《I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince》 Chapter 0 Ethan Richard ckwood. The sessor of House ckwood. In addition, he is the only son of Duke Harold, who is terribly fond of him. Ethan is a man who could kill me with a snap of his fingers¡ªor worse¡ªif he so chose. He was also the antagonist of one of my favorite games. But now? He¡¯s beneath me, grunting intermittently. Both of my hands are strangling him, and he¡¯s looking like he¡¯s about to pass out. ¡°ck¡­ck¡­!¡± ¡­I wondered what the hell was going on. At first, I was sure I was going to make it work. He tried to pull my wrists away with his arms, but his muscr, fleshy arms were no match for the strength of a grown woman. He couldn¡¯t resist that well because of hisnky body, and the sheer strength of my actions only made his suffering worse. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I almost lost my resolve for a moment as he looked up at me with his pitiful eyes and shook his head, but I steeled myself and tightened my grip. Whether I loosen my grip here or continue to strangle him to death, the punishment I¡¯m about to inflict won¡¯t be any different. Ethan Richard ckwood. Alias Ethan, the Lout Prince. There is no such thing as a happy ending for me in this world unless I kill this son of a bitch right here and right now. To Lilith Rosewood, my unfortunate maid. [Author¡¯s Note] Hello, I am ????? (lit. ¡°Practice Dummy¡±). It¡¯s been a year and a half since I first published Engagement Regression, and 10 and a half months since I first published Woman Hunter Eat. I don¡¯t think that a lot of people have read both of them because they are so different. If there¡¯s anyone out there who has read both, I¡¯d like to thank them profusely. Originally, I was going to finish the series of The Woman Hunter and start a new one, but I realized that I would be silent about what I wanted to write for a very long time, so I started a new series. I was going to finish the series of Girl Hunter Tamagotchi and start a new one, but I realized that it would be too long for me to write what I wanted to write, so I started a new one. Like my first work, Engagement Reversal, this one will be a fantasy TS love story, but it¡¯s going to be a little more intense than Engagement Reversal, so I¡¯ve given it a ¡°19¡± rating for now. Although the title and prologue might lead some people to expect a bloodbath, I¡¯m not considering going that route. I think it¡¯s going to be something that tastes a lot like Engagement Rewind, but with a little more TS vor. That was a long rant. After all, a writer has to show his work, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯ll look forward to the kind of story I¡¯ll be writing. Enjoy reading this one, and thank you as always. z(_ _)z T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. THE SITE IS BACK!!! Unfortunately, previous data was wiped, and I might have to re-edit some chapters as I go. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one!@@novelbin@@ Chapter 1 It was only two days ago when I realized that this whole damn world was in a game. It¡¯s a crazy world where a sword sh can tten a small hill, and magical explosions can form giant craters. The world looks like something out of a medieval RPG adventure. Monsters and dungeons that could never exist in the real world were present, and so was an empire that trains students in educational facilities called ¡°academies¡± tobat the said foes. It¡¯s a world where even a ten-year-old can swing a wooden stick to enter the academy, so why did I just realize that this was from a game two days ago? Well, it was only two days ago that I regained my memories of my previous life. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Even worse, the character I was reincarnated as happened to be Lilith, one of the most mistreated characters in the game. Lilith Rosewood. Alias Lilith, the Foolish Maid. She¡¯s treated with all sorts of unpleasantries in the story; this makes me wonder if the developers had malicious intentions towards her. I don¡¯t even know how many bels¡± are attached to her because she¡¯s a heroine with all sorts of obscene tags that you¡¯d expect to find on an adult manga site. She¡¯s also a character who gets treated worse and worse the longer you wait to capture her. She gets obliterated to the point of no return if she¡¯s not ¡°saved¡± by the protagonist in time. It would have been less painful if I¡¯d just gone my whole life without knowing her. As soon as I realized that I had that abomination¡¯s face, memories of my previous life rushed into my head. It felt like my brain was having cramps with the rapid increase in my blood pressure. I can¡¯t say if it resulted from that, but I was sick in bed for two days and had to be nursed by a fellow maid. ¡®Hahaha, my skull¡¯s definitely broken¡­¡¯ Even while fighting a headache that could¡¯ve been a side effect of regaining my memories of my past life and despite the realization that I was going to crack my skull, I somehow managed to pull myself out of the bed I¡¯d been lying in. I didn¡¯t wake up because I wanted to do maid work. I got up because I knew I¡¯d be an embarrassment to Isabel if I stayed in bed the rest of the day. Even though my pre-reincarnation memories hade flooding back, my mind hadn¡¯tpletely erased Lilith¡¯s memories, who had lived in this world for decades. Her friendship with Isabelle, a fellow apprentice maid who had joined her a year or so earlier, had meant so much to her. The memories of Isabelle had stayed with her even after she¡¯d found the memory of being a man in her previous life. Now that I¡¯ve left her to do my work for two whole days, plus nurse my illness, I have to show her that I do have a conscience and at least stay in bed longer than that. ¡®¡­Why does this thing feel so heavy?¡¯ As soon as I lifted myself out of bed, I felt an awkward weight on my chest. After a few decades of memories of being a man flooded my mind, I woke up and realized that the two lumps of fat on my upper body were entirely foreign. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say they were about an E or F. As Lilith, I¡¯ve been living with this shit for a long time, and I will have to live with it in the future. The more I thought about it, the more it sucked. Whatever it was, what I needed to do right now was get out of bed and get back to work. At least, not while marveling at my body as a woman. If I was going to keep this body, I couldn¡¯t stop here. [Luminor Academy: Age of Swords and Magic] It is a strategy RPG (SRPG) game I enjoyed for quite some time in my previous life. To be more precise, it was the title of an adult game thatbined the SRPG genre with the young adult genre. It¡¯s a romance game that brings together two types of students at an academy. These include the nobles, born with magical talents, andmoners who must rely on their sword skills and physical strength due to theirck of magic. While ying, you can¡¯t skip the process of the character¡¯s growth. It¡¯s a vicious game that prevents you from splitting branches in your save file, so you can¡¯t skip the grind. Even so, it was a game that sold quite well online. There are many reasons for this, but most importantly, your fellow characters (i.e., the heroines) are ugly. Most adult games that appeal to men¡¯s instincts sell well if they have one or two good female characters. Among them, ¡®Luminor Academy¡¯ was a game that I personally considered to be a masterpiece, even though it contained some elements that I didn¡¯t like. That is why, despite despising the grinding factor, I must have grinded nearly 2,000 hours in my previous life. While I found it horrifying how I had to restart the game from the beginning each time to see a new storyline, the developmental storyline wasn¡¯t as difficult toprehend despite the many different choices that one can make. The plot was also pretty good, by my standards, as it carefully handled each heroine¡¯s redemption narrative. Most importantly, the designs of the female characters, which is an essential element of an adult game, were all very pleasing to the eye. In particr, the events for each heroine on their respective routes were very arousing in many ways. These personal events made the harem route unpopr and seldom yed¡­ ¡­but the same can be said for the character I possessed, Lilith Rosewood. Short ck hair that bounces with a shine. Round and cute appearance. Big breasts, a trimmed waist, and a toned pelvis. As anyone could deduce just by looking at her appearance in the mirror, this character I possessed was also one of the most sought-after in the Luminor Academy.@@novelbin@@ She is the epitome of a heroine in a redemption epic. She¡¯s such a fan favorite that she¡¯s always been in the top three in three official poprity polls. Despite that, I found her as one of the most unlikable characters. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like Lilith¡¯s appearance or personality. It¡¯s just that as a natural unicorn, she¡¯s a heroine with characteristics that I personally have a hard time putting up with. I hated her because she had already hooked up with a guy at the academy¡¯s initiation ceremony, where the game¡¯s actual story begins. She wasn¡¯t technically the only non-virgin heroine in Luminor Academy, but she was the only one who could only be essed through the non-virgin route. There were several ways in which the heroine¡¯s story was unique in this release. These included aing-of-age segment where she visits her childhood vige and promises to see it again, an event where the main character prevents her from having her first time stolen by another man, and a special option to enter a different story on the second ythrough after seeing each of the route endings on the first. For the other non-virgin heroines of Luminor Academy, there was room to create a virgin route somehow¡­ ¡­except for this one Lilith, whom I possessed. In the story, no matter what I did as the main character, there was no way to meet her before themencement ceremony of the academy. Not to mention, she was a terrible heroine who, by the time we first met her, was no longer a virgin every single time, the kind of heroine you¡¯d think a unicorn-hater would create. I realized that toote in my previous life. Out of my 2,000 hours of y, I must have spent about 500 hours digging around to find this character¡¯s maiden cheat route, though I never found it until the very end. As a result, I have spent the most ytime on a non-virgin heroine, making Lilith the worst character in Luminor Academy for me. ¡­no, it¡¯s not the worst after all. The only reason I hate Lilith is because of the fucker who stole her first time. Ethan Richard ckwood. The original viin of the game and Lilith¡¯s master. I¡¯m already feeling a little sick to my stomach just looking at that asshole¡¯s face. ¡®The thought of working with that asshole¡¯s face makes me want to throw up.¡¯ Ethan Richard ckwood. Alias Ethan the Ragged Confucius. If this asshole hadn¡¯t taken Lilith¡¯s first time in every iteration of the game, I wouldn¡¯t have spent 500 hours to defeat him. I must have had more than a few grudges against that abomination in my previous life, as memories of that life, which I hadpletely forgotten about for decades in this one, came flooding back to me at the sight of his face. This bastard was always in the top three most unpopr characters at Luminor Academy, so he¡¯s one of those people you couldn¡¯t forget. First of all, he doesn¡¯t have the looks to be likable. He¡¯s a fat, unkempt guy who¡¯s so messy that it¡¯s apparent that it¡¯s been around since he was a kid, he¡¯s short as fuck, and he¡¯s always got something dirty in his mouth and around his clothes. He¡¯s the only character in the game with a repulsive appearance, especially since most of the other characters, including the hero and heroine, are above-average looking, so that pretty much says it all. Even if we assume that he could be made to look more eptable if he lost weight, the problem was his disgusting personality. That¡¯s because this asshole practically enved his own maid, Lilith, for five years, from the time she was neen until she entered the academy. The level of harassment was, quite frankly, hard to put into words. He¡¯s done all sorts of abhorrent things to Lilith in-game, to the point where it¡¯s hard to think of anything he hasn¡¯t done to her. For crying out loud. If I was going to possess someone, at least make it the main character, or at least make it my favorite character, Natalie. Having to possess Lilith, one of the worst characters in the game, is way out of line. All I¡¯ve ever done was write on a thread on the Luminor Academy forums for three years straight about Lilith being a slut. ¡­. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­Okay, I swear I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Who wouldn¡¯t be frustrated when you realize that spending 500 hours on a character is the only way you can get her as a virgin, no matter how many times you try? Anyway, what I had to do now was not toment orin but to think of a way to survive. Above all, I had to avoid bing the exclusive maid of a fucking hateful bastard. I¡¯d rather be hanged and groped by that asshole than have him do it to me like he did in the original. I¡¯m not bluffing; I mean it. ¡®¡­Wait, no way.¡¯ I slipped my hand inside my underwear to check it out. Fortunately, Lilith¡¯s virginity was still intact. Well, it was only two days ago that the bastard woke up from his curse, so it¡¯s illogical to assume that he could have done anything to me within that time frame. From now on, I n to keep it that way, and I won¡¯t let that hateful bastard drag me around like in the original. With 2,000 hours of Luminor Academy ytime under my belt as Lilith Rosewood, there will be no ¡°Lilith the Foolish Maid¡± in this world. I swear. I won¡¯t let that happen. Chapter 2 Lee Ji-hwan, an ordinary Korean male college student. That was my identity in my past life. I didn¡¯t have such a spectacr life that I can recall every memory from childhood to college. All I know is that I studied throughout my middle and high school years, like everyone else, and went to a decent university in Seoul for college. For various reasons, I never had a rtionship. Even so, I had a normal life where I was supposed to make a reasonable number of friends, get decent grades in college, and join a suitablepany when I graduated. In retrospect, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve lived the most extraordinary life or anything, and I certainly haven¡¯t lived to the point where I¡¯d HAVE to be reincarnated in a game like this. The only relevant bit of karma is that Luminor Academy was the game of my life, and I put nearly 2,000 hours of ytime into it. ¡­and the fact that I consistently wrote in the Luminor Academy Gallery forum that Lilith was a slut. The only saving grace was that by the time I regained my memory, Lilith was not a slut¡­ or rather, a pure body that had never had an experience with a man. If I¡¯d been possessed by her after her training as a maid waspleted, I would have wanted to bite my tongue and end it all. ¡®If I¡¯m going to possess her, I¡¯d rather have it done before I¡¯m sold into this house.¡¯ There was something strangely malicious about the fact that they didn¡¯t give me my memories back until a year after I¡¯d been hired at ckwood Manor. I felt like a crab in a steamer, slowly steaming to death with no escape. If things continued to go as they had in the original game, I would be left with a horrible and predictable future. To summarize my situation, I had to work as a maid for the ckwood family for the next seven years. Serving as a maid for the ckwoods for eight years in exchange for repaying my father¡¯s gambling debts was the choice I, Lilith Rosewood, made before I regained my memories. Not counting the year already gone, I was doomed to serve the manor as a user for the next seven years. If you¡¯ve been working for seven years, you¡¯ll probably find a chance to escape at least once. Unfortunately, the world wasn¡¯t exactly a hospitable ce for amoner girl to navigate in the first ce. First of all, the idea of running away and turning a noble family into an enemy didn¡¯t really make sense. The ckwoods are a venerable and historic ducal family. Even if I somehow managed to get lucky and escaped from the ckwood estate, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for ckwood to recapture an unidentifiedmoner girl. Of course, it would be illogical for ckwood to send out an army to capture a girl, so he¡¯d probably leave her alone as soon as she managed to escape the estate. If I were to be involved with the ckwoods in any way in the future, a terrible fate would await me from which there would be no escape. It would be a textbook example of how to dishonor the Duke¡¯s family. There would be a good chance I¡¯d end up in a future where I¡¯d be better off being trained by some cult as per the original plot. Simply put, it was better not to even think about it. Given Lilith¡¯s abilities, a life as an adventurer in a decent guild would probably be enough to keep her afloat. At the end of the day, however, adventuring is a job where you live off the favors of the nobility. Even if I wanted to find another steady job, the only ce that would hire a Jane Doe unconditionally would be a brothel, at best. Therefore, I put the idea of escaping ckwood Manor and living a different life on hold. Not that escaping was that easy in the first ce. The most realistic solution would be toplete the remaining seven years of the required contract and be independent. The other option would be to be ¡®saved¡¯ by the ¡®protagonist¡¯ at Luminor Academy and escape. ¡®That¡¯s a shitty ending, too¡­.¡¯ There were two main problems with using a protagonist-saved ending to escape the ckwoods. One was that I would have to ept the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid first, as I would have to enter Luminor Academy to meet the protagonist. The other was that after being saved by the protagonist, she would have to stay with him until the end of the story. To summarize, I had to go through all the shit with some cult, then switch to the protagonist and do it all over again. To add insult to injury, this meant that I had to follow the story of Lilith Rosewood, the game¡¯s version of the slutty whore route. ¡®Fuck me. I can¡¯t do that route either¡­¡¯ In order to escape the Hateful One, you first have to be their exclusive maid¡­. and you¡¯re stuck with him until he enters the academy? That doesn¡¯t even make sense. Besides, after you run away from the asshole, you have to live as one of the other asshole girls until the end? Those few years could turn into a lifetime if the protagonist ever went down the harem route or the individual Lilith route. I shook my head to clear my mind of those disgusting thoughts. Besides, it would be far worse if I were to enter Luminor Academy while being hounded by a cult and then find myself furthest down in the main character¡¯s order of salvation. ¡®Let¡¯s go for the safer option. No risks.¡¯@@novelbin@@ Seven years isn¡¯t an incredibly short time, but it¡¯s also not an unbearable amount of time. In the first ce, working as a maid for the ckwoods implied that food, clothing, and shelter were guaranteed. This was easily much safer than going out and adventuring alone. Besides, Lilith Rosewood¡¯s abilities were more specialized for party hunting than solo leveling, so working alone would prove difficult. ¡®Seven years, blink and you¡¯ll be in your mid-twenties by the time you¡¯re done with your contract, so if you save up enough money, you¡¯ll be able to strike out on your own somehow, whether it¡¯s farming in the rural areas or opening a small shop in a small city¡­.¡¯ It was a far-off future that had yet to arrive, but it wasn¡¯t so bad considering how that future would somehow work out. Entering the world of my favorite game, Luminor Academy, was enough to make me happy¡­ ¡­except for one thing: the fact that I now possess this foolish maid, Lilith. It had been three days since I remembered my past life andy on the bed. ¡°Lilith, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Ah, Isabel¡­.¡± The fellow maid now standing beside me with a smile on her face is Isabel. As I said, she was a fellow maid who came to ckwood Manor with me about a year ago. Of course, at the time, I hadn¡¯t yet regained my memories of my previous life. Clearly, it¡¯s a normal rtionship I developed when I was just Lilith Rosewood. I had no intention of treating Isabel like a stranger just because I had regained my memories. I¡¯m grateful to Isabel, who picked up the maid duties as quickly as if she¡¯d always been in the same line of work, and I¡¯ve gotten a lot of help from her over the past year. As I said before, not all of the memories of my 18 years as Lilith were lost two days ago. It was more like the feeling that 20 years of memories from my previous life had suddenly rushed in and added to those existing. Essentially, I am now a hybrid with the memories of 18-year-old Lilith Rosewood and 26-year-old Ji-Hwan Lee. It might have been better if I had been reincarnated as a baby girl with the memories of being a man. As 18 years passed, I would have graduallye to terms with the reality of being a woman. ¡­No, if I¡¯d had a memory from back then, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten my damn father into gambling, and I wouldn¡¯t have been sold as a maid to the ckwoods. The timing of the possession was ridiculous, to say the least. If I¡¯d gotten my memory back a year sooner, I¡¯d be in a much better ce right now. If the trigger for regaining my memories had been seeing Ethan¡¯s face in the first ce, I couldn¡¯t have done so without it. ¡°¡­Lilith.¡± ¡®It¡¯s not toote though; if I can somehow make it through seven years, I can say goodbye to this ckwood for good, and by then, I¡¯ll be away from Ethan, in a faraway city with no one else¡­.¡¯ ¡°Lilith!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡± The sound of Isabel¡¯s voice, right next to my right ear, caused me to fall backward on my ass. I turned to see Isabel looking somewhat puzzled as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to freak out this much. ¡°Damn, are you okay, Lilith?!¡± ¡°Ouch¡­. That hurt like a bitch¡­.¡± ¡°Sorry! I didn¡¯t realize you would be this surprised¡­.¡± With her hands sped together, Isabel bowed her head and apologized profusely. I didn¡¯t feel like getting mad at her to her face, so I quickly stood up and dusted off my ass. After all, it was partly my fault for getting lost in my own world in the middle of a conversation with her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just that I was thinking about something else in the middle of our conversation.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I really am fine. I¡¯ve always told you, I¡¯m too strong to get hurt anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard that today¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ah.¡± ¡­Come to think of it, having a strong body was an advantage in my previous life. Then again, since I died in an ident in myst life, I don¡¯t even think it counts as an advantage. Even so, what¡¯s the point in thinking about that now? ¡°By the way, Lilith, what are you thinking so hard about when you¡¯re not cleaning? You don¡¯t even notice me when I call, do you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it¡­¡± ¡°Also, you¡¯ve been feeling a little off since the other day¡­. You¡¯re not sick still, are you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. My body is fine! There¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡± The problem is that I¡¯m physically well, but my mind is exhausted. There were so many problems to face, and nothing had been resolved, so my mind was bound to be impatient. The good news was that I¡¯d regained memories of my previous life before bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, so I had a way to prepare. In the first ce, there was nothing I could do right away as a lowly maid. I was forbidden to leave the mansion, especially since I was a long-term contract servant who had been sold into debt. The only thing I could think of doing was trying to do something within the mansion, but the problem was that there was no one in the mansion with a lower status than me. Isabel, my fellow maid, is of the same rank as me, and most of the other maids are rted to House ckwood, so there¡¯s no room for me, amoner maid. Even amongst the maids, we were not allowed to be disrespectful to the senior maids. So, in the end, the only person in the manor that I could potentially push around was Isabel. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lilith? You¡¯ve been staring me in the face for quite some time now.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Of course, just because I could move somehow didn¡¯t mean I would take full advantage of her. Even if I had to struggle to escape my fate as a maid with memories of my former life, I would never think of throwing Isabel into that hell on my behalf. I¡¯m not so stupid as to forget our friendship over the past year and her graciousness in teaching me things behind my seniors¡¯ backs when I was an apprentice maid. The knowledge I¡¯d gained then was why I could act like an ordinary maid now. If it weren¡¯t for the knowledge of her trade that Isabel taught me overnight in the same quarters while she was an apprentice maid, I¡¯d probably still be serving sd and soup the other way around this morning. I wouldn¡¯t be able to learn how not to wrinkle a garment while ironing or how to greet a maid. Drawing attention to myself was not good for me in many ways, so I had to keep a low profile until I was in a position to do something about it. Isabel, who had made me who I was, was someone I owed a favor to. She was not someone I could ungratefully scapegoat on my behalf. ¡®Ugh, what the hell am I gonna do now¡­?¡¯ If I¡¯m asked to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid as soon as tomorrow morning, I won¡¯t be able to object as I have to repay the favor¡­ Being the lowest-ranking maid of the Duke¡¯s family is an unimaginably tiring position. I could only hope that the next seven years would pass without incident. Chapter 3 It¡¯s been a week since I realized I¡¯d been reincarnated in the game ¡°Luminor Academy.¡± Surprisingly, my days at the ckwood Manor went by without incident, contrary to what I had feared¡­ ¡­except that I¡¯ve had my hands full these past few days with the ckwoods¡¯ only child. He¡¯s just awakened from a five-year curse. It wasn¡¯t because he was bothering me; he was still a little woozy from the curse. The number of visitors to ckwood Manor had grown exponentially since he¡¯d awakened. On regr days, the ckwoods were aid-back family. I had little to do but prepare and serve three meals a day and do some light cleaning andundry. Now, with the awakening of Ethan Richard ckwood, the ckwoods were overwhelmed by the influx of visitors to the manor. In addition to the daily arrival and departure of guests, meals and amodation for all of them needed to be ready, not to mention an increase in housekeeping andundry. The maids, who usually do a little bit of everything, worked in a strict division ofbor during this emergency. One maid did theundry, another did the housekeeping, and so on. My job was the most tiring of many jobs, the ¡°hospitality¡± job. Evidently, the senior maids gave Isabel and me the tasks they most dreaded. ¡°Haha¡­. I¡¯m so tired¡­.¡± Harold Richard ckwood. Patriarch, and the Duke of ckwood. A hero of House ckwood, a venerable swordsmanship family dating back five centuries, nobles everywhere sought to gain even the slightest acquaintance with him. It was his only son, Ethan, who was said to have no desire for status or riches. He used to love his entire family and his wife, Thanasia. After the death of his onlypanion, however, he became even more attached to Ethan. How does a lowly maid know about Thanasia¡¯s existence when she¡¯s dead before she even walks in the door? After 2,000 hours of ytime, you get to know the backstories of these extras. Especially since taking the Lilith route would inevitably bring me into contact with House ckwood and, with it, Harold, the patriarch of the family. ¡­Of course, in this context, Harold wasn¡¯t just an extra from Luminor Academy but the master who held my life in his hands. ¡°Lilith, it¡¯s time for your shift.¡± Isabelle walks into the maid¡¯s waiting room; she¡¯s just in time for my shift after an hour¡¯s break. My body reacted to her voice, and I slowly rose from my seat like a zombie. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­. You¡¯re resting¡­.¡± ¡°¡­If you ever get too tired, I can do another hour. Maybe you and I can switch after that?¡± ¡°No, thanks, I¡¯ll do what I must.¡± If I pushed Isabelle too hard and she copsed, I would feel like absolute shit. I didn¡¯t want to owe her any more than that.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Okay, good luck!¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks¡­.¡± ¡°If you get tired, you can alwayse back for a shift!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± Isabel¡¯s cheerful response was the only constion to this merciless emotionalbor. In the game, she was an old friend of Lilith¡¯s that I often encountered as I traveled her route, and her voice sounded familiar to me, if only because of that. With that, I bid her farewell and trudged out of the upied waiting room to return to my shift. To return to the story, the news of Duke Harold¡¯s only child, Ethan, being awakened from the curse had spread across the Empire in just three days. Since then, the ckwood estate has been visited one by one by nobles from estates close to the ckwoods. They thought they might somehow win him over if they pretended to genuinely celebrate Ethan¡¯s triumphs, rumored to be the only ones Duke Harold cared about. Some nobles even brought their own daughters to visit, hoping to arrange a betrothal with the man who had only just broken free of the curse. ¡­Okay, I¡¯ll give him a pass; it¡¯s understandable that he¡¯d be tired from being so busy and having to greet guests daily. No matter who I was in my previous life, I was now a maid of the ckwood family, and I would have to work diligently as a maid for the next seven years to be free of the ckwood family. Unfortunately, there were other problems to keep my already tired mind upied. Most of them were caused by male visitors to the manor. ¡°Wee, Count Cassus Vanderbilt. My lord is in his office on the third floor, so I can show you there myself if you need to.¡± ¡°Thank you for that. ¡­By the way, what is your name?¡± ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°A name as pretty as your face. How many years do you have left on your contract with House ckwood?¡± ¡°I have about seven years left.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, a shame; I would have made you my third concubine in a year or so.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± ¡°Wee, Margrave Arthur Mondrake. My master is in his office on the third floor, so I can show you there myself if you need to.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been here before.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Rather than that, I¡¯ll stay the night, so have my room prepared. ¡­And if you want, you cane to my room tonight.¡± ¡°¡­I would be grateful for the offer.¡± ¡°¡­A voluptuous ass for a member of the ckwood family.¡± ¡°Wee, Viscount Oscar Piermont. My lord is out of town at the moment, so I can speak to himter if necessary¡­.¡± ¡°Wow, the ckwoods are no slouches when ites to maids. How much do you get paid per month? With a face like yours, I¡¯d say almost five gold coins.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you my sry, as that information is limited to the ckwood family.¡± ¡°Duke Harold says he can¡¯t get over his dead wife, but behind his back, he¡¯s been holding a woman like this every day! How much do you charge for a session with the Duke? For a price, I¡¯d be happy to¡­.¡± ¡°My lord does not spend private time with his maids, and as a servant of House ckwood, I do not entrust my body to outsiders¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting like this is so damn expensive; you think I¡¯m just a viscount now when I¡¯m the one who fought in the Great War ten years ago, and I¡¯m Harold¡¯s brother-inw, huh?!¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s the first time ever I¡¯ve heard that I¡¯m half-brother to someone like you.¡± ¡°Is that so, Brother Harold?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with him myself, but you can go to my office and wait for me. I need to speak to him for a moment.¡± ¡°Very well, my lord.¡± ¡°My brother, ah, no, Harold¡­. it was just a brief misunderstanding¡­.¡± Roughly speaking, this was my daily routine. With these visitorsing in several times a day, each day felt so taxing and exhausting. I¡¯ve said it before, but there is not a single person in this ckwood manor with a lower status than me. That includes all the guests who visit this manor. The onlymoners allowed to pass through the front doors of a duke¡¯s manor were, at best, its maids. Beyond that, it was safe to say that it was rare for a non-noblemoner to be granted ess to a manor like this. The number of guests I had to deal with and the number of people giving me dirty looks was doubly exasperating when I realized there was nothing I could do about it. Of course, some customers didn¡¯t try to do anything weird with me. However, since the character I possessed was the main heroine of the game, her appearance further attracted the attention of other men. Looking back at my memories of being Lilith, it seems like quite a few men looked at this body with sinister eyes, some ¡°developments.¡± At the time, before I remembered my previous life, I hadn¡¯t quite grasped the identity of that gaze. The outfit, which exposed nearly half of her chest and thighs, was also malicious in more ways than one. Granted, it¡¯s an adult-rated SRPG, so that kind of maid¡¯s clothing is typical. As for her other outfits in the release, which are avable aste-game events¡­ it¡¯s better not to think about it. As a yer, choosing the heroine¡¯s outfits was always fun. Now, though, I am unnecessarily ufortable at the thought of having to wear them. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, the state of the characters in this release is so unfortunate that I can only assume they were created with malice in mind. She¡¯d been tutored by Ethan for nearly five years before being epted into the Academy, and once she WAS there, she¡¯d be abused to the point where she¡¯d lose her mind. It¡¯s pretty self-exnatory how the production team chose to put those types of costumes on the characters. Anyway, with her striking looks and outfit, she was bound to attract attention, whether she liked it or not. After all, Lilith Rosewood was one of the main heroines of Luminor Academy, so she¡¯d definitely have an advantage over the average girl. The only men I¡¯d met since I¡¯d regained my memories who hadn¡¯t given my body a lustful nce were young noblemen, no more than five years old at most. The kids still recognized that I was pretty, but at least they didn¡¯t send tant nces to my breasts or thighs like the adults did. ¡­Aside from the children who had no concept of sex in that way, there was only one other person. A great man in many aspects who never once looked at me with lustful eyes. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± The door to ckwood Manor¡¯s executive office opened, and a long-haired man entered the room. I reflexively bowed to him as I recognized my master before me. ¡°Wee, my lord.¡± Harold Richard ckwood. My current employer and the father of that disgusting abomination. Also, the only man in the manor who never gave me those atrocious looks. Chapter 4 Harold Richard ckwood. The master of this manor, who now employs me, and father of the abomination who will make me his maid in the future. No, no, no. Take thatst part back because there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to be his maid of honor now that I¡¯ve regained my memory. Anyway, he¡¯s the only man in the manor who doesn¡¯t give me creepy looks. ¡°Wee, my lord.¡± The memories imprinted on Lilith¡¯s mind from working in this mansion for a year and my instinct to stick to my maid duties to survive forced me to bow to him. ¡°Yes.¡± Harold brushed past me with a blunt reply and walked straight to a table in the center of the room. He sits down in the farthest chair in the room and picks up the papers on the table. As you can roughly infer from this reaction, this is a man who doesn¡¯t feel much for me or anyone else in the first ce. His eyes themselves were empty as if he wasn¡¯t looking anyone in the eye, and not once in this world have I ever witnessed them change. In my previous life, I¡¯d seen it a few times in-game. <¡­What do you think you¡¯re doing, Ethan?> <¡­That isn¡¯t true, my lord. I¡¯m only here to wash your bedding¡­.> <*SNAP!*> <¡­Is that why you¡¯re running around the mansion with your maid on a leash, whip in hand?> The only time we see emotion return to Harold¡¯s eyes is in any incident involving Ethan. Of course, the emotion in his gaze was mostly a mixture of pity andpassion, but never in a good way. I don¡¯t know how that perverted bastard got away with it, but his father, Harold, was a rtively sane human being. That didn¡¯t mean that this Harold would be on my side, though I hadn¡¯t thought that for a moment since I¡¯d gotten my memory back. Like I¡¯ve said before, this Harold was a fucking son of a bitch. <¡­just don¡¯t bete for lunch. I told them to make your favorite tomato soup today.> <*SNAP!*> Fuck. The expletives started flying out of my head as soon as I remembered the shback scene that I had to watch almost every time I entered the Lilith route. The Lilith storyline was famously prizing in that it ¡°saved¡± Lilith, who had been abused by Ethan for years and had her mind absolutely broken. Naturally, as a unicorn, this plot was an extremely unpleasant development. As you can see from the shbacks, for me, whose primary goal is to escape and get away from the cult, Harold was an enemy but never my ally. He wasn¡¯t a bad master when it didn¡¯t involve Ethan, but when it did, he was an idiot father who would never restrain his son no matter what he did. It was rather dangerous to befriend Harold. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person you¡¯d ever WANT to get to know in the first ce. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Harold sits down in his office, poring over papers while I¡¯m just standing there. A few papers in his hand fall to the table with a cursory nce, and he opens his mouth just before picking up another stack. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. I had something to tell you.¡± ¡­Looking at that reaction, if I hadn¡¯t interrupted him, I would have stood there like a pumice stone for another two hours. Isabel had taught me how to do this, how to speak to someone at a time when they wouldn¡¯t be offended. Setting the papers he was picking up down on the table for a moment, Harold moved his eyes up and down my body as if to ¡®observe¡¯ me. He gave a small nod, as if he understood the cause. ¡°Starting tomorrow, you will work in the kitchen for a week. Tell the maid that I have instructed you to transfer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There have been several people asking unnecessary questions about your appearance, so I want you to work somewhere out of sight until they¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°Do you have anyints?¡± ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t.¡± I can¡¯tin. In fact, I¡¯d wee it with open arms. I couldn¡¯t have asked for better news than that I wouldn¡¯t have to see my grandkids for the next week. Part of me wanted to jump up and down and run around. Of course, I can¡¯t do that, because even Harold would look at me like I was mentally ill. ¡°That¡¯s the end of the instructions. Your seniors will still be in the kitchen, so learn what you need to do tomorrow morning and leave.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°You are dismissed.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Barely concealing my creeping smile, I hurried out of the office, closing the door behind me. The smile never left my face as I walked to the kitchen. I was happy that I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them anymore, but there was something else that made me even more excited. It was the fact that starting tomorrow, I wouldn¡¯t have to go through another meaningless day. I would be transferred to the kitchen, a space that would usually never be allowed for a first-year, low-level maid. It meant it was finally time to do something with this ¡°Lilith Rosewood¡± body. Kitchen duty. In this world, a maid had many duties, including, of course, working in the kitchen. Cooking itself was the chef¡¯s domain, so there was clearly no room for a lowly maid to interfere, and the kitchen was strictly off-limits to maids. However, everything else, such as serving and washing dishes, was taken care of by the maids. I often went to the preparation room right next to the kitchen. Sometimes, however, when a manor house had many guests, as is the case now, the maid¡¯s job was mise en ce. In other words, prepare everything in advance before cooking. Washing fruit and peeling vegetables was something that anyone could do, even if they didn¡¯t know anything about cooking, and there were only a limited number of cooks to prepare and serve the food. Being asked to work in the kitchen at this busy time of year meant doing all of this prep work and washing dishes, so having direct ess to the kitchen was a massive plus for me. It meant that the stage was finally set for me to use some magic with this Lilith. ¡®I swear, I thought I was going to get sore from holding it in.¡¯ It¡¯s only been a week, but I can¡¯t help but get a little sore from the moment I realized I could use magic. The problem was I couldn¡¯t use it randomly due to various circumstances. For one, if anyone caught Lilith using magic with her body, it would be more than just a minor disturbance. In this world, only those of noble lineage could wield magic, and very fewmoners could. It wasn¡¯t aw, it was just the way things were. The blood of the nobility had a special mana that allowed them to use magic, and so on. If anymoners could use magic, they would be the main characters of Luminor Academy, or at least, on par with the main characters. ¡­and the character I possessed, Lilith Rosewood, was also one of the main characters of Luminor Academy. The fact that Lilith can use magic is, of course, one of the reasons why this seemingly unremarkablemoner maid became the main heroine of the game. ¡®¡­Conversely, it¡¯s the fact that she can use magic that makes her roll around like a dog throughout the game.¡¯ I¡¯ll exin how Lilith can use magic, and why she can do so that causes her to roll around like a dog,ter. What matters now is that my transfer to the kitchen created an environment where I could use magic for the first time. In this world, magic is a blessing reserved for the nobility. If it were known that Lilith, amoner, could use magic, all eyes would be on her, whether she liked it or not. When that kind of attention is drawn to a powerlessmoner girl, it usually never ends well. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time the world¡¯s benevolent nobles had to deal with a magic-usingmoner maid. Furthermore, most of Lilith¡¯s magic was support-based, such as buffs and shields, so it was virtually impossible for her to resist with magic in a situation where she felt her life was in danger. Therefore, I had to keep the fact that I could use magic a secret. Not to Harold, not to the other nobles, not even to my best friend Isabel.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I¡¯ve always yed as the protagonist, so I didn¡¯t realize how restrictive it was, but as Lilith, it¡¯s a real constraint¡­.¡¯ If it was just a matter of staying undetected, the simplest solution would be to use magic out of sight. The problem was that most of the mansions in this world had ¡°magic detection barriers¡±. No matter where or when you used magic in the manor, it was bound to be discovered. They would know exactly where in the manor, who used what magic, when, and by whom. But in the entirety of thisrge, spacious manor, there was only one ce. The exception was in the kitchen, where the magic detection barrier had been lifted to use all kinds of magical tools. This was the moment I could finally fulfill my pent-up desire to unleash my magic. ¡®It¡¯s been a long, long period of persecution, and I¡¯m sick of it.¡¯ A sensation of surging magic coursed through my entire body. It was now time for Lilith to take center stage. Chapter 5 Then, that night. In the guest room I shared with Isabel, Iid down and slept, exhausted. Tomorrow, I¡¯d finally get the kitchen shift I¡¯d been looking forward to. I had been transferred to the kitchen on a whim due to my appearance as Lilith, but I wasn¡¯t about to pass up the opportunity. This would be the first time Lilith would be able to do something for herself since she hadn¡¯t been able to train with her magic out in the open or go outside the mansion to hunt monsters. I know it¡¯s only a week, but that¡¯s all she needs right now. My heart was pounding with excitement at the prospect of using magic for the first time, and my mind was having trouble drifting off to sleep. Sensing that I wasn¡¯t asleep yet, Isabel called out to me. ¡°Lilith, are you asleep?¡± ¡°¡­No, not yet.¡± ¡°Lilith, you¡¯re working in the kitchen starting tomorrow. It¡¯s going to be lonely for a while since you¡¯re working away from here¡­.¡± ¡°Rx, it¡¯s only gonna be a week. Once the guests are gone, I¡¯ll be back to working here.¡± ¡°True, but¡­.¡± From Isabel¡¯s point of view, Lilith has been working with her for a year, so she must be very attached to her. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t miss being away from her. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve always made mastering my magic my priority. My proficiency with my skills could mean the difference between being able to escape Ethan in the future or not. So, for now, I had to focus on personal growth rather than my friendship with her. ¡°So, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Lilith, do you realize how much you¡¯ve changedtely?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Like, a week or so ago, you seemed like a different person.¡± ¡­¡­? ¡°Well, yeah, I¡¯m the same as usual, but¡­?¡± ¡°Well, look at this. You¡¯re still not the same.¡± I could feel a chill run down my spine at Isabelle¡¯s assertive spection. She had just pointed out my tone of voice and carefully continued her spection by suggesting that I was not Lilith. ¡°Lilith¡¯s always been very polite to me, buttely, she seems to have stopped being polite at all, and she¡¯s been acting strangely different.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡­I was caught off guard. I was so despairing at the fact that I had been possessed by Lilith that I realized toote that I hadpletely forgotten about her character. Lilith, the Foolish Maid. If I were to continue to pretend to be Lilith after I recalled my memories, I would have had to continue acting out that needlessly obedient and frustrating personality. Only then would my true identity be revealed to someone so close to me. ¡­Oh no. What am I supposed to do if Isabel finds out I¡¯m not Lilith, but someone else? Or should I try to keep her quiet in some other way? With all these anxious thoughts racing through my head, Isabelle¡¯s next words fell silent. I tensed up and listened intently. ¡°So Lilith, by any chance, do you want to be friends with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Well, you suddenly started talking to me more casually, and for some reason, I feel like we¡¯ve gotten strangely close. Hmm, I was wondering if that might be the case¡­.¡± ¡­Well, yes, it is. There was no way I could havee up with the idea that the humans of this world were possessed by humans from another world or that they had regained memories of their previous lives. They¡¯d never find out unless I told them in the first ce, but now that I thought about it, I had nothing to worry about. ¡°Well, yes, of course!¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°In truth, I¡¯ve wanted to be friends with you since we first met. I¡¯ve been helping my father with his work since I was a kid, so I didn¡¯t have time to go out and y with my friends. That¡¯s also the reason why I started working with you.¡± ¡°Me, too¡­! I¡¯ve always wanted to be friends with you, too¡­! But you always talk down to me, and I was wondering if it would be too much pressure to be friends¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­.¡± ¡­It hurts. It hurts to see Isabel¡¯s innocence fooled by my tant lies. But what can I do? I can¡¯t tell her the truth right away. It¡¯s better to go out with a bang than with a whimper. ¡°So, shall we just be friends from now on?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Pinky promise!¡± Isabelle poked her head out from the top of the bunk bed and pointed her pinky downward. Making eye contact with her, I raised the pinky of my right hand and crossed it with hers. With two slender fingers dangling, she and I shared a silent smile. ¡°Promise~.¡± ¡°Yes, I promise¡­.¡± ¡­Well, that¡¯s not so bad. One more reliable rtionship in this world. The next day, 4 a.m. I rolled out of bed to get ready for work after reading the current time on my hourss, a stone that tells time. By the way, the hourss is a stone that changes its transparency depending on the time of day. At midnight, it¡¯s the darkest, almost ck, and at noon, it¡¯s almost transparent, and so on.@@novelbin@@ The stones were used as a substitute for clocks in this world by writing numbers of different intensities on them and seeing if the numbers were readable or not. There are also ordinary-looking clocks, but in this world, such things are usually the domain of magical tools. At the very least, it¡¯s not something you¡¯d want in a two-room apartment shared by two lowly maids. I hurriedly changed into the maid¡¯s outfit I¡¯d pulled out of the closet to ensure I wasn¡¯tte. A rustling sound woke me up, and I heard iting from the top bunk of the bed. ¡°Lilith¡­. Is it morning already¡­?¡± ¡°Sorry, did I wake you?¡± ¡°No¡­ I need to get up anyway¡­.¡± ¡°You can sleep for two more hours. It¡¯s only four o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh, four o¡¯clock?¡± Isabelle hops down from the bed, looking at the time on the hourss with a puzzled look in her eyes. She looks puzzled as she confirms that it is indeed 4:00. ¡°Yes¡­. It¡¯s 4:00¡­.¡± ¡°Sleep a little longer. If you don¡¯t like the bunk beds, you can sleep in my ce.¡± ¡°¡­and what about you Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on kitchen duty, so the seniors said I have to get up two hours earlier, so I have to get to work early.¡± ¡°Really¡­? I didn¡¯t hear about anything like that¡­.¡± As she said that, Isabel slowly snuggled herself into my bed. It was understandable that she was tired, as she was caring for a girl her age from morning till evening. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to move a little more quietly so I don¡¯t wake her. ¡°Good night, Isabel.¡± ¡°¡­okkkkk¡­¡± I left Isabel in her room, still fast asleep in her bed on the first floor, and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind me. I made my way to the dining room on the first floor, with quiet steps, so as not to wake anyone else in the mansion. Taking a deep breath, I stepped quietly out the door. Creak. The dining room, the prep room, and the kitchen. I opened the doors one by one and slowly stepped inside the kitchen door, being wary of the squeak of the worn hinges. Into that forbidden space, where I, a lowly maid, would never be allowed. ¡®¡­No one¡¯s here.¡¯ Actually, I was in a bit of a hurry, wondering if I was runningte when I looked at the timetable. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to be in trouble foringter than the senior maids. Being a maid was hard work, and the hierarchy was a bit tight. The hierarchy of maids, especially in a ducal household with so many employees, was simr to the military in my previous life. If I didn¡¯t want to get into trouble, I would have left as soon as possible. ¡°Haha, I really do have a lot of dirty work to do¡­.¡± A sigh escaped my lips as I looked at the mountains of potatoes and carrots piled up on one side of the kitchen. This was barely enough for breakfast. I¡¯d have to chop this much before lunch, and the same for dinner. I could see what it meant to be called in at 4:00 when breakfast was at 9:00. With this amount of work, it¡¯s no wonder they ask you toe two hours earlier than you¡¯re supposed to. I could probably get it done in three hours with four maids. ¡®¡­Just a quick check before the seniors get here.¡¯ Being the first to arrive in the kitchen was an opportunity in another sense. After all, it meant I had a chance to use my magic without anyone noticing. I took another look around and confirmed that there was absolutely no one in the kitchen. I tried to remember how to open the information window of Luminor Academy from my previous life. ¡°¡­If I remember correctly, I should do this¡­¡± [Name: Lilith Rosewood Title: Junior Maid Gender: Female Age: 18 upation: Maid Affiliation: ckwood Family Employee Attack: 3 Defense: 5 Intelligence: 4 Charm: 12 Luck: 0 Current Level: 2 Experience points remaining: 19 Current Skills >> Current Health: 15 / 15 Current Mana: 21 / 21] ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s it.¡± The all-too-familiar information window appeared in front of me after spending two thousand hours grinding in Luminor Academy. This is how the information window works. When you made the character you were ying perform a specific action, the character¡¯s information window would pop up in front of you. In the case of the main character, you could specify the action yourself, but for the other characters, the action to open the information window was already set. For Lilith, the way she opens the info window is by silently sping her hands together in prayer. Since I was only level 2, most of her stats were pretty bare bones, but this was something I¡¯d have to work aroundter by leveling up. Out of all the stats, the two that stood out the most were Charm and Luck. These two stats seemed to represent Lilith¡¯s life well, as they were the extremes, while the other stats were hovering around average. These stats were perfect for Lilith, who, because she was beautiful, caught the eye of Ethan, an asshole of a prince, and had a terrible life until she was epted into the academy. It¡¯s important to note that Intelligence, Charm, and Luck don¡¯t have a direct effect on reality, but only affect the uracy and power of your skills. If you have higher Intelligence, your magical abilities will be more effective, if you have high Luck, your hit uracy will be higher, and so on. This doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that a character with 0 intelligence is dumber than a straw bug. Of course, the rate of stats increasing as you level up tends to be proportional to the character¡¯s stats. Note that Charm was a stat that affected buff and debuff magic. Since Lilith herself is a buff and debuff specialist support character, it makes sense that she would have high attractiveness. This was also consistent with the fact that she was treated as an attractive character in-game. ¡®¡­Luckily, it doesn¡¯t seem like popping up an information window is treated as magic.¡¯ Up until this point, I¡¯d been hesitant to even open an information window, just in case, because I might be used of using magic. Now that I¡¯ve confirmed that I¡¯m not, I¡¯ll be able to open the info window anywhere from now on. That alone had fulfilled more than half of my purpose foring to the kitchen today. ¡°¡­Oops.¡± Realizing that I had entered the world of Luminor Academy for the first time in a long time, I wasted too much time looking at Lilith¡¯s information window. Even though the other senior maids hadn¡¯t arrived yet, if I arrived early and didn¡¯t do anything, they would yell the crap out of me. It¡¯s an information window, it¡¯s magic, and I¡¯d better pretend to be working just to check it out. After all, I could peel potatoes while checking the information window. ¡®Let¡¯s get some work done. The opportunity willeter.¡¯ I picked up the mountain of potatoes and carrots, thinking that not raising suspicion was my top priority. As I waited for the other senior maids to enter the kitchen, I began prepping the ingredients for breakfast. Chop. Chop. ¡°Square¡­¡­.¡± Chop. Chop. ¡°Square¡­¡­.¡± Half an hourter¡­ After I¡¯d peeled enough potatoes to fill arge crockpot, I finally noticed. ¡°¡­These bitches.¡± That I had been fooled by a bunch of fucking senior maids. Chapter 6 pping. It¡¯s a beautiful Korean tradition that involves getting someone else to do the work you don¡¯t want to do. Whether it¡¯s a team project in a major in college, a group in the military, or a group of people sharing a job. When people gather and form an organization, a hierarchy naturally arises; there will always be a ce forppingin this world. As soon as I realized that I was beingppedby the senior maids, a reflexive expletive came out of my mouth. A conversation from yesterday evening shed through my mind as soon as I ensured no one was in the kitchen. Up until that point, I had a hunch that something was off, but I didn¡¯t realize it. ¡®Our conversation was a little awkward for some reason¡­. did these bitches screw me over¡­?¡¯ They¡¯re only a year more experienced than me, and they¡¯ve already learned to be mean. I was so focused on my work as a maid that I didn¡¯t even think about it. Those bitches would probably sneak out at six o¡¯clock, right on time for work. No matter how often theyppedme, they wouldn¡¯t miss work¡­ ¡­and they would work just aszily as I did on the work I did earlier. ¡­Yes, I can tolerate that much. It¡¯s a game world, a fantasy world, and it¡¯s where people live together. The idea of expecting moral rectitude from a maid working for a ducal family was odd in the first ce. In reality, this situation, where I¡¯d been dealt with in a hurry, wasn¡¯t so bad for me. Especially since it allowed me to achieve my true purposes for which I had truly hoped to work in the kitchen. ¡®It¡¯s always better to practice magic when no one¡¯s around.¡¯ Normally, I would have been practicing my magic in secret, avoiding the watchful eyes of the other senior maids.@@novelbin@@ Now that I was alone with no one else, it meant I could use magic to my heart¡¯s content without anyone noticing. So, essentially, the situation wasn¡¯t so bad. In this world, there are three main ways to increase the maximum amount of mana one can have. The best way is to drain it to the bottom and then fill it back up again to perfection. It was aw of this world that just by repeating this, the maximum amount of mana would increase regardless of level. There were two other methods, but this was the only one I could utilize right now. I couldn¡¯t expect to grow by hunting monsters and leveling up right now. ¡®I have magic at my disposal, and I have a means of replenishing my mana¡­. is it really better off just being alone¡­?¡¯ A ce where you can use magic to your heart¡¯s content without being detected. A ce where you can replenish your mana with food as soon as it is used up. For the senior maids, it was the perfect environment to be thankful for thepping. ¡®You won¡¯t be able to grow at higher levels because you¡¯ll need to replenish your mana, so you should put as much as you can in while you¡¯re still at level 2.¡¯ Maximizing one¡¯s mana by draining it to the bottom and refilling it is much harder at higher levels. While mana consumption is the same between the low and high levels, maxing out the amount of mana at high levels was bound to have its limitations. Once you¡¯ve drained triple and even quadruple-digit amounts of mana, it¡¯s quite an arduous task to replenish it. In this world, the only means of restoring mana other than sleep is through food, and the human stomach has limits to what it can digest at once. An apple restores 30 mana, so even if you ate three, you wouldn¡¯t reach the full 100. You¡¯d have to eat 34 apples to get to 1,000 mana, which is well into the four digits, and at that point, you¡¯re begging to get bulimia in the next few months. Even in-game, there are limits to how much hp you can replenish with food. There¡¯s an invisible satiety meter in the interface that tells you that if you feed too much, a message will appear telling you that you can¡¯t eat anymore. Many of the most efficient items were either ridiculously expensive and only used when it mattered most or were impossible to eat because most characters hated them. Aside from that distant future, my current maximum mana is only 21. I had used it all up, and an apple was all I needed to replenish it, so now was the most efficient time to increase it. Moreover, this kitchen should be full of the aforementioned ¡®efficient items.¡¯ ¡°Probably around here¡­ Ah, I found it.¡± Amidst the various sacks of old crops and vegetables, I spotted one that looked unusually small. As expected, it contained a bunch of magic replenishment items. Alongside the other ingredients was a sizable bundle of garlic, almost as if it had been plucked from a field. ¡®I¡¯m not really a fan of chewing raw garlic¡­ but I don¡¯t have anything better to eat right now.¡¯ If I were the game character, Lilith herself, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to eat it, but fortunately for me, the contents of Lilith were Lee Ji-Hwan, a healthy young man from South Korea. As a Korean, having lived in a nation of spices, I¡¯d be happy to replenish my magic by chewing on raw garlic. ¡®I should probably learn some magic before I eat it.¡¯ Even if I replenished my mana while my mana was full, it wouldn¡¯t increase my total mana, so I had to empty my mana with magic first. To do that, I needed to learn certain magical spells first, so I had to choose carefully which among them I should learn first. The amount of skill points I could gain per level was limited anyway, and I didn¡¯t know when I¡¯d get the chance to level up Lilith, who was currently level 2. ¡®I can¡¯t even learn or use magic for monster hunting. Buffing spells are meaningless on their own.¡¯ Actually, I¡¯ve been plotting out my spells since I found out I was being transferred to the kitchen today. I spent two of the three skill points I have right now to learn Clean. If I were the protagonist, I would have put the other skills up first, but this was what Lilith needed most right now. I sped my hands together to open the information window and unlocked Clean first on the list of skills I had. Immediately, I felt the sensation of something like magical knowledge seeping into my body. ¡°Oh, oh, ohhhh¡­.¡± For the first time, my mood was lifted by this strange sensation of excitement. I wasn¡¯t sure how it worked, but I had a feeling in my head that I could use Clean right now. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± A single Clean costs 20 mana. That¡¯s a lot of mana for a foundation spell, but for me, whose goal is to increase my mana total, it¡¯s more of a benefit. After all, it was worth the cost of the spell in the first ce. I focused my senses on the clove of garlic in my palm and used Clean as if I were releasing magic power. The chunks of garlic neatly separated from the palm of my hand with a fine swirling motion. In this world, Clean is used to organize dirty things. Whether it¡¯s peeling vegetables, wiping off dirty dishes, or cleaning a body part, it was a spell that could be used in any way you wanted. This kind of versatility was definitely worth getting as a first spell. ¡ºCurrent Mana: 1 / 21¡» ¡°¡­Done.¡± Clean had worked, and I could see that the magic had been used up. I consumed the remaining one mana with a rough ¡®let it go¡¯ feeling, bringing my remaining magic to zero. I picked up one of the garlic cloves in the palm of my hand to replenish mypletely emptied reservoir. The amount of mana I could replenish with a single garlic clove was a whopping 50. Compared to other mana-replenishing foods like apples and tangerines, this was a ridiculously efficient item. However, due to its pungent aroma and aromatic taste, raw garlic was considered inedible by most of the characters. The few characters who could eat it, including the main character, were allowed to eat a few grains. Since heat destroys nutrients, I had to chew on this raw garlic thoroughly to replenish my mana efficiently. If half a clove of garlic can replenish all my energy, why not? If I was Lilith before I regained my memories of my previous life, I probably wouldn¡¯t have even attempted it, but I still had the memories of Lee Ji-Hwan, who had lived in Korea for 26 years. This much garlic is nothing for Koreans¡­. Crunch. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh?!¡± As soon as I chewed half of the garlic, the pungent aroma that lingered in my mouth almost made me spill its contents. ¡­What is this? Did garlic always taste like this? I¡¯ve hadssamjang*1, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever tasted raw garlic like this before. Was it because I became Lilith in the game that my body¡¯s ability to taste it had changed into Lilith¡¯s tastes? ¡°Ugh¡­Blehhh¡­!¡± I barely managed to steady myself as I was almost dizzy from the strong garlic scent that seemed to envelop my entire face. I managed to swallow half of the garlic in my mouth. I thought I could eat raw garlic without a problem, but this unexpected obstacle was going to hold me back. It was a moment that made me reflect on all the times I¡¯ve criticized characters in Luminor Academy for not eating garlic. If it¡¯s this painful, no wonder they can¡¯t swallow it raw. ¡°Mana¡­.Yes, the mana¡­.¡± Despite the pain, I had to check what needed to be checked, so I sped my hands together again and pulled up Lilith¡¯s information window. There it was, clearly stating the significant change in maximum mana. ¡ºCurrent Mana: 21 / 21+1¡» It had beenpletely emptied and then refilled by eating garlic. As soon as it was replenished, the maximum amount of magic increased. At least it was a change that confirmed that the suffering he¡¯d just endured wasn¡¯t pointless. It was only an increase of 1 for now, but by level 10, it would be almost a 6 or 7 increase. No matter how I thought about it, this was the most ¡®efficient¡¯ way to increase the maximum amount of mana. ¡°As far as the cult ending goes¡­ Never¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t sit around whimpering now, not if I wanted to avoid a future where I¡¯d be beaten by a damned pig. Using Clean once more to empty my magic, I popped the remaining half of the garlic back into my mouth. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± I swallowed the nausea rising in my gut and somehow managed to chew the energy supplement down the back of my throat. After this, there¡¯s no telling when the next opportunity wille. I could change jobs again as soon as tomorrow, or the senior maids could decide toe in early on a whim, and this was a difficult training method to utilize. I had to give it my all, treating every day as myst chance. I had to avoid the bad ending at all costs, even if it meant breathing a field of garlic down my neck. No matter what happens. T/N
  1. Ssamjangis a spicy dipping sauce made with soybean paste and Korean chili paste (gochujang). It contains raw aromatics like garlic and spring onions and is often used for food wrapped in lettuce or as aplement to grilled pork belly (samgyeop-sal).
