"Jiejiejie, Master, you really are the most handsome man in the world."
"Shut up, I know."
"Yes, Master."
The magic mirror faded its illusory face and returned to its reflective surface.
"Phew~"
Green blew a breath, making his bangs jump upward, and spoke to the mirror narcissistically.
"Even with my eyes swollen like this, I'm still so handsome. Tsk, tsk, tsk, you're simply lawless."
"Excuse me, please move aside. This windowsill hasn't been cleaned yet."
Rem interrupted Green's vanity and gestured for him to vacate the windowsill.
"Don't be so heartless, Rem. Look, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight."
Green was pushed aside by Rem, an innocent look on his face.
This blue-haired brat was only slightly better to get along with than her sister.
"Rem still has a mountain of work to do; she doesn't have time to play around with Green-kun."
Having said that, Rem had already begun cleaning the windowsill, meticulously wiping every corner where dirt might hide.
"How much work is left? Let me help you."
Coordinating with Rem's cleaning, Green slid smoothly over to a large vase nearby. He casually plucked a stalk of alpine white lily of the valley and held it in his mouth, looking like an overbearing CEO.
"Green-kun, lilies of the valley are poisonous. While not fatal, keeping them in your mouth will cause tongue numbness."
"What? Ptooie, ptooie, ptooie! I was wondering why it tasted so strange."
Green quickly spat out the flower. His mouth was already slightly poisoned, and he began to salivate uncontrollably.
Crash!
While the clumsy fellow was fumbling with his tongue, his elbow accidentally pushed the vase off the shelf.
The white porcelain vase shattered into several pieces upon hitting the floor. The lilies of the valley inside scattered everywhere, and the dewdrops on the petals dampened the dark red carpet.
Green froze instantly, the air around him seemingly solidifying.
Rem looked at Green calmly and said after a moment, "Are you hurt, Green-kun?"
Green hurriedly snatched the broom and dustpan from Rem's hands and said sincerely, "Sorry, sorry, Rem. I'll clean it up right away."
Rem didn't stop him but turned and left. A moment later, she returned carrying a vase of fresh lilies of the valley.
After expertly replacing the vase, Rem joined in the effort to clear away the small porcelain shards.
"Green-kun, these tasks are a maid's job. Your duty is to guard the Mansion and the safety of Lady Emilia."
"Alright, Senior Rem. Leave the personal safety of you and Ram to me as well."
Green spoke solemnly, picking up the pace of clearing the fragments. After all, he had broken it through his own carelessness; it wouldn't be good if Rem cut her hand.
Hearing Green's words, Rem's movements visibly faltered. She was dazed for several seconds before speaking.
"As for Rem... it doesn't matter."
This girl looks a bit lonely; she must be remembering some bad memories.
"Don't say such lonely things, Rem. Many people in the Mansion care about you, especially Ram."
Through Green's tireless efforts, the floor was finally cleaned.
The water-soaked carpet was rolled up, and once replaced with a dry one, the job was done.
At the mention of Ram, Rem's mood improved significantly.
These two sisters were very close, each viewing the other as the most important person in their lives.
But among the oni, twins are a taboo because each twin has only one oni horn.
The clansmen believed that Rem had taken half of Ram's oni horn, dragging down her sister's talent.
Rem grew up in her sister's shadow, both loving Ram and harboring hidden feelings of inferiority and resentment.
When Ram lost her oni horn, the wicked thought "it finally broke" actually flashed through her mind. This guilt plunged her into even deeper self-loathing.
"Green-kun, Rem will surely repay the kindness of you saving my sister's life."
Rem walked up to Green and bowed deeply, her expression sincere and firm.
"There you go again. Why do you make things so hard for yourself?"
Green was at a loss; the shackles in Rem's heart firmly locked away her free soul.
"*Yawn*~ So sleepy~ By the way, Rem, which one is my room?"
"I'll take you there, Green-kun. Your room is right next to Subaru's. It's more convenient for tidying up if they are together."
"Oh? Neighbors with Subaru..." A mischievous smile curled on Green's lips. "Will there be strange visitors knocking on the door in the middle of the night?"
Rem tilted her head, revealing a rare full view of her blue eyes. She was so cute it felt like cheating.
"Rem doesn't understand what Green-kun means."
"Hey, don't try to brush it off by acting cute."
Green was truly afraid this blue-haired brat would get up in the middle of the night and slaughter Subaru Natsuki. If that happened, the situation would easily spiral out of his control... "Ha~ So comfortable~"
Finally reaching his room, Green dove headfirst into the soft bed.
Roswaal's Mansion was huge. The quarters for male retainers were assigned to the far edge of the West Wing. Even if some explosions occurred, they wouldn't necessarily disturb the female quarters in the main building.
He had done too much today, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.
"I wonder if that guy Subaru Natsuki is asleep yet. Let's add another layer of insurance for you."
In the next room, Subaru Natsuki was lying on the bed in a spread-eagle position.
The feeling of his "magic gate" being drained made him feel nauseous, preventing him from falling asleep.
"Damn, I didn't expect the price for obtaining a skill to be so high. But at least I've touched power beyond that of normal people. My journey in this other world has finally set off on the right track!"
Subaru Natsuki sat up and clenched his fist tightly.
He knew that since he was summoned to another world, he must be the protagonist of this world.
"Strange, when did a full-length mirror appear in my room? Did Rem move it in while I wasn't looking?"
Subaru Natsuki stood up in confusion and began to examine the tall mirror standing by the bed.
The mirror was about 1.7 meters long, even taller than him. The frame was luxurious and engraved with mysterious runes.
Buzz~
The mirror vibrated, making an eerie sound, and lines of blood-red words appeared on its surface.
"Mommy! It's haunted!"
Subaru Natsuki was startled, his knees going weak as he collapsed directly onto the floor.
"Lord Ghost, please spare my life! I... I haven't even had a girlfriend yet! Please!"
Subaru Natsuki immediately prostrated himself, kneeling before the mirror and kowtowing repeatedly. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat.
Faint black lines appeared on the mirror's surface, as if it were somewhat speechless.
Seeing no reaction for a while, Subaru Natsuki tentatively raised his head to steal a glance.
The mirror was filled with a blood-red light, with something written in the script of this other world.
To accommodate Subaru Natsuki's viewing, the mirror automatically increased the brightness of the font.
"Teacher Ghost, I haven't learned these characters yet. What does it say?"
Subaru Natsuki asked cautiously. He guessed that this ghost was trying to convey some information to him, but unfortunately, with his current level, he really couldn't understand it.
"Shit! Another illiterate."
A faint curse came from the mirror.
Then, all the text transformed into sinister voices, entering Subaru Natsuki's mind like the whispers of a demon.
[Welcome to 'The Oni is Coming' Rule-Based Ghost Story]
"Subaru Natsuki, your identity is a civilian. You have been designated as a hunting target by an evil oni. One wrong step, and you will not escape the fate of being killed!"
[Intel 1: There is only one evil oni.]
[Intel 2: Please check if the door lock is intact before sleeping.]
[Intel 3: If someone knocks on the door at night, please remain rational. If you hear the rattling of chains, do not open the door under any circumstances.]
[Intel 4: A guardian will protect you. The code phrase is "Godfather, save me."]
[Intel 5: Hiding behind the mirror provides temporary invisibility. If someone attacks you, please stay away from the mirror.]
[Intel 6: Someone is lying!]
"Lost lamb, struggle to survive."