The Valefor residence.
"Nice to meet you again, Hayasaka-san."
Lynn sat back on the sofa, his gaze settling on Hayasaka and Kaguya, both dressed in maid uniforms, standing respectfully before him.
"Greetings, Lord Lynn."
Ai bowed slightly. "I am your personal maid, Hayasaka Ai. Please command me as you wish from now on."
She still felt a bit dazed.
Just yesterday, he had asked if she wanted to change her work location—and now, it had happened.
It was so fast, she felt like she was dreaming.
Still, she quickly composed herself. After all, she had been raised and trained as a maid and was well-versed in the role.
Beside her, Kaguya seemed nervous. Her head was lowered, eyes locked on her toes. She didn't dare look at Lynn.
She was both uneasy and embarrassed.
After all...
She never imagined that their next meeting would be under such circumstances, as his personal maid.
Logically, it was Lynn who caused the Shinomiya family's downfall.
But instead of resentment, Kaguya only felt complicated.
Because, deep down, she knew it was her fault for provoking Lynn first. She had no one else to blame.
And...
Becoming Lynn's maid, oddly enough, didn't feel wrong. It brought a strange sense of relief.
She couldn't explain why.
Just like before—when Lynn ignored her—it felt strangely disappointing. She had wanted to be noticed by him.
Maybe she was sick in the head?
Suddenly, Kaguya felt a soft poke at her waist.
"Hyaa!"
She jolted and let out a strange yelp.
Lynn shifted his gaze toward her with a faint smirk.
Kaguya froze.
Then came another jab.
This time, she didn't react as strongly and began to realize.
It was Ai.
Recalling what she had just done, a flash of clarity crossed Kaguya's eyes. She hurriedly bowed.
"I am your personal maid, Kaguya Shinomiya. Please command me from now on!"
Her cheeks flushed red, but she forced down the shyness and echoed Ai's words.
Lynn leaned forward slightly and lifted her chin with his fingers, making her look up.
Kaguya trembled. Her eyes darted away, unable to meet his.
Lynn's lips curved slightly. "I preferred the rebellious version of you, Miss Shinomiya."
Kaguya bit her lip, trembling again.
Then suddenly—
Thud.
She dropped to her knees at Lynn's feet.
"I'm sorry, Lord Lynn!"
"I was ignorant and arrogant!"
Her body shook, eyes brimming with tears.
She had to be forgiven.
Only then could she stay, and only then could she begin to atone for her sins.
Ai looked on, her gaze complicated.
The proud Kaguya from before would never have done this.
But after the Shinomiya family's fall, that pride was crushed.
Lynn reclined on the sofa and observed her with interest. He said indifferently, "If you're apologizing, showing your chest is common sense, isn't it?"
"Eh?"
Kaguya froze.
She instinctively turned to look at Ai with teary, confused eyes.
Is that... really how it's done?
But Ai just turned away slightly.
Kaguya-sama, this is your atonement.
With no response, Kaguya bit her lip, trembling. "I… I understand…"
She didn't know what would happen if she failed to satisfy Lynn.
Haruno's warning echoed in her ears.
This was their only chance at survival.
Just exposing her chest…
That's all.
Besides—
This was her atonement!
And honestly...
If it was Lynn, it didn't feel wrong.
She took a deep breath, mentally prepared herself, and began unbuttoning her uniform with trembling hands.
One button, two, three…
Her pale skin slowly came into view.
Her lips pressed together as her face burned with embarrassment.
When had she ever done something like this?
But today was different.
And somehow...
She only felt shy, not disgusted.
If it were anyone else, she'd have rather died.
One minute passed.
This… should be enough, right?
She glanced at Lynn, then quickly looked away again.
But he didn't react.
Had her apology not been accepted?
Kaguya bit her lip and hesitated for a moment, then moved to undo her back fastenings.
Click.
Her uniform slipped further, revealing her bare back.
Her smooth skin and faint pink hues peeked into view.
Even Haruno might lose to this.
Lynn blinked.
He wasn't particularly impressed.
He glanced again, then calmly condensed a [Evil Piece] and pressed it to her chest.
There wasn't much difference between the front and the back, anyway.
"Mm…"
The cold touch made Kaguya flinch, her eyelashes fluttering violently.
She didn't open her eyes.
She just let him proceed.
The next second—
A surge of power entered her body, and her eyes flew open in shock.
