Chapter Text
Subaru paced the hallway outside Frederica’s room, his internal monologue locked in an intense debate.
'This is too risky. She could walk in any second.' He stopped, glanced nervously down the empty corridor, and then clenched his fists. 'But what happens next? I’m already in too deep! I want to know more about what she's writing about me.'
It wasn’t his proudest moment, but Subaru found himself cracking the door open once again. With a deep breath, he slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. The room was as pristine as ever, and there, on the desk, lay the freshly written pages of "The Lusty Demi-human Maid."
“Just one more chapter,” he muttered, trying to justify the intrusion.
Subaru grabbed the pages and sank into a chair, his curiosity once again overriding his common sense. He began reading.
Baru’s heart pounded as Freya advanced, her golden hair shimmering in the dim light of the maid’s quarters. He tried to back away, but the bedpost behind him offered no escape.
“Freya,” he muttered, his voice breaking. “I-I don’t think this is appropriate! I mean, you’re the maid, and I’m… well, I’m…”
“The one who’s about to learn the true meaning of service,” Freya interrupted, her voice a sultry whisper. Her nails gently brushed his cheek, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.
“S-service?” Baru squeaked, his face as red as the roses outside the mansion’s gates.
Freya leaned closer, her emerald eyes locking onto his. “You’ve worked so hard, Baru. Don’t you think you deserve to be pampered?”
Subaru groaned aloud, burying his face in his free hand. “This is getting out of hand,” he muttered, but he kept reading. The scene grew increasingly ridiculous, filled with innuendos so heavy-handed they bordered on parody.
Freya's lips curled into a playful smile as she picked up a feather duster from the nearby table. “A good maid knows how to clean up every mess,” she said, twirling the duster in her hand.
“What mess?!” Baru exclaimed, his back pressed so tightly against the bedpost he thought it might leave an imprint on his spine.
Freya tilted her head, her smile turning mischievous. “The mess you’ve made of my heart,” she replied smoothly. Without giving Baru a chance to respond, she leaned in even closer, her breath warm against his ear. “Now, let me take care of you.”
Subaru froze, the pages trembling in his hands. He was equal parts mortified and captivated. It was like watching a train wreck: impossible to look away from, no matter how much he wanted to. And yet… something about it was kind of good?
“No, Subaru!” he whispered harshly to himself. “This is Frederica we’re talking about! You can’t-”
His eyes betrayed him, darting back to the page.
Baru gulped as Freya began to gently run the feather duster along his arm, her touch sending shivers down his spine. “Freya, this really isn’t necessary,” he said, his voice shaking.
“Hush,” Freya replied, her tone firm yet soothing. “A maid’s duty is to ensure her master’s happiness. And right now, your happiness is my priority.”
Baru opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat as Freya's emerald gaze bore into his. Her smile softened, and for a moment, the teasing glint in her eyes was replaced by something… warmer. “Baru,” she murmured, “you’ve done so much for this mansion. Let me return the favor.”
Subaru slapped the pages onto the desk, his hands shaking. His face was so hot he felt like he might spontaneously combust.
And then, like a lightning bolt, the realization struck him. This wasn’t just a silly, self-indulgent piece of writing, it was her fantasy. A fantasy where she and someone suspiciously like Subaru starred in what could only be described as the most over the top, dramatic romance ever written.
He felt equal parts flattered, horrified, and deeply confused.
Before Subaru could overthink his life choices any further, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the room. His blood ran cold. Frederica was back.
“Not again!” he whispered frantically. He scrambled to put the pages back in order, placing them exactly as he’d found them. Then he darted toward his usual hiding spot behind the bookshelf, holding his breath as the door creaked open.
Frederica walked in, her usual calm grace on full display. She hummed a soft tune, oblivious to the nervous wreck currently pressed against the wall behind her.
“I suppose I should start on Chapter 4,” she said to herself, sitting at the desk. She picked up the pages Subaru had just been reading, her smile widening. “This is turning out much better than I’d expected. I wonder if he will ever notice the resemblance.”
Subaru almost passed out.
Frederica chuckled softly, setting the pages down. “Then again, even if he did, I doubt he’d ever have the courage to say anything. He’s too… smitten for Emilia-sama for that.”
Subaru clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from making a sound.
Frederica stood and stretched. “Well, I suppose I’ll take a quick walk before I write the next chapter. Maybe I’ll get inspired.”
