Holy Empire of Lubelius, Present,
'Yo, Luminous, goddess with a maid fetish. It's Rimuru here. You missed me, didn't you?'
The instant her eyes landed on those words, the Goddess of Lubelius felt her mind go completely blank. A heartbeat later, the image of a certain blue-haired man wearing an infuriatingly smug grin popped into her head. 'I do not have a maid fetish! It's just a disguise!' she fumed inwardly, her eye twitching in irritation as she clenched her jaw and fought the overwhelming urge to tear the letter in half on the spot. Taking a slow, steady breath to keep her temper under control, she forced herself to continue reading.
[Yo, Luminous, goddess with a maid fetish. It's Rimuru here. You missed me, didn't you? Well, anyway, there's something I wanted to ask you. Have you heard of something called the Black Quill? Ah, who am I kidding? Of course you have. In fact, you're probably reading this while thinking, "What an impressive newspaper. It delivers entertaining news from all over the world," while simultaneously trying to figure out how to get rid of it in your nation.
Unfortunately for you, that isn't going to happen.
You see, the Black Quill is a little project of mine aimed to encourage the intellectual growth of the world's people. I want them to learn about the world beyond their own little bubbles, to understand cultures and nations other than their own, to broaden their horizons, and ultimately help push civilization forward as a whole. Pretty noble, right? *wink*
So leave the Black Quill alone, and tell your hot-headed captain of the Ten Great Saints to do the same. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to personally pay Lubelius a visit and explain the consequences myself. Trust me, neither of us wants that. Well, maybe I wouldn't mind too much, but I'd much rather visit you under far more pleasant circumstances sometime in the future.
Well then, I'll wrap up my TED Talk here so you can get back to enjoying your strawberry cake. Oh, and say hello to Louis and Hinata for me. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to know I was thinking about them.
Your well-wisher, as well as the one who broke your sword,
Rimuru Tempest, the most handsome and supreme ruler of Tempest.]
By the time she reached the end of the note, a chill had crept down Luminous's spine. She shot to her feet from her throne and immediately swept her gaze across the room, genuine anxiety written plainly across her face. At the same time, she released her magicules in every direction, carefully searching for any trace of monitoring magic, hidden skills, surveillance artifacts, or concealed devices. Yet despite her thorough search, she found absolutely nothing. Under normal circumstances, that should have been reassuring. Instead, it only made the knot in her stomach tighten. If Rimuru was not secretly watching her, then the details mentioned in the note could only be explained by several other possibilities. And every single one of those possibilities was far more frightening than the idea of being spied on.
Naturally, Luminous's sudden reaction did not escape the notice of either Hinata or Louis, both of whom stood directly before her. Seeing their goddess abruptly leap from her throne and begin scanning the room was alarming enough, but the growing unease on her face made it clear that whatever she had just read was no laughing matter. They attempted once again to ask about the contents of the note, but just as before, Luminous raised a hand and silenced them before either could press the issue. This time, neither Hinata nor Louis insisted. The darkening look in her eyes, coupled with the increasingly oppressive atmosphere surrounding her, was more than enough to convince them that now was not the time to ask questions.
Luminous, meanwhile, was completely lost in her own thoughts as she replayed the contents of the note over and over in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more her irritation grew, slowly feeding a simmering anger that threatened to boil over at any moment.
Her fury stemmed from the fact that an outsider had the audacity to tell her what she could and could not do within her own fucking nation. What made it even worse was the realization that Rimuru's words were neither a suggestion nor a request. They were a command backed by a very real threat. For the first time in her twenty thousand years of life, Luminous found herself on the receiving end of that kind of pressure. She was a Demon Lord and the goddess worshipped by an entire nation, yet before someone like Rimuru, those titles meant absolutely nothing. Faced with such overwhelming power, she felt utterly outclassed. That realization was humiliating enough on its own, and the humiliation only added more fuel to the fire burning inside her.
That anger was soon followed by a deep sense of frustration directed at herself. She hated how powerless she felt in this situation. More than that, she hated knowing that no matter how much she cursed Rimuru behind his back, it would not change the reality she was facing. If he truly decided to appear in Lubelius tomorrow, there was very little she could do to stop him, and her nation would be little more than a sitting duck. Worse still, if that happened, the entire world would finally see the truth behind the grand image of the Ten Great Saints. They proudly presented themselves as humanity's shield, a force capable of standing against the Ten Great Demon Lords, but against a monster like Rimuru, that claim would be exposed for the illusion it was.