What was…
Flowing into her!?
[Ding! You have obtained Peerage member: Kaguya Shinomiya!]
[Ding! Peerage member Kaguya Shinomiya has been reincarnated as a Special Devil!]
System prompts rang in Lynn's mind.
He checked her Blessing stats.
---
[Kaguya Shinomiya]
Rank: Low-Class Devil
Master: Lynn Valefor
Stats:
Strength: i0
Agility: i0
Endurance: i0
Magic: i0
Innate Abilities:
• Ice Devil
• Frostbite: When attacking frozen enemies, drain their magic and convert it into a shield.
• Devil Transformation – Absolute Zero
---
As her Blessing appeared, a wave of cold suddenly radiated from Kaguya's body.
Hayasaka shivered instinctively and stared in shock.
"This is…"
"Reincarnation ceremony," Lynn explained. Then, to Kaguya, "From now on, you are my personal maid."
Kaguya looked down at her hands.
Buzz—
Frost gathered at her fingertips.
Click—
A diamond-shaped shard of ice formed in her hand.
It was cold to the touch, yet she didn't mind. She stared at it blankly.
So this was...
Power.
So…
When Lynn asked her to expose herself, it was to grant her this?
A strange feeling stirred in her heart.
But...
Why?
Why would Lynn give this to someone like her?
A sinner…
Kaguya looked up, dazed.
She had forgotten to fix her clothes.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Lynn said calmly, "Because you're mine now."
Boom.
Boom boom!
Kaguya instinctively grabbed her chest.
Her heart was pounding violently!
Her eyes stung, and tears spilled out.
She had come to atone…
But instead, she was rewarded first.
Even someone like her…
Kaguya bit her lip, tears streaming down. Her nose turned red.
"Uuu~"
She sobbed softly, the sound stifled and pathetic—like a wounded puppy.
In the distance, Inukimi suddenly looked up.
A dog demon?
But seeing who it was, she snorted and looked away.
Kaguya kept crying, her body trembling.
Her once-empty heart now overflowed with emotion.
She stared at Lynn, scarlet eyes glowing faintly.
Her thighs pressed together as her face flushed pink.
Just looking at him…
Huff—
Her breath quickened, and she hurriedly turned away.
But her heart continued to ripple.
Becoming Lynn's maid…
Didn't feel like atonement at all.
Realizing this, her face froze.
She was doomed.
How would she atone now?
Off to the side, Ai looked at her with a complex expression.
In just a few days, she'd seen so many sides of Kaguya.
Was her icy persona just an act?
Still…
Seeing that she wasn't mentally broken, Ai felt relieved.
She hadn't planned to report today. She'd only followed Kaguya on a whim.
Though she disliked the Shinomiya family, she genuinely cared for Kaguya.
As a friend…
Or maybe as an older sister?
Either way.
Seeing Kaguya like this, Ai relaxed.
And…
She had her suspicions.
Kaguya had probably developed... complicated feelings toward Lynn.
And this result, for her.
Wasn't so bad.
But now that Kaguya was done…
It was her turn.
Ai's eyelid twitched at the sight of Kaguya's disheveled state.
Wait, does that mean I have to—
The thought made her tense up.
She had been a proper maid all her life.
But she had never served a man up close like this!
Her first time was going to be this intense?
Still…
This was her chance.
Reincarnation. Blessings. Power.
Ai clenched her fists.
So close to the extraordinary—how could she walk away?
Not to mention the benefits
And from the moment she became Lynn's maid, she had mentally prepared herself.
She would eventually bare herself to him.
He had even avenged the Hayasaka family.
It felt... gratifying.
She'd never forget that favor.
So…
No more hesitation.
There was only one thing she felt embarrassed about.
But…
She could only grit her teeth and go through with it.
Ai took a deep breath, unbuttoned her top, and stepped forward.
"Lord Lynn, please leave your mark on me."
Her expression remained cold, but her voice held a trace of nervousness.
She swiftly removed her blouse and discreetly covered her chest.
Lynn narrowed his eyes.
"You…"
"Isn't the difference a bit too much?"
Looking at the obvious downgrade in size, Lynn's mouth twitched.
Hayasaka froze.
He noticed!?
Plop—
Two thick pads fell from behind her.
"Huh?"
Kaguya picked them up. "Hayasaka, what are these?"
Hayasaka: "!!!!"
(To be continued.)