The porcelain teacup trembled precariously on the silver tray in Regulus' hands. A single drop of tea sloshed over the rim as Head Maid Laylah's wooden ruler came down sharply on his wrist.
"Posture straight," she chided, her voice crisp as freshly starched linen. "You're not some tavern wench slopping ale about."
Regulus bit back several choice responses. Three days. Three gods-damned days since Nyx's "brilliant" plan had landed him in this pastel-colored hell.
The memory still burned. Nyx's wide, innocent eyes as she'd suggested investigating Cordelia's connections near the noble district. The way she'd "accidentally" shoved him into that group of passing maids. The sack over his head before he could even shout a curse.
His fingers tightened around the tray. That shadow-witch would pay for this.
"Focus, boy," Laylah snapped, rapping his knuckles again. "The Goddess Hebe expects perfection from all her children - even temporary ones."
Regulus nearly dropped the tray entirely at that. Children? He wasn't -
Then it clicked. His Earth knowledge surfaced like a buoy in stormy seas. Hebe. Greek pantheon. Goddess of youth, former cupbearer to the gods. Of course she'd run a maid familia. The realization did nothing to improve his mood.
"Question," he ground out through clenched teeth as he adjusted his grip.
Head Maid Laylah arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"How much did that backstabbing shadow hag pay you for this?" The words came out sharper than intended, but frankly, he was past caring about decorum.
The surrounding maids tittered behind their hands. Laylah's lips quirked in something almost resembling amusement.
"Not a single valis," she said, stepping closer to adjust his elbow position. "Our goddess and yours... have history. Tenkai bonds run deep."
Regulus nearly choked. Nyx? Actually friends with someone? The mental image alone was enough to make him question reality.
Before he could demand answers, Laylah continued. "Though if you truly wish to repay the debt, you could start by not breaking any more of our good china."
The reminder of yesterday's... incident made his ears burn. In his defense, no one had told him the "basic posture drills" involved balancing a full tea service while walking across a narrow beam.
As the afternoon wore on with endless repetitions, Regulus begrudgingly admitted there were some... tolerable aspects to his imprisonment:
1. The two days a week he was permitted to leave (which he used to deal with Cordelia, or should he call her Fillian Hellis now?)
2. The frankly absurd number of beautiful women in maid uniforms surrounding him at all times. Even now, as he practiced his "servile bow", the view made the humiliation slightly more bearable.
That evening, Nyx was waiting in their rented room when he finally staggered back, every muscle aching.
"Well, well," she purred from her sprawled position on the bed. "If it isn't my favorite little househusband."
Regulus responded by throwing his apron at her face with all the force his exhausted arms could muster.
Nyx caught it without looking, her grin widening. "Aww, did widdle Regwy have a hard day?" she cooed in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"I will strangle you in your sleep," he growled, collapsing onto his own bed.
"Promises, promises," Nyx sing-songed, rolling over. "But admit it - you're learning valuable skills."
Regulus buried his face in the pillow. The worst part? She wasn't wrong. The "Silent Step" training was just advanced stealth movement. The endless tea service drills improved his balance and precision. Even the damn posture training had combat applications.
But he'd rather walk barefoot through the Dungeon than admit that to Nyx.
As sleep finally claimed him, one thought lingered - just what kind of "history" did Nyx have with a goddess like Hebe? The answer was probably something that would give him dreams he must never disclose.
-----
Regulus Nihil
Level 1
Strength: I-98 → H-129
Endurance: I-85 → I-92
Dexterity: I-96 → H-118
Agility: I-87 → H-104
Magic: I-89 → H-101
Skills:
[Numquam Itineris] - You know what to do
Magic:
[As I've Written] -
"O Heavens, witness my great undertaking,
As stars above, so ink now waking..."
Moonlight spilled through the window as Nyx perched on the edge of Regulus' bed, her shadow stretching across his bare back like spilled ink. He lay face-down, exhausted from the day's training, his breathing deep and even.
"Tch. Still sleeping like a corpse," she muttered, though her fingers were already dipping into the vial of sacred ink at her belt.
The ritual was familiar by now. Nyx pressed her palm between his shoulder blades, feeling the heat of his skin beneath her touch. The ink swirled to life as she began tracing the divine script, each stroke glowing faintly in the dark.
Strength - The numbers climbed steadily, fueled by weeks of brutal maid training. Who knew balancing trays and scrubbing floors could build such muscle?
Endurance - Her lips quirked. All those hours standing at attention, being berated by Laylah... it was almost poetic.
Dexterity - The biggest jump. Tea service had honed his fingers to surgeon's precision. Nyx made a mental note to thank Hebe for that.
Agility - Silent steps, graceful bows—every movement drilled into him until it became second nature.
Magic - The slowest to grow, but progress nonetheless. His incantations were sharper lately, the conjured items lasting longer.
When the final symbol was drawn, Nyx leaned back to admire her work. The glow faded, leaving only the faintest shimmer on his skin before that too disappeared.
She plucked the pre-written status sheet from her pocket and dropped it on the bedside table, where he'd see it upon waking.
"Don't get cocky, little moth," she whispered to his sleeping form. "You're still my investment."
With that, she slipped back to her own bed, leaving the moonlight to watch over them both.
Somewhere in the night, a church bell tolled the hour. Tomorrow would bring more training, more schemes, more of Cordelia's tangled games.
But for now, there was only silence, and the quiet certainty that Regulus was growing stronger—whether he liked it or not.