Haruto stood frozen in the center of the room, his mind completely blank. The heavy, suffocating wave of guilt, the anxiety about the drape fruit, the stressful maid disguise, and the fear of Federic—all of it shattered in a single second, replaced by absolute confusion. He stared at Serephin, who was now sitting up on the bed with a cheerful, teasing grin, and then looked around at the grinning faces of the queens, Lilith, Philo, and the rest of the crew.
Toya stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh. "Hey, don't look at us like that, Haruto! Serephin actually woke up a few days ago, but she was feeling pretty hurt that you just woke up and left everyone behind without a word."
Serephin nodded, giving him a playful poke on the arm. "That's right! But when we got the news that you were finally coming back, we figured you deserved a little payback for all the worry you put us through." She beamed, spreading her arms wide. "And since today happens to be my birthday, we thought this elaborate prank would be the perfect way to welcome you back!"
Haruto stood there, his face cycling through utter disbelief and pure outrage as he pointed an accusing finger at all of them. "What are you talking about?! Do I look like a joke to you guys?! I'll show you—"
Before he could finish his threat, Lilith raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Hold on... who's screaming in a cute girl's voice right now?"
Haruto froze. Panic immediately set in as he remembered the blue magic circle the queen had slapped onto his throat earlier. His face flushed bright red, and he stammered, "C-Change my voice back right now!"
He aggressively reached up to rip off the classic black wig, ready to throw his usual tantrum, but Serephin suddenly lunged forward, grabbing his wrists with a mischievous grin.
"Oh no you don't!" Serephin laughed brightly. "Today is , my birthday, and I have already decided on my ultimate birthday gift: my main wish is for you to stay dressed up as our cute royal maid for the rest of the day!"
Haruto's jaw dropped in absolute horror. "What?! Are you out of your mind?!"
Lilith chuckled, stepping closer and resting a hand on her hip. "Oh, come on. You've probably already figured out by now that we planned all of this together. Besides, Serephin is still a little ticked off about you abandoning everyone."
Haruto slowly turned his head to look at Serephin, who had suddenly dropped her playful grin and crossed her arms, putting on a remarkably serious, stern expression.
A cold sweat broke out across Haruto's back as he stared at her. Oh man... he thought, his soul practically leaving his body. I'm completely done for. She's definitely going to make me pay for this.
Haruto shook his head frantically, his maid outfit swishing as he backed toward the wall. "No, no way! I'm sorry, but there is absolutely no chance I am giving you that gift. Pick literally anything else!"
Serephin pouted, crossing her arms and turning her head away. "Hmph! You haven't even properly wished me a happy birthday yet, and now you're refusing my one simple wish?"
Haruto felt a pang of guilt, his shoulders slumping. He looked down at his feet, then back up at her, his voice softening in that cursed, high-pitched magical tone. "Happy birthday, Serephin," he mumbled, sounding incredibly defeated.
The moment he said it, the entire room erupted.
"See? He said it!" Philo cheered, clapping her hands.
"Now, come on, Haruto!" the queens chimed in, circling him like a pack of wolves. "You heard the birthday girl. You have to listen to her wishes! Just serve her one cup of tea in character for a day, and we'll let you off the hook."
"Yeah, just once!" Toya added, trying to suppress a grin. "It's tradition, right? The birthday girl gets whatever she wants!"
Haruto's face went from pale to burning red. He looked around the room, seeing everyone—from Lilith to Aeterna—ganging up on him with expectant, teasing smiles. He let out a long, agonizing groan, his hands gripping his apron tightly. "Not a chance! I told you, I'm not doing it! You might as well just kill me right now!"
Haruto turned desperately to Lilith, his eyes pleading. "Lilith, forget this! Get the truck ready—we're leaving, right now! Grab Serephin and let's go, we don't have time for these games!"
Serephin didn't even flinch. She just sat back on the bed, crossing her arms stubbornly and looking at the ceiling. "Fine. Leave then. If I don't get my birthday gift, I'm not moving an inch."
"Don't act like a child, Serephin!" Haruto barked, trying to sound firm, but he felt ridiculous in his maid uniform. He looked around at the queens, Philo, and the rest, hoping for some backup, but they all just turned away, whistling or fixing their hair, completely ignoring his pleas.
Haruto felt a shiver run down his spine. Am I really the villain here? He felt like he was being cornered by his own friends. He glanced back at Serephin, his heart sinking when he noticed a single, crystalline tear welling up in the corner of her eye.
He froze. Wait... a tear?
He blinked, utterly confused. Serephin was usually the shyest, most reserved girl in the entire group. This sudden, assertive, almost aggressive behavior—and now the crying—it didn't fit her at all.
Could this still be the side effect of the drape fruit? he wondered, his mind racing. Is it messing with her emotions, or is she actually this upset?
