As Raziel walked for a little while, he could see in the distance a beautiful street made of light brown wood and well-crafted houses that clearly only the wealthy could afford. As he entered that street, a sense of relaxation washed over him like a soothing wave.
The feeling was so good that Raziel walked slowly, savoring every moment of it. When he finally noticed his new house right in front of him, he was taken aback by its majestic appearance, even more impressive than he remembered from his memories.
That place was truly stunning, with a backyard so well-tended that it hinted at the meticulous care of a skilled gardener.
'Wow... if this is really where I'm going to live, you can't blame me for becoming a shut-in,' he thought proudly, envisioning endless days of peace and luxury ahead.
Raziel reached into his pocket and retrieved a magic card, placing it against the door. To his surprise, the handle opened on its own. As he observed this, he couldn't help but wonder if magic was really more convenient than advanced technology.
Lost in thought, Raziel was abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a stunning young woman at the entrance.
She had flowing blonde hair, porcelain skin resembling freshly fallen snow, a semi-petite figure, and large purple eyes. Her sudden presence nearly startled him, leaving Raziel both intrigued and captivated, his mind racing with questions about who this mysterious girl could be.
But then he realized consulting his memories was unnecessary. The girl in the black and white maid dress was none other than Clarice Campbell, a heroine who served as Raziel's personal maid, just as depicted in the game.
"Eh... Clarice?" he asked, his expression showing a blend of surprise and curiosity.
"Yes, young master, it's me. Welcome back," she said, her face expressionless and her voice sounding slightly forced.
"I see... so I'll be retiring to my room for today. Could you bring my lunch and a bottle of wine?" He requested calmly.
"Yes, young master," she replied coldly, then promptly hurried off to the kitchen.
He didn't care much about her reaction but remained wary. In the game, she had betrayed Raziel by revealing his plan to kill Erick in the finale of episode two.
But he couldn't judge her because she worked for him only due to Raziel's father's promise to pay for her mother's treatment if she became his son's personal maid, attending to his every need.
This is what she truly believed, but in reality, Raziel's father had lied and never helped treat her mother's rare disease. This deception led to Clarice's absolute hatred toward him and his family.
Clarice only discovered the truth after Erick exposed it, taking her to the hospital, where she learned the heartbreaking reality: her mother had already been dead for at least a week.
After the protagonist comforted Clarice, she revealed everything about Raziel, prompting Erick to devise a plan for revenge against him and his family. The downfall of his family is set in episode four, titled "The Fall of the Harvestead Family."
Unwilling to see his comfortable life threatened, Raziel decided that showing a bit of compassion might be worthwhile.
He resolved to try to save Clarice's mother's life and then send them away, convinced that she would not trouble him again.
After all, if he honored his father's deal, she probably wouldn't hate him, and Clarice didn't enjoy being his maid, which could have given him a good reason to dismiss her without any issues.
Some time passed, and he found himself lying on his bed, engrossed in novels from that world. They were captivating and well-written, and the language barrier posed no obstacle, allowing him to fully enjoy his reading.
As he immersed himself in the novel, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted his concentration. Suddenly, the door swung open, and there stood Clarice, gracefully holding a tray adorned with an elaborate lunch and an expensive bottle of wine.
'This is what I'm talking about!' he thought to himself, savoring the sight of good food, fine drink, and the presence of a beautiful girl.
"Thank you, Clarice. You can place the tray on my bed," he requested firmly, trying to emulate a noble tone.
Suddenly, the expressionless girl gave him a strange look after he spoke, causing him to hesitate, wondering what might be wrong.
Her expression then returned to normal as she silently obeyed his request, eager to quickly leave the room.
When she approached the door, Raziel suddenly asked, "Clarice, I'll be going to Aliandre Hospital tomorrow. Do you know how to get there?"
She was taken aback by his words but remained composed as she asked, "Are you injured, Master? Should I call a high-class healer for you?"
