episode_0024

An unexpected vacation had suddenly appeared. Reveling in the freedom she hadn’t enjoyed in so long, Lilit rushed out with the money she had saved up.

Trying on expensive jewelry and the latest fashionable clothes, she trembled with excitement. How long had it been since she last indulged in such sweet moments?

Before meeting Arina, she had lived a far more luxurious life every day, exploiting low-class succubi and even durhans, but even then, she hadn’t been this happy.

Pain makes joy greater, and because she now knew joy, the pain of returning to her daily life would be greater too. Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

She tried to wash away her complicated feelings with dessert when a large man passed by, catching Lilit’s eye.

Her gaze sharpened as she followed him.

Daniel Height. A man who showed an unnaturally unconditional favor toward Arina.

She knew well enough that he had a good personality, but that didn’t erase the lingering discomfort.

The forbidden love story between men he had told her was fascinating. She, too, had found him likable, but because her master was so defenseless, she couldn’t help but feel the obligation to stay sharp.

Her master had no idea how much her body tempted men. That was probably why she let her guard down so easily when someone claimed to like men.

Even if Daniel betrayed her, Arina would only assume he’d sell her to the kingdom—never that he might assault her.

But from Lilit’s perspective, Arina had a destructive charm that could turn even a homosexual straight. By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, she was already tailing Daniel.

‘Not that I care what happens to that bitch! Well, considering what she did to me, she deserves it! But if this guy betrays her, I’ll be in danger too, so I have no choice, right?’

Nodding to herself, Lilit began her pursuit, convincing and persuading herself even though no one was watching.

True to his reputation as the kingdom’s top merchant, Daniel met with various businessmen.

Taxes, goods—most of the conversation was incomprehensible to Lilit, who knew nothing of human society.

“Haaam.”

Bored out of her mind listening to things she didn’t understand, she let out a yawn.

Maybe this was enough? The idea that a man who liked men would lust after a woman’s body and plot something suspicious might have just been her imagination. Just as she was about to turn away, Daniel’s words caught her ear.

“So, about that. I’m actually looking for some items for a newly acquired slave.”

Newly acquired slave—anyone who knew the context would immediately realize he was talking about Arina.

But items for a slave? That was beyond suspicious. Lilit pressed her ear back against the wall.

“Since you came to me, I assume it’s a female slave?”

“Yes. I’d like to start with some clothes.”

“Hmm, do you have a preferred style?”

“Anything is fine, but something that shows a bit of cleavage would be nice.”

Look at this guy. Acting all innocent, but he can’t keep his mind off her chest? Well, hers is even bigger than mine, so I guess any man would lose his head over it.

Still, what would’ve happened to that idiot if I hadn’t been here? She’d have been devoured like a lamb walking into a wolf’s den, completely unaware.

In Lilit’s mind, Daniel was not only guilty but already sentenced to death. She should at least know how much trouble I’m going through for her.

Charging in alone would only get her overpowered. If she hurried back and reported this, Arina would handle the rest.

But just as she turned to leave, another sentence stopped her in her tracks.

“By the way, do you still have any of ‘that’ in stock?”

“Ah, you mean that? Of course. It’s one of our best-selling products.”

The man rummaged through a bag under the table and pulled out a glass bottle filled with pink liquid. Swirling it, he grinned.

“A lot of people come looking for this! Just one dose, and whether it’s a man or a woman, they’ll go down in an instant!”

“YOU SICK BASTARDS!!!!!”

A woman’s voice cut through the conversation between the two men in the otherwise empty room. Startled, they turned to see Lilit, trembling with rage, her fists clenched.

“Daniel, you bastard! I never expected this from you! What the hell are you planning to do to that innocent girl?!”

“Miss Lilit? What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?! I was keeping an eye on you because you were acting suspicious! And sure enough, you’re scheming something like this behind our backs?!”

She gnashed her teeth, glaring at him, but regret quickly set in. Daniel Height, despite being a merchant, was built like a mountain.

The reason he traveled without guards was that his combat prowess surpassed that of most adventurers.

She had acted on impulse, revealing herself—but now what?

“I see. So you heard everything.”

Daniel muttered under his breath, shaking his head as if disappointed. The motion felt like a death sentence, sending a chill down Lilit’s spine.

“Well then, I have no choice. Miss Lilit, you’ll have to cooperate as well.”

“Eek! W-Wait, stay back! KYAAAAH!”

—

Knock knock.

The soft rapping at the door roused Arina from sleep. Her sweat-damp hair clung to her cheeks, irritating her, so she roughly combed her fingers through it, leaving it disheveled.

Her outfit was no different from usual—a shabby, worn-out shirt and brown leather pants.

The careless attire, devoid of any fashion sense, detracted from her beauty, but that was exactly her intention, so there was no changing it.

When no answer came, the knocking repeated.

Must be urgent. Arina pushed herself up from the bed and opened the door.

“Who is it?”

