Reaching the heavy oak doors of Professor Elara's office, Haruto smoothed out his apron and leaned in close to Serephin, whispering in his high-pitched maid voice, "Mistress... what do you think this is about? Are we in trouble?"
Serephin bit her lower lip, glancing nervously at the door handle. "I don't know... I hope we didn't walk into a trap."
Taking a breath, she pushed the door open, and the two of them stepped inside. Professor Elara was already seated at her large mahogany desk, pen in hand, meticulously reviewing a stack of paperwork. Without looking up right away, she gestured sharply to the empty chairs in front of her. "Close the door and sit down."
They quickly took their seats, both of them sitting stiffly. Serephin forced a polite smile and asked, "You called for us, Professor? Is something the matter?"
Professor Elara finally set her pen down, interlaced her fingers, and raised her piercing gaze straight toward the fake maid sitting beside the princess. A knowing, slightly amused smirk played on her lips.
"I did," Professor Elara said calmly, her eyes locked dead on Haruto. "Tell me, Haruto... exactly when did you manage to sneak back into the capital?"
Both of them froze completely, their eyes going wide with absolute shock.
Wait... how on earth does she already know?!
Serephin's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief. She leaned forward, pointing an accusing finger at the desk. "Wait—how on earth did you figure it out?! Was it that obvious?!"
Professor Elara let out a low, dry chuckle, leaning back in her chair with a smug expression. "Please, Serephin. It didn't take a genius. For starters, what kind of maid sits right beside her master instead of standing behind her? And secondly..."
She narrowed her eyes, gesturing toward Haruto's face and posture. "Those eyes are an exact match for Haruto's. And while whoever cast that illusion magic did a decent job giving you a feminine silhouette, your broad shoulders, stance, and muscular legs completely gave you away. Anyone with half a brain could tell this 'maid' is definitely not a girl."
The professor's smirk widened as she looked him up and down, letting out an amused huff. "Though, I have to admit... the effort is quite impressive. Honestly? You actually look kind of cute."
Hearing Professor Elara easily pick apart his disguise, Haruto finally dropped the act entirely. He let out a long, heavy sigh, crossed one leg casually over the other, and leaned back in his chair, his voice returning to its normal, everyday tone, although his voice was still feminine.
"Ugh, whatever," Haruto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "You caught me, Professor."
Professor Elara let out a light laugh, resting her chin on her hand. "Alright, spill it. What on earth possessed you to put together a ridiculous stunt like this?"
Haruto pointed a thumb at Serephin, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Today is her birthday. This whole thing was her special birthday wish—she literally demanded I serve her as her personal maid for the day."
Professor Elara's eyebrows shot up in amusement as she turned to the princess. "Oh? Is that so? Well, happy birthday, Serephin."
"Thank you, Professor," Serephin replied with a polite, slightly sheepish smile, her cheeks flushing pink again.
Professor Elara turned her attention back to Haruto, her expression turning a bit more serious and professional. "Anyway, getting back to business... Haruto, have you given any thought to the offer I made you before? With your combat abilities and potential, you'd make an incredible asset to me."
Haruto blinked, freezing mid-sentence as a look of sheer realization washed over his face. Crap... I completely forgot about that! She actually wants to become part of my official strategy team.
Serephin blinked in total confusion, looking back and forth between the professor and Haruto. "Wait... Professor, what offer are you talking about?"
Professor Elara didn't take her eyes off Haruto. "An offer I made him previously, which he still hasn't officially claimed."
Haruto nervously shifted in his seat, holding up a hand. "Can we... can we talk about this later, Professor? Maybe when I'm not wearing a maid's uniform?"
Professor Elara crossed her arms, leaning forward with a sharp, unyielding gaze. "Oh no, I'm not falling for that trick. We are talking about it right now. You've been dodging this for a long time, Haruto. Yes or no?"
Haruto let out a long, defeated sigh, running a hand down his face. Man... my peaceful life is completely screwed.
He muttered under his breath, channeling his inner gamer logic: To win a glitch game, you have to delete a corrupt file... but right now, I feel like the corrupt file.
Looking up, he gave a weak, defeated shrug. "Alright, fine, fine! Okay, okay, yes!"
A triumphant smile flashed across Professor Elara's face. Without missing a beat, she reached into her desk drawer, pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment, and slid it across the mahogany wood.
