NOVPUB8:10 PM.
I held a tray in one hand and pushed open the door to the young mistress’s boudoir with the other.
The young mistress was watching a video on her phone. On the round table beside her were several books.
All of them were about the psychology of acrotomophilia.
I knocked lightly on the door, then walked to the table and gently reminded her, “Young Mistress, I’ve brought you some tea.”
The young mistress nodded but kept her eyes fixed on the phone. The video she was watching was also about analyzing the psychology of acrotomophilia.
Hehehe... She was diligently studying.
That’s right. You have to understand the other person better than they understand themselves, to truly grasp the initiative.
“Mm, just leave it on the table. I’ll drink it later.”
I bowed slightly, placed the tray on the table, and returned to my position behind the young mistress, ready to serve her at any moment until she fell asleep.
Twenty-three minutes later, after finishing the video, the young mistress massaged her temples and took a sip of the tea. Then, she spoke to me.
“Shirley, tonight, I want you to investigate Poker Face.”
I tilted my head slightly and smiled.
“You mean... Snowy Jiang?”
The young mistress always gave everyone a nickname. “Poker Face” referred to the girl who sat in front of Ethan An — Snowy Jiang.
But why would the young mistress suddenly want me to investigate her?
“Yes. I want to know her secrets...”
“If it’s secrets, haven’t you already figured out her ‘peculiarity’? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading these books and watching these videos on acrotomophilia.”
Snowy Jiang was an acrotomophile — someone who was sexually attracted to disabled individuals.
Such an interest was quite common in my line of work, but among ordinary humans, it was exceptionally rare.
After all, most people, when encountering a disabled person, feel superiority, pity, or sympathy. Very few would feel envy, admiration, or attraction.
Human society is a ‘majority society,’ so people like Snowy Jiang, who belong to the ‘minority,’ are ostracized, forever out of place.
And unlike the young mistress, who knows how to disguise her true nature, Snowy Jiang doesn’t.
That’s why she ended up all alone.
“She’s an acrotomophile, that’s been confirmed. But... there must be something more.”
Something more?
So, the young mistress had noticed it too.
Snowy Jiang wasn’t just a simple acrotomophile. If that were the case, it would still be manageable. But she was...
“Anyway, I’ll leave the investigation to you, Shirley.”
The young mistress’s intuition was always spot-on. They say a woman’s sixth sense is sharp, but hers was even sharper.
Her naturally keen sense of smell, when applied to her instincts, had practically become a form of ‘foresight.’
“Hehehe... Her body reeks of blood. If she were just an ordinary human, would the scent of blood be so strong?”
I echoed the young mistress’s suspicions aloud without revealing any expression.
“You suspect that Snowy Jiang is the dismemberment killer that’s been making waves lately?”
“I can’t be certain yet. But... there’s a strong possibility it’s her.”
So, the young mistress had connected Snowy Jiang to the dismemberment killer.
And Snowy Jiang had shown significant ‘interest’ in Ethan An.
That’s why the young mistress had started paying attention to her, fearing she might make a move against Ethan.
“She can do whatever she wants to anyone else. But if she lays a hand on my dear Ethan...”
The young mistress’s expression darkened, and her grip on the teacup tightened. As I expected, two seconds later, the handle of the cup shattered.
I extended my right hand, catching the base of the teacup, then carefully caught each droplet of spilled tea, returning them to the cup.
The shards of the handle that had scattered across the table were deflected by the tray and fell neatly onto it.
Later, I would have Lynn Bai, the maid, take care of them.
For now, I needed to change the young mistress’s teacup. Fortunately, I had brought a spare, hehehe.
I took a pristine teacup from my apron, poured a fresh cup of tea, and placed it before the young mistress.
“Young Mistress, have some tea to calm your nerves.”
“Thank you, Shirley.”
“You don’t need to thank a servant, Young Mistress.”
“Hehehe... Indeed. Because words of thanks alone could never express the depth of my gratitude for you, Shirley.”
I smiled gently and said nothing more.
The young mistress seemed to treat me as a confidante or even a family member, not just a servant.
