Chapter 75: A Moment of Truth

"D-Don't enter!"

Face burning and arms trembling, she stuttered in horror as the door creaked open against her wish.

The maid's outfit fluttered, the dress whipping against her skin, and her hands moved to cover her face in shame as she turned.

"..."

Meanwhile, Adam frowned at the distress in her voice. Still, her warning came too late. His eyes, already stuck to the dress draping her beautiful back, trembled, and his voice died in his throat.

"..."

An awkward silence descended on the hut, pressing on their shoulders as neither knew what to say nor dared to move.

Yet, their mind raced in two opposite directions. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'Woooow! I knew it would fit her! She looks so much more feminine now. A shame I can only see her back, though.'

A wistful grin split his face at the enticing thought. But he shook his head to fix his ideas back in place and turned.

"I saw nothing. In fact, I didn't come here today at all."

His voice resounded, comforting and soft. He knew she felt terrible, something he didn't want to happen. Therefore, he left and closed the door behind him.

Sighing heavily, he tucked his fingers around his chin and sat before the demonic altar to start his daily training.

Meanwhile, Luna's body heat increased inside the hut, her proud and overbearing persona melting under the burning shame she felt.

"This boor! I can't believe he saw me like that! Argh! Me and my curiosity! I should have never put on those clothes and burned them immediately."

She scratched her silky green hair in frustration and self-blame before she removed the hateful outfit.

She threw it on the ground, flames condensing in her palm, ready to obliterate it with the shameful memory.

Yet, a spark of doubt flashed in her eyes again, making the flames flicker in and out of existence... because she had enjoyed wearing it even if she'd never admit it.

The soft fabric felt so smooth on her skin, and the style, albeit a little provocative, still spoke of class with the flowery frills and neatly cut textiles.

"What do I do?"

Her brows creased into a frown as she considered keeping it to relax at home and as an extra set of clothing. Yet, the shame remained, making the choice torturous.

Amidst her doubt, a sudden idea illuminated her thoughts and fixed her dilemma.

"Humph! Since it's a gift from the boor, and I can't burn the lord's properties... I guess I'm forced to keep it against my will."

A smile tugging at the corner of her lips, she picked it up and dusted the fabric with a satisfied nod.

Then, she folded it with care and hid it under her bed before sitting on the rough wood and frowning.

"He said he'd act as if he hadn't seen anything, but I still know he did. Tsk. That annoying evolution is at fault! Who told him to turn from an imp to a handsome oni?!"

She clicked her tongue, annoyed to see the once cute shorty become a tall Casanova.

Even worse, she had already come to appreciate his naïve character, but now? Her heart hastened whenever she saw him, and her thoughts blurred, making things much harder.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and a steely glint flashed in her eyes.

"It's because he changed. I'm sure I'll adapt, and everything will return to normal after a few days."

Even if she opened up a little after their last battle, she wasn't ready and didn't want to accept any form of feelings. Not when the bastard who betrayed her lived in luxury and continued with his hateful actions.

She cupped her hands around her still-hot cheeks, a bizarre thought flashing in her mind.

"After my revenge, I'll consider him."

As she pondered her feelings, the sun continued on its descent. Morning became late afternoon as the construction noises filling the territory in a melody of progress ceased.

Fully equipped in dark Japanese-styled chitinous armors, the demonic lineup gathered around the altar and looked at their lord in anticipation.

However, he shook his head and backed a step, gesturing for the shadow stalker to share his discoveries with everyone.

"I infiltrated the goblin town east. It's not a good idea to attack it right now. They built their walls out of scrap metal and posted old cannons on the ramparts. The inhabitants are not powerful but compensate for their weakness with bizarre mechanical equipment. Finally, they seem to focus on craftsmanship. Therefore, I'd like to suggest cooperating with them."

He tucked his fingers around his chin, a pensive frown creasing his brows as he considered the suggestion.

Their species didn't matter to him since they were all demons. On the contrary, it would help promote diversity in the territory.

'I won't refuse if they're willing to send a few specialists. But can we interact with goblins?'

His fingers drummed against his armguard as he pondered for a minute before putting the matter aside and gesturing to the stalker.

"We'll think about it together this evening. Continue with the report."

"I scouted the dead lord's territory. He was a weak bastard, only good at stabbing others in the back."

The stalker spat on the ground, cursing the lord of the nine realms to suffer in the netherworld. The others followed, each of their swears worse than the last.

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"He didn't raid any of the three camps surrounding him and focused on hunting beasts. I spotted a small goblin camp like the first one we destroyed, a colossal viper's lair..."

The stalker let his words linger, knowing the absence of stone supply weighed on Adam's mind.

"At the forest's edge thirty kilometers north, I found kobolds excavating a mountain."

Adam's eyes brightened, and his lips curled into an eager grin that reached his eyes.

"We'll start with the goblin and vipers. Lead the way and leave the kobolds for last."

Despite his desire to secure the mountain, he could still get blueprints from the other camps, and since he would level up soon, he would maximise his stats by raiding them first.

His decision made, he followed the stalker with his subjects, as impatient as them to progress and see the riches they would collect this time.