章節 3: Chapter 3 - Unexpected Intruders

Inside a palace adorned with opulence and majesty, a room held a young boy of around five years old, his amber eyes shining with determination as he gazed at a golden, transparent window.

'I need more points,' Ryuk thought, his attention fixated on the section displaying the available kill points. It was clear that the current count wasn't sufficient for him to achieve his desired goals.

He stood up and made his way to the bathroom for a bath. Following his usual orders, he ensured that no one tended to his needs in the bathroom; maids were strictly prohibited from entering.

Stepping into the bath filled with high-quality sandalwood and fragrant soaps, he immersed himself in a calm and refreshing bath.

Once done, he exited the bathroom and dressed in clothes that were mostly black, adorned with golden accents that added a touch of regality.

As he reached the door after exiting the room, maids were already standing, awaiting further instructions.

Among those maids, a peculiar one caught his attention—an exceptional woman in her twenties with long, silver-white hair and a face that bore an air of quiet grace with her beautiful face although inferior to other maids but still can be considered a beauty.

She wore the maid's standard attire, blending into the background effortlessly, yet standing out to the discerning eye.

The boy smiled slightly as he looked towards her. "You, what's your name?"

Hearing her name being requested, the maid, flinched momentarily, surprised by the direct attention.

However, a genuine smile quickly bloomed on her face as she gracefully bowed and energetically responded, "It's Elsa, Your Highness."

"Ok," the boy acknowledged with a nod, and then proceeded to move from the spot, leaving Elsa in a state of joyful surprise.

The simple act of the future King asking for her name left an indelible mark on her heart, making her day much brighter and delightful.

....

Elsa's POV

"Ugh...those bitches, if not for them,"

I muttered to myself, still feeling the sting from being pushed to the ground by some maids earlier that morning.

But now, it was time for me to focus on what lay ahead—my promotion.

As I staggered while walking, my excitement bubbled within me. It wasn't common for maids serving the Royal lineage to come from common backgrounds like mine. They were usually nobles, barons, or even Marquesses, but somehow I had caught the attention of His Highness and earned this promotion.

*BANG*

"Wake up, you idiot, and wash my clothes," I looked towards the bed where my runaway sister's daughter was sleeping. I had been left to take care of her, while my sister took her other daughter away for some inexplicable reason.

My anger surged at the sight of this pest with her silver hair and the same blue eyes as my sister, who always looked down on me. Here I was working hard to earn money, and this nuisance was fast asleep.

"You pe—"

Before I could complete my sentence, I watched her jolt awake, her eyes wide as if she had seen a nightmare or something.

Tear stains adorned her face, which I found oddly satisfying. Guess I should be lenient today in her. "Hmm...Only for today, I'll forgive you. Wash my clothes when you wake up. I'm going to the Palace."

*Thud*

"!?!"

She quickly got up and sprinted towards me as her eyes filled with tears, begging, "P-Palace, I need to go there, please."

My mind snapped. First, I forgave her, and now she wanted my job? This silver-haired brat.

"Don't touch me... SMACK."

"Aghh!!"

"Know your place. If not for me taking care of you and feeding that pig belly of yours, you'd have died somewhere on the streets."

I pushed her away, relishing the red mark on her face. "I'm going. Don't spoil my mood."

Reaching my duty spot outside His Highness's room, I marveled at the grandeur of the palace gate—pure gold infused with mana to strengthen it. I'd heard that just this gate could purchase a small mansion in the countryside.

"Pathetic. Drooling from your mouth like a commoner. Behave yourself. You'll soon be serving a royal."

I heard maid's gibberish teaching me how to serve, Their constant reminders on how to behave grated on my nerves. They thought they could look down on me just because of their noble backgrounds. I was determined to show them my capabilities.

Suddenly, the door opened, and I bowed, following the other maids' lead.

"What's your name?" His Highness asked me, surprising me. I couldn't hide my happiness—after all, he was the future king, and my life would be set if I became his personal maid.

I looked at the departing figure of His Highness, ready to face the jealous glares from those noble maids.

"I told you to act more professionally, yet you bowed completely wrong. Even His Highness noticed your incompetence—disappointing."

"Here I thought even she was a commoner; she must have some strength to get noticed by His Highness."

Their jealousy was palpable, unable to accept that His Highness had shown a favorable gesture towards me. They were already trying to look down on me. Oh, how sweet it was to see their envy.

...

Alia's POV - (Maid from first chapter)

"Haaa...haaa..."

I panted, disoriented and confused, surrounded by unfamiliar wooden walls. Tears streamed relentlessly down my cheeks, blurring my vision and mixing with the salty taste of my own sobs.

'Where am I?'

I wondered, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Everything seemed oddly familiar, but that was the least of my concerns at the moment. The pain of him hating me cut deep.

All I wanted was to help innocent people suffering in the everlasting war he had initiated. He could have simply accepted their proposals and solved things peacefully.

Why did it have to come to this?

Tears kept flowing, and the ache in my heart intensified. Was choosing to help others wrong? I felt suffocated, drowning in a sea of doubts. Maybe I was wrong, but...

"Hmm...Only for today, I'll forgive you. Wash my clothes when you wake up. I'm going to the Palace."

