The Chief Maid

"As you wish."

"Oh? Aren't you going to protest?" 

To be honest, he wanted to, but his regression makes his opportunity plenty. He just had to be careful when a point is getting fixed.

"I've failed your expectations, young miss. I can't possibly trouble you further." Xian didn't need to. Both of them are going to see each other again.

"You should've been like this from the start."

"Then, if you'll excuse me. I wish you a smooth sailing life in the academy."

With that, Xian turned his back. The two swordmaiden's were back together, as Serika stopped sparring with Xian.

'Why didn't he try harder?' Serika was sure that somewhere along their spar, Xian was definitely capable enough to hit her, even if only to cause a scratch.

A small but undeniable wound. That's all it would take.

She clenched her fist holding the handle of her sheathed blade. This didn't go unnoticed as Lucinelle patted her shoulders and shook her head. Serika only nodded, without words to convey her frustration.

Meanwhile, Xian leisurely walked towards the training grounds. A week of training had become two weeks of memories for him.

He took a longsword and performed basic movements and techniques he learned from sparring with Serika. In the end, the other girl, Lucinelle didn't take notice of him.

The wind it produced made his uniform flutter and scatter the dust on the ground. He estimated that his power reached those in the level 30's.

Such is the effect of stat dumping. But if he gets hit even once, his body is going to break. It's not that he had a fragile body, in fact, his [HP] and [END] is on the higher average.

Each stat in the character sheet had a potential based growth rate and base stat. Although he is severely disadvantaged in earning bonus stat points because of the absurd zero luck.

Once he gets the [Glimpse Lens] in the academy, it will allow him to analyze his own and other characters potential and stats. Without it, the most he could do is infer their stats from what he remembers at certain period of times or encounter.

It was never set in stone in the game, sometimes there's even a difference of five levels in the same encounter and scenario with a said character. 

Players theorized that the game randomly assigned levels in a certain range, hence sometimes players even got lucky with a party member or a boss fight.

Next, Xian fiddled with the pairs of dagger. Unlike the daggers he saw the most in edgy games or manga, it's blade's weren't a curved edge but a straight and pointed one, specialized in stabbing and throwing.

'How fitting.' He could imagine himself carrying a bunch of these and throwing it at an enemy eye, neck or even heart. Which made it quite the underhanded weapon on top of being hard to see once thrown.

He never played with daggers in his past life, but Xian felt familiarity holding it.

'Tonight should be when Miri poisons Carmillia.' He didn't plan to stop her, as his goal of unsealing his trait through a condition is still in progress. One regression is still necessary.

Later that night, instead of leaving, Xian stayed one more night with Moris and Carmillia's permission using recuperation as an excuse.

"If you won't leave, I'll make you do so." Carmillia indifferently said to him. He could only form a wry smile once she wasn't looking as he felt the intense stare from Serika for unknown reasons.

While waiting for the incident to happen, he headed towards the maid's quarters where he found Miri and chief maid talking. Out of curiosity, he wanted to ask some questions.

The chief made sat in a table as she did some sewing. What it's for, Xian didn't know and didn't bother. There was only one thing he came for. Something useful that if possible, he'd like to acquire once he regresses.

"Hello there." It was quite a rude greeting, but the chief maid who didn't even show a hint of startle turned to his direction. She stood, reserved and calm, then strode over to face him.

"I've had the pleasure of meeting the 'special butler'." She bowed as she spoke.

'Hoh? What's this? Is my standing that high?' He was impressed with the level of respect she showed.

"I'm about to leave though. Didn't you hear the news?"

"Still, a special butler dispatched from the dukedom itself holds special standing among all of the households servant's. Much like Head Butler Moris."

'From their information, I came directly from the dukedom? That seems about right.'

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"I'm not privy to the matters outside of this estate unfortunately."

'What a boldfaced lie. You just utterly said information that a maid unconcerned outside shouldn't know.' 

"Psh! Haha! Alright, if yo say so." He laughed but quickly stopped upon hearing himself. It's as if he heard a madman on a mad slaughter.

"Let's take a seat first. There's something I want to talk about." Is she going to follow him? Chase him away? Or make some excuse about being busy? Xian neither cared about any of those, today, he's going to play around and try out some tricks.

