Chapter 6
After staring at the status window for a long while, I came to this conclusion.
My talent was far better than I’d expected, but in exchange, I’d lost my freedom.
[Soul Contract]
[1. Unconditionally obey your master’s words.]
[2. Unconditionally protect your master.]
[3. Give everything for your master.]
Coercive Force (00.00%)
(The higher the coercive force, the more freedom of movement your body loses when carrying out orders)
(Coercive force increases each time you disobey an order and decreases each time you carry one out)
## The terms of the contract have been relaxed by the system
This might be called a contract, but it was a one-sided deal that put me at an overwhelming disadvantage.
My soul itself had been forcibly bound, so there was no way out except death.
But what was even scarier was that the restrictions I was looking at now had already been relaxed.
Then what kind of restrictions had the original contract included?
Surely it couldn’t have had some absurd condition that I’d die if I disobeyed an order.
'Right. He’s still human, so he wouldn’t treat me like that... Or maybe he would?'
Rael. That bastard was definitely going to treat me like a dog from now on.
Since I couldn’t refuse his orders, he’d make me do every kind of filthy thing.
Working myself to death would only wear out my body, but mental anguish was the worst poison for me.
"My life sure has gone spectacularly off the rails."
The only way to find out what this coercive force system did was to experience it for myself.
Putting the restrictions aside, I started digging into my talent and found out everything I could.
First, I checked the numbers for my newly acquired power and mana.
Strength: A+ (Enhanced)
Agility: A++ (Enhanced)
Durability: B- (Enhanced)
Luck: C- (Enhanced)
I had no idea how high those values were, but since all my stats were enhanced, my original stats must have been much lower.
Next up was my talent.
Talent: Basic Maid Aptitude
1. Maid's Talent (All stats increase significantly while you are a maid)
2. A Maid's Devotion (Your stats increase as you get injured)
3. Combat Maid (Anything in your hands becomes a weapon, and your durability increases significantly)
4. A Maid's Secret (When wearing a maid uniform, a subspace forms inside the skirt)
Just looking at this, I could tell my talent was quite powerful.
Usually, talents unrelated to the elements only grant a single ability. But I already had four, and all of them seemed incredibly overpowered.
More than anything, my eyes kept going back to 'A Maid's Secret.'
As someone who used multiple weapons, I couldn’t have asked for a more welcome skill.
If I could draw and switch between various weapons in the middle of a fight, I’d be able to handle almost any situation.
On top of that, being able to carry weapons without anyone knowing was a huge advantage.
Just looking at the combination of 'Combat Maid' and this skill, I could tell how powerful it would be.
But even with such a great talent, there was one drawback that could ruin everything: this damn contract.
No matter what happened, I’d have no choice but to use these abilities for Rael.
I needed to find out how much coercive force increased when I disobeyed an order. I should probably take a closer look at my talent, too.
There was no point having a talent if I couldn’t use it.
.
.
.
I’d completely forgotten I was in the young duke’s room and was just passing the time when a sudden pain made me stop everything I was doing.
The pain in my stomach seemed to come from inside and spread out across my skin. It even felt like it was burning.
'What the hell is this?'
I undid my clothes and checked my stomach. There was something there that felt all too familiar—and unpleasant.
A strange symbol glowing red.
'Could this be...?'
Right before Rael kissed me, I’d felt something he took out sear my stomach.
But I’d been distracted by the feel of our lips touching and my talent suddenly unlocking, so I hadn’t remembered it.
That he’d engraved a mark resembling a vulva on my stomach.
"You fucking lunatic!!!!"
I let all the anger that had been building up inside me pour out.
I yelled every curse I could think of and rolled around on the floor, not caring who heard me.
'No. This is seriously not okay. Why do I have to live with this ridiculous thing on me?!'
The status window didn’t say anything about this mark, either.
I didn’t care what effect it had.
Whatever it did, it was bound to be shitty for me.
"Haa... This is seriously fucked."
I want to die.
And I don’t just mean that as an expression.
