Early the next morning, Sera sat alone inside the gazebo. The morning air was cool and quiet. Yet her mind remained anything but peaceful.
Countless thoughts tangled together chaotically within her head like threads woven into an impossible knot.
Problems.
Secrets.
Risks.
Uncertainties.
Every path seemed to branch into ten more.
Eventually, the pressure became unbearable.
“Urggh!”
Clutching her head with both hands, Sera let out a low, frustrated scream.
Then silence returned once more.
For several moments, she simply sat there breathing heavily.
“…Alright.”
Sera slowly inhaled.
Held her breath.
Then exhaled quietly.
“Calm down.”
Her eyes gradually steadied.
“Let’s organize things properly.”
“One step at a time.”
Slowly, her chaotic thoughts began arranging themselves through sheer force of will.
“My first priority is…breaking the dead artifacts.”
Everything else came second.
“If we fail—None of us will survive long enough for the rest to matter.
“And for that…I need to accomplish three things.”
Sera lowered her gaze thoughtfully.
“First, I need to fully decipher the mana circles, rituals, and the complete process behind them.
“At least thanks to Tia, I finally have a direction to follow.” she smiled faintly.
“That alone had already saved me months—perhaps years.
“Second…
“I need to deepen my understanding of ritual theory and mana structures.
“I’ll also need to prepare the ritual site, gather the required materials, and complete the arrangements beforehand.”
Her fingers tightened slightly against her sleeve.
“And third…”
Her expression gradually became more complicated.
“Tia and Vina must willingly form a Trinity Pact with me.”
The words felt heavy even to herself.
“The risks and consequences that follow a forbidden ritual are too great.”
A faint uneasiness flickered across her eyes.
“…Which means I need to prepare them mentally first. I need to manipulate them somehow.
“Tia’s moral restraints are still too strong.
“And Vina still hesitates too much.
“If the three of us cannot fully align ourselves…
“…the ritual may fail before it even begins.”
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Sera quietly added:
“And if possible…
“I need to deepen the bond between us.
“Not merely as companions…
“But as a true trinity.”
Her eyes slowly drifted toward the distant sky.
Only after a long pause did she continue organizing her thoughts.
“Second priority is…uncovering Ravenscrest’s hidden secrets.”
“For now, I have intentionally left most of that investigation to Tia.
“Partly because of Tia’s uniqueness as a polaris to us.
“Partly because—
…I hope it will keep her occupied inside the castle instead of wandering outside.”
A faint smile appeared briefly on Sera’s lips.
“For some reason…I feel she’ll eventually discover something important.”
“As for mana circles…
“I’m still uncertain how much progress she can truly make.
“But even keeping her focused for now is enough.”
Sera exhaled quietly.
“My third and most immediate issue is…dealing with the royal auditors.”
Her expression darkened slightly.
“And finally…Lamia’s Embrace and the Ravenscrest's Pact.”
“The two things I least understand.
“The most unpredictable factors.”
Sera slowly closed her eyes.
“Recently, the atmosphere within the castle has been…weird.
“The servants are becoming increasingly uneasy.
“The soldiers seem more restless.
“Even Emma has begun acting differently.
“And Tia’s nightmares are becoming more frequent…”
Her brows furrowed slightly.
“I don’t know if Tia's constitution is weakening… or if the artifact’s influence is growing stronger.
“But whatever it is…it’s affecting all of us.
“And perhaps even Ravenscrest itself.
“As of now… I have no solution.
“As for the Ravenscrest Pact…
“…further investigation is still necessary.”
At last, Sera’s shoulders slowly relaxed.
“I think these are my immediate priorities. Everything else can wait.”
The gazebo fell silent once more.
Sera quietly stared into the distance.
Then, after a long while—
She softly muttered to herself, “…So what should I do now?”
*****
Copyright © [May] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
Suddenly, Sera noticed someone approaching from the garden path.
It was Elara, the head maid.
Sera straightened her posture and smoothed away the exhaustion on her face, replacing it with her usual calm smile.
By the time the head maid arrived before the gazebo, not a trace of frustration remained visible on Sera’s expression.
“Elara?” Sera asked gently.
The head maid bowed slightly.
“Sera… someone has arrived at the castle requesting to meet you.
“She introduced herself as Cerci.”
Sera blinked once.
“Cerci?”
Elara nodded.
“She claimed she came on behalf of someone named Elizabeth.
“She also said she was delivering something to you.”
Sera immediately fell into thought.
‘Sister Eli?’
But before she could respond, Elara hesitated slightly before adding:
“And…she is a bit…too beautiful. And..
“She’s wearing a maid outfit.”
For some reason, Elara’s expression became unusually complicated.
“…A rather bold one.”
Sera stared silently for a moment. Then—
Elara coughed lightly.
“She’s currently waiting in the reception hall.
“I already had arranged refreshments and tea for her.”
Sera remained quiet briefly before finally nodding.
“Bring her here.”
“Yes.”