Oh dear... if she starts to develop familial affection for me, it will become quite troublesome. If she merely saw me as a tool or a maid, I could leave without hesitation. But if she keeps pouring her feelings onto me...
I might become too attached to leave her.
“Shirley, what do you think?”
“Hm? Are you asking for my opinion?”
I had been slightly distracted, but when I heard the young mistress’s question, I quickly snapped back to attention.
“Yes. Tell me what you think. You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?”
“Well... I don’t think Snowy Jiang wants to kill Ethan An. She just wants... to take some parts of his body.”
Not to take his life — just some body parts.
The young mistress instantly understood what I meant. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, then asked,
“So, you’re saying she just wants to make Ethan disabled?”
“Yes. I believe that is her sole objective.”
That girl — I hadn’t interacted with her too many times, but I knew she wasn’t the type to kill for pleasure.
Despite the scent of blood clinging to her, there wasn’t a trace of killing intent.
She’s a gentle child.
But from the young mistress’s perspective, that might not matter at all.
“Hehehe... So ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) she wants to take Ethan’s body parts, hm? Hehehe~ But I went so far as to restrain myself from using weapons just to keep Ethan’s body intact. And she... just dares to decide to take my Ethan away?”
A gray mist enveloped the young mistress — the emotion of jealousy.
The last time I brought back a photo of Ethan An with his sister, the young mistress also displayed a hint of jealousy.
But this time, it was far more intense, coursing through her entire body.
“So, she wants to turn Ethan into a disabled person? Then maybe I should turn her into a disabled person first... make sure she can never make a move again. Hehehe... Ethan belongs to me. Every inch of his body belongs to me...”
Purple possessiveness laced with pink infatuation.
Absolutely beautiful.
It wasn’t pure possessiveness. It was mixed with raw, twisted affection. That was the young mistress’s love.
“So, Shirley, I need you to find out where she lives and what she’s hiding.”
“No problem. I will begin the mission immediately.”
The young mistress nodded. I bowed slightly, picked up the tray, and left the room.
Lynn Bai, the maid, was waiting outside. I had instructed her to stand by before entering.
“Clean up these shards. I need to head out.”
“Huh? You’re going out this late?”
“Yes. The young mistress has given me a mission.”
“Ohhh~ You’ve been going out on missions a lot lately. Must be nice~ I wanna go out and play too~”
“Going on missions is not playing, Lynn Bai. Or do you want to spend another night in the basement?”
“I-I’m so sorry! I’ll clean it up right away!”
Upon hearing the word ‘basement,’ Lynn Bai bolted away like a frightened rabbit.
Oh dear...
She really is as simple and naive as her name suggests. Always thinking about playing despite being a maid — that’s unacceptable.
If I want to train her to be a reliable maid, it will take some more time and discipline.
I stepped out of the mansion and changed my maid uniform into the outfit I’d worn last time, pulling my hair back into a tight ponytail.
Ethan An had said this outfit looked pretty on me.
But Ethan should prefer the maid uniform more, right? Maybe the skirt is still too long. Should I shorten it a bit more? Hehehe... Being watched is such a delightful feeling.
Now then, let the mission begin.
Under the cover of darkness, I released my ‘eyes’.
Although ordinary people couldn’t see them, there were many ‘non-human’ entities in this city that could feel them.
But even with my ‘eyes’, finding Snowy Jiang’s exact location wouldn’t be easy. Her residence isn’t simple.
What should I do now?
Hmm...
I suppose I should look for the people she might come into contact with tonight.
Let’s see... Where could they be... Ah, there they are.
Didn’t expect to find them so easily. Hehehe.
After locating the target, I immediately transferred my vision to the location of the eye that was watching the target.
This eye was observing a man whose entire body exuded killing intent, drenched in a crimson aura.
This man would lead me to Snowy Jiang.
The man seemed prepared, moving with a clear purpose. After walking a short distance, he turned into an alley and vanished.
I see. So, it’s the ‘underworld,’ is it?
No wonder I couldn’t locate Snowy Jiang directly.
Now that I know which ‘underworld’ she’s in, it’ll be much easier. I just have to follow him in.
