The maid in front of me kept her eyes fixed on the page for a few more seconds, her faint smile unchanging.
Then she turned back to her book as if I had vanished into the shelves.
I could not believe it—she had just ignored me completely.
I decided to do the same and ignore this strange person who treated the library like her personal lounge.
After all, it was still my first real chance to browse these shelves properly, so I scanned the spines until one caught my attention.
Tautology on Demonic Civilization.
I pulled it free and flipped to the first page, where a notice explained that the book's contents shifted to match the latest norms of common sense in the demon society.
If what it said was true, then this book was basically a real time self-updating article that doesn't need to be connected to an internet!
This was basically the perfect first book!
Before I could turn to the next line, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.
I jumped, nearly dropping the book, as the maid appeared right beside me with that same cheeky smile.
"That one's a solid pick," she said, her voice light and teasing. "It covers the basics—the gist of what any demon or non-demon needs to know to get by here without causing a scene."
I would be lying if I said that my heart didn't race so fast I thought it might burst.
"What was that for!?" I managed, my voice higher than I wanted. "Why did you sneak up like that? And who are you anyway?"
She reached over smoothly and took the book from my grip, then guided my hand to hold it steady before slipping it into her own palm instead.
All the while, she leaned in closer. "I'm Anatuya, head maid of the Ravena Mansion—the place we're standing in right now, my esteemed Master~"
With that, she lifted my hand to her lips and pressed a quick kiss to my knuckles, followed by a quick wink.
Heat rushed to my face, and I pulled my hand back, trying to steady my breathing.
"Do you... do you know I'm the new owner of this place?"
Anatuya's eyes sparkled as she tilted her head. "Of course I do. I just didn't expect my new master to be such a cute and adorable human~"
I admit that I inherited my dashingly beautiful, yet utterly shameless mother's face, but for my impression to be reduced to mere 'cute' and 'adorable' just because of my petite stature…
Before I could respond, she took my free hand and led me across the room, her steps light like we were stepping through a routine dance.
I followed without thinking, and soon I found myself eased onto the sofa, lying back with her thigh serving as my pillow.
I didn't know how she did it, but it felt as though she guided me to perform every step that she wanted.
She then placed a thin book without a cover into my hands.
"Here, the right book to start with, Master~"
I glanced at it, then opened the pages.
"In case you haven't know it yet, my name is Mesmer Valentine."
"I know~"
"Right, most demons have probably know who I am from the torturer who sold me at an auction."
"It seems like your memory has returned."
"So you also knew about my former state, heh."
Perusing this titleless story, the words drew me in at first—simple scenes of a master and her maid sharing quiet moments that turned intimate.
But as I read further, my cheeks burned again.
This was no ordinary story; it detailed encounters between two women, their master and servant, in ways that left nothing to the imagination.
It was basically the equivalent of a blatant erotica.
I bolted upright, slamming the book face-down on the cushion.
"What in the world did you just give me!?"
Anatuya leaned back, utterly at ease. "I figured you'd want to try something like that."
"How could you even think that!?" I shouted, my voice echoing off the shelves.
She shrugged, her smile widening.
"Because you're exactly my type~"
"That doesn't make any sense!" I yelled back, throwing my hands up. "There is no logical correlation between your personal preference and the reason for handing me a smut novel unprompted!"
"It took you a while to retract yourself away from it." Anatuya gazed at me with her half-lidded eyes. "It should be safe to assume that you find your own share of enjoyment."
I let out a long sigh, feeling like I had aged a decade in the last few minutes.
"Did Lothair send you here to test me or something?"
Anatuya shook her head. "Quite the opposite, actually."
"How so?"
"I heard about Lothair pouring funds into this plot of land that had been ignored for a while, and I asked if she had anyone lined up to run it. She said yes to hiring me on the spot~!"
I reached for the Tautology book again and carried it to the wide desk in the corner—the one clearly meant for the mansion's owner.
Settling into the chair, I opened it and glanced up at her. "So, what's your connection to Lothair, then?"
Anatuya sauntered over, resting an elbow on the desk. "Is this jealousy I sense from you, Master?"
"No!" I said quickly, my face heating up again. "That's not what I meant."
Anatuya laughed softly, and it seemed like she practically ignored the majority of words that I said. "I did have a crush on her the moment I saw her. It was love at first sight. Lasted less than a day, though."
I paused mid-page, looking at her with curiosity. "Why so short?"
"Lothair is too cunning. Too sly. And always so composed—it was exhausting just watching her do everything with grace and dignity, performing an amazing feat left and right, capable of planning a grand scheme to achieve everything she wanted."
As Anatuya spoke, I found myself nodding along, the words on the page blurring slightly.
"I get that impression of her," I admitted, turning to another page without really seeing it. "Lothair feels overwhelming, but also strangely calming. It keeps me on edge all the time. Or at least, that's how it seems to me now."
Anatuya's gaze softened as she leaned closer.
"I'd take the innocent, easily flustered type any day—like my adorable new master~"
She blew a kiss my way, then shaped a heart with her fingers using her index and thumb.
At one point, I wondered if I should be flustered or annoyed.