Anastasia seethed in the silence of the room, her anger simmering like a pot about to boil over. She was still pissed, but Julius's expectations loomed over her. To keep him happy, she'd humiliate herself and apologize. It galled her—swallowing her pride for that blue-haired bitch. She wasn't really sorry; Rem had pissed her off with her resistance and disobedience. The only silver lining was that Rem had kept the necklace, but Anastasia hated how it had played out. Rem should have been in seventh heaven from the beginning, fawning over the gift. Now, it pissed her off that Rem got to keep it without being grateful to her. At least she was grateful to Julius for defending her—that was something.
She decided she'd spy on Rem and Julius first, then say sorry. It would give her time to cool off and plot her next move.
Anastasia spent the next hour buried in paperwork for Subaru's festival. Lists of vendors, decorations, fireworks—everything needed money. But she knew it was the price she had to pay. All these costs were a representation of the cause she needed to cover to have Julius pound that blue-haired slut. It was a lot of money, but it was the price of the child Rem would give birth to. She needed to focus on that: the price of Julius's child. It was worth it. Everything she had could be given away as long as Rem became Julius's obedient slut, loving him no matter what.
When she finally left the room, the maids avoided her like fire, scurrying away with bowed heads. It brought a twisted happiness to Anastasia. Even if she was weak, they respected—or feared—the hand that fed them. It put them in their place, once in a while.
She slipped into her secret room, a hidden chamber with peepholes and listening devices overlooking the office where Julius and Rem often worked. They hadn't arrived yet, so she relaxed, settling into a chair to listen for their conversation.
Rem was the first to enter. Anastasia watched with a mix of satisfaction and irritation as Rem removed her tights, rolling them into a neat ball and placing them on the desk. Then she went to the mirror, fixing her outfit and hair, smoothing everything just so. Anastasia felt a pleased thrill—Rem was prepping herself to look nice for Julius. Good. At least the slut knew her role on some level.
After that, Rem sat at the desk and began preparing the paperwork, her movements efficient and focused.
Julius arrived shortly after, sweaty from his training. He wiped his brow and asked Rem if she could go get him something to change into.
Rem glanced up, her expression neutral. "I've removed my tights," she said, "so if you don't mind, could you go on your own?"
And that fuckhead did. Julius nodded agreeably and left to fetch his clothes himself. Anastasia hated it—hated that Julius obeyed Rem like some whipped dog. That slut should go get him clothes to change into, fawning over him, not ordering him around.
But what pissed Anastasia off the most was the condescension from Rem. As Julius left, Rem muttered under her breath, "How does a good man like Julius end up married to that crazy witch?"
Anastasia was boiling inside, her hands trembling with rage. The words cut deep, fueling her resolve. Rem would pay for that—oh, she would pay dearly.
Anastasia took a deep breath—in and out—trying to steady herself. After all, Rem had called Julius a good man, and that's what mattered. She needed to remember that if Rem wanted to be with Julius, it was all good, even if Rem was at fault and spat at her. As long as she liked Julius, it was fine. Anastasia had to sacrifice herself for Julius. Rem might be an ungrateful slut, but her body and potential for satisfying Julius gave her the right to be hard to get.
Still, Anastasia thought she needed to punish Rem nonetheless. She pondered what to do, her mind racing with ideas. Then it hit her, though it pissed her off—she hadn't collected much of Julius's semen yet, but one small spoonful in Rem's tea wouldn't be a big deal. She could spare it, and the rest would go to the perfume. Tomorrow, she'd go to the perfume shop to order one. But Anastasia thought it was too lenient to make Rem taste Julius's ambrosia without earning it.
She sat down, her eyes fixed on Rem through the spy hole. Rem was waiting for Julius, her posture tense but composed.
Julius returned shortly after, sitting down at the desk. Rem scooted closer to him, their shoulders nearly brushing as they began to work on the paperwork. Anastasia wondered if Julius was bothered by those rolled tights on his desk, full of Rem's smell—sweat and femininity lingering in the air.
The conversation started professionally, discussing budgets and schedules for the festival. But eventually, Julius noticed Rem's subdued demeanor. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice gentle. "I can see you're not in the mood."
Rem hesitated. "It's nothing."
Julius leaned back, studying her. "Don't worry about Anastasia. She sometimes has attacks like that—it's not a big deal."
Rem shook her head. "It was rude of her to not only threaten me but also the other maid. She has no excuse."
Julius sighed. "I've told Anastasia to apologize, but she probably needs to cool down."
Rem's expression softened slightly. "I really respect Anastasia and even saw her as friendly, but today she really pissed me off."
Julius laughed lightly. "Even so, that's my wife you're speaking of. Not that I mind—I'm happy you see me as someone trustworthy."
Rem flushed, realizing her slip. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't speak so casually with you. You're my master, and I should watch my tongue."
Julius waved it off. "Don't worry about it. We've already gone past that awkward phase of working together."
Rem nodded, but added, "I understand, but I've started to act too friendly with you."
He smiled warmly. "I don't mind. After all, I like you too. And in Kararagi, the people you work with are like family, so I can say I see you as part of it."
