Chapter 266: Centuries Of Loneliness, New Maids

Their appearances varied, but all carried draconic traits like scales along their necks, sharp horns, or wings folded neatly against their backs.

Only one bore the unmistakable aura of a Solar Dragon.

The others showed clear signs of diverse bloodlines: one with blue hair and eyes like polished ice, another with crimson hair and fire flickering faintly in her gaze, another with green scales glinting at her jawline, and even one with feathery ears that gave her a birdlike grace.

’Is it me or they feel much more powerful than when they fought me before?’

They were young, and strikingly beautiful.

’Anyone among them could’ve been a top rank model in my previous world.’

Their powerful auras pressed against the air.

Isaac studied them quietly, acknowledging their presence.

Their beauty was exceptional, second only to a few women he knew—his wives, Professor Catherine, the Sword Empress, and Selene.

The newly reborn maids opened their eyes in unison.

For a heartbeat, the hall was silent.

Then the one leading them, the maid with green hair and eyes, moved, and the rest of the maids followed.

They bowed gracefully.

“Master,” they said together.

The maid at the forefront stepped forward.

She had short green hair, wings folded neatly against her back, and a slender tail swaying faintly behind her.

Her maid dress was simple yet refined, built for both grace and function.

The skirt reached her knees but was layered for movement, the sleeves long but tied close at the wrists so they wouldn’t get in the way.

Black fabric contrasted with white frills, but there was no unnecessary decoration. It was a uniform designed to work in, not parade around in.

She placed one hand on her chest and lowered her head.

“I am Priscilla of the Akraka Wind Dragon Clan,” she said. “I’ve been serving as the head nanny of the Calloway Family’s Sun Dragon Cradle.”

Isaac studied her for a moment before nodding. “I’m Isaac Hargraves.”

A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes.

She kept her composure, but he caught it before she quickly lowered her gaze again.

“What happened?” Isaac asked.

Priscilla hesitated. “It is not something to disturb Master with.”

“Say it anyway,” Isaac pressed.

Her lips parted, and for the first time her steady tone faltered. “You… are not a Calloway?”

“What’s there to be surprised about?” Isaac asked.

Priscilla clasped her hands together tightly in front of her. “The reason this Cradle was included as a reward option for the trial was because of my deal with the system. We nannies served as challengers within the trial. In exchange, the system protected the Cradle until a suitable descendant of the Calloway family came to claim it.”

“You… made a deal with the system?”

Isaac raised a brow.

She nodded slowly. “Although our memories are hazy, I recall that long ago, the Cradle was on the verge of destruction. At that time, the system presented us with the deal. We accepted it.”

Isaac thought for a moment, then spoke evenly. “My wife is a descendant of the Calloway family. Perhaps that’s why the system allowed me to claim the Cradle as a reward option.”

Priscilla nodded, though doubt lingered in her expression.

She still seemed unsure.

Inwardly, Isaac considered another possibility.

Maybe because I inherited Alice’s Sun Dragon bloodline, the system counted me as part of the Calloway line as well.

A thought tugged at him, and he narrowed his eyes at her. “During the trial, one of the nannies thanked me. That was you, wasn’t it?”

Priscilla’s lips tightened. “…Yes, Master.”

“Why did you thank me?”

For a moment, silence hung heavy between them.

Her shoulders trembled, and the hardened presence she had carried cracked.

In an instant, she no longer looked like a proud dragon maid but instead a fragile, vulnerable girl struggling to hold herself together.

She bit her lower lip hard. “Master… it is not something you need to worry about. I hope you can forget the words I said back then. I only spoke them because I never believed we would have a chance to meet you again in the future.”

Isaac studied her intently, but she avoided his gaze.

She clearly had no intention of saying more.

Another maid stepped forward suddenly, breaking the tense silence. “Priscilla, you should follow Master’s order. He is now the owner of the Cradle. You must do everything he asks of you.”

This maid had long blonde hair that shimmered faintly under the light, and sharp purple eyes that contrasted with her soft features.

Unlike Priscilla, she bore no horns, wings, or tail.

Instead, faint scales ran along her neck and across the skin below her eyes, as though they had been etched there.

Her expression carried a sharpness that was hard to ignore.

“I am Celeste,” she introduced herself. “A Drakonid, a half dragon and human. It has been thousands of years since we made the deal with the system. We did so out of devotion to the Calloway family. However…”

“Celeste!” Priscilla’s voice cut sharply, but her eyes betrayed alarm.

