"Tell me… what's the real reason you brought me here?" Pudding asked, staring at him intently.
In truth, she was less interested in the answer and more eager to steer the conversation away from the topics she didn't know how to deal with and felt helpless about.
"What reason, you ask? Well… you could say I brought you here to save you from the clutches of your tyrannical mother," Zechs replied casually.
Pudding didn't believe that for a second. "Just admit you don't want to tell me the real reason," she said, convinced he was hiding something.
Zechs shrugged. "Alright. I don't want to tell you the real reason."
"You…" her lips twitched, and she even started to feel slightly dizzy.
She couldn't help but feel that this man, despite being extremely handsome and despite being someone who has won over her heart, is still incredibly irritating. For a brief moment, she had the urge to land one of her special Pudding Punches on his face.
If Zechs had known she was actually considering whether to punch him, he might have taken a cautious step back. After all, in the original timeline, her punches had been strong enough to damage Germa soldiers, even with their reinforced exoskeletons. That alone proved she wasn't physically weak.
But the thought didn't last long in Pudding's mind.
'If I hit him… wouldn't that ruin his handsome face? That would be such a waste… Of course, it's only because he's h-handsome and I don't want to damage his face. It's definitely not because I… l-l-like him or anything… y-yes… that's right. It's only because he's handsome, humph!'
Somehow, she controlled herself.
Of course, just because she restrained herself didn't mean her frustration had gone away. Feeling both irritated and helpless, she could only glare at him instead, demanding an answer.
"Are you going to tell me or not?"
After thinking about it for a while, Zechs decided to give her a reason.
Not the real reason, since he didn't want her to freak out, but something more convenient.
"Actually, there isn't any grand reason," he said casually. "I summoned you because I needed a maid. So… Pudding-chan, become my maid."
"M-maid? You want me to be your maid?" Pudding stared at him, stunned by the reason he gave. She felt that he was lying, but she couldn't be sure.
"That's right, Pudding-chan. Become my maid. You'll do it, won't you?" he said, gently lifting her chin so their eyes met.
Pudding flushed under his intense gaze and began to think.
'I-if I become his maid… I could stay by his side… a-and… take care of him…' She was tempted to agree.
But then, she was startled at her own thoughts. 'No… what am I thinking? How could I become his maid? I'm definitely not doing that!'
"I… I'm not going to become your maid," she said firmly. "You can find someone else. It's not going to be me. Hmph!"
Who was she? She was the daughter of a Yonkō—Bigmom. And yet this shameless stepfather of hers wanted to make her his maid? Aside from their supposed relationship of stepfather-stepdaughter, the audacity alone was outrageous.
Who'd dare demand such a thing… Pudding didn't think anyone had such courage.
Zechs wasn't surprised by her response. Instead, he looked amused since he could somewhat read her conflicting thoughts. A moment later, he put on a faint, pitiful expression. "Really? Won't you become my maid? Even after I brought you all the way to this era?"
Ba-dump!
Seeing that downcast, pitiful expression made her heart skip again, 'H-he is sad because I refused to be his maid…?" Immediately, she berated herself, 'P-Pudding… h-how could you…!!!??'
But only a second later, she tried to snap out of it, 'No… no… don't give in… he is acting!'
It's just that, even though she knew in her heart that he was faking it, she still couldn't stop herself from reacting to it, 'B-but if he isn't acting and is really sad…!!?'
'No… don't give in… You should know that he is faking it better than anyone…!!'
She forced herself not to give in.
"I didn't ask you to bring me here," she replied with a snort while avoiding meeting his gaze. After a brief pause, she added, "I'm not going to become your maid. If that's the only reason you brought me here, then you should send me back to my own time."
"Eh? You'd really rather go back to your own time than be my maid?" Zechs reacted, deliberately exaggerating his surprise.
"If not, then what else?" she shot back. "Do you think I even want to be in this era? You dragged me here without my permission… then you… y-you also took advantage of me… and now you want me to become your maid? Hmph! Why would I want to stay here? Just send me back."
At the same time, a quiet thought crossed her mind. 'Going back to my era would also be for the best…'
But Zechs simply shook his head. "Sorry, Pudding-chan. That's not possible. Didn't I already tell you earlier?"
Pudding snorted, "Who knows if you are lying…!"
Zechs caressed her cheeks. "No matter what reason I brought you here for, try looking at the brighter side."
"What bright side?" she asked suspiciously. She couldn't see any upside to her situation at all.
'Well… aside from—' She thought, looking at him briefly, but then shook her head,
But that only made her feel more helpless, '—that's not meant to be…'
He was supposed to marry her Mama. Realizing that only made her feel even more depressed.
