At the entrance of the villa, servants stood in neat rows, bowing respectfully as if welcoming an important guest. Several n in suits stood at the front, their expressions serious—nervous, yet faintly excited.
The conflicting emotions made them seem uneasy, but overall, anticipation outweighed their anxiety.
When a luxury car finally appeared in the distance, everyone straightened instinctively.
He's here!
The car ca to a stop at the entrance. The driver and bodyguards stepped out first, opening the doors. Then a young man erged.
Blond hair, sunglasses, and expensive custom-made clothes—everything about him radiated wealth and arrogance.
The mont he appeared, the welcoming crowd imdiately broke into flattering smiles.
"Young Master Boeyman, welco to the Koufukuji Family—"
Yes, this was the Koufukuji Family's villa.
The Koufukuji Family was not particularly powerful. They lacked strong influence, vast wealth, or a long-standing legacy.
In a place like Tokyo, they were barely noticeable—much like the Miyajima Family. Compared to truly prestigious families, these so-called nobles were no different from ordinary people.
That was why, like Miyajima Sōsuke, they sought to attach themselves to Boeyman's influence.
To their surprise, Young Master Boeyman had shown interest in them and even accepted their invitation. Judging from the situation, they might finally have a chance to rise in status.
"Is that Boeyman?" A high school boy standing among the crowd stared at the blond man. Surrounded by his father and others, Koufukuji Takaya—the young master of the family—had been made to stand here to welco him.
"I've heard about him. He doesn't have a good reputation," Takaya muttered. The mont he saw the man, a chill ran down his spine. There was sothing dangerous about him—sothing unsettling.
"But the Boeyman family holds great power," the girl beside him said indifferently.
She was strikingly beautiful, with silver hair tied into a ponytail using a red ribbon. She wore a maid headband and a white maid uniform, her delicate face complented by clear, sapphire-like eyes.
Only her gaze carried a faint hint of hostility.
She was Koufukuji Takaya's maid—and also his childhood friend, a playmate he grew up with.
Shijou Anri had just finished speaking when she suddenly froze.
The blond Boeyman, surrounded by the crowd, was walking in their direction.
No… not toward Takaya.
Toward her.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Is he… looking at ?
The crowd instinctively parted, forming a path. Takaya stood frozen, completely confused, and the others were no different.
Only Shijou Anri seed to understand sothing.
The way that man looked at her… it was aggressive.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"I took a quick look just now," the blond man said lazily. "Those maids earlier were nothing special, Mr. Koufukuji. Next ti, don't send out such unimpressive servants to greet guests. It's embarrassing."
He paused for a mont.
"However, the reason I ca today is because there's soone else here who interests ," he said, openly staring at the delicate and beautiful Miss Maid, his eyes gleaming. "It's not because of your Koufukuji Family, so don't get it wrong."
The silver-haired Miss Maid's expression turned extrely grim.
"Young Master Boeyman," Koufukuji Takaya said as his father approached with a fawning tone, "are you referring to Shijou Anri? She is a Miss Maid raised by the Koufukuji Family since childhood, and also Takaya's playmate."
He introduced her.
"And she's a high school student," Boeyman smiled even more brightly. "Not bad, having such a beautiful Miss Maid, you're quite blessed. But I'm also very interested in her. Would you mind letting have this Miss Maid, Young Master Takaya?"
His words were polite, but the blond man's eyes were already compelling with a sharp gaze.
"What did you say?! Let her go with you?!"
These words stunned Koufukuji Takaya. His eyes widened in disbelief as he repeated them.
"Yes, this woman suits my taste quite well," he said. Although she couldn't compare to the perfect Rurikawa Tsubaki, both her appearance and personality were outstanding. "I've taken a liking to her."
"I already said it before—the reason I'm wasting my precious ti to co here is for this woman," Boeyman added, casually glancing at the flushed Koufukuji Takaya and the silent, head-bowed Shijou Anri.
"Speaking of which, sothing rather interesting happened. That man from the Miyajima Family—what was his na again? Oh, Miyajima Sōsuke. That guy, just like you, also wanted to build a connection with . He even went so far as to offer up his own wife."
"Look at him—he's much more sensible than you. Mr. Koufukuji, show your sincerity. She's just a Miss Maid. Are you really going to anger over a servant? Or are you planning to offer your own wife instead?"
Silence fell over the room.
The head of the Koufukuji Family made his decision without hesitation. He clearly understood the weight between a Miss Maid and the family's future.
