The Guild Master Whose Hobby Was Helping People Found Himself Surrounded by the Strongest, Overly Attached Members - 2

Chapter 2: The Expressionless Maid

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With flawless, precise movements, she—Lisette—entered my field of vision. Her long hair, smooth as silver thread and reaching down to her waist, flowed from her shoulders to her back.

When touched by light, it faintly carried a bluish sheen, a fantastical blend of snow and moonlight. Well-shaped brows, a slender, refined jawline, and amber eyes that carried little in the way of expression. Altogether, her impression was so perfectly balanced that she almost appeared artificial.

Her maid uniform was a classic black-and-white two-tone. Even though the hem reached down to her ankles, it somehow radiated a faint sensuality, no doubt due to her figure. A well-proportioned body, graceful legs, a slender waist, and a chest straining against the fabric.

She looked so picturesque just standing there, and yet, her presence was so faint it was almost unnoticeable. It was as if a doll with its own will stood before me—that was the kind of presence she had.

The voice directed at me was calm, carrying no waves of emotion, yet the very lack of feeling left such a chilling impression it lingered in my ears. She was—the maid who belonged to my guild. No, to be precise, that was only her nominal position. I had never asked her to perform maid duties.

Every morning she entered my room uninvited, cleaned without permission, brewed tea on her own, folded my clothes without being asked—yet I had never hired her. Just yesterday, when I woke up, the curtains were already drawn open—but allow me to say it once more. I had never hired her.

And though I had never commanded her to do anything, she acted while uttering the terrifying phrase, “I interpreted that as an order.”

“…Hey, Lisette”

“What is it? Your voice sounds calmer than usual today. Were you perhaps lost in thought?”

Lisette tilted her head ever so slightly, her face still expressionless. It might have been my imagination, but she seemed pleased somehow.

“N-no…”

I couldn’t possibly admit I had been answering an imaginary interview in my head and about my perverted hobby of helping others just to gain pleasure legally, no less.

“A-anyway, you don’t have to come every morning like this, you know”

“That is impossible. To support Shin-sama, to bring you joy… That is my very reason for existence.”

Her reply came instantly, without a hint of hesitation. If anything, she even sounded faintly proud. Then, without a sound, she circled behind me, and placed her hands gently on my shoulders as I sat.

Her hands were cool to the touch, yet they pressed with precision, kneading the muscles in my shoulders. Her technique was professional-grade. A strange sound, “uuh,” almost escaped my throat, but I stifled it at the last second.

“You may make sounds if you wish”

Her hands pressed down a little harder. Lisette’s face remained unchanged, her usual mask of emotionlessness—but her eyes seemed to glimmer with a strange light.

“I don’t want to.”

“It gets me excited though.”

“Please stop it.” 

Because of her expressionless face, I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not.

“That aside, your shoulder muscles are pretty stiff. Did you perhaps fight outside again last night?”

“…-! N-no, I just slipped on a mountain path, that’s all”

Lisette’s fingers traced along my body, as if reading a map, following the marks left by battle.

“There were even traces of force applied evenly to your left triceps and latissimus dorsi. Most likely, you tried to block a sword swung at high speed. Lying is not acceptable, you know?”

How the hell does she know that?

…No, perhaps it wasn’t so strange for her to know that. After all, she was an SS-rank adventurer. She stood at the pinnacle of adventurers alike. A first-class adventurer could probably read what kind of battle someone fought just by touching their muscles.

So I had no doubts about that part. Yes. Only about that part. What I truly had to question was why someone of her level, an SS-rank, would devote herself to someone far weaker like me, a mere B-rank adventurer.

It had already been two months since Lisette joined the guild White Lamp Pavilion. The first time we met, she said, “I owe you a great debt.” But she had never once explained what that debt entailed. And I had no memory, no clue of doing anything to warrant such gratitude.

Maybe it was possible I had helped her out of simple kindness. But if that were truly the case, there was no reason for her to serve me so thoroughly. Above all, she had woven herself too deeply into my daily life.

Every morning she appeared in my room, cleaned, prepared meals, massaged me while checking the traces of my battles. And sometimes, she pressed her ample chest against me with alarming firmness.

If I left this unchecked, she might discover my secret—that I fought not out of duty, but as a hobby… That I was, in truth, a battle maniac and a masochist. For the sake of my peace, I had to touch upon the core of the matter soon.

“…I think I asked this before, but could you tell me again why you joined my guild—White Lamp Pavilion?”

I tried to keep my tone as gentle as possible. I couldn’t afford to sound accusatory. This was an SS-rank battle maid I was talking to, after all. If she decided to overpower me, that would be the end of me, both physically and mentally.

“As I have told you before, it is because I owe Shin-sama a debt too great to ever repay.”

Her reply came immediately, the tone unchanging.

“R-right, I heard that… But you’ve never told me what exactly I did. I mean, I can’t help but be curious…”

As I spoke, I leaned slightly to one side, as if trying to sense Lisette’s presence behind me.

But she did not move an inch, continuing to massage my shoulders with steady hands.

Then, her lips parted softly.

“…Well, since Shin-sama is always so active moving here and there on a daily basis, I suppose it is only natural you would not remember me.”

I felt a single bead of cold sweat trickle down my back.

“A-active? I don’t really know what you mean by that, but… Could you explain in more detail?”

When I asked, she did not stop massaging, but began to speak in a slow, deliberate tone.

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