#The Tyrant’s Leash Is Held by a Maid

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The Tyrant’s Leash Is Held by a Maid - By 박오 (8.5/10)

Is it love, or an unbreakable curse sent down by destiny? Don't worry about it! It can't be reversed. A maid and a prince become Manish and Aradna, which are ancient titles given to the bearers of a great curse. Manish will be unstoppable for his entire life, as long as he has his Aradna. Without her he is doomed to insanity, bloodlust and violence.

Liana is a maid. An actual maid. One without any special privileges. One who has not been treated nicely. She has a young niece to support. She is very smart, but she is only allowed to use her intellect to support a master. She gets the chance to become the personal maid that belongs to Natasha Baldwin. Natasha is beautiful. Her family is noble and wealthy, but her mother is a commoner, so she is not the most lofty master to serve. That doesn't matter to Liana, because Natasha is miles above her, despite her dirty pedigree.

Natasha is currently dating(?) the second prince, Illyd. He is an infamous womanizer. The women who date him never last more than a few months. He is the classic lazy prince with no real responsibilities, because he has an older brother who is the obvious choice for the throne.

Liana is worried. If Illyd abandons Natasha, after dating her so publicly, her reputation will go down. The maids will have to deal with her rage.

Also, Illyd keeps looking at her.

It's weird.

Natasha has a pureborn older sister. One who constantly calls Natasha dirty. Liana gets a raise when she starts serving Natasha exclusively, but she also gets bullied relentlessly. She defends Natasha. Why? Natasha is her master and only loyalty can prove a maid's usefulness. Natasha watches the abuse from a distance. She comes forward to defend Liana only after Liana proves to be very loyal.

They don't become besties.

Natasha notices she's smart and useful.

That's all.

This is the nice guy.

He's not going to win, because Illyd is a cursed yandere. I assume he will be more important later on. The beginning of the story mostly focuses on Natasha, Illyd, and Liana's maid duties.

Foreign prince Arcan, despite all of his kindness and patience, does not stand a chance.

Liana doesn't know a thing.

Illyd and Natasha aren't actually dating. Natasha is trying to destroy the Baldwin family. They're very corrupt, and they have never loved her. She's gunning for revenge. Lord Baldwin intended to sell her off as a bride, because of her beauty, from the start. Natasha doesn't see him as family. She teamed up with Illyd because he's soulless on the inside. He doesn't actually date any women. He just squeezes information out of them. Natasha isn't even his friend. She's more like a business partner. Their sensual relationship is just an act.

Liana gets caught in the crossfire, when Natasha tells her to deliver a love note.

It's not a love note.

Illyd saves her. He hasn't been cursed yet. He's just impressed by her. Drawn to her a little bit. Liana is loyal to Natasha, even when he flirts with her. She doesn't know it, but her sharp wit is a great weapon. Natasha uses it liberally. Liana assists her when it comes to planning and sneaking pretty much by accident.

Natasha gives her another raise later.

After Liana is untied there's a moment. A moment that implies the blood covered prince is genuinely attracted to the maid.

She runs.

The first prince is also present. He's a very good first prince, but he's paranoid. He's scarier than your average evil villain. He doesn't seem stupid, but he's very violent, just like Illyd.

Illyd eventually becomes Manish.

The legend of Manish and Aradna is actually quite simple. It's a well known story. A well known fact. It's not regarded as scary voodoo or anything. Even maid like Liana knows the whole tale.

A wife is created for him. Aradna. She silences the noise, and he can use his powers once more. He vows to prioritize Aradna over all else. He becomes fallible, imperfect, and powerful at the same time. The legend ends happily.

Basically, an all powerful man gets punished with feeling too much. Too much sensation, all the time. He feels his own heartbeat. His breath. His blood too, until he goes crazy. He begs for help. He forgets his hubris. He was the strongest, smartest man before he was punished with endless noise. His punishment reduces him to a wailing mess.

Liana becomes Aradna.

She's terrified. Illyd will go insane without her constant presence, and he's as powerful as a monster. She's afraid of the nobles. She just wanted to make enough money to support her niece. She is attracted to Illyd, but she mostly feels fear.

Especially when his attention lands on her, and it stays there, and he gets frustrated enough to murder when she's out of reach.