Hello! Axiomatic here. Since the site got reset, I¡¯m changing up my TL style. I noticed that I had to do this as I was re-editing this chapter and the ones before it. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 7 Mornings are early for maids. Waking up before her master was a fundamental part of being a maid. ¡°Good morning, Alicia.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ariana.¡±@@novelbin@@ Hearing the voices of her fellow maids, Catherine got out of bed a littleter than usual and carefully made her way to the door, feeling the stares of her fellow maids as if they were waiting for her. ¡°Wow, Catherine, are youing to work now too?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­.¡± ¡°It must have been nice to get a good night¡¯s sleep after so long.¡± ¡°Eh, what¡­.¡± In reality, she didn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep. She had a strange feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach over the events ofst night. Lilith, the junior maid, had been transferred to the kitchen with them as of today. The thought that she had participated in setting her up, albeit against her will, had caused Catherine to toss and turn ufortably throughout the night. Even though she had arrived at work two hourster than usual, there was a strange weariness in her eyes instead of the pleasure of a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡°You are such a good girl, Catherine. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d being to work early because you were haunted by your conscience~.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ I wasn¡¯t ¡­ of the sort¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Unless you don¡¯t want to go back to your older self.¡± Maids have early mornings. However, even among those maids who had early mornings, there was one who woke up earlier than the rest. That would be Catherine Lane, the Ostracized Maid. A year ago, she had tried and failed to uncover the disloyalty of her fellow maid, Ariana. When she tried to use Ariana of stealing valuables from Master Ethan¡¯s room while he was passed out due to the curse, the cunning woman¡¯s maneuvering led to Catherine being framed for the crime herself. She lost the trust of her master and maids in the mansion, forcing her to live as Ariana¡¯s servant for the past year. The past year has been almost a living hell for her, as she has been forced to do all the dirty work with herpanions, Ariana and Alicia. It¡¯s an understatement to say she¡¯s been overworked far more than the other maids. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything crazy again, and stay quiet. I¡¯ll at least treat you like a pet if you listen to me.¡± ¡°Ugh, yeah.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t show off, and don¡¯t return to your older self. There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed amongst our peers when we have our own subordinates now, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard for Catherine to figure out the two people they were referring to. She is a junior maid who entered with a year¡¯s worth of experience behind the two. This meant that they had only recently been released from their apprenticeship and had just begun their official duties as junior maids. Ariana¡¯s attention would now shift to them, not to her. Them, of course, being Isabel and Lilith. ¡°Isabel¡¯s a fast learner; I think she could be useful in many ways. What do you think, Catherine?¡± ¡°Huh¡­. Eh, Ariana, I think you¡¯re right¡­.¡± ¡°As for Lilith, however, that bitch is a bit dumb, isn¡¯t she? She was pretty quick to believe the whole 4 a.m. to work thing.¡± ¡°Her stupidity makes her easier to exploit, so whatever.¡± Part of her wanted to defend Lilith, but it was obvious that if she did, arrows from her former coworkers would be flying at her. Despite her guilt, she couldn¡¯t help but go along with the absurdity of it all. Already discredited by the theft of a year ago and the enormous debts she had incurred, Catherine was bound by a contract of servitude to House ckwood and was ordered to apany Ariana on any duty as a watchman. She no longer had the strength or will left to help anyone else. ¡°Lilith¡¯s been preparing for two hours by herself, so she should have at least finished a sack or two of potatoes, right?¡± ¡°Well, whatever. Catherine can help if her work feels a little slow, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, she¡¯s the expert among us when ites to working.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­. and if she can¡¯t do it all, I can help her out¡­.¡± In the end, Catherine realized that her position wouldn¡¯t change much if another victim were brought in, but she had no means to resist Ariana anyway. Still rtively smallpared to the two, she shuffled along, feeling the pressure from both sides and joined them in the kitchen to prepare breakfast, which would begin in three hours. ¡°Lilith, are you in there?¡± ¡°Uh, sorry~. I forgot and slept in a bit. It¡¯s been hard working without us, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two of them casually walked into the dining room with their tant lies. Catherine followed silently behind them, her shoulders slumped, and Lilith¡¯s voice, which she expected to hear from inside the kitchen, somehow wasn¡¯t heard. ¡°Why is no one answering?¡± ¡°Maybe she realized you were lying and didn¡¯te to work?¡± ¡°¡­That foolish-looking bitch?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The three of them walked together to the back of the prep room, and the seriousness of the conversation dissipated as soon as they saw that the light in the back kitchen was on. ¡°What? I¡¯m working here.¡± Creak. ¡°Lilith, when your senior calls you, you have to answer. I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯ve been doing that you can¡¯t even respond¡­.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The sheer volume of vegetables greeted them as they walked through the kitchen door. The sight of hundreds of potatoes, onions, and carrots, all perfectly peeled, had the three of them mesmerized for a moment, and they couldn¡¯t help but stare at the sight. This dyed their reaction to spotting Lilith sitting on the kitchen floor with a nk expression. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ah.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s voice, Lilith stood up, keeping a straight face. Her nonchnt demeanor made the three of them stare at each other, unsure of what to say. Lilith just calmly conveyed what she had to say as if she didn¡¯t care about their reactions. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared all the vegetables in the kitchen, seniors.¡± ¡°Wait, all of them¡­?¡± ¡°All of them? No way¡­.¡± ¡°The potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and other vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner have all been prepped, seniors, so all you have to do is tell the chefs at the mansion that the ingredients are ready.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m going to head out first. Good day, seniors.¡± Amongst the women gazing at the sight of the mountain of trimmed vegetables, only Catherine noticed the subtle acrid smell wafting past her. It¡¯s the second day after my duties changed from hospitality to the kitchen. Once again, I arrived in the kitchen at 4 a.m. and looked at the pile of work that was waiting for me. ¡®Oh, I want to die¡­.¡¯ The pile of work was almost as big as the pile of vegetables I had chopped yesterday while chewing garlic in the kitchen. This many veggies to trim meant I had to pop almost as much garlic in my mouth as yesterday. Naturally, the memory of eating garlic for almost an hour and a half at dawn yesterday while holding back nausea came to mind. I could still taste the garlic in my mouth even though I had rinsed my mouth thoroughly with Clean over and over again. The only silver lining was that my maximum mana had grown noticeablypared to yesterday. ¡ºCurrent Mana: 202 / 202¡» The growth alone was ridiculous; I went from 21 mana max to almost 10 times that amount. I was only level 2, and my maximum mana was already in the triple digits. Even in my previous life, when I yed Luminor Academy, I had never experienced such an insane growth rate. In other words, I had been grinding the whole day yesterday with the pain of my guts being twisted. I don¡¯t even know how many cloves of garlic I ate. I stopped counting after about a hundred cloves. Eventually, I ran out of things to use Clean on, namely untrimmed vegetables, so I had to stop. All things considered, the growth was definitely warranted. I¡¯m probably going to do the same thing that I did yesterday. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± The problem was that as the mana cap increased, I wouldn¡¯t see the same growth as yesterday. It would take at least four cloves of garlic to get a full 202 mana, so I would start from a different level than yesterday when half a clove of garlic was enough to refill my mana. Of course, the decreased growth efficiency didn¡¯t stop me from eating those cloves. The problem was that I had already prepped all the vegetables for dinner. The senior maids, who had seen me chop over a thousand vegetables for three meals in two hours, hade to expect that I would do the same today. If I didn¡¯t do it as perfectly as yesterday, they would certainly be suspicious about the first day¡¯s chopping. If I do it wrong, the suspicion might even extend to the part where I used magic to trim the vegetables. At only level 2, it would be a disaster if it was discovered that I could use magic. I only had one spell I could use right now, Clean. Even if I maxed out my mana, I couldn¡¯t put it to good use for anything right now, so I still had to hide the fact that I could use magic somehow. Luckily, the senior maids just assumed that I was quick with my hands and had gotten the job done and didn¡¯t seem to realize that I was using magic to clean the vegetables. ¡­Although one of the seniors, the shortest of the three, did give me quite the look. Still, I wouldn¡¯t have been caught dead, and even if they had guessed that I could use magic, it was impossible to imagine that I would have used it to chop vegetables in the kitchen for over an hour. All the while forcing myself to chew on poisonous garlic whenever I ran out of mana. I didn¡¯t have to worry about getting caught because I was doing somethingpletely out of character. That is, as long as it doesn¡¯t arouse the suspicions of the ckwoods. ¡°It really sucks that I¡¯ll have to do this again and again, haha¡­.¡± I¡¯d picked up the trick of simultaneous casting during my early morning magic training yesterday, so the time it would take me to do it wasn¡¯t a big deal. It¡¯s just the fact that I have to cram almost the exact same amount of garlic into my mouth as yesterday that¡¯s bothering me. Still, I couldn¡¯t let these vegetables stay as is, so I pulled a bunch of garlic out and started by using Clean to replenish my energies¡­ Rustle. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I thought I heard something just now. I stopped what I was doing, not wanting anyone to see me using magic, and quietly listened in the direction of the sound. A momentter, a slightly louder sound came from the kitchen¡¯s storeroom. *Thud.* ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The sound of something heavy falling to the floor. Since the sound wasing from the storeroom in the back of the kitchen, it was obvious that someone was in there. I had to check it out at least once before training to increase my mana. There was no way I would use my magic on the vegetables if someone else was watching. ¡°Fuuckk¡­. What the hell¡­.?¡± Carefully holding the kitchen¡¯s magicmp in one hand and a sword in the other, I entered the storeroom. Just in case any thieves or thugs broke into the pantry. As soon as I opened the door to the storeroom, I shone the light inward, pushed the sword I was holding aside, and shouted warningly at the round silhouette created by themp. ¡°Coward, put your hands up! If you move, I¡¯ll shoot¡­stab!¡± As soon as it heard my voice, the ball-shaped thing started moving nervously in the darkness, and two short rods shed into the air above the sizeable spherical silhouette. ¡°Oh, no, I-I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Ah, shit. Why is this asshole here¡­ ¡°Well, I just came in because I was hungry¡­. and suddenly the door opened, and someone came in, so I thought¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So, put that thing down in your hand¡­ Wait, you¡¯re my maid, right?! Oh, I am so telling Daddy!¡± As soon as I saw the scrawny bastard¡¯s face in the darkness, illuminated by themp, a string of expletives began to form in my head. Ethan Richard ckwood. Nicknamed Ethan the Lout Prince. It was my first proper encounter with the fucking abomination. Chapter 8 ¡°So, put that thing down in your hand¡­ Wait, you¡¯re my maid, right?! Oh, I am so telling Daddy!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Because of that unpleasant silhouette glimpsed in the dark, all sorts of thoughts were running through my mind. Ethan, the Lout Prince, aka the Abomination. True to its title, my brain was instantly filled with expletives at the sight of that distinctly fat figure from my childhood. Unlike my first encounter, I was not distracted, and I was forced to face Ethan head-on and suffer the difort. Aside from his puffy face, almost like a steamed bun, he had a stuffy brow clustered tightly in his face¡¯s center. He had a short stature and an equally short stomach. There was probably some exaggeration due to the nature of the game, but even taking that into ount, he was undoubtedly unpleasant to look at in person. It was a face I had been forced to see many times in my previous life, that is, every time I had gone through the Lilith Route, so I had a personal vendetta against it. ¡®Should I kill him right here and now?¡¯ For a moment, I was surprised that I even had this thought. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s not a bad idea to kill him now, considering the 500 hours I wasted on him, and the betrayal of not being able to ¡°virginize¡± Lilith at thest minute. On the topic of non-virgins, I hated Lilith as the main heroine, but my biggest in-game pet peeve was that fucking Ethan. If this asshole hadn¡¯t taken Lilith¡¯s virginity in every single run-through, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted those hours and watched Lilith¡¯s ending nearly thirty times. Plus, I wouldn¡¯t be repeatedly posting that Lilith was a slut on LuAGal *1, and I wouldn¡¯t be possessing said Lilith in this damn game. Not to mention, I wouldn¡¯t be waking up two hours earlier than I have to, nor would I be chewing on raw garlic. He¡¯s practically the cause of all this pain I¡¯m experiencing. I had a knife in my hand, and the only exit from this warehouse was the door behind me. It was the middle of the night, so I knew I could make a clean getaway. ¡­Of course, if I were caught by Harold, who would probably unleash his entire army to track me down, the punishment wouldn¡¯t simply be death. If there is a fork in the road, as in the game, then now, this moment, is the time to decide my fate. In a moment of choice that could potentially change my life forever, I finally came to an important decision. ¡®¡­Yeah, whatever. What could possibly go wrong with this little fucker?¡¯ Instead of killing this damn Ethan right here and now, I decided to leave him alone for now. I was right to hate Ethan because of my memories from my previous life. That was THE Ethan, the Lout Prince. He¡¯s the one who had fucked Lilith, took her virginity, and thwarted my strategy. Even so, it was rather odd that I would have murderous intentions toward a child who had just awakened from the curse. It was too pitiful to see him die for a sin he hadn¡¯t evenmitted yet. If I could just get away from this guy in the first ce, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be as irredeemable as his future self in Luminor Academy. ¡­I can¡¯t say for sure, because you never know if a person¡¯s rotten to the core. Faced with the life-altering decision that would determine my fate, I came to a difficult conclusion in my mind with all sorts of thoughts. I suppressed the killing intent that shed through my mind and drew back the knife in my hand. ¡°Put that thing away! Go, how dare you take a de to your master¡­.¡± ¡°I apologize, Master Ethan. I allowed my fear to ovee my ignorance and made a grave mistake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I was afraid that the great House of ckwood had been invaded by a foe, and I was prepared to fight it with my meager forces, but I am so d that you, Master Ethan, are here.¡± ¡°Uh, that is true, yes¡­.¡± ¡°Since it was the fault of the foolish maid¡¯s ignorance, will you not graciously forgive her? I, for one, will forget all about today¡¯s incident when Master Ethan slipped out of bed in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­. I forgive you¡­.¡± It was ame excuse that would have worked no matter how old the person in front of you was. Especially in that, I hadn¡¯t sheathed my weapon as soon as I realized the opponent was a noble. Anyone with the intelligence of a 17 or 18-year-old would have realized that I had some murderous intentions toward him. However, the Ethan in front of me, while 18 years old, was not technically 18 years old, so I was fortunate enough to get away with it. I mean to say that he¡¯s 18¡­no, 18, but not 18, because he¡¯d been asleep for five years, thanks to a curse that had been ced on him when he was 13. The name of the curse that Ethan had suffered for the past five years was the Curse of Erosion. It¡¯s a fairly deadly curse that, if left unchecked, will quickly erode your body and then trigger a yearter to take your life. This curse was actually implemented to some extent in the game. If you were cursed with it inbat, you had to use a special item to release it. In fact, it was such a terrifying gimmick that if you left a character under the curse, there was a penalty for leaving the story or dying. ¡®I also used it in my previous life to eliminate my rival male characters.¡¯ Some of the heroines couldn¡¯t be captured as virgins without eliminating certain rival male characters (boyfriends, brothers, fianc¨¦s), so I¡¯ve killed more than a few enemies by ¡°identally¡± using some curses during battle. I¡¯m not saying I feel guilty about it now, I¡¯m just saying that the curse is that dangerous. A curse so powerful that even the game¡¯s main characters can¡¯t avoid it. So if you¡¯re wondering how this kid, who looks like he should be taller when measured sideways, was able to survive the Curse of Erosion for five years¡­ ¡­it¡¯s because of an ancient magic tool Harold used, the Eternal Pocket Watch. The device is a time-based magic tool that can freeze the user¡¯s body¡¯s time for up to five years. As soon as he realized that his son was under the curse, Harold used the pocket watch. Over the next five years, while Ethan slept, Lilith gathered an endless amount of items here and there that she knew would be necessary to lift the curse. Eventually, as soon as Ethan woke up after the tool¡¯s effects ended, Harold seeded in breaking the curse and protecting his son. ¡®Although, to be honest, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s worth the trouble of protecting.¡¯ Well, there¡¯s no point in ranting about the characterization of a game character, so let¡¯s move on from that and talk about Ethan¡¯s five years of the curse. While using the Eternal Pocket Watch, your body doesn¡¯t age. It¡¯s at aplete standstill. In other words, the Ethan before me is 18 years old by birth, but his physical and mental age are still 13, five years younger than that. Using the terms of my previous life, he¡¯s an elementary school student at best. A 13-year-old can¡¯t possibly recognize the murderous intent I had at that moment, no matter how noble. Not to mention, he wouldn¡¯t want to tell his dad about breaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night because he was hungry. ¡°It¡¯ste, Master Ethan. I suggest you return to bed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of the dark and the silent hallways, I¡¯ll be happy to apany you.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like that.¡± *GROWL*@@novelbin@@ That sound didn¡¯te from Lilith¡¯s body, which had been eating three meals with a proper schedule for over a year, so it was simple enough to deduce who it belonged to. ¡°Hey, I told you I came here because I was hungry. You got a problem with that?!¡± ¡®Fucking pig.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not strange, master. You¡¯re still growing up, so you might be hungry at this time of night.¡± The situation also gives us a pretty good idea of how Lilith and Ethan met in the original story. This encounter was never revealed to be canon, but Luminor Academy is based on this world. Perhaps Lilith and Ethan¡¯s first meeting wasn¡¯t so different from the situation I¡¯m in now. Lilith¡¯s appearance caused her to be transferred from hospitality to the kitchen, and a p from the head maid forced her to work the early morning shifts alone. It was by talking to Ethan, who also sneaked into the kitchen at dawn, that Ethan first learned of Lilith¡¯s existence. Of course, in the game, Lilith would have never tried to fight Ethan, nor would she be chewing on garlic and chopping vegetables with Clean. ¡°I said I was hungry¡­do you have any leftovers or anything?¡± ¡®Seriously?¡¯ ¡°The ckwoods make it a rule to consume the day¡¯s cooking within the same day, so I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have anything for you to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± ¡®What the hell. Just starve.¡¯ Whether 18 or 13, Ethan was still Ethan in the sense that the asshole was making me want to kill him for what he was doing. The problem was, I couldn¡¯t get any work done today unless I could get this asshole out of here. Even if he was a 13-year-old, the fact that you can¡¯t use magic unless you¡¯re a noble should be drilled into his head. There was no way I was going to leave him alone in the kitchen, so the most amicable way to resolve the situation was to feed him something and send him upstairs. ¡°If you¡¯re really hungry, go sit in the dining room. I¡¯ll make you something simple to eat.¡± ¡°Huh? Do you know how to cook?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anythingplicated, but since you¡¯re hungry, I suppose it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Aww!¡± ¡°Instead, you can eat it all and then go back to your room.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Even though it¡¯s been a week since I decided to escape from Ethan, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m supporting him. This was the moment when I fundamentally questioned whether or not I was handling things correctly. T/N
  1. LuAGal is short for Luminor Academy Gallery, the forum where our MC, in his past life, repeatedly called Lilith a slut.
That¡¯s all for now. Thanks for reading and see you in the next one! Chapter 9 I¡¯d sent Ethan out to the dining room with the promise of making him something simple, but sadly, I¡¯m not a culinary genius. This isn¡¯t a web novel where the protagonist was reincarnated into an otherworldly ce and had to cook all sorts of dishes to impress the locals. My culinary skills were based on my life as an ordinary man in Korea, and my only relevant work experience was cooking at home. Even so, most of the dishes I knew how to cook were not avable here. How could I cook in a ce without ramen noodles, canned goods, or microwaves?@@novelbin@@ Cooking any dish that uses fire is bound to leave traces, so the best I could do in this situation was serve a dish that didn¡¯t need to be cooked. The most usible solution was to chop up a few of the dirty fruits and vegetables that could be eaten raw. The vor may not be that special, but it¡¯s none of my business. To be honest, I really didn¡¯t want to make it taste good. It¡¯s not for some nasty reason like I didn¡¯t want to see Ethan¡¯s happy face. In reality, it¡¯s because I knew that if I made it too tasty, the little guy might want more from me in the future. I reiterate that I am intent on getting away from Ethan and ultimately escaping House ckwood. As Lilith Rosewood, Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I never harbored any ambition to educate this boy and raise him to be a proper man. If anything, I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to stay away from him as much as possible. Right now, I¡¯m just dealing with him because I have to get him out of the kitchen. ¡®Hmmm¡­ which among these could be eaten raw¡­. Oh! The tomatoes and turnips.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s not so bad. If he¡¯s really hungry, he¡¯ll eat whatever I serve him. However, if he isn¡¯t, he¡¯d say that he¡¯s full, and I could send him back upstairs. I ced half a turnip, peeled wlessly with Clean, and a single tomato, sliced into even slices, on a sd te. I drizzled a little something on top, some honey. Honey was an expensive condiment in this world, but it wasn¡¯t like I was going to eat it anyway. If anyone criticized me for using honeyter, I could just say I fed it to Ethan. Harold wouldn¡¯t criticize me if I fed it to his kid. I then ted up a tomato and turnip sd, which I¡¯d made from whatever ingredients I had on hand, and took it to the dining room. I set it down with a fork in front of the kid who was waiting for me at the table. ¡°Tomato and turnip sd, sir.¡± ¡°Tomato and turnip¡­? That¡¯s it¡­?¡± ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t do fancy cooking. If you want a proper meal, pleasee back at nine in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have any appetite, I¡¯ll just put it away.¡± ¡°Oh, no! I want it, leave it!¡± I hesitated for a moment at the kid in front of me, but hunger seemed to have won over being a picky eater. He blocked my hand as I tried to take the te and hurriedly grabbed his fork. Fwip. ¡°Haaa, haaa.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­Seriously, if I couldn¡¯t see it, I wouldn¡¯t have. Where the hell did he sell his aristocratic manners? Watching Ethan gobble it down was akin to watching a pig eat. I sighed as I watched him eat, almost smothering the food around his mouth as if he were trying to force it down, and constantly spilling it all over the table. Even though Harold¡¯s wife is dead and he¡¯s raising Ethan alone, shouldn¡¯t a 13-year-old noble be taught basic manners? My anger at Ethan and his father, Harold, was growing in my head. Ethan finished his te and held his empty sd te toward me. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± ¡°¡­Just leave it there and I¡¯ll clean it upter.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± *Bang!* ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I said leave it where it is, not m it on the table. The impact caused the remaining liquid in the te to ssh all over the tablecloth, making the already messy table even messier. In other words, after Ethan left, I had to clean up the mess. Thank goodness I just needed one Clean to tidy things up, or else I might have let an expletive slip out of my mouth. ¡°Did it suit your tastes?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡®This asshole¡­¡¯ ¡°But I¡¯m still full, so it¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Damn, Ethan¡­ even if you¡¯re just saying that you enjoyed the food, you¡¯ll still want to get a bit of a kick out of it, huh? Of course, the problem is that I¡¯m expecting manners and sophistication from this kid with lots of stuff smeared around his mouth. The good news is that he¡¯s full, so I can finally send him back to his room. ¡°Master, turn your face this way.¡± ¡°Huh? ¡­.¡± ¡°If you go around with this kind of stuff around your mouth, your sophistication will be questioned.¡± ¡®¡­and if they find out what you¡¯ve been eating all night, I¡¯ll be in trouble too.¡¯ ¡°Uh, ugh¡­.¡± ¡°There you go.¡± I wiped the mess around his chin with my maid¡¯s apron and felt a little better. With his growling stomach somehow satisfied, it was time to kick him out of the kitchen. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to go up to your bedroom and get some sleep. Do you need me to apany you?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°You are a brave man and can face the darkness of the night alone, so please be safe, Master.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I will keep what happened today between us. I will not gossip about you to my master or any of the other maids, and I ask that you keep the same secret for me.¡± ¡®Especially since I pointed a knife at you in the storeroom.¡¯ ¡°Okay!¡± That wasn¡¯t the most reliable solution, but there wasn¡¯t much more I could do about it now. I could only hope that that pig, Ethan, would honor his promise to me. You wouldn¡¯t want to tell the whole neighborhood that you left your bedroom in the middle of the night because you were hungry, after all¡­ ¡­that is, if you have the slightest bit of shame. ¡°Good night!¡± ¡°¡­Good night, master.¡± In the end, he sounded a little more human. He then shut the kitchen door behind him and returned to his bedroom. I used Clean to clean up the mess of the dining room and Ethan¡¯s dish and utensils. In a way, it was good that I didn¡¯t have to chew a clove of garlic between each spell; yesterday, I would have had to chew a clove or two while clearing the dishes. In terms of growth, it¡¯s much less efficient, but in other words, it meant that I had grown a lot with my magic training yesterday. Even so, that didn¡¯t mean I could afford to be impressed with my increased mana. I was in a hurry to get to work on today¡¯s batch, having wasted so much time with Ethan, and after quickly clearing the dishes, I began to peel the garlic for today¡¯s batch wlessly. I had to do it for my own growth and to keep my coworkers from getting suspicious. Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s childhood was not all sunshine and rainbows. It may seem odd tobel him unhappy when he was raised in the great Duke of ckwood¡¯s family, evidently, with no shortage of advantages. However, Ethan himself did not consider his life to be very pleasant. That thought arose thanks to his father, who had aplished so much, and his mother, who had left him as a child. Born to the heir to House ckwood and an archmage who was the treasure of the empire, Ethan Richard ckwood was born into the world with the expectations of the whole kingdom. As the child of two of the most precious bloodlines under the heavens, it was expected that the child would surely be born with a brilliant talent for magic. His father split the walls of the empire in half with a magical sword at the age of 10. His mother was a prodigy, reading the Academy¡¯s most advanced textbooks from the age of eight. Naturally, as a child, Ethan grew up with high expectations. The expectations of those around him, even before he could walk, weighed heavily on the young Ethan¡¯s mind. As he grew older and older, the expectations grew more and more unreasonable. Several unreasonable expectations for a child barely 10 years old. Though no one had ever told Ethan directly to do anything, he was not so young as to be unable to read the room. Ethan would always agonize over his talent whenever he heard the blind expectations ced on him. He hadn¡¯t been born with his father¡¯s aptitude for enchanted swordsmanship, nor had he been blessed with his mother¡¯s mind to understand specialized magical knowledge. The first thing the 10-year-old realized about his talent was not his ability to manipte magic or his knowledge of magic, but rather that his talent was vastly inferior to his parents¡¯. Despite this, Ethan somehow managed to reach the age of ten without any issues, thanks to his mother, Thanasia. No matter how inadequate he was and how he had failed to live up to expectations, his mother was always there tofort and embrace him. She was the only one who loved him for who he was instead of expecting him to be like everyone else. From the moment his mother fell ill and passed away when he was 10, Ethan¡¯s spirit was broken. It was a moment that took away thest person who understood his already fragile state. Of course, his father, Harold, cared for Ethan in no way less than Thanasia. Ethan was simply too young to read the blunt emotions that were rarely expressed. His mother, his only source of support, is dead, and his blunt father does not care for him. Even so, there are countless eyes still watching him, waiting to see when his talent would blossom. Ethan often wandered around the mansion in a daze, feeling as if he were alone; an alien in the vast mansion. ¡­It was the slightest trigger that changed the child¡¯s personality. *thud* *Thud* *THUD* ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± ¡°No, master!¡± ¡°Master Ethan fell down the stairs! Hurry and get a doctor!¡± At that moment, in a world turned upside-down, the maids gathered around him. For some reason, Ethan felt unprecedentedlyfortable in the atmosphere. It¡¯s the only time he¡¯s ever felt no expectation of himself, even though there are far more eyes on him than usual. Even though there were more eyes on him than usual, it was the only moment where he didn¡¯t feel any expectations towards him. Chapter 10 ¡°Master Ethan, are you okay?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Thankfully, your injuries don¡¯t appear to be life-threatening. I¡¯m guessing you were just so startled that you cked out.¡± ¡°Thank goodness, master. If something had happened to you, I¡¯m sure you would have been¡­.¡± Waking from a brief, cozy sleep, Ethan opened his eyes and immediately took in his surroundings. A familiar room, and a bunch of maids gathered around him. Realizing that he¡¯d been carried to the bedroom after his copse, Ethan quickly grasped the situation despite his young age. The maids were giving him worried nces; not the excited ones he was used to. He didn¡¯t know why, but their gazes had suddenly changed. Ethan quickly realized that the emotions that had suddenly flooded him had changed. There was only one thing that was different from his usual self. He had lost his footing on the grand staircase, near the ground floor, and fell down. It¡¯s amazing how such a small ident can change the way people look at you. At such a young age, Ethan naturally began to form a false sense of self-worth. His assumption became a fact when his father walked into his room shortly afterward. ¡°Ethan! Ethan!¡± The urgency in his voice and the distorted expression on his face that he never normally shows. Ethan wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to realize that it was his father¡¯s concern for him. From a young age, Ethan had already felt the gazes, conveying a myriad of emotions, towards him. In the way his father hugged him tightly, Ethan could feel every single one of those raw emotions. ¡°Ethan! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay¡­. If you¡¯d be gone too, I¡­!¡± A father¡¯s love he never thought he¡¯d felt before. He never thought he could feel it just because he was hurt and fell. It happened just once, just one fall down the stairs. At such a young age, Ethan realized in the strangest of ways how to be loved by others. For the next two years, he tried to gain the love of others. ¡°Master Ethan, are you okay?!¡± ¡°Master Ethan, if you skip your morning training, my master will be worried.¡± ¡°Did you skip your etiquette training today as well¡­.? Please don¡¯t forget to attend tomorrow, master.¡± ¡°Master Ethan. If youe out of your bedroom in the middle of the night like this¡­.¡± ¡°Young master¡­.¡± Every time he gets hurt, messes up, or makes a mistake, the expectant nces he used to get from them quickly fade, reced by concern and pity. With each passing day, people stop expecting perfection from him. Over time, Ethan hade to recognize these people¡¯s changing feelings as love. Some had said that he had be dumber after falling down the stairs that day, but that was not the case at all. On the contrary, he had only be more clever. Once he realized that no one could criticize him, Ethan practically had the manor at his disposal. No one stopped him from sleeping until the sun was high in the sky, no one stopped him from eating whenever he felt hungry, even when it wasn¡¯t mealtime, and no one stopped him from training in swordsmanship and magic. No one could control his behavior or reprimand him for it, even as his body regressed into a terrible state. Hecked even the most minimal refinement found in a nobleman of his age. For everyone knew that Harold loved Ethan dearly, the final remnant of his family, his flesh and blood. If you offended Ethan in the wrong way, you could be sent to some other harsh duty station away from the manor, or even disqualified and cast out. He could only silently hope that one day he woulde to his senses and be more like his father, Harold. No matter what he did, no one in the manor could restrain him. That is, except for one person in the sprawling mansion, a new maid.@@novelbin@@ ¡°I apologize, Master Ethan. I allowed my fear to ovee my ignorance and made a grave mistake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± A cold stare, not a hint of expectations in her eyes, even though she knew he was Ethan Richard ckwood. Ethan had gotten used to reading other people¡¯s eyes, so it was easy for him to read the look in his new maid¡¯s eyes. It wasmon for maids who met him for the first time to have some expectations toward him, only to lose them over time. The maid in front of him was clearly meeting him for the first time, but she didn¡¯t look at him with any expectations at all. Ethan was intrigued by her difference from the others. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of the dark and the silent hallways, I¡¯ll be happy to apany you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not strange, master. You¡¯re still growing up, so you might be hungry at this time of night.¡± ¡°¡­Just leave it there and I¡¯ll clean it upter.¡± A calm emotion that doesn¡¯t change no matter how disappointing your behavior is. Somehow, the look in her eyes, the one that said she¡¯d never had any expectations to begin with, reminded Ethan of someone he missed. Someone who was gone, someone he¡¯d missed for a very long time. ¡°You don¡¯t have to live up to anyone¡¯s expectations, Ethan. Mommy loves you no matter who you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± After leaving the kitchen he¡¯d snuck into at dawn, Ethan had a thought as he walked back to his bedroom. If he came to the kitchen at this time tomorrow, just maybe, he would see the maid again. My third day in the kitchen. I woke up at 4 a.m. with eyes that floated open on their own. I need to move carefully, slowly, so as not to wake Isabel¡­. ¡°Going to work, Lilith?¡± ¡­Oh, no. ¡°Sorry, did I wake you again?¡± ¡°No¡­. My eyes were just opened¡­.¡± I was actually going to sneak out without waking her today. I felt bad for Isabel, who had been up for days because of me. It¡¯s the time of year when she¡¯s most sleep-deprived, and I feel like I¡¯m keeping her from getting any sleep. Of course, working in the kitchen wasn¡¯t exactly a position I wanted, and getting up at 4 a.m. wasn¡¯t always my choice. ¡°If the bed upstairs is ufortable, you cane sleep in my spot. I have to go to work now, anyway.¡± ¡°Yeahhhh¡­.¡± Apparently, the top bunk is ufortable, so Isabeles down and takes my spot at the bottom. It was strangely cute to see her squirming and burrowing into the nket I had just covered her with. Well, she was a high school girl who hadn¡¯t even started college yet, so it was only natural for her to look that way. ¡°If you¡¯re notfortable on the second floor, why don¡¯t you just sleep in my ce starting tomorrow and I¡¯ll sleep on the second floor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­. It doesn¡¯t really matter¡­.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. It¡¯s warm¡­.¡± Isabel mumbled something unintelligible, burrowed back into the nket I was covering her with, and returned to sleep. When I saw that she had fallen asleep again shortly afterward, I carefully opened the door and stepped out into the mansion¡¯s hallway. The hallways of ckwood Manor at dawn are nowpletely familiar. Walking around like this reminds me of my time in the army*1, when I was on watch. However, the fatal w of being on call now was that you couldn¡¯t change shifts when the weather changed. Rustle. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What was that? I think I just heard something behind me. I turned my head to see if Isabel had inadvertently followed me out, but there was no sign of anyone following me. Shrugging it off as my bad mood, I trudged to my destination, the kitchen. ¡®Hah¡­. I really don¡¯t wanna be chewing on garlic right now¡­.¡¯ It was an inevitable sentiment after spending over an hour chewing garlic and chopping vegetables after Ethan finally went to bed yesterday. Unfortunately, the results of all that hard work were lost on the second day. ¡ºCurrent Mana: 245 / 245¡» I was somewhat prepared for the drop in efficiency, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad. I did a quick calction and found that the amount of mana consumed was almost exactly the samepared to the first day. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not as efficient as I used to be as my maximum mana has grown. Still, it was undeniable that my mana cap was growing. In the first ce, I had alreadye too far to stop now. The senior maids were expecting me to finish all the work as if this situation werepletely natural. ¡°Lilith, thank you for your work today. Please do a good job tomorrow.¡± ¡°We really do need you here in the kitchen, Lilith. Do you want to continue working with us in the future?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Are you crazy?! I¡¯m losing my mind by working with you guys either way. What kind of junior maid would want to work with a bunch of bitches who are only in their second year and are pping their juniors around? I¡¯m only putting up with it because it¡¯s a good environment for my magical training, but after this shift, I¡¯m done working with the damned senior maids. In another five days or so, I¡¯ll be able to work with Isabelle again, so I¡¯ll just have to suck it up until then. Creak. With that thought in mind, I sighed as soon as I opened the kitchen door and stepped inside. The mountain of vegetables was refilled again as soon as the day was over. That was also the moment I realized that what I had to do today hadn¡¯t changed. ¡­I just hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that there was someone else in the kitchen I wasn¡¯t expecting. ¡°Haaaaa¡­.¡± ¡°Maid, are you sighing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Just now, for some reason, I thought I heard an unpleasant voice nearby. I looked around cautiously, hoping I had misheard, but s, my guess was wrong this time. An expletive nearly escaped my lips as I caught sight of a short silhouette on the kitchen floor. ¡­but I had to hold back what was about to spill out, knowing who I was dealing with. ¡°The maid was sighing because she didn¡¯t want to work~. Shall I tell my father?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Maid, I¡¯m hungry. So please cook for me again today.¡± ¡­Ha, really. You¡¯re really pissing me off right before work. T/N
    1. This most likely refers to the military enlistment that young South Korean men are required byw toply with. This applies to physically fit men aged between 18 and 35.
That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 11 ¡°Maid, I¡¯m hungry, so cook for me again today.¡± ¡®Shit.¡¯ A curse word spontaneously erupted in my head as soon as I walked into the kitchen and saw Ethan¡¯s face, not to mention how he was shamelessly treating me like a maid. Why the hell is this asshole still here in the first ce? The most likely exnation is obvious. It had to be because the piglet was again hungry and crawled in, but there must be another reason¡­. ¡­maybe, like in the original game, he likes the way Lilith looks and wants her attention. ¡®If that were the reason, he would have summoned me during the day instead of using this cumbersome method.¡¯ With the power Ethan had at his disposal, moving a junior maid or two around was as easy as blowing his nose. Right now, if this asshole even muttered the slightest hint that he wanted me to be his maid, Harold wouldn¡¯t hesitate for a second to make it happen. If it did, I would be halfway down the path of his exclusive fucking maid. That¡¯s exactly why I purposely treated him like a nuisance in my conversation with him yesterday. That¡¯s also why I made the meal he asked for, because he was hungry, as insincere as possible. I also shouldn¡¯t have added honey at the end. I should have just given him some chopped-up turnips to eat. I made it look a little bit more edible than I wanted to because I was afraid that if I served it too casually, it would be dangerous for my job. Unfortunately for me, I made it somewhat edible, and now, he¡¯s showing his face again today. ¡®I really want to just kill him.¡¯ I barely suppressed the evil self that rose within me for a moment. If I made even the slightest scratch on this abomination¡¯s body, Lilith¡¯s life would be worth less than that of a fly. As I¡¯ve said before, the punishment would be such that she would be better off dead. At worst, she¡¯d be dismembered and sent to be used as a ve to fulfill the lusts of the soldiers at the vanguard, or worse, tortured to death by professional torturers. Plus, I hadn¡¯t thought of it the other day, but if I made a mistake, the consequences could also be directed to Isabel in the name of guilt by association. That would lead to some nonsense about how she knew I was going to kill Ethan but she didn¡¯t stop me. If it were just me, I might have taken the gamble of killing him and escaping, but the loss of his son would most likely cause Harold to lose his shit. Most of my recent associates, not to mention Isabel, who joined at the same time as me, were likely to be subject to punishment. That would include the senior maids who gave me this job for today. ¡­Come to think of it, that doesn¡¯t seem so bad. Anyway, other than the senior maids, I didn¡¯t want to cause as much trouble as possible for Isabel. What could possibly be wrong with the nice girl? To have her suffer such a cruel fate just because her motivation for joining was Lilith¡­ How pitiful would that be? I¡¯d rather get screwed over alone in the future than get others involved. In truth, it was easy enough to avoid the whole situation altogether, leaving out the possibility of future involvement with Ethan. I could just feed him the same meal I¡¯d made yesterday and send him back upstairs to his bedroom. Still, I didn¡¯t want to have to think about the future now when I wasn¡¯t facing it yet, so Ipromised with reality. For now, I decided to cater to Ethan¡¯s needs, right here and now. ¡°I see you woke up hungry again today, Master.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Very well, then I¡¯ll prepare you the same meal as I did yesterday. If you could please wait in the dining room for a few minutes¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want what I had yesterday, make me something else!¡± ¡°Master Ethan¡­ I don¡¯t think I have the skills to make another dish, but¡­.¡± For a moment, the words ¡°you fucking asshole¡± almost came out of my mouth, but I was proud of myself for somehow keeping my cool. This is also, in a way, a survival instinct to escape the crisis. Sensing that I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in this mansion for long if I uttered a single curse word to that asshole, my brain naturally covered up my mistake. Luckily, the little brat hadn¡¯t realized that my words were profanity. It¡¯s hard to suppress my urges when he chooses to use words that piss me off. ¡°If you want to make it, make it! I¡¯m hungry!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@ The old saying goes, if you can endure something three times, you can avoid murder. With the kid already taking the first two strikes, my rational mind barely restrained the urge to snap in front of the cheeky kid. I even managed toe up with an answer that somehow deflected the situation. ¡°¡­Okay, in that case, I¡¯ll try to make something other than a tomato and turnip sd.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°But just likest time, I can¡¯t guarantee that the dish will taste as good. You might not like it as much as the sd I made before.¡± ¡°A!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start cooking now, so please wait in the dining room for a few minutes, master.¡± Patience. Patience. I¡¯m just going to feed this kid something random and get to work quickly¡­ ¡°I want to watch you make it!¡± ¡°¡­Please sit quietly in the dining room and wait.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m going to watch you cook!¡± ¡°¡­The kitchen is a dangerous ce, Master Ethan, and I ask that you please wait in the dining room and behave yourself¡­.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡­Three strikes. My body, no longer able to suppress it with reason, reflexively lunged at Ethan. Next thing I know, he¡¯s on the floor, and I¡¯m strangling him. Barely 13 years old, his body was no match for the strength of a full-grown woman raised on a farm. I pinned his overweight body to the kitchen floor with all my might, and wrapped both hands around his throat, choking the life out of him¡­¡­. ¡­¡­just for a moment, that scene popped into my head. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Maid?¡± ¡°¡­For thest time, I sincerely request that you wait in the dining room until the food is finished.¡± ¡®Please, while I still have any sense of reason left.¡¯ Even the most clueless kid would have realized something was amiss by this point, but he listened carefully to myst words. Somehow, the same survival instincts were kicking in his head as mine, and he understood myst words. ¡°Oh, okay¡­. I¡¯ll wait for you in the cafeteria¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have it ready in a minute and bring it to you.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­.¡± Peace finally came after the kid slipped out of the kitchen. Only after Ethan disappeared out the door could I finally let out all the intense emotions I¡¯d been holding inside. ¡°Fuck me. I¡¯m lucky as hell that he¡¯s been bugging me during my free time, but this is the second fucking day in a row that I¡¯ve had to deal with this asshole¡­¡­¡­.¡± Even if that asshole wasn¡¯t the son of the head of the house, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep my cool. If it was one of my senior maids doing the same thing, then they¡¯d be dead and I¡¯d be dead not long after. However, the person in front of me was not a senior maid or a junior maid, but amoner and a duke¡¯s only child, a ridiculous disparity in status. Having yed over 2,000 hours of Luminor Academy alone in my previous life, I was perfectly familiar with the game¡¯s death events. At the very least, I was pretty sure that if I hurt Ethan¡¯s body, it wouldn¡¯t end well. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the protagonist could solve everything with brute force. However, the consequences of a battle between a mere maid¡¯s brute force against Harold¡¯s are obvious. I may be in a different body than I was in my previous life, but I¡¯m still well aware that my life is precious. ¡°Haha, what creative dish am I supposed to make again today¡­.¡± After entering my favorite game from my past life, all I¡¯m doing is dealing with shitty seniors and bossy brats. It was a moment that made me want to curse at the man who had made me possess Lilith. Then, about 10 minutester¡­ ¡°¡­What is this?¡± ¡®Mussam¡­¡¯*1 ¡°These are radish wraps.¡± ¡°Radish wraps¡­?¡± Ethan looked at me with a confused expression. It was clear that he was asking for an exnation, so I answered him with my own creative dish. ¡°It¡¯s thinly sliced radish with shredded carrots, onions, tomatoes, and turnips.¡± ¡°Is there such a dish like that¡­? And turnips again¡­.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t suit your tastes, I¡¯ll put it away.¡± ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯ll eat it!¡± ¡­At least you¡¯re still hungry. You¡¯re willing to eat something that looks so unappetizing. To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t really want to eat it. There¡¯s no meat or salmon in it, and it tastes like crap. The sauce was just salt and olive oil at best. If I¡¯m going to eat that, I might as well just chew on a raw tomato. You¡¯re probably thinking by now that you¡¯d rather have a tomato and turnip sd, but he was the one who refused to eat it in the first ce. It¡¯s your dish, your choice. You can either get rid of it or you don¡¯t. Munch munch munch. Crunch. Munch. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­I gave it to him to eat, but he¡¯s eating it in a really filthy way. It was one of those moments where I seriously wondered if he was eating that way on purpose to get on people¡¯s nerves. Otherwise, a 13-year-old noble kid wouldn¡¯t be so uneducated as to eat like that. I know Harold says he¡¯s a fool for his son, but that seems a little tooissez-faire to me. Well, that¡¯s none of my business. I don¡¯t particrly care if that hateful son of a bitch is raised right or wrong. All I want is to keep him out of my life as much as possible. ¡­Though I realize it¡¯s toote to say that when I find myself in the kitchen for two days in a row. ¡®I should have fed him something so bad he couldn¡¯t eat it from day one.¡¯ I¡¯vee too far to turn back, and all I can do is curse my foolishness from yesterday. While I was thinking this, Ethan had already emptied his te of its contents. With a tter, the fork he was holding fell onto the empty te. ¡°Are you finished?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Was it to your taste?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡®I knew it.¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect it to be to his taste to begin with. There¡¯s no way the same kid who said he didn¡¯t like the tomato turnip sd he ate yesterday is going to say he liked what he ate today. Not particrly disappointed with the kid¡¯s response, I advised Ethan to return to his bedroom. ¡°It¡¯ste at night. Please return to your bedroom before anyone sees you.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± At least he¡¯s a little easier to deal with, in that he¡¯ll behave once he¡¯s fed. After watching Ethan¡¯s waddling body disappear down the hallway of the mansion, I cleaned up his te and the spot on the table where he had eaten with Clean. ¡­Hopefully, he won¡¯t show up in the kitchen again tomorrow. I wasn¡¯t sure if my reason would hold out or not, so I prayed and prayed and prayed that he wouldn¡¯t show up again. That was the best I could do in Lilith¡¯s body right now. A/N A Word from the Original Author (Afterword) Lilith¡¯s momentary delusion is not the scene in the prologue. The scene from the prologue wille after the conflict between the two has intensified a bit more, so please be patient! T/N
  1. Mussammu(radish) andssam(wrap, usually with leafy vegetables). It¡¯s made by wrapping shredded vegetables inssammuor paper-thin pickled radish.
