Chapter 266: Where Did This Come From?

Erina's mouth fell open and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family!"

She stared hard at Kaguya, especially at her outfit.

Gulp!

She involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Kaguya... in a maid outfit?

Erina muttered dazedly, "Hisako, I think I'm dreaming. Please pinch me."

Right!

This had to be a dream!!

Devils or anything like that—they're just illusions. Not real!

Otherwise...

How else could she be seeing Kaguya Shinomiya—the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Zaibatsu, the legendary ice queen of Shuchiin—in a maid outfit?

The high and mighty heiress... as a maid?!

Erina rubbed her eyes hard. After confirming she wasn't hallucinating, she grew even more certain that this must be a dream.

Was it because the "God Tongue" had been too picky lately and caused this nightmare?

Erina sank into deep thought.

Hisako: "…"

She silently lowered her head, looked at her hands, then at Erina, her gaze scanning around like she was thinking about where to start.

But…

Even so, Hisako didn't forget who Erina was. After a moment of mental rebellion, she decisively gave up and lightly pinched herself.

Feeling the pain, Hisako said seriously, "Miss, this isn't a dream."

She too stared at Kaguya in the maid outfit, finding the sight surreal.

Whether it was the Shinomiya Zaibatsu or Kaguya herself, both were big names in their world.

Sure, the Nakiri family was influential in the culinary world, but compared to a powerhouse like the Shinomiya family, they were still a step below.

And yet…

The eldest daughter of such a family...

If she hadn't felt pain when pinching herself, Hisako might've believed she was dreaming too.

So…

What happened that forced someone like Kaguya Shinomiya to become a maid?

Hisako suddenly recalled some rumors she'd overheard from the former Director.

The Shinomiya family...

Could something have happened?

At the time, she dismissed it as a misunderstanding. But now…

Yeah.

Something definitely went down in the Shinomiya family.

Still…

No matter what happened, would they really have the eldest daughter work as a maid?

And...

There hadn't been any news of the Shinomiya Zaibatsu going bankrupt.

The more she thought about it, the more confused Hisako became.

Her usually sharp brain couldn't come up with any logical explanation.

"Not a dream?"

Erina snapped back to reality when she heard Hisako's words.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!"

"Erina Nakiri?"

Suddenly.

A cold voice cut through the air and made Erina shudder.

She instinctively lowered her head.

An elegant girl with a black ponytail and a pair of chilling crimson eyes came into view.

Gulp!

Just meeting Kaguya's eyes made Erina feel like she couldn't breathe. Her body stiffened involuntarily.

Though both were heiresses, Erina couldn't help but feel she was being crushed by Kaguya's presence.

This was...

The eldest daughter of a top-tier chaebol family.

A chill ran down Erina's spine.

All she could think was.

A person's reputation really did cast a long shadow.

Normally, she was quite proud and confident. But in front of Kaguya, all that confidence disappeared.

Even if she was wearing a maid outfit that clashed with her usual demeanor…

Damn it!

This was the first time Erina had ever felt so stifled. She clenched her fists, a bit frustrated.

Kaguya had no idea what Erina was thinking.

After calling her name, she just stared silently, her expression blank, clearly waiting for Erina to respond and confirm her identity.

Which only made Erina feel more pressure.

Erina tried to stay calm, took a deep breath, and responded, "Yes, that's me."

Kaguya nodded slightly. "Master is waiting for you in the living room."

Master...

Erina and Hisako's eyes twitched.

The sight of Kaguya calmly saying the word "master" left a complicated expression in their eyes.

Kaguya immediately picked up on it.

But she didn't try to explain. Nor did she seem embarrassed.

As Lynn's maid, she didn't feel ashamed at all—on the contrary, she was proud.

Most people didn't have the qualifications to serve Lynn.

She treated most people like air. She didn't even glance at them as she turned and walked away.

Only in front of Lynn would she show any emotion.

Her silly girl side would switch on.

But around others...

She remained the same cold, aloof young lady.

Erina and Hisako stared at Kaguya's back, then looked at each other silently. They could see the same shock in each other's eyes.

In the end.

Erina gritted her teeth and followed.

Seeing this, Hisako followed closely behind.

But...

Their movements were much more cautious. Both felt a vague sense of unease.

Someone that even Kaguya Shinomiya called "Master"...

Just who could he be?

Could he really be...

A devil?

Erina pinched the soft flesh on her thigh over and over, trying to wake herself up.

But...

Clearly, Hisako hadn't lied.

This wasn't a dream.

Huff…

Erina took a few deep breaths, pursed her lips, and braced herself.

"Erina Nakiri, don't be scared!!"

Whoosh—

Suddenly—

A gust of wind swept past.

A dark shadow seemed to cut through the air.

Erina blinked and instinctively looked up.

Then…

A girl with wings flying through the sky entered her view.

"?"

A question mark slowly floated above her head.

What the hell?!

Wings?

Flying?!

Was this still Earth?

In just a few seconds, Erina felt like she'd been teleported to another world.

Next to her.

Hisako stood frozen, mouth open in shock.

Even she began to doubt whether her method of confirming reality had been a bit too sloppy.

Hmm…

Should she double-check?

(To be continued.)

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