Chapter 48: Xena’s Oath
Looking at himself and his maids draped in black robes, Han decided to buy local clothes. His carriage pulled into a carriage lot by the thoroughfare, and his maids guided him to the nearest clothing store. They had already mapped the shops on the main street and the adjacent streets.
With their work ethic, they would soon have a personal map of the entire fortress.
I should look like a local, not a walking warning sign in robes.
Han walked into the store. Heads turned for a few seconds, then everyone looked away. He saw mostly commoners, with a few upper‑class types mixed in. A shop assistant walked over to him.
A hint of wariness crossed her beautiful face, but she quickly controlled herself.
"How may I help you, Young Master?" she said.
"I’m interested in local clothing. I just opened a Maid Restaurant today, and we’d love to match the theme and customs. Take your time—we’re in no rush," Han said with a smile.
His handsome features, sharpened by his dragonic lineage, calmed the woman. She nodded and looked past Han, noticing the older but poised maids waiting for their turn. None of them seemed connected to the Dark Families, but the assistant didn’t let appearances fool her.
She led Han to the men’s section and showed him various options. Han wanted to match his lineage’s theme, so he looked for anything that would make him look good in black. In the end, he settled on a black suit with a blue tie that matched his flame aesthetic.
He also couldn’t spend too much. He was using his maids’ money now and needed to be frugal until his businesses started earning.
His maids all chose the same black dresses suited to their age, with hats and veils covering their faces. They put the same outfit on Bellatrix, even though she was in her prime and would naturally love to show more skin. Han didn’t comment. He could cop a feel either way.
They left the clothing store satisfied.
Next was furniture. Han followed his maids to another store.
"I need your genuine input on this one. We need to match our customers’ expectations for the clinic—nothing too fancy, nothing too simple, and all within our budget," Han said.
His maids nodded.
A few minutes later, Han stood before them as they argued over the furniture.
"This will work perfectly for the clinic."
"Colors are too bland, and that wood look is terrible."
"Excuse me? It’s the best fit!"
Han stared at them with a deadpan expression. Is that why Father never wanted to go shopping with Mother? Honestly, I wonder what the relationship is between Father and Mother in this world. Do they even see each other?
Thinking about other things helped Han kill time until the maids reached an agreement. He was offered three options and picked one without much thought. His maids did the thinking in the end. Even so, the shopping spree went on for several hours, and Han wondered why it was so exhausting when all he did was follow his maids and listen.
Maybe I need some male friends to escape with, or I should just order them to shut up and pick something. But they’ve been so competent and good to me that I don’t feel like ordering them around. I just miss Hanna.
Running everything through Hanna first was perhaps one of Han’s best decisions. He treasured her even more now and looked forward to seeing her in the Maid Restaurant. At the end of their shopping spree, Han took the reins himself and snapped them to head to his restaurant.
As the carriage rolled along the thoroughfare, Han saw a huge crowd.
"Is that what I think it is?" Han asked aloud.
"It appears the business’s first day is thriving," a maid beside him replied.
A long line stretched outside the Maid Restaurant.
We might actually pull this off.
He couldn’t imagine what Hanna had come up with to make it work so fast. He pulled his carriage into the employees‑only area and entered the restaurant through the back door.
His maids working in the kitchen bowed. "Welcome, Master!"
"Don’t mind me. Keep working. Good job so far," Han replied quickly. "Others can help you if they feel like it."
Seeing the new dresses made the kitchen maids jealous. Their looks drew the inside team in to help with meals for customers. Of course, aprons first!
Meanwhile, Han peeked into the restaurant’s interior.
Inside, his three maids moved from table to table, taking orders and having short chats with customers. Their experience and smooth talking surpassed Denver’s, making them perfect partners in conversation. In just a few exchanges, they put customers at ease. Hanna was the star of the show. She was youthful, had that sharp, all‑knowing stare, and drew everyone’s attention.
And then, there was Xena...
What the fuck?
She had been forced to change her entire appearance. Her long white hair was now tied into two medium‑length pigtails, black at the tips. Her black bangs framed her face as she walked awkwardly from one table to another. She often tripped and fell, making other customers laugh at her inexperience. She was the team’s mascot.
And the reason she tripped so often was because Hanna and the other maids had put a ton of makeup on her. She’d gone from pale to tanned, with exaggerated, anime‑style eyes.
Are those anime eyes? I can’t recognize her! Good fucking job, Hanna!
Then the doors opened.
"I’m back, Hanna!" said a kid about ten years old. "I came back with friends! We stole—we have money!"
There were three of them, clearly captivated by Hanna’s soft smile.
"I didn’t expect to see you so soon, Little Master," Hanna said.
The kid rubbed his nose. "Hehe! I want your pancakes again! And..." The kid and his friends turned to Xena, sneering. "We want them served by the bitch maid Xena!"
BANG!
Xena crushed the empty glass with her bare hand and dropped to the floor, shivering.
What have I done to suffer this disrespect? I killed, tormented, stole, corrupted, and avoided taxes even in the Ender Cult. Everything had a purpose. There’s a purpose behind everything I’ve done so far—to find my true self and the reason for my existence. So how could it end this way? It’s all because of that bitch mother—Red Dragoness! I hate you... I fucking hate you. I swear I’ll make you suffer the same, if not worse, humiliation. I’ll slap makeup on your dog face, color your hair blue, and make you into your own son’s pet. I’ll make you regret everything. I’ll end your whole career!
If Han heard her, he would be speechless.
It was then that Hanna noticed him and breezed over to his side, leaving her work for a moment.
There you are.
No customer was upset; some even smiled.
"She looks like a woman in love... so pure!"
"Ah, I wish I were as young as her and had such big tits!"
"Calm down, grandma."
There was so much banter here that no one would think this restaurant belonged to someone from a Dark Family.