That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 12 I somehow managed to get Ethan to eat my impromptu creation. With the mess cleaned up and the dishes washed with Clean, I got right to work on my quota for the day: tending to the vegetables. First, I used my remaining mana from cleaning the dining room to neatly slice off a few garlic cloves. Emptying my mana to the bottom, I popped fiverge cloves of garlic into my mouth. All to replenish Lilith¡¯s nearly 250 mana capacity in one go. ¡°Ughhhh¡­!¡± It was still painful due to the unustomed aroma and pungency, but it was training that had to be done to survive. The only way to make this agonizing moment a little less painful was to chew it quickly. In the spirit of chewing through the worst of it, I somehow managed to squeeze five cloves of garlic into my mouth before shoving the remaining pungent mass down my throat. Immediately afterward, I felt the sensation of my emptied magic energy being filled up enveloped my entire body. ¡°Bleh! Ughhhh¡­¡± A terrible feeling of nausea also enveloped my body, which was hard for a human high school girl to endure. Fortunately, I managed to hold it together with my willpower and didn¡¯t end up throwing up the contents of my stomach again. The five garlic cloves in my stomach replenished my mana and increased its maximum. ¡ºCurrent Mana: 245 / 245+1¡» ¡­Five garlic cloves, yet a whopping increase of 1 in my maximum mana. ¡°Shit¡­. It almost feels like I¡¯m reaching enlightenment¡­.¡± On the first day, growing my mana was quick and easy, as swallowing half a garlic clove increased the maximum amount significantly. However, the current Lilith had entered a period of extreme inefficiency, requiring five garlic cloves to be swallowed to increase her mana by 1. At this point, it was actually much faster to level up than to increase my max mana. I was leveling up faster than I was maxing out my mana, which is something I never did in my previous life. Now, though, I¡¯m a maid used to pay debts who can¡¯t even leave the mansion, let alone level up. Even this growth was essential for me to maximize my leveling efficiency in my spare time. ¡°Heh, heh, heh, heh¡­.¡± Do you remember the senior maids? Those assholes¡­. I¡¯m gonna fuck them all up one day when I get the chance¡­. Of course, I was the one who decided to chew garlic and grow magic, but if it weren¡¯t for those assholes, I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess today. Regardless of the oue, the pain I¡¯m suffering now was caused by those bastards. If I don¡¯t think about it that way, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to bear the pain. Pulling three potatoes from the sack, I cast Clean three times simultaneously. Thanks to the triple casting, which I was nowpetent and proficient at, I peeled the three potatoes and they turned smooth and round. ¡°Ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± ¡­I never thought I¡¯d get used to multicasting with a potato peeler, let alone anything else. Even triple casting was a skill I didn¡¯t learn until my second year at the Academy. I chuckled unintentionally at how fast I¡¯d improved. The remaining potatoes were also triple cast, peeled three at a time. I cursed the damn seniors for throwing me into this garlic hell in the process. Slice. ¡°Ariana¡­¡± Slice. ¡°Alicia¡­¡± Slice. ¡°¡­Catherine¡­¡± One after the other, the potato chunks that tumbled into the cauldron looked like the skulls of the three maids. As I stared at the sight, I muttered a threat that no one could hear. ¡°You wait and see, you bitches, before I leave this mansion one day, I¡¯m going to screw you all over one way or another¡­.¡± *THUD* ¡°¡­Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I was in the middle of peeling potatoes when I suddenly heard the sound of someone falling near the kitchen. It was apanied by a high-pitched scream, presumably from a woman. ¡­along with a voice that somehow sounded familiar. ¡°¡­What?¡± Ethan must have returned to his bed¡­. right? The voice didn¡¯t sound like Ethan¡¯s at all, but that didn¡¯t mean I could rx. Not to mention, I¡¯d just been in the kitchen, triple-casting magic. I didn¡¯t want Ethan, or anyone else, to see me using magic. I cautiously opened the half-open door inward, hoping that the voice I¡¯d just heard belonged to Isabel. s, my hopes were dashed again. It wasn¡¯t Isabel, but another maid, who fell on her ass in front of the kitchen door. ¡°¡­Senior Catherine?¡± One of the senior maids at ckwood Manor, with her short stature and pink hair. Catherine, one of the seniors who had given me a quick treatment, was looking up at me from her position on the floor. ¡°Hehehehe¡­!¡± I don¡¯t know why, but she seemed like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. Catherine Lane. One of my seniors in the manor. She had the earliest morning start of any of the maids until Lilith began her shift in the kitchen. With Lilith¡¯s transfer to the kitchen, she, like her peers, is able to enjoy a more leisurely day. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For some reason, she was out of her dormitory before four in the morning, wandering the halls of the mansion. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong¡­.¡¯ The new maid, who had been assigned to the same position as them two days ago, had started working with them. Catherine sensed something was wrong with her, as she was finishing all her work and left before she and her coworkers had even gotten to work. Her coworkers, Ariana and Alicia, were moreid back, saying that they just had a new junior who was good at her job. For Catherine, who had spent the past year doing all of her coworkers¡¯ work and doing the actual work, this situation didn¡¯t feel rxing at all. ¡®To cut all those vegetables in just an hour or two, it just doesn¡¯t make sense¡­.¡¯ Back in her day, when she was doing the same job, she would have had to move her arms all day long without resting. No matter how fast your hands are, the idea of getting all that work done in just a couple of hours is unrealistic, no matter how many times you think about it. What is also unfathomable is the stamina to do that much work for two days in a row without copsing. Even she, who already had two years of experience as a maid, would usually copse after the work was done if she took on that much work alone. Her sessor, Lilith, didn¡¯t even show any signs of fatigue. She somewhat looked a little dazed just before she left in the morning, but after a break, she was back to her old self by the afternoon. In Catherine¡¯s eyes and her practical, hands-on experience, Lilith¡¯s behavior was not without its oddities. ¡®Is she bringing someone else into the kitchen to work with her without our knowledge¡­?¡¯ It was hard to imagine that Lilith, a junior maid, would have such authority, but it was the most reasonable hypothesis at the moment. Anything else was too much for a mere maid¡¯s mind to imagine. Catherine had been lurking outside the lower maids¡¯ quarters, where Lilith and Isabel stayed since three in the morning, waiting for her. Creak. Around 4 a.m., she silently followed Lilith as she walked out the door. Rustle. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There were a few moments along the way when she was almost spotted, but fortunately, the darkness of the mansion at dawn had hidden her small frame. She followed Lilith into the dining room of ckwood Manor. ¡®I don¡¯t think anyone else came into the kitchen¡­.¡¯ Perhaps she¡¯d arranged to meet her new partner in the dining room. Catherine waited at the entrance of the dining room for a few more people to arrive to see if her guess was correct. When she saw that no one else wasing, she carefully followed Lilith into the dining room. ¡°I want ¡­ watch ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­please¡­sit down and wait¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No! I want to watch ¡­ cook¡­¡­!¡± The sound of two people talking could be heard from the kitchen as soon as she entered the dining room. Realizing it belonged to Lilith and someone else, Catherine quietly put her ear to the inner door of the prep room. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out who was talking to Lilith. It was the voice of Master Ethan, the man who had been causing a stir in the manor since his curse had been broken. ¡°Eh, why is Master Ethan here?!¡± Catherine felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that the voice belonged to one of the most important people in the manor.@@novelbin@@ Why he would be in the manor¡¯s kitchen at this hour was beyond her. The conversation she had just overheard between the two of them reveals the truth of what has happened. Ethan Richard ckwood was born into a noble family. It wasmon knowledge in this world that noblemen were born with the ability to use magic, so it was only natural that Ethan would be able to use it. She didn¡¯t know why, but assuming he had helped Lilith in the kitchen two days earlier, chopping vegetables, it would all make sense. If Ethan was using magic to prep instead of Lilith using her hands, it would exin her unusually fast turnaround time¡­ ¡­and therein lies the problem. Although Catherine ims it was not her intention, the end result of her actions is that she has put a nobleman, Master Ethan, in charge of the kitchen. There would be no public punishment for now, as there were guests in the manor, but once the guests left and their kitchen duties wereplete, punishment would surely follow. She¡¯d be punished along with her seniors for forgetting their duties as servants and allowing the junior maids to do all of their work, and for daring to dirty a nobleman¡¯s hands with meal preparation. Catherine, who had already been used of stealing from Ethan, would be punished severely. All theplications that would ensue swirled chaotically through the fragile girl¡¯s mind. ¡®Oh no, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?!¡¯ ¡®I never meant for this to happen!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve always been the one to take on the work of my peers, and I never had any intention of passing on the work to the next maid!¡¯ ¡®I wasn¡¯t even the one who stole and hid Master Ethan¡¯s belongings in the first ce!¡® The Duke of ckwood¡¯s family was not generous enough to let her vent her frustrations. As Catherine stood in the kitchen doorway, her head in her hands, she heard Ethan¡¯s voice was getting closer to the door. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you just show me? I wanted to see you cook.¡± Muttering something to himself, Master Ethan¡¯s voice moved through the kitchen prep room and into the dining room. Catherine¡¯s heart was already pounding, and she had no mental strength left to face the nobleman. In a panic, she hastily searched for a ce to hide, crawling under the tablecloth at the nearest table in sight. ¡®What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?!?!?!¡­¡¯ She¡¯d have to hide until Ethan, after eating Lilith¡¯s cooking, retreated to his bedroom, and after Lilith returned to the kitchen after cleaning up the dining room. Catherine spent the next half hour hiding under the tablecloth, trying to think of a way out of this situation. Perhaps, in this situation, she may have put her own life at risk. Somehow, in some way, she had to cleanse herself of her sins and find a way to survive. Chapter 13 Catherine Lane. One of the senior maids who began working at ckwood Manor a year before Isabelle and I. In other words, she was one of the three bitch-ass seniors who had been fooling me, leaving me to handle the kitchen chores alone. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hehehehe¡­!¡± She freaked out, tears streaming down her face as soon as she made eye contact with me. Why on earth do I keep getting unwanted guests in the kitchen today? I never thought she¡¯de out this early to spy on me. ¡°Senior Catherine, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­. That¡¯s right, miss¡­¡± ¡°¡­miss¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­. So sorry, miss¡­. I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I was surprised to hear her talk to me respectfully out of the blue, but she apologized to me, bowing even lower. Even though she seemed timid, I didn¡¯t think she was the kind of person who would be respectful to a junior maid. Then again, until yesterday, she spoke to me both casually and semi-formally. I can¡¯t help but be puzzled by her sudden change in demeanor. Catherine Lane. To be honest, she was a non-existent character in the original game. It wasn¡¯t until I started working in the kitchen that I realized she existed in the first ce. She had never appeared in the main story of Luminor Academy, not even in the sub-story, not even in Lilith¡¯s exclusive route, and not even in any of the other releases or aggregates of the game. She was, most likely, never even depicted in the official illustrations. If there is any trace of her there, it¡¯s probably with her as a background character in a cutscene somewhere with no face. So when I saw that there was a character like this next to Ariana and Alicia, I was a bit surprised. Unlike Catherine, at least the first two characters were people you¡¯d encounter along the Lilith route. In Luminor Academy, these bitches were maids who sympathized with Ethan to harass Lilith and to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn¡¯t escape. Now, while I¡¯ve seen Lilith¡¯s ending dozens of times, and their names and likenesses were familiar to me, I never noticed that Catherine was ever around the two. Perhaps she left just before the main plot for various reasons or something. Whatever the case may have been in the original, from the impression I have of her now, she¡¯s a character I honestly don¡¯t care for. To me, she was one of the three senior maids who had pped me to do their work. In the long run, the two would likely prove to be more of a nuisance to me. In any case, she wasn¡¯t much different from the other two. ¡­Or, in a sense, maybe she was a little worse. Especially in that, she¡¯d been snooping around behind my back as she doubted that I¡¯d done a perfect kitchen job for two days straight. ¡°Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What brings you to the kitchen at this time? If I recall correctly, isn¡¯t the seniors¡¯ start time six in the morning?¡± ¡°I apologize¡­. I apologize, Ms. Lilith¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Lilith?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­. Li, Ms. Lilith¡­.¡± ¡­I can¡¯t seem to get any sort of conversation going. Every time she says something, she¡¯s wringing her hands as if she¡¯s some sort of mortal sinner, and I can¡¯t get the conversation going. I think the first thing I need to do is find out why this senior maid is cing herself below me. I thought it would be best to clear up the misunderstandings one by one. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something first, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say it, Miss¡­.¡± ¡°What on earth are you doing? Besides, you¡¯ve been talking politely to me since a while ago, and you weren¡¯t until yesterday, were you?¡± ¡°Uh, until yesterday¡­. because I hadn¡¯t realized that Miss Lilith was a noblewoman¡­.¡± ¡­Me? Nobility? The senior maid¡¯s remarks sent a chill down my spine. Wondering what she would say with her open mouth, I listened for a while longer. Depending on the content of the wordsing out of Catherine¡¯s mouth, it might be necessary to force her to shut up. ¡°¡­Could you tell me why you think I¡¯m a noble, Catherine?¡± ¡°Look, I saw it¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I saw you, using, um, magic¡­.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°The way you organize the dining room with Clean, and the way you trim potato skins with magic in the kitchen, ma¡¯am¡­. Ma-magic is a blessing that can only be used by nobles, so of course Lady Lilith is a noble¡­.¡± ¡­A. So you just assumed I was a noble because you saw me using magic even though I¡¯m nothing of the sort. Not that she had any legitimate proof that I was a noble. If anything, it was a good thing. At least I didn¡¯t have to ¡°force¡± her to shut up. Still, I didn¡¯t particrly like the idea of being caught using magic. ¡°Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯ve done wrong, Miss Lilith¡­ Please forgive me for my sins¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to talk about, so just calm down.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t know¡­ and I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted to either¡­. I¡¯ll be doing all the kitchen work for the rest of the year¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, well, you¡¯re going to have to hear my side of the story first, senior, because there¡¯s no way that¡¯s going to work¡­.¡± ¡°Ehhhh? Unlike Ariana and Alicia¡­. I¡­. there will definitely be a punishment for me¡­! The moment my master realizes that I left things to Master Ethan and Lady Lilith¡­¡± ¡°Alright, just shut up and listen to me first!¡± ¡°Hmph, hmph¡­!!!¡± I HAD to yell. I was frustrated that she wasn¡¯t listening to anything I said and was only talking about herself. Only then did Catherine stop talking and shut her mouth tightly. To put it nicely, she doesn¡¯t always understand at once. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re talking about, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°First of all, since I¡¯m busy preparing the ingredients for today¡¯s meal, why don¡¯t we talk about it in detailter tonight? I can clear up any misconceptions Senior Catherine has about me by then¡­.¡± Pssshhhhh. ¡­The sound of water? I listened carefully to see if it was a leak in the kitchen, but it seemed to being from inside the prep room, not the kitchen. To add insult to injury, as soon as I realized it was closer than I thought, an expletive escaped my mouth. ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­. I¡¯m so sorry¡­!¡± Catherine¡¯s maid¡¯s uniform was soaking wet from the center as she slumped to the floor, making a yellow circle on the prep room floor. ¡­What a fucking baby. I used Clean to wipe away the traces of the asshole maid who pissed on the floor in frustration. I could barely get a word in. Catherine, who was now dressed in a slightly cleaner maid¡¯s outfit than when she first put it on, spoke in a deliberately nervous voice. ¡°¡­Next time, don¡¯t make a mess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°..and stop apologizing while constantly avoiding my eyes, it¡¯s only making me feel more ufortable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Catherine, who was told not to apologize, had kept her mouth shut and remained silent. I didn¡¯t have a very good impression of her to begin with, but that incident just now has lowered my opinion of her considerably. It¡¯s bad enough that she¡¯s leaving a child behind, but now, she¡¯s watching a junior maid clean up a senior maid¡¯s piss on the floor. Mind you, this is a kitchen maid and a babysitter. It¡¯s a good thing I had Clean. Without it, I would have had to mop up the stinking liquid myself. Washing a pee-soaked maid¡¯s uniform would have been impossible. It was a generous gesture on my part to wash the maid¡¯s clothes. I had a vague sense of guilt that I¡¯d made her break down by yelling at her. ¡°Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Please stop talking to me¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter, after work, and don¡¯t awkwardly call me some weird title like ¡°Miss¡±.¡± ¡°How dare I do such a thing to a nobledy¡­.¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t want to do it, then don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Catherine nodded her head urgently as she finally understood what was being said. I think I finally have a better idea of how to handle this timid maid. I now realize that she never gets anything the first time, so the most effective way tomunicate with her is to speak firmly and forcefully from the start. There are two main misconceptions she has about me right now. One is that she thinks I¡¯m not a maid, rather, that I¡¯m some nobledy from somewhere posing as a maid. The other was that she thought that Ethan and I had taken care of the work she had left behind. It didn¡¯t really matter if the second misconception was correct or not, but the first was better left unsolved. I¡¯ve already been caught using magic, and there¡¯s no point in glossing over that part. It would be more effective to keep the misconception of my nobility alive and use that as leverage to shut them up. ¡°First of all, the fact that I¡¯m a noble isn¡¯t something that should be known to others, so don¡¯t let them know, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask why. If you¡¯re not careful about it, the next time information about me being a noble leaks out somewhere, I¡¯ll naturally be the first to suspect you. ¡­I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t be very pleasant for a mere maid to go head-to-head with a noble.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never tell anyone, Lady Lilith, I swear!¡± ¡°If you really care about hiding it, you should drop the title, and revert to your normal manner of speech immediately.¡± ¡°Uh, how¡­how could I¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Do it.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine reflexively grabs herself between the thighs in surprise. Still, her straight-faced style of speaking had worked to some extent, and the next words that came out of her mouth weren¡¯t a bunch of titles and honorifics. ¡°Oh, okay¡­. Lilith¡­.¡± ¡°Well done, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m a little uneasy about that, but that should be enough to keep her quiet for now. I¡¯ll have to pull her aside after work today to discuss the details. Right now, I¡¯ve got today¡¯s worth of veggies to chop, so I don¡¯t have time to waste on a leisurely chat with Catherine like this¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ah.¡± An involuntary sigh escaped my lips as soon as I saw the time on the hourss. The number 5 was already clearly visible, and the number 6 was starting to be semi-transparent.@@novelbin@@ With the sound of footsteps outside in the hallway, I could tell that the maids were getting ready for an early breakfast. I¡¯d spent too much time thinking about Ethan¡¯s hunger, and then Catherine popped in, and now I¡¯d lost track of time. The time on the hourss indicated that it was less than half an hour before the other two senior maids were due to arrive¡­ ¡­and I hadn¡¯t even started on the vegetables that needed to be prepped. ¡°Oh, this is going to be crazy¡­.¡± 30 minutes until Aria and Alicia got to work. I somehow had to get all the vegetables prepped in that time without raising suspicion¡­ ¡­and with only this one sorry-looking maid to help. Chapter 14 ¡°Senior Catherine, hurry up! I¡¯ve finished cutting the potatoes, so bring me a sack of onions next!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Lilith!¡± ¡°Please stop with the formalities!¡± This is what happens right after you realize that you¡¯re running out of time and have made very little progress in the kitchen. As soon as we realized the problem, we rushed to work, and Catherine and I busied ourselves in the kitchen,pleting the remaining tasks as quickly as possible. We had about 20 minutes left before the other senior maids were due to arrive. Somehow, we had to get all the vegetables until dinner prepped in that time, so we didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else. In my frantic state of mind, I gathered up as much as I could and used my magic and skills to shred the vegetables. One by one, the giant pots, each about a meter high, were filled with the vegetables that Catherine and I had prepped. ¡°How many minutes do we have left?!¡± ¡°Uh, about¡­ ten minutes?!¡± ¡°Aaaaah, fuck!¡± ¡°Hey¡­!!¡± The profanity wasing out of my mouth as I inadvertently forgot that I was Lilith, but my brain was too overloaded to care about that right now. Triple casting takes a lot of brain power in the first ce, and now I was doing it dozens of times over in an iterative process. On top of that, I¡¯m feeling dizzy from the damned garlic vor in my mouth. Normally, I would have rinsed my mouth out with Clean every now and then, but wasting spell counts on that was a luxury I couldn¡¯t afford right now when I needed to chop more vegetables. ¡°Here, I¡¯ve shaved all these carrots¡­! Then the onions are next, I¡¯ll finish the garlic and potatoes, but you take care of the onions first!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah! Okay¡­!¡± The good news is that Catherine¡¯s work efficiency isn¡¯tpletely abysmal. In fact, objectively speaking, she was actually quite fast. She could peel a single carrot at the same rate that I could triple-cast Clean and peel three potatoes. I wondered why she had passed the work to me when she was so good at it in the first ce, but I couldn¡¯t waste my thoughts on that now. All I could do was to trim as many vegetables as I could, as quickly as I could. ¡°How much more?!¡± ¡°Uh, what, what?! Hey, I¡¯m just getting started with the onions¡­¡± ¡°Not that, I mean time, time!¡± ¡°Time?! Well, if it¡¯s that bright¡­ah, maybe five minutes¡­.¡± ¡°Oh shit, I¡¯m going crazy!¡± There was still almost a third of the work left to do, and at this rate, even if I died and woke up, it was impossible to finish it in the original time frame. If I did, Ariana and Alicia, who had their work left to do much less than before, would be suspicious as to why I hadn¡¯t finished it. Add to that the fact that they would see me working on it myself, and the suspicion would only deepen. Considering that I used to chop a day¡¯s worth of vegetables in two hours every day, my realistic chopping speed was way behind even Catherine¡¯s. Still, we were able to cut the remaining workload by about a quarter, thanks to the two of us keeping busy in the remaining five minutes. Still, it was unnerving to have this much work left to do. If I had magic at my disposal, I could probably finish the remaining workload in about 10 minutes. If I tried to do it without magic, it would take me almost two hours, and at this rate, the other senior maids would 100% question the work I¡¯ve been doing. At least Catherine¡¯s stupid¡­no¡­ she¡¯s naive enough that I can fool her into thinking I¡¯m a noble, but the other two bitches aren¡¯t so easy¡­ ¡­especially Ariana. If that cunning bitch found out I was using magic, I would be caught for my weakness, not for being a noble. ¡®¡­So do you know what the bitch said then? She said that it wasn¡¯t her.¡¯ ¡®¡­You¡¯re as stupid as ever¡­..¡¯ ¡°Uh, what should we do? I think Ariana and Alicia are about to enter the dining room!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­I heard them, I know, dammit. The work I had left could be aplished if I could somehow find ten minutes, no, five, to get it done. It¡¯s so ridiculously unfair that I¡¯m getting caught for barely getting this much done. If I could just buy a little more time, I¡¯d be fine¡­ ¡­even if it¡¯s just five minutes, if I can somehow stop two people froming into the kitchen¡­ ¡°Uh, what do I do?! What do I do?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What can I do? ¡­ This is still a pretty ugly situation, but I¡¯ll take what I can get. ¡°Catherine, listen to me.¡± ¡°Huh?! Oh, no, what?!¡± ¡°Go to the kitchen door right now, and don¡¯t let anyone in the kitchen for the next ten minutes.¡± ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t want me to let anyone in?! Uhhhh, how do I do that?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You can talk to them, argue with them, or take them somewhere else, but that¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°B-but how should I¡­.¡± ¡°Is my nobility a joke to you? It wouldn¡¯t be hard for me to bury you and those two bitches if I set my mind to it¡­.¡± ¡°Ha, I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll do something about it, Miss Lilith!¡±@@novelbin@@ I felt strangely guilty that I¡¯de out with what was almost a threat, but it was for the best in this situation. She didn¡¯t seem to be able toprehend instructions the first time unless they were spoken in this manner, after all. ¡°Hey, guys~! Good morning, it¡¯s a beautiful day, and the weather is nice today too¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Catherine, did youe out of the kitchen?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®the kitchen¡¯, I just got here¡­?¡± I heard Catherine¡¯s voice from the prep room between the kitchen and the dining room while I dumped thest of the potatoes and onions on the counter. If only I could somehow, some way, finish this¡­! ¡°¡­Catherine, did youe out of the kitchen?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®the kitchen¡¯, I just got here¡­?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, I didn¡¯t see the back of your head once while walking with Ariana all the way here.¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s because¡­.¡± Catherine seriously wanted to cry. Her day had been a mess since the crack of dawn, and she didn¡¯t even know how things had gotten to this point. If only she hadn¡¯t stalked Lilith at dawn this morning, she wouldn¡¯t be in this much trouble. After an hour of waiting, she followed Lilith to find her and Master Ethan in the kitchen. Furthermore, she discovered that Lilith uses Clean to chop vegetables. Desperate to be forgiven for passing her work to a noble, she ended up humiliating herself in front of the powerful woman. All of this had happened in the span of three hours for Catherine. She¡¯d just finished helping Lady Lilith, who was furious that she¡¯d caused the dy, and was busily chopping vegetables. On top of that, she was now being forced to stand in front of the kitchen to stall for 10 minutes. ¡®What should I do?!¡¯ Catherine had spent the past year being used and taken advantage of by her coworkers. As she stood in front of Ariana and Alicia, she felt her vision getting darker and darker. The rtionship between the three of them was no longer that of equals as it had been when they first entered ckwood Manor, but more like that of two masters and one ve. Because she had been taken advantage of by herpanions for a year, a deeply rooted sense of defeat had formed in Catherine. Stalling them by striking a natural conversation was virtually impossible. Even worse, however, there was a bigger problem behind her, preventing her from escaping. Catherine¡¯s fleeting recollection of Lady Lilith forced her topose herself and somehow make conversation with the two of them. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if she had any choice of her own. ¡°Well, other than that, Alicia, Ariana¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­huh?¡± ¡°Oooh, do you think we could take a quick morning walk to freshen up before work¡­.¡± ¡°Morning walk~?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­! It¡¯s such a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, and flowers are blooming¡­.¡±*1 It was a ridiculous suggestion, even to her own mind, but s, it was the best excuse Catherine coulde up with. ¡®If I just walked around the mansion once, that would give me about ten minutes, so that should be enough to buy time for Lady Lilith.¡¯ So she continued to talk as best she could, trying to convince Alicia, who sounded as interested as she was. ¡°What about going to work?¡± ¡°Li-¡­ Lilith-¡­ ah¡­. What does that junior maid know? What kind of guts would she have to argue with her seniorsing for a leisurely stroll?¡± ¡°Oh~ Catherine, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you the kind of person who says those things?¡± ¡°Well¡­. we shouldn¡¯t care about that stupid bitch, whether she works or not¡­! Just rest a little more¡­.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Lilith!¡¯ Catherine, who had no choice but to curse at Lilith in order to somehow fulfill the mission she had set for her, somehow managed to convince Alicia. It was only afterward that Catherine realized that it was Ariana, not Alicia, who needed to be persuaded. ¡°Enough with the walk, let¡¯s get to work, girls.¡± ¡®¡­Ariana?!¡¯ The one who¡¯d set her up, turned her into a debt maid, and thoroughly exploited her for the past year. If she was who Catherine expected she would be, Ariana should agree to take a break while Lilith worked. Contrary to her expectations, Ariana was the first to say she was going to work. ¡°Ariana?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been letting her work for three days already, so the least I can do is show up for work. We should at least give our junior a break, especially when she looks tired every time shees to work.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not necessary, right? If you¡¯re a junior maid, it shouldn¡¯t matter whether your seniorse inte or not¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s weird~? The Catherine I know definitely wasn¡¯t the kind of friend who would say something like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is there some reason I shouldn¡¯t be in the kitchen right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± A smug re, as if she was already convinced beyond doubt. As soon as she saw that look in Ariana¡¯s eyes, Catherine finally realized something. Unlike Alicia, Ariana had seen through her awkward act. ¡®She knew it all along¡­!¡¯ During that incident a year ago, and now. Ariana was always one step ahead. Catherine had been her servant for a year now, and she knew that better than anyone. It had been foolish to try to deceive her in the first ce. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­Though, that didn¡¯t change the fact that she had to keep Ariana out of the kitchen. ¡°Will you please step away from the door, Catherine? Lilith will be waiting for you inside.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not fun.¡± *SLAP* *GASP* ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The p came without warning, even though she had only been blocking the door for about three seconds. Theck of hesitation startled both Catherine and Alicia. Before they could take stock of the situation, Catherine¡¯s other cheek was dyed red again by Ariana. *SLAP* *GASP* ¡°¡­I thought I said you¡¯d be treated nicer, like my pet puppy, if you behaved.¡± *SLAP* ¡°¡­¡­Aghhh!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been hitting youtely, so it¡¯s been creeping up on me! After all, a bastard like you has to be beaten once every three days to obey me, right?!¡± *SLAP* ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± Catherine¡¯s cheeks grew hotter and hotter as the palm moved back and forth. However, she was filled with DETERMINATION*1,and somehow managed to keep the door to the kitchen from opening. When she showed no sign of moving out of the way, Ariana¡¯s kick hit Catherine at her side. *POW* ¡°Ughhhh¡­!¡± ¡°Catherine, how far do you think you¡¯re going with this?¡± ¡°No¡­. s-stop it¡­. please¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, after work. It¡¯s been a while, but let me remind you who your superior is again.¡± After cleaning up Catherine¡¯s mess on the prep room floor, she was about to yank open the kitchen door. The dark-haired maid in the kitchen opened the door before she could and stepped out. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Have youe to work, seniors?¡± ¡°Sorry, Lilith. We were going to leave early, but there was someone blocking the kitchen door, so it took us a while.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Lilith nced out of the kitchen and into the prep room with a tired expression, only to find Catherine slumped on the floor, sobbing. Her gaze flickered to Ariana¡¯s slightly reddened palms. ¡°By the way, Lilith. Did you get your work done today?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the most professional of us all, Lilith. I¡¯m sorry we always seem to be having so much fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Are you rebelling?¡± The ck-haired maid pretended not to have heard Ariana¡¯s words and frowned as if she was pondering something. Lilith, who had finally made her judgments about the events in front of her, met Ariana¡¯s eyes and spoke quietly. ¡°¡­Ariana.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith? You¡¯re a little short with words¡­.¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut, you fucking bitch.¡± ¡°Whaaaaat?!¡± A heavy fist struck upward into the senior maid¡¯s lower jaw with a dull thud. Ariana was airborne for a moment. T/N
  1. sans undertale
Chapter 15 *POW* ¡°What the?!¡± Ariana¡¯s body was airborne for a moment as I felt a throbbing sensation in my fist. After being sent flying backward by my emotion-filled punch, shended on her ass on the floor of the preparation room. ¡°Ariana?!¡± Alicia rushed over to her as soon as she fell, her voice filled with concern. She didn¡¯t pay much attention to Catherine, who was lying on the floor with a bruised and swollen face, but she certainly had a different attitude towards Ariana. ¡°¡­Aha.¡± So that¡¯s what happened, then. Well, there¡¯s no way Catherine, who¡¯s so good at her job and seems to have such a soft heart, would take the initiative to delegate tasks to her juniors. Now that I¡¯d somehow understood the rtionship between the three senior maids, there was only one thing left to do. To beat this bitch up right here and now. I¡¯d have to beat her up at least as much as she¡¯d done to Catherine, I thought, and then I¡¯d be able to get my head out of my ass. ¡°You, you, what do you think you¡¯re doing?! How dare a first-year junior maid assault a senior¡­!¡± ¡°Big mouth, huh?¡± *BAM* ¡°Wha-?!¡± I kicked Ariana, who was lying on the floor and shouting nonsense, unable to regain her senses. My shoe hit her near the ankle, and she groaned again, rolling on the floor. ¡°Ugggghhhhhh¡­.¡± ¡°You fucking bitch¡­ you are so dead to me. I¡¯m going to make sure you know who the boss is once and for all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Sorting out the hierarchy with Ariana. It was a task that had to be done at some point. As I¡¯ve said before, this Ariana bitch was one of the two who had aligned herself with the future Ethan and tormented Lilith. She wasn¡¯t just following Ethan¡¯s orders like Alicia; she genuinely enjoyed tormenting Lilith. There was also a lot of harassment that was so hardcore that it could almost be considered same-sex rape, at least based on the cut scenes from Luminor Academy, so it was better to clean up the hierarchy now thanter. I definitely don¡¯t want a future where I¡¯m getting treated like shit by men, nor by women. ¡°Bitch. It was easy for you to hit me and mess me up, wasn¡¯t it? You really do have a death wish.¡± Of course, I wasn¡¯t actually going to kill her. If it came to that, that would mean escaping from the mansion, and the ckwoods would be watching me even more closely than they already were. I¡¯d end up in trouble for no reason. At the very least, I needed to at least let the bitch know who was in charge. I somehow had to break her spirit right here, right now, to keep her from using Ethan¡¯s power to abuse me in the future. Just as I¡¯m about to m my fist into Ariana¡¯s face as she tries to rise from the floor¡­ I felt a strong hand emerging from behind, grabbing my wrist. Grab. ¡°Ah.¡± Oh, shit. I almost forgot that there was one more. ¡°Ariana, I¡¯ve got her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let go of that bitch, you hear me?!¡± Alicia, the tallest of the senior maids, caught me off guard and grabbed both of my arms from behind. Due to the basic difference in strength, my body was pinned to hers, unable to break free. ¡°You worthless bitch¡­!¡± *POW* ¡°AGH! Damn¡­¡­!¡± A sharp pain surged through me momentarily as a strong impact hit my abdomen. What the hell was she doing, hitting my sr plexus so urately like that?! Even in the game, she was a bitch in more ways than one, but in real life, Ariana was even more of a bitch. That bastard would, no doubt in my mind, try to kill me no matter what. ¡°Haaaah, haaaah, this damn¡­.!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Since you instigated a fight, I¡¯m sure you were prepared for the consequences.¡± *POW* ¡°Guuuhhhh¡­¡­!!¡± This jerk keeps hitting back after being hit¡­! The pain was excruciating and the realization that I couldn¡¯t resist properly because of that damned Alicia was just as painful. If it were one-on-one, I could easily fuck that bitch up! ¡°Well, it¡¯s no fun if you¡¯re too naive like Catherine. So, I¡¯m sure ying around with someone like you must be fun, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense¡­. you bitch¡­.!¡± *POW* ¡°It¡¯sughable how your brain is just as rotten as Catherine¡¯s. Is it because neither of you even has the intelligence of a bastard?¡± ¡°Haaa, haaa, shut up¡­.!¡± Ariana, who had just been beaten to a pulp on the floor, began to snort excitedly as soon as she had the numerical advantage. Not to mention, it was so unfair to be tied up in Alicia¡¯s arms and unable to resist. Being restrained by a woman, and not a guy, felt like shit, you know. It was a moment when I realized that it was unfair that I had possessed Lilith, whose physical state was simply abysmal. If only I could do something about this tall maid holding me from behind¡­ ¡®Ah.¡¯ Yes, damn it, there was a way. I turned my head away from Ariana¡¯s face; she was sneering at me with a smug expression. I immediately made eye contact with Alicia, who grabbed me from behind. ¡°Why? There¡¯s no point in begging now. You shouldn¡¯t have jumped on Aria without knowing the situation from the beginning¡­.¡± ¡°Haaaaaaa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ew, ew! What is that smell¡­?!¡± It¡¯s the smell of highly concentrated pressed garlic that I ate hundreds of cloves of today. It¡¯s a painful smell even for me, who was a Korean in my previous life, but there¡¯s no way these bitches can stand it. ¡°Uuuuugh¡­! Bleh!¡± ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ The garlic scent I¡¯d shoved into Alicia¡¯s face had worked just as expected. I¡¯d been too busy to rinse my mouth out with Clean, but I never thought keeping it that way would ever be a good thing. My arms regained their freedom as Alicia¡¯s grip on my arm weakened from the foul odor. I decided to take out the tall maid first, who was a greater threat to begin with. *POW* ¡°Uuggghhh?!¡± The blow was weakpared to the one I¡¯d delivered to Ariana, but after all, this body was only that of a maid in herte teens to early twenties. In simr conditions, I would have a much better advantage, having learned many fighting techniques in my previous life. I mean that most of the techniques I know were learned superficially from TV and the inte¡­! *POW* ¡°Guh! Ughhhh¡­.¡± Alicia¡¯s body leaned slightly backwards as she was struck by two consecutive punches, just like me a moment ago. Not missing that gap, I threw onest blow¡­. *Whack!* ¡°Alicia, kill this bitch!¡± ¡°You bitches are so fucking cowardly!¡± ¡®It¡¯s not fair to lose 2 to 1 with a back-and-forth, bitches. Let¡¯s fight fair and square!¡¯@@novelbin@@ I resisted the urge to scream that at the top of my lungs and blocked Ariana¡¯s forearms as they pressed against my body. Her strength was rtively weakpared to Alicia¡¯s, but her grip from behind meant that it was a difficult position to escape from. This time, the tables have turned, and it was Alicia¡¯s turn toe at me. ¡­If I get hit by that bitch, with her strong hands, I might note out alive. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for her punch, expecting the pain toe easily. To my surprise, a scream escaped from Alicia¡¯s mouth, not mine. *CHOMP* ¡°GRRR!¡± ¡°¡­AGHHHHHHH!¡± Catherine, who had just fallen to the floor a while ago, was now biting Alicia¡¯s right arm with her incisors. ¡°Aaaagh! Aaaagh!!¡± Alicia screamed, waving her arms in the air at Catherine¡¯s unexpected entrance. Behind thetter, Ariana¡¯s furious voice rang in her ears. ¡°Catherine¡­! Get away from Alicia right now! Do you think you can resist my orders and get away with it?!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sleep with Alicia and mind your own business?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, you bitch¡­get off me¡­!¡± Seeing that Ariana¡¯s gaze was directed towards Alicia and Catherine, I immediately put my weight on my right foot and stomped on Ariana¡¯s right foot with my heel. I shifted my center of gravity backward just in time to hear her scream. Ariana¡¯s body copses, unable to support the weight of two people on one leg. With that, her body tumbled with me onto the prep room floor. *STOMP* ¡°Eeeeeee¡­!¡± Ariana hit the floor with a squeal like a pig gagging. Taking advantage of theck of strength in her arms, I shifted my position and immediately climbed onto her body in a mounted position. I squeezed her from top to bottom as she struggled desperately, clutching at her face and chest. ¡°Die, Ariana, you bitch!¡± ¡°Aaaagh! Lilith, you fucking bitch!¡± ¡°Agh! My hands! My hands!¡± ¡°Hmph!!! Hmph!!!¡± The yells and screams of the four lowly maids echoed throughout the preparation room. In the midst of the chaos, we continued our madness. It wasn¡¯t long afterward that we stopped killing each other. ¡°Well, I heard amotion in the kitchen, so I came over, but what the hell do you all think you¡¯re doing¡­!¡± Enter Melissa Foster, the head maid at ckwood Manor. Chapter 16 The basement level of ckwood Manor. The etiquette room. We¡¯d been dragged here after our brawl in the dining room¡¯s preparation room, with no time toe up with an excuse. Presently, all four of us were kneeling on the floor, listening to Head Maid Melissa¡¯s lecture. Well, it¡¯s more urate to say that we were forced to listen. ¡°Wh-what¡­. what¡¯s all the fuss about?!!!¡± The head maid, with vocal cords that sounded like they had been med by a dragon, lectured other maids and I. With her hair pulled back in a bun, she lectured us in a high-pitched voice that could have echoed throughout the mansion. We, the lowly maids, had no choice but to listen to her sermon, and there was no escape. ¡°You are all disappointments asdies and as maids!¡± I don¡¯t know her exact age, but she was probably in her mid-40s or early 50s. The reason why I don¡¯t is because there was no official information. Even if I had yed over 2000 hours of Luminor Academy in my previous life, I couldn¡¯t possibly know something that thepany hadn¡¯t revealed. ¡°Lilith! Are you listening to me?!!!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Wow, shit. I thought I felt my heart drop for a second. You don¡¯t yell in my ear just because I was distracted. At this point, I¡¯m just grateful that Melissa wasn¡¯t the main character. If her voice had been added to the game, I¡¯m sure there would have been more than a few people who would have been startled during gamey. After yelling at me to get my attention, the maid returned her gaze to the four of us and continued her loud sermon. The sermon, which started with the basic posture of ady, continued tirelessly for an hour. ¡®Oh, my legs hurt¡­.¡¯ I¡¯d been kneeling for an hour already; my calves were cramping and my whole body was tingling. Luckily, the garlic odor in my mouth was gone after I¡¯d discreetly used Clean. If I¡¯d had to sit in that position for an hour while enduring a biochemical attack I caused on myself, I¡¯m sure I would have lost my mind much earlier. ¡°¡­As maids of the ckwoods, we must always remain calm, noble, and steadfast in our duties¡­.¡± Melissa continued her sermon for another 30 minutes, then scanned each of our faces onest time. As if to confirm that we were listening, she began to call each of us by name. ¡°Ariana Lawrence.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alicia Hayes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Catherine Lane.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Yes.¡± ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, yes¡­.¡± ¡°All of you will sweep the floors of the hallways of the first floor of the mansion and clean the stables for a month.¡± Oh, no. I¡¯m fucked. As if the three days of kitchen help I¡¯d already had weren¡¯t enough to kill me¡­ Apparently, sweeping the ENTIRE first-floor hallway floor wasn¡¯t enough, and now I have to clean the stables? Not to mention, I¡¯ll have to do that with those two bitches, Ariana and Alicia? I was dazed by the transfer of duties that no one in their right mind would ept. Just as I was about to offer my opinion on the changes, Ariana interrupted me and stuck her snout in. ¡°Excuse me, Head Maid Melis-¡­.¡± ¡°Head Maid Melissa. Please reconsider this personnel move and disciplinary action.¡± Made a move, but she¡¯s one fast bitch. If I interrupted Ariana again and spoke, it would only make the head maid¡¯s impression of me worse, so I lowered my hand and kept quiet. If I remained patient, I was sure that the opportunity to speak woulde again somehow. ¡°Ariana.¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting, then, that there is some injustice to mymand?¡± The head maid looked at Ariana with narrowed eyes at her statement. Her face didn¡¯t change, and she began to insist that the head maid¡¯s discipline be modified. ¡°I think you¡¯re absolutely right and justified in your disciplinary action, Head Maid. However, I think you¡¯re making that judgment because you don¡¯t understand that Miss Alicia and I were unwillingly involved in an unfair fight.¡± ¡­That bitch is the real deal. Can you see how she¡¯s already getting to work, as if she¡¯s some cunning fox? An unfair fight? Even though she¡¯s the one who pped Catherine first? On top of that, what about the bitches who beat me up in a two-on-one? Given the setting, it took every ounce of restraint to keep me from unleashing a torrent of curses. Ariana¡¯s shameless and deceitful assertions continued to unfold in the etiquette room. ¡°Then do enlighten me.¡± ¡°First of all, I would like to inform you that the violence that urred today urred as a result of Alicia and I calling out Miss Lilith Rosewood on her attitude towards her work.¡± ¡°¡­neglect of duty, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Lilith Rosewood has not performed a single proper kitchen duty since the day she was transferred to the kitchen three days ago.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°Lilith, be quiet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I was about to interrupt Ariana¡¯s rambling when the head maid interrupted me. I kept my mouth shut for now and waited in silence to see what Ariana would say. ¡°What do you mean, Ariana, by not being on duty in the kitchen?¡± ¡°Alicia, Catherine, and I have been working in the kitchen together for a while now, so we¡¯ve been running efficient shifts. Normally, the maids start at 6:00 a.m., but given the time we had to prepare breakfast and the time the cooks had to leave for work, it was our normal routine toe out at 4:00 a.m. every day to trim the vegetables.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°But Miss Lilith Rosewood imed that she didn¡¯t understand our working hours, and she never showed up at 4:00 a.m. on any day, and even after she arrived at 6:00 a.m., she continued to be negligent, even leaving before her break, even though she hadn¡¯t done much work herself.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you pointed out Ms. Lilith¡¯s insincere work attitude to her and that a fight broke out in the process?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, and I¡¯d like you to focus on Ms. Lilith¡¯s fault rather than ours.¡± ¡°For that remark, can you be held ountable?¡± ¡°I will take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°¡­I, for one, agree with Ariana, Head Maid Melissa.¡± ¡­I just can¡¯t stand those bitches. Ie in two hours early every day to get all my work done, and what, I get used of dereliction of duty? Alicia¡¯s shameless agreement with Ariana¡¯s lies almost made me spit out the profanity that had filled my mouth to the brim. She even tried to covertly recruit Catherine to her side. She can roast Catherine all she wantster, but for now, she¡¯s going to make sure I get screwed over somehow. Calm down, Lilith. If you lose your temper here, you lose¡­ ¡­and to be fair, I haven¡¯t recruited Catherine to be on my side yet. ¡°Catherine, do you agree with those two?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She hesitated, kept her mouth shut, and kept her head hanging low. Perhaps she¡¯s conflicted about her own attitude. After all that she¡¯s been through with Ariana, it would be natural for her to give in to her instincts and side with her. At least, it¡¯s more natural than coddling a lowly maid she¡¯s only known for a few days. In any case, Catherine is currently mistaking me for a noblewoman from some other ce. If so, there was a chance she might not be so eager to agree with Ariana. After all, I had already done enough persuasion¡­ not intimidation¡­ on her earlier today. ¡°Uh¡­I¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t agree with Ariana¡­ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Is it fair to say, then, that you¡¯re arguing that Lilith has been faithful in her duties?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­ W-Well, rather, Lilith¡­. d-did what us three were supposed to do¡­. b-because she did everything¡­.¡± Despite her fragile nature, she somehow defended me and didn¡¯t fall for Ariana¡¯s seduction. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t end up being outnumbered three to one in a poprity contest. I apologize, Catherine, for calling you a stupid maid who pisses in front of her juniors. It was all in my head, but I apologize anyway. I¡¯m d she somehow found the courage to speak up, and that she was spared the worst that could have happened. Now it was my turn to save her somehow. Well, it¡¯s more like pulling her out of a sinking ship. ¡°Then there¡¯s a disagreement since Ariana¡¯s and Catherine¡¯s ims are contradictory.¡± ¡°Catherine is merely lying out of sympathy for Miss Lilith, Head Maid!¡± ¡°No, Head Maid. Senior Catherine is correct, and I can borate further on that.¡± ¡°¡­Go on, Lilith.¡± Lilith¡¯s right to speak was somehow secured by Catherine¡¯s refusal to agree with Ariana. It was a precious opportunity, and I had to capitalize on it. I had to prove my innocence, and most importantly, I had to get to the part where Ariana had gotten off on the wrong foot. ¡°Every single day since the day I was transferred, I¡¯ve been at work at 4 a.m. to trim the vegetables, and from that time until 6 a.m., the other seniors didn¡¯t show up to work, but merely left me to do the work¡­ not to do it themselves.¡± ¡°When you say seniors, do you mean including Catherine?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not lying about that fact.¡± I deliberately looked at Ariana to emphasize the word ¡®lying¡¯, and then went straight to the defense, this time to save Catherine alone. ¡°Senior Ariana and Senior Alicia are the ones who made me go to work at 4 a.m. alone. Catherine is weak-minded, so she had no choice but to agree with them. In fact, she came to work an hour earlier than the others this morning to help me with my work, even apologizing to me for overworking me so far.¡± ¡°Is that true, Catherine?¡± ¡°Yes, it is¡­. Head Maid Melissa.¡± She didn¡¯t lie. Catherine indeed came in earlier than usual to help me in the kitchen, and she did apologize for overworking me. Of course, the reality wasn¡¯t as simple as I¡¯d just described it. ¡°In line with that, I¡¯m using Senior Ariana and Senior Alicia of unjust dereliction of duty.¡± ¡°For that remark, can you take responsibility?¡± ¡°Yes. Also, I would like to request that Senior Catherine, who was injured while shielding me from Senior Ariana¡¯s unwarranted violence, be held ountable for my statement as well.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Head Maid Melissa alternated her looks between Catherine, Ariana, Alicia, and me.@@novelbin@@ After looking at each of the four of us once, she nodded once and opened her mouth. ¡°If one of the ims is true and the other is false, then I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t decide on the level of discipline to be imposed at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­.What?¡± ¡°Head Maid Melissa, Miss Lilith is lying¡­.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll continue the disciplinary process on this matter after dinner, and the four of you should return with evidence or witnesses to corroborate your statements.¡± ¡°¡­Evidence or witnesses?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have any, you¡¯re wee toe back as is. However, if one of you has more solid evidence or witnesses to back up your ims than the other, we¡¯ll adjust the discipline ordingly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡­Ariana¡­ I didn¡¯t think a little punching of that bitch would get this serious. At this rate, that bitch is dragging my meal prep operation to the brink of destruction. It was at that moment that I realized that at least one of us was going to be severely punished. Chapter 17 After escaping nearly two hours of the head maid¡¯s sermon hell¡­ I somehow managed to get up with my numb legs and exited the Etiquette Room with the other maids. The head maid stayed behind to organize the room while the four of us walked out. The door to the room had barely closed when Ariana¡¯s sharp voice called out. ¡°Catherine.¡± ¡°H-huh¡­!¡± As the gaze of the maid who had been watching us disappeared, Ariana shot a sharp re towards Catherine. She¡¯s probably trying to say something about Catherine taking my side instead of her side in the disciplinary action earlier. There was no way that bitch would let her get away with what she just did. ¡°What are you thinking? I tried to save you, and now you¡¯re taking Lilith¡¯s side?!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t gotten your shit together after a year. Maybe it¡¯s because you still haven¡¯t gotten your ass kicked enough, huh?¡± ¡°Hmph, hmph¡­!¡± Ariana raised her palm in the air in a threatening manner. I reflexively put myself between her and Catherine, who looked like she was going to cry at any moment. ¡°Could you calm down?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try punching Catherine one more time? I might just kill you, for real this time.¡± ¡°Do you have that power? Aren¡¯t you just a junior maid? How will you handle the aftermath if you kill someone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, damn it. The least I can do is leave you with a body you¡¯ll never want to live with for the rest of your life.¡± Of course, that¡¯s impossible, since actually killing her would change the difficulty from ¡®Nightmare¡¯ to ¡®Hell¡¯. Anyway, in this kind of fight, the one who hesitates loses. ¡°Let¡¯s stop this, Ariana.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with such a crazy bitch for no reason. She looks dangerous from the looks of her eyes¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, we don¡¯t need to turn this into a fist-pumping dogfight.¡± ¡°After all, we have witnesses. We can just watchter as both Lilith and Catherine get their asses handed to themter.¡± ¡­What? They have witnesses? Are you saying there are witnesses to prove the diligent work of those girls who haven¡¯t properly worked a single day in the past three days? Caught off guard by Alicia¡¯s unexpected remark, I couldn¡¯t hide my momentary confusion. Seeing my reaction, Ariana smirked and asked casually. ¡°Judging from your reaction, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have any witnesses to corroborate your statement?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, if you¡¯re going to pick a fight, you should watch your step. You just throw punches whenever you feel like it.¡± ¡°¡­Fuck you. I know you¡¯re bluffing.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°We¡¯ll see if I¡¯m bluffing or not this evening. You¡¯ll see soon enough if we do have witnesses who can testify that Alicia and I have been working hard and that you, Lilith, have been acting like a jerk every day.¡± ¡­That¡¯s fucked up. Something in her reaction told me she wasn¡¯t joking around. Well, she¡¯s been a maid for a year longer than I have, so its obvious that she knows more people in the manor than me. While Lilith is certainly striking in appearance, her actual connections pale inparison to that bitch Ariana. Off the top of my head, Isabel and Catherine were the only two people I could think of who could be considered my connections. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing your faces tonight.¡± ¡°¡­Ridiculous.¡± ¡°And Catherine, I¡¯m going to make sure you get what you deserve for challenging me with no fear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Alicia.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two of them red at Catherine and me with sinister expressions before heading upstairs. I remained at the bottom of the stairs with Catherine, contemting how to get out of this situation. ¡°Li-Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Th-there are¡­ witnesses, right? Li-Lilith¡­ are there witnesses¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, maybe.¡± ¡°T-then¡­ Li-Lilith really is a noblewoman¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m d¡­.¡± It¡¯s a regrettable story for Catherine, who still thinks of me as a noble. Honestly speaking, I had nothing. I had no evidence to support my statement nor a witness who could provide clear testimony in my favor. And so the hours passed, after dinner. The Etiquette room was a little more crowded than it had been in the morning. The four junior maids to be given disciplinary action, the head maid, and all of the manor¡¯s maids had gathered to watch the disciplinary process for the junior maids. By my rough estimate, there were about fifty of them. Moreover, seeing even the master, Harold, and Ethan present, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that more than half of the members of the ckwood family were in attendance at this disciplinarymittee. Since it was an internal matter of the family, it seemed that there were no external guests in attendance. ¡®I wonder why there are so many spectators for the disciplinary proceedings of the lower maids¡­.¡¯ For a moment, I entertained the thought that enjoying the spectacle of someone else¡¯s misfortune was the source of the attraction, but surprisingly, most of the gathered people seemed to have been personally invited by the head maid to witness the disciplinarymittee. ¡°Originally, I intended to quietly conclude this disciplinary procedure under my authority, but considering that the level of discipline may increase, I have also requested others to observe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°As the disciplinary procedure has already been initiated once and with so many people present as witnesses, there will be no further reversals in the disciplinary action to be taken this time. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± With nowhere to run, we silently answered the head maid¡¯s words. Immediately, the disciplinarymittee began to decide the level of discipline to be handed to the four maids. ¡°First of all, I would like to exin to the observers the incident of violent behavior by the junior maids that urred around 6:00 am this morning¡­.¡± The voice of the head maid leading the disciplinarymittee echoed throughout the Etiquette room, summarizing the incident from this morning involving Catherine, Ariana, Alicia, and I getting into a brawl. She outlined a brief overview of the altercation and the conflicting ims between Ariana and me about the events leading up to the fight. She also mentioned that Catherine and Alicia were siding with each of us respectively, and this disciplinarymittee was convened to ascertain the credibility of these ims. After the fairly concise summary by the head maid, she called out my name. ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I instructed you to attend if you had any witnesses or evidence in this case, correct?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have any witnesses or evidence that can prove your diligent work?¡± ¡°Yes, I do, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡­I didn¡¯t want to resort to this method if possible¡­ ¡­but I had to grasp at straws somehow to survive, so I suppressed my feelings of remorse and called out the name of the witness who would prove my diligent work. ¡°I call to the stand Miss Isabel Grace, a fellow maid who shares the same bedroom with me.¡± ¡°Isabel Grace, are you present?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam Head Maid.¡± As soon as Melissa called her name, Isabel stepped forward without hesitation. Like me, she was a junior maid with only a year¡¯s experience, but her confident demeanor was quite impressive. ¡°Lilith Rosewood has summoned you as a witness, will you testify?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam Head Maid.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood, who began working at ckwood Manor at the same time as I did, and who shares the same bedroom with me, testifies that she has worked faithfully and without fail for all three days from the day she began working in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Do you have anything to support that testimony?¡± ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood and I share the same bedroom, and we share a bunk bed to make efficient use of the small space. Furthermore, as you are aware, Madam, the bunk bed is quite noisy and shakes quite a bit when the upants of the bunks move about.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I have been awakened by the movement of the bed since three days ago, when Miss Lilith Rosewood first began her shift in the kitchen, until today, and I have seen Miss Lilith Rosewood leave for her shift after being awakened at four o¡¯clock in the morning.¡± ¡°Is that the end of your testimony, Isabel Grace?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam Head Maid.¡± Isabel conveyed her words confidently and without hesitation while speaking fluently. Somehow, the sight of her trustworthy side made my heart swell with pride. Isabelle¡¯s title in the game isn¡¯t ¡°Smart Isabelle¡± for nothing. She¡¯s not a yable character in the game, unfortunately, as she doesn¡¯t havebat abilities, but she¡¯s still a pretty important part of the Lilith route. The fact that she was given a title meant that the developers put a lot of thought into her character. I remember ying through the Lilith route and often thinking how much I¡¯d rather want to pursue Isabel instead. While her importance in the game doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she¡¯spetent, Isabel had left quite a favorable impression, just as she had shown at the Luminaire Academy. I felt quite grateful to her for stepping in to save me in a crisis. ¡­It was just this morning that I had decided not to cause trouble for Isabel, but I didn¡¯t think that I would end up indebted to her in less than a day. ¡°Then, Isabel Grace, I have one question for you.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam Head Maid.¡± ¡°Did you happen to see Lilith Rosewood leave her bedroom at 4:00 a.m. and enter the kitchen at the ground floor of ckwood Manor?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t actually know where Lilith Rosewood headed after she left her bedroom?¡± I fully expected this question. It¡¯s a disciplinarymittee, after all, and they¡¯re supposed to be fact-checking. I thought Isabel would have to acknowledge that much and lower her head, but surprisingly, she continued to insist on my innocence until the end. ¡°Lilith wouldn¡¯t just leave her duties unattended! Whenever we worked together, she always tried to take on the unpleasant tasks, and even after copsing from illness not long ago, she immediately returned to work as soon as she recovered¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not specifically iming that Lilith Rosewood didn¡¯t show up for work andmitted dereliction of duty, I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯s a possibility.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize, Madam Head Maid.¡± ¡°Still, Isabel Grace¡¯s trust in Lilith Rosewood is well conveyed. I will take this testimony into ount when deciding on disciplinary proceedings. Please go in.¡± ¡°Understood, Madam.¡± After finishing her statement, Isabel raised her head and returned to her seat. As she was about to sit, our eyes met briefly, and I couldn¡¯t help but give her a small wink. If it weren¡¯t for her, my situation, in possessing Lilith, would have been much more dreadful. Thanks to Isabel¡¯s fervent testimony, suspicions about my negligent behavior were somewhat alleviated for the time being. It would seem rather suspicious if a junior maid, who had left her bedroom at 4 a.m., wandered around the mansion instead of going directly to her workce. Although Isabel couldn¡¯t testify to the part about me going into the kitchen, her testimony alone was helpful enough for me. After all, both Ariana and I had argued our cases to the maids in our favor, and even the slightest bit of testimony could sway the judgment. Unless clear evidence of my negligence in kitchen duty emerged, the head maid couldn¡¯t discipline me, no matter what witness she brought forward. ¡°After hearing Isabel Grace¡¯s testimony, it seems credible that Lilith Rosewood indeed reported to work in the early morning.¡± ¡°Ariana Lawrence.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have any witnesses or evidence to prove Lilith Rosewood¡¯s negligent behavior or to refute Isabel Grace¡¯s testimony?¡± ¡®Please, let there be none. Please let my words from this morninge true¡­¡¯ However, contrary to my desperation, Ariana had an expression that exuded her firm stance. With a confident demeanor, she responded to the head maid. ¡°I have, Madam.¡± ¡°Have them summoned.¡± ¡°I will summon the chefs responsible for the ckwood family¡¯s breakfast as witnesses.¡± As she spoke, one by one, the cooks of ckwood Manor stepped forward. Not one, not two, but a whoppingfivecooks stepped forward to testify for Ariana. Amidst the murmurs in the courtroom due to the appearance of five witnesses, Ariana, quietly turning her gaze towards me, subtly smirked. As soon as I read that look in her eyes, I could sense that something was seriously wrong. ¡­Because I could now see why that damned bitch had been so arrogant the entire time. Chapter 18 The chefs of ckwood Manor stepped forward as Ariana summoned them to testify. Upon seeing them, I instinctively sensed something brewing in my mind. The reason Ariana confidently summoned these cooks as witnesses to this disciplinarymittee¡­ ¡­and the reason these cooks readily responded to the summons without much hesitation. My mind was swiftly piecing it all together. ¡°Are all five of the manor¡¯s cooks willing to testify as witnesses for Miss Ariana?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Given that hearing the opinions of all five might take too long, could one of you kindly summarize your testimony on behalf of the group?¡± After hearing the head maid¡¯s words, the cooks started talking among themselves. Among them, it was that the youngest cook began speaking as the representative of all the cooks. ¡°I will summarize the opinions of my senior colleagues and testify on behalf of them.¡± ¡°Understood. What is your name, and how long have you been working here?¡± ¡°My name is Paul Remson, and I have been working at ckwood Manor for five years as of this year.¡± ¡°¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@ Among the five cooks, the youngest one has been working for five years. I had a moment of utter humiliation when I could only bring one junior maid, who had justpleted her first year of service, as a witness. In a modern society where thew is equally applied to all, one might argue differently. However, in this medieval fantasy world, when ites to trivial matters, it¡¯s natural for factors like the status and power of the individual to influence the oue. The same goes for the status of a person testifying in such a situation. The weight of testimony already differed significantly just from the status alone: one junior maid with only one year of experience versus five exclusive cooks who had served for at least five years. ¡°Please testify, Mr. Remson.¡± ¡°The points I will testify to are that Miss Ariana and Miss Alicia diligently performed their duties in the kitchen, and that Miss Lillith over theremitted some negligence in her duties.¡± ¡°Please borate on the specific details of your testimony.¡± ¡°All of us cooks start our work at 7 a.m. to prepare for the breakfast service at 9 a.m. The menu varies each day, but most dishes require prepped vegetables or fruits. When we¡¯re busy and we can¡¯t handle ingredient preparation alone, we rely on the help of the maids.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­and when we arrive at 7 a.m. each day, it¡¯s Miss Ariana and Miss Alicia here who hand over the prepped ingredients to us.¡± Haaaa, damn it. Yeah, of course, who else would it be? While I, exhausted from eating hundreds of garlic cloves every day for two hours straight, took a break, who else would hand over the prepped ingredients to the cooks? No matter how tired and weary I was, I had to somehow endure and hold my ground without leaving my workce. It was the moment I absurdly fell into the pit of my own created weakness. ¡°Are Ariana and Alicia the only ones? You¡¯ve never seen any other maids?¡± ¡°The maid with the pink hair over there, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve seen her or not, but¡­ Lilith has never been seen during the morning handover even once.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°Lilith is quite well-known among our cooks for being beautiful. If we had seen her during the morning hours, there¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t notice.¡± The other cooks nodded along with Paul¡¯s words. It was a moment where Lilith¡¯s conspicuously noticeable appearance worked against her. I couldn¡¯t help but envy Catherine forying low and her petite figure. At least with a nondescript appearance like hers, that could have made it confusing whether she was noticed or not. At this moment, I envied her seemingly non-existent presence and small stature a lot. ¡°Oh, but if we exclude the time for ingredient preparation early in the morning, Lilith has been diligently participating in work after breakfast. She had never missed tasks like cleaning up the kitchenware or doing the dishes.¡± ¡°So, are you saying she only skipped out on the ingredient preparation tasks before breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Though I could confidently testify to my attendance at work after breakfast, now it felt like a meaningless testimony. Originally, the reason Ariana and I faced disciplinary action wasn¡¯t simply about whether we diligently participated in ingredient preparation tasks or not. It was a stage for discerning who initiated the quarrel among the junior maids, who took the lead in the fight, and who muddled the disciplinary actions with lies. As those cooks were unaware of it, they could easily testify with a light heart. They probably couldn¡¯t imagine the severe consequences of missing ingredient preparation for about three days. ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Is what Mr. Remson testified correct? That you didn¡¯t show your face to the cooks during the handover of prepped ingredients?