"Did any of the maid displease Sir Xian?"

"Nothing of the sort. In fact the maid you sent was a great help."

"… I'm not sure if I'm the one deserving your praise, but I'm glad our maids pleased you."

"Right. She's also an amusing one. She listens very well, to any orders I give. She even seemed to like it."

"…"

"As if… She's in a trance." Xian set the bait down, a hint of what he knew.

"A trance you say… Would you happen to know the name of that maid?"

"Does someone come to mind? I didn't bother learning her name you see." He beat around the bush. But this is all necessary to instill confusion, curiosity and pressure. 

The more misleading questions gets asked, the more restless the chief made will be. Eventually, she wouldn't know which of her answers were safe and what gives her away.

"… No one at all unfortunately. A few silent one's come to mind, but that's just how they are when focused at work."

"Then who's the same maid assigned to me everynight?"

"…"

"Do you not know? Aren't you in charge of their schedule?"

"While I may be in charge of them, the maids operate in the household distributing workloads properly among themselves. So, no. I wasn't informed of who tended to Sir Xian."

"Is that so? That's really convenient, don't you think?"

"Indeed. It reduces my workload a lot."

"Then do you know Miri?" XIan said a name that indicated he lied. She must be thinking; why would he do that? Is he just messing with me? Or something along the line.

"… Yes. I know the maid named Miri." A chief maid's tact. They do not question a lie and simply answer the question. But it's also a way to leak any hints of involvement if they are talking to someone that caught on their scheme.

"I found myself really fond of her these past few days." It was time to deal the lethal blow that will shake up her mind.

"I see… Excuse me?"

"You heard me. She was just too cute. I think, I'm going to be a father."

"What!?… What is going on Sir Xian? Did you do some mistake?"

Disorientation of thoughts using absurd situation outside of expectations. This will shake her mental defense she subconsciously put in her mind due to the subtle knowing hints fed to her.

'If she still have any conscience unlike the bloodthirsty avengers coming after Carmillia, she won't be able to overlook this.' If Miri was found to be the culprit, by the time her punishment is decided, she will be showing signs of labour.

An execution that affect two lives... Or perhaps they will allow the child to be born in exchange for the mothers life.

"Is that true?" The chief maid stared at him, finding that statement incredulous.

"It is. We became passionate and did it many time's every night."

"No, no! There's no need to elaborate. Please stay here for now, I will handle this matter." The chief maid, pale faced, hurriedly stood up but Xian grabbed her arm.

"Sir Xian? Didn't you hear what I said?" Her facade was no longer present, as a mix of disgust and annoyance laced the way she addressed him.

"You only need to talk to me, chief maid. About what you used to make her like that."

"… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on. It's a coincidence but the moment I touched her cheek… She became obedient as a sheep and did whatever I wanted. It's really amazing."

Xian released his grip but walked towards the exit of the room in reserved slow steps.

"There's no way I'm leaving this household without knowing who's responsible in making her like that."

"This scumbag… Right now, it is imperative to have a talk with both of you. Any queries you have will be answered later. We must confirm the truth of the matter at once."

"Why are you so concerned? Because she's going to poison the young miss soon?"

"That's r—!…" She held her mouth with a stunned expression, staring at him venomously.

"That's right—you meant to say?"

It was the point of breakdown and confrontation. The chief maid expertly sent a kick towards Xian to which he merely caught with his hands.

'Not as strong as Serika. Even weaker than me.' Unlike players, the system didn't allow npc's to choose where to distribute stat point bonus. That potential mostly to their trained focus or is lost in time if the npc becomes stagnant.

The chief maid, embroiled in chores her whole life and lacking in battle experience is not a match for Xian who had an almost perfect 1:1 ratio of [STR] and [AGI] dumped. The two golden stats that influenced combat the most.

If this were the usual Rozenfall gameplay, each attack will attribute damage to his endurance. But now, instead of endurance, his strength can actively catch his opponents blows in order to block it.

There's a strain but it's almost negligible. This is a discovery he made while he fought Serika who surpassed him in all aspects.

'I wonder what else changed?' He thought in excitement, dodging a chop aiming for his neck.

The attack carried sharpness that would probably rip his throat had it reached.

