Helia stands in front of the mirror in her room, her eyes fixating on the red marks on her neck. Memories of the previous day's events flood her mind, and she can't help but feel a tinge of discomfort as she gently touches the sensitive skin.

The physical reminders of Naoya's unwanted advances continue to linger, a painful reminder of the incident.

She carefully slides into her maid uniform, making sure the red marks on her neck remain hidden. While the spots are partially concealed most of the time, they become visible if she moves in certain ways.

She adjusts her clothes and takes a final look in the mirror, hoping the marks are inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed as she prepares for work.

It seems that Naoya hasn't sought revenge for the incident from the previous day.

She doubts that he's not taking revenge because he's afraid of her after she kicked a sensitive part. His absence of action probably comes from a sense of shame and embarrassment.

Despite being a sorcerer who has undergone rigorous training, he was humbled by a mere maid like herself, a fact that he might find difficult to accept.

Even though the memory of his lips against her neck still repulses her, she can't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction when she reflects on her actions against Naoya.

Despite her initial fear, she had found the strength to stand up for herself and defend against his advances. The fact that Naoya had been humbled by her unexpected resistance brings a sense of triumph and contentment to her heart.

A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she realizes that he finally received a taste of his own medicine.

With her uniform properly adjusted, she steps out of her room, hopeful that the red spots on her neck are sufficiently concealed.

She walks into the corridors before stepping into a grand hall, finding herself accompanied by a dozen other maids, all tasked with the duty of cleaning the space.

[...]

Toji enters a large hall, he wears his usual detached and cold expression. He's merely passing through when he spots Helia working amongst the other maids.

His eyes briefly glance in her direction, but her focus remains on her cleaning tasks, and she doesn't notice his presence.

A wave of anger rushes through him just like every time he sees her. For some reasons that infuriate him, even if he wants to ignore her, she's always in his sight.

As he's about to continue on his path, his eyes catch a glimpse of the red spots on her neck. His gaze sharpens, and his steps halt briefly, his attention now drawn to the marks.

Despite her efforts to conceal the marks on her neck, the fact that they become visible when she moves around make it impossible to completely hide them.

He quickly walks out of the hall with a hint of anger in his demeanor. He continues on his path, but the sight of the red spots on her neck has stirred something within him, leaving him slightly worked up.

Questions flood his mind. He wonders if she has found a new lover and spent intimate moments with him. But why does he care? Why does the thought anger him?

Perhaps the sight of someone else's marks on her neck, indicating a new relationship, brings up old emotions for Toji.

Maybe he feels angered by the fact that while he was still stuck in his own heartache, she has moved on and found someone new so quickly.

Even if he's trying to convince himself that now, anything related to her is none of his business, he still wants to know why she has marks on her neck.

While he's walking at high pace in the corridors, he comes across the red-haired maid who had once informed him of Helia's spying incident.

Seeing her again, he decides to take the opportunity to seek answers to his burning questions. After all, she had been right about Helia spying on him.

When he's close enough, he addresses the red-haired maid, his voice authoritative.

"Hey, you."

The maid swiftly rotates, her face lighting up with a wide smile at the sight of Toji. Her eyes brighten, and a spark of excitement dances across her features. It's clear that she's happy with his presence.

"Oh! Toji! How can I help you?!"

The maid's enthusiastic response is evident in her voice, as she eagerly awaits Toji's request.

His expression turns slightly repulsed as he observes the maid's cheerful smile. He takes a moment to consider his next words, then continues.

"You had mentioned that you were a friend of Helia last time." He says, his voice maintaining its cold, collected tone.

The maid nods vigorously, her smile still unwavering. She responds eagerly, clearly pleased that Toji has remembered their previous conversation.

"Yes, yes, I did! We're good friends." The maid confirms, her voice filled with excitement.

Toji struggled to form the words, his tone tinged with a hint of reluctance. He took a deep breath, suppressing his pride, before finally managing to ask the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"Is she... seeing someone right now...?" He inquires, his voice barely above a whisper.

The maid's sly smile and innocent tone seem almost deliberate as she replies, her response intentionally vague.