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°In that case, what were you doing during that time, Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°¡­Due to exhaustion from handling the early morning ingredient preparation alone, I took a rest in my quarters until breakfast time.¡± The disciplinarymittee¡¯s chamber began to stir with my testimony. In essence, it was an usation of me being negligent in my duties, so it was natural for them to react this way. However, in a situation with so many witnesses, it wasn¡¯t feasible to brazenly push forth lies. Of course, what I had been asserting from the beginning was that I handled all the ingredient preparation alone from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Unfortunately, there was no credible witness or evidence to testify to this part. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest thing, Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Do you have any witness or evidence to prove that you worked alone in the kitchen from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, the face of some piglet shed through my mind, but I quickly forgot about it. I never had any expectations from that scoundrel in the first ce. It would have been better to give up on that kid from the start rather than foolishly holding onto false hopes of ast-minute miracle. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous to think that one person could handle that much produce alone for two hours, Head Maid. It¡¯s obvious that Lilith¡¯s lying¡­¡± ¡°Quiet down, Ariana Lawrence. This isn¡¯t the ce to debate what¡¯s possible and impossible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re simply here to confirm whether your and Lilith Rosewood¡¯s working hours were urate.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize.¡± Although Ariana¡¯s shift from jubtion to dejection should have been a reason to rejoice, it brought no joy to me at this moment. At this rate, I would be unable to prove my innocence and would inevitably face severe disciplinary action with no way to escape. However, wasting time like this wouldn¡¯t provide any means of escape either. In the end, I had to ept reality and silently lower my head. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t¡­have¡­any¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s absolutely true that I¡¯ve beening in early alone every day to prepare the ingredients for two hours. I¡¯d be fine continuing to work alone in the kitchen from tomorrow if necessary¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Melissa¡¯s voice sounded like she had already reached a conclusion in her mind, so I quietly closed my mouth. I had no choice but to wait quietly for her to speak again, as she remained silent before speaking. ¡°Well, it seems like the extent of your disciplinary measures has been determined.¡± Melissa, with her arms crossed, nced between me and Ariana. Though there was a strange sense of pity in her gaze, particrly directed towards me, it was just that. It was painfully obvious who among the recently arrived junior maid and the mansion¡¯s cooks, with at least five years of service, would be more credible. Furthermore, unlike the testimony from the other side, which imed to have directly witnessed Ariana in the kitchen, Isabel¡¯s testimony only amounted to seeing me at the ¡®time of arrival.¡¯ In the end, both in terms of witness credibility and thepleteness of testimony, I waspletely defeated. ¡®Damn it, Ariana, you cunning woman.¡¯ I should have somehow held on without leaving any gaps. Even if I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion, I should have stayed in the kitchen until the end of my work, facing the cooks. If I had done that, I wouldn¡¯t have copsed so miserably in this disciplinary trial. ¡­Regretting it now is meaningless, but it was futile behavior nheless. ¡°I will now determine the disciplinary measures for Ariana, Alicia, Catherine, and Lilith.¡± As I felt dizzy from the events, I felt the voice of the head maid gradually fading away. It felt like my mind was bing distant, simr to the feeling of being mentally drained after hearing about cleaning the entire ground floor hallway and the stables for a month. It was evident that the disciplinary measures would have to be more severe than this. The thought of having the kitchen duties I tirelesslypleted, even eating more garlic than a vampire for three days, being so easily taken away by Ariana, ignited a surge of various negative emotions deep within my chest¡­ ¡°Ariana and Alicia are exempt from disciplinary measures. Catherine, for perjury and acts of violence, will clean the entire ground floor hallway for one month. As for Lilith, for perjury, acts of violence, as well as negligence and dereliction of duty¡­¡± ¡°¡­Wait. I saw Lilithing out alone and working in the kitchen in the early morning the other day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± The solemn atmosphere was momentarily broken by someone¡¯s voice, and everyone¡¯s attention shifted to one person. As soon as I confirmed the identity of that voice, I was engulfed in various indescribable emotions. ¡°¡­Master Ethan?¡± ¡°I saw Lilith working in the kitchen. Yesterday and¡­ even this morning.¡± No way¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡­ Master Ethan Richard ckwood was testifying for me. Chapter 19 ¡°I saw Lilith working in the kitchen. Yesterday and¡­ even this morning.¡± Thanks to Ethan¡¯s testimony, which began just before disciplinary action was to be taken against me and Catherine, the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned aplete 180. ¡°¡­Master Ethan, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Lilith being punished for not working at dawn?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­.¡± ¡°Lilith was in the kitchen at dawn, I saw her.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡­What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s the catch? Although the atmosphere of the disciplinarymittee changed with Ethan¡¯s sudden testimony, strangely, instead of relief, a greater sense of unease began to grow within me. Why is Ethan testifying like this for me? Could he be demanding something from me in return for his testimony? ¡°Master Ethan, I apologize, but this disciplinarymittee is a ce for determining the punishment levels for the maids, so if you mention false testimony as a joke¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying, I saw it. I talked to Lilith, and I ate her food¡­I don¡¯t think it was food, but it was something.¡± ¡­ As more details were added to Ethan¡¯s testimony, Head Maid Melissa¡¯s re changed, and she began to listen more attentively to the conversation. Once Ethan¡¯s testimony seemed to be gaining credibility, she turned her gaze toward me and began to cross-examine his testimony. ¡°Is what he just said true, Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it is.¡± After my response, the sound of murmuring was suddenly heard in the Etiquette room. Immediately, Ariana, with an impatient expression, began to interrupt my conversation with the head maid. ¡°Just a moment, Madam Head Maid! Hasn¡¯t the level of punishment already been decided?! Adding a new witness at this point is unfair¡­¡± ¡°Ariana Lawrence. This ce is not just for issuing punishment ording to procedure, but also for revealing the truth about what happened among you. The more information we have about what happened during the early hours of the past three days, the better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aria was instantly dumbfounded by Melissa¡¯s remark. I had been somewhat feeling it for a while. I don¡¯t really know why, but I had a sense that the head maid was slightly more supportive of me than of Ariana. I honestly don¡¯t know why she would support me over Ariana, who has worked for at least a year more than me. ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yes, Madam Head Maid.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s true that you were talking with Master Ethan in the kitchen in the early hours, why didn¡¯t you request him as one of your witnesses?¡± ¡­ ¡­How do I say it? I can¡¯t bring myself to say that I didn¡¯t call him as a witness because I was counting on Ethan¡¯s testimony and I didn¡¯t want to risk getting stabbed in the back for nothing. Moreover, it¡¯s possible that the conversation could digress into me pointing a kitchen knife at Ethan in the pantry. As I briefly pondered how to finesse the situation, suddenly, I recalled the conversation we had on the first day when I parted ways with Ethan. It seemed like a usible excuse that could be conveniently used in the current situation. ¡°It was a secret between us two¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I was worried that if it became known that Master Ethan had entered the kitchen in the middle of the night out of hunger, it might tarnish his honor. So, Master Ethan and I promised not to tell anyone about his intrusion into the kitchen and his eating the food I had prepared before leaving.¡± ¡°Oh, right! That¡¯s it! I shouldn¡¯t have said that!¡± ¡­It seemed that Ethan hadpletely forgotten that we had made such a promise. Thanks to that, I felt like I had narrowly escaped falling into the abyss. ¡°In that case, Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying that, even if it meant facing disciplinary action alone to protect Master Ethan¡¯s honor, you chose not to summon him as a witness?¡± ¡­Is that really how it turned out? I hadn¡¯t particrly cared about Ethan¡¯s honor one way or the other. However, with the head maid¡¯s confident voice, the murmurs grew louder, and suddenly, I found myself dedicated to preserving Ethan¡¯s honor. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t thrilled about the misunderstanding between Ethan and me¡­ ¡­but at this moment, I realized it could be useful. As all eyes were on me, I nodded quietly and as nonchntly as possible. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± As I responded, people around started to chatter excitedly. I couldn¡¯t catch every single conversation, but judging from the positive buzz circting about me, the atmosphere didn¡¯t seem too bad. Isabel was also sending intense nces toward me from the crowd. Beside me, Catherine was practically clinging to my body for support. ¡­Amidst all this, Ariana was the only one who seemed unwilling to ept the situation, as if she couldn¡¯t acknowledge it. ¡°L-Lies!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If¡­ if Master Ethan really visited the kitchen early in the morning, the-then¡­ th-that girl¡­ Li-Lilith, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t have called him as a witness from the start! Master Ethan must have just made up the testimony out of pity for Lilith, and Lilith just went along with it on the spot¡­¡± Oh. What a piece of shit. Is she really pointing out that Ethan lied right here, right now? Especially in front of Harold, who¡¯s watching our every move? ¡°You there.¡± ¡°M-Master¡­?¡± ¡°Are you implying that my son is a liar?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± What was she thinking???? The moment Harold¡¯s cold voice and gaze reached Ariana, she froze like ice, her expression turning into one of realization. There are two ways to really irritate the gentle Harold. One is to insult his deceased wife, Thanasia¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­and the other is to openly insult Ethan in front of him. ¡°Oh, no, Master¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Harold was a nobleman with a heart broad enough to overlook insults, but for him, these two subjects were absolutely untouchable. Even in the original game, confronting Harold was far more intense than dealing with Ethan. It¡¯s pretty audacious to openly insult Ethan in front of Harold. Seeing that cunning woman unable to even handle basic etiquette, it was clear she was also feeling the pressure. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be angry, Master.¡± ¡°¡­Head Maid.¡± ¡°If we carefully examine the testimonies of Master Ethan and Lilith Rosewood, the truth will quicklye to light.¡± Melissa, alternating her gaze between me and Ethan, calmed Harold down and wore a confident expression. She opened her mouth, and this time, she directed a question to both Ethan and me simultaneously. ¡°Master Ethan, and Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°On the day Master Ethan visited the kitchen, is it true that Lilith Rosewood prepared a dish for you, sir?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dish! It¡¯s just food!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Then, Master Ethan, please whisper in my ear now. What food did Lilith Rosewood serve you?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± Ethan began to murmur something into Melissa¡¯s ear as she leaned in closer. It seemed he was providing additional testimony about the dishes I had served over the past two days for a more thorough cross-examination. ¡­To be honest, even I couldn¡¯t call those dishes anything close to real cooking. As the rather lengthy whispering came to an end, the head maid straightened up and turned her gaze towards me, then asked: ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please tell us about the two dishes you served Master Ethan.¡± ¡°One was a tomato and radish sd dressed with honey, using fresh tomatoes and radishes. The other was radish rolls, thinly sliced radishes wrapped with radishes, onions, and carrots, drizzled with olive oil.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Thank you for sharing.¡± Melissa listened to my words with a faint smile and responded. ¡­and this time, she immediately began to tell what Ethan had whispered to her. ¡°Master Ethan described the meals to me in this way.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°He mentioned a dish with sweet tomatoes and radishes, and another strange dish with thin radish slices and other vegetables wrapped in radishes.¡± ¡®Strange dish¡­¡¯ ¡°When considering that description and the ingredients used in the cooking, it exactly matches what Lilith Rosewood mentioned about the dishes.¡± While I felt a bit irritated by the tant disregard for the effort put into preparing the dishes during my scarce spare time, seeing that he remembered even the meals I prepared and testified urately, in a way, provided some relief. Now that it¡¯s fully proven that I worked the night shift, it¡¯ll soon be proven that no other junior maids reported for duty either. I was almost on the verge of receiving the disciplinary action of cleaning the stables alone for at least a month. It felt oddly ironic to be rescued by Ethan, whom I had so despised in my previous life. ¡°Now, hold on¡­¡± ¡°Do you still have something to say, Ariana Lawrence?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ um¡­¡± In the current situation, there was practically no way for her to reverse the decision to be made. To refute this testimony, she would need to summon a witness much more powerful than Ethan or present irrefutable evidence that could even push Ethan aside, which was practically impossible. If such evidence were readily avable, the situation wouldn¡¯t have escted to this point in the first ce. However, Ariana, who didn¡¯t know when to give up, desperately looked around for a way to survive. Her gaze shifted to Catherine, who was trembling beside me. ¡°C-Catherine is suspicious!¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± Suddenly being pointed out by Ariana, Catherine¡¯s voice filled with surprise as she instinctively hid behind me. Even I was curious about what she would bring up, as her usation seemedpletely out of the blue, beyond my expectations. Immediately, Ariana continued her desperate defense, shifting the me to Catherine as if it were her final attempt. ¡°C-Catherine is the one who stole Lady Thanasia¡¯s heirloom ne from Sir Ethan¡¯s room a year ago!¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true¡­ I-I never stole Lady Thanasia¡¯s ne¡­¡± ¡°You DID steal it, you little thief!¡± ¡°W-What¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± You can¡¯t win against the message, so now you¡¯re attacking the messenger. But Ariana, you don¡¯t realize that what you just said just dug your own grave deeper. Lady Thanasia¡¯s ne? My mouth almost burst intoughter as soon as I realized that you were referring directly to an item that NO ONE in Luminor Academy would be aware of. The moment she mentioned that ne in front of me was akin to confessing to stealing it herself. Thinking that I could send her packing once and for all, I subtly raised my hand and interjected in Ariana and Catherine¡¯s conversation. ¡°¡­Um, I just wanted to ask, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°What about it, Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the gold ne with the blue gemstones as Lady Thanasia¡¯s heirloom ne¡­?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­How do you know about that¡­?¡± Facing Harold¡¯s gaze, which was mixed with suspicion, I continued to feign innocence. ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± This was a golden opportunity to clear Catherine¡¯s unfairly tarnished reputation whilepletely discrediting that irritating Ariana. ¡°I, um, I think I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I remember seeing a shy and expensive-looking ne in Senior Ariana¡¯s room before¡­¡± With my statement, the room fell silent once again. As uncertainty lingered in the air, all eyes turned towards me. ¡°Uh¡­ uhhhhh¡­?¡± One thing is for sure now, Ariana, you¡¯re as good as dead. T/N Hello! Axiomatic here; we¡¯re finally up to date! I promise tomit to the daily chapter n. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and I¡¯ll see you in the next one! Chapter 20 Title: Complete Battle Strategy Guide for Lilith (2) Author: ??? (Lil Gulchang) Continuing from the previous strategy guide. (Photo of the corridor in front of the main bathroom on the 1st floor of ckwood Manor) After entering through the underground passage into the interior of ckwood Manor, you shoulde out to the main bath on the 1st floor of the manor. As soon as you exit, turn right. The left side is guarded by security. (Photo of the area in front of the auxiliary staircase on the 1st floor of ckwood Manor) Turn right twice to find the auxiliary staircase leading upstairs. Enter directly to the 3rd floor from here. The 2nd floor is a farming map with nothing special, so you can skip it if you find it bothersome. (Photo of the maid¡¯s room area on the 3rd floor) Search through the maid¡¯s rooms on the 3rd floor to collect items. If searching everything seems tedious, focus on Isabelle¡¯s room and Ariana¡¯s room only. In Isabelle¡¯s room, you¡¯ll find ¡°Isabelle¡¯s Diary,¡± a unique essory for Lilith. In Ariana¡¯s room, you¡¯ll find ¡°Thanasia¡¯s Ne,¡± which you can either add to any female character at the end of the episode or save forter as crafting material. (Photo of Melissa¡¯s room, the maid¡¯s room on the 3rd floor) Inside the innermost room in the maid¡¯s quarters is Melissa¡¯s room. Push aside the wardrobe to reveal stairs leading upstairs, then proceed to the 4th floor. (Photo of the secret room on the 4th floor) Once inside, unlock the door with the Thanasia¡¯s Ne you obtained earlier. After unlocking, you¡¯ll enter a long corridor. Only the second room on the left opens here, so enter and¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ??: Wasn¡¯t this guy an aggro yer? Why is he so delicate with strategies? 39.7: It¡¯s hrious that someone with that kind of nickname is seriously posting raid strategies lol. 223.38: Every day, I¡¯m swearing at Lilith for being a whore, but I¡¯m actually more serious about Lilith than anyone else¡­ ©¸ ??: Seriously lol. ©¸ ???: Shut up. ????: I can¡¯t find Thanasia¡¯s ne in Ariana¡¯s room, where the hell is it? ©¸ ???: It¡¯s in the first drawer of the dresser. You have to click the dresser three times since it¡¯s in the third drawer. ©¸©¸ ????: Ah, I have to click two more times. Found it, thanks. ???????: But it¡¯s Thanasia¡¯s ne, why is it in Ariana¡¯s room? Isn¡¯t Thanasia¡¯s room on the 4th floor? ©¸ oo: It seems like Ariana just stole it secretly. Given her personality, she¡¯d do that and still act innocent. ©¸©¸ ???????: Why is Harold silent about this? It¡¯s Thanasia¡¯s heirloom; shouldn¡¯t he be taking care of it properly? Is that just a plot hole? ©¸©¸©¸ oo: Maybe she stole it and pinned it on someone else. ©¸©¸©¸©¸ ???: No official confirmation, so who knows. ¡°How would you know that¡­?¡± Harold, with suspicion mixed in his gaze, squinted at me. This was the most crucial moment. In order to uncover suspicions that seemed to be tied to Catherine andpletely throw Ariana off, I had to convincingly portray the innocent ¡®Lilith Rosewood.¡¯ ¡°Um, it seems like I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I saw a shy and expensive-looking ne in Ariana¡¯s room before¡­¡± Thanasia¡¯s Ne. If you¡¯ve ever delved into the strategies for Lilith Rosewood in ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± it¡¯s a name you¡¯ve probably heard at least once. It¡¯s not only a crucial item to acquire in the middle of an episode to enter the Lilith route, but its performance as a piece of jewelry itself isn¡¯t too shabby either. Of course, for those who don¡¯t follow the Lilith route due to personal preferences regarding the heroine, it might be an unfamiliar item. For someone like me who has spent over 500 hours solely on strategies for Lilith, however, it was one of those pieces of information you can¡¯t just overlook. In fact, one of the things that puzzled me while ying ¡°Luminor Academy¡± was this item, Thanasia¡¯s Ne. Why could it be obtained in Ariana¡¯s room, but not in Thanasia¡¯s room, Harold¡¯s room, or even Ethan¡¯s room? If Ariana stole this heirloom to avoid the gaze of Harold and Ethan, how on earth did she manage to escape suspicion? Until now, it had been a vague spection that I casually brushed aside, but with Ariana¡¯s recent remark, that spection became a logical conclusion. First of all, it¡¯s absolutely certain that Ariana stole Thanasia¡¯s ne. Although I¡¯m not entirely sure, she probably managed to frame Catherine as the culprit through some means. She was quite skilled at shamelessly portraying herself favorably and manipting public opinion to her advantage. ¡®No wonder Catherine¡¯s character might not even appear in the main story at all.¡¯ Perhaps Catherine had already been used of Ariana¡¯s crimes in this manner, resulting in further punishment and subsequently being written out of the main storyline. Maybe she had even tried to help Ariana during the current situation where Lilith was being targeted, only to be betrayed. Otherwise, Ariana¡¯s other misdeeds might have been exposed, and she could have faced punishment ordingly. Though Catherine is a character who has never appeared in the game ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± one can¡¯t help but wonder if she, too, had experienced a life asplicated as Lilith¡¯s. ¡­Of course, things might be a little different from now on. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a lie! How could you know¡­ Oh, no! You weren¡¯t supposed to be in my room!!¡± ¡°You remember duringst year¡¯s apprentice maid training, right, Senior Ariana? It was part of the training to clean the personal rooms of senior maids.¡± Even if it was for training, it¡¯s uneptable to let an unverified apprentice maid into the chambers of nobility. Just deploying apprentice maids into real situations for practice could lead to inadequate handling of tasks and upset the servants¡­ ¡­or there¡¯s a possibility of theft, like when Ariana secretly stole Thanasia¡¯s heirloom ne. ¡°I think I found it inside Senior Ariana¡¯s drawer. I can¡¯t recall if it was the first or the third drawer¡­¡± ¡°¡­Go and check.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡± ¡± The mansion guards hurriedly dashed out of the Etiquette Room at Harold¡¯s mutteredmand. It¡¯s probably only a matter of time before they discover Thanasia¡¯s heirloom ne this way. ¡°You, you¡¯re lying¡­! She¡¯s lying¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m only stating the facts as I personally witnessed them.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Stop joking around¡­! I knew about the training period for the apprentice maids too¡­! Do you think I¡¯d casually hide it in the dresser until that day?!¡± ¡°So, are you saying that you hid it elsewhere on the day I cleaned?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ no, wait! I didn¡¯t steal it, I mean, if I did, of course I¡¯d have hidden it like that!! Anyway, it¡¯s a lie! There¡¯s no way she could have seen it!!¡± Yeah, it¡¯s a lie. Even in Lilith¡¯s memory, there was never a moment when she found something valuable while cleaning Ariana¡¯s room. Would that cunning girl really keep such a dangerous item in her room after an apprentice maid stumbled upon it? She probably carried it on her person for a few days or maybe secretly stashed it in Alicia or Catherine¡¯s rooms. At the end of the day, what does that matter? Either way, she wouldn¡¯t still have it hidden in her room now, right? That is, in the same spot where it was found during the ¡®Lilith¡¯s Heist¡¯ episode in my previous life. Moreover, the mansion guards have already entered the third floor for a search; how could you, a mere junior maid, stop them? What can you do? Instead of lying and cursing unjustly in front of me like this, what else can you do, you worthless piece of shit? Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. As Ariana made her final attempt to betray me, amotion erupted from outside the door. The mansion guards who had gone to search immediately returned to the Etiquette Room. In the hand of the soldier at the front, a golden ne with a sparkling blue gem dangled. ¡°We found it! Sir Harold! It¡¯s Lady Thanasia¡¯s heirloom ne, just as Miss Lilith described!¡± ¡°It was found in Miss Ariana¡¯s room, in the first drawer of her dresser!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mother¡¯s ne!¡± Upon hearing the soldiers¡¯ words as they entered the room, Ariana turnedpletely pale. The soldiers handed Thanasia¡¯s ne directly to Harold. Harold, after examining the ne closely, sped Thanasia¡¯s heirloom tightly in his hand and muttered quietly. ¡°¡­So, it is the item I gave as a gift.¡± Then, after tucking the ne into his suit pocket, Harold slowly approached Ariana, who was trembling in her seat. That was apanied by a gaze so fierce it could probably kill ten men, almost. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-Master¡­ Th-this is some sort of misunderstanding¡­.¡± ¡°Stand up straight.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir?¡± ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± Without warning, a tremendous impact echoed through my ears for a moment. Right after the sound, what met my eyes was Ariana, who was now pinned to a wall. ¡°Gah¡­ Urp¡­ cough¡­!¡± Ariana, hit near the base of her skull, was thrown nearly 4 meters in one go. Others, fearing they might get involved with her, reflexively avoided her as she flew towards them. Thanks to that, Ariana remained alone, pinned to one side of the room, emitting painful groans. Grab. ¡°Ahhhh! M-Master?!¡± Right after that, Harold grabbed Alicia by the hair and dragged her towards Ariana. Unable to approach him due to an inexplicable aura, other servants parted from him as if by a miracle, just like the parting of the Red Sea. Before long, a strained, angrymand emanated from Harold¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­Except for these two, everyone else return to your duties.¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Yes, master!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± It¡¯s better to leave now before I get dragged into this mess too. When things get like this, it¡¯s best to make a quick exit. I never imagined I¡¯d witness Harold¡¯s tantrum pattern here instead of during Lilith¡¯s Heist. Before his single-target attack turned into an AOE*1attack, all of us, including me, hurriedly fled from the etiquette training room and ran upstairs without hesitation. As we ascended the stairs one by one, the screams of the two women started to echo from behind. ¡°Help!! Someone!! Save us, please!!AHHHH!!!¡± ¡°I-I just did what Ariana told me to! I didn¡¯t know anything about Lady Thanasia¡¯s heirloom¡­AHHHH! AHHHH!!!¡± ¡­Oh, how ruthless. They should have been more careful in choosing sides. T/N
  1. Area of Effect attack. An attack that affects all characters in a range at the same time.
Hello! Axiomatic here. We are finally back in business! For those who are new, this is the first new chapter uploaded after the site reset. I¡¯m happy to keep the story moving forward and I hope you¡¯ll join me for the ride. The next chapter will be out shortly after this topensate for theck of which yesterday. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 21 The next dawn. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After several days of early morning shifts, I found myself slowly getting up from the bed with droopy eyes. The reluctantly acquired waking time was meaninglessly unnecessary from this dawn onwards, as there was no need to start early kitchen duty today. Of course, there was no need to handle vegetables by chewing hundreds of cloves of garlic either. Since Ariana and Alicia received punishment (violence under the name of discipline) from Harold, there have been some adjustments in our working hours for me and Catherine. First of all, Head Maid Melissa sincerely apologized to me and Catherine as soon as all the work was done. She apologized for the fact that I had been handling most of the kitchen duties alone for the past few days, and for not realizing the incident involving the ne stolen by Ariana from Thanasia a year ago a little earlier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not uncovering the injustice of this incident beforehand. Especially to Catherine Lane, who has been suffering for over a year.¡± ¡°Please do not apologize, Head Maid. Anyway, now that the truth has been properly revealed, I consider that fortunate enough.¡± ¡°I-I feel the same¡­ Just having the false usations cleared is satisfying enough for me¡­¡± Although I couldn¡¯t feel the need for her to apologize, as she couldn¡¯t fully grasp everything that happened among the lower maids just because she was the Head Maid, she was still the highest-ranking person in the same profession as me. So, I epted her apology somewhat unexpectedly. Catherine seemed happy just to have the false usations lifted off her. Evenst night, when Catherine suddenly came to Isabel¡¯s and my room and bent down to apologize profusely, I was almost startled. ¡°Oh, th-thank you so much for today¡¯s work, Miss Lilith! I¡¯ll be forever grateful! If you ever have any bothersome tasks in the future, please let me know! I¡¯ll handle them all by myself¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alright, enough already. Just get up quickly. What¡¯s with all this fuss suddenly? It¡¯s lucky Isabel isn¡¯t here right now, but imagine if she saw this. What would she think?¡± ¡°B-but¡­ considering the wrongdoing I¡¯ve done to Miss Lilith, I can¡¯t help but feel endlessly sorry¡­¡± ¡°Enough, just get up already!¡± To be honest, it felt a bit overly burdensome in terms of loyalty. While her character seemed good, apart from that, she was inherently fragile and naive, which made someone like Catherine, who willingly crawls under my feet, rather unsettling. ¡®With this kind of personality, it¡¯s no wonder she was taken advantage of by Ariana and Alicia over the past year¡­¡¯ It would have been nice if Catherine had a personality and distance simr to Isabel¡¯s. I mean, just the right amount of closeness between women, where they can share wordsfortably. Of course, it was already impossible since I lied to Catherine about being a noblewoman from somewhere. Still, for the next seven years or so, I should be able to make sure Catherine, in her vulnerability, doesn¡¯t suffer unjustly likest time. ¡­Really, no matter how I think about it, it feels like I¡¯m bing more of a nanny than a maid. Still, bing Catherine¡¯s nanny seemed slightly better than bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Of course, there was no guarantee that doing one would exempt me from the other. While we¡¯re on the topic, I should also talk about Ethan. It goes without saying, but I did express my gratitude to Ethan for testifying yesterday. Although he may look like a thirteen-year-old kid on the surface, the fact remains that I was saved from the abyss thanks to Ethan¡¯s testimony. Even if I harbored prejudice against Ethan in my past life, it would be shameless to receive help and then pretend not to know. Ignoring him out of unfounded prejudice would only damage my self-esteem. ¡°I sincerely thank you for testifying on my behalf in this matter, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to your words, I was able to reverse the disciplinary action that was almost imposed on me.¡± ¡°So, can youe to the kitchen today too?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t really decide my whereabouts, Master, but I probably won¡¯t be in the kitchen this morning even if youe.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Head Maid Melissa said she would take responsibility for this incident and mentioned that she would handle the kitchen duty alone this morning¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Perhaps Head Maid Melissa is more skilled in cooking than I am, so if you wish, it¡¯s fine for you to visit her.¡± ¡°No, forget it. I just won¡¯t go then.¡± ¡­What¡¯s with this uneasy response? It sounds like he came to the kitchen not because he was hungry but because he had some ulterior motive. It was such an uneasy reaction that my positive feelings towards Ethan evaporated in an instant. Snap out of it, Lilith. Even though he helped this time, the fact remains that Ethan is the guy who bullied Lilith at Luminor Academy. At any moment, from anywhere, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the route to Lilith being bullied by Ethan started again if someone identally flicked the wrong switch. As long as this appearance of Lilith¡¯s character remains unchanged, there¡¯s still a chance Ethan¡¯s weird interest could surface at any time. Even if dirt gets in my eyes, I won¡¯t ept an ending with Ethan as the bully. Anyway, the long day that began with a dawn scuffle finally came to an end. It was now my current situation to wake up again at four in the morning, barely six hours after lying down to sleep. It was quite an early hour, with most of the servants in the mansion already asleep. Despite feeling unusually exhausted today due to the many events, I managed to muster the energy to get out of bed since I was already awake. ¡°Lilith¡­ Is it time for work already¡­?¡± ¡°No, Isabel. You can sleep longer. It¡¯s still four in the morning.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? What about you, Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°I have somewhere I need to go for a moment.¡± ¡°Now you also start work at six¡­ but you¡¯re still going out¡­?¡± ¡­Well, work hours did change to starting at six. Although it might seem like I¡¯m doing something more important than that. ¡°Yeah. If the bed upstairs is ufortable,e down and sleep in my ce.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ okay¡­¡± Quietly descending the stairs and checking on Isabel, who was buried under the nket, I quickly changed into my maid uniform and stepped out of the bedroom. Instead of heading straight to the kitchen like yesterday, I walked towards the back door of the mansion where the ckwood family carriage would be stored. I went towards the prisoner transport carriage where Ariana and Alicia, whose punishment for the theft had been decided overnight, would be riding together. As expected, I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to eavesdrop. Finding Ariana and Alicia in the backyard of the mansion wasn¡¯t particrly difficult. The prisoner transport carriage, with its iron bars exposed outward, was unmistakably conspicuous in appearance. While it was rare for anyone to be inside under normal circumstances, today, there were two people inside, seemingly getting along well. Before the guests at the mansion woke up, a stableman was securing the horses to the carriage as if preparing to depart with the prisoners. Seeing it as a good opportunity, I approached and casually greeted them. ¡°Hello. You¡¯ve been working hard since dawn.¡± ¡°Are you a maid, miss? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I was just curious. Are you going to transport the prisoners now?¡± ¡°Hmm, this isn¡¯t something I should just tell anyone¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know who¡¯s riding in the back. They used to be my superiors.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The stableman avoided eye contact, seeming uneasy after hearing my words. They probably expected me to make some problematic requests, like asking for the release of the two. Of course, I had no such intention at all. If anything, I just wished for these two years to vanish before my eyes right now. But isn¡¯t it too regrettable to just let them go like this? All the things Ariana did to me, all the things she nned¡­ At least, for thest time, I should express all my grievances clearly. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, could you please depart just three minutester?¡± ¡°¡­Three minutes?¡± ¡°I know my superiors are being taken away for their crimes, but still, as a colleague, I want to give them a proper farewell. I won¡¯t make any difficult requests like asking for their release, sir.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Could you please consider it¡­?¡± Folding my hands together and putting on the most earnest expression I could muster, I made my plea, and the stableman, showing a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, nodded immediately, granting my request. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll depart in two minutes from now. If you have anything to say, please make it quick.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± At times like these, I¡¯m grateful for Lilith¡¯s appearance. After thanking the stableman, I approached the back of the carriage and peered through the iron bars, revealing my face. I quietly greeted the two inside, waiting for punishment in the miserable state within the carriage. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night, seniors?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­L-Lilith?¡± Two figures, draped in almost indistinguishable thin rags, their hands shackled to the carriage, looked back at me with a mix of surprise and recognition. The bruised marks on their arms and legs reminded me of Harold¡¯s violent behavior in the etiquette ssroom yesterday. Really, it seems both of them got a proper beating as if they were being punished like misbehaving dogs. Considering they tried to steal Thanasia¡¯s ne and shamelessly pinned the me on someone else, it¡¯s almost a natural consequence. Initially, I intended to offer a smile and perhaps somefort to the two seniors leaving in such a pitiful state, but seeing them like this made me feel sorry to the point where I, the supposed victim, felt guilty. ¡°You¡­ you came to save us?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Y-You thought this punishment was too harsh, too, right, Lilith? That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I-I promise I won¡¯t dy tasks for you anymore, so¡­ so please just say something nice about us to Master Harold just this once! Please!¡± What are these idiots even saying? Although yesterday¡¯s events earned me a bit of trust from Harold, it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s going to listen to me. Besides, even if he could, he never had any intention of rescuing them from the start. What, just because they¡¯re pretty? ¡°Stealing a ne doesn¡¯t warrant a trip to Silverwood! It¡¯s buried in snow up to your calves all year round, not to mention the dangerous monsters¡­!¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything this serious in the first ce! She¡¯s the one who stole the ne, so why am I getting the same punishment?!¡± What? They were going to Silverwood¡­? I thought, at best, they¡¯d be sold off as debt ves in some decent city. Harold must have been really furious. If they were going to Silverwood¡­ practically speaking, it was like they were exiting the story now. Two maidsmitted a crime and are being dragged off to the northern territories. Even without seeing it with my own eyes, I could easily imagine what they would be used for there. ¡°What? You callin¡¯ me a thief? When did you ever follow me willingly, you¡­ you slut!¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t thought the ne you stole belonged to the master¡¯s former wife, you wouldn¡¯t have done this crazy shit, you bitch!¡± ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± ¡°Aaaargh!¡± Before they were sent off, they suddenly started fighting, grabbing each other¡¯s hair, with just a glimpse at each other¡¯s faces. They were destined to ruin each other without me intervening. Well, it¡¯s only been three days, but we¡¯ve shared some moments together. So, before they set off on their journey, I gave them some advice, not that they asked for it. ¡°From now on, you two shouldn¡¯t fight. If you want to survive in the Silverwood Territory, you¡¯ll need to rely on each other somehow.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­ Weren¡¯t you here to rescue us?¡± ¡°Rescue you? I¡¯m not sure what you mean, but all I can offer you two is some advice.¡± ¡°Advice?¡± The two of them, with faces tense with anticipation, awaited my next words. Smiling at them, I imparted my knowledge. ¡°The Silverwood Territory is already cold throughout the year, and the northern border, in particr, is so harsh that even ordinary people can¡¯t enter.¡± ¡°I-I know that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they say there are no sheltered valleys or shelters near the northern border. In the first ce, nody would venture so far as to sell their services. It¡¯s quite a pity, considering the many soldiers who work so hard out there in the remote areas.¡± ¡°¡­Shelters? C-Could it be¡­?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not¡­? Surely not¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s truly heartwarming to see such esteemed seniors willingly journeying to the northern border of the Silverwood Territory. You both would be a greatfort to the soldiers who always endure hardships in such harsh ces!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Upon hearing my words, the two individuals dumbfoundedly opened their mouths, their faces turning a pale blue. As I enjoyed observing their expressions, I heard the voice of the coachman calling me from the front of the carriage. ¡°Miss! Are you done with your farewells?!¡± ¡°Yes, you can depart now!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Drive safely!¡± With the sound of the reins tapping against the horse¡¯s back, the escort carriage carrying the two individuals began its departure. Just before the carriage departed, the two individuals inside the convict escort carriage called out my name and pleaded for something, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention. After all, we were unlikely to see each other again, and even if we did, they would probably be mentally unstable by then. As the carriage carrying the two sinners faded into the horizon, I simply waved without any lingering attachment. Sacrificing two hours of sleep for this was truly worth it, considering how refreshing it felt. Chapter 22 It has been several days since the day Ariana and Alicia were sent to Silverwood. After the influx of Ethan¡¯s well-wishers at the mansion finally subsided, Isabel and I could slowly return to our original duties. Instead of pouring our time and stress into entertaining guests and working in the kitchen, we wandered the mansion together as before, handling chores like cleaning andundry¡­ ¡­however, there was one slight change to our usual routine¡­ ¡°Lilith? Um, Lilith! I¡¯ve cleaned all the floors on the second floor! Is there anything else you need me to do?¡± ¡°No, if you¡¯ve finished everything, just go ahead and rest.¡± ¡°Oh, should I clean the windows instead? Actually, I used to clean most of the windows on the second and third floors almost by myself untilst year! Lilith, ummm, I can finish faster than you, so I can help!¡± ¡°No, this is my job. If you¡¯re done with cleaning the hallway, just rest. I¡¯ll take a break after finishing tasks with Isabel.¡± ¡°Um, well, but¡­ Lilith is still working, so is it okay for me to rest first¡­?¡± ¡°In the first ce, you are my superior, Senior Catherine. Stop worrying about me and just go rest.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand¡­¡± Since Catherine joined Isabel and me, almost all the tasks have been like this. Initially, Isabel and I would leisurely finish tasks at our own pace, but Catherine ended up doing about 70% of the work alone, leaving Isabel and me to wander around aimlessly until the work was done. Since Ariana and Alicia disappeared into the distance, it wasn¡¯t strange for Isabel and me to work with Catherine. Honestly, thanks to her, the work itself finished faster than before, which in turn gave us more time to rest. From a purely physical standpoint, it was undeniable that the burden had significantly decreased¡­ ¡®This work used to be quite overwhelming at times; this is great.¡¯ However, just leaving everything to Catherine, who seemed eager to take over even the tasks I should be doing, was gradually making me ufortable, bar the physical fatigue. I¡¯ve never been fond of rtionships where one person only receives and never gives anything in return. If possible, I prefer dry rtionships where we don¡¯t exchange anything at all, and if not, at least a give-and-take rtionship to some extent. Handing over all the tasks I should be doing to Catherine every time made me feel uneasy. ¡°Just a little more, and my work will be done too. Please, Catherine, take a rest. You¡¯ve already cleaned the second-floor hallway by yourself; how much more of our workload do you intend to take away?¡± ¡°Oh, alright¡­ Then, um, I¡¯ll go rest first¡­¡± Seeing Catherine walking away with a gloomy expression because I didn¡¯t assign her any tasks, I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty deep inside. Yearning for the days when Isabel and I worked together in peace was an unavoidable reality. ¡®She¡¯s just so pure and kind to the core¡­¡¯ Of course, I couldn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t understand her feelings at all.@@novelbin@@ With the resolution of the theft case involving Thanasia¡¯s ne, the suspicions hanging over her were lifted in an instant. Even the unjust debt burden ced on her was removed. If I were in a simr situation as Catherine, I, too, would have felt intense gratitude towards Lilith. However, expressing gratitude to that extent might burden the other person, even though I understand the sentiment. ¡°Sigh, why can¡¯t I just treat her as an ordinary fellow maid?¡± ¡°Indeed, Senior Catherine is a bit burdensome.¡± ¡®Woah!¡¯ Lost in thought, Isabel, who had approached unnoticed, almost startled me by echoing my thoughts, just likest time. She always manages toe near when I¡¯m lost in thought. ¡°Have you finished cleaning the windows, Lilith?¡± ¡°Just three more to go.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll help too! Let¡¯s finish quickly and go rest together!¡± ¡°Thank you, Isabel.¡± Isabel took one of the dry cloths I held in my hands, and we started cleaning the windows together. Yeah, this level of distance felt just right, not burdensome at all. Rather than burdening me with the awkward suggestion to rest while she takes over, her light proposal to finish together because she¡¯ll help felt much better. This way, when the timees for me to help Isabel next, I can approach her without feeling pressured. ¡°I wonder what to do about Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Why? Did she offer to do the work again today?¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel like if I don¡¯t say something properly, this will keep going.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that the suspicions against her have been cleared, but she does seem a bit too ecstatic, just as you said.¡± ¡°Well, considering the rumors about Seniors Ariana and Alicia, it¡¯s not entirely unjustified why she¡¯s in this state¡­¡± The fact that Ariana and Alicia went to Silverwood was already publicly known within the mansion. Harold deliberately didn¡¯t stop the rumors from spreading to show the consequences that awaited those who mishandled Thanasia¡¯s belongings. Some of the servants, including myself, understood the severity of being reassigned to Silverwood as a punishment. <¡­That¡¯s possible.> Yet it seems Isabel remains unaware of the true meaning behind being dragged to that horrible ce. Well, if she doesn¡¯t know, there¡¯s no need to reveal the grim reality. It wouldn¡¯t make anyone feel good to hear the truth that senior maids were dragged away as ves. In that sense, perhaps it was indeed fortunate that Catherine was rescued. If she had been condemned to a lifetime of very in a ce where she didn¡¯tmit any crime, she would have likely felt nothing but a desire to end it all. Of course, I couldn¡¯t justify the current situation just because I rescued her from such a miserable fate. It wasn¡¯t an act I did in hopes of repayment, and if we were to argue, I was just as guilty as Catherine for using the situation she was in when I sent Ariana away. Perhaps it was simply an action to save myself from future peril, not an attempt to save her from her predicament. So, expecting gratitude was odd in itself. Of course, even if I were to exin this to Catherine, she probably wouldn¡¯t believe it. Nevertheless, she¡¯ll likely continue her voluntary acts of kindness, iming it was indeed out of gratitude for my assistance. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The problem was, the more Catherine¡¯s behavior like that continued, the more I stood out. Initially, there were around a dozen maids in the mansion, including us three. Including other staff like butlers, guards, and chefs, there were probably around 50 to 60 servants in total. Amidst all of that, my behavior towards Catherine might have seemed like I was exploiting her, almost like lower maids were prioritizing tasks in a hierarchical manner. Honestly, it was a behavior that stood out a lot, and not in a good way. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, whether it was good or bad, I didn¡¯t like being the center of attention. Now, thanks to recently finding Thanasia¡¯s ne, I, along with Harold, was receiving attention from several people. Any further attention than this would be toxic to Lilith. It was a deadly poison that could potentially reveal her ability to use magic if mishandled. However, despite having warned about it verbally over a dozen times already, nothing seemed to improve. Yet, I couldn¡¯t tantly scold or shout at Catherine in front of Isabel either. Isabel, observing Lilith worrying about a problem that might eventually blow up, subtly offered her advice. ¡°If Senior Catherine is burdensome, why not confront her about it directly?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already had several confrontations¡­¡± ¡°No, not just asking her to stop verbally, but having you ask something of her properly.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Ask Senior Catherine for something reasonable and frame it as repaying her kindness fromst time. Wouldn¡¯t Senior Catherine somehow understand and agree to it?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Indeed, ¡°Clever Isabel.¡± She definitely has a knack for practical wisdom like this. She¡¯s good at her work, smart, and quite pretty too. If only she didn¡¯tckbat skills, she could have easily been a sub-heroine in the Luminor Academy. Nodding in agreement with her usible advice, I responded positively. ¡°Yeah, Isabel, your idea sounds good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­but I¡¯m not sure what favor to ask for. Just asking for something like help with maid duties might not be taken seriously.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Senior Catherine started to work at this mansion a year before us, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask her to take you on a trip to the ckwood fiefdom*1next holiday? I¡¯m sure she knows more about it far better than you and I, after all.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard that Senior Catherine was exonerated not long ago, and her debt-maid status was lifted. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be happy to hear that.¡± Isabel kepting up with usible suggestions one after another as if she had prepared them in advance; it was almost like she was using ChatGPT. Thanks to the wisdom of ¡°Clever Isabel,¡± I almost forgot my status momentarily and was about to agree that it was a good idea. Sadly, there was one fatal w in Isabel¡¯s proposal that couldn¡¯t allow me to implement it. ¡°Isabel, truth is, I¡¯ve been too embarrassed to say this until now¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually a maid working off my father¡¯s gambling debts. I might not be able to leave the mansion grounds.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know Lilith was in that situation¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t mention it from the start. Still, I appreciate your advice.¡± Isabel¡¯s advice itself was pretty useful, indeed. If only I wasn¡¯t in debt as a maid. If I had free ess based on my status alone, I wouldn¡¯t be taking walks in the mansion but hunting slimes in the back mountains. Already having nearly 20 times the maximum health due to the increased magic capacity, it was essential to learn new skills to make use of this overflowing magic power. ¡°Still, you know, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Not long ago, you yed a significant role in recovering Lady Thanasia¡¯s belongings. So, maybe if you ask the head maid nicely, she might allow it?¡± ¡°¡­Do you think it¡¯ll work that easily?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in giving it a try. If it doesn¡¯t work out, you can think about it then. I¡¯ll take care of things here, so why don¡¯t you go talk to the head maid now?¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± With Isabel¡¯s suggestion pushing me halfway, I made my way to the head maid¡¯s office. Without much hope, I asked if it was possible to get permission to go out. ¡°So, next holiday, you want to go to the ckwood fiefdom*1?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s just something I wanted to try asking about. Since I¡¯m a debt maid, I can¡¯t leave the mansion grounds, so even if it¡¯s not possible, I understand¡­¡± ¡°I understand. Lilith Rosewood is trustworthy, so I¡¯ll grant you special permission to go out.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot with this recent incident, so take this opportunity to rest with your colleagues.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± I was actually a bit taken aback by how easily the head maid granted permission. ¡­I couldn¡¯t believe it, but it¡¯s actually happening. T/N
  1. A fiefdom is an area where a specific person or organization exclusively owns or exerts authority on.
That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and I¡¯ll see you in the next one! Chapter 23 Head Maid Melissa had given her permission, so there was no dy in the process after that. All that was left was to invite Catherine to stroll around the ckwoods¡¯ town with me on the next holiday. Since we worked in the same unit, I had countless opportunities to meet Catherine and chat. ¡°Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes! Miss Lilith!¡± ¡°Just call me Lilith.¡± ¡°When it¡¯s just the two of us, should I address you as ¡®Miss,¡¯ o-or not¡­?¡± ¡°I never gave such an order. Whether it¡¯s just the two of us or in front of others, you can call me Lilith, like how you would address your junior.¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­ I see¡­.¡± It seemed like it would take quite some time to shake off the reflexive ¡°Miss Lilith¡± from Catherine¡¯s mouth. Taking advantage of Isabel¡¯s brief absence, I informed Catherine of the request I had made. ¡°You want to go out to the town of the ckwood fiefdom?¡± ¡°Yes, Senior Catherine. It¡¯s been a year since you started working at the manor, so I think you would know a bit more than me about that.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I-I don¡¯t know much either, b-b-but still, Miss Lilith¡­ Oh, no, I¡¯d love to help if you want!¡± Catherine nodded vigorously as if genuinely pleased with my proposal. So far, Isabel¡¯s n has progressed well. ¡°Thanks to you, Lilith, I¡¯ve also managed to get rid of my debt to the maids¡­ If you want, I can guide you outside the mansion too¡­¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a good thing.¡± As for me, I¡¯m still stuck as a debt maid, so I can¡¯t go outside without permission. Now that I think about it, since I found Thanasia¡¯s ne, isn¡¯t it fair to have some of my debt reduced? Of course, I can¡¯t outright ask forplete absolution, but maybe they could shorten my contract period by 1 or 2 years. Escaping the ckwood family earlier still seemed more challenging than expected. ¡°Oh, and Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, would it be alright to bring Isabel along on the next holiday?¡± ¡°Huh? Isabel, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rare outing, and I feel kind of bad to leave just Isabel behind while just the two of us are out. Now, it wouldn¡¯t be just Senior Catherine and me, but also Isabel, making it a group of three.¡± For the record, Isabel didn¡¯t bring up this suggestion; it was my idea first. It felt somewhat awkward to leave just Isabel behind while we went out to town, especially since it¡¯s a rare opportunity. Plus, having three people instead of just two would make it feel less awkward¡­ ¡­and it¡¯s highly likely that Catherine wouldn¡¯t refuse my suggestion, either. At least with me, she¡¯s already built up a solid stack of goodwill, and there¡¯s no reason for her to harbor ill feelings towards Isabel. ¡°Oh, yes! Of course, it¡¯s fine! I-it¡¯s your suggestion in the first ce, Lilith¡­ Of course, I should listen to it¡­¡± ¡°Stop treating me as someone special all the time.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah¡­.¡± Honestly, if only Catherine hadn¡¯t discovered the fact that I knew how to use magic, any misunderstandings about me being a noble or something would have been cleared up quickly. However, now that I¡¯ve been found out, I have no choice but to maintain this lie. Objectively speaking, the revtion that I¡¯m a moner who can use magic¡¯ poses a more significant risk burden for me. Although Catherine¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t seem cheap enough to blurt out my secret anywhere, what made me most uneasy was her unpredictable slip-ups and fragile nature. It¡¯s best to give out as little information as possible if those are hard to predict. ¡°Anyway, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Yes! ¡­Oh, no, I mean, yeah¡­?¡± ¡°This time, you¡¯re helping me and Isabel with the town outing because of my request, right? So, after this, you don¡¯t have to take over my duties and say it¡¯s the name of repaying the favor or whatever.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®uh, yeah.¡¯ Senior Catherine, you can¡¯t keep living by considering my feelings forever.¡± ¡°I¡­ I mean¡­ I¡¯m okay with keeping things like this in the future¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®keeping things like this¡¯ from now on, got it?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, yeah, got it¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ Although it was abrupt, I managed to conclude the conversation by firmly setting the terms. ¡­ I¡¯ve managed to end it like this, but hopefully, there won¡¯t be any forced attempts to revisit the issue with different wordster on. I quietly hoped it wouldn¡¯te to that. Three dayster. We arrived at themercial district of the ckwood fiefdom and got off the carriage one by one. As soon as we got off the carriage, I stretched my slightly stiff body, and a groan escaped my lips. ¡°Ughhh¡­!!¡± Sitting motionless in the carriage for almost 30 minutes made me feel sore in several areas. In my previous life, I didn¡¯t feel this tired even after riding in a car for two or three hours. Firstly, the carriage seats were significantly harder and way lessfortable than a sedan, enabling fatigue. Secondly, my shoulders felt tense due to the constant shaking caused by the not-as-subtle vibrations of the carriage. ¡®I really want to just rip these off. Having them doesn¡¯t do anything but attract weird stares.¡¯ From a man¡¯s perspective, these ¡®melons¡¯ might be attractive and very pretty. However, Lilith¡¯s body, particrly at my bosom, still hadn¡¯t be familiar to me even after almost two weeks. I¡¯m not used to the fatigue that unnecessarily burdens my shoulders and back muscles, nor the overt stares from men whenever this chest catches their eye. Even now, like the coachman pretending not to notice while sneakily ncing at my chest. ¡°¡­Ahem, ahem.¡± Well, thanks to him getting hooked on my chest, we couldfortably make it to the town. In many situations, having a pretty appearance definitely has its merits. As it happened, there were a few items from the ckwood family that needed to be brought from the town to the mansion. Since I asked for a ride for me and the other two instead of walking, we could cut the distance we¡¯d initially have to walk in half,fortably sitting on the way. Of course, we might have to squeeze in with the extra luggage on the way back. ¡°¡­So,dies, enjoy your outing, and we¡¯ll depart again in half a day, so wait here! Remember, the carriage has to return on time, so don¡¯t forget that if you¡¯rete, we won¡¯t be able to give you a ride.¡± ¡°Yes~!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­.¡± ¡°Thank you for driving, sir.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The coachman hastily averted his gaze and pretended not to notice once he realized I caught him looking. I didn¡¯t bother mentioning his brief nce at my chest since I was well aware of his awareness. There¡¯s no point in making it awkward by dissecting such things. What¡¯s good is good. Frankly, it was quite amusing that in my past life as a man, showing a bit of cleavage would cause such a fuss. ¡®I should¡¯ve worn something a bit more decent, even if it¡¯s just casual clothes.¡¯ Since Lilith is, by nature, a debt maid, she wouldn¡¯t have had separate outfits for outings. Even if she did, it¡¯s unlikely that Head Maid Melissa would have permitted it. No matter how much of a holiday it is, as a maid of the ckwood family, she must always maintain the behavior of a servant, regardless of time or ce. Well, thinking about it, even if Lilith wore different clothes, she couldn¡¯t stray far from the realm of loose skirts or dresses. In that case, the familiar maid attire might actually be better. For a woman to wear pants in this world required considerable courage and risk. ¡®Considering the stares, my outfit might even be more noticeable than if I wore my maid¡¯s attire.¡¯ As I entertained such thoughts, the carriage driven by the stableman who had given us a ride had already entered themercial district. At the entrance to the city, the three of us looked at each other in turn. ¡°U-um, w-where should we go first? Do you have any specific shops you want to visit or something you want to eat?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know much, so please guide us well, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just follow wherever Senior Catherine and Lilith want to go, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­ Then, shall we start by exploring the market¡­?¡± ¡°Yes~.¡± With a strangely confident expression, Catherine guided Isabel and me. We had only ever seen her as somewhat timid, but now, in front of her juniors, she seemed to have found her own area of confidence and appeared quite bright. Seeing Catherine like this, asking her to guide us around the city seemed like a good choice. ¡­Up until that moment, we were unaware. Little did we know that this outing for a change of pace would soon lead to a minor incident. Chapter 24 With Catherine taking the lead, the three of us headed to a dessert ce that, for some reason, was familiar to me. ¡®Ah, this ce¡­¡¯ As soon as we stepped into the shop, memories of the familiar interior flooded. This ce was also one of the locations for events in the game. It wasn¡¯t a shop with an exceptional name. If you were to say it was a ¡°cake shop in the ckwood Market,¡± most people would, more or less, understand what you¡¯re referring to. It was a ce that didn¡¯t hold much significance in the story itself; honestly, it was more like a location for collecting character CGs*1. You can¡¯t enter the ckwood fiefdom with the protagonist¡¯s party until after you¡¯ve imed Lilith, so CGs rted to her probably aren¡¯t present. ¡°Hey, they say the strawberry cake they sell here is delicious! Um, you both don¡¯t happen to hate strawberries or anything, do you?¡± ¡°I like them, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Haha, well, that¡¯s a relief¡­¡± Even if someone dislikes strawberries, who could outright say so to that innocent face? At the very least, they would make an effort to like them. The only maids whose personalities were so shattered that they could make such a remark were probably Ariana and Alicia. Since we couldn¡¯t afford three separate cakes with the maids¡¯ sries alone, we pooled our money together and ordered a slice of strawberry cake. We sat around one of the tables with our slice of cake and chatted about various things. ¡°This strawberry cake looks even prettier up close! I learned that these are usually eaten by youngdies¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really? Li-Lilith, are these things usually only eaten by nobledies¡­? Um¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I¡¯m not sure, even if you ask me.¡± What does it matter if nobledies or maids eat it? Of course, realistically speaking, desserts like this were luxury foods that even pooling the monthly sries of three maids wouldn¡¯t cover. This is a fantasy world more than it is a medieval one. Besides, iming something is impossible to eat isn¡¯t quite right either. The ckwood fiefdom is vast enough to have its own capacity to produce milk and eggs. Strictly speaking, the sugar shortage could be seen as a w. Still, if youpensate by using less sugar and insteadpensate with the natural sweetness of strawberries, it wouldn¡¯t be entirely impossible to buy. Of course, the fact that this shop sells desserts made in such a manner to even themoners was somewhat strange, but I didn¡¯t see any particr issue with it. ¡®This is a ce to collect CGs, after all.¡¯ No matter how much it ims to be an SRPG, ¡°Luminor Academy¡± was an adult romance game at its core. It was a game for those who would willingly y three more hours just to collect CGs of their favorite characters eating strawberry cake rather than those who would give up,ining about those just being pixels on a screen. For now, I decided to enjoy the dessert before me without thinking too deeply about it. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡­The taste is, well, decent enough. If I were Lilith in the game, I would have probably shown all sorts of ecstatic expressions, iming it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve tasted such delicious food. However, having had proper strawberry cream cake in my previous life, this dessert seemed a bit nd but still decent enough to eat. ¡°Mmmm~! It¡¯s so soft~!!¡± On the other hand, Isabel was savoring every precious bite with several joyful expressions. If they had made this scene into a special CG and distributed it, wouldn¡¯t the sales of ¡°Luminor Academy¡± have increased by about a thousand copies? Despite being engrossed in such a thoroughly materialistic gamer-like appreciation, I could hear Catherine¡¯s slightly anxious tone. ¡°Li-Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I-Is something wrong¡­? D-Does it not taste as good¡­?¡± ¡­Ah. Come to think of it, today¡¯s outing was meant to stop Catherine¡¯s selfless favor repaying. If I showed any dissatisfaction, she would feel sorry for me and would likely continue returning the favor as before. It was important to show that I was thoroughly satisfied here. ¡°No, Senior Catherine. It¡¯s so delicious that I was momentarily at a loss for words, thinking about what to say.¡± ¡°I see¡­?¡± ¡°The cream melted like clouds on the soft bread as light as a feather, along with the fresh and smooth sweetness of the strawberries. I¡¯ve never tasted such a fantastic dish in my life.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­ I¡¯m d¡­ Li-Lilith, please eat plenty¡­¡± ¡°By the way, Senior Catherine, aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. Just watching you eat is enough for me¡­ Evenst year, when I was with Ariana and Alicia¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­As soon as I heard about her past, which somehow reddened my eyes, my words halted mid-air, and I could not speak for a moment. Damn, those two bastards. Hearing Catherine¡¯s self-confession was enough to wipe out any sympathy I might have had for the bitches who had been taken to the northern frontier. Before I knew it, my hand naturally cut my remaining share of the cake and brought it to Catherine¡¯s mouth. ¡°Senior Catherine, you should eat more.¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­? I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Please hurry up and eat it. I¡¯ve had enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my request. Will you refuse after I¡¯ve insisted?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Catherine hesitating as she stared at the cake being pushed towards her, her mouth slowly opened. Without hesitation, I pushed the slice of strawberry cake from my fork into her mouth. ¡°Is it good?¡± -Nods. With cheeks stuffed full of strawberry cake and a happy expression, Catherine munched away. Somehow, perhaps due to her petite stature, she almost looked like a cute little hamster. ¡®¡­ They¡¯re probably having a great time,ughing and enjoying themselves while leaving behind someone who eats so well.¡¯ As I sincerely wished Ariana and Alicia, those two girls, to ¡°work¡± at the northern border for a long time, I observed Catherine eating. Suddenly, Isabel tapped my right shoulder and spoke. ¡°Lilith, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In response to her call, I immediately turned my gaze towards Isabel, but she remained silent, her mouth slightly open as if she had something to say but stopped herself. Unable toprehend Isabel¡¯s behavior, I could only stare at her with a puzzled expression. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Isabel?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you, uh, have something to say¡­?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± With a somewhat awkward expression, she picked up her share of cake and quietly savored it in her mouth. I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it for some reason, but I sensed a hint of dissatisfaction from her. ¡­ Women¡¯s moods are just impossible to figure out sometimes. We spent more time together after snack time at the dessert shop. We strolled through the shopping district, browsing various clothes and jewelry. If we came across some tasty street food while walking, we would buy one to share among the three of us¡­ ¡­or we would sit near the park and engage in various conversations, and before we knew it, half a day had passed in the blink of an eye. ¡®Surprisingly, this isn¡¯t so bad at all.¡¯ In truth, I didn¡¯t have high expectations when we first decided toe to the town together. As a guy joining in on girls¡¯ fun, I didn¡¯t expect to have much fun, and I thought I would just go along with them for half a day and call it a day. However, thanks to Catherine, who surprisingly knew a lot about the fiefdom, Isabel and I were able to explore various ces within it. Time seemed to pass so quickly that I found myself enjoying the time and thinking, ¡®Time really does fly when you¡¯re having fun.¡¯ ¡°So, where should we go next? There are a few ces we probably haven¡¯t been to yet¡­¡± ¡°I think we should start heading back towards the city entrance now. It seems like it¡¯s almost time for our appointment.¡± ¡°Agreed. Senior Catherine, thanks to you, I really enjoyed our outing today.¡± ¡°Same here. If it were just Isabel and me, we probably would have wandered around near the city entrance and spent the whole day there, but thanks to you, we had a fulfilling day.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­? I¡¯m d I could help¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re really grateful.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m d¡­¡± ¡­Well, with this, Catherine¡¯s attempts to repay me with gratitude will probably mellow down by a lot in the future. In my opinion, this was enough repayment. Even I, as a guy, spent the day without realizing how time flew by. Truth be told, I felt a little disappointed when we first came out to the city. Instead of spending this rare outing opportunity like this, I would have preferred to go to the mountains and level up. Now that I¡¯ve already enjoyed everything, I don¡¯t regret it anymore. ¡®Leveling up, huh¡­ There will be other opportunities.¡¯ Since I¡¯ve learned that being a debt maid doesn¡¯t necessarily mean being confined to the mansion, perhaps the next opportunity wille sooner than expected. If I continue to build the head maid¡¯s trust in me, I might even get permission for outings that don¡¯t necessarily have to be in the city. It¡¯s certainly better to calmly go out like today and receive permission rather than sneaking off to the mountains and risking getting caught and disciplinedter. Let¡¯s stay calm. Let¡¯s stay calm. Increasing mana capacity, leveling up, and acquiring skills are essential, but the most crucial thing is still being ¡®inconspicuous.¡¯ I should be careful, primarily because of figures like Ethan and Harold. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the city entrance this way?¡± ¡°W-We should hurry up a little, shouldn¡¯t we? W-What if the coachman leaves us behind and goes ahead¡­?¡± ¡°We still have some time, but let¡¯s pick up the pace a bit.¡± I didn¡¯t want to see him dyed because of us. He had already granted us a favor by letting us ride with him in his carriage, and to do them harm would be one of my greatest regrets. As we hurried across the shopping district towards the city entrance¡­ ¡­a remark that couldn¡¯t be ignored echoed behind me. ¡°AHHHH! It¡¯s a m-m-m-monster!!¡± ¡­Monster? T/N
  1. CG is short for puter graphics.¡¯ In the context of visual novels, these refer to special full-screen static images of characters, memorable scenes or route endings, and specific events that are unlocked by progressing through the story. Think of the ending picture after a Hangout Event in Genshin.