Caught between his desire to escape the embarrassment and his genuine worry for her, Haruto's resolve began to crumble. He softened his posture, the frustration in his eyes replaced by a hesitant, worried look as he stepped closer to the bed. "Serephin... are you... are you really okay?"
Serephin turned her head away, deliberately ignoring him. Haruto looked around, completely flustered, his face flushed. "Are you seriously going to do this? Serephin, please—"
Before he could continue, Philo chimed in with a calm, maddeningly nonchalant shrug. "Relax, Haruto. We're actually 12 hours ahead of schedule, so there's really no rush to leave. Just play along."
Haruto watched in stunned silence as the queens, Lilith, and the others began filing out of the room, leaving him alone with Serephin. "Wait, where are you guys going?! Don't just leave me here!"
He let out a frantic breath and turned back toward the bed, seeing Serephin's stubborn profile. He gave in, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "Fine... fine, you win. Serephin, I'll be your maid for today."
Serephin didn't look at him, but a tiny, triumphant smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. She prompted him with a cold, formal tone, "You forgot something, Haruto. Address me properly."
Haruto sighed, a reluctant, lopsided smile forming on his face as he bowed low, the lace of his apron fluttering. "Your Majesty... I am at your service."
Serephin beamed brightly, her feigned sternness melting away instantly. "Ah, see? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She patted the edge of the bed and said, "Alright, since you're officially on duty, your first task as my royal maid is to massage my feet—just like you were doing earlier. But this time, no tickling!"
Haruto let out a heavy, defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping under the maid outfit. "Yeah, yeah... understood, Your Majesty."
He dropped to his knees beside the bed, gently lifting her feet onto his lap. With careful, deliberate movements, he began massaging her tired ankles and soles, making sure to avoid any spots that would trigger another laughing fit.
Despite the absurdity of the situation—a powerful isekai hero dressed in a black wig and maid uniform—the room grew quiet and peaceful as he diligently fulfilled her birthday wish.
As Haruto's hands rhythmically massaged her ankles, Serephin broke the quiet, a soft, teasing glint in her eyes. "So, tell me... how does it feel?"
Haruto blinked, keeping his gaze down on her feet. "What do you mean, 'how does it feel'?"
"I mean," Serephin tilted her head, smiling faintly, "how does it feel to be massaging my feet right now?"
Haruto let out a dry, sarcastic chuckle. "Just like it feels to you, Your Majesty. Thrilling."
"That's not a real answer," Serephin pouted, gently nudging his shoulder with her foot. "Be serious and give me a proper answer."
Haruto sighed, pausing his hands for a moment before looking up at her with a gentle, sincere expression. "If you really want to know... it feels like I'm massaging my own feet. Because you're my bound to be soulmate—my better half. Half of my body is yours, and half of your body is mine."
Serephin's breath hitched. A deep, burning blush rushed up her neck and instantly painted her entire face bright crimson. Her eyes widened, completely caught off guard by the unexpectedly smooth and profound romantic line. For a second, she was frozen, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Flustered beyond words, she quickly pulled her feet back and sat up straight, waving her hands defensively. "A-Alright, that's enough! Stop massaging right now!"
Haruto chuckled, amused by how easily she turned into a blushing mess. But Serephin quickly recovered, clearing her throat to hide her embarrassment as she looked at him with a serious, determined expression.
"Besides," Serephin continued, her voice softening, "once we get back to the academy, things are going to be a bit different. You're coming with me, and you're staying right by my side."
She leaned in slightly, a small, triumphant smile playing on her lips. "Plus, word has already spread across the entire city. The public announcement of our engagement has officially gone live."
Haruto's jaw dropped, the teasing smile instantly draining from his face. He sat straight up, panic flaring in his eyes as he stammered, "Wait, what?! Academy?! Why do we have to go back there?! Oh come on, you know I don't want to go back to that place!"
Serephin's expression shifted, dropping the shy, blushing act for a moment to give him a look of absolute, regal authority. She leaned back against the headboard, crossing her arms and looking down at him with a mischievous, yet firm glint in her eyes.
"Don't forget the rules of your current position, Haruto," she said, her voice dropping into a playful but commanding tone. "You said you were at my service today, didn't you? That's not a request—that's an order from me, your master for today."
Haruto stared at her, his face a mix of bewilderment and dramatic suffering. He adjusted his maid headband, letting out a long, theatrical sigh that made his wig tilt slightly.
"My master, huh?" Haruto muttered, his voice still caught in that soft, feminine pitch. He looked up at her, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine! If it's a direct order from the birthday girl, I guess I have no choice. But don't blame me if I end up causing some kind of massive scene the moment we step foot on campus."
Serephin just giggled, clearly enjoying every second of his struggle. "A scene is exactly what I'm expecting. Now, stop complaining and get back to work—I think your shift is far from over."