Chapter 119

“It’s my fault, I’m sorry, Master. Your maid will feed you the cake now.” Vanessa gazed blankly at the silver-haired girl sitting on the soft chair with her black-stockinged legs crossed.

 

She had no choice but to scoop out a small piece of cake with a spoon, using her other hand to catch any crumbs that might fall onto Aesphyra.

 

The petite silver-haired girl in front of Vanessa had her hair tied back with a large black bow.

 

She wore a white formal outfit paired with a black pleated skirt, black thigh-high stockings, and brown loafers.

 

Aesphyra sat leisurely on the soft chair, her slender feet slipping out of her heels, toes playing with the loafers. Her shiny, alluring black stockings caught the light as she leaned back on the chair, one hand propping her cheek, the other gently lifting her silver silk-like hair. Her crystal-like lips slightly parted as she leaned in closer.

 

Vanessa, gazing at Aesphyra’s face up close, was momentarily stunned. As expected of the destined female protagonist, her beauty was absolutely top-tier.

 

She brought the spoonful of cake to Aesphyra’s lips, and the latter happily took a bite, savoring the cake.

 

Just as Vanessa was about to pull the spoon back, she found it still clamped between Aesphyra’s teeth. After a moment, Aesphyra finally released it, licking her lips, her violet eyes filled with charm.

 

“Virtue +200.”

 

“Current Virtue: 1304.”

 

Was she deliberately slowing down the feeding process?

 

Vanessa could only be thankful that the cake was small, so it wouldn’t take Aesphyra too long to finish it.

 

However, Aesphyra was still quite mischievous while eating. Her delicate hands occasionally played with Vanessa’s hair, twirling the ends in her palm.

 

“Virtue +100.”

 

“Current Virtue: 1404.”

 

Still playing with someone else’s hair? How old are you?

 

Like a child.

 

Vanessa inwardly complained.

 

“Master, could you please stop fiddling with my hair? It’s hard to manage if it gets messy.”

 

“Huh? But Miss Maid’s hair is so beautiful, I can’t help it.” Aesphyra smiled, clearly not planning to stop.

 

“…”

 

What kind of reason is that??

 

But there was nothing she could do. The gap in their status meant Vanessa couldn’t defy Aesphyra.

 

Although being a maid was just a job, since she had chosen it, she had to dedicate herself fully and be a perfect, responsible maid.

 

She instinctively wanted to do her best.

 

Sometimes, it was hard not to marvel at how Aesphyra could casually spend a fortune to become a premium SVIP member at a maid café, while Vanessa was so poor she had to work there, at her beck and call.

 

Life is tough.

 

Vanessa sighed softly, bowed respectfully, and continued feeding Aesphyra the remaining cake with a small spoon.

 

Aesphyra seemed to enjoy Vanessa’s feeding service. Aside from occasionally playing with her hair, everything else was fine.

 

Watching the slightly mischievous beauty before her obediently accept her feeding service with evident pleasure, Vanessa found her mood lifting inexplicably.

 

It was rewarding to see someone happy because of her service, though it would have been better if that someone wasn’t Aesphyra.

 

Soon, the cake was finished, and Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to pull her hand back, she felt Aesphyra gently grasp her fingers, taking out a silk handkerchief to wipe away the cream that had gotten on her hand.

 

Vanessa was momentarily stunned, not quite understanding what was happening, until she saw Aesphyra lick the remaining cream off the handkerchief, her eyes filled with a suggestive smile.

 

“So delicious.” It was unclear whether she was referring to the cream or something else.

 

“Miss Maid, you’re so careless, getting cream on your hand.” Aesphyra playfully stuck out her tongue. “I’ve cleaned it up for you, okay?”

 

“Uh…” Vanessa was at a loss, her face flushed with a mix of surprise and embarrassment.

 

“I’m sorry for making a fool of myself in front of you, Master.” Regardless, Vanessa didn’t forget her current role and bowed her head.

 

“I was thinking of cleaning it up directly for Miss Maid.” Aesphyra licked her lips, her meaning clear. “If I had done that, I might have seen an even more interesting expression on Miss Maid’s face.”

 

“…Forgive my boldness, but please don’t tease me so maliciously, Master.” Vanessa lowered her head.

 

“Pfft, just kidding.” Aesphyra clasped her hands together. “When we last parted, I said I wouldn’t do anything to make Miss Maid unhappy, right?”

 

“…”

 

You’re already doing it, aren’t you??

