The seven queens playfully escorted Haruto all the way down the grand corridor, stopping right outside Lilith's heavy bedroom doors. With teasing waves and silent cheers, they gestured for him to go in and fulfill his mission.
Taking a deep breath to maintain his composure, Haruto elegantly pushed the rolling cart forward and stepped into the spacious room. Inside, the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed. Lilith, Seraphine, Ivory, Lustra, and Bellona were all sitting around a table, sipping hot tea, laughing, and chatting casually.
The moment the cart rolled in, Seraphine looked up. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the covered silver platters. "Oh, perfect! The snacks are finally here," she cheered happily.
"Now we can have something delicious to eat with our tea."
"Eat as much as you want, everyone!" Lilith beamed proudly, waving her hand generously.
"Today, everything is on me!"
As Haruto silently approached the table, keeping his head down so his pitch-black wig and maid uniform wouldn't immediately give him away, Seraphine looked around the room curiously.
"By the way, Lilith... where did Haruto disappear to?"
Lilith let out a soft chuckle, taking a slow sip of her tea.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He's probably wandering around somewhere with my mothers. Knowing them, they're definitely treating him like a giant stuffed toy right now, playing around and dressing him up like a little kid."
Standing just inches away in a full maid outfit, Haruto's eye twitched slightly at how remarkably accurate Lilith's guess was. He carefully reached for the first silver lid, keeping his hands perfectly steady as he prepared to serve them—and somehow snag a strand of Lilith's hair without anyone noticing.
Just as Haruto was about to reach for the silver dome lids, Lustra suddenly stood up from her chair and walked over to the cart with a helpful smile.
"Here, let me help you with that," she said kindly.
"I can just serve everyone myself."
But the moment she stepped up next to the cart, her words trailed off. She found herself staring directly at the maid. Even though Haruto had cleverly adjusted his long, pitch-black bangs to completely drape over his face and hide the telltale crimson eye, his delicate facial features were still undeniably striking. To Lustra, this new palace maid looked extraordinarily beautiful.
"Wow..." Lustra murmured in spite of herself, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"You are incredibly pretty?"
Hearing Lustra's sudden admiration, the rest of the room immediately took notice.
"Wait, really? Let me see!" Ivory chimed in, setting her teacup down.
Within seconds, the casual tea party came to a complete halt. Lilith, Seraphine, Bellona, and Ivory all rose from their seats at the exact same time, walking over to crowd around the rolling cart to check out this supposedly gorgeous new maid.
Standing perfectly still in his uniform, Haruto felt a wave of internal exasperation wash over him. His mind raced as the girls drew closer, narrowing their eyes to get a better look at his face.
Unbelievable, Haruto thought to himself, completely flatlining emotionally. The mission hasn't even properly started yet, and Lustra completely ruins the board before I can even make a single move.
"Oh, you poor thing," Lustra sighed, her eyes filled with genuine pity as she looked at the "mute" maid.
Lilith, however, was absolutely thrilled. She walked around the rolling cart, studying Haruto from every angle.
"Honestly, you are way too beautiful to just be a regular server. I've been looking for a new attendant anyway. I'm going to talk to my father tonight and make you my personal maid!"
Haruto's eye twitched beneath his black bangs. Okay, this joke is going way too far, he thought, a cold sweat breaking out. If Lilith actually went to the King, his entire cover story would violently implode.
He immediately started waving his hands in front of him, firmly shaking his head 'no' to decline the offer.
"Oh? But why?" Lilith asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Unable to explain himself verbally, Haruto quickly placed a hand over his heart and lowered his upper body into a deep, apologetic royal bow, staying completely frozen in that position to show his immense regret.
Seeing his desperate posture, Lilith softened up and waved her hands dismissively.
"Ah, right... you can't speak, so you can't really explain your reasons to me. Don't worry about it, you don't need to keep bowing and apologizing! Please, just go ahead and serve the snacks. I'm already happy with your service."
Haruto slowly stood back up straight, letting out a massive, invisible sigh of relief. Phew... alright. The crisis is averted, and everything is back to normal, he thought.
The five girls finally moved away from the cart and sat back down around the tea table, completely distracted by the delicious pastries he had brought in.
Now comes the real challenge. Haruto stood quietly by the rolling cart, his sharp crimson eye tracking Lilith's movements as she laughed and chatted with Seraphine. He was completely out of danger, but his target was sitting right in front of him. He needed to figure out a genius way to smoothly walk over, get close enough to her head, and pluck a single strand of silver-blonde hair without a single soul noticing.
After elegantly placing the plates of pastries and cups of fresh juice onto the table, Haruto quietly stepped back, standing perfectly still with his hands neatly folded in front of his apron, acting like a flawless servant.
But the peaceful atmosphere didn't last long. Lilith suddenly got a mischievous glint in her eyes. Smirking, she crept up stealthily behind Seraphine and caught her completely off guard, grabbing her in a playful bear hug.
"What the—?!" Seraphine gasped, her face instantly turning bright red.
"Lilith, let go!"