Sure, the Ten Great Saints might be capable of dealing with Demon Lords like Clayman, Carrion, or Frey, but beyond that, Luminous honestly couldn't picture any of them defeating a single other Demon Lord at all. So what chance could they possibly have against Rimuru? In her eyes, he belonged in the same category as monsters like Guy and Milim, beings who stood so far above ordinary standards of power that comparing them to others felt meaningless. If someone like that truly decided to appear before the Ten Great Saints with hostile intent, the outcome was something she didn't even need to think about.
Of course, she wasn't entirely without options. As a member of the Demon Lord Council, she could always reach out to her connections and seek assistance from Guy. However, there were two reasons why she dismissed that idea almost immediately. The first was her deep wariness of the ancient demon known as Guy Crimson. On the surface, he often acted carefree, playful, and surprisingly approachable. But anyone who had lived long enough knew that image was nothing more than a mask. Beneath it lurked a cunning, calculating, and utterly ruthless monster whose whims could shape the fate of entire nations. Every word he spoke carried hidden motives, and every favor came with a price. So in Luminous's mind, maintaining as much distance from Guy as possible was simply common sense, even in a situation as troublesome as this one.
And the second reason... well, Luminous had no concrete proof to support it, but deep down, she was convinced that Rimuru was somehow an even greater existence than Guy. The thought sounded absurd, even to her. After all, Guy Crimson was a being who had stood at the pinnacle of the world for thousands upon thousands of years. Comparing anyone to him was ridiculous enough. Yet that was exactly what her instincts kept telling her. If she absolutely had to put the feeling into words, she would say that while Guy felt overwhelmingly powerful, Rimuru felt impossible. Guy was a monster she could at least understand. Rimuru was not. He felt like an existence that fundamentally shouldn't be walking among them.
So, after carefully considering every option available to her and finding none of them particularly appealing, Luminous let out a long, weary sigh and finally came to a decision.
"Louis, Hinata," Luminous said as she straightened in her throne and looked down at her two subordinates. "I understand your concerns regarding the Black Quill. However, I am ordering both of you to leave it alone and allow it to continue operating as it pleases within Lubelius."
"What!?" Hinata and Louis shouted simultaneously, their eyes widening in disbelief as they stared up at the vampire queen.
"Lady Luminous, we can't allow that!" Louis protested immediately, taking a step forward. A genuine alarm was written across his face as he struggled to comprehend why his master would make such a sudden and completely uncharacteristic decision.
"Exactly!" Hinata added, equally stunned by the announcement. Her brows furrowed as she looked directly at Luminous, unable to hide her confusion. "If we allow that disease to spread unchecked among the people, it could seriously undermine the very foundation this nation was built upon."
"Silence." Luminous's voice cut through the room like a blade. At the same time, she released a portion of her aura, allowing a suffocating pressure to descend upon the chamber as she fixed the pair with a piercing glare. "Louis, are you truly daring to question my decision?" she asked in an icy voice.
The moment those words left her mouth, Louis visibly flinched. A shudder ran through his body, and he immediately dropped to one knee before lowering his head in submission, and whatever objections he had died in his throat. Satisfied by his response, Luminous withdrew her attention from him and slowly turned her gaze toward the only other person in the room bold enough to meet her eyes.
"And you, Hinata. Just because I treat you as a friend does not mean you've suddenly earned the right to influence my decisions." Luminous's heterochromatic eyes narrowed as they fixed themselves on the black-haired woman. Part of her irritation came from the tone Hinata had used moments earlier. The rest stemmed from the humiliation she had been forced to endure today, a humiliation that was, in no small part, connected to the woman standing before her. "Remember your place. I was ruling over a nation long before you were even born, so do not presume to lecture me on how I should govern my nation," she said as she crossed one leg over the other. "Besides, if a single sheet of paper is enough to shake people's faith in Lubelius, then what exactly is the point of this entire charade surrounding Goddess Luminous and Demon Lord Valentine?" she finished with a contemptuous scoff, making her opinion on the matter abundantly clear.
Truthfully, Luminous had always found Lubelius's obsession with the narrative of evil versus justice rather ridiculous. As someone who had lived for more than twenty thousand years, she understood better than most that concepts like good and evil were rarely anything more than convenient labels people used to justify their actions. In the end, it was power and interests that shaped the world far more often than righteousness ever did. To Luminous, Lubelius existed first and foremost as a sanctuary for her people. As for humans living in her rule, she did value them, but if a situation ever arose where she was forced to choose between the two, she had long since decided where her loyalties lay.