 

Vanessa remained silent.

 

“But Miss Maid keeps doing things that make me unhappy.” Aesphyra then put on a troubled expression. “Ever since I entered the academy, no matter how hard I’ve searched, I couldn’t find a student named Vanessa.”

 

Here it comes.

 

Vanessa knew this question was unavoidable and had prepared for it, imagining that if they met again, Aesphyra would surely press her for an explanation.

 

She just hadn’t expected they would meet again so soon.

 

Such is fate.

 

“Miss Maid, that’s not your real name, is it?” Aesphyra propped her head on her hand, her violet eyes glinting with mischief.

 

“Forgive me, honored Master, but your humble maid doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” Vanessa decided to play dumb to the end.

 

After all, she had given her real name. If Aesphyra couldn’t find her, that was Aesphyra’s problem, not hers.

 

“Oh? Even using a fake name for part-time work, Miss Maid is quite cautious.” Aesphyra said with a hint of teasing.

 

“How should I address you from now on? Should I call you Miss Maid, or Miss Vanessa?”

 

“Whatever makes you happy, Master.” Vanessa maintained a polite smile, not letting her emotions show.

 

On the surface, Vanessa wore a courteous smile, but inside, she was already plotting how to boost Aesphyra’s virtue next time and get her revenge.

 

If usually it was her boosting Aesphyra’s virtue, then today, if Aesphyra had a virtue system, it was Vanessa who was being boosted throughout.

 

Thinking about all the embarrassing things she had been forced to do in front of Aesphyra today, Vanessa felt like burying her head like an ostrich.

 

Today’s events would surely become a nightmare,haunting her every night.

 

A dark history.

 

Just thinking about her dark history being witnessed by Aesphyra made Vanessa’s eyes lose their spark.

 

She now somewhat understood how Julliana felt when her own dark history was recorded.

 

Perhaps nothing could be more humiliating.

 

But at least, Julliana was the future Demon Queen, a lord of a demon realm at the time. For someone of such high status, having a black mark recorded was even more serious.

 

In comparison, Vanessa was nothing, so she didn’t have to worry about this black mark affecting her future. Julliana, on the other hand, had to worry about other demons or her subordinates finding out about her pretending to be a cute little pet and wearing a pet collar, which would surely make them laugh and undermine her authority.

 

Vanessa poured Aesphyra another cup of coffee and then stood by, hands clasped, waiting. The feeling of time dragging on was unbearable. Now she understood what it meant to work just to get off work.

 

“Miss Maid, you look so good in this outfit~” Aesphyra stopped teasing Vanessa for the moment, but her verbal flirtations continued. “This outfit seems tailor-made for you. Why don’t you just wear it all the time?”

 

“You flatter me, Master.” Vanessa slightly lowered her head.

 

“But it’s best if you only wear it for me, not for anyone else.” Aesphyra smiled. “Miss Maid, did you come to Carillian Academy just to be a maid? Is it a personal hobby, or are you short on money?”

 

“If you’re short on money, you could consider becoming my personal maid. You’d only have to serve me, and you’d get ten times the salary.”

 

“No, not just ten times.” Aesphyra leaned closer to Vanessa, her voice taking on a more seductive tone. “As long as you’re obedient, you can have as much salary as you want~”

 

“Thank you for the offer, Master. I appreciate your kindness.” But she would only appreciate the kindness, nothing else.

 

“Huh? I don’t understand. Isn’t Miss Maid short on money? This job is much easier than running around in a maid café.”

 

Much easier?

 

Vanessa smiled without speaking.

 

Joking, right? The more money offered, the more obligations there would be. Easy work with high pay? There’s no such thing in this world.

 

And what would Aesphyra want her to do? Once she became her personal maid, it would be obvious, wouldn’t it?

 

Any noble would understand the implications of having a personal maid.

 

Although Aesphyra wasn’t the type to force her will on others, she would surely keep trying to flirt with her, just like she did with other female protagonists.

 

Tsk, this female playboy.

 

Thinking this, Vanessa, while outwardly respectful, inwardly held Aesphyra in contempt.

 

The reason Aesphyra spent so much at the maid café was the same, this female playboy hadn’t changed a bit.

 

“Huh? Miss Maid doesn’t trust me?”

 

Isn’t it because I know your nature too well??

 

Vanessa silently retorted.

 

“Alright, alright. Maybe Miss Maid really just loves being a maid, or wants to experience the novelty of it?”

