Chapter 657
Chapter 657
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 657
Chapter Title: Reborn as the Plum Blossom Swordsman in a Count's Family
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We were escorted to the guest rooms.
Jerdin had gone off separately to attend the meeting.
I'm a bit uneasy, but he seems sharp enough to know what to say and what to hide.
If he couldn't manage even that much, it would be better for him to just die.
I sat down on the sofa and asked Yuria.
"Is Dionna a devil contractor?"
"I wouldn't know. It's impossible to detect a devil contractor until they reveal their power themselves."
I nodded. If Yuria were certain, she would have already reported it to me.
"There is one way to identify a devil contractor."
"I know. The mark of the devil contract. There should be a magic circle somewhere on their body."
I pictured Dionna. She was wearing a blue dress with minimal exposure, but her arms were bare, revealing white skin. Unless I stripped her, there was no way to tell if she bore the contract's mark.
"For now, let's wait for the meeting to wrap up. If things go south... Yuria. You'll step in."
"Yes, Master. Just leave it to me."
I felt reassured. With Yuria as my cheat key right at hand, there was nothing to fear.
???
After dinner, I entered the room assigned to me and sat down, lost in thought.
According to Jerdin, the retainer meeting at House Hisfield had turned to the topic of the next successor. I'd assumed all the retainers would back Dionna, but reality was different. Half supported Dionna, and half supported Jerdin.
Dionna hadn't won over every single retainer. The reason was simple: she was a woman. If she were a man, she would already be Count Hisfield. The count himself would have chosen her over Jerdin without hesitation.
I pondered. Should I just kidnap Dionna and run? It would be easy, but it would undermine Jerdin's position and put us under suspicion. And the moment Jerdin spilled anything about me, war would break out. My standing in the Prucker family would take a hit too.
I was planning to use Jerdin later... but maybe I should just kill him now?
Knock knock knock.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
"This is Lady Dionna's maid. I've come with a message from Lady Dionna."
I nodded to Yuria and Floyd. Yuria opened the door.
The black-haired maid entered and bowed. It was courtesy far beyond what a mere merchant deserved.
"Baron Eugene Prucker. Lady Dionna wishes a private audience with you."
Dionna knew my true identity. And this maid was surely her confidante.
"A private audience? Right now?"
"Yes. If you accept, I will escort you to where Lady Dionna is waiting."
I smiled. Things were getting interesting. If she wanted a private meeting, it probably wasn't a fight she had in mind.
"Fine. Lead the way."
I waved to Yuria and Floyd and followed the maid.
Her footsteps were ordinary. Not an assassin or bodyguard—just a regular maid. I eyed her from behind. The simple dress suited her well. Her black hair swayed enticingly with each step. Only the lower half, hidden by the hem of her dress, was a pity.
I reached out and placed a hand on the small of her back.
Her steps halted. She turned to me with a stiff expression. A cat-like beauty with upturned eyes that caught my fancy.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
"Your waistline is so beautiful, I couldn't help myself."
My hand didn't stop, roaming her side and belly, teasing her. The corset made it firm.
"...This is troubling."
"You can't afford to be troubled, as Lady Dionna's maid. Should I just head back to my room like this?"
"..."
The maid couldn't respond immediately. As Dionna's confidante, she knew I held the most crucial key in this situation. And in the end, she was just a maid.
"I'm sorry. That was presumptuous. Please forgive my rudeness, Baron."
"No need to beg forgiveness."
"Thank you..."
She couldn't finish. My hand had grasped her breast. B-cup. Just the right size to fill my palm. The corset's rigidity kept me from savoring the natural feel, which was a shame.
"B-Baron!"
"I said there's no need to beg forgiveness."
In other words, I hadn't forgiven her yet.
"..."
The maid bit her lower lip, her face flushing red.
I stroked her breast and waited for her reaction. There were two possibilities I expected.
One: she'd get angry and slap my hand away. As Dionna's maid, she wasn't likely a commoner. Probably nobility at least, maybe a knight's daughter.
The other: she'd endure it. Not out of fear of me, but for Dionna's sake. If she were truly Dionna's confidante, she'd know how vital my position was right now.
"...Baron. Someone might pass by. It wouldn't be good if eyes gathered, so we should move quickly. And... Lady Dionna is waiting for you."
The maid chose to endure.
"I never told you to stop. You halted, so I did too. Keep leading the way."
"...Yes."
She started walking again. I pressed right up behind her. My hands gripped her breasts. The maid maintained a cool expression, walking as if nothing was wrong.
I dawdled as much as possible. With me clinging like a leech on her back, her pace had to slow. A housemaid passed by midway. I dropped my hands and played innocent. Once she was gone, I latched back on and continued teasing.
It was fun enough, but people always crave more stimulation. And I wasn't the type to settle for this.
I loosened her dress. Not fully—just undid the back laces and slackened the corset.
"Baron... please..."
The maid pleaded.
