But before the situation could escalate, a soft click reached Karla’s ears, followed by the door beside them opening.
A figure stepped out, and the temperature dropped even lower.
“What is going on?” His cold voice came next. Instantly, Nyx lowered her head.
“Ninth Vein,” she greeted.
Karla suddenly regained control of her body, and she shook so violently it was a miracle the bottle didn’t fall from her tray.
“N-n-Ninth Vein,” she bowed, her breaths ragged. She looked like she had just gone through a marathon.
Malakai sent a brief glance to both women. His expression did not change.
“I will not repeat myself.”
“I apologize for the disturbance, Ninth Vein. I was only trying to stop her from interrupting you,” Nyx explained.
Malakai turned his gaze towards the woman who looked more like a seductress than a maid.
Her breathing was still erratic, her chest rising and falling rapidly. But even in her exhausted state, as Malakai stepped out, her mind had already begun working.
‘F-finally,’ she thought in relief.
This had been her plan from the moment she realized she couldn’t get past Nyx. If she could delay and make just enough noise, her target would come out on his own.
‘I must look terrible… good.’
Karla felt a twisted sense of relief. She was glad Nyx had done this to her.
‘This is the perfect time to sow discord between them.’
“I-I was just trying to bring you some refreshment, N-Ninth Vein… to relieve you after your long day training,” she said, hiding the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Coming out of his room and seeing an attractive maid, simply trying to bring him refreshments, being bullied by another maid, Karla had seen it happen enough times to know how it ended.
A sharp outburst. Blame on the bully.
And this time, she even had the perfect weapon. Her sweat-soaked uniform clung tightly to her skin, revealing far more than it should.
‘As long as this boy has a functioning dick, he’s done for.’
But Malakai’s next words froze her thoughts in place.
“Did I ask you to speak?”
‘What?’
Had she heard correctly?
‘Was he speaking to me?’ Her baffled eyes rose to meet his, and it was like she’d been doused in icy water.
There was no lust in Malakai’s gaze. Only pure, unrestrained killing intent.
‘He hadn’t been talking to us…’
His earlier words had been directed at Nyx. Not both of them.
“Listen carefully. I will not repeat myself twice.” Malakai’s voice was like iron.
“From now on, you and the other servants are not allowed to enter the main hall of the manor. Do not clean it. Do not step foot in it. Do not cook anything for me. Do not bring me anything. And… I don’t want to see either of your faces.”
“But—”
Karla was so shocked, the word escaped her lips before she could stop it.
“But?”
The word echoed back at her like a curse. It felt like she’d spoken something that could spark a calamity.
And only then did she realize, she had nearly questioned a Vein.
“I-I apologize, Ninth Vein,” Karla bowed with gritted teeth.
“I will follow your orders.”
“Leave.”
With one final bow, Karla turned and walked away, Malakai’s cold gaze trailing her every step.
As she disappeared, he turned to Nyx and gave a nod.
“Good job.”
Nyx bowed lower, a smile appearing across her lips, looking like a loyal puppy pleased by her master’s praise.
With that, Malakai stepped back into his room, and Nyx vanished into the shadows.
Inside the room, Valentine’s thoughts were in disarray.
“T-t-that m-maid! W-what the hell was that!” he blurted, referencing the scene they had just witnessed.
A sweat filled maid, with her wet uniform barely covering her very attractive body.
Valentine felt like steam was bursting out from his ears and nose.
‘Relax. You’re literally a ghost. You can’t even do anything.’
“And how can you be so calm, Malakai?! Did you see what I saw?”
“I saw a spy trying to seduce me. Nothing else.”
Valentine just… gawked.
“You’re amazing,” he muttered.
But Malakai ignored him. He settled down on his bed, crossed his legs, and began meditating, drawing in vita.
He hoped assassins would visit him tonight.
‘I need the vita.’
Malakai absorbed vita until it was midnight. After that, he slept, only to be woken up in the next second by a knock on his door.
Nyx.
Malakai had been more excited than worried. It meant another assassin had come.
It was brief, and Malakai hadn’t wasted time. After confirming with Nyx that the new maid and butler weren’t watching, he killed another two grade two darkness creatures, earning another five hundred vita points.
After that, he went back to sleep.
The morning came quickly, and Malakai’s routine remained the same. After freshening up, he left the manor a few minutes to 5, moving through the forest.
However, Malakai’s steps suddenly stopped.
“Nyx,” he called out, and a figure appeared in front of him, bowing.
“Ninth Vein?” Nyx was a bit stunned. She wondered why Malakai had suddenly stopped.
And he didn’t waste time.
“I need you to do two things for me…”
…
The sharp sounds of footsteps reverberated through a hallway.
‘Fucking bastards.’
Karla cursed as she made her way through the manor.
After yesterday, she had returned to her quarters drenched in sweat, her heart refusing to stop pounding.
Regardless, her thoughts never stopped burning. Not only had she failed to see Malakai, she had also been banned from entering the main area of the manor.
‘Let’s see how you’ll enforce that when you’re not around.’
Karla was relieved. From the information she had gathered before coming here, it was reported that Nyx followed Malakai everywhere. Which meant, when he was gone, she was too.
‘Let’s see if you have anything hidden.’
Karla planned to use this opportunity to go through Malakai’s belongings and find another way to get to him.
She moved through the main area of the manor, eventually reaching Malakai’s door. But before she could open it, her steps froze.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Karla spat, her gaze locking onto the tidy man standing nearby with a small smile.
“What do you mean? We’re here for the same thing,” Unoa’s smile widened as they both glanced toward Malakai’s room.
They both knew. They were spies and there was no use pretending.
But…
Karla gritted her teeth. “You’re going to ruin this for me!”
It was easier for one person to move undetected than two. If Malakai found out someone had searched his room, it would be their death.
But Unoa only raised a hand with a smirk.
“My darling Karla, have you ever stopped to think you’re the one ruining this for me?”
Karla didn’t respond. She simply gritted her teeth harder, sending Unoa a deadly glare.
‘The faster I get through this, the better.’
She turned and reached for the handle, determined to ignore the man entirely.
But the moment her fingers stretched out, a cold chill gripped her entire body, freezing her in place.
‘T-this aura…’
There was no way she could ever forget it. She had felt it yesterday.
Her eyes slowly turned.
And her heart froze at the scene.
‘W-why is she here…?’
Karla’s thoughts trembled.