Chapter 15: The Maid’s Performance and a Butler’s Scheme

“Agh… that really hurts!”

Clutching her head, Nomnom knelt on the floor, her eyes brimming with tears.

Her skirt billowed, exposing two long, fair, and delicate legs.

She looked utterly piteous.

“Hey… can you stand up?”

Luluti tugged at Nomnom’s arm, attempting to hoist her to her feet.

Yet, despite her persistent efforts, the maid remained utterly unmoving.

After all, the two were clearly in entirely different weight classes.

Considering the ‘thunder’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to large breasts) on Nomnom’s chest, which seemed on the verge of tearing her maid uniform asunder, it was estimated to be nearly as large as Luluti’s own small head.

Both were of the same race, yet how could the disparity between them be so vast?

“Waaah, I’m in agony… Wait, Young Lady? You, you needn’t trouble yourself pulling me; I can rise on my own!”

Only after whimpering for a prolonged moment did Nomnom finally register that the Young Lady was, in fact, trying to pull her up.

Her two cat ears shot upright, and she scrambled to her feet in a flurry.

No sooner had she risen than that pair of extremely springy ‘weapons’ (TL Note: Euphemism for breasts) smacked forcefully into Luluti’s face.

The impact sent her directly flying backward.

“Young Lady!! You, are you okay!!!”

Witnessing Luluti land squarely on her backside on the carpet, Nomnom’s face paled with fright.

Having just found her footing, she immediately collapsed back into a  formal kneeling posture, often used as a sign of respect .

“Oh, I’m so terribly sorry! I, I deserve a thousand deaths for daring to harm the Young Lady! Please, I beg your forgiveness!”

“Nomnom, you stupid cat!”

Luluti rubbed her sore backside, grimacing as she slowly rose to her feet.

Just as her anger flared, threatening to erupt, she caught sight of Nomnom, trembling like a sieve.

Her heart, in spite of itself, softened once more.

“Fine… I’m alright, but you’d better be more careful! If there’s a next time, I’ll make you regret it!”

Nomnom tremulously lifted her head.

“Waaah… Y-Young Lady… will you forgive me?”

“You… you won’t strip me bare and tie me to a pillar to humiliate me afterward, will you?”

“When have I ever done such a thing?”

Luluti, incandescent with rage, burst out in an indignant shout.

This idiotic cat, not only did she fail to appreciate her leniency, but she even dared to spread malicious rumors and slander her good name!

“If you know what’s good for you, get out of my sight this instant! Otherwise, I’ll strip you naked and tie you to a pillar right now!”

“Eek! I’m so, so sorryyyyy!”

Nomnom scrambled out, tripping over her own feet in her haste.

She slammed the room door shut with a resounding bang.

At last, silence descended upon the room.

‘Hmm, what a splendid performance that was,’ Yalin mused.

Yalin nodded inwardly.

Had Luluti not been present, he would have almost been unable to resist applauding the maid.

Truly impressive; this was the work of a seasoned veteran.

The sheer acting prowess, the seamless shifts in emotion—it nearly fooled even him.

“Honestly, I never should have taken her in back then.”

Luluti rubbed her temples, letting out a weary sigh that bespoke a throbbing headache.

“Wasn’t she a maid who was formally hired?” Yalin inquired.

Luluti appeared to place a considerable amount of trust in this particular maid.

On a daily basis, tasks such as serving water and delivering meals were all handled by her.

Consequently, Yalin found her quite familiar.

“No, her parents passed away. She was left to wander the streets alone. Out of pity, I allowed her to enter and serve as a maid,” Luluti explained offhandedly.

“I see, so that’s why the Young Lady shows her such care,” Yalin remarked, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Hmph, I merely wished to prevent a stray cat from sullying my sight, that’s all.”

‘The Young Lady, with her contradictory words and actions, was quite endearing.’

‘However, it was a pity. Observing Nomnom’s practiced movements, she hardly seemed like someone who had spent her life wandering the streets.’

‘What she was plotting by infiltrating Luluti’s side was of no concern to Yalin.’

‘He had no desire to be inexplicably drawn into some conspiracy.’

‘Yet, one particular detail struck him as exceedingly odd.’

‘Why had Nomnom specifically chosen to install the eavesdropping device while he was present?’

‘Even with the utmost confidence in her technique, such a blatant move seemed entirely unnecessary.’

‘Could it be that her target was me?’

After a moment’s consideration, Yalin, a pang of reluctance in his heart, summoned a Conceptual Spirit.

