A new steward arrived at the manor.
It was said that this steward had previously worked for a noble family, and being old now, wanted to find some light work to retire with, which is why he came to this rundown place.
Josh found this confusing – could such a good thing really happen?
However, after the nun’s assessment, it was confirmed that the old steward was not lying.
He was very knowledgeable about the various affairs of human nobility and had great insights into management, clearly having a wealth of relevant experience.
His salary demand was not high, even very low.
Almost at a volunteer’s price.
The central manor had become extremely busy lately because the lord decided to reorganize the territory, and there was a shortage of manpower.
For those purely labor-intensive positions, it was no big deal, but there was a significant shortage of management positions.
After all, this was a remote territory where the lord hadn’t taken office for over a decade, with no prospects for development. Anyone with a bit of talent in this area had long packed up and gone elsewhere.
Now, in the manor, besides Albert, the nun, and a young steward, there was no one else who could take on a management position.
Among them, the nun had to devote most of her energy to the manor to maintain its normal operation.
This was why Albert had such a large workload; there was simply a lack of personnel.
At this time, encountering an experienced job seeker was like a pillow arriving just as you wanted to sleep.
Josh still felt something was off.
It was already lucky enough to come across one fool; how could there be a second one?
Josh even made an excuse to return to his room for a bit and, in desperation, took out the prophecy scroll to sense whether there was anything wrong with this second fool who came to them.
The prophecy scroll said, “What? Isn’t he just an ordinary old man?”
Josh said, “Take a closer look.”
The prophecy scroll said, “He… he seems very dedicated?”
Josh was speechless, “Forget it, just go back into the box.”
The prophecy scroll complained, “You really just toss me aside after using me!”
It wasn’t the scroll’s fault. The main function of the prophecy scroll was prophecy. The day it appeared before Josh, it had already completed its mission.
As for the rest, although it contained the power of rules, allowing it to vaguely sense some premonitions, it couldn’t provide detailed insights.
The old steward of the demon palace, a cunning hidden-type demon known for his cleverness, had left behind a few stories from his youth that were still circulating in the demon realm.
In tracking and covering tracks, not even the Demon King himself could surpass him, let alone humans or a mediocre prophecy scroll.
Josh was troubled for quite a while, unable to decide whether to accept the old man’s offer.
It wasn’t until the old man made another request that Josh’s strange sense of caution was finally dispelled.
The old steward asked for a rather special condition: he hoped the manor would provide him with an additional small garden where he could arrange toys for his pet cat.
Only then did Josh notice the pure black cat the steward was holding in his arms.
He asked, “Is this a feline demon beast?”
The steward said, “Yes, this is a half-demon beast hybrid, which I have raised since it was little.”
Talking about his pet, his dignified and polite expression finally changed slightly.
His old face creased with a smile, and his cloudy eyes shone brightly. “Let me introduce her to you. She is a girl, very quiet and well-behaved. Although she is sometimes a bit spoiled, just look at her fur and eyes, she is truly very adorable and sweet.”
Josh looked at the little cat with jet-black fur and pupils narrowed into vertical slits, which conveyed a high-cold attitude. “Ah… yes.”
Just like all parents who get a burst of energy when their child is mentioned.
He spent a full ten minutes introducing how charming and lovable his little cat was to Josh.
He even lifted the cat’s paw, trying to show Josh the pink pads under its black fur.
However, just as Josh caught a glimpse of the pink, the paw’s owner let out a “meow” and raised its paw.
The sharp claws tore through the sleeve of its owner’s coat, almost scratching his neck if it had been slightly off.
Josh was speechless. “…”
Josh finally managed to get a word in, “When I was in the central city, I saw people keeping these half-demon beasts too. However, the destructive power of half-demon beasts is quite significant. They often remove the claws and file down the teeth of the half-demon beasts to reduce the risk of raising them.”
“Bastards!”
The old steward lost control of both his expression and his voice, his face full of anger. “I’ve seen such demons… people too! They are obsessed with their pets’ cuteness but hate their claws and teeth. If they really can’t accept it, then they shouldn’t raise them. Why transform them to fit their desires for selfish reasons!”
Josh was stunned for a moment. “…”
After a few seconds, he said softly, “Yes, you are right.”
Although he had never raised such a small animal, he agreed with the old steward’s words.
No matter what kind of creature it is, if given a choice, none would willingly give up their teeth and claws, which they rely on for survival, in exchange for uncertain and condescending affection.
Josh inappropriately spaced out for a moment.
He again thought of the possible future that the prophecy scroll had described to him, the one where he and the Holy Saint, after enduring a series of physically and emotionally torturous entanglements, finally became inseparable lovers.
He finally realized why he had felt a distinct discomfort ever since hearing about that future.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Previously, he had just felt unhappy, thinking it was troublesome and disgusting, without delving deeper.
