Night of Stony Fortress (2)
In the midst of the banquet hall filled with the laughter of many, Lusteria returned to her seat and quietly poked at her food. She merely stirred the sugar-preserved wild strawberries with her fork, showing no interest even in the sweet dessert she occasionally brought to her lips. To anyone watching, Lusteria seemed lost in complicated thoughts—she neither saw the joyful faces of the residents nor heard the lively noise of the banquet, nor tasted the sweetness of the dessert. She only gazed inward at her own discomfort, reacting solely to the bitterness of memories she kept revisiting.
“Something not going well?” Oun asked casually, stuffing three apples into his mouth at once as his stomach began to fill, while still enjoying the dessert.
Lost in her tangled emotions, Lusteria hadn’t properly heard him. Only after a moment did she look at Oun and silently question him with her eyes alone. Her violet gaze, fixed on Oun, had lost its vitality and held only emptiness.
Oun let out a heavy sigh as if annoyed, picked up an apple from in front of him, and brought up another topic. “Does our little secretary know how apples grow?”
“…They grow on trees……”
“No, not that obvious stuff. Ahem, though this story’s pretty obvious too.”
Lusteria showed a hint of interest, wondering what he was talking about. Oun studied her carefully, then, seeming somewhat convinced, snorted once and continued. “You’re a capable talent who even uses magic, so you probably know this well. When flowers bloom, pollen from another tree sticks to them and that turns into fruit, right? Beriberi explained farming methods to me several times, so I remember it clearly.”
“……”
“Look at this. Have you ever seen an apple tree cling to another tree and promise to exchange pollen only with each other for life? From the perspective of two-legged races like us, isn’t that basically mating? I bet you saw some secret meeting between the Lord and the maid, and if that made you uncomfortable, you should say something to this apple too. You lewd, faithless result of mating! You should be ashamed!!!”
“…Pfft……”
Oun’s words were ultimately meant to comfort Lusteria. He continued his explanation using the apple as a metaphor, even making a ridiculous joke and acting the fool, and Lusteria finally managed a small laugh. After soothing her with cheerful banter, Oun chuckled himself and tried to pat her back, only to realize his hand was covered in roast grease. He awkwardly withdrew it.
“You look pretty and pleasant when you smile! So laugh, miss. In the end, the one you love is our Lord, isn’t it? It’s hard to expect the Lord to change to suit your tastes. Someone once said that if you’re going to love, you have to love everything about the other person.”
“…Then am I wrong to feel hurt by something like this…?”
“No! No! That’s not what I’m saying! Of course you can dislike it. Marriage exists precisely because people want to monopolize the one they love. But rather than just hating it outright, these things need to be worked out together through compromise. Would you hate the Lord just because she turns her eyes to another woman?”
“…No……”
Oun’s words weren’t always neatly organized and could be somewhat complicated to follow, but what he meant was clear enough that it wasn’t difficult. Before long, Lusteria found herself drawn into his story and seemed to agree and accept it to some degree.
“Just love the Lord no matter what she looks like. You didn’t like the Lord because she only looks at you and loves only you—you liked her exactly as she is. So love her exactly as she is!”
“I think I understand what you mean.”
“Right! There’s even a saying that heroes are lustful! She’s an all-powerful being that even gods fear, and this is the level of her fidelity! If it were me, I might’ve built several palaces filled with nothing but beauties! You there! You! You! And you! Come to my chambers tonight! Bwahaha!”
Though Oun ended with another ridiculous remark, Lusteria found herself pleasantly surprised by how cheerful she felt. The story he told about what he would do if he were the Demon Lord had soothed her heart even more. An omnipotent Demon Lord who considers her partner’s feelings while sharing love and never forces anyone. Even that was the image of an incomparably benevolent ruler, yet she felt ashamed for having felt sorrow just because one other woman was with her master. It wasn’t a thought born from recalling only the Lord’s power, which could love many without anyone being able to object. As a succubus called an yinma, she had never even considered the idea that one should love only a single partner, and most races in Terraris felt no aversion to meeting multiple partners. Such values applied only to certain races like humans and elves, and even within those races, they didn’t apply to royalty, nobles, or those in power—an unfair standard. In the end, Lusteria hadn’t been hurt by any particular ethical value. She had simply felt jealousy. A mere, insignificant desire to possess.
