Combat Maid Harem

"There are several hallways here. Each ends in the cardinal directions. This one leads to the dining hall…"

And so, Lawrend toured the whole Imperial Castle with Otor and Pie. They passed by areas that were still under construction. The moment he arrived, the construction workers would prostrate on the ground.

It was a weird sight for Lawrend as he wasn't used to being praised like that. He waved at them and quickly left because of it.

They arrived at the castle's gate by the end of the tour.

"That was all, Emperor. If you need to know about the secret passages, you should ask Madam Julianne," Otor said, subtly glancing at Pie.

Otor was telling Pie not to reveal to Lawrend that he knew about it. His main reason was to get Lawrend and Julianne closer once more. It was the only way he could help their Imperial Princess.

"Alright. I will ask her at another time," Lawrend replied and nodded his head.

"See you, Emperor," Pie said and waved at him.

Otor did the same, and they both watched as Lawrend disappeared through the winding hallways.

Lawrend got a mental map of the whole Imperial Castle in his mind. He was surprised to realize it, but he could tell where the secret passages were. Any tiny discrepancies in the sizes of the walls told him something was fishy about that wall.

Although he could tell, he wasn't entirely sure about it. The secret passages could also be under the floor. It was hard to tell unless he could see through walls. Unfortunately, he couldn't.

Lawrend headed to the Harem Quarters. It was an array of rooms in the corner of the Imperial Castle. It was a place designated for his Maid Harem to reside in.

In total, there were 30 rooms, and Otor told him they had planned to build a hundred rooms, but Julianne stopped them. He was curious to know how she could tell that he didn't want to get any more maids.

Lawrend thought that his 11 maids were enough to serve him. Any more, and he would need to spend more time taking care of their feelings for him. After all, his maids weren't only his maids. They were also his lovers.

It was a complex problem only Lawrend could have.

He shook his head and opened the door to Aleshia's room.

"Oh, Master! Why did you visit me?" Aleshia asked as she looked at him.

Before he entered, she was staring at Zio's sleeping face on the bed.

"I just wanted to see if you liked your room," Lawrend replied.

"I like it, Master. It's very spacious. We could even put a wall over here, and we can… do our business there," Aleshia replied with a faint blush on her face.

She pointed at the center of the room. The whole room was big enough to fit two rooms for anyone. It was lavish, and it reminded her of their room back when they all shared the same room but many beds.

"What business do you mean?" Lawrend asked and pretended not to understand.

"Geez. Stop teasing me, Master. I'm already yours," Aleshia replied and playfully slapped the air toward Lawrend.

"Hahaha. You got me. I will leave you here and go ask the others," Lawrend replied with a burst of joyous laughter and closed the door.

Lawrend opened another door.

"Master!" Ella exclaimed.

"What are you doing here alone? You don't want to sleep with your Big Sister anymore?" Lawrend asked.

"Yes, Master. I'm old enough, and she has a baby to take care of," Ella replied.

"Oh. You aren't even that old yet. You're still underaged," Lawrend said.

"Hmph. I will grow as big and beautiful as my Big Sis. You will love me more than her by then," Ella replied.

"Hm? Don't tell me you like me?" Lawrend teased.

In a sarcastic voice, Ella replied, "What~~? Is that even a surprise? My Big Sis fell in love with you for a reason, and I know that reason, Master. Because it was also the same reason for me."

"You're my maid, but you don't need to like me if that's what you're saying. Your Big Sister was scared silly because of my talent and power back then. You're very talented yourself, so you don't have to be as worried as she did," Lawrend replied.

He wasn't saying he was rejecting her, but he simply thought that she was too young to understand what she was saying. It may be romantic love for her, but it might actually just be platonic love. He needed to have that set straight early so she doesn't get confused in the future.

"You don't understand, Master. I love you because you're a powerful tree in the stormy rain. Our lives were pitiful before we met you. I had an idea that my Big Sister was doing something suspicious, but I never asked her. But because of you, everything changed.

"You cured my illness, and I was able to practice magic. Everything became so much better. You and Big Sister are the reason I enjoy my life today. And for that… I fell in love because you blew away all of my worries," Ella said with her eyes flashing with deep emotion.

Lawrend was stunned by her words. Ella was still young, but her words were quite eloquent, and she clearly gave them a lot of thought. He was impressed and felt warm because of it.

Ella had grown a lot. Her words made him realize that she loved him romantically like her Big Sister. But there was a problem. She was too young.

"Are you sure about your feelings?" Lawrend asked.

"Yes, Master. I will offer you my body today if I can, but my Big Sister repeatedly expressed that I can only do it after I become an adult," Ella said with an annoyed look on her face.

"Your Big Sister did the right thing. I also won't allow it till you're an adult," Lawrend said with a faint smile on his face.

"Wow. I knew it. You and Big Sister are meant for each other," Ella said and rolled her eyes.