 

“Honestly, I really want to record Miss Maid’s current appearance. Who knows if I’ll ever see it again?” Aesphyra said regretfully.

 

“Just kidding, don’t be so tense. Miss Maid seems to be very wary of me. Why is that? After all, we’ve fought side by side before, haven’t we?”

 

Seeing Vanessa remain silent from the start, Aesphyra knew it wasn’t the right time.

 

Vanessa was still very resistant to her.

 

Although she wanted to find out where Vanessa lived and her real name, it was clear that Vanessa wouldn’t tell her, nor give her the chance to find out.

 

At least, she now knew that the mysterious girl, like herself, was indeed at Carillian Academy, and hadn’t vanished into thin air.

 

She had a rough idea of Vanessa’s family background, but she didn’t plan to bring it up, just as Vanessa had realized her own unusual background but never mentioned it.

 

Both of them maintained a tacit understanding on this matter.

 

“Forgive me, honored Master, though it may be presumptuous, I must remind you that we have about five minutes left before closing.” Vanessa glanced at the clock on the wall.

 

“Huh? After closing, won’t you invite me to your dorm for a drink?” Aesphyra said playfully.

 

“I wouldn’t dare, Master. You’re the top student in our grade. My humble single dorm is probably beneath your notice.” Vanessa smiled and declined.

 

“Small rooms can be cozy too, don’t you think?” Aesphyra played with the spoon in her coffee cup.

 

“Forgive me, Master, but I still have homework to do at home. I won’t be able to entertain you properly, so please don’t make things difficult for me.”

 

“No problem, just tell me what you don’t understand. I’ll patiently teach you until dawn if needed~”

 

“I appreciate your kindness.”

 

Just then, a piece of music that sounded heavenly to Vanessa played in the café, a soothing melody.

 

“Forgive me, Master, but my shift is over. We can talk more next time.” Vanessa, feeling relieved, bowed slightly to Aesphyra and quickly left the private room.

 

Finally, she didn’t have to play the role of Miss Maid anymore.

 

Vanessa let out a long sigh. Once she took off this maid outfit and returned home, she would be herself again.

 

“Wait.”

 

Just as Vanessa was about to leave, Aesphyra called out to her again.

 

“Is there anything else, Master?” Vanessa turned around. As long as she was still in the room, she was still a maid, so her attitude remained respectful.

 

“Miss Maid, your service today was excellent. I’m very satisfied. Keep up the good work.” Aesphyra approached Vanessa and placed her hand on Vanessa’s.

 

Vanessa opened her palm to find several silver coins.

 

“This is your hard-earned tip. Don’t refuse it, okay?” Aesphyra clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward with a smile.

 

“Thank you, Master.” Vanessa accepted the coins. She had indeed performed a series of embarrassing acts in front of Aesphyra today, so she deserved this money. Besides, she was really short on cash.

 

“Pfft.” Watching Vanessa flee in a panic, Aesphyra couldn’t help but laugh.

 

She knew that even if she followed Vanessa now to find out where she lived, it would be futile.

 

Vanessa would surely take detours to prevent being tracked and would be on high alert to avoid being followed.

 

Recalling these past days, she hadn’t encountered this girl on campus.

 

Was it just bad luck, or had they simply never crossed paths?

 

Aesphyra gazed in the direction Vanessa had left, her eyes narrowing slightly.

 

“You’ve worked hard today, Miss Vanessa.” Seeing Vanessa come downstairs, Luna expressed her gratitude and handed Vanessa her day’s wages.

 

With this hefty sum in hand, Vanessa felt that today’s ordeal hadn’t been in vain.

 

She immediately headed to the changing room to take off the maid outfit and put on her armor to leave.

 

“Miss Vanessa, you don’t need to leave the maid outfit here. Take it home with you. Remember to come back on weekends, okay?” Luna said with a smile.

 

“Sorry, it’s too valuable. I can’t accept it. Besides, with my studies, I probably won’t have much time in the future.” Vanessa didn’t take the maid outfit. While it was indeed beautiful, she had no intention of becoming a professional maid, so it would be useless to her. Besides, she knew that accepting gifts without reason could lead to obligations. If she took it and didn’t come back on weekends, she would feel guilty.

 

“Alright then. Since this outfit probably only suits you, just leave it here. If you ever feel like coming back, you can wear it again.” Seeing Vanessa’s refusal, Luna didn’t press further.

 

“Okay.” Vanessa nodded, went to the changing room to take off the maid outfit, and summoned her armor.