Chapter 11: The Foundation of a Devotee

After class, nearly half the students swarmed around Ren’s desk, clogging the aisle.
They bombarded her with questions about her personal life, her hobbies, and even her dating preferences.

From her seat, Ren found the buzzing crowd as annoying as flies, but to preserve Doroshi’s peaceful school life, she responded with a practiced smile.
‘Fine, I’ll keep smiling. Let’s see what you lot can do.’

As a demon god, Ren didn’t fully grasp the allure of her refined features.
Coupled with the noble air she projected, based on her understanding of “etiquette,” she drew even more attention from her classmates.

She noticed the two boys who’d been sent to fetch the desk and chair earlier among the crowd.
Their overly eager gazes made her skin crawl, and she barely suppressed the urge to crush their skulls.

Casting a pleading look toward Doroshi, who sat ahead, Ren was dismayed when Doroshi quickly averted her eyes and slumped back onto her desk.
‘Lady Doroshi, please save me!’

“Why did you transfer here, Kimihiro?”

“Because of my parents’ work.”
Didn’t she already say that in her introduction? Were these flies completely memoryless?

“Kimihiro, are you, like, some foreign noble?”

“No, just an ordinary family.”
Did these people lack the basic decency to not pry into others’ lives?

“Is the coursework hard? Can you keep up?”
The question came from what seemed like the class president, but Ren didn’t spare him a glance.

With an unruffled expression, she replied calmly.
“No problem. The teachers explain things clearly, so it’s easy to understand.”

In truth, the material was so basic it didn’t even qualify as preschool-level for a demon god.

“Our school’s not exactly top-tier, and the teachers are pretty average,” a girl said carelessly, downplaying the school and faculty.
“You must be super smart to keep up so easily, Kimihiro.”

“Heh.”
It sounded like a compliment, but Ren only gave a faint, noncommittal smile, unwilling to waste another word.

“Do you like playing games, Kimihiro?”

“It’s fine.”
Keep talking, and we’ll play a game of cat and mouse.

“What type of person do you like, Kimihiro?”
A boy’s question silenced the crowd instantly.
Realizing his mistake, he awkwardly covered his mouth as his classmates leaned in, eager for gossip, refusing to leave without an answer.

“…”
Ren paused, then flashed a captivating smile.
“My type? Well, someone with black hair, kind-hearted, brave in the face of danger, living in an apartment, eating blueberry jam toast in the morning, and most importantly, someone who trusts me.”

‘You might as well just say my name!’
Doroshi, pretending to be dead on her desk, jolted as if shocked.

“Ehhh?!”
After a brief stunned silence, the classroom erupted.

Even students in the hallway, drawn by rumors of a “gorgeous mixed-race transfer student in Class 2-A,” looked shocked.
“Does this mean Kimihiro already has someone she likes?!”

Most of the boys and a few girls let out disappointed sighs.
Wait, a few girls? Something’s off here!

Ignoring their theatrics, Ren shook her head silently but didn’t deny it.
This sparked even more heated discussion.
Her gaze drifted to Doroshi, slumped at her desk, her eyes darkening slightly.

None of these flies mattered—she could tolerate them.
Her only reason for transferring was to spend more time with Doroshi.

For Ren, aspiring to be Doroshi’s perfect maid, Doroshi was her sole purpose, the foundation of her existence.
Only Doroshi mattered. Everything else was irrelevant.

Staring at Doroshi’s back, Ren murmured to herself, barely audible.
“All I want is to stay by Lady Doroshi’s side. That’s all.”

★

Lunch break.

Sitting alone in a corner of the rooftop, Doroshi nibbled on a cheap bread roll from the cafeteria, sighing softly.
The stuff was notoriously bad, but even with no appetite, she had to eat something to stay alive.
Nobody likes being hungry, right?

Thankfully, after eating so much at Ren’s place that morning, one roll was enough for now.

Thinking of Ren brought a faint warmth to Doroshi’s otherwise blank expression.
‘Especially those chewy, delicious pastries from the dining room—Ren made those, right? Her cooking’s amazing.’

Despite appearing out of nowhere, the red-haired maid had, as expected, won over many students with her elegant demeanor and stunning looks.

In just one morning, word of Ren’s transfer to Shino University Affiliated High School, Class 2-A, had spread across campus.
The school’s online community was abuzz with her details, including sneakily taken photos from every imaginable angle, leaving Doroshi both impressed and exasperated.

How would Ren feel about this?
Those guys should at least have some restraint with their sneaky photos—some were even taken during class!

She doubted a demon god like Ren wouldn’t notice the photography, but it seemed Ren didn’t care, letting the culprits off the hook.

Ren had practically become a campus idol.
The online community even started a “Most Desired Girlfriend” poll, and Kimihiro Ren’s name shot to the top with overwhelming support.

Reflecting on the morning’s events, Doroshi felt a bit of relief.

Three days ago, when she told Ren, “I believe you,” the girl had looked like an abandoned animal finally finding a home, her pitiful expression searing into Doroshi’s heart.

‘Was she really that lonely?’
‘In her past, did no one ever show her trust?’

Being a lonely person herself, Doroshi couldn’t ignore her.
Ren’s skyrocketing popularity made Doroshi happy—happier than if she herself were popular.

If her classmates’ enthusiasm could make Ren feel less alone, that would be wonderful.

Completely unaware that Ren saw these students as annoying flies, Doroshi was genuinely glad for the attention Ren was receiving.