"Actually, I have something to do there. And by the way, you're coming with me, so you know how to get there, right?" He asked casually, taking a sip of wine with the grace of a gentleman.
"Yes, young master, I know the way," she answered with a cold tone and an unfazed expression.
"Good. Since it appears we have a few servants in the house today, you can take some time off. You look quite tired and dissatisfied right now," Raziel said, noticing her weary expression.
"Right... thank you, young master. Shall I leave now, or is there anything else you need?" She asked, her face still devoid of emotion.
"No"
Upon hearing his response, Clarice bowed and quietly exited the room, leaving Raziel to enjoy his food and drink with childlike delight.
@@@ Clarice POV @@@
As Clarice closed the door to Raziel's room, she paused, replaying his words in her mind. Did that man really say "thank you" and give her time off?
It seemed unbelievable. In the three months she had been working for him, he had never thanked anyone. He barely even spoke to the servants, treating them as low-life scum.
The idea of him giving her a break was almost laughable.
Usually, he treated her as a common servant, sometimes even saying harsh things without any reason.
Not only did it sound strange, but he also intended to go to the same hospital where her mother was hospitalized. What could he possibly want there? Could Raziel have some ulterior motive involving her mother?
Clarice's mind was inundated with these troubling thoughts, stirring up a deep sense of anxiety and exhaustion. With a heavy heart, she retreated to her room, desperately yearning for rest.
It had been too long since she had experienced a peaceful sleep, her nights haunted by the persistent fear of Raziel's dark intentions.
However, he never dared to touch her. Perhaps it was because Raziel was always ingratiating himself with Sylfi, ignoring other girls even if it meant enduring humiliation most of the time.
'If I ever get the chance, I'll thank Sylfi for distracting that bastard,' she mused silently, opening the door to her room.
When Clarice lay down in bed, she quickly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of happier times when her mother was still in good health and always wearing a big smile. The memories brought tears to Clarice's eyes as she slept.
@@@ End of the POV @@@
The next morning, Raziel awoke with the realization that he had consumed too much wine, causing him to sleep through the entire day.
He ended up missing a lot of classes, but for him, who was deliberately trying to maintain his distance from Erick and the heroines, it wasn't such a bad outcome after all.
Despite Clarice being a heroine, she would do nothing while her mother was supposedly being treated. However, Raziel knew the truth and decided to intervene before it was too late.
Quickly, he got up from his comfy bed and took a shower. Afterward, he put on a black suit and brown shoes. While fixing his necktie, he paused for a moment to check his appearance in the mirror.
A handsome man with slightly blonde hair and brown eyes appeared in the mirror. Though he looked good, his face took on a villainous quality when he smiled.
He almost scared himself with how devilish he appeared. It was clear that this man was destined to be a villain.
'Dam... I really look like a bad person,' He thought, stopping his smile because of how creepy it looked.
When Raziel finished getting ready, he went to search for Clarice and found her cleaning the living room using what appeared to be magic.
Streams of water flowed through the area with a majestic grace, almost as if they were following a beautiful choreography while cleaning the place.
Raziel couldn't help but admire the spectacle before him. Clarice guided the streams with her finger, directing them like a maestro conducting an orchestra.
The girl hadn't noticed his presence until she turned around and found him standing there. Upon seeing him, she stopped the magic, causing the water streams to vanish before his eyes.
"Clarice, stop what you are doing and follow me," he said firmly.
She wasn't expecting him to be awake so soon, and, a little surprised, she said, "Do you want to go now, young master? Isn't it too early?"
"Yes, it's an urgent matter, so let's go," he replied decisively.
Clarice bowed her head and said, "Then I will just call the charioteer."
"No, we're going on foot. There's a place I need to visit first. Let's go," Raziel responded as he walked towards the door.
"Right... young master," she hesitated slightly, then followed him silently.
Before putting his plan into action, Raziel needed to make some arrangements, the first being acquiring funds.