Chapter 71: The Price of Displeasure

These men spoke without a shred of inhibition, discussing one bone-chilling matter after another, utterly unconcerned if their words might terrify those around them.

Yet, this was hardly surprising. After all, what could mere servants like us possibly change?

We couldn’t even budge one of their fingers.

Moreover, I had long grown accustomed to such scenes.

I recalled that even during my time at Coldwind Territory, Lord Axas’s guests often included such figures.

In fact, the things I overheard back then were even more bizarre and absurd.

Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that I began to feel, regarding these men, that ‘if I found them strange, then *I* was the abnormal one.’

Numbly, I placed a platter of sliced fruit before a portly, pot-bellied guest, offering my usual soft reminder:

“Please enjoy, sir.”

He had been engrossed in lively conversation with other guests, but perhaps my pleasant voice caught his attention. He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to me.

Since becoming a woman, I’ve noticed a particular trait: an acute sensitivity.

This isn’t merely auditory or tactile sensitivity; it also extends to how I perceive others’ gazes.

Just as now, I could distinctly feel the fervent intensity in his eyes, as if he intended to lick me all over.

Such an undisguised stare made me shiver involuntarily.

‘How long is this man going to stare?’

“Hehehe…”

As I endured his gaze, I suddenly felt a strange sensation on my thigh. Looking down, I saw that the very guest I had just served was wiping his hands on my clean skirt.

‘What a perverted old man,’ I thought.

In another world, I would have cursed him directly. However, here, I keenly understood my position.

I was a servant, and they were esteemed guests. I simply could not afford the consequences of angering them.

Perhaps, until yesterday, I could have used Rodd’s slight favor towards me as a shield, but now…

“Sir, if you wish to wipe your hands, I can fetch you a hot towel…”

“No, no, this is perfect~”

He ignored my suggestion, deliberately slowing his hand-wiping motion. Rather than merely cleaning his hands, his posture seemed more like an excuse to caress my thigh.

‘He’s definitely taking advantage.’

‘And putting on an act.’

I subtly stepped back, cleverly evading his thick, fleshy hand reaching for me.

A flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes, followed by a cold sneer. Lazily, he crooked a finger, pointing to the wooden platter piled high with fruit, indicating that he wanted me to hand-feed him.

‘Is this man a pig? Does he need someone to serve him even when eating?’

I understood his intentions perfectly, but frankly, I truly didn’t want to humor him. His face, slick with oil from his obesity, was so repulsive it made me want to gag.

So, feigning confusion, I softly asked, “Do you require cutlery?”

“Cut…lery?” The guest’s face twitched. “You don’t understand what I mean?”

“I don’t,” I replied, shaking my head.

“Hmph, country girls truly are blockheads.”

He rolled his eyes at me, then reiterated his demand, which was exactly as I had guessed.

“Clear enough now?” he emphasized.

“Mmm…”

I genuinely hadn’t expected him to have the audacity to voice such childish, infantile thoughts.

‘What should I do? Am I really going to have to feed him?’

Noticing my hesitant demeanor, the man before me smiled faintly, his voice imbued with an air of untouchable arrogance:

“Hmph, if I’m not mistaken, you little girl must be Rodd’s maid, aren’t you?”

“Yes…”

I was somewhat surprised. How dared this man address the Lord of Moon Isle so directly?

“We are all distinguished guests from Clear Water Port. Each of us, individually, is someone Rodd cannot afford to offend. So, you will serve us exactly as you serve Rodd. Understand?”

“…”

‘Really? Are they truly that formidable?’

Yet, observing his demeanor, and recalling Sister Fina’s earlier instructions…

‘It doesn’t seem like a lie. Are they genuinely untouchable?’

After a moment’s thought, I decided it was best to simply endure it. After all, causing trouble here might anger Rodd again.

Thus, suppressing my nervousness, I plucked a plump bunch of grapes from the table, carefully peeled one, and delivered it to his mouth.

His greasy lips sucked on it, leaving his saliva on my fingertip as he swallowed the grape.

‘Ugh, how disgusting.’

I found myself losing control. My normally sweet face involuntarily contorted into an expression akin to tasting something sour, wanting to vomit.

“Hehehe…”

The guest chuckled sickeningly, then suddenly pulled my hand.

