Whispers in the Hot Springs
Thick, steamy vapor rose languidly from the hot spring, clinging to the ceiling until it formed heavy droplets that fell in irregular patterns. Each one struck the water’s surface with a delicate plop, sending tiny ripples outward. This was an underground spring fed by geothermal waters heated deep within the volcanic bedrock of Under Barkus. The scalding water soothed both body and mind, offering pure comfort to anyone who lingered here.
“Haaah… This place feels wonderful no matter when we visit…”
“Sigh… It would have been even better if Beatrice had come with us.”
Neromeltia had spoken with genuine regret, yet the moment she mentioned Beatrice, the memory of her maid’s terrifying expression from earlier flashed through her mind. A shiver ran down her spine despite the scalding water. Even the Demon Lord herself could not help but tremble at the primal fear that radiated from Beatrice when she was truly enraged. It was only natural that Neromeltia silently vowed never to anger her again.
And it was equally natural to feel a pang of sympathy for Artis, who was undoubtedly experiencing something far worse than anything one could imagine, regardless of the severity of his crime.
“It would have been perfect if I could have had a flower in each hand.”
“Oh, Master…”
Neromeltia slipped an arm around Lusteria’s slender waist and drew her close, offering a gaze filled with affection and a smile heavy with secret meaning. The smooth, narrow curve of the succubus’s waist sent an enticing sensation gliding across her skin, deepening Neromeltia’s smile.
Lusteria had been startled by her master’s sudden touch, but she clearly didn’t dislike the sticky heat of those fingers. Her cheeks flushed as she nestled her head against Neromeltia’s chest.
“Hyaa…!”
The hand that had been wrapped around her secretary’s waist slowly traveled upward to her breasts. Lusteria’s full bosom floated gently on the surface of the spring. Neromeltia’s fingertips brushed the soft outer curve as if tickling it, then slid downward until they reached the succubus’s waist. There, she gently caressed the perfectly narrow, flawless line of her midsection.
Her master’s loving touch gradually stirred Lusteria’s arousal. The excited body twisted its thighs together and pressed even deeper into Neromeltia’s embrace.
“Huuuuh…!!”
The hand that had been stroking her waist so tenderly now moved toward her rear. Like a fine brush tracing delicate lines across canvas, the fingertips glided secretly over her skin, delivering such sharp pleasure that it made her shiver. When those fingers finally reached their desired destination, they cupped Lusteria’s plump, luscious bottom.
Spreading her palm wide, Neromeltia enveloped the resilient flesh, slowly caressing the seductive round curves. From that moment on, hot, molten moans began to spill from between Lusteria’s lips.
These were touches so overt they could only be called foreplay. The lewd cries that followed were so steeped in ecstasy they might as well have been sounds of climax. Neromeltia’s persistent caresses continued for a long while. Sometimes she swept across the skin lightly; other times she covered the cheeks fully and rubbed them with warmth. Occasionally she gave a playful pinch or gripped the soft flesh and kneaded it with deliberate pressure.
The hidden cleft between those cheeks was a sensitive place unaccustomed to others’ touch. Whenever her master’s finger slid in to stroke it, even though it only teased the outer edges, the sensation was so electrifying that Lusteria’s whole body would tremble uncontrollably.
“Hngh… huu…! Nngh…! Haaa…!!”
By the time her heated body was panting out those feverish moans under the varied and relentless stimulation, Neromeltia leaned close to her secretary’s ear and whispered softly.
“If you can’t hold it in, everyone will hear.”
Lusteria’s eyes glistened with moisture as she hurriedly glanced behind her. She tried to turn her head as discreetly as possible so that the person sharing the spring wouldn’t notice the intimate petting taking place between her and her master. Yet she was clearly too aroused to hide her ragged breathing. On the contrary, her master’s quiet whisper against her ear only heightened her pleasure, making her delicate body quiver. Anyone paying close attention would have realized exactly what was happening.
Splash—!
The person Lusteria had frantically looked toward was Nella, who had entered the hot spring with them. She was holding a wooden bathing bucket and repeatedly pouring hot water over her body. Because she had possessed many belongings to organize before entering, Nella had arrived later than the other two and was still preparing for her bath. Thoroughly cleansing oneself before soaking was basic etiquette.
“Hyaa…!”
“Hmm? Would it really matter if we were caught? You really are such a lewd girl, Lust.”
“Nnguuuuu…”
Even though she pressed her lips tightly together and tried desperately not to make a sound, her mischievous master had no intention of allowing her any mercy. The electrifying whispers against her ear, the slow caresses over her bottom, the soft warmth of her master’s skin pressed against her own, and the intoxicating feminine scent rising from that warm, plush embrace—all of it conspired to shatter Lusteria’s restraint.
“Our sweet Lust. Are you feeling really, really good right now?”
“…M-Master… …Huuuugh…”
The tone Neromeltia used, as if speaking to an adorable puppy or baby, filled Lusteria with overwhelming embarrassment. Yet even as she wore a smile brimming with affection—as though she might die from how cute her secretary was—Neromeltia’s gaze had already shifted elsewhere.
Following her master’s line of sight, Lusteria realized what had captured her attention. It was her own nipples, standing proudly erect. Because her breasts were so large, they floated buoyantly on the water, and the swollen buds at their tips now stood out clearly, flushed from arousal.
While Lusteria burned with fresh shame and confusion, Neromeltia lightly flicked one of those nipples.
“Hic…!!!”
Lusteria’s body jolted as if struck by lightning. Shocked by the moan that had escaped her, she clasped both hands tightly over her mouth to hold back any further sounds. Yet she made no attempt to hide the flushed, sensitive breasts that had caused the cry. Instead, she subtly pushed them forward, offering them to her master.