Rbk, joafg rfflcu atlr ilaaif mja jcv tjnlcu atlr mbcnfgrjalbc klat lar bkcfg, tf oeiis ecvfgrabbv.
Pc atf oeaegf vfrmglyfv ys atf qgbqtfms rmgbii, tf kjr ilxf atlr rtjgq-abbatfv jcv mijkfv ofilcf vfwbc yfjra, tjnlcu tlr mijkr qeiifv bea, affat olifv vbkc, jcv qgbev tfjv ybkfv lc atja fwbalbcji fcajcuifwfca.
In the end, he would become a harmless little cat that only sought warmth in its owner’s arms.
And only then would the one who did all this be truly satisfied.
Tamed and suppressed, bound tighter and tighter by someone wearing the chains of affection.
That was the true nature of that so-called lover’s play.
Josh didn’t know what kind of mindset the “him” in the prophecy had when falling into such a trap, but at this moment, he knew that he would never make that choice.
“Ahem,” the old steward finally regained his composure after being smacked by his pet for being too loud. “Sorry, I lost my composure.”
He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, and when he put it down, his expression had returned to its original dignified state.
“Let’s continue discussing the previous topic.”
Josh smiled. His eyes were dark and round, and when he smiled, they looked like two crescent moons.
He said, “No problem. There is plenty of vacant land in the manor. You can choose any spot you like. If you need a fenced enclosure, you can report it to the maintenance team, and they will add it to their schedule.”
“That’s not necessary, she won’t run around.”
Josh said, “Alright then, let’s have a pleasant cooperation. Today, you can get settled, and tomorrow you can start familiarizing yourself with the tasks.”
He instructed the maid beside him, “Take this gentleman to freshen up.”
The steward said, “Thank you, I’ll take my leave for now.”
Josh watched him leave the hall and then turned around to say something to Albert.
However, the knight had somehow already come up behind him, only a step or two away. When Josh turned around, he was face-to-face with his chest.
The knight looked down at him with deep eyes.
He asked, “Hmm? Talking to an old man for so long?”
Josh had already turned his head and didn’t see that after Albert spoke, the steward, who had just reached the door, stumbled and almost tripped over the low threshold.
What a jealous husband’s remark—
The steward composed himself and quickly left, his face showing an indescribable expression, as if staying any longer would cause irreparable damage to his worldview.
Josh still had a bit of a smile on his face and softly said, “Albert, don’t be so rude. He’s not that old.”
Albert said, “Is that so?”
Four or five hundred years old and still flaunting a middle-aged appearance to deceive people. Doesn’t he know how old he really is under that skin?
As he thought this, he conveniently forgot that he himself was over two hundred years old. Even though this was still considered prime age among high-level demons, it far exceeded the maximum lifespan of humans.
Albert paused and asked, “Weren’t you initially suspicious of him? Why did you agree so quickly?”
Josh replied, “What do you mean suspicious? We didn’t know him, so of course I hesitated. That’s a normal reaction. Don’t slander me.”
“I agreed because,” Josh recalled their recent conversation and said, “a person’s attitude towards their tasks can reflect many qualities… something like that. Alright, I can’t remember exactly, but seeing how he treats his pet with such respect, it at least shows that he’s a decent person.”
Albert gave an ambiguous smile.
He found it amusing that Josh would use “decent person” to describe a demon.
That old demon, now reduced to keeping a pet and losing his edge, still had a terrifying reputation among the older generation of demons for the things he did in his youth. Mentioning his name still made some shiver in fear.
However, the old demon indeed had no interest in destroying the human world.
In that regard, Josh wasn’t entirely wrong.
His little lord always had his own peculiar yet accurate logic when it came to judging people.
“What are you laughing at?”
Josh looked around and, seeing that the steward had completely left and there was no one else in the hall, quickly pinched the knight’s handsome face.
“No laughing!”
He left a shallow red mark on his cheek, like a small animal had scratched him.
Printed on his handsome cheek, it didn’t look comical; instead, it gave off an ambiguous vibe.
Josh justified himself, “I just want to lighten your burden a bit. If he can handle it, you won’t have to work so hard during the day.”
Albert picked him up. “Is that so? Alright, thank you, esteemed lord. I will gratefully take care of the remaining tasks.”
Josh was startled when he was suddenly picked up.
He felt that their relationship was already an open secret within the manor—Albert liked to nibble on him too much. Sometimes, Josh felt like this man was treating him as food!
Josh wore high-collared clothes for two days before feeling uncomfortable and giving up on it. He stopped pretending and went about with marks all over his neck.
Not to mention, sometimes Albert would arrive early and leave late from his bedroom, running into other servants.
Even a fool could see what was going on.
However, Josh still didn’t act too intimate with him during the day.