Isaac lifted his hand slightly. “Let her continue.”

Celeste exhaled slowly, then spoke again. “We did not know our souls would be trapped inside those puppets. For countless years, we could not move or speak. We could only watch every trial unfold before our eyes.

“It was like being trapped in a quagmire, slowly sinking into insanity. Even death was denied to us. If not for Master saving us today, we would have continued to suffer endlessly.”

Though her expression was sharp, her voice trembled at the edges.

Isaac turned his gaze across the hall, scanning the faces of the other maids.

He saw it in them. The strain, the pain, the faint cracks in their composure.

Thousands of years of suffering.

Before he realized it, Isaac stepped forward.

He pulled both Priscilla and Celeste into his arms.

“Eh?” Priscilla gasped softly.

Celeste froze completely, her body rigid with shock.

Isaac gave a faint smile. “I read somewhere that hugging makes the brain release chemicals that help people feel safe and relaxed. I’m not good with words, so this is the only way I know to comfort others.”

“…Master?” Priscilla whispered, her voice unsteady.

Isaac looked at the others. “You too. Come here.”

They exchanged uncertain glances, as if unsure whether to obey.

Their eyes went to Priscilla for guidance, but she seemed completely lost, muttering incoherently under her breath.

“Come,” Isaac said again, firm but not harsh.

Slowly, hesitantly, the others joined, until they were all within his arms.

The embrace was clumsy, and uneven, but it was real.

“Good work,” Isaac said softly. “It must have been hard. But all of you did your best. I’m proud of you.”

Celeste bit her lip.

He felt her head press back against him, tighter now as if she wanted to hide her face.

The others were no different.

“Thank you,” Isaac added. “For everything you’ve done until now and for all the sacrifices you’ve made.”

He heard a sob.

Even though, his words might look insincere, for the ten maids who’ve endured loneliness and insanity for centuries, the acknowledgement made the tears they could never shed to break free now.

Four wings sprang from Isaac’s back.

He realized that his Warforged Union skill (SSS+) was combining the wings. Two wings were from his dragon bloodline and two from devil.

But right now, all four wings looked the same, carrying traces of both bloodlines.

He shifted his focus to the matter at hand, and wrapped his wings around them, hugging them all at once.

“You devoted yourselves for so long to the Calloway family,” he continued. “But now… as your master, I give you permission to leave. Live your lives freely. I’ll give you all the support you want to—”

“No!” Priscilla’s voice rang out fiercely, her head lifting as she pulled back to stare at him.

Her eyes blazed with intensity. “Master has saved us. Please, let us serve you.”

Celeste gave a thin, wry smile. “Yes, Master. We wish to serve you.”

Isaac opened his mouth, but Celeste pressed on before he could respond.

“Master, we were trained for one purpose: to raise the children of the Calloway family as nannies, and when the children grow, we would become their maids and guardians, and follow them for life.

“That is all we know.

“Moreover, countless years have passed since the trial began. The world has changed. Even if we tried, we would not fit into society now.

It would be awkward, and impossible for us. And it is also not what we want. So please, let us do what we want. Let us serve you,” Celeste said.

Isaac watched them both closely.

Priscilla stood straight. Her loyalty was east to see, and her words were driven by her emotions.

Celeste, in contrast, was sharp and calculating, presenting him with logic he could not easily refute.

And then, unexpectedly, a playful smile tugged at Celeste’s lips.

“By the way, Master… how many wives do you have? Someone as strong as you must have quite a few, right?”

Isaac blinked. “What do you mean?”

He released the maids and straightened.

Celeste’s smile widened just a fraction. “How is life with the Calloway descendant? If she’s awakened her dragon blood, she must be… ’devoted’, isn’t she?”

“Yes!” Priscilla suddenly jumped in, seizing on Celeste’s words. Her eyes lit up as if she had found some secret truth. “Master, dragons always struggle to control their emotions, especially when it comes to their loved ones.

“We’ve seen it countless times. Young masters or misses would tie their lovers up just to make sure no one else could even look at them.

“The intensity differs from person to person, but your Calloway descendant wife must also be like that, right? We can help calm her down so you can take more wives!” Priscilla said.

“…Why would I want more wives?”

“You’re strong, Master. Of course you’ll have multiple partners.” Priscilla tilted her head, as if asking why he was making her say something so obvious.

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