## Chapter 155 – Collusion (1)
Charlotte was humming a tune, meticulously examining her face in the mirror. Today was the day Aser had contacted her to say he was returning to District 7. That meant Number 25 was coming back, and she wanted to look her best for him after so long apart. Had his affection for her waned during their separation? The thought worried her, but the anticipation of finally seeing him fluttered in her chest like a young girl.
Thanks to a good night’s sleep, her face was more vibrant than usual. Not bad at all. Charlotte nodded in satisfaction and casually ordered Hilda, who was waiting outside.
“Clean up extra nicely today. The Demon Lord and Number 25 are returning.”
Hilda’s eyes widened at Charlotte’s words. “Number 25 is coming back today?”
Her voice betrayed undisguised joy. The women were tired of spending their time more freely in the castle without Aser. They needed stimulation, and Number 25 was just that. They knew he belonged to someone, but a handsome man’s presence alone was enough to stimulate a woman’s sexual desires.
This wasn’t just true for Hilda and Charlotte, but for all the maids working in the castle. Hilda’s face flushed red as she imagined taking walks with Number 25 in the early morning or, with Charlotte’s grace, sharing a night with him.
Charlotte, who had been watching with her arms crossed, spoke to Hilda in a voice that was now cold, unlike before. “You seem to value Number 25’s return more than the Demon Lord’s, considering your position as a maid in this castle?”
Hilda cowered, her body stiff as a mouse before a snake, and said nothing. She thought they had become quite close while living together in the castle, but Charlotte’s possessiveness and jealousy, which she occasionally glimpsed, were enough to send shivers down her spine.
Only after seeing Hilda trembling and bowing her head did Charlotte pat her shoulder and add one last word. “Don’t forget your place.”
Hilda trembled and nodded vigorously. “Y-yes, ma’am.”
After receiving her confirmation, Charlotte rested her chin on her hand and began to ponder a different kind of worry than usual. “When will they arrive? Should I start preparing the meal now?”
Normally, she wouldn’t be so concerned about preparing a meal. Charlotte’s personality had softened considerably since meeting Number 25, and she had long since allowed the maids to freely eat what they wanted at their convenience. Hilda couldn’t get used to Charlotte’s excited demeanor.
Charlotte asked Hilda, who was staring at her intently, “What? Is there something on my face?”
Hilda was startled by her question and waved her hands. “N-no! It’s just that you seem more beautiful than usual…”
Normally, Charlotte would have told her to clean instead of making idle jokes, but this time her reaction was different. Her face flushed, and she approached Hilda, asking for confirmation. “Really? How am I different from usual?”
This was an unexpected reaction, so Hilda couldn’t immediately give a proper answer. Could a person change this much just from the news of Number 25’s return?
Such thoughts could wait. Charlotte frowned slightly, questioning Hilda for not answering her question properly. Hilda seized the opportunity and immediately began to flatter her.
“Well… your skin seems whiter than usual… and… your hair seems to shine.”
Charlotte smiled shyly at Hilda’s stammering compliments. “Really? That’s a relief. Oh, you can all finish your morning cleaning and rest in your quarters today. Tell the other maids, and I’ll explain it to the Demon Lord.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, I want to spend some time with the three of us, and it’s annoying to have interruptions, right?”
How envious Hilda was of those words, “spend time with the three of us.” Resenting herself for not being able to join them, Hilda bowed deeply to Charlotte and left the room.
Left alone, Charlotte went out to the yard and stretched. The sunlight, which she didn’t usually welcome, felt good today.
Just hearing that Number 25 was coming was enough to make her nether regions moist. As she strolled through the yard, casually managing it, she heard a familiar voice.
Turning her head towards the sound, she saw Aser and Number 25 entering the mansion, chatting happily.
Number 25, still unaware of Charlotte and focused on Aser, was talking cheerfully, a scene Charlotte had longed for while he was away in District 7.
Charlotte found herself quickly walking towards Number 25. When he spotted her and raised his hand with a happy expression, she grabbed his wrist, snatched him from Aser’s side, and immediately embraced him. Number 25 was initially taken aback but soon wrapped his arms around Charlotte’s waist as if it were natural. Aser was complaining beside them, but Charlotte couldn’t hear anything. It was as if only the two of them were left in this space, all her senses sharpened and clear. She could feel Number 25’s warmth, breath, and heartbeat through their touching skin.
Yes, this was the feeling.