That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 25 ¡°AHHHH! M-monster!¡± ¡°R-run away!¡± Themotion caused by a monster¡¯s unexpected presence in the shopping district immediately engulfed the surrounding area in chaos. Catherine and Isabel, who were returning with me to the city entrance, also expressed their emotions, pointing in the direction of the voices. ¡°M-monster?! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°AHHHH! L-Lilith! Over there¡­!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡­Yeah, that definitely is a monster. They¡¯re a challenge to deal with, even for your average Joe. ¡°Grrrrrr¡­!¡± A monster that looks like it was born with tough bristles, resembling a wild boar, with a voice like an enraged pig. If I recall from my past life, that creature is what¡¯s known as a Hooked Tusk, a beast with, obviously, hooked tusks. The beast is most optimally farmed at around level 10. If you yed as the protagonist, that level would typically be reached shortly after the story¡¯s beginning. So, in the actual game, it¡¯s not that threatening of a monster. Of course, that confident analysis only applies to ¡°Academy Aspirants,¡± and the general public would feel very differently. ¡°Please, help!¡± ¡°Guards! Somebody call the guards!¡± No matter how vast the fiefdom is and how high-leveled its knights are, the fact remains that they¡¯re just knights. A Level 10 Hooked Tusk poses a significant threat to the town¡¯s citizens, who are only used to seeing slimes because they live within well-defended walls. The same applies even for Lilith, who only has Clean, which she can use at level 2. ¡®But seriously, why and how did this get here?¡¯ This isn¡¯t some frontier settlement or outskirts vige; it¡¯s quite odd for that beast to wreak havoc inside the walled territory. The monsters that could appear within the walls would, at most, be slimes that are naturally generated the day after it rains. Moreover, most of them are creatures that rarely venture out from the mountains or forests. The question that naturally arose in my mind was answered by the worn-out scroll that had fallen near it. ¡®That¡¯s a Monster Sealing scroll¡­!¡¯ In this world, scrolls were typically used to store something. They couldn¡¯t be used to seal material things; instead, they were primarily used for sealing magic or special techniques. However, there was just one exception, and that was the scrolls used to seal wild monsters. ¡®Perhaps it was a technique developed by a professor at the academy to simte realbat.¡¯ Among the scrolls, the only one capable of sealing material things was precisely the ¡°Monster Sealing¡± scroll. It seemed that one of them had been summoned after the seal was broken in the middle of the town. It didn¡¯t matter whether it had be too worn out, causing the seal to weaken, or had been identally torn during transportation. ¡®¡­Perhaps this is an opportunity.¡¯ Finally, it was a chance bestowed by the heavens to level up and move forward. Ideally, it would be better to gradually raise my level by dealing with low-level monsters like slimes or beetles, but those methods only apply to ordinary folks who can freely roam outside. For Lilith, who couldn¡¯t even leave the mansion without permission, let alone go to the hunting grounds, this opportunity was too perfect to pass up. ¡®Since the monster was trapped in the scroll, it should be much easier to deal with.¡¯ To seal a monster in that scroll, the monster had to be weakened first. Even a level 10 monster can be reduced to a weakened state if not on the brink of death. From that fact alone, it would have been insane to face someone over five times stronger than Lilith, but the fact that it emerged from the scroll meant that its health was at around half or less. It¡¯s evident that the conditions for fighting this beast were aligning too perfectly.@@novelbin@@ ¡°GRAHHHHHH¡­!¡± ¡°Uh, ah, it¡¯s a mo-monster¡­ W-what do we do¡­?¡± ¡°Li-Lilith! Let¡¯s run quickly! We need to call the guards first!¡± ¡°¡­Isabel, you should go ahead with Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­I, I have a quick errand to run.¡± ¡°Wait, wait! Where are you going, Lilith¡­?!¡± A Hooked Tusk that¡¯s been trapped in a scroll and, apparently, freed, had begun to rampage through the center of a shopping district. The townsfolk panicked as they tried to evade the level 10 monster that had suddenly popped out of nowhere. Without hesitation, I swiftly moved towards it. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pay you backter.¡± ¡°Wh-what?! Miss, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± There were no weapons around, and I didn¡¯t have any offensive skills on hand, either. So, I grabbed three metal-skewered barbecues from the first stand that came into view. Still unable to grasp the situation, I shouted at the rampaging Hooked Tusk to get its attention. ¡°HEY!!! YOU FAT, UGLY PIG!!!¡± The sudden eruption of my voice immediately drew the attention of the people around me. However, I couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to those stares. What mattered now more than anything else was diverting the monster¡¯s attention toward me. I had to start and finish the fight as quickly as possible. ¡­I had to do it somehow before the fiefdom guards caught wind of it and got there first. ¡°OVER HERE, YOU FAT PIG!!!¡± ¡°Oink?!¡± I purposely waved the skewered meats to provoke the creature, which immediately turned toward me. Nothing as simple as a loud voice and food to get a monster¡¯s attention. As the creature was drawn to my voice and the skewered meat, it started rushing towards me. I watched its movements closely until it was right in front of me. ¡°Lilith! Be careful, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Isabel urgently called my name from behind. She was told to go ahead, so why was she risking staying behind? Although her decision was somewhat concerning, I had to focus on the monster ahead. Just before the teeth protruding from its jaws were about to pierce me, I quickly rolled to the left to evade the first attack. Whoosh. The massive monster brushed past me with the sound of a fierce wind. As its head whizzed past my side, I plunged one of the three iron skewers in my hand into its nape. The monster, with the skewer embedded halfway into its throat, squealed like a pig being ughtered. ¡°EEEEEEK!!¡± Since I targeted its weak spot precisely, it was guaranteed to take some damage regardless of the difference in level. It was a bit disappointing that I couldn¡¯t push it all the way in, but under the current circumstances, even that strike alone was amendable attack. Whatever the number was, even if I was approaching 300 mana and with no usable offensive skills, it remained a fact that one hit would leave me defeated. Fighting while taking hits was impossible, so my safety was the number one priority. Delivering the killing blow woulde second. ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEK!!¡± With the pain of being stabbed in the nape as it rushed towards me, the monster returned with a furious roar. Nevertheless, its speed was noticeably slower, thanks to the damage inflicted by the first attack. Considering it was initially trapped in a scroll, it couldn¡¯t have been in the best condition to begin with. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± After chewing on one of the two barbecues in my hand, I swallowed about half of it. I wasn¡¯t particrly hungry; it was to embed the second strike a bit deeper. To drive the second blow in as deeply as possible with just a moment¡¯s strike, it was necessary to minimize any elements that could hinder friction. Timing it as the slowed monster approached me, I, once again, rolled away to dodge its second rush attack. As he brushed past me, I swung the second skewer into his side, driving it as deep as I possibly could. ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEK!!¡± Shit. That¡¯s really fucking loud. Anyway, judging by how loud the wailing was and its significantly slower movements, the battle was practically over. If I couldnd just one more blow to its throat or face, without a doubt, that would be it¡­ ¡°¡­Miss, get the hell out of there!¡± Ah, dammit. Why is the security in the ckwood fiefdom so good? The guards appeared to deal with the monster not even five minutes after it showed up. Someone who seemed to be the highest-ranking among them shouted for me to step back. ¡°Our guards will take care of the rest, so miss, please run away quickly, hurry!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­What?¡± Our guards will take care of the rest? This monster that is nearly defeated, hanging on the brink of death, and that I¡¯ve managed to strike it twice with my life on the line? After dodging twice and barely making it out alive, these assholes are trying to steal my finishing blow? ¡°Miss! If you don¡¯t step back quickly, you¡¯ll be in danger¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, get out of here!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to finish this guy off; don¡¯t you dare take one step closer¡­!!¡± This is a level-up opportunity that¡¯se after who knows how long, and I¡¯m supposed to surrender it to those guards? Even if it means a knife to my throat, I absolutely cannot allow that. ¡­This might be myst chance to level up, so I have to take it no matter what. Chapter 26 ¡°Miss, I respect your courage, but this is too dangerous for amoner to deal with¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll finish this bastard off no matter what; don¡¯t you dare take one step closer to me¡­!¡± ¡°What¡­.¡± Holy shit. This is a golden opportunity! I¡¯m not even fighting a level 1 or 2 slime. I¡¯m on the verge of beating a level 10 monster, and you want me to give up here? Fuck no. Even if I fight and die here, I just can¡¯t give up on this opportunity. After all, I am Lilith, and that deprived me of the opportunities to level up with all sorts of restrictions. Of course, if not now, maybe I¡¯ll get another chance. If I earn the trust of the head maid and get permission to go out for the holidays, I¡¯ll probably only be able to kill a slime or two or maybe a bark beetle in the backcountry. ¡­but what the hell would that give me? What¡¯s the point of catching monsters that only give 10-20 XP at a time, at best, with the stats of this horrible Lilith? Meanwhile, defeating that Level 10 monster right in front of me would give me over 200 XP, ten times that amount. That¡¯s over 200 XP for just one kill. Only one more attack to go! Even if the guards are doing their job, I cannot, under any circumstances, give up thest hit. No matter what, never. ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!¡± The Hooked Tusk res back at me, presumably from themotion of arguing with the guards. Yeah, I know, you¡¯d rather fight me than deal with those guards. If you¡¯re in a 2v1 gank situation in ane, where you¡¯ll most likely die anyway, wouldn¡¯t you still want to take at least one enemy down with you? We exchanged nces as if we shared amon understanding. It wasn¡¯t long before the foul beast came toward me for onest attack. ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!¡± ¡°Miss, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°Lilith¡­!!¡± ¡°Li-Lilith¡­!¡± This is an intense situation, and the sounds around me seem to recede into the distance. Nevertheless, I remained calm until the veryst moment, clutching the one remaining metal skewer with both hands. Just before the boar¡¯s teeth sank in, I summoned thest of my strength and leaped into the air. ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!¡± I squeezed myself between the boar¡¯s two gaping tusks on either side of me and drove myst iron skewer right into the Hooked Tusk¡¯s maw. With the confident feeling that I had pierced something solid, thest skewer pierced the great boar¡¯s head. ¡­and, right after that. THUD. ¡°AHHHHH¡­!¡± ¡°Lilith!!¡± At the same time, my body flew through the air, unable to dodge his final body m. I had no choice but to use myst attack to deliver a solid blow. A Hooked Tusk¡¯s attack would be quite painful for someone that¡¯s level 2, but this was Luminor Academy, a game that had made me able to withstand it at least once. My body bounced off the beast, despite me hoping my attack would work, and I fell rolling on the dirt floor. ¡°Lilith¡­ wake up¡­!¡± ¡°M-Miss Lilith¡­!¡± ¡­Oh,e on. Please don¡¯t call me ¡®miss¡¯ now. Other than Isabel¡¯s and Catherine¡¯s voices, I could still hear the voices of other citizens and guards. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to what they were saying. In my fading consciousness, I took onest look at the Hooked Tusk before me. ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ughhhh.¡± The creature lost its bnce, fell to its side, and died. A Level 10 Hooked Tusk was beaten by a Level 2 Lilith with no offensive skills. If this world were true to the original, this interaction would¡¯ve never existed. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­, ¡­!¡± Isabel and Catherine¡¯s voices blurred together, and my vision darkened. Feeling a slight warmth, I drifted off into a deep sleep. ¡ºLilith has reached level 3!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 4!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 5!¡» The next morning¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I must have fallen asleep on the market floor, but somehow, I woke up in an unfamiliar bed. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t the bunk bed I shared with Isabel at the mansion. Judging by the room¡¯s atmosphere, which smelled strangely clean, I had a vague idea of where I was. ¡®A church.¡¯ ¡­Well, I¡¯m not dead. I¡¯m not sure how death was implemented in this world, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the kind of thing where you could just bring someone back from the dead in a church, like in most games. If that were the case, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for Harold¡¯s wife, Thanasia, to have died in the first ce. In fact, even in Luminor Academy, when a character falls, instead of saying ¡°dead,¡± the game says ¡°incapacitated.¡± The game system prevents anyone from dealing additional damage while someone¡¯s incapacitated, but there¡¯s no guarantee that it wouldn¡¯t happen in real life. ¡®If that really happened, I¡¯d be as good as dead.¡¯ While it resembles the game world in many ways, assuming that the mechanics would be the same was still a dangerous idea. Right away, I could tell that I¡¯d almost died just by waking up in a church bed. If this world were an exact replica of the game world, I would have been brought back to life with full health with a single prayer.@@novelbin@@ ¡­instead of lying on a church bed and being nursed back to health until you wake up. ¡®¡­But who paid the church offering?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t havee out of Lilith¡¯s pocket as a debt maid, for one thing, and it couldn¡¯t havee from Isabel or Catherine, could it? With those thoughts in mind, I checked the items on top of the bedside cab and was fortunate to be proven right. A leather pouch containing a few fairy tales and a letter that looked like it was left for me to read gave me a general idea of what was going on. ¡¸To Miss Lilith Rosewood, the courageous maid. As the Captain of the ckwood Fiefdom Guards, I would like to thank you for your efforts in exterminating the Hooked Tusk that appeared in the middle of ckwood¡¯smercial district the other day. I sincerely apologize for nearly costing the life of a citizen, Miss Lilith Rosewood. This amount represents the value of the material from the Hooked Tusk you killed, and we apologize for disposing of it without your consent due to the circumstances. In addition, the ckwood Fiefdom Guards have paid to recover your injuries. We sincerely wish you a speedy recovery, and once again, on behalf of all of us, we would like to thank you for your service to the ckwood Commercial District. Sir cksong, Captain of the ckwood Estate Guard¡¹ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If it¡¯s the captain of the guards, that has to be the same dark-haired knight who told me to back off. I¡¯d guessed it from how he persuaded me to stay away from the monster, but he was undoubtedly a man of some manners¡­ ¡­and this letter, too, is evidently from someone who seems well-educated. If he¡¯s risen to Captain of the ckwood Fiefdom Guards, he¡¯s at least graduated from the Academy, so he should have some basic manners. ¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯m pretty sure I yelled something at this guy before I copsed. ¡°Ah.¡± The shame that washed over me instantly made me bury my head in the bed. I may have been ecstatic, but I had no idea what I was talking about. I was lucky that he was a gentleman, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he used this as an excuse to punish me with hardbor. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ll have to apologize to himter when I can.¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t a major character in the game, so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll get another chance to meet him. I¡¯m sure a gentleman like him would quickly forget the insults spewed by the immature maid. Yeah. I¡¯m sure he will. He should. Still, it was selfish of me to defeat a beast in the middle of amercial district while cursing at the nearest security guard. ¡®Well, it¡¯s toote to think about staying under the radar now.¡¯ Well, the deed was done, so it was stupid to worry about it. At this point, it was more important to see what I¡¯d gained by killing the Hooked Tusk, rather than the blow to Lilith¡¯s reputation by my actions. I needed to see what I¡¯d gained in XP, a resource far more valuable than a few coins in a leather pouch. ¡°¡­.Hoo.¡± With some hesitation, I silently sped my hands together. At the same time, Lilith¡¯s information window appeared in front of me. ¡ºName: Lilith Rosewood Title: Courageous Junior Maid Gender: Female Age: 18 upation: Maid Affiliation: ckwood Family Employee Attack : 3 ¡ú 12 Defense: 5 ¡ú 17 Intelligence: 4 ¡ú 13 Charm: 12 ¡ú 40 Luck: 0 ¡ú 1 Current Level: 2 ¡ú 5 XP to Next Level: 83 Current Skills>> Current Health: 15 / 15 ¡ú 47 / 47 Current Mana: 282 / 282 ¡ú 855 / 855¡» SHEESH. Now THAT¡¯S a level up. Chapter 27 I jumped from level 2 to level 5 in one fell swoop, with all the extra stat boosts that came with it. The explosion of growth, as if all the hard work I¡¯d been doing was being rewarded, sent a shiver down my spine. ¡®It¡¯s almost tripled, well, a little more than that, but the rate of increase is simr to that in the game.¡¯ Of course, Lilith was already level 15 when she first joined the team, so this was just a guess based on the main character¡¯s rate of growth. Of her many base stats, the most significant upgrade is probably in her mana cap. Already at nearly 300 at level 2, her maximum mana had skyrocketed to a staggering 855. At the same time, I felt a cathartic rush of emotion as the pain and suffering of the past overwhelmed me. ¡®¡­My efforts were not in vain, after all.¡¯ If the past few days were any indication of my suffering, those past three days of eating more garlic than usual hadn¡¯t been in vain! The sheer number of the 855 mana cap proved it. If I were Lilith in the real game, I would have to be almost level 30 to get stats like that. At the moment, however, I was only level 5, and I wasn¡¯t even out of the single digits yet. Granted, the other stats besides the mana cap were pretty mediocre, but this alone was enough to make Lilith a more formidable foe. ¡­Of course, this would only give her a slight advantage inbatpared to the average person, and her actual strength would still only be that of a rookie soldier. Well, in reality, I¡¯m still an 18-year-old, almost like a high school girl, and I¡¯m not as strong as a rookie soldier. At least in this lifetime, I didn¡¯t have to bother trying to increase my mana cap. Even if I just get to level 30 normally, I¡¯ll be as powerful as any mage. I¡¯m never eating those damned cloves of garlic again. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just my mana cap that grew. My lowly 15 HP, which rendered me incapacitated after one hit, had also risen to a respectable 47. The miserable Attack and Defense stats of 3 and 5 were also raised to a more respectable 12 and 17. I still didn¡¯t have enough damage to cut a slime in half, but I could take it down with a steady stream of two or three attacks without magic or skill. For the record, I do remember catching slimes as Lilith before I regained my memory. It¡¯s not umon for slimes to spawn near rural farmhouses after rain. That¡¯s probably why I was level 2 instead of level 1 when I regained my memory. I think I had to hit one about 10 times to kill it then, which means I¡¯m almost three or four times as strong now. Life happens. ¡­Of course, aside from the usual stats like Attack and Defense, there were a few stats that increased quite abnormally. ¡ºCharm: 12 ¡ú 40 Luck: 0 ¡ú 1¡» The rate of increase wasn¡¯t so much that I thought it was weird, but¡­ the disparity is definitely a bit on the extreme endpared to other things. Lilith¡¯s Charm, which was originally in the low 10s, became a horrible 40 as soon as it tripled, like other stats. Luck, on the other hand, was a disaster, only going up by 1 despite gaining 3 levels. This may not be so strange, considering the stats of Lilith at level 15. I don¡¯t know if this was the game devs¡¯ intention, but Lilith¡¯s Charm at level 15 is an insane number; it¡¯s almost 200. Even at that level, my luck never broke out of the single digits. Of course, depending on your character¡¯s personality and role, certain stats will increase significantly while others won¡¯t. It¡¯s hard to say anything good about having more Charm when you¡¯re in Lilith¡¯s shoes. ¡®I¡¯d hoped to see a more even distribution.¡¯ I was especially disappointed with the minor increase in Luck, as it¡¯s a stat that directly affectsbat. In the game, characters with low luck would often see effects like ¡°Attack missed!¡± or ¡°Nothing happened!¡± duringbat. Lilith is no exception to this curse, as she is an unlucky character. The only saving grace is that Lilith is a support character and a buffer in the game, so her low Luck is covered by her Charm¡¯s modifier. I also have a few more exclusive skills with a 100% hit ratepared to other characters. The problem is, the direction I need to take from here on out is aplete 180 from what I would normally do in the game. What, you think I¡¯m going to focus on support magic like I did while ying Luminor Academy? That¡¯s not good for anyone, and it would only make it easier for Ethan to take advantage of me. ¡®Offensive skills are essential because I need to utilize the overflowing mana pool. I can learn other skills gradually.¡¯ If you were unlucky enough to miss an attack spell or two, you could just cast a third or fourth to make up for it. I increased my ridiculously high magic mana to do that and even learned triple-casting. Besides, as I said, Lilith had a few skills that had a 100% hit rate. One of them was Mana st, one of the first ¡°enhanced skills¡± you learn. ¡ºMana st: Consume all of your remaining mana to deliver an ultimate blow to all enemies. Damage dealt is proportional to the amount of Mana consumed.¡» If you have a Mana st with a 100% hit rate, it¡¯s practically game over. You¡¯ll be able to st through monsters up to level 25 with this one shot. Of course, once you use it, you can¡¯t use any other spells until you refill your mana, and you¡¯ll be fighting with 0 mana the moment another enemy appears. Still, it¡¯s a basic human instinct to want to have a reliable special move prepared, even if it¡¯s only a one-shot attack. I certainly wasn¡¯t nning on using this magic to escape ckwood Manor or anything grandiose like that. Even if I wanted to escape my status as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d have to take anyone¡¯s life to do it. I just wanted to keep it as ast resort in case something happened. ¡®Even Lilith¡¯s full-powered Mana st wouldn¡¯t work against Harold in the first ce.¡¯ It¡¯s better for my mental health to eliminate options that aren¡¯t realistically possible. Anyway, the next skill I had to learn was obviously Mana st, so of course, the skill progression had to be geared towards getting it. While the normal path, as Lilith, would be to increase character durability and support magic, I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and skip them in favor of offensive magic. I don¡¯t really have any other options at this point. Before we start taking skills, I should exin that the basic ¡°skill system¡± for Luminor Academy works this way: ¡º1. All characters gain 3 skill points every time they level up. 2. Each character has several kinds of Skill Trees ording to their personality, and the initial skill of each Skill Tree costs 2 points to learn. 3. In each skill tree, you can learn an Enhanced Skill by mastering all three of its sub-skills. The first Enhanced Skill in each Skill Tree costs 5 points to learn, and after you learn an Empowered Skill, you can learn 3 new skills at the next level.¡±¡» So, to summarize, this means that: In order for Lilith to use Mana st, I must first learn three sub-skills. I must spend 6 points in the process. I then need to spend another 5 points to learn Mana st, the first Enhanced Skill in the Offensive Magic skill tree. This means that I need a total of 11 points to learn Mana st. ¡­but how many skill points do I have now? ¡ºSkill Points Remaining: 10¡» ¡°Haaaaa¡­.¡± I sighed in frustration at the number of Skill Points that didn¡¯t change, no matter how many times I looked at it. Yes, it was true that collecting 10 points at once was an incredible feat. ¡­but maybe it was just me being greedy and wishing I had one more point.@@novelbin@@ Note that the 2 Skill Points I spent on Clean were in the Support Magic skill tree, so wouldn¡¯t help me learn Mana st, which is in the Offense Magic skill tree. ¡®Of course, at the time, I couldn¡¯t not learn it because there was no skill that was more efficient than Clean.¡¯ I can¡¯t unlearn Clean and learn Mana st now. After all, without it, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to boost my mana cap. In the end, I spent 6 of my 10 points to learn three sub-skills of offensive magic, leaving me with a sense of regret. ¡ºShockwave¡» ¡ºMagic Arrow¡» ¡º+10 Mana Cap Increase¡» To be honest, thest skill I didn¡¯t really want to increase was my mana cap. It was a stat that was necessary to learn Mana st, after all. In the game, it was a must-have skill for Lilith, who is heavily mana-dependent early game. However, I now have almost the same mana cap as a level 25 monster, so it feels like a one-mana increase. I didn¡¯t spend the remaining 4 points right away. I had to save them for Mana st at the next tier of the Skill Tree. Given the nature of Luminor Academy, where you get 3 points for every level up, I could have spent 2 points, but I figured I¡¯d just get character durability and support magic anyway, so I didn¡¯t bother. I didn¡¯t want to spend too much and end up running out of pointster when I really needed them. I¡¯ve yed as the protagonist dozens of times already, so I could recall a skill tree with my eyes closed, but starting as Lilith was a first for me in both my previous life and this one. If I failed, I might not get another chance, so I had to think carefully and make a decision. With that in mind, it¡¯s always best to y it safe. ¡®It¡¯s not bad at all that I learned Shockwave and Magic Arrow, anyway.¡¯ I can use them to hunt when I have time, and Clean is only useful when ites to using up my overflowing magic. For now, I¡¯ll just have to settle for two decent offensive skills. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get back to work.¡± Judging from the brightness outside the window, it seems like only a day or so has passed. Time is of the essence, and Isabel and Catherine must have already gone back to the manor with the coachman, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a long walk from the fiefdom to the manor. I¡¯ll just have to walk slowly, pretending I¡¯m still recovering from my incapacitated state. ¡°Oh dear.¡± Grabbing the pouch of money and the letter from the top of the dresser, I walked back to ckwood Manor before the day was over. ¡­It was about two hourster that I realized I had been lying there for three days straight. Chapter 28 A smallmotion broke out inside the mansion shortly after I returned to ckwood Manor. Unlike the typical reactions of the other servants, only Isabel and Catherine caused quite a fuss. ¡°Lilith! Are you okay now? Are you still in pain?!¡± ¡°Mi-Miss Lilith! How, how are your wounds¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t use honorifics with me.¡± After quietly warning Catherine, who was addressing me loudly to make sure everyone heard, I deliberately acted as if nothing had happened so the two of them wouldn¡¯t worry. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m seriously injured or anything, so don¡¯t worry so much. What¡¯s with all the fuss? There¡¯s no need for all this.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®not seriously injured¡¯?! The priest said your life was in danger!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m standing here fine now, aren¡¯t I? Thanks to modern medicine¡­ ah, no, I mean modern theology.¡± ¡°Li, Lilith¡­ Even so, talking like that is a bit¡­ I¡¯m starting to get a little scared of you, Lilith¡­¡± ¡­I probably should have pretended to be a little scared, acting like an 18-year-old high school girl. From Isabel and Catherine¡¯s perspective, my behavior must have seemed dangerous in many ways. I did risk my life to some degree. Still, since I recovered like this, it was a gamble worth taking, especially considering the various rewards I gained from leveling up. ¡°Don¡¯t make such a fuss, Isabel. And you, too, Senior Catherine. It was just a matter of lying down for a day after getting injured anding back, so why are you¡­¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about, Lilith?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A day? You do know that you only came back three days after copsing, right?¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Three days? Not one? Thinking Isabel might be exaggerating to scare me, I turned my gaze toward Catherine, but she simply nodded in agreement with Isabel¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, it really was three days¡­ The time we spent on vacation in themercial district was three days ago¡­¡± ¡°The captain of the guards brought Lilith to the church, and the coachman was also surprised¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What, it really was three days? That¡¯s how long it took me to recover from my injuries? Of course, to some extent, I had recklessly charged in aiming for a ¡®revival from incapacitation,¡¯ but I never expected to be unconscious for three whole days. ¡®I thought I¡¯d just have to lie down for a day at most to recover¡­¡¯ The world of Luminor Academy had some basic differences in its system, but I never imagined there would be this much difference in the recovery period. In other words, the battle I had fought just yesterday ¨C no, three days ago ¨C was not safe at all. It meant that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if I had simply died along with the level 10 monster rather than gambling on the simple mechanism of going to the church to recover and revive. As soon as I realized this, a strange tension crept over my body as if chills ran down my spine. The sense of reality, which I had taken a little too lightly until now, felt like it was closing in on me. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t think this world operates in the same way as the original¡­¡¯ Perhaps, deep down, I had been allowing myself some mental leeway, a vague expectation that no matter what happened to me, things would somehow work out in the end. However, Isabel¡¯s words about me barely recovering after three days made me fully aware of the reality of my own death. I resolved then and there to never engage in risky, life-threatening battles again. ¡­More than anything, it was also a moment when I realized that there were people in this world who would truly grieve my death. ¡°Lilith¡­ Don¡¯t ever do anything so dangerous again¡­ *sniff* Okay¡­?¡± ¡°I, I also¡­ I also don¡¯t want you to disappear one day¡­ *sniff* You¡¯re my savior¡­¡± Isabel and Catherine tearfully pleaded with me to take better care of myself. It¡¯s clear that at least these two would be pretty hurt if I were to disappear one day. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m making some grandiose resolution to live for their sake. Still, now, I realize that there¡¯s no need to risk my life unnecessarily. ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t do anything dangerous from now on.¡± I gently consoled the two of them, who were so scared and saddened it was as if they didn¡¯t know who had died ande back to life, patting their shoulders. In the midst of this, suddenly, I heard someone calling my name right next to my face. ¡°¡­Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Uwaaah?!¡± The low voiceing from so close, practically in my ear, made my body jolt in surprise. Turning my gaze, a young butler stared at me, unfazed by my startled reaction. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Something about him seemed familiar, but who was he again¡­? ¡°Dittmayer Collin Eberckropft.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± Ah right, I remember now. That ridiculously long name made me forget. The young butler in charge of the ckwood family¡¯s butler staff in Luminor Academy, Dittmayer Collin¡­or whatever his name was.@@novelbin@@ He probably bes the head butler around four years from now, so currently, he must be the deputy head butler or something like that¡­. ¡­but why was this man, who held a certain rank even among the servants, suddenly looking for me? ¡°Di, Dittmayer the butler¡­? What brings you to me?¡± ¡°The master is looking for you. He told me to call you to his study once you returned to the mansion.¡± ¡°The master¡­huh?¡± Wait a minute; since Dittmayer¡¯s master is Lilith¡¯s master, it means that Harold summoned me directly. ¡­Could it be that the time hase atst? Based on the current pacing, I thought it would happen soon. Not long after Ethan was freed from his curse, Lilith was assigned as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Being assigned as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid also meant that the future where Lilith is ¡°trained¡± by Ethan was drawing near. An ominous premonition began to creep up at this butler¡¯s message, making the hairs on my nape tense. ¡°Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Y, Yes¡­¡± ¡°The master is looking for you. He told me to bring Miss Lilith to his study once you returned¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I heard you the first time¡­¡± ¡°I thought you might not have heard me since you remained silent after I spoke.¡± Geez, what a gratingly persistent butler. Following his emotionless words, I had no choice but to make my way up to the third floor, to Harold¡¯s study. I was determined to somehow prevent the future where I be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, no matter what. ¡­Honestly, I wasn¡¯t very confident, but I had to do what I needed to do. Third floor. Outside Harold¡¯s study. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± *Knock, knock, knock* After sighing to release my tension, I knocked three times on the door to Harold¡¯s study. I waited outside quietlyuntil I heard a response, allowing me to enter. ¡®Judging from the sounds inside, he¡¯s definitely there.¡¯ Given Harold¡¯s personality, he may have been so absorbed in his work that he didn¡¯t hear the knocks. So I stood calmly before the door like a gargoyle, leisurely passing the time. After all, Harold was the sort of character who showed little interest in anything unless it was rted to his territory or his son. I almost wished he would just forget he had called for me so the process of me bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid would be put off haphazardly. I¡¯m really hoping someone else will take that position instead of me¡­ ¡°¡­Come in.¡± ¡®Oh shit.¡¯ Well, there was no way the prayers of Lilith the Foolish Maid would be answered that easily. With the feeling of a youngmb being led to the ughter, I quietly opened the door and entered the study. As always, Harold was seated at his desk piled high with stacks of documents resembling piles of paperwork. ¡°The junior maid, Lilith Rosewood, has returned to the mansion ande to report to you as instructed, my lord.¡± ¡°Lilith¡­? Ah, the maid who defeated the monster in themercial district three days ago?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°¡­Three days ago, you defeated the monster released from the monster seal scroll in themercial district, but you only visited my study thiste?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite certain I had instructed the other servants to send you to my study immediately upon your return to the mansion.¡± ¡­What is he talking about, this guy? Upon my return, I came straight here after briefly exining things to Isabel and Catherine. I studied his eyes for a moment, wondering if he was joking with me, but his gaze did not seem to have that kind of humorous atmosphere. From the start, Harold was not the type of character capable of making jokes anyway. ¡®If that¡¯s not it, then¡­ ah.¡¯ Fortunately, having wasted over 500 hours on Lilith¡¯s route in my previous life, I understood Harold¡¯s character perfectly. I carefully tried to appease him so as to not provoke his irritation. ¡°My apologies. Due to my frail body, I ended up recovering in the church for three whole days.¡± ¡°¡­Three days? Is that the truth?¡± ¡°Yes. Even when I left the church today, I spoke with the priest before returning.¡± As I told him this, a fleeting memory crossed my mind of the conversation I had with the young priestess at the church today. I hastily fled, feeling that if I stayed any longer, I would inevitably get roped into attending the dreadfully long afternoon service of the Aurelian faith, whichsted 2 hours. Perhaps that priestess had honestly been concerned for me when she said those words. I felt that the list of people I needed to apologize to had grown by one more. ¡°If you need to verify, you could send a letter of inquiry to the priestess of the Aurelian Church¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll just take your word for it.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As expected, it seemed Harold was just now learning for the first time that I had been unconscious for three whole days. He must have arbitrarily concluded that I would wake up and return to duty within a day or so. I had narrowly avoided being treated as a servant defying orders due to this fool¡¯s assumption. ¡®In any case, I can¡¯t let my guard down. The father and the son are both¡­¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t had the knowledge from my previous life, in a situation like the one just now, more and more misunderstandings could have piled up in the blink of an eye. I was extremely fortunate to remember Harold¡¯s fundamental characteristic of having no interest in anyone else. ¡°My lord. What was the reason you summoned me for?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. I almost forgot what I needed to discuss due to the misunderstanding.¡± As I addressed him while he was about to resume his paperwork right before me, Harold seemed to recall why he had called me to his study. As his tired-looking eyes met mine, he spoke of why he had summoned me. ¡°It¡¯s regarding you defeating the Hooked Tusk that broke free from the monster seal scroll three days ago in themercial district.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°After reviewing Sir cksong¡¯s report on the matter, something about it seemed odd, so I wanted to ask.¡± ¡­.Ah. Surely not¡­right? ¡°It¡¯s been reported that you nearly died while confronting the Gargolium¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­and that was even after ignoring Sir cksong¡¯sadvice to retreat from the battle, recklessly throwing yourself into the fray until the very end.¡± ¡°¡­That is correct.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why you made that judgment, so could you exin it to me?¡± ¡­Shit. How the hell am I supposed to exin this¡­? T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. We are finally back! Thank you so much for waiting. My finals went well, so thanks to everyone who wished me well! I expected all of my other requirements to be done earlier, but I couldn¡¯t update that I went on a trip to Hokkaido in Japan due to limited time after all of my deadlines had passed. Now that I¡¯m back, though, I will definitely have time to add daily chapters in theing days. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 29 Harold¡¯s question had enough weight to put me on the spot. Come to think of it, for Lilith, with this body, to charge at a giant monster like the Hooked Tusk was an absurd act. For a girl who had never hunted monsters in her life to engage in a life-or-death battle against a monstrous being over ten times her size ¨C it sounded so unreasonable that it was hard to believe. That act was an essential gamble I had to take to level up, but it would naturally seem reckless and foolish to others who didn¡¯t know the details. If I were honest and said that ¡®it was for experience points,¡¯ it would definitely cause various problems. ¡®There¡¯s no way the people of this world would understand the concept of experience points.¡¯ As someone from the real world, I recognized that this world had the concept of experience points and that one must defeat monsters to gain experience and grow stronger. However, to the people of this world, the very concept of experience points would be iprehensible. For example, let¡¯s say I was studying math in the real world, and a friend studying with me suddenly said this:@@novelbin@@ [Hey, judging from your calction speed, you must already be level 7 in math! Looking at your remaining math points, if youplete discrete mathematics this year and read a few more books, you¡¯ll hit math level 8 for sure, right?] [¡­Did you lose your mind studying for exams? What kind of nonsense is that?] The same principle could be applied to this world. Everyone naturally understands the basic concept that killing monsters makes one stronger, and bing stronger allows the use of new skills. However, the idea that one needs to umte a certain amount of experience points to grow stronger or acquire new skills waspletely unfamiliar to them. So, exining it with the words¡¯ for experience points¡¯ would be nearly impossible for Harold to understand. ¡®¡­and even if Harold did understand the concept of experience points, it would still be an issue.¡¯ How would he view a first-year junior maid iming she killed monsters to grow stronger? Would he understand that it was to build physical strength for her maid duties? He would likely think I was training for some insolent scheme. Especially for Lilith, an indentured maid, to train herself could be seen as a way of building strength to escape the ckwoods. Excuses like ¡®for experience points¡¯ or ¡®for training¡¯ were definitely answers I couldn¡¯t give¡­ ¡­but making up other excuses also didn¡¯t seem quite right. For money? The silver I obtained from defeating the Hooked Tusk this time only became mine through Sir cksong¡¯s favor. Typically, the money would have been abandoned when I copsed in battle. A meremoner girl probably wouldn¡¯t even get a proper price trying to sell monster loot. Because I couldn¡¯t escape the situation, so I had no choice? Given that even the security chief¡¯s report stated it, it was clear that I was perfectly capable of escaping. Not to mention, I had explicitly told the security chief, Sir cksong, and his soldiers not to approach closely, so this excuse would naturally seem suspicious as well. A sudden burst of pride made me steel my resolve when facing the monster? The moment I gave this answer, Harold would undoubtedly view me as either a lunatic or someone to be wary of. Putting everything else aside, I had to avoid drawing Harold¡¯s negative attention at all costs. Ideally, it would be best not to draw any attention at all. ¡°Was it such a difficult answer that you must ponder so deeply on?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ It just took me some time to recall the events of that day.¡± ¡°Then tell me quickly. Why did you ignore Sir cksong¡¯s advice and fight the monster to the end?¡± ¡­Since none of the other potential excuses seemed usable, in the end, there was only one type of answer I could give. This was the only response that seemed least likely to arouse Harold¡¯s suspicion. Steeling my resolve, I spewed out the nonsense from my mouth as convincingly as I could. ¡°So-someone had to do it¡­ Th-that¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The Hooked Tusk is a dangerous monster that ordinary people can¡¯t handle¡­ If I hadn¡¯t drawn the monster¡¯s attention, others could have been injured or killed. So I thought someone had to lure its gaze.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yes, I know. This excuse is unlikely to seem usible to Harold. Simply looking at physical ability, it would be seen as absurding from a junior maid below an average man¡¯s. But being seen as an odd one was better than being viewed as a dangerous or crazy one. ¡°¡­Was there really a need for you specifically to y that role?¡± ¡°No, it didn¡¯t have to be me necessarily. But in that situation, others were fleeing from the monster, s-so I thought only I could do it¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡­Is he buying it? After letting out an indecipherable grunt, Harold seemed deep in thought with a contemtive expression. Apparently not fully convinced by my answer, he posed another question. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say that¡¯s why you initially charged at the monster.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°Then why did you keep fighting the Hooked Tusk to the end, even after Sir cksong advised you to retreat? In your own words, he would have been far better suited to draw the monster¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s because¡­¡± I had anticipated this question when I gave that previous answer, so I readily provided the excuse I had prepared. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I-I was just so focused on dodging the monster¡¯s attacks, and I failed to realize he was the security chief of the ckwood fiefdom.¡± ¡°Even though he was clearly wearing armor with the ckwood security force¡¯s emblem?¡± ¡°I-I was too tense to even notice what he was wearing. In that situation, where the monster¡¯s attention was already on me, I didn¡¯t want anyone else getting involved, either. So I kept fighting instead of fleeing till the end. I-I was really scared, but¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡­Somehow, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s believing it at all. Well, if I were Harold, it would sound like ridiculous nonsense, too. A mere junior maid ims she drew a monster¡¯s attention as someone¡¯s proxy. It was undoubtedly aplex im for a middle-aged lord with lots of experience to readily believe. Perhaps I should have just said it was for money ¨C that would have been a far more usible im. As my head swarmed with all sorts of thoughts, Harold¡¯s mouth slowly opened again as he looked at me. In a tense state, I prepared myself for whatever excuse I might need to give next. ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± ¡°Y-You still find it hard to believe¡­ right?¡± ¡°I understood your words well. Certainly, had you not made that courageous decision at the scene, there would have been considerable damage.¡± ¡°You-you believe me¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing particrly strange about it. I had already confirmed during the previous disciplinarymittee meeting that you are someone capable of sacrificing yourself for others.¡± ¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure, but it seems he¡¯s somehow epted my story. Of course, I felt a slight pang of guilt at Harold¡¯s assessment of me as ¡®someone who can sacrifice themselves for others,¡¯ but that was about it. What did it matter what kind of maid he thought I was in his mind? In seven years, I¡¯d be leaving the ckwood territory without a backward nce. Ideally, it would have been best to receive neither positive nor negative evaluations ¨C to be met with indifference. If I had to receive an assessment, though, a positive one was more advantageous than a negative one. At the end of the day, my current status was that of an indentured maid to the ckwood family, and even without that, there was an immense ss difference between amoner like me and him. There was no harm in appearing favorable to the one in control of my life here. ¡­Still, I definitely didn¡¯t want to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, no matter what. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask one final question.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°ording to the report, two of the three iron stakes you drove into the Hooked Tusk¡¯s body struck precisely at its weak points.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°Did you happen to know that the neck area and the space between its eyes were its weak points?¡± Of course, I knew. ¡°N-No¡­ It was just by chance. Since the monster resembled a wild boar, I guessed its weak points might be simr to those in typical livestock.¡± ¡°Then, have you had experience defeating that monster before?¡± Too many times to count. ¡°I-it was my first time. It was my first time seeing it and directly killing it with my own hands.¡± ¡°I see.¡± For some reason, with each question Harold posed, I began feeling uneasy chills running down my spine. Somehow, fitting Harold¡¯s character, this line of questioning didn¡¯t satisfy his curiosity. Just as I was praying for this to end quickly so I could escape this suffocating study, fortunately, Harold issued me an order to withdraw without any further suspicion. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ve heard enough. You may go now.¡± ¡°¡­I shall take my leave, my lord.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll meet again next time. Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Why the chill-inducing use of my full name all of a sudden? Hurling all sorts of curses at Harold in my head, I maintained my calm expression and escaped from his study. The matter of the Hooked Tusk¡¯s defeat in the ckwood fiefdom¡¯smercial district three days prior had somehow been settled. ¡­At least, that¡¯s what I thought at the time. As things tend to go, the events don¡¯t flow ording to the wishes of foolish Lilith. The actual, troubling implication behind Harold reciting the full name of a mere junior maid was something I had yet to realize back then. Chapter 30 ¡°¡­I shall take my leave, my lord.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll meet again next time. Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Along with a creak, the door to the study room of the ckwood manor closed carefully. With that, the view of the departing maid disappeared, making Harold Richard ckwood quietly lost in thought. ¡°¡­¡­¡± No matter how he thought about it, she was a strange woman. At a nce, she just looked like a maid with a cute appearance, but she showed apletely different demeanor and conduct, as if someone else was inside her. She had been a suspicious woman in many ways ever since she helped retrieve Thanasia¡¯s stolen ne by speaking up at the disciplinarymittee meeting. That suspicion was further heightened by the monster extermination incident in themercial district three days ago. Through the Q&A session he just had with her in private, Harold could somewhat evaluate this person named Lilith Rosewood. Unlike ordinary civilians who would be scared and run away from a huge monster, her bold personality allows her to risk her life resolutely. Even in an emergency, she can calmly identify the enemy before her and find their weaknesses withposure. She has a strange character as she might not hesitate to sacrifice herself for the sake of others. That was Harold¡¯s straightforward assessment of Lilith Rosewood, who had just left the study. ¡°It might have been better to raise her as a knight rather than just a maid.¡± She was amoner girl who was sold off due to debt, so Melissa probably hired her as a servant without much thought to fill the shortage in the estate. Her judgment wasn¡¯t wrong by any means. Most debt-dependentmoner girls had a predetermined fate when they arrived somewhere. Probably anyone other than Melissa would have made a simr judgment. In fact, Lilith Rosewood¡¯s appearance itself was optimized for hospitality in many ways. Since Harold had already sworn not to love any woman other than Thanasia, he didn¡¯t feel any particr excitement. Still, objectively speaking from a man¡¯s perspective, she owned a considerably attractive appearance. Perhaps if she had more skill, instead of being sold off as a debt maid, she could have easily married into some remote noble family by enchanting them. That a woman with such potential became a servant of the ckwood family must have been a mere coincidence. ¡­But. ¡°She resembles her.¡± She was just a meremoner maid, yet he felt as if he was facing someone he had dearly missed and parted with long ago. A woman who doesn¡¯t care about her own safety or status and stands against injustice and danger. Harold had known only one such woman for a very long time. He¡¯d loved her for a very long time. ¡°Thanasia¡­¡± Harold muttered quietly as he looked at the framed portrait of a woman on his desk. Thanasia Louise Bracewell. The second daughter of the remote Bracewell Marquis family, which only had farnds and undeveloped forests. Also, she is Harold¡¯ste wife, whom he has loved for so long and still cannot forget. ¡°I thought I had no more lingering attachments since it¡¯s been so long.¡± Yet the fact that the most beautiful period of Thanasia¡¯s life came to mind when he saw someone who resembled her meant that his heart still harbored some feelings. Perhaps it felt even more so because that girl had helped retrieve the ne holding memories of Thanasia. ¡°So there was a reason why Ethan was obedient to her.¡± Maybe that girl could take Thanasia¡¯s ce as Ethan¡¯s mother figure. Of course, he couldn¡¯t ask for too much of a mere maid, but she could at least helpfort Ethan, who had started going astray after losing his mother. He had already confirmed through Melissa¡¯s report that there was no w in her ability as a maid. He had also witnessed firsthand her loyalty to Ethan and tight-lipped nature during the previous incident. He noticed her keen observation and memory recall regarding Thanasia¡¯s ne at a single nce. Although it may not be necessary, she also seemed to have the ability to protect his son if needed. After going through these thoughts in his mind, Harold nodded and made a decision. ¡°While she may be too young to attend directly to Ethan¡­she still seems to be the best choice.¡± It was the moment when an exclusive maid was appointed to assist his only son, Ethan Richard ckwood, who had just recently woken up from a long curse and recovered. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m dying¡­¡± The next day, after returning to my duties at the ckwood estate.@@novelbin@@ After being released from the etiquette training room on the basement floor for three hours, I rubbed my aching legs and painstakingly made my way upstairs. ¡°I expected a lecture, but isn¡¯t making me kneel for three straight hours while ranting a bit too much¡­¡± After about an hour, I could barely remember what Melissa said. Most of it was just repeated, anyway. At leastst time, there were four of us listening together, so her attention was somewhat divided. Now, though, listening to that dragon¡¯s roar of a voice alone for three hours really drained all my energy. My legs were aching quite a bit from kneeling for so long. ¡°If I was just going to be given a curfew, then a lecture wasn¡¯t necessary¡­¡± Even in this world where double or triple punishments are typical, wasn¡¯t this too much? The outing was only possible thanks to Head Maid Melissa¡¯s leniency, so the curfew was understandable. When I think about it, this punishment was the default for a debt maid like Lilith. If I had actually gotten into an ident outside, it would have been troublesome for the head maid who granted me the outing permission. She must have been shaken when she heard I was taken to the church. ¡­Still, a three-hour lecture marathon did seem a bit excessive. ¡°With that ridiculous stamina, doesn¡¯t she ever tire of constantly spouting it out?¡± The silver lining was that I raised my level to level 5 before the curfew was imposed. It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t reach level 6, but I¡¯ll get another chance someday. Even if I weren¡¯t a debt maid and had the freedom to go out during holidays, gaining five levels in such a short time would probably have been impossible. As Lilith, without any basic magic and having to just physically attack, it would have taken forever to defeat a single slime. ¡°In that sense, I guess it¡¯s still quite fortunate¡­¡± ¡°¡­What is fortunate?¡± ¡°Uwaaah!!¡± The deep voice beside my face made me instinctively jolt backward in surprise. There stood the young butler, his expressionpletely unchanged as he looked at me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ah, crap. I forgot his name again. I remember it was Collin something, but not the rest¡­ ¡°Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft.¡± ¡°My apologies¡­¡± Even though he¡¯s a butler, why does a mere servant have a middle name? It¡¯s already hard enough to remember his name, and the short middle name makes me think about the most useless part. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Dittmeyer, the butler, made a strange expression as if he didn¡¯t know whether to ept my apology. Thinking he might be annoyed that I forgot his name twice, I looked at where his eyes were directed and saw his pupils slightly aimed below my face. As I reflexively moved my hands to cover my chest, he hurriedly averted his gaze upwards, pretending he didn¡¯t see anything. ¡®Yeah, he is a man after all.¡¯ As I mentioned before, the only man in this estate who didn¡¯t look at me with lecherous eyes was Harold. With his expressionless face, this butler also seemed unable to easily ignore Lilith¡¯s chest. As a fellow man, I understand. Instinctual urges can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The butler, who had allowed his gaze to linger on my chest, calmly met my eyes again and called my name as if nothing had happened. I didn¡¯t point out his wandering eyes and simply responded. ¡°There is a message from the master.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Didn¡¯t he summon me just yesterday, too¡­again? No, why would Harold take an interest in a mere maid two days in a row in the first ce? An uneasy feeling sent a chill down my spine, and that ominous feeling didn¡¯t take long to be a reality. ¡°Wh-What is the message¡­?¡± ¡°Starting tomorrow, Miss Lilith Rosewood¡¯s position will be changed from the current junior maid.¡± ¡­Don¡¯t tell me. ¡°In the master¡¯s judgment, he believes there is a position more suited for Miss Lilith than that of a junior maid¡­¡± No, it couldn¡¯t be. Surely not. ¡°Please perform your assigned duties until today, and starting tomorrow, you will be leaving the junior maid position to¡­¡± No, no way. Not that. Stop beating around the bush, Dittmeyer, you bastard. ¡°¡­be appointed as the exclusive maid to the young master, Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± Ah. Shit. Is this a joke? It has to be a joke, right? ¡°Congrattions, Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shut the fuck up, you oblivious asshole. Chapter 31 Shit. Shit. Shit. Swallowing all the curses that could naturally spill out of my mouth at any moment, I quickly made my way up to the upper floors of the mansion. Shit. Why the hell am I in this position? Shit. What did I do wrong? Shit. Why, you damn bastard, am I bing that freak¡¯s exclusive maid? I begrudgingly gave my thanks for his ¡°well wishes.¡± *1 As much as I wanted to destroy that bastard Dittmeyer¡¯s mouth, it wouldn¡¯t solve anything and would only unnecessarilyplicate the situation. Barely holding back myplex emotions, I quickly made my way to the study on the 3rd floor where Harold would be. What am I going to do when I get there? Damn, how would I know? First, I have to somehow leave this damned sex ve¡­no, exclusive maid position. I can¡¯t understand why that Harold bastard made me Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid in the first ce. Why? At least in the original game, there was some understandable reason for Lilith to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. There was a usible reason that the freaky bastard insisted on making Lilith his exclusive maid after being captivated by her appearance. In the first ce, it was simply impossible for Lilith, who was too young, to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. That¡¯s for a good reason ¨C Lilith is only 18 years old in her current state. In just a week, she¡¯ll turn 19. Not only was she young, but strictly speaking, she was also a little younger than Ethan. At most, there was only a difference of a few days. An exclusive maid assists the noble she is assigned to with their every move. Naturally, it was a general rule that the exclusive maid be much older than the noble she served. In fact, ording to the game¡¯s setting, the maid initially appointed as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid was not Lilith but an experienced senior maid. It was because Ethan insisted that he didn¡¯t like his original exclusive maid that the position was moved to Lilith ¨C a process that could be somewhat understood from just looking at the story. It was understandable that the father, Harold, being a fool for his son, would assign Lilith to Ethan due to thetter¡¯s insistence. In that sense, this outrageous personnel move made no sense at all. A father is a fool for his son and changes his son¡¯s exclusive maid from an existing maid to Lilith? That sounds reasonable. But a father being a fool for his son and making the debt-maid Lilith, with no proper qualifications or background, Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid? That¡¯s just nonsense. This can¡¯t be done. This setting really doesn¡¯t make sense. Where exactly did the story go wrong? Though I unintentionally left a somewhat good impression on Harold, it seemed more than enough to leave the impression that I was also dangerous. To appoint a maid with the crazy mentality to throw herself at a boar ten times her size as his son¡¯s exclusive maid? Are you in your right mind? Are you in your right fucking mind? With such thoughts swirling in my head, conjuring an imaginary Harold to bombard with questions, my steps had already reached Harold¡¯s study on the 3rd floor before I knew it. Probably because I felt he would be in the study, I quietly took a deep breath outside the door. ¡°¡­Whew.¡± The insane noble who made me his son¡¯s exclusive maid, that son-of-a-bitch Harold, is behind this door. The debt maid with an unknown background and the crazy woman who dares confront a level 10 monster is now his son¡¯s exclusive maid behind this door. I have to change it somehow. If the original story progresses, there¡¯s no doubt I¡¯ll eventually reach a point of no return. Of course, even if I avoid this exclusive maid position, I can¡¯t be 100% sure I¡¯ll avoid Lilith¡¯s future of being disciplined. Even if I somehow negotiate with Harold now and get out of this position, it could change at any time with just one mention from that bratty Ethan. If that appearance of Lilith¡¯s never caught that freak¡¯s eye, I would have had a chance. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve already had several run-ins with him before. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Maybe it really is meaningless. Maybe it is better to just ept it instead of wasting my time. Lilith probably made the same choice in the game. If I made a half-hearted attempt to negotiate or transfer positions only to talk back to a noble, I might only make a worse impression. In fact, that was very likely to happen. When I think about it, the best and safest option is to ept the exclusive maid position first and somehow find an opportunity to leave itter. That¡¯s probably the safest and most efficient method I can take now. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Damn it, screw that. What¡¯s the point of obediently conforming to reality like that? This is why I have to ept it. This is why I have no choice but to let it go. Then, when the timees for me to be inevitably manipted by Ethan, will I let myself sumb to hismands? If the situation arises where I inevitably have to be cored, will I just get cored without a word? From what I¡¯ve seen of ¡®Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯ in the game, I¡¯m certain that once you give that opportunistic piece of shit an opening, it¡¯s no different than saying you¡¯re going to get sucked dry to the bone. To survive as Lilith, who has gone through all sorts of hellish routes, I can¡¯t give an inch on even the slightest thing. What¡¯s the point of doing something meaningless? At the very least, I can probably convince Harold that ¡®I¡¯m a weirdo.¡¯ Judging by how the rumors haven¡¯t spread throughout the mansion yet, he probably only informed a few servants like Dittmeyer about my transfer. Now is the only chance I have to reverse it somehow. *Knock knock knock!* Even in this shitty situation, if I vite the basic etiquette of a servant, it would be hard to apologizeter. So I knocked on the study door three times with my fist, letting some of my emotions seep through. Soon after, that damned Harold¡¯s voice answered from inside the study. ¡°Come in.¡± Click. As soon as I heard Harold¡¯s voice, I opened the door and entered the study. Our eyes immediately met when I entered as he looked towards the door. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After the quiet sound of the door closing behind me, an awkward silence lingered for a moment. I wondered if I should be the first to speak in this ufortable situation, but fortunately, Harold broke the silence first. ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood, is it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Damn it. I¡¯m screwed. The fact that this man, who seemed to have no interest in others, learned my name meant one of two things. Either he judged it would be good to remember my name since I would be someone he¡¯d have to deal with for a long time, like Head Maid Melissa or Dittmeyer, the head butler. Otherwise, I unnecessarily stood out, forcing him to remember my name. In my case, it was undoubtedly thetter. As regrets about where I had misstepped came flooding back, Harold¡¯s mouth opened again, giving me the floor to state my reason foring to his study. ¡°I don¡¯t recall summoning you today. What brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­I have something to say regarding the transfer notice I received from the head butler, Mr. Dittmeyer.¡± ¡°Regarding your own transfer, it must be about bing my son¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s hear it.¡± Fixing his gaze on me with eyes that seemed to say, ¡®Let¡¯s hear you babble,¡¯ Harold allowed me to state my opinion without hesitation. After all, if not now, I may never get another chance to object to this situation. ¡°I understand it is impudent to question Your Lord¡¯s judgment, but allow me to say just one thing.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I am woefully inadequate to be the exclusive maid of the young master, Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°So I wish to relinquish the position of Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid to another senior maid who would be far more capable of properly attending to the young master.¡± After listening to my words, Harold quietly met my gaze, not moving, his expression so indifferent that it was hard to tell what he was thinking, his eyes barely even blinking. Harold¡¯s voice broke the awkward silence that felt suffocating, which sounded a bit displeased. ¡°Does your statement just now¡­mean there is an issue with my personnel transfer order?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This was the crucial part. In our conversation, I had to somehow convey that I was unsuitable for the exclusive maid position without offending Harold¡¯s feelings. If I mistakenly showed an attitude of defying his order or revealed my feelings regarding Ethan, my head would roll within just a few days. That wouldn¡¯t be surprising at all. I had to speak confidently and assertively in front of Harold if I wanted to survive in this world as Lilith. Having made up my mind, I met his gaze squarely and stated my opinion firmly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I am not as capable and skilled a maid as you think, my lord. That is why I must reiterate that I am ill-suited for the position of Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed, you are alike.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­No, go on.¡± Harold looked at me with widened eyes as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to deny his words directly. Since I had alreadye this far, it would be foolish to stop halfway. With the feeling of sticking my neck into an alligator¡¯s mouth, I somehow blurted out the words that had been brewing in my mind, gritting my teeth. Getting involved with Ethan any further in my life was like signing a death warrant, almost as if it meant putting a knife to my throat.@@novelbin@@ T/N
  1. The actual line here is ????? (geumseuheumneudeu), which sounds like ????? (gamsahamnida) or thank you, but said begrudgingly as if Lilith¡¯s teeth were clenched. I couldn¡¯t think of a way to rewrite it without sounding weird.
