I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

Merilyn Sutherland.

Now, the demon who wanted to live a new life under that name felt bored in the absence of her love.

Though she worried about him leaving for a dangerous place, she believed he would succeed.

The peace she found through that trust soon intertwined with her demonic instincts, leading her to seek out something that stimulated her desires.

“Hello there, little maid~ I’m Merilyn, newly joining the Ark~”

What she found was a maid cleaning the hallway of the Ark.

This maid, known to everyone as Flang, had a special relationship with her love.

“…Mephisto.”

However, the gaze directed at her was filled with hostility, unrelated to that relationship.

“Aha, as expected, you recognized me right away~”

“Of course. I remember every member of the Ark. No matter how skilled you are at hiding, you can’t erase your unique aura.”

Flang immediately saw through her disguise.

But Merilyn also realized that her opponent was no ordinary being.

Because the vitality that any living being should have was completely absent in the entity before her.

Could she be considered a golem-like being, perhaps?

“Hoohoo, it’s nice that I don’t have to introduce myself again.”

In any case, the opponent was also a being with consciousness and will.

Merilyn, who had a deep interest in his romantic relationships, naturally became interested in the girl standing in front of her.

“But seeing that you recognized me yet didn’t react much… does that mean you’re accepting my joining here?”

“…The current master of the Ark is my lord. Until the results of his choice come out, I plan to respect and watch over his decision.”

“Hoohoo, so you’re accepting me for now. I guess I’ll have to work on getting closer to you.”

“Don’t misunderstand. If you show any signs of doing something foolish, I won’t sit idly by.”

Flang raised her head and spoke in an angry voice.

Her furrowed brows and sharp voice were clear expressions of her hostility.

“My lord only made an alliance out of necessity. Many of us, including myself, still don’t trust demons like you.”

“I understand that. We haven’t known each other for long, so it’s natural that trust is lacking.”

“It’s not just about trust! The Demon Tribe is an enemy of humanity…!”

“But with humanity’s territory on the verge of collapse, borrowing power from other races, excluding the Demon Tribe, seems a bit narrow-minded, doesn’t it?”

Grit, the sound of teeth grinding.

Merilyn dismissed it lightly and gave a slight smile.

“As I mentioned before, what Yasmo did is her sin, not ours. We value our lives and circumstances too much to risk hostility with hard-won allies.”

“…So you’re saying that if there were an alternative, you might betray us at any time.”

“On the contrary, if no alternative exists, our alliance will last forever, unless you betray us first.”

The moment when a clan known for betrayal turned the possibility of betrayal onto the other side.

Flang, trembling with anger, finally turned her back on Merilyn and let out a voice full of frustration.

“…Just remember that I’ll be watching you closely.”

Someday they would be enemies, but now was not the time.

Watching Flang calm herself and walk away, Merilyn’s lips slowly curled into a blissful smile.

‘Aha~ This is a much better reaction than I expected~’

Though they might anticipate betrayal, ironically, Merilyn had no intention of betraying them or bringing harm to the Ark.

Her only goal was to strengthen her relationship with her love and secure enough self-control to prevent her desires from spiraling into impulsive actions.

‘Does this girl know? That the one she calls master and follows so loyally is yearning for a true relationship with me?’

And this provocation was just a spice to fulfill those desires.

Revealing her relationship with him when Flang’s hostility was at its peak would surely shatter the girl’s heart.

‘If she knew that I had already become close to him before her, how would her expression crumble?’

Her hostility would turn into despair, betrayal toward him… and then anger directed at her.

The intense conflict that would arise would effectively suppress her love from escalating into impulsive actions.

As Merilyn followed, full of such anticipation, Flang noticed her and began to speak in an angry voice.

“How long are you planning to follow me?”

“Coincidentally, I’m still unfamiliar with the Ark. I was hoping you could show me around while I observe, and since you’d want to keep an eye on me anyway, there’s no reason to refuse, is there?”

“Grr!”

Flang’s anger was boiling, but even she knew that being close would help monitor any tricks Merilyn might pull.

In the end, Flang silently allowed Merilyn to follow, and Merilyn let out a small chuckle as she cheerfully trailed after her.

Their final destination was the kitchen, responsible for preparing meals for the Ark.

“Oh my, Flang, you’re back~”

“Keh-ek!”

The moment Merilyn encountered the figure standing there, she gasped sharply.

It was only natural—after all, the person in the kitchen was her worst possible nemesis.

“Did you finish all the cleaning?”

“Yes, I’ve finished for today.”

