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Ever since she became a demon, Shiho Miyano had been training relentlessly.
Aside from magic, for close combat she had chosen the sword as her weapon.
And the first lesson?
Maintenance and care of the blade.
It was physically demanding work.
Shiho's breathing gradually grew heavier.
First came the cleaning part—you had to be super attentive to even begin syncing with the blade.
Next was sharpening—to make it even more deadly.
Finally…
Came the practice and usage stage.
Outside the door.
Akemi Miyano stood frozen in place, clutching a magic book in her hands.
She originally came to ask her little sister for some help with magic. What she didn't expect was to witness sword training instead.
Hesitating a moment, she crept forward a bit.
She was really curious about everything related to demons.
And slowly…
A blush crept across Akemi's skin like a pink wave.
Her body trembled slightly, and she subconsciously bent at the waist.
A moment later—
Akemi cleaned the floor a little, then tiptoed away, trying not to make a sound.
Downstairs.
"Ah la la~ Took you long enough."
Vermouth rested her chin on her hand, smiling slyly like a fox as she listened to the sounds from upstairs.
Akemi flinched.
She had been so focused, she completely forgot this woman was also here.
Crap.
Did she figure it all out?
Ugh, how embarrassing.
Akemi was panicking inside, but she forced herself to stay calm on the surface.
No matter what—she couldn't lose face.
That said…
She was definitely feeling a chill down below.
God, she really needed a shower.
This was all Shiho's fault!
Vermouth blinked playfully and teased, "That intense, huh?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
Akemi rolled her eyes.
Vermouth sniffed the air lightly, then smirked. "Oh, I think I do."
Akemi died a little inside from sheer embarrassment.
She can even smell it?
What are you, a bloodhound!?
Vermouth looked at Akemi with a face full of envy.
"You really lucked out, huh? Meeting Mr. Edgar like that…"
Even though it had only been a short time, she'd pieced together a lot from indirect hints.
These two sisters… they both became demons.
That's… basically skipping to the final level!
Unconsciously, she thought back to the power Shiho had shown.
Thump. Thump-thump.
Vermouth's heartbeat picked up speed.
She looked at Akemi with an unreadable expression.
If they could become demons…
Why not her?
The only question was—would she be worthy of Lord Edgar's approval?
The next morning.
Edgar walked downstairs from the second floor, hand-in-hand with Shiho Miyano.
Shiho's skill at maintaining her blade had clearly improved—it was mesmerizing to watch.
Living room, first floor.
As soon as Akemi saw Edgar and Shiho, her face flushed bright red.
The sounds from upstairs had gone all night long.
How were they even still walking?
Wait… right. They're demons.
Never mind then.
On the other side, Vermouth's eyes flickered as she watched them.
Then, without hesitation, she stepped forward and dropped to her knees right in front of Edgar.
"Lord Edgar, Vermouth wishes to serve you."
Edgar raised an eyebrow slightly, giving her a half-smile, half-smirk.
Vermouth instantly froze, not even daring to breathe.
As the seconds ticked by, her anxiety only grew.
Sweat started to bead on her forehead.
Edgar didn't say a word.
The air grew still and heavy—stifling, almost.
The pressure made it hard for her to breathe.
Did I fail?
Am I going to die now?
Shiho and Akemi both watched silently from the side.
They didn't have any particularly good feelings about Vermouth.
There was no history or grudges between them…
But they knew. This woman was a real witch.
Still, whether to accept her or not—that was up to their master.
As Edgar's loyal followers, it wasn't their place to comment. Their job was to listen and obey.
No one knew how long passed.
Edgar finally glanced at the glowing demon contract and said casually,"Still a pure body?"
"Absolutely! I've never even held hands with anyone!"
"…Alright. I accept."
Vermouth's eyes widened, her whole body relaxing instantly.
That's when she noticed…
Her entire body was soaked in sweat.
She let out a breath of relief, like someone who had just walked away from death.
Just now—
She'd truly thought it was over for her.
That she was about to die.
Good thing she had always kept herself pure.
She took a deep breath, then gave Edgar a flattering smile.
Edgar rubbed his chin, looking a bit thoughtful.
Come to think of it…
All the people who had qualified to become his subordinates—
Regardless of talent or personality…
They were all pure.
Every single one.
Could this be… part of how the demon contract determines eligibility?
He then turned back to Vermouth, a faint smile curling at his lips.
Truth was, he'd had his eye on her for a while.
Originally, he wanted to test her patience a bit.
But now?
She just offered herself up—saves him the trouble.
Standing tall, he looked down and said in a calm voice:"Take off your outer clothes."
Without a second of hesitation, Vermouth started moving.
She had never seen a demon rebirth ritual before, and didn't really know what Edgar had in mind.
But in this situation—
Any hesitation would be seen as disrespect.
So if Lord Edgar told her to take it off, she would.
She even threw in a little extra, just in case.
Watching this, Shiho and Akemi both twitched.
Akemi couldn't help but blurt out:"Master only said outer clothes, you know…"
"Hm?"Vermouth blinked and played dumb. "Really? Did I hear wrong?"
She gave Edgar a pitiful look. "Oops…"
Edgar casually replied, "It's fine. Doesn't bother me."
With that, Vermouth sped up.
In the end, she stood fully exposed in front of Edgar.
Her cheeks were burning red.
Even though she was called a witch…
She was still a woman.
This was the first time in her life she'd stood like this in front of a man.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself—
It still felt insanely embarrassing.
"..."
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