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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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When I opened the door in the morning, Nias was standing there.
Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold winter morning air.
Holding the hem of her slightly oversized maid uniform with both hands as if it were a handle, she had a fluffy smile. As of yesterday, she had become my exclusive maid.
“Young Master, did you sleep well through the night?”
As I nodded, I gently supported Nias’ forehead as she nearly toppled over.
I thought she might have come to kill me first thing in the morning, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Judging by the lack of mana flow, she was utterly defenseless.
“What are you, some insect crawling out of a tree in the early morning to be eaten by birds?”
I was still sleepy from staying up late reading last night.
To be disturbed from my slumber so early in the morning… Nias’ cheeks briefly puffed up like an air bubble at my words. It seemed to be an extremely unpleasant thing to hear.
However, it was only for a moment before Nias approached me with a bright smile again, as if she were about to hug me.
“The Duke ordered me to stay close to the Young Master starting today and watch over your well-being with each and every move. So…”
Speaking in a daze without catching her breath, Nias noticed my crumpled face and pursed her lips, trailing off. She must have remembered the promises she made to me yesterday.
I glared at Nias for a moment before uttering a single word.
“Gestures.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, gestures.”
With a bewildered expression, Nias raised both arms as if cheering. I stared at Nias in disbelief for a moment, then sighed and also raised my hands to grab Nias’ wrists.
Nias looked at me with an expression of “Eh, heh?” as if we were playing a game. I immediately lowered Nias’ hands and spoke.
“Are you an idiot? Who told you to raise your hands? I said gestures!”
At my words, Nias looked a bit shocked. Her face gradually turned bright red. To think this was the demon king’s reincarnation. The demon king sure was pitiful. Being reborn with a pure mind due to a failed gamble.
“Repeat after me. Each and every gesture.”
“Ea- each and every gesture.”
“That’s right. Stupid. Now go.”
“Wh- where to?”
Nias asked, shrinking her neck.
“Anywhere, don’t you have a place that suits you? Like a barn. Or your original home.”
I looked at Nias with a haughty gaze befitting a noble looking down on a commoner. At those words, Nias’ complexion turned pale white.
Of course, I knew the situation. Nias was originally from a fallen noble family. Due to picking the wrong side to support between the previous emperor’s two sons, they were hit by a backlash and fell from grace.
Her full name was originally Nias Nimford, but now she couldn’t use that surname freely. After the head of the family was executed, the Nimford family, unable to properly maintain their household, pleaded with the Deinhart Duchy to take Nias in as a maid to save her life.
It was heartbreaking, but to achieve the achievements and for the sake of the world’s peace, I had no choice but to treat Nias harshly.
“Filthy.”
Teardrops were gathering in Nias’ eyes again.
*Ding!*
“Don’t bother me.”
I pushed Nias aside and closed the door. Just before closing the door, the last thing I saw was Nias looking at me blankly with tearful eyes.
Even if she looks at me with that expression… No matter how stupid, the demon king’s reincarnation is still the demon king’s reincarnation. I couldn’t let her stay by my side and aim for my life.
I decided to distance myself from her for now and devise countermeasures. But just as I was about to continue reading the book I had been reading yesterday, the door shook noisily.
“N- no! I have to get closer to the Young Master! Open the door please!”
Was she trying to kill me? …I really couldn’t understand what she was thinking.
Wait, now that I think about it…
“Store.”
This was where Plot Points were used. It was possible to purchase all sorts of things from the store using accumulated Plot Points.
More items were listed below this, but I purchased Danger Detection for now. As soon as I bought it, a sensation like a faint electric current flowed through my entire body.
There was definitely killing intent directed at me. As I thought, she was trying to kill me after all!
Outwardly, she seemed pure but must have had some other motive. I had no choice but to be on guard.
And in this situation, how was I supposed to change Nias’ heart? To awaken Nias’ masochistic tendencies, I had to mistreat her.