"So, as I said, leave the Black Quill alone and do not take any action against it unless I explicitly order you to," Luminous said, resting her head against her fist. "And make sure to tell those seven old men to behave themselves as well. Otherwise, there will be consequences."
"Yes, Lady Luminous," Louis replied, lowering his head in acceptance of her command. Although he disagreed with the decision, he also understood that his personal opinion was irrelevant in this matter. He was her servant, and she was the ruler of Lubelius. Her word was absolute. Whether he approved of it or not, his duty was to obey.
"Good," Luminous said wearily. She rubbed her temple for a moment, feeling as though she had already exhausted every ounce of patience she possessed and was in no mood for anything else. "Now leave. I've had enough of this for one day."
"But Lady Luminous, regarding that second matter-"
"Handle it yourself," Luminous cut him off irritably, fixing Louis with a sharp frown. "Aren't you the Holy Emperor? Do I have to make every decision for you?" she snapped. Her patience had already been stretched to its limit, and the last thing she wanted was to sit through yet another lengthy discussion about some administrative matter.
"Of course, Lady Luminous. We won't trouble you any further," Louis replied, bowing his head respectfully. Recognizing that their queen wasn't in the mood to continue the conversation, he wisely chose not to press the issue. Turning on his heel, he made his way toward the exit while subtly signaling for Hinata to follow. The swordswoman complied, though not before tightening her clenched fist and casting one last dissatisfied glance toward the vampire queen. It was clear she still disagreed with the decision, but unlike before, she kept those thoughts to herself. A few moments later, the two left the chamber, leaving Luminous alone at last.
"Finally..." Luminous let out a long, exhausted sigh as she sank back into her throne. The tension she had been holding in her shoulders eased slightly, though the headache pounding behind her eyes remained. Under normal circumstances, she would have at least listened to whatever Louis had wanted to discuss. In fact, she usually preferred hearing all important matters directly before making a judgment. But after everything she had dealt with today, she was simply drained. Mentally, emotionally, and even physically. The thought of sitting through yet another problem made her want to bury her face in a pillow and ignore the world for a week.
What the Queen of Vampires failed to realize, however, was that her decision to dismiss Louis so abruptly, coupled with the notoriously hot-headed nature of her captain, would soon come back to bite her in the ass.
******
Meanwhile, back in Tempest, inside one of the luxurious guest houses reserved for visiting dignitaries, the Harpy Queen Frey sat quietly before a polished dresser, gazing at her reflection in the mirror as she leisurely brushed her long hair. As she worked the brush through her hair, a gentle melody she had heard earlier while wandering through the city escaped her lips as she hummed to herself.
Eventually, Frey set the brush aside and let out a soft sigh. Her eyes lingered on her reflection for a few moments as her thoughts drifted back over everything she had seen and experienced throughout the day. "So much prosperity in such a short time..." Frey murmured to herself before rising from her seat and smoothing the folds of her pale blue nightgown before making her way toward the window, drawn by the lights of the city beyond.
"A part of me truly envies Rimuru as a fellow ruler," Frey admitted quietly as she leaned against the window frame and looked out over the vibrant city below. "Though I suppose it doesn't matter anymore, considering I've already decided to entrust my nation to him," she added, knowing that her people and nation would flourish under Rimuru's leadership. Not merely because he was a capable ruler, but because he possessed the vision and ingenuity to guide a nation toward a brighter future.
"Speaking of Rimuru..." Frey murmured, a faint smile appearing on her lips as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her gaze softened slightly as she stared out into the night. "Well... I'm not exactly opposed to entrusting myself to him as well, but I suppose that will take a little more time." A quiet laugh escaped her before she shook her head. Unfortunately, the pleasant mood did not last long as a certain black-haired woman suddenly came to her mind.
"That damn woman!" Frey growled through gritted teeth, a vein twitching on her forehead. The memory of their earlier exchange resurfaced in her mind, along with the infuriating realization that she had been utterly demolished in that verbal battle. Worse yet, she hadn't even managed to land a single meaningful comeback. "Just you wait," she muttered darkly, narrowing her eyes at the night sky. "I'll show you who's got anger issues."
Just then, a knock echoed through the room, pulling Frey from her thoughts.
"It looks like my wine has arrived," Frey murmured to herself. Pushing aside her earlier irritation, she turned away from the window and gave permission for the person outside to enter. However, the moment the door swung open, both Frey and the maid carrying the wine froze where they stood. For a few seconds, neither of them said a word. Standing in the doorway was none other than Nazim, Frey's recently discovered elder twin sister, dressed from head to toe in a perfectly proper maid outfit.