It wasn’t out of shyness or anything like that. As the nun had said, it was normal for nobles to have several lovers. His good friend Avril, who was around his age, had slept with more than a dozen knights. He only had one lover, which was quite pure in comparison!
With that in mind, Josh naturally didn’t feel any strange sense of shyness.
He just felt that he and Albert hadn’t reached the point where they could openly show affection without caring about others.
Their relationship started vaguely, or rather, it was tacitly understood.
He was doing it to satisfy his own needs, while Albert… the knight almost obediently followed his orders. Josh didn’t know what he was thinking. Was it like most knights who thought being a noble’s lover was beneficial, or did he have other motives…
Wait, why did he care about this—
No matter what Albert thought, it didn’t matter to him.
He was just a cold and ruthless lord using his subordinate to solve a problem. Once he completely resolved this issue, this strange relationship would naturally come to an end.
These thoughts flashed chaotically through his mind.
Josh’s perspective suddenly rose and stabilized, realizing that Albert had placed him on his arm.
The young knight didn’t appear to have an exaggeratedly muscular build, at least not like the terrifyingly muscular figures Josh had seen during his travels. However, Josh had witnessed Albert’s endurance and strength more than once.
There was one time when Albert held him, their chests pressed together. Although slightly misaligned, Josh could still feel Albert’s heart beating heavily as if it were infused with molten lava. The rhythmic thumping was so intense that it eventually made Josh’s own heart lose its rhythm.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
It felt like a small yet grand resonance, and Josh couldn’t distinguish whether the frantic beating came from Albert’s chest, his own, or if at some point, they both lost control of their hearts simultaneously.
The unceasing heartbeat sounds filled all his senses.
At that moment, Josh felt weak all over, his head dizzy, and his chin resting on the knight’s shoulder.
With Albert’s back to the large floor mirror, the dazed Josh, who was held facing forward, could see the reflection in the mirror.
The muscles on the knight’s back tensed into subtle ripples, with a pronounced central groove.
His skin was cool and pale, and under the moonlight, it faintly reflected the sheen of thin sweat.
As for Josh, even his dangling toes were weak and limp.
A cool ribbon circled the back of his head, tied and hanging down, sticking to his sweat-drenched cheek.
The occasional physiological tears he shed were absorbed by the ribbon and disappeared.
…
He didn’t know why he suddenly thought of that scene.
Sitting on Albert’s arm, Josh’s cheeks unknowingly turned a light red. He reached out, grabbing the knight’s dark golden hair, and demanded warily, “What are you doing? Put me down.”
Albert responded with a hint of seriousness, “Serving you, my lord.”
He said, “It seems my daytime duties will be taken over by the new steward. To avoid being kicked out, I’ll have to put in extra effort elsewhere.”
“No…”
Josh initially wanted to refuse, but the slight rise in his body temperature made him change his mind unconsciously. “Don’t hold me like this.”
He added, “Put me down, I’ll walk by myself. You’re so tall, what if you trip on the stairs?”
“As you wish.”
Albert smiled and gently put him down.
***
With the addition of the new steward, the management of the estate indeed became more efficient.
Albert also found his days much easier.
Compared to the previous full day of outdoor labor, now he only needed to work for half a day.
Additionally, Josh had developed a bad habit of sleeping in due to reduced rest time at night, often missing breakfast.
As a result, he would frequently wake up to find Albert returning to the estate within minutes, ready to spend the rest of the day with him.
A seamless transition.
The once boring afternoons became less tedious with the knight’s close service.
Josh was very satisfied with the new steward, but there was one thing he found odd.
The steward often observed him and Albert with an expression Josh couldn’t understand.
It was as if he were studying some phenomenon from another dimension.
Although the observation was subtle, Josh still sensed it thanks to his race’s innate intuition.
It was peculiar, but Josh didn’t feel any malice from that scrutiny, so he didn’t delve into it.
He thought, perhaps the dignified old gentleman found it inelegant that the lord was constantly fooling around with a knight.
However, Josh couldn’t be bothered to conceal it. He decided to just let it go.
As long as he was thick-skinned enough, he could pretend not to notice!
…
A few peaceful days passed, roughly a week after Josh repaired the array, and the Demon King’s territory received new guests.
It was another noble, and this was a formal visit.
The nun explained, “It’s a former mage friend of Lady Alyssa. On the day you left to repair the array, I sent a request for help to the contact symbols left by Lady Alyssa’s mages. The messenger sent by them has already arrived, and the official party will be here in about two hours.”
Josh remarked, “That’s timely.”
He had already completed the repairs!
Though he complained internally, he hadn’t expected anyone to actually come.
After all, these were friends of his mother from when she was alive, and she had been dead for over a decade. No matter how strong the bond was back then, it was uncertain if it still held any weight now.
