A young man is scrubbing a pile of dishes in a spacious kitchen as maids emerge from the door, pushing carts laden with even more filthy silverware for him to clean. He is donning a stained, small apron that shields his gray linen shirt, black trousers, and worn-out-looking boots.
「Oi!」 a maid pushing the next batch of plates greets, 「Adjusted yet?」
The man glances sideways without moving his head, not wanting display his irritable expression.
「Tramilda!」 he feigns an upbeat response, 「Not quite, but it's better than the nightmare I was in before, that's for sure!」
But the maid, Tramilda, sees right through him. She restrains a snicker, 「I bet you never thought you'd be a mere cleaner!」 she cackles while stacking the plates to be cleaned, 「But look on the bright side. Now you won't have to entertain old ladies at that brothel ever again!」 Unable to hold back her laughter, Tamilda smacks the young man's rear as she passes behind him.
The young man shoots her a glare, wishing he could rip that smirk off Tramilda's face. He can't determine if her teasing is friendly or purely malicious — his time at the brothel has warped his perception of such matters, causing him to second-guess every word spoken by women. Tramilda, though, she might be alright. She has a nice figure, ample curves and a shapely butt. Her maid outfit, although tailored to appeal to older, bald dwarven males, perfectly complements her appearance as a young lass, ripe for the taking.
「Stop doing that!」 Tramilda exclaims.
She had at some point turned around and now stands, all fidgety and playing with her auburn ponytail.
「I can feel your pervy gaze from here, you know!」 she complains, her purple skin flushed a deep blue. Her grey eyes keep dancing back and forth, unsure whether to look at him or not. 「Just because you're hot doesn't mean you can get anyone you want. This isn't the brothel!」
The young man is stunned. Weren't all of those thoughts in his head? He wants to apologize but grows irritated at the thought. Doesn't Tramilda dislike him? Why is she acting all coy as though she's into him? This is why he doesn't understand women.
The young man scoffs, 「I didn't mean it. My bloodgift did it on its own again.」
Tramilda gives him a disapproving look, 「You, you always blame it on your blood-whatever. Just admit you want to lay with me already!」 Her grey eyes make it hard to discern her thoughts, but her pose, hands on her hips and knitted brows, suggests she's just joking.
「I already told you I want to,」 he replies candidly. 「But I can't tell if that desire comes from myself or just something incarnate brought forth by my bloodgift.」 He emphasizes the final word.
Tramilda stares him down, but the young man remains unfazed, never pausing his dishwashing. She holds her gaze as if deciding whether to believe him or not. She approaches him and before he can guess her intention, he receives a wack on the back of his head.
「Don't think you're special, you lousy dog!」 Tramilda exclaims,
She hits just like the old madam back at the brothel. Perhaps that's why he's inadvertently started treating her more like a sister than any of the other maids.
「That hurts!」 he protests, still working on the dishes, 「I told you already, I am an incubus! And, this bloodgift is a special power of ours!」
The maid sighs in annoyance, clearly asking the young man to spare her the excuses. Just as she's about to give him another smack, the door bursts open.
「You two, playtime's over. Old Boss says they're here! You've got three,」 a larger woman, dressed similarily to Tramilda, calls out to them in a rough voice before slamming the door shut again.
「Oh shoot! I'm so nervous,」 Tramilda rushes back to her cart, quickly unloading the remaining copperware.
The young man also speeds up, trying to finish the remaining plates as quickly as possible. He's got three minutes, or he'll miss the opportunity to witness the big shots who have agitated Old Boss. For the past few hours, the old geezer has consumed enough food to feed entire villages, stomping around his private study in the meanwhile. He only does this when things don't go his way, or something has gone wrong. That's why the young man has been tirelessly washing the dishes since morning.
Finishing nearly all the dishes in two minutes, he uses the remaining time to check his appearance. Holding up a polished silver pan in front of his face instead of a mirror, he examines his white teeth, narrow nose, and locks of blue hair brushed to the sides. His five o'clock shadow is coming along nicely, and the bluish shine in his eyes is as captivating as ever. A smirk spreads across his face.
「Geez, do you see yourself?」 Tramilda gets behind him and removes his dirty apron. 「You only ever care about your face, nothing else! That's why everyone is laughing at you!」
The young man quickly hides his smirk, being made to feel foolish for a moment. True, he really does only care about his face, perhaps excessively so, but that's how he was raised. It's the only thing he was taught to value at the brothel. However, having Tramilda point it out makes him feel even more ridiculous. There should be more important things to worry about, like figuring out how he'll ever escape this place. With the daily amount of work, this is no better than the brothel.
