Chapter 202: Rigorous and Caring Maid

Hayasaka had no interest in the restrained Ichiro Hatamoto.

Attempted murder carried a long sentence. With enough evidence, it could even warrant the maximum penalty.

And those hands… According to what Hayasaka knew, Ichiro had graduated from a professional art academy. For an art student, one's hands were everything but Natsue Hatamoto had nailed his hand to the doorframe with a high-heeled shoe.

Judging from the dented panel, Hayasaka could say with near certainty that if his hand were only given basic treatment, it would be permanently ruined.

But she didn't care.

For the next ten years, Ichiro would rot in prison. With both hands crippled, he might end up in a psychiatric facility after release.

Was there any point in caring about someone like that?

What Hayasaka cared about more was Hatamoto.

A seemingly weak and ordinary young lady had just demonstrated power far beyond expectation.

Was this the power Ren had given her?

It was hard to believe Ren had granted such power even when he wasn't physically present.

Suddenly, Hayasaka paused, straightened her posture slightly, and gave a formal bow to the air in front of her.

"Good evening, Ren."

In the darkness, a figure slowly emerged.

"Good evening, Hayasaka," Ren replied.

"Thank you for your help with the Hatamoto family."

Ren returned the greeting politely and expressed his gratitude for her handling of the Hatamoto incident.

"Think nothing of it."

Hayasaka didn't consider this situation troublesome at all. Compared to the young lady she served, this was trivial. Dealing with the Hatamoto family was nothing more than a small matter.

"But Amamiya-san, did something happen on your end?"

"Ah…"

Ren hesitated slightly when it came to his own situation.

"Chika got the diary. After drawing her reward, she came to ask about it. I explained what it was, including the side effects. I also told her I could suppress them if needed."

"But right after she drank it, the side effects erupted."

"Is Miss Fujiwara alright?"

Hearing that the side effects had flared up, Hayasaka frowned, unable to suppress her concern.

Ren shook his head lightly.

"She's fine now."

"But during her initial loss of control and corruption, she saw some terrifying images. Her emotions were completely out of control until just now. That's why I couldn't leave—I had to calm her down."

I see.

Hayasaka fully understood that Fujiwara encountering such an unexpected issue would explain Ren's delay.

She didn't know what Chika had seen but knowing how emotionally resilient she usually was, the fact that she'd fallen apart made Hayasaka not want to know.

"Hayasaka-san, you received the diary too, right?"

"Yes."

"In that case, Maria and Saginomiya should have also received one."

"It seems the spread of the diary still centers around you, Ren-san. The people who come into contact with you first or the key characters in our narrative are gradually being chosen."

Ren agreed with her assessment.

The distribution of the first batch of diaries wasn't easy to analyze, but the second batch had shown a clear pattern.

"We can probably make that conclusion for now. As for the rest, we may need to wait until the third wave."

Ren didn't linger on the topic. Instead, he turned his attention toward the cruise ship's layout.

"The soundproofing on this cruise ship is excellent. The screams earlier echoed through the halls, but no one from the other rooms came out."

"Of course. This is a private ship designed for exclusive banquets. If a wealthy client's event lacks proper soundproofing, it can lead to a lot of trouble."

"Besides, we also need to be prepared for situations like this one."

Hayasaka had specifically considered these factors when selecting a ship designed for private events.

"In the future, we'll probably need to account for unexpected disruptions whenever we go out. That means extra prep for our club activities."

To this, Ren could only offer sincere appreciation.

"Thank you for all your work, Hayasaka-san."

"Not at all."

Hayasaka smiled and shook her head.

"If it were in the past, it would've been exhausting. Back then, Oko placed constant pressure on me. I had to report Kaguya-san's daily life to that bald man every day. The guilt weighed me down and became an invisible burden."

"But since breaking free from Oko's control, I no longer have to carry that guilt day after day. I'm finally out of that constant state of explosive stress."

"Now, the maid work I do daily actually feels like the least stressful part of my life."

Her work was still just as busy as ever—but mentally and physically, she no longer felt overwhelmed.

Everything moved smoothly. Aside from the occasional chaos caused by Kaguya, almost nothing truly stressed her out anymore.

These days, her daily tension stayed well below the danger line. She hadn't had a breakdown in ages—and honestly, she was quite content with this life.

"Besides, I've had the chance to follow Kaguya-san into a magical world I'd never imagined. For me, that's been a wonderful experience."

Having mastered the Door-Door Fruit, she had come to understand how meaningful and unique power could be.

For that, she was deeply grateful to Kaguya for bringing her into such an extraordinary world and allowing her to see beyond her former life.

And then, there was Ren.

She was even more thankful to him, for giving Kaguya the opportunity to break her chains, and for giving her the chance to escape the endless betrayal that once caged her.

Only someone who had descended into that kind of hell could understand how suffocating it was.

But she had escaped it, almost effortlessly and all thanks to Ren.

To her… Ren was truly someone irreplaceable.

(To be continued.)

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