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Past ten o'clock at night, in a café on the coast of Naples, Erica, dressed in tailored black leather trousers, waited for her appointed guest.
Erica Blandelli was a striking young woman. Her crown-like golden hair, her dazzling beauty, her seductive voice, and her still-developing figure, all in artistic balance, effortlessly drew the gaze of those around her.
As a result, most of the men in the café had their eyes fixed on her. Her only flaw, perhaps, was her height of around 160 centimeters.
Sitting at a table, Erica took a sip of her coffee and glanced at the fashion magazine in her hands, whiling away the time as she waited.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Erica, to have kept you waiting," a woman's voice suddenly said beside her.
"You're late, Karen. I didn't think you were capable of such clumsiness. Almost half an hour late? You'll have to write a self-criticism note for this," Erica said, maintaining her elegant composure despite the playful reprimand in her tone.
Karen Jankulovski.
Erica's rival, Liliana Kranjcar's, personal maid.
However, she wasn't wearing her maid uniform. Instead, she was dressed in a camisole and a cardigan, as if she were out for a casual evening stroll through the shopping district.
"Lady Liliana caught me as I was leaving and questioned me about where I was going," Karen explained with a troubled expression as she sat down opposite Erica.
"Were you able to deceive her properly?" Erica felt a strange nervousness at the mention of Liliana's name, something she had never experienced before. It's probably the effect of what Haru said the other day, she thought to herself.
"Oh, absolutely. She's Lady Liliana, after all. She's so easy to read. Deceiving her is child's play," Karen said with a mischievous smile, showing no sign of guilt for her act of betrayal, secretly meeting with her mistress's rival.
Like a scene from a medieval witches' sabbath, these European women engaged in their clandestine exchange within the ordinary setting of a café.
"You're a wicked woman, Karen, but a reliable one," Erica said with a smirk.
"Oh, I'm nothing compared to Lady Erica. Well, here's what you requested." Karen calmly handed Erica a stack of papers.
The girl known as the "Red Devil" accepted the documents with graceful poise and confirmed their contents.
It was a collection of all the literary works Liliana had written in the past few years, including outlines.
They were love stories, poems, essays, and other writings. Erica had been secretly purchasing these from Karen and other maids of Liliana at a high price since she was about six years old. This was their monthly transaction.
"Lili has become quite the sentimental young lady this time," Erica said softly, a bright smile gracing her face as she flipped through the pages.
"Well, it's the product of her first love. It can't be helped. Oh, but this topic might be a bit unpleasant for Lady Erica, right? I apologize."
...Did I just hear a strange way of addressing her? Lili? Karen looked suspiciously at the composed Erica. Impossible, right? Even though Miss Erica lives in open-minded Europe, hasn't she been passionately pursuing that Devil King lately?
"It's not unpleasant at all, Karen. Do you really think, as clever as you are, that Lili stands a chance against me? This isn't a sword fight. Besides, that King doesn't want to let any of us go. Winning or losing doesn't really matter, does it?" Erica shrugged, recalling Haru's actions detailed in his file.
"Indeed," Karen nodded seriously. That King could be described as falling in love with every girl he met. If not for his overwhelming power as a Devil King, he would have been eliminated long ago.
"Lady Liliana's weakness is her obliviousness to the world around her. Her charm as a girl, her magical power, her political influence, even her intelligence are all inferior to yours, Lady Erica. Are these disadvantages enough for you?" Karen thoroughly revealed her mistress's shortcomings to her rival, betraying her completely.
"So Lili has so many cute little flaws," Erica said with a look of realization.
Karen froze, staring at the smiling Erica with deadpan eyes. This is the second time she's said something like that. "Lili"... Could it be that after failing to win the Devil King's affection, she realized she also loves Lady Liliana, her childhood friend too? It can't be that cliché Yuri, can it?
It's just my imagination. I've been watching too many yuri dramas lately. Karen lightly tapped her forehead.
"However, Lady Liliana's beauty completely overshadows those flaws. But speaking of which, despite all my efforts for Lady Liliana, there hasn't been any progress. According to the information, that King should be easy to capture. Could there be a flaw in the plan?"
Karen pondered, likely thinking about Liliana's recent actions, which she had helped orchestrate.
Erica chuckled, a victorious smile spreading across her face.
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Yesterday,
"When I was little, I used to think that if Liliana and I married the same man, we wouldn't have to pretend to be rivals. Then Liliana said, 'Only a Devil King could do that, right?' For a while, I fantasized about my future husband being a Devil King, sharing him with Liliana."
A nostalgic smile graced Erica's face. It seemed to be a fond and amusing childhood memory.
Haru shifted, interrupting Erica. "So, Erica, you also love Liliana, don't you?"
Erica paused, then chuckled wryly. "I can't deny it. I didn't realize I was bisexual."
A mischievous smile spread across Haru's face. "Well, you're all mine anyway, so I'll grant you special permission to continue this relationship."
Erica's face lit up with a bright smile. "Right now, there's only you in my heart, my King."
Haru rolled over, pinning Erica beneath him.
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"Actually, you don't need to plan so meticulously. Just tell Lili, 'This is necessary as a knight,' and that blockhead will accept and carry it out without question. Lili is a bit too obsessed with those knightly principles. It's the 21st century, you know."
Hearing Erica's laughter, Karen looked up and noticed her victorious smile. "Judging by your expression, you've succeeded, haven't you?"
Erica froze, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Seeing the blush on Erica's face, Karen sighed. "As I suspected, you succeeded. Come to think of it, you and the King disappeared for several hours yesterday morning, and when I saw you at noon, Lady Erica, your gait was a little... unnatural."
"You're too perceptive, Karen," Erica admitted, taking a sip of her coffee.
"So, now that you've achieved victory, what are you going to do? How will you deal with Lady Liliana, your rival?" Karen frowned, asking Erica. A counterattack was impossible with such a significant disadvantage. It seems Lady Liliana's shyness needs to be addressed.
"I plan to put her back on the same starting line as me!" Erica said with a chuckle.
"Huh?"
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