Brushing his thoughts aside, he gives Tramilda a wry smile, 「You're right. It's not like those big shots are anything but wealthy fat men. What good would a pretty face do?」
Tramilda grabs his hand, and ushers him along, through the door, 「Exactly! Now let's hurry!」
Both of them sprint through the spacious corridor and across the open courtyard with its water fountain in the middle. The mansion they reside in is a series of connected buildings arranged in a square. It's large enough to house the numerous maids and servants who are being trained tirelessly by the head maid and Old Boss through daily drills.
Once they reach the main hall, the young man realizes they are the last ones to arrive. The head maid, a tall and gaunt-looking old hag, extrudes authority as she walks along the row of countless maids and servants lined up like statues. Tramilda and the young man quickly settle into their position, standing tall with anxious expressions on their faces.
「You. You. You.」 the hag's voice is the only sound echoing throughout the spacious interior, bouncing off the tall ceiling. When she appears in front of Tramilda, second to last in line, the hag assesses her before scoffing and moving on. Now, the young man's turn. She looks him over before grimacing and begrudgingly voicing out 「And you.」
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The blue-haired man glances at Tramilda, expecting her to need consolation, but — to his surprise — the lass just simply smiles and gives him a thumbs up, then gestures for him to tell her all about it later. The young man shrugs and shakes his head.
According to the hag's selections, those chosen, including the young man, are ushered into the reception room, where they will serve the big shots. Waiting together with the other elected servants, he can feel the air thickening with anticipation. His colleagues are all people of different races, and, being stuck among mountains of dishes and dirt all day, he can never remember any of their names. He hears nervous whispers and murmuring about the expected identity of the guests. He has a few guesses himself — the brothel gave him plenty of knowledge about who controls what in the southern part of Wilderness. To be able to cause this much of a ruckus, it'd have to at least be what the management would classify as a class-A authority. The kind where one wrong move by him could mean him to be offed. A shiver runs down his spine. It's a rare opportunity — perhaps, if he plays his cards right, he might find a way to change his circumstances.
「Alright, chins up!」 the head maid claps twice, grabbing their attention. 「Our guests are of the utmost importance. Make sure to first double-check that the plates are spotless and serve the tea only from the porcelain se—」
The wide gate outside suddenly swings open, interrupting the head maid's lengthy instructions. The doorman strolls in with haste.
「Head maid, they're already here! The carriage is by the gate!」
The old hag looks at the doorman with disbelief, then quickly shakes her head and claps her hands once more. 「Alright, all of you get to work! You two! Stop loitering! Move!」
The incubus and the maids all look at each other sheepishly before hurrying towards the entrance. Two guards are escorting a clueless-looking carriage driver to a parking spot inside the open plaza, near the water fountain. That's their cue. The maids and servants surround the carriage, evidently startling the driver, who glances around nervously. Odd. A driver behaving as if he's never driven through a court isn't befitting of a class-A guest. Did the young man guess wrong?
Standing to the sides, the incubus watches as the carriage doors open almost soundlessly. Half-expecting to see the belly of a big fat old man emerge, he's surprised when a curvy yet lean woman briskly pops her head out to look around, then descends down the small carriage stairs. From his vantage point, he can only see the back of her golden blonde hair, shimmering brilliantly under the nearby lanterns. He doesn't remember ever meeting a class-A authority with such a figure. Before he can get a better look, the woman is guided to the other side of the carriage by the servants. She seems to be alone. Is she the Old Boss' lover?
「Miss, what about your sleeping companion?」 a maid inquires.
Then, the most heavenly voice reaches the incubus' ears. 「That's alright, I won't take long. Just make sure to guard her well.」
Clear and pristine, like the great demon Lilith's whispers. Now he's even more curious about her. She must be related to one of his guests from the brothel. It was a famous one, after all. The servants and maids split up, some remaining with the guards near the carriage, as requested. The blue-haired man quickly trots to the other group, following behind the blonde woman inside the main house.
Inside, the young woman stands still, one arm extended in a refined manner. This gesture seems to please the old hag, and as if they communicated telepathically, she seems to understand the woman's intention. The old hag snaps her fingers. The smile on her wrinkled face signals everyone to begin their task. Maids remove the woman's black coat and clean the dirt off her boots, while the old hag grasps the blonde's locks tied into a simple braid, untying it and allowing the hair to cascade down her back. She swiftly snatches a comb brought by a servant and runs it through the golden locks.
