Greetings, Automata Maid

The moonlight turned the darkness of the night into a deep indigo, casting clear shadows on the ground.

There was one such shadow atop the second girls’ dormitory of Seperion’s Magic Academy. Though calling it one shadow was not exactly accurate, it was the combined shadow of two figures huddled together.

Ruri was sitting on the rooftop, her kimono bared open, while her master Ryuka embraced her from the front.

“Hahh…hahh… Ruri… I’m sorry…”

Ryuka gave a muffled and absentminded apology as her lips pressed onto Ruri’s exposed white shoulder. A sharp pain assaulted Ruri immediately after, but she was used to this, so she did not raise her voice.

A red liquid gushed forth, which Ryuka gulped down loudly.

Some time went on like that, and eventually Ryuka’s lips parted with Ruri’s shoulder. Her face was blushed red, her eyes filled with an indescribable allure.

“Did you calm down?”
“Yes… thank you, like always…”
“This is nothing if I’m doing it for you, Lady Ryuka.”

If Natalia was there, she would ask Ruri who she was. Such was the contrast between her current submissiveness and her usual behavior. But she was still a servant, and she was in front of her master.

As Ryuka moved back, Ruri stood up and held her hand out.

“We should go back indoors. Staying out at night for too long might have an adverse effect on your body.”

While this had made Ryuka feel better, she was still not in perfect shape yet. Taking Ruri’s hand, she propped her body up, though her knees were still too weak to stand up properly. Either way they could not stay out there for much longer.

Moonlight could empower certain races, and that effect varied depending on the moon phases. That also applied to those from distant countries and cultures, even if they were away from home.

Every full moon, Ryuka and Ruri would go to the rooftop, where Ruri would submissively quench Ryuka’s thirst.

“I’m sorry, Ruri…”

Ryuka mumbled in a daze as she looked up, her red eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

After taking a refreshing bath, I’m going back through the dorm corridors.

The dorm’s bath can be used at any time, but as a former guy I can’t go in there while it’s full of girls, so I always wait until they’re all done.

Other than Ruri they all think I’m a girl like them though, so they’ve often invited me to go together, but I always politely but stubbornly decline, so by now they’ve given up. Olivia keeps trying though, and lately I feel like she has ulterior motives so it’s a bit scary.

Anyway, enough of that.

I’m going up the stairs from the first floor, where the bath is located, when I notice Ruri coming down the stairs.

“Hey, Ruri…and Ryuka?”

I thought it was just Ruri so I greeted her casually like always, but then I notice she’s carrying Ryuka on her back. Something feels really off about Ryuka too, her face flushed red and her breath heavy.

“Is she alright?”
“Ah, stop, Natalia!”

Thinking I could offer her some of the medicine I make with alchemy, I lean forward to look at her downturned face more clearly, and then our eyes meet.

Huh?
Wait, weren’t Ryuka’s eyes black?

While Natalia took a bath, Olivia was in her room, doing her daily work out while chatting happily with Amy who came to visit.

“You know how Natalia is always wearing scent pouches? I’m sure her clothes and underwear must smell nice from that.”
“Can I go back already?”

They had been chatting happily. Then someone knocked on the door.

“Who could it be this late?”

Wondering who could be at the door, Olivia stopped exercising and went to open the door. Ruri was standing there.

“Ruri?”
“Umm… Olivia… I’m really sorry.”
“?”

Olivia tilted her in confusion, wondering why Ruri was apologizing.

In the end Olivia and Amy left the room with Ruri, as she took them to Ryuka’s room. There they found Natalia in her new form.

“My dear Ryuka, are you feeling comfortable? Ahh, you’re so beautiful and lovely. You’re so perfect, your lustrous black hair, your bright eyes like rubies, glossy lips, and impeccable style. Your usual elegance is always impressive, but I want to protect you so much seeing you weakened like this.”
“Wh-What’s going onnnn?!!!!”

Seeing Natalia knelt next to the bed where Ryuka was sitting, praising her endlessly, Olivia could only hold her head in horror and scream. It was hard to fault her, being exposed to seeing the person she loved acting so clingy towards someone else.

This was different from how Natalia acted as a maid, and how she behaved around friends. She felt like a completely different person.

“What happened to her?”
Amy still sounded relatively calm, but she looked clearly perturbed.

“I’m really sorry, I’m the one who’s to blame.”
“Lady Ryuka.”

Ryuka tries to explain, but Ruri quickly interrupts her, which Ryuka waves off with a shake of her head before continuing.

“Natalia looked into my Magic Eyes of Charm1.”
“Magic eyes?”
“Eyes with a special power. Just like how Cockatrices can turn opponents to stone, or Basilisks’ poisonous gaze. They taught us about that in class.”