Lusteria felt terribly small and insignificant. If things continued like this, she wouldn’t be able to lift her head from shame.
“I’ll go rest for a bit.”
Lusteria abruptly stood and hurried toward the VIP room without looking back. Her eyes had regained their vitality, filled with strong will and longing.
The central table on the podium was now empty. Beriberi and Artis, who had been holding their tongues until now, finally spoke.
“That was an unusually wise response from you! I see now—you’re a true romantic, aren’t you! Keh keh keh keh!!”
“Love her exactly as she is! That’s a historic quote that hits the mark across all ages! That’s the essence of art!! I have a feeling we’ll get along even better, Chief.”
“Shut up, all of you!! It’s already depressing enough to live alone forever—don’t tease me for no reason!!”
Though half-joking, Beriberi’s praise was sincere. Both he and Artis had noticed Lusteria’s situation but hadn’t been able to step in easily since it was a private matter. Instead, Oun, with his straightforward personality that never hesitated, had approached without reservation and resolved the issue well, so Beriberi’s praise came genuinely from the heart. Moreover, there was nothing wrong with what Oun had said, and Artis seemed so moved that he even appeared inclined to grow closer to Oun.
“You heard that too. Don’t cause trouble later—think carefully about what I said.”
“…!!”
With his back slightly turned to the now-lively Beriberi and Artis, who felt they had resolved a troublesome matter, Oun quietly spoke to Nella sitting beside him—quietly enough that even her brother Beriberi wouldn’t hear. Nella, who had been pretending not to see or hear the situation, looked visibly flustered, unsure whether she was surprised that Oun had caught her eavesdropping on his conversation with Lusteria or that her hidden feelings had been exposed. She merely lowered her head deeply, letting her hair fall forward to subtly hide her flushed face.
Lusteria strode past the inner guards who greeted her, paying them no mind. She climbed the stairs in an instant and crossed the corridor. After passing several guest room doors, she arrived at the VIP room door. The large, heavy door that carried the fresh scent of pine trees—she placed her hand on it carefully so as not to make a sound. But that cautious Lusteria no longer existed. Only the bold Lusteria remained, flinging the door open and stepping confidently into the VIP room.
Neromeltia and Beatrice were embracing each other, sharing an ecstatic kiss and feeling each other’s warmth. Beatrice’s thighs were soaked with lewd fluids, as if she had already reached a light climax once. The stains on the sheets from the fluids scattered from her intimate area were drawn so vividly that one could clearly imagine the situation. The Lord’s hand stroking Beatrice’s waist and hips was damp, revealing exactly where her fingers had been lingering until moments ago.
“…Haa… Rus, you’re here?”
“Haa… haa……”
As their lips parted, a sticky thread of saliva formed between them, looking incredibly erotic. Overwhelmed by the scent and heat of intercourse rushing toward her, Lusteria could no longer hold back and began stripping off all her clothes. Her suit, bow tie, dress shirt, pants, and even her underwear—every garment covering her body was discarded. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into her Lord’s arms, pour out all her affection, and feel everything about her master. As her neatly rolled and arranged hair came undone and her shimmering purple locks began to sway, Neromeltia looked at the sudden change in Lusteria and asked worriedly, “Did something happen, Rus? Are you okay?”
“I’m not okay at all!”
With a firm answer to her master’s cautious question, Lusteria leaped onto the bed. She literally threw herself at Neromeltia, covering a distance that must have been four hundred mentols, and the long time in the air meant her landing carried great impact.
“Ugh!”
“I’m sorry, Master!! I’m a bad servant!!”
