Chapter 26: The Treasury’s Missing Goods and a Maid’s Embarrassment

Knock, knock, knock.

Just then, a distinct knock echoed from outside the door. Astolfo pushed the door open and stepped inside, bowing gracefully to the two figures entwined on the sofa.

“Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty the Demon Lord, and Holy Maiden.”

Her voice, respectful and smooth, was neither overly loud nor did it lack clarity in its enunciation.

“Astolfo, is something the matter?”

Letitia briefly considered why Astolfo might be seeking her out before posing the question.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Demon Lord, it appears that more than half of the Moon Spirit Orbs and Holy Night Grass stored in the treasury have vanished.

Furthermore, five Sacred Beast Eggs are missing, and the alchemical equipment bears clear signs of recent use. Might you have any insight into this matter?”

Astolfo’s gaze bore directly into Letitia, as if utterly convinced she was the perpetrator.

“Uh!”

In that instant, Letitia grasped the full implications of the situation, her eyes darting away in a tell-tale sign of guilt.

“Moon Spirit Orbs, Holy Night Grass, Sacred Beast Eggs… these are all incredibly nourishing and precious materials, not to mention delectable ingredients, yet they possess minimal medicinal properties.

If alchemical equipment was used… well…”

Noah, having recently sated her appetite, tilted her head in thought upon hearing Astolfo’s report.

The familiar knowledge within her mind intertwined with a recent observation, swiftly leading her to a conclusion. Her gaze towards Letitia grew increasingly mischievous, a subtle, knowing smile gracing her lips.

“Wh-what is it! Why are you making that face…”

Letitia felt a prickle of unease under their combined gazes. Astolfo’s subtly chiding look, alongside Noah’s playfully suggestive expression, instantly transformed the previously assertive Letitia into a cornered feline, with nowhere left to flee.

As if the stifling atmosphere had finally become unbearable, Letitia cried out, abandoning all semblance of composure in a fit of pique.

“Hee hee hee… not at all~, Your Majesty. You only need to ask when you desire something; there’s no need to spend a fortune preparing substitutes~.”

Noah understood perfectly well the underlying reasons for Letitia’s actions, and her words were merely a playful jab.

With a mischievous flick of her tongue, she winked one eye, assuming a captivating pose. She then made to pull back the fabric that barely concealed her ample curves, threatening to reveal even more of her creamy, smooth skin.

“Cough, cough, cough! Let’s just… let’s discuss this later.”

Letitia’s face flushed crimson. She abruptly averted her gaze and rose, her breathing slightly ragged, not daring to spare Noah another glance as she addressed Astolfo:

“I shall endeavor to replenish the materials in the treasury. As the Demon Lord, I have numerous official duties awaiting my attention, and thus I must take my leave.”

Astolfo, naturally, was well aware that Letitia had no pressing official duties requiring her immediate attention. However, at a moment such as this, it was prudent to afford the Demon Lord a modicum of dignity.

“Understood. Then, Holy Maiden, Your Majesty the Demon Lord will take her leave.”

The personal maid offered Noah a slight curtsy before following the young Demon Lord out of the reception hall.

Noah smiled, watching them recede, then withdrew her elegant fingers that had been poised to unfasten her clothing. She settled back onto the still-warm sofa, relishing its plush texture.

‘I’ll make inquiries about that little one later,’ Noah mused contentedly.

***

“Hmm… there’s no problem with the node at this location…”

Issac checked a section of the Demon Lord’s Castle barrier nodes, meticulously comparing them against the points highlighted on her map.

Maids serving within the Demon Lord’s Castle were, by and large, young ladies from demon noble families, endowed with exceptional magical talent.

With minimal training, they could blossom into formidable mages, and beyond their impressive combat capabilities, they also served as the technical personnel responsible for the castle’s upkeep.

Within the Demon Lord’s Castle, numerous areas were inaccessible to the personal guard, making it natural for the maids to oversee the inspection and maintenance of the nodes in these locations.

As a newly assigned general maid, Issac’s designated areas were limited and of minor importance. Reckless destruction would not only be futile but would also swiftly breed suspicion.

To earn trust, extract vital information, and ultimately rescue Noah, Issac was diligently engaged in her duties.

“Hmm… that’s almost all the nodes checked…”

After spending nearly the entire afternoon clearing the slightly obstructed magical circuits within the nodes, Issac placed another satisfying checkmark on her map.

Just as she turned, intending to report to the head maid, Issac collided head-on with two enormous, soft, snow-white mounds.

“I’m sorry, I…”

Before Issac could even fully register the collision, she instinctively began to apologize, only to be swept into a forceful embrace. Her tender face was mercilessly pressed against the ‘aircraft carrier-sized’ figure’s ample bosom.

“Little one~, rushing in to find me like this, were you missing me~?”

A soft, alluring, and all too familiar voice murmured in her ear, causing Issac’s small face, buried deep within the soft mounds, to instantly blaze crimson.

“N-Noah, Sister Noah!”

“What, what? Where’s Noah!?”

Joshua, roused abruptly from her nap, startled awake, and her mechanical owl fluttered out from beneath the loli maid’s skirt.

“W-what in the world are you two doing!?”

The dramatic scene of ‘aircraft carrier crushing destroyer’ played out before her, its brazen disregard for propriety causing Joshua’s eyes to widen in shock. Her erratic flight path clearly betrayed the turmoil within her.

“W-wuwuwu, Sister Noah… could you please release me…?”

Issac’s small face was utterly engulfed in Noah’s warm embrace, her cheeks growing warm, and she found her breathing becoming somewhat ragged.

She attempted to wriggle free, only to feel herself sinking even deeper with each futile movement.

“Mmm! Fine, I’ll release you.”

Issac’s labored breathing, in turn, tickled Noah, causing a soft huff to escape her lips. Her delicate arms, like verdant spring mountains, finally released Issac, holding her by the shoulders to gently extricate her from the embrace.

“P-phew.”

As Issac emerged, she gasped for air, the flush on her small face spreading all the way to her earlobes. Her once clear, luminous eyes now held a misty, dazed quality, as if an entirely new sensation had been awakened within her.

“Sister Noah… that was… incredible….”

“…..”

Realizing the futility of intervention, Joshua simply abandoned all thought, perching herself directly on the windowsill. Her wings obscured her face, allowing only her two dark, gleaming eyes to peer through a narrow slit.

“J-Joshua, Sister Joshua!? You… you saw all of that!?”

Only then did Issac realize the owl had indeed flown out from beneath the skirt. Her face instantly deepened to an even more profound crimson, her fair, delicate features seeming to steam as if on the verge of boiling.

“Indeed, quite a sight.”

Joshua, her mind completely devoid of thought, unhesitatingly delivered her ‘gentlemanly’ remark. The owl’s eyes, like miniature cameras, perfectly captured the image of the two.

“Furthermore, I’ve recorded the entire scene. It might prove useful whenever I find myself unable to sleep.”

“Wuwuwu…”

Upon hearing this, Issac’s shame escalated to new heights.

She buried her face between her palms and knees like an ostrich, yet the incredibly immersive and wonderful sensation she had just experienced only intensified in her memory.