Chapter Text
Subaru found himself wandering through the hallways of the Miload manor with a frustrated scowl etched onto his face. His suit felt tighter than usual, constricting his movements and making even the simple act of walking a chore. He suspected Ram was behind this. Unfortunately, she’d brushed off his pleas for help, leaving him with one hope, Frederica.
"Just get in, ask her to fix this, and hope she’s not busy. Frederica’s got skills. She’ll make this suit wearable again."
He reached her door and knocked lightly. "Frederica? You in there?"
Silence.
Subaru gently pushed the door open, peering inside. The room was neat, the bed made with military precision, and everything was perfectly in place. It looked like she’d just stepped out for a moment.
"Guess I’ll wait for her," Subaru said, stepping inside. His gaze wandered idly, scanning her desk, when he noticed a peculiar book resting on it. The title caught his eye instantly:
"The Lusty Demi-human Maid"
Subaru blinked. His curiosity sparked, and before he could convince himself to stop, he picked up the book. "Frederica, this doesn't seem liker her. What kind of spicy material are you reading?"
He flipped it open, scanning the first page, and immediately regretted it. The story began with a suspiciously familiar premise, a plucky, dark-haired young man stumbled into the mansion and soon found himself in a compromising situation with a beautiful, blonde demi-human maid.
"No way," Subaru murmured, flipping through the pages. The names were changed, “Baru” and “Freya” instead of Subaru and Frederica, but the resemblance was uncanny. Worse, the dialogue was atrocious.
"Oh, Baru," Fred…no, Freya said, her voice a sultry purr as she leaned closer, her golden hair cascading like liquid sunshine. "This shirt of yours… it’s so tight. Shall I help you remove it?"
"Freya, no!" Baru protested, his hands trembling as her claws teasingly grazed his chest. "I’m just a simple man! I can’t handle such… overwhelming attention!"
"You say that now," Freya whispered, her lips barely an inch from his ear, "but let me show you just how attentive a demi-human maid can be."
Subaru’s jaw dropped. What is this garbage?! he thought, flipping frantically through more pages. The dialogue only got worse, escalating into ludicrous exchanges that made his face burn with second-hand embarrassment.
"Baru, do you know what happens when you mess with a maid’s cleaning schedule?" Freya said, her emerald eyes glinting mischievously.
"N-no?" Baru stammered, his back pressed against the wall.
"You get… swept off your feet!"
"I can’t keep reading this!" Subaru gasped, snapping the book shut. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks as the implications sank in. The room was suddenly suffocating. This wasn’t something he was supposed to see, it was private, probably something Frederica had hidden away for a reason.
"Okay, Subaru," he muttered, setting the book back exactly where he found it. "You saw nothing. Nothing at all. This… this didn’t happen. Nope. Nope nope nope."
He darted out of the room like a man fleeing from a burning building, slamming the door behind him. His mind raced, replaying fragments of what he’d read. The sheer absurdity of it all was almost enough to make him laugh, almost.
By the time he made it back to his own room, he was pale and sweating. "I’ll just… pretend this never happened," he said to himself. "I’ll get my suit fixed later. By anyone but Frederica."
And for the rest of the day, every time Frederica walked by, Subaru avoided her gaze, his face turning a deeper shade of red each time she smiled.
Subaru adjusted his freshly tailored suit, silently marveling at Frederica's skill with a needle and thread. It fit perfectly now, but being around her during the fitting had been… awkward, to say the least. Her warm smile and innocent demeanor had felt like a direct assault on his fragile sense of normalcy after what he'd seen in her room the day before.
“Alright, Subaru,” he muttered to himself. “Just because she’s writing that doesn’t mean you need to act weird. It’s her business. You’re the one who’s being nosy. Just let it go.”
But, of course, Subaru being Subaru, couldn’t let it go. The curiosity burned inside him, and before he knew it, he was standing in front of Frederica’s room again.
“She’s probably not back yet,” he rationalized. “And I… I just need to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating yesterday. Yeah, that’s it. Just checking.”
With a guilty glance down the hall, he eased the door open and stepped inside. The book was still on the desk, but now it had a stack of handwritten pages beneath it. His heart sank and quickened at the same time. Against all better judgment, he reached for the new pages.
“Oh no,” Subaru muttered, scanning the first few lines. “She’s been busy.”
"Baru," Freya purred as she leaned over the edge of the grand dining table, her claws glinting in the candlelight. "Do you know what happens when you tease a maid too much?"
"W-wait, I didn’t mean to!" Baru stammered, his face crimson as Freya's emerald eyes bore into his soul.
"You get… punished."
Subaru groaned, clutching his face. Yet his hands kept turning the pages, unable to stop the train wreck. The scenes grew even more ridiculous, transitioning from over the top innuendo to full blown absurdity.
Freya placed a single clawed finger under Baru’s chin, tilting his head upward until their faces were inches apart. "This mansion has many rooms," she murmured, her voice dripping with honeyed seduction. "And I’ve claimed this one as ours."
Baru swallowed hard. "O-ours...?"
"Yes," Freya whispered, leaning in closer. "The maid’s quarters are perfect for… intimate training sessions."
Subaru slapped the pages down on the desk, his face so red he thought steam might actually start pouring out of his ears. “What the Hell is wrong with me? Why am I reading this? Why is she writing this?”
Yet the questions only made him more curious. He picked up the next page.
"Freya, wait!" Baru cried, his back pressed against the ornate bedpost as the maid prowled closer. "I’m not ready for this kind of-"
"Shh," Freya interrupted, placing a claw gently against his lips. "A good maid always ensures her master is comfortable… no matter the cost."
Subaru slammed the pages back onto the desk, practically throwing them in his haste. “Okay, that’s enough! I don't need to read anymore of this.”
He turned to leave but froze when he heard the sound of footsteps outside the door. His heart sank into his stomach as he recognized the distinctive click of Frederica’s heels.
Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!
Thinking fast, Subaru darted into the nearest corner and crouched behind a bookeshelf The door creaked open, and Frederica stepped inside, humming softly to herself.
“I must say, Frederica,” she murmured, closing the door behind her, “your writing has been quite therapeutic. Perhaps I’ll finish Chapter 3 tonight.”
Subaru’s blood turned to ice. 'Chapter 3?!
He remained perfectly still, barely breathing as Frederica walked to the desk. She picked up the pages and began skimming through them, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Hmm… I wonder if this part is too much. Baru’s reaction seems a bit… restrained. Perhaps I should make him more flustered?”
Subaru nearly choked.
Frederica sighed dreamily, setting the pages down. “I wonder what Subaru would think if he ever read this.”
Subaru’s soul practically left his body at her words. His gut telling him he needed to get the fuck out right now before he gets caught.
Frederica turned toward the bed, her back to the bookshelf This was his chance. Subaru silently crept toward the door, each movement slow and deliberate. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out every other sound.
He reached the door, eased it open just enough to slip through, and bolted down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. By the time he reached the safety of his own room, he was out of breath and trembling.
“Never again,” he swore, flopping onto the bed. “I don’t care if my suit gets shredded. I don’t care if I need a million repairs. I am never going into her room again.”
Of course, deep down, Subaru knew he wasn’t convincing anyone, not even himself