Chapter 5: Count seraphina is ashamed

Grace Field possessed a natural fortress, a seemingly ordinary structure of gleaming white stone, yet incredibly durable.

Forged from the remnants of a stone golem, it was impervious to cannons, siege weapons, and even magic.

Leto, the most powerful witch in history, had enchanted it with Elemental Remove, the ultimate defensive spell, granting immunity to all five elemental magics. It was an impenetrable defense.

“Reporting for duty! All clear! Captain Garkin of the Guard, reporting to Countess Seraphina Fires!”
“Good work.”

Seraphina offered a small smile and extended her hand.

Captain Garkin, startled, quickly shook it and bowed deeply.

“Th-thank you! But…to what do we owe the honor…?”
“What? Is it wrong for me to inspect the defenses of my own castle?”

Seraphina frowned and crossed her arms.

I observed Garkin from the side.

He appeared to be a frail young man, but he was renowned as the best defensive strategist in the land.

“N-no, mistress! I apologize…!”
“Apologies? Do you think apologies are enough?”
“…”

Her words were chilling.

One apology, one death.

She would likely ask Garkin to demonstrate his swordsmanship, then feign admiration for his delicate hands before slicing them off, declaring them unfit for a warrior.

That would lead to the “Wrist Confiscation” bad ending.

“Show me your hands.”
“Excuse me?”
“Must I repeat myself?”

Seraphina’s gaze was cold and impassive.

Even I found it intimidating.

Garkin apologized and extended his hands.

“…Such delicate hands for a warrior.”
“I-I apologize…!”
“Is that all you can say?”

So far, so good. It was all going according to my predictions.

Now came the crucial moment.

She would summon her sword and…

“I’ll be confiscating your hands.”
“What?”

[Seraphina Fires is about to break Garkin’s wrists.]
[Malice Gauge: 73%]

As I expected, the high malice gauge resulted in broken wrists, not severed hands. While not ideal, it was better than losing them entirely. I couldn’t let Garkin be harmed.

He was a crucial NPC, essential for achieving a good ending.

“Mistress.”
“…?”

Just as she was about to act, I held up a key.

“I found the key to the armory. Perhaps we should postpone Captain Garkin’s…punishment and attend to your schedule. Ha ha.”
“Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Her glare could melt steel.

But I had to stand my ground.

“Mistress, breaking Captain Garkin’s wrists won’t benefit you. You’ll need his hands to retrieve heavy items from the armory.”
“Do I really need him?”

I nodded enthusiastically.

“Absolutely! Isn’t that right, Captain Garkin?”

I looked at Garkin, who nodded vigorously.

“Y-yes! Absolutely!”
“…”

Seraphina glanced at me, then lowered her hand.

“This is so frustrating. I was just about to relieve some stress.”

She frowned at me.

“I can’t take you anywhere. You’re always interfering.”
“But you need him…”
“Fine, fine! Just drop it!”

[Seraphina’s Malice Gauge has decreased by 1%.]
[Malice Gauge: 72%]

Another point down. I had earned her ire, but it was a price I was willing to pay.

“Hmph…”

She turned away and walked off, her childish petulance at odds with her cruel nature.

Redeeming her would be a difficult task, but I was determined to succeed.

I had to see the special scenes and the good ending.

“Th-thank you… B-Butler?”

Garkin approached me, bowing profusely. I waved him off.

“Ha ha, it was nothing. Please, call me Trainee Butler. Ha ha ha.”
“Trainee Butler…? But you seem so competent…”
“You flatter me.”
“If you don’t mind me asking…”

I nodded.

“What is it?”
“How…how did you sway the Countess? Do you have a secret?”
“Well…”

The burning passion of a gentleman seeking rare illustrations! Or perhaps, A gentleman’s unwavering commitment to protecting a lady’s beautiful smile! No, that sounded ridiculous.

“Reading a lady’s heart is a basic skill for any gentleman! Just look at her cleavage. It’s a window to her soul! Ha ha ha ha!”
“…”

Garkin stared at me with a mixture of bewilderment, disgust, and fear.

I recognized that look. It was the look of someone contemplating whether to flee or report me to the authorities.

Damn it! Don’t look at me like that! I had just saved his life!

“Hey! What are you doing?! Get over here!”

Seraphina called out impatiently.

“Yes, mistress!”

I gestured for Garkin to follow me, and we hurried after her.

“Why am I wearing this?!”

