Sunny weather. The mansion was quiet inside.
The warm sunlight coming through the windows illuminated the interior of the mansion brightly.
Antique interior.
Clean corridors with not a speck of dust.
Beautiful landscape paintings and vases of flowers.
And there was a woman.
She wore a black dress with a white apron over it, and a white headband with frills.
Her attire resembled that of a classic maid.
Her name was Erina. The maid of this mansion.
Also, she was the only maid serving the owner of the mansion.
Erina was in a very good mood. She particularly liked mornings.
She walked through the corridor humming a cheerful tune.
The soft sunlight and the sound of the fountain from afar.
The light coming down from the chandelier.
Everything was perfect. It was not an exaggeration to say it was a perfect space for her master.
And her favorite time was approaching.
“Master. Excuse me.”
She lightly knocked on the door. As expected, there was no response.
The owner of the mansion was a heavy sleeper.
He probably wouldn’t wake up until the afternoon.
Once again, she stepped into the bedroom without permission.
There, her beloved master was sleeping.
“Master…”
Someone she loved and cherished more than anyone else.
A man who loved and understood her unconditionally in this world.
The person Erina wanted to spend her life with was asleep on the bed.
He was lying with his eyes closed on the huge bed.
Erina approached quietly, examining her master’s complexion.
“Master. It’s time to wake up.”
She whispered softly into his ear.
Of course, he didn’t wake up.
No matter how many times she called his name, there was no response at all.
Though she knew it was wrong, she gradually narrowed the distance between them.
Eventually, she was so close that their faces almost touched.
As the distance closed, an impulse bubbled up inside her.
Finally, unable to resist any longer, she crawled under the blanket.
“Ah…”
As usual, she felt his warmth as she climbed onto his body.
She felt like she would lose herself in the soft touch and the fragrant scent.
She wanted to spend her life immersed in this pleasure.
She wanted to live forever in the space where only her master and she remained.
Without the Goddess, without Kayla, without anyone else. A world where everything had vanished.
“…?”
She couldn’t understand what she was thinking.
After all, wasn’t her master already with her?
Then, she felt something rising above her head.
“Ah…!”
Finally, Erina met her master’s gaze.
He looked down at Erina, who was cuddled in his arms.
He gently stroked her head.
As his soft hands passed over her head, all the tension in her body melted away.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah…”
Erina couldn’t answer.
Even if she wanted to speak, she couldn’t open her mouth due to the sensation of melting all over her body.
With a smile, her master brought his hand to her face.
He gently pinched her cheeks with both hands as if playing with a puppy.
With each playful action, Erina’s body relaxed even more.
Warmth came to her chest with her hot breath.
Suddenly, a slight pain settled in her head.
“You’re being mischievous since morning.”
He lightly tapped Erina’s head with his palm. Naturally, it didn’t hurt.
Knowing it was just a joke, she laughed like a fool.
“It’s time to wake up.”
“Yeah. I got it.”
With a lazy voice, the master yawned.
He stretched and tousled her hair next to him.
A fragrant floral scent filled the room. It was a pleasant morning as usual.
***
“Master! Here!”
Erina’s energetic voice echoed through the streets.
She waved her hand with a cheerful expression.
The quiet streets. In the deserted village, she was the only one there.
No one on the streets, in the buildings, or at the stalls. There was no one.
The only ones alive in this world were her master and Erina.
They lived in a world where only the two of them existed.
“Today, let’s go to that hill over there.”
Erina carried a large basket.
Inside were bread, sandwiches, and wine.
All the food was made by her.
She had prepared diligently since dawn to enjoy a picnic.
She might be tired since she didn’t sleep well.
But Erina was genuinely smiling with happiness.
Because it was all for the master. Because they could make happy memories.
That was the only reason she lived for.
“The path might be a bit rough. Please follow me carefully.”
With words of caution, Erina led the way.
They passed through the walls and into the forest. A hidden valley among the green trees and leaves.
It was one of her favorite places.
The sound of cool water and rustling branches.
Every time she came here, she could feel peace of mind.
“I’ll set up the place here. Please rest, Master!”
Erina laid out a mat in a suitable spot.
She arranged the prepared food on it.
She hurried her actions at the thought of her master waiting.
