Early the next morning, Shendu woke to find Felt lying beside her, a faint smile lingering at the corner of the blonde girl's lips.
"What a sleeping beauty... But should I hand this pawn, Felt, over to Reinhard?"
To complete the mission, I will need allies. Felt is a fine piece. If used properly, she might even secure his support.
Even the Sword Saint, hailed as the strongest of the current era, had weaknesses.
Find that weakness, and he could be made useful.
Shendu was a dragon and a demon. Discovering the flaws in human hearts was her specialty. As long as one was human, imperfection was inevitable.
Only a truly perfect human could be called a god.
Knock, knock, knock!
Just as she was deep in thought, a knock at the door interrupted her.
"Who is it?"
Being disturbed so early naturally put a trace of displeasure in her tone.
"It's me, our guest."
Hearing Rem's voice, Shendu's expression softened slightly and she allowed them to enter. From her magical perception, there seemed to be more than one person outside.
Sure enough, it was not just Rem. Beside her stood a girl who looked exactly the same, except her bangs were parted in the opposite direction. She wore the same maid uniform and had pink hair.
Identical appearance. Identical maid outfit. The impression they gave was rather pleasing.
At least Shendu's aesthetic sense had not changed. The well-fitted maid uniforms, the white headbands atop their heads, the black-and-white color scheme, and the pristine white stockings—there was not a flaw to be found.
Paired with their exquisite faces, they exuded both innocence and liveliness.
Other than Rem, the pink-haired girl must be her older sister, Ram.
Shendu had some impression of the twins. She knew they were extremely close. Their clan had been annihilated by the Witch Cult, leaving them with deep hatred for it.
As Shendu's gaze gradually sharpened, Rem shot her sister a meaningful look.
In an instant, Ram caught the signal. The two clasped their hands together, staring at Shendu with wide eyes, faint fear written across their faces.
"Oh no. We never expected our guest to have such a hobby."
"Oh no. We never expected our guest to like lilies."
The moment those words left their mouths, Shendu was filled with question marks.
She had thought that in her current persona, these two beautiful girls would not dare to joke around. But she had underestimated Rem and Ram. The twins clearly enjoyed teasing.
"I assure you, I have no interest in you. And if I did, it would be in Emilia."
Shendu straightened her expression and played along.
At those words, Rem and Ram both took a step back, staring at her with even greater horror.
"Sister, the guest truly harbors improper thoughts. After making a move on Lady Emilia, we will surely be next."
"Yes, Rem. We must be careful not to be deceived by our guest."
The twin maids continued their little performance, whispering in perfect harmony like a well-rehearsed stage duo.
Shendu was momentarily stunned. So early in the morning, witnessing such a scene left her both surprised and amused.
"Not bad. Rarely has anyone brightened my morning like this. You've done very well."
She sat up from the bed, dressed in the clean nightwear prepared for guests.
As she rose to her feet, Rem and Ram maintained their fearful expressions, clearly determined to stay in character.
It was obvious that although these two little maids were usually extremely serious in their duties, they occasionally resorted to such antics to relieve stress.
"Is this it? Is this the guest's true objective?"
"Indeed. The guest's purpose is far from simple."
The twins continued their synchronized muttering.
"That's enough. Jokes should have limits. And you're blocking the way."
Shendu gently pushed forward with her hand. A small gust of wind magic swept the twins aside without harming them.
...
After reminding them once, she casually picked up the gothic dress hanging on the rack by the bed and put it on.
Then, sitting at the edge of the bed, she slowly rolled a pair of black stockings up her shapely legs, the fabric clinging smoothly as it traced the elegant lines of her calves and thighs before settling perfectly in place
Once dressed, she rose and turned toward the mirror.
Looking into the reflection, she noticed her long silver hair was slightly messy. With a simple spell, it became smooth and lustrous once more.
Just as she was admiring her flawless figure in the mirror, the door opened again. Emilia stepped in gracefully.
"Rem, Ram, were you teasing our guest again?"
Emilia walked in with interest, glancing at the twin sisters with an expression that clearly said, As expected.
"Ah! Lady Emilia. Good morning."
"Good morning, Lady Emilia."
At the sound of her voice, Rem and Ram immediately greeted her respectfully. Their earlier playfulness vanished, replaced by proper decorum.
"Good morning, Rem, Ram."
Emilia smiled kindly at them, her attitude warm and intimate.
When she turned her head, she saw that Shendu was as beautiful and confident as ever. For a few seconds, Emilia found herself staring blankly.
Realizing it might be impolite to gaze so directly, a faint blush rose to her cheeks.
For some reason, though they both had silver hair, she felt something different when looking at this particular girl.
"Sorry about that. Rem and Ram like to joke around. They mean no harm."
Retracting her gaze, Emilia added casually, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"It's nothing. I never take such things to heart. More importantly, you traveled all day yesterday. Have you rested well?"
Shendu's gentle concern caused a subtle emotion to flicker in Emilia's eyes.
"I have rested well. Thank you for your concern."
Emilia bowed deeply, looking at her with sincere gratitude.
At that moment, sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Emilia and making her appear almost angelic.
"You are truly beautiful. As a half-elf, Emilia, you are as lovely as an angel. If you were to become the queen of this nation, I would find that quite pleasing."
Shendu praised her without restraint.
Emilia's face flushed instantly. She turned her head away, unable to meet her gaze.
"Sister Shendu, you're saying strange things again so early in the morning. Let's go have breakfast."
With that, Emilia deliberately avoided looking at Shendu, as if trying to conceal something.