Haruto stared at it, his eyes narrowing. "What is that?"
"My resignation letter," Professor Elara replied smoothly, her smile widening. "Since I'm joining your strategic division, I won't be needing this desk anymore. From now on, I'll be right by your side."
Serephin's jaw dropped, utterly lost. "Wait, your resignation?! Professor, what are you—?!"
Haruto threw his hands up in absolute horror, staring at the paper. "Hold on, wait a second—!"
Before Haruto could even protest or snatch the letter back, Professor Elara stood up, grabbed the document, and walked briskly toward the door, leaving them both in stunned silence. With the door clicking shut behind her, Haruto slumped back in his chair, completely powerless to stop it.
Stepping out of Professor Elara's office, Haruto finally shed the stiff, formal posture, walking normally down the corridor with Serephin by his side. Still dressed in his maid outfit and black wig, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath about the sudden chaos Elara had just dropped on him.
As they turned a corner into a quieter, more secluded hallway, Haruto's instincts flared. He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes darting into the shadows. "Hold on. We've got company."
Out from the dim recesses of the corridor, six or seven shadowy figures stepped forward, blocking their path. Standing right at the front was Kenjin, looking desperate and disheveled, clutching the side of his swollen face from earlier.
Serephin's expression hardened instantly. She crossed her arms, stepping in front of Haruto with a cold, disgusted glare. "What do you want, Kenjin? Didn't I tell you never to show your face in front of me again?"
Kenjin ignored her harsh tone, his eyes welling up with pathetic, forced tears as he took a pleading step forward. "Serephin, please... just come with me. Look at what you're doing—you're throwing your life away for Haruto!"
Serephin let out a sharp, incredulous scoff. "My father and I made this decision together. It has nothing to do with you, Kenjin."
"No, you're wrong!" Kenjin fired back, his voice cracking with obsessive desperation as he pointed a shaking finger at Haruto. "This isn't your choice! He's manipulating you, forcing you into this!"
Serephin didn't even bother to give him a proper response. She simply rolled her eyes, turned her back on him, and started to walk past.
Frantic, Kenjin lunged forward, dropping heavily onto one knee and pulling out a pristine, bright red rose. He held it out with a trembling hand. "Serephin, please, just take the—!"
Before he could finish, Serephin stopped, turned her head slightly, and spat right onto the petals of the rose.
Haruto, standing a few paces back, winced slightly under his maid wig.
"Man, that was hilarious... but honestly, that's a bit brutal. You just wasted a perfectly good spit on a walking piece of trash, Serephin."
Hearing Haruto's commentary, a bright, amused giggle slipped past Serephin's lips.
Before Kenjin could react to the absolute disrespect, three of his lackies suddenly sprang out from the shadows on either side, aggressively grabbing Serephin by the arms and pinning her in place.
Kenjin slowly stood up, a dark, menacing smirk twisting his bruised face. "If you won't listen to reason, then we'll do this the hard way." He stepped closer, reaching out to grab her chin.
Instantly, four more guys flanked Haruto, slamming their grips onto his shoulders and arms to hold him down.
One of the goons sneered down at Haruto, laughing cruelly. "And as for you, loudmouth maid—you're going to be our special entertainment for the day. Consider it a supreme honor to get intimate with a real noble!"
Haruto closed his eyes, letting out a slow, heavy breath. A cold, detached calm washed over him as he muttered softly to himself, "To win a glitch game, you have to delete a corrupt file."
When he opened his eyes, all humor had vanished, replaced by a terrifying, deadpan expression. He looked toward the corner of the corridor, his voice carrying a strange, chilling resonance as he spoke into the empty air. "Daisy... I finally understand why you hate guys like this."
Ignoring Haruto's sudden, cryptic mutterings, one of Kenjin's goons tightened his grip and grinned maliciously, pointing at Haruto. "Hey, boss, what do we do with this maid first?"
Kenjin waved a dismissive hand, still glaring at Serephin. "Do whatever you want with her. She's just a maid, basically a slave whose only purpose is to please men." Then, second-guessing himself, Kenjin turned his head back, his eyes narrowing greedily as he looked Haruto up and down. "Wait—don't ruin her face, though. I want a turn to enjoy her myself later."
