Nagini was very quick and efficient with her hands.
After setting sail, she helped Mori Tsukisa untie the ribbon in her hair. Once the girl had fallen asleep, she began to organize the daily necessities inside the cabin.
The interior decor of the main cabin had a strong Egyptian flair, with large areas of pure gold, pale yellow, and crimson. Landscapes were carved into the cabin walls, and the tables and stands were covered with local handicrafts and ornaments that foreigners liked.
Nagini set out the small plates and silver cutlery from the first piece of luggage, then spread a thin blanket over the sleeping girl and the Little Sprite hugging her ear before quietly turning to go to the side cabin.
It wasn't until the moon rose over the water that Mori Tsukisa slowly woke up. By then, the ship had already chugged quite a distance away.
"Ah... abba abba." The girl stretched, and the gold-and-black thin blanket slipped from her snow-white shoulders—
Eh... where are my clothes?
"Ah..." Arrietty scratched her bird's-nest-like Red Hair, eyes bleary with sleep. "Didn't Nagini take them off for you?"
"...I forgot. Nagini? Where is Nagini?"
The woman had changed her outfit, appearing much more relaxed than when she arrived—the outfit Mori Tsukisa had forced her to wear was too solemn and eye-catching. For a maid... or perhaps regardless of being a maid, that was just how Nagini was.
Nagini didn't like the way those men looked at her; it reminded her of the days in the iron cage. Sometimes, the malice in human hearts has nothing to do with whether one possesses magic. After putting on a plain dress and taking off the expensive jewels, she felt much more at ease.
"You're awake."
Miss Sen sat up dizzily, not even realizing the blanket had quietly slipped down... "Nagini?"
"It's me. Be careful not to catch a cold." The woman walked over with a swaying gait, and after carefully moving Arrietty aside, she pulled the blanket back up for Mori Tsukisa.
She happened to glance... seemingly inadvertently, at the curves.
Ahem... "I'm hungry, shall we go eat?"
Mori Tsukisa sat up and let Nagini fuss over her like a doll—lifting her hands to put on a top, stretching her feet to put on socks... Then, Nagini pointed with a smile at the dining table—
Half a roasted chicken, bread spread with cream, goose legs, bacon tarts, a bottle of decanted red wine, veal steaks, and a large plate of vegetable salad.
It had been set out there long ago.
"When did you do this?"
"While you were resting, I instructed the kitchen to prepare it. Their chef is very experienced, but they can't provide more options than the standard meal within the scope of service, so I used some of the small gold coins you gave me."
Nagini looked down at Mori Tsukisa. The former fear had dissipated, and now, there was finally some vitality in the woman's eyes.
And a bit more of a smile.
"I used a few coins to ask the head chef to... I didn't know what you liked, so I had him bring a bit of everything."
Mori Tsukisa didn't care about these things at all.
Forget small gold coins, piles upon piles of gold bars were nearly filling a tea room in the Wabi-Sabi Courtyard. Sprites didn't care for tea; they loved gold... and they loved seeing their Queen My Lord beam with joy, showing her little white teeth, when looking at the piles of glittering gold.
Without realizing it, Mori Tsukisa had no way to count those haphazardly stacked gold towers of varying heights.
"Let's eat together." Mori Tsukisa jumped off the bed, then suddenly turned back to stare at Nagini. "Hmm, do you really intend to be my maid?"
"Didn't I say? I want you to cherish your hard-won freedom."
Nagini acted as if she hadn't heard. The scorpion braid Mori Tsukisa had done for her that morning had been coiled by the woman into a rather vintage updo, secured with a silver hairpin set with small amethysts chosen from Mori Tsukisa's gifts.
That was the one with the smallest, least conspicuous gems among all the jewelry gifts.
"Nagini?"
The woman smiled and guided Mori Tsukisa to the dining table by her shoulders. Arrietty was already sitting on the table, using a napkin made of a small silk cloth Nagini had specially prepared for her.
"I am very happy right now." Nagini stood, carving the roast chicken for Mori Tsukisa. "Didn't you say to let me do what I like?"
Mori Tsukisa pulled out a chair, grabbed the woman's waist, and placed her directly onto the soft cushion of the chair.
The woman gave a small cry of surprise and subconsciously hugged Mori Tsukisa's arm tightly.
They looked very much like a pair of close sisters.
"Just sit, don't be so stiff." Mori Tsukisa rolled her eyes and handed over a set of cutlery. The three girls then set to work, targeting the fragrant food on the table.
Oh... meat, freshly roasted.
"Being Her Majesty's maid is a very honorable thing." Arrietty tore at the white bread, one cheek bulging full. Without even chewing, she immediately stuffed a small piece of bacon into the other side.
Like a little hamster, her lips were shiny with oil.
"You'll understand later." Arrietty said with a giggle. "If you like the Queen, then leave with us. Is there anything left in this World for you to miss?"
Clack.
The dinner knife cut through the steak and struck the plate with a 'ding'.
Leave this World?
What was it saying?
Arrietty was also dumbfounded and turned to look at Mori Tsukisa. "What's going on? You still haven't told her?!"
"I forgot... ah! I've been a bit dazed these past two days. Maybe I miss my future dragon baby too much?" Mori Tsukisa wiped her mouth and turned toward the woman beside her. "It's just a simple little invitation, you don't need to worry about it. Let's talk about the blood curse instead."
The willful girl poured herself a glass of red wine and spoke leisurely under Nagini's urgent gaze.
"I've found a way to break the blood curse on you," Mori Tsukisa smacked her lips after taking a small sip. "But once the curse is broken, your Beast transformation Ability will disappear."
"Think it over carefully."
In her line of sight, a purple curtain floated leisurely.
[Name: Nagini]
[Race: Human (Mixed-blood/Cursed)]
[A Blood-Cursed Beastman.]
[Inherited from her mother, it has caused her much suffering.]
[She is like a cold-blooded animal that is tamed on the surface but heartless within—she only cares about those she values.]
[The snake blood is constantly influencing her, and the surrounding malice erodes her day and night.]
[Once her limited humanity is worn away, all that will remain in the World is an unstoppable demonic snake. in a normal life, you would never see how cruel this almost non-human monster can be.]
[Blood Malediction:]
[A vicious curse.]
[The caster must sacrifice their life to cast this curse, which can be passed down through the maternal line.]
[The cursed one will gain the Ability to transform into a Beast.]
[In their short lives, the frequency of their transformation will increase—until their soul dissipates and they become a Beast wandering the World.]
[Note: This curse cannot be removed or dissolved by witchcraft or potions.]
[Note: Can be dispelled by high-dimensional power.]
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