The question slipped out instinctively. The only people who ever sought her out were Daniel and Lilit.

But standing before her was a tall woman wearing glasses, flanked by a group of maids in uniform.

“Just as I heard—your attire is a disaster, and your manners are no better. You’ll need a complete overhaul from head to toe.”

A vein pulsed on Arina’s forehead at the sudden criticism.

“I asked who you are. Didn’t Daniel tell you? I may have a slave brand, but I’m here as a guest.”

“I’m aware. I was personally requested by Master Daniel to come—for your education.”

“Education? Who gave you the right to teach me anything?”

Sensing something was off, Arina subtly gathered magic at her fingertips. But before she could act, Lilit suddenly burst out from among the maids and threw herself at Arina.

“Lilit? This isn’t the time—and even if it were, don’t hug me.”

After months of living together, conversation was fine, but Arina still found physical contact with women uncomfortable.

She pushed Lilit away, but the succubus pretended to stumble back before wrapping her arms around Arina from behind, restraining her.

“Now! Hurry!”

Only then did Arina realize—Lilit had betrayed her.

“Lilit! Did you make some kind of deal with Daniel? You’re betraying me?”

But it didn’t make sense. Lilit knew she hadn’t yet formed a slave contract.

The slave brand, the magical restraints on her—Arina could control Lilit with any of them. So what was she thinking, pulling something like this?

Nothing made sense, but she wasn’t about to sit back and take it.

She prepared to unleash her magic to blast away the surrounding women—but they were faster.

Splash!

“Cough, cough! What the—?”

Water splashed onto Arina’s face, leaving her coughing in shock. Before she could react, a towel obscured her vision.

As she was forcibly given a quick wash, the maids surrounded her, holding cosmetics, jewelry, dresses, and perfume.

“Wh-What is this?!”

“What else? We’re here to make you beautiful, Mistress!”

“Who asked for this?! I hate this kind of thing!”

“You think the Height family would let a pretty slave like you walk around looking like some old man? That’s suspicious as hell! If you’d just listened to me and dressed up properly from the start, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“So you plotted this behind my back?”

Lilit smiled in response. The maids’ faces were filled with excitement—the thrill of beautifying someone like her, the sense of duty to make her properly feminine.

None of them held any malice, so Arina couldn’t bring herself to resist too strongly.

With a deep sigh, she reluctantly allowed them to apply makeup. It definitely wasn’t because the word old man had struck a nerve.

“This dress—isn’t the neckline too low?”

She flapped the chest-baring dress in dissatisfaction.

“If the slave brand is covered, you’d have to let someone touch you to verify it. You wouldn’t want to expose your chest to a guard, would you?”

In other words, they’d chosen a dress that left her chest exposed to avoid the humiliation of having to bare herself to prove her brand. It felt backwards, but she could see the logic.

Lilit, sniffing at Arina, grumbled.

“That ‘instant knockout’ perfume was a total scam. Though it does smell nice.”

“Merchants are all like that. …At least let me pick my own clothes. I’ve never worn anything like this—it’s so awkward.”

Instead of the sturdy, body-covering clothes she was used to, this was soft, ticklish feminine attire.

The skirt barely covered her thighs, and the exposed cleavage made her self-conscious. She couldn’t calm down.

“If I’d told you beforehand, you’d have refused.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

It was frustrating. She had complaints, but their reasoning was sound, leaving her no room to protest.

Arina reached for the tea a maid offered and downed it in one gulp. The cool sensation lifted her mood slightly.

But then—SMACK!

“GYAAH?!”

A stinging, red handprint burned across her back. The culprit was the tall woman who had scolded her earlier—the head maid.

Even after the other maids finished her makeup and left, the head maid had stayed behind.

“What the hell was that?!”

“That’s my line! A lady gulping down tea like some brute—what kind of barbarity is this?!”

The head maid stared at her as if she’d committed a crime. The sheer confidence in her gaze made Arina feel like she was the one in the wrong. Instead of confronting the maid directly, she turned to Daniel.

“Hey, Daniel. Is this also necessary for getting through the checkpoint?”

“Well, no… but when the head maid gets like this, even I can’t stop her…”

Useless boss. Can’t even control his own subordinate.

Deciding to handle it herself, Arina glared at the head maid, ready to subdue her.

Do you know who I am? The world’s greatest mage. What beast could stand tall before the King of Beasts?

SMACK!

A whip struck her forehead.

“KYAAAAH!”

“A lady does not glare so viciously! This won’t do. Follow me to the training room!”

“Wait, isn’t that thing for hitting people?!”

SMACK!

“GYAAAH!”

“Your speech is vulgar. Again.”

With that, the head maid whipped her until she used polite language, then dragged her off to the training room.

Lilit wiped her brow at the sheer brutality. Thank goodness she didn’t target me.

“You there! What are you standing around for? Come along!”

…Never mind. Swallowing her tears, Lilit followed.