“I’m back—why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
Roseliel pushed the door open, only to see Luna’s face filled with utter disbelief.
Her eyes were wide and round, as if the person standing before her were not a living human, but a ghoul crawled out from a desolate grave.
“…Miss?” Luna’s voice trembled. “You… you really…?”
“‘You’ what? Your young lady is alive and well.” Roseliel couldn't help but chuckle. She stepped closer, opening her arms to give her a firm hug.
Then she realized she was too short; her head only reached Luna’s chin. No matter how one looked at it, this hugging posture made it seem as though Luna were hugging her instead.
Her attempt at looking cool thwarted by her height, she awkwardly released her grip, cleared her throat twice, and pretended nothing had happened.
“I ran into a bit of trouble because I wasn't careful about who I befriended, which brought on some criticism. It’s no big deal. Fortunately, the Holy See remained clearheaded, wasn't blinded by the words of villains, and cleared my name. See? I’m back safe and sound.”
As she spoke, she suddenly noticed that Luna’s eyes were turning red.
“…There’s no need to cry, is there?”
“I’m sorry, Young Lady…” Luna hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes. “I’m just… so happy.”
Roseliel paused slightly, falling silent.
She knew what was going through Luna’s mind. This personal maid had extremely complex feelings toward her—or rather, toward the original Roseliel. Loyalty, fear, disgust, and perhaps even a hint of hatred. These emotions were deeply intertwined. Ever since she transmigrated, every bit of kindness Luna showed her had been cautious, as if probing a wild beast that had suddenly grown docile.
The former young lady had once left whip scars on this girl’s back.
While caring for her while she was unconscious, Luna might have even had the passing thought that it would be better if she just died.
But now, she saw the tear at the corner of Luna’s eye. It spilled over without warning, as if it had been bottled up for a long time and finally found an excuse to fall.
“…Welcome back, Young Lady.”
Luna raised her head and, for the first time, offered Roseliel a genuine smile from the bottom of her heart.
Roseliel felt a wave of warmth in her heart. Just as she was about to say something more, Luna suddenly seemed to remember something important. She swiftly wiped away the tear, instantly reverting to her usual capable maid persona. “Ah, right, Miss. You have a visitor. Miss Mona is here, already waiting in your room.”
Mona.
Mona Gray.
Roseliel’s thoughts were instantly pulled back to her memories of her past life’s game.
This young girl was the original Roseliel’s most loyal lackey, bar none. A young lady born into a so-called “Necessary Evil” family, as well as a uniquely gifted cursemancer.
A so-called “Necessary Evil” family referred to special families permitted by the state and the Church to systematically pass down dark magic, with those responsible for preserving it known as cursemancers.
To defeat evil cultists who used dark magic, the authorities needed a certain level of understanding regarding these dark arts. However, they could not make such knowledge widely accessible to everyone, as there was no telling what chaos that might spark. Thus, the authorities selected a few steadfast families to bear this infamy, serving as a line of defense against dark magic.
Because she hailed from such a family, Mona didn't have a single person at school she could call a friend. No one deliberately ostracized her, but under years of propaganda from the Holy See, no one dared get close to a classmate versed in dark magic. She was so lonely that when the original Roseliel merely met with her frequently to borrow her dark magic to harm the heroine, Mona clung to her as if grasping at a lifeline.
In the original game, Mona was even so humble as to proactively offer to sign a master-servant contract with Roseliel, handing over her soul entirely. As long as she could be "needed," she was willing to do anything.
Yet how did the original owner respond?
She rejected her, giving the reason: “Someone like you isn't worthy of being my servant.”
It wasn't because she looked down on her abilities or out of some sense of pity; it was purely high-and-mighty contempt.
Even so, Mona never left. After that, she still trailed behind the original Roseliel, like a little black cat that had been kicked countless times yet refused to stray far.
And in the original game's ending, after Roseliel died at the hands of the Snake Cult, Mona went mad trying to resurrect her. When that failed, she charged into a Snake Cult stronghold all on her own to fight desperately, ultimately dying at the hands of the cultists.