He turned his full attention back to Serephin, stepping closer and brutally grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him. A twisted, triumphant sneer spread across his face.
"But first, Serephin... I'm going to break you and make you mine."
Serephin didn't even flinch. Despite being grabbed, a cold, mocking smirk touched her lips as she looked down at him. "Don't joke around, Kenjin. You're pathetic."
Kenjin's face flushed red with rage. "Joke?! Do you really think I'm joking around?! What does a high noble like me even see in a commoner like you—"
"Oh, really?" Serephin interrupted smoothly, her voice dripping with royal disdain. "Go dig up the bones of a king and a slave, and tell me which one is which. See if your high-noble blood makes you any different from dirt."
Kenjin recoiled, utterly triggered and speechless for a second, veins popping on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Haruto stood quietly in the grip of his captors, his red eyes glowing faintly as he activated his status appraisal. A semi-transparent system window flashed in his vision, scanning the room.
Let's see... Serephin is level 15, and Kenjin is barely level 5 by now. This should be an absolute joke, Haruto thought, analyzing the stats. Normally, taking them out would take half a second.
His gaze shifted to the four goons holding him down. Wait... appraisal says they're all level 10. Four level 10 guys surrounding me while Serephin is pinned? Okay, that's a bit heavier than I expected.
Haruto tilted his head slightly, keeping his expression deadpan as he glanced down at the three boys holding his arms. And these three idiots holding me right now? Level 4.
With a sudden, effortless flick of his wrists, Haruto casually tossed the three level 4 lackeys holding his arms away as if they weighed nothing at all. They flew backward through the air, crashing hard against the stone walls with a muffled thud before sliding to the floor unconscious.
Haruto cracked his knuckles, letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright, playtime's over. That took way longer than necessary."
He turned his piercing red eyes toward Kenjin, taking a slow, deliberate step forward.
Kenjin stumbled back, his face draining of all color as he stammered, "S-Stay back! Stay away from me!"
Haruto raised a hand, stopping just a few feet away with a chilling, mocking smile. "My dear noble friend... I'll give you one chance. You can still run away right now."
Before Kenjin could answer, Serephin's voice cut in sharply, her eyes locked on Kenjin with icy fury. "He stays. After what he tried to pull, he didn't just walk away."
Haruto chuckled, glancing back at her. "A wise man—er, woman—shows mercy. But I guess my mistress wants blood."
Panicking, Kenjin screeched at his remaining four elite level 10 guards, pointing a shaking finger at Haruto. "What are you all standing around for?! Get him! Kill her!"
The four high-level goons lunged forward simultaneously, closing in to overwhelm him. But Kenjin didn't realize a crucial detail: Haruto wasn't just some low-level student anymore. Thanks to his brutal, relentless training under Daisy, his true level and combat mastery had skyrocketed far beyond their expectations.
Before any of them could even land a blow, Haruto blurred into motion.
Bam! Crash!
With blinding speed, he shattered their defenses in a flurry of precise strikes, sending all four level 10 elites crashing to the floor in a heap of groans and shattered pride.
Haruto dusted off his maid apron, stepping over the fallen guards as he locked eyes with a terrified, trembling Kenjin. A dark, theatrical grin spread across Haruto's face.
"Now this... is starting to look like an interesting game."
He stepped right up to Kenjin, who tripped backward and scrambled away until his back hit the cold stone wall, clutching his knees in absolute terror.
"H-H-H Hey maid!" Kenjin shrieked, his voice cracking hysterically. "I admit defeat! I surrender! Just don't hurt me!"
Haruto stopped right in front of him, looking down with a cold, veteran gaze. He leaned in close, his voice dropping into a low, echoing whisper:
"Until breath leaves someone's body... defeat is just a rumor."
Kenjin turned pale, his breath hitching as Haruto's cold words hung in the air. Haruto didn't even blink, his fist tightening as he prepared to deliver a punch that would leave the noble a pulp, but suddenly, the air shifted.
Swish.
A jagged blade whistled through the air, aimed directly at Haruto's back. Before he could react, one of the elite guards, who had been lying still on the floor, surged up with a feral grin, driving the knife straight into Haruto's back.
Haruto gasped, but the guard didn't stop. He yanked the blade out and plunged it in again, and then a third time, cold steel tearing through the maid uniform.