Lusteria had charged in chaotically and rammed into her master’s abdomen. Though it wasn’t enough to cause pain or injury, Neromeltia, somewhat startled, flinched and let out a groan without realizing it. Seeing Lusteria sobbing and apologizing to her only made her more flustered.
“What’s wrong, Rus! Why are you like this!? Mm…!!”
As Neromeltia embraced Lusteria, who had suddenly thrown herself into her arms, and tried to ask what was happening, her mouth was suddenly covered. Lusteria couldn’t hold back any longer and began devouring her master’s lips. The hot, moist sensation was ecstatic, and the taste of the sticky saliva was incredibly sweet. When the short but sweet kiss ended and their lips parted, Lusteria pushed back the wave of happiness and began to feel everything about her master. The beautiful appearance that made one’s breath catch just by looking at it, inspiring reverence that no one else in the world could evoke. The sweetness of the kiss that still lingered in her mouth, making her feel as though she were wandering through a dream. The enchanting and captivating scent of her body, which even the legendary perfume made by elves from silver dawn dew couldn’t match. The touch of an embrace warmer than a winter campfire, softer than silk woven from fairy dust, and more radiant than a lighthouse on a night sea—wrapping her in unparalleled comfort. The gentle, affectionate hands that always stroked her kindly, filled with benevolence. And so Lusteria felt even more regretful and bitter. If anyone knew how perfect her master was, they would inevitably fall for her—and she knew this fact all too well because she herself was the same. Yet she had no right to monopolize her master, nor even the ability to do so. Whenever her beloved master paid attention to others, she had been paralyzed with worry that she might be drifting away or being neglected. Love her exactly as she is! When she heard those words, it felt as though the dark clouds in her heart had cleared and light had appeared. Even though the master from a thousand years ago had met far more people than now, she had never felt any discomfort back then. There had been a version of herself that loved everything about her master, no matter what she looked like or what she did. After spending a thousand long years alone, had she forgotten something important, or had the intense longing made her strange somewhere? Looking at her master’s face, gazing down at her with concern even in this moment, Lusteria resolved all the conflicts in her heart and escaped from the pain. She would no longer lose her way, nor lose herself. Her master was always her master.
“I got jealous seeing the two of you for a moment and ran away. I’m sorry, Master.”
“So that’s why you left the door open. Sorry for coming without saying anything. You two were eating so enthusiastically, after all. Hehe.”
“You knew I had been here?”
Her master’s calm soothing made her feel foolish for having worried to the point of tears. And she felt flustered realizing that her master had already noticed, even though she thought she had come secretly.
“It would be strange not to notice such a large door opening. Besides, the Master said you would probably follow later, so I left the door unlocked and was paying attention.”
“Huu… How embarrassing……”
Having somewhat recovered from the afterglow of climax, Beatrice joined the conversation with a relaxed expression. Her still-rough breathing made her look truly sensually beautiful. With each breath, her breasts rose and fell, swaying slightly, and the soft, pliant sensation was so vivid that it seemed to ignite lust just by looking. Lusteria could also see traces of her master’s past indulgence on Beatrice’s alluring form, and she felt the flames of desire in her heart burning even more intensely.
“By the way, you got jealous and ran away?”
“Yes……. I was worried that if you got closer to the others, you’d grow that much farther from me……. But now that will never happen again! Oun gave me proper advice! …I’m reflecting on having felt jealous as a mere servant while watching the relationship between Master and Beatrice……. Yet Master has always been Master……”
“Oun… You even consulted Oun… Our Rus……. With Oun… huh……”
Neromeltia’s expression was unusual, and she slowly began to rise. Seeing her master slowly stand, Beatrice also rose slowly and approached from behind Lusteria. Flustered by the unusual atmosphere between the two, Lusteria kept turning her head, trying to read the situation. Soon Beatrice grabbed Lusteria’s arms and restrained her movement, while Neromeltia smiled at Lusteria. Her master’s smile held something menacing.
“Today, Rus needs to be punished a little.”