Chapter 12: The Sword Saint’s Past

Nestled in Larvia’s embrace, Chloe felt a long-forgotten sense of security.

It was the kind of feeling where she could let go completely, entrusting herself to another and relaxing fully.

Closing her eyes, Chloe drifted into memories of her past.

She was born in a small village in the human empire, living with her parents and younger sister.

Her father was a blacksmith, crafting and repairing tools for the villagers. Because of this, Chloe was exposed to weapons from a young age.

Though their family wasn’t wealthy, her childhood was happy. Without incident, she would’ve taken up her father’s trade and become a blacksmith.

But when she was very young, a band of bandits shattered her peaceful life.

They slaughtered everyone in the village, including her parents, and looted all their possessions.

Her parents, sensing the attack, hid Chloe and her sister just in time, allowing them to escape the massacre. They were found only after the bandits left, when the local lord’s men arrived.

The sisters were sent to an orphanage in the city.

Years later, when Chloe was old enough to work, she left the orphanage to ease its burden, earning money to support herself and her sister.

During this time, her swordsmanship talent was discovered.

A demon attack struck, and to protect her sister, Chloe killed two demons and gravely wounded a third with an ordinary hunting knife.

The feat reached the local lord’s ears, who took an interest and decided to train her.

In swordsmanship training, Chloe displayed astonishing talent. By her late teens, she was unmatched in the town.

She became a noble’s retainer.

Over time, the noble sought to use her to further his ambitions.

But Chloe refused to turn her blade on innocent humans.

She joined the Church, becoming a knight in the Holy Order.

As years passed, her strength grew, eventually earning her the Holy Sword and the title of Sword Saint, a figure revered across the empire.

But what others didn’t know was how tough life as the Sword Saint was.

She’d joined the Church for its neutrality, free from ties to any imperial family.

Chloe knew she lacked political savvy. Meddling in noble affairs would likely get her killed without knowing why.

But after joining, she realized the Church was just another imperial faction. As the Sword Saint, her actions often represented the Church’s stance.

Wielding immense power, she couldn’t avoid political entanglements, no matter how much she wanted to.

Though a Sword Saint, she wasn’t strong enough to oppose an entire faction alone. She lived cautiously, fearing an unintentional offense or crossing a noble’s interests.

In the end, Chloe crafted an ascetic persona. She locked herself in her room at the Church, secretly reading comics while claiming to study swordsmanship.

She refused pay raises and accolades, shunned material desires, and ate plain meals, silencing nobles who tried to bribe her.

Still, she was frustrated.

She’d worked so hard to rise from nothing to a position her childhood self would’ve envied, yet her life wasn’t much better.

But for self-preservation, she had no other choice.

Her sister, sent to the Imperial Royal Academy in the capital thanks to Chloe’s success, lived comfortably.

Chloe never imagined she’d be ambushed by the vampire queen in the middle of nowhere, beaten soundly, and turned into her maid.

Since coming to the vampire realm, though, her mental burdens had lightened.

All she had to do was her job diligently—no need for the constant caution of her past.

“Little Chloe, you love hugging me this much? Still not letting go after all this time?”

Larvia’s voice snapped Chloe out of her reverie.

She realized her body had gone limp, her head buried in Larvia’s embrace.

“No way! I…”

Chloe’s cheeks flushed.

Her mind raced for an excuse.

‘No way I’m admitting how comfy that felt!’

“I was just… worried you’d say I didn’t do it right and dock my pay again!”

“Really?”

“What else would it be?”

“Alright.”

Larvia patted Chloe’s head.

The moment her hand touched, Chloe shivered but didn’t resist.

“If you want more hugs, come to my study during work hours or my bedroom on your days off.”

“Who’s asking?” Chloe puffed her cheeks. “Aren’t you super busy? I don’t want to bother you. Who knows if you’ll dock my pay again!”

“No worries~ If little Chloe wants a hug, I’ll drop everything to give you one~”

“You…” Chloe stammered, her face reddening further.

“Fine, can I rest now?”

“Sure.”

“Then get out, I’m going back to sleep!”

“Nope~”

“Huh?”

“I brought your textbook. Time for class, little Chloe~”

Larvia flashed an innocent smile, shoving an alchemy textbook—placed on the table at some point—into Chloe’s arms.

“Class? What class?”

Chloe tilted her head, confused.

“Royal maids are elites, but you don’t know anything, do you? What if you get exposed?”

“Uh…”

Chloe was speechless.

She’d worried about this before. If Silia asked her a question and she couldn’t answer, she’d be in trouble.

‘But I work five days a week, and now two days of class?’

‘When am I supposed to do homework?’

“Wait, I’m supposed to have two days off a week. Now I’ve got classes, so no rest at all. Who’s compensating me for that?”

“Hm… Figure it out yourself, little Chloe.”

Larvia winked, then ditched Chloe and slipped away.

Staring at Larvia’s retreating figure, Chloe felt something was off.

‘Did I just get screwed over?’