She checked multiple times to make sure there were no dangerous bugs or plants.
She checked several times to make sure there was no threat to him.
After preparing the place safely, she called for her master.
“Preparations are done. Please sit here!”
Erina looked around.
For a moment, he seemed to have disappeared.
In the silent forest, Erina was left alone.
No one was there to look for her.
“Master?”
There was no response to her voice.
With anxiety, she dropped the basket she was holding.
“Master, where are you…?”
Where did her master go?
No, when did he come with her in the first place?
Was he with her at all?
Her common sense was turned upside down.
Until now, Erina had always been alone.
After leaving the mansion, she wandered the world alone.
Left alone in her world, she was living in delusions.
Realizing her situation, her heart suddenly felt empty.
In a world left alone, there was no meaning at all.
She couldn’t move, trapped in the swamp of depression.
She became helpless, unable to even struggle.
“Master…”
Emptiness and despair. Regret and helplessness.
All sorts of negative emotions engulfed her.
“I’m so lonely. Master…”
Her body collapsed, and her vision went dark.
The world melted away, and her senses dulled.
And then she realized.
All of this was an unattainable dream.
***
“Ah…”
Erina woke up with a sense of discomfort.
It was still dark around her. The moon hung in the sky beyond the window.
When everyone was asleep, she woke up alone.
The room was quiet. Only the sound of her master’s and their companion’s breathing filled the air.
Her body trembled as if she had caught a cold.
Erina wrapped her throbbing head and got up.
Both her body and mind were in chaos.
Since when did she start having trouble sleeping?
She couldn’t remember exactly.
Since losing her master, the nightmares hadn’t stopped.
Although it had been repeated hundreds of times, she never got used to it.
Instead, the symptoms were getting worse.
“Master…”
With a voice full of loneliness, she searched for her master.
She looked at him, who had fallen asleep right beside her.
Erina embraced his body. She lifted her legs onto his thigh.
It was an instinctive movement, like a child seeking their parents’ embrace.
“Ah…”
At the same time, her throbbing headache and anxiety melted away.
She held onto his arms. She hugged his stomach and wrapped her legs around his.
She savored the warmth she had longed for with her entire body.
“I don’t want to let go like this…”
His deeply asleep appearance caught her eye.
He seemed to be lightly snoring, perhaps exhausted from a tough day.
Erina rested her head on his chest and felt his breath.
His chest rose and fell with each inhale and exhale.
The sound of his heartbeat echoed in her ears.
She felt the rhythmic movements beneath his chest.
“Master. I love you.”
She loved everything about her master.
His head, chest, waist, arms, legs.
Not only his body but also his heart, muscles, bones, tongue, ribs, cartilage, and everything.
His voice and body temperature. His personality and actions. Even his bodily fluids and blood.
She felt affection from every part of him.
“No one loves you as much as I do.”
She cautiously embraced his waist.
She knew that she was obsessed with her master.
But she couldn’t stop.
The moment she separated from her master, she was engulfed with the fear of losing her sanity.
“I hate it…”
Erina destroyed her world. She took the Goddess as her hostage and threatened her.
She dragged her master into this world.
And not only that, she deceived him and lied to him.
She acted as if she knew nothing and hid the truth from him.
After committing all these acts, she felt anxious every day.
‘What if he finds out someday…? What if Master learns the truth…?’
The murder she committed in the capital was a huge mistake.
She thought her master would never appear in that moment.
Not only that, she even fought with Kayla.
Eventually, Seo-Hyun began to doubt Erina.
If he found out in this situation, he would definitely not forgive her.
Not only would she be abandoned by her master, but she would also lose him forever.
‘I absolutely hate that…’
She decided to live as a liar forever if need be.
She wanted to stay by her master’s side, even if she had to live as a villain for the rest of her life.
But what if even this truth was exposed?
What would she do then?
“No…”
That couldn’t happen. He would never be able to figure it out.
The only ones who knew the truth were her and the Goddess.
How could the sealed Goddess convey the truth to him?
She believed it was impossible no matter what method was used.
“Master. Please trust me.”
Erina was lying. But she firmly believed it was all for him.
She decided to endure until the moment everything ended.
And so, another agonizing night passed today.