"If you hate my touch, scream. The guards and knights on duty will come running to save you. I'll be arrested, my identity exposed, sparking war. And under interrogation, I'll mention Dionna's name every day. Doubt will turn to suspicion, and suspicion will strike your mistress."
"..."
The maid paled. The threat hit home.
With Sexual Sensitivity Boost active, I stroked her smooth back once, then slipped both hands into the corset gap to caress her sides. Soft texture and warm body heat met my touch. She shuddered. But my hands didn't stop.
They slid upward, grasping her soft breasts. Squeezing made the teardrop-shaped mounds flatten. They felt like pliant clay.
"Hngh... ugh..."
The maid stifled moans as she walked forward. Escaping me meant delivering me to Dionna.
I kept clinging to her back, kneading her breasts.
Huh? Her nipples are hiding.
She had inverted nipples. I rested my chin on her shoulder and looked down. Inside the dress's neckline, I saw my hands moving. I pulled out a hand and breast. A shy pink areola hid the nipple.
Teasing out inverted nipples is my specialty.
I pressed firmly on the areola with my fingers, forcing it open. The nipple emerged upward. I smirked. It was smaller than half my pinky. I pinched it between thumb and index.
"Hiii?!"
She staggered. Without my hold, she'd have collapsed.
"Isn't your mistress waiting? Though I don't mind resting here."
"I-I'll keep leading you..."
She braced against the wall and walked. Despite my interference, she steadfastly guided me to Dionna's room.
"Ah... we've... arrived..."
"Good. Open it."
"...In this state?"
The maid panicked. I was still pressed against her back, fondling her breasts.
"Having trouble with the door? Fine, I'll get it."
I opened the door. For a noble house, it was a modest parlor. Dionna, seated in a plush chair, turned her red eyes toward me.
"...Baron Prucker. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Dionna glared, unable to mask her expression. Hostility radiated. She valued her maid more than I'd thought.
"I like this maid."
I entered with the maid and sat opposite Dionna. When the maid tried to pull away, I stopped her and pulled her onto my lap.
"Ugh."
"Baron Prucker! Let Katia go! What is this insolence?! I wanted to talk to you, not watch your depravity! Do I really have to call for someone?!"
"Katia, huh. Nice name."
"Baron!"
Dionna shot up from her seat, shouting. She stepped toward me.
"Devil."
Dionna froze.
"Dionna. I know you're a devil contractor."
"Baron. Can you take responsibility for that claim? You know what it means to utter that word, right?"
She glared at me. I stifled laughter bubbling up at her amateurishness. At the same time, I checked Katia's reaction in my arms.
The moment "devil" was spoken, her heart pounded wildly. Feeling her breast, I could sense her heartbeat.
"Spotting a devil contractor is easy. Check the contract mark, the magic circle somewhere on the body. Like this."
Riiip!
I tore Katia's dress.
"Kyaa?!"
Katia screamed and thrashed. But she couldn't escape my grip. I stripped her completely, even her panties. The black pubic hair between her legs was neat.
I inspected her thoroughly. Lifted her arms, forced her legs apart to expose her pink pussy and anus. A strand of love juice dripped from her slit. After checking even her soles, I looked at the rigid Dionna.
"The maid isn't a devil contractor."
"H-How can you just—! You're insane! Do you even realize what you've done?! Katia is nobility!"
"And the devil contractor's confidante."
My hands began fondling Katia's breasts again.
"I'm not a devil contractor! You'll pay for this!"
Dionna flung open the window. Cold night air made Katia shiver. My index finger checked her hymen.
"Let Katia go! If I scream now, knights and soldiers will swarm this place."
"And I'd point you out as the devil contractor. You haven't fully controlled the retainers. You and me—who falls first?"
Detecting a devil contractor didn't require fancy magic. Just strip and inspect the body. Even a housemaid could do it. And once exposed as one, the end would be miserable—not just for Dionna, but the whole house could crumble.
Dionna clenched her fists. Her hands trembled, tears welling in her eyes.
"How... how did you find out?"
Her question was natural. Being cursed didn't mean it was the devil's doing. She'd think it was mages.
"I felt the devil's presence while under your curse. Looks can be deceiving, but I've seen a few devils up close, so I know the signs. That curse was devil's power, right?"
"..."
"Pinpointing you was even easier. Everyone cursed was your enemy. The curse targeted Jerdin, not me."
Thud.
Dionna's legs gave out, and she sank to the floor. Her despondent, shaking eyes suggested she thought it was over.
Unexpected.
I'd figured Dionna would summon a devil to attack. But she didn't.
Probably contract conditions. Or she judged a mere curse wouldn't get her out of this.
I pulled Katia into a deep embrace. Her back pressed against my chest. One hand parted her thighs.
"Katia. I'll give you a chance."
I undid my pants and pulled out my cock. The erect shaft tapped her slick pussy.
"A chance for Dionna to rise again. You know what to do, right?"