Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

She would never produce the original of that survey map.

"If we develop hot springs, we can attract a large number of vacationers, many of whom are wealthy people and nobles! They'll be making tons of gold coins! Road construction and infrastructure can also be carried out in tandem! This is much more profitable than selling timber!"

Ryuka felt a sense of helplessness towards Anjaberg's innocent words and couldn't help but sigh:

"We're in a tense situation with Sochi, so no one will come, right? What if we let a wolf into our house?"

Upon hearing this, Kania rested her chin on her hand, squinted her eyes, and let out a mocking "humph~".

"Looks like some people skipped their meetings to go on dates with girls and missed out on a lot of important information~"

It seems she's still upset about Ryuka's absence yesterday, while she has to work overtime.

“Then let me explain.” Kira handed a report to Ryusha; the neat handwriting and well-organized content were pleasing to the eye.

Ryuka took the report and glanced at it, then was shocked by its contents.

As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. While he was working tirelessly, building his territory and defending against Sochi, he did not anticipate the enormous changes in the outside world.

"His Majesty the Emperor was seriously injured while hunting. The Fourth Prince will temporarily serve as Regent, with the Thirteenth Princess assisting the Chancellor and the Grand General... This is..."

Conspiracy? Internal strife? Or simply an accident?

Liu Xia couldn't help but bring out all the historical dramas and novels related to palace intrigue that he had watched... but he soon realized it was meaningless, since he didn't have an omniscient perspective.

Now he is just a 'shadow lord' hiding in a corner of the world, only to be affected by bigger storms, but unable to control them.

Kira quickly repeated to Ryukyu what she had discussed at last night's meeting:

"I obtained this information while I was out trading, and the official announcement has already reached Sochi. In addition... someone claiming to be from the Sochi Lord's Mansion contacted me privately, saying that Earl Duke wishes to reconcile with Miss Hetia. He also wants to bring forward the date for the ransom of Bran Duke, increase the amount, and hopes to visit her in person another day."

"The letter bears the Duke family crest, which should be convincing."

Hetia also passed the letter that Kira had delivered the day before to Ryukyu.

In other words, in this power struggle brought about by the upheaval in the capital, is the thirteenth princess the victor? And this situation has caused Earl Duke to waver between the two camps.

Ryūka felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He'd been on high alert for over a month, constantly thinking about how to counter the behemoth beside him. He'd meticulously planned everything—building and training troops, even engaging in "dual cultivation" with Kania to enhance his strength, raising his witch-type skills to the point where he could mind-control Bran…

Then, the princess resolved the matter with a move to seize power in the capital.

Hetia, however, said something that rarely required thought:

"Even so, we cannot let our guard down. The balance could tip again at any time. However, we can certainly use this opportunity to develop our strength. His Highness suffered considerable losses in manpower and resources during the previous conflict."

Upon hearing Hetia's words, Anjaberg excitedly emphasized his plan once again.

"So, hot springs! If these kinds of resorts are built, they can increase social opportunities a lot, and we can also try to gain the support of some of the minor nobles in Sochi!"

"I agree! Work has been so tiring lately, I really want a place where I can relax."

Surprisingly, it was Kania who raised her hand in support. Hetia and Kira didn't react, but they were clearly waiting for Ryūka's reaction.

One of these two knew he had to listen to Ryuka, while the other had long noticed the strange tension in the relationship between the three of them...

"Could you come out for a moment?" Ryuka said privately to Kania, and then the two left the meeting room under the pretext of going to the restroom...

"You also approve of the hot spring development plan? I always feel it's a bit naive. Regardless of whether the princess's faction has gained the upper hand in the capital, aren't we aiming to overthrow the royal family? Is it alright to slow down the pace? Your time..."

On the rooftop, Ryuka looked at Kania, who was leaning against the railing and looking up at the wind, and asked the question that had been on her mind.

He himself didn't object; a slow pace of development and construction would allow him to enjoy life. However, he worried that Kania might be under too much pressure and forget about the main goal.

"Compared to Anya's 'hot spring development,' overthrowing the royal family sounds far more naive, doesn't it?" Kania chuckled easily. "Anyway, hot springs are beneficial to the development of the territory, so there's no need to push yourself so hard all the time, Ryuka~ Are you perhaps worried about my curse?"

"Who's worried about you..."

"And being with you... I feel like I could live for another ten or twenty years, after all, you're a Demon Lord of Greed~" As she was saying this, Kania slowly knelt down in front of Ryūka again, reaching out to undo his belt...

"Hey...we only said we were going to the bathroom..."

Seeing Ryuka's helpless expression, Kania tilted her head back and grinned mischievously. She opened her mouth with an "Ah~", and her pink mouth was clearly visible in the morning sunlight. Her white and neat teeth and the saliva on her moist throat reflected the water.