Upon entering, I found myself in a street that looked just like an ordinary shopping district. It was eerily quiet — despite it being only 9:10 PM, not a single light was on.
A street shrouded in darkness...
No wonder the street sign had the word “BLACK” written in English. Looks like that’s the name of the street — Black Street.
What an interesting place, hehehe~
After wandering around the street for a while, I released my ‘eyes’ again to search for Snowy Jiang’s location.
This time, the eyes successfully located her, and I immediately transferred to that spot.
Sounds echoed from inside a building, shattering the silence.
Clashing blades. The battle between the man and Snowy Jiang had already begun.
I transferred to the rooftop, using three of my eyes to observe the battle from different angles.
Snowy Jiang was clearly at a disadvantage.
The man’s speed and strength far surpassed that of the girl. Although her reflexes and technique were enough to fend off the attacks, her clothing was gradually being torn apart.
It looked like the man was toying with her.
Oh dear, should I step in and help?
But if I do that, the chain of causality will get disrupted.
Hmm... For now, I’ll just watch. It shouldn’t be a problem.
The young mistress only instructed me to investigate Snowy Jiang’s residence and her secrets. She didn’t tell me to rescue her.
Besides, she doesn’t need my help, hehehe...
“Hahahahahaha! One more slash and your skirt will come off! Let uncle see what kind of panties you’re wearing! Hehehehe...”
The man laughed arrogantly, clearly proud of his handiwork.
Snowy Jiang’s body was already covered in numerous shallow cuts. The wounds weren’t deep, but the damage was accumulating.
This could end badly if it continues...
“So noisy.”
Her expression remained blank.
“What... did you say?”
The man narrowed his eyes, disbelief written all over his face.
“I said, shut up.”
Her inner world was completely calm.
As serene as the surface of a still lake.
Oh dear... this child... From a certain perspective, she’s quite similar to the young mistress.
But softer... The difference between ice and snow, perhaps? Both are equally cold, but the texture is completely different.
“Hahahahahahaha! Fine! Let me see it then! Let me see how you’re going to shut me up! Yahh!”
Enraged, the man swung his blade and charged at her.
And then...
He lost an arm.
“...Huh?”
In the blink of an eye, Snowy Jiang executed a water-splitting slash, severing the man’s arm in one swift motion.
The man didn’t even realize he’d lost an arm until blood began to spurt out.
“Ghh... Guhhhhh...! Aaahhhhhhh! What... what the hell is going on?!”
Snowy Jiang’s hair had turned stark white, and her eyes were now a blood-red hue.
The man collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding arm. His arrogance was completely gone, replaced by raw fear.
“Y-You... What the hell are you?! You’re not like us at all! You... You’re... a real ‘ghoul’!”
“Mm.”
She didn’t deny it. Instead, she calmly revealed the reason for her transformation.
“This is... Ghoulification.”
“I see... I see! You didn’t just get possessed by a ghoul... You’ve become one yourself!”
So, she borrowed the power of a ghoul, did she?
“But... how is that possible?! You’re still maintaining your sanity! Th-That’s impossible! How are you suppressing the killing intent?! How?!”
Snowy Jiang tilted her head, clearly not understanding what the man was babbling about.
“I don’t know.”
“M-Monster...!”
Oh dear, how rude to call her a monster. Such a tasteless man.
No wonder his eye got gouged out, hehehe...
This child... She’s so pure and untainted.
Snow-white.
Blood-red.
Pure, vivid colors.
No impurities. Clearly defined. Single-minded and unwavering.
I see... Looks like the young mistress has found herself a formidable opponent this time.
Well, mission accomplished.
I’ve uncovered Snowy Jiang’s secret, found her residence, and even got to watch quite a show.
Time to head back and report to the young mistress.
As for what happens tomorrow (after midnight)...
Since Little Ethan will be there, I won’t bother peeking in on them.
Hehehe~ Well, tonight was certainly entertaining.
I got to witness something so fascinating.
How delightful.
And you, the one watching me from the other side — did you enjoy it too?
Hehehehe...
Next time, when it’s my turn, let’s meet again~
