Chapter 19: A New Maid and the Empire’s Secrets

“Ugh!”

Letitia’s heart skipped a beat, only for a sudden wave of emptiness to surge through her body.

This emptiness wasn’t a desire to be filled, but rather the stark opposite: a void left by something essential being ripped away.

“No, no, no, there’s no need!”

Letitia turned her face away, her trembling legs weak beneath her, unable to meet Noah’s smiling gaze.

Despite the scandalous scene replaying vividly in her mind, Letitia forced herself to suppress the burgeoning sensation, addressing Astolfo instead:

“Didn’t you just say a visitor had arrived? Please, take me to them quickly.”

‘Otherwise, I truly don’t know how much longer I can hold out,’ Letitia thought with a bitter pang.

‘I’ve surrendered, truly and completely surrendered. If I keep up this pretense of strength, I’ll only be harming myself!’

“Understood, Your Majesty the Demon Lord. I shall lead the way.”

Astolfo bowed slightly, her eyes catching Noah’s subtle nod before she spoke.

“The guest arriving this time is one of the Rulers of the Royal Court, the one who commands the succubi and the banshees.”

***

The strict head maid lectured the petite maid before her, whose delicate limbs and exquisitely doll-like features made her resemble an adorable, finely carved porcelain doll.

“Yes, I’ve remembered!”

Issac, clad in a maid’s uniform, replied with a somewhat shy and tender voice, then flawlessly recited the rules the head maid had just explained.

After hearing the girl’s fluent reply, the head maid let out a sigh of relief, speaking with a touch of gentleness:

“Your memory is quite good, and you’re very well-mannered. You must be a noble young lady from some distant lord’s family. This candidate Avril sent is quite satisfactory.

“Little one, what skills do you possess? What kind of work are you hoping for? Since you’ve memorized the rules, I trust you won’t wander where you shouldn’t. I’ll help you get settled.”

“Eh? Um… Issac is quite good at carving meat… and hunting, I suppose?”

Issac nervously clutched her skirt hem, terrified her disguise would be seen through, her stated skills carefully fabricated.

“I see… In that case, you can start by maintaining the hunting rifles in the storage room. When needed, I’ll have you assist in the kitchen. Since you’re new, I won’t burden you with too much work for now. Does that sound acceptable?”

The head maid shed her previous strictness, presenting herself as a warm and approachable elder sister, bending down slightly as she spoke in a consultative tone.

“Yes! All right, Issac will do her best!”

Under Issac’s somewhat uneasy gaze, the head maid acknowledged her identity and led her to her designated workplace. After a preliminary assessment, she was given some simple tasks to help her adjust.

From that day forward, Miss Issac officially became a member of the Demon Lord’s Castle’s auxiliary maids.

“Phew… that was terrifying…”

The owl, operated by Joshua, flew out from beneath Issac’s skirt. After looking around to confirm no one was present, it spoke to Issac, who was skillfully disassembling a rifle barrel for maintenance.

Most of the owl’s structure was actually hollow, allowing it to sustain long periods of flight with minimal energy.

Thus, until just now, it had been folded compactly, much like a Swiss Army knife, concealed beneath her skirt alongside Issac’s double-barreled pistol.

While that position offered an unobstructed view of the young girl’s white stockings and the scenery beneath her skirt, Joshua, focused on eavesdropping, had no such inclinations.

“I was really nervous too… wondering what I’d do if I was exposed…”

Recalling the situation, Issac felt a chill of apprehension. The maid sisters in the Demon Lord’s Castle were all exceptionally beautiful, and upon seeing such a cute new little sister, they couldn’t resist wanting to ‘take a few sips’.

Issac’s usual missions involved infiltration and assassination; she had never experienced such a situation. She could only desperately guard the pistol and owl-knife beneath her skirt, ensuring they remained unnoticed.

“Sister Joshua, do you think that Sister Avril, the one named Avril, can be trusted?”

[TL Note: ‘吸两口’ (xī liǎng kǒu) is a colloquial, affectionate way to describe doting on something cute, like wanting to pinch cheeks or hug tightly.]

Wiping away residue from inside the rifle barrel, Issac asked Joshua. They had held a conversation the previous night, ultimately reaching a temporary agreement for cooperation.

Now, she wished to hear Joshua’s opinion.

“Untrustworthy, yet if we truly set our plans in motion, she might prove to be our most reliable accomplice.”

Joshua, operating the owl, shook its head, recalling Avril’s words from their conversation the previous night:

“Are you aware of the Demon Lord’s succession struggle?”

“Theoretically, any demon in this empire holds the potential to become the Demon Lord. Even the Demon Lord’s own offspring must undergo three trials to ascend to the throne.”

“The Dark Pilgrimage, the Royal Court Trials, and finally, the Challenge of the Demon Lord.”

“The victor shall ascend the Jade Throne and be crowned king, while the defeated shall become the empire’s foundation.”

“While no one in the empire has yet challenged and passed the Royal Court Trials, there are a few demons who have completed the Dark Pilgrimage.”

“For certain powerful, self-important demons, undertaking the Dark Pilgrimage is akin to a rite of passage. This ritual, presided over by Royal Court mages, grants a significant boost to their abilities upon successful completion.”

“Why are you telling us all this?”

Joshua had inquired at the time.

“Don’t be impatient; the main event is coming soon.”

Avril had replied thus.

“The citizens of the Demon Nation, the Mandorn Empire, can be broadly categorized into three types:

“One type consists of common demons. They lack horns, which symbolize power, and their appearance is indistinguishable from ordinary humans. Although their physical prowess and magical constitution far surpass those of humans, this has paradoxically led them to live relatively primitive lives.”

“The Demon Lord represents this segment of the population.”

“Another type comprises the Royal Court members. These ancient demons possess powerful intellect and abilities, flowing with ancient and potent bloodlines, and hold themselves in high regard. They form the uppermost echelons of demonic power.”

“Their representatives are the Rulers of the Royal Court, who command various races.”

“The final type consists of demons who, by fortuitous chance, acquired vast resources and, after consuming them entirely, evolved into devils. The kind of devil they become generally depends on the energy they devoured and the essence of their souls.”

“The characteristic of these demons is their instability; they cannot consistently produce powerful offspring. Furthermore, if they fail to properly regulate themselves, there’s a risk of them rampaging or succumbing to madness.”

“The representatives of this category are the Devil Lords, who wield local administrative power.”

“Among these Devil Lords, there are indeed individuals who have already completed the Dark Pilgrimage and are now restless, coveting the Demon Lord’s throne.”