"Alright, now that everyone knows his location, withdraw... and don't display any unrefined behavior," Sabrina repeated before the servants withdrew to their respective tasks.
"Laos, come here," Sabrina muttered.
Following her command, Laos approached her quietly and stood before her. It was obvious that he was sad, unable to believe what he had just heard. The people he hated the most were coming to see him while he was in this state—a mere servant in the princess' palace, while they were great heroes. His eyes reflected the deep sorrow that consumed him. Whether he wanted to show it or not, he was undoubtedly sad.
"As you heard, the guests this time are the people who came with you from the same world," Sabrina said as she gazed at the dejected teenager before her.
"That's why the princess wants a proper reception since they will surely come up to the second floor to see you," she added.
"Why should I receive them? They're my friends; there's no need for a reception. And if you truly insist, you can get another servant to welcome them instead of me," Laos replied.
"You can't discuss this with me; talk to Tiana," the witch muttered.
"Fine. You know they'll arrive tomorrow morning. Don't forget," Sabrina said her last words before withdrawing upstairs.
"By the way, who is coming?" Laos asked.
"Just three—the mage, the archer, and the lancer," the witch replied.
◆ ◆ ◆
How? How? Just how?! A person can't be this unlucky! Just when I was getting close to becoming a full-fledged Isekai protagonist, I'm back to square one. I didn't want to feel this sadness again, but human psychology is complicated, and there's no way I can control my emotions... Yeah, there's no way. I dropped my head onto the bed, trying to keep the tears from pouring down.
Fuck, Sebastian is coming. I have no problem with Malin or Susan. Wait, Susan is the lancer? I don't remember, but that bastard Sebastian, son of a bitch, is coming. I hope their carriage gets blasted by the flames of a massive black dragon, and they die before they arrive. I don't want any of them to see me like this! Damn, this is beyond embarrassing. Should I go talk to Tiana?
No, no, that bitch would never agree. So there's no point in wasting my time. I got up from the bed and forced myself to smile. After that, I thought about seeing my face with white hair in the mirror. Would I look handsome? But wait, I can't wake Thalesa, or my secret will be exposed... I tried to push the thought away and focus on my future as a spirit user, but those fucking scenarios flooded my mind.
They'll come and bully me, and I won't be able to do anything because that would go against the princess' fucking orders... Ugh, this pisses me off so much. Why did they suddenly decide to come? There's no reason. Are they planning to apologize and ask Tiana to let them take me to the capital with them?! Just imagine—they'd become my best friends if they did that. But that's impossible.
A terrible feeling kept rising in my chest. I was unbelievably furious. I'm sure if I fucked Maris right now I'll explode her pussy. This is annoying… incredibly annoying. At the very least, I have Astral, my sword, which comforts me whenever I think about it. But imagine if I had heard this news before meeting Thalesa—I swear I would have killed myself. I've become an Isekai hero now, so I won't let anyone ruin my life, right?
Time passed as I kept trying to calm myself down. But I couldn't. The sadness still consumed me. I was overreacting. Come on, Laos-sama! You now have a dormant spirit inside you—just like a shounen protagonist! A sword that evolves over time and unlocks new abilities, like Naofumi's shield! And you even have a girl by your side, practically like a waifu… So how the hell can you be scared of a bunch of teenagers who are going to bully you?
You know why? Because you see them as superior to you... But you know fucking well that you're a god and no one is above you... You are the first, and beneath you, everything is ranked. You are the supreme being, the one against whom all else is measured! The Divine Hero! The Supreme Being!! These things shouldn't bring you down... After that self-righteous speech, I stood up with a wide grin and stared at the ceiling, hoping my sadness would fade.
"..."
But despite that, the moment I remembered those faces—especially Sebastian's—the sorrow returned. Man, I can't do it. There's no way I can receive them as a mere servant in the princess' palace. No, I absolutely can't. I have to ask Tiana for a day off tomorrow... But I've already spoken to her so much. It would be rude. I've requested to see her twice, maybe more… But I have no choice. I'll go insane if I have to see those faces tomorrow.
