The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 283 - Springtime for the Beastkin Maid (7)

Before he knew it, Will had spent a peaceful week in the old Hysterm estate.

Over those seven days, he had watched as the garden, meticulously trimmed by Eir’s hands, shed its yellowed leaves one by one.

As the sun set earlier each evening, the nights grew longer, requiring the soft glow of lamplight to chase away the darkness.

Eir’s thin maid dress had been replaced by a slightly thicker one, paired with a shawl, while Will himself had dug out a heavy coat—somehow still left behind in the house—to ward off the encroaching cold.

And just like that...

As swiftly as summer had faded into autumn, the brief week plunged headlong toward winter.

Will was used to busy weeks.

Whether it was...

Like in his past life—work, work, work. Monday meetings. Tuesday system maintenance. Wednesday battle design. Thursday discussions with the art team. Friday tying up loose ends on projects...

Or in this world—every day spent either improving himself or figuring out how to improve those failed heroines, reading stacks upon stacks of magic tomes, and desperately trying to stave off his looming demise.

But now, things were different.

He had originally planned to stay here just long enough to recover from the mental strain of Treya’s imprisonment while keeping an eye on her movements from the safety of this forgotten home.

And, of course, to wait for Shuna. He was certain that as the true protagonist, she would find a way to escape Treya’s grasp.

Yet time passed so quickly. Sitting by the window, watching Eir bustle about outside, strolling with her through the tended garden, no longer staying up late—just dinner after sunset, then straight to bed.

In short...

Compared to the three years he’d spent in the capital, this felt more like the leisurely life he’d led during his first fourteen years as the young master of House Hysterm.

Though Eir did occasionally act in ways that went beyond their usual closeness—

Like suddenly leaning in, hoping Will would kiss her forehead. Or abruptly grabbing his hand to guide it behind her ear for scratches. Or deliberately—or perhaps not—hugging his arm, pressing her soft chest against his elbow.

Will could sense the unease in her.

She never said it outright, but every time he put on his hat to leave the house, her face would twist as if on the verge of tears, fingers clutching his sleeve to stop him.

Whenever he tried to discuss future plans in front of her, she would immediately interrupt—either with freshly brewed tea or a small cake pulled from the oven.

And at night, though bound by the rules of a servant to sleep in a separate room, Will could still see the faint candlelight seeping under his door and the sliver of grey eyes peeking in to confirm he hadn’t vanished from his bed.

Yet, overall, she seemed tamer than the all-consuming obsessions of Leah or Treya.

In fact...

After feeling Eir’s devotion firsthand, Will found himself...

Not wanting to leave.

He couldn’t quite explain why.

On the surface, Eir’s demeanor was far more passive than the other two.

Dressed in her maid uniform, she was still the obedient little maid who would follow his every word. The same Eir who had been abandoned in the border forests of Entark, rescued as winter loomed. The same shy, reserved Eir.

But that very passivity created a kind of delicate vulnerability.

It was as if she was offering herself—piece by piece—while carefully ensuring she didn’t break under the weight of her own emotions.

......

And so, seven days slipped by in a blur.

——Whoosh.

When he sat up in bed that morning, the wind outside gusted through the half-open window, carrying the bone-deep chill of winter into the room.

A shudder ran through him just as a knock sounded at the door.

Tap-tap-tap.

“Come in. It’s fine.”

“Mm...! Young Master, you’re still dressed so lightly... It’s gotten colder today.”

“I just woke up. Haven’t changed yet.”

“Young Master, the house used to have coal heating—that’s how they warmed the sauna I used before. But now, it’s just us two...”

Eir stepped inside, arms laden with firewood she’d apparently gathered from the nearby mountains earlier that morning. She knelt by the fireplace and began stacking logs inside.

“Mm! So, I had to gather some wood myself.”

Will couldn’t even imagine how she’d managed to carry so much on her own.

“Are you sure you don’t need help? I could—a-achoo!”

He had just started unbuttoning his sleepwear, about to climb out of bed, when the frigid air hit him full force.

Will wasn’t the type to laze in bed just because of the cold.

But today’s chill did make the idea oddly tempting.

“Young Master—I told you to put on warmer clothes! Look, you’re already sneezing!”

Before he could even finish rubbing his nose, Eir had dashed to his side, perching on the edge of the bed—mere centimeters from where his legs were still buried under the blankets.

Then...

She carefully took his hands in hers, cradling them between her palms.

Perhaps because she was a beastkin, Eir’s body temperature ran slightly higher than a human’s. The warmth of her skin seeped into Will’s fingers, instantly chasing away the cold.