Lilith just laughed and gave a quick, conspiratorial wink to the rest of the girls. Lustra immediately caught on to the plan, giggling as she jumped up from her chair.
"Oh, a surprise ambush? Count me in!" she cheered, running over to help pin Seraphine down.
"Oho, pinning people down? Now that sounds like my kind of job," Bellona smirked, her competitive spirit flaring up. With her superior strength, she easily glided past the others and completely locked Seraphine in place from behind, trapping her arms so she couldn't escape.
"Not again..." Seraphine whimpered, blushing furiously as she squirmed in their grip.
"This is literally the third time today you guys have done this to me!"
Standing a few feet away, Ivory crossed her arms and let out a heavy, unimpressed sigh.
"This is so childish. Count me out, I am absolutely not participating in this nonsense."
Lilith peeked out from behind Bellona, flashing Ivory a teasing grin.
"Oh really, Ivory? If you don't join in, then you're automatically going to be our very next target!"
Ivory's eyes widened, her posture stiffening.
"Don't you even dare think about it!"
"Fine, fine, whatever you say... you total nerd," Lilith fired back casually, waving her hand.
"Wait, what?! What did you just call me?!" Ivory barked, her pride taking a massive hit.
"Oh, nothing at all~" Lilith cooed innocently.
"Alright, that's it! If you want a fight, you've got one!" Ivory snapped, completely losing her calm.
"Step aside, let me show you how it's actually done!"
With an annoyed huff, Ivory lunged forward into the chaotic pile, joining the fray. Within seconds, the entire corner of the room erupted into a wild, messy tangle of girls laughing, shouting, and playful wrestling, with Bellona still firmly holding a thoroughly embarrassed Seraphine at the center of the madness.
Standing strictly by the cart in his sleek black maid uniform, Haruto watched the chaotic brawl unfold with a completely blank, deadpan expression. What on earth is even happening right now? he thought, his single crimson eye tracking the whirlwind of moving limbs.
But then, a realization hit him. The entire room was completely distracted, and Lilith was right in the middle of the chaotic pile, her silver-blonde hair flying everywhere. This total madness was the absolute perfect cover he needed to finally make his move.
Just as Haruto was about to slip into the crowd and make his move, Ivory suddenly smirked and snapped her fingers, casting a quick spell. A faint, shimmering magical circle flashed beneath Seraphine for a fraction of a second.
Instantly, Seraphine's entire body went rigid. Her eyes widened, and she began taking quick, shallow breaths as a deep crimson flush spread from her neck all the way to her cheeks.
"There," Ivory announced proudly, brushing her hands off.
"I just amplified her physical senses by a full hundred times. Now, breaking her defense is going to be a hundred times easier!"
Lilith burst out laughing, looking absolutely delighted. "Wow, Ivory! That is amazing! See? I knew you were useful for something."
"Excuse me? I am incredibly useful all the time!" Ivory huffed, crossing her arms.
With Seraphine completely trapped by Bellona and her senses dialed up to maximum, Lilith leaned in close and playfully blew a soft breath of air directly into Seraphine's sensitive ear.
The reaction was instantaneous. Seraphine let out a sharp, breathless cry, her entire body trembling as the heightened sensation overwhelmed her completely. She gasped and let out soft, embarrassed whimpers, trying desperately to squirm away from the relentless teasing.
Seeing her extreme reaction, even Lilith and the rest of the girls couldn't help but blush a little at how intense the spell made things look.
"Alright, Seraphine, time to talk!" Lilith teased, leaning in with a playful grin.
"If you lie to us now, we can do absolutely anything we want to you. So, be honest!"
"Shut up! Please, just let me go already!"
Seraphine pleaded, her voice shaking as she blushed furiously, completely unable to handle the sensory overload.
Amused by the chaos, Lustra stepped up and lightly tickled Seraphine's exposed sides and belly. With her senses magnified a hundredfold, the light touch felt incredibly intense. Seraphine completely lost all her strength, her head falling back as her breaths grew heavy and ragged, totally defeated by the girls' playful onslaught.
Standing safely by the rolling cart, Haruto watched the absolute madness unfold with a thoroughly stunned and speechless look beneath his black wig. What in the world did this tea party just turn into? Did girls always do things like this? He thought, his internal firewall barely maintaining his calm composure. The room had descended into absolute, chaotic anarchy, and his window of opportunity was rapidly closing.
"Alright, time for the million-dollar question!" Lilith grinned, leaning in close to the blushing, breathless girl.
"Seraphine... tell us the absolute truth. How do you really view Haruto?"
Seraphine squirmed, her enhanced senses still leaving her completely flustered.
"He's... he's just a strange boy!" she gasped out, trying to find her words.
"He's incredibly gifted, sure, but he's been handed way more than he actually deserves! Especially considering my own father had to practically bow down to him to arrange our engagement. Honestly, he should think of marrying me as a massive honor!"
Hearing her stubborn royal pride kicking in, Ivory smirked and immediately tickled Seraphine's belly again.
"Ah! Stop!" Seraphine cried out, her entire body twitching as she dissolved into helpless giggles.