Anastasia watched as Rem's cheeks turned a faint red. Good to know Julius still had that seducer in him, that charm that could draw anyone in.
But then Rem asked, her voice tentative, "Are you happy with Anastasia?"
Julius paused, his expression thoughtful as he met Rem's gaze. "Do you love your husband?" he asked softly.
Rem opened her mouth to respond, but Julius held up a hand, stopping her. He took a deep breath, his eyes distant. "No, let me rephrase. Do you love him for the person he is now, or the person he used to be?"
Rem's eyes dropped to the paperwork on the desk, her fingers tightening on the quill. She didn't want to respond, the question hanging heavy in the air.
Julius sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Life is short, Rem. When I first met Anastasia, she was full of passion to change the world. Back in the royal selection, she spoke about how everyone deserves payment for their work, that place of birth shouldn't decide your status. That as long as someone works, they deserve respect and should be paid equally and fairly based on their skills."
He continued, his voice tinged with sadness. "The woman I loved wanted to turn the world into a better place. But that woman is gone now—only a shadow of her remains."
Julius's eyes glistened as he spoke. "It was my fault. I should not have listened to Anastasia and convinced her to have a child, to stop her from working all the time."
He shook his head, frustration evident. "All this work is fucking worthless. It's making money for the purpose of making money. We have enough—we could live on my knight pension in this mansion and be happy. But I wanted Anastasia to be happy, and this is what I got: a childless marriage, a sick, greedy workaholic wife that I can't even make love with. We haven't had sex in years, and my wife constantly teases and disrespects me. I don't mind when we're alone, but publicly? It hurts that the woman I'm ready to give everything for treats me like shit."
Rem could see Julius holding back tears, his composure cracking.
But he continued, his voice steadying. "I know her more than she thinks. I understand she gave up a long time ago. Every time she tries to push me to cheat on her, to find someone else, it hurts."
Julius met Rem's eyes briefly. "I swore I would be loyal, stay true, and love her no matter what—all these until I die. But if you ask if I love Anastasia right now... I don't know the truth. To be honest, sometimes I ask myself if I love her still."
He glanced at Rem, just a glimpse, but there was something deeper in his eyes—a conflict, a hint of feelings stirring for the woman before him. His heart right now was conflicted, torn between duty and the quiet warmth Rem brought into his life.
Julius stopped, wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm sorry, Rem. I should never have bothered you with things like that. After all, I'm a knight—this must be really pitiful. But truth be told, I wanted to talk it out with someone for a long time. I'm thankful to you for listening."
He managed a small smile. "And I have to say, I'm jealous of Subaru. He's lucky to have a woman like you."
Anastasia's tears fell silently in the hidden room, hot and bitter against her cheeks. It was not my fault, she thought, her heart shattering into pieces. I never expected it to happen like this. I can't fix it. The pain of hearing Julius question his love for her—even indirectly—cut deeper than any sickness, any physical agony she'd ever endured.
Rem remained quiet for a long moment, but finally, she spoke, her voice soft yet steady. "You asked me a question, Sir Julius. If you'll allow it, I'd like to speak my heart too."
Julius nodded, his eyes gentle. "I'll listen. After all, you listened to mine."
Anastasia's heart broke further. Even if Julius hadn't said he didn't love her, it still hurt more than anything. Rem should respect Julius's words and shut up, she thought furiously. She's harmed me enough today.
Rem began, her gaze distant. "The first time I met Subaru, I hated him. He smelled terribly, acted strangely toward me and my sister Ram. The truth is, I was planning to kill him—I thought he was a Witch Cultist."
She paused, a faint smile touching her lips. "But then Subaru saved me. He became my hero—the man I loved."
Rem's voice softened. "For the first time, I felt happy. I wanted to be with Subaru, but I wasn't the woman he loved."
She continued, her words careful. "Later, Subaru did something stupid—insulted knights and got beaten up. It really broke him, to the point of despair. Emi-- The girl he loved rejected him."
Rem stopped herself, biting her lip as if she'd almost said a name before correcting herself. "Not to mention that."
Anastasia watched, frozen, as Rem's composure cracked. "After that, I confessed all my feelings to him. I finally wanted to be his number one. And he accepted."
Tears spilled down Rem's cheeks. "Even if I should tell you his words feel like betrayal to Subaru, I know..."
Julius reached out, gently wiping the tears from Rem's face with the same tenderness he'd shown before.
Rem looked at him, her voice trembling. "Then we ran away. Subaru wanted to start over somewhere else, so I went with him. Even if I felt something was wrong—even if Subaru was in a terrible state—I did my best to take care of him."
She bit her lips, speaking slowly. "When we left, I didn't understand a lot of things. But I wanted to believe in Subaru. He was the only person in my life then. Leaving with him, I knew I broke my sister's heart... but I never expected Subaru to lie to me."
Rem swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not even two nights after we left, I felt my sister die. As an oni, I had a magical connection—I could feel what she felt. Ram died slowly, painfully. I never mentioned it to Subaru, but he knew more than he let on. In his sleep, he'd say sorry about the village. He knew the attack was coming. He lied to me."
