𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 | 𝐓𝐨𝐣𝐢 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨

- Chapter 45 -

Helia stands in front of the mirror in her room, her eyes fixating on the red marks on her neck. Memories of the previous day's events flood her mind, and she can't help but feel a tinge of discomfort as she gently touches the sensitive skin.

The physical reminders of Naoya's unwanted advances continue to linger, a painful reminder of the incident.

She carefully slides into her maid uniform, making sure the red marks on her neck remain hidden. While the spots are partially concealed most of the time, they become visible if she moves in certain ways.

She adjusts her clothes and takes a final look in the mirror, hoping the marks are inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed as she prepares for work.

It seems that Naoya hasn't sought revenge for the incident from the previous day.

She doubts that he's not taking revenge because he's afraid of her after she kicked a sensitive part. His absence of action probably comes from a sense of shame and embarrassment.

Despite being a sorcerer who has undergone rigorous training, he was humbled by a mere maid like herself, a fact that he might find difficult to accept.

Even though the memory of his lips against her neck still repulses her, she can't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction when she reflects on her actions against Naoya.

Despite her initial fear, she had found the strength to stand up for herself and defend against his advances. The fact that Naoya had been humbled by her unexpected resistance brings a sense of triumph and contentment to her heart.

A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she realizes that he finally received a taste of his own medicine.

With her uniform properly adjusted, she steps out of her room, hopeful that the red spots on her neck are sufficiently concealed.

She walks into the corridors before stepping into a grand hall, finding herself accompanied by a dozen other maids, all tasked with the duty of cleaning the space.

[...]

Toji enters a large hall, he wears his usual detached and cold expression. He's merely passing through when he spots Helia working amongst the other maids.

His eyes briefly glance in her direction, but her focus remains on her cleaning tasks, and she doesn't notice his presence.

A wave of anger rushes through him just like every time he sees her. For some reasons that infuriate him, even if he wants to ignore her, she's always in his sight.

As he's about to continue on his path, his eyes catch a glimpse of the red spots on her neck. His gaze sharpens, and his steps halt briefly, his attention now drawn to the marks.

Despite her efforts to conceal the marks on her neck, the fact that they become visible when she moves around make it impossible to completely hide them.

He quickly walks out of the hall with a hint of anger in his demeanor. He continues on his path, but the sight of the red spots on her neck has stirred something within him, leaving him slightly worked up.

Questions flood his mind. He wonders if she has found a new lover and spent intimate moments with him. But why does he care? Why does the thought anger him?

Perhaps the sight of someone else's marks on her neck, indicating a new relationship, brings up old emotions for Toji.

Maybe he feels angered by the fact that while he was still stuck in his own heartache, she has moved on and found someone new so quickly.

Even if he's trying to convince himself that now, anything related to her is none of his business, he still wants to know why she has marks on her neck.