In less than half a day after meeting a strange young man, she had followed him home and even changed into this somewhat shameful maid uniform... Looking at the unfamiliar furnishings around the room, she felt a dreamlike unreality.
She had become someone else's maid.
She was called a maid, but... would he do that to her? Those intimate things? Tsubaki Rurikawa, having only just met Alex, had limited knowledge of him and didn't even know her Master's name.
But even if he turned out to be a terrible person, as long as he could grant her the power for revenge... even if he were to take her body, she could accept it, right?
The ruined noble heiress, having experienced great highs and lows, was mentally prepared. From the moment she accepted his deal, she had decided to dedicate herself completely.
Although... she was still a little nervous. She glanced at the bag on the sofa, which contained those various styles of maid outfits, and a blush crept across her cheeks.
Will he tonight...?
She shook her head, trying to clear these strange, shameful thoughts from her mind. She stepped into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and began to clean...
Alex returned about an hour later. As soon as he entered, he saw his maid wiping the window glass. The floor and the coffee table were spotless, radiating a clean shine that made Alex nod in satisfaction.
It was clear she was cleaning diligently. While housekeeping was not her strong suit—as a former noble heiress, she never had to worry about chores—things were different now. Now a maid, Tsubaki Rurikawa had to do her job well.
Watching her clumsy yet earnest effort, seeing her sweat in the heat, Alex found the air conditioner remote on the table and pressed a button. The cool air caused the girl to look up abruptly, realizing Alex was back.
"Master..."
She stood up hesitantly.
"You've done well," she was clumsy, but her attitude was serious, and her cleaning was meticulous. This former Lady did not have the arrogant demeanor of the nobility. Then again, she was from a ruined family; someone who had experienced such a fall could clearly see the current reality.
Alex blinked. He estimated that if he forced her now, this Lady wouldn't refuse.
However, he had no intention of doing so. He wasn't lacking Essence Points right now, and for a pitiful girl like this... the "nurturing" process was far more interesting. Alex rummaged through his shopping bag and slapped his forehead.
"Tsubaki, can you cook?"
"If it's boiling noodles... and I'm quite good at boiling eggs..."
The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became.
"Are you planning to serve me eggs with water?" Alex rolled his eyes.
The girl stood there sheepishly, feeling awkward. Housework was acceptable, but she truly didn't know much about cooking. Even during home economics classes at school, Tsubaki Rurikawa had rarely paid attention.
"I will try my best to learn..."
"Fine," Alex pulled out his phone. "I'll order two bento boxes. You can make me noodles later when you have time. But how can a maid not know how to cook? You must find a way to learn this in the future."
Of course, if she truly couldn't learn, he would just have to find a way to give her the skill.
"Understood..."
Seeing that her Master was preoccupied with his phone and ignoring her, Tsubaki Rurikawa pursed her lips. It seemed... her Master was not the kind of terrible scumbag she had feared. Thinking of his promise to grant her power, the ruined noble girl silently resolved to work hard and master the culinary arts.
[Essence Points]: 50
What abilities should I buy?
Dinner was two luxurious bento boxes. Tsubaki Rurikawa was initially reserved and stood to the side, but Alex insisted she sit across from him and eat together. Seeing her Master's firm stance, the girl sat down kneeling on the soft cushion.
While cautiously eating her meal, she would occasionally lift her eyes, stealing glances at the young man sitting opposite her between the flutter of her lashes. Only when she saw him spaced out and not paying attention would the maid feel safe enough to truly observe him.
Recalling the time manipulation ability her Master had demonstrated earlier, the terrifying image shrouded Tsubaki Rurikawa's Master in mystery. The more she looked, the more enigmatic he seemed...
"Do you know much about that man?"
"Huh?"
The sudden question startled Tsubaki Rurikawa.
"I'm talking about Boyman."
"I know a little," Mentioning the blonde man caused the maid's exquisite, beautiful face to darken. Biting her lip, anger flashed in her eyes. "The Boyman family does not have a good reputation, and that man... is not a good person. But these are just things I've heard. I... I didn't know him before."
"Although I'm not sure what his goal was in targeting the Rurikawa family, it seems he was interested in you," Alex put down his chopsticks and sized up the slender girl in front of him with a smile. "You have quite the charm."
Tsubaki Rurikawa quickly handed him a napkin, showing no sign of delight. "He is my enemy! Besides..."
She hesitated, her voice dropping significantly, murmuring softly, "I am now the Master's... property."
"Don't worry, I will let you take your revenge with your own hands, and it won't take long," Alex wiped his mouth, took a sip of water, and tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze returning to his status panel.
There were many ways to help her grow stronger. One was the same as with Chi and the others: using sexual means to increase attributes. However, this method was slow, relying on steady, gradual progress, making rapid advancement impossible.
As for the other method...
Alex tapped his finger and immediately purchased a new skill—[Contract].
[Contract]: Sign a contract to share your abilities. Price: 10 Essence Points.
This was a simple skill with a low price, seemingly a useless, marginal ability, but for Tsubaki Rurikawa, its usefulness was immense.
"Although it doesn't restrict the contract target, the contract must be established via a kiss, so I can only choose women." Naturally, Alex had no intention of recruiting men, nor would he bestow his power upon them.
After contracting, he could grant skills and revoke them (limited to skills only). Attributes could not be shared; while there were similar skills for attribute granting in the panel, Alex didn't need them. [Amplify] was enough.
That skill allowed him to gain attributes for free, the only cost being his own essence...
After purchasing the [Contract] skill, Alex glanced through the list and continued by purchasing two more skills: [Firearms Mastery] and [Combat Master], consuming another 20 Essence Points.
With the final twenty red heart Essence Points, Alex chose the [Spatial Manipulation] ability, thoroughly enriching his skill library.
As for sharing these with his maid, that wasn't for right now...
"Tsubaki."
Seeing the maid girl who had finished cleaning the dinner table, Alex waved her over, then unapologetically placed his hand on her chest.
"Ugh! M-Master..."