Chapter 32 ¡°First, it¡¯s my experience.¡± The first basis I argued with Harold was my experience as a maid. ¡°Experience?¡± ¡°As much as you have highly evaluated my abilities, my lord, I would dly ept the position of young master¡¯s exclusive maid. However, it has only been barely a year since I seriously began umting experience as a maid.¡° ¡°Having a lot of experience doesn¡¯t necessarily prove that one is good at the job. You learned that from your senior maids who were sent to Silverwood, no?¡± ¡°But the young master has already had his neenth birthday some time ago; on the contrary, I have not even had my neenth birthday, which is the same age as the young master.¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°Don¡¯t you think I am too young to be the exclusive maid assigned to young master Ethan? I am worried whether someone younger than the young master like me can properly nurture the young master¡¯s mistakes with enough experience and maturity rather than a maid who can do better.¡± In fact, Lilith¡¯s birthday was alsoing up in just a few days, so the expression saying she was younger was a bit of an exaggeration. Of course, Ididn¡¯tmention that part since Harold probably wouldn¡¯t remember the birthdays of each servant. It would be much more advantageous for me to appear even a year younger to escape being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°I am concerned about the mental anguish the young master will feel when an impudent maid younger than himself ims she will assist him as his exclusive maid.¡° ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Well, what do you think? Even if I don¡¯t know the reason, Harold, if you have ced me in the exclusive maid position through forceful means, I can only respond with extremely reasonable logic. Perhaps Harold has also recognized and overlooked this issue once ¨C that having too young of a maid attend to one¡¯s child is inappropriate for their emotional development. Based on the official information released by the gamepany, Ethan¡¯s official age during this period was undoubtedly 19 years old. His mental age may be younger, but still. It was a setting forcibly attached by the previous life¡¯s gamepany to avoid Korean censorship, but it was an objectively clear fact that the age difference between Ethan and me was notrge. Harold also did not view his son as merely a 13-year-old child. Even so, he didn¡¯t seem to see him as a 19-year-old youth, but instead, viewing him as an age somewhere in between. First of all, the fact that the only son of the ckwood Duke had been asleep for 5 years due to a curse could have been a vulnerability in maintaining power in various ways. Above all, unlike Ethan, Harold¡¯s time must have steadily passed even during the 5 years his son was cursed and asleep. No matter how young his outward appearance appeared, as a father, it would be difficult to simply ept that Ethan is 13. So when I pushed forth this extremely reasonable logic, Harold had no choice but to nod. ¡°You speak as if looking upon my son as a robust neen-year-old.¡° ¡°¡­I have also heard that young master Ethan had fallen asleep under a curse, but that does not mean his birthday has not also passed. The fact remains that when the young master first came into this world and saw the light, I was still in my mother¡¯s womb.¡° ¡°Hmm¡­I suppose so.¡± ¡­It seemed he had made a rather ominous expression just now. Hoping it was just his mood, I waited for Harold¡¯s response, and his mouth opened towards me again. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It seems you were the only one who really understood my son.¡° ¡°Huh? What did you just say¡­?¡° ¡°Never mind that. So, is that the only reason why you shouldn¡¯t be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid?¡± ¡­What? First of all, did I get through to him properly? Somehow, I could read his expression a little, so I kept relentlessly exining to Harold why I was unfit to be an exclusive maid. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing to say this, but I am a foolish woman who recklessly tried to fight Galgorium alone not too long ago. If I had died from such a dangerous act, I would have just ended up as a lowly maid that you couldn¡¯t even remember. It was an utterly foolish act.¡° ¡°True. Thanks to your courage, even though a dangerous monster like Galgorium appeared in themercial district, it was subdued without any noticeable casualties.¡° ¡°¡­And not long ago, I resorted to violence against my senior maids and caused an uproar. How can someonecking social graces to the point of disrupting order among fellow maids guarantee that I won¡¯t make mistakes with you, my lord?¡° ¡°Those maids who hindered the organization¡¯s unity, stole valuables, and tried to frame others would probably never have been caught if not for you. My wife¡¯s ne might not have been found either.¡° ¡°¡­Perhaps you¡¯ve momentarily forgotten, but I am a debt maid who was sold to pay off my father¡¯s gambling debts.It¡¯scertain that having a maid of such low status and with nothing to lose by your side will only negatively influence you, my lord.¡° ¡°Well. The fact that you became a debt maid to pay off your father¡¯s gambling debts, which weren¡¯t even your responsibility, rather makes me feel that you have a sense of responsibility.¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°So, do you still have anything else to say?¡± ¡­Shit, what do I do now? No matter how hard I try to make excuses, he seems to be refuting them one by one. Especially since Harold is the head of the household, I didn¡¯t think I could easily win a verbal argument with him. I didn¡¯t expect him to thoroughly refute every excuse I had prepared. ¡®Why is this guy suddenly so insistent about this? Originally, he wouldn¡¯t have considered Lilith a candidate for Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡¯ Now, I can¡¯t think of more pretexts to refuse the exclusive maid position. To be honest, aside from age, my arguments up until now were a bit of a stretch. Well, since he¡¯s the one who initially appointed me as the exclusive maid, he must have thought about it sufficiently based on what he knows about me. I still can¡¯t figure out why he¡¯s so determined to make me Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°¡­¡­¡± With nothing more to say, I fell silent and watched Harold¡¯s reaction. This time, Harold read my expression first and asked me a question. ¡°You still look like you think you¡¯re unsuited for the role.¡° ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡° ¡°Then let me ask you this instead. If you don¡¯t take Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid position, who do you think should take that role instead?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Did I get through to him? The thought briefly crossed my mind that my repeated pleas may have gotten through to Harold. I racked my brain as much as possible to find a way out of being the exclusive maid. For Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid position, someone other than me¡­ Instantly, the faces of Isabel and Catherine, who are closest to me, came to mind. But, of course, I had no intention of suggesting their names. I didn¡¯t want to ce Isabel, who has been kind to Lilith since her training maid days, in a position where she could be Ethan¡¯s ve. A delicate girl like Catherine would probably be swayed much quicker than Lilith the moment she became Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. The problem is, aside from those two, I hardly know any of the senior maids. And I can¡¯t suggest Melissa, the head maid, either¡­ At any rate, to emphasize that I¡¯m not suited for the role, I needed to make him think of someone as far removed from me as possible. ¡°First of all, I think there needs to be a reasonable age gap that would allow Lord Ethan to trust and follow them.¡° ¡°¡­Are you saying anyone would do as long as they are older?¡° ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. However, an appropriate age gap would help Lord Ethan trust and rely on them while allowing them to assist him properly. A maid too close in age couldn¡¯t properly discipline Lord Ethan, could she?¡° ¡°¡­Go on.¡° ¡°In my opinion, an exclusive maid isn¡¯t simply someone who listens to and agrees with everything the lord says. They need to be able to caution him when he does something wrong and firmly scold him when he acts unbingly for a noble. But can a young maid like Isabel, me, or senior Catherine do that properly? That is something I cannot guarantee.¡° ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯swhy I would like to reiterate that a maid with a bit more experience and maturity than me is needed for Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid position. ¡­A maid who can show unwavering loyalty to Lord Ethan, but also discipline him at times, someone who can y a motherly role, for example¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­A motherly role¡­is what you said?¡° Oh. Shit. I¡¯m fucked, I¡¯m fucked, I¡¯m fucked, I¡¯m fucked, I¡¯m fucked. ¡°You just said someone who can y a ¡®motherly role¡®is needed, didn¡¯t you?¡± Shit. He heard it, alright. What do I do? What do I do about this? You stupid girl, you should have stopped at an appropriate point. Are you out of your mind? Have you lost your sense of fear? Mentioning Ethan¡¯s mother in front of Harold? Thanasia, the highest risk trigger? And what was that? A ¡®motherly role¡¯? You should have thought before speaking. Do you have a brain or not? Saying that a maid who can y Ethan¡¯s mother¡¯s role is needed is practically the same as saying that someone needs to rece Thanasia¡¯s role. After blurting out such nonsense in front of Harold, I might as well ept that leaving this room unscathed is impossible. There¡¯s no way Harold would let a lowly maid who dared suggest recing his wife, whom he hasn¡¯t forgotten even after almost ten years since her death, leave safely. It¡¯s no longer just a matter of whether I take the exclusive maid role. It¡¯s now a matter of whether my lifeline gets cut short here. I felt like I could recall the scene of Ariana getting punched in the gut by Harold and sent flying in the etiquette training room in the basement. A sense of crisis crept up that the same thing could happen to me in just a few minutes. ¡°Mas¡­Master¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I tried to apologize to somehow stay alive, but I was so tense that my mouth could hardly get the next words out. In the end, before I could finish speaking, Harold opened his mouth first and called my name. ¡°¡­Lilith Rosewood.¡° ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes¡­¡° ¡°I have the same thought as you, you know.¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Huh?¡° ¡°That¡¯s why I appointed you as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Do you understand?¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± What is he suddenly bbering about again? There¡¯s no way Harold would just overlook my insult to Thanasia of all people. Why is he suddenly bringing up Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid again? However, mentioning my slip of the tongue to Harold would be no different than sticking my neck on the chopping block. It was fortunate for me that he didn¡¯t bring it up and just moved on. ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡° ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡° ¡°I¡¯velistened to everything you said, but I can¡¯t really think of anyone other than you who would be suitable as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡° ¡°¡­I see.¡° ¡°The appointment will remain. From tomorrow, you will be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, understand?¡° ¡°Y-Yes, I understand.¡° ¡°You may go now.¡° ¡°I, I will go.¡± My mind was already in turmoil from the thought that I had made a fatal slip of the tongue. In this situation, I couldn¡¯t possibly refuse the exclusive maid position, so I hurriedly left Harold¡¯s study. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­ I survived¡­¡± I don¡¯t know why, but it was fortunate that he didn¡¯t mention my slip of the tongue and let it go. ¡­Honestly, I really thought I was done for. Author¡¯s Note: Finally, this novel can live up to its title. T/N Let¡¯s go!!! The real story begins now. Also, I picked up a new novel! Chapters forGenius Wizard Conceals His Originswill be out starting next week (May 6) following a T-Th-Sat schedule. Feel free to check it out! That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 33 It¡¯s the day after I was ordered by Harold to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid and had no choice but to ept it. In other news, besides my bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, there was a slight change for Isabel, my fellow maid who shared the same room. She was assigned a private single room on the 2nd floor instead of the bedroom with the bunk bed she and I had used together on the third. While it really was a minor changepared to me bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, it didn¡¯t seem minor to Isabel. As she left the bedroom with the bunk bed, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a wistful sound. ¡°This room was cramped, but being here with Lilith was nice¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. Considering new maids willeter, I have to vacate this room. And you being alone in the vacant shared room would make you feel lonely for no reason.¡° ¡°Yeah, I guess so¡­¡± This was pretty much a done deal since a few days ago. With Ariana and Alicia gone, two private rooms for junior maids had be vacant. It was only natural that Isabel, the new junior maid, would take one of those two vacancies ¨C nothing more, nothing less. I was also supposed to be assigned a private junior maid room like Isabel¡­ ¡°So Lilith, you¡¯ll live on the 4th floor starting today?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Due to the regtion that exclusive maids must always stay close, my room would move from the junior maids¡¯ rooms on the 3rd floor to the exclusive maids¡¯ rooms on the 4th floor. ¡­Reallyplicated feelings. ¡°Li-Lilith! Is this all your luggage? Sh-shall I carry it upstairs for you?¡° ¡°¡­I can do it myself, so just leave it there.¡° ¡°Huh, what?! I couldn¡¯t hear you well, so I¡¯ll take it to the 4th floor first!¡° ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯ll go up too, Isabel.¡° ¡°Okay¡­¡± Not understanding my feelings, Catherine picked up my luggage and headed to the exclusive maid¡¯s waiting room on the 4th floor. I, too, finished my brief conversation with Isabel and followed behind her. The topmost floor of the mansion is the 4th floor, where Ethan and Harold¡¯s rooms are. ¡®Shit.¡¯ Even though I had moved from the shared room on the 3rd floor to a private room on the 4th, my mood was in the gutter in many ways. In the end, all I gained from the negotiation with Harold was a momentary sense of mortal danger and the firmly decided position as an exclusive maid. If I had known this would happen, I probably should not have confronted Harold in the first ce. On the 4th floor of the ckwood Mansion is a room that yers of the Lilith route in Luminor Academy inevitably encounter a lot. After looking around that familiar scenery once, I unlocked a room next to the stairs with a key and went inside. It was right next to Ethan¡¯s bedroom, the dreadful ce called ¡®Lilith¡¯s Room¡®in the game. ¡°Wow, wo¡­! So, Lilith, you¡¯ll be staying here starting today?¡± Catherine, who had carried in my luggage and entered the room with me, began looking around my room in various ces as if she had seen something amazing. I dropped the bundle of luggage she had carried for me in a corner of the room, then sat at the table pondering what to do next. ¡®In the end, I really have ended up in this room.¡¯ Lilith¡¯s room. As soon as I entered this unpleasant room that yers cannot avoid entering several times when ying Lilith¡¯s route, my mood became extremely unpleasant. Of course, since this was still before Lilith got ¡®trained¡®by Ethan, the room itself was simr to a normal exclusive maid¡¯s waiting room for now. But in about 2-3 years, the atmosphere of this room would surely change from the in feeling it had now, decorated with all sorts of items. The biggest problem was that those ¡®decorations¡®would be unpleasant objects that reduced one¡¯s sanity just by looking at them. Not just restraints like handcuffs, ropes, and cors but also tools used for lewd purposes like triangle horses, chain beds, and aphrodisiacs. Just imagining this room filled with adult toys like dildos and vibrators made an unpleasant feeling well up from inside me. For reference, it¡¯s meaningless to question why such adult toys exist in a fantasy world. This game was essentially an erotic game disguised as an SRPG. There would be more people getting aroused watching Lilith screaming, impaled on a dildo than peopleining it doesn¡¯t feel ¡°medieval fantasy¡°enough. I had never once thought in my previous life that I might be the one ¡®screaming while impaled,¡¯ though. ¡°Li-Lilith! As expected of the exclusive maid¡¯s waiting room, even the furniture is different! Th-the bed is much bigger and fluffier than the one in my room, and there¡¯s even a mirror¡­¡°@@novelbin@@ Unable to grasp myplicated feelings, I naturally felt a momentary urge to grab the back of Catherine¡¯s head and shove it down as she excitedly wandered around the room. If I did that or kicked her here, she likely wouldn¡¯t put up any resistance against me. Should I just do it? I¡¯m already annoyed, so why not just shove her head down once? ¡®¡­Geez, enough.¡¯ Shaking off the evil that momentarily crossed my mind, I reproached myself. Taking advantage of others¡¯ weaknesses and acting as I pleased was one of the things I despised the most. Moreover, if I did something like that to Catherine, I¡¯d be no different from Ariana. Still, I imagined shoving her head down a few times, annoyed seeing her wander around someone else¡¯s room with that overly excited expression. I did it in my mind, okay, so cut me some ck. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t run around too much. You might disturb those on the floors below.¡± After giving her a mild warning not to overdo it, I seriously pondered how to proceed. After looking around my room to some extent, Catherine turned her gaze to me and carefully asked: ¡°It feels really novel. Is this how nobledies¡¯ rooms usually are?¡° ¡°Idon¡¯t know for sure, but most nobledies¡¯ rooms would be even bigger than this. Especially for clothes, instead of having a closet in a room like this, they¡¯d have a separate dressing room, and maids or butlers would bring the clothes. This seems to be made to give the exclusive maid noblewoman vibes while doubling as living quarters.¡± ¡°As expected, Lilith must know a lot since you¡¯re a noble! I-I thought a room like this would naturally only be used by nobledies¡­¡° ¡°For baronesses or poor counts¡¯ daughters, their rooms may be simr to this. Not all nobles are wealthy withrge estates just for being nobles.¡° ¡°I-I see¡­ As expected of Lilith¡­¡± To be precise, I didn¡¯t know this from being a noble myself, but I learned it from knowledge gained while pursuing noble heroines in my past life. Due to the setting in whichmoners cannot use magic, all magic-using heroines are automatically nobles. So, when pursuing those kinds of heroines, I inevitably ended up in their private rooms as well. There were even princesses and imperial princesses among the heroines of this Luminor Academy game. Hence, a nobledy¡¯s room was a very familiar sight for me, who hadpleted all routes in my past life. Even so, despite spending over 500 hours on Lilith¡¯s route, this ¡°Lilith¡¯s Room¡°felt utterly unfamiliar. ¡®¡­Well, Ethan¡¯s training has yet to start.¡¯ Once I start getting ¡°trained¡°by that pig Ethan under the pretext of being his exclusive maid, this room is bound to transform into a dreadful sight. My future actions should prevent that from happening. Though I couldn¡¯t avoid bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, my current self certainly wasn¡¯t in a situation where I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. I was at level 5, had three skills, and had a vast mana capacity nearing four digits. It¡¯s a shame I didn¡¯t learn Mana st, but I didn¡¯t necessarily need that specific skill. Above all, my personalitypletely differed from the original Lilith Rosewood in the game. Unlike Lilith, who became a sex ve because she failed to refuse the lord¡¯s orders in time, my fundamental nature as former South Korean university student Lee Ji-hwan was different. So unlike the foolish Lilith who obediently endured, if I see even a slight chance of being ¡°trained¡°by that damn pig Ethan, I will resist by any means necessary. I absolutely will not meekly endure like the ¡°Foolish Maid Lilith¡°in the game. ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯ll go back to my room now! R-rest well, Lilith!¡° ¡°Yes, you can go.¡° After looking around my room here and there, Catherine headed back to the stairs leading to the 3rd floor where her room was. Left alone in the room, I quietly pondered while leaning forward on the table. Since I couldn¡¯t avoid bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I need to conduct myself well from now on if I want to survive. Chapter 34 ¡°¡­Perhaps that bastard didn¡¯t know any better from the beginning and trained Lilith regardless.¡± After firmly resolving to conduct myself as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, it was the first conclusion I came to. The assumption is that this lout bastard had been training Lilith since he was 19, but it may not have been something sexual. In fact, if you look at Lilith¡¯s asional shback scenes, the bullying bes more severe and obscene as Ethan gets older. No matter his current age, if Ethan¡¯s mental age is five years younger, Ethan would barely have the knowledge and culture of an elementary or middle school student. That bastard probably didn¡¯t learn any extra sexual knowledge, either. It¡¯s reasonable to assume that he started out just wanting to get Lilith¡¯s attention, but it boggles me how it turned into sexual harassment for some reason. ¡­Otherwise, he just naturally opened his eyes to sex as he got older and happened to start using the excellent teaching material, Lilith, as his own sex ve. What if I never react to what Ethan does from the beginning? Initially, getting attention was something you wanted to do more and more as long as the other person responded well. On the contrary, if I pretended to bepletely unresponsive, Ethan¡¯s behavior of trying to get attention through bullying would quickly subside. If I endure just the first few times, the one who fails to get attention might try to grab my gaze with different actions. If I respond appropriately around then, maybe that bastard won¡¯t grow up to be as stupid trash as in the ¡®original game.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s ignore it as much as possible for now.¡± Anyway, it¡¯s not like I can escape this exclusive maid position now. So, I can only take the most peaceful direction and resolve it well. If I engaged in physicalbat with that bastard Ethan, I would probably win eight or nine times out of ten. Considering the power of the ckwood family and Harold, though, I simply couldn¡¯t handle the aftermath, given my position. Rehabilitating that abomination wasn¡¯t really my goal. I don¡¯t care how that bastard ends up growing up. I¡¯m just trying this once because it would be more advantageous for my survival if he grows up more appropriately. Plus, he had testified on my behalf at the disciplinarymittee. So, it¡¯s possible that if I actually dealt with him again, he might not beplete trash from the get-go. ¡­ That¡¯s thefortable thought I had when I first epted the position as that damn Harold¡¯s exclusive maid. It only took about a month for thesecent thoughts of mine to do aplete 180. About a week had passed since I reluctantly epted the position as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, unable to ovee Harold¡¯s pressure. In the game, Lilith Rosewood eventually turned 19 and became an adult you could call an adult. The same could be said for Ethan, who had his birthday about ten days earlier than Lilith. ¡®Shit.¡¯ Of course, Lilith bing a ¡®legal adult,¡¯ in terms of her body, was not particrly good in this game. Unlike other characters, Lilith¡¯s future after bing a ¡®legal adult¡¯ was set in stone. For now, aging only made me realize again that it was bing increasingly dangerous. Both Ethan and Lilith had surpassed the age at which they could be perceived as ¡®children or adolescents.¡¯ From this point on, with Lilith bing an adult, Ethan¡¯s obscene demonic nature would begin to manifest fully. ¡®I need to stay careful at all times. If I make one wrong move, I could end up naked, leashed, and paraded around the mansion.¡¯ It was entirely possible. Of course, if such a situation arose, I wouldn¡¯t just sit idly by. The rtively good news was that over the past week, I hardly had to face Ethan at all. Initially, the exclusive maid position would involve selecting a few candidates and then having the chosen maid undergo special training before being assigned. However, this personnel transfer was so rushed that I took on the exclusive maid role first and would receive trainingter. I received Melissa¡¯s special training for a week and gained significant knowledge as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. At the very least, having this baseline knowledge prevented issues from arisingter on. Even if things went well and I didn¡¯t need to undergo the training, there was a chance I¡¯d maintain the exclusive maid position anyway. So it wouldn¡¯t hurt to know the basics of attending to the ckwood family¡¯s only son. Unfortunately, Lilith was still an indebted maid, and to legitimately escape the ckwood mansion, over six more years were still needed. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Anyway, excluding the head maid¡¯s training period, today was effectively my first day working while facing that damn Ethan. After taking a deep breath in front of Ethan¡¯s room, I knocked three times to match his wake-up time. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°Master Ethan? Are you inside?¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± There seemed to be movement from inside, but it would be expected, given Ethan¡¯s personality, toze around until the afternoon. He was undoubtedly buried in andzily sprawled out on the bed. As a rule, when maids or butlers in the mansion visited a noble¡¯s room, they could only enter after knocking and receiving a response from inside. That is, except for the exclusive maid or butler and the head maid and head butler. As Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, Lilith was qualified toe into Ethan¡¯s personal room for cleaning,undry pick-up, or various other reasons, with or without permission, based on her judgment. Whether there was a response from inside or not, I entered Ethan¡¯s room without a second thought. Click. ¡°Master Ethan, it¡¯s time to wake u-¡° ¡°Waaah!!¡° ¡°Kuhaaah?!¡± When I entered Ethan¡¯s room with no caution, a sudden scream came from beside the door. The sudden voice caught mepletely off guard; I was momentarily startled and fell backward. When I came to my senses, I was faced with the little brat snickering lewdly in front of me. ¡°Ahaha! Maid, did I scare you?¡° ¡°¡­Master Ethan?¡° ¡°To fall over from just that little scare? What a dumb maid.¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡®Dammit, I want to beat the crap out of him.¡¯ When I saw Ethan¡¯s smug faceughing derisively after purposely startling and knocking me over, an intense feeling of disgust instantly welled inside me. My resolution to try and resolve this amicably was almost shaken on the very first day. ¡®He¡¯s still just a brat. This is just normal mischief for a boy his age. Endure it, endure¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t exactly rare for boys that age to pull pranks trying to get attention from others. Of course, it was behavior noble sons their age would never engage in. Still, for the utterly uncultured Ethan, it was more than possible. If I got riled up over every little thing like this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to properly carry out my duties as an exclusive maid going forward. Reacting indignantly to pranks like this was what the little brat wanted most deep down. I deliberately got up nonchntly, doing my best to respond calmly as if unfazed. ¡°Master Ethan.¡° ¡°Yeah?¡° ¡°Since it¡¯s dangerous, please refrain from these kinds of pranks next time.¡° ¡°No way!¡° ¡­Yeah, I figured he¡¯d babble something like that. About a month had passed since I officially began my activities as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. After around a month, I felt like my mind was reaching its limit with the duties of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, which were expected to be challenging from day one. The reason was obviously because of that fucking Ethan, whose face I had to see every day. ¡®I want to beat the crap out of him.¡¯ First of all, being an exclusive maid wasn¡¯t a 24/7 job of constantly being by their side, contrary to popr belief. If I had to be literally attached to him all the time, who would do the room cleaning andundry transport? Not to mention, how would I eat and sleep? There were broadly three situations when an exclusive servant had to attend to their assigned noble:
  1. When the noble was eating meals.
  2. When the noble was going out.
  3. When the noble directly summoned the exclusive servant.
Aside from those three situations, the exclusive maid or butler didn¡¯t necessarily have to be by the noble¡¯s side at all times. On the other hand, I had to be by their side in those three cases unless there were special orders. However, some nobles disliked having their personal time disturbed, so they avoided summoning their assigned servants as much as possible. There were even asional nobles who had no assigned servants to avoid such hassles preemptively. Of course, these cases had nothing to do with me as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Contrary to my wishes, Ethan would summon me as his exclusive maid whenever, constantly calling me to him. ¡°Lilith, Master Ethan was looking for you earlier.¡° ¡°Li-Lilith¡­Master Ethan has summoned you¡­¡° ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood, I have a message from the Master.¡± ¡­This damn brat, I swear. Despite my desire to avoid dealing with him as much as possible, Ethan summoned me almost once an hour for nearly three weeks straight. It was more than enough time to break my initial conviction to resolve this amicably on the first day. He even barged into the exclusive maid¡¯s room next door constantly.@@novelbin@@ Whenever I left his room to take hisundry to theundry maids or to get cleaning supplies, he incessantly called me over to disrupt my work. If he had at least called me over to talk about something meaningful, that¡¯d be one thing. All he did were juvenile pranks that made me feel like trash ¨C hiding to startle me, secretly sticking his foot out to try tripping me, and the list goes on. Being toyed with by a trashy little brat¡¯s antics like that was infuriating after the first couple of times. With him pulling this shit multiple times a day, every single week, it was impossible not to get pissed off. ¡®I really shouldn¡¯t have shown that startled reaction on the first day.¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t overly dramatized and fallen over, I wouldn¡¯t have had to witness his arrogant follow-up stunts. ¡­What can I do? I have only myself to me for stupidly entering Ethan¡¯s room without thinking on that first day. As amoner maid, I couldn¡¯t beat up that brat Ethan, the precious noble son. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± Quietly steeling myself for whatever stunt he¡¯d pull this time, I let out a tense sigh. At the very least, I maintained the basic courtesies expected of a maid and entered Ethan¡¯s room. ¡°¡­What is the reason you called for me this time, my Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± I expected Ethan toe shouting and jumping out at me the moment I opened the door, but surprisingly, he was nowhere to be seen after entering the room. No matter how much I looked around inside, the damn brat seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Could he have summoned me to prank me but then forgotten and went somewhere else? The disbelief I felt at Ethan no-showing his own exclusive maid was short-lived. Immediately after, I felt a sensation, like someone groping my butt, from behind the door. Spank! ¡°¡­¡­Huah?!¡° ¡°You let your guard down! You were careless!¡± Startled by the hand that had snaked up under my skirt to my lower body, I instinctively let out a girlish shriek. The culprit who had spanked my butt was already fleeing down the stairs to avoid me. ¡°¡­¡­Dammit.¡± ¡­¡­Seriously, that fucking little brat. Chapter 35 Around two months have passed since I started working as that damn dirty pig bastard¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s an opening!¡± -Bang! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Today, as always, the future sex offender I encountered shamelessly pped my behind and ran away. No, the expression ¡°future sex offender¡± is not the least bit strange. For the past month, I¡¯ve been sexually harassed almost every day by that dirty bastard. To be more precise, it¡¯s not the future, but rather, the present. ¡®That filthy bastard.¡¯ One month ago, after I was carelessly sexually harassed by the dirty bastard¡¯s prank, that damn brat has been brazenly continuing his vulgar antics towards me. I¡¯ve been suppressing my anger towards the brat¡¯s shameless behavior, and my hatred for him grows day by day. Couldn¡¯t I properly warn him since he¡¯s still a brat and get him to stop? If that worked, there¡¯s no way I would put up with this foolishly. I¡¯ve already given him countless verbal warnings and sometimes even threats. Still, they had no effect on that crafty lout bastard. Rather, he seems very aware of the difference in our status and that my threats pose no real danger to him.@@novelbin@@ ¡®Was it not the case in the original game that Lilith came to her senses only to find herself already being vited?¡¯ I had already been dealing with the situation as best I could from my position. If I couldn¡¯t correct him through warnings or scolding him with some threats, then realistically, as Lilith, there was nothing else I could do. Calling in other servants to threaten that brat who even disregards the head maid¡¯s etiquette lessons would have no effect. And if I told Harold, ¡®Hey, keep an eye on your son who might grow up to be a sex offender,¡¯ I¡¯d likely lose my head instead. At this rate, that bastard¡¯s unrestrained behavior would likely continue into the future. ¡®I really should have killed him that day in the kitchen prep room.¡¯ I realized then that the scenario where I at least had a chance to ¡®escape¡®was the best possible future oue I could hope for. Even if I failed to escape but managed to kill that Ethan brat, it wouldn¡¯t have been such a bad life. Now, as his exclusive maid, there are many watching my every move, and from the start, secretly killing Ethan and escaping from the 4th floor of ckwood Manor, where Harold resides, was practically impossible. Before bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I did say I wouldn¡¯t take such dangerous actions for the sake of the future. But now, for some reason, the thought of mercilessly killing and fleeing if I truly got the chance was insidiously creeping into my mind. If even half of this malice could be conveyed to that filthy brat, it might be enough to shut him up for good. Unfortunately, in my current state, Icked any proper means to correct Ethan¡¯s rotten behavior. The only thing I could do in this situation was simply ¡®endure.¡¯ ¡®At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if that brat awakens to his desires soon and starts sexually harassing Lilith outright.¡® While there were differences in the setting and timing from the original game, this seemed an inevitable future. All my efforts to endure until now would be meaningless the moment that happens. If such a situation arises, I¡¯ll have to flee or kill that Ethan brat somehow to escape. Yes, I¡¯ll allow it only up to this point. I¡¯ll only allow that disgusting pig brat that slipped his hand under my skirt to p my ass and ran away, regarding it as just a ¡®prank,¡¯ until here. If his ¡®pranks¡®escte even slightly, or if I sense even a hint of lust in Ethan¡¯s eyes, from that moment on, I won¡¯t hold back and will retaliate without hesitation. Whether that¡¯s beating some sense into that rotten brat¡¯s head, or fleeing this territory, even as a lifelong indebted maid to start a new life, or worse¡­ ¡®Prepare to die and take that damn Ethan with me to the afterlife somehow.¡¯ The grievances from my past and present lives were enough reason to kill him. The very reason I was reincarnated into this damn world as Lilith was all because of that filthy Ethan blocking Lilith¡¯s virgin route. Even in the game, he was someone I had killed over and over, so I had no need to hesitate now. Carrying a ticking time bomb of emotion in my chest that felt like it could explode at the slightest provocation, I went outside carrying that filthy Ethan¡¯sundry today. ¡®I swear, just try pulling something one more time.¡® Whether a noble brat or fool, I¡¯ll put you in a state where you can never act up again. Ethan Richard ckwood. The only son of Harold Richard ckwood, the head of the prestigious ckwood family. Recently, Ethan had been harboring a minor concern in his mind. It was regarding his exclusive maid, Lilith. No matter what prank he pulled, jumping out to surprise her or pping her butt and running away, Lilith showed virtually no reaction, and Ethan was starting to feel a bit bored with her. ¡°¡­Boring.¡± From a young age, Ethan had be ustomed to reading the emotions directed at him by others. But for some reason, Lilith¡¯s actions did not match the emotions he sensed from her. Usually, with others, ying pranks like this would clearly eliminate any sense of favor or expectation toward him. However, the emotions he read from his exclusive maid, Lilith, wereplicated for Ethan himself to discern. Her gaze still showed no hint of expectations towards him, unchanged from when they first met. Yet, at the same time, he sensed some particr emotion from her that he had never felt before. ¡°Why is this maid the only one that¡¯s different from the others?¡± Why did he sense this strange emotion from Lilith that he had never felt from anyone else? Why was Lilith¡¯s gaze towards him slightly different from how others looked at him? Lilith showed such contrasting reactionspared to others, making her seem special to Ethan. A feeling the noble son of the ckwood family had never experienced before. What he did not yet realize was that this feeling was Lilith¡¯s contempt and loathing towards him. For Ethan, people¡¯s emotions were not divided into good or bad; they were simply categorized as what he had or had not experienced before. ¡°I wish the maid would indulge me a bit more.¡± Ethan clearly noticed that his pranks had not been very effectivetely. Wanting Lilith¡¯s attention even a little more, Ethan pondered a different prank to get her interest. If hiding and surprising her or pping her butt didn¡¯t work¡­ ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Ethan mumbled happily, thinking of a prank that would surely get a reaction. ¡°This ought to startle the maid for sure¡­. Hehehe.¡± He chuckled to himself, imagining Lilith¡¯s flustered expression from his prank. Little did he know that this prank wouldter threaten his very life. Three months as that filthy Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. I was still spending each day feeling utterly demeaned. That damn Ethan¡¯s vulgar pranks continued relentlessly even as three months passed. I spent my days subjected to that piece of trash¡¯s childish pranks and sexual harassment. It wasn¡¯t just once or twice that I fantasized about wringing that pig¡¯s neck until he died. I could hardly tell where it began with how fat his neck was. I suppose I could be thankful that Ethan¡¯s pranks haven¡¯t escted beyond pping my butt. Given his future of putting a leash on Lilith to walk her around the manor since he was young, he was hardly trustworthy. But I could begrudgingly endure pranks at this level by clenching my teeth three times. ¡®Endure it, just endure. Don¡¯t cause any unnecessary trouble.¡¯ If I so much as lifted a finger against that Ethan brat, not only would the consequences be disastrous¡­ ¡­I also had to consider my maid colleagues, Isabel and Catherine. Even after being reassigned, I¡¯m still on good terms with those two. This means that if I caused any issues with Ethan, they could face Lord Harold¡¯s wrath too. Even if, by some miracle, only I faced punishment and lost my head, that would still be problematic. ¡®Isabel and Catherine would undoubtedly grieve if something happened to me.¡¯ Having already witnessed their expected reactions once before, I couldn¡¯t recklessly endanger myself again. Not that I intended to tolerate Ethan¡¯s antics escting any further, of course. The limit of what I could ept while enduring was right here. I had already be somewhat inured to him, pping my butt and running away. At this point, whether he groped my butt or tripped me, I felt little emotion about it. Strictly speaking, there may be a way to avoid his harassment entirely for the next seven years. Four more years until that filthy Ethan ages enough to enroll at the academy. If I can just endure those four years, then when Ethan leaves for the academy, I can resign as his exclusive maid. I can use the excuse that the roles are different between an exclusive manor maid and an academy maid. I can get through the remaining time with less worry if I seed. Of course, he¡¯ll return during summer and winter breaks. Still, after four years, I¡¯ll spend over half the year at the Imperial Academy. Effectively, I¡¯ll only have to endure seeing that bastard¡¯s face daily for about four more years. While seven years feels challenging to endure, I can probably get through four years somehow. Recalling my senior year of college when I cked off and had to take 30 units per semester¡­ If I think of it as repeating a year like that 4 times, I may be able to handle it. ¡­Come to think of it, that still sounds pretty shitty. After consoling myself this way, I made my way to that filthy brat¡¯s room again today. As soon as I entered, I collected his discardedclothesstrewn about the room. ¡®If you¡¯re going to undress, at least pile theclothesin one ce.¡¯ I didn¡¯t even imagine him neatly folding them like other well-bred noble sons. It was difficult to envision that filthy Ethan ever living such a life in the first ce. As I gathered Ethan¡¯s clothes scattered over the bed, table, and everywhere else, I sensed that familiar gaze and footsteps from behind. My mind was already running simtions of what would likely happen next. ¡®¡­Another one of his antics.¡¯ Having faced so many pranks, I could now roughly sense where he would strike from without looking. Not that his bulky frame could properly hide anywhere in the first ce. ¡®If I react, he¡¯ll just get more excited and go further.¡¯ If he realizes his prank is working, he¡¯ll undoubtedly be emboldened and act even more audaciously. Then, the level of his pranks will start escting past the line. This is likely how Lilith, in the original game, ended up being vited at some point. Conversely, the fact that his pranks haven¡¯t exceeded butt-pping even after 3 months suggests my approach ofpletely ignoring and not reacting is somewhat effective. From that perspective, pointlessly reacting and provoking him is less ideal than maintaining this nonchnt disregard. Who knows? Maybe he¡¯ll eventually tire of me not reacting and give up on his own. As I bent down to pick up Ethan¡¯s discarded robe, I sensed heavy footsteps rapidly approaching from behind. Thump. Thump. Thump! ¡°¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll just p my butt again and run off. I¡¯ll give no reaction at all. That¡¯s the best solution. While straightening up with those thoughts¡­ Between my buttocks, a stabbing pain that seemed unbearable attacked my body. -Ouch! ¡°Take this! Stinger~!!¡± Ah. You little¡­ Son of a bitch. Chapter 36 ¡°Take this~! Stinger~!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!!¡± I felt a chilling pain between the buttocks and felt my anus clenching involuntarily due to that agony. It was a truly excruciating pain that left me speechless, something I hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. The sheer intensity shooting from my lower body all the way up to my brain made me dizzy for a moment. When I came to, my bodyy on the floor, buried in that despicable bastard¡¯sclothes.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Agghhhhh¡­!!¡± After the initial critical shock that left me speechless had subsided, the second wave of throbbing pain immediately followed between my buttocks. As humiliating as it was to have been shit-stabbed by that filthy bastard, the sheer agony in my ass was overwhelmingly tormenting at the moment. ¡®Damn ittt¡­ This fucking son of a bitch hurts so bad¡­!¡¯ I had stuck my ass out awkwardly while picking up the fallenclothes. The pain from the thick finger jabbing in from that bulky body was simply too much to bear. The excruciating pain searing up from my lower body made mepletely forget that I had buried my face in that repulsive bastard¡¯sclothes. ¡®I really should have seen thising¡­¡¯ I had always kept in mind to crush him if he ever pulled any bullshit, but still¡­ I never imagined he would actually pull such a despicable stunt if I just left him be. Damn it. There¡¯s a limit to how much I can tolerate. Whether I get summoned by Haroldter and get punished or whatever, who cares. Fuck it, I¡¯ll deal with the consequencesin the future. If I don¡¯tnd a punch on this goddamn filthy lout bastard¡¯s face right now, I might just explode with rage¡­ ¡°Hahaha! How was my ultimate technique!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You kept ignoring me, maid, so you got punished!¡± ¡­You¡¯reughing? You reduce a person to this pathetic, moronic state, and you¡¯reughing? ¡°¡­..¡± Chilled by fury beyond its limits, my brain calmly analyzed the current situation. I got up from where I was, deliberately acting casually so the filthy bastard wouldn¡¯t notice anything. The only exit was the door. I had closed it whening in, so it was already shut. Conveniently, the window was also closed, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about sounds leaking out. Even if Ethan tried to escape through the exit right now, I was closer to the door. ¡­Not optimal conditions, but the minimum requirements were met. To kill this wretched lout bastard, right here and now. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± I approached him nonchntly, and the filthy pig didn¡¯t even think to escape, clueless about what was happening. Once the lout bastard was within my range, I wrapped one of the towels I was holding around his neck. Caught off guard with his lifeline suddenly bound by me, the filthy one couldn¡¯t even think to resist, choking and kicking his legs frantically. ¡°Hyuk¡­¡­?!¡± Thump! Toote. He tried to flee from me, but his head was already gripped in my hand, immobilized. The excessively chubby lout¡¯s body, unbelievably heavy for his age, fell back with a dull thud. I climbed on top of him, pressing down on his sr plexus with one knee. My hands still firmly held the cloth wrapped around his neck. ¡°ck¡­kkk¡­!¡± ¡­How did ite to this? At first, I had clearly tried to resolve it somehow. He tried to pry my hands away, pulling at my wrists with his bby arms, but hispleteck of muscle was no match for a Level 5 adult woman¡¯s grip strength. His fat body¡¯s thrashing only ended up tightening the chokehold around his neck more forcefully due to the weight. ¡°Kkk¡­ hrrkkk¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a moment, his pitiful eyes and shaking head almost made my resolve waver. But I steeled myself and tightened my grip, applying more forceful pressure. Whether I release my grip now or just strangle him to death here, the punishment awaiting me would not change much after going this far. ¡®I didn¡¯t want it toe to this either.¡¯ As many times as I imagined killing this filthy bastard in my mind, I almost never seriously considered actually doing it in this world. Spare the fact that he¡¯s just a game character; directly taking a living, breathing person¡¯s life in front of me would naturally cause hesitation for anyone of sound mind. Even with that prank earlier, I might have been able to endure it somehow if he hadn¡¯t mocked me at the end. But now, I was at my limit. No matter how much I tried to tolerate and persevere, seeing this filthy one¡¯s escting antics andck of personal growth day by day, I could not envision any ending other than bing this lout¡¯s ything. Rather than that fate, it was better to kill this wretched bastard here and now and somehow escape the ckwood estate to flee across the border. Perhaps an even more arduous future awaited me, no, an agonizingly brutal future. I could already imagine what an enraged Harold might do to Isabel and Catherine, who would be left at the mansion. But¡­ But, but¡­ But I could not fathom if all of that was worth enduring at the cost of eroding my dignity and self-worth. I died in an ident and finally reincarnated into the world of my favorite game, with a chance to live out my dreams, however slightly. Yet because of this lout bastard, I have to live my life under restrictions? Just because I happened to be reborn as Lilith? If this world is going to trample all over my life for such a shitty reason, then I might as well flip the table first. Let¡¯s see what happens. Let¡¯s see what kind of ¡°Luminor Academy¡± gets created when the early antagonist and the other main characters are already torn down. ¡°Ugghhh¡­. uckkk, uckkk¡­¡± Whether frozen in terror or agony, Ethan shed tears from both eyes. Unable to keep watching that expression, I briefly closed my eyes and turned my head to the left. Unless I kill this bastard here and now, I will eternally live as the ¡°pitiful maid Lilith.¡± If I don¡¯t kill Ethan. If I don¡¯t kill this damn lout bastard right now. For Lilith, For me, There will never be a happy ending. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Though I had resolved to finally tighten the cloth and strangle the life out of the filthy Ethan¡­ For some reason, my grip could not bring itself to that final determination, hesitating on thest judgment. The towel I gripped had already slipped from my hands and fallen to the floor. ¡°Ughhh, *cough* *cough*¡­?¡± ¡°Haaa, haaa¡­¡± Damn it¡­ This bastard, I really wanted to kill him by any means necessary¡­ I really, really wanted to kill him so bad I could go insane¡­ But the thought of the future that would unfold by killing this wretched bastard with my own hands made it impossible for me to make that final decision. Isabel, who had been my only friend since I regained my memories as Lilith, supported me all this time. And Catherine, who narrowly avoided an unjust catastrophic fate in the original game through a miraculous twist. The moment I killed Ethan, Harold¡¯s punishment would undoubtedly extend to those two as well. If it was an issue that could be resolved by sacrificing only my own life, I would have done so unhesitatingly. But the gap in the weight of a noble¡¯s life and amoner¡¯s was significantly vast in this world. If I killed Ethan here, it would not be strange if all of the employees at the ckwood estate lost their heads in that instant. And so, I could not bring myself to that final determination. This wretched lout bastard held far too high a position for me to act solely on my own anger and whims. I was merely a pitiful, indebted maid without any power. ¡°Haaaaaa, haaaaa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uck, m-maid?¡± ¡°Haaaaa, haaaaa¡­¡± ¡°Maid¡­ *cough*, w-why are y-you *cough* crying?¡± I absentmindedly brought my hand to my face when the bastard beneath me said something, only to find tears streaming endlessly down my cheeks once they started. Not wanting to show this wretched bastard my unsightly appearance, I hastily turned away to hide my tears. ¡°M-Maid?¡± ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t speak to me, Ethan, you fucking bastard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Ethan closed his mouth in shock, seemingly not expecting curses from my lips. Having intuited this moment to be the end of my life, I unleashed all the pent-up emotions I had endured towards the brat lying beneath me, holding nothing back. ¡°You fucking bastard. Goddamn lout bastard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I can only tolerate a childish prank so many times. Just looking at your face makes me sick, you vile piece of trash.¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± ¡°That a piece of trash like you was born a noble is this world¡¯s greatest blemish. An idiotic, selfish brat who only swung around the power and authority of nobility ¨C that you are the heir of the ckwood household is this world¡¯s greatest shame.¡± ¡°M-Maid¡­ Why are you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak to me, you shitty bastard. Just having to breathe the same air as you makes me nauseous.¡± ¡°¡­..''¡± ¡°Live your whole life like that, you lout bastard. Never consider others¡¯ feelings or anything; just live your whole life obliviously like the moron you are.¡± ¡°M-Maid¡­¡± ¡°Live out your pitiful existence without ever realizing what a simpleton you are until one day you get impaled by somemoner swordsman right before your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Buried in an unmarked grave no one visits except your father, die having aplished nothing and be forgotten forever, you damn bastard.¡± The fury that had chilled my mind red up again in heated excitement, causing a torrent of pent-up curses to pour out incoherently. All the resentment I had endured from Ethan¡¯s trashy behavior, all the curses wishing the future he would meet. The half-wit brat probably couldn¡¯t even understand half of what I was saying, but it didn¡¯t matter. A life destined to be ruined anyway. Just this final venting before the end was enough. ¡­Ah, I almost forgot one important thing. ¡°Hey, Ethan.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­?!¡± ¡°With what happened just now? I did it solely because you¡¯re a shitty bastard.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I conspired with anyone to try and kill you. I just wanted to kill you myself, that¡¯s all, you fucking bastard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°So if you¡¯re going to tattle to your father, tell him this. That your exclusive maid, Lilith, tried to kill you in a fit of rage alone.¡± I don¡¯t know if this brat will ry my words verbatim, but I have to say it regardless. At the very least, to minimize any potential harm to Isabel or Catherine. In the end, it will be attempted murder rather than killing a noble, so the punishment may be slightly reduced. ¡­Perhaps it will end with just my life being forfeited. If I couldn¡¯t hold back here and end up killing this filthy Ethan, that would be an unforgivable sin against Isabel and Catherine. ¡°The three months I spent as your exclusive maid were truly unbearable.¡± ¡°¡­..''¡± ¡°And today marks the end of that. Once your father learns I tried to kill you, he won¡¯t let me be.¡± ¡°M-Maid¡­ Wait¡­!¡± ¡°It was shitty being with you, so let¡¯s never meet again.¡± m! I had no desire toy eyes on that piece of trash¡¯s face a moment longer in what little time I had left as Lilith. Leaving behind even my duties, I swiftly exited Ethan¡¯s room. I leaned against the wall outside the door, mentally processing the perplexing act I had justmitted. The attempted murder of a noble. No, the attempted murder of the only son of the ckwoods. It was easier to ept that there was simply no way to survive this¡­ I could almost feel grateful if they executed me swiftly by beheading or hanging ¨C it was a crime of that severity. ¡°Haah¡­¡± If I had known it woulde to this, I would have unlocked spells however I wanted before getting pruned. To think my entire life in my favorite game from my previous incarnation amounted to nothing but serving Ethan for half a year. The notion that ¡°Foolish Maid Lilith¡± could only ever be the foolish maid no matter what resonated deeply. ¡°Fuck¡­ Haaa, fuck¡­¡± The tears I had held back for so long streamed forth endlessly. T/N DAMN. It actually happened. You can¡¯t imagine the look on my face as I sent each page through ude. Also, to kadenk, whomented on thest chapter, you¡¯re absolutely right. I wasn¡¯t actually sure if Ethan did pull a Kakashi in the previous chapter, so I didn¡¯t write a T/N to rify it, but this chapter confirms it. I¡¯ll also take this opportunity to thank everyone whomented or engaged with my trantion of this novel in any way, including those from before the site reset and those who did using Novel Updates. I sincerely appreciate you all! You all motivate me to keep going, allowing me to keep these chapters free for everyone. For updates on when I post a new chapter, join the GxyTL discord and react in #novel-roles-f-j to be pinged in the #releases channel or see Novel Updates. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 37 ¡°M-Maid¡­ Wait¡­!¡± m! Lilith mmed the door shut and disappeared outside the room irritatedly. Catching sight of her from behind, Ethan Richard ckwood couldn¡¯t help but be lost in various thoughts for a moment. For the first time since birth, he felt theplete emotion of murderous intent. Someone genuinely wanted to kill him and actually attempted to take his life. As the ckwood family¡¯s noble heir, it was the first time he could experience such a harsh and extreme emotion. Under that tremendous pressure, Ethan could not get up from his spot for a while, even after Lilith had left the room. ¡°¡­I¡­¡± He just wanted to get the maid¡¯s attention. She rarely reacted no matter how much he joked around, so he just wanted to get her more attention. In the past, Ethan was too young and naive to realize his actions could incur such deep resentment and hatred. This current situation was a result of that. The pressure of having his neck strangled by the maid¡¯s hands and the faint marks left on his neck from being choked. In his fading consciousness, he directly faced Lilith¡¯s expression full of rage. Then she hesitated to take his life, shedding tears. Finally, after spewing all kinds of curses, criticism, and maledictions, the view of the maid from behind disappeared outside the room. The events the still immature Ethan experienced contained stimuli so intense that each one was vividly etched into his mind. It also became an opportunity for him to realize for the first time that the pranks he had been pulling were wrong. ¡°Maid¡­¡± Although he could notprehend all the words Lilith said, he could feel most of the intense emotions she conveyed. He even grasped the nature of the unfamiliar feeling she had been sending him until now. Until this point, Ethan deliberately acted foolishly and disappointingly to avoid others¡¯ gazes and expectations. But for some reason, he was now overwhelmed with the desire to receive those gazes and expectations he had shunned so much. And that desire was directed solely at one person. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Recalling Lilith expressing her hatred toward him with her whole being until the veryst moment, Ethan felt a painful emotion piercing his chest. If he apologized to her now, could he be forgiven? He didn¡¯t want to drift permanently apart from the maid like this. Could they return to that rtionship from when they secretly promised to meet alone in the kitchen at dawn? Could he return to the rtionship where he told her the secret they shared in the kitchen when he was in danger and received her gratitude? If he could, he wanted to apologize to the maid immediately for what he had done. However, recalling her reaction towards him just now, it seemed unlikely she would respond well, no matter how much of an adolescent boy he was. <¡­ Don¡¯t speak to me, Ethan, you fucking bastard.> ¡°¡­.!¡± He didn¡¯t want to see that terrifying expression again, if possible. He was afraid to face Lilith¡¯s gaze, filled with utter loathing and hatred towards him. It was also hard to imagine that a mere apology could suffice for all the misdeeds he hadmitted until now. Although Ethan¡¯s current cognition was at the level of an adolescent boy, he had a past of being involved with many people from a noble household. If feelings could be mended with just one apology, this whole incident would not have urred in the first ce. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± The towel was torn and stretched beyond repair. The same towel that had been used to strangle his neck seemed to express the depth of the maid¡¯s resentment and hatred towards him. Ethan could sense that restoring his rtionship with the maid would be as difficult as returning these stretched clothes to their original state. Ordinarily, for such aplex problem, it was in Ethan¡¯s nature to inform his father and wait for Harold Richard ckwood to resolve it. However, regarding this particr incident today, he could not tell his father about it, no matter what. Because the moment this reached his father¡¯s ears, Lilith¡¯s future was obvious. Just as she said to him before leaving his room: Having already lost his mother once, the concept of death was no longer something iprehensible to Ethan. It¡¯s irreversible once it urs, and you can never meet that person again after experiencing it. The moment he informs his father about the incident where he almost died by Lilith¡¯s hands: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even an adolescent boy like him clearlyunderstood that Lilith would be someone he could never meet again, just like his mother. Although Lilith hated him enough to want to kill him, Ethan himself did not hate Lilith to the point of wanting her dead. Rather, he wanted to prevent her death by any means, to feel even a bit more of the nostalgic emotions from his childhood towards her. At the very least, he did not want to make her someone he could never see again like this. To resolve this issue that he could not consult his father or others about, he¡¯d have to somehow convey his apology to Lilith, his exclusive maid. That was the first task Ethan Richard ckwood had to face. The next day, morning. ¡°¡­.Haaaaa¡± I already resented my body, which automatically woke up at 5 am, and was in sync with the maid¡¯s daily routine. ¡®Still, I wished I could at least sleep in on myst day.