A small, platinum-gold angel slowly materialized behind him.

It then silently soared out of the room, trailing discreetly behind Nomnom.

Unlike the one he had previously summoned in the classroom, this angel was considerably smaller in stature, barely larger than his palm.

Consequently, it consumed less magical catalyst.

While it possessed no offensive capabilities, it was capable of acquiring auditory information, rendering it exceedingly useful for reconnaissance and eavesdropping.

As Conceptual Spirits were imperceptible to ordinary individuals, Nomnom remained entirely oblivious to the presence trailing behind her.

She walked directly into a particular room.

Simultaneously, Yalin began to perceive voices emanating from that direction.

“How is it?”

The voice was deep and remarkably familiar.

Yalin raised an eyebrow.

‘Well, well, wasn’t that Raymond, the perpetually grim-faced butler?’

‘He always seemed so loyal, yet who would have thought he harbored such dark intentions?’

Yalin continued to listen intently.

“My lord, I have completed the installation precisely as instructed.”

“I detected no abnormalities in that individual’s expression.”

“I believe he remains entirely unaware.”

This was Nomnom’s voice now, clear and chillingly detached.

It was a stark contrast to the bumbling, clumsy persona she had just portrayed.

“Hmph, just as expected, nothing more than a magic-less nobody.”

“Very well. You may withdraw.”

“Continue to maintain your cover, ensuring no one discovers your true identity.”

“I understand, my lord.”

The sound of footsteps indicated Nomnom’s departure from the room.

Knowing that no further valuable information would likely be gleaned, Yalin promptly terminated the summoning.

‘Well, then. It seems today’s socks were removed in vain.’

‘Listening any longer would only lead to his financial ruin.’

‘However, he now understood Nomnom’s actions.’

‘It was a test, designed to probe him.’

‘Nomnom’s speed was astonishing; an ordinary person would never perceive her movements.’

‘However, even a moderately skilled mage would be able to sense the presence of the magic device.’

‘Should such a mage detect it, their expression would inevitably betray a hint of abnormality, a detail the well-trained Nomnom would certainly not miss.’

‘It was a flawless plan.’

‘Unfortunately, it was utterly ineffective against Yalin.’

‘As a top-tier sycophant, his greatest skill lay in managing his facial expressions.’

“Hey, Yalin! You’ve been standing there like an idiot this whole time! Hurry up and get to class!”

Luluti angrily slapped the table.

Whenever she became angry, her two pointed ears would naturally droop, and her round, spherical head reminded Yalin of an old acquaintance.

“My apologies, Young Lady, I was momentarily lost in thought.”

“Hmph, lost in thought, you say? I think you’re just utterly captivated by Nomnom, aren’t you?”

Luluti crossed her arms, casting a contemptuous gaze upon Yalin, as if he were trash.

“You shameless, perverted scoundrel! Do you lose all ability to walk straight whenever you see something *big*?”

“You are mistaken, Young Lady.”

Yalin shook his head, stating gravely, “While ample bosoms are indeed quite pleasant, I am, without a doubt, a staunch supporter of the flat-chested faction.”

‘…’

“On a side note, Young Lady, you are also very adorable when you scold me. I only wish you would scold me more often.”

‘…’

Luluti fell silent.

‘What in the world was this fellow even saying?’

‘She understood every single word individually, yet when strung together, she couldn’t comprehend a single thing.’

Yalin offered a faint smile.

He estimated that she wouldn’t be scolding anyone for quite some time.

‘Hmph, this is precisely how one should deal with an unmanageable brat.’

‘If you are sufficiently outrageous, they will have absolutely no recourse against you.’

As for whether his outrageous remarks just now might have been overheard, Yalin wasn’t particularly worried.

After Nomnom had left, he had carefully re-examined the area, only to discover that the so-called eavesdropping device was entirely fake.

However, he couldn’t fathom why Raymond would test him in such a manner.

‘Was he afraid that I was hiding my strength, deliberately intending to harm the Young Lady?’

‘If it were truly that simple, it would be a blessing.’

‘But Yalin couldn’t shake the feeling that a deeper conspiracy lurked beneath the surface.’

‘Something was amiss; ten, no, nine parts of it felt wrong.’

‘It seemed his days as a tutor might be numbered.’

‘He ought to seize the opportunity to amass wealth while he still could; every penny counted.’

‘Should anything go awry one day, he would have to make a swift escape.’