## Chapter 15 – Acer. Decide
After that, there were no conversations or questions exchanged between them. Number 25 followed Acer quietly, seemingly deep in thought, and Acer secretly blushed, wondering if Number 25 had seen through her inner thoughts.
Arriving at the Demon King’s castle, Acer naturally handed her coat to the maid who greeted her.
“The bath is ready, right?”
“Yes.”
After a tiring day, soaking in hot water was one of Acer’s daily routines. Before heading to the bath, Acer turned to look at Number 25 and asked nonchalantly.
“Number 25, want to wash together?”
“Huh?!”
At the unexpected suggestion, Number 25 looked up abruptly and asked again. Acer smiled amusedly at the reaction.
“Just kidding. Like I said before, I don’t intend to force you to do anything you don’t like.”
Even though she said it was a joke, Acer’s expression looked momentarily lonely. Before Number 25 could say anything, Acer turned and walked towards the bath located at the end of the hallway.
Arriving at the dressing room, she slowly took off her top, revealing Acer’s voluptuous breasts that had been hidden under her clothes all day. Usually, the larger the breasts, the harder it was to maintain a beautiful shape. But Acer was an exception to both cases.
She had large breasts that didn’t sag and formed a perfect curve.
Moreover, her slender waist and the hips below, shaped for easy childbirth to ensure the prosperity of her race, made her a supremely desirable female body that even other women would envy.
Her body, glistening with sweat, added a subtle sensuality. Acer entered the bath directly, without a single thread on her body.
As she opened the door, the humid heat that poured out welcomed Acer.
She sank deeply into the Demon King’s private bath, located at the innermost part of the bathroom, where a lion statue spouted hot water, and the water overflowed with a splash.
“Haa…”
She closed her eyes and reflected on the day.
‘Did I make any mistakes today? How should I treat Number 25? Should I speak more kindly? No, I still have to maintain the dignity of the Demon King…’
As she was pondering these thoughts, she heard a familiar voice and the sound of water splashing.
“May I wash with you?”
It was Charlotte. Acer, as if used to it, opened her mouth without even opening her eyes.
“Since when have you ever asked for my permission to come in? Besides, you’re already here anyway.”
“Well, let’s not worry about such trivial things.”
As Charlotte said, it didn’t really matter. Charlotte clasped her hands together in the bath and stretched her body. She seemed to be in a good mood as she opened her mouth in a slow tone.
“Haa ~ This is really nice.”
Acer still didn’t look at Charlotte and asked.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’s the matter’?”
“Don’t play dumb. You always come to me when I’m bathing if you have something to say.”
Charlotte wore a sly smile.
“Oh my, I’ve been caught.”
Acer sighed deeply.
“Why does it always have to be when I’m bathing? We can have a conversation even if it’s not right now.”
“Well, isn’t it said that you can only have a true conversation when you’re naked with each other?”
Acer couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Charlotte’s strange logic.
“Alright, then go ahead and talk.”
It would probably be something trivial. Acer thought so and was trying to relax. But the question that followed shattered that composure in an instant.
“What does the Demon King think of Number 25?”
Acer was quite taken aback by Charlotte’s question and stammered.
“Wh-what do you mean, what do I think?”
“Well, I was wondering if I could have him if you just think of him as a simple slave. The more I see him, the more I like him.”
Acer’s expression, which had been maintaining a constant smile, hardened in an instant. Her heart started beating rapidly. The blood vessels in her body raced, and her face turned red not from the heat of the bath, but from anger.
“What?”
Charlotte, seeing Acer’s fierce expression towards her for the first time, immediately denied what she had just said.
“I’m just kidding. I just wanted to give you a sense of urgency since you’re acting too naive.”
At those words, Acer’s expression relaxed again.
“R-really? Don’t make jokes like that in the future.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes and pondered at the sight of Acer patting her chest in relief.
‘I shouldn’t get caught for the time being.’