Elara bowed once more before leaving the gazebo.
Meanwhile, Sera leaned back slightly in her seat.
‘Cerci…?
‘Why would Sister Eli send her here?’
And more importantly—
‘A maid outfit?’
A short while later, footsteps approached once more. Elara returned—
Along with Cerci.
Cerci wore a maid outfit unlike anything normally seen within noble society.
The skirt was shorter than standard formal maid attire, walking dangerously close to what most conservative nobles would consider improper.
Yet strangely—it carried an oddly refined allure.
Her long hair framed her beautiful face elegantly, while her composed expression remained as unreadable as ever.
In her arms, she carried something carefully wrapped in cloth.
Sera smiled warmly pointing to the tea that was already on the table.
“Elara, prepare additional refreshments for us.”
“Yes, my lady.”
After the head maid departed once more, silence briefly settled over the gazebo.
Then Cerci bowed politely.
“Greetings, Princess Sera.”
Sera immediately chuckled. “Not you too. Just call me Sera or madam. Being called a ‘princess' feels uncomfortable. "
“Besides,” Sera continued with a faint smile, “you’re no longer merely someone’s maid anymore, are you?”
Her gaze softened slightly.
“How has life been within Elizabeth’s trinity?”
“Are they treating you well?”
Then she looked Cerci over more carefully.
“And why are you still dressed like a maid?
“You also look a little pale.
“Are you unwell?”
Cerci immediately shook her head.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Madam.
“I’m very happy there.
“My mistress… and my sisters all treat me kindly.”
A gentle warmth gradually appeared in her expression.
“Before the marriage, I told Lady Elizabeth that I was content just being her concubine within the trinity.”
"But she wouldn't listen.”
Cerci lowered her eyes slightly as though recalling the memory.
“After many arguments and quarrels with the clan heads, facing all odds, she got me into her trinity as her wife.”
Sera blinked in mild surprise.
“That sounds like Eli…”
A faint helpless smile appeared on her face.
“At first, I was honestly afraid,” Cerci admitted softly.
“I didn’t know how the other wives within the trinity would view me.
“But…
“They welcomed me warmly.
“After a few nights together, we all became close.”
Her voice carried genuine gratitude.
Sera quietly listened.
Then her eyes drifted once more toward Cerci’s outfit.
Cerci visibly blushed.
“This maid outfit is…my husband’s preference.”
Sera rolled her eyes internally,
‘Of course it was.’
Under normal circumstances, Cerci’s calm demeanor would have hidden her embarrassment completely, but mentioning Elizabeth seemed to weaken her composure.
“Under the guidance of my mistress and sisters, I completed training as Lady Elizabeth’s personal maid and wife.
"She likes me in this uniform and wants me to act as her personal maid.
“So even after becoming part of the trinity…I continued serving at her side.”
A small, shy smile formed on Cerci’s lips.
Sera tilted her head slightly.
“But doesn’t that bother you?”
“Even after officially becoming her wife, you’re still performing a servant’s duties.”
“Not at all,” Cerci replied immediately, shaking her head.
"As a mare to my night, what could be more pleasurable than to serve her and be shaped by my mistress's will.”
Sera quietly observed her pale face.
“It only started when I was halfway reaching this place.”
"I am not sick or anything but I may not be able to go out once I return."
“Why?” Sera blinked.
"I think…," cerci gently rubs her belly.
Realization instantly appeared on Sera’s face. "You are pregnant with sister Eli's child."
Cerci nodded shyly. “I’m still not certain.”
“You know how difficult it is for people of our bloodline to conceive.”
Sera’s eyes widened slightly before genuine happiness appeared on her face.
“Then let me congratulate you in advance.”
Cerci lowered her head slightly. “Thank you.”
“Sister Eli is going to lose her mind from happiness.”
A soft laugh escaped Cerci, “…Probably.”
******
“Why are you still standing?” Sera asked. “Sit down, Cerci.”
Cerci immediately shook her head.
“No, Madam. I’m perfectly fine standing.”
Sera sighed helplessly. “Then consider it an order.”
Cerci blinked.
“If you keep refusing,” Sera continued with a teasing smile, “I’ll complain to Sister Eli the next time we meet.”
At those words, Cerci visibly hesitated.
After a brief internal struggle, she finally relented.
“…Then please excuse me.”
Only then did she carefully take a seat across from Sera.
Seeing this, Sera chuckled softly.
Even after officially becoming part of Elizabeth’s trinity, Cerci still retained the habits of a maid far too deeply.
For a while, the atmosphere inside the gazebo became calm and comfortable.
Then Cerci gently rested a hand over her stomach again.
“I don’t know if she will enter our trinity in the future.
"Now all I could wish for is, If she is an s type, and if mistress allowed it, she should discipline me as a mare. As an N type mother, it is my duty to get disciplined by my child.
"If the child is N type, we are not compatible. Then either my mistress or one of the older children or wives within the trinity will likely train her instead.