The shame of having her sexual acts witnessed by others. Lusteria had overcome that fear and was now presenting her breasts to her beloved master. The message was clear: If Master wants to touch them, she should touch them. Her feelings aligned perfectly with Neromeltia’s own.
The Demon Lord’s secretary was incredibly cute and lovable.
One of Neromeltia’s fingers began to circle the edge of Lusteria’s areola, rubbing the sensitive ring without ever touching the nipple itself. It danced teasingly along the outer rim, never granting the center any relief. Even though the true focal point of her pleasure remained untouched, Lusteria felt that very center growing more and more sensitive. The neglected buds, aching for attention, greedily heightened their own sensitivity in desperate hunger for pleasure.
“……!!!”
Neromeltia gently pinched the cute secretary’s nipple between her fingers. The moment the touch that had only grazed the surrounding skin finally reached its target, a violent cry of joy surged up from deep within Lusteria’s chest. Although full intercourse had not even begun, her nipples had already swollen thick with arousal, eagerly devouring every stimulating sensation transmitted through her master’s fingers as if they had been waiting for this very moment.
She tapped the tips lightly, then rubbed them with a brushing motion. Sometimes she pinched them between two fingers and rolled them gently before pausing to apply subtle pressure. By varying the intensity of the stimulation on those sensitive peaks, she controlled the rising tide of Lusteria’s pleasure. Simply by caressing her nipples, Neromeltia had brought her secretary to the brink of climax, leaving her breathless.
It seemed as though a fierce moan would burst past her tightly sealed lips at any second. At that exact moment, Neromeltia’s lips softly covered Lusteria’s.
Just when Lusteria had been ready to abandon everything and cry out, her master’s kiss sealed away the sound rising from deep within her chest. Their tongues met in a thick, wet exchange of saliva—a passionate, obscene kiss. The emotions flowing between them carried a rich, heady flavor, thick with the scent of affection.
While savoring the sweet warmth that filled both their hearts, Lusteria turned her gaze toward Nella. The orc woman seemed utterly delighted by the soap from Under Barkus; she was happily washing herself while even sniffing its pleasant fragrance. Relieved that they still hadn’t been discovered, Lusteria squeezed her eyes shut and once again drowned herself completely in the sweetness of the kiss.
Their hot breaths mingled through ragged gasps. One by one, blissful thoughts drifted through Lusteria’s mind. Even if she listed every single one of her favorite sweets, none could possibly be sweeter than this moment. Even the deep sleep she had fallen into after a week of exhaustion could not compare to this comfort. Even the hot springs of Under Barkus they were currently enjoying could not feel warmer than this.
She knew full well that her own descriptions were clumsy, her expressions lacking, and her standards childish. Yet to her, every one of those thoughts was the highest possible praise.
When their lips finally parted, a thin, sticky strand of saliva stretched between them like a regretful farewell.
Splash—!!
The sudden noise shattered the quiet, forcing the two women to separate at once. It was the sound of Nella pouring water over herself to rinse away the soap bubbles covering her body. It signaled the end of her cleansing and the beginning of her soak.
Wrapped in a long white cloth, Nella lowered herself into the hot spring.
“Now I understand why Your Majesty recommended the hot springs. It feels as though every ounce of fatigue is melting away. This is my first time bathing in one, but I already wish I could come here every single day.”
“I’m glad you like it, Nella. That makes me happy too.”
Neromeltia faced Nella with her usual graceful composure. The moment she ended her secret interlude with Lusteria, she had seamlessly returned to her normal demeanor. Lusteria watched in silent admiration. She herself was still too flustered to speak properly, her mind occupied with trying to calm her burning desire, yet her master showed not the slightest trace of disarray while conversing with Nella. It only deepened her respect.
She failed to notice, however, that Neromeltia had discreetly lowered her own floating breasts beneath the water’s surface to hide them from Nella’s view. The reason was simple: Neromeltia’s own arousal had risen to a fever pitch, and the evidence stood stiffly at the centers of her breasts.
“…After we finish bathing… shall we… go to bed…?”
Lusteria finally managed to speak, subtly suggesting what she truly desired. The succubus, burning with the wish to spend a sweet night with her beloved master, had wrapped her tail tightly around her own thigh and was twisting it restlessly.
“We came here both to wash and to refresh ourselves. We’re killing two birds with one stone. Before dawn breaks tomorrow, we must retrieve every last one of Artis’s paintings. Soon we should receive word from Beriberi that he has captured all the members of Utopia. Then we will have to visit their hiding places, search for the pictures they’ve concealed, and confiscate every single one.”
“That is correct. If we were to entrust the retrieval of those… paintings… to others, we would be too ashamed to show our faces.”
The moment Artis’s paintings were mentioned, the obscene images must have flashed through Nella’s mind. She faltered for a second, her words trailing off. The recovery of those paintings was an extremely important task. If they ordered others to collect pictures containing their own lewd appearances, those people would inevitably see them during the process. To prevent the images from being exposed to unspecified parties during the search, it was something the subjects themselves had to handle personally.
Nella nodded in agreement with Neromeltia’s plan and sank her body deeper into the hot spring. She decided she could enjoy this moment of leisure until her older brother contacted her.
When Nella had relaxed enough to fully surrender herself to the comfort of the springs, Neromeltia leaned close to Lusteria’s ear and whispered secretly.
“I’m sorry, Lust. Shall we continue this next time?”
Lusteria could not hide her disappointment and lowered her gaze. But soon she looked up again with a bright smile, meeting Neromeltia’s eyes. This time, it was Lusteria who whispered into her master’s ear.
“I love you, Master.”