But unlike the frozen Merilyn, Flang casually continued her conversation with the woman preparing food in the kitchen.

For Flang, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Initially, she had seen her as a terrifying presence, but after witnessing how the woman cared for the people of the Ark during repairs, her fears subsided.

Through this process, Flang realized the woman was harmless, and now she even felt a sense of respect for her devotion to helping others.

“Hoohoo, thanks to you, things have gotten much easier, Flang. Everyone’s been so busy lately that it would have taken a long time to clean by myself.”

“I was just doing my duty as a maid, Great Mother.”

“Great Mother? That title is a bit too burdensome…”

“Please don’t feel burdened. It’s a title expressing gratitude and respect for your hard work.”

The title Flang used at that moment was an expression of such respect.

Of course, it started because Flang couldn’t find an alternative title, fearing she would have to use something like “Dear Mother” or “Mama~♥,” but regardless of the reason, her respect for the woman had grown undeniably.

“Hmm, alright. If you insist, I’ll accept it.”

Fortunately, Tashian, the woman, was also showing a willingness to respect her.

With a smile, she accepted the title of Great Mother and gently patted Flang’s head.

“Now, Great Mother will prepare the meal here, so you go rest, Flang.”

“No, I’ll handle the meal preparation.”

“You haven’t fully recovered yet. You shouldn’t overdo it.”

“Thanks to your repair skills, I’m even healthier than before. Don’t worry about me; please, take a break, Great Mother.”

Flang tried to stop Tashian as she reached for the kitchen utensils.

Unable to watch any longer, Tashian took Flang’s hand and spoke in a concerned voice to stop her.

“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”

If there is unrest in your heart, you need time to calm it.

Tashian wanted to give Flang time to settle her heart, confused by his absence, which she couldn’t bring herself to stop.

“But isn’t that the same for you, Great Mother?”

“I’m used to waiting, so it’s alright. I’m sure he’ll do well…”

“I also believe the Master will succeed.”

Flang shook off Tashian’s hand and pulled the utensils toward herself.

But Tashian wasn’t one to give up either.

As the struggle continued, Flang cautiously expressed her concerns about Tashian.

“Great Mother, I’ve heard that you haven’t been in the best of health…”

“Oh dear, Mother may be old, but I’m not weak enough to collapse over household chores.”

“But don’t you still need rest and sleep? I, on the other hand, can work without sleep as long as I replenish my energy. Handling all the Ark’s meal prep is better suited for me.”

“Still, Flang, you’ve taken care of him every day while I’ve been away, haven’t you? Kids your age should be running outside and indulging in hobbies when they can.”

“I’m not as young as you make me out to be.”

“In my eyes, there’s no difference between you and that child. Now, give me the knife.”

“No, I’ll…”

As the argument between the two stretched on, Flang started to feel a growing sense of urgency inside her.

‘This is troubling. Her overwhelming motherly instincts refuse to let me handle the work.’

Flang indeed admired Tashian’s work ethic, but it became a different story when it infringed on her own responsibilities.

If she couldn’t assert her role here, her very purpose could be threatened.

As Flang pondered how to deal with her rising impatience, Tashian’s gaze shifted to Merilyn, who was standing at the entrance.

“Oh my, Mery, you’re here?”

A cheerful greeting directed at none other than the second-in-command of the Demon King’s army.

Flang quickly realized the close relationship between Tashian and Merilyn, enough to use a nickname, and she focused on Merilyn, who stood frozen.

“Did you come to watch Mom work?”

“Uh, yes, but actually, uh…”

“This is perfect timing~ I was thinking of trying out a new menu, and I needed a taste tester. Could you sit here and help me out?”

“Uh, sure. Of course, I’ll do it. If it’s Tashian asking, how could I refuse?”

“Hmm, why are you acting so distant with my name? Don’t tell me you’re upset because I scolded you a little before?”

“Oh, no, no. How could I possibly dislike you, Mom? Ehehe~”

Despite her forced smile, the second-in-command of the Demon King’s army couldn’t stop her body from trembling.

Tashian looked at her with a fond smile, finding her cute, while Flang felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the scene.

‘The second-in-command of the Demon King’s army… calling her Mom?’

It was just like how Flang had looked when she was newly fixed by Tashian.

It meant that Merilyn, like Flang before her, had been swayed by Tashian’s overwhelming motherly instincts and had mentally submitted to her.

In other words, as long as Tashian was around, that despicable demon wouldn’t act out of line.

“Aha~”

Even without knowing all the details, that much was clear.

With that realization, Flang sighed in relief and subtly approached Tashian with a suggestion.