Especially when it came to the troublesome task of repairing a magic array.
Considering the time, the Demon King’s territory was remote, and if they came from somewhere more central, a week’s travel wasn’t slow.
It seemed they must have departed immediately upon receiving the message.
This indicated that the mage had a particularly close relationship with his mother, to the extent that, even after she had been dead for over a decade, they were still willing to help her illegitimate child with his problems.
Josh felt a bit at a loss for a moment.
Having grown up in the secluded estate where no one knew about him, Josh had never interacted with other nobles.
Apart from the servants who ensured the basic necessities of life on the estate, his mother never allowed anyone to see Josh, so naturally, he had never had the opportunity to socialize with other nobles as a master.
Not to mention, they were his mother’s close friends from before…
His cheeks tightened slightly, his eyes showing a hint of confusion. He stood up from the desk, paced around the room several times, then sat back down.
And repeated this action.
When Albert found Josh at the window for the third time, he handed him a cup of warm tea.
Sweet, with a subtle floral fragrance, it was Josh’s favorite type of tea.
He gulped down the tea in one go.
Licked his lips.
He didn’t taste anything.
Albert comforted him in a low voice, “Don’t worry, the protocol for receiving guests is well established, there won’t be any mistakes, and it’s very proper for you to personally greet them.”
Josh stared at him with vacant eyes for a few seconds.
Suddenly, he walked over and bit his arm.
Like an anxious kitten gnawing on its scratching post.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Albert “…”
He reached out, lifted the young master, and placed him on his lap, resting against the soft cushion by the window, unbuttoning a few buttons. “Come on, bite as much as you want.”
Josh was kneaded by him. He was feeling irritated, and Albert practically walked into his crosshairs, getting bitten fiercely several times.
After a while of this one-sided playfulness.
For some reason, his mood strangely calmed down.
Albert’s kiss gently landed on his cheek. “Good boy, I’ll stay with you.”
Josh’s eyelashes fluttered twice, and after a while, he let out a barely audible “Hmm.”
***
Two hours later, several luxurious carriages appeared at the entry registration point of the central town in the Demon King’s territory.
And Josh had been waiting here with the nun and Albert fifteen minutes early.
Unlike the discreet arrival with just a shabby carriage when he came to the territory, this was clearly a noble with real influence.
A similarly luxurious lady stepped down from the carriage. It was evident that she was aging, but she still exuded beauty and grace, like a warm and radiant jewel that captivated the eye.
More importantly, as a fellow mage, Josh could sense the abundant magical power emanating from her.
She naturally looked towards Josh.
Before Josh could speak, she flashed a very polite smile. “Hello, you must be Josh. Your mother often mentioned you, but she kept you hidden so well. Ha ha, it wasn’t until a few days ago when you wrote to me that I just found out your name.”
Josh “…”
He was being inappropriate again, thinking about how he was just an unloved illegitimate child. But with the way this lady spoke, it seemed like his mother valued him very much.
For a moment, even he almost believed it.
Was this the art of conversation?
It was really impressive.
However, he didn’t need this kind of comfort anymore.
Before he could figure out how to respond, another figure jumped out of the carriage.
This time, it looked somewhat familiar.
Without waiting for Josh to call out her name, she looked pleasantly surprised, like a small bomb rushing towards Josh, and grabbed his hand. “It’s really you! I had my doubts when I heard the name, so I insisted on coming with Auntie. Well, you ran off without saying a word, and here you are, secretly inheriting the family business in this place! Why didn’t you mention your background earlier? My aunt and your mother were very close friends!”
Josh was stunned for a moment, his eyes slightly widened, looking somewhat dazed. “A-Avril…”
It was indeed his good friend, Avril.
What a coincidence.
He was completely caught in astonishment, not noticing the sudden change in the knight’s gaze behind him when he didn’t pull away from Avril’s handshake.
Thanks for the chapter. Oh… Someone is jealous 😅
Albert turned into Alberta there multiple times…
Also, Josh’s mother… It is hard to say whether she actually loved him but was bad at or had a strange way of showing it. But for children, all that matters is the result — feeling loved.
Thank you for the chapter~
Yeah i noticed the changed name too. Thought I remembered it wrong because im just so Bad with names, haf to Check the previous chapter :3 just to be sure
Ooh is ur pfp our dearest Ass from Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell? I miss that series sm
Yep :3 its so good
It’s fixed now.
Great, thank you ❤️
Thank you for the chapter 😍 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Thank you for the chapter!
Albert’s chugging vinegar over a handshake now? Lmao
He and Josh are so domestic!! Love that for them 🥰
Also Avril’s mom seems very badass. Can’t wait to see more of her MILFiness
*avril’s aunt
Thank you for the chapter! ❤
Love it when albert calls josh ‘good boy’. Such a fierce little kitty that likes biting 🤭