"That's cheating! This isn't fair!"
Standing across the room, Haruto completely froze in his tracks. He had been just about to sneak forward, but his curiosity got the better of him. Wait, this is actually a golden opportunity, he thought, his single crimson eye narrowing behind his black bangs. I can finally figure out what Seraphine honestly thinks about me without her filtering it. Let's wait a few seconds and hear her out.
Outside the door, the seven queens were practically pulling their hair out as they watched through the crack.
"What is that idiot doing?!" the red-dressed queen whispered in extreme frustration.
"The entire room is completely distracted! It's the perfect opening to grab the hair, and he's just standing there like a statue!"
Inside, Seraphine finally managed to catch her breath, her expression softening into a genuinely honest look as the spell forced the truth out.
"Okay, fine! The truth is... Haruto is an incredibly strong person. He's full of unexpected surprises, and... I actually do like him. I might not fully view him as a proper husband just yet, but as a man, he really is a wonderful person."
Hearing her soft confession, Lilith's mischievous grin expanded to maximum capacity.
"Aww, that's sweet. But it's also way too vanilla! Girls, what do you think? Should we strip her clothes and pour freezing cold water all over her to see what else she's hiding?"
The moment those words left Lilith's mouth, Seraphine's face went completely pale, horror taking over her features. With her physical sensitivity amplified a hundred times over, a single soft breeze or a light tickle was already driving her completely insane. If they actually stripped her clothes and poured ice-cold water onto her skin, the sheer sensory shock would be entirely overwhelming.
"No! No, please, absolutely not!"
Seraphine panicked, her voice shaking violently as she looked around at her ruthless friends.
"I will literally die right here on the spot if you do that!"
"Oh, trust me, you won't die!"
Lilith giggled, thoroughly enjoying the playful interrogation.
Ivory chimed in with a smirk,
"Come on, this actually sounds incredibly fun."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it!" Lustra cheered, completely caught up in the chaotic energy of the room.
Panic completely overtook Seraphine. She frantically looked around the room, her eyes landing on the silent figure standing by the cart.
"Wait! Stop! Don't undress me! The palace maid is literally still standing right there!"
Lilith glanced over at the maid and waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, right, I totally forgot she was there. But she's a girl anyway, so what's the big deal? No need to worry about it!"
Hearing this, Haruto felt a genuine knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach. Even with his emotional files heavily locked down, he had strict moral boundaries—he absolutely could not stand by and watch one of his companions get stripped naked in front of everyone. He knew he had to abort the mission immediately and step in, but things were moving far too fast.
Before he could react, Lustra lunged forward and smoothly pulled Seraphine's top completely off.
The moment her shirt was gone, the ambient air of the room hit Seraphine's bare skin. With Ivory's amplification spell boosting her sensitivity a hundred times over, even the gentlest breeze felt like an intense wave of friction against her body. She began to gasp rapidly, completely overwhelmed.
"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you absolutely everything, I swear!" she shrieked, her defenses totally shattering.
"Haruto is incredibly handsome! His power is absolutely amazing! I am genuinely interested in him, and... and I will definitely marry him!"
"Are you ready to marry him today?" Lilith teased mercilessly.
"Yes! Today! Whatever you say, just stop!" Seraphine cried out.
Lilith smirked, clearly unsatisfied.
"Hmm, that still feels like only half the truth. Lustra, get her bottom piece next!"
"Aye, aye, Captain!" Lustra saluted playfully. With a quick, practiced motion, she pulled away Seraphine's skirt, leaving the poor girl standing right in front of Haruto in nothing but her underwear. Seraphine was completely red from head to toe, trembling violently from the sensory overload.
"Still not enough! Strip everything off!"
Lustra shouted, reaching for the remaining fabric.
That's enough. Haruto's internal tolerance violently redlined. Slamming his hand flat onto the wooden surface of the rolling cart with a loud, echoing THUD, he grabbed a large linen table cloth, stepped forward, and forcefully threw it right over Seraphine's body to cover her up.
Lilith snapped her head around, her playful smile instantly turning into an annoyed pout.
"Hey! What is your problem? You're completely ruining the fun! If you have such a big issue with this, then just leave the room!"
Haruto didn't hesitate. He raised his hand, gripped the edge of the pitch-black wig, and violently pulled it off his head, letting his natural white-and-black hair fall into place as he glared at them with his single, sharp crimson eye.
The entire room instantly fell into a dead, suffocating silence.
Lilith, Ivory, Lustra, and Bellona stood completely frozen, their jaws dropping to the floor in absolute horror. Seraphine, realizing that the "maid" who had just witnessed her entire breathless confession and stripped down in front of was actually Haruto the whole time, turned a shade of crimson so deep it looked like her face might actually burst into flames.
Great. What a spectacular disaster, Haruto thought to himself, standing there in a maid uniform with his wig in his hand.
Right at that exact second, Sirehtea's voice echoed loudly in his mind, dripping with sheer disappointment.
"Wow, Haruto. You had the absolute perfec
t window of opportunity while they were distracted, and you completely threw the entire match away. The mission failed!"