"If she doesn’t want to enter our trinity, mistresses may choose to send her to the temple. Which is also not a bad option."
Sera tilted her head slightly. “If I remember correctly…
“You also received your training as a maid at the temple, didn’t you?”
Cerci nodded.
“Yes.”
A faint nostalgia appeared within her usually composed expression.
“Then why weren’t you disciplined by your mothers or sisters?” Sera asked gently.
Cerci lowered her gaze slightly before answering.
“My birth mother was never truly part of the trinity itself.”
“She was a priestess from the temple.”
“For a period of time, she was invited into the trinity for the sake of bearing children.”
Sera quietly listened without interrupting.
“Once her role there was fulfilled after giving birth to me…she returned to the temple.”
Cerci’s tone remained calm, without any hint of sadness about being separated from her birth mother as if it was only natural.
“The others never mistreated me.
“They fulfilled their responsibilities properly.
“But…”
She paused briefly.
“Maybe they wanted an S type or M type child. It always felt as though I was never welcomed in their trinity. I felt uncomfortable at the idea of getting trained by them.”
Sera’s eyes softened slightly.
“So eventually, I chose to go to the temple myself.”
A faint nostalgic smile appeared on Cerci’s lips.
“I even met my birth mother there.”
“But we both are N types and not compatible. So I received my training as a mare from other sisters of the temple instead.”
“Even though we served the same master at the temple for a period of time, to this day, she remains a stranger to me.”
Sera remained silent.
“At first, I wanted to become a priestess myself,” Cerci admitted quietly.
“But I lacked the necessary aptitude.
“So eventually, I came to the hive and began working as a maid within it.”
A genuine warmth appeared openly in her eyes.
“That was where I met my husband. She was such a mischievous little princess at that time.”
“It seems like I was her first love and also the one to take her virginity later on.” Cerci chuckled softly.
“She lost to me in the games of the hive many times, but she is too stubborn and vindictive.
“She hates to lose.
“And she likes to see me cry.” Cerci said, her tone resentful. “She is such a bully.”
“She challenged me again and again until…
“...until we unknowingly fell in love with each other.”
After a moment of silence.
“Yes, yes, thank you very much for the touching love story.”
Sera slowly clapped with obvious sarcasm.
For the first time since arriving, Cerci visibly panicked.
Realizing she had spoken far more than intended, her face immediately reddened.
Sera burst into laughter.
“So even the cold and expressionless maid Cerci loses herself when speaking about her beloved husband.”
Cerci immediately looked away.
Though she remained silent, the tips of her ears had already turned completely pink.
“…My apologies, Madam Sera.
“It seems I spoke too much.”
“Haha, not at all.” Sera waved her hand dismissively, still smiling. “Honestly, I’m relieved.
“It means Sister Eli has someone beside her who truly loves her.”
Her expression softened slightly.
“I can completely understand why she fought with the elders to officially bring you into the trinity as a wife.”
“To Eli, making you merely a concubine would probably feel insulting.”
Cerci quietly smiled and nodded in agreement. But her heart fluttered with love.
The atmosphere inside the gazebo gradually became much lighter.
After calming down slightly, Sera leaned back and asked casually:
“So how is Sister Eli doing lately?”
Cerci immediately returned to her usual composed demeanor.
“She has been doing well, Madam.”
“Currently, she is undergoing formal training within the temple.”
“As the future head of the clan, it is mandatory that she receives guidance regarding matters that require the temple’s authorization and cooperation with hive.”
Sera nodded knowingly.
“So aunty and the elders finally chained her down for training.”
Cerci pretended not to hear that comment.
“Today, however, I came under my mistress’s direct orders. She asked me to deliver some things to you personally.”
Only then did Cerci place the cloth-wrapped bundle she had been carrying onto the table.
Sera raised a brow curiously before unwrapping it.
Inside were several books.
Or more accurately, several handwritten manuscripts.
The moment Sera opened the first one, she immediately recognized the handwriting.
“…Sister Eli.”
Sera’s brows furrowed looking at the titles.
Lust Profiles: The Fifty Layers of Lust
Raising mare: How to train your daughter
Mare's anatomy: Know your physiology (for those who slept through the classes)
Desperate husbands of Hive: How to impregnate your wives for the utterly clueless.
General theory of mana cultivation for dummies
Sera’s eyelids twitched, feeling ridiculed by these titles, felt like beating her sister up.
Silence.
For several moments, the gazebo became deathly quiet.
With a blank expression, Sera slowly lowered the final book, slowly lifting her gaze toward Cerci.
Cerci had her head turned away and pretended to admire the scenery.
Sera simply stared at her silently.
Demanding explanation without uttering a single word.
Cerci visibly stiffened under that gaze.
Then, as though suddenly remembering something extremely important, she hurriedly pulled out a sealed letter and presented it respectfully.
“M-My mistress also instructed me to deliver this.”
Sera narrowed her eyes suspiciously before finally taking the letter.
She opened it slowly and began reading.
Copyright © [May] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
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