Early morning.

A thin veil of mist hung over the small village nestled beside the lake, as though it hadn’t yet awakened—still caught in the tranquil hush of sleep.

A few birds cut across the sky in fleeting arcs, already on their hurried journey south in search of warmer lands before the chill of late autumn set in.

Everything seemed as usual. Peaceful. Still.

A composed young girl in a black-and-white maid uniform stepped lightly through the morning dew, entering the village.

“He was definitely here.”

Standing at the village entrance, Anne narrowed her eyes and swept her gaze over the small fishing hamlet, home to no more than a few dozen households. Her refined nose twitched, as if picking up something faint in the air.

Finally, she declared with certainty:

“Young Master was here. Within the last few hours.”

“I’ve finally found you.”

A soft, enchanting smile tugged at the corners of Anne’s lips. Brimming with anticipation at having located her beloved Young Master, she stepped into the village.

“...Hm?”

She abruptly turned, looking toward one ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ of the most unremarkable houses.

From behind its tightly shut windows—from the pitch-black interior where no light could reach—it seemed like something... moved.

But as her gaze landed on it, the warped old shutters revealed nothing. An empty room. Not a single trace of life.

“...A hallucination?”

Anne glanced at it briefly, but didn’t dwell.

She hadn’t come for distractions. She was here for her beloved Young Master. Everything else was irrelevant.

. . .

I love you.

. . .

Knock knock.

Following her instincts, Anne arrived at a small courtyard steeped in the Young Master’s lingering warmth. She raised a hand and knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

A familiar voice answered from within, still thick with drowsiness.

Anne blinked in mild surprise. She recognized that voice.

Could it really be that much of a coincidence?

Before she had time to dwell on the thought, the door creaked open. A newlywed woman—still groggy and rubbing her eyes—peeked her head out.

“So early... what is it?”

“Ailuka?”

“Huh?” 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The moment Ailuka registered the voice, she blinked the sleep from her eyes. When her vision cleared and she finally saw the woman standing before her—

“Master?!”

Her eyes lit up. With a burst of joy, she lunged forward and grabbed Anne’s arm.

“What are you doing here?!”

“I...”

“Did you come to visit me?”

Anne barely had time to respond before Ailuka continued, even more delighted.

“Wait—that’s weird. I don’t think I ever told Master my home address. I just mentioned the general area, right? How did you even find this place?”

I followed the scent of the Young Master.

That’s what Anne wanted to say, but Ailuka was chattering so excitedly she didn’t have a chance.

“Anyway, forget that. Come in! It’s cold outside.”

“No need. I only—”

“What? Master, you came all this way and you’re not even going to come in for a few minutes?”

Ailuka pouted, squeezing out a few fake tears. “I’m so hurt...”

“......”

Anne sighed, helpless.

Fine. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt.

“All right. I’ll come in and sit. But only for a short while.”

“A short while’s plenty!”

Beaming, Ailuka pulled her inside, chirping like a sparrow in spring as she led the way.

“Master, are you wearing a maid outfit? It’s so cute.”

“Master, you look skinnier—have you not been eating well?”

“Master, did you travel through the night to get here?”

“Master, you—”

. . .

Once inside, Anne let herself be dragged into a seat, scanning the interior of the house instinctively.

Sure enough, the Young Master’s scent was strong. Overpoweringly strong.

He’d definitely been here.

And recently.

“Ailuka.”

“Yes, Master?”

Ailuka peeked her head out from the kitchen, where she was making tea.

“This place...”

Anne chose her words carefully.

“Have you had... any guests lately?”

“Guests? Aren’t you one, Master?”

“No. I mean before me.”

“Oh, you mean Mister Muen.”

So it’s true—he was here.

A spark of joy flickered in Anne’s eyes. The two days of tracking hadn’t been in vain—finally, progress.

Young Master, this time... I won’t let you go.

Her fist clenched tightly.

“Yeah, he was here last night. But he’s gone now.”

“Gone?”

“Mmhmm. Probably got scared off by me.”

Ailuka suddenly turned a little shy, a flush spreading across her face like a lovestruck girl. She said with mock reproach:

“It’s all Mister Muen’s fault. Who told him to sneak a peek into my bedroom in the middle of the night?”

“...He peeked into your bedroom?”

Anne’s breath hitched.

Unconsciously, her clenched fists stiffened even further.

Young Master... my bedroom door is never even closed at night. But I’ve never once caught you peeking.

Why... peek into another woman’s room?

Is wildflower really sweeter than the flower at home?

“Ah, no, no—it’s not what you’re thinking!”

As if sensing Anne’s thoughts, Ailuka waved her hands frantically.

“Mister Muen didn’t see anything inappropriate! He just walked in on me and my husband playing some... couple bonding games, that’s all!”

“...Husband?”

The word gave Anne pause.

Then realization dawned.

“You succeeded?”

“Mhm, I did!”

Ailuka beamed, eyes sparkling. Her hands went behind her back and she traced shy little circles on the floor with her toes.

“Two nights ago, after Master gave me that advice, I confessed to A’de that very night!”

“Did you.”

A faint smile curved Anne’s lips.

“That’s wonderful.”

She didn’t ask how the confession went or what happened next.

Because to her, that wasn’t important.

What mattered was taking full possession of the one you loved. Whatever it took.

And by the look of things, her disciple had succeeded.

Though... the fact that her disciple had achieved her goal first left Anne faintly annoyed.

It seems... next time she saw the Young Master, she’d need to take more extreme measures.

“Oh! Master, do you want to see?”

Ailuka’s eyes sparkled with excitement, clapping her hands together.

“Come look at the result of all my hard work!”

“This...”

Anne originally intended to refuse. After all, she was still busy tracking the Young Master.

But suddenly she reconsidered. You couldn’t innovate in isolation.

Even if she was the Master, there was no harm in learning from others.

“All right. Let me take a look, Ailuka.”

. . .

“Ta-da! Master, look—this is my most, most, most beloved husband!”

Inside the room, Ailuka beamed like she was unveiling a treasured masterpiece. She gestured toward her thoroughly “trained” lover—who was still crawling on the ground like a loyal pet dog.

“Oh ho. This kind of setup? Interesting.”

Anne had to admit—it was enlightening.

She looked at the man on all fours, collared, wearing nothing but minimal undergarments. Not a flicker of surprise crossed her face. Instead, she thoughtfully rubbed her chin.

“Well done, Ailuka.”

“Hehe... I’m still nothing compared to Master.”

Blushing from the praise, Ailuka scratched the back of her head.

“If it were you, Master, I’m sure you’d have made your lover surrender completely... body and soul.”