§ I relaxed in Her Grace’s bath and let my mind drift back to the subject of anime maids. A hetaira such as I would not normally contemplate such a subject, but while I was maintaining Her Grace’s [Blood Effigy] in Huade, wearing her image while she returned to Sky Ocean, I could not ignore the contrast. A trio of …

§ “You mean, they’re arriving right away, Lady Lydia?” the princess asked in surprise. “Lady Dilorè is preparing to bring Ceria as we speak,” I confirmed. “She must bring one at a time, so Melione and then your lovely knight will follow.” It was easiest to meet Dilorè at an outdoor spot she already knew, here on the main island. …

§ Three comely beauties waited atop my new bed, dressed for the occasion. Ceria lay on her tummy, her head propped up on her hands, while the other two sat framing her, hands resting on her back while smiling at me. My maids had absolutely delighted in the excuse to make use of Mother’s extensive collection of lingerie on them. …

§ As they had been all set to leave after my Investiture, the time of departure was literally immediately following the meeting. I asked Bruna to stay back as the others left, promising not to delay her for long. The blond warrior scratched the back of her head and grinned after the door closed. She’d done a good job sitting …

§ Lady Feraen of the Old Grove, Fairy Knight of the Forest and Field faction and proud granddaughter of the ancient satyr chieftain, Lâsin of the Old Grove, is a woman of supreme self-respect. Learning of her own unwitting service to demons through her contract with Lord Parna seemed like a fatal blow to her dignity at the time. She …

§ To minimize costs for the duchy and the travel expenses of the nobility, in consideration of the war effort, we held my investiture the day after the funeral. We had long since passed the proper interval after Mother’s death, after all. Frankly, I could write a long description of it, or I can just say that a Shinto wedding …

§ We stood together, Rod with his arm around my shoulders, while others, including Mireia, stood in a rank behind us. Mir wanted to be next to us to comfort us, but this was a public context where that would cause a scandal. But with her concubinage now official, nobody could object to her standing in the noble ranks, so …

§ It seems I cannot feel at ease with days that pass in a peaceful manner. A pattern where I rise, meet with my aides, review the military situation, have meals, and work my way predictably through all the other things, a daily routine of the sort to which the inheritor of a duchy ought to be the most accustomed, …

§ I’ve been sleeping more often since my marriage, for a very simple and almost insidious reason. I’ll snuggle with Mireia after she feeds me or, well, other things, and Rod tucks the two of us in before settling in himself. It’s warm. I sleep. I don’t need even vaguely as much sleep as a mortal, but once I doze …

§ Perhaps a small correction is in order. When Mireia said she would feed me, that was her plan for the grand finale, not the opening act. Anyway, Genette (who also hugged me first, upon seeing me, before recovering her aplomb and apologizing for her behavior) led me to my dressing room, where I baffled her when she wanted to …