The engagement news reached those who shouldn't have; what will Amelia do?

After much playful bickering the next day, Pedro and Ester agreed to rendezvous again. They had a monumental task: to snatch Ryujin's legendary sword, Yukikaze, from its vault. And not just any vault, but a high-security chamber monitored 24/7 — practically a Fort Knox for magical artifacts, at that.

In his previous life, Pedro had thought Suzune would be his golden ticket. As Ryujin's bride-to-be, she had unrestricted access to the vault. It would've been the perfect setup. Except, of course, for the minor detail that Suzune loathed him. Not precisely the cooperation he'd hoped for.

Now, his new — and only — ally was Ester. A mysterious maid he'd never met in his previous life but who, in this reality, could be his ultimate wild card.

"So, Ester, what's the game plan for snagging Yukikaze?" Pedro asked, unable to hide the anticipation in his voice.

"Hold your horses, Pedro. First things first, we need to locate the key to that vault. That is if the sword is locked up in the first place," Ester responded, bringing a level-headed perspective to their caper.

Pedro's mind started to race. In his previous life, Ryujin was never the sword-wielding type; the guy had been more of a hands-off manipulator. But now, Ryujin was a training junkie. Could that mean he was wielding Yukikaze himself?

"What if Ryujin's keeping the sword on him?" 

"No, scratch that, the chance of that is practically zero. Let's not get sidetracked."

"Right," Pedro said, momentarily silenced.

"My apologies... If we lose focus now, we'll never be able to expose Ryujin for the monster he is. And then my family will never be free." Ester's voice broke, hinting at the emotional weight she carried.

"I get it. I'm sorry, too. If you don't mind me being nosy, what did Ryujin do to your family?"

"I was just a little girl when Lady Alexia brought me to serve Ryujin. I never wanted to. He was a cruel man back then, and then..." Ester's voice trailed off.

"Say no more. We'll put an end to this," Pedro interrupted.

(Holding her family hostage, huh? That scumbag.)

A surge of rage washed over Pedro, his fists clenching at his sides. But for now, he'd store that anger away. He'd need it for what was coming next.

"So Pedro, we have to act quickly against Ryujin. Time's running out," Ester said, her eyes piercing into Pedro's.

"Understood." Pedro nodded his head gravely.

With that, Ester exited and approached Ryujin's principal residence.

◆◆

"Hehe, what a gullible fool, but I better hurry before Amanda realizes I'm gone," Ester mumbled, her lips curling into a malevolent smirk. 

Amanda, the head maid, was notoriously strict about punctuality. Ester quickened her pace.

"Ah, manipulating his naive hero complex was like taking candy from a baby." 

She giggled to herself as she sped along.

"Ester, you're late again. Nee-sama won't let this slide," Lexia, Amanda's younger sister, confronted her as she arrived.

"Ah, she'll forgive me, especially after she sees the new collection of Ryujin photos I've got… Some are... let's say, quite revealing," Ester replied, her voice dripping with mischief.

"Nee-sama won't fall for your tricks this time."

"Wanna bet?" Ester smirked, entirely too pleased with herself.

Forever the mischievous one, Ester had a knack for skirting Amanda's rules, often using her stash of Ryujin photos as a bargaining chip. Nobody knew how she acquired such an extensive collection, some so explicit they'd need censoring.

"Ester!" A stern voice echoed down the hall. It was Amanda, her eyes like steel.

"Oh, Lexia, it's to sweeten the deal for your sister again." Ester chuckled under her breath, preparing for another round of manipulations.

◆◆

In a secluded, opulent chamber adorned with grandeur, Amelia Wan languished. Tapestries with intricate designs lined the walls, furniture crafted from the finest wood filled the room, and a bed fit for a queen dominated the space. But what indeed commanded attention were the multiple framed pictures of Ryujin gracing the walls.

"Ah, Nii-ni, how I've missed you," Amelia cooed, her eyes twinkling with a dangerous sort of affection as she stared at one of the photos. She was Ryujin's younger sister, spoiled and indulged, but with a darker, possessive love for her brother.

Knock, knock.

The sudden noise yanked her out of her obsessive reverie. "Amelia-sama, I bring urgent news." Stammered a servant from the other side of the door, his voice shaking.

"It had better be good to pull me away from my thoughts of Nii-ni." Annoyed but intrigued, Amelia snapped.

"It's about Ryujin-sama." 

"If it concerns my beloved Nii-ni, you'd better tell me this instant." Amelia's voice took on a chilling edge as she flung the door open.

Trembling, the servant stepped in, clearly terrified of her impending reaction.

"Ryujin-sama... he's engaged to Suzune."

"Engaged, you say? Well, we'll see about that." Amelia's eyes dilated, her lips curling into an eerie smile.