Zechs could seemingly sense what Pudding was thinking… and grinned a little, before bringing up the true silver lining of her situation, "Think about it carefully, do you really want to go back to the era you lived in? To the Bigmom pirates? To that Totto Land? To Charlotte Linlin, that you know?"
Pudding fell silent and felt persuaded to ask herself the same question, 'Do I… really want to go back?'
If she returned, she would have to face her life again, her many half-siblings, the routines of Totto Land, the Charlotte Family, the Bigmom Pirates, and especially her mama, Charlotte Linlin.
Her siblings themselves weren't the main issue. She got along reasonably well with most of them, and they did show some concern for her, at least as their half-sister. But to say she felt deeply attached to them would be an exaggeration.
After all, none of them had ever truly stood up for her when others mocked her for her third eye. She had been forced to defend herself on her own. Some of her half-siblings even looked at her with the same discomfort and fear as everyone else, their reactions often leaving her on the verge of tears.
Still, they were only her half-siblings.
The real matter was her mother.
And when it came to her Mama, things were completely different.
The Mama of her era is different from the Mama of this era.
She is tyrannical, cruel, manipulative, and controlling.
In Totto Land, Pudding always felt like she was a puppet, carrying out whatever Mama ordered and living entirely under her control.
Of course, she wasn't the only one. All of her half-brothers and half-sisters lived the same way; no, in truth, every resident of Totto Land did.
Everyone lived according to Mama's will.
Even someone as powerful as Katakuri-niisama always obeyed her without having much choice. The same was true for Smoothie-neesama, Cracker-niisama, Perospero-niisama, and everyone else.
Pudding herself had always believed that her life would be no different, that she would spend her days as a puppet, moving according to her mother's commands, without any room for her own desires.
That was how her life had always been meant to be, and she had helplessly accepted that fact.
As for the thought of running away from her Mama's control? Would that even be possible for her? The only one who has ever managed to run away was her half-sister, Lola-neesama… and Pudding deeply admired Lola for her courage… but… she also knew that she wasn't Lola.
Compared to Lola, who was brave, Pudding knows that she is actually a coward at heart, and she has always been afraid of running away.
And since she was too afraid to run away… she could only accept her fate.
But how knew that one day, she'd suddenly travel to an era 50 years ago?
'In this era, I am completely out of Mama's control!' she suddenly realized.
It wasn't just that she was far from Totto Land; she wasn't even in the same damn era anymore. She was fifty years in the past, and the Mama of this era was not yet the overwhelming figure she would one day become. And Mama of this era wouldn't even know her. Meaning, no one from her family, especially not her Mama, could tell her what to do or how to live her life.
In a way, this was an opportunity, her chance to escape the control that had always bound her.
And aside from walking out of her Mama's control, there is also the man on whose lap she is currently sitting, 'Moreover… he is also in this era…'
When thinking of both the reasons, she really felt that there was indeed a bright side to all of this.
There was a trace of loneliness at the thought of not seeing her half-siblings again. But if she could walk out of her Mama's shadow, and be around Zechs.
Then the answer was obvious.
"It's not like I really have a choice," she said quietly. "Even if I wanted to go back, you said there's no way for me to return. So… if that's the case, I'll just have to stay here, in this era. Reluctantly."
"If that's how you prefer to put it," Zechs shrugged.
He could tell she was framing her decision as helplessness rather than admitting it was her own choice. But that was only natural. She had spent her entire life being controlled, rarely making decisions for herself. Someone like that wouldn't immediately accept the idea of choosing her own path. Even when she wanted to rebel, she would instinctively hide behind the thought of having 'no choice.'
"Hmm… whatever…" murmured Pudding, looking down as a brief smile appeared on her lips. 'Is this what Lola-neesama felt while running away? It's so liberating.'
She felt a sense of excitement and a feeling of rebelling against her Mama.
Although, unlike Lola, she wasn't doing this out of open defiance; it was more that she really had no real choice on the matter. Whether she gets to return or not was up to Zechs. Even so, the situation gave her a strange feeling of thrill and freedom. The kind she has never felt before.
Zechs noticed the faint smile but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he spoke. "Since you've made your decision, then from now on, stay with me and be my maid. Alright?"
Pudding immediately narrowed her eyes and spoke defiantly. "Just because I'm stuck in this era doesn't mean I've agreed to become your maid. Hmph. You kidnapped me, took advantage of me, and now you still expect me to serve you as your maid? Keep dreaming."