"Oh... I don't know..." She answers, feigning ignorance with a touch of playfulness. "I wouldn't want to cause her any trouble, you know..."

Toji's tone hardens, and his eyes narrow as he speaks with determination. "Tell me." He demands, his voice cold and unwavering.

She maid feigns more innocence, her words carefully chosen as she responds, her tone dripping with innocence.

"Well...yesterday I saw her enter Naoya's room to clean it... I don't know what's going on between the two of them... But she spent quite some time in the room..."

His expression darkens as he processes the maid's words. The thought of Helia alone in Naoya's room, spending an extended amount of time, stirs a mix of anger and frustration within him.

He mentally makes a note, a sense of anger rising within him as images of Naoya and Helia together flood his thoughts. He silently resolves to deal with Naoya later.

As Toji prepares to take his leave, having obtained the information he sought, the maid hastily attempts to halt him. Her voice takes on a desperate but flirty tone, hoping to keep his attention a bit longer.

"Wait, Toji, don't go just yet," she pleads, her voice dripping with an air of flirtation. "I have something else to tell you..."

He turns towards the maid, his annoyance clearly visible on his face. Every word she utters grates on his nerves. He responds curtly, his tone laced with irritation.

"What is it? I don't have all day."

She maid takes a step closer, her gaze fixed on Toji. She pouts slightly, feigning innocence, as she replies in a seductive tone.

"I thought maybe we could...you know...hang out. Just the two of us."

He regards her with a cold gaze, his disgust written all over his face. He looks at her as if she's the most repulsive thing he's ever laid eyes on.

"No."

He doesn't spare another glance at the persistent maid. He swiftly turns away, his footsteps purposeful as he begins to walk away, eager to put some distance between himself and the bothersome maid.

Her disappointed expression slowly turns to anger, frustrated by Toji's blunt rejection. She crosses her arms and watches him leave; her pride slightly wounded.

[...]

He continues on his way, a sense of relief washing over him as he puts some distance between himself and the creepy maid. His mind, however, is in a state of turmoil, his thoughts consumed by the revelation that Helia spent time in Naoya's bedroom.

For a brief moment yesterday, Toji had dared to hope. Perhaps if he had heard her side of the story, there could have been possibility of resolving a possible misunderstanding.

But the marks on her neck and the maid's words extinguished any possibility of a peaceful resolution.

The evidence pointing to her closeness with Naoya leaves little room for doubt, and his anger reasserts itself, stronger than ever.

So that was it? She had spied on him, made him fall in love with her and then she just went to someone else?

He recalls that time a few days ago where she had tried to explain herself when he had confronted her. And he can't help but feel a slight pang of amusement.

The thought of her making excuses for her spying, as if she had any genuine concern for his feelings, now seems ironic given her recent actions with Naoya.

His anger escalates even further at realization that he's still thinking about her, letting her actions affect him, when she had clearly moved on without a second thought.

He reprimands himself mentally for allowing her to hold any power over his emotions. The knowledge that she has moved on with such ease while he remains trapped in his own emotions fuels his growing frustration.

Despite the storm of anger and frustration raging inside him, a hint of doubt creeps in. He begins to wonder if there could be a misunderstanding, or if perhaps the maid had twisted the truth.

He despised himself for allowing his heart to hesitate, for the slightest doubt to enter his mind. But a small part of him still clung to the hope that Helia was not the villain his mind was painting her as.

He knew her personality, her values. The thought of her being seductive and casually throwing herself at men didn't align with the person he believed her to be.

But then again, does he truly know her? The person she had showed him when they were together, was it real? Or was it just another one of her lies?

He can't help the waves of anger rushing through him, getting bigger at each thought.

His anger turns to Naoya. The fact that Naoya ignored his warning about staying away from Helia becomes a target for Toji's fury. He resolves to make Naoya pay for getting too close to her.

But his anger is directed not only at Naoya but also at Helia. She had played him, it was as simple as that, there was no other explanation. She had hurt him, and it didn't even bother her.

He silently vows that once he's dealt with Naoya, Helia too will face the consequences for the pain she has caused him.