“Great Mother, may I offer a suggestion?”

“A suggestion?”

“Yes, it’s regarding the little disagreement we had before…”

Swoosh, her gaze shifted toward the countertop.

Flang noted the unprepared ingredients and utensils, then pointed to them as she made her proposal to Tashian.

“If it’s difficult for us to give up on being in charge of meal prep… why don’t we settle it with a little competition?”

“A competition, you say?”

“Yes, a cooking contest to see who can make the best dish and which of us can create a meal that better suits the members of the Ark.”

Naturally, since Flang had already mentally submitted to Tashian long ago, she had given up any thought of defeating her through strength.

But that submission didn’t extend to her area of expertise.

If anything, for the sake of her duty, Flang felt a strong desire to prove that she excelled over Tashian in this field.

“Hmm, that certainly sounds like a way to serve better meals and have a clean resolution. I like it.”

“And for an objective judgment, we should let a third party evaluate our dishes. Since Merilyn is here, how about we let her judge our cooking?”

Merilyn flinched, her body trembling.

Merilyn shot Flang a look that screamed, ‘What are you up to?’ But Flang ignored it and waited for Tashian’s response.

With Tashian present, Merilyn had no thought of running away.

“Merilyn, you’re not busy right now, are you? Could you judge our dishes for us?”

“Uh, yes, I can, but…”

“Alright then~ Come on, Merilyn. Please, take a seat over here~”

Flang gently pushed Merilyn toward a seat, forcing her to move.

Merilyn, now seated, was still on guard, but by then, Flang had already finished her preparations.

-Snap!

The moment Merilyn sat down, wires tightly bound her body to the chair.

Feeling her movement restricted, Merilyn shot an angry glare at Flang.

“You, what on earth are you thinking…?!”

“You know that if you run, Tashian will chase you down immediately, right?”

Merilyn flinched again, her body trembling.

Flang, realizing that Merilyn had also mentally submitted to Tashian, smiled brightly and approached Tashian with confidence.

“Now, Great Mother, shall we decide on a menu for our competition?”

“Hmm, a menu… everyone has different tastes, so I’m not sure what to start with.”

“If you’re unsure, how about baby food for the Elf children?”

“Baby food, you say?”

“Yes, they’re the youngest, so wouldn’t it be best to prepare something with extra care?”

“That’s a wonderful idea~ Of course, growing children need special attention in their meals.”

“B-baby food? Wait, are you going to feed me baby food? Don’t be ridiculous! Do you know who I am…? Ooph!”

Something suddenly gagged Merilyn’s open mouth as she shouted in confusion.

The sound of sucking soon filled the air, and her face turned pale with horror.

“Ooph, ooph! Mmph!”

“Sorry, Merilyn. It would be troublesome if you were too noisy during the competition, so I just used something that happened to be in my pocket to gag you.”

Flang smiled sweetly as she approached Merilyn, gently stroking the pacifier now stuck in her mouth.

Humiliated, Merilyn sucked on the pacifier, while Flang casually rummaged through her belongings, pulling out various items.

“Don’t worry, I’ll free you when it’s time to eat. Oh, and wouldn’t it be easier if I just fed you myself?”

“Mmph, mmph!”

“Just in case, it would be a shame if you spilled food and stained your clothes, so here’s a bib~ Oh, and you might get bored while we cook, so here’s a toy to keep you entertained~”

-Jingle, jingle~

A baby toy jingled in Merilyn’s bound hands.

Flang stepped aside, proudly showing Tashian how Merilyn was now decked out in baby accessories intended for the Elf children.

“Oh my~ Our Mery looks absolutely adorable~”

As expected, Tashian’s reaction was exactly what Flang had anticipated.

For someone overflowing with motherly love like Tashian, seeing her “daughter” dressed in baby accessories was enough to make her lose all sense of reason.

“Since my little Merilyn looks so cute, Mommy has to work even harder to make something delicious.”

“Mmph! Mmph!!”

“Don’t worry, Merilyn. Mommy will make you some delicious baby food~”

With that, Tashian happily began preparing the ingredients, humming as she worked.

Watching the scene with satisfaction, Flang turned back to the frozen Merilyn, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling wickedly.

“Don’t worry, Merilyn. As long as you don’t try anything funny, I’ll gladly accept you as part of the Ark and take good care of you~”

“So please, enjoy the service I’m about to provide… to the fullest~♡”

The hostility had long since vanished from Flang’s face.

Now that she knew there was no need to fear the demon before her, all that remained in the maid’s heart was a cruel, sadistic desire to torment the one who had dared mock her.