Chapter 13: Secret Plot
Losiya stood beside Julian, her gaze at him like she was admiring some unparalleled work of art. In Julian's reflection in the mirror, his originally straight silver hair was now parted at the back, tied into two long ponytails that reached his waist, subtly covering the area around his maid skirt's backside. The double-layered black-and-white lace-trimmed hem of the long skirt delicately outlined his graceful calves, wrapped tightly in nearly translucent white stockings that shimmered like cicada wings.
Fortunately, due to the conservative design of the maid outfit, Julian's upper thighs were well protected—otherwise, Losiya might have been less pleased.
Moreover… Losiya quietly reached out her hand and, with a simple motion, touched the black waistband fastened around Julian's thigh.
Under her combination of gentleness and subtle coercion, Julian had ultimately agreed to wear the underwear. The sensation of the tight, smooth fabric against his skin—especially in such close contact—made it genuinely difficult for him to adjust in the moment.
*(Harmony…..........................)*
This little joy that belonged only to her even gave Losiya a strange sense of satisfaction, like merging public and private affairs into one.
"It's getting late, let's go out and have breakfast," Losiya said as she took Julian's hand and pushed open the door.
"Yes, my lady." Having never been trained in proper maid etiquette, Julian could only respond clumsily.
As they stepped out, they ran into Alice, who had just gotten out of bed.
"Young miss, about Lady Catherine last night…" Her voice abruptly stopped.
Alice's eyes flicked nervously between Losiya and Julian. Seeing them together, her expression twitched anxiously, and for a moment, she forgot to even greet Losiya properly.
"Good morning, Sister Alice," Julian said softly.
"G-Good morning…" Alice said, still unsettled, casting another glance at Losiya.
Losiya furrowed her brows slightly, then smiled at Julian and said, "Since you're going to be my personal maid, remember that Alice is your superior. Make sure to address her as 'Lady Alice', understood?"
Though it sounded like a playful tease, in Alice's ears it startled her deeply. She couldn't help but interject, "You may call me Alice or Head Maid. We're all personal attendants here—there's no need for excessive formalities."
"Alright then," Losiya replied.
She then stepped forward and gently adjusted Alice's slightly askew collar, saying with concern, "Didn't sleep well last night, huh? Come have breakfast with us. You can nap after eating."
"Thank you for your concern, my lady," Alice replied.
The two of them followed one step behind Losiya on either side. Alice occasionally glanced at Julian, observing his steady steps and ever-gentle expression. Seeing no unusual signs, she finally felt relieved.
Upon arriving at the dining table in the living room, the maids had already prepared Losiya's breakfast.
Julian glanced at the food and couldn't help but shake his head. As expected, the cuisine from this foreign land was too unfamiliar—hard to make sense of at first sight.
"You may all leave now," Alice said to the row of young maids standing nearby once Losiya had taken her seat.
After sitting down, Losiya took a sip of milk. Seeing both Alice and Julian still standing nearby in a servant's posture, she sighed and said, "I told them to leave so you two could sit and eat with me. You're both so silly."
Only then did Alice sit down with a faint, honored smile. Julian thought for a moment and also sat beside Losiya.
As a servant, no matter how kind the master, or how close the relationship, one must not forget their place. Acting beyond your role without permission, even if tolerated today, might bring ruin once the favor fades.
That's what it means to be a loyal servant.
"Julian, open your mouth."
"A…"
Losiya fed a bite of omelet into Julian's mouth, and in that moment, the distance between them naturally narrowed—their chairs nearly touching.
Alice quietly ate with her knife and fork, watching the interaction from the side. It seemed that her decision last night to help remove the barrier between the two had been effective.
Losiya took a bite of her buttered bread, but halfway through felt full and set it down, her gaze drifting toward Julian.
There's truth in the saying *"beauty can satisfy hunger."* Watching Julian nibble his breakfast with that soft, delicate mouth—smiling at delicious bites or frowning at odd flavors—every little expression he made seemed to exude charm.
She reached out to wipe the crumbs from the corner of Julian's lips. With his mouth still full, Julian could only give her a grateful look.
If Julian were merely a beautiful girl, Losiya might only appreciate him from an aesthetic standpoint. But knowing he was undeniably a boy…
Losiya's eyes narrowed slightly as she downed the rest of her milk in one go.
If they couldn't resolve Julian's Holy Mark issue, he might be taken away at any moment.
There was one method left—to prevent the Holy Mark from ever awakening. That way, there would be no risk.
The thought flashed through her mind but was quickly rejected.
Such selfish thinking made her feel deeply ashamed of herself.
"Later, come with me for a walk around the territory," Losiya said.
Alice was about to agree but stopped herself—realizing Losiya wasn't speaking to her.
"Alright…" Julian nodded.
After breakfast, Julian volunteered to clean up. Losiya didn't object. She gave Alice a knowing glance, and after exchanging a silent look, the two left together.
"Do you know what kind of Holy Mark Julian has?" Alice asked.
"No, only that it's a superior-grade one," Losiya replied calmly.
"..."
There was a moment of silence. Alice stood still, her invisible field of influence quietly radiating across the entire estate. After a moment, she nodded in reassurance.
"You're too careless. This kind of thing shouldn't be spoken of lightly," Alice scolded gently.
"With your Holy Mark here, is there any place in the empire safer than my estate?" Losiya said indifferently.
Alice thought for a long moment, then softly replied, "It seems we'll still need Miss Catherine's help…"
"Indeed. So when I take Julian out this afternoon, make sure you've finished preparing the materials for the Holy Mark awakening ritual before nightfall. If I remember correctly, we still have a number of extraordinary ingredients in the territory. And speak with Aunt Catherine clearly—we'll need her help."
"So urgent? But Lady Catherine…"
"I'm really worried about her current mental state. Honestly, I think this might be good for her."
Despite being a high-ranking extraordinary being, Catherine had become more of a burden over time. Catherine herself knew this well. Even though Losiya never blamed her and tried everything to heal her, it hadn't changed Catherine's growing despair.
To say this may seem disrespectful coming from someone younger, but Losiya had always sensed that Catherine had a soft personality and a tendency to seek approval. After her latest failure last night, those self-destructive impulses would likely only worsen.