"Elder sister?"
Niv blinked blankly at Lily, her expression full of confusion—she clearly had no idea what the woman was talking about.
But Lily, already overwhelmed by emotion, suddenly threw herself forward like a tiger pouncing on prey, trying to grab hold of Niv's leg.
The move startled Niv out of her wits.
She reacted purely on instinct—jumping back with a nimble backflip, narrowly avoiding Lily's lunge.
In the same motion, she pulled Hel up to her feet and placed her protectively behind her.
"Master, is this the perverted human female? I saw her this morning sniffing a piece of women's underwear."
After speaking, Niv even made a show of hiding timidly behind Hel's back.
But there wasn't even a trace of fear on her cute little face—if anything, she looked mischievously pleased as she wrapped her arms tightly around Hel from behind.
Hel could clearly feel the softness pressing against her back, and she had a distinct sense that Niv was taking advantage of the situation… though she had no proof.
Meanwhile, Lily, who had fallen flat on the ground from missing her tackle, clumsily pushed herself up—right in front of Hel.
"Wait a second—what on earth is going on here?"
Hel rubbed her temples. She really hadn't seen this coming.
She had guarded against every possible danger—except the one that came from within her own household.
Who would've thought the one corrupting Niv with perverted ideas would turn out to be Lily, one of the people she trusted most?
She knew Lily had that perverted "orange tag" in her status, but wasn't her so-called "elder sister" supposed to be—
Wait.
If Hel remembered correctly, Lily's mother had been dead for ten years already…
Then whose underwear was she sniffing?
Could it be…
The more Hel thought about it, the worse it got.
Her expression shifted into one of pure disgust—as if she were looking at something utterly vile.
Lily, still dizzy from the fall, looked up only to see that expression and instinctively blurted out:
"Elder sister…"
"Wait—don't come any closer!"
Hel jumped back in alarm, flinging her hand forward.
Streams of water erupted from her palm, forming tendrils that shot toward Lily and wrapped tightly around her.
And then…
…
No one knew how much time passed.
When Lily finally came to, she was kneeling in front of Hel, holding up a little cardboard sign that read:
"I'm too much of a pervert. I'm sorry."
"Alright," Hel said sternly, "now that you've cooled down—care to explain what's going on?"
"I'm sorry," Lily said meekly. "It's just that Miss Niv looks so much like my elder sister… I couldn't help myself."
"Alright, so it was a misunderstanding, then—
Wait. Hold on."
Hel froze mid-sentence as the realization hit her.
This wasn't just about the misunderstanding.
This was about all the perverted nonsense Lily had been doing lately—the very nonsense that had clearly rubbed off on Niv.
"Let's talk about that underwear," Hel said darkly. "Whose was it? And what else have you been doing, you degenerate? I suggest you tell the truth, Lily, or else…"
A ribbon of water swirled in her hand, shaping itself into something like a whip.
"…Or else you'll regret it."
"Can I… continue?"
The innocent tone in Lily's voice made Hel's mind short-circuit for a second.
Wait—what?
That was not the response she expected.
Just moments ago, she'd used her water magic to tie Lily up and give her a few sharp lashes—not enough to hurt, but certainly enough to humiliate.
Yet the woman's face now looked… blissful.
Oh.
Right.
She was a pervert.
Never mind, then. Apparently, Hel had accidentally rewarded her instead of punishing her.
"Ahem," Hel coughed, trying to look serious. "Just answer the question properly. Otherwise, no dinner for you tonight."
"Ah—w-wait, okay, okay…"
Seeing Hel's stern face, Lily shrank a little and whispered timidly:
"Um… Master Hel, please don't be mad when I say this…"
That instantly set off alarm bells in Hel's mind.
"Don't be mad"?
Oh no.
Did Lily find out about her cross-dressing?
Was that underwear hers after all?
If so, it was over.
If Lily knew, then the entire Heim domain would know in no time—and that would be the end of her dignity forever.
Hel almost wanted to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment right there.
But then Lily spoke again—pulling Hel right back from the brink of existential despair.
"It actually belonged to your mother, Lady Angel."
"…What?"
Hel blinked, dumbfounded—but also… relieved.
However, Lily clearly misunderstood her reaction and rushed to explain.
"I keep a magical storage artifact, you see. Thanks to that, I've been able to preserve that garment perfectly. Even after ten years, it still carries her scent."
As she said this, Lily's cheeks flushed pink, her voice soft with nostalgia.
"I see," Hel sighed, rubbing her forehead. "So, you were that devoted to my mother, huh."
"Yes," Lily said with a solemn face. "Lady Angel was the most beautiful woman in the world. Nothing can ever shake my love for her."
Her expression was so serious, it was like watching a devout believer at worship.
"…Right. Got it. In that case, Lily, you can go now."
"Ah? Oh—yes, Master."
Lily stood up carefully, but hesitated before leaving.
She cast a sideways glance at Niv, voice trembling slightly:
"Um, Master… don't you think I deserve… some more punishment?"
"No. You can go. Now."
Hel waved her off tiredly.
But Lily lingered, looking longingly at Niv.
"Then, uh… could I maybe spend some time with Miss Niv—"
"No. You're going to help Sebastian handle the week's backlogged administration. And you're not eating until it's done."
"…Oh."
Disappointed, Lily shuffled away—turning back three times before finally leaving, her gaze still glued to Niv.
The look on her face was pure obsession—like a creepy old man fixated on a cute little girl.
Once Lily was gone, Niv cautiously peeked out from behind Hel.
"Master," she said quietly, "that perverted woman seems very attached to Lady Angel. Even though I'm just a doll who looks similar, she still reacted that way."
Then, her crimson eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"So… what would she do if she found out what you really look like?"