My Servant System

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Doing this since today is going to be a long day for me, so I don't think I'll have the brainpower to make a new chapter; besides that, reminder that this is after the Marquess visits in the Capital, meaning Jahi just got her ass beat.

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Chordeva PoV

Signing my name one last time on a paper, I found my wife glaring at me, making me sigh.

"What, Ria?"

The Elf was laying on our bed, her nightgown barely clinging to her lithe body, and I groaned as I caught sight of her bare breast.

She had demanded I do this paperwork, and now the bitch was tempting me!

Dousing the rising flames of desire, I grabbed a new sheet and started reading it over, listening to Ria as she started speaking.

"Did you need to act as you did? You hurt Jahi more than you attempted to fix her! She was still recovering from near death, Chordeva!"

Slamming my pen down, I stared at her for a moment before growling out "What would you have done? Our daughter listens not to words; Katherine tried that approach, and failed miserably. Most likely, Leone and Anput tried as well, but our daughter didn't listen. Instead, she moped about like she HAD lost Katherine, like... like some damn weakling!"

I was still irritated from my daughters display of weakness; not only did it disgust me that she would rather give up any thoughts of improvements...

It pissed me off because she reminded me of me.

Of how I had acted when I almost lost what I grew to love the most.

It was something I hated; something I done, something so despicable that I still hate myself to this day.

If I hadn't done what I had done...

If I hadn't been so blessed by this woman before me, I would still be half-heartedly clawing my way to becoming a Knight of Cinder, to be the Marquess my father knew I could be, to be the mother I was today.

Unlike Jahi, I had my slump when my father had been in the Labyrinthian, quelling the rising monster population and doing his duty as one of the Empress' Knights.

I had no-one to come and beat some sense into me; no one I knew was capable.

During that time at the Academy, I had outclassed many a professor, and all my peers were below me.

All of them, except Ria.

The woman I had tried to push away the most.

Staring at her, I watched as she glared at me, before sighing, rubbing her temples.

"Why the hells did she have to turn out like you..."

I sighed as well, leaning back into the luxurious chair.

"Well, let's hope that, whenever the next one comes along, they're like you. I don't think I want another mini me running around..."

Ria chuckled, her sapphire eyes glowing with mirth as she said "Yeah, I think the Empire'd be doomed should that happen."

Seeing my Elven wife smiling again, I mirrored her smile before turning to the papers before me, saying "Go to sleep, love... I'll join you when I'm done..."

Scribbling down some lines of runes, I heard her plop back into the bed, and eventually her breathing evened out.

When she truly fell asleep, I got up quietly from the desk and approached her, gently kissing her cheek.

"I... I don't deserve you, Ria... I really don't..."

Biting my cheek, I blinked a few tears from my eyes as I stared down at her, making me chuckle as I turned away.

"Damnit... to think I'd cry over that... Haha..."

My laugh felt hollow as it left my lips, and I collapsed into my chair, staring at the slumbering Elf.

"Ria... I never deserved you. I still don't think I do... I don't think I ever will. But I'll be doing my damn hardest to make sure that one day, in a year, a decade, a century, or a millennium, that you can look at me... and be proud that you endured what you did. That I made up for my mistakes a hundred fold. I really hope so..."

Resting my face in my hands, I cast my thoughts back to that dance, that dance that changed everything.

I had invited that Bunnykin to dance with me... after I bedded her, of course.

Ria was rarely truly around, so I felt lonely; that little Elf that always pestered me would spend her time studying, which left me alone.

I was always alone.

Julie was usually with Ria or on her own, training and studying.

However, I had no need; my grades in each class were stellar.

There was little I didn't know of our core material, and any class that dealt with personal strenght...

Well, I could control my professors flames when she constructed her sequences, and no one dared to cross blades with me.

In everyone else's eyes, I was perfect.

Except, I knew better.

I was broken.

My skills came from the harsh training I had as a child, and my knowledge came from when I was locked into the library, only to be let out when I was capable of passing the tests my father would verbally give me.

This freedom was amazing!

For the first few weeks.

I was back to being alone; I was surrounded by people, by women, by liquor...

But none of it mattered.

So, I drowned in my lust, and the Bunnykin was just a new name to add to a sprawling list.

I invited her to the dance on a whim; I didn't know what I felt about Ria at that time.

She was interesting and fun to play with, but was boring to talk to.

Sure, she was beautiful, but every woman I bedded was beautiful.

Ria just... had nothing going for her; not to me.

When the dance rolled around, I knew I needed to be with Ria for that dance, but...

I was allowed to do what I wanted, and I wanted to be surrounded again.

So when I walked into the dance hall with that Bunnykin in my arms, I was surprised to find Ria standing alone in the center, everyone avoiding her.

Staring at her for a moment, I noticed that something around her had... changed.

She was no longer perfect.

There was an anger and sorrow in her eyes, and a certain hollowness as well.

She had been damaged.

Broken.

By me.

That thought hurt more than I ever thought it would; I was content being broken.

