Chapter 62 62: Dogeza, Ram's Master Recognition Ceremony

Of course, Ram hadn't forgotten even the white-and-purple hair ornament atop her head.

She lifted it free with gentle fingers and set it down beside the folded clothes.

With that done, she raised one leg and, without a hint of shyness, slid off her white stockings under Natsuki Subaru's gaze, smoothed them flat, and set them neatly aside as well.

Ram reached into the bedside drawer and drew out a small lacquered black box. She opened it and took from within a slender black collar.

She raised both hands and clasped it gently around her neck.

No sound. Only that ring of black resting silently against the pale skin of her throat — like a wordless brand, startlingly vivid under the lamplight.

With that, the preparations for the "ceremony" Ram had envisioned were finally complete.

She lifted her eyes toward Natsuki Subaru, who stood rooted to the spot as though struck by lightning. The cool detachment in her gaze slowly melted away, replaced by something utterly devoted — a deference so complete it bordered on reverence.

"This is Ram's proof, Barusu… no. Master."

"Ram swears an oath to become Master's exclusive maid."

"From this day forward, Master may dispose of everything Ram has — her life, her loyalty, and even her future."

Ram lowered her gaze, and in her voice was a plea so faint it was barely there.

"Ram has only one request… and that is to spare Rem."

With those words said, she bowed deeply before Natsuki Subaru — pressing her forehead firmly into the soft surface of the bed in a perfect, formal dogeza.

"And in exchange… from this day on, Master is… everything Ram has left in this world."

"Gulp."

The sound of Natsuki Subaru swallowing echoed through the silent room, jarring and out of place.

Ram held her dogeza without moving, forehead pressed to the bed — the very picture of total surrender, to be dealt with however he saw fit.

As for whatever ugly, instinct-driven display Barusu was about to make next — the desire he was about to indulge freely at her expense —

Ram had anticipated it all. And she accepted it with her whole heart.

Back in the days of the Purge King, she'd been imprisoned with chains around her wrists, and every time she had needed to wash herself, it had been Barusu who had helped her.

And besides.

Devoting herself entirely to Barusu had been a wish she had quietly carried ever since she learned the truth of her little sister Rem's death.

The atonement she had never been able to offer him before — now, at last, she had the chance to make it real.

Slowly, Natsuki Subaru moved.

Step by step he closed the distance to Ram, who lay bare before him, and the heat in his eyes was fierce enough that it almost seemed to scorch her smooth skin.

Silence settled over the room. All that remained was the labored, carefully-controlled breathing of two people trying to hold themselves together.

At last Natsuki Subaru reached the edge of the bed, and Ram was right there before him, within arm's reach.

Then he reached out his hand toward her.

But his broad, warm palm had barely drawn close at all —

And already Ram felt as though it had grazed her skin, as though it was roaming wherever his gaze swept.

A natural flush spread in patches across her pale skin — the flush of arousal.

At the same time, her arched body trembled, so faintly it was almost imperceptible.

As though she both yearned for and feared what was about to happen.

Finally, Natsuki Subaru's large hand came down.

But what Ram felt settle over her was not the roaming hand she had imagined exploring her body — it was a warm jacket, draped gently around her shoulders.

Ram lifted her head in bewilderment.

And what she saw was a silhouette that seemed to have drawn every ray of light in the room to itself, haloed by the lamp's glow.

"Master… why?"

Ram understood what Natsuki Subaru meant. He was refusing.

Or rather — he was refusing this degrading transaction she had offered, and refusing his own desire along with it.

So she parted her lips softly and voiced her confusion.

Natsuki Subaru stood with the light at his back, his gaze meeting Ram's eyes without flinching.

It was as though the two of them were speaking in silence, exchanging something that needed no words.

After a long moment, Natsuki Subaru suddenly smiled.

He extended his hand toward Ram, his face carrying a smile that was both gentle and all-encompassing.

"It's alright, Ram. You don't have to do this."

"What?"

Ram felt her consciousness growing hazy, as though her mind were soaking in a warm spring — slowly dissolving.

But she held on, forcing herself to stay awake long enough to hear the reason Natsuki Subaru was about to give.

"I said it's alright. This time — I'm going to make everyone happy. Even if you don't believe me —"

Natsuki Subaru's eyes blazed with certainty as he looked at Ram.

"This is my path. My purpose. My wish."

"What a naive… utterly foolish thing to say. You really are something else… Barusu."

Hearing his answer, Ram smiled — a helpless smile, but one full of warmth.

She managed to get those last words out by sheer force of will — and then her body tilted sideways and she collapsed, limp, onto the bed.

"Ram!"

Alarmed, Natsuki Subaru lurched forward and caught her by the shoulders, keeping her from hurting herself on the way down.

At that exact moment, the jacket he had draped over her slid free and fell away.

In an instant, a view best left undescribed burst into full bloom.

The completely unexpected sight left Natsuki Subaru utterly stupefied. He stood frozen for several seconds before he came to his senses, frantically circling around her to wrap her back up as thoroughly as possible.

Once it was done, Natsuki Subaru stood there red-faced, heart hammering in his chest, the image of Ram's fair, soft figure surfacing in his mind completely against his will.

"Damn it all! This is hardly the time to be thinking about that!"

He slapped himself across both cheeks and finally pulled himself together.

He turned his attention immediately to checking on Ram's condition.

Now that he thought about it, Ram had been off all day — in the kitchen she hadn't even been able to keep a grip on a knife, giving off the impression of someone running on fumes.

Running on fumes… running on fumes. Could it be Ram's constitution?

Subaru muttered the phrase twice, and suddenly the connection hit him — Ram was of the Oni clan, and yet she had lost one of her horns in her youth, severed away. Her resulting physical constitution was a thing he remembered well.

He remembered it clearly, because Rem's deepest wound had been the guilt she carried over Ram losing her horn to save her.

Later, during the battle against the demon beasts in the forest, Ram had managed only a few wind blades before she was spent.

But normally Ram wouldn't run out of mana for no reason. Normally she would be…

Natsuki Subaru's expression shifted sharply, and the words tumbled out of him before he could stop them.

"Roswaal isn't here — has Ram been pushing herself this whole time?"

"Absolutely not."

It seemed she had heard him. The Ram cradled in his arms cracked her eyes open just barely, and her lips moved.

"He's been in the manor the whole time. He's just shut himself in his bedroom and refuses to come out."

Natsuki Subaru's expression clouded, but he asked anyway.

"Why, Ram? If it goes on like this, won't the exhaustion eventually kill you?"

Ram tilted her head up slightly and met his gaze.

"I don't know why, myself — perhaps."

She left the thought unfinished. After a few seconds of silence, something seemed to occur to her, and the tension left her all at once. She smiled softly.

She blinked at Natsuki Subaru, her eyes full of quiet amusement.

"Am I not Master's exclusive maid?"

"How could I… get too close to another man."

The words fell, and with them, the last thread of will Ram had been holding onto finally let go.

An irresistible wave of drowsiness swept over her.

____

👻🔥Here: Walnut-chan🔥👻

🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I'm in Konoha, but I'm Not

We have set new community milestones:

🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for all readers