A few days earlier, the incident at the wedding where she had confronted Belis face-to-face left Avira with a favorable impression of her. At the very least, Belis was good to Ophitia and made for a qualified older sister.
But Avira still couldn’t forget the provocation Belis had directed at her!
“Lady Avira~”
“Lady Avira!”
When she arrived at the dining hall, the maids—or rather, the humans whom Avira had once confirmed as her subordinates—lifted their skirts slightly, curtsied, and smiled cutely.
Avira felt an indescribable sense of speechlessness deep inside, especially after spotting the Head Maid, Oleniya.
What the heck got mixed into my subordinates?
She sighed and said, “Oleniya, what are you doing here?”
“Is that not allowed?”
Oleniya stepped forward, and only then did Avira notice that she was a bit taller than her own younger sister and appeared even more robust.
“You look pretty proud of yourself?”
“I don’t dislike you anymore.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Avira felt a headache coming on at the sight of Oleniya’s shameless expression.
“Lady Avira, I hear that getting angry is bad for the baby. You need to take good care of your health.”
“What?”
Oleniya’s gaze shifted to Avira’s belly. “The child you have with my little sister is still in there. In a few more months—barring any accidents—it should be born by the end of the year.”
“How long?”
When Avira had woken up, she had already felt that this egg had drained fifty percent of her stamina. Could it be that Lena had truly “storm-sucked” all the nutrients and magic from her body, treating her entirely like a nutrient dispenser?!
“So, I need to protect you for the next six months. Now do you understand why I’ve gone to such lengths~?”
“You’re sure about that?”
Oleniya shook her head. “You really have no sense of humor. Wasn’t I demoted? I just applied for a position with no real authority, and now I’m a maid.”
“…Fine.”
No matter how bad she was, Oleniya would never do anything harmful to Ophitia… But why was she thinking about the Demon King?
Avira turned to leave, but unexpectedly, Catherine grew anxious.
She hurried after Avira, acting just like a flustered maid in a panic.
“Lady Avira, where are you going…?”
“What’s wrong, Catherine?”
“I—Lady Oleniya assigned me as your personal bodyguard, so I followed you. Lady Avira, please don’t leave me out. This is my first time being a maid.”
Catherine’s memories of Avira were limited.
She remembered that Avira had saved her. Without her, she would be a corpse right now. Though Molly’s magic had wrecked her once, deep down, she could never forget this girl’s trust in her.
Moreover, thinking about how Molly had also been taken under Avira’s wing made her heart race with excitement. So, she really wanted to get close to both Molly and Avira in her role as a maid.
It felt like following the Demon Race was her path from now on. The so-called Sword Saint title was just an external thing—even the Knight Order held no appeal for her anymore.
Avira secretly curled her lips into a smile and said, “No worries. I was just like that with Oleniya.”
“What did she do to you?”
“She tried to drive a wedge between us, to make me leave the Demon King.”
“Did she succeed?”
“No.” Avira fumed. “But thanks to her, my relationship with the Demon King actually got better.”
“…So she failed?”
“Why do you have to ask about everything? Of course she failed.” Avira laughed. “The Demon King trusts me a lot. Catherine, you’ll be fine working under me, no matter who you’re following.”
Catherine fell into thought.
She lowered her head, then lifted it again, scratching her head.
“I think Oleniya likes you quite a bit. Last time, she was asking what you like to eat. Lately, she and the Demon King’s three meals a day have basically been handled by her.”
“What…?”
Avira could hardly believe it. In front of Oleniya, she had been so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it, fearing a heated argument might erupt. Not wanting to get entangled further, she hurriedly left.
“Lady Oleniya actually cares a lot about you two. Last time, she was inquiring about Belis, telling us to watch out for the other demons and absolutely not let them near the Royal Palace.”
“Lilina’s matter…?”
Avira suddenly recalled the name she had glimpsed on the invitation letter. Belis hadn’t originally had the right to attend the wedding. Among the important demons invited this time, only the Insect Clan and Giant Clan leaders had come.
And suddenly, she felt a twinge of suspicion.
In her impressions, Oleniya had always been a gentle and outstanding older sister. How had she become so bizarre and changeable now, like a completely different person?
It couldn’t be that she was toying with her, could it? Like using reverse psychology to make her anxious, all to push her closer to the Demon King? If that was truly her goal, then she—who had fallen for it—would be even more foolish! Even proactively throwing herself into the Demon King’s arms!
At the wedding, Avira’s sweet words to Ophitia—whether they could be debunked or not—had already cemented her image. Everyone knew the Demon King had a gentle, considerate, and kind Saintess as her wife, living a happy and fulfilling life.
This perfectly matched Oleniya’s expectations!
Whatever.
“I’ll cooperate with your work.” Since it was her first time discussing things with Catherine, Avira tried to appear especially gentle and considerate.
“Thank you. Oh, right, Lady Avira—Oleniya’s been pretty troubled by her matter lately. She’s been trying every way to track down Lilina.”
“Track down Lilina? Could she have gone missing or something?”
“Lady Oleniya isn’t allowed to access relevant records, nor to enter or leave the Royal Capital without permission. She has no authority to order anyone around anymore…”
Avira hesitated briefly, then smiled. “You’re right.”
“By the way, Lady Avira, have you thought of any ideas? I also think Lilina is a bit suspicious.”
Lilina, Field’s biological daughter, a C-rank demon.
She had a very good relationship with Berika—close friends, really. Her network was simple; she was basically just a pampered noble girl.
Avira also recalled that before the time rewind, she had personally eliminated Field the traitor, and Berika had once pleaded for him.
Upon learning of Field’s death, Berika had fallen into despair, eventually even retiring from service.
Considering Berika’s relationship with Lilina, a connection seemed to emerge.
Avira had thought about Lilina a few days ago, but since she posed no threat at the moment, she hadn’t paid it much mind. Now, with Oleniya so urgent about it, she felt motivated.
Might as well handle it casually.
As someone above all but the Demon King, Avira was no longer the same. She had the best method now.
—Just demand the person.
“Catherine, tell Lace that I want to see Lilina right now. Have her ignore all obstacles and bring that girl to me, uh…”
Avira’s face paled, her body suddenly weakening as she nearly collapsed.
It was her belly… The Dragon Egg was absorbing her magic power!
“Lady Avira, are you okay?!”
Catherine immediately supported her and headed toward the Demon King’s office.