******
At first, I didn’t pay it much attention.
I figured it was just one of the watchful eyes that always followed me around.
So without thinking much about it, I asked for a pretty one.
But the first woman I saw was even more delectable than I’d expected.
So tempting I wanted to have her right then and there.
So I pounced on her.
But unlike the other women, she kept resisting, and even when I offered her money, she didn’t change her attitude.
We’d been struggling for a while when the door suddenly opened. My father came in and dragged me away.
After being berated for a long while, I went upstairs to make the soul contract.
As soon as I entered the room, I grabbed the woman’s breasts.
'Nice. She’s different from the others.'
The soft, yielding sensation numbed my senses and clouded my judgment.
When I unconsciously slipped a hand under her clothes and groped her, a moan escaped her tightly closed lips.
At Lucille’s urging, I came to my senses, took my hand away, and went straight into the soul contract.
Nothing happens right after I write my name on the paper.
The contract only takes effect once I make a declaration.
"What was your name?"
"...I’m Serena."
"Serena. From this moment on, I appoint you as my personal maid."
"Pardon?"
When I made my declaration, the woman—no, Serena—dropped to her knees on the floor.
Watching her writhe and roll around in pain was quite a sight.
She suffered for a while, then soon stopped moving.
I put the unconscious girl on the bed in my room and shut the door.
When I came back into the room with the marking tool and a bottle of alcohol, Serena, who should’ve been on the bed, was rolling around on the floor.
'Did the pain drive her crazy?'
Well, it didn’t really matter.
"Now I can finally get a proper look at your face."
"Ugh."
"You don’t have to look so disgusted. I’m not going to do anything to you right now."
"What did you do to me?"
"What else? It’s a contract. A one-sided master-servant contract, though."
The woman’s expression was incredibly complicated.
I didn’t like that she stayed down on the floor instead of getting up even though I was standing right in front of her, so I gave her an order to test it out.
"Get up for now."
"Even if you tell me to get up, I can’t get any strength into my body."
"Get up."
"Wait, what’s happening... Ugh!"
Serena’s body rose against her will in response to my command, and then my next order made her lie down on the bed.
I couldn’t hold back any longer, so I climbed right on top of Serena.
"Your face really is pretty. It’s the kind of face that makes me want to pounce on you right now.
"......"
"You’re no fun."
I slowly savored her body, slid a hand to her waist, and lifted her clothes so I could see her stomach.
The stomach was the most effective place to engrave it.
I took the marking tool from my pocket and slowly pressed it against her stomach.
"Mm. It’s done."
"Hah... Hah..."
"You’ve got quite a nice expression now. Get some rest. I’ll come back later."
As soon as I opened the door and stepped outside, my overheated body began to cool down.
The sensation at my fingertips and the sweet scent of her lips still lingering on mine kept clouding my reason.
'No. If I dismiss her now, the soul contract will be void.'
I had to hold back.
Even if I wanted to dismiss her right now, I had to hold back.
Until the day I inherited this ducal house, I needed a slave who’d be on my side and mine alone.
"When that day comes, the first thing I’ll do is dismiss her."
****
Despair at the unbelievable reality turned into resignation, and that resignation eventually led me to make peace with it.
No matter what I did, the mark on my stomach wouldn’t disappear. If anything, the pain only got worse.
Since it wasn’t listed in the status window, I had no way of knowing what it did—or why my whole body felt so hot and painful in the first place.
"Let’s get out of here for now."
I opened the door and wandered aimlessly down the corridor, only to bump shoulders with someone.
"Oh, I’m sorry!"
"No, it’s all right. But is your name Serena?"
"Yes. How did you know my name?"
"I’ll be responsible for your training from now on."
"Pardon?"
What was that supposed to mean?
I’d been through so much just today that I couldn’t even count it all. The sheer amount of new information made my headache even worse.
"I’ll teach you everything a personal maid needs to know. We don’t have time, so let’s start today!"
And just like that, I was dragged away again without a moment to rest.
'Just send me back to the annex, you bastards!'