The midnight chimes rang out twelve times. Akuto's door was pushed open softly, and Karin and Elianna arrived right on time.
Moonlight filtered through the stained-glass window, scattering mottled light across the carpet. The first thing to step into the room was an elegant ankle wrapped in black stockings, and beneath it, a cute pair of black round-toe shoes.
The instant she entered, Karin froze.
She'd already imagined the Witch of Sardinia's situation from the sounds drifting out into the hall—but imagination was imagination, and reality was reality. Besides, the scene in front of her was… more intense than she'd expected. It was only natural that she stood there, stunned.
While Karin was still rooted to the spot, Elianna calmly stepped forward to greet him. Compared to Karin, she was clearly far more able to accept this kind of atmosphere.
Elianna's composure made sense. Lucrezia's presence here felt heated, but still less overwhelming than Saint Raphael's had been. A mage and a knight were built differently, after all—knights had physical endurance that mages simply couldn't match.
"Akuto-sama, Elianna Hayama-Ariarudi answers your summons," Elianna said with a smile as she approached. She lightly lifted the seam where her shorter front skirt met the longer back, a practiced gesture of etiquette.
"Ah—Elianna." Akuto's tone was relaxed. "You two are right on time. I'm the one who kept you waiting."
With a soft sound, he let his hand slide once over Lucrezia Zola's smooth back, then eased away from her. In the next breath, he was already back in his usual attire and walking toward the tea table, as though he'd simply switched scenes.
Only then did Karin snap out of her daze. Realizing she still hadn't greeted him, she hurried forward.
"Akuto-sama, Karin Yankolovski. It's an honor to be permitted to serve you tonight."
She stood at the boundary between moonlight and shadow. Her blue-green hair had been braided into an intricate scorpion braid that draped over her left shoulder, while loose strands framed her face like sea-glass under starlight. With her eyes lowered, her long lashes cast winglike shadows across her cheeks, and her green irises caught the moonlight in a clear, trembling shine.
At a glance, Akuto noticed something off.
In the daytime, Karin's respect had carried a faint edge of fear. Now, there was something else mixed into her gaze—something like resolve.
For a girl who was normally sharp and sly to wear that expression…
Was he putting too much pressure on her?
But all he'd done was summon her in her maid uniform. Could that really weigh on her so heavily?
After a brief pause, Akuto decided not to rush matters. Before anything else, he wanted to understand what had changed.
"Make me a drink," he said, smiling. "Coffee or tea—whichever you two are best at."
"Yes, sir."
The moment he spoke of actual maid duties, both of them slipped into a professional rhythm, as if a switch had flipped.
And once she had a task to focus on, Karin's tight, determined expression eased a little.
Not long after, the two of them returned one after the other with their specialties.
"This is black tea. Please enjoy," Karin said, offering a steaming cup with careful respect.
"Cappuccino's here~" Elianna chirped, bringing the kind Erika loved most.
"Mm."
Akuto didn't comment. He simply lifted each cup in turn and took a sip.
Then he looked at Karin again.
"Come here."
"Yes~"
Karin approached and, out of habit, started to lower herself—
Akuto shook his head with a quiet, helpless smile. He reached out and lightly guided her by the chin.
"Karin, you're too tense. I meant: sit across from me."
"..."
Karin said nothing. She rose, stepped lightly in her black stockings, bowed properly, and then sat down opposite him with rigid politeness.
"Give me your hands," Akuto said, as if he were issuing instructions to a delicate doll he intended to examine carefully.
"Yes~"
Karin pressed her lips together, then extended both hands. Her nails were painted a blue-green shade that matched her eyes, and her fingers looked youthful and soft—too delicate for how controlled she was forcing herself to be.
Akuto chuckled and reached out with only one hand.
Even with one hand, his palm was large enough to hold both of hers at once—he couldn't fully envelop them, but he could contain them.
The moment her hands were caught in his grip, Karin's petite body trembled.
