The water in the washbasin was completely black.
Rias stared at the foul-smelling sludge he had scrubbed off his skin, wrinkling his nose. Purging fifteen years of impurities was a miracle, but it certainly wasn't Excitable.
After drying himself off, he wears a simple white shirt and dark trousers.
He noticed the difference immediately. The clothes hung a little looser. His sickly pallor was gone, replaced by a healthy, subtle glow.
'Sigh...'
He slumped back onto the edge of the massive bed.
His lungs expanded effortlessly, drawing in the ambient mana of the room thanks to his new [Celestial Void Breathing Art]. It was intoxicating.
*Grumble...*
Rias blinked, looking down at his stomach.
The violent reconstruction of his body had burned an immense amount of energy. He was absolutely starving, and a minor healing potion wouldn't fix an empty stomach.
'I suppose I should head to the kitchens and see what scraps are left,' Rias thought, pushing himself up.
*Knock...* *Knock...*
Rias paused.
No one ever visited his room. His siblings ignored him, the Duke despised him, and the Head Butler had already visited once.
"Come in," Rias called out nonchalantly, sitting back down.
The heavy oak door creaked open. A young girl in a crisp maid's uniform stepped inside. She had bright green eyes, freckles, and a smile so sweetly innocent it belonged on a stage.
She balanced a covered silver tray in her hands.
Lily. His "personal" maid.
'Ah,' Rias thought, leaning back.
'Right on schedule.'
In the original novel, Lily was a recurring nightmare. Officially, she cared for his quarters. In reality, she was on the payroll of his older siblings. They paid her well to make his life miserable in petty, deniable ways.
She mixed crushed fire-peppers into his porridge. She shrank his training clothes. She whispered abusive insults when no one was listening.
Did Rias hate her for it?
Honestly, as the author looking at it objectively... no.
If a bunch of terrifying aristocratic prodigies offered him gold to bully the family punching bag, he'd probably take the money too. It was just good business.
But understanding her motive didn't mean he was going to eat her poison.
"Young Master Rias!" Lily chirped, her voice dripping with false concern.
"I heard you collapsed again during training. I was sick with worry! I took special care to prepare your dinner myself..."
She pulled the silver lid off the tray with a flourish.
A bowl of thick beef stew sat there, steaming invitingly.
It looked perfect. It smelled perfect.
But her smile stretched just a fraction too wide. Her eyes gleamed with hidden malice. It was the look of someone waiting for a rat to snap the trap.
Rias activated his heightened senses, taking a subtle sniff of the air.
Beneath the rich aroma of roasted beef, there was a faint, sharp tang. Acidic. Numbing.
Blood-Root Extract. A severe laxative that caused agonizing stomach cramps.
'They really want to keep me bedridden, huh?' Rias mused.
Lily stepped closer, offering the tray.
"Please, Young Master. Eat it while it's hot. You need your strength."
Rias looked at the stew. Then, he looked up at Lily.
Instead of the nervous, trembling boy she was used to terrorizing, the young man simply smiled. It was a soft, breathtakingly gentle smile.
His crimson eyes locked onto hers, glowing faintly in the dim room.
Lily froze. A shiver ran down her spine. The air in the room suddenly felt... heavy.
"Lily," Rias said, his voice dropping to a smooth, velvety whisper.
"You truly are too good to me."
"E-Excuse me?" she stammered.
Rias stood up, stepping into her personal space. He gently placed his hand over hers on the silver tray. His skin was warm, his grip surprisingly firm.
"My siblings ignore me. The staff mocks me. But you..." Rias sighed dramatically, his eyes swimming with feigned emotion.
"You work so hard for me. You even cooked this yourself."
"I... well, yes, Young Master, it is my duty—"
"Nonsense," Rias interrupted softly. He reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"You look pale, Lily. Exhausted. Serving a failure like me must be taking its toll on your health."
Lily's cheeks flushed red. Her brain short-circuited.
The usually pathetic Young Master was suddenly oozing an overwhelming, aristocratic charisma. She couldn't look away from those intense red eyes.
"I cannot, in good conscience, eat this while you look so fatigued," Rias continued. His tone turned authoritative but kind.
He picked up the silver spoon, scooped a generous portion of the poisoned stew, and held it to her lips.
"Here. You must eat this. Keep up your strength."
Lily's eyes widened in sheer horror. She stared at the spoon like it was a loaded crossbow.
"Y-Young Master! I couldn't possibly! It is a grave sin to eat the master's food!" she babbled, trying to step back.
Rias's grip on the tray tightened. His gentle smile didn't waver, but his crimson eyes turned ice-cold.
"I insist, Lily. In fact, that is an order. Open your mouth."
The air pressure in the room seemed to crush down on her.
The energy circulating in his body naturally exuded a faint, oppressive aura of pure mana. To an unawakened maid, it felt like standing in front of a predator.
Trembling, her mind completely blank with panic, Lily opened her mouth.
Rias fed her the hearty scoop of stew.
She swallowed it without chewing. Her face instantly drained of all color.
"Good girl," Rias whispered cheerfully.
"How does it taste?"
Three seconds passed.
Suddenly, Lily's hands flew to her throat. Her eyes bulged.
A violent, deep shade of purple rushed to her cheeks as the concentrated Blood-Root Extract hit her stomach like a fiery battering ram.
"Hrk—!" She gagged, dropping the tray.
It hit the floor with a clatter, spilling the remaining stew over the marble tiles.
"Oh dear," Rias said mildly, stepping back to avoid the splash.
"Did you eat too fast?"
Lily didn't answer. She clutched her violently gurgling stomach, tears of absolute pain streaming down her face.
She looked at Rias—who watched her with cold, detached amusement—and realized with a jolt of terror that he knew.
He knew everything.
"P-Please excuse me!" she squeaked. She spun around and bolted out of the bedroom, desperate to reach the servants' lavatory.
Rias watched her run, a genuine chuckle escaping his lips.
[Ding!]
[System Notification: Hidden Condition Met!]
[You have successfully manipulated an enemy using wit and charisma...]
[New Skill Acquired: Deception (Active - Lv. 1)]
[Description: Allows the Host to seamlessly fake emotions and mask their true intentions. +10% to persuasion checks when lying.]
Rias grinned, swiping the notification away.
"Well, that was entertaining," he muttered, stepping over the spilled stew.
"But I'm still starving. Guess I'm going to the kitchens after all."