Perhaps because I'd gained some know-how, the second day of farming was much smoother than yesterday.
The villagers also didn't seem to mind waiting around, as their job was just to pick up the fallen ears of grain while sitting idly by.
We were currently taking a break under the shade of a tree, having spread out a picnic mat to eat our midday snack since it was lunchtime.
Violet shared some of the snacks the villagers had brought from home, in addition to the potatoes she'd steamed that morning. As they say, hunger is the best seasoning, and everything tasted like honey because we were eating it while hungry.
"Just a moment. I'll go get us something to drink."
"Okay. Go ahead."
And perhaps because of what happened last night, Violet stuck close to my side, taking meticulous care of me.
The villagers praised the Village Chief's daughter-in-law generously, calling her diligent, but I couldn't help but let out a wry smile inwardly, knowing the real reason.
Well, if the only men around were little kids or old geezers, she must have been pretty starved.
Besides, rumors spread quickly in a small village, so she probably couldn't just fall into any man's arms.
Thinking about it that way, I, who suddenly appeared from the outside, was the perfect candidate for her to take as a 'substitute husband' after half a year of sleeping alone.
As for me, well, the meal was served right before my eyes, so I just wolfed it down.
However, this situation created one small problem.
"...."
Perhaps she was still sulking from being teased this morning, but Madam Maid still refused to meet my gaze.
I should have known from the start that she was a virgin succubus; maybe she had very little knowledge about sex compared to typical succubi, because her face would turn bright red every time I made a joke in that vein.
I found her reactions amusing and kept making similar jokes, and now she wouldn't even talk to me.
I casually tossed a line to Camilla, who was sitting quite a distance away from me.
"Are you still mad?"
"…I'm not mad."
Camilla replied like that, putting up an impenetrable wall.
But if I were the type to give up that easily, I wouldn't have started this in the first place.
I slowly shuffled my butt sideways and offered her a steamed potato.
"Why don't you eat this instead? It's really fluffy and delicious."
Camilla, who was sitting at the edge of the picnic mat, stared intently at the potato I offered, then took it with a small sigh.
"…It's not that I'm forgiving you. I'm accepting it because of Violet-ssi's sincerity in making it."
Camilla said that as she took a bite of the potato in her hand.
"...."
Swish- swish-
I learned something while eating with her: Camilla was the type to express her emotions through her body rather than her facial expressions when she ate something delicious.
Perhaps she quite liked the taste of the potato, because her devil tail, sticking out from under her skirt, swayed gently side to side.
She looked just like a puppy, it was adorable.
"…It's delicious."
"Right?"
Seeing my confident smile, Camilla seemed to realize she was still in a cold war, letting out a small 'Eugh,' ducking her head, and starting to nibble on the potato in her hand.
While watching Camilla eat the potato, I suddenly asked about something that had occurred to me.
"Speaking of which, Camilla, why do you usually eat so little?"
Camilla covered her puffed-out cheeks, full from eating the potato, with her palms and answered diligently.
"…Basically, succubi don't need to eat. It's not that we can't taste, but it's mostly a matter of hobby. However, I have a slightly peculiar constitution, so I need to consume small amounts of food to absorb nutrients. That's probably why people see me as eating little."
The answer was somewhat as I expected.
But I wasn't satisfied, so I asked another question.
"Camilla, may I ask just one more thing?"
"…Please speak."
"Why are you a virgin, Camilla?"
Cough! Cough!
Perhaps she suddenly choked, Camilla turned her head, covered her mouth, and coughed repeatedly.
I, sitting beside her, waited until she calmed down.
Still coughing and patting her chest, she looked at me with teary eyes and protested.
"Who asks something like that suddenly while someone is eating?!"
An ordinary person might have been intimidated by her scolding, but since I'd come this far, I decided to brazen it out.
"But isn't it true? A succubus who feeds on a man's essence, still being a virgin even after becoming an adult. The demons passing by would laugh at you!"
Camilla, perhaps having nothing to retort, blushed and lowered her head.
"B-but I don't have time to meet men while working at the Demon King's Castle. Besides, romance only gets in the way of work."
"Then, perhaps, you don't even masturbate?"
"M-masturbation…!"
Perhaps startled by the explicit choice of words, Camilla, unlike her usual firm and cool demeanor, blushed like a pubescent girl just discovering her sexuality, fidgeting with her fingers.
"I-I haven't done that either. Although I know about it in theory."
She was purer than I had imagined.
Someone with her looks, and being a succubus no less, remaining untouched by anyone until now was practically a miracle.
'Is everyone at the Demon King's Castle impotent?'
I was purely curious about this fact, so I decided to probe a little further.
"Then what were you thinking when you peeked into my room yesterday?"
"What? I-I didn't look!"
"Don't bother trying to hide it now. It's all over your face."
"...."
Realizing she couldn't deceive me any further, as I'd said, she buried her flushed face, avoided my gaze, and hesitantly replied.
"I-I thought it was… amazing."
"Specifically, what part?"
Camilla's gaze flickered down to my lower half for a moment before darting away.
"H-how does something like that go into your stomach? It looked almost as thick as my forearm."
"Pfft-"
I couldn't help but burst out laughing at her exaggeration.
"My… package is a bit on the large side, but honestly, not that big."
"Huh? But…"
Camilla looked indignant and tried to retort.
But I put a finger to my lips with a 'Shh,' hearing footsteps approaching from behind.
Camilla quickly shut her mouth, and I greeted Violet, who had returned with a bottle of water, as if nothing had happened.
She looked back and forth between Camilla and me, tilting her head as she asked.
"Did something happen while I was gone?"
"Huh? No. Nothing at all."
"It doesn't seem like nothing, though. You two seem much closer now."
It was then I realized I had moved closer to Camilla to talk to her, and I quipped back.
"I just offered Camilla a potato, telling her how delicious it was."
Giving a subtle glance as I said that, Camilla returned to her usual composed self and politely thanked Violet.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Violet said that with a bright smile and offered Camilla the water bottle she'd brought.
"There's plenty, so have more later. It makes me happy to see you enjoying it, Camilla-ssi."
I forced a smile and silently said to Camilla, who was interacting with Violet.
'Come to my room later.'
Camilla hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
With the second day of farming work concluded, we returned to the Village Chief's house a little earlier than usual.
We finished 20,000 pyeong today, so if we finish the remaining 10,000 pyeong tomorrow, the 30,000 pyeong harvest requested by the villagers will be complete.
Although I struggled a bit with mana depletion, it was rewarding in its own way, and above all, it was fun.
I never thought I'd end up using the magic I developed and used solely for killing things in this manner.
In that sense, it became an opportunity for a bit of self-reflection.
After returning to the lodging, I wiped myself down quickly with a towel soaked in cold water, then changed into different clothes instead of the sweat-soaked ones.
They were her husband's clothes, which I had borrowed from Violet.
Since it was a bit early for dinner, I said I'd rest in the room for a while.
Violet agreed, then hummed a tune as she headed into the kitchen, telling me to 'look forward to tonight's dinner.'
…What was that? What did she mean by that.
Her words were so ominous that I couldn't help but tremble instinctively with fear.
Anyway, after changing into comfortable clothes and lying on the bed to rest for a bit, I heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
It was Camilla who soon entered, carefully opening the door.
With a flushed expression, she glanced once towards the living room, then firmly closed the door and slowly approached me as I sat on the bed.
Then, she said in a serious tone.
"I have something I'd like to discuss."