The new day slowly dawns, the morning light creeping over the horizon. A new day, fresh with possibility and unseen dangers.

Everything is quiet, still, as if the world is holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable events of the day to unfold.

With a determined look in her eyes, Helia springs out of bed as soon as she's awake. Today's the day, the day her and Anna will execute their plan to bring Toji down.

Dressing quickly, she slips into her maid uniform, smoothing out any creases. The pain in her back is still present, fueling her determination to make Toji pay.

Within moments, she's out of her room, scanning the corridors for any sight of Anna. She's her partner in crime today.

She finally spots her, a familiar face in a sea of maid outfits. Anna's eyes meet Helia's, a glint of determination in them that matches her own. It's clear Anna remembers the plan, has it seared into her mind.

She nods, a firm, resolute movement of her head, as she walks closer to Helia. There's no backing out now.

"Let's do this." Helia whispers, her voice devoid of fear.

They repeat the plan to be sure that nothing has been forgotten.

"I'll go into his room." Anna starts. "I'll make sure he finds me alone."

"Once he's there..." She swallows hard. The most dangerous part of the plan. "I'll use my charm."

Helia nods in agreement. "Then I'll find an elder to take him to Toji's room."

The thought of Toji being humiliated, being seen in such a vulnerable, compromising position by an elder, it's too good to pass up.

"Perfect." Helia murmurs, picturing the Zenin clan member's face twisted in surprise and indignation.

"The scandal." Anna chuckles, clearly relishing in the thought. "He'll be the talk of the compound."

Helia takes a deep breath, the anticipation building in her chest. The plan was set, everything in place. It was time to move.

They set off down the hall. Helia's heart beats loudly in her chest, the adrenaline now pumping through her veins.

She's never been more nervous...or more excited.

[...]

They finally arrive in front of Toji's door. With a final nod to Anna, Helia hides. From her hiding spot behind the wall, she keeps a vigilant eye out, her heart rate increasing with every passing second.

This is the moment of truth, the point of no return.

Anna stands in front of Toji's door, looking every bit the picture of innocence and charm. She smooths down her maid uniform, takes a deep breath, and then gently knocks on the door.

There's a moment of tense silence where time seems to stand still. The corridor is deathly quiet, not a single sound to be heard except the soft, muffled beating of Helia's heart.

Then, the door opens. And from the room emerges the imposing figure of Toji Zenin.

He stands in the doorway, his tall, muscular frame filling the space, casting a deep shadow over the area. His eyes fall onto Anna.

"Good morning, sir. I came to clean your room." She speaks in a confident tone.

He leans against the doorway, his gaze scanning over her with an almost predatorial intensity. His eyes roam over her form, drinking in her curves, her delicate features - a silent, almost hungry appraisal.

When she sees the look in Toji's eyes, Helia wonders if all of this isn't just a big mistake, if the risks they are taking are actually not worth the punishment Toji might get. But her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of his voice.

"...Come in." He murmurs.

Without another word, he steps back, creating a path into his room. It's an unspoken invitation, a dark, dangerous lure for Anna to enter his lair.

The room behind him is dimly lit, the atmosphere thick with an unsettling energy.

He gestures for her to come inside with a lazy flick of his fingers.

"Now." He orders, his tone leaving no room for disobedience.

Helia sees Toji closing the door behind Anna, and she loses no time in executing her part of the plan. Every second counts. Her heart pounds as she quickly springs out from her hiding place and begins hurrying down the corridor.

Her eyes scan the area, frantically trying to locate an elder in the compound.

Her sense of urgency grows with each passing second, the image of Toji's look when he saw Anna, fresh in her mind. The last thing Helia wants, is for Toji to do anything harmful to Anna before Helia can complete her part of the plan.

Finally, she spots an elder in the distance, standing in the courtyard. He's engaged in discussion with another clan member, a deep frown etched on his face.

Helia waits no time and runs towards them. Sensing her approach, both the elder and the other clan member turn in her direction.

They take in her panting, disheveled appearance instantly. It's clear something is wrong, something important enough to have her so out of breath and desperate.

The elder's expression immediately changes, his irritation turning to curiosity.

"What is it, girl?" He demands, his demeanor stern.

Now is the moment to put on her best show. She puts a panicked look on her face and bows.

"Excuse me for bothering you sirs, bit I think one of the maids needs some help."

The elder's frown deepens, his attention fully on her now. Concern flickers in his eyes as he regards her.

"One of the maids?" He repeats, his voice laced with both curiosity and a touch of worry.

The other young man next to him looks equally concerned, leaning a bit closer to hear her explanation.

"Yes sir, I saw her enter Toji's room and it seems that she was forced in there. I wouldn't want to cross any boundaries, but I really think she needs help quickly."

The elder's expression hardens further at the mention of Toji's name. It's no secret that the clan heir is a troublesome one.

The other clan member also stiffens, clearly aware of Toji's reputation.

