* * *

I had a nightmare.

For some reason, I was in the form of Ji Eunsoo, not Jeanne, in the nightmare. In the past, when Ji Eunsoo had nothing to fear.

I alternated between looking at the eerie-eyed monster and the arrow in my hand.

‘But why do I only have an arrow?’

Puzzled, I looked around for a bow. I spotted a bow lying at my feet.

The moment I picked up the bow, the eye monster quickly became the target.

I fixed the hand drawing the bowstring under my chin.

After calming my breath, I silently repeated the routine I had practiced thousands of times in my mind.

‘The first shot… be bold.’

Thwack!

The arrow flew in a parabola as it left my hand. The arrow struck the center of the target.

People cheered, and fireworks went off here and there.

The caster’s voice, filled with joy, sounded muffled.

[Incredible, high schooler Ji Eunsoo breaks his own record and claims the gold medal once again!]

As I lowered the bow and sighed in relief, I noticed another figure standing across from me.

It was Jeanne.

Not the delicate and beautiful Jeanne, but a Jeanne who had now become a fully-grown young man.

‘Jeanne has grown up.’

Though still beautiful, the Jeanne across from me looked strong.

My reflection was visible in his determined violet eyes.

Jeanne aimed his bow at me.

An arrow flew swiftly.

Thwack!

✽ ✽ ✽

“…Gasp.”

I woke up with a start. My eyes met those of a maid who was wiping my cold sweat. It was the maid from Sacre who had brought me refreshments before. A chilling thought crossed my mind.

‘Could it be… she found out I’m a man?’

The moment I thought she might have discovered my secret, a shiver ran down my spine.

The fact that Jeanne’s true gender was male was the greatest secret and vulnerability.

If she knew Jeanne was a man and used that secret to blackmail me, I would have no choice but to kill her.

“Lady, I’m glad you’re awake. The wizard prepared some medicine for you, so please try to take it.”

The maid, with a face full of concern, offered me a bowl of water. I glared at her and knocked the bowl aside. My lower lip trembled as I shouted.

“Who gave you permission to enter this room! Get out!”

I was so out of my mind that I didn’t even care about my aching body.

The maid, looking bewildered, suddenly embraced me as I had a fit.

“Lady!”

“……”

“It’s okay, everything will be alright. I… I’ve known everything about you for a long time. That’s why I stayed by your side, making sure no other maids could come near.”

At that moment, something felt off in the maid’s words. I looked at her again. Other than her black hair, typical of someone from Sacre, there was nothing particularly outstanding about her.

“You… who are you really?”

I asked in a trembling voice. The maid smiled sadly and asked in return.

“Is this the first time you’re asking for my name?”

“I didn’t ask for your name. I’m asking who you are. What do you mean you’ve known about me for a long time? What do you want from me?”

I snapped, gripping the bedsheet tightly. The maid, kneeling on the floor, gently held my hand.

As the warmth from her cold, ice-like hand reached me, the tension I didn’t realize I was holding melted away.

“I’m just Lily. A maid named Lily Samier.”

“……”

“For now… the only thing I can tell you is my name. But please know that I’m here to protect you.”

Lily gently brushed my hair back. I didn’t know what she was hiding, but for now, I had no choice but to trust her. After all, it wasn’t Lily who was in a vulnerable position, but me.

I continued to watch Lily with wary eyes. Without saying a word, Lily walked toward the window.

“The Duke is away on a business trip to another territory, so he’s not here right now… but he was really worried about you. Bernie also got severely scolded.”

When Lily opened the curtains, sunlight poured into the dark bedroom.

Memories from before I lost consciousness came rushing back.

I remembered subduing the rampaging eye monster, meeting Carlisle, and then…

‘It would be better if you didn’t become a saint. Unless you want to be broken.’

Even Carlisle’s chilling warning echoed in my mind. Holding my throbbing forehead, I asked.

“I’ve been unconscious for a few days, haven’t I?”

“Three days.”

I’d been lying down for a long time.

Lily brought a comb and gestured for me to turn around.

Normally, I would’ve refused, but given my situation, I had no choice but to comply with Lily’s request.

“Lady.”

“……”

“You’re still young and fragile… so from now on, please leave such harsh tasks to someone like me. Okay?”