Charlotte caressed Number 25’s soft skin as if savoring it. His body felt as soft as a woman’s, but in contrast, something heavy and protruding in his lower body pressed against Charlotte’s vulva as if desiring it. She wanted to reveal all of her wetness, but it was still too early. Hastily ending the embrace, Charlotte gently stroked Number 25’s cheek and said sweetly, “You’re back? Didn’t you miss me while you were there?”
“I missed you.”
Aser cleared his throat and cautiously interrupted their conversation. “Um… I’m here too, you know?”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Instead of talking here, let’s go inside.”
Holding Number 25’s hand tightly, Charlotte led the way into the mansion. The three of them naturally headed to Number 25’s room, specifically the bed, and began to talk, sitting on either side of him. Before asking about Aser’s gains, Charlotte kept asking how Number 25 had been.
“How was District 3?”
“It was good. There was a lot of delicious food, and the streets were very pretty.”
“Well, it’s the city of art, after all. Next time, instead of going for work, should we go on a leisurely vacation?”
It didn’t sound bad. He had spent time with Jane and seen the streets, but with Charlotte, all the scenery would feel different. Besides, he had left Charlotte alone in the castle this time, hadn’t he? Since he had promised to love them both equally, he had to spend time with her too.
When Number 25 smiled and nodded, Charlotte looked at him with loving eyes and embraced him again. Perhaps because of the special atmosphere of the bed, she quickly felt aroused, but Charlotte pressed down on his rising manhood with her hand, as if it were still too early, and shook her head with a seductive gaze. She definitely had something special that others didn’t. She was probably the most skilled at handling Number 25.
Charlotte clapped her hands as if she had suddenly remembered something. “Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing.”
Were they finally getting to the main point? Just as Aser, who had been silent, was about to start talking, Charlotte’s next words shattered her expectations.
“Nothing happened with Jane there, did it? She’s obsessed with paintings and sculptures, so I’m not particularly worried… but you never know?”
Number 25 swallowed hard at the playful words, unable to answer. If she found out that his heart had wavered even for a moment, he would surely die. When Number 25 slowly met Charlotte’s gaze, he felt his heart sink.
In front of her golden eyes, which shone as if she already knew everything, no lies would work. Charlotte stopped caressing Number 25’s thigh and murmured in a cold voice. “…Something did happen?”
“N-no… it’s not what you think, Charlotte! It’s just… she told me she liked me first…”
“She said she liked you? What on earth…”
The Jane that Charlotte knew was a child who couldn’t even express her feelings properly, instead killing her own heart and burying herself in her own world. For that Jane to have properly expressed herself to someone? Something must have happened between them. Thinking this, Charlotte relentlessly questioned Number 25, and he babbled, eventually spilling everything that had happened with Jane. Charlotte, who had listened to Number 25’s words from beginning to end with her arms crossed, turned her gaze to Aser.
“I sent you to work… and you were planning to give him away to another woman?”
She had no excuse, even if she had ten mouths. Number 25 had allowed it, but ultimately, Aser had made all the decisions. She had some responsibility too. The thought of Number 25’s heart moving to Jane and not returning to District 7 was terrifying. Charlotte sighed deeply and stroked Aser’s head as if to say it was okay.
“Well… it’s okay since you both came back.”
“B-but it’s not like we didn’t get anything at all.”
Aser spoke with a confident tone to somehow get through this situation, but it didn’t work on Charlotte.
“Isn’t that something you should take for granted, not something to be proud of? If there’s no gain, how is it different from just going on a trip?”
Perhaps she had touched a nerve, as Charlotte continued to nag Aser. She knew it was out of concern, but it was dizzying. Less than an hour after returning to District 7, Aser wanted to take Number 25 and leave for another district again. District 5 would be good, she thought, when Charlotte sighed deeply and gave Aser a subtle wink.
It meant that she had finished talking and wanted him to share the information he had obtained from District 3. Taking his turn, Aser stood up from the bed with a confident expression and put on his jacket.
“It’ll be faster to show you rather than tell you. We’re going to the commoners’ area now.”
Everything Jane had shown him was still vividly etched in his memory. If he could just put it into practice, the public sentiment in District 7 would surely return to what it once was. Aser imagined the happy future where the people who had lived since his mother’s reign would finally acknowledge him, and he grew in confidence, but Charlotte’s thoughts were different. Wasn’t Jane’s method possible because of the uniqueness of the Demon Lord Jane? But Aser looked so positive that she couldn’t pour cold water on him yet.
All she could do now was to believe in Aser’s growth and watch over him, as she had always done.