The voice was familiar—Aunt Elsa. But how could that be? Wasn't she executed for attempting to kill me by His Highness? It all felt surreal, 'is it afterlife'.

Through blurry eyes, I gazed at my small hands, contemplating the possibility of having traveled back in time. But no, it wasn't important right now. She mentioned the palace, and that was my focus.

I sprinted towards her, desperate to meet His Highness and convey my message that I just wanted to save people.

"Don't touch me... SMACK."

"Aghh!! "

The pain seared through my cheeks, warmth spreading across them. My small hands clenched, knuckles white from the intensity of my emotions. The physical sting from the slap on my face paled in comparison to the ache in my chest

"I'm going. Don't spoil my mood."

"No!! Stop! Let me come too!"

I stood and rushed towards her, but she locked the door from the outside, just like she always had in the past.

In that wooden room, my cheeks still throbbing, my tears fell to the floor like raindrops from a storm. I was drowning in a sea of grief, my heart shattering into countless pieces, and I couldn't find a way to save myself. The weight of the past bore down on me, suffocating any glimmer of hope for a brighter future.

"I...am...sorry."

The words emerged as a feeble whisper, a desperate plea for forgiveness that hung heavy in the air, echoing the relentless ache in my heart.

....

Ryuk walked through the palace hallways, his demeanor firm and his gaze cold as he observed the garden adorned with beautiful flowers and intricate nature artistry.

'Now, Elsa's inferiority complex will do all the things...'

His eyes held a steely determination as memories from his previous life resurfaced, recalling the act he committed—taking the life of that maid due to his compassion for a small girl who was beaten daily whenever Elsa was frustrated from work.

Elsa's inferiority complex was a towering obstacle, a deep-seated sense of inadequacy that made her resent even her own niece, Alia. From early on, Alia's mother had excelled in every field, intensifying the inferiority complex within Elsa.

For most professional maids, serving royalty was a matter of prestige, but for Elsa, it became a crucible of jealousy and frustration, due to her mind, she will take all suggestions in wrong way twisting the meaning and feeding it to her ego.

Surrounded by people focused on maintaining their best, she would undoubtedly succumb to their suggestions and manipulations, allowing jealousy-fueled actions to amplify her frustration—ultimately, it would all be emptied on young Alia.

Ryuk's eyes reflected the vision of a knife attempting to tear his heart, a constant struggle against his brain, leaving him unable to believe the situation as the hands that held the knife was of his personal maid.

His mind was filled with a surge of thoughts,

If not for hiding his true strength.

If not for not letting down his guard even while sleeping,then that very knife would've pierced his heart that was all the reason to make him feel pity for this girl.

His mind drifted towards another individual 'Maria should have lost her mother,' he mused, an unsettling coldness settling in. The empathy he once held was fading, replaced by a desire to witness her suffering

Recollections of the moment passed through his mind when he was declared a heretic by a person whom he sheltered from all evils of this world, while betraying him the only excuse that individual made was about her getting a choice, a cruel ultimatum between people and himself.

The person he trusted had been willing to sacrifice her love for the people who would have become a cause of misery if not for him.

In that moment, clarity settled over his troubled mind. This world was nothing more than a pitiful stage where selfish motivations and duplicity ruled.

The pain of betrayal had stripped away the remnants of compassion, leaving behind a steely resolve—these individuals were deserving of their own fate. There was no need to extend pity to those who had chosen their paths.

Their pathetic excuses and twisted intentions knew no bounds. Aidiac Kingdom wanted Karina's lifeless body, and in response, he waged war to protect her.

— Got accused for waging wars and even got title of a tyrant.

Some nobleman had secretly conspired with that devilish religion, using innocent children as sacrificial pawns. He had acted decisively, wiping out the vile cult from its very roots, leaving no chance for their wickedness to resurface — got himself declared as heretic by the same person he did everything.

Yet, amidst the disappointment and disillusionment, there was a beacon of light from his previous life—a source of solace and strength that had kept him going through the darkest of times.

'Mother'

Queen of Selvius Kingdom was a mysterious figure, her origins veiled in secrecy. Yet, she carried herself with an air of royalty, akin to a goddess, leaving an indelible mark on his previous life.

During those times, he had set out on a quest to find his mother, who had inexplicably disappeared one day.

His determination to discover her fate and venture beyond the continent was unwavering as many troops were already prepared to venture outside the continent.

However, destiny had different plans. He became entangled in a civil war, orchestrated by the very individuals whom he treated as his people.

He arrived at the door of a room, guarded by two Guards who bowed in acknowledgment.

"Phew..." he took a breath, trying to steady his racing thoughts before stepping into the room.

"Mothe..."

[Host, there are three people hidden inside the room.]

"!!?!?"

Ryuk's heart skipped a beat, his understanding unfolding like a sinister tableau. The first thought that shot through his mind was about his mother's safety.

"kuugghhh!!"

A shadow suddenly grabbed him and.....

{A/n:: I'd greatly appreciate your honest feedback on this chapter! Please comment if the chapter is Engaging or slightly filled with the parts you don't like, Your feedback will help shape the quality of the next chapter. Thank you!}