Chapter 79: True Nature

"Hey, newbie, all the work here is yours!" The maid's uniform, with its dark hues, was neither revealing nor provocative; instead, it projected a conservative and dignified air. Yet, given what was known about this noble household and the rumors swirling around it, even such a style struggled to conjure the image of a strict, upright family. Rather, it seemed the master simply enjoyed this sort of play. After all, not everyone preferred the cavalry; sometimes, the tender white stalk revealed after carefully peeling away layers of green is the most delicious. Of course, the best things in life require patience... Wait, what is this even about? Ahem, it’s about a commendable value: patience.

The maid who had just spoken looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen. Her beauty was striking, yet her tone was far too arrogant. As she issued "orders," she occasionally raised her palm to the sunlight, examining her fingertips and adjusting her nails.

"Me alone? Isn’t this work meant for five people?" The reply came from someone about her age. His looks aside, his skin was enviably flawless, and his tall stature stood out.

Before him was a mountain of dishes to be cleaned, truly a pile that seemed insurmountable. The one who had ordered him around was, by position, no more than a menial, just like him—not the kitchen head nor the chief maid. They were, in theory, equals, so she had no right to give commands.

Given the reasonable nature of this newcomer, he was hardly one to accept such unfair treatment without protest.

"Newbie, what’s your name?" The maid crossed her arms and demanded.

"Me? Ein... Ticks," he replied, smoothly inventing a name.

"Well then, Einticks, do you not understand the relationship between senior and junior? If you don’t want to experience pain or leave behind unpleasant memories, you’d best follow my instructions. This is a senior’s proper ‘education’ for the junior."

She was but a lowly servant, and yet her face now wore a brazen, mocking expression—solely because she had been here longer than he had.

Einticks had been crouched down, working diligently, but at her words, he stood up.

He wiped his damp hands across the apron on his chest and said, "Because of this so-called seniority, you want to dump five people’s work on one? How is that reasonable? You’re all too full of yourselves."

He didn’t respect her at all. The maid’s beautiful brows arched in anger; most newcomers here were cautious and meek, but today she had met a rare rebel. Still, that was just as well—it gave her a perfect excuse to bully him outright.

She strode over and swung her hand at his cheek.

*Smack!*

But this proved to be anything but fortunate for her.

She had no chance of landing a blow on the battle-maid Einticks. Instead, his right hand deftly caught her arm and seized her chin.

The strength in his fingers made her feel as if her jaw might shatter. She could only gasp for breath, unable to utter a sound.

Then Einticks shrugged his shoulder, and her feet left the ground—he hoisted the little maid up in a classic hanging posture.

No one had expected it. They were of similar build, yet his strength was tremendous.

"Honestly, I never want to bully ordinary people like you, but lately my mood has been foul. Sorry, you just happened to be in the way—it really is your misfortune."

As for the reason for his foul mood... well, it was unspeakable.

Perhaps she could still hear him, but the suffocation was closing in.

"Before you came here, what were you? An orphan, a singer, a wanderer? Whatever you were, now you surely wouldn’t want to leave and return to your old life, right? At least here, you get to eat your fill every day, don’t you?"

"Maybe you’ve even seen some role models, so you aim for a higher position, seeking to trade your body or your looks—after all, you must think you’re no worse than anyone else. Sorry, ‘trade’ is a better term than ‘sell,’ but either way, don’t forget your real duties."

"And don’t think that just because you were pitiful before, now you have the right to tyrannize others after gaining a slightly better position. Honestly, who doesn’t have a little bit of misery in their life? Do you know how many times I’ve almost drowned?"

"Or, let’s say everyone has ambition. Your asset is your face—nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of things where just being attractive counts for more than a lifetime of effort. But... guess what, if I were to throw you into this heap of porcelain at ten meters per second—never mind, you might not understand. What I mean is, if I use my full strength to hurl you into the dishes, what do you think would happen?"

"It’s simple. First, the impact would shatter these exquisite porcelains into shards, and their jagged edges are no less sharp than knives. Neither single-layered fabric nor human skin could stop them from slicing in. Then, those fragments would pierce your body inch by inch. You’d feel sharp pain, then numbness, and finally... you’d understand true agony."

"The tiniest shards might remain in your body for life."

"And... what if something scars your face, or blinds your pretty eyes?"

Einticks withdrew his arm; their faces were only a fist’s distance apart. The agony of suffocation made the maid unable to meet his gaze—her eyes rolled back, and in the narrow field of vision she could vaguely see crimson hair.

That was surely the color of a demon.

At first, Einticks’s voice was devoid of emotion, but as he continued, it grew more animated, as if describing something amusing. It was clear he was struggling to restrain himself, but at any moment, that restraint might snap.

That was the most chilling part.

"What a pity... If you weren’t discarded outright, when your wounds had mostly healed, everyone who saw you would lament your fate. They’d assign you the heaviest work, and you’d spend your short, painful life trapped in that cage, regretting having come here, cursing me—but what use is that?"

"Or, if I don’t do that, we could be even simpler... You know there are several deep wells in this estate. If a girl were hidden in one, how long would it take to be found? I do wonder."

"Or could you withstand the pressure of seeing a shadow at your window every night, watching you? No matter—it would only cause some nervous breakdown at worst."

His ceaseless, talkative mouth described horrors without pause, yet now she was close to dying from lack of air.

So he let go decisively, and to prevent her from collapsing, he kindly caught her in front, embracing her as if taking advantage.

Once she had regained her breath and realized she was still alive, she found herself in his arms, but dared not make a single move to escape.

Her arms hung limp; she felt the back of her neck being traced by two fingers.

Then, softer words sounded by her ear, warm and moist: "Ah, right, I haven’t introduced myself. I was the butcher’s... daughter. Let me tell you a professional secret—did you know? No matter how large a vertebrate, if you find the gap between two neck vertebrae and make one swift cut... guess what happens?"

"I suppose... you’ve never seen such beautiful blood spray. The blood, losing its path, would jet out instantly—a fine mist, tinted red, faintly metallic, but if it touches your lips, it’s almost sweet."

Now, those two fingers ceased their motion and tapped lightly at a spot on her neck’s spine.

The maid felt a chill that penetrated her bones. Unbidden, images flooded her mind... imagination is a thing rarely under control.

Once he released her, she could no longer cling to Einticks, collapsing to the ground.

Einticks laughed as if nothing had happened. "Just kidding—your reaction is too dramatic. I only wanted to impress upon you the importance of doing your own work."

Though his hand gently stroked her head, she dared not look up. No matter how soft the gesture, it brought no comfort; her body trembled relentlessly, her heart near bursting.

He stepped back, finally ceasing his touch.

"But... if you could help me with my share, I’d appreciate it. Honestly, this work is such a bother."

Huh? Wasn’t it just said that everyone should do their own work?

Einticks had other, more important tasks to attend.

He wiped his face with one hand, feeling his emotions slip a little... Truth be told, bullying ordinary people was beneath him, but his mood had been soured by recent events. Her behavior was just a trigger—he hadn’t yet mastered the art of separating conduct from emotion. And...

"Damn, I let my true nature show a bit..."

Those with assertive or aggressive personalities often harbor, to some degree, a certain 'sadism' within. Sometimes, it slips out unbidden.

With Einticks, only Ein could rein him in during such outbursts—but now and then, losing control wasn’t a bad thing. Besides, apart from frightening people, he hadn’t actually done anything else, had he?