“Seems like you’re not convinced, Ximo.”
Xiliya’s sudden appearance startled Ximo, and the heat from earlier receded as well. Being stared at by Xiliya made her feel immense pressure; that icy, piercing gaze seemed capable of penetrating her soul.
Was this really the sickly young lady the System had mentioned? The current Xiliya didn’t seem the least bit “timid.”
Xiliya didn’t speak, merely staring quietly at Ximo. She realized she had changed. Years of hardship and exile seemed to have twisted her psyche. Watching the maid cower in fear actually brought her a sense of satisfaction.
Heh, twisted it was, then. It was still better than the pathetic weakness of her previous life, wasn’t it?
Xiliya slowly approached Ximo, like a ferocious predator closing in on a desperate prey. She cupped Ximo’s face with one hand and examined it closely.
Ximo’s body trembled instinctively. She closed her eyes in fear, dread of death overwhelming her.
Judging by Xiliya’s attitude, she had probably come to end her life. It was all that damn System’s fault for screwing up even the transmigration identity!
But soon, Ximo sensed something off because Xiliya’s hand began moving downward—from her face, along her slender neck, reaching toward more intimate areas.
Ximo’s body tensed instantly. She opened her eyes. The Xiliya before her remained coldly impassive, but her hand had already slipped inside the collar.
Ximo couldn’t help but wonder: had Xiliya taken a fancy to her body? Was this… going to be a case of violating her before killing her, or killing her before violating her?
That didn’t make sense. Wasn’t she still wearing Xiliya’s face right now? How could Xiliya have designs on her own appearance?
“So similar. Truly so similar.”
After confirming that even certain intimate sizes matched perfectly, a note of admiration entered Xiliya’s tone. As expected, sparing this little maid’s life had been the right call. With Ximo as her body double, her revenge plan would be much smoother.
“Ximo, you should know that what you did is a capital offense. I could kill you right here on the spot.”
Ximo trembled uncontrollably. Xiliya’s hand hadn’t withdrawn yet, giving her reason to suspect that “kill” carried a double meaning.
“But I can give you a chance to live,” Xiliya withdrew her hand and lifted Ximo’s chin with her index finger. “As long as you agree to one condition—pledge loyalty to me and become my slave.”
“For revenge, I need a completely obedient slave right now. You choose: your dignity, or your life.”
Xiliya had no intention of treating Ximo as a person… not that she meant it as an insult. She was no longer the timid young lady from her previous life. For someone who had tried to assassinate her, Xiliya showed no mercy. If not for her usefulness, she would have dealt with Ximo last night.
Ximo’s eyes lit up. She didn’t care about Xiliya’s conditions for the moment. She had thought she was done for, but there was a twist.
“I agree, I agree!” Her survival instinct made Ximo nod vigorously. “I’ll be super obedient.”
Xiliya sneered coldly. She had thought Ximo might have some backbone, but she agreed so quickly. Well, that worked too.
She yanked open Ximo’s clothes and said, “No need to rush with your loyalty oath. I don’t believe your words anyway. Naturally, I have ways to make you obey.”
Ximo looked down and saw a strange mark appear on her abdomen. No doubt, Xiliya had done it.
“This is a rune mark I learned by accident during my exile in my previous life. I never thought I’d actually have a use for it one day.”
“If you’re a worldly assassin, you might recognize what this is.” Xiliya’s finger lightly traced over Ximo’s abdomen. “It ensures you’ll obey nicely… or make your life hell if you don’t.”
Ximo naturally had no idea what it was, but from Xiliya’s description, she could tell it wasn’t anything good. And looking at the mark’s shape… well, she seemed to have seen something similar in certain illustration-based works…
But she had no choice right now. She could only agree, couldn’t she?
Xiliya let the clothes fall back and looked up at Ximo, only to unexpectedly see an indignant expression on her face.
Xiliya raised an eyebrow. Could this little maid actually have principles and be unwilling to sell her life for glory?
“Too bad. If you’re unwilling, then I guess this is goodbye.”
“Huh?” Ximo’s expression changed instantly. “No, no, I’m willing! I have no objections!”
Ximo’s indignation wasn’t aimed at Xiliya. Moments earlier, an icy mechanical voice had suddenly rung in her mind.
[As the young lady, you’ve just survived a perilous assassination attempt, yet no one in the mansion seems to care about your condition. Your stepmother and stepsister didn’t even visit to check on you once until the next day.]
[Only the head maid Annaer took pity on you and came specifically the next day to check on your well-being.]
[Please complete the plot task “Cared for by Head Maid Annaer (Incomplete)” to advance the story.]
Ximo was going mad. Cared for by the head maid? Where was she supposed to get that?
Not to mention, given the current developments, the assassination from last night hadn’t even happened. Who the hell was she supposed to hook up with? She wasn’t the young lady Xiliya anymore. Why would the head maid bother checking on her out of the blue?
“Sys… System! Stop giving me these tasks. I’m not Xiliya, okay?”
“Please complete the task promptly, or you’ll be punished~”
The robotic response in her mind made Ximo grind her teeth in frustration, but upon hearing Xiliya’s words, she switched expressions immediately.
Tasks could wait. Surviving came first.
Seeing Ximo’s flip-flopping face, Xiliya said nothing. She simply stood and untied the ropes binding Ximo.
“This slave seal isn’t activated yet, but we’ll handle that later in my room.”
“Go make an appearance first. You’ve been missing all night and into the morning. Before I came down, I saw the head maid looking for you everywhere and throwing a fit because she couldn’t find you.”
“Deal with that. And,” Xiliya leaned in, her face inches from Ximo’s as she stared into her eyes, “don’t think about playing any tricks or trying to escape. I have countless ways to kill you.”
Ximo’s throat bobbed as she nodded frantically. “I won’t run. Absolutely not.”
Xiliya stepped aside, signaling that Ximo could leave. Ximo let out a sigh of relief and hurried off, but she paused at the doorway.
Wait, this damn System had transmigrated her into the wrong identity, leaving her with zero memories as “Ximo.”
So, what was her role in this mansion right now? Who was she supposed to find? And… how the hell did she navigate these halls?!
