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“That is—.”

I was about to say it was a mistake, but I stopped myself.

At this point, even if I told the truth that I thought it was Bella, it would only make the situation worse.

Blanshe is a talent skilled in infiltration and assassination. There’s no one more suited than her to secretly contact the demons in a special unit.

Moreover, she’s also well-suited to keep an eye on Bella’s movements if needed.

If Bella were to catch on to me becoming the Demon Lord, she’d be the most troublesome opponent. Having someone dedicated to handling her would be a great relief. That’s why maintaining a smooth relationship with Blanshe is beneficial in many ways.

I decided to compromise.

“Tsk… touch me moderately.”

“Consider this as paying the price for trying to humiliate me.”

Yeah, thinking of it as paying a price makes it somewhat bearable.

As soon as I gave my permission, Blanshe began feeling around my body from behind.

“Here is…?”

“My neck.”

“Then where is this?”

“My collarbone.”

“Quite firm… isn’t it?”

“It’s bone, so of course it is.”

“Not just the bones, but your body seems generally firm. Are you still exercising?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm….”

Blanshe fell into thought, her hand still in the illusion.

If Helga or someone else had seen this, it would’ve caused a commotion, but fortunately, it’s just the two of us in the cave. However, the situation of a stunningly beautiful woman like Blanshe groping my body like a blind person felt oddly awkward.

“Indeed… a man’s body is quite different from a woman’s.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. No matter how much I train, this part of my muscles never gets firm.”

Blanshe’s chest pressed against my back. Whether it was because she was wearing tight-fitting clothes, the sensation was vivid.

Feeling that pleasant softness, I agreed with her statement that a woman’s body is very different from a man’s.

“Men are fascinating….”

Blanshe muttered while fumbling around my waist.

At first, I thought she was just playing around by touching my body, but she seemed quite serious.

Thinking about it, to Blanshe, men might as well be unknown creatures. Her life as an assassin operating alone in the dark and as a bodyguard knight for a duke’s daughter naturally kept her distant from men.

The closest man to her would be Tristan, and even that was just a tenacious bad relationship, which is quite pitiful.

Understanding Blanshe, I didn’t particularly mind being treated like some strange animal she was seeing for the first time.

In fact, I even felt a bit of sympathy and casually asked.

“Blanshe.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to know about men?”

“Ah, yes… yes!?”

Blanshe’s hand, which had been feeling around my ribs, stopped. Then, in a trembling voice as if something had broken, she asked back.

“What… what kind of question is that all of a sudden?”

What kind of question, you ask?

“You seem to not know much about men, so I asked.”

“How could you, Count, possibly teach me that!?”

“…I didn’t say I would teach you.”

I couldn’t see Blanshe’s expression since she was behind me, but her flustered demeanor was evident. More than anything, her hand had stopped, but her chest pressed against my back was trembling.

Only then did I realize that what I said could be taken in a different way depending on the context.

“So… not satisfied with Bella, you’re trying to lay your hands on me too?”

“I’ve never laid a hand on Bella. Rather, what you’re doing now is laying your hands on me.”

“Ugh!?”

Blanshe was at a loss for words. However, she had a trump card.

“But… didn’t you start it first, Count?”

“…….”

It’s true that I unintentionally seduced her under the table. I couldn’t counterattack on this point.

However, what shocked me was Blanshe’s next words.

“Count, are you perhaps… turned on by me?”

“Tur… what?”

For a moment, I thought I misheard.

I reflexively asked back at the sudden expression. Seeing my reaction, Blanshe seemed convinced that her assumption was correct.

“Don’t try to hide it. I heard everything from Helga. That you get turned on by her.”

“…….”

It’s you again.

With a headache coming on, I had to close my eyes tightly and pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Are, are you okay?”

“…No. Just a momentary headache. More importantly, Blanshe. Do you know what that means when you say it?”

“Yes?”

Blanshe started stammering, clearly not expecting my question.

“Uh, well… I heard from Helga that men feel turned on when they see attractive women… Is, is that not the case?”

“It’s not wrong, but….”

“Then… do you get turned on by Bella or Helga, Count?”

“……No, I don’t.”

“Huh? Then Wendy—.”

“Are you crazy… No.”

“Huh??”

“Absolutely not.”

“????”

Blanshe seemed utterly confused.

It seems Helga has been feeding her all sorts of strange knowledge, given her complete lack of understanding about such matters.

‘I really can’t let my guard down….’

Now I see that Helga is the biggest variable in this game.

“My advice is, don’t use that expression anywhere else.”

“…Do you mean I should only use it in front of you, Count?”

“That’s not… Do as you please. I’ve clearly warned you.”

“Then what should I say instead of ‘turned on’?”

“Just… say you feel attracted. That would be much more accurate to what you’re trying to say.”

“I see… That makes sense.”

Blanshe nodded as if she roughly understood. Seeing that, I felt a cold sweat running down my back.