I'm stuck in a horrifying cycle... I face a problem, then I go to Tiana for a solution. She refuses to help me, and then I leave her room like a beaten dog. I swear, if I get out of this palace, my life will change 180 degrees. Yeah, I won't get caught up in such annoying problems anymore. And even if I do, I'll rely on myself—not on that bitch. At least I have the courage to talk to her, so I'll do it. I'll go down to the first floor and request a day off tomorrow…
I'll tell her I'm sick. Just imagine if she refuses. In that case, I'll put Tiana on my blacklist, and she'll be the first person I'll take revenge on once I gain enough power. Until that day, I need to grow stronger. And to do that, I have to protect my mental state from taking more damage. And to do that, I have to ask that bitch for a day off tomorrow…
"Does that even make sense?"
I left the room and headed downstairs. The place was packed with servants. Some were moving statues to different spots, others were drying the floor, and some were sweeping. Everyone was busy as if they were expecting an important guest—not just three sixteen-year-old teenagers. I anxiously scanned my surroundings, and after some time, I finally spotted Tiana in her signature dress. Damn! She's insanely beautiful.
"Hey, hey, you! What are you doing here?" Bonnie called out as she appeared in front of me, as usual.
"Oh my goddess, do you want to speak with Her Highness again?" she added, adjusting her glasses with her fingers.
◆ ◆ ◆
Tiana's POV
Look at them, scurrying like ants, working tirelessly for their queen. Disgusting creatures. As I stared at these repulsive slaves, one of them had the audacity to provoke me—an ugly face paired with those revolting wolf ears, one of which was even torn. And that face… My Goddess, what an eyesore. He was scrubbing the floor, inching closer and closer to me. Instinctively, I kicked his face, shoving him away.
"My Goddess, you reek. Stay away from me," I sneered, watching his pitiful, shocked expression after being kicked in the face.
"I'm very sorry… Your Highness," he stammered, kneeling over and over again before finally scurrying out of my sight. Hah. Disgusting, ugly slave.
After a while, I saw a beautiful sight—a young man with green eyes speaking to a slave with silver rabbit ears. Oh, it's Laos. He's finally here. Well then, time to have some fun. As I approached, Laos paid no mind to the slave in front of him. Instead, the moment he saw me, he immediately stepped forward. Goddess, what a wonderful person… A loyal dog that will never betray his owner.
"What is it?" I asked, as if I had no idea what he wanted.
"Tiana… Princess… I know I might be overstepping, but… I need to talk to you about something important," he murmured hesitantly, his voice soft.
"I was on my way to take a nap," I responded.
"Oh… I'm sorry for bothering you," he muttered again. He's so cute.
"Fine, I'll give you a chance. Follow me to my room," I said, lifting my dress slightly as I walked away.
As always, he followed obediently. What a loyal dog. Goddess, I'm so excited to talk to him this time. This will be an interesting conversation. I just hope he speaks his mind without being shy. Well, in the end, this is Laos. He's an introverted boy who struggles to express his feelings. But I hope he manages this time… Ahh, I'm so happy. My method is working—Laos keeps coming back to me whenever he's weak.
Once inside my room, I told him to close the door. This scene keeps repeating every time he enters my room, but I don't mind seeing it a thousand times. I removed my elegant dress, revealing my bare body… Of course, I wasn't completely naked. I was still wearing my undergarments. I couldn't resist, so I turned around to see his face. When I spun quickly, he had already averted his gaze to the ground… You sly thing.
After hanging my dress, I walked over to my bed, lay down, and pulled the covers over myself—all while Laos stood frozen in place. I bet he's embarrassed beyond belief. After settling in as if I were about to sleep, I said:
"Well, as you know, three heroes will be arriving here. I'm returning for my birthday celebration, so they'll be guarding me during the journey… So, what do you have to say?"
