New law of Beast Taming

'Look at that smug face. It makes me want to rip that smile off this maid's face.'

The maid Sakura was targeting made the most innocent face possible when she looked at Elder Hana and the others. She was making them fall for her innocence and acted as if she was being bullied.

"Elder Hana, I am not the one who set the mansion wing on fire. I have served my lady so such a long time now. Do you think I am someone capable of pulling such a thing?"

The thing was, both the maid and Elder Hana knew that the maid was capable of mass murder if it got her close to her goal.

But the Jorōgumo inside Elder Hana instinctively knew that he needed to protect this maid at all costs.

"I know and I trust you, my dear. Sakura, you need to stop being delusional. I know you are jealous of my dear girl here, but there is no need for you to act out like this. Now, I want you to lock yourself in your room and not show your face out for the next few days."

Elder Hana's harsh words surprised the other elders as well. They all could not help but feel as if something was wrong.

Elder Hana had never been an emotionally invested person and she was also rational most of the time. She would never let her emotions take over her judgment.

"I-I do not deserve all your kindness, my lady. But I will try my best to repay you for it all."

The maid put up a good show. She had seen the way the other Elders had gotten suspicious of the Jorōgumo but had not shown it.

The Jorōgumo was not mature enough to have caught this change in tone and that was where the maid came in. She needed to handle the situation.

"I-I am sorry Lady Sakura. Ever since I was little, Elder Hana saw me as a granddaughter she never had. I-I am afraid that our current difference is because of this as well. I would love for us to become friends instead-"

Sakura pulled her hand back before the maid could touch her. It was a visible rejection that was aimed to humiliate the person initiating it.

"Forget it all. Since you all are not interested to hear me out, I do not want to waste my time fighting you all either. Elder Hana, please mind your place since you are not in any position to tell me what I can and cannot do."

"And just for the record, consider me out of the family dinner this weekend. I do not want to see the face of this maid or the ones who turned their head away from me during dinner. It would make my stomach hurt."

Sakura left the hallway. She had successfully given herself a valid excuse not to attend the family dinner.

This way, she would be out of any plotting that would take place on that day.

Sakura was about to head back to Yoko and report when she felt someone tap her on her arm. She looked at the person who followed her and was surprised at the familiar face she saw.

The maid who followed Sakura was the same one who warned Sakura about Elder Hana's maid.

"Wait, you are…what is your name? I don't think you ever introduced yourself."

The maid flinched once she heard Sakura's words but then she caught herself again.

"M-My name is L-Layla, my lady. I am so glad to see that you are alright. I-I am sorry that my information was of no help to you."

The maid bowed in front of Sakura with a helpless expression on her face. It somehow made Sakura feel better about her current circumstances.

'This maid helped me before as well and now she is worried about me? This care seems genuine.'

Sakura had one fatal flaw in her character - she was weak to those who helped in her low times. It made her vulnerable and unable to utilize her logical self.

And right at that moment, Sakura was upset over what she was going through. So, Layla's presence was a much-needed breath of fresh air for her.

"Oh, I still need to reward you for your help from before. Tell me what you want from me and I will try to give it to you."

Sakura offered the reward to the maid but Layla hesitated.

There was a lot Layla wanted from Sakura and she did not even know where to start. But she also knew that she did not want to show her greed in front of Sakura right now.

First, she needed to strengthen her position in Sakura's life and make the younger fall for her.

Layla knew a lot about seduction and how to work it in her favor. So, she was sure that she would be able to make Sakura fall for her charms.

After all, it was not like Sakura was already in love with someone else. And Sakura was also young enough to take any kind of love interest and lose herself in her lover's charm.

"My lady, I have always admired how witty and resourceful you have been. I hate to see you get oppressed in the Tsurugi house. Both, the elders as well as Yoko Tsurugi are no match for your brilliance."

Continue reading on empire

"Kindly allow me to serve under you as your exclusive maid. I promise I will forever be grateful to you and follow you."

The maid bowed down in front of Sakura and that action sent alarm bells ringing through the younger one's head.

Out of everything, this maid could have asked for, she asked for an exclusive position beside Sakura.

It might seem like a normal thing for most people but Sakura knew a plan when she saw one. This maid was not normal and she was trying to take advantage of Sakura's lonely position.

'Still, it might be better to have this maid close than to have her afar. That was I can keep an eye on her.'

And no matter how much Sakura wanted to be cautious, a part of her was happy with this attention she was not getting anywhere else.

*cough*

"If being my exclusive maid is what you want from me, then I will grant you this wish. Follow me to my room for now and there we will update your contract. Your pay would get better and so will your benefits and status in the house."

This much Sakura could do for the maid. So, she quickly took the maid along with her.

...….

"E-Elder Hana, I am so sorry that I angered Lady Sakura. I did not mean to make your relationship with Sakura any worse."

The maid fake-cried as she faced Elder Hana. They were both putting on a show for the crowd to see more than anything else.

"No, it's alright dear. It was Sakura who was in the wrong here. You did nothing wrong…"

"Wow, look at both of you acting that familiarly with each other. If I did not know better, I would have thought that you both were related."

Everyone in the hallway stopped what they were doing and looked toward Yoko Tsurugi's way. Elder Hana looked especially furious at the comment that had been made just now.

For most people, it would have felt like flattery but when it came out of Yoko Tsurugi's mouth, it was nothing short of mocking.

Yoko might not have said it out aloud, but everyone knew what she meant by these words. She was saying that both people in front of her looked like low lives.

"Yoko Tsurugi, mind your words in front of me…"

"No, you should be the one to mind your words in front of me. I did not like the way you treated my dear sister Sakura. It makes me quite mad; you see."

Elder Hana suddenly gripped her throat and looked up with a pair of alarmed eyes. She could not believe that Yoko Tsurugi had enough power to influence her beast.

If this continued, then Elder Hana would not be able to control herself.

Luckily for their side, the maid realized what was happening and quickly moved to help the elder.

She looked up at Yoko Tsurugi with scared yet determined eyes.

"My lady, please stop whatever you are doing. You are causing Elder Hana pain…."

"What I am doing? I am not doing anything. Well, anything that should cause harm to a living human at least. The only one who should be feeling something is a beast. Now your reaction makes me curious about what you are hiding."

The maid was quick and she handled the situation. She made Elder Hana lean on her side and looked up.

"My lady, kindly excuse us both. It has not been a long time since Eder Hana woke up so she must be feeling the after-effects of her condition. I will take her back to her room now."