Lusteria's Job Search (2)
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Nella hurried through the reconstruction sites of the Demon Lord Castle. She instructed the foremen of each site and department to focus only on simple tasks that could be completed perfectly even in her absence, then made her way to Lusteria’s quarters in time for breakfast.
Knock, knock, knock.
Lusteria’s residence was one of the few temporary buildings in the castle—a small, single-room structure built from salvaged bricks of the ruins. Yet compared to the cloth tents where even the Demon Lord herself resided, it was a considerable privilege. It was a place that reflected Neromeltia’s affectionate consideration; she wished for Lusteria to live in at least slightly better conditions, even if she herself endured the old tents.
Nella knocked cautiously, but no response came from within.
“Excuse me.”
Creaaak.
After several more knocks went unanswered, Nella carefully opened the door. The interior was modest, containing only a bed, a table, and a small wardrobe. Lusteria lay fast asleep beneath a thick red quilt.
Entering someone’s quarters without permission was discourteous, but Nella’s time was limited amid the castle’s reconstruction. She had already sacrificed an entire day; she could not afford to waste another moment. With no other choice, she stepped inside.
“Lady Lusteria, it is morning. Are you still very tired?”
“Mmmngh…”
Nella’s voice reached Lusteria clearly from up close. Yet the succubus, still drowsy, seemed to register it as mere noise. She shifted slightly before sinking back into sleep.
Nella tried again, raising her voice a little.
“Lady Lusteria? Can you hear me?”
This time, Lusteria showed no movement at all. Nella found the situation rather awkward. Raising her voice further would certainly wake her, but it would be no different from startling her awake, which she hesitated to do. Yet speaking so gently meant they would be having lunch instead of breakfast.
Nella studied Lusteria’s face. Her reddened eyelids stood out sharply. She must have cried herself to sleep the night before. It was possible she had not slept at all until dawn.
Nella decided to wake the deeply sleeping Lusteria with greater gentleness and warmth.
“Lady Lusteria. It is time to wake up.”
Placing her hands on Lusteria’s shoulders, she gave her a small shake. Nella’s careful touch was meant to guide her naturally from sleep.
“Mmmngh…”
Lusteria’s long, beautiful lashes fluttered upward, revealing half-lidded violet eyes still clouded with drowsiness. Though her eyes were open, her gaze remained unfocused.
Nella met those dreamy eyes and spoke kindly.
“It is time to get up. Breakfast today includes Big Boar bacon with button mushroom soup. Are you not hungry?”
“Hehe… Masterrr…”
“Eek…!!”
Having mentioned the menu to tempt the sweet-loving Lusteria, Nella found herself suddenly pulled into an embrace. Lusteria, still half-asleep, smiled dreamily and wrapped her arms around her.
Startled by the sudden contact, Nella could not bring herself to push away and ended up held tightly against Lusteria’s chest. A sweet, fragrant scent of skin, a warm and cozy body temperature, and the soft, plush sensation of breasts pressing against her cheek. Nella’s face flushed crimson as her eyes darted about in panic.
Lusteria wore a seductive red-violet negligee. The deep neckline had slipped off one shoulder in her sleep, exposing even more of her ample bosom. The reddish areola was faintly visible, and another slight shift would have revealed everything.
Right before Nella’s eyes, buried against Lusteria’s chest, lay what should have remained hidden.
“Eek… Ahh…”
“Mmm…?”
Seeing Nella’s flustered squirming, Lusteria finally shook off the remnants of sleep. She had embraced the person instinctively, assuming it was her beloved master, but the unfamiliar tension and the taller, firmer frame made her realize something was wrong.
When she opened her eyes fully, she found Nella pressed against her chest.
“Hwaaaah…!!!”
“Eeeek…!!!”
Realizing her mistake, Lusteria yanked her arms away. Nella sprang upright the moment she was released. Both let out utterly feeble screams, too flustered to collect themselves.
“Aah… I-I’m so sorry…!! I-I was half-asleep and…!!”
“N-No, it is not your fault…!! I-I entered without permission… I apologize…!!!”
Lusteria’s mind had gone blank from shock. Nella, her back turned, babbled incoherently, not even aware of what she was saying.
Lusteria glanced down at herself and noticed how far her negligee had slipped. She hurriedly straightened her clothing, her face burning as the full situation dawned on her.
‘Oh no… What if she found it unpleasant……’
Neromeltia loved women. Lusteria, as a succubus, had no preference for gender. Beatrice devoted herself solely to her master regardless of gender. Cadistella liked both men and women but only Neromeltia. For all of them, physical contact between women came naturally for various reasons.
