Dead Man's Harem. Since I can't kill myself, I'll find other ways to be happy.

Chapter 67: Father, Why Are You Entertaining These Cretins?

"A toast," the earl declared, slightly drunk already at this point in the night. "To my boy Devon over here, and sir Patrick, the demon slayers!"

He raised his mug of beer and thrusted it into the air, merrily spilling a bit onto the dining table and glistening roasted turkey spread with marinated turnips and carrots, and the servants attending to him immediately took out rags and wiped down the parts of the table where his beer spilled onto.

"Toast," Devon said, mirroring the earl's energy and raising his own glass. Patrick followed suit as well, a satisfied grimace on his facehe wasn't one to smile at happy occasions.

As they cheered, the door to the dining room creaked open. In walked a familiar eighteen year old girl with a lolita type walk, her small perky breasts covered by a dark dining gown. It was Lady Ann, with pitch black hair in contrast to her father's ashen brown, and red lipstick on her lips. She carried a noble girl's demeanor, with an air of condescension that was palpable the moment she stepped into the dining hall.

"Father," Lady Ann began. "Why are you entertaining these cretins Hey, that's my rabbit! And Petunia as well!"

Patrick grunted and nodded his head respectfully, recognizing the young lady as his boss and benefactor. "Young lady."

Devon did not pay the same respect to her. He was here for a day's work, in the end, and he already completed his mission by participating in the rabbit run until the event was put to a premature end by the gorilla demon ripping his spine apart through application of sheer centrifugal force.

And yet he did not give her a despising expression either, despite the way she treated him. Business was business, and he knew that high paid jobs came hand in hand with high demand work. He was okay with that.

Plus, he really liked the look of the young noble lady, with her large, foxy eyes that slanted upwards at the ends exotically, giving her a villainess look that complemented and enhanced her loli complexion.

But out of all the girls in this estate, including all the servant lasses, the visiting noble girls like that blonde girl Ella, and all the cleaning wenches and fat assed maids, Lady Ann was without a doubt the most off limits.

So Devon swallowed his desire, repressing it into the deepest parts of his belly, and prepared to continue laughing and joking with the earl this dirl, not letting that inkling that he wanted to fuck and **** and ravage his stuck up darling daughter out of his mouth.

"Father, I need a favor," the lady said with a bossy attitude. "I was supposed to meet Countess Ilyana this weekend, but she hasn't been responding to my letters since last night. I need to borrow your special raven to contact her, is that alright?"

Devon's ears perked up at the mention of Countess Ilyana. He did not forget about her, and he still needed to check back on the guild backrooms for the completion of the quest to escort her for the day. The payment on that particular assignment was quite large, after all. When he tallied up all three of the guild backroom assignments that he successfully completed so far, he had a small fortune on his hands already.

The earl frowned. This was the first time he gave an emotion that was not jubilant. "The special raven is for important matters only," he said gravely. "As much as the countess's father is a dear friend of mine, the raven is not for communication for your little tea party. The answer is no, my dear Ann." He took a cigar from a servant who presented it to him on a tray, and took a long puff. "Audience dismissed."

"Ngggggg father!" the black haired lady Ann insisted. "Pleaseeeee."

Devon raised an open palm to gather the attention of the earl. "Sir, if I may I was tasked with escorting Countess Ilyana during a day's excursion to a goblin extermination mission, when a minotaur demon attacked the site, and the countess had to flee. That is the same reason I found my way to your city here. It was a search for refuge after getting stranded in the middle of nowhere."

The earl had an angry expression when Devon first interrupted his conversation with his daughter, but his expression softened into concern as Devon continued onwards.

"I followed the carriage marks, but couldn't find the way, so I made it here instead. The guards said that the countess did not make her way to the city. She might be in danger."

Frowning, the earl stroked his beard in contemplation while listening to Devon's story.

Devon then decided to impose just a little more. "I know this is much to ask, but please consider sending your special raven to find her. If she still hasn't reached the city yet, she may be in trouble."

"I see," the earl said in a gruff voice. "So this is not your first run-in with a demon, eh boy? A hardy one, you are. Very well. I will dispatch the special raven to locate my good friend's lovely daughter, and ensure her safety."

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