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“Get plenty of rest today. Starting tomorrow, you’d better be prepared.”
The old man swiftly finished drafting the contract and left the room.
Starting tomorrow, huh?
‘So they’re really planning to work me to the bone.’
To be fair, there wasn’t anything blatantly unfair in the contract itself.
And then there was the necklace.
Clink— I fiddled with the necklace hanging around my neck.
‘The color’s almost the same as my eyes.’
The gemstone dangling from the golden chain was a deep blue.
Was it sapphire? Or some other special blue gem?
The old man had called it a “safety device.”
“You will not be able to speak of anything related to the Grand Duke’s household. You are forbidden from leaving the permitted areas, and naturally, you cannot leave the estate without permission.”
There were so many restrictions.
But with my undisclosed identity and the situation I was in, it wasn’t surprising they’d corner me like this.
‘The shackles on my hands and feet are gone, but now I’ve got something worse around my neck.’
So this is how a dog feels when it gets a collar put on.
‘Though… this “dog collar” is admittedly a bit too pretty to be called that.’
Still, giving me this necklace meant they didn’t plan to kill me right away.
Behave, and you’ll get to live. Something like that.
‘Well, it’s annoying, but it’s still better than having actual shackles on my limbs and being thrown back into a cell.’
I exhaled slowly, finally able to relax a little.
‘So this is the room where I’ll be staying.’
I glanced around.
Sunlight streamed through a moderately large window. There was a decent bed and a sturdy-looking desk.
The room wasn’t spacious, but for me right now, it was more than enough.
The sounds of people outside mingled with the warm air inside, creating a calm, peaceful atmosphere.
As I stared blankly at the sky beyond the window, idle thoughts crept in.
‘So much has happened in such a short time.’
I’d been devoured by black magic and died—or so I thought. Then I’d come back to life.
‘And right when I was glad to be alive, I realized I was in enemy territory.’
Now I was inside the mansion of the most dangerous man in that enemy country.
‘Me, a maid? Really?’
Not just any maid either—a maid of the infamous Grand Duke Vallot!
I buried my face in my palms.
The necklace swung and clinked against my neck with a dull clatter.
Damn it. Dog collar.
The feel of it brought the reality of my situation crashing back.
‘Wearing the “collar” the Grand Duke himself put on me… serving as his maid.’
How amusing. Truly hilarious.
I could almost hear Serhin’s mocking voice:
‘Sia, I told you to bring me the Grand Duke’s head, and instead you got his shackle wrapped around your neck?’
‘Was that your kink all along, Sia?’
Yeah, that’s exactly what he’d say, the bastard.
‘Even if I make it back, I’ll have to keep everything that happened here a secret.’
Phew…
Fine. I’m not dead. That’s what matters.
‘Yeah. This isn’t the worst outcome.’
I clearly remembered what I’d said in the Grand Duke’s office.
I’d spoken informally, practically provoking him with vague and suspicious answers.
And yet, he’d let me live.
‘As I thought…’
He probably knew who the original owner of this body was.
‘Otherwise, there’s no way he would’ve spared me after that kind of insolence.’
Then came his second question:
“Do you… remember me?”
Among the three questions he’d asked, that one was deeply personal.
‘He didn’t ask if I knew who he was.’
He asked if I remembered him.
It might sound similar at first, but the meaning hidden underneath was entirely different.
‘Unless the Grand Duke is an egomaniac, he wouldn’t say something like “You know who I am, right?!”’
And considering he’d sent both the old man and the priest out of the room before asking—
‘It was clearly a very private, secretive question.’
He was hiding something even from his closest aide.
‘Ah, I’d love to pry open that Grand Duke’s brain and take a look.’
Or maybe someday, I should slip him some truth serum and just ask outright.
‘Do you remember me? Do you know who I am?’
Not a bad idea.
But that plan would only work if this body became functional again.
I climbed off the bed and sat cross-legged in the center of the hard floor.
‘I’ve survived the immediate danger.’
Now it was time to take the next step:
Turning this body into something that could survive.
That meant training—ruthlessly and efficiently.
‘Work starts tomorrow.’
And I was told to rest today.
Which made this the perfect opportunity: a chance to awaken the aura sleeping within me.
I glanced out the window.
It felt like this day had dragged on forever, but the sky was still bright and calm.
Just past lunchtime.
‘Time is money.’
I’d awaken my aura before nightfall. And if that didn’t work, I’d stay up all night to do it.
‘This body already has aura—it’s just dormant. I only need to wake it up. Gently. Just a little.’
Normally, an untrained body couldn’t awaken aura.
Most people who tried recklessly ended up dead.
‘That’s true—for ordinary people.’
But I wasn’t ordinary.
I’d never awakened aura in an untrained body before, but with my mental strength, I wouldn’t die that easily.
‘Still, I won’t get careless.’
I closed my eyes slowly.
‘Hoo…’
My consciousness began to instinctively seek out the dormant aura.
I drew in the faintest breath, exhaled, and focused all my senses inward.
My vision was pitch-black.
Of course—it was a body that hadn’t sensed anything yet. A blank slate.
Like untouched snow, or a void before the birth of a single star.
Inside every human body are countless invisible paths.
Through those intricate pathways, aura is circulated throughout the body—this is the basic stage of aura use.
I started there.
Groping through the darkness, I focused on the faint pulse in my heart.
And then I felt it: a soft, flickering presence sleeping deep within.
A threadlike energy encircled my heart, shimmering like a tickle.
Blue aura.
It was blue like a clear autumn sky. Like the emerald waters of a pristine lake.
It radiated a refreshing, almost intoxicating purity.
‘That color…’
Strangely enough, it was the same color as the aura I’d used in my previous body.
‘No way. It’s probably just a coincidence.’
Aura colors were determined by one’s nature—not completely unique, but not common either.
‘Maybe my soul’s the same, so the aura color is, too.’
Because it was so similar, I felt an unexpected wave of nostalgia.
It was like going home.
I steadied my emotions and studied the blue aura carefully.
‘Either way, this is my aura now.’
Well then.
‘Let’s get along from now on.’
Every first meeting is a little awkward.
‘Who knows? Maybe this meeting will make history someday.’
Gently, I approached the aura like soothing a shy creature.
‘There, there. Be good, okay?’
I took a quiet breath.
And then, slowly, I embraced the aura nestled near my heart.
‘Good. That’s it.’
Softly, tenderly.
Like comforting a child, like welcoming a noble guest—with reverence and care.
Maybe it sensed my sincerity.
The aura that had been skirting around began to seep peacefully into my heart.
Huh. It was a lot calmer than I’d feared.
‘Phew, thank goodness.’
Just as I let out a breath of relief—
CRACK?!
‘…Huh?’
Something shattered near my chest.
What was that sound? A bone breaking?
‘No… this is…’
It was like thin glass cracking.
‘Wait, don’t tell me—the necklace?!’
But I had no time to check.
Before I could even open my eyes, an unbearable pain exploded from my heart, paralyzing me completely.
The aura had gone berserk.
Even breathing became agonizing.
‘I take it back! You’re not calm at all!’
I scrambled to focus my mind and wrestle the aura back under control.
‘Fine. Let’s do this.’
I’d survived in enemy territory, even before the Grand Duke himself.
Like hell I’d die just because of some runaway aura!
‘I will survive.’
No matter what!
And then—
FWOOSH?!
‘Huh?’
Blood spurted from my mouth as I was thrown backward.
