"Oh, was that a magic item?"

A gleam flashed in the maid's eyes.

"Eh?"

"I heard that storage items are very expensive and require a lot of gold coins to buy. Your family must be very wealthy, right?"

"Ah... I'm not exactly rich."

Ella sheepishly turned her attention to washing up and asked in a casual tone.

"Are you going to work, onee-san?"

"Well, today's mission is to serve as the Demon Lord's attendant during his lunch break, so I have to take good care of myself. This is an opportunity I finally got. When I told my family yesterday, they were almost jumping for joy. Ah, it would be great if I could change the Demon Lord's clothes myself. No, even if I could just watch him sleep, that would be great."

As if confessing her love to her first love, the maid with a ponytail clasped her hands in front of her chest.

[I'm so sorry I can dress myself...]

Ella had never expected that working for the Demon King would be so exciting, and she couldn't help but feel like she was carrying a heavy burden.

As if to add weight to this heavy burden, the maid continued to add in a tone of fascination.

"In order to be in top condition to serve the Demon Lord, I even got a day off yesterday. Oh, and by the way, Newcomer-chan, please help me check if there's anything wrong with my clothes. I spent so much time preparing, I can't let anything go wrong here."

Looking at the maid who was frantically looking at her skirt, Ella responded timidly.

“No, no…”

I feel like I can no longer face the maid after this.

After hearing Ella's words, the maid was obviously relieved.

"No? That's good. I'd love to show you around, but I don't have time today. I need to go to the preparation room first."

"Didn't they say work hours start at noon?"

Watching the maid hurriedly wringing out the towel and packing up to leave the bathroom, Ella glanced at the system time in her mind - it was less than nine o'clock.

"Indeed, but I can't wait. I'll tell you all the details when I get back tonight. This is firsthand information about the Demon King, you know? Just thinking about what the Demon King, who is so young yet so intelligent, is like in private is exciting."

“…Come on?”

"Yeah, I will. See you then."

After winking playfully at Ella, the capable maid with a ponytail left the corridor as fast as the wind.

Seeing this, the other maids in the bathroom spoke to Ella.

"Big Sister is always like this, don't worry, Newbie-chan."

"Um……"

"But then again, did you see that? There are suddenly four more guards in the corridor. Is some important person coming?"

"No way. Besides us maids and guards, the only ones who can live in the royal castle are Camisia and Dean-sama—ah, and the Demon King-sama. But no matter what, the Demon King-sama wouldn't live in a place like this."

"Who is that?"

"Go ask the other maids? The ones here are the ones who were on the night shift last night. They have no idea what happened."

"Yeah, that's right."

The topic stopped here. The maids greeted Ella one by one and left the bathroom, leaving Ella alone.

"I feel like it's going to be troublesome if I continue living here... In every sense, I should just move back..."

Putting aside her own feelings, first of all, for the maids, knowing that the Demon King lives right next door must be an invisible pressure, which may bring trouble to their lives and even make them unable to sleep well. For Ella, whose principle of action is not to cause trouble to others, this is absolutely unacceptable behavior.

"Well, I think I should move back. And the fact that I'm going to the restaurant is... I better go back and ask Camisia about the sound."

Since she didn't have much luggage, after coming out of the bathroom, Ella followed the "Topography Search" and went straight to where Camisia was handling her official business. Of course, the four guards behind her also accompanied her diligently.

Servants kept looking at her with awe along the way, so Ella had no choice but to cooperate and act as kingly as possible. The so-called situation forced her to do so, and that was probably what was happening now.

"This is too conspicuous. I could ask them to change into normal clothes or keep them away from me, but it feels too willful to keep doing this."

If I could give them something in return, I wouldn't be embarrassed to ask for it.

[Gold coins and the like just don't seem right. Magic weapons are fine, but giving them without a good reason would be a bit abrupt. They might decline like Camisia did. Sure enough, I have to find a way to avoid the guards—no, that won't work. Is there a better way...?]

Ignoring the gazes from those around her, Ella pretended to be thinking about something important.

“Ah, I got it!”

"Congratulations, Demon King."

“Mmm…”

The guard's agreement left Ella speechless for a moment. After a pause, she pretended to be indifferent and spoke.

"Is there anyone in the royal city who is strong enough to handle other tasks without affecting their normal work?"

"Well, based on strength alone, apart from Lady Camisia and Lady Dean, there are only the two captains of the Royal Guards. Considering that your statement about not affecting normal work, Demon Lord, the rest of the group is probably just us guards."

"Are there no members of other races among the Royal Guards?"

"To ensure there are no spies, the guards are all composed of demons, no other races."

“Is that so…?”

Ella was in a dilemma. She had previously thought that if she could find someone who was strong enough and not a demon, it would be fine even if she promoted him to a personal guard - this would make negotiations easier in all aspects, and she could make requests to the other party at will, and she wouldn't have to worry about being rejected in return for her gift. But now it seemed that there was no such candidate in the royal city.

While thinking about these things, the group unknowingly arrived at the villa where Camisia was located, a luxurious building with five floors and a very large area.

"Wait here for me. I'm going to look for Camisia."

"""yes."""

"Princess, are you suggesting something east of the royal city? Besides the harbor, the only thing worth mentioning is the underground natural labyrinth. Why do you ask? If you wish to inspect it, I will have Dean arrange the itinerary now."

Camisia stood up from behind the desk.

"I'm not trying to go on an inspection tour... but last night when I was sleeping, I kept hearing a voice in my ear, as if asking me to go there."