"Karin," Akuto said, his smile deepening, "you're holding yourself down too hard."
He even traced a faint, teasing scratch across her palm.
Karin endured the ticklish sting, lashes fluttering, her voice still steady and respectful.
"Akuto-sama, when serving a king, following maid protocol is the most basic rule. I'm usually more… free. But before a Godslaying king, I should maintain a serious working posture."
[Is that so? That's what you think~]
Akuto's voice arrived directly inside her mind, carried through their physical contact.
"Huh?" Karin narrowed her eyes slightly.
She hadn't imagined it. That voice just now was—
Akuto: [That's right. I'm sending my voice straight into your head. And it's not just me—you can send your thoughts into mine as well.]
Karin: [I see. As expected of you, Akuto-sama… even something like this is within your reach.]
Karin's tone stayed calm, but through their contact, Akuto could feel the unrest surging beneath her composure.
She was thinking of something. Worrying at it.
And in the next instant, Akuto confirmed exactly what it was.
Akuto: [You're right. I can sense your emotions through touch… and I can also catch the general shape of what you're thinking. That's why I asked for your hands.]
Karin: [...]
She didn't answer, but her heartbeat sped up so sharply it might as well have spoken for her.
Because that meant—
Was everything she felt… everything she was thinking… exposed to him?
How "general" was "general," anyway?
Was it only emotion?
Or every single thought?
Karin was still in the middle of that spiral when Akuto's next words struck cleanly through her defenses.
Akuto: [Karin… you feel inferior. Don't you?]
Karin: "?!"
Her mind went blank.
Inferior?
She'd never even labeled herself that way. Not once.
Akuto: [At first, I wasn't sure where it came from. But I think I can guess.]
Akuto: [You think you're being treated as Liliana's attachment, don't you? And the reason you started thinking that… was because you saw Liliana's magic teacher—Diana.]
"..."
Karin still didn't speak, but her green eyes flicked away in a tiny, instinctive dodge.
Because he'd named it.
That was the knot that had tightened inside her ever since she'd been chosen.
Akuto: [Do you want my answer?]
"Yes," Karin said at once, lifting her gaze. Her eyes were deep and clear, her resolve returning in full. "I do. Please tell me, Akuto-sama."
Akuto: [Fine. Then I'll be honest. Your guess wasn't wrong. I called you here partly because of Liliana—because I knew you through her. If there were no Liliana, I likely wouldn't have summoned you tonight.]
Karin: "..."
For a heartbeat, she couldn't even process it.
It was like he'd taken the worst possibility in her chest and stated it plainly—without softening it, without dressing it up.
Her fingers tensed as if they wanted to yank free.
But Akuto's hand held steady, unyielding as stone. The moment she realized what she'd almost done, Karin forced herself to stop and went still again.
Akuto felt her reaction and only smiled wider.
Akuto: [That part can't be avoided. Without Liliana, even if I were bored, I wouldn't casually reach for a maid—unless she truly caught my interest.]
Akuto: [But who says it has to be only because of Liliana?]
"Huh?" Karin blinked.
Akuto: [Yes, I learned of you through Liliana. Yes, that's why I considered summoning you. But that doesn't mean I don't like you.]
Akuto: [You heard me earlier today, didn't you? I said your ankles were the most delicate I'd ever seen. For me, that alone is already enough.]
Akuto: [Women tend to seek the strongest man. Men are different. For a man, being captivated by one aspect can be more than enough.]
Akuto: [In your case, it's not just your ankles. I'm also interested in you in your maid uniform.]
Akuto: [So tell me—if my reasons are that simple, isn't it perfectly normal that I summoned you?]
"..."
Karin stared at him, caught between shock and resignation—until, finally, a helpless smile broke through.
"Akuto-sama… you really are a pervert~"
And yet, beneath the complaint, something in her shoulders loosened—just a little—like a knot had finally been named, and could finally begin to untie.
(End of Chapter)
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