Chapter 59: Return (3)

“Elena! Elena!”

Despite the urgent voice coming from the mansion’s main room, Elena’s steps were leisurely. She opened the main room door, showing a slightly tired expression.

“Yes, Madam. Are you still agonizing over it?”

Just as her question implied, Isabel was agonizing. Spreading all sorts of clothes on the bed, she was deep in thought about what outfit would be best when meeting Evan. Isabel, who had been biting her nails and fidgeting restlessly, spoke to Elena.

“Ah, Elena. What should I do? I’m seeing Evan for the first time in a while, what kind of clothes do you think he’d like?”

“Wouldn’t Evan like it best when you’re not wearing anything?”

Elena said that with a nonchalant expression, but she had a newly bought ribbon tied in her hair, and her clothes were ironed more neatly than usual. Every nook and cranny of the mansion had been cleaned without a speck of dust, and newly purchased snacks were laid out on the table.

“Elena. Stop joking and help me quickly. I really don’t know what to do.”

Elena chuckled upon seeing Isabel’s flustered face. Come to think of it, Elena and Isabel had never welcomed their husband’s return like this before. Elena placed her hands on Isabel’s shoulders and whispered,

“Since it’s been a while. Wouldn’t the most familiar clothes be best? Evan must miss you too, Madam.”

“Hmm… But I want to give him a fresher impression. It’s been a while, you know. Really… I was so worried, wondering if something might have happened to him at the Academy.”

Going to the Academy in a demon’s body was enough to make a loved one tremble with anxiety. Isabel felt relieved once again that all the tragedies she had imagined had not befallen the mansion. Elena gazed thoughtfully at Isabel and said,

“Then, Madam. How about this?”

“…..What is it?”

From the early morning, lewd suggestions were being exchanged within the mansion. Elena made an amusing suggestion with a mischievous smile, and Isabel nodded repeatedly, her face flushed bright red.

******

“We’re here.”

“Yeah.”

We shook our heads as we got off the carriage. Stepping onto the ground right after getting off the swaying carriage made our vision wobble. Sophia, who alighted last, bowed her head to the coachman in greeting, and the coachman, holding a cigarette, nodded.

He said to Alice.

“Well then, Miss. I’ll be heading straight back to the main house.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

Alice didn’t stop the coachman from returning to the main house. The coachman leaned against the carriage wheel and took another puff from his pipe, while I followed Alice, carrying the luggage. Sophia stuck close to my side and said.

“Master. So, who are the people we’re meeting now?”

“My wife. And my wife. And my wife.”

“Oh, I see! I have no idea at all.”

Alice chuckled upon hearing my conversation with Sophia. Then, she counted on her fingers, frowned, and looked back at me.

“…Why three people? Elena is one thing, but who else besides Mom?”

Instead of answering, I vaguely gestured with my head towards the village entrance. At the guard post near the village entrance, priests took turns on healer duty every day, and it seemed Lumia was on duty at the guard post today.

Following my gesture, Alice glanced at Lumia, then looked back at me with a startled expression. Sophia, without much thought, followed my gaze to Lumia, then looked at me with a surprised face.

“Master. That’s amazing.”

Sophia then gave me a thumbs-up, as if acknowledging me. I said to Sophia in a low voice.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you last time that I had a priest subordinate?”

“I thought you were bluffing. I also go around saying I was an elite back in my human days.”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. Alice, for her part, looked back and forth between me and Lumia with a curious expression. After looking at us repeatedly, she suddenly shifted her gaze towards her chest and looked down at herself.

Lumia’s destructive cleavage couldn’t be hidden even by her priestess attire, revealing its round contours perfectly. Alice glared at me again and said.

“Pervert.”

“Shut up. Let’s go inside quickly. How long are we going to stand here?”

I ignored Alice’s grumbling and urged her to go inside quickly. It was because I wanted to see Isabel and Elena again. As we passed through the main gate, Lumia glanced at me and gave a slight smile. Her short bobbed hair and those lewd eyes made my heart flutter, even after seeing them after so long.

I leaned slightly against the window frame and said in a low voice.

“You’ll come home tonight, right?”

“I’m staying at the mansion these days, so I will visit you.”

“I missed you.”

Lumia smiled even brighter at my words and whispered in an even lower voice.

