The new apartment was over 100 square meters, well-lit, with convenient transportation, and just a few minutes from Sui's previous place. After checking it out, Sui was very satisfied. Money was no longer a concern for him, so he rented it without hesitation.
On moving day, Elma came along to help.
"Take all of this over, and be careful," Sui instructed Elma, who was busy packing items into a cardboard box.
"No problem!" Elma nodded, then asked, "By the way, are we getting lunch?"
Sui was momentarily speechless but still nodded. "It's taken care of."
"Great!" Elma's enthusiasm grew instantly at the prospect of lunch. Her previously serious demeanor melted away, no longer resembling the guardian dragon who once arrived in this world to take Tohru back and maintain world order.
Tohru was humming a little tune while packing, and even Kanna, ever obedient, carefully placed her video games and toys into the boxes.
Outside, Emi Yusa was leaning against the wall, eavesdropping on the commotion inside.
"Is the Demon King moving out of his lair and setting up a new base?" she muttered to herself, her expression serious.
Last night, as part of her regular "surveillance," Emi visited Sui's shop and had dinner there as usual. Just as she was about to leave unnoticed to avoid paying for her meal, she overheard Sui talking about moving.
So, she had taken time off in the morning and secretly followed Elma to the apartment.
As Emi pondered her next move, Sui suddenly noticed her presence. "Huh? Why are you here?" he asked, startled.
Emi froze in shock. How had the Demon King noticed her so easily?
Panicking slightly, she was at a loss for words when Sui smiled and said, "Great! Since you're here, why not help us move?"
"You want 'me' to help you pack up your demonic lair? In your dreams!" Emi scoffed.
As a hero, how could she stoop so low as to help the Demon King move?
"Really? Well, that's a shame. I was planning to treat everyone to lunch as a thank-you," Sui replied, feigning regret.
Ten minutes later...
"Do you want these dishes packed as well?" Emi asked.
"Yes, put them in the second box by the door," Sui answered.
Emi nodded and carefully placed the fragile dishes into the box. Then it hit her—why was she helping the Demon King? She had come here to monitor him, not pack his belongings!
"I bet you're just here for the lunch," Elma teased, her voice playful.
Emi's face turned red as her real motives were revealed. Embarrassed, she retorted, "Absolutely not! Unlike you, I'm not here just for free food!"
Despite her words, Emi had to admit that Sui's cooking was truly extraordinary. She'd never tasted anything like it.
The group worked diligently throughout the morning, finally finishing the move just before lunchtime.
"So spacious!" Emi exclaimed as she stepped into the new apartment. "How much does this place cost?"
"About a hundred thousand yen," Sui replied after some thought.
Emi nearly burst into tears. How was it fair that she struggled while the Demon King lived in such luxury? It was so unjust!
"Wait a minute, I'll go start on lunch," Sui said, heading into the kitchen.
Though Emi kept insisting that she wasn't there for the meal, she still took her seat at the table when lunch was served, showing no sign of leaving.
In contrast to Emi's feigned reluctance, Elma was more straightforward. She'd been seated at the table for a while, eagerly awaiting the meal with a shameless expression that seemed to say, "I'm only here for the food."
Sui prepared an extravagant lunch. Everyone ate happily, chatting throughout the meal. Before they knew it, afternoon had arrived.
"Thanks for your help today," Sui said as he saw Emi to the door.
"It was nothing, just a small favor," Emi smiled back.
"Come by again sometime," Sui said warmly.
"Yeah, maybe," Emi replied with a smile as she walked down the stairs.
But as soon as she reached the bottom, her face flushed. Wait a minute—wasn't she supposed to be 'monitoring' the Demon King? How had she ended up not only helping him move but also enjoying lunch with him? And now, she was even agreeing to visit again?
This is so humiliating! she thought.
After seeing the tsundere hero off, Elma left as well. Sui had given her his old apartment, so she too had to move—though she didn't have much to pack.
Surveying his new home, Sui nodded in satisfaction. What pleased him most was that the apartment had two bathrooms—one for his own use and another for Tohru and Kanna, though they didn't seem to bathe often.
After a long, tiring day, Sui decided to take a hot bath. This time, he used his own bathroom rather than Erina's tub.
As Sui soaked in the bath, Tohru entered the room.
"Sui, let me help you wash your back," Tohru offered.
"Sure," Sui agreed with a smile.
Tohru nodded and began to undress.
Sui, taken aback, asked, "Why did you take off your scales?"
Tohru's maid outfit was made of her scales, after all.
"Isn't that how you take a bath?" Tohru replied, her face slightly flushed.
Tohru's figure was impressive, standing at 1.76 meters with a D-cup chest. Any man would struggle to keep a nosebleed at bay in her presence.
Tohru stepped into the bath, moving closer. "Let me rub your back."
"All right," Sui nodded.
The bathtub in this apartment was much smaller than Erina's, making it feel cramped with two people inside. Sui could clearly feel the smoothness of Tohru's skin as she leaned closer.
Just as he was getting comfortable, two incredibly soft things pressed against his back.