As a Reward for Saving the World, I Was Reincarnated Into a World Where Girls Are Super Aggressive and Chastity Roles Are Reversed!! …Or So I Thought, Until It Turned Out to Be an Overbearing Yandere Harem of My Former Companions Who Loved Me Too Much - 14

Chapter 14: The Day the Maid’s Mind Was Scorched (Heroine’s POV)

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After confirming that my master, Kazuki, had fallen asleep, I quietly returned to my room. Moonlight streaming in through the window softly illuminated the room. I didn’t even sit on my bed. Instead, I stood by the window and recalled the events of the day.

“Kazuki-sama…”

The words Isabella had spoken—“the tainted blood of a demon”—were a curse that gouged at my heart. Since the moment I became aware of myself, I had been tormented by those words.

『Monster! Stay away from us!』

Because I carried demon blood, the children of my village threw stones at me, calling me a “monster.” When the only allies I had—my parents—died of illness, I was driven out of the village and left to wander without a place to go.

I drifted into the royal capital and, by luck, managed to obtain work as a lowly maid. But even there, the whispers and scornful glares never ceased. So, I built a wall. I killed my emotions, opened my heart to no one, and resolved to live only as a flawless “tool.” That way, I wouldn’t be hurt any further.

When I first met Kazuki-sama, it was the same. Kazuki-sama had been summoned from another world as a “Hero.” But because his skills were weak, he was treated as a nuisance in the royal castle. 

Given only minimal travel funds and equipment, he was banished to a detached mansion. And I, the despised half-blood, was ordered to serve as his caretaker.

“Tainted Blood, you shall serve that failed summoning. Haah… To think we wasted a precious magic stone on such a useless man…”

The reason was obvious. No one wanted to serve a Hero with no future or backing. Though I felt hatred for the noble who spoke such selfish words in front of me, I had no right to refuse. And so, I met Kazuki-sama for the first time.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Shinon. I will be serving as your exclusive maid. If you have any requests, please command me as you wish.”

I thought, This person will soon come to despise me as well. But he was different.

“So your name is Shinon? I’m counting on you! I don’t know a thing about this world, so I’d really appreciate it if you could teach me.”

How long had it been since someone called me by my name, instead of “tainted blood”? As my eyes widened in surprise, I noticed he was staring intently at my hair and eyes. My body stiffened reflexively.

“Are my eyes and hair that unusual to you?”

“Yeah. I just thought they were beautiful. Your eyes are glowing like fire and your hair looks mystical and enchanting.”

“…I see.”

“Crap, I got carried away and complimented you too much. Wait, was that sexual harassment? Damn, I messed up…”

For the first time in my life, someone praised the marks of my demon heritage—my blue hair and red eyes. I nearly burst into tears from the shock and had to force my expression to remain stiff.

Because it was the first time. The first time my existence had been accepted not as a “monster,” not even just as a “maid,” but as a normal person. That was the first time someone praised my demon-like appearance.

Perhaps it was only because he was ignorant, coming from another world, unaware of the stigma against demon hybrids. But… I was happy. From then on, the days I spent serving him became my one source of peace.

Just watching him—awkward, but kinder and more straightforward than anyone—was enough to thaw my frozen heart little by little. When I heard he was leaving the capital after gaining strength, it felt as if my chest would burst. But as nothing more than a maid, there was no way I could follow him into battle against the Demon Lord. I could only see him off.

I still remembered how my chest ached with the pain of parting. That was why, when we met again, I resolved to throw everything away to stay by his side. And today…

『Shinon is my trusted personal maid, and to me she is an irreplaceable, precious person to me.』

Those words resurfaced in my mind. Even when he learned the shameful secret I had always hidden, he did not reject me. Instead, he called me “precious” and protected me. He affirmed my existence completely. And then came the final blow.

『You said you would always support me, right? Well, I can’t even imagine a life without you anymore. So please… Stay with me, forever.』

Those words shook my soul more than any sweet whisper of love could. That meant… He needed me. He loved me. He needed me, tainted as I was. A monster like me.

“In that case, I won’t hold back anymore…”

Like Celestia, I once thought even wishing to join his harem was presumptuous of me. I believed someone with my tainted blood had no right to stand by his side. But I was wrong. If that was what he desired, then I could do anything.

I gently placed my right hand over my chest. The warmth of his touch, when he patted my head, still lingered in my palm. My heart thumped joyously, beating out a song of delight.

“If you are to build a harem, I don’t mind. But the one most suited to be your rightful wife—the one who supports, manages, and serves your every need—is me, isn’t it?”

I had no intention of yielding even to Celestia. And if other women appeared in the future, seeking his love, that was fine too. But there was one thing I would never concede.

“I will do my best so that you will love me more than anyone else. Just as you wished, I will care for everything about you.”

I looked at my reflection in the window. Staring back was not the expressionless maid facade I usually wore, but the face of a woman—tinged with a faint heat, and brimming with maddening love.

“Fufu…”

For the first time in ages, a genuine smile spilled from my lips.

“First, I’ll start with tomorrow’s breakfast. So that Kazuki-sama—no, my Master—will grow even healthier, I’ll put all my effort into it… Fufu, fufufu…”

“Master” could mean “employer.” But it could also mean “husband.” And I knew that. That was why I secretly decided to change the way I called him. Because I would be bound to him. It wasn’t too soon to call him that, was it?

Bathed in moonlight, the maid’s figure—smiling in ecstasy—was beautiful, yet subtly twisted.

★★★

“Seriously, that idiot… If he regained consciousness, the first thing he should have done was contact me. The World Tree Leaf I went through so much trouble to obtain ended up going to waste.”

At the Adventurer’s Guild, an elf girl, battered and worn from diving into high-difficulty dungeons, read the letter and grumbled. But her expression was nothing short of a radiant smile.

“When I see him, I’ll have to be honest this time… But it’s fine, isn’t it? After all, we are already engaged to each other… I’ll never let him be alone again. Just wait for me, Kazuki…”

With those words, the elf girl set off toward the city where Kazuki was.

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