A Master’s Duty

“Th-that… Seraphina, I still desire a [Purification]…”

“You wish for a [Purification] simply from a gust of wind? Absolutely not.”

“Ugh…”

Iqiyah sat on the ground, her legs pressed together. Her flushed face still bore the lingering sweat from her recent [Purification].

Her gaze flickered, never quite settling, between Seraphina and the surrounding space.

“What, my dear Lady Iqiyah, are you already so impatient?”

“That’s not it…”

Though she uttered the words, Iqiyah’s eager, almost desperate expression utterly betrayed her true feelings.

‘Heh heh~ It seems the taming was quite successful~’

“If you want it, then you’ll have to take it.” Seraphina’s lips curved upward.

She watched Iqiyah, whom she held completely within the palm of her hand. “Come on, you know what to do.”

Seraphina extended her hand towards Iqiyah, a silent signal for her to hand something over.

“Ugh… must we continue?”

“Of course, Lady Iqiyah. Everything should have a proper beginning and a proper end.”

“Grumble…” Despite her obvious displeasure, Iqiyah obediently reached for the collar around her neck.

Following the length of the chain, she retrieved the leash handle.

“Here, for you.” Iqiyah casually offered the leash, yet Seraphina remained utterly unresponsive.

“Hey, take it.”

Her bright, vivid red eyes blinked rapidly. As Seraphina continued to show no reaction, Iqiyah’s inner panic mounted, her brows furrowing deeper with each passing moment.

“…Seraphina?”

“Lady Iqiyah, a little puppy should act like a little puppy, shouldn’t it?”

Seraphina finally spoke, but her words caused Iqiyah’s delicate frame to tremble.

“So, you know what to do.” She waved her hand once more. “This concerns your next [Purification]~ Please, be a little more proactive~”

“Ugh, I get it already!”

Like an indignant puppy, Iqiyah emitted a fierce growl from deep within her throat.

Yet, despite her hundredfold reluctance, Iqiyah frowned, rising from the ground.

She then swiftly, almost gracefully, squatted back down.

With her legs spread apart, Iqiyah took the leash handle into her mouth and leaned towards Seraphina’s open palm.

“Mmm-hmm…”

“Mm~ As expected of Lady Iqiyah, what a truly good girl~”

Taking the leash from Iqiyah’s mouth, Seraphina naturally placed her other hand on Iqiyah’s head.

She began to gently stroke her damp, long hair.

‘Did she really sweat this much? Just how good was that just now…?’

‘Still, her hair is all matted together. It must be terribly uncomfortable, right?’

Seraphina remembered the morning she had acted as a pet, recalling vividly the sensation of being drenched in sweat.

A sticky, unpleasant feeling enveloped her entire body, raising an immediate wave of goosebumps.

Thus, she gently lifted Iqiyah’s disheveled white hair. Following the natural flow, she meticulously smoothed each strand.

“Se-Seraphina?”

Iqiyah was caught completely off guard, watching Seraphina comb her hair.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you… combing my hair?”

“Ah, yes.” Seraphina raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it a mistress’s duty to groom their little puppy?”

“However, due to our current location, there’s no comb for now. Please bear with it, Lady Iqiyah.”

“Th-that’s nothing.” Upon hearing Seraphina’s words, a blush spread across Iqiyah’s cheeks.

However, unlike her previous longing, this flush clearly conveyed a different, more nuanced meaning.

“Rather… this is better.”

“? Lady Iqiyah, did you say something?”

“N-nothing.” Iqiyah secretly glanced at Seraphina, who was intently smoothing her hair.

“I just didn’t expect you, who was clearly a boy just a few days ago, to be quite experienced with hair-combing. You’re almost as good as Levian.”

Suddenly, Seraphina’s hands stilled.

“Heh heh, do you know how this particular skill was perfected?” She sneered, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

Seraphina had lived two lives as a male, but even in her first life, she had remained a virgin until death. She had rarely even touched a girl’s hand, let alone combed a girl’s hair.

‘So where did she learn how to comb hair? It’s truly hard to guess~’

“Those three people just now… they were my former teammates.”

Neither slow nor hurried, Seraphina’s voice remained utterly calm. It was so placid that it contained not a single ripple of emotion.

“In my previous team, I had to serve them like this every single day.”

“Not just combing hair, but also laundry, cooking, shopping, intelligence gathering… I had to do all the dirty and tiring work. If I did even one thing poorly, I would suffer their beatings, their scolding, and their sarcastic remarks.”

Iqiyah looked at Seraphina, at those eyes as vividly red as her own.

Suddenly, she saw something there she had never witnessed before—a crimson glow, a vivid, searing red light.

“King Goujian of Yue, who slept on brushwood and tasted gall, eventually destroyed the state of Wu…”

Flashes of red light emanated from Seraphina’s eyes; she had clearly entered a mode of reciting classics.

“For all these years, I served them, attending to their food, drink, and daily lives… even acting as their punching bag.”

“I endured their arrogance while patiently waiting for my moment…”

“Now, the time has finally come!”

“Let them witness the greatness of Seraphina Scarlett!”

Watching the impassioned Seraphina before her, Iqiyah’s mind struggled to fully comprehend the situation.

“Th-then… why didn’t you just kill them earlier?”

“…Lady Iqiyah, if you acquire a fun toy, would you immediately destroy it?”

“Shouldn’t one slowly play with them, enjoy them to the fullest, and only then discard them?”

“…I suppose so.”

“Heh heh, did I scare you a little?” Seeing Iqiyah’s bewildered expression, Seraphina quickly shifted her demeanor, becoming lively once more.

“Yes, a little.”

“Despite being a bloodline noble young lady, I didn’t expect you to feel fear.”

“That’s not it, I just feel a bit…”

Envious.

Looking at this former adorable toy, now with a cold, unfathomable expression, a profound sense of dread rose within Iqiyah.

There exists a kind of beast in the world that you simply cannot tame.

When they are weak, they will submit, displaying a vulnerable side.

But that is merely a superficial submission. Once they find their chance, they will unfalteringly raise the banner of rebellion against their former oppressors.

They will return past suffering twofold.

‘How truly envious I am…’

Iqiyah’s eyes lowered, a shadow falling across her face.

‘If only… I had half of Seraphina’s courage…’

‘Then, I could…’

…

****

“Welcome back, Lady Iqiyah, and… Lady Seraphina.”

Deep within the Blood Manor.

The moment Seraphina opened the manor gates, she saw Levian hurrying towards them with quick, urgent steps.

Her expression appeared noticeably flustered.

“What’s wrong, Miss Levian?” Seeing such an expression on Levian’s face was rare, and Seraphina’s heart fluttered with a sudden unease.

“Could it be… the Blondie has arrived?”

“Please, Lady Seraphina, don’t joke.”

As she spoke, Levian gently touched the hand Seraphina was using to hold the leash.

“Though I sincerely apologize for interrupting your leisure, perhaps the ‘dog-walking’ game can be set aside for now.”

“The Master’s people have arrived!”