Faced with Roswaal's answer, both Ram and Rem quietly let out a breath of relief.
Compared to this shameless, lecherous stranger Hayashi Maki, the sisters obviously trusted the margrave who had given them work and a place to belong—and who had once saved their lives—far more.
Even though Ram had already guessed that the mastermind behind the Witch Cult's massacre of the oni clan was Roswaal himself, she was different from Rem. Having lost the horn that was the source of her strength, Ram had long since gotten used to relying on the mana Roswaal supplied her with in order to live.
So, even knowing he was the culprit, Ram had no real intention of leaving him.
Of course, if the command came from Roswaal, she would absolutely obey.
None of that stopped Hayashi Maki from appreciating Ram—and from wanting her for himself.
Hearing Roswaal tell him to change his request, Hayashi Maki snorted and said:
"Sorry, Roswaal-sama, but the only thing I want is Ram and Rem as my maids. If you're worried work at the mansion will become difficult without them, then just give me the mansion as well. I don't mind."
Everyone present stared at him, stunned.
Even Beatrice, who'd been watching with Puck, widened her eyes.
She had never seen such brazen shamelessness in her life.
Now she finally had.
Not only was Hayashi Maki trying to cash in on his good deed, he was leering at someone else's maids and openly demanding them, then on top of that demanding a whole margrave's estate. Far too shameless.
And on top of that, this mansion housed a great spirit guarding the forbidden library.
If Roswaal really gave the mansion away, Beatrice would effectively become Hayashi Maki's as well.
"Hayashi Maki-san, um… don't joke around like that. This request is… way too much!"
Emilia quickly stood up, flustered, trying to smooth things over.
Roswaal kept smiling, but his mismatched eyes grew noticeably colder.
"I'm not joking," Hayashi Maki replied, glancing at Emilia, his tone utterly matter-of-fact.
"Roswaal-sama is a noble, he can hire new maids anytime. I saved your future. One mansion and two maids isn't too much to ask."
"Or is it that, in Roswaal-sama's eyes, Emilia's safety isn't worth as much as a mansion and two maids?"
Confronted with that question, Roswaal suddenly laughed.
"Ahahaha~ how bold you are, Hayashi Maki-san~! I must admit, you're not wrong. A mere mansion and two maids are indeed not as important as Emilia-sama—and the future you saved."
"However, Ram and Rem are also very valuable assets to me. For you to demand them, and my mansion, just based on one good deed—don't you think that's going a bit too far?"
"You know, I am a noble. A margrave, no less. If I wanted to, I could simply give you nothing at all."
Hayashi Maki waved dismissively.
"Then why say 'ask for anything' earlier? How stingy can you be?"
"You're the one being unreasonable!" Rem couldn't help but step forward and shout.
Seeing the way he ogled her sister made her even angrier.
Hayashi Maki spread his hands.
"I'm already being polite. If I were really being unreasonable, I wouldn't be asking for anything—I'd just take it."
"Roswaal-sama, from the way you're talking, it sounds like you think I'm not a noble and have no right to ask for anything. In that case, you'd better at least have the strength to back that attitude up."
With that, conflict became inevitable.
Rem, furious, was about to move, but Roswaal stood up.
"Stand down, Rem."
"Roswaal-sama…" Rem shot Hayashi Maki a resentful glare, but in the end still retreated, moving back to stand beside her sister and taking Ram's hand.
She was angry that Hayashi Maki was looking at Ram with those dirty eyes.
If he looked at her that way she might tolerate it—but looking at her sister like that? Absolutely not.
"Sorry, Roswaal-san. Hayashi Maki-kun just didn't get enough sleep today, I'll take him downstairs to rest. Please don't hold it against him."
Emilia forced a bitter smile, stood up, and took Hayashi Maki's hand, trying to pull him away.
"Emilia-sama, he isn't sleepy—he's dead set on claiming my mansion and my maids. Or perhaps," Roswaal's gaze slid briefly toward Beatrice, "he's also set his eyes on the great spirit Beatrice. So I'll handle this myself~."
He coldly stopped Emilia's attempt to de-escalate.
Hayashi Maki chuckled as well. He squeezed Emilia's hand and patted the back of it.
"It's fine, Emilia. I've been itching for a fight anyway. The Sword Saint wouldn't fight me, so this is a good chance to stretch a bit."
"And Roswaal-sama is right—I am dead set on the mansion, the maids, and that cute little great spirit. If he won't give them to me, I'll just have to take them."
"Hayashi Maki! What are you even saying? How can you be like this?" Emilia stared at him in shock.
"This is exactly the kind of man I am, Emilia. You'll get used to it."
Hayashi Maki smiled, then looked at Roswaal.
"So, Roswaal-sama—just to confirm, you're definitely refusing?"
Roswaal laughed in disbelief.
"You really are arrogant and overconfident. In that case, allow me to see what you rely on to be so presumptuous."
He'd already decided that Hayashi Maki was the one who'd disrupted the future he'd seen, but he still needed to test his strength.
He raised a hand, and the power of the four elements gathered in his palm, compressing into a dense sphere of energy.
"Well then, are you prepared to pay the price for your arrogance?"
As he spoke, a violent wind swept across the dining table. The powerful mana swirling around Roswaal left everyone present visibly shaken.
Beatrice moved quickly, bringing Puck over to Emilia's side. She raised a barrier to protect Felt and Rom, while watching Hayashi Maki with curiosity and anticipation.
This was the first man bold enough to openly demand her.
In the last 400 years, plenty of people had tried to form a contract with her and drag her out of the forbidden library.
But if they weren't "that person" Echidna had spoken of, she rejected them all.
So… could Hayashi Maki be the one she'd been waiting all this time for?
Faced with the power of Roswaal's composite magic, Hayashi Maki snorted.
"Seriously? If that's all you've got, Roswaal-sama, then today the maids and the great spirit are as good as mine."
He snapped his fingers casually.
A mass of pitch-black hellfire instantly wrapped around the energy sphere in Roswaal's hand.
In the margrave's shocked gaze, the compressed mana projectile was erased in an instant, vanishing with a faint pop.
A powerful pressure radiated from Hayashi Maki's body.
For a moment, time itself seemed to freeze. A suffocating sense of death closed in on Roswaal, making his eyes go wide.
This man's strength was absurd.
Even more oppressive than the Sin Archbishop of Melancholy had felt, centuries ago.