Returning to the Demon Lord's Castle, Lister was quietly appreciating the noble and powerful Demon Lord slowly savoring her breakfast in front of him.
Lister stood not far from her side, watching her unhurried movements while glancing at the paper documents on her table.
There were many messy documents, with tax lists from some small demon tribes and reports on regional demon beast disaster prevention mixed together, indicating that the internal affairs of this Demon Lord's Castle were still in a rather chaotic state.
It was a bit strange... It looked as if this Demon Lord didn't have her own civil officials to sort and classify for her. Lister believed that the seemingly steady Miss Anko could definitely be competent for this job.
Why did she leave this position vacant...
Lister looked at Priscilla, who had a faint smile on her face, with a pensive look in his eyes.
"Phew..."
At the same time, Priscilla also finished the stew in her hand.
"Is it still to your taste?"
"If possible, I'd like you to make this dish for me for a lifetime."
"...Haha."
Faced with Priscilla's gaze, Lister couldn't help but chuckle.
He handed the empty plate to Anko, who had entered at some point, then pulled over a chair and sat not far from Priscilla.
"Demon Lord, have you considered hiring a civil official? They are quite important in helping you handle daily government affairs."
Lister had a deep understanding of this point. When he was with Aurola, he was initially able to manage matters big and small, but as time passed, he had no choice but to personally select a few assistants to help him, allowing his tight sleep time to be slightly liberated.
"Civil official..."
Hearing Lister's words, Priscilla stretched lazily in the hall, then looked directly into Lister's eyes.
"Then... Would I have the honor of having you be my civil official?"
"Please allow me to decline."
Lister also smiled and refused Priscilla, causing her to raise her eyebrows in dissatisfaction.
"I think Miss Anko is a good candidate, don't you think? I believe her work with documents will definitely be as orderly and meticulous as her work as a maid."
"Anko, huh..."
Hearing Lister mention this name, Priscilla paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"Anko is not just a simple head maid as you think, Lister."
Priscilla took the cup of Mokanato that Anko gave her, stood up and walked to Lister's side, sitting on the armrest of his chair.
The faint fragrance from Priscilla's body reached Lister's nostrils.
"Succubi are a quite powerful force in the Demon Realm. They have more cunning and shrewd minds than most demon races, have innate magical talent, and are especially good at establishing friendly relationships with other races... In fact, many Demon Lords come from the succubus race."
"And Anko, she is the current leader of the succubus race."
"..."
Hearing Priscilla's words, Lister was slightly surprised. Although he could see that Anko was definitely an exceptional individual among succubi, he didn't expect her to be the head of the succubi...
"You're probably also wondering why such a prominent figure would be my head maid, right?"
Perhaps sensing the change in Lister's expression, Priscilla handed the Mokanato in her hand to Lister, propped her hand on his shoulder, and smiled at him somewhat playfully.
"I'm all ears."
"Hmph... The reason is quite simple. Because I helped her entire race with a big favor... A life-and-death big favor."
When saying this sentence, Priscilla slightly raised her head, looking like a student expecting praise from the teacher. This action felt somewhat familiar to Lister, making him want to pat her head... But fortunately, he very timely controlled this thought.
"I see..."
"As for what this favor is, if you're interested, please go ask Anko yourself."
"Hmm..."
Lister stared at the brownish-black drink in his hand, deep in thought.
"Demon Lord, I want to ask you a question."
"Hmm?"
"Just now... Why did you call me 'Mr. Lister'?"
"..."
Although the previous atmosphere wasn't very conducive to bringing it up, Lister hadn't forgotten Priscilla's various behaviors towards him just now.
Because titles are very important, especially for people like him and Priscilla.
A change in title represents a change in the relationship and status of communication between people...
In short, if there was no reason, Priscilla would not easily change the way she addressed Lister.
There were many people who called him Mr. Lister, but very few who would hug him as if they weren't fully awake while calling him Mr. Lister... At least it shouldn't be Priscilla.
Seeing Lister's serious expression, Priscilla first opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it without saying it.
Her blood-red pupils reflected Lister's figure as she said with a smile:
"Is it strange?"
"Not strange, just a bit concerning. Demon Lord..."
"You can call me by my name directly. This is a privilege I grant you."
"Alright... Then Priscilla, you give me the feeling that you're hiding some things, but also seem to not mind if I discover what you're hiding... I don't quite understand your intention."
Moreover, it wasn't just that.
Lister looked at the red and white long dress Priscilla was wearing at the moment. The various designs on that garment that accentuated her voluptuous figure all gave him a sense of familiarity, including the unique posture when Priscilla threw herself into his arms just now, which also had that inexplicable feeling of nostalgia.
These feelings gave him a bold but absurd guess.
"Priscilla..."
Lister looked directly into Priscilla's eyes,
"Have we... met somewhere before?"
"..."
Just as Priscilla was about to say something, Anko, who had returned, happened to push open the door at this moment.
"..."
Anko quietly looked around and perhaps sensing that the atmosphere between the two was a bit subtle, she bowed slightly.
"Sorry, it seems I've interrupted you two. However, I have important matters to report to the Demon Lord."
"Speak."
"Yes. Demon Lord, according to your previous orders, many tribal leaders have now arrived at the Demon Lord's Castle and are currently waiting in the hall for your summons."
"I understand... Tell them to be patient for now. We'll start the meeting once everyone has arrived."
"Yes."
Priscilla stood up, intending to follow Anko out of the government affairs hall.
Just as she was about to step out the door, her huge dragon tail extended from the opening behind her clothes and gently wrapped around Lister's arm.
"Lister, regarding the answer to your question... I will answer you in the near future. For now, please wait a bit."
"...Of course."
...