Nodding quietly at her soothing voice, I felt an inexplicable sense of calm as she gently combed my hair. My ankle still ached a bit, but it was bearable.

“Now, Lady, please rest well. You need to attend the upcoming celebration.”

Oh right, there was the Fourth Prince’s birthday celebration.

Duke Carlotte mentioned he would introduce Jeanne there for the first time. In social terms, it would be Jeanne’s debutante ball.

‘A birthday celebration… I’ll meet Luke there.’

Lying in the soft bed, I organized my thoughts.

With the upcoming encounter, I needed to prepare myself mentally as well.

The title of this novel I was reincarnated into is ‘The Servant Extra Hides His Power’.

You might wonder, what kind of power is this extra hiding?

The main character, Luke, hides an incredible divine power. In the original novel, “The Saint of Maya” exists only in the setting and does not appear.

As a result, Luke becomes a capable saint, using his extraordinary divine power to vanquish heretics.

This earns him the love of the Empire’s people and even Carlisle’s exclusive affection.

Muttering nervously, I bit my nails.

“Unless Jeanne is a true miracle-working saint, going up against someone as skilled and well-regarded as Luke would put her at an absolute disadvantage. I must avoid any scenario where I compete with Carlisle for his affections.”

No matter how much I thought about it, this was the only strategy that came to mind.

With my thoughts organized, my previously restless heart felt a little lighter.

There was no point in blaming myself for the mistake of revealing my secret to Lily; it was better to focus on what I could do right now.

‘Yeah, and it’s not all bad. I managed to obtain Maya’s pocket watch. I shouldn’t get too rattled.’

My eyes fell on the pocket watch and the egg on the table. It seemed Lily had tidied them up.

“Thank goodness, I didn’t lose… huh?”

Just as I was feeling relieved that I hadn’t lost the pocket watch, I noticed the second hand inside was spinning rapidly, like a compass.

After spinning for a while, it finally stopped in front of the egg. My gaze naturally followed it.

“Was the egg always this size?”

Originally about the size of a chicken egg, it had suddenly grown to the size of an ostrich egg. I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

As I was debating whether to throw it away, I heard a cracking sound, and light began to leak out from a crack in the egg.

A low humming sound followed.

I almost bit my tongue as something inside the egg started to break out. I quickly grabbed a log from the fireplace and held it in both hands.

What was it? What was about to hatch?

Damn it, what on earth did I pick up?

Not long after, the light subsided, and something inside the eggshell stretched its wings.

With a pale face, I cautiously approached the egg.

What was inside was…

“A dragon?”

Not just any dragon, but a small, black baby dragon.

The baby dragon, barely able to stand on its four legs, shook off the green slime from its body.

As soon as it saw me, it bared its small fangs.

“Well, well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a human girl. Hey! I am Bermut, the Sacred Beast of Maya. Where is the warrior who found me?”

As soon as I heard the name, I dropped the log I was holding. Bermut tilted his head at my shocked expression.

Watching the fast-talking Bermut, I responded with a deadpan tone.

“It’s me.”

A moment of silence passed. Bermut, who had been staring at me, rolled over and burst out laughing.

“Ha! You’re quite the liar! There’s no way a mere human girl could awaken me. Where is the warrior hiding? If you don’t tell me right now, I’ll eat you first!”

“It’s me.”

Bermut’s eyes widened at my consistent reply. In the awkward silence, Bermut rolled his large eyes. As I sighed and rubbed my forehead, he growled threateningly.

“You… you dare! How dare this girl try to deceive me, Bermut….”

“Ha, this is driving me crazy. What am I supposed to do if I’ve picked up the first boss of the story?”

Yes, that’s right. Bermut, the Sacred Beast of Maya.

This guy was the first boss who gets corrupted by the power of evil and becomes the villain.

After Carlisle defeats Bermut, he obtains “Maya’s Sacred Sword” as a reward.

In other words, I had just picked up Bermut, who was practically the mid-boss of this novel. Staring blankly at the sweating Bermut, I sighed.

“Say that again. What was that about a girl?”

Intimidated by my harsh tone, Bermut flattened his ears and cowered. I reached out and grabbed Bermut without warning.

As he struggled, Bermut spoke in a trembling voice.

“M-my Lady?”

* * *