If she were to get caught in this twisted relationship with Number 25, it would be dismissal at the very least, and death in the worst case. Charlotte, who had lived for many years, had seen many women who stole other women’s men meet their end.
Murders involving love affairs were fundamentally among the most horrific, with dismemberment and mutilation being the norm.
Charlotte had noticed that Acer had a crush on Number 25 a long time ago, but she hadn’t expected the feelings to be this strong.
Charlotte rose from her seat with the sound of splashing water.
“I’ll get up first.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“Unlike you, Demon King, I have a lot of work to do.”
“Says you…”
After Charlotte left, Acer pondered alone, chewing over Charlotte’s words. She was the one who found Number 25 in that pile of trash. She had naturally assumed that he was hers, but that was a very arrogant thought.
She couldn’t control Number 25’s heart. Such a thing shouldn’t happen, but what if someone else in this castle were to take Number 25 away? She couldn’t possibly know everything that happens between men and women.
Of course, she wouldn’t let the person who took him go, but what about the sadness that Number 25 would feel from losing the person he loved? Acer herself would become someone who could never receive affection again.
From a purely positional standpoint, she was a king and he was a slave. It would be easy to command and freely explore Number 25’s body. But what meaning would there be in such a purely physical relationship?
The more she thought about it, the more painful it became. It was the first time she had fallen so deeply for someone. And she never dreamed that that first love would be a slave.
She couldn’t delay any longer. She couldn’t let anyone else take Number 25 away. She had vowed not to do anything Number 25 disliked, but wouldn’t it be okay to enjoy this much? Comforting herself in that way, Acer got up.
She came straight out of the bath, wearing only a white bathrobe, and went outside.
She simply told the maid who was waiting in front of the bathroom to serve her.
“Tell Number 25 to come to my room immediately.”
The maid bowed her head.
“Yes, I understand.”
Acer was drying her hair in her room, trying to calm her heart, which was beating faster than usual. She felt like she had returned to being a young girl.
‘Calm down. I’m just ordering a slave to do something, right? Yeah, he has to do this much.’
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Only Charlotte or someone Acer had directly called could enter the room, which was uncharacteristically filled with dolls.
Acer cleared her throat and spoke towards the door in an authoritative voice.
“Enter.”
The one who opened the door was, of course, Number 25. He was already preparing to sleep, wearing slightly loose sky-blue pajamas. The fair skin visible between the open buttons drove Acer crazy, but she barely maintained her composure.
Acer sat on the bed, crossed her legs, and said.
“Who said you could get ready to sleep?”
Number 25’s pupils were shaking as if he was flustered. Oops, that’s not what she meant to say. Acer was filled with regret again. Number 25 lowered his head and apologized to Acer.
“I-I’m sorry. Charlotte said I could sleep if I was tired…”
Acer felt a little bad when Charlotte’s name came out of Number 25’s mouth. Acer spoke to Number 25 in a slightly prickly tone, as if she was grilling him.
“There’s still work to be done. Number 25, whose orders should you follow?”
Number 25 replied in a trembling voice to Acer’s unusual tone.
“The Demon King’s orders.”
Acer pointed to the seat right next to her.
“Come here and sit down.”
Number 25 hesitated and sat next to Acer. The bed felt much softer under his buttocks than the bed in Charlotte’s room.
Above all, the subtle scent of Acer, who had just finished showering, made Number 25’s mind go blank.
Acer took a bottle-shaped bottle from a small dresser next to the bed and handed it to Number 25.
The bottle Acer gave off a strangely sweet scent, and there was a sound of water sloshing. Number 25, who received the bottle, tilted his head at the scent coming from the bottle and asked.
“What is this?”
After finishing speaking, Number 25 instinctively looked at Acer and was so surprised that he almost dropped the bottle on the bed. What came into Number 25’s view was Acer slowly taking off her gown while loosening the straps.
“D-Demon King?!”
Acer lowered her gown slightly, revealing her collarbone and half of her chest, and said to Number 25.
“Massage me with that.”