Tears streamed down her face now. "I gave everything for him, and he hid that my sister—everyone—was in danger."
She looked up at Julius, her eyes pleading. "How do you think I feel, Sir Julius? That the man I love most in the world used me, tricked me?"
Rem's voice broke. "I wanted to murder him back in that carriage. But seeing him suffer in his sleep, I realized he was just as powerless as me. I wanted to believe in him—he was all I had."
Rem cried harder than Anastasia had ever seen, her body shaking with sobs that seemed to tear from her very soul. She stood abruptly, as if ready to bolt from the room, but Julius caught her wrist and pulled her close. "Everything is fine," he murmured, his voice a soothing anchor. He petted her head gently as she buried her face in his shoulder, her tears soaking through his shirt.
With careful movements, Julius sat up straighter and guided Rem to sit on his knee, holding her like a child in need of comfort. After a moment, she continued, her voice muffled against him.
"After that... we did it. It was our first time. It was stale, but it let us forget. And then another, and another. We made love not to think of the past."
Rem pulled back slightly, her eyes red and swollen. "That wasn't the love I wanted. It was pleasure, yes, but I wanted comfort—to feel like Subaru loved me."
She stopped, searching Julius's face. "How do you think I feel when Subaru mentions another girl's name? After all these sacrifices, Rem is just a replacement—the girl he didn't want, not loved, but the one he could get."
Rem's voice cracked. "I thought over time things would get better, but... we barely make any money. Subaru was never able to keep a job. He refuses to settle for less. When he gets one, he quits or gets kicked out. I have to earn money and take care of him while he lies depressed all the time. He doesn't help in the house."
She bit her lip, tears flowing freely. "We have a hard time renting even a single room. I can't find a job that pays well enough to save—everything goes to surviving. Subaru sometimes tries to make something that doesn't work, spending the little money we have."
Rem cried into Julius's shoulder again. "I love him. I cared for him. I forgave him his lies, his betrayal toward me. I forgave him for leaving Ram to die."
Julius held her tightly to his body, his arms a steady embrace as Rem broke down completely.
Julius held her tightly to his body, his arms a steady embrace as Rem broke down completely. Her sobs came in waves—deep, guttural cries that shook her entire frame, each one tearing from the depths of her pain. The maid uniform, usually so neat and composed, now clung to her in disarray; the apron twisted around her waist from the sudden movement, the collar damp with tears, the fabric of her skirt bunched where Julius's hands gripped her securely. She had sought to be hugged, to be held, and Julius gave her that without hesitation.
The embrace lasted far longer than a moment—five minutes, perhaps more. Time stretched in the quiet office, marked only by the rhythm of Rem's breathing as it slowly steadied against his chest. Julius didn't move, didn't speak. He simply held her, one hand gently stroking her back in slow, soothing circles, the other cradling her head against his shoulder. Her blue hair spilled over his arm, damp with tears, and he could feel the warmth of her body through the thin layers of her uniform, the subtle tremble that lingered even as the worst of the storm passed.
Rem's fingers clutched at his shirt, knuckles white, as if letting go would mean falling apart entirely. The necklace—the one that had started all of this—rested against her collarbone, rising and falling with each shaky breath. Julius's chin rested lightly atop her head, his own breathing deep and calm, a silent promise that he was there, that she wasn't alone.
Anastasia watched from the shadows, her own tears forgotten in the face of this intimate scene. The sight of Rem, so vulnerable, so held, was a knife to the heart. But she couldn't look away.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rem's sobs quieted to soft hiccups. She didn't pull away. She stayed there, nestled in Julius's lap, her face still buried in his shoulder, as if the world outside his arms no longer existed.
"I'm sorry for ruining your shirt," she whispered, "but I'm tired. I hate my life."
She looked up at him, her voice fragile. "I'm glad for this job. Thanks to it, we finally have a chance to change something. But Subaru complained first about me working as a maid again—he felt insecure. Then, after Anastasia agreed to sponsor the festival, Subaru trying to overdo it, and I fear it will fail."
Rem pushed her face deeper into Julius's shoulder. "I'm sorry, sorry to you for causing you and Anastasia to lose money."
Julius stroked her hair. "Don't cry. I don't give a shit about the money. We sponsored it because it's supposed to make you happy—for all the help you've done."
He comforted her, pressing her body close to his. Rem, barely speaking, reached for the necklace around her neck.
Julius stopped her gently. "The necklace is my gift to you. If your husband has a problem with it, he can come directly to me to complain."
He held Rem as she cried in his arms, her body trembling against his.
In the hidden room, Anastasia was out of anger—she was depressed. After Julius's confession, she had tried her best for him. She wanted to fix her mistakes, but she just couldn't. Her body couldn't be healed; she would die. She wanted to give Julius kids, but she couldn't—if she could, she would without a second thought.
If she could turn back time, she would. She would sell her company, settle with Julius in his mansion, have kids—maybe two—and make him truly happy. But she couldn't.
Anastasia pushed her back to the wall and cried like a little girl, alone in the darkness. She couldn't even look at Julius comforting Rem. She had never felt more jealous of rem.