Free Web NovelChapter 3: Chapter 3: The Frightened Maid
Chapter 3: The Frightened Maid
The maid stood frozen near the doorway.
Broken shards of glass lay scattered across the floor, reflecting the dim light of the room. Water slowly spread across the carpet beneath the shattered tray.
Andras watched her silently.
The girl’s face had gone pale.
Fear.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Every emotion was written clearly across her expression.
At first, he found her reaction strange.
Then memories from the original owner of this body surfaced.
Fragments.
Blurred scenes.
Voices.
Pain.
Andras leaned back slightly as the memories arranged themselves inside his mind.
Two days ago, the original Andras had fought with his older sister.
The reason was simple.
He had crossed the line again.
The previous owner of this body was arrogant, violent, and impulsive. He abused servants, caused trouble wherever he went, and relied far too heavily on the Darkmoor family name.
This time, however, his actions had angered his sister enough that she decided to discipline him personally.
At the beginning, the fight had been relatively even.
But only at the beginning.
His sister possessed far greater talent than him.
Greater control.
Greater power.
And once her anger took over, the fight stopped being a lesson and became a beating.
The original Andras had been crushed without mercy.
Bones fractured.
Mana circuits damaged.
He was beaten unconscious and left bedridden for three days.
During that time, their mother healed his injuries with potions and magic, but he never woke up.
Not until Alex’s soul entered this body.
So from the maid’s perspective...
Her young master, who had been unconscious for three days, was suddenly sitting calmly in the darkness as though nothing had happened.
No wonder she looked terrified.
The room remained awkwardly silent.
Andras studied her carefully.
Then he searched through the original owner’s memories again.
Her name was Lyra.
eighteen years old.
An orphan rescued years ago by Andras’s father during an inspection of the duchy’s outer territories. Since then, she had served within the Darkmoor estate.
The memories involving her were unpleasant.
The original Andras used to hit her over trivial mistakes.
Sometimes out of anger.
Sometimes simply because he was bored.
Pathetic behavior.
A faint frown appeared on Andras’s face.
Then he looked at her properly for the first time.
She was beautiful.
Not in an exaggerated or artificial way.
Her long blue hair flowed neatly over her shoulders, contrasting sharply against her dark eyes. Her features were soft and refined, enough to make her stand out even among noblewomen.
Even by the standards of his previous world, she would have been considered exceptionally attractive.
Far beyond the celebrities he remembered.
He had often read novels claiming that people in fantasy worlds were naturally more beautiful than those on Earth.
Back then, he had dismissed it as exaggeration.
Now, however, he finally understood.
The truth was standing right in front of him.
Even a maid in this world possessed a beauty that would attract attention anywhere.
Yet despite her appearance, her posture remained cautious and restrained.
Like someone who had long since grown accustomed to punishment.
After several moments of silence, Andras finally spoke.
"Lyra."
His calm voice only made her flinch harder.
"Y-Yes... Young Master."
"Why did you enter my room without knocking?"
A slight frown appeared on his face.
The question made little sense, even to him.
Logically, there had been no reason for her to knock. He was supposed to still be unconscious.
But he asked anyway.
Perhaps out of habit.
Or perhaps simply to observe her reaction.
Lyra lowered her head immediately.
"I believed Young Master was still unconscious, so I did not wish to disturb you..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"That is why I entered without permission. Please forgive me."
Andras watched her quietly.
No lies.
No hidden intentions.
Just fear.
Then his gaze shifted toward the shattered tray.
"And the tray?"
Lyra’s body stiffened.
"I was shocked after seeing Young Master awake..."
Her voice grew even softer.
"I lost my grip by mistake. I apologize for my carelessness."
Her eyes were already beginning to redden.
She genuinely looked afraid of being punished.
Andras found that interesting.
Not because he enjoyed fear.
But because fear revealed patterns in people.
The original Andras must have treated her even worse than the memories suggested.
After a moment, he gave a small nod.
"I see."
Then his thoughts shifted elsewhere.
A perfect opportunity had just appeared before him.
Experimentation.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
System.
"Show me her status."
The familiar blue screen appeared instantly before his eyes.
[Name — Lyra]
[Race — Human]
[Age — 18]
[Class — Warrior]
[Talent — False Ceiling Break (C-Rank)]
[Realm — Peak 1st Circle Warrior]
Andras studied the information carefully.
A C-Rank talent.
Ordinary.
At least at first glance.
Most talented individuals in this world possessed B-Rank talents or higher. C-Rank talents were generally considered mediocre.
Not something worth much attention.
Yet the Devouring System existed for a reason.
Andras narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Show details of False Ceiling Break."
The system responded immediately.
[Ding!]
[Talent — False Ceiling Break]
[Rank — C]
[Effect — Temporarily triples all base abilities and combat power.]
[Duration — 10 Minutes]
[Cooldown — 48 Hours]
The moment he finished reading, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
This talent was completely wasted on Lyra.
A First Circle Warrior simply lacked the foundation to use it properly.
Even if her strength tripled, the result would remain limited.
But for someone stronger—
For someone like him—
The value changed entirely.
He already possessed two talents.
One A-Rank.
One SS-Rank.
And he was already a Third Circle Mage.
If his own abilities were amplified further...
The result could become terrifying.
His smile deepened slightly before disappearing.
Careful.
Greed made people careless.
Slowly, he closed the system window and lifted his gaze toward Lyra once more.
She still stood near the doorway, nervous and motionless.
"Come here."
His voice turned colder this time.
Lyra visibly flinched.
For a brief moment, fear crossed her face so clearly that even Andras noticed it.
Still, she obeyed immediately.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Her cautious footsteps echoed softly through the room until she stopped beside the bed.
Her hands trembled slightly at her sides.
Andras looked up at her in silence.
The room grew quiet once more.
Only the wind outside brushed softly against the windows of the Darkmoor estate.
And within that silence—
A dangerous thought slowly began to take shape inside Andras’s mind.