As she left the room, Subaru waited until the coast was clear before bolting for the door. Once again, he found himself back in his own room, gasping for air like he’d just run a marathon.
“Never again,” he swore for the second time. “No more snooping. No more reading. I’m done.”
But deep down, Subaru couldn’t shake the nagging thought: What’s going to happen in Chapter 4?
Subaru had officially thrown caution to the wind. Despite his better judgment, and the fact that Frederica could walk in at any moment, he found himself sitting at her desk, gripping the freshly penned Chapter 4 of The Lusty Demi-human Maid.
His palms were sweaty as he read the opening lines. It was already off to an outrageous start.
Freya stood in the dim candlelight, her golden hair cascading like a waterfall down her shoulders. She smiled softly, her sharp claws tracing delicate patterns on Baru’s chest.
“Freya,” Baru whispered, his voice trembling with anticipation, “I… I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
Freya's emerald eyes gleamed with affection as she cupped his cheek. “There’s no need to be afraid, Baru. A maid’s love is as unwavering as her loyalty. Trust me.”
Subaru audibly gulped. "This is already too much. I should stop. Right now. Immediately."
But his hands betrayed him, turning the page.
Freya slowly leaned forward, her lips brushing against Baru’s in a kiss as soft as the petals of a rose. He gasped at the sensation, his heart racing in his chest like a drumbeat.
“Freya,” he murmured, his face flushed. “You’re… you’re amazing.”
“And you’re adorable,” she replied with a playful smile. Her hands moved with practiced precision, unbuttoning his shirt. “But let me show you just how much this maid adores her master.”
Subaru’s face was on fire. “What- is she really going to-?” he whispered.
Despite his protests, he couldn’t stop reading. His eyes darted down the page, taking in the increasingly bold descriptions of Freya's “passionate devotion” to Baru. The scene was escalating in a way that made Subaru’s entire body tense. Freya's words, laced with affection and innuendo, made it clear this was no ordinary act of service.
Baru’s breathing quickened as Freya guided him onto the bed, her claws brushing lightly against his skin. She smiled down at him, her expression a perfect blend of love and mischief. “A good maid always ensures her master feels truly cared for,” she said, her voice low and inviting.
“I-I’m not sure if this is what that means!” Baru stammered, but his protests faded as Freya silenced him with another kiss.
Subaru’s mind was spinning. The sheer audacity of what he was reading was enough to fry his brain. It was lewd, insane and, if he was being honest with himself, so embarrassing he could barely look at the page.
And then, the worst possible thing happened.
“Subaru?” came Frederica’s calm, slightly confused voice.
Subaru froze mid sentence, the pages clutched tightly in his hands. Slowly, like a rusted hinge creaking open, he turned his head to see Frederica standing in the doorway. She was staring at him, her emerald eyes wide in shock.
For a long, agonizing moment, neither of them spoke. The room was filled with a suffocating silence that seemed to stretch on forever.
“...I can explain,” Subaru croaked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Frederica’s eyes flicked to the papers in his hands, and her face turned a deep shade of red. “Were you… reading my writing?” she asked, her voice trembling somewhere between mortification and disbelief.
Subaru scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over the chair. “N-no! I mean, yes, but it’s not what it looks like! I wasn’t snooping, okay, I was snooping- but it’s just because, uh…” He trailed off, unable to come up with a single coherent excuse.
Frederica’s expression shifted rapidly, embarrassment, irritation, and something else he couldn’t quite place. “You… read that part, didn’t you?”
Subaru’s silence was all the confirmation she needed.
She brought a hand to her face, groaning softly. “I can’t believe this. Of all the people to find my work, it had to be you.”
“Wait, so you admit it’s about me?!” Subaru blurted out before he could stop himself.
Frederica’s blush deepened, and she glared at him. “It’s… loosely inspired! And you weren’t supposed to read it!” She crossed her arms, her fingers tapping against her sleeves. “Why were you even in my room in the first place?”
“I… uh…” Subaru’s brain short-circuited. “Curiosity? I mean, the other day when- and I was trying to… you know what? Forget it! Let’s just pretend this never happened, okay?”
Frederica sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Subaru, you’re impossible.”
The two of them stood there, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Subaru opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came. Frederica looked equally at a loss, her blush refusing to fade.
Finally, Subaru broke the silence with a nervous laugh. “Well… uh… at least I know you have a pretty active imagination?”
