Xiliya realized that she had indeed changed a lot. The cowardly self from her previous life would absolutely never do something like this. In fact, her situation back then had been pretty much the same as Ximo’s now.
However, Xiliya felt no sympathy for Ximo because of that. She could never soften toward someone who had tried to assassinate her and was still playing little tricks right under her nose.
Being merciful to one’s enemies was being cruel to oneself. Xiliya understood that principle well, and now she intended to thoroughly humiliate Ximo.
And so, she openly stared at Ximo’s hesitant and shy movements. The last two pieces of soft fabric on the girl’s body seemed incredibly difficult to remove, and Ximo’s actions were slow.
This little maid had a pretty good figure, Xiliya thought idly.
The soft morning sunlight shone on Ximo’s body. From Xiliya’s backlit perspective, a faint halo of light spread out, accentuating the girl’s graceful figure while also casting a blurry, indistinct edge along the stockings.
Xiliya suddenly had an idea and stopped Ximo’s final movements. “That’s enough… You don’t need to take off the stockings.”
This looked pretty good too… Xiliya hadn’t expected such a thought to pop into her head. Although the beautiful girl in front of her, wearing only stockings from head to toe, was indeed a feast for the eyes, she hadn’t realized she could be such a pervert.
Hmm, it must have been her life in the previous world that had tormented and twisted her into this!
Xiliya was in a pleasant mood and was about to take things further when a rough knocking suddenly came from the door.
“Sis!”
A childish, milky voice like that of a pottery jar rang out from outside. Though it belonged to a child, it only irritated Xiliya. The only person in the entire mansion who called her “Sis” was her half-sister’s daughter, Malisi.
Malisi, Masha’s daughter. Though she was just a seven- or eight-year-old child, Xiliya had no fondness for her. Like her mother, Malisi was no easy mark.
Perhaps thanks to Masha’s “careful guidance,” Malisi had learned from a young age to bully Xiliya, who was quite a bit older than her. Every time she came looking for Xiliya, nothing good happened. Either she’d mess up Xiliya’s room under the pretext of “playing with Sis,” or she’d smear muddy handprints on Xiliya’s skirts.
And whenever something like that happened, Xiliya could only swallow her bitterness. Masha would always trot out the excuse, “She’s just a child—what are you fussing over with a kid for?” to shut her down.
Hmm, just thinking about it made her angry.
“Put your clothes on first.”
Xiliya glanced at Ximo, whose face was red all the way to her ears. Having her fun interrupted put her in a foul mood.
Ximo hurriedly put her maid outfit back on. Just as she struggled with how to get the messy clothes on properly, the System’s mission announcement suddenly rang in her mind.
【Sudden event detected. Issuing special mission to user.】
A special mission? Ximo was stunned. This System had quite a few functions, but what the heck was a special mission?
“It’s different from those mandatory plot missions. Special missions are only issued when certain sudden events occur.”
“For example, right now. I’ll judge the most fitting action for the ‘Sickly Young Lady’ identity based on the current situation and issue the mission.”
Ximo nodded, getting it. So this crap mission was just teaching her how to be a proper punching bag in daily life, huh? But she already felt humiliated enough!
She glanced at her disheveled maid outfit and sped up her dressing.
【As the Sickly Young Lady, it seems everyone in Camberlan Mansion can step on you—including your half-sister’s daughter, Malisi.】
【Malisi will use the excuse of coming to play with you to make a mess in your room and accidentally break a decorative item inside. Afterward, thanks to Masha’s protection, Malisi faces no punishment.】
【Please follow the plot and complete the mission “Decorative Item Broken and Swallowed the Grudge (Incomplete).” No penalty for failure.】
Ximo sighed inwardly. As expected, this was a punching bag mission. And this damn System was still treating her as Xiliya.
But this mission didn’t seem as hard as the previous ones?
Seeing that Ximo had finished dressing, Xiliya turned to open the door. Ximo took the chance to glance at the dark solid wood cabinet in the room—where all the vases and decorative items were placed.
If breaking just one decorative item would complete the mission, then it seemed pretty easy.
Ximo felt a bit tempted. Not for any System reward, but to test a hunch.
The last mission she’d accidentally completed had made her realize something: This damn System seemed to judge success based only on the result, not the process. In other words, even if it wasn’t Malisi who broke the item but her, the mission might still count as done.
This concerned Ximo’s life. If that was true, then for future missions, she could consider some clever shortcuts.
Otherwise, she couldn’t exactly tell Xiliya during a plot mission, “Hey, you play the Young Lady, but I can too—come down and let me have a turn,” right?
Xiliya would kill her for sure.
She sneaked a glance at Xiliya, who was opening the door, and Ximo began to move stealthily, pondering how to do it in a way that seemed plausible.
Anyway, it was just breaking one decorative item—Xiliya probably wouldn’t hold it against her over something so minor, right?
On the other side, Xiliya only cracked the door open a sliver and stared coldly at the child standing outside her room.
“Sis, read me a storybook!”
Malisi was chubby-cheeked, with purple hair and purple eyes just like her mother, and her features bore a striking resemblance.
Malisi shook the picture book in her hand and, without waiting for Xiliya’s response, tried to squeeze sideways into the room. This should have been a heartwarming scene of sisterly bonding, but Malisi’s tone hadn’t sounded like a request for her sister to play—it was more like an order.
Xiliya shifted her body to the left, blocking Malisi’s path inside.
“I don’t have time. Find someone else to read to you.”
“I don’t want that! I want Sis to read it to me!”
Malisi swung the picture book in her hand. Xiliya sneered inwardly—anyone who didn’t know better might think this sister was super clingy.
The moment she saw the picture book in Malisi’s hand, she remembered: In her previous life, something like this had happened too.
Malisi had come asking her to read a story, and she hadn’t dared refuse. Though Xiliya really hadn’t wanted Malisi in her room. Who knew how Masha had raised this little brat—a seven- or eight-year-old girl who was as hyperactive as a monkey every day.
Malisi had really just wanted to wreck her room. After listening to just a few lines, she’d started bouncing around and accidentally broken a decorative item on her cabinet.
No—maybe not accidentally. Malisi had broken the ceramic doll she’d deliberately placed at the very back of the cabinet. No way that was unintentional.
Moreover, that ceramic doll had been a gift from her mother when she was still alive.
With that thought, Xiliya’s expression grew even colder. She blocked the door completely, sealing off Malisi’s attempts to worm her way inside.
“Scram.”
