The next morning, bright sunlight poured into the bedroom, illuminating the entire space and bringing a gentle warmth with it.
"Another beautiful day."
Shendu opened her crimson eyes, feeling that she had rested quite well the night before.
Gently pushing Felt aside, she changed into a fresh set of clothes without disturbing the cute girl beside her and stepped outside.
The sunlight was especially pleasant today. Placing a chair in the courtyard and basking lazily in the sun would be a fine way to enjoy oneself.
In her previous life, when she ruled over the ancient world, she had always enjoyed being served by others. Even after reincarnating into this world, that instinct remained etched into her muscles. After living in this grand mansion for so long, she had grown quite accustomed to it.
Still, such an enormous estate with only a handful of residents was truly a waste. But in the eyes of nobles, this likely did not even merit mention.
Walking through the quiet grounds, the refreshing outdoor scenery lifted the spirit. Near the surrounding gardens, Rem sat on a chair, quietly basking in the warmth of the sunlight.
After yesterday's curse treatment, a faint flush had returned to Rem's face. However, she still looked exhausted, lacking energy.
Not far away, Emilia clasped her hands together, devoutly communicating with the minor spirits. Firefly-like lights shimmered and flickered around her.
Daily communion with the minor spirits was one of Emilia's essential duties. Once finished, she would still have many other matters to attend to. She remained busy as ever.
Naturally, one could not disturb her while she was communicating with the spirits. It was like cultivating in ancient times—one misstep could result in backlash.
Under normal circumstances, Shendu would not interrupt Emilia. But Rem, who had just recovered, was an excellent conversation partner. It would also be a good opportunity to test her attitude.
"Yo, Rem. How are you feeling? Is your body any better?"
A smile curved Shendu's lips as she greeted the blue-haired maid politely.
"I'm much better. Thank you for your concern, Lady Shendu."
Rem looked at her respectfully. She tried to stand and bow, but her limbs felt weak, and she was unable to rise.
"Don't get up, Rem. Rest until you've fully recovered."
Shendu quickly raised a hand, signaling her to remain seated.
"I'm sorry. Rem is truly useless. Lady Shendu had to trouble herself because of me."
Rem felt deeply grateful. If Shendu had not intervened in time, she and her sister might have been separated by life and death forever.
"No. Someone was acting in the shadows. It had little to do with you."
Shendu shook her head gently, offering reassurance.
"By the way, Lady Shendu, please don't blame Ram either. Because of what happened in our childhood, she can be rather extreme when handling certain matters."
Rem sighed as she thought about their past, stopping midway through her sentence.
"Can you tell me the story of you and your sister?"
After a moment's consideration, Shendu grew curious about the twin maids' background. She only knew that the Witch Cult had destroyed the place they once belonged to.
That was likely why they had no goodwill whatsoever toward that weak protagonist.
"Since childhood, my sister and I lived within the large oni clan. Every day was filled with happiness. We had loving parents, and the clan members treated us kindly."
"At the time, I naively believed that such happiness would last forever."
As she recalled those memories, a gentle smile appeared on Rem's face. But once she finished speaking, her expression shifted abruptly, tinged with regret and anger.
"Afterward, a great upheaval forced you to live here in Roswaal's mansion as maids?"
Shendu prompted, genuinely interested in the story.
"That's right. The upheaval began on a certain night."
At this point, a trace of fear surfaced on Rem's delicate face.
...
"That night, my sister and I had gone out to play and returned quite late. Soon after, the Witch Cult launched an attack and destroyed our village."
"Under the desperate protection of our parents and clansmen, we managed to escape. In the end, Lord Roswaal took us in as maids, and we have lived in this mansion ever since."
Tears welled up in Rem's eyes. Grief overwhelmed her, and they streamed down uncontrollably.
"What a tragic past."
Shendu stepped forward and pulled Rem into an embrace. The blue-haired maid was moved, burying herself in Shendu's arms and crying softly for a while before gradually regaining her composure.
For some reason, Rem felt an intense sense of security from Shendu. Even after pulling away from the embrace, she felt a faint reluctance to leave it.
After chatting a little longer, Shendu learned why Ram was not nearby.
The reason was simple. As the only two maids in the vast mansion, Ram and Rem divided their duties. Rem was usually responsible for cleaning, while Ram handled the cooking. They always coordinated perfectly.
However, since Rem had been injured, the cleaning tasks had fallen to Ram. Her absence likely meant she was still busy with those chores.
Not long after Emilia finished communicating with the minor spirits, she walked over to Shendu with a smile.
"Good morning, Sister Shendu. Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
"It's nothing. I prefer sleeping early and rising early. Lying around all day is rather dull."
Shendu replied calmly, chatting casually with Emilia.
A few minutes later, Ram approached carrying a tray with a teapot and cups upon it. She placed the tray on the stone table in the pavilion.
"Good morning, Lady Shendu. Please enjoy some black tea. It is my specialty."
Standing before Shendu, Ram bowed respectfully in greeting.
"Very well. Emilia, Rem, let's enjoy some tea together."
"Alright!"
Shendu did not refuse. Sitting at the stone table, she lifted a cup of pale red tea and took a gentle sip.
"It's delicious. Your tea-making skills have improved again, Sister."
"Ram's tea tastes just as wonderful as ever."
After drinking the tea, both Emilia and Rem offered high praise.
Shendu sampled it carefully. The fragrance was rich, and the brewing was perfectly balanced. It seemed this pink-haired maid was far from useless. She had many strengths.
"As long as Lady Shendu enjoys it. From now on, I can brew tea exclusively for you."
Ram's gaze was earnest, fixed on Shendu without the slightest hint of jest.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Ram."
Shendu did not refuse. Since it was the pink-haired maid's goodwill, she had no reason to reject it.