Zechs smiled… not offended by her refusal. And rather than getting angry, he blinked and let his expression soften. His gaze turned warm and earnest as he looked at her, his voice gentle and his presence incredibly persuasive. "Really? You won't become my maid, Pudding-chan?"
Looking at that pitiful expression and hearing that persuasive voice, Pudding's heart again skipped a beat.
Heat rushed to her face, and her vision seemed to blur for a moment as her thoughts scattered wildly in multiple directions.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
With her heart racing and her cheeks flushed, the defiance that had been on her lips simply wouldn't come. "I… I'll be whatever you want me to be," she said softly.
Overwhelmed by embarrassment over the thoughts running through her mind, she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes anymore.
'W-why am I agreeing to become his maid?!' she scolded herself internally.
She was skilled at manipulating others, especially men who usually gave in to her charm and her crocodile tears.
But when it came to Zechs, things were completely opposite. Even though she knew he was faking that pitiful expression, she still found herself unable to resist and could only give in.
'I… I don't really have a choice… Yes… Rather than me agreeing to it out of my own volition, it's more like he is forcing me into it… Whatever happens to me now is up to him… So… all I can do is obey him like a good girl and become his maid like he wants me to be…' That was what she told herself to convince herself.
"Fufu… since you've agreed, let's seal the agreement with a kiss," Zechs chuckled as he leaned closer.
"Huh? With a ki—wait—mmph… chu!" She tried to stop him, but her protest was cut short as he captured her lips again. Her resistance faltered almost immediately, and she could only sit there helplessly, letting him do as he pleased with her.
After a long, lingering kiss, Zechs pulled back and licked his lips with a satisfied grin.
"You… you… you b-bastard…!!!" Pudding glared at him instantly, her face flushed red from shame and shyness, anger flashing in all three of her eyes. "You took advantage of me again!"
"What are you talking about, Pudding-chan?" Zechs replied, feigning innocence. "That was just a kiss to seal the agreement. It's tradition, you know."
"A kiss to seal the agreement? What sort of tradition is this?! Nowhere is such a tradition followed! It's something you made up, isn't it?" she snapped. She was furious, and, though she was also secretly pleased about it, she would naturally not admit it.
"What are you talking about? Everywhere, people seal agreements using a kiss…" Zechs said calmly.
"Where? Why have I never heard of that?" Pudding looked at him, speechless. She clearly didn't believe him and felt certain he was just making up nonsense to justify taking advantage of her.
"Eh? Are you sure?" Zechs replied with a smile. "Have you never heard of something called marriage?"
"M-m-marriage?" Pudding's eyes widened in shock.
Now that she thought about it, a marriage agreement was indeed sealed with a kiss. Because of that, she found herself unable to refute him immediately. Still… "T-That's marriage… it's different…"
"How is it different?" Zechs countered calmly. "A man and a woman make an agreement and seal it with a kiss, don't they? We're doing the same thing. I'm the man, you're the woman, and we're sealing our agreement with a kiss. The only difference is that instead of husband and wife, we're master and maid. Everything else is the same."
"This… this…" Pudding struggled to respond, unable to find the right words. Still, she shook her head stubbornly. "No… It's different. It's definitely different. That's something only people who are getting married do."
"Is there any rule that says only a marriage agreement can be sealed with a kiss?" Zechs asked casually.
"Uh…" Pudding fell silent. Of course, nothing like that was written anywhere, so she couldn't argue… but…
'Dammit…!'
Zechs secretly smiled at her helplessness. Then he added casually, "Of course, if you still find this method of sealing the agreement unacceptable, we can seal the agreement another way. But first, let me take back the kiss I gave you… Come here."
"N-no! I am fine with it! I am totally fine with it!" she said hurriedly, afraid that if she hesitated, he would kiss her like that again.
"Oh? You are fine with it. That's good," Zechs nodded in satisfaction. "Now that the agreement has been sealed with a kiss, it can only be undone the same way. If you ever want to stop being my maid, you'll have to take the initiative and kiss me yourself. And it has to be the same kind of kiss. Think of it like a signature and thumbprint; if it's even slightly different, the agreement won't be broken."
Pudding opened her mouth as if to argue against his unreasonable condition. She could clearly see what he was trying to do.
But in the end… she didn't say anything. Instead, she let out a quiet sigh and gave in. "I… understand…"
By now, she had already realized that there was no escaping this situation. Still, she wasn't too troubled by it. 'I guess… It's fine.'
Of course, there was one more thought lingering in her mind. 'But the revenge… I won't forget it. I have to make you pay for taking advantage of me.'
"Ahem… now that you've agreed, let's get you changed so you can look like a proper maid," Zechs said, and asked her, "What do you think, Pudding-chan, do you mind wearing a maid's uniform?"