「Fufufu, you're quite skilled...」 the young woman comments with amusement. It sounds like she didn't expect Old Boss to be able to deliver such service. Neither did the incubus. The guests they've had so far were ruffians without manner, typical of people in Wilderness. This woman, however, seems to have had an upper-class upbringing, going by the graceful way she's carrying herself. This might be why the old hag is in such high spirits.
The blue-haired incubus can't tear his eyes away from the young woman's back. Her black blouse clings to her skin, stretching slightly over her butt, which is covered by black leather pants. He thought he'd seen it all, but something about the way the contour of her bubble posterior is being drawn up by her pants is making him hard and leaving his heart tingling. He hasn't been moving for the past minute in order to keep the bulge in his pants hidden. The old hag notices his inactivity and shoots him a warning glare. She is just about to scold him when the door to the inner room bursts open.
A short and pudgy dwarf stands in the doorway, rendering the maids and servants speechless. Bushy eyebrows and a beard that sprawls over his chest — Old Boss is known for his avoidant, yet curmudgeonly attitude. For him to take initiative like this, something must be amiss. Just who is this woman who has stirred him so much? The incubus gazes at the guest in wonder. Definitely class A authority. The tingling in his heart doesn't stop, and he licks his lips.
The silence in the room turns awkward as everyone awaits the dwarf's greeting. To their surprise, however, Old Boss just sighs in unease after staring at the guest for about a minute. He then turns around abruptly without saying anything and waves the guest inside, prompting the head maid to offer an apologetic look. Fortunately, the blonde woman chuckles in response, seemingly unbothered by the crude behavior.
Upon entering, the maids and servants gather around a roundtable in the middle of the room, leaving the guest and Old Boss to their conversation. The guest promptly takes a seat opposite the elevated chair reserved for the Old Boss.
「My, what a lovely mansion you have,」 the blonde begins, a knowing smile on her face. 「You look better without the hood covering your head, too. I'm sure you must enjoy spending your time here.」
Old Boss wiggles his bushy eyebrows and rustles his beard. He coughs twice, a large sweat drop pouring down his face, 「This is my maid agency,」 he replies, his voice gruff and cracking slightly. 「Not a location I expected our second meeting to take place at. I'm too busy with work as you can see. I would appr—」
「I know,」 the blonde interrupts, chuckling. 「Don't worry, I have a companion waiting for me. I will make it brief,」 she replies. She then confidently reaches towards her chest prompting the attending maids to look away, cheeks flushed rose. Old Boss, grows more anxious. Two guards seem to appear out of nowhere at the sides, a few steps away from the guest. The dwarf cautiously raises his pudgy hand and is about to snap his fingers, but once he hears the familiar clinks of gold coins, he relaxes. The blonde has procured a small pouch from in between her breasts. The incubus swallows his saliva with his eyes glued to her chest, not understanding what's happening to him. A fine pair of breasts are nothing new to him, so why?
「I'm here to pay the other half of the money.」 the blonde says, her voice as clear as a bell. 「The setup was satisfactory.」
Old Boss quickly snatches the pouch from the blonde's hand, opening it. He grabs a small piece of paper from the desk's drawer, writes something on it, and hands both the pouch and paper to the head maid.
「Now, let's talk about the next job.」 the blonde continues, but Old Boss cuts her off with a wave of his dwarven hand. Oversized and thick, it looks as if he was waving a large steak and five sausages around.
「Lady, how about I offer some refreshments.」 Old Boss says, a nervous smile showing on his face for a brief moment. 「My maids make the best meals in the entire region. You have traveled a long way.」
The blue-haired incubus could swear he's trying to appease the guest for some reason. He never offers anyone anything, repeating his old mantra about handouts making people weak. More than that, he despises people, claiming that no good person exists in this world.
Before Old Boss can signal the maids, the blonde guest shakes her head. 「There's no need for that. I know you're worried about how I found out where you live, but my lips will stay shut. Don't worry.」
Old Boss knocks the table with his right index knuckle, clearing his throat. 「At least tell me who told you, will ye? You know my business relies heavily on trust. If some watcher betra—」
「Like I said. My lips are pursed tight. Just know that I had to make sure you were legitimate,」 the blonde interrupts again, a sinister smile widening across her face. She shifts her pose and leans forward slightly. 「And it turns out you're a man... dwarf of your word. That's why I'm confident you will also complete my next job.」
Old Boss leans back when she leans in. His eyes meet hers as the blonde continues, 「I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.」
The dwarf's beady eyes widen in shock.