"…"
"Actually, I'm feeling a bit sick… so… I came to ask for a day off," he muttered.
"Are you really sick?" I asked, staring into his weak eyes.
"Yes! I swear!" he insisted.
"You came at the right time. Go to Bonnie and tell her to take you to Simess. She'll heal you with magic," I replied. It's obvious he's lying… Laos, it's clear you're just embarrassed about seeing your successful friends, you failure.
"…Uh…" he hesitated.
"What's wrong? You're in my room, so speak."
"Tiana… Can I really talk?" My Goddess, is he about to confess the truth?
"Yes, let it all out," I encouraged.
"Actually… I don't want to—"
"Wait, wait. I might fall asleep, so if I do, wake me up," I cut him off.
"Wake you up?" he repeated in confusion.
"Yes. If you don't, I'll punish you… Now, go on and talk," I said.
"Alright… The truth is, I don't want to see my friends… I mean, they're heroes now. So, when they see me as a servant in your palace, they'll bully me even more, and it'll destroy me mentally. I'll be sad all the time… I know what I'm saying might sound silly and childish, but this is science. It's one of the sciences in my world, called psychology… and bullying can have a serious impact on a person's mental state, so…"
From there, he kept rambling on and on about things from his previous world—things that had happened to him, and even strange words I didn't understand, like pizza, Nintendo, and California? What the hell is that?! Never mind. The only thing that matters is that I've succeeded in making Laos rely on me in his moments of weakness. He keeps complaining, and I love it. Over time, I'll have him wrapped around my finger like a little mouse.
"Tiana… Tiana, did you fall asleep?" he asked, calling my name. My Goddess, I love it when he repeats 'Tiana.'
I didn't respond, and he didn't do anything. He's too shy to wake me up. After a while, he moved closer… Ahhh, I can feel him—he's right behind me. Luckily, he can't see my face because I might burst out laughing at any moment. Then, he placed his hand on my bare shoulder, gently nudging me to wake me up.
"Tiana… Tiana," he called again.
Ahh, I love this… Come on, be bolder and wake me up in a special way. But after a while, that idiot didn't change his method—he just kept nudging my shoulder so much that I started feeling itchy. Realizing he's hopelessly reserved, I grabbed his hand, pulled him toward me, and hugged it tightly while keeping my eyes closed, pretending to move in my sleep. Then, I murmured:
"Mom… I'm having scary nightmares… Can you sleep with me?"
"Mom? What are you saying? I'm Laos! Wake up!" he protested, trying to pull his hand away. This is way too funny.
"Oh, Laos! Looks like I fell asleep," I said, releasing his hand and opening my eyes.
"Uh… So, what do you think about what I said?" he asked, stepping back slightly.
"Oh, your speech? I didn't hear all of it, and I didn't understand a thing. So, that's not a good enough excuse for a day off," I replied. I think that crushed him… No, I'm certain it did.
"Please… Please," he pleaded.
My Goddess, I'm in a tough spot. He needs to leave before I do something I might regret… What should I do? If I give him a day off, it'll make things easier for him, and I don't want that. I need to break him down even further until he's completely weak… I got out of bed, revealing my nearly bare body, and said firmly:
"Sorry, Laos, but my decision stands. Get out."
After that, he walked out of the room, devastated. Oh, if he had stayed any longer, I would have lost control… I couldn't take it anymore. The moment he left, I slipped off my panties, my body burning with need. My fingers found their way between my legs, moving instinctively as my mind drowned in thoughts of him—his cold touch, his piercing gaze, his voice that sent shivers down my spine. Goddess, I just hope he fits… As I lost myself in fantasies of Laos, a wave of pleasure crashed over me, leaving me breathless. My body trembled as the evidence of my release dripped onto my thighs… Uh-huh, uh-huh.
"Laos, I'm going to get you."