Seraphina was in a foul mood. I had asked her to wear a disguise for her village patrol.

“You can’t parade around in your Countess attire!”
“…I’m going to kill you. This is so embarrassing…!”

Why? It looks good on you.

This disguise was necessary.

If she went around announcing her identity, her malice gauge would skyrocket, and I’d have to spend even more effort preventing her misdeeds.

The disguise consisted of a long, black twin-tailed wig and a maid outfit, the same one she wore when I first met her.

I didn’t understand why she was so embarrassed.

She wore maid outfits regularly.

“What’s wrong? You like maid outfits, don’t you?”
“This one shows too much cleavage! Why would you make me wear this?”

So she does care about modesty. I shrugged.

“What’s not to like?”

Seraphina’s Disguise ver. 3 The legendary maid outfit with the plunging neckline, a fan favorite from LilTy, and a gacha nightmare to obtain. And here it was, in 4D. I was in heaven.

“I’m going to kill you! I swear, I’m going to kill you!”

Despite her threats, she clung to my arm, her face flushed.

I escorted her through the village, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against mine, especially…

Ahem.

I patted her hand reassuringly.

“Ha ha… don’t be so dramatic. The patrol is almost over.”
“You think this is funny?! I could have done this in my own clothes! I’m going to…”

She tried to remove the wig. I gently grabbed her wrist.

“Now, now… we can’t have that, can we?”
“…You’re dead when we get back to the mansion!”

[Seraphina Fires is displaying hostility towards you.]
[Malice Gauge: 72%]

She may want to kill me, but she couldn’t.

This was an event outfit, which meant no bad endings, and no consequences for me.

Her threats were empty.

“No one recognized you as Countess Seraphina, did they?”
“What? Then why are they staring?”
“Well…”

It was the outfit, specifically the prominent tattoo on display. I

t was odd that no one in the village recognized her, even with the tattoo.

It must be an effect of the event outfit, making her appear as someone else entirely.

But more than that, I felt a surge of possessiveness. I didn’t like the way other men were looking at her.

“…You pervert! Pervert, pervert!”
“Yes, yes, you’re doing great. Now, let me take you to a good restaurant.”
“A…restaurant…?”

I smiled and led her towards a nearby shop.

The Blue Cherry Pie Shop.

A Grace Field institution, a soon-to-be-famous culinary landmark, and a favorite hangout spot for the adorable SD characters of LilTy.

It was currently empty, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

“Two blue cherry pies and two lemonades.”

The waitress served our order. Seraphina eyed the pie suspiciously.

“You expect me to eat this?”
“Yes. It’s delicious. Much better than that jam-covered scone.”
“…If it’s not good…”

She carefully cut a piece of pie and took a bite.

Her expression instantly transformed.

“…!”

A radiant smile bloomed on her face.

“See? Delicious.”
“N-no it’s not…!”

She put down her fork and chewed thoughtfully, her face flushing as she turned away.

“Hmph… It’s not good.”
“Oh, is that so? That’s too bad. I’ll take you to a better place next time.”
“…Are you deaf? I said it’s not good.”
“So you liked it?”

I grinned, and Seraphina sighed.

“You’re ridiculous… I could kill you right now. Don’t forget that.”

She pointed a finger at me, her eyes narrowed.

I chuckled.

“Then you won’t have anyone to play chess with… What about the Nobles’ Conference?”
“…”

My words gave her pause. She blushed and mumbled,

“I-I’ll let you live…for my sake. Not yours. Understand?”
“Of course.”
“It’s not for you! I’m just being merciful! You’re just a servant!”
“Yes, yes.”

She was sparing my life. I must be growing on her. Despite my constant interference, she no longer threatened to kill me.

“Please, enjoy your pie. You’ve worked hard today, mistress.”
“Hmph… Cheap pie… I’ll take you somewhere better next time.”
“Ha ha, thank you.”

Seraphina, still tsundere as ever, happily devoured her pie.

[Malice Gauge has decreased by 12%.]
[Malice Gauge: 60%]

She really did love cherry pie.

It seemed that indulging in her favorite foods had a positive effect on her malice gauge.

Of course, it wouldn’t be enough to redeem her completely, but it was a good start.

The Nobles’ Conference was next.

After that, if I could uncover the truth behind Seraphina’s behavior…she would be redeemed, and achieve her good ending.

She would become a legendary Countess.

Things were getting interesting.