A Heart Full of Longing

Silvermoon Square, the epicenter of the explosion, had already been reduced to ashes.

Clad in grayish-white bone armor, wielding a massive necromantic sword, and mounted on an undead warhorse, a figure reeking of death stood three meters tall—it was the infamous Undead Knight!

A single Undead Knight possessed the terrifying ability to destroy an entire city-state, making it a prominent figure among the undead.

From the massive crater created by the explosion, countless zombies, skeleton soldiers, and hellhounds crawled out, launching a fierce assault on the surrounding streets with the Undead Knight at their center.

‘Has the Dark Church made a comeback?’

At the time, Aliciel didn’t think too much about it.

His attention was completely captivated by that elegant figure.

While other civilians panicked, scattered, and cried for help, a maid, holding nothing but an ordinary broom, calmly walked towards the Undead Knight.

Though her figure was somewhat slender, her entire body exuded an intangible aura.

The Undead Knight also noticed the approaching Head Maid.

With a roar, it raised its sword and charged at her.

A fierce battle was about to begin.

Well, not exactly a fierce battle—more like a one-sided slaughter.

The Undead Knight swung its massive sword, creating sharp blades of light that formed an impenetrable net of sword strikes.

The necrotic energy clinging to it was so potent that even an angel of the holy element wouldn’t dare to face it directly.

However, these seemingly dense and ferocious attacks failed to harm the Head Maid in the slightest.

Her lace-adorned attire fluttered and danced as she gracefully dodged and weaved, as if performing a dance.

The sharp sword strikes didn’t even touch her, not even nicking the ribbon on her waist.

It was less of a battle and more of a one-sided play.

Smack—

Then, the Head Maid swung the broom in her hand—the kind of ordinary broom you’d find in the shop’s restroom, still slightly damp—and lightly struck the Undead Knight’s head.

The bone helmet, harder than refined steel, shattered like a watermelon.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread from the gap in its skull, instantly covering its entire body.

The next moment, it crumbled with a loud crash, dissolving into specks of starlight and vanishing into thin air.

With a single blow, she had killed a city-destroying Undead Knight.

Her power was unimaginably terrifying.

It wasn’t just this maid; the other maids in the shop had also charged out.

Before the Knights Templar could arrive, they had eliminated all the undead creatures in the square.

“My apologies, Master, for the fright.”

Her maid outfit was spotless, not a speck of dust on it.

She placed her hands on her lower abdomen and bowed slightly.

Every movement exuded grace and composure.

Despite having just annihilated an Undead Knight, she was as calm as if she had just taken out the trash.

The powerful visual impact made Aliciel’s eyes widen.

The scene was deeply etched into his mind, unforgettable.

A seed had taken root and sprouted in her heart!

An unknown amount of time passed.

It wasn’t until the Head Maid picked him up and placed him on a clean, tidy sofa that Aliciel realized his body had gone completely limp, devoid of any strength.

The moment the Head Maid picked him up, Aliciel felt an indescribable warmth and beauty.

Warm, beautiful, reassuring, pure—it was as if all the good things in the world were focused in those few short seconds.

This warm embrace reminded him of his deceased parents.

When he was placed on the sofa, a sense of longing and regret inevitably rose in his heart.

As if sensing the desire in Aliciel’s eyes, the Head Maid continued to hold him for a while longer.

“Here, Master, your tea.”

“I’m sorry for the scare.”

“Please wait a moment; your family should be here to pick you up soon.”

A moment later, the Head Maid brought a cup of hot tea to comfort the startled Aliciel.

“Why?”

Aliciel asked.

Without using any magic, she had killed the Undead Knight in one blow with just a broom.

Such immense power would be considered top-tier in the entire Theia Theocracy.

In the Adventurers’ Guild, she could be ranked as an S-class adventurer.

For such a powerful woman, who possessed both beauty and strength, to willingly serve in this small shop as an ordinary maid was simply too unbelievable.

“There is no why.”

“I like being a maid,” the Head Maid said with a calm smile and a gentle tone.

“Do you remember what I said earlier?”

“If you want to understand what others are thinking, you don’t need to learn mind-reading.”

“You just need to lower your stance, just like me, and interact with people as a humble maid.”

“When people face their peers or superiors, they subconsciously become guarded, mindful of their words and actions, fearing they might leave a bad impression and affect their future.”

“Naturally, they are unwilling to speak their minds.”

“But when facing their subordinates, they feel no threat and relax, unconsciously revealing their inner thoughts.”

“Some people like to communicate with innocent children because there are none of the twists and turns of adult conversation.”

“I am not a child, so I use the identity of a maid to get the opportunity to communicate with people.”

“The higher you stand, the farther you see, but sometimes you overlook the scenery at your feet.”

“By appropriately lowering your stance, you can learn more.”

“As for why I have such great power, isn’t that normal?”

“A perfect maid must also protect her master when he is in danger, right?”

The Head Maid’s words were deeply imprinted in Aliciel’s mind, and the seed named “Becoming a Maid” began to take root and sprout.

After being taken home, Aliciel learned from his sister that the disturbance in the square was caused by the Dark Church.

Their purpose was to create a diversion to facilitate a prison break.

But these were not Aliciel’s concerns.

At that time, he hadn’t had the chance to properly thank the Head Maid.

The next day, the maid café vanished as if it had evaporated into thin air.

Everyone, including the Head Maid, had left.

The manager had been replaced, and the shop had been turned into a bakery.

Even using the intelligence network of House Cosmos, they couldn’t find any trace of the Head Maid’s whereabouts.

According to his sister’s speculation, the Head Maid was likely a secret agent, as were the other maids.

They had set up the maid café as a cover.

After the Dark Church made its move, the agents’ mission was considered complete, so they naturally had to withdraw as soon as possible.

Aliciel never saw the Head Maid again, but her words remained deeply etched in his mind.

Even though he could no longer remember her face, her figure became his aspiration.

After that, she began to work hard to become a perfect maid.

Hiding it from her sister, she cross-dressed and entered the Royal Etiquette Academy to learn professional maid skills such as etiquette, cooking, and housekeeping.