Chapter 33: Easy Missions
Clay stood in the center of the grand hall, his expression calm, almost indifferent, as if the pressure from every gaze around him ant nothing at all.
The golden light from above cast long reflections across the polished floor, illuminating his figure in a way that made him appear both composed and distant from everything happening around him.
Without hesitation, he lifted his eyes and t the Holy King’s gaze directly.
"Your Majesty," he said, his voice steady and unhurried, "our deal?"
The words echoed clearly through the hall.
For a brief mont, silence lingered between them all. Then it was imdiately shattered.
"What insolence!"
"How dare you speak to His Majesty like that!"
"Such arrogance from a re young master!"
The ministers erupted one after another, their voices overlapping, rising in outrage, each one trying to outdo the other in condemning Clay’s tone and manner.
Their robes swayed as they stepped forward, pointing fingers, their faces flushed with anger as if they had just witnessed an unforgivable act.
"This is the Holy Court, not your family estate!"
"You stand before the King and speak as though you are his equal?"
"Do you think your family na protects you from your own disrespect?"
Their voices filled the hall, loud and relentless, as if they were trying to crush Clay under the weight of their authority alone.
Amidst them, one figure stepped forward with far greater intensity.
Cross Valmont.
Clay’s father.
His face was tight with anger, his eyes burning as he looked directly at his son.
"Clay!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "Have you lost your mind?"
He took another step forward, his robes sweeping behind him, his presence commanding enough to silence a few of the ministers closest to him.
"Do you even understand where you are standing right now?" Cross continued, his voice heavy with both fury and disbelief. "This is the Holy Court, the very center of the kingdom’s power, and yet you dare to speak so casually to His Majesty as if you were negotiating a trivial matter in so marketplace!"
He pointed directly at Clay, his finger trembling slightly.
"You were not raised like this. I did not raise you to beco a disrespectful, arrogant child who forgets his place the mont he gains a little confidence!"
His voice grew louder, sharper.
"You bring sha not only to yourself, but to the entire Valmont family! Every word you speak reflects upon us, upon , upon everything we have built! And yet here you stand, acting as though none of it matters!"
The hall grew quieter as Cross continued, his words carrying a weight that no one dared interrupt.
"If you have forgotten your manners, then rember them now. Lower your head. Apologize to His Majesty properly. Show the respect that is expected of you!"
Behind Clay, Cerys’ eyes flickered with a cold light.
She stepped forward, her presence suddenly sharp, her aura faintly pressing outward.
"You all," she said, her voice low but filled with a dangerous edge, "you dare speak to my young master like that?"
The temperature in the hall seed to drop.
Several ministers stiffened, their instincts screaming at them as they felt sothing off about her presence.
But before anything could escalate further, Clay frowned slightly.
"Maid," he said calmly.
He reached out and pulled her back with a gentle but firm motion.
His voice softened just enough to carry authority without hostility.
"He is my father. Do not be disrespectful."
Cerys blinked.
For a brief mont, her expression froze.
Then, almost instantly, she lowered her head.
"I apologize," she said, her voice respectful, a hint of embarrassnt slipping through. "I spoke out of line."
She stepped back, her posture proper once more.
Clay let out a quiet breath and guided her slightly behind him.
But as his hand brushed against her arm, his expression changed.
He paused.
This...
There was sothing wrong.
Sothing unfamiliar.
Sothing heavy.
The mont his fingers made contact, he felt it.
A lingering presence within her.
A dense, faintly violent aura that clung to her body like a shadow that refused to fade.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
This feeling... this isn’t normal mana.
System... What is this?
The system’s voice appeared imdiately.
Ding!
Residual bloodthirsty mana detected.
Clay’s mind stilled.
Bloodthirsty mana...
The words echoed in his thoughts.
He had seen it before.
Not in this life.
But in that dream.
In that future.
In the version of Cerys the Final Villainess, that bloodthirsty mana of hers beca sothing far more terrifying.
A cold existence.
A killing machine that moved without hesitation, without rcy.
If this builds up... she’ll turn into that.
Clay’s gaze lingered on her for a mont longer.
Did she... kill that many people after I told her to go last week?
The amount he felt wasn’t small.
It wasn’t sothing that ca from a single fight.
This was accumulated.
Layered and Repeated countless tis.
His expression remained calm on the surface, but inside, his thoughts tightened.
System. Can you fix this?
The response ca instantly.
Naturally.
Clay didn’t even hesitate.
Tell
what to do.
A familiar chi rang in his mind.
Ding!
Mission 1: Order your Assassin Maid to kiss you in front of everyone.
Reward: Low Level Purifying Ability.
Mission 2: Tease the Assassin Maid to kiss you in front of everyone.
Reward: Middle Class Purifying Ability.
Mission 3: Signal the Assassin Maid to willingly kiss you in front of everyone without doing anything.
Reward: High Class Purifying Ability.
Impossible Mission 4: Make the Assassin Maid to willingly kiss you in front of everyone without doing anything.
Reward: Overlord Purifying Ability.
Punishnt: Super Itchy Pubic Hair.
Clay’s eyes widened.
The punishnt...
A chill ran down his spine.
This damned system...
He could already imagine it.
No matter how composed he tried to act, no matter how dignified he appeared in front of the entire court—if that punishnt activated...
No. Absolutely not.
He clenched his teeth slightly.
That is not happening.
This system, because it is defective, gives too overpowered abilities...
If that’s the case, it’s safe to assu that the punishnts would be...
Clay couldn’t even imagine it and decided to take his mind off of it.
He glanced over the options again.
He started to analyze them one by one.
Mission 1 is easy... but the reward is trash.
His gaze shifted.
Mission 2... doable... but still awkward.
Then his eyes settled.
Mission 3... just a signal.
He exhaled slowly.
That’s the best one.
Behind him, Cerys remained still, her posture calm, but her mind was anything but.
She could not hear his thoughts now.
But she could feel sothing.
A pause.
A mont of hesitation.
Then—
A single thought slipped through.
How do I make my maid kiss
on the cheek?
Her heart skipped.
Her body stiffened slightly.
W-What?
For a mont, her thoughts scattered.
Facing enemies, killing targets, dealing with danger... none of that made her hesitate.
But this?
This simple, unexpected thought?
It shook her more than any battle.
Her fingers curled slightly.
Why... why is this harder than killing soone?
She swallowed quietly.
Her gaze lowered for a mont.
But...
She rembered.
The inheritance.
The guidance.
The warnings.
The future he had shared.
The truth about Howard.
Everything.
Her lips pressed together.
I owe him.
A deep breath.
And... I’m still hiding the truth from him that I am the final Villainess he was avoiding.
Guilt stirred in her chest.
Then, slowly—
She made up her decision.
Whatever...
Her expression softened slightly.
This is my thanks... and my apology.
Without warning—
She stepped forward.
Leaned in.
And pressed her lips gently against Clay’s cheek.
For a mont—
Ti seed to stop.
The entire hall froze.
The ministers.
The guards.
Even the Holy King.
Everyone stared.
Clay’s body stiffened completely.
His eyes widened.
His mind went blank.
...
...
...
She kissed ?
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