The elder looks at Helia in silence for a moment, a flicker of anger in his eyes. He can't believe that Toji would stoop so low as to force himself on a maid, but somehow, given his track record, it's not entirely surprising.

The elder, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly composes himself, his voice firm.

"I'm sorry but we'll have to finish this conversation another day." He excuses himself to the other member before turning back to Helia.

"Lead the way."

[...]

The elder follows close behind Helia as she quickly strides towards Toji's room. His face is set in a mixture of anger and concern, his body tenses with anticipation.

Her heart pounds in her chest as each step brings her closer to the door, getting louder and louder in her ears until it almost drowns out all other noise.

She hopes that they won't arrive too late. That Toji hasn't done anything to Anna. They arrive in front of the door and come to a halt.

"She's in there?" He asks, his eyes narrowing in a mix of anger and anticipation.

"Yes sir."

The elder's body stiffens at her confirmation, his anger now reaching a boiling point. The elder takes a deep, steadying breath, his hand gripping the handle of the door.

"Stay back." He orders.

With that, he turns the handle and pushes the door open.

The door swings open, revealing Toji's room beyond. The light within is dim, shadows dancing on the walls from the sun.

Helia can't help but follow behind him quietly, she needs to see if Anna is okay.

They quickly scan the area, looking for any sight of Toji and the maid. And their eyes are immediately drawn to Toji's bed.

There, lying on the bed, is a sight that makes Helia's blood boil: Toji, propped up against the headboard, lazily lounging against the pillows. And next to him, partially pinned beneath his body... Anna, a look of frightened panic in her eyes.

Helia's heart stops for a second.

The elder's eyes widen in shock and anger at the sight. He lets out a hiss of disbelief, his face contorting in fury as he takes in the situation.

Toji, for his part, is apparently unbothered by the intrusion. He slowly sits up, his face a stoic mask despite the compromising position he's in.

His attitude pisses Helia off. Even when he is caught in the act, he still looks unfazed. He really believes that his status can save him from anything.

Seeing that the elder doesn't move, Helia shouts.
"Help her please!" Her voice is tainted with concern.

Toji's eyes flick over at her voice, a hint of surprise crossing his face. He clearly didn't expect her to be there. He slowly looks over the elder's shoulder, his eyes locking onto her face.

He remains seated, but now there's a slight tension in his shoulders, a hint of uncertainty.

To Helia's great relief, the elder finally moves and Anna is quickly pulled up from under Toji's body.

She stumbles for a second, clearly shaken from the encounter, but quickly regains her footing with the elder's support.

Helia gets closer to Anna, hoping that her frighten posture is only an act and that nothing bad happened when she was looking for an elder.

The elder gives Anna a comforting pat on the shoulder, as Helia wraps her arm around Anna's shoulders, glad that's she out of Toji's grasp.

The elder turns his attention back to Toji. His eyes are steely, the anger clearly still burning within him. He doesn't waste any time in addressing Toji, his voice a low, cold snap.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Toji sits quietly on the bed, his face still unreadable. His eyes dart over to Helia for a brief moment, a flicker of irritation passing over his features before he turns his gaze back to the elder.

He remains silent for a moment, an air of nonchalance surrounding him as if he's bored by the whole situation. Finally, he speaks, his voice as cold and controlled as ever.

"I was just having some fun. It's not a big deal."

The elder's face twists in fury at Toji's comment. Helia herself can't hold back her anger.

The audacity of Toji to downplay such a serious situation only infuriates the old man further, and his voice raises in volume as he responds.

"Fun? Is that what you call this? Assaulting one of the maids and having your way with her? This is beyond 'fun', Toji!"

The elder takes a step forward, his stance firm and his voice authoritative.

"Do you have no shame? Do you truly think you can do as you please with no consequences?"

He glances over at Anna, who is still visibly upset. He takes in her trembling figure and the look of terror in her eyes, and his jaw tightens.

"Enough is enough, Toji. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior, no matter who you are. You will be punished for this."

Helia restrains a smile on her face when she thinks of Toji finally paying for his cruel behavior.

Toji's face finally falters, his nonchalant demeanor slipping as he takes in the elder's words. The thought of actual consequences clearly makes him uneasy.

"Punishment? You can't punish me. I'm the clan heir." He says it as if it's a trump card, an unassailable defense.

But at the same moment, unfortunately for Toji, at the entrance of the door appears an imposing man that Helia immediately recognizes.

The clan chief, Naobito, steps into the room, his presence instantly commanding everyone's attention. He surveys the scene before him, his sharp eyes taking in the situation in one glance.

His eyes flit between Toji, the elder, Anna, and Helia before finally fixing on Toji. His face is stern, his voice cold and authoritative.

"What's this I hear about you assaulting a maid?"

•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•

Hi guys! How are you doing?

Looks like Toji is going to be in big trouble ;)

Let me know what you think of this chapter!

See you in the next chapter!

Sarah ☆