“I missed you too, Evan-nim. It’s inconvenient having the profession of a priest at times like this. I’ll finish my work as quickly as possible and come.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

When I turned my head, Alice and Sophia were waiting a short distance away. A middle-aged villager greeted Alice familiarly.

“Oh, Alice. You’re back in the village?”

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

The man scanned Alice like someone looking to buy a slave, then licked his lips and asked.

“I heard you did well studying at the Academy, so why did you come back? Was it… that you couldn’t study properly?”

“I graduated. I’ll be heading back up soon.”

“…Is that so?”

The man turned away with an awkward expression. He probably had various scenarios playing out in his head, but none of them would come to fruition. I watched the man walk away and said.

“Now that’s a real pervert.”

“…I think we need to move this time. There are too many low-life people in this village. I can’t keep Mom and Elena-unni here forever.”

I nodded at her words. Wherever we go. We had to get out of this village first. As the saying goes, ‘birds of a feather flock together’; the local dignitaries Carlson mostly associated with had made it a habit to take women through their power, and they were trash who groped other people’s women without hesitation.

“If it were up to me, I’d kill them all.”

“Why talk about killing? We can just leave quietly. I don’t want to get blood on my hands. No, I just don’t want to see their faces. I’ll send a letter to the company, so let’s just start preparing to move right away.”

“Looks like we have a lot to do.”

I didn’t refuse her suggestion, despite grumbling. Because I wanted to leave this town too.

*****

Only after arriving at the mansion entrance did Alice relax her expression slightly. It was because now we were facing the mansion, with the village behind us. The villagers with their lewd and wicked expressions were no longer in our sight. Alice held tightly onto the rusty barred gate and asked me.

“…But, will Mom really understand? If you think about it, this is cheating.”

It seemed Alice was seized by anxiety about this family relationship only upon arriving at the door. No matter how much you try to turn away, guilt always confronts you until the very last moment. I corrected Alice’s concern.

“It’s not cheating, it’s a family matter. She probably won’t even care?”

“Only perverts like Dad would think that.”

“Wanna bet? If we go in and Isabel gets angry, I’ll take responsibility and persuade her. But if Isabel accepts it naturally…”

“If she accepts?”

I said, caressing Alice’s buttocks with my hand.

“Don’t you want to try it this way too?”

Alice’s eyes widened, and she looked at me. Her face was flushed red, the same color as her hair. Sophia, who was behind me, said.

“Alice’s face looks just like an apple.”

“Shut up! What on earth are you thinking? I’m Dad’s daughter! You want to do that to your daughter’s butt? That’s… unsanitary… and… unhealthy…! Anyway…!”

“You could just use Clean Magic.”

“I told you to be quiet?”

Alice yelled at Sophia again for her tactless interjection. Sophia chuckled and nodded, and I felt a slight disappointment towards Alice for refusing the anal sex request. I asked, grabbing the doorknob.

“Alice. I’m going to open the door, do you have any greeting in mind for when we come in?”

“…I guess I have to say ‘I’m home’.”

Alice said with a sullen face. Her mood was changing erratically, like a badly tuned piano. Alice leaned against my shoulder and wrapped her arms around me. Her bright red face and demure leg posture were very cute.

Sophia stood behind me. She seemed quite fond of this mansion. Before opening the door, I asked her.

“Do you like the mansion?”

“Yes. It suits you well, Master.”

Hearing that, I looked again at the gloomy exterior of the mansion. A mansion with rusty bars and overgrown ivy.

“…That’s a compliment, right?”

“It’s a compliment.”

I decided to take it as a demonic compliment. Then, I nodded and grabbed the doorknob once more.

“Opening it.”

Alice squeezed her eyes shut. The moment I pulled the door open forcefully, Alice hugged my arm tightly and said.

“I-I’m home…!”

“W-Welcome home…! Master…!”

And before us, Isabel, dressed in Elena’s maid outfit, stood at the entrance, her face flushed crimson.

“Oh, Mom?”

Alice, her face blank as if she’d forgotten the vulgar and promiscuous confession she was supposed to make, looked at Isabel, who tried hard to avoid Alice’s gaze and continued speaking.

“M-Master…! I-I’m the maid assigned to serve Evan-nim today only…! Isabel…! I am…!”

I looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh. A light dizziness washed over me, accompanied by a throbbing in my lower body.

“Ah, aah…!”

Sophia, seeing my reaction, asked in surprise.

“What is it, Master? What’s wrong?”

“I almost came.”

Hoo.