Chapter 32: Reina's Wish

At least it would make Reina's death less peaceful.

With this thought, Conning opened his mouth to join in the verbal attack on Reina.

"Reina, you don't seriously think you're important to Sivis, do you?"

"He's just too young, hasn't met many women, and certainly hasn't encountered any real noble ladies."

"You think you're beautiful, talented? A maid like you, with no cultivation, could be bought for just a few gold coins."

"You die, and within a few days, Sivis will forget you. He'll turn around and buy a few new maids."

The more Conning spoke, the more agitated he became, as if he was trying to release all the malice he had been harboring for so long.

He and Flora felt like they had grasped Reina's weak spot, launching a verbal assault with frenzy.

The methods of torture they had envisioned before were no longer applicable, but at least venting with words felt somewhat satisfying.

Unfortunately…

As they spoke, they realized that Reina was still quietly keeping her eyes closed. After a while, under the barrage of verbal attacks, the girl's eyelashes twitched slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"I don't want my young master to go buy maids who only cost a few gold coins."

"You don't want it, but it won't matter. Sivis will forget you soon," Flora immediately retorted.

Reina's calm, soothing tone was in stark contrast to the fierceness she had displayed when guarding the warehouse earlier. It instead revealed the soft, gentle side of the girl that she usually kept hidden.

"My young master doesn't like dealing with mundane matters. Regular maids don't have the insight to handle all the trivial things properly."

"He's picky about his meals, and maids who cost only a few gold coins may look pretty, but they don't have any real abilities. Instead of buying them and having the young master slowly teach them, it's better to spend a bit more—perhaps a few dozen gold coins—on a more versatile maid."

"That way, she'll be able to take good care of him. It would be best if she could even make him clothes, since…"

"My young master has always been pampered, and most of the clothing sold on the market doesn't meet his tastes. Unfortunately, these things are something only new maids will learn over time. I can't teach them anymore."

At that moment, the girl spoke with a calm tone, carrying a hint of sorrow.

But the sorrow was fleeting, a mere faint regret, not strong or overwhelming.

She quietly stared off into the distance, her gaze unfocused, as if unsure of what she was even looking at.

As the infection of the Blood Servant plague spread through her, Reina's vision became increasingly blurred, the whole world seeming to be enveloped by a layer of blood-red.

Her words, however, were heard by everyone around her, and they seemed especially harsh and unbelievable.

"You... what do you mean? Reina, are you crazy? What are you saying? Don't you love Sivis? Don't you care at all?"

Conning and Flora were both stunned, at a loss for words, unable to respond immediately.

Usually, the two of them were quite skilled in using sharp and cutting words, but now they were left speechless. They had encountered an enemy with no weaknesses.

No move left to make!

They could not understand Reina's thoughts at all.

If she loved Sivis, she should try to fight for him, to win his heart.

Wasn't that the case with many others?

Wasn't it common for male and female servants, who were loved by their masters, to take advantage of that affection, becoming increasingly brazen and even showing hostility toward the opposite sex around their masters?

Why did Reina have such a strange mindset?

This was simply...

Crazy!

"Just like I thought, both master and servant are crazy, and that's why we ended up in this miserable state, why our Daister family was destroyed. Damn them!" The two of them became even more enraged and disoriented.

At this moment, Reina still wore a calm smile on her face. She didn't respond directly to Conning or Flora, but it seemed as if she were speaking to herself, "As long as my master can live well in the future, I will be happy."

"He's already solved the problem of lacking strength. Seeing this is enough for me."

Reina seemed content as she gently placed her hand on her chest, her expression peaceful.

In that moment, Conning and Flora were left speechless, their faces filled with confusion.

Around them, the only sounds that could be heard were the low growls of the mindless blood servants. The noise was so quiet that it brought a brief moment of peace to the hellish Daister family residence.

Reina, with her eyes closed, felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

"Will my master have other maids?" She sighed inwardly. "Ah, if only he would just marry a beautiful and kind noble lady."

"That way, the maids taken care of by that lady would handle his life in the future. At least then, the one true maid who belongs only to my master could still be me."

The girl's heart was filled with sorrow as she closed her eyes tightly, a single teardrop sliding down her cheek.

She knew her young master, Sivis, well.

He was extraordinarily intelligent, with a deep understanding of everything in the world, knowing everything from the stars above to the earth below, as if nothing in this world could ever challenge him.

He was born to be the protagonist of this world, and a simple, ordinary girl like herself could never have a deeper relationship with him.

Sivis was destined to shine through her life like a shooting star, lighting up her dreams...

And that would be enough.

In the deepest part of Reina's heart, her dream was probably just to be Sivis's maid, following him, taking care of him, watching him grow stronger, and eventually marry a princess or a noble lady who matched his status.

She would only need to present them with a bouquet at the wedding, take care of Sivis and the beautiful lady's children, and in the end, quietly grow old without any cultivation. If Sivis could recite a mournful poem for her when she passed, she would be completely satisfied.

Reina had never thought that she could leave any significant mark on Sivis's life.

But now, to be able to do all this for the sake of saving her young master—wasn't that enough? Wasn't that enough for her?

"Those two idiots are wrong. My master will definitely remember me forever."

With that thought, the girl felt a surge of pride, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

She remembered many of the stories Sivis had told her, including terrifying tales of zombies, as well as some love stories.

Reina knew...

No matter what kind of love it was, nothing could compare to that of a dead person.

The dead are always in their most beautiful form.

The living bring troubles, they have conflicts, and they change with the years.

"My master will remember me forever, not that future woman who will be weak, useless, growing older and uglier without cultivation."

"She will be nothing like me—forever beautiful and dying for him."

"Sivis, my young master, will never forget me for a lifetime!"

Reina felt her vision growing increasingly blurry, the entire world fading into darkness. The sounds around her seemed to grow farther and farther away.

It felt as though she was slowly sinking into a lake.

In her dazed state, her vital signs grew weaker and weaker.

Faintly, she seemed to hear Conning and Flora's desperate, frantic screams, but all of it no longer mattered.

For some reason, Reina suddenly remembered what Sivis had said to her when he left a few days ago: "Reina, I might be going to do something big. If I succeed, I'll come back to get you, and I'll be able to lift the contract on you, so you can also start your path of cultivation."

"If I fail and don't come back..."

Reina had already forgotten what Sivis had said about not coming back.

She only remembered that he would return.

That was why she had always worked hard to protect the resources hidden in the house for him.

But now, everything felt so regrettable...

Wait, Reina remembered something.

Her wish had changed slightly not long ago. If she could walk the path of cultivation, she hoped to be able to accompany Sivis for a bit longer.

She looked forward to the day when Sivis, having become a noble of great stature with vast wealth, surrounded by partners who revered him and children who admired him, would offer a prayer for her, his most trusted servant.

She had been Sivis's most trusted maid due to years of companionship.

Even if, in the future, Sivis were to introduce his child to a grave without a magnificent tombstone, he would still nostalgically say, "That was once my most trusted maid—Reina."

She was no longer here, but he would always cherish the time she spent by his side.

Unfortunately, whether it was beginning her own training or staying by her master's side, she could no longer do either.

Reina felt her consciousness slipping completely into the void.

With some lingering reluctance, she opened her eyes once more, only to slowly close them again.