“Isn’t this it?” Kania mumbled, her tongue and the knot in her throat vibrating with each sound.

"Hiss—Kanya, you bastard..."

Ryuka's heart pounded at the sight, and despite her reluctance, she made Kania swallow her things.

"I only didn't do it for one night, and I've already accumulated so much..." Kania mumbled, shaking her head back and forth, her soft little hands playing with the heavy bag.

The vacuum-like mouth, the pressure in the throat, the soft palms and fingers, even the vibrations of the tongue and the bubbles that escaped when speaking, all made Ryuka feel incredibly comfortable...

After several forceful thrusts, Kania pressed her nose against Ryūka's lower abdomen. Her tongue and throat moved, providing Ryūka with nearly half a minute of intense massage, before she suddenly pulled her head away with a 'plop', panting and drooling as she laughed:

"Pfft~ It's time to make me feel good~"

"This amount of time is simply not enough for me..." Liu Xia said helplessly, even though she still had to go back to continue the morning meeting.

"You're not enough, but I've had my fill several times already. Don't worry, you'll have your turn to enjoy yourself later~"

Kania took Ryūka's hand and led him into a narrow, small compartment. When the lord's manor was built, many of these storage compartments were specifically designed for their purpose, the details of which were obvious…

"What are you so smug about? It's clearly a small, insignificant hole!"

Ryuka watched as Kania turned around, pressed herself against the wall of the cubicle, lifted her skirt, and thrust deeply into her already muddy spot.

"Ah~ I'm so proud of my little sweetheart~ She can make me feel like I'm dying and coming back to life in just a few moves~"

The moment Kania was filled, she couldn't help but transform back into her witch form, her glowing hair casting an aura of desire over the dimly lit cubicle.

"What will I enjoy from behind?" Ryuga hugged Kania's soft waist, his hands restlessly teasing Kania's upper body.

"Hehe~ You'll see then~ By the way, Hetia was really disappointed that you didn't come last night~ Although she seemed embarrassed and angry, it seems she can't live without you anymore~"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, um~ slow down... let me finish what I have to say..."

Kania lifted one leg, executed a graceful split, and kicked her long, supple leg, clad in black stockings, towards the ceiling before landing on the other side, shifting her position from back-to-back to face-to-face.

This caused the internal rotation to start, making both of them hum comfortably.

"How was it~? The flexibility exercises Kira taught me~ They were supposed to relieve work fatigue~"

Kania smiled and showed off for a moment, then kissed him directly, holding Ryuka's head, their breaths and fluids mingling together.

Since their first kiss, the two of them could finally kiss freely during their intimate moments, and the sticky feeling in their heads was really addictive.

"Hoo~ What do you want to say?" After the kiss, Ryuka buried her face in Kania's smooth breasts and swayed her body slowly.

"Why don't you try to win over Anyaberg? I can use [Charm] to help you~ Right now, she's the only outsider in our team. Kira is very smart; she probably figured it out a long time ago, but she doesn't care, as long as it satisfies her ambition~"

"So if we can win Anya over, we won't have to hide anything, which will save us a lot of trouble."

Seeing Kania's mischievous grin, Ryuka angrily burrowed into her a few times, making her hiss and squint her eyes.

"I don't want to use [Charm] on her. She's a really nice person, and judging from my abilities, [Charm] is useless; it might just push her away." (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the initial statement.)

"Alright, whatever you want, but I just feel that it's hard for just Hetia and me to satisfy you..."

Kania's starting point was fairness... After all, she lived in bliss every day, and even if she died one day because of the curse, she would feel content. But she and Hetia didn't have the physical strength or time to satisfy Ryukatsu, at most they could only make him feel good once or twice, while Ryukatsu's energy was very abundant.

Since she's both your lover and ally, you can't just enjoy yourself and ignore her, right?

"In short, you don't need to worry about it. Besides, I can't imagine anyone being more outgoing and fun-loving than you."

Ryuka hugged Kania tightly, slowly increasing her speed. The warm, wet liquid rapidly increased, and the folds inside her wrapped tightly around her, scraping against every inch of her nerves...

Kania went three times in about ten minutes. Luckily, Ryuka didn't go too far, otherwise her clothes would have been soaked...

The two returned to the conference room one after the other. Kira let out a doting 'Ah~' smile, while Hetia turned her head away somewhat displeased. Only Anya Berg looked completely at ease, frowning and complaining that the two of them had taken too long! Next time you need to use the restroom, please do so at a different time than the meeting!

Chapter 8 Another Journey Together with Hetia

Three days later, after conducting a final comprehensive inspection and work deployment of the territory's construction, Ryusha and Hetia embarked on a journey to explore the location of the hot springs.

The distance wasn't very far, but it was separated from Linhu Town by two mountains and a canyon, and was located in the direction of the high mountains near Dongtian Lake. Therefore, Liuxia took out the winter clothes that she had just put away.