The noise continued, but I deployed defensive magic to protect myself and half-reclined on the spot. I could have silenced the noise entirely, but this was my way of staying cautious.
“…For now, I’ll just keep reading.”
I wasn’t sure what she would do, but it should be fine now. She may regain her powers as the demon king later on, but she is an 8-year-old child right now.
The range of mana she could control would be limited, and there would only be a little she could do.
I picked up the book I had been reading yesterday. It was a book about magic.
The Deinhart family I belonged to was a historic house of magic. My father, Raon Deinhart, was one of only five people on the continent to have earned the title of Grand Magician, one of the Five Orbs.
In a sense, I was receiving an early education in magic. The protagonist in the original novel disliked receiving this kind of education. Of course, I was different.
Why so? Because I was an enthusiast.
Since this was the world inside the novel, studying like this was no different from indulging in my passion.
“Interesting.”
Once I focused, even the sound of Nias knocking on the door gradually faded. Before I knew it, I had forgotten about Nias, who was after my life, and I had become immersed in the book.
And around lunchtime, after reading three books, I realized I had no more books. Moreover, it was getting close to the time for my magic lessons with my father, so I got up from my seat.
‘Come to think of it, it’s been quiet for a while.’
I paused for a moment at this strange silence. I thought she might be up to something.
When I opened the door with tension, no one was there for now. However, a small laugh escaped me when I turned to the right.
Right next to the door, Nias hugged her legs and buried her head between them, dozing off.
Was it quiet because she was asleep? The air in the hallway was cold enough to kill someone. To think she had been waiting here all this time.
I quietly approached Nias without making a sound. Quietly sleeping like this, she really didn’t give the impression of a demon king.
If I had to compare, she was like an intricately crafted doll.
‘She doesn’t seem like she would kill someone.’
As I gazed at her quietly, Nias stirred and opened her eyes. She still looked a bit dazed from sleepiness.
“…Young Master? You’ve come out now…?”
“Are you trying to freeze to death? You’ll die if you sleep in a cold place like this.”
“But I was sleepy…”
“Sleepy? Hey. You idiot. Get up. You have hypothermia.”
I grabbed Nias’ hand and pulled her up. As expected, it was surprisingly cold.
The awakened Nias staggered weakly, perhaps from dizziness caused by hypothermia.
“Are you trying to die?”
“That’s not it. I was waiting for the Young Master and unknowingly… Hehe.”
Nias laughed absently.
“At this rate… I was afraid you might really send me away… So…”
“I am going to send you away. I don’t need such a stupid maid, so I’m going to tell Mother.”
At my words, the smile on Nias’ lips briefly disappeared. It was replaced by a sharp, tingling killing intent.
She seemed to hate the idea of being sent away, even if it meant death.
Then Nias suddenly leaned her head weakly against my chest. She seemed to intend to fall asleep while being held by shifting her center of gravity entirely onto me.
“I’m sleepy…”
“Sigh… That’s hypothermia.”
At this rate, nothing good would come of it. I grabbed Nias’ shoulders and forcibly separated her.
“You’re being a nuisance. I have no intention of taking care of trash like you.”
Anyway, I had no intention of letting Nias suffer from hypothermia like this. I was already generously tolerating her trying to kill me.
As I was about to return to my room to find a blanket to give Nias, I felt a chill running through my entire body.
Nias’ mana was flowing through the air.
*Ding!*
I shivered at the sudden chill I felt. To think she would use this method!
Nias was excessively healthy. She could survive a bit of hypothermia. On the other hand, if a frail person like me was exposed to the cold as much as Nias, I would die.
That’s why she had been quietly waiting outside. Until her body got cold enough. It was a brilliant method of murder.
It would be too easy to stage a situation where a sickly boy died from hypothermia. Just open the window of my room, and it will be over.
I wanted to immediately reflect the curse, but… Once cursed, the only ways to dispel it were to kill the caster or hope they voluntarily lifted it.