But I never wanted to break someone else, and least of all her.

Feeling the Bunnykin in my arms, I realized how much of a terrible woman I had become.

I was taking Ria's heart everyday...

And stomping on it.

This last 'whim' of mine?

I had stomped and stomped away at an already fragile heart.

Of course it would snap.

My eyes roamed over Ria, quickly looking for signs of self harm.

I...

I don't know what I would do if I saw any...

What right did I have to attempt to heal her?

Gulping, I took in her tight sapphire gown, the studded Aquamarine's glimmering in the light of the hall.

Her pale skin was unblemished, making me sigh in relief, before I noticed that she had approached me.

Without me knowing, this Elf was now standing directly in front of me, and her hard sapphire eyes were staring up at me.

"May I have a word?"

Her voice was like ice, and I could see her eyes flickering to the bright azure of lightning.

"Alone..?"

The glare she gave the Bunnykin was enough to make the woman tremble in my arms.

Releasing her, I nodded, before following her as she led me away.

Remaining silent, we both walked down the dim corridors of the Academy, and I shivered as I realized we were drawing near the training grounds.

The same spot where I had insulted her the most...

The spot where I had invited that woman to the ball before her.

Walking to the center, Ria remained silent, her back facing me.

Taking in her long golden locks, I licked my chapped lips as the silence drew on.

I wanted to speak, to apologize, but...

I didn't know what to say.

Nothing came to mind.

"Chordeva..."

I gulped; she had never spoken my name in that tone; I was so used to the whining, the infatuation, and joy she said my name with.

Not this icy, uncaring tone.

Turning, I froze as her azure eyes shone in the night, looking more like a predators' than the prey I normally associated her with.

"Let me ask you one question."

I nodded, waiting.

Taking in a deep breath, Ria asked "Are you serious about marrying me?"

I opened my mouth, to say I was, before all my actions washed back over me.

Could I really declare my intent to marry her, knowing how much damage I had inflicted on this poor woman?

Was I deserving of he-

"No, let me reiterate; will you be marrying me?"

Her voice was still cold, and I gulped again, not knowing what to say.

As the silence drew out, the Elf before me sighed, before her figure vanished.

My eyes widened as I felt something behind me, and I brought my arm up, only to block a sword made from pure lightning with my forearm.

Holding in the cry of pain as it pierced my flesh, I stared at Ria in mild awe and something else.

Fear.

No one had ever managed to surprise me like this.

No one had ever managed to wound me besides my father.

So how had..?

My blood sizzled on her blade, and there was a crazed light in Ria's eyes as she said "Let me tell you how this is going to work!"

Flickering again, she appeared before me, her blade landing a deep slash across my left leg.

The lightning from her blade seeped into my flesh, numbing my muscles and restricting my movements.

I tried to counteract her lightning with my fire, to override her portion of the magic with my own, but I simply couldn't.

"You are either going to die here..."

Appearing behind me again, I managed to stumble to the side, her sword slicing a thin gash on my side.

"Or you are going to accept me as your wife. Your one, and only..."

Dodging another slash, I shivered as her eyes emptied completely, forming a never ending void.

"Wife; till death do us part. You will be mine, and mine alone. I will be yours, and yours alone. What is your answer, Chordeva Asmodia?"

Bringing her sword up, she inflicted another few smaller wounds, only to make me realize...

She had crippled me; completely.

I wasn't able to move.

Staring at her in surprise, I hissed in agony as her blade laid across my throat.

For the first time since I had attended this Academy, I had met my match.

"Will you marry me, Chordeva?"

Her crazed eyes were boring down into mine, and I shivered.

However...

I was aroused.

This was the woman I had been looking for.

This was who I wanted to spend my life with.

Strong.

Confident.

Takes what she wants...

Ria was hitting all those boxes, and my desires to claim her ran rampant.

I was uncaring of the deadly blade of lightning across my throat.

My voice was raspy, but clear.

"Yes... Ria Haniel, I will take you as my wife; my one, and only wife..."

I watched as a potential killer turned red in an instant, and her blade of lightning dissipated.

Falling to her knees before me, she was crimson; her cheeks and ears were utterly red, and I leaned forwards and wrapped my arms around her, ignoring the pain that coursed through my system.

"A-Are... A-Are y-you b-being serious..?!"

She was trembling, and I felt like her lightning had returned; dozens of jolts ran around my body at her words, and I felt my heart wrench.

I...

I had done her so wrong.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed as I finished recalling that night, glancing over at Ria as she slept.

Putting my pen down, I slid from my clothes, prepared to indulge my wife.

It was the least I could do...

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Like I said before, I whole heartedly expect people to dislike Chordeva when she was younger; I low-key found myself hating her too.

But with these chapters, I just sat down and wrote, and that was what came to me as I continued to write; and now, it ties in with passing that overthinking down to Jahi.

Anyways, don't hate mama in law too much now, cause she ain't going anywhere.

Date: 01/06/2023

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