“Well, my lady, shall I pour you some tea?”
“Do as you see fit, good sir! But I think I’d prefer green tea instead of black.”
“Is that so? In that case, may I present to you a special brew from the House of Leila brand! Thanks to this wonderful magic called Inventory, it’s always freshly brewed! But wait, there’s more! House of Leila tea snacks! These are also freshly baked, which means you can always enjoy the fragrant aroma! They’re even delicious cold!”
“Ha ha! Omigosh, we’re probably the only ones in such a luxurious castle who would go to the trouble of bringing tea and snacks from home.”
“And why wouldn’t we? Everything Leila makes is delicious.”
When I took out a thermos, snacks, plates, and forks from Inventory and placed them on the table, Nell sat up. There was tableware in the room, but it was all obviously high-end, and I had zero desire to use any of it. I guess I could call this my castle now, but for whatever reason, it still felt like someone else’s house, which meant I wasn’t gonna cut loose like I should’ve.
I’m such a dumbass. I’ll never be an arrogant, ruthless demon lord at this rate. I still have a long way to go, huh? Maybe if I push the castle’s staff around like a real hard-ass... Hmm... Nah. I’ll just end up wanting to do the work myself.
“Hey, Mr. Yuki. Hey. Heeey.”
“Yes, my lady. Say ‘aah.’”
“Mmm... So delicious! I knew you knew what I wanted.”
“I damn well better, considering I’m your husband.”
Nell enjoyed being pampered, so it was easy for me to figure out what she’d want me to do at a time like this.
“Tee hee, why am I not surprised? All right, you too, Mr. Yuki. Open wide.”
“Mmm... Superb. One wife’s powerful confectionary creations, plus another wife hand-feeding me said creations. I suspect that this combination extends a man’s life span by at least a year. I really must present this theory at a conference.”
“What conference?”
“Why, the one held by the Harem Promotion Society.”
“That sounds like a conference sure to cause a stir!”
Ain’t that the truth?
And so, I enjoyed tea time with Nell. Time passed by like a lazy river. Just as fun and chill as one too.
“Hey, Mr. Yuki?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m so excited for the children to arrive. Aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Tee hee. Actually... No, never mind.”
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Smiling like the cat that ate the canary, Nell scooted down to rest her head on my lap again.
“Snacking while lying down... We can’t do this with Iluna and the girls around since we have to set a good example for them.”
“Which is why you should be bad when you’re not at home! Hero, if you wish to stop the Demon Lord’s atrocities, now is the time.”
“Hmm. This hero has already succumbed to temptation and fallen into evil’s clutches, so that won’t be possible. I’ll simply watch with a smile as chaos devours the world!”
“A very fitting attitude for my wife. As a reward for being such an excellent consort, I shall give you a head pat.”
“Tee hee. Huzzah!”
I stroked Nell’s smooth, soft hair. Joking around with my wife like this...was one of my reasons for living.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Trouble abounds in this country too, hm?”
Despite the aftermath of the war leaving him unable to use magic ever again, Runougil, whose alias was the Silent Assassin, continued to operate in the underworld as the Demon King’s right-hand man. Following a terrorist attack targeting the rulers, he had once again infiltrated the Reauxgard Empire and, while commanding his subordinates, was gathering information for the next operation. In other words, he was conducting an espionage campaign.
His base was the entertainment district in the imperial capital. This place of greed had seen an unprecedented influx of money since other races had begun visiting. As a result, conspiracies swirled everywhere, making it the perfect place for someone to plot evil. That explained why he was not only directing his subordinates, but also going undercover in one of the luxury casinos there to monitor his target, the one deemed guilty by the Demon King. His orders were to let the fish swim free and only catch it if the situation escalated. Thus, as the target began to move, he did as well. He reached for the knife hidden in his pocket.
It was at that moment that his attention was caught by a maid. Dressed in the same style as the casino waiters, she was completely unremarkable. He felt like she’d disappear if he took his eyes off her. Her brow twitched for a moment when she realized she was being watched, but her professional smile never wavered as she approached him in an inconspicuous fashion.
Hmm, she’s excellent at hiding her presence. I’d like my people to learn from her. She certainly lives up to the expectations of an operative recruited by the former emperor.
“A member of Avend, I take it? My lord, the Demon King, has told me about your organization.”
“My superior has entrusted me with information. I’m to give it to you first.”
“Understood. Go on, then.”
Their conversation was drowned out by the noise of the casino.