When Rimuru had first told her about Nazim, Frey had nearly refused to believe him. After all, how could she possibly have a twin sister and not know about it? The idea sounded absurd on the surface. Yet the rational part of her mind quickly pointed out that Rimuru had no reason to lie about something like that. In the end, logic won out over disbelief, and she reluctantly accepted that he was telling the truth.
Then Rimuru explained why she had never known about Nazim's existence and how a series of decisions made long before either of them had any say in their own lives had led to their separation. He also revealed why Nazim harbored such deep hatred toward both her and her nation, hatred so intense that she had willingly agreed to become a mindless monster if it meant gaining the power to destroy them. After hearing the full truth, Frey found herself repeatedly cursing her incompetent and short-sighted mother for creating this entire mess in the first place.
Meanwhile, Nazim snapped out of her initial shock, took a deep breath, and pushed the trolley carrying the wine into the room. She focused entirely on the task at hand, carefully setting everything where it belonged while avoiding eye contact with the woman watching her. The moment she finished, she turned on her heel and headed straight for the door, eager to escape before the situation became even more awkward than it already was. Unfortunately for her, she had barely reached the doorway when a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Nazim... we should talk..."
Nazim paused, her hand hovering near the door handle. After a moment, she let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes briefly, mentally bracing herself for what was almost certainly going to be a long, uncomfortable, and emotionally exhausting conversation. Slowly turning around, she folded her arms across her chest and faced her sister once more. "What do you want now?" she asked. The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and she immediately winced inwardly at how hostile they sounded. Unfortunately, admitting that would have required swallowing her pride, and the elder twin sister of someone as stubborn as Frey was hardly going to do that. So instead, she kept her expression carefully neutral and continued staring at the Harpy Queen with an indifferent expression.
Frey's eye twitched at the greeting, but she forced herself to let it slide. She had been the one to initiate this conversation, after all, so getting offended immediately would accomplish nothing. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she folded her arms and met Nazim's gaze. "Well, for starters, I'm not going to apologize to you because I didn't personally do anything to you," she said bluntly. Then, after a brief pause, her expression softened ever so slightly. "That said, I will admit that our mother was a bitch for banishing you from Fulbrosia," she said, doing her best to sound as sincere as she could.
It took Nazim nearly a full minute to process Frey's words as she stood there searching for the right response. Usually, Ishe would have hidden behind her usual haughty indifference, thrown out a sarcastic remark, and ended the conversation before it could become uncomfortable. That would have been easier. Safer. But as she opened her mouth, the image of a certain blue-haired man appeared in her mind. Rimuru had given her a second chance at life. Because of that, she found herself wanting, for once, to stop running from the truth. "Never thought I'd say this, but I agree with you," she said with a scoff, shaking her head. "Besides, I don't need your apology. I..." The words caught in her throat, and she had to force herself to continue. "...I understand now. What happened to me wasn't your fault."
The moment those words left her lips, Nazim felt something inside her crack. Her entire body trembled as emotions she had kept buried for years came rushing to the surface all at once. Tears began streaming down her cheeks before she even realized she was crying. Before her defeat at Rimuru's hands, revenge against Frey had been the sole purpose of her existence. It was the truth she had built her entire life around, the reason she kept moving forward no matter how painful things became. But now, standing here and admitting that her hatred had been misplaced, that the goal she had devoted her life to had ultimately been meaningless, she was finally letting go of that resentment. The weight on her heart grew lighter with every passing moment, yet in its place remained a deep, aching emptiness where her purpose had once been.
Meanwhile, Frey was internally panicking. Crying women, family drama, heartfelt emotional conversations... all of this was completely outside her area of expertise. She had no idea what she was supposed to do in a situation like this. In the end, she simply followed her instincts as she reached out and grabbed Nazim's hand before guiding her over to the couch and sitting down beside her.
"A week ago, when Charybdis took control of my mind, I thought it was all over for me. And honestly... I was fine with that." Nazim let out a hollow chuckle as she stared down at her lap. "I thought my revenge would finally be fulfilled. I thought you would die at that monster's hands, and that would be the end of it. Yet look at me now." She shook her head slowly, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. "I'm sitting beside the very woman I wanted to kill, crying my eyes out while dumping my entire life story on her like some little girl." Frey remained silent, allowing her to continue, unable to tell whether Nazim was laughing at the absurdity of the situation or at fate itself.
