Eliana’s footsteps stopped.
At such a close distance, her pupils took on an almost inhuman pale gold in the dim light. There was no mirth in them, only a cold and focused scrutiny, as if she were piercing through Ilus’s skin to make her soul tremble.
‘Crap, I said the wrong thing!’ The words Eliana had whispered back when they shared a bed flashed through her mind. A trace of fear flickered across Ilus’s pretty face, and she involuntarily took two steps back.
“Miss, are… are you really going to dismiss me?”
Although Eliana’s tone sounded incredibly aggrieved, Ilus couldn’t sense a single drop of genuine sorrow. At this moment, the person before her felt like a monster wearing human skin. Though her appearance and mannerisms were human, Ilus’s intuition was screaming a frantic warning.
“I-It was just a joke, of course.”
Ilus pinched herself hard with her fingernails, the pain grounding her trembling body. She took a deep breath and mimicked the tone of a Noble Young Lady from an Anime.
“What? You actually hope I’ll fire you?”
‘T-This should make her calm down a bit, right?’ Cold sweat had already soaked the girl’s back. She stared directly at Eliana’s face, carefully observing every tiny change in her expression.
Ilus had expected this line to disperse Eliana’s dangerous aura, but to her surprise, the other party didn’t change at all.
‘C-Could she have found out?’
Ilus’s heart skipped a beat. The hand she held behind her back was already on the doorknob. If things went south, she would bolt immediately.
Eliana did not choose to move forward. She stood before Ilus, her nose twitching slightly, and spoke in a somewhat raspy voice.
“Miss, please do not make this kind of joke again.”
Judging by the sound, she seemed to be on the verge of tears. If it were anyone else, Ilus would have offered comfort long ago, but since the other party was a demon, she couldn’t be sure if it was an act.
Ilus noticed Eliana’s golden pupils constrict slightly in the shadows. She…
What was she going to do?! Just as the girl prepared to turn the doorknob.
The maid before her suddenly lowered her lashes, and that cold, scrutinizing expression receded like a tide. When she looked up again, the grievance and moisture in her eyes appeared incredibly real.
“You know…”
She took half a step forward, her voice softening.
“I only have you, Miss. If even you don’t want me—”
Before she could finish, she suddenly raised a hand to cover her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly. Surprisingly, two tears actually slid down her pale cheeks.
Ilus’s fingers tightened and loosened on the knob. ‘Demons can cry too? No, this must be a disguise.’
Yet the way those teardrops rolled down was too natural, and the sound of her trembling breath was realistically heart-wrenching.
Ilus felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest as two completely opposite instincts tore at her mind.
“F-Fine, Eliana. I… I won’t abandon you.”
Ilus wanted to take a step forward to pretend to comfort her, but when she tried to move, she realized her legs had gone numb from the intense tension earlier.
This was bad; now she couldn’t run even if she wanted to.
Ilus was about to look up when her peripheral vision caught a figure lunging toward her.
Before her brain could process a thought, her body instinctively recoiled, but even so, she was swept into the other’s embrace.
‘It’s over, am I going to die?’ Just as the thought surfaced, Ilus heard Eliana sobbing softly in her ear.
“Miss, thank you.”
‘Is she just overwhelmed with emotion?’ Ilus hesitated for a moment before slowly hugging the trembling body. Could it be that the demon wasn’t acting this time?
“Eh? Eliana, don’t move yet. Don’t wipe your tears on me!”
Feeling a dampness at her neck, she assumed the little maid had dripped tears onto her. Ilus gently patted her back to comfort her.
In a place she couldn’t see, Ilus didn’t know that Eliana wasn’t showing much sadness at all. Sniffing the faint fragrance from the tips of Ilus’s hair, an intoxicated expression appeared on Eliana’s face.
Her gaze fell upon the girl’s slender, smooth, jade-like neck where the pale blue veins were clearly visible. She licked the corner of her mouth, and her intoxication turned into a hint of greed.
‘What a delicate and fragile thing… I really want to just…’
No, it wasn’t time yet. She had to wait until that specific moment before she could bite through this fragile thing and taste the delicacy inside.
‘Oh?’ Without noticing, a bit of drool had accidentally leaked out. She licked her lips and switched back to the pathetic maid persona, though she didn’t even notice her arms tightening, making it difficult for Ilus to breathe.
Trapped in the embrace, Ilus didn’t dare move or push her away. She could only continue to maintain the hug stiffly, her fingers gently combing through Eliana’s smooth black hair in an attempt to soothe her and hide her own trembling.
“There, there, I’m a woman of my word.”
She tried her best to make her tone sound relaxed and natural.
“Get up now. I still have plenty of things for you to do; I’m not going to keep you around for nothing.”
She reverted to the playful, slightly spoiled tone she usually used when interacting with Eliana.
At this moment, however, saying it felt like carefully testing a dangerous boundary, trying to use a familiar master-servant interaction to overwrite the bone-chilling atmosphere from earlier.
As expected, Eliana loosened her grip and slowly raised her head. Tear stains remained on her cheeks, and her eyes were slightly red, but those pale gold eyes had returned to their usual, almost docile clarity.
She even gave Ilus a perfect smile—one full of apology and dependence.
“Yes, Miss. I lost my composure.”
She took a step back and elegantly lifted her skirt in a curtsy, as if that inhumanly cold, fragiley weeping entity had never existed.
“Would you like me to prepare hot tea for you? Or shall I organize the bookshelf first? The sun is lovely today; I could also accompany you for a walk in the garden.”
Her tone was smooth and natural, the transition seamless. As Ilus looked at her lowered eyelashes and respectful posture, the chill on her spine refused to dissipate.
“W-We should head back first…”
“Yes, Miss.”
Returning to her room with Eliana and seeing her obedient demeanor, Ilus finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was safe for now, right?
“Then, Miss, let me tidy the bed for you first,” Eliana said softly.
Ilus walked to the window. The gentle sunlight spilled over her face, and everything seemed so beautiful—provided the demon behind her wasn’t there.
Through the reflection in the glass, the girl quietly observed the maid behind her.
Eliana was leaning over to fold the quilt, her profile serene and focused. There was even a slight curve of satisfaction at the corners of her mouth, as if organizing her master’s belongings was her entire happiness.
But Ilus couldn’t forget. Not long ago, that same face had shown a predator-like focus and greed.
Just as Ilus was deep in thought, Eliana suddenly turned around and smiled.
“Miss, I just thought of an interesting matter. Would you like to hear it?”