¡¯ Since I was already fully awake, lying on the bed wouldn¡¯t allow me to fall back asleep in this gloomy mood. I sat quietly on the bed, awaiting the punishment that would befall me. ¡®By now, Ethan has probably already told Harold and then some.¡¯ In fact, I didn¡¯t really sleep properly, anticipating something would happen while I slept. I figured Harold would go berserk the moment he found out I tried to kill Ethan and barge into my room. Yet the reason he didn¡¯t barge in amid my sleep was perhaps his final consideration before taking my life. Although not my original intent, I did manage to retrieve Thanasia¡¯s ne, which was almost lost forever, thanks to my efforts. While I didn¡¯t mean to earn a good evaluation, I also have the record of taking down the Hooked Tusk that appeared in themercial district in ce of the territory¡¯s guards. Looking back on my achievements as Lilith, maybe an exception could be made, and I wouldn¡¯t receive the death penalty. They might just gouge out both my eyes and banish me from the territory or give me a ¡°service¡± punishment at Silverwood like Ariana and Alicia. ¡­Either way would probably suck just as much. I might as well just die if those were the punishments. Though I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll even have the choice¡­ Perhaps because I was facing a second death so closely, I kept envisioning the faces of Isabel and Catherine flickering before me. ¡°¡­I should have at least said goodbye to them.¡± I didn¡¯t want to needlessly worry them beforehand by doing something like that. But if I had known I would exit this gracefully, bidding them farewell in advance may not have been a bad idea. The fact that the estate¡¯s guards didn¡¯te to apprehend me amidstmotion means Harold likely wants to handle this quietly in his own way. He could probably make up some excuse like Isabel or Catherine getting transferred elsewhere, so they wouldn¡¯t have to know the truth. Their close friend and colleague suddenly disappearing overnight would undoubtedly be quite a shock in many ways. Leaving them some reassuring words may not have been a bad idea. Of course, that, too, would be meaningless if Harold publicly announced my crime and sentenced me to death. ¡®It¡¯s really perplexing.¡¯ In fact, I had contemted using the Shockwave and Magic Arrow spells I learned to raise hell in the estate before leaving, but I ultimately decided against it. The moment Imitted any further transgressions in this situation, it could have affected Isabel and Catherine in some way. Catherine kept my ability to use magic a secret, so she could have been in greater jeopardy had I acted recklessly. ¡®If I¡¯m leaving, it¡¯s enough that just I go. What meaning is there in making an ugly mess now?¡¯ And thinking about it, even if I die, it¡¯s just the game¡¯s protagonist who will suffer more, right? Of course, the ¡°Luminor Academy¡± game itself was just an SRPG side story with a decent ytime length, so it¡¯s not like it would be impossible to clear without Lilith to the point of being excessively difficult. At the very least, Lilith¡¯s presence or absence would undoubtedly cause a meaningful change in the game¡¯s difficulty level. Moreover, suppose by chance, the person ying the protagonist¡¯s role in this world was also reincarnated like me. In that case, they might struggle a bit in the early stages of the timeline where Lilith disappears. Of course, whether the protagonist was reincarnated or not, and the plot progression of ¡°Luminor Academy¡± itself, are now irrelevant matters to me. Still, having cried throughout the evening allowed me to organize my emotions quite a bit. I may not be ready to simply ept whatever future and hardships lie before me¡­ But I was at least resigned enough to steel myself for death. ¡®If it¡¯s the death penalty, I¡¯ll obediently ept it. If I¡¯m taken somewhere like the Silverwood territory, I¡¯ll look for an opportunity to attempt suicide.¡¯ Even triple-casting Magic Arrow to target my vitals should be enough for an instant death, right?@@novelbin@@ With those thoughts in mind, I first changed into my maid uniform. Then, in case guards were waiting for me outside, I took a deep breath to prepare. ¡°¡­.Phew.¡± I can¡¯t help but be tense. In my previous life, I died in an ident, so I didn¡¯t need to mentally prepare for death back then. In this case, though, steeling myself for an unwanted death requires mental preparation that¡¯s difficult to achieve. At 6 am, the usual time for starting my work, I left the exclusive maid¡¯s waiting room, feigning nonchnce as much as possible. The moment I opened the door and saw the face before me, I was so startled I nearly fell backward. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­M-maid.¡± It was the only son of the ckwood family, Ethan Richard ckwood ¨C the very person I had tried to strangle to death yesterday ¨C waiting for me right outside the door. Chapter 38 ¡°M-maid.¡± As soon as I opened the door of the Exclusive Maid¡¯s Room, as usual, what appeared was, unexpectedly, not the mansion guards nor Harold, but Ethan¡¯s face. To be honest, it didn¡¯t really matter that Ethan¡¯s face was the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning. The start of my exclusive maid duties was waking this brat up and tidying his bedding. For the past three months, his face was the first thing I saw every morning when I woke up, so I was long past the point of feeling particrly worse because of something like this. ¡­But on thisst day in this world, I still didn¡¯t want to see this brat¡¯s face. I responded calmly since I could guess why he appeared before me. I didn¡¯t particrly want to be treated like this brat¡¯s ything until the very end. ¡°M-maid¡­¡± ¡°What a sight, isn¡¯t it?¡° ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°Seeing the maid who cursed you to death with all sorts of curses after you tried to strangle her being dragged off to the ughterhouse must be quite enjoyable for you.¡° ¡°M-maid! No, lower your voice!¡° ¡°¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@ I responded as calmly as possible with no emotion, thinking he hade to mock my final moments, as I did to Ariana and Alicia. But for some reason, after hearing my words, Ethan started fidgeting and ncing nervously down the hallway toward Harold¡¯s room. ¡°Is there perhaps someone else over there?¡° ¡°Huh, no¡­ Ah, Father doesn¡¯t seem to be up yet¡­ Phew¡­¡° ¡°¡­?¡° ¡­Why is he acting so suddenly strange? Usually, he¡¯s an arrogant brat who doesn¡¯t care about others¡¯ opinions, including Harold¡¯s. So why is he abruptly starting to watch his surroundings? Also, why is he fidgeting strangely when I open my mouth? Ethan seemed totally off this morning, no matter how I looked at it. Not that it really matters to me, who only has a few hours left to live. ¡°I, I didn¡¯te to mock you¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡° ¡°I came to¡­ a-apologize to the maid¡­¡± ¡­What is he saying? Based on Ethan¡¯s personality, he would absolutely nevere to apologize to a mere maid like Lilith. He must be plotting some other devious trick. For example, pretending to bow his head in apology, only to raise it and headbutt me or something suddenly. Or maybe he wants to see my reaction when he ¡°apologizes¡°so he can insult me further. He could make me feel relieved, as if I¡¯d been forgiven for yesterday¡¯s incident, only to crush my mood then and make me feel the utmost despair¡­ ¡°¡­..¡° ¡°M-Maid¡­?¡± ¡­But looking at this brat¡¯s level of intelligence, he doesn¡¯t really seem capable of such an borate mockery. Of course, he¡¯ll likely be more crafty as he gets older. Still, for now, his intelligence is probably only that of an elementary or middle school student at most. And since Ethanhasn¡¯treceived a proper upbringing or mandatory education, his reasoning ability is undoubtedly even lower than that. While I don¡¯t necessarily take this brat at his word, it seems a bit hard to assume he has some other ulterior motive when I examine it carefully. I get the feeling his words about wanting to apologize may actually be sincere. ¡°By apologizing, are you referring to what happened yesterday?¡° ¡°Y-Yeah, what happened yesterday and¡­other th-things too¡­¡° ¡°Other things?¡° ¡°F-For ying tricks on the maid until now¡­ I¡¯m s-sorry¡­¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°M-Maid¡­?¡± ¡­Are you serious? Really? If you¡¯re just going to keep being a shitty brat, then stay that way until the end. Coming to show this repentant attitude at thest minute, what should I make of that? Somehow, I¡¯ll feel bad if I don¡¯t ept this apology. It¡¯s not like the shitty things you put me through disappear just because you apologize at the end, Ethan. My impending punishment will likely still proceed as determined. Thinking about it that way, you really should have apologized sooner if you actually felt remorse, so I wouldn¡¯t have tried to strangle you. ¡­Well, pondering hypotheticals now was meaningless. Considering the potential repercussions, it was objectively better for me just to ept his apology. ¡°I understand, Lord Ethan.¡° ¡°Huh, um¡­?¡° ¡°Since it seems Lord Ethan sincerely wishes to apologize to me, I have no choice but to ept your apology.¡± Even for the sake of whoever takes my ce as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid after me, it was better to ept this brat¡¯s show of remorse to avoid any further issues. Let¡¯ssay I responded by saying I had no intention of epting his apology and told him to stuff it instead. While it might briefly satisfy me to stick it to Ethan, my actions could potentially turn this brat, who had just started to change, back toplete darkness. Perhaps my sessor as his maid would suffer the same torment I endured, negating any meaning to my sacrifice. The targets could even be Isabel or Catherine ¨C that possibility was not zero percent. ¡®I can take this brat¡¯s shit myself and be done with it. There¡¯s no need to subject those innocent girls to such an ordeal.¡¯ On the flip side, if I ept his apology, Ethan may experience some psychological growth to a degree. Perhaps he won¡¯t inevitably be the irredeemable viin from the original game. At least there¡¯s more possibility than if I betrayed his attempt at apology and remorse. Ethan looked up at me with a slightly surprised expression after hearing my response and carefully asked: ¡°Y-You¡¯re forgiving me¡­?¡° ¡°The word ¡®forgive¡®is an expression used when a superior pardons the mistake of a subordinate. In that sense, I cannot forgive you, my lord.¡° ¡°Huh, uh¡­?¡° ¡°So you should simply understand that I am epting your apology. By unburdening the weight from your mind, there is nothing more you need.¡° ¡°Then, for the maid¡­¡° ¡°I, too, will no longer mention past events. Let¡¯s just end it at that.¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Though realistically, I likely won¡¯t even have a chance to mention it again. The dead remain silent. Only I will know just how annoying and shitty a brat Ethan was these past 3 months. Still, this incident may have knocked some sense into this foolish brat¡¯s head, so at least he may rein in his abhorrent behavior towards my sessor. ¡­Ah yes, I almost forgot something important again. ¡°¡­Lord Ethan.¡° ¡°Y-Yes!¡° ¡°If it¡¯s alright, could you grant me some time to bid farewell to my colleagues?¡° ¡°Bid fare¡­well? Where is the maid going¡­?¡° ¡°¡­Nowhere good, I¡¯d imagine.¡± At least out of the options I envision, it will either be a pile of dog shit or the afterlife. ¡°No matter that Lord Ethan has apologized to me, the attempted murder of a nobleman is a grave crime. Especially given how dearly your father the master loves you, Lord Ethan, I surely cannot avoid execution.¡° ¡°Ah, that, that¡¯s...¡± ¡°However, if my colleagues learn that I was executed or banished far away as punishment, it would cause them no small amount of worry. So, at the very least, I wish to convey to Isabel and Catherine that they need not concern themselves over me.¡° ¡°No, m-maid¡­¡° ¡°I implore you, Lord Ethan. It should not take long, so could you grant me this small mercy?¡± Bowing my head to Ethan felt a bit ridiculous, but this momentary indignity was well worth it. It was a bargain if it could alleviate the worry Isabel and Catherine would feel for me. Truthfully, I, too, wished to converse with the two who had be my closest friends in this world one final time. Additionally, there was a chance that sharing some of my future knowledge could aid them in some way. Considering all those factors, the opportunity to meet them now held considerable value. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t tell Father, so it¡¯s okay¡­!¡° ¡°Pardon?¡° ¡°You¡¯re worried I told Father about you strangling me, right, maid? If I told Father about that happening¡­ you¡¯d be someone I would never meet again¡­¡° ¡°Is that not the obvious oue?¡° ¡°So it¡¯s okay¡­ I didn¡¯t tell Father about yesterday¡¯s incident¡­¡° ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± ¡­Could it be that the reason Harold didn¡¯te arrest me in an uproarst night, nor show up to execute me while I slept or this morning, was simply because Ethan didn¡¯t tell his father about it? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Considering how Ethan from the game would run whimpering to Harold over anything he couldn¡¯t handle himself, it was hard to take this brat¡¯s words at face value right now. Sensing to notice my suspicious gaze, Ethan reiterated that he did not say anything. ¡°R-Really¡­ I really didn¡¯t say anything, maid¡­¡° ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯re trying tomand me not to resist you from now on in exchange for keeping quiet about yesterday¡¯s incident¡­¡° ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not like that! I just didn¡¯t say anything¡­ The thought of telling Father about you, maid, and never being able to see you again¡­¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°Ididn¡¯t want that¡­ So, I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± ¡­Should I simply believe this? Given that no mansion guards havee for me by this morning, his im of not saying anything does seem truthful. But the idea that he stayed quiet merely because he didn¡¯t want me to die is¡­rather hard to swallow. ¡­Well, whether I believe it or not, it won¡¯t improve my current circumstances either. Rather than agonize over something that hasn¡¯t happened yet, I reluctantly nodded, keeping an open mind for now. ¡°I see. Thank you for your mercy, Lord Ethan.¡° ¡°Y-You believe me?¡° ¡°Yes. Since you have said you will overlook and conceal my momentary transgression, I can only believe your words and express my deepest gratitude, my lord.¡° ¡°Ah, no¡­ It was my wrongdoing¡­¡± ¡­No matter how I look at it, he doesn¡¯t seem to be the Ethan I knew. Well, that¡¯s that, and this is this. The fact that this brat has be somewhat more docile is good news for me, not bad news. At the very least, I needed to return to my abandoned duties to avoid yesterday¡¯s incident from being discovered. ¡°Then I should resume the room cleaning I failed toplete yesterday. Will you permit me to enter your chambers for a moment, my lord?¡° ¡°Y-Yeah,e in¡­¡± ¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t believe people can genuinely change overnight. Perhaps this attitude is merely a temporary reaction born of the terror he experienced yesterday. He may very well revert to his old wicked self and torment me again by tomorrow. If that happens¡­then I¡¯ll deal with it when the timees. After resigning myself to death once already, I¡¯ve realized how foolish it is to fret over futures that may nevere to pass. For now, it will be easier on my mind to believe Ethan has changed a bit for the better. At the very least, there¡¯s no immediate cause for worry from Isabel and Catherine¡­ ¡°¡­Ah.¡° ¡°What¡¯s wrong, maid?¡° ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡° Come to think of it, just moments ago, I was about to make a big fuss about bidding them farewell and such. If I had exchanged those kinds of parting words with them under the impression I could never see them again, only to still be working at the mansion¡­just imagine how awkward it would have been for all of us. The mere thought of the embarrassing future that was narrowly avoided causes my face to flush. ¡­I almost created an embarrassing anecdote for no reason. Chapter 39 About a month has passed since the ¡°Attempted Murder of Ethan Incident¡±¡­ What can I say¡­These days, I¡¯m spending the mostfortable days of my daily life so far. Ethan¡¯s changed attitude naturally yed a big part in this change. If I just look at the most noticeable change¡­ I¡¯d say he¡¯s be a bit more obedient. Whether it was firmly etched into him that I tried to kill him that day, Ethan hasn¡¯t yed any mischievous pranks on me, nor has he called for me every hour. ¡®They say the stick is the cure for a mad dog¡­ Could it be¡­?¡¯ Could it really be that the experience of nearly getting killed instilled some manners into that pig? Could I have a knack for child-rearing? ¡­But in any case, it was a good thing. Even if I really did have a knack for it, I have no intention of doing it. As I¡¯ve said countless times, I don¡¯t care how that brat grows up at all. It would be good if he quickly grew up and left for the academy. As long as he doesn¡¯t cause me any trouble. My workload noticeably decreased after Ethan stopped calling me seven days a week, every hour, every minute, every second*1. Every day and every night, I tidy his bed, clean his room, and gather hisundry to pass to theundry maid, then retrieve and return it when dry. Aside from that, most of my remaining time is essentially free time. ¡®It¡¯s so damnfortable, really.¡¯ After regaining the memories of my past life, there were only a handful of times I could work so leisurely like this. Of course, during my lowly maid days, when work was constantly piling up, I would often wake up from nightmares even before bing an exclusive maid. Now, though, it¡¯s different. The only times I encountered Ethan during the day were his morning wake-up and the three mealtimes, at most. Certainly, I still had to witness that filthy slob eating no better than the pig he is day after day, but whatever. For me, who had already steeled myself for possible death due to his past sexual harassment, this was no longer a time when I¡¯d get upset over such trifles. SCHLURP! ¡°Low-ss, low-ss¡­¡° ¡­No, honestly, it was still difficult to watch. It¡¯sjust that my threshold for disgust had risen, rtively making it more bearable. Objectively speaking, Ethan¡¯s beastly table manners had not improved at all. Well, the only thing that stopped was him causing trouble for me. His actual behavior around the mansion remained unchanged, as expected. The head maid¡¯s etiquette lessons were as utterly ineffective as always. For a noble household of this size, it¡¯s typical to have tutors who rotate by day of the week to provide lessons. However, I¡¯ve never seen a private tutor visit this mansion to teach Ethan. Not that he receives martial arts guidance from his father, Harold, either. Ethan stopped his antics with me, but he¡¯s still very much Ethan. Ah, by the way, as for why Ethan, the noble son of the ckwoods, learns swordsmanship instead of magic ¨C it¡¯s because the magicof the ckwoods¡¯ bloodline specializes in enhancing physical abilities. As I mentioned before, in this world, ¡°swordsmanship¡°naturally refers to something on an entirely different level from the original world. In fact, ¡°swordsmanship¡± is just a title. When reaching the ultimate heights, the power attainable is practically no different from magic. It holds limitless potential as a weapon capable of ttening small hills into ins, cleaving massive ciers in half, or even splitting the Earth itself. Of course, weapons other than swords receive simr power scalings. Still, since the protagonist¡¯s primary weapon is a sword, it¡¯s unavoidable that the ¡°hype¡°gets amplified in the direction of swordsmanship. The ckwood family that Ethan belongs to specializes in magic that pushes one¡¯s physical abilities to the extreme. Naturally, they are more suited to wielding weapons than standard elemental magic. To properly utilize the family¡¯s bloodline magic, it¡¯s amon custom to build up swordsmanship fundamentals from a young age, like it or not. ¡®That custom is currently broken because of the idiot, Ethan, and his fool of a father, Harold.¡¯ It¡¯sprobably a setting to establish Ethan as an early antagonist in the game. If the protagonist defeats an ipetent noble viin early on, it naturally builds more protagonist hype. If Ethan had understood Harold¡¯s swordsmanship lessons and studied the family magic, he should obviously be far beyond what a newly enrolled protagonist at the academy could handle. In this world where simply reaching the ¡°swordsmanship¡°realm of Sword Master allows ttening hills, what if a Sword Master could also wield ¡°body strengthening magic¡±? There are reasons the ckwood family received Duchy status from the Empire. Looking at Harold, one of only three Sword Masters in the Empire, one can see that his approach was entirely different from that of other nobles. Looking back, it was practically a miracle that Ariana and Alicia survived that day¡¯s incident. Since they weremoners, Harold restrained himself as much as possible to barely keep them alive. Their organs would have burst from the first punch if he had struck in earnest. Of course, since Luminor Academy wasn¡¯t a gory game, they probably didn¡¯t depict such realistic visuals. But the fact that he didn¡¯t break a few bones or cave in their faces meant Harold restrained his rage to the utmost. In any case, for Ethan to inherit the ckwood family, he naturally had to learn swordsmanship and wield body-strengthening magic as well. More than anything, he¡¯d need to trim down that bulky mass of flesh through exercise or whatever. But seeing the slob in front of me devour his food like a pig, it seems unlikely such a future wille to pass. SCHLURRRRRP! ¡°Low-sssss, low-ssssss¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve seen someone grab a chunkof steak with their hands and tear it apart with their teeth. The fork and knife might be used to pick his noseter. As I carefully observed this piggish feeding disy, Ethan¡¯s gaze suddenly shifted towards me standing beside him. Our eyes met quietly as I watched over him, as is an exclusive maid¡¯s duty. ¡°What is it you require, young master?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I waited, thinking he might ask me to bring him water or something, but Ethan just silently looked at me. He began ominously alternating his gaze between the chunk of steak in his hand and my face. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan?¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°If you require anything, please tell me¡­¡° ¡°¡­Does the maid like meat?¡° ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± What an abrupt, nonsensical question. ¡°Meat, I mean meat. Do you like it too, maid?¡° ¡°¡­I don¡¯t dislike it.¡± Who in this world dislikes meat, anyway? This isn¡¯t the 21st century ¨C vegans wouldn¡¯t exist in a medieval fantasy world. It was just a straightforward answer to a foolish question, but Ethan smiled an uneasy, somewhat pleased smile for some reason. That unpleasant hunch soon became a reality. Thwack! ¡°Maid, here!¡° ¡°¡­Yes?¡° ¡°Here, catch this!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan stabbed the meat he had been mauling with his mouth and hands onto a fork and shoved it towards me. At first, I thought he meant his meal was finished, so I naturally responded ordingly. ¡°If you have finished your meal, you may leave it and rise from the table, Young Master Ethan. I or another maid will take care of the remaining food¡­¡° ¡°No, not that!¡° ¡°Pardon?¡° ¡°Eat this, maid!¡° ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± ¡­What kind of bullshit is this? Thinking I may have misheard, I met Ethan¡¯s gaze and asked again, but this brat still didn¡¯t seem to understand what he was saying.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Young Master Ethan. As a servant, I cannot share a meal with you. Please, focus on your dining without concerning yourself with me.¡° ¡°I said eat it! You said you like meat!¡° ¡°No, I cannot eat it. For a ckwood servant to take food from the young master¡¯s meal is utterly preposterous¡­¡° ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you! So eat it!¡± ¡­Ah, shit. I thought he had been behaving for a while, but here he goes, causing trouble again after so long. Part of me wanted to shoot a mouthful of curses at him. Still, unfortunately, there were other servants present in the dining hall besides me. I couldn¡¯t cause the same ruckus as in Ethan¡¯s chambersst time. ¡®Shit, how should I react to this?¡¯ Obviously, if I epted and ate what Ethan was giving me now, several issues would arise. In the first ce, an employee forgetting their duties during meal times and putting food in their mouth would be the biggest problem. Not only would I be starting my meal before the master finished his, but I¡¯d be an utterly disgraced maid stealing food from their master¡¯s te. Of course, refusing is also the crime of disobeying orders, so if I have to split hairs, eating is the slightly less harmful option¡­ ¡­But honestly, I just found it biologically repulsive. ¡®How can I eat that chunk covered in this pig¡¯s handprints and saliva?¡¯ I had to refuse to put that lumpof a biohazard in my mouth at all costs lest I catch some disease. Not that I was worried about something idiotic like an indirect kiss, but I genuinely felt I could get sick from ingesting such filth. Yet I couldn¡¯t keep choking and cursing at this pig whenever he pulled stunts like this¡­ ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ If Ethan has be even slightly more perceptive because of that incidentst time, Could I not somehow talk my way out of this again? Unable to muster the courage to eat the steak shoved in my face with bite marks, I quietly called Ethan¡¯s name. I¡¯ll try that disciplinary tactic fromst time on the off chance it might work again. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan.¡° ¡°I said eat it! You said you like it!¡° ¡°May I have your ear for a moment?¡° ¡°Huh?¡± Looking puzzled, Ethan quietly sat and lent me his ear. I brought my face close to his ear and whispered softly enough that the other servants couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°¡­I said I won¡¯t eat it, you damn brat Ethan.¡° ¡°¡­Eh?¡° ¡°Who told you to shove a meat chunk covered in your saliva and handprints into my mouth? Just where did you learn such beastly table manners?¡° ¡°¡­!¡° ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you, just eat your own food. And please stop disgustingly biting with your mouth, groping with your hands, and slobbering all over when you eat. It¡¯s making me want to vomit just looking at it. If you don¡¯t even know this basic etiquette, get some lessons from the head maid.¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± Startled momentarily by my words, Ethan looked at me with an uneasy gaze. I continued the conversation with him while steeling my expression as if nothing had happened. ¡°Have you regained your appetite to continue dining, Young Master Ethan?¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a quiet nod, Ethan obediently bowed his head and began putting the remaining food into his mouth. Though his dreadful eating manners continued, it didn¡¯t really matter to me anymore. As long as I kept that filthy chunk of meat from entering my mouth, the rest didn¡¯t concern me. ¡­I really can¡¯t let my guard down for even a moment around this damn brat. T/N
  1. Jungkook. (I added the lines myself; it wasn¡¯t part of the original.)
Thanks for reading, see you in the next one! Chapter 40 It has been another month since I stopped the shitty routine of Ethan calling me every hour. With more free time from my busy schedule, I maximized my remaining time as efficiently as possible. Of course, I was still restricted from going outside, and as an indentured maid, I couldn¡¯t just leave the mansion freely anyway. The efficient way I utilized my time was naturally limited to things I could do inside the mansion. Last time, I casually tried to ask the head maid if I could get permission to go out again, but the reaction wasn¡¯t good. <¡­Lilith Rosewood? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already forgotten the ruckus you causedst time and are shamelessly asking for permission to go out? Go to the etiquette training room right now¡­> Judging from Head Maid Melissa¡¯s reaction, which I witnessed recently, it seems it will still take more time before Lilith gets free permission to go out.@@novelbin@@ I had to hastily make up another excuse to calm Melissa¡¯s anger. Having to face that dragondy one-on-one in the etiquette training room was something even I tried to avoid. So, the ways I could spend my remaining time inside the mansion were limited to just a few options. The most productive activity was knitting. ¡°¡­Lilith, you inserted that part wrong there.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. It would have been a big problem if I hadn¡¯t noticedter.¡± Lately, whenever I had free time, I would head to Isabel¡¯s room to learn how to knit, using my free time as productively as possible. I didn¡¯t understand before why characters inics and anime always spent time knitting. Still, these days, I can somewhat understand why those characters were created. Apart from trying to make money from knitting, in this damn medieval fantasy world, knitting is about the only leisure activity avable to maids. Electronic devices like smartphones and even books and paper were difficult to obtain. And doing fitness training in these cumbersome maid outfits was out of the question. Knitting was the most popr pastime among maids since the materials were easy to obtain and the finished products were easy to sell. I regrly bought knitting supplies from the wagon driver who delivered goods between themercial district and the mansion. And sometimes, when Ipleted a knitting project, I would sell it back to him. Knitting products made by the ckwood family maids were one of the reasonably profitable items. This way, I could slowly save up to prepare for when I eventually leave the ckwood mansion. If I would start a second life as an adventurer somewhere, I needed to save up at least a decent starting capital. Being an adventurer was quite grueling, especially if one started without initial capital. They¡¯d have to pay the adventurer registration fee at the guild, afford basic needs and lodging, etc. It also didn¡¯t pay very well until reaching the upper ranks. It would be the same if I chose another profession besides being an adventurer. Opening a shop somewhere required an enormouslyrge starting capital, just like in my previous life. Of course, areas with enough floating poption to do business would naturally have highnd prices. Luckily, this world doesn¡¯t have things like key money*1, at least. Anyway, no matter what future I envisioned, slowly saving up these small amounts of money was an important factor. These days, I¡¯ve been gradually learning from Isabel and making knitting products. ¡®To be honest, if I really wanted to make money efficiently, I should register as an adventurer and hunt monsters with magic¡­¡¯ I really hate this damn indentured maid status. I leveled up for once but can¡¯t utilize it, so I¡¯mstuck inside the mansion. ¡­Well, at least these days aren¡¯t all badpared to before. Gathering in Isabel¡¯s room to casually chat together is a blessing in itself. ¡°By the way, Lilith, how have things been with your worktely?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Just¡­waking up the young master in the morning, straightening his bedding, cleaning and movingundry, that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°When you first became his exclusive maid, you were called away so often that I thought being an exclusive maid was extremely busy.¡± ¡°I¡­I thought so too¡­¡± ¡°¡­It was just really hectic for the first few months with various things. Now that it¡¯s all settled, it¡¯s be manageable.¡± My work hours were adjusted through an amicable agreement with the person involved. ¡­Though our lives did hang in the bnce during that process. Of course, Ethan still called me when something truly requiring a maid came up (like identally breaking something in his room, etc.), but not a single prank was pulled on me on those days I was summoned after that one time. Come to think of it, my emotional outburst and charging at him back then ended up being a good thing in the end. Moreover, after I called him out about his table mannersst time, these days, he seems to be clumsily trying to use a fork and knife properly when eating. I guess you really do have to call a mad dog mad for it to learn. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re amazing Lilith.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I mean Ethan, the young master. He was famous for never listening to the head maid¡¯s etiquette lessons before, right? But these days, the head maid says he¡¯s been diligently attending every ss.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡­I heard that, too¡­ As expected of Lilith¡­¡± ¡°How did you do it? Lilith, how did you convince the young master to attend the etiquette lessons?¡± ¡°¡­It has nothing to do with me.¡± And it must have nothing to do with me. If word spread around the mansion that I straightened out that brat by strangling him, my life could be in danger. It¡¯s the same with me whispering insults like ¡°disgusting¡± in his ear in the dining room. Especially if Harold were to find out what I did, a punishment far more horrific than what Ariana or Alicia faced would surely rain down on me. ¡°Geez, there you go again. There must have been something between you and the young master, right?¡± ¡°There was nothing, I¡¯m telling you.¡± ¡°Oh, right! If Lilith says there was nothing, then there really was nothing!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Isabel shoots me a slightly suspicious look as Catherine tantly covers for me. If there really wasn¡¯t anything between Catherine and me, Isabel¡¯s ¡°sharp intuition¡± could potentially discern the secret between us. The secret that I can use magic, and Catherine thinks I¡¯m a nobledy, so she¡¯s covering for me. Fortunately, my rtionship with Catherine wasn¡¯t solely based on that one thing. The incident where I helped clear Catherine¡¯s name was something Isabel was already well aware of. Thanks to that, Catherine¡¯s overt attitude towards me didn¡¯t raise much suspicion. ¡®Let¡¯s just keep like this.¡¯ By the way, Catherineherselfalso thought Ethan¡¯s change in attitude was because of me. She thought the change wasn¡¯t simply due to my education as his exclusive maid but because I, supposedly some nobledy, had negotiated with Ethan. Of course, it was apletely nonsensical misunderstanding, but it had gone on for too long to correct now. Catherinewasn¡¯t the type toreadily reveal secrets about me, so I just let it go. I turned my gaze back to Isabel and warned her about the suspicion she had directed at me earlier. ¡°Isabel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯re curious, but it¡¯s better not to mention the young master too much.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You saw what the master was likest time in the etiquette training room when Senior Ariana said one wrong thing to the young master, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°I too¡­ was scared of the master back then¡­¡± Harold was so singrly devoted to loving his son that a remark like ¡®Ethan lied¡¯ would make him emanate a chilling aura. If I carelessly let slipments like ¡®the young master has changed¡¯ or ¡®the young master is different from before¡®,and they reached Harold¡¯s ears, it would not bode well. He wouldundoubtedlyask sternly, ¡®Then what was Ethan like before?¡¯ Though rtively kindhearted for a noble, there was no need to provoke a ¡®sword master capable of physical enhancement magic¡¯ over a few casual remarks, even if severe punishment was unlikely. ¡°Ah, Isabel. Can you show me how to knit this part? If I want to connect this seam naturally¡­¡± ¡°Here?It¡¯s better to fill thegap with theknitting needle and finishit off.You do it like this¡­¡± And so, another half a year passed by living the quotidian life of an ordinary maidtogetherwith Isabel and Catherine. It had already been a year since I regained my memories. T/N
  1. Keymoney refers toa fee paid by a lessee to andlord or property owner to secure, renew, or extend a lease. In South Korea,keymoney (??, jeonse) is treated simrly to a security deposit. Tenants provide a substantial lump-sum deposit, typicallyranging from50% to 80% of the property¡¯s market value, instead of paying monthly rent. This deposit is refunded to the tenantat the conclusion ofthe lease period.
Thanks for reading, see you in the next one! Chapter 41 After bing Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s exclusive maid, Lilith Rosewood¡¯s duties became more structured and streamlined, without any unnecessary tasks, making her job much easier these days. From her perspective, the days seemed to be passing by really quickly. Up until almost half a year ago, she was filled with thoughts of wanting to die. However, recently, there haven¡¯t been any particr negative causes or incidents that would bring about such thoughts. Naturally, her life satisfaction increased, and significantly fewer situations caused her stress. In particr, the most significant change over the past six months was Ethan¡¯s personality. His new demeanor was so drastically different that it constantly surprised the servants in the mansion just by simply not giving Lilith a hard time. ¡°¡­It was a satisfying meal.¡± After finishing his meal with impable table manners, Ethan quietly dabbed his mouth with a napkin before leaving the table. Compared to half a year ago, his improved table manners were so polished that one could doubt he was the same person. Even I was asionally surprised. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of anything messy left on the napkin he used to wipe his mouth. This meant Ethan didn¡¯t make a mess around his mouth while eating. It was to the extent that one would wonder if this was the same guy who used to grab meat with his hands and tear it apart with his teeth. ¡®¡­His overall demeanor also feels strangely refined.¡¯ In fact, the biggest reason I had scolded this brat ¡°Ethan¡± was his unhygienic habits, which disgusted me every moment I saw them. It used to be unbearable to see Ethan walking around with food stains all over his clothes and mouth from who knows when. But now, instead of making a mess, he maintained an impable demeanor throughout meals, behaving quite properly. His refined manners alone made his overall impression seem different. I had known for a while that he started taking etiquette lessons from the head maid. Still, I never expected him to actually listen and learn diligently. Being from the ckwood bloodline and born to a genius mother, perhaps he learns quickly once he has the will to do so. Gics does seem quite powerful. ¡®Though he¡¯s still an insufferable brat at his core.¡¯ Well, the only lessons Ethan has been diligently attending are Head Maid Melissa¡¯s etiquette sses. He still doesn¡¯t bother with any other subjects or required liberal arts. It doesn¡¯t seem like he intends to receive guidance in the ckwood family¡¯s swordsmanship that his father, Harold, should have taught him, either. He doesn¡¯t appear to be making any effort in exercise or other areas. This brat has only improved in terms of etiquette and hygiene from his previous shorings. Thanks to that, I no longer have to see his revolting sloppiness, which isn¡¯t bad for me as his exclusive maid. ¡°You¡¯ve finished your dinner, young master?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go bathe first. Please tidy up my bedroom, maid.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master Ethan.¡± Ethan, who, until half a year ago, rarely disyed even basic courtesies, now exits the dining room with proper posture. Even to an observer, seeing that arrogant brat¡¯s slovenly appearance try to put on airs of etiquette was quite jarring and felt incredibly discordant. Just as I was about to head upstairs to the second floor via the central staircase to tidy up Ethan¡¯s bedroom per his request before he went to bed, his voice suddenly called out from behind me. ¡°¡­Maid.¡° ¡°Yes?¡° ¡°After you finish preparing my bed for the night, could you spare a moment to talk in my room?¡° ¡°¡­In your room, you say?¡° ¡°Yeah.¡± So this brat is¡­ Just when I thought he had be more docile recently, he¡¯s starting to reveal his true colors again. I should have known someone like him couldn¡¯t change so easily. I couldn¡¯t help but slightly furrow my brow momentarily at Ethan¡¯s sudden summons to his room. Noticing my expression, Ethan carefully supplemented his previous statement. ¡°I just want to ask you about one minor thing. Really, it will only take a bit.¡° ¡°¡­I see.¡° ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± If it really was just a minor matter, there would be no need to call me to his room separately. He could have casually asked me here and gotten a quick response. Something was off about him: he requested my presence in his bedroom right before bedtime. Not to mention, he chose his own private room, where we would be alone without any other eyes around. The problem was¡­ ¡®Haaa, damn it¡­¡¯ Even if I realized Ethan¡¯s ulterior motives, I was not in a position to refuse his summons. No matter what, I was still Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, even after a year had passed. He may no longer constantly pester me several times a day like before and has gained some sense of propriety, no longer making a disgusting mess while eating. But I absolutely refused to be subjugated under this vile brat¡¯s control ever again. ¡°Understood, young master. Then I will wait for you in your bedchamber after finishing the linen preparation.¡° ¡°¡­Very well, maid.¡± Over this past year, this brathasn¡¯tseemed to train in swordsmanship or mana control, so I likely still have the physical upper hand for now. At the very least, if he tries any strange moves on me, I can resist with force for a brief moment. ¡®If he tries to pull any stunts, I¡¯ll escape first¡­and figure out the restter.¡¯ I won¡¯t let my guard down and just take Ethan¡¯s crap anymore. Never again, absolutely not. After dinner, as the world outside started to dim into the evening, I purposefully positioned myself away from the bed after making Ethan¡¯s bedding as usual, quietly waiting for the master of the room to arrive. I deliberately did not sit on achaireither. I could not afford to let my guard down if I needed to escape. Considering the potential visual obstruction from the darkness, I also set the manamps to maximum brightness. Creak. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The door opened with friction in this tense atmosphereden with unspoken implications. Ethan¡¯s slightly more humanized appearance after bathing came into view. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡° ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡° The moment he entered, Ethan¡¯s gaze unconsciously flicked to my chest for an instant before quickly averting his eyes. After constantly encountering such gazes from men over the past year, I had be quicker at noticing these things. It didn¡¯t particrly bother me more just because it was Ethan. As a man myself, I had no reason to take offense at such nces. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ bright in here.¡° ¡°Shall I dim the lights?¡° ¡°¡­No, leave it as the maid prefers.¡° ¡°Then I shall keep it this way.¡± I didn¡¯t want to risk turning off the lights only for that brat to try something in the darkness. Although the other servants may say things like ¡°The young master is starting to change¡°or ¡°He¡¯s different from before,¡± I¡¯m not falling for it. I¡¯ve witnessed over ten times how Ethan treated Lilith in the game. More than that, I¡¯ve seen firsthand the brat¡¯s deplorable behavior until now. Am I supposed to blindly trust the good face he¡¯s shown for a few months? I absolutely won¡¯t be deceived by the asional good behavior a person with a ruined personality shows. I must remain constantly vignt and suspicious, at least until I escape from the ckwood family. ¡°¡­You could have sat down to wait.¡° ¡°No, this stance isfortable for me.¡° ¡°¡­Want to sit down now, at least?¡° ¡°I¡¯m used to andfortable in this stance.¡° ¡°¡­I see. I won¡¯t force you to sit, then, bute closer over here.¡± Ethan calls me over as he sits at a table in the corner of the room. While still not letting my guard down, I approached the table where he sat. ¡°¡­Maid.¡° ¡°Yes, young master.¡° ¡°Does the maid¡­happen to have a preference for any particr men?¡° ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± What the hell kind of nonsense is this suddenly? Given that I was a man in my previous life, how could I have preferences for other men? Of course, even though my current body is Lilith¡¯s, it¡¯s only natural that my identity from my previous life hasn¡¯t disappeared. I shook my head and gave Ethan a firm, negative answer. ¡°No. I have no such preferences whatsoever.¡° ¡°R-Really?¡° ¡°Yes.¡± And I never will have any going forward, either. For some reason, Ethan¡¯s voice brightened a bit after my response before he followed up with another question. ¡°Th-Then¡­¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°Do you at least have a preferred type or style when ites to men?¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Pardon?¡° ¡°J-Just asking. It doesn¡¯t mean anything special.¡± No, it certainly seems to have some particr meaning. Ethan¡¯s mind has matured a bit over this past year, so it makes sense that he¡¯s starting to develop romantic interests. And realistically, with Lilith as his exclusive dedicated maid, it¡¯s unlikely for Ethan to develop feelings for any other woman. Essentially, this question is indirectly expressing that he has an interest in me. ¡®I had a feeling a day like this woulde eventually, but actually experiencing it is just fucking annoying.¡¯ As I mentioned earlier, not only do I not have romantic feelings towards men, but if the subject is Ethan specifically, I have no interest in associating with him at all, regardless of gender. However, if I give a halfhearted excuse here, it will likely only give this brat false hope. I want to firmly reject him in a way that will make him lose any interest in me if possible. ¡®How should I put this delicately?¡¯ Part of me wanted to bluntly tell this brat, ¡°Anyone but you would be fine,¡°right to his face. But doing something so brash may cause this recently well-behaved brat to revert. More importantly, he hasn¡¯t even directly stated that he likes me, so being preemptively harsh would make me seem overly defensive. As I pondered how to refuse him withouting across as a bitter person, one indirect way to convey ¡°anyone but you¡°came to mind. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have any particr preferred type when ites to men.¡° ¡°R-Really? None at all? Not even, like, someone good-looking or-or from nobility would be nice¡­?¡° ¡°No, such superficial factors don¡¯t really change my view of people.¡° ¡°I-I see¡­!¡° ¡°¡­However, there is certainly a type I dislike.¡° ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ethan seemed noticeably flustered, likely not expecting me to continue further. As he warily watched me, I firmly expounded on the ¡°type I dislike.¡° ¡°First of all, I really dislike unhygienic people who try to feed others food covered in their own saliva and bite marks.¡° ¡°¡­Huh?¡° ¡°Apart from that, I also really dislike arrogant, self-important,zy bums who are short yet abnormally fat.¡° ¡°¡­M-Maid?¡° ¡°Of course, the type of person I detest the most is sexual harassers who sneak up and grope your butt while you¡¯re working or flick disgusting things at you beforeughing in your face. The worst of all men in the world.¡° ¡°I¡­I see¡­¡° ¡°Does this help rify things for you, Young Master Ethan?¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seemingly shocked that I had so brazenly listed characteristics describing himself, Ethan could only nod quietly with his head hung low. Even for such a shameless brat, having ¡°I dislike people like you¡°stated so directly to his face must have been hard to stomach. But he should get the point by now ¨C that I will never develop any positive feelings towards him, no matter what. The conversation seemed to have reached its conclusion, so I addressed the silently hanging head of Ethan. ¡°Young Master.¡° ¡°Y-Yes!¡° ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. May I take my leave to my quarters now?¡° ¡°Yeah¡­Th-Thank you for humoring my question, maid¡­¡° ¡°Have a good night¡¯s rest, Young Master Ethan.¡° ¡°¡­You too, maid.¡± With a creaking sound, the door to Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s room quietly closed. That brat shouldn¡¯t pester me with any romantic notions anymore. Whether he bes gloomy from his disappointed expectations has nothing to do with me. Author¡¯s Note: Ethan! Lilith doesn¡¯t like chubby guys! T/N@@novelbin@@ Hello! Axiomatic here. Illustrations for this novel can now be found in the #novel-illustrations channel on the GxyTL Discord. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Chapter 42 A weekter, after that incident¡­ ¡­when I thought I had averted the crisis by indirectly rejecting Ethan¡¯s advances towards me and returned to my normal daily routine. Bored of being cooped up in my room doing nothing but knitting every day, I decided to go for a walk since the weather was nice, as a change of pace. ¡­However, this so-called ¡°walk¡± was merely strolling around the front yard of the mansion and its surroundings. If I weren¡¯t a debt maid at Lilith¡¯s, I could have climbed up the mountain behind the mansion, and if that were possible, I would have actually done so. However, my status as a debt maid, with five to six years to go, was still a significant restriction and weakness for me. Even so, after experiencing this status for about a year, my mindset has be a bit more rxedpared to before. ¡®And if this were the original game, Ethan¡¯s disciplining of me would have started long ago, but right now, there¡¯s no sign of that happening.¡¯ I was convinced the story had diverged significantly from the original game due to the choking incident. To be honest, if someone didn¡¯t change after nearly being killed by their exclusive maid, they wouldn¡¯t be human. Anyway, the biggest reason I had hurried and tried to be stronger was to build up my resistance before Ethan could overpower me. Since Ethan wasn¡¯t doing anything unnecessary to me at the moment, I didn¡¯t need to draw attention to myself and get lectured by the head maid. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I hadpletely abandoned my desire to level up. ¡®I¡¯ll level up when I get the chance. If not, it doesn¡¯t matter; I can do it after leaving the ckwood mansion.¡¯ One year and about a month into the seven-year term. If Lilith Rosewood endures for the remaining five years and 11 months, she will be a free woman. Of course, after that much time passes, Lilith will be around 25 or 26 years old, which cannot be considered extremely young. After all, this world is set in a medieval fantasy background, and it wasmon for women to marry at a young age back then. Unless they were nobledies or enrolled in elite educational institutions like academies, it was customary for ordinarymoner women to get married and start a household in theirte teens or early 20s. ¡­But well, that has nothing to do with me. ¡®I never intended to have an evesting rtionship with a man anyway.¡¯ On the contrary, in terms of bing an adventurer or opening a shop, as long as one had talent,theageof25 wasnot much of anentry barrier. In fact,there weresome cases of female adventurers who remained active for quite a long time without having children. Since I didn¡¯t have the ambitious goal of passing on my genes to the future in this world, I naturally had no reason to feel anxious. I just had to endure the remaining time, then take up the job of an adventurer or something else to make a fresh start. Preferably,I would like a job as an adventurer where I could freely use magic. ¡®How about the concept of a secret mage operating while concealing my face with a hood? Since most would assume I¡¯m a noble if I can use magic, there likely wouldn¡¯t be many men recklessly going after me just for my chest¡­¡¯ As I was making these ns for my future while strolling halfway around the mansion¡¯s yard, I suddenly heardthe sound ofsomething long and rod-like cutting through the wind. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ My curiosity was piqued by an unfamiliar sound different from natural wind, unconsciously drawing my attention in that direction. Since itdidn¡¯t seem too farfrom the walking path, I quietly headed toward the source of the sound. Whiiiiish! Whiiiiish! ¡°Ethan, faster! Do you think you can seed the ckwood sword with just that much?!¡± ¡°Aaargh¡­!¡± Whiiish!Whiiish! Whiiish! ¡­Oh, it was just the ckwood father and son. Ethan wasdiligentlyswinging a sword in an open area behind the ckwood mansion¡¯s backyard. ¡­and Harold was observing and instructing Ethan¡¯s swordsmanship practice. It was an unfamiliar sight that my mind could hardly process at first, but it wasn¡¯t that strange on second thought, either. ¡®So the rumors about him recently receiving sword lessons from Harold were true.¡¯ I had heard rumors of ¡®the young master changing again¡¯ a few days ago, so I thought he was just putting on some polite act again. Little did I know he was actually learning swordsmanship from Harold this time. To be honest, itlooked somewhatical to see that rounded physique swinging a sword. But remembering the Ethan boss battle from the game, it didn¡¯t seem soughable. ¡®He was quite a formidable boss in the Lilith Route.¡¯ No matter how undertrained he was, he was still a noble. He was the young master of the ckwood family, which specialized in body enhancement magic, no less. While his corpulent, pig-like physiqueswinging dual des in a clumsy mannerwas somewhatical to imagine, putting that aside, his difficulty level was around that of an early-game boss. That¡¯s even considering Lilith¡¯s support from the rear as a ve-branded character during the boss battle. In fact, Harold standing beside him looked even more out of ce than Ethan swinging his sword. Unlike his usual doting father persona, he sternly instructed Ethan¡¯s swordy with a strict expression ¨C apletely different impression from the Harold I knew. ¡®Even if he dotes on his son, I guess he¡¯s seriouswhen ites tothe sword, befitting a Sword Master.¡¯ While usually indulging Ethan¡¯s unreasonable demands, he seemed upromisingwhen it came tosword training. His character wasn¡¯t particrly gentle, to begin with, so this stern side felt more true to his nature, appearances aside. The problem was that other issues might soon arise if he treated Ethan this way. I don¡¯t know whenexactlyEthan stopped learning swordsmanship from Harold in the game, but assumingit was around Thanasia¡¯s death, it was probably three to four years. Add the five-year forced hiatus due to the curse, plus the one year after awakening spent idling. That¡¯s about ten years ¨C even excluding the cursed sleep period, he went almost five years without touching a sword. Considering Ethan¡¯s current physical age, it¡¯s almost like starting swordsmanship from scratch. So, he must be starting with basic swinging exercises first. Trying to learn advanced techniques without proper foundational training could lead to a risk of injury. However, this training method doesn¡¯t seem sustainable for long, in my opinion. Just like when starting an exercise routine, in reality, you¡¯ll have to gradually increase the physical load to maintain it for an extended period.@@novelbin@@ Putting someone who has barely held a sword through spartan training is bound to burn them out quickly. *Thud* ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­ugh¡­¡± ¡°Get up, Ethan. We¡¯re not even halfway done yet.¡± ¡°Haaaa¡­haaaa..haaaaa¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t pick up your sword right now, we¡¯ll start today¡¯s training from the beginning.¡± *Gaaaah!* Spurred by Harold¡¯s strict deration, Ethan picks up the dropped sword and rises from the ground again. As much as Harold is doing this as the Sword Master, I can¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯s going too far with his own son. ¡°No dallying, start again, quickly.¡± ¡°Urp¡­ggggaaahh¡­!¡± Pressured by Harold¡¯s adamant attitude, Ethan forcibly grips the sword again and resumes swinging. To be fair, if this was his usual self, he would have quit and copsed long ago.I suppose hisetiquette training has instilled some willpower in him. ¡­Even so, if Harold keeps up this harsh regimen, Ethan will likely burn out again in amatter ofdays. I could advise Harold to go a bit easier on the training menu instead of pushing Ethan to his absolute limits, gradually challenging him at a more reasonable pace, even if it¡¯s for his son¡¯s sake. But my status is hardly one that can offer advice to Harold. Though I¡¯m Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid now, I was merely amoner girl from the lower maid ranks just a year ago. The likelihood of Harold seriously heeding my counsel ispretty muchzero. Andto be honest,it might even be better for me if Ethan gives up on swordsmanship. ¡®At least I won¡¯t have to worry about being overpowered by him.¡¯ I won¡¯t interfere, but Ihave no intention of cheering him on, either. So I turned around and retraced my steps, making sure I didn¡¯t catch their attention. Whether that brat seeds the ckwood swordsmanship or not, it¡¯s their business. After finishing my short stroll in the mansion¡¯s courtyard with mixed feelings, I was heading back to my room upstairs when a voice called out my name from behind. ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± Turning towards the now familiar voice, I saw the butler standing there as expected, his emotionally deficient gaze deliberately meeting my eyes, seeming to avoid looking at my chest area. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ah, right, his name. Shit, what was it again? I vaguely remember it being around five sybles*1. Feeling pressured by his gaze waiting for my response, I blurted out the five-syble name*1that popped into my head. ¡°¡­Mr. Siegfried, the butler?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± Even though I just said what came to mind, I didn¡¯t expect to get all the sybles wrong. Well,at leastthe vibe was simr, so it¡¯s some improvement. Despite me making such a rude blunder right in front of him, Butler Dittmeyer didn¡¯t bat an eye and continued speaking. In the hand he extended towards me was what looked like a letter envelope. ¡°It¡¯s a letter from the ckwood territory¡¯s guard, Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Now that I think about it, around half a year after Ethan started his etiquette lessons, letters addressed to him have been pouring in frequently. Most were regarding the still vacant potential fianc¨¦e position for the ckwood family heir. Some nobles were already blindly trying to make their young daughters Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e based on the ckwood name alone. However, after news spread of Ethan receiving etiquette training, even more nobles brazenly expressed that desire. Since Harold stubbornly insists it¡¯s not time yet, they¡¯re trying to persuade Ethan directly via letters. ¡®It mightactuallybe easier for me if that brat just gets engaged to some random noblewoman.¡¯ That way, there¡¯s aslightlylower chance he¡¯llmake advancestowards me. Of course, that assumes Ethan actually minds his fianc¨¦e and her family¡¯s watchful eyes. But why would the ckwood territory guards suddenly send a letter to Ethan out of nowhere instead of another noble family? ¡°I will ensure this letter is definitely delivered to Young Master Ethan.¡± Well, whatever happens within the ckwood territory is none of my business. With that thought, I received the letter from Butler Sieg¡­Dittmeyer. But as I was heading upstairs, the butler calledout tome again from behind. ¡°One moment, please, Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This letter did note addressed to Young Master Ethan Richard ckwood. Please confirm the recipient properly.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Puzzled, I double-checked the names of the recipient and sender written on the envelope. Only then did I understand the meaning behind the butler¡¯s words to confirm the recipient. [To: Miss Lilith Rosewood | From: Sir cksong] ¡­What is this? Why is this guy sending me a letter? T/N
  1. Unfortunately, the joke was lost in trantion, and I couldn¡¯t think of a simr case. In Korean, Siegfried is spelled with five characters/sybles (????? / ji keu peu ri teu), and so is Dittmeyer (????? / di teu ma i o ).