Yet no one knew Nella’s preferences or ideal type. If she disliked women and found such intimacy repulsive, then Lusteria had made a grave mistake.
“D-Did you… dislike it…?”
“N-No…! It was simply… a little… sudden……”
Lusteria’s anxious question received a stammered reply. Nella still had her back turned, her words halting. The sight only deepened Lusteria’s worry.
‘What should I do… She must have hated it……’
Because Nella would not look at her and still seemed flustered, Lusteria assumed her impulsive embrace had been unwelcome and looked ready to cry.
Memories of Neromeltia from a thousand years ago surfaced. Her beauty, her power, her authority as Demon Lord—treasures beyond compare. Confident men had proposed to her often. Though Neromeltia had no interest in men, she was kind and considerate, always refusing them gently so as not to hurt their feelings.
Then one day, a bold demonian noble failed to understand her rejection and grabbed her hand. He had thought that kissing the back of a lady’s hand would sweep any woman off her feet. He succeeded in pressing his lips to Neromeltia’s hand.
What followed was a disaster. Neromeltia struck his face so hard that every tooth shattered and his entire mouth caved in. Her fury did not end there; only Crawford and the Quartet had managed to restrain her from killing him outright.
At the time, Lusteria had learned a painful lesson: unwanted intimacy from someone outside one’s preferences could provoke intense revulsion.
Recalling that incident, she began to fear Nella might react the same way.
Contrary to Lusteria’s worries, however, Nella’s mind was elsewhere, dazed by an entirely different thought.
‘Do Her Majesty and the secretary embrace like this all the time……’
Nella already understood that Lusteria had mistaken her for the Demon Lord. She felt no misunderstanding. Instead, she found herself imagining just how deep the relationship between Neromeltia and Lusteria truly was. As those scenes unfolded in her mind, she felt both embarrassed and strangely fascinated.
Having overheard Lusteria and Oun’s conversation at the previous banquet, she knew the two shared a romantic bond. For Lusteria to instinctively pull someone she mistook for Neromeltia into such an embrace the moment she woke, they must be close enough that this level of contact felt completely natural.
And now, deep inside her, a fluttering sensation was stirring at the thought of such intimate moments between women, leaving her deeply unsettled.
Nella had always enjoyed romances where a dashing hero fell in love with a beautiful heroine. Yet here she was, heart racing from the image of two women embracing. The lingering softness of Lusteria’s body, her warm temperature, the sweet scent of her skin, the affection that reached straight to her heart—all of it had felt pleasant, comforting, and sweet.
“…Do you and Her Majesty…”
“…?”
“…often embrace like this…?”
“You really… disliked it… didn’t you…?”
Nella finally managed to voice her question, albeit haltingly. Lusteria, unable to grasp its intent, gave no proper answer. In the brief silence that followed, Nella realized Lusteria was also tense and flustered. To clear up the misunderstanding, she spoke honestly about her own feelings.
“I-I did not dislike it. In fact, it felt… rather nice. I was simply… curious whether you and Her Majesty often share such moments……”
Nella suddenly pictured herself being held by Neromeltia. At over two hundred mentols tall, the image felt so mismatched that she tried to banish it from her mind. Yet the thought refused to leave: what would it feel like?
The more she imagined it, the more her heart fluttered. The majestic and beautiful Demon Lord— what would it be like to share love with her? The image of Neromeltia whispering affectionate words to a blushing Nella made her breath catch.
She could not name the complicated emotion she felt, but at least it was not unpleasant, which only confused her further. Despite having read hundreds of romance novels, she had never once imagined a romance between two women.
“Aah…”
Lusteria finally understood the emotion behind Nella’s reaction. It was the complete opposite of what she had feared. Only then did she notice how flushed Nella’s face had become.
Nella’s response was the exact opposite of Lusteria’s worries.
“L-Let us go have breakfast first! Once we finish eating, we can go look for the work you wanted!”
“Y-Yes, you are right. I-I will change quickly and come out!”
Nella stepped outside so Lusteria could prepare in peace. After the small commotion passed, silence returned to the room. Though it was the same familiar place, it felt quieter than usual.
Lusteria opened the wardrobe to change, removing the negligee she had worn to sleep. It was the alluring garment her beloved master had given her. She looked down at the seductive fabric in her hands and recalled what had just happened.
A gentle smile spread across her face.