Frederica’s eyes narrowed. “Get out.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Subaru bolted for the door, practically tripping over himself in his haste to escape. As he fled down the hallway, he heard Frederica muttering something about “locking her room from now on.”
Once he reached the safety of his own room, Subaru collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. His heart was racing, his face was still hot, and he couldn’t stop replaying the scene in his mind.
“Well,” he said aloud, “at least now I know where I stand… sort of.”
And despite everything, he couldn’t help but wonder what Frederica is going to do now.
Subaru yawned as he adjusted his freshly repaired suit, ready to face another day in the manor. After the embarrassment from snooping through Frederica's "novel," he resolved to focus on his chores and stay far away from any more temptations. Today, he'd act normal. Today, everything would be fine.
But as soon as he opened his door, he froze in place. Standing there in the hallway, as if she had been waiting for him, was Frederica.
Her posture was composed, as always, but there was an unusual tension in her shoulders. Her emerald eyes met his, unwavering, and Subaru’s heart skipped a beat. Memories of "The Lusty Demi-human Maid" came flooding back, making him blush furiously.
“G-Good morning, Frederica,” Subaru stuttered, trying his best to sound casual. “Uh, nice weather today, huh?”
Frederica didn’t reply right away. She took a step closer, and Subaru instinctively backed into the doorway of his room. She wasn’t smiling, and her expression was unreadable, serious, even.
“Subaru,” she began, her voice steady but soft, “we need to talk.”
Subaru gulped. His mind raced. Does she hate me now? Did she stop writing her fan story about me?
“Y-yeah, sure,” he replied nervously. “What’s up?”
Frederica took another step closer, standing just a few feet away now. “About yesterday,” she said. “I can’t leave things as they are. I need to tell you how I feel.”
Subaru’s mind came to a screeching halt. “Wait, what?”
Frederica sighed, her blush faint but noticeable. “You already know, don’t you? After reading… that, there’s no point in hiding it anymore.”
Subaru felt his heart hammering in his chest. “You mean, you’re saying that all of that, the novel, the scenes, the… uh… feather duster, was really about me?”
Frederica nodded, though she looked away briefly, as if gathering her thoughts. “It started as a silly way to cope with my feelings,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “But the more I wrote, the more I realized how much I… feel this way about you.”
Subaru’s jaw dropped. “Frederica, I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Say whatever you feel,” she said, her gaze locking with his again. “Even if it’s to reject me, I need to hear it. I don’t want to keep pretending, especially after yesterday.”
Subaru rubbed the back of his neck, completely out of his depth. Frederica, the elegant and composed demi-human maid, was standing in front of him, pouring out her heart. And what was he doing? Thinking about how she was going to finish her novel.
“Look, Frederica,” he said finally, his voice earnest. “I… I’m flattered. I really am. You’re amazing, you’re kind, smart, and strong."
He hesitated. Her body twitched, and she tilted her head slightly. “But?”
“I don’t know if I can give you the answer you want right now,” Subaru admitted. “There’s a lot going on in my life, and my heart’s already a confusing mess. I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”
Frederica’s expression softened, though there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “I understand,” she said quietly. “You’re always carrying so much on your shoulders. I don’t want to add to that.”
Subaru shook his head. “No, you’re not adding to anything. If anything, I feel like I’ve been unfair to you. You’ve been bottling this up while I’ve been running around like an idiot, making things harder for you.”
Frederica gave him a small, wry smile. “You do have a talent for causing trouble.”
Subaru laughed nervously. “Yeah, guilty as charged.”
For a moment, the tension between them eased, replaced by an almost comfortable silence. Frederica stepped back, her usual poise returning. “Thank you for being honest with me, Subaru,” she said. “That’s all I could ask for.”
Subaru nodded. “And hey, if you ever feel like writing another chapter, maybe give Baru a break from all the teasing, huh?”
Frederica’s eyes widened, and then she covered her mouth with a hand, stifling a laugh, blushing as well. “You’re incorrigible,” she said, shaking her head.
Subaru grinned.
As Frederica turned to leave, she glanced back over her shoulder. “For what it’s worth, Subaru,” she said, her tone gentle but firm, “you’re worth waiting for.”
Subaru watched her walk away, feeling a strange mix of relief and guilt. He leaned against the doorframe, running a hand through his hair.
And yet, as awkward as the situation was, Subaru couldn’t deny the warmth in his chest.
"Maybe I'll help her write the next Chapter."