Baron Halver slowly turns his head toward the half-demon maid standing beside the door.
"Mira, you may leave us for now."
The girl stiffens slightly. For a moment, I think she's going to argue. Instead, she bows stiffly and turns around.
As she walks past me, she pauses for half a second. Then she looks straight at me.
Holy shit.
That look could probably kill a man. Her red eyes narrow like she's imagining at least five different ways to murder me.
What the heck did I do?
She walks out without saying a word. The door shuts behind her.
I let out a quiet breath.
"I'm not going to lie, Baron Halver," I say, rubbing the back of my head. "I feel a bit nervous around that maid of yours."
He raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah. If I'm supposed to train her, I'll probably have to restrain her first," I continue honestly. "Otherwise she might stab me halfway through the training."
Baron Halver stares at me for a moment. Then he nods slowly.
"That is reasonable."
He reaches into a drawer on his desk and pulls out a small scroll.
"I will give you a temporary contract that grants you authority over Mira," he says. "It is not the original slave contract, but it will function similarly to the control I possess over her."
My eyes immediately light up. That sounds extremely useful.
He places the scroll on the desk and pushes it toward me. "With this, she will be unable to harm you or disobey direct orders related to her training."
Nice. Very nice.
I grin.
"In that case, I'll take the job," I say. "And I promise I'll make it worth your while."
Then I shamelessly lean forward.
"By the way… could I get some upfront payment?"
Baron Halver tilts his head slightly. "Upfront?"
"Yeah," I say casually. "I'll need to buy some… training equipment."
Inwardly, my mind is already racing.
Ankle cuffs. Restraints. Maybe a gag.
Sigh… training a violent maid like that definitely requires preparation.
Baron Halver taps his fingers on the desk.
"How much will you require?"
Greed immediately flashes through my brain.
Alright… time to aim high. He's a noble. He'll probably haggle anyway.
I clear my throat.
"Fifty gold coins."
Baron Halver nods. "Very well."
…
Wait. What?
I blink. "You agree?"
"Of course," he replies calmly.
Holy shit. Did I just rob a noble?
Baron Halver opens a small chest beside his desk and counts out several coins. He slides them across the table.
"Half now. Half when the training is complete."
Twenty-five gold coins.
I stare at the pile like it's a divine miracle. My heart starts beating faster.bThat's way more money than I expected.
I quickly scoop them up before he changes his mind.
"Pleasure doing business with you," I say with a bright smile.
But right after paying me, Baron Halver suddenly frowns. A slightly grim expression appears on his face.
Then he takes out a small pill and places it on the desk.
"You will take this."
"What is that?"
"It will render your semen impotent for one week."
I open my mouth. "Wait—"
He raises a hand, cutting me off.
"I am aware that individuals with the Pornstar Class sometimes possess skills that allow them to suppress the potency of their semen," he says calmly.
My mouth slowly closes.
He continues speaking. "However, I prefer not to take unnecessary risks."
His expression turns colder.
"Some years ago, a trainer impregnated one of my maids."
Oh.
"And?"
"I killed him."
…
My spine instantly straightens.
Baron Halver sighs quietly. "It was a breach of trust. I do not enjoy killing people. I would rather not repeat the experience."
Then he suddenly smiles. A very polite noble smile.
My own face automatically copies it.
"Haha… totally understandable," I say nervously.
Sweat starts forming on my forehead. No pressure, right. Just… don't accidentally impregnate the noble's maid or you die.
I pick up the pill.
"Safety first," I mutter.
Then I swallow it.
Baron Halver nods approvingly. "Excellent."
Yeah. Excellent. I would also like to continue living.
A short while later, I leave the estate with a pocket full of gold coins and a strange new job.
The mansion gates close behind me. I take a deep breath.
"Alright."
Time to prepare.
The market district is as noisy as usual. Vendors shouting. People arguing over prices. The smell of food everywhere.
But I'm not here for food today.
I'm here for something… more specialized.
Eventually, I stop in front of a shop with a rather strange sign of an almost naked blindfolded girl.
"Doki Doki Sex Store."
…
I step inside.
The interior is filled with shelves of… interesting items. Chains, leather straps, masks, and various toys I honestly don't even recognize.
Alright, Jacob. Be professional.
I start browsing the shelves.
First, ankle cuffs. Those seem important.
Then a pair of ball gags. Actually… better grab two. Just in case.
Next, a spreader bar.
I stare at it for a moment.
"Yeah, that'll probably help."
Into the basket it goes.
Then a collar and leash. A whip. Some sensory toys. A blindfold.
By the time I'm done, my basket looks like I'm preparing to torture someone in a dungeon.
I walk toward the counter.
The total comes out to forty silver coins.
Honestly, not bad.
I place the basket on the counter. The receptionist reaches for the items.
Then she freezes.
"Jacob?"
Wait.
That voice—
I look up.
"Lilith?"
The succubus from yesterday is standing behind the counter.
Her eyes widen. Her face immediately turns bright red. Then she looks down at the pile of restraints in my basket.
Then back at me.
Then back at the basket.
Her expression slowly changes.
"You…"
Uh oh.
"You pervert!"
"Hey, wait—"
"You didn't reply to any of my messages!"
Ah. Right…
That.
I scratch my cheek awkwardly.
"I've been busy."
"Busy buying THIS stuff?!" she snaps, pointing at the basket.
Several customers nearby glance over.
I lower my voice.
"Can you not shout like that in public?"
Lilith crosses her arms and glares at me.
"You told me to text you!"
"I know."
"And I sent three messages!"
"Yeah…"
"And you ignored all of them!"
I rub the back of my neck.
"To be fair, yesterday was… complicated."
Lilith narrows her eyes. "Complicated how?"
I glance down at the basket.
"Work related."
She follows my gaze. Her face turns even redder.
"What kind of work requires a whip, cuffs, and a leash?! We both have the same class, you know?"
I sigh quietly.
"You probably don't want the real answer."
Lilith leans forward across the counter.
"Oh, I definitely do."