'This bastard... is this his new way of tormenting me? Making me imagine my past?'
Rose was furious. Even she herself couldn't outright answer that question.
Does she hate him more than the man who killed her entire family?
The visuals of the night, her family was slaughtered flashed before her once again. The painful and agonising screams of her family still echoed in her ears.
Even if it was just a slight difference, she hated him more.
'I hate that man more than this demon before me. If not for the protection of the Duke family, I may not even be alive right now. Me being a maid for this demon and trying my best to reach the higher realm is all for the day when I can kill that bastard with my own hands.'
She had made up her decision. Her anger still remained deep inside her heart, making her blood boil. She can never stop that hatred until the day she can exact her revenge, but that has to wait; she cannot lose her composure over just a few provocative words from him.
'I can't act before him. If he gets even a slight reaction from me, then he will never stop torturing me with that till my death. But what does he mean by my future will depend on my answer?'
She had no idea what was going on inside Noah's head. To be honest, there was nothing going on inside Noah's head. He was only analysing how her thoughts will process, and how he can break her.
"I hate the man who killed my family the most." Rose calmed her expression and replied solemnly, looking curiously at Noah for the very first time.
Noah's face did not lose its smile after hearing her answer. It was the exact same answer that he had been expecting.
"As expected. Then, answer me you trash, are you looking for revenge against him?"
Noah's question startled Rose, even though she herself knew that it was a near-impossible thought.
If she can easily get her revenge, then she could have gotten into the novel as well. But no, she alone can never have her revenge, and even when she knows that, she is still going to go till the end with it.
'But, what is he asking me that? That's the only thing on my mind ever since that night... to have my revenge. I know I can't do it right now, and I might not be able to kill him ever at all, but I will give it my all. If this is another trick of this bastard to torment me, then so be it.'
"I do."
"Oh." Noah chuckled at that response, even though he knew it all along.
He once again got up from his place, taking his steps towards Rose.
He looked down at her, staring into her eyes and asked, "And how exactly do you wish to achieve that? You know who that is right? You are just a weak girl. Not any strength, or wealth or even an army that can fight for you~ how exactly do you wish to fulfil that unimaginable dream of yours?"
Rose went silent when faced with the reality. She knew it all along, but had always wanted to deny that.
A family such as hers was wiped out completely, there is no way it was done by someone ordinary or someone alone.
It was harsh, and yet it was true that she could never do it alone. Unless she reached the peak of the world in terms of strength, which was an even more far-fetched dream.
"You have no way, do you? As expected~ you are pathetic."
His eyes turned cold, like his voice. There were no emotions there, not even pity. He truly wanted to laugh at her thoughts here.
Rose shivered with his intense gaze. Her motives and her determination were crumbling down from the truth that Noah was speaking to her.
As she was on the verge of breaking down, his hands went behind her and grabbed her perky ass.
"Hnn?" Rose's eyes widened at this unexpected situation.
Noah did not care about her reaction as his hands squeezed her soft buns, enjoying the cushion-like sensation of her ass.
'Damn, this is just amazing. Never did I ever think I would have this moment, but breaking this cute yet fierce maid of mine into a submissive dog will be fun. Oh, dear Rose, I will make you weak to every touch of mine, little by little, I will make you unable to live without me.'
His hands did not stop at all, smoothly rubbing his hands on the silk clothing, roughly squeezing her ass.
Rose turned red. It wasn't that she never expected this, but this was the very first time someone or Noah had touched her like this. He had tortured her, true, but he never had his way with her, not until now.
"You have nothing on you besides this bewitching body of yours. If you can seduce someone, then you will surely get his favour, right? How about you seduce a powerful knight or a mage, and have him fight for you? You can do that, right?"
His words hurt her more than his actions. But there was no way he would ever let that happen; he was going to take her for himself and only himself.
Rose was shaken to the core with this. She did agree to become a personal maid, but never had she even thought of selling her body to have her revenge. She was a proud woman who would never even think of such a thing.
Her face went red with anger, not at Noah but at herself for being powerless.
Her weakness began to flow in the form of tears that welled up in her eyes.
'If I proceed further, then I can easily take her to bed and I bet she won't resist at all. But nah... not yet. If I do that, she might break over time with sex, but she will never develop feelings for me. Not today, I will give her hope first.'
On her verge of a breakdown, he stopped his hand, retracted it and said,
"Then how about this, submit to me, Rose. Your body, your mind, your loyalty, your everything, submit to me, not to this house, nor to the empire even to this dukedom. Become my servant and mine alone, and I promise you, you will have your revenge. Not a single one in this entire world will ever look down on you. Become mine, Rose Morrel."