“Ugh—”

The next moment, my soft bottom was forcibly deposited onto one of his legs, and my shoulder felt as though it was clamped in his grip.

‘So disgusting…’

“Uh… Sir, if this is the case, I won’t be able to peel grapes for you…”

But he seemed not to hear me, rudely sniffing the dewy skin near my collar.

“Hehehe, I didn’t expect you to smell so good… How about Uncle gives you a lick?”

His greasy lips parted, revealing yellowed, decaying teeth that looked like rotten fruit, emitting a putrid stench.

In that instant, the disgust caused my brows to furrow. I couldn’t help but retch faintly.

“Hm?”

He froze.

“I’m sorry… Ugh—”

I intended to apologize, but the wave of nausea surged up, completely beyond my control. The next moment, I actually vomited.

A burning sensation traveled up my esophagus. What came out was yellowish liquid, clearly digestive fluids from my stomach. To make matters worse, because this idiot had just forcibly pulled me close, the vomit splattered all over his meticulously chosen clothes.

This undoubtedly enraged him completely. His face instantly turned ashen, and with an uncontrollable fury, he roughly shoved me to the ground.

“Damn it! You stinking whore, what are you… what are you pretending to be pure for! Haven’t I seen enough trash like you? All of you act harmless during the day, but at night you’re stripping naked and crawling into your master’s bed, acting more sluttish than anyone!”

His voice was agitated, and for a moment, it drew the attention of the surrounding guests, their gazes shifting over one after another.

“Tim, what’s going on? Is a mere maid really worth getting so worked up over?”

The man who appeared to be their leader spoke. He seemed somewhat elderly, with a fierce countenance and a sturdy build. Compared to the other guests, he was marginally more pleasant to look at.

“Uh, my apologies, Lord Doug…” Tim was very submissive when addressing that man. “I never imagined Rodd’s maid would be so clueless. Her clumsiness simply infuriated me for a moment.”

“…!”

‘Who’s clumsy?!’

“Hmph, do you truly think this backwater place can compare to Governor Sherlock’s Clear Water Port?”

Lord Doug scoffed disdainfully, his gaze openly scrutinizing me from head to toe, as if selecting merchandise in a s*ave market. That appraisal, laced with contempt and objectification, was utterly detestable. I didn’t dare meet his eyes, only sat limply on the ground, trembling as I hugged my arms.

‘Damn it…’

‘When did I become so timid? It seems I’ve become more easily frightened since turning into a woman.’

After a long pause, Lord Doug suddenly spoke:

“However, this maid’s appearance is exceptionally fresh and lovely… If you truly fancy her, when we sign the agreement with Rodd later, I’ll simply mention it to him. After all, this girl dirtied your formal attire; having her accompany you for a night would be a fair exchange.”

‘What the hell?’

‘Have me accompany that pig-head for a night?’

I looked at the pig-headed man named Tim and saw him wearing a fawning expression:

“Hehehe, thank you, Lord Doug!”

Then he looked at me, still slumped on the ground, and made a sinister face, as if already anticipating what was to come.

“…”

‘These people… aren’t they being too fanciful?’

‘How could Rodd possibly—’

‘Uh, how could he…’

‘He… he probably wouldn’t, right?’

In an instant, Rodd’s angry gaze flashed through my mind, like a thunderclap echoing in my heart, making it tremble violently. Now that I thought about it, he really seemed angry back then.

He was so eager to transfer me away after returning. Did he truly not want to see me again? Did this mean he wasn’t just angry, but also disgusted with me?

Then… if that were the case, facing the demands of these distinguished guests whom I couldn’t offend, would he… would he really…?

My heart felt as if it were tightly squeezed by something, utterly panicked. Thinking back, Lord Axas was just such a person; he had once personally given his favored maid to a guest in exchange for substantial benefits.

Come to think of it, Rodd was a lord too. Compared to actual interests, what was a lowly maid worth? Moreover, I seemed to have already lost his favor.

A boulder seemed to press down on my chest, my breathing grew heavy, and the uneasy thoughts refused to dissipate. ‘I’m done for, I’m done for, I’m done for… If Rodd actually makes me accompany that pig-head…’

“Don’t touch that child!”

A familiar, gentle voice came from nearby…

📚 Also on NHV Novels

SSS-Class Soulmate

FantasyHealinghunter

Read Now →
Not interested