Reincarnated Maid is About To Be Captured by All Players

In the end, I spent quite a bit of time in Herst. After giving the old man a massage, he was so touched that he refused to take my money. Still, I discreetly left the Denarius for the fabric under his pillow.

By the time I left, the adventurer player had already departed. However, many players had arrived in Herst during this period. I had to juggle dealing with the adventurers while purchasing the items on my list.

By the time I finished shopping, it was almost noon. Attracting all the players might not be a bad thing; at least it provided a quiet environment for Lily in Roschild, allowing her to rest better.

After using [Spatial Transfer] twice to return to the familiar Roschild residence, my shopping mission was successfully completed.

“Let’s prepare lunch first…”

Lily is still in a [Hungry] state, so I can make a more substantial meal.

Speaking of which, I bought much more food than what was listed. Whenever I see an ingredient, I instantly think about how to use it, what dishes I can make, and who it’s suitable for.

After all, my [Cooking] level is at Lv.Max. Not to brag, but it suits me.

That said, I’m still surprised by my current state. I used to cook, but only to fulfill the whims of my mistress. I’ve heard that the continent of Limoria encourages innovation; perhaps I could create new dishes with some research.

As much as these things interest me, now is not the time for research.

The mansion doesn’t have an oven, but I have a portable oven in my storage space that’s perfect for the occasion.

My storage space contains many similar items. If I didn’t have memories of what’s stored there, just sorting through it would take me over a week. I even feel like I have the potential to be a Dora Anna.

I pulled out a large portable oven from under my skirt, along with some flour. Since I had been delayed in Herst, it’s more efficient to cook quickly.

“Hmm?”

There’s a noise upstairs.

I won’t let any suspicious activity in the house go unnoticed. Is Lily awake? I put down the flour for a moment and went upstairs to check.

The noise indeed came from Lily’s bedroom on the second floor. I gently opened the door a crack to avoid disturbing her, just in case it was my imagination.

At this moment, I hoped that I was mistaken. But through the crack, I saw Lily curled up, trembling in a corner of her bed. The bandages on her arms even showed signs of cracking from significant movement.

She wasn’t asleep?

“…Lily?”

“Sister Anna—!!!”

Like a lost child who has finally seen a familiar face, Lily almost forgot she was on a bed and cried out as she leapt toward me.

I quickly rushed forward to catch her before she fell off the bed. She’s already severely injured; she can’t suffer any more damage.

Held in my arms, Lily couldn’t hold back her tears and began to sob uncontrollably.

“Li-Lily…”

I was completely at a loss.

For the first time in my life, I felt my tongue was incredibly clumsy, unable to utter even a simple word of comfort.

“Sister Anna… ah… Sister Anna…”

“I’m here… Ah, no! I mean, I’m right here. I won’t go anywhere.”

Despite my clumsiness, Lily’s sobs were like a lifeline, and I responded frantically.

“It hurts… it hurts so much… will I die…?”

“No, you won’t! I won’t let that happen.”

But Lily shook her head as if she were being coquettish.

“You’re lying… he wants to kill us… we were all deceived by him… me too…!”

I had no idea who Lily was talking about.

All I could do was reassure her like I would a child, saying that Roschild was safe, and no one would harm her. Even I felt my words were pale and weak.

Lily cried, repeating words I couldn’t understand. She was definitely afraid of something.

I finally realized the grave mistake I had made.

The [Severe Fatigue] debuff induces forced sleep, lowering one’s guard to provide a better rest. I shouldn’t have left Lily alone to rest in the house.

Though I don’t know what she went through, it was a nightmare terrifying enough to disturb her even in her [Severe Fatigue] state.

Nightmares are a kind of negative mental state. Being next to Lily would prevent her from having nightmares. The moment I failed to provide that positive effect, the nightmares returned.

How many times did she wake up from her nightmares because I wasn’t there? Why didn’t I notice this sooner?

“…I’m sorry, Lily.”

Still in a [Hungry] state, Lily’s heart-wrenching cries gradually weakened. She didn’t hear my remorseful apology and fell asleep due to physical exhaustion.

My chest was soaked with Lily’s tears, clearly outlining its shape.

Even in her deep sleep, her small hand tightly gripped the corner of my clothes, as if she never wanted me to leave her side again.