As for why it was with Hetia, it's because Anneberg's survey map marked the presence of snow wolves and snow sprites in the vicinity. Although they wouldn't attack Linhu Town, the person in charge of the survey last time was indeed attacked.

"Why is it just the two of us again? Where are your trained soldiers? Wouldn't it be safer to have more people?"

While riding on horseback and munching on some salted jerky, Ryusha asked Hetia a question.

"Yes, what can we do...? Territory needs to be guarded, and borders need to be patrolled. Besides, the two of us have relatively high combat strength and more freedom in terms of time."

For some reason, Hetia suddenly blushed, squeezed the horse's belly hard with her long legs, and walked in front of Ryusha.

"Is that so?"

Ryuka followed at a leisurely pace, his eyes scanning Hetia up and down.

Liu Xia felt that her lately had been acting strangely. She'd been busy with various things these past few days and hadn't touched her at all. Although her loyalty hadn't decreased, Liu Xia felt that her attitude had become arrogant again.

Regarding Kania's claim that Hetia was disappointed because Kania didn't go that night, I wonder if it's true or not. If Kania wasn't making it up, then Hetia is...

"Tsundere?" Liu Xia tilted her head, a mischievous thought popping into her head.

After several hours of bumpy travel, the two set up camp in an open area to rest and change into their winter clothes. As they climbed higher into the mountain, the temperature began to drop again.

Hetia changed her clothes openly in front of Ryūka, since there was nothing she couldn't show him. But Ryūka made an excuse and went to change behind the tent by himself.

When it was time to cook the food, Hetia would glance in his direction from time to time, but Ryuka pretended not to notice.

Finally, amidst the crackling of the campfire, Hetia frowned and asked:

"What...you haven't 'that' with me these past few days...what's going on?"

"Hmm? Which one?"

Faced with Ryūka's feigned ignorance, Hetia gritted her teeth and said, her face flushed:

"What else could it be! Don't misunderstand! I'm just worried about what I owe these past few days. You're not going to have to pay it all back in one go, are you? That's all I care about!"

"Ah~ worried about getting a spanking? Don't worry, I didn't want them myself, so let's just wipe them off for the next few days~" Ryuka still seemed nonchalant. She quickly finished her lunch, rinsed her mouth, and said she was going to take a nap to conserve her energy for the afternoon hike.

"I'm getting tired of this every day for a month!"

Hearing Ryuka's last words before entering the tent, Hetia angrily clenched the plate in her hand...

Half an hour, an hour... an hour and a half passed, and Liuxia still showed no sign of getting up.

"He's usually so energetic, but now he's become lazy again!"

Hetia wiped her sweat; she had been idly swinging her sword for quite some time now.

Her muscles were sore and swollen, but her mood hadn't improved much. For the past month, Hetia had been leading troops in training during the day, and then being tormented by Ryusha at night. To be honest, it did relieve the pressure and desire that had accumulated from the monotonous training.

Her stomach rumbled as it began to empty, but Hetia didn't have the habit of eating whenever she was hungry, as it was difficult to maintain a regular schedule on the battlefield.

But this sound conveyed another message...

Hetia blushed, glanced angrily at the tent, tiptoed to her horse, took some things out of her bag, picked up the kettle, and walked towards a nearby stream...

"Mmm~ Ah~"

With a loud splash, Hetia let out a muffled groan, and after several repetitions, the warm water finally cleansed her body.

"And then there's this... I can't believe it, the original one was only this big..."

Hetia looked at the two round corks in her hand, bit her lip, and trembled as she inserted the larger one into the back.

The familiar feeling of expansion brought a strange sense of peace to her body, but Hetia felt as if her heart was on fire. It was all Ryūka's fault.

There was still no sign of Ryusha getting up in the distance. Hetia looked back, feeling guilty, found an open space, took off her boots and gauntlets, and then took off her cloak, spreading it out on the soft grass to sit down.

"uh-huh……"

The throbbing sensation in her buttocks made her cry out. She tightened her legs and the hands supporting her back slightly, reducing the pressure of the plug on the ground.

"Today...this is the first time I've changed into this size...hiss..."

Hetia muttered to herself, her fingers slipping inside her pantyhose and gently playing a soft, pattering melody.

Hetia's eyes had become incredibly moist, and she took out the smaller cork from before and unconsciously began to lick it.

"Hissing~ Hmm... It's all... It's all Master's fault... It's all his fault... Hmm..."

After cleaning the cork with her saliva, Hetia placed it in front of her with trembling hands...

"Hmm... Ha~ How could this be? It's still not enough..."

Her forearm trembled rapidly, splashing liquid onto the fiery red cloak, but Hetia was oblivious, feeling only intense anguish. At that moment, she suddenly felt a breath of hot air near her ear.

"What's not enough?"