Chapter 13: A New Assignment

“Is there… is there anything else you need me to do?”

My throat, dry and parched, managed to push out these few words with great effort. These were the words I had forced myself to say, summoning every last bit of courage. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what orders Lord Axas might give next. But I was clear on one thing: whatever he said, I couldn’t refuse. It was the sad fate of someone like me, a small person with no power to resist.

Lord Axas didn’t speak. His piercing green eyes bore into me without a word, making my very soul tremble. I didn’t move, and neither did he. The silence was suddenly shattered by a cold laugh. As I looked up, I saw Lord Axas’ mocking face.

“I thought you’d be even more pathetic. I didn’t expect you to still have some semblance of dignity? How disappointing.”

“Spare me your pity. I have no interest in someone like you, who reeks of demonic energy. Being with you would be as revolting as being with a pig.”

“I say, let the Lord of Moon Island enjoy your body. Just thinking about him and a monster getting intimate makes me feel so much better.”

“But let’s face it, while you do have a beautiful face, to be a good whore, you’ll need to learn from the woman who just left…”

“She was so wanton in bed, like an octopus with its suckers.”

The familiar mockery made me bow my head in shame, feeling no different from a pig or a dog in his eyes. Yet, strangely, I felt a sense of relief.

“I… I understand,” I replied, biting my lip. “I will… I will be a good… whore.”

“Hmph—”

After this exchange, Lord Axas seemed to have lost interest in me.

“Later, come with me to see Cassina. After all, you’re now her personal maid, and I’ll be giving you to her.”

With that, he lightly pulled the cord by the bed, summoning someone from outside…

Walking through the corridors of the estate, I couldn’t help but think about Miss Cassina. She was the eldest daughter of Lord Axas and Lady Kachel, with fiery red hair and jade-green eyes. Her striking beauty made her the jewel of the Icy Wind Estate. Growing up under her mother’s lavish love, she was used to being adored and pampered. Her favorite pastime was wearing tailor-made gowns, holding her head high with pride and confidence as she paraded before others. With her looks and lineage, she was always the center of attention, whether at family gatherings or in daily life. As the former steward of the Icy Wind Estate, I was well aware of Miss Cassina’s temperament, knowing she wasn’t an easy person to get along with. But now, I was forced to become her personal maid and live with her on Moon Island…

How should I deal with this spoiled child?

Just as I was lost in these anxious thoughts, a girl’s voice echoed from a nearby room.

“I won’t go! I won’t go! No, no, no, no, no—”

“Why should I marry a man I’ve never even seen?”

“What’s so great about Moon Island anyway? It’s just a place full of beggars! I don’t want to end up as a wild woman there!”

I immediately recognized Miss Cassina’s voice. She sounded furious, as if she was arguing with someone. I saw Lord Axas’ expression darken as he pushed open the door and entered. I followed him and saw a beautifully dressed girl standing arrogantly on a table, surrounded by servants with miserable expressions. The room was in disarray, with broken furniture scattered everywhere.

“What’s all this fuss about?” Lord Axas asked sternly.

“Didn’t I tell you there’s no room for argument?”

As soon as Miss Cassina saw her father, she flinched, her expression changing from arrogance to pitiful pleading.

“Waa— Daddy! I don’t want to go to Moon Island!”

“I usually visit places like the Lion Heart Estate or the Gold Heart Estate. Moon Island is a dump, and I’ve never even been there!”

“If you’re going to marry me off, can’t you find a better place?”

Although Miss Cassina spoke with tears, her words were filled with a sense of entitlement and finality, typical of her character.

“Hmph…”

Just as Lord Axas was about to speak, a figure rushed in, like a mother hen.

“Oh my dear, what are you doing? These items were brought all the way from the Western Continent! I hope you didn’t hurt your little hands?”

Seeing her mother, Miss Cassina ran to her, crying, and hid in her embrace. Lady Kachel had arrived, no doubt aware of her daughter’s tantrum. She was the perfect example of a doting mother.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy for this young lady. Ever since I arrived in this world, it had been ten years since I last saw my own mother. She wasn’t overly affectionate, just an ordinary woman. But I remembered that whenever there was something good to eat, she always let me have it first. I recalled that she was about to have surgery, and I was so busy with work that I hadn’t visited her in a long time. Did the surgery go well? Did she recover? Was she lonely without me? I didn’t know… And maybe I never would.

Thinking about this made my heart ache. The cold air seeped through my clothes, and the light around me seemed to dim. My thoughts drifted, and I barely heard their conversation. I felt a vague sense of a scene unfolding: Lord Axas scolding Miss Cassina, who kept complaining to Lady Kachel, who comforted her while trying to reason with her. I wasn’t sure whose words had an effect, but Miss Cassina’s mood seemed to stabilize, though she still wiped away tears, perhaps accepting her fate.

Suddenly, I noticed a small figure at the door. It was a tiny girl carefully carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup. My eyes widened, and my heart raced. Lulona!

Seeing this child again made my heart feel torn. I wanted to rush over and hug her, just as Lady Kachel was hugging her daughter. I wanted to pour all my longing for another world, all my love for my family, all my tenderness into this child. But… looking at my weak hands, I knew I couldn’t reveal my true identity to her. I mustn’t!

Standing silently beside Lord Axas, I was like a stone, my gaze fixed on the child. She seemed to sense my stare and frowned, looking confused. In her eyes, I was probably just a new maid at the estate.

As I was thinking this, Lulona approached Miss Cassina with the hot soup.

“Miss Cassina, you’ve been upset all morning. The kitchen prepared this hot soup for you,…”

I don’t know what triggered Miss Cassina, but the girl who had just been crying in her mother’s arms suddenly turned bright red. She looked at the soup Lulona had brought and, without reason, knocked it over!

“I have no appetite for soup right now!”

Accompanied by this angry outburst, the hot soup splashed towards Lulona’s face…