The chief maid realized that Xian is deliberately trying to confuse and mess with her to bring her guard down. She didn't know how Xian found out, but she can still salvage the situation by eliminating him.

She can just hide his body while the others investigate the death of Carmillia.

Miri was a scapegoat she begrudgingly sent in order to escape punishment. She was a good and diligent girl, but too gullible for her own good.

What Xian said made her heart falter. If it's true that Miri spent intimacy with this man, then by the time of her execution, she would have carried a life in her womb.

She can sacrifice Miri like a clueless lamb, but if she had to include another innocent life? Or make a child grow without a mother? She felt vomit rising on her throat just thinking about it.

"There's no need to be hostile. I only need the potion."

But the chief maid didn't listen and took out, thin long needles instead. 

A total of six glistened sharply on her hands and thrown towards Xian. He used his left arm to swat the three needles coming at him as the three other aimed on his flanks missed completely.

Usually, people who used needles, laced it with lethal poison. He carefully took hold of one such needle as he lunged at the chief maid. Inside the room with limited space to dodge, she failed to avoid Xian's long reach and was pinned down by his right arm.

Then he proceeded to point the same needles onto her neck, stopping centimeters before touching the skin.

Xian was pleased that he could overpower someone in this world already even if it's a woman in her forties.

"Like I said." He whispered, glaring at the chief maids eyes. Her glasses reflected his sinister appearance and piercing gaze.

"I only need the potion you used. Tell me where you hid it." He was hoping to settle this peacefully without a fight by pretending to be a neutral party, but the chief maid reacted strongly.

Without subtly telling her what he discovered and raising her suspicion by asking related questions, this woman might've just attacked him outright. The confusion he sowed in her mind is also a way ensure his victory.

He was confident in a confrontation, but there are chances of losing against her composed state compared to right now. Her mind's in disarray affecting the efficiency of her actions, thus making Xian come out on top.

Well, where did he learn all of this? Just in the game itself. Sometimes, dialogue's with bosses can mess with their heads, affecting their fight patterns. He did it so often that when practiced in reality, the results were quite satisfactory.

He also found a certain information about the chief maid from Miri last night.

'This old woman had a miscarriage in her younger years.' Whether Carmillia or the duke is connected to that is unknown to him. But it's more likely that the duke caused it.

What would Carmillia as a kid even know? Surely she isn't some girl with villain complex and tendencies right? That was also one of his greatest curiosity in the game. What made Carmillia as she is right now?

From then on, the motive for revenge was easy to tell.

That fact, proved useful to him. Evoking her sympathy to Miri whom she thought is going to be executed while carrying an unborn child.

'She must've felt the need to save her. To make herself feel better maybe?' Xian only had a sneer to offer at that.

"What… what do you need it for?"

"None of your business. Oh, is the coachman your ally by any chance?" The chief maid's intensified glare only proved his suspicion to be right.

Just then Xian felt his left arm twitch. Even though he swatted the needles, poison still seeped into his skin turning his veins dark. The spread was slow and painful.

"Aarghh! NO!" Seeing that, he pressed the needle at her neck and proceeded to put the two other's as well. Veins on her neck and face quickly darkened as she lost her life.

'This is revenge to poisoning me before Carmillia dies!'

[Level up! +1] He found no reason to bother with the system since he's dying already.

Now that the chief maid was taken care of, Xian flipped over the whole room. 

'Fuck. Where is it? Wait a minute.' After not seeing anything that resembles the potion, he face slapped himself and searched through the old woman's clothes.

He found some more needles and familiar antidotes in her person. He drank it, then proceeded to search her body until he found something covered carefully with parchment. 

The contents cluttered as he unwrapped the cover, revealing two used vials.

One has dark violet hue and the other had a dark red hue. There was a variety of potions like this in the game, some recipes of which he still remembered.

'In the end, I still have to kill her next time.' That's alright though, he will savor the exp drops.

Xian felt that event's had dragged long enough and laid down on the chief maids seat.

"Haah." He felt more tired than he should. Looking at his arm, the poison significantly slowed spreading, but it didn't stop.

'Looks like I'm going to die even if Carmillia lives.' He doubted it but there's always a chance.

He slumped back on the sofa and peacefully closed his eyes waiting for regression to pull his body.