Chapter 100 : The Sheep Maid Who Walked Into the Tiger's Den
"This place is..."
When I opened my eyes again, the scenery before me had transformed into a luxurious hall.
Its scale was roughly large enough to host an upper-class ball, with fine wine glasses exclusive to nobility visible everywhere.
"We've dirtied the carpet. Sorry."
"...I'll clean it later, don't worry about it."
The red carpet covering the floor was stained with our mud. The scythe maid pursed her lips, indicating we needn't be too concerned.
Without a doubt, this was noble territory.
A noble... I hardly knew any nobles. If I had to say, could it be...
A certain possibility flashed through my mind.
"Big sister."
The maid set down her scythe and respectfully bowed toward the front.
The chestnut-haired girl descending the villa-style double staircase was indeed that noble I had rarely encountered.
"...Lady Christiana."
Christiana Montefeltro.
"An~~~na~~~"
"Eh..."
She pounced on me immediately. I could have dodged originally, but severe fatigue ultimately hindered my body. Although I desperately tried to avoid disaster, I was still magnificently knocked down.
"I told you to call me Chris."
"Lady Christiana, please don't do this..."
"Anna's scent...! sniff~ sniff~"
Uwah... burying her face in my chest and inhaling...
"This is... not okay! I haven't had time to bathe today..."
"That makes it even better... Wait!" Chris suddenly raised her head, stars twinkling in her wine-red eyes. "That legendary, original-flavor pantyhose that Anna wore all day without time to change—isn't now the perfect opportunity to obtain it?!"
"Lady Christiana—"
"Call me Chris, and maybe I'll withdraw the bad thoughts?"
I was about to cry. Sigrdrífa was completely dumbfounded, unable to keep up with a single word.
I could only shamefully submit to Chris's demand.
"...I understand, Lady Chris."
"Say it again~"
"Lady Chris..."
"More affectionately~"
"Ugh... Ch-Chris-sama~"
Chris was completely intoxicated, practically drooling with perverted bliss.
I took the opportunity to escape from Chris's clutches and straightened my disheveled clothing.
The scythe maid stepped forward, expressionlessly wiping the drool from Chris's lips. Chris made no effort to hide her "Guhehe~" lecherous laughter completely lacking in noble grace. The moment I saw Chris, I knew we were truly safe, but I somehow felt my chastity was under even greater threat.
Also, that scythe maid was really glaring at me...
"Anna... I'm a bit... confused..."
Sigrdrífa finally managed to squeeze out a sentence with great difficulty.
"Ah, sorry for the embarrassing display just now. I'm Christiana Montefeltro. Nice to meet you. Since you're a cute girl, I'll allow you to call me Chris."
"Ch-Chris... I'm Sigrdrífa, a moon elf from Midgard. Thank you for saving us."
"You're welcome. Saving my wife Anna is only natural~"
"Lady Chris, your way of speaking is very much like an old man..."
Incidentally, the scythe maid beside us looked ready to pounce and bite me. Did Chris really not notice?
"Someone Anna knows?"
"Yes... Lady Chris is the daughter of Count Montefeltro. I didn't expect... you would defy the Duke's arrest warrant..."
Although Chris, as Montefeltro's daughter, had basically no chance of inheriting the title, Count Montefeltro was Duke Borgia's direct vassal with an obligation to provide assistance when the Duke required it. Harboring Lily like this was equivalent to betraying Duke Borgia.
I did know Chris, but fleeing to Chris meant bringing disaster to her, so during our escape, the option of seeking refuge in Chris's territory was automatically excluded from my mind. What surprised me was that Chris had actively taken us in.
If I wasn't mistaken, this should be the Barony of Ende, Chris's only territory. Chris didn't actually hold the baron title—being a daughter, her father had never held expectations for her territorial management abilities. However, as a count, he naturally had the right to decide how to handle his own lands. The Barony of Ende was where Count Montefeltro came to vacation during his leisure time, so he simply gave it to his troublesome daughter.
Nominally, the baron title of Ende was still held by Count Montefeltro; Chris was merely the actual administrator of this territory.
"Anna's in danger—how could I stand by and watch? Forget the Duke, even if it were the King's command, I would..."
"Big sister, please watch your words."
"Ahem... you get the idea! Well done, Nora. I'll give you a reward tonight~"
Completely different from her fierce image when facing me, the scythe maid named Nora was like a lovestruck maiden in spring before Chris, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.
But speaking of which... wasn't Chris Count Montefeltro's only daughter? Big sister?
"Oh right, this is Nora, my head maid. Cute, isn't she?"
Nora lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied: "Please treat me favorably."
Only when greeting me did she immediately put on a stern face, as if deliberately unwilling to show me a pleasant expression.
"Indeed... though the clothing is a bit..."
As a fellow maid, that low-cut short-skirt maid outfit was rather difficult to mention.
I then learned a precious lesson: disaster comes from the mouth—words that shouldn't be said must never be spoken carelessly.
Chris looked at the maid outfit on Nora that emphasized eroticism over practicality, then glanced at my relatively conservative maid outfit style. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curved up in a strange smile.
I suddenly had a very ominous premonition.
