(⌐■_■) {Welcome back, reader. If you made it this far, you probably enjoyed the ride. Ratings and comments help more than you think.}
Allen moved behind the curtain.
Pressed himself against the wall. Thin fabric. Bad hiding spot.
(⌐■_■) {Yes, this is the classic "if I can't see them, they can't see me" strategy.}
Footsteps approached.
Two people.[STEP STEP]
Before he could react, a hand grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside.[RIP—RUSTLE]
He was exposed.
Allen froze. Eyes wide. Body refusing to move.
(⌐■_■) {"statue mode."}
Two maids stood in front of him.
Silence.
Both maids stared at him. Shocked. Confused. Then they looked at each other.
"My lord… what are you doing behind the curtain?"
The words hit him instantly.A nervous laugh escaped him."I… I was hiding."
(⌐■_■) {Excellent answer. Truly inspiring.}
Another realization followed immediately.
The maids exchanged looks again.
"Hiding?" one of them asked.
Allen straightened his back.
(⌐■_■) {Desperation activates creativity.}
"Yes," he said. "I was hiding so I could hear what commoners say behind my back."
The sentence came out smooth. Confident.
The atmosphere turned awkward. Everyone felt it.
The older maid recovered first."Breakfast will be ready soon, my lord. You should prepare."
They led him toward the bathroom as if nothing strange had happened.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Inside the bathroom, faint steam lingered in the air.
Stone walls. Large tub. Clean.
His thoughts drifted in the wrong direction.
For a brief moment, he imagined both maids bathing him. Hands moving. Eyes lingering.(⌐■_■) {Yes, the brain always goes there first.}
Reality hit immediately.
One maid was clearly middle-aged. Sharp eyes. Confident posture.
(⌐■_■) {And just like that, the fantasy dies painfully.}
The image turned awkward. Then unpleasant.
(⌐■_■) {Mood: deleted.}
"Eww. No."
His body agreed instantly.
Allen slowly moved his hands and began loosening the ties of his clothes.
The door opened.[DOOR OPEN]
A young servant entered, struggling with a large bucket of hot water.[WATER SLOSH]
He poured it into the tub.[STEAM HISS]
The servant bowed and left.
(⌐■_■) {NPC behavior remains consistent.}
The older maid spoke."My lord, please bathe. We will select proper clothes."
The maids left.
The door closed.[CLACK]
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Allen stepped into the tub.
Hot water surrounded him.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
His mind raced.
Bed. Pillow. Darkness.
(⌐■_■) {Last save point: sleep.}
Nothing else.
No accident. No pain.
Dream? Madness? Experiment failure?
One thing was clear.
This world already treated him as someone important.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Allen opened his eyes.
Whatever he had become—
He would have to play the role.
(⌐■_■) {Welcome to the stage. The audience is unforgiving.}