"Then, when I regained consciousness, I met him... Rimuru-sama." The moment his name left her lips, some of the confusion and pain clouding her expression seemed to fade, and a faint trace of clarity returned to her eyes. "He told me everything that had happened. How he saved you and Fulbrosia... and I was furious. Absolutely furious. I told him to kill me. I told him there was no point keeping me alive. I even told him I'd never betray the Empire by giving him any information." Another laugh escaped her, though this one was tinged more with self-mockery than bitterness. Looking back on it now, she could hardly believe how stubborn she had been. "But instead of killing me, he sat there and listened. Then he told me the truth and..." Her voice caught for a moment, and her grip around Frey's hand tightened unconsciously. "...he gave me a chance to vent all that anger. He gave me the opportunity to take revenge on our mother."
"What!?" Frey blurted out, her eyes widening in shock. "O-Our mother?" she repeated, her voice stammering with disbelief.
Nazim nodded slowly. "Yes. Rimuru-sama took me to some strange, endless plane and brought our mother's consciousness there so I could finally let everything out," she explained, a distant look entering her eyes as the memory resurfaced. "And I did. I screamed at her. I fought her. I blamed her for everything." A faint, humorless smile tugged at her lips. "I even killed her over and over again until I had nothing left to vent. Until all those years of rage, bitterness, and resentment finally burned themselves out."
"Once all that hatred was gone, it felt like I had been born again," Nazim continued quietly as she released Frey's hand and rested both of her own in her lap. "For the first time in my life, I wasn't angry. I wasn't obsessed. I wasn't constantly thinking about revenge." Her voice grew softer with each word. "But now... I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore. I'm completely lost..." she concluded and stared out the window at the dark night sky, with hollow and unfocused eyes.
"So Rimuru-sama allowed you to work here for the time being?" Frey asked after a moment of silence, piecing together the situation for herself, and received a subconscious nod in response.
"Anyway, I won't take up any more of your time," Nazim said as she pushed herself to her feet. The conversation had already become far more emotional than she had intended, and now a deep sense of exhaustion was beginning to settle over her. Not trusting herself to continue the discussion any longer, she turned toward the door and began walking away.
Meanwhile, Frey continued staring at her sister's retreating back, unable to think of anything comforting to say. Then, all of a sudden, she remembered a conversation she'd had with Rimuru back when he first visited Fulbrosia. At the time, he had casually remarked that while her castle was undeniably impressive, it didn't feel like a home. Naturally, she had mocked the comment and dismissed it as sentimental nonsense. Yet instead of arguing, Rimuru had simply smiled and said that no matter how far he traveled, knowing there were people waiting for him always made him feel warm whenever he returned home. Back then, Frey had thought the statement was hopelessly naive. Now, however...
'Do those things really matter?' Frey wondered silently. A home. Family. A place where you belonged. They sounded like simple things, yet Nazim had spent her entire life without any of them. As that realization settled in her mind, Frey finally reached a decision. Before she could second-guess herself, she looked up and called out to her sister. "Nazim, you can come to Fulbrosia with me if you'd like."
The moment those words reached her ears, Nazim froze mid-step and slowly turned around, staring at Frey with wide eyes. "What did you..." she began before stopping herself. Almost immediately, suspicion crept onto her face, and her gaze narrowed into a cautious glare. "Are you pitying me?" she asked.
"No, I am not," Frey replied, shaking her head as she met Nazim's suspicious gaze. "I have my own reasons for extending this offer, but there are two major ones." Raising a finger, she continued, "First, now that Fulbrosia is under Rimuru-sama's rule, I am no longer truly the 'Queen' of that nation. I still have responsibilities, of course, but my role has changed." A faint sigh escaped her lips. "And knowing Rimuru-sama, he's going to introduce a mountain of new ideas, reforms, and projects sooner rather than later in our nation. When that happens, I'll need someone to help me oversee things and lighten my workload. So it might as well be you."
Nazim listened quietly, nodding along as Frey spoke. On the surface, her expression remained composed, but inwardly, she had to suppress the emotions stirring within her chest when she heard Frey casually refer to Fulbrosia as our nation.
"Second, of course, is to piss off our mother's soul," Frey continued, a devious grin slowly spreading across her face. "Just think about it. Can you imagine her reaction if I brought the daughter she banished back to the nation and welcomed her into our castle?" The grin widened further. "She'd be absolutely furious, and honestly, the thought alone almost makes this worth doing."
