I was a Warrior?

The moment the word I desperately hoped was a misunderstanding came out of his mouth, the shock of having the fact I most wanted to deny forcibly dragged out was beyond imagination.

A truth I thoroughly wanted to ignore.

The feeling of a secret box hidden deep within my peaceful daily life being mercilessly exposed by someone else’s hands was a deep-rooted fear that surpassed anger.

Whether he knew my feelings or not, the man who seemed to have given up on everything continued speaking.

“…I’d only heard rumors, but I never thought it actually existed. And of all things, it’s my prey today. Life is really unpredictable. A maid automaton carrying a basket walking down the street was actually a military automaton… Heh, damn. I can’t help but laugh.”

“No… I’m not something like that!”

“Not? What do you mean, not? If what you’re saying is true, then we all hallucinated and fought each other for no reason? Stop lying… The fact that you could withstand my punches and completely block or dodge their attacks was just because you didn’t want your clothes to get torn or dirty, right?”

As if he had seen right through me, the man analyzed the earlier battle with sharp insight and let out a hollow laugh, seemingly amazed.

Struck right at my core, I stammered but continued to deny his words to the end.

I insisted that I was not some kind of slaughter weapon. That I didn’t enjoy such violent fights, that I was just an ordinary maid doll who loved a peaceful life and my Master. That everything he was saying was nonsense and lies…

Whether it was because he found my intense reaction interesting or simply because he disliked the automaton in front of him denying reality, the beastman listened to my desperate rebuttals with dull eyes before letting out a small sigh.

Then, as if driving in the final nail, he raised his trembling arm and pointed at me, delivering the finishing blow to my already shattered rationality.

“Nonsense…? That’s my line. Peaceful life? You’re nothing but a puppet of the Demon Race, created purely for slaughter and destruction. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand why a dangerous weapon like you is in a place like this, but one thing is clear. You, as an existence, are far from ordinary—you’re a terrifying ‘monster’…”

*Thud!*

Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp impact echoed through the alley.

Almost reflexively, I summoned my scythe again and struck his head with the blunt side as hard as I could. Only then did I realize what I had done, my eyes widening in shock.

His head hung low, and there was no further movement. It seemed he had completely lost consciousness this time.

Worried that I might have killed him by misjudging my strength, I cautiously approached to check if he was still breathing. Once confirmed, I left the alley without looking back.

Monster…

I desperately tried to ignore the word echoing in my mind, a word I never wanted to acknowledge no matter what.

—

The fact that I was significantly different from other ordinary maid automatons.

I didn’t want to admit it, but it was an undeniable truth.

My durability far surpassed that of a normal automaton. I could gather mana within my body to create weapons, a so-called Mana Weapon ability, and I possessed combat senses that other automatons could only dream of. Most crucially, I could engage in combat with the intent to kill against races other than the Demon Race, breaking free from the Three Laws of Automatons.

I had learned about these special aspects of myself quite some time ago.

That day wasn’t much different from today.

While returning from running errands outside the Imperial Palace, I was surrounded by a group of beastmen who had noticed I was unguarded and defenseless.

The only differences were that there were far more of them back then, and their goal wasn’t just to steal my belongings—they wanted my body parts, the valuable components that made up my automaton frame.

After all, the expensive parts that composed an automaton like me could fetch a high price on the black market.

Although there were various security measures in place to prevent the illegal disassembly of such automatons, they were useless against skilled technicians. Looking back now, it seemed that group had connections to such craftsmen.

Cornered with no way to escape, I panicked and let my instincts take over. That’s how I accidentally discovered it.

The fact that I, a mere automaton, could wield violence against living beings. That my body was so sturdy it didn’t even scratch under their concentrated attacks, and that I possessed combat abilities that even surprised myself.

Thanks to these elements I had never even dreamed of, I effortlessly took them all down and safely returned to the Imperial Palace. It was then that I learned the hidden truth about myself through Mark.

That my body as an automaton wasn’t an ordinary automaton but a specially designed military automaton. A top-secret type unknown to the public, one that followed special principles rather than the existing Three Laws—a dangerous existence.

Why I, with my cute maid design, was actually designed as a military automaton, I couldn’t say for sure.

On the other hand, I didn’t know if Lady Yuria was aware of this fact. I didn’t know if she had saved me knowing this.

But if I asked and it turned out she didn’t know, the consequences would be unbearable, so I had remained silent until now.

Even though I had confirmed it with my own eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.

After all, I had lived peacefully as a maid serving my Master until now. To suddenly hear that I was a military automaton created solely for slaughter was something I couldn’t accept—it only filled me with rejection.

Above all, for someone like me who longed for a peaceful life with Lady Yuria, this excessive power was unnecessary and only caused trouble. It was an uncomfortable truth.

I had buried the memories of that day deep within my mind, treating it as if it had never happened, thinking I had finally returned to the time before I knew the truth. But then, in the worst possible way, I was forced to face the truth I had tried so hard to ignore…

The words of that beastman were nothing short of a critical blow to my already confused mind.