"I understand, Young Master Boeyman. It is Anri's good fortune to be favored by you. Of course, I will not refuse."
"Father!!!"
His childhood friend, his Miss Maid—and also the girl he liked—was about to be handed over by his own father. Koufukuji Takaya couldn't accept it. His mind buzzed as he shouted, "How can you do this?!"
"Anri, she clearly—"
"Shut up!" The man cut him off, glaring coldly. "Don't forget—you are the heir of the Koufukuji Family! I'm doing this not only for the family, but also for your future—"
"This…"
Koufukuji Takaya clenched his fists. Even so, he still couldn't accept giving the girl he liked to soone else, to be toyed with.
"Besides, you and Anri aren't even dating, nor are you lovers. What is there to be concerned about?"
Koufukuji Takaya froze. He wanted to say that he liked her, but facing his father's stern expression, Boeyman's mocking gaze, and the expectant eyes around him—under such pressure—he ultimately didn't dare to speak.
He lowered his head.
He said nothing more, as if he had already accepted his fate.
Shijou Anri stood to the side, her fists tightly clenched. She never expected to suddenly beco a sacrifice. Of course, she was unwilling! Moreover, she already had soone she liked—
But when she saw the cowardly, fearful, submissive figure of the boy she liked, Koufukuji Takaya, standing there with his head lowered, her face turned pale. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
A chilling fear enveloped her. The suffocating malice in the air pressed down on her. And yet, the only person who could have stood up for her—Koufukuji Takaya—had already bowed his head.
At that mont, Shijou Anri felt an even deeper, more terrifying cold.
To surrender so easily… the silver-haired Miss Maid's heart turned ice-cold.
"Very good. I've seen your sincerity. If the Koufukuji Family needs anything, feel free to ask. I've always been generous," the blond Boeyman said, licking his lips as he stared at Shijou Anri. "But before that, I have sothing else to take care of."
"Prepare a room for . I want to personally check the quality of this Miss Maid first. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Koufukuji Takaya swayed. Countless flas of anger surged within him, but each ti he t the blond man's mocking gaze—and his father's cold expression—his courage vanished.
"Of course, no problem."
Boeyman's arrogance was blatant, but Shijou Anri was, after all, just a Miss Maid. They wouldn't turn against him over soone like her.
"We'll prepare a room imdiately."
"Anri, take good care of Young Master Boeyman later. This is your opportunity…"
The silver-haired girl's face drained of all color. She glanced at Koufukuji Takaya, who remained silent, standing there blankly as she was led away.
Disappointnt filled her purple eyes.
The thought of being humiliated by this man—while the person she liked said nothing and simply watched—left her heart cold and filled with despair.
"Young Master! Young Master Boeyman!"
At that mont, one of his bodyguards rushed over. Boeyman, who had just brought Shijou Anri upstairs and was about to enjoy his prize, imdiately grew furious. He turned, his gaze icy.
"You've interrupted . If this isn't important, you should know the consequences."
"Young Master Boeyman, the people we sent to track Miss Rurikawa… have disappeared…"
"What?!"
"Not only them—even Miss Rurikawa herself is gone. She vanished without a trace."
"…"
The blond man's expression darkened. Although this silver-haired Miss Maid had caught his interest, the one he truly cared about was Rurikawa Tsubaki—that perfect girl.
And now she was gone?
"Impossible! She's lost everything. How could a destitute girl escape my control?!"
Soone must be helping her!
Frustration surged through him, and he imdiately lost all interest in staying. His most important target had slipped away, filling him with unease. The man who had been calm and arrogant since stepping out of the car finally showed signs of panic.
"We're going back now—find her imdiately!!"
"Um, Young Master Boeyman… what about us…?"
The Koufukuji Family mbers were left stunned. What about them?
The blond man paused without turning back. "Co to tomorrow night's banquet. And don't forget to bring Miss Shijou Anri."
"Of course. We will bring Anri."
Koufukuji Takaya's father added coldly, "Anri, stay in your room and rest. If you need anything, tell us. But forget about unrealistic thoughts. Don't cause trouble for us—or for Takaya."
"…"
Hearing those words, heavy with implication, the girl could only taste bitterness.
*****
30 advanced chapters are currently available on Patreon.
You can join at spatreon/cw/Kushitsu
✨Advanced chapters and NSFW pictures are available on Patreon✨
User Comments
0 comments from readers