Hello! Axiomatic here. For those asking about chapter time release,I usually release the chapter at around 12:00 am (GMT+8), but not consistently.I¡¯m publishing the next chapter along with this as a bonus for beingte on schedule. The chapter on Friday will still be posted then. Thanks for reading, see you in the next one! Chapter 43 [To: Miss Lilith Rosewood | From: Sir cksong] ¡°¡­..¡± As soon as I confirmed that I was the recipient of the letter that suddenly came from someone, I momentarily felt dazed. Sir cksong¡­ he¡¯s gotta be the chief of security or something of the ckwood Estate Guards. It was the first name I saw in the letter when I woke up in the church after being hit by the Hooked Tusk¡¯s attack and falling, so I could vaguely remember it. ¡­and it¡¯s not in my nature to easily forget someone who has done me a favor. The fact that I could safely recover at the church after being hit by the monster, that perhaps someone else like Isabel or Catherine didn¡¯t have to bear the burden of the church¡¯s recovery fees, which were paid for me, and, of course, that I received payment for the Hooked Tusk loot that I should have given up on ¨C all of that was thanks to this person. ¡­and what I had said to this captain before losing consciousness was¡­ < That¡¯s enough, get out of here!> < I¡¯m going to finish this guy off; don¡¯t you dare take one step closer¡­!!> ¡°¡­..¡± The more I recalled it, the more embarrassed I felt about my shameless behavior back then. Come to think of it, this Sir cksong was just doing his duty as a member of the estate guards. He tried to rescue a helpless maid only to get cursed at in return and then had to deal with the aftermath ¨C how exasperated he must have felt then. To be honest, considering my transgression, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if the paper beside me when I woke up in the church that day was a letter of protest instead of a letter of courtesy. ¡­In that sense, I started to feel an odd sense of burden about opening this letter carelessly. For some reason, I had the premonition that the moment I opened this letter, this Sir cksong would mention that day¡¯s incident and rebuke me. ¡®¡­Well, it was my own doing. If he gives me some warning about that incident, I should humbly ept it.¡¯ It was a bit puzzling why he sent a letter of protest about an incident that happened almost a year ago, but regardless, he had risen to the position of Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards. From Lilith¡¯s perspective, he was naturally someone of a high rank that she could not defy. If I ignored this person¡¯s letter, who knows what kind of problem could ariseter? I tensely opened the envelope and carefully unfolded the letter to read its contents. ¡ºTo Miss Lilith Rosewood, Regarding your defeat of the Hooked Tusk that appeared in themercial district of the ckwood estate on the 15th day of the 5th monthst year, I write again to express my gratitude. And in rtion to that, I shamelessly have a request to make of you. If you have time, I would appreciate it if you could visit the security division office of the ckwood estate guards sometime this month, whenever it is convenient for Miss Rosewood. It should not take too much of your time, and if you could inform me of the exact date in a letter, I will arrange to have a carriage and escorte to the ckwood manor to bring you. Sir cksong, Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards¡» Hmm¡­ I still don¡¯t quite understand. Judging from the opening, as he expressed gratitude for defeating the Hooked Tusk, it doesn¡¯t seem to be about reprimanding me over that incident, thankfully. Rather than that, it feels like a simple letter requesting something else from me, only stating the matter briefly. And the fact that he¡¯s even offering to send a carriage and escort makes it seem like there¡¯s something he needs me for. If it¡¯s something the Lilith me could be summoned to the estate guards for, could it be¡­ ¡®To do a morale performance by dancing and singing in front of the guards?¡¯ If it were a request like that, then my answer would obviously be a firm NO. As if I¡¯d ever do something so outrageous as performing in front of a bunch of men. While I can¡¯t help if they sneak nces at my chest, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d willingly be eye candy for other men ¨C I¡¯d refuse even if it killed me. The problem was that from just reading this letter, I couldn¡¯t tell if this cksong was calling me to make such an outrageous request or if he wanted me to visit for some other reason. All I could do was stand there quietly, letter in hand, lost in thought. ¡°What contents have you so deep in contemtion, Miss Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡®Shit, you startled me.¡¯ Dittmeyer was still around, huh. Apparently, my standing there pondering the letter looked odd, as the head butler tilted his head inquiringly at me. After briefly debating whether to disclose the letter¡¯s contents, I gave him a vague response. ¡°Sir cksong, the Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards, has summoned me to the security division office.¡° ¡°Sir cksong has summoned Miss Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Could it be rted to the monster subjugation incident fromst year?¡° ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The exact purpose isn¡¯t stated. But it does seem likely rted to that.¡± That¡¯s because, in the original work, Lilith had never visited ces like the estate guards¡¯ security division before. There was a mention in Luminor Academy that the coven always kept Lilith within reach, so they likely never let her go outside the manor unnecessarily. Especially considering the estate guards¡¯ offices were quite far from the manor ¨C the probability of that happening was essentially zero. Even in ¡°Lilith¡¯s memories¡°rather than my ¡°previous life¡¯s memories,¡°my only recollection of meeting Sir cksong was from that incidentst May. So, there¡¯s a 99% chance he¡¯s summoning me regarding that same incident. He did seem like a decent gentleman at first impression, so I had a hunch he wouldn¡¯t tantly summon someone just to be a sideshow for the soldiers. Of course, that¡¯s something I can¡¯t know for sure until meeting him directly. ¡®I have received quite a few favors from him, so I suppose I¡¯ll have to repay him at some point¡­¡¯ Part of me wanted to visit the estate guards when I had time, but the problem was that Lilith¡¯s status was still that of an indebted maid. Even as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I couldn¡¯t respond to the summons as I pleased. I would need permission from Head Maid Melissa for an outing, then get Ethan¡¯s approval for a day off, and only after the date was set could I send a letter to the ckwood guards. It was a fresh reminder of how cumbersome it was for Lilith to go out even once. ¡­Of course, the biggest reason was the incidentst year where I recklessly faced a Level 10 monster and nearly died. ¡®If I wasn¡¯t an indebted maid, I could have just replied that I¡¯de on my next day off.¡¯ This damned status really prevents me from doing what I want properly. It wasmentable that I couldn¡¯t freely pay a courtesy call or return a favor to someone I was indebted to. ¡°Do you intend to respond to the summons, Miss Lilith Rosewood?¡° ¡°As you know my status, Butler Dittmeyer, I¡¯m not in a position to respond as I please.¡° ¡°But with your good work attitude, couldn¡¯t you get the head maid¡¯s permission to go out if you set your mind to it?¡° ¡°After the holiday outing where I nearly died to the Hooked Tusk, I doubt the head maid would ever approve an outing.¡° ¡°¡­Is that so?¡°@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yes. And, of course, I¡¯d need to request time off from the young master as well, so matching schedules seems near impossible.¡° ¡°If you could match the schedule, would the maid intend to respond to the captain¡¯s summons?¡° ¡°Part of me wants to give a positive reply. I am indebted to Sir cksong from the Hooked Tusk incident, and even without this letter, I intended to apologize and express gratitude eventually¡­¡° ¡°¡­Hmm, so the maid thinks that way.¡± ¡­Huh? At some point, Dittmeyer¡¯s tone seemed to change, sending a chill down my spine. And I realized that it wasn¡¯t my imagination right after. ¡°The chief of security for the estate guards, Sir cksong¡­ I didn¡¯t know the maid had ties to such a person.¡° ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan? Are you finished with your swordsmanship training?¡° ¡°Just finished, maid. As expected, learning directly from Father is no easy feat.¡± Ethan was drenched in sweat as if he had crammed a lifetime¡¯s worth of training, his whole body glistening. I didn¡¯t know how many days it had been, but it seemed that Ethan could still endure Harold¡¯s training. Based on Ethan¡¯s personality from Luminor Academy, there was no telling how long his antics would continue. ¡°So, maid.¡° ¡°Yes?¡° ¡°How do you know Sir cksong, the chief of security?¡° ¡°A long while ago, I had a brief encounter with my colleagues when I went to themercial district on holiday. It was the incident where a monster binding scroll was undone in the middle of themercial district¡­¡± There was no particr need to hide it, and even if I didn¡¯t, it seemed Dittmeyer, standing beside me, would have anyway. So, without much hesitation, I exined the subjugation of the Hooked Tuskst year to Ethan. ¡°¡­Such an incident urred?¡° ¡°Yes.¡° ¡°How-how dangerous!It¡¯sfortunate you came through it unscathed, but what if something had gone wrong¡­!¡° ¡°It¡¯s been over a year, Young Master Ethan. Is it really necessary to worry over something that¡¯s passed?¡° ¡°Still, Lilith is my exclusive maid.¡° ¡°At that time, I was just an ordinary low-ranking indebted maid, not your exclusive maid, young master.¡° ¡°¡­Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± After an awkward look, Ethan nced at the letter I was holding. He seemed to ponder something, then asked with a slightly tense expression, as if making a proposal: ¡°So, are you going?¡° ¡°¡­While I would like to pay a visit if circumstances allow, as your exclusive maid, my duties make it difficult. I intended to send a refusal letter.¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine. This works out perfectly, in fact.¡° ¡°Pardon?¡± Unable to understand what he meant by ¡°works out,¡°I tilted my head, and Ethan gave an inscrutable reply. ¡°As the heir to the ckwood family, estate patrols are important, so I shouldpay a visit tothe estate guards soon. I haven¡¯t been able to properly act as the heir while bedridden.¡° ¡°¡­Are you saying you will personally visit the estate guards, Young Master Ethan?¡° ¡°Something like that.¡± Nonchntly answering Head Butler Dittmeyer¡¯s query, Ethanthenfixed his gaze on me. He looked me in the eye and reminded me of one of the regtions for being his exclusive maid that I had recently forgotten while staying in the manor. ¡°As my exclusive maid, Lilith, you have to apany me when I go out for external activities, you know?¡° ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡° ¡°We¡¯ll depart in three days, so send the letter, maid. Include that we won¡¯t need a carriage or escort.¡° ¡°¡­Understood.¡° ¡°Right, then we can take care of the maid¡¯s business whilevisiting on that day as well.¡° Leaving those final words, Ethan left me and Dittmeyer behind as he headed to the bathroom. Confused by hisuncharacteristicallyodd behavior, I didn¡¯t know how to respond. But in any case, the contents of the reply letter to Sir cksong were now decided. Chapter 44 Three days after receiving a letter requesting a visit from Sir cksong. In the afternoon, the carriage carrying Ethan Richard ckwood and me toward the Security Division office of the estate guards was moving at a reasonably fast pace outside the ckwood estate. Due to Ethan¡¯s whim, I ended up going out while on duty as his exclusive maid, Lilith Rosewood. It was actually my first time going outside the mansion since bing his exclusive maid. Of course, I wasn¡¯t excited or feeling refreshed about this rare outing. Instead, a strange sense of unease was slowly blooming in my chest.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I don¡¯t know what this brat is up to.¡¯ Ethan, the heir of the ckwood family, went with me to the guards¡¯ Security Division office under the pretext of patrolling the estate. It would not have seemed strange since he was the son of a noble family, as it was amon practice. However, the fact that this chubby Ethan was outside the mansion for such a reason was something I could hardly understand, no matter how I thought about it¡­ ¡­even more so after reading the letter from Sir cksong, the Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards, which was delivered to me. ¡®He definitely has an ulterior motive.¡¯ I was uneasy because I didn¡¯t know what that motive was. Could it be that after starting his etiquette training, he was truly preparing to take over the ckwood estate? Perhaps I was overreacting, and his actions were nothing unusual. After all, the Ethan beside me now was simr but slightly different from the hateful one in the original storyline. Of course, the fundamental soul of him embedded in my mind would likely be the same, whether it was the current Ethan or the hateful one, so I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. However, it was a bit strange for me to be surprised every time he acted differently from the original storyline. Unable to guess his true purpose, I fixed my gaze on Ethan and quietly observed his side profile. Ethan¡¯s eyes, which had been looking out the carriage window, turned inward, and our eyes met. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do¡­you have something to say?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh¡­okay¡­¡± Ethan then withdrew his gaze back outside with an awkward expression. For some reason, his reaction clearly indicated he was up to something. ¡­Could it be rted to me receiving the visit request from Sir cksong? As various guesses, whether misunderstandings or truth, swirled confusingly in my mind, Ethan asked the butler in a slightly louder voice from his seat on the right. ¡°Head Butler, how much longer until we arrive?¡± ¡°We should arrive in about 10 minutes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Alright. When we arrive, just park the carriage and take a break, Head Butler. The maid and I will return after we finish our business.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master.¡± Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft, who ended up driving the carriage after overhearing my conversation with Ethan, responded to Ethan¡¯s words. Even after the Head Butler¡¯s final words, Ethan turned his gaze back outside the window, seeming lost in thought with a pensive expression. The carriage Ethan rides certainly seems to be much more stable than the freight carriage I hitched a ride on with the coachmanst time. Even in a medieval fantasy world, it seems money can solve most inconveniences. ¡®Come to think of it, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to learn how to drive a carriage if I get the chance.¡¯ If I end up bing an adventurerter on, I may live a nomadic life rather than settling in one ce. Especially if my status as someone capable of using magic as amoner ends up being exposed for some reason, it could cause a lot of trouble. Having a means of transportation and a livelihood to flee at any time could be essential. ¡­Or if I¡¯m forced to flee the ckwood estate for some unavoidable reason, I could use it as a means of transportation to evade pursuit. ¡®I should ask Dittmeyer to teach me how to drive a carriage when I get the chance.¡¯ I can just say it¡¯s a necessary skill to serve the young master in the future. As an attendant to Ethan, Dittmeyer, the Head Butler, wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse such a request. While I was thinking this, our carriage carrying the three of us eventually entered the ckwood estate¡¯s guard station. Following the guidance of the sentry guarding the entrance, we entered the guard station grounds. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Ethan Richard ckwood! We sincerely thank you for gracing this humble ce with your presence!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Thank you, Young Master!!!¡±¡±¡± The soldiers greeted us with an air of full formality as we entered the guard station grounds. Disembarking from the carriage, Ethan responded in a calm voice to the soldier at the front who had greeted them: ¡°Yes. Before patrolling, I would like to speak with Sir cksong first. Could you show me where he is?¡± ¡°Yes! Sir cksong has been awaiting your visit, so I shall guide you to him!¡± Following the soldier¡¯s guidance, we entered the two-story guard¡¯s station building and proceeded to the second-floor hallway. We were then led to a room next to the stairs leading up, marked as the Security Division office. ¡°Sir cksong is waiting inside!¡± ¡°Alright, thanks for your effort.¡± ¡°The honor is mine!¡± ¡­Are all the regr soldiers of the ckwood estate guards like this? With that thought, I slid open the sliding door to the Security Division office. As soon as they noticed our visit, a middle-aged knight with dark brown hair stood up from his seat and greeted us weingly. ¡°My apologies for having you visit this humble ce, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. It doesn¡¯t even take an hour by carriage to get here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir cksong.¡± ¡°Yes, it has been a while, Miss Lilith.¡± Sir cksong ushered us inside with a curiously gentle smile towards Ethan and me. Behind him, a teal-haired soldier in short hair observed me with a peculiar expression. Though I wasn¡¯t sure why, there was an awkward atmosphere. Nevertheless, I first let Ethan enter the room. I then followed behind him, closing the door as I stepped into the Security Division office. ¡°¡­¡­¡± A brief silence fell. Fully aware that I was not of a status to speak first, I quietly waited for one of the two men to open their mouths. It didn¡¯t take long before Ethan spoke, addressing the captain by name. ¡°Sir cksong, I heard you requested the attendance of my exclusive maid. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± ¡°The letter¡¯s content didn¡¯t rify why you summoned the maid. Was it something so troubling that it couldn¡¯t risk reaching other ears?¡± ¡°No, that is not the case. ¡­However, I did not borate to avoid potential blemish to Miss Lilith¡¯s achievements. For causing you difort, I will apologize.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan fell silent for a moment at Sir cksong¡¯sposed response. Compared to before, his polished manner these days often gave the impression of an entirely different person. ¡­Truly, it still doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯ll ever get used to it. Well, Ethan is Ethan. What matters to me now is the reason Sir cksong summoned me. I cautiously inquired about the cryptic remark he had just made. ¡°Sir cksong, if I may, I have one question, if it¡¯s not too rude.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead, Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°What did you mean by being concerned about causing a blemish to my achievements, which is why you didn¡¯t borate in the letter? Does this ¡®achievement¡¯ refer to what happened with the Hooked Tuskst year?¡± ¡°You understand quickly, thankfully. The very reason I brazenly invited you today, Miss Lilith, regards that matter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ah, so that¡¯s what this is about. Even if I was out of my mind, it would be strange to expect no consequences after hurling insults at the Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards. I should have sent an apology letter when I had the chance. Since meeting face-to-face would show more sincerity, I had been postponing it, but it seems this is the karmic result. For a knight of a family like the ckwoods, his status is practically that of a minor noble. What I did that day was essentially the rude behavior of amoner woman picking a fight with a nobleman. ¡°I truly regret what transpired that day, Sir cksong.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Even if I was beside myself, shouting and cursing at you, the chief knight of the estate¡¯s security force, is absolutely unforgivable. I should have apologized first, but instead, I made you reach out first. I have no excuses, even if I had a hundred mouths¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, Miss Lilith. I did not summon you to receive an apology. As I mentioned in the letter, I am grateful to you for that day¡¯s events. I did not call you here merely to receive an apology for such a trifling reason.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± I had desperately bowed my head to avoid any lingering resentment and offered an apology. But Sir cksong¡¯s response waspletely different. His following words made the reason for summoning me to the guard station understandable. ¡°The reason I invited you today, Miss Lilith, is that I require your testimony for documenting the record of events from that day.¡± ¡°My testimony?¡± ¡°The estate guards document and record all the events that urred over the past year every fifth month. We don¡¯t record every minor incident, like quarrels between residents or slime exterminations. However, the Hooked Tusk you subdued was too major an incident to overlook.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Originally, I had nned to document the record based on the prowess I witnessed from you that day and the testimonies of your fellow maids. There would be no need to trouble you by summoning you here. However¡­¡± He trailed off awkwardly and shifted his gaze to the teal-haired female soldier standing to his right. With aposed gaze, she immediately fixed her eyes on me, taking her cue to speak. ¡°I cannot ept this.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± ¡°I cannot ept the record of an ordinary, untrained woman, like Miss Lilith, subduing a dangerous monster like the Hooked Tusk,¡± the teal-haired female soldier stated firmly. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, I request a correction to the record based on testimony. The subjugation of the Hooked Tusk in themercial district was not your achievement but Sir cksong¡¯s.¡± ¡­No. What do you want me to do about it? Chapter 45 The moment Lilith Rosewood heard the words of the teal-haired female soldier, she instantly felt dazed. Because she had no idea how to respond to her bold and brazen answer. Of course, I could fully infer why the female soldier said such things to me. Objectively speaking, it was an unbelievable feat. A mere maid with no properbat training and not even a magic-wielding noble had vanquished a Hooked Tusk. Granted, the monster had been sealed in a scroll and was not in peak condition; to be precise, it was a double down and wasn¡¯t a smooth victory. However, even considering all those factors, the female soldier¡¯s assertion was extremely reasonable and correct. I would have undoubtedly been shocked if Isabel suddenly imed to have in a level 5 goblin. I couldn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t understand the woman¡¯s argument, but¡­ ¡®What can I say? She¡¯s not lying by any means¡­¡¯ My experiences from my previous life helped me recognize a conveniently ced iron rod that could be used as a weapon, and the monster was in a weakened state due to the seal. Abination of coincidences had led to Lilith¡¯s victory over the Hooked Tusk that day. And with just that one incident, Lilith had achieved the remarkable feat of rising from level 2 to level 5, a full three-level increase. A feat aplished solely by Lilith Rosewood, without anyone else¡¯s help. The proof was that she had received the full 150 experience points without any distribution. So in essence, this teal-haired female soldier was essentially demanding that Lilithmit perjury. The fact that Lilith had vanquished the Hooked Tusk was an objective truth, so correcting the record as this woman suggested¡­ ¡®¡­Wait a minute¡­¡¯ Upon reflection, did the feat of vanquishing the Hooked Tusk really need to be Lilith¡¯s? Granted, at the time, Lilith had done it so spectacrly that it was impossible to hide, and by the time she had recovered in the church, everything had already been settled. Objectively, there was no benefit to this achievement being hers. Rather, from the perspective of wanting to avoid attention as much as possible, it was more of a loss. The fact that Lilith had vanquished the Hooked Tusk had already been reported to Harold Richard ckwood, and people around her, like Isabel and Catherine, roughly knew about it. If the scale of the rumor could be reduced even a little bit, there was no reason to refuse. Lilith wouldn¡¯t be working at the ckwood mansion forever until she died, and someday, she would be a free person and find another job. Such a bothersome and peculiar feat had the potential to attract the attention of others unnecessarily. ¡°I¡¯ll turn a blind eye to the fact that you seduced the captain and took the material value of the Hooked Tusk. However, the stigma that our captain entrusted the subjugation of the Hooked Tusk to an ordinary maid and just watched¡­¡± ¡°Emilia, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°But Captain, this is something that needs to go into the record, so we have to write the facts clearly¡­¡± ¡°¡­I said, enough.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± The woman continued her suspicions based on reasonable inferences about me and Sir cksong calmed her down with a slightly angry voice. It seemed the main reason I was called here was that woman¡¯s protest. ¡°¡­Sorry for thete introduction. This is Emilia Reinhart. She is a senior soldier in the ckwood Guard and my adjutant.¡± ¡°Oh, hello, Ms. Emilia¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ms. Lilith.¡± ¡°As my adjutant, she is also involved in writing the annual record log. And it seems she couldn¡¯t overlook the Hooked Tusk subjugation case I wrote about during the review process.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a natural suspicion. Even I would be shocked if one of my fellow maids said they could vanquish a Hooked Tusk alone.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m grateful for your understanding, Ms. Lilith.¡± Emilia, who was still looking at me with cold eyes, was in contrast to Sir cksong, who had a slightly troubled expression. As I was carefully specting about what kind of rtionship the two of them had, Emilia spoke up again. ¡°Captain has previously shared his merits with other members several times.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°When we finish a joint operation where anyone can see that the captain¡¯s share is over 80%, he ims everyone fought hard and only takes about 10% of his share, distributing the rest to the lower-ranking soldiers. There have also been times when he covered up mistakes made by other members, saying that he had made them.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say unnecessary things, Emilia.¡± ¡°Until now, I have overlooked it because the merits were being shared among fellow colleagues, and it was an act that boosted the overall morale of the ckwood Estate Guards. But regarding this case, I obviously cannot just let it slide.¡± ¡°Emilia¡­¡± ¡°Sir¡­ No¡­ Captain, how can you share your achievements with an ordinary maid who hasn¡¯t even received military training? And to be recorded as if you stood by and watched a civilian maid¡¯s battle without stopping it, even though you were right there! As your adjutant and record keeper, I cannot simply overlook such a stigma umting!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yeah, for this reason, it made sense for Sir cksong to call me out here. As it was a story that wouldn¡¯t be good if it spread outside, it was understandable that he couldn¡¯t write it in the letter. Until now, the man named Sir cksong, the Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards, seemed to have managed his unit by widely sharing his achievements or covering up the mistakes of his subordinates¡­ ¡­and that woman named Emilia, who seemed so inflexible, must not have liked his seemingly foolish actions until now. In that state, while organizing the records, the fact that I had subjugated the Hooked Tusk must have caught her eye. It seemed that the resentment that had built up over the fact that he had shared merit with a mere maid, not even a colleague, had exploded. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, Ms. Emilia.¡± Well, in the end, this could be resolved if I just conceded the credit. Being a maid in debt was already tough, so there was nothing to gain from making enemies in unexpected ces. ¡°I, too, felt a bit burdened by the fact that I had the achievement of subjugating a Hooked Tusk with such a fragile body. Also, it would be right to concede the credit to a great knight like Sir cksong rather than an ordinary maid like myself.¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Lilith?¡± ¡°So I agree as well. On the 15th of Mayst year, the credit for subjugating the Hooked Tusk will be transferred to Sir cksong¡­¡± Just as I was trying to smoothly resolve the matter without anyone having to blush unnecessarily¡­ ¡­Suddenly, the figure of one person blocked my path, taking a step forward. ¡°¡­Maid, wait a moment.¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan?¡± Ethan, whose gait had improved a bit for a fatty, probably due to the swordsmanship training he had been doing tirelessly these days, approached Emilia. Meeting her eyes, he asked in a slightly cold voice: ¡°Emilia¡­ right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Can you take full responsibility for what you just said?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°From what you just said, it sounds like you¡¯re iming that my maid lied.¡± ¡­What was this ominous atmosphere? For some reason, suddenly, the security office began to be enveloped in a somewhat disturbing atmosphere centered around Ethan. In that ambiguous situation, Ethan continued speaking, still staring straight into Emilia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lilith Rosewood is my exclusive maid. The exclusive maid of me, Ethan Richard ckwood, the heir to the ckwood ducal family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Also, she is the servant I trust the most. But now you¡¯re saying that you think my maid¡¯s im is a lie?¡± ¡°¡­Young Master?¡± ¡°Seeing how you can stand there so confidently after insulting my exclusive maid, I suppose you must be a noblewoman from somewhere?¡± ¡­No, why is he suddenly acting like this? It was a situation where everything would end smoothly if I just gave up the credit, but Ethan suddenly approached Emilia and started to make the atmosphere deadly. Emilia, who had been ring at me calmly until just now, was instantly cornered and unable to hide her bewilderment. ¡°¡­No, Young Master. What I meant was just¡­¡± ¡°Are you iming that you saw it with your own two eyes? That Sir cksong subjugated the Hooked Tusk, and the maid took the credit?¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t understand why you¡¯re making such a im. What you¡¯re doing now just seems like you¡¯re trying to intimidate my maid and take the credit for yourself just because you¡¯re a senior soldier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then conversely, it would also mean that I can fire you from the guards just because I¡¯m the heir to the ckwood family, without any problem.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ethan¡¯s sudden, deadly remark surprised not only Emilia but also me. ¡­Wasn¡¯t it too much to go that far just for making a bit of a mistake in speaking? Moreover, being a senior soldier wasn¡¯t just a low-ranking soldier but a fairly high rank among soldiers. If she was capable enough to be the adjutant of Sir cksong, a knight appointed by the ckwoods, her skills would definitely not becking. To threaten to fire someone in that position just because his maid was insulted a bit? ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t that too harsh?¡¯ A questionable thought momentarily crossed my mind, but upon reflection, it might not have been such an unusual situation. Rather, the fact that he was giving her a chance to make excuses like this instead of suddenly notifying her was an incredibly merciful actpared to the hated antagonist in the game. Ethan had recently received lessons on etiquette and had be unusually docile, but it was an undeniable fact that his fundamental nature was that of the hated antagonist of Luminor Academy. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for that side of the hated antagonist to pop out anytime, anywhere. ¡­And actually, just looking at his current appearance, it felt a bit ambiguous to call him a hated antagonist. At least the current Ethan¡¯s abuse of power had a justification¡­ ¡­unlike the version of him in the game, who troubled Lilith for no reason. ¡®Could it be that he¡¯s preparing in advance for when he takes power?¡¯ Not only in the ckwood territory but in any territory, it was unavoidable for noise to ur the moment the ruler changed. Especially in Ethan¡¯s case, it was an objective fact that anyone could see that hecked in many aspectspared to Harold. Even if this brat became a decent person by the time he inherited the ckwood territory, he would undoubtedly fall short of the status of the current Sword Master. If that part was considered, Ethan¡¯s current action wasn¡¯tpletely iprehensible. If he went around the infrastructures of the ckwood fiefdom one by one, creating a sense of intimidation like this, it could minimize the buzz that would be heard when Ethan inherited the territory in the future. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was an idea that coulde from the mind of a brat who had only received about a year of etiquette education. Well, the etiquette education of high-ranking nobles didn¡¯t just stop at how to be polite but also included advanced knowledge such as speaking and social skills, so considering that possibility, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. ¡­And to be honest, nothing else really came to mind besides that. No matter how I thought about it, it didn¡¯t make sense to threaten someone who had risen to the rank of Senior Soldier just because his maid was insulted. In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t like my rtionship with Ethan was deep enough for him to protect me, even at the risk of danger. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The security office was filled with tension. In the disturbing atmosphere where it was unknown when it would explode, Emilia, who had been watching Ethan¡¯s reaction, quietly bowed her head and answered. ¡°I apologize, Young Master Ethan. I was so blinded that I ended up insulting your exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one you should be apologizing to.¡± ¡°¡­I will also sincerely apologize to Ms. Lilith. My simple perspective ended up inflicting an indelible wound on Ms. Lilith.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ It was a situation that could be easily misunderstood¡­¡± Originally, I was going to just back down and end it smoothly, but receiving an apology from the other side instead made me feel dumbfounded. It was different from the direction I had thought¡­ but the testimony-rted matter seemed to have been resolved somehow. ¡°Emilia.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be a second chance, so don¡¯t ever repeat the same mistake in your words.¡± ¡°¡­I am deeply sorry.¡± Anyway, it was resolved well¡­ right? T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Holy ssibal. The character development!!! Also, I n to return to daily chapters soon, probably by next week. The other novel I¡¯m tranting isn¡¯t doing as well as I had hoped, so I¡¯ll prioritize this one. For those who are reading both, please don¡¯t worry. As I have announced, Chapters 6-15 for Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins will all be released at the same time, specifically on Thursday, May 23 at midnight (GMT +8). After c15 is released, the next chapters will only be unlocked on a ko-fi tip basis. I n to keep chapters for this novel free and don¡¯t n to mize it directly. Engaging with the novel in any way is already a big help, as this is my first time tranting. Thanks for reading, see you in the next one! Chapter 46 Emilia¡¯s actions in using me of grabbing the credit from Sir cksong were temporarily concluded with Ethan¡¯s intervention. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t have minded simply conceding the matter of the Hooked Tusk subjugation to Sir cksong and ending it there. Strictly speaking, it was a fact that the female soldier was in the wrong. If I had visited alone without Ethan, there would have been no reason for me to provoke a disturbance from my position, so it was highly likely that my achievements would have been transferred to Sir cksong. Of course, even if I imed to hand it over, I¡¯m not sure if Sir cksong would have readily epted it. Just looking at his attitude of bowing his head to amoner maid now. ¡°I apologize, Miss Lilith Rosewood. In fact, the reason I called for you was not to hand over the achievement of subjugating the Hooked Tusk but to ask you to attend as a witness to that achievement.¡± ¡°What? A witness?¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Emilia wouldn¡¯t budge despite my persuasion, so I asked to let her talk to the person directly involved. I thought she would be convinced if I brought you, the person involved, but¡­ I am again ashamed to have wronged you, Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°No, Sir cksong. As I said before, I thought Miss Emilia¡¯s suspicion was reasonable.¡± ¡° ¡­Of course, I think you should be a little more careful about jumping to conclusions and making hasty judgments based on that suspicion.¡± Emilia¡¯s shoulders flinched slightly in surprise at my words. That reaction seemed to indicate that she was aware that her recent actions were not prudent. Of course, I didn¡¯t say this to spite Emilia because I was offended by what she said. It was just that I was genuinely worried about this female soldier named Emilia. Somehow, seeing the behavior of the woman I just talked to, it seemed highly likely that she would stumble somewhere due to that personality. It would be too pitiful for someone who was recognized for her skills at a young age and rose to the rank of a senior soldier to lose her career in such an absurd way. Moreover, judging by that stubborn attitude¡­ She probably had many enemies within the guards as well. Of course, from my position, giving further advice would be overstepping my bounds, and in the first ce, I had no intention of getting involved any more than this. If I got involved with someone who had so many enemies, it would only tire me. ¡®The best way to live longer is to avoid getting involved as much as possible.¡¯ I must never forget. I am just amoner maid. A trivial existence whose life could be taken away by a single word from Ethan, Harold, or any noble or knight. ¡°¡­Then, is that all you called my maid for?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. Then let¡¯s head back now.¡± ¡°What?¡± I blurted out a stupid question at Ethan¡¯s calm remark about returning. Ethan, who immediately studied my expression, pondered for a moment and asked, looking at my face. ¡°What is it, Maid?¡± ¡°¡­You said you came out to patrol the territory, so I thought you would naturally look around other parts of the guards¡¯ quarters, not just the security office. I was just surprised when you suddenly said you were going back.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, right. That was the reason.¡± What is it with that expression as if he had forgotten? Don¡¯t tell me he really dragged his heavy body all the way here just because I said I had to meet Sir cksong. Anyway, Ethan, who remembered his original purpose thanks to my words, quietly nodded his head. Sir cksong also pointed to Emilia standing next to him as if it were a good opportunity. ¡°This is good timing. Miss Emilia is also in charge of administrative affairs for the territorial guards, so if you¡¯re going to inspect the guards, she will be the best guide.¡± ¡°¡­Captain?¡± ¡°Miss Emilia made a mistake towards you two earlier, so why don¡¯t you give her a chance to sincerely make up for it?¡± ¡­Wow. It¡¯s not for nothing that he rose to the position of Captain of the ckwood Estate Guards. Not only did he bow his head to amoner to apologize for the mistake made by his subordinate, but he also did not miss the opportunity to make up for it as soon as it arose. With skills and social intelligence like that, it¡¯s certainly enough for subordinates to trust and follow him. At least,pared to the type of captain who leads by authority and force alone, he was a much more trustworthy person. ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ Ethan immediately pondered with a subtle look upon hearing Sir cksong¡¯s suggestion. He must be contemting whether to ept Sir cksong¡¯s proposal and act as a merciful nobleman or refuse again to solidify his initial oppressive image. ¡­Or maybe he just doesn¡¯t like Emilia, but it¡¯s difficult to easily refuse Sir cksong¡¯s suggestion. After pondering for a few seconds without being able to make a decision, Ethan sought my advice in a quiet voice that only I could hear. ¡°What do you think, Maid?¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking me?¡± ¡°That woman as our guide. Do you think it¡¯s better to ept it?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that, Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­Just because you might feel ufortable with that woman.¡± Since when did he care so much about whether I feel ufortable or not? Well, I also got an unpleasant impression of Emilia from our first meeting, and to be honest, I¡¯d rather not get involved with her if possible. ¡­But it would be a bit too cruel to deprive her of the chance to apologize when she finally has one. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Miss Emilia is a senior soldier and is also in charge of administrative affairs for the guards, so as Sir cksong said, she must have a good understanding of the geography of the guards¡¯ quarters. I think it¡¯s a good opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, if you say so, Maid.¡± Ethan, who had whispered to me, shifted his gaze from me to Emilia again. He mentioned Sir cksong¡¯s proposal to entrust her with the guidance of the guards¡¯ quarters and said, ¡°If you truly regret what you did to my maid, I¡¯ll give you a chance to make up for it.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Guide me and my maid around inside the guards¡¯ quarters. Sincerely.¡± ¡°Thank you, Young Master Ethan!¡± Emilia, who got the opportunity to make up for her verbal mistake, deeply bowed and expressed her gratitude to Ethan. Behind her, Sir cksong also quietly whispered what seemed like advice to Emilia in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make any more verbal mistakes this time, Miss Emilia. If you upset Young Master Ethan again¡­ I don¡¯t think there will be a second chance.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I couldn¡¯t hear what the two of them were talking about well. The patrol of the ckwood territorial guards began with Emilia¡¯s guidance. To be honest, she was in a state that I couldn¡¯t say waspletelyfortable. Emilia had already made false usations and unreasonable demands towards me in the office, and Ethan had just used his authority to intimidate her into silence. Her heart was probably still ufortably filled with unresolved emotions. Of course, she must have felt the pressure of being fired from the guards by Ethan the moment she made another verbal mistake. The misunderstanding that I seduced Sir cksong and snatched away the achievement of subjugating the Hooked Tusk had not been cleared up either. Although Ethan suppressed Emilia¡¯s mouth with his authority, in her head, she was probably still suspicious of me. Of course, Emilia would have to take off her guards¡¯ uniform the moment she made one more wrong remark about it, so she would stay quiet. Fortunately, it seemed that Emilia had also gained some insight into hiding her emotions while working with the guards. As if she hadpletely forgotten what had happened in the security office earlier, she guided me and Ethan around the guards¡¯ quarters in a calm voice. ¡°This is the guards¡¯ dormitory. The right side of this forked corridor leads to the men¡¯s side, and the left side is for women. Most of them are probably out for training now, so the rooms are empty. If you want, we can open a suitable vacant room to check the living space.¡± ¡°Knowing they don¡¯t live in poor conditions is enough. ¡­And I don¡¯t want to pry into other people¡¯s privacy either.¡± ¡°This is the guards¡¯ dining hall. Meals for the ckwood Estate guards are provided three times a day through a bnced meal n. If you wish, Young Master, you can also check the kinds of meals the soldiers usually have.¡± ¡°Knowing it¡¯s a bnced meal n is enough. ¡­And I¡¯m also on a controlled diet, so I¡¯d like to avoid unnecessary additional meals if possible.¡± ¡°This is the solitary confinement cell created for disciplining soldiers. Vitions of regtionsmitted by soldiers within the guards are dealt with by confining them to this disciplinary solitary cell for a certain period. The most recent soldier who entered and left was¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s stop there for this area.¡± Following Emilia, who was properly guiding us around the inside of the territorial guards¡¯ quarters, Ethan and I continued our patrol. ¡­By the way, I had a feeling that whenever we walked around inside the guards¡¯ building, Ethan kept ncing at me as if checking my reaction. ¡­Or maybe he just can¡¯t break his habit and keeps stealing nces at Lilith¡¯s chest. I made such reasonable inferences after looking around roughly the entire interior of the building. This time, with Emilia¡¯s guidance, we began patrolling the outdoor facilities of the guards. As soon as we stepped outside the building, something like the shouts of soldiers could be heard from not too far away. ¡°Aaargh! Aaargh! Aaaaaah!¡± ¡°Hiyaaa! Uwaaaaah!¡± The screams of the soldiers sounded a bit awkward but definitely filled with vigor. Naturally, Ethan and I were also drawn to the source of that noisy atmosphere. Emilia also guided us to where our interests were piqued. ¡°This is the mock arena. It¡¯s a ce where newly recruited soldiers who haven¡¯t been in the guards for long train using practice armor and weapons as if they were in realbat.¡± ¡°Is there a specific reason why only new soldiers use the arena?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for safety. Soldiers who have reached a certain level can handle their power to the extent that they can cause serious injuries even with training weapons.¡± As I mentioned before, the swordsmanship in this world was something that could cut through hills and split the earth, truly no different from magic. I was convinced by Emilia¡¯s words that serious injuries could ur even with training weapons. Around the time, I was nodding in agreement¡­ ¡®¡­?¡¯ At some point, I started to feel a strange sensation of gazes converging on me. Soon, the sharp voices of a dozen adult men rang in my ears. ¡°Greetings, Squad Leader Emilia!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Greetings!!!¡±¡±¡± ¡­Phew, that startled me. Still, perhaps because they are the guards of a high-ranking noble family, the discipline seems to be tight even among the new soldiers. The gazes that I felt were converging on me must have actually been directed at Emilia, the squad leader of the guards. Immediately, the new soldiers who were practicing in the arena began to gather around Emilia. I¡¯ve been so used to feeling the gazes of men directed at me that I naturally mistook it. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­No, maybe it wasn¡¯t a mistake. Although they were clearly greeting Squad Leader Emilia with their words, their gazes were oddly directed toward my face and chest. After all, with this appearance and attire, I couldn¡¯t help but stand out wherever I went in the world. ¡°¡­These people are important guests. All of you, please retract your rude gazes as well.¡± ¡°¡±¡±We apologize!!!¡±¡±¡± But perhaps because of what had happened in the office earlier, this time, Emilia took the initiative to caution the soldiers who were directing their gazes at me. The new soldiers also hurriedly turned their heads and eyes forward with a disciplined apology instead of stealing nces. ¡°This person here is the only son of the ckwood family, Young Master Ethan Richard ckwood. The person next to him is the young master¡¯s exclusive maid, Miss Lilith Rosewood. They were observing the training of you new soldiers during their patrol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Young Master Ethan!¡± ¡°Thank you for visiting this ce!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Young Master!¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t mind us and carry on as you normally would.¡± ¡°¡±¡±Yes, understood!!!¡±¡±¡± After answering in unison as if they had rehearsed it, the soldiers resumed their training. While nkly watching the new soldiers¡¯ training¡­ ¡­Suddenly, a part of the Luminor Academy system that I had briefly forgotten began to surface in my mind. ¡®Wait a minute, if I do this right, maybe¡­¡¯ As soon as I remembered an element of the game I¡¯d forgotten, a way to utilize it also naturally bloomed in my mind. How about creating the right situation to level up here? It was the moment when such a mischievous idea naturally formed. T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Since I¡¯m on track to finish the remaining chapters for the other novel, I now have room tomit to daily chapters for this novel (excluding Sunday) starting next week. I¡¯ll also be adding my ko-fi page next week in case anyone wants bonus chapters for this novel, which will be published on Sundays. I¡¯ll also use this to inform everyone that new chapters are always released at around midnight (GMT+8). I might be a bitte by a few hours on some days, but I generally follow the time I mentioned. Thanks for reading, and see you on Friday for the next one! Chapter 47 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 47 [The Sword Carries the Will (6)] The typical grinding system in RPG games was the most basic way to y, gaining experience points and leveling up to be stronger. It¡¯s fair to say that this has been the most fundamental and traditional method of RPG games for nearly 30-40 years. However, in recent RPG games, the ways to gain experience points are not limited to just defeating monsters. There are cases where you can gain experience points as rewards forpleting quests, and you can also fill up experience points with growth leaps that can be obtained while exploring regions. In addition, ¡°typical¡± RPG games usually have various convenient methods to gain experience points in many other ways. This is because RPG games usually have differences in character growth bnce depending on the yer¡¯s ystyle. While there are people who need to wander around every single map and defeat all the monsters before moving on to the next map, there are also people who try to engage in the minimum amount ofbat possible and progress through the main storyline as much as they can. The most important thing for game bnce is to set an appropriate level of difficulty so that users of both ystyles do not get bored. The problem is that when two people with such extreme opposites y the same game, there is inevitably a structure where one person is bound to haveints at some point. Even if the developers think they have set the strength of the monsters to an appropriate level, it may feel too easy for some and too difficult for others, which is one of the chronic problems that RPG games cannot escape from. Therefore, gamepanies usually create items or facilities within the game that can supply experience points in addition to hunting monsters. Luminor Academy, the game that I enjoyed in my previous life, was, of course, no exception to this. One of the ways to gain experience points created in the game was the ¡°Training Facility¡± system. It was a system where if you left yourpanion characters, excluding the main character, at a training facility to be trained, you could gain experience points without having to hunt monsters together. Usually, these facilities had conditions that made it obvious that they were training facilities. Most ces that regrly epted a certain number of new trainees each period and trained them, such as ¡°Beginner Adventurer Training Center,¡± ¡°Apprentice Wizard Education Center,¡± and ¡°Lower-level Soldier Training Grounds,¡± also served as training facilities. ¡®I used them a lot when training characters that were burdens in the early game but useful in thete game.¡¯ It was a system that was very helpful for progressing through the story, as you could just throw them into a training facility, do some adventuring, and when you came to pick them up, they would have leveled up on their own. Of course, most of the time, those were facilities used to train male party members, since carelessly putting the heroine in a training facility and neglecting her would lower her affection. Anyway, the reason I mentioned training facilities now was not for any other reason. It¡¯s a ce where new soldier candidates are recruited at least once or twice a year, trained to be able to do the minimum, gauge each other¡¯s skills through sparring, and grow. This ce, the ¡°ckwood Estate Guards¡¯ Mock Training Grounds,¡± alsopletely met the criteria for a ¡°Training Facility¡± in my memory. In other words, it meant that I could sufficiently gather experience points just by training here without having to defeat monsters. ¡®I don¡¯t need a lot¡­ Just enough to raise one more level.¡¯ If I could just raise one more level and somehow learn Mana st, just that one skill¡­ I felt like it would be very reassuring for the future. It seemed too much of a waste to just let go of the opportunity to level up that hade so close. With the thought that I had nothing to lose, my mouth had already begun to make this suggestion to Emilia. ¡°If you¡¯ve finished looking around the mock training grounds, shall we go to the outdoor physical training grounds next¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Miss Emilia.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Is it possible to actually experience these mock training grounds?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± Emilia reflexively asked back at my sudden remark, and Ethan tilted his head at me half a beatter. Although I could feel simr emotions from both of their gazes, I couldn¡¯t give up this precious opportunity that hade. I added a little more to my expression and continued the suggestion I was trying to make. ¡°I mean the mock training grounds used by the new soldiers. I thought it might be helpful for the young master¡¯s patrol if we could experience it directly.¡± ¡°¡­The young master?¡± ¡°It would be dangerous if the young master were to directly cross swords with them, and it would also be difficult for them to have the right mindset to properly engage in a match if their opponent was Young Master Ethan, so that¡¯s obviously impossible.¡± ¡°¡­Maid, what are you trying to say¡­?¡± ¡°So, I will experience the ckwood Estate Guards¡¯ mock training grounds. It will be helpful for the young master¡¯s patrol to see how the mock training is conducted in the ckwood Estate and gauge the skill level of the new soldiers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Upon hearing my words, Emilia and Ethan froze with dumbfounded expressions, staring at me. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t expect these kinds of nces to be thrown at me. Needless to say, for Ethan, who was seeing his exclusive maid insisting on wielding a sword and fighting among men, it must have been absurd. ¡­And from Emilia¡¯s perspective, a crazy maid who suddenly wanted to swing swords with her unit¡¯s soldiers would also be dumbfounding. However, this was a rare opportunity to gain precious experience points that I might not get again if not now, so it was too regrettable to just leave like this. ¡°¡­Miss Lilith, I fully understand your desire to gauge the skills of the new soldiers in the mock training grounds, but I¡¯m concerned that you might get hurt because of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t been seriously injured before, and since I¡¯m voluntarily asking for this, I will endure any injuries myself.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s dangerous, maid. There¡¯s no need for you to go that far to check. If you really think it¡¯s necessary, I will¡­¡± ¡°As I said before, we won¡¯t be able to properly assess the true skills of the new soldiers if they are up against the young master. Above all, shouldn¡¯t you preserve your precious body, young master?¡± ¡°Maid, I said no.¡± ¡­As expected, their attitudes are firm. Well, from Ethan¡¯s perspective, there¡¯s no need for me to participate in this mock training, so he would want to stop me. If I were to participate in the training at this mock training grounds and lose, it would only increase the troublesome matters for Ethan. So far, based on my attitude alone, I was just a thoughtless maid who simply wanted to swing a sword at the mock training grounds. But now, I had a suitable excuse prepared to supplement the justification for this crazy behavior of mine. To Emilia and Ethan, who were trying to stop me, I also spat out the excuse I had prepared in advance and supplemented my argument. ¡°No. I will engage in the match, young master.¡± ¡°Maid¡­!¡± ¡°By engaging in the match and proving my skills, I canpletely deny the suspicions that Miss Emilia has about me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Emilia reacted with a slightly surprised expression to my words as I met her eyes. I could also see her eyes momentarily alternating between me and the mock training grounds, even if it was just for a brief moment. Yes, that¡¯s how it should be. I knew that deep down, that woman also wanted to be sure whether I truly had the skills to subjugate the Hooked Tusk or not and whether it was really true that her superior, Sir cksong, was charmed by me and conceded and recorded the feat. ¡­Or, by any chance, whether this maid was truly a skilled person beyond her expectations. Although she couldn¡¯t mention it herself due to Ethan¡¯s firm attitude, there would still be doubts about me left in her heart. Seeing such a suggestioning out of my mouth first, Emilia would also want to be sure about that part. As I read the slight hint of emotion flowing from her eyes, Ethan stepped in front of me and started approaching Emilia. ¡°¡­So, it¡¯s because of that woman who still doubts you that the maid is going to swing a sword among those men¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, no. I don¡¯t doubt her, young master. Absolutely not!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you blurted out unnecessary things that the maid¡­!¡± Of course, to allow this situation, it wasn¡¯t Emilia¡¯s opinion that mattered, but I needed permission from Ethan, the highest-ranking person among us. I called out to him, who was approaching Emilia with a sharp reaction, and continued my persuasion. I didn¡¯t forget to add words that even Ethan couldn¡¯t easily dismiss. ¡°Is the young master worried that I will get hurt in a mock match against a new soldier?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s obvious. No matter how new the soldier is, the opponent is an adult male. If a maid faces them, of course, you¡¯ll get hurt.¡± ¡°Does that mean I can take it as the young master thinking I¡¯m weaker than the new soldiers?¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± ¡°As I thought, even you didn¡¯t believe it, young master. You still don¡¯t believe the record of me subjugating the Hooked Tusk.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± This time, Ethan showed a surprised expression, just like Emilia did a little while ago, at my words. The flustered look on Ethan¡¯s face as he was countered by his own words was quite a sight to see. If Ethan, who had already referred to me as his ¡°most trusted servant¡± in the office, were to worry about me here, it would naturally lead to the conclusion that he didn¡¯t believe in my record of subjugating the Hooked Tusk either. In other words, the moment it was revealed that his act of covering for me in the Security Department office earlier was not because he truly trusted me but merely a quibble made to exploit me politically, it would be exposed for all to see. If that happened, he would not be able to achieve his original goal of ¡°creating a sense of intimidation in preparation for seizing power.¡± Here, the only solution that Ethan could respond with was to nod his head and show that he believed in me. ¡®You started it first, Ethan.¡¯ Just as Ethan used me to create a sense of intimidation in the estate¡¯s guards, it was my turn to use Ethan to earn experience points. If he were to stop the training here out of concern that I might get hurt, that act itself would be hypocritical and contradictory. In the end, in order not to have the image of a ruler who ¡°talks on both sides of one¡¯s mouth,¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t interfere with my participation in the training here. At least, not for a superficial reason, like worrying about me getting hurt. To be honest, letting me participate in the training was a no-lose situation for Ethan, regardless of the oue. If I showed a good performance in the match, he could demonstrate the virtue of a good lord who trusts his subordinates. On the other hand, if I got beaten up miserably, he could just say, ¡°You betrayed my trust.¡± and cut ties with me. Of course, in the case of thetter, there would be some damage to me as well, so I intended to win as much as possible. ¡­And so, I was waiting for Ethan¡¯s decision, who was essentially left with only one choice. For some reason, permission for me to participate in the training was not readily given from Ethan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®Why is he like that?¡¯ Logically thinking, just letting me participate would be the easiest solution. If he stopped my participation in the training here, it wouldn¡¯t be good either for me or him, right? ¡­There¡¯s no way that fatty is really stopping me from participating in the training because he¡¯s worried about me, right? No matter how I thought about it, it was a sight of Ethan agonizing over something that he had no reason to agonize over, so I quietly approached him and stimted him one more time to make a decision. I then spoke in a quiet voice, almost whispering, so that Emilia wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s what you think, young master, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Maid?¡± ¡°Just a moment ago, I thought you said I was your most trusted servant, but I guess I misunderstood.¡± ¡°Ah, no! You really are the person I trust the most, maid!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you do. Until just now, you didn¡¯t doubt that I had subjugated the Hooked Tusk on my own, but now you¡¯re worried that I will definitely get injured in a match against a new soldier. I really find your words believable.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± With this, even Ethan should know for sure that letting mepete, whether I win or lose, is the least dishonorable method for now. Eventually, after much deliberation, Ethan¡¯s footsteps fell one step forward. He quietly met Emilia¡¯s eyes there and calmly dered. ¡°¡­Emilia.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Provide proper equipment and protective gear so that my maid can participate in the mock training with the new soldiers.¡± Chapter 48 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 48 [The Sword Carries the Will (7)] ¡®Alright!¡¯ Lilith Rosewood was quietly cheering in her mind after getting Ethan¡¯s permission to participate in the mock training. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Just as there is darkness where there is light, there were two people who were not pleased with this situation. Ethan Richard ckwood and Emilia Reinhardt. Among the three men and women, excluding Lilith, the two were unhappy with the current situation. Especially Ethan, Lilith¡¯s master, whose heart was burning ck with worry that she might get hurt. No matter how he thought about it, he was not at all pleased with the fact that her participation in this training was established. ¡®Mock battles with soldiers¡­ No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s dangerous¡­.¡¯ Even when he heard the story of her subjugating the Hooked Tusk in the carriage today, he thought his heart would sink. He never expected her to recklessly volunteer to have mock battles with soldiers. Of course, if he only cared about risk, the incident a year ago when she faced the Hooked Tusk one-on-one was definitely more dangerous and reckless. ¡­But just because she had that experience didn¡¯t mean Ethan couldpletely put aside his concerns about Lilith. The battle she fought a year ago was, after all, just an ¡®experience¡¯ of subjugating the Hooked Tusk, not necessarily proof of her ¡®skills¡¯ to overwhelm new recruits. ¡®The maid doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would lie, and the story of her subjugating the Hooked Tusk is probably true, but¡­.¡¯ Even if she didn¡¯t lose in the match, there was always a possibility of her getting injured. To begin with, dealing with people and monsters are twopletely different things, so there were several variables at y. In other words, just by letting her participate in this mock battle, there was a high chance she¡¯d return with a scratch somewhere on her body. That is why Ethan, who was genuinely worried about Lilith, tried to somehow stop her from participating in the mock battle, but¡­ Seeing Lilith say that to him with cold eyes, Ethan had no choice but to allow her request for a match. He didn¡¯t want to see Lilith get hurt, but he hated being disliked by Lilith even more. Ethan clearly understood that his past immature actions had left indelible wounds on her heart. That¡¯s why he was grateful to Lilith for awakening his immature self, and at the same time, he made up his mind not to hurt her in the future. ¡­But he couldn¡¯t understand why she voluntarily jumped into a dangerous situation like this. Of course, as she said, finding out how the mock training works and gauging the skills of new recruits would help with his patrol of the territory. Just doing that much would ensure that there would be no rumorster saying he only pretended to patrol the territory. However, from the moment he brought Lilith here, Ethan¡¯s purpose foring wasn¡¯t actually to patrol the territory. He just brought Lilith out of the mansion in the easiest and most convenient way he could think of because she expressed a desire to visit the estate guards. Plus, he wanted to meet Sir cksong, whom Lilith said she wanted to meet, because he was curious about what kind of man he was. So naturally, for Ethan, it was more important for Lilith not to get hurt than sessfullypleting the territorial patrol. But her attitude remained firm until the end, and Ethan had no choice but to ept Lilith¡¯s proposal under pressure. ¡°¡­Make sure to provide proper equipment and protective gear so the maid can participate in mock battles with new recruits.¡± He had already done plenty to make Lilith dislike him, and he had even been rated by her as<[t]he worst of all men in the world.> So, he wanted to avoid anything that could make Lilith dislike him even a little bit. On the other hand¡­ Emilia Reinhart, the mastermind behind this situation, was also burning up inside, but in a different sense than Ethan. ¡®I should have followed Sir cksong¡¯s words, after all, making such a mistake¡­¡¯ Emilia was agonizing over the situation she had created, her insides burning up.@@novelbin@@ At first, she thought that the always soft-hearted captain had given his own aplishments again, so she started this, but¡­ As she opened the lid, even she didn¡¯t expect the political movements that she hadn¡¯t anticipated. ¡®I never thought the maid who I wanted to yield the merit to the captain was Young Master ckwood¡¯s concubine¡­¡¯ It was just a simple suspicion that a pretty-faced, big-breasted maid seduced the captain and stole the credit. She never imagined that the maid was Young Master ckwood¡¯s concubine and that Captain cksong yielded the credit with political intentions. Of course, Lilith was neither Ethan¡¯s concubine nor had she ever seduced Sir cksong to steal credit, but no matter how you looked at it, that¡¯s how it appeared in Emilia¡¯s eyes. There¡¯s the young master who red at her with murderous intent the moment she spoke insulting words about the maid named Lilith¡­ ¡­and that maid who nonchntly asked to participate in the mock battle with an ignorant expression. Seeing all those circumstances, the suspicion in Emilia¡¯s mind was already enough to turn into conviction. She concluded that currently, the only person who could handle the Young Master of the ckwoods was his concubine, Lilith. ¡®I heard rumors that Young Master Ethan had changed these days; I guess he just changed because he wanted to look good for his concubine¡­¡¯ After directly confirming the reality of the rumor with her own eyes, she felt somewhat empty. The problem was that her situation was getting worse to the point where she couldn¡¯t even properly feel that emptiness. First of all, the moment the mock battle started, the defeat of that maid named Lilith was as good as confirmed. No matter how new the soldiers were, they were adult males who had passed basic strength and stamina tests and were selected because of them. Moreover, they were soldiers who had already been with the guards for half a year, so they had also received basic training from the guards. Does it even make sense for that big-breasted, dull-looking maid to fight against such soldiers? Looking at her breasts, which seemed to make it difficult to even properly swing a sword, Emilia cursed her in every possible way in her mind. Surely, those breasts yed a major role when she seduced Young Master Ethan. She must have also seduced the captain with those obscene lumps of fat when she stole the credit. She has breasts that seem to only interfere with swinging a sword, yet she wants to participate in a mock battle. Thinking that those parts would be much more useful for handling men¡¯s ¡°swords¡± rather than wooden swords, Emilia inwardly spat out all kinds of criticism about what she ¡°could not have.¡± Of course, even if she criticized Lilith¡¯s breasts now, it wouldn¡¯t really improve her situation. The moment Lilith said she would participate in the training with Young Master Ethan¡¯s permission, only a terrible future likely awaited Emilia. There was no way that the maid could win against new recruits, and since they were new, it would be impossible to control their strength while going easy. In the end, it was already a confirmed fact that Lilith would get injured during the match. The problem was that the moment that maid¡¯s body got hurt, it seemed Young Master Ethan would not leave her alone. It didn¡¯t take long for that uneasy premonition of hers to be reality. ¡°Emilia.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Because of the nonsense that flew out of your mouth, you put my maid in danger, so be prepared to take responsibility if something goes wrong.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°If the maid gets even a tiny scratch anywhere, I¡¯ll make sure to carve an unhealing scar in the same ce on your body.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ethan quietly conveyed the irresistible threat to her from a short distance away from Lilith in a voice only she could hear. Hearing his threat that she could not resist, Emilia quietly prayed in her heart. She made a presumptuous wish that even if Lilith lost, she hoped Lilith would lose without getting hurt. Right after Ethan granted his permission and the match with the new recruits was established¡­ Thanks to Ethan¡¯s order to provide proper equipment and protective gear, I first moved to the Battle Preparation Room next to the Mock Battle Arena with Emilia. It was a small warehouse-like ce where armor and protective gear with traces of age, as well as weapons like swords and spears, were gathered. The armor was clearly divided into male and female forms, and the weapons were all made with blunt ends to prevent casualties. A blunt part touching the body would probably determine the winner of the match. If they actually cut, it would clearly lead to an ident, so even if hit, the des were made dull to only cause pain and nothing more. ¡°The mock battle experience will be conducted withplete upper and lower body armor, a helmet, gloves, and shoes. This is to prevent injury to Miss Lilith, so please understand this measure.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Emilia bowed her head with a somewhat tired expression, perhaps because of my unreasonable request. I wanted to tell her to just reduce any unnecessary equipment, but I felt like the conversation would inevitably get longer if I said that. So, I had no choice but to nod and ept Emilia¡¯s suggestion. ¡®¡­Well, even if I lose the match, I¡¯ll still get experience points anyway.¡¯ Of course, I strongly wanted to win if possible since I would get more experience points, but the fact that I could gain XP even if I lost wasn¡¯t bad for me. Rather, if the armor was sturdy, I could continue the match until the end, even if I identally took one or two hits. ¡­Or, even if I lost, I could end up with a minor injury and get back up, which could be used as a justification to request the next match. ¡®I need to reach level 6. Nothing more, just gotta reach level 6¡­¡¯ I don¡¯t know how many low-level soldiers I¡¯ll have to face to reach level 6 since their levels aren¡¯t fixed. ¡­But if I put my mind to it, I could probably level up by one level within three or four mock battles this time. With that thought, I changed into the armor and equipment Emilia handed to me one by one to prepare for the training. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The moment I tried to put on the upper body armor, I felt arge lump of fat getting stuck around my chest area. ¡°Um, Miss Emilia?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This chestte¡­is a bit small, so could you change it for me?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m sure I gave you the size that fits your height, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°The height is fine, but¡­ It¡¯s getting stuck on my chest¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Emilia alternately looked at my chest and upper body armor with a cold gaze at my answer. Then, without a word, she took out another chestte and held it out to me. ¡°¡­This is one size bigger, so you can wear this.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°¡­..?¡± ¡­For some reason, I felt emotions like jealousy or hatred in herst gaze looking at me. Well, it¡¯s probably just my imagination. T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Looks like someone¡¯s jealous of Lilith¡¯s*ahem*¡°assets¡±*ahem*. Anyway, I¡¯d like to announce that this novel is getting14 bonus chapters, including this one, as sponsored byKaden K.on my Ko-fi! I¡¯ve already thanked him there, but thank you again, Kaden, for your generous$40 donation. I¡¯ll continue to trante this series with the same quality I¡¯ve had since the beginning, and I thank you for your continued support bymenting on several chapters. For a preview of when the next few chapters will be released, I¡¯vepiled them in the table below. Since I have announced that daily chapters (except Sunday) will start on May 27, Monday, another bonus chapter will be released tomorrow. If you enjoy my work and are willing to sponsor more bonus chapters, you can donate to myKo-fi page; the link is located at the announcement at the start of every chapter. That¡¯s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow for Bonus Chapter 2! Chapter 49 After changing into the new chestte that Emilia had just handed me, I moved in front of the full-length mirror to check my current appearance. In the mirror stood a woman who looked like nothing other than a knight to anyone who saw her. In particr, by covering my unnecessarilyrge and heavy breasts with armor, my dull impression was considerably reduced. Although it was still awkward to have my whole body covered in full armor, moving around in it was tolerable. Perhaps it was because my strength had also been somewhat supported by the increase in Attack and Defense as I grew to level 5. Originally, in the game, this kind of full-ted armor was equipment that Lilith couldn¡¯t even wear, so I was a little worried. At least it didn¡¯t seem like I would have trouble moving properly despite them being heavy. At first, I had imagined just changing into a maid¡¯s uniform as training clothes, not this full set of armor. However, the situation had changed for me to wear this outfit due to Emilia, who gave off an aura that made it impossible not to wear the full set. Still, the advantage was that my breasts were tightly fixed and didn¡¯t shake. ¡­Although I would have to struggle just as much to take it off as I did to put it on. At times like this, I get really envious of Emilia¡¯s physique next to me. She has small breasts and a healthy, well-bnced body without any excess fat. Since my type in my previous life was a healthy and fit woman, her body was truly enviable. On the other hand, Lilith¡¯s appearance was one with only unnecessarilyrge breasts, making her look dull, the very epitome of a one-trick pony in terms of charm. ¡­Of course, it¡¯s not my ce to say anything, considering I¡¯ve benefitted from that charm in various ways. After somehow fitting into a slightlyrger size of armor with Emilia¡¯s guidance, I had to spend a considerable amount of time choosing the weapon I¡¯d use in the duel. ¡°¡­Have you still not decided?¡± ¡°Hold on a moment. Let me swing a few more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Emilia gave me a strange look from the side, giving off the feeling that she wanted me to decide quickly, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Since I was going to duel, I needed to maximize my chances of winning as much as possible. Honestly, I don¡¯t know exactly how the experience points gained in the training facility are calcted. In the first ce, there¡¯s no way I could know that properly, right? It was a facility I used to leave unnecessary characters and collect them when moving between regions. Still, I did have some idea of how to gain a lot or a little experience. The period, level, andpletion rate the character secured during training are all involved. The period obviously refers to the time the character is left in the training facility. The longer they are left, the more experience they gain, a principle that is naturally easy to understand. The level refers to the character¡¯s level when they were left in the training facility, and naturally, the higher the character¡¯s level, the slower their growth will be. How can a strong character who has learned as much as they can gain experience in a training facility? Lastly, thepletion rate refers to the amount learned by the character left in the training facility, but honestly, this part was an area where yer intervention waspletely impossible. In Luminor Academy, the training facility was just a ce where you could leave characters and retrieve them, not a minigame where you could directly control the character you¡¯d left to gain XP. Once you threw them in, you could only pray that the character would do well on their own and have a highpletion rate. ¡­But for me, who had be that character now, the situation waspletely reversed. The opportunity to duel was at most three times, and it might end with just one chance, a fleeting moment that could hardly be called a period. The level wasn¡¯t even something that I could control in the first ce. So, the part corresponding to the pletion rate,¡¯ the stats in the duel, was the only element I could control. In order to gain as much experience as possible in a short time, I needed to maximize this pletion rate.¡¯ Unconditional victory. Even if defeated, struggling with the body until thest moment. At least until I could reach level 6, I had to put my heart and soul into the duel. So, I couldn¡¯t help but spend a considerable amount of time choosing a good weapon, one of the conditions for victory. Picking up and putting down swords that looked simr on the outside, I also had simr impressions in my mind. ¡®This one is also a bit¡­ too heavy.¡¯ Of course, even if I was level 5, it was still burdensome to wield an iron greatsword in a situation where I was already wearing a full set of iron armor. The moment I enter the duel with a weapon that doesn¡¯t suit this body, I will be defeated without being able to make a proper attack. If I could only use magic, I could easily win the duel no matter how much of a ¡°new soldier¡± I was, but if it was discovered that I could use magic now, the matter wouldn¡¯t just be resolved with a simple motion.¡± In the end, the moment I thought about giving up and entering the duel with the lightest weapon I could find¡­ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Suddenly, a certain sword in the corner of the room caught my eye. ¡°I¡¯ll go with this one.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I think this one will do.¡± ¡°No, Lilith. Please don¡¯t joke around and pick up a proper weapon. Your opponent will be using a greatsword in the duel, so how do you n to face them with such a weapon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to use a weapon that suits my body rather than a greatsword that I¡¯m not familiar with.¡± ¡°No, Lilith¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ From behind me, Emilia tried several times to change the weapon in my hand to something else, but my mind was alreadypletely set on this one. With this weapon alone, I could demonstrate sufficient skill to face a new soldier, even with Lilith¡¯s body¡­ ¡­Just by using this dagger in my right hand. Emilia hoped that this situation was all just a bad dream. She was already in a desperate situation, just praying that this foolish maid, who had boldly requested to participate in training against a new soldier, wouldn¡¯t get hurt. As she watched Lilith pick up and put down various types of swords as if ying around, her stress gradually built up. The moment she saw Lilith put down all the proper weapons at thest moment and enter the duel with only a single dagger, Emilia felt dizzy. ¡®She¡¯s definitely going to get hurt¡­. Maybe even seriously injured¡­.¡¯ Of course, since they were using swords that had been dulled to fit the purpose of the mock duel, serious injury in itself was rare. ¡­But that only applied when people of simr levels fought with simr weapons. An adult man and an adult woman. A new soldier and a maid. A greatsword and a dagger. No matter how you looked at it, there was bound to be an overwhelming difference in power, and Emilia¡¯s mind went nk. The threat that Young Master Ethan had whispered in her ear a little while ago shed through her mind again. Gulp. ¡­What if the injury that the youngdy suffers in the duel isn¡¯t just a ¡®small wound¡¯? What if she tries to block a flying sword with her arm and fractures her bone? Or if she clumsily waves her hand and identally gets a finger cut off? What if she gets hit in the helmet by mistake, shows symptoms of a concussion, and copses on the spot? All sorts of ominous imaginations swirled in Emilia¡¯s mind, making her feel uneasy. If Lilith, Young Master Ethan¡¯s concubine, were to suffer an injury more serious than a minor wound, it seemed like there would be no way for Emilia to save her life. Emilia deeply regretted her actions a week ago when she protested the official record to the captain, to the point of wanting to beat herself up. To somehow survive this situation, she had to make a decision. ¡®No, I can¡¯t let this happen. I have to stop it no matter what.¡¯ Even if Ethan reprimands herter for ¡®disobeying my orders on your own,¡¯ allowing this duel to happen was an even more absurd act. To increase her own chances of survival even a little, this duel must never take ce. In the first ce, Young Master Ethan didn¡¯t seem to be very pleased with this training either, so if she could just prevent this training participation, there was a high possibility that punishment wouldn¡¯t be imposed. With her mind fully made up, Emilia¡¯s mouth was already moving to dissuade Lilith from participating in the training ahead of