The Incubus Archduke Dreams of a Pet Human - Chapter 16

Its sensitive nose immediately caught the scent of mana drifting from Theticia.

“Nice to meet you, Shon-ni.”

It looked like the pronunciation was slurred because her tongue was sticking out. As the creature lowered herself to eye level, Theticia quickly crouched down too.

“Nice to meet you too, Glacia.”

“Talk comfy! If you Archdukie’s Shon-ni, you Glacia’s Shon-ni too!”

At the sight of the unmistakably dog-like creature, Theticia couldn’t help herself and reached out to pet its head. Glacia tilted its head for a moment, then obediently leaned in.

The fluffy fur was as soft as mink. Theticia slowly reached toward the folded base of its wing, trying to determine whether the bones were more like a bird’s or a mammal’s.

“You’re treating Glacia like a dog. It’s clear you feel no fear toward demons. …But Glacia, must you act like a dog as well?”

Asmod raised an eyebrow and scolded Glacia, who had rolled over to expose its belly. Realizing its posture too late, Glacia quickly tucked its tongue back in.

Creeeak!

The grand hall doors swung open behind Glacia, and several demons in maid uniforms entered. The maids, who stepped in without a sound, wore wide-brimmed bonnets shaped like campanula blossoms.

“You have returned, Your Highness… A human?”

The woman leading the group asked Asmod in a flat voice. Her face was hidden beneath the wide brim, but her tone revealed their bewilderment over what they were supposed to do.

The bonnet slowly tilted toward the ground.

“Why is Lady Glacia lying down…?” It’s not supposed to be naptime yet.”

At the woman’s question, with her head tilted in confusion, Glacia flinched and sprang upright. As Theticia glanced between Asmod and the maids, Asmod quietly rested his hand on her shoulder.

“Jess. This is Theticia Pelloni. Though she is human, she is my honored guest, so treat her as you would treat me, with full sincerity. She will be staying here in the Demon Realm, so teach her the basics. For her room… the one beside the office should do.”

“As you command. I will escort you to your room, Lady Theticia.”

The maid called Jess joined her hands politely without another word. Her hands were so pale they glowed with a bluish hue, and Theticia caught her breath without meaning to.

“Ah, um. Am I… the only one going to the room?”

Maybe it was a foolish question. But it was Theticia who grew uneasy at Asmod’s demeanor, as if he had brought her home only to leave again.

“I’ve been away too long and have matters I must attend to. Glacia will keep watch while I’m gone. You won’t be spending your first night alone, so don’t worry.”

At the sticky touch that slid down her spine, Theticia drew in a shallow breath. The contract she had forgotten suddenly came rushing back, and her ear, where his breath had brushed, flared bright red.

“Understood…!”

She hurried off like she was fleeing. It felt embarrassing, as though she had publicly declared her relationship with Asmod in front of all the maids.

“I will escort you, Lady Theticia.”

“Well then… I’ll be in your care.”

“Glacia will take care of you too!”

Glacia, who seemed pleased by the earlier head pat, was now showing favor toward Theticia. As Theticia followed hesitantly, Jess began her polite guidance.

‘Am I really going to live with Lord Asmod from now on? In this mansion…?’

As she stepped past the enormous door, Theticia glanced back at Asmod’s figure. He never once looked back until he vanished from sight.

Beyond the hall, a long corridor stretched out. The ceiling, just as lavish as the hall, was so high that even four grown men standing on each other’s shoulders wouldn’t reach it. The floor was seamlessly laid with polished black marble.

‘This is so strange. I’m going to live in the Demon Realm now, just like that.’

Looking around, it felt more like she had been invited to an old castle. It didn’t feel like the Demon Realm at all.

The ball. The maids. Aside from the fact that demons lived here, there didn’t seem to be much difference from the human world. Even Glacia, trailing her steps now and then, would have seemed like an ordinary dog if she hadn’t seen the inside of its mouth.

Thud, thud, thud. Tap, tap.

Glacia’s and Theticia’s footsteps echoed lightly in the cavernous corridor..

‘There are so many people here, yet only Glacia’s and my footsteps can be heard.’

There seemed to be about ten maids following behind Jess and Theticia, yet the corridor was strangely quiet. So quiet, it made her wonder whether they were truly following at all.

Just then, a gentle breeze drifted in from the far end of the corridor.

The gust stirred the wide-brimmed bonnets of the maids. Theticia’s eyes widened in horror.

There was nothing beneath those brims where heads should have been.

“…Eeek!”

Startled, Theticia stumbled back, and something cold and fabric-like brushed against her back. It felt like brushing against laundry hanging out to dry.

When she looked up, a chilling voice came from within the bonnet’s hollow interior.

“In the Demon Realm, we employ ghosts as servants.”