"Fine… whatever," she replied with a small nod. Since she had agreed, she intended to take it seriously and do whatever a maid should be doing. Looking like one was naturally very important, so she didn't refuse.
In fact, she felt a hint of excitement. She had never worn something like a maid's outfit before, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like.
Zechs was certainly pleased with her response. "Come on, then… get up. I'll give you the maid's clothes for you to change into."
She nodded and quickly slipped off his lap.
Meanwhile, Zechs was communicating with Miss System in his mind. 'Miss System… could you help me get a few maid outfits for Pudding-chan?'
[What am I, Amazon?] Miss System was dissatisfied. [Besides, don't you already have some in your cabin? The ones you make women wear for cosplay?]
'The sizes probably won't match,' Zechs replied. 'If it were just for temporary use during sex, that would be one thing. But I'm actually going to have Pudding-chan work as my maid. If the sizes aren't proper, it could be troublesome, and she might feel uncomfortable. So, I can only rely on you, Miss System… pretty please…'
Hearing her host's pleading, Miss System sighed. [Fine… fine.]
Providing something as simple as clothing was well within her capabilities. She quickly generated several maid outfits tailored to Pudding's measurements and placed them in System storage.
[They're ready, Host.]
'Thank you, Miss System. You da best,' Zechs thanked her and then retrieved the outfits from the System Storage as they appeared in his hand.
From Pudding's perspective, the clothes had appeared in Zechs' hands out of nowhere. It was almost like magic, and the sight startled her.
"Where did those come from?" she asked.
"Fufu… magic, Pudding-chan," Zechs replied with a smile. "Are you surprised by my ability to create clothes using magic…"
[Your ability, host? I'm the one who created those clothes!] Miss System protested, annoyed that Zechs was taking the credit.
'What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine too, Miss System… since you belong to me as well,' Zechs replied calmly.
Miss System wanted to argue, but she couldn't say anything. Technically, her host wasn't wrong; she was his System, after all.
[…] Left with no response, she could only click her tongue and turned towards the East.
Meanwhile, Pudding frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Magic? Something like that doesn't exist. It must be a Devil Fruit ability."
Zechs shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a Devil Fruit user." Then he added calmly, "And who says that magic doesn't exist, Pudding-chan? It exists… it very much exists. Otherwise, how do you think I brought you fifty years into the past?"
"Ah…" Pudding opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out.
"Fufu…" Zechs chuckled.
Even setting Miss System's abilities aside, magic did exist in this world.
It was simply rare and far less explored or developed than other power systems. Still, there was no doubt about its existence.
'On that note… I should try to learn magic,' he thought.
If he could master abilities like scrying, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and similar techniques, they would certainly be useful.
The only problem was that, so far, he hadn't found any concrete leads on magic.
[You haven't found anything in five years… doesn't that suggest magic might not actually exist?] Miss System pointed out.
'Then how do you explain someone like Shupeal?' Zechs countered.
[…]Miss System fell silent.
'Magic does exist. I just haven't searched thoroughly enough… though that makes sense. I wasn't exactly looking for it seriously,' he admitted to himself.
Most of his attention had been focused on women and pleasure, so he hadn't made any real effort to pursue the subject. But that didn't mean magic wasn't out there.
As Physicist Will Karen rightfully said, 'Everything that humans can imagine is a possibility in reality.'
Therefore, Magic must also exist.
Miss System didn't argue further. [Then, good luck, host. I hope you find it.]
Zechs gave a quiet hum. 'I will.'
Anyway, setting the topic of magic aside, Zechs handed the clothes to Pudding. "Here you go, Pudding-chan," he said. "Go change into these."
Taking the clothes, she looked around and asked, "Where should I change?"
Zechs pointed toward a wooden room partition that can be used for changing clothes.
"Alright," she said, nodding as she walked behind it. Just before she began changing, she leaned her head out and warned him, "D-don't peek! If you do, I… I'll…"
Her words trailed off halfway, her ears already turning bright red.
"You'll what?" Zechs asked, clearly amused.
"I'll… I'll…" she tried to reply, but couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
Zechs smiled and reassured her, "It's fine. Go ahead and change without worrying, Pudding-chan. I won't peek. I'm not into that kind of thing."
"W-who knows what you're into… b-bastard…" she muttered before quickly ducking behind the partition, not daring to show her face again since she didn't want him to see her cheeks burning from embarrassment.
Changing clothes in the presence of a man was something she had never done before, and the situation made her extremely self-conscious.
"Fufu…" Zechs chuckled softly and shook his head.
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