“Mm...”

“Young Master? Is everything okay?”

“...Yeah. It’s warm. Thanks.”

“If Young Master likes it... I can make it even warmer...”

Before he could react, Eir suddenly yanked the covers aside and curled up against him, her fluffy tail brushing over his knees as she nestled into his lap like an overgrown puppy.

Then, she hugged him.

The heat radiating from her body was undeniable.

Like a living furnace, she clung to him, warmth pouring into his skin without him having to lift a finger.

Eir was a shield knight who wielded ice magic—yet here she was, melting the winter frost with nothing but her presence.

And maybe...

Without even realizing it, Will had already let his guard down around her. From allowing her into his room while still half-asleep, to changing in front of her without a second thought...

He rested his head against her shoulder, soaking in not just her warmth but the softness unique to beastkin.

Lying here like this, wrapped in her embrace, actually felt better than burrowing under the blankets alone.

“But, Young Master... can Eir... also receive your mark?”

“Huh?”

For a moment, Will didn’t grasp what she meant.

What... what mark?

Eir had always seemed so innocent—he hadn’t even considered that she might want him in that way.

Wait...

The mark she was talking about—could it be...?

——By the time the realization hit, it was already too late.

“Because Eir noticed it.”

“On Treya’s body... there was a strong scent of Young Master. So, the first time I saw her, even though she didn’t say a word, just standing there felt like a challenge.”

“It’s strange. Normally, Eir wouldn’t know how to describe that feeling, but...”

“At that moment, I knew exactly what I was thinking.”

She tugged off her boots, revealing white stockings that clung to the curve of her feet. Starting with the faintly visible flesh of her heels, she stepped onto Will’s bed.

“It was... anger, right?”

Will sighed. Of course he understood.

For all of them, the very first lesson he had taught was—don’t lose to anyone else’s possessiveness.

Even Eir, who obeyed his every whim, wasn’t exempt from that emotion.

“Yes, just as expected of Young Master. No one in this world understands Eir better than you.”

She nodded, her expression tinged with something like revenge, as if today was the day she would reclaim what was hers.

Effortlessly, Eir draped the thick blanket over Will’s shoulders, cocooning his upper body in warmth.

As for his lower half—

Kneeling on the bed, her socks pristine and glowing faintly in the morning light, she shifted back slightly, bracing her arms against the soft mattress.

“Question 37 of the 300 Questions for Going Blackening: What action can forge the most unbreakable bond between you and the one you love?”

“Marking them—whether it’s you leaving your imprint on them, or them leaving theirs on you.”

“A mark of ownership is something that can never be taken away.”

Will suddenly understood why Eir had been “cleaning his room” every morning this week.

She had been waiting for this moment.

“For Eir, the scent Young Master leaves behind is the most unmistakable mark. To me, it’s the most important thing in the world.”

“Because, just as Young Master always told me, my strongest trait is my sense of smell—the one that lets me find you no matter where you are.”

“Eir has known for a long time. From the other servants in House Hysterm... I’ve heard that personal maids are supposed to serve their masters in every way.”

“But Young Master never brought it up. So... Eir decided to take the initiative.”

She leaned down—decisive, unwavering.

At this moment, Will wasn’t under any control. He didn’t sense even a trace of the magic Eir usually used to immobilize her foes.

The girl who could freeze enemies solid with a thought had, on this coldest morning of the year, left him completely free.

Meaning...

He could have resisted. Pushed her away. Stopped her at any moment.

And yet...

By giving him choice, she had trapped him more thoroughly than any spell.

Watching her wolf ears twitch, Will’s half-raised hand dropped back to the sheets.

Eir wasn’t using force—but her passivity, her devotion, presented him with the hardest question of all:

—Will you accept Eir’s love?

—Will you willingly surrender to the feeling of being loved?

Yes, he knew better than anyone. Eir was just like them now.

But after tasting hope, warmth, and the comfort of being cherished...

Maybe he didn’t want to resist.

Maybe drowning in this feeling of being loved was something he couldn’t refuse—not when it made him feel alive for the first time in so long.

......

Gulp.

At the sound of a swallow, Will glanced up to see Eir pulling away slightly.

She reached for the cup of water by the bedside, took a sip, then wiped her lips.

“Without Young Master’s permission... Eir can only go this far. If Young Master is still willing...”

“No, Eir...”

Will caught her wrist, pulling her fingers toward him.

“...This shouldn’t end here.”

“A mark... should go deeper, don’t you think?”

—