A little unsure, Ella said hesitantly.

"I keep hearing that voice in my ears. Could it be that the undead have invaded the royal city?"

"I don't think so. Maybe it was just a dream. Let's put that aside for now. I mainly want to talk to Camisia about the guards."

"Guard? Princess-sama, do you really think a subordinate would be more suitable? If so—"

"No……"

Ella turned her palm towards Camisia, thinking that if she continued, it would become irresistible.

"Camisia, do you remember the person I mentioned last time who wanted to establish the Holy King Council?"

Due to Ella's rejection, Camisia's eyes showed obvious disappointment.

"Well, those rebels are being monitored by Dean's men. Although I have discussed matters of varying magnitude with Dean, it will take some time to establish a solid relationship with the nobles of the Eastern Demon Tribe. Only Dean knows the specific information."

"No need for specific information. I saw a human swordsman in the archives before. I think his name was Grace. He was only 26 years old but had the strength of level 30. He was Gappa..."

Forgetting the noble's name for a moment, Ella frowned and lowered her head in thought, and Camisia quickly supplemented it.

"It's Count Gaparis."

"Yes, the guards of the Count Gaparis family have been employed by the Count Gaparis family since their grandfather's generation, so they have now been assimilated into the people of the demon clan."

"Princess, would you like to start by asking him for information? Considering the difficulty, I think it would be easier to start with the Lord, who is not very tight-lipped."

"Eh? I didn't mean that?"

He just wanted to find a bodyguard who was easy to negotiate with and recognized by others. This rebel was the perfect fit. His miserable family background was also one of the reasons why he chose him. His poor life was enough to make him feel sympathy, and it would also be easier for him to choose to return the favor.

"I was planning to select this swordsman as a full-time bodyguard. He's too conspicuous right now."

"No, this is too dangerous, Princess. Please retract this idea."

"But judging by the current intelligence, they don't have any intention of resorting to forceful tactics. And I can use this opportunity to investigate them. Speaking purely of strength, I'm stronger than them, you know?"

"That is true, Princess-sama, but such honor should not be bestowed upon a traitor."

"Calling him a traitor..."

Ella couldn't help but smile bitterly. These people simply had different opinions and could not be considered traitors. After all, they had no plans at all. Rather than strategic politicians, they were more like ordinary citizens complaining about their lives. At least none of them had ever suggested taking the initiative to do something about the Demon King.

Still looking unable to let go, Camisia frowned deeply.

The room fell silent for a moment.

"Camisia, I think the Demon Lord's idea is worth trying. We just need to make some improvements to the safety. Let your subordinate Lingran come with us."

Along with the voice appeared the figure of an old man holding a dead wooden staff. Perhaps because the door was not closed, Dean had heard the conversation.

Camisia looked at Dean who had just walked in.

"Lingran? You mean the captain of the guards?"

"Well, the sudden appearance of demons that defy the Demon Lord's will is something we should be aware of. While the Demon Lord's idea may be extreme, it's also the most effective method. There's no easier way to get the answer than for the Demon Lord to try it himself."

"...Indeed, with Lingran in the Quasi-Hero field, there's no need to worry about safety. But, Princess, are you really going to do this?"

Camisia looked at Ella with concern, but Ella was completely stunned. Things developed too quickly for her to react for a while.

Ella opened her mouth slightly in surprise, and felt her tongue become a little numb.

"Should we send more people?"

"Yes, Lord Demon, I believe this is the safest option."

"Also, unlike Linglan and Grace, it will be more convenient for Princess-sama to have a female guard by her side."

Camisia nodded as she thought about it.

"Well, if Princess-sama insists on promoting Grace to a personal guard, this is the best outcome."

Isn’t this back to the starting point?

Ella screamed in her heart.

Of course, things have developed to the current situation, and I feel embarrassed to retreat. Besides, if there are only two of us, we are much better than a group of guards.

Ella swallowed hard, worried about the future.

"Hmm...that's it."

"Yes, I will call Linglan here right now."

“Gu—”

Just as Camisia was about to leave the room, the sound coming from Ella's stomach made Dean and Camisia pause for a moment, but they pretended not to hear the sound and politely looked away.

"I didn't realize you were interested in raising birds, Dean."

"Hmm? ...Ah, yes, Viscount Morneau gave it to me some time ago—"

"Gununu."

Compared to silence, this atmosphere of trying to save face for herself made her more embarrassed. Ella stood up in anger and embarrassment.

"That's enough. I'm going to look for Lotte, and then I'll go check out the port and the underground labyrinth."

Almost at the same time, Camisia and Dean put away their embarrassed expressions and knelt on one knee.

""Yes, Your Majesty the Queen (Lord the Demon King)."

Chapter 17 Port

It didn't take long for Ella to find Lotte in the Throne Room Palace. Due to her status as the "Head Maid", Lotte had begun handing over her work to the former Head Maid early in the morning. Of course, considering the actual situation, it would take at least a month to complete, so the most she could do was to allow Lotte to familiarize herself with the environment.

After a simple breakfast, Ella and Lotte came to the streets of the royal capital. Because new guards were being arranged and the original guards had been withdrawn, it was now just the two of them walking.

Looking at the carriages and pedestrians coming and going, Lotte smiled.

"The last time I went out with Miss Ella was at the Holy Academy."

"Hmm? Ahhh."

Although she wanted to mention that she and Lotte had been out alone in the Black Dragon Mountains before, Lotte should have been talking about the atmosphere of walking on the street like now, so Ella could only respond with an apologetic smile.

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