If only one thing had happened, it might have been different, but the worst day where shocking events occurred one after another.

In the end, though my exterior seemed fine, my insides were a mess of wounds. I returned to the Blue Palace late at night.

Perhaps to save on unnecessary expenses, Mark hadn’t turned on the lights, leaving the interior of the Blue Palace shrouded in darkness.

Unlike the brightly lit areas of the Imperial Palace, the Blue Palace was eerily quiet. I cautiously stepped through the main gate, my expression dark as I lowered my head.

I’m much later than usual…

Both Mark and Lady Yuria must be very worried.

After making such a big mistake this morning, it was certain I’d get scolded if I stood before them now.

But since it was all because of those bad guys I met in the alley, I couldn’t help but feel unfairly treated. Yet, I couldn’t reveal what had happened.

On top of that, I had to explain the strange phenomena that had occurred throughout the day. The reality was so overwhelming that tears threatened to spill as I opened the firmly closed main gate.

That’s when an entirely unexpected scene filled my vision.

*Bang! Pop!*

“Ta-da! Surprise~!”

The moment I opened the door, the loud sound of fireworks and a warm, gentle voice greeted me.

There, right in front of the main gate, stood Mark and Lady Yuria holding a large three-tiered cake decorated with red roses, welcoming me.

In the face of this sudden, incomprehensible situation, I froze like a stone, only able to roll my eyes in shock.

Then, facing me with a warm smile, she began to speak kindly.

“La-Lady Yuria? What is this…?”

“How is it? Our surprise party? It’s been almost ten years since we met, so I’ve been thinking about throwing a fitting party for a while now.

Besides, remembering how hard you worked for my coming-of-age ceremony, I couldn’t just sit still.

So, while you were out, Mark and I worked together to prepare this.”

With one hand resting on Mark, who was floating beside her in flight mode, Lady Yuria spoke with a proud smile.

Following her gaze, I looked inside the palace and couldn’t help but marvel.

The dark interior, with all the lights turned off, was decorated with colorful small lights, creating a mysterious and beautiful atmosphere.

Moreover, judging by the scale, it couldn’t have been an easy task even with the two of them working together.

A surprise party prepared just for me, and even personally prepared by my beloved Master.

Finally understanding the situation, I couldn’t hold back the rising emotions and burst into tears.

But it wasn’t out of sadness.

It was as if all the bad things that had happened throughout the day were just for this moment.

Tears of overwhelming happiness that healed my wounded heart in an instant.

At first, Lady Yuria was visibly flustered, but she soon realized it was tears of joy and regained her bright smile.

Once I had calmed down a bit, we all moved to the dining hall to continue the 10th-anniversary party atmosphere.

Of course, as automatons, Mark and I couldn’t eat the cake or food on the table, but simply laughing and talking together was enough to maintain the warm atmosphere.

During this time, I learned the hidden details of the party, which I had been too moved to notice earlier, and my eyes sparkled even more with emotion.

“Lady Yuria gathered all the ingredients for this party herself?”

“Yes. Unlike you, Kaya, I can’t just go outside the Imperial Palace whenever I want. Since it was also my birthday recently, I emphasized that point, and the management, who initially refused, eventually agreed to my request.

Mark and I decorated the surroundings, but the cake and dishes were also prepared by them.”

Lady Yuria answered my question with a nonchalant expression.

But knowing the meaning behind her words, I struggled to hold back my tears.

Even though she was confined to this place, Lady Yuria was still a member of the royal family.

Yet, for a mere maid like me, she endured such humiliating circumstances to prepare this party. This fact shook my barely calmed heart once more.

At the same time, confirming Lady Yuria’s sincerity towards me, my last hesitation disappeared, and I cautiously began to bring up the topic.

Namely, the numerous strange phenomena that had occurred to me while I was outside today.

The severe noise disrupting my vision, the sharp ringing in my ears, and the inexplicable scenes replaying in my mind.

As I continued to explain the situation in detail, Lady Yuria listened calmly, sitting beside me.

After I finished explaining, she, who had been lost in thought for a moment, took my hand and gently stroked it before speaking.

“…I see. So that’s what happened. I had a feeling something was wrong when you were late returning, but I see now.”

“La-Lady Yuria…? Do you know why I’m like this? I’m so scared… What if I break down completely and can’t stay by your side…?”

“That won’t happen. So don’t worry too much. Now… Kaya? Can you look into my eyes for a moment?”

Comforting me, who was filled with fear, Lady Yuria spoke in her usual warm voice.

Without thinking, I raised my head, which had been lowered, and at that moment, my eyes widened.

There was only one reason.

Above her ruby-like eyes, a peculiar pattern had appeared, one that hadn’t been there just moments ago.

A mysterious and beautiful, unique pattern that was hard to look away from.

…At that moment, my normal thoughts came to a complete halt.

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