gift from me to you.”

“Really?” Hearing this, Levian’s eyes lit up, “But this is a treasure bestowed upon you by Lady Iqiyah, I truly wouldn’t dare…”

“It’s alright,” Seraphina said, mentally steeling herself. She took a step forward, grasped Levian’s hand holding the scrap of cloth, and closed her fingers tightly around it.

“Since Lady Iqiyah gave it to me, then I have the right to dispose of this item, don’t I?”

“But, but…”

At this point, Levian no longer brought up any talk of transgression; her desire to possess the scrap of cloth had clearly overcome her maid’s integrity.

Seraphina, seeing through it all, smiled faintly.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Keep it. Consider it a welcome gift from me to you.”

“Ugh…”

Tears welled in the corners of Levian’s eyes. She folded the scrap of cloth once more and placed it back into the pocket closest to her heart.

“Lady Seraphina’s kindness, I, Levian Mezent, shall never forget for all eternity.”

“Whoa, whoa, don’t kneel, don’t kneel!”

Seeing Levian about to perform her divine dogeza technique again, Seraphina quickly stopped her.

‘Grandma, you can kneel a few times, but my poor heart can’t take it!’

“To repay your kindness, please do me the honor…”

As she spoke, Levian pulled a golden, shimmering object from another pocket, cradled it in her hands, and knelt before Seraphina.

Caught entirely off guard, Seraphina’s face flushed.

‘No, we just met. A marriage proposal, or something…’

‘But aren’t rings usually made of diamonds? What is this golden, shimmering thing…?’

Seraphina looked closely. It was a small badge, engraved with a person’s profile, which looked somewhat familiar…

‘Wait, isn’t that Iqiyah engraved on it?’

“Lady Seraphina, please allow me to invite you to join our assembly…”

“Our… Church of Worshipping Lady Iqiyah.”

Looking at Levian, kneeling on the ground, holding up the badge, Seraphina was dumbfounded.

‘What is this? A cult?’

Seraphina, experiencing a minor blood kin shock, felt dizzy and lightheaded.

‘What kind of blood kin are you to be so abstract!’