After Reincarnation, I Was Turned Into a Slave Maid by the Princess Chapter 20 : The Past Sealed in Ice and Snow

The mont she pushed open the door, Lonis froze.

Not only because the entire street was covered with ice and snow—but because she finally rembered where she had seen this world.

In her dreams, when she beca a hero!

When turning in quests at the guild, when being revered by thousands of citizens, when staying at inns—she had lived in places like this.

Although the street layouts weren't exactly the sa, the appearance of every building was identical to her mories.

It was just that everything was now covered in ice and snow, so Lonis hadn't imdiately recalled it.

And moreover...

Even that hall where she had received honors still existed.

It stood majestically at the very top of the entire city. Lonis still rembered how it had been bustling with traffic then—not only common people, but noble ladies, even the archbishop and king had co.

Everyone was cheering her na in unison. White lilies stretched from the city gates to the palace, spanning hundreds of ters in a magnificent display.

But now... what was all this about?

What was all of this...

Lonis was stunned, while black smoke began rising from Elucia's feet again.

By the ti the silver-haired girl ca to her senses, the girl-form Elucia was already standing with arms crossed, seemingly smiling as she looked at Lonis:

"Hmph, finally noticed, did you? You don't seem to be such an idiot after all..."

"Elucia?"

"Let's go. Don't you want to confirm it?"

"I..."

"If you want to stand here and beco an ice sculpture, that's fine with , but I'm going ahead first."

"W-wait!"

The familiar yet strange environnt instilled a primal fear in Lonis's heart. She didn't dare stay alone in such an open place, so she quickly chased after her.

......

Elucia's target was very clear—that hall located on high ground.

The magnificent entrance was over ten ters tall. When you got close, you had to look up to see its luxuriant eaves.

But perhaps because it had been abandoned too long?

The huge doors were already frozen shut by ice blocks and couldn't be opened at all. Even Elucia could only sigh deeply, a trace of helplessness flickering in her eyes:

"Miss Hero, although I'd love to take you on a nostalgic tour and help you complete that unfinished knighting ceremony, unfortunately, it seems there's no way."

"Ugh..."

"What a pity. Tornting you in a place like this would definitely make you submit more thoroughly... Falling from the glory of your holand into becoming a girl, you'd probably really enjoy that shaful feeling, right?"

"Who would enjoy that, you... sa-sadist!"

Lonis had wanted to say sothing even worse, but Elucia's oppressive presence was really too strong... Wearing a cute little dress, Lonis could only tremble slightly and turn her head away in feigned anger.

"Oh... don't you like it?"

"Wh-what..."

"Just imagine, if those nobles from back then saw how you look now, what would they think? Would they continue to worship you, admire you? Revere you as an invincible hero?"

"Huh?"

"No, they'd only think about how to push you down, how to use up your last bit of value... The forr hero actually beca such an adorable girl—who knows how many people would want to lock you up in a little dark room and imprison you?"

"N-no, that's not right. I did many things, so..."

"So certain people would be even more jealous? Like those nobles who originally wanted to marry the princess, like those gloomy old n. They would rcilessly tornt you, making you completely beco a public stuffed toy."

"!!!"

Being told this by Elucia, Lonis's back was already completely cold.

Co to think of it, the reason she was revered was because she had incomparable power.

But once that power disappeared?

Like now, having beco a girl with no strength to tie a chicken, probably many people would want to do excessive things to her, right?

"Ugh..."

Thinking of this, Lonis suddenly felt sowhat dejected, and crystalline tears seed to appear in her eyes.

And Elucia?

Seeing that she had bullied Lonis enough, she changed her approach:

"Alright, you're not completely useless. At least, if your power hadn't disappeared, you'd still be a qualified hero."

"Wasn't all that stuff from the virtual world?"

"So you don't need to worry about virtual things. Now, you just need to obediently be my slave maid."

While saying this, Elucia tugged at the collar around Lonis's neck.

"Ugh..."

"I've said what I needed to say. Now you follow behind and don't ask anything more."

Following Elucia's footsteps, Lonis's originally lancholy mood also eased sowhat.

At least...

She was still alive, wasn't she?

Although becoming a girl was shaful, although being treated as a slave had no dignity,

compared to those already dead in coffins, compared to those corpses already sealed under the earth, she was already much luckier, wasn't she?

Lonis wasn't naturally a sad person. After a mont of self-encouragent using the "spiritual victory thod," she regained her composure and discovered a problem she hadn't noticed before:

Since she had co to this city when she was a hero,

it ant the world in the virtual world was closely related to this current Snow Kingdom royal capital.

Perhaps those nobles, citizens, and kings she had once seen were all people who had actually lived!

And Elucia, understanding both this city and her previous life's experiences, might also have countless connections to both places.

Plus...

......

Just as Lonis was thinking, a voice ca from ahead:

"Lonis, if you're going to walk this slowly on two legs, you can crawl."

"Huh?!"

"Or are you deliberately walking this slowly because you want to punish you?"

Only then did Lonis realize that because of her distraction, she was already so distance from Elucia.

She quickly ran up and apologized: "Ah ah, sorry!"

"If saying sorry worked, what would we need prisons for?"

"Huh?"

"Hmph, I'll consider your behavior as being absent-minded from revisiting old places. Later, I might have to deal with so annoying little troubles, so don't try any clever tricks while I'm at it."

"Oh... oh?"

"From now on, you hold your own collar. Hmph, even leading a dog would walk faster than you."

Elucia waved her hand, throwing the other end of the collar chain into Lonis's hands.

She herself took out that pitch-black long sword from her waist, then took out a belt and tied her long hair back into a ponytail.

It had to be said that Elucia already looked extrely handso in girl form, with quite a boyish decisiveness.

And now with her hair in a ponytail, Elucia had the bearing of a female general, as if even thousands of troops appearing before her wouldn't disturb her in the slightest.

(So cool!)

(No wait, I'm a hero who likes soft girls. Loli Elucia is barely acceptable (though her chest is too small). Like this now, she's totally not my type, right?)

Lonis shook her head, quickly suppressing the urge to kneel down.

And Elucia walked solemnly to a pitch-black stone house, frowning:

"As expected, still here. That guy actually dares to co back?"

"Dares to co back..."

"Stay behind , keep a 5-ter distance."

Elucia pushed open the stone house door and what ca into view was a downward staircase.

......

......