Nazim stared at her for several long seconds before eventually letting out a weary sigh. Somehow, that ridiculous second reason felt more convincing than the first. "I need some time to think about it... if that's alright with you," she said at last.
"That's fine," Frey replied with an easy shrug. "I'll be staying here for another two days, so just give me your answer before then." Nazim nodded in acknowledgment. Neither sister said anything else after that. With one final glance toward Frey, Nazim quietly turned around and left the room.
Once the door closed behind her, silence settled over the guest house once more. Frey remained seated on the couch, staring at the spot where her sister had been standing only moments earlier. Eventually, a small chuckle escaped her lips. "Rimuru-sama... what are you doing to me? I don't even recognize myself anymore," she murmured, a soft smile spreading across her face.
******
Meanwhile, after finally wrapping up his work for the day, Rimuru returned home, more than ready to call it a night. However, the moment he opened the door to his room, he came to an abrupt halt. Sitting on his bed was Testarossa, dressed in an elegant white nightgown that somehow managed to be both refined and incredibly alluring at the same time. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and for perhaps the first time since he had met her, the usually poised and unshakable demoness looked genuinely nervous. The sight was so unexpected that Rimuru simply stood there for a moment, staring at her in stunned silence.
"Testarossa..." Rimuru said.
The sound of his voice immediately snapped the white-haired demoness out of her thoughts. She straightened almost instantly and rose gracefully from the bed before turning to face him.
"Rimuru-sama, I... I..." Testarossa began, only for the words to falter and die in her throat. Everything she had painstakingly rehearsed over and over in her mind seemed to vanish the moment their eyes met. For perhaps the first time in a very long while, the normally composed and eloquent demoness found herself completely flustered, struggling to find the right words to express what was in her heart.
"Testa, let me ask you something. Did Shizu put you up to this?" Rimuru asked with a sigh. Seeing the state she was in, he could already guess where this conversation was headed. "Listen, you don't have to take her seriously. If you want to leave, you can..."
"No, I don't want to leave." Testarossa stepped forward before he could finish and grabbed the front of his shirt. When Rimuru looked down, he was met by a pair of surprisingly soft and vulnerable crimson eyes. "Shizu-sama did tell me to be brave and take my shot, but I've wanted to tell you this ever since the day you defeated me in that cave." Her voice gradually softened as she spoke. Then her courage faltered, and she lowered her gaze, resting her forehead against his chest. "This emotion... love... is something completely foreign to me. It took me a very long time to understand what I was feeling. And by the time I finally did, Shizu-sama was already by your side."
She let out a quiet sigh before gathering her courage once more and lifting her head to meet his eyes. "Back then, I was jealous of her. But more than that, I was furious with myself." A bitter smile briefly crossed her lips. "And ashamed that I could feel something like that toward Shizu-sama," her fingers tightened slightly against his shirt. "But some time ago, she came to me herself and told me that my feelings for you weren't wrong. She told me that I shouldn't keep them buried inside forever. She told me I owed it to myself to tell you how I truly feel."
"So, Rimuru-sama..." Testarossa began, her voice remarkably steady despite the blush steadily spreading across her cheeks. "I, Testarossa, love you. I want to devote my heart and soul to you, not merely as your servant, but as your partner." Having finally voiced the feelings she had kept buried for so long, she felt a tremendous weight lift from her shoulders. Unfortunately, that sense of relief lasted only a moment before it was overwhelmed by sheer embarrassment. Lowering her head, she fixed her gaze firmly on the floor, her face burning crimson as she stubbornly refused to meet his eyes while waiting for his answer.
Rimuru, meanwhile, stared at her expectant face for a long moment before reaching out to Shizu through Thought Communication. 'Shizu, are you really okay with this?'
'Of course I am, Rimuru. I wouldn't have sent her to you if I wasn't,' came Shizu's reply from the other end of the link, sounding gentle yet carrying absolute certainty in her voice. There was even a faint hint of amusement in her tone that didn't escape Rimuru's notice. 'Now go on. Don't keep that sweet girl waiting.'
As the connection faded, Rimuru finally made up his mind. Reaching out, he gently lifted Testarossa's chin with his fingers, prompting her to look up at him. The moment their eyes met, her heart nearly stopped. "You wanted my answer, right?" he asked softly as he stepped closer, leaving almost no distance between them. "Well, here's my answer..." Before she could react, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers while the door quietly locked behind him.
To be continued...
******
Illustration:
Nazim in Maid Attire -