‘What should I do?’
Was there no way? My whole body was already starting to tremble, and sudden drowsiness was coming over me. Due to the sudden drop in body temperature, my frail body started showing immediate abnormal reactions.
After thinking for a moment, I found a way to escape this situation. This curse had appeared in the original novel, with the word “curse” replaced by “magic.”
As a magic that increased natural healing power, the protagonist had also been healed by this spell a few times.
However, according to the background setting, it was not healing magic. It was a curse that shared one’s condition with others. Casting this curse and injuring oneself harmed the target along with the caster.
Healing was just an unintended side effect of the curse. And that meant the reverse was also possible.
But to do that, I had to quickly handle things before my body completely froze.
“Move.”
Nias had a puzzled expression, seeing me move unaffectedly. Thanks to using magic to strengthen myself, I could show no signs of weakness. Still, the duration of the magic was only about a minute.
Rushing into the room, I picked up the blanket I frequently used with hands that were getting blurrier.
I hurriedly cast a warming magic on the blanket, intending to give it to Nias, but I changed my mind.
‘Just handing it over wouldn’t be tormenting her.’
Flap flap.
When I used magic, the blanket transformed into a tattered rag. And I cast a warming magic on this blanket. Its appearance had changed to resemble a beggar’s, but its performance would be pretty good.
Going outside, I wrapped the blanket around Nias, who was nodding off again.
Nias pulled the blanket I had wrapped around her from the inside, looking up at me with a puzzled expression as if she had received an unexpected gift.
“This is…?”
“Well, I thought it would suit you perfectly. That beggar-like blanket. It makes you look just like a commoner.”
Even as I said that, I felt a warmth spreading deep inside my body. This warmth was the very warmth Nias was feeling.
At the same time, as my ice-cold body melted away, the status ailment caused by the curse was lifted.
*Ding!*
The problem was that I wondered if Nias would take additional measures here, but…
Looking at Nias, I breathed a sigh of relief. Nias was burying her face in the tattered blanket I had given her, looking delighted. Between the black hair that had loosened slightly and flowed down to cover her white cheeks, I could see Nias’ flushed cheeks.
“…It has a strange smell. Young Master’s scent…? It’s warm and… Feels good. It’s a first for me.”
*Ding!*
Huh? What in the world…?
I stared at the system window in bewilderment. Her favorability increased, and she became aware of her masochistic tendencies…?
Wait, now that I think about it… I recalled the setting again.
It was stated that Nias had masochistic tendencies, but no detailed information was written. In fact, there are various types of masochistic tendencies. Until now, I simply thought she enjoyed being tormented, but…
‘Could it be that Nias’ masochistic tendencies are… connected to defeat? Or… affection?’
Anyway, at least I no longer felt any killing intent. I suppose I should consider myself lucky just to be alive.
“It’s fine. I gave you something I don’t use.”
It was actually the best blanket I had. Damn it. Of course, I didn’t say that. Somehow, it was embarrassing.
“Hey. Don’t stay here… I’m about to go to receive magic lessons from my father now. Follow me if you want. You’ll have to wait miserably and like a beggar in the cold hallway anyway. It’ll be a nice sight.”
At my words, Nias’ expression changed from shock to a bright smile in just 1 second, showing a magical feat.
“Yes! I will! Young Master! Hehe.”
I forced a laugh. The demon king… I’ll tell you.
Just as I was about to head to where my father was, I heard a girl’s voice picking a fight from behind.
“Hey, you weakling!”
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Hm, wait, I just realized.. What if this is a plan of the demon king or something, manipulating the memories of the MC so he won’t have anyone beside him after he faces the demon king, so he will lose?
I’m conflicted on how to take this. Mc has been trying to act harshly towards her but also keep showing concern for her so he just end up sounds like a tsundere kid everytime.
Also how cold can it be for her to get hypothermia inside the house? Are they in the middle of blizzard or something?