Another complete tragedy.
Roseliel really was a piece of trash.
Roseliel cursed harshly in her heart.
She took a deep breath and was about to push the door open, but suddenly paused.
No, wait.
Luna and the others would naturally be happy about her change, as they were decent people at heart. But Mona was different. Long-term isolation had warped her mindset slightly; the one she was willing to devote herself to was the original villainess Roseliel. If her current self appeared before her, would she give herself away?
She was a dark magic genius who possessed countless dark spells involving souls. Roseliel wasn't at all confident she wouldn't see right through her.
“…Miss? Is something wrong?” Luna noticed her hesitation from behind.
“It’s nothing.” Roseliel clenched her fists to steel herself. She had survived the Holy See; was she really going to be afraid of a weeping little loli?
Time to give it her all.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed open the door.
“Well, if it isn't Mona! Long time no—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a dark figure lunged over with a whoosh.
Roseliel felt a sudden heavy weight in her arms, sent stumbling back a step from the impact. She looked down to see a fluffy black head slammed tightly against her chest, two small arms wrapping around her waist with surprising force.
“You’re finally back! Luna said you were taken to the Holy See, and I thought, I thought…”
The young girl in her arms was crying out of breath, her fragmented sentences shattered by sobs so that Roseliel couldn't make out a single full phrase.
This was Mona. Messy black hair, a face with a bit of a gloomy expression, now covered in tears and snot as she sobbed. Short in stature, Roseliel estimated she was half a head shorter than herself; her official setting was only 148 centimeters.
Which meant Roseliel had finally met someone she didn't have to look up to.
Because the original owner was a picky eater who hated exercise, her height ranked at the very bottom among her peers, with official stats placing her at 155 centimeters. Paired with her domineering personality, players had bestowed upon her the nickname "Tallest Person in Saint Uriel" to mock her being the shortest in height yet having the grandest arrogance.
Right now, a genuine loli was nestled in her arms, crying her eyes out over her safety—a scenario unimaginable in her past life.
Roseliel instinctively wanted to pat her head and comfort her like a child, saying, "There, there, it's alright."
But her reason slammed on the brakes.
No. Mona was reliant on the nasty, mean, high-and-mighty Roseliel. If she suddenly became gentle, what would Mona think?
So she forcibly pulled back her hand halfway, turned her face away, and said in an annoyed tone:
“What a hassle. What’s there to cry about? Dealing with a trivial matter like this is a piece of cake for me!”
The small body in her arms froze for a second.
Roseliel’s heart bled. Facing a weeping little loli, she was forced to utter such terrible words.
“Clean yourself up already,” she continued to force the act. “With that kind of mindset, you aren't worthy of staying by my side!”
“Y-Yes…!”
Mona abruptly wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve, sniffled hard, and tried her best to control her trembling shoulders. She raised her head, her dark eyes still somewhat red, but put on a resolute expression. “I-I knew Master had to be innocent… It must be those senseless people attacking you again…”
Master.
This form of address made Roseliel’s heart tighten; Mona viewed herself as Roseliel's familiar, even if that feeling of "being needed" was a delusion.
Seeing that Mona’s emotions had mostly stabilized, Roseliel lowered her voice and said earnestly, “Listen, Mona. I need you very much right now.”
She deliberately emphasized the word "need."
Sure enough, a spark seemed to ignite within Mona’s slightly red and swollen eyes.
“What do you need me to do? As long as it's something I can do, I'll do anything!”
Her voice was still a bit raspy, but her tone was filled with eager earnestness.
Roseliel looked at her and sighed internally.
“I’ll tell you in a bit.” She turned around and walked toward the door. “For now, come back to the academy with me first.”
“Yes!”
Mona quickly followed, like a little black cat that had finally found its owner.
Standing at the doorway, Luna watched the two figures head down the corridor. She suddenly felt that something was subtly changing, bit by bit.
She couldn't say what it was.
But she was willing to believe it was a change for the better.
Rate on N.U.