I have no idea what I’m teaching her. Since Wendy’s night vigil incident, I don’t think my heart has ever dropped like this.

Feeling like I shouldn’t continue the conversation, I quickly changed the subject.

“So, do you intend to cooperate with me?”

“Ah, you mean about subduing the demons at the demonic border?”

“Yes.”

I had already given her a rough explanation. I thought she might not have listened properly, shocked by the fact that she was fooled by my disguise, but it seems she was paying attention.

Things went well with Myohail, but there was no guarantee Blanshe would cooperate, so I was a bit nervous. However, her answer was surprisingly simple.

“Yes. If it’s something like that, I’ll cooperate.”

“…Are you really okay with it?”

“Of course, even I think it’s a bit strange. Normally, one should feel fear and rejection towards the Demon Lord, but when I hear that you’re becoming the Demon Lord, it somehow makes sense.”

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been playing the villain all this time.

Both Myohail and Blanshe didn’t show much rejection towards me becoming the Demon Lord.

For me, it’s convenient since I don’t need to persuade them, but I wanted to hear the reason properly.

“Why would you cooperate with me becoming the Demon Lord?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure, but maybe it’s because I’m not entirely human. This body is almost like a demon’s, so I don’t feel much rejection towards the concept of a Demon Lord. If that’s not the reason, then….”

“Then what?”

“Ah… no, it’s nothing. Please forget it.”

Seeing her shake her head, a certain fact suddenly came to mind.

“Besides, didn’t you dislike me?”

“Huh?”

“Given our history, I thought you wouldn’t cooperate.”

The bad blood between Blanshe and me goes way back.

Even though time has passed and there’s been some progress in our relationship, the fact remains that she almost killed me once.

Blanshe thought for a moment and then spoke.

“…If I disliked you, Count, I wouldn’t have become Wendy’s teacher. Nor would I have asked for your help when the young lady was trapped in a dream. So….”

She took a deep breath and looked straight at me.

“I don’t dislike you anymore, Count.”

“…….”

Hearing that, I felt a sense of relief.

Thinking about how much I’ve struggled to survive all this time. It felt like a reward for my efforts to change my reputation as the notorious Tristan.

Hearing it from Blanshe, one of Tristan’s death flags, made it all the more poignant.

As I was lost in thought, Blanshe suddenly went “Huh?” and waved her hand.

“W-what I mean is, that doesn’t mean I like you! Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“No. I didn’t misunderstand.”

“Really, you mustn’t misunderstand. You’re the benefactor who saved the young lady. That’s why I don’t dislike you!”

“Alright. You don’t need to explain.”

“It’s because of the debt I owe you. That’s all. Understand?!”

“…I understand.”

Seeing Blanshe so earnest, the heavy atmosphere seemed to lighten.

It was a relief that the conversation flowed more amicably than I expected.

I was worried that the weight of becoming the Demon Lord might make the conversation heavy, but Blanshe readily agreed to my plan.

She only said this at the end.

“Just promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t make the young lady sad. If you do, I’ll gladly….”

Blanshe extended her hand as if for a handshake.

“Play along with your act, Count.”

That’s not an easy request, but I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t come to that.

“…I promise.”

“Huh… Then I’m already an accomplice.”

I thought it ended warmly with that handshake, but…

“By the way, Count.”

It wasn’t over yet.

“Do you… feel attracted to me?”

“What?”

“It’s embarrassing, but I don’t really know. How I appear in the eyes of the opposite sex… I mean, men.”

Without a doubt, Blanshe’s appearance is exceptional. So, while it might sound like a ridiculous question to others, seeing her serious expression made me take it seriously.

Perhaps she’s been quite concerned about it.

Raised as a cold-blooded assassin in the Ruelberta family, living as nothing more than a tool for killing, she might be trying to live as a woman, as a human, while serving Bella.

I spoke in as gentle a voice as possible.

“Everyone… has their own charm.”

I haven’t lived long enough to give her a grand answer.

But I can at least offer her some encouragement as she steps into a new world.

“From that perspective, you are a very attractive woman.”

“Is that so….”

Blanshe nodded as if convinced.

However, what she added next was not something a convinced person would say.

“Then… it’s okay to touch me.”

“…Huh?”

“That… since you’re a man too, Count, you might feel attracted to me. So, from now on, please! Tell me personally.”

The usually stoic and expressionless Blanshe was now shifting her gaze around.

Was Blanshe always like this? Even I was taken aback.

“Ah! Touching is okay, but d-don’t do anything indecent. You must respect the boundaries!”

Given Blanshe’s sense of chastity so far, I’m worried if she even knows what ‘indecent’ means. Sure enough.

“That means you can’t touch bare skin! But from now on, when I’m wearing this outfit….”

Blanshe was making a face as if she was embarrassed but determined. Covering her slender body clad in a full-body catsuit with her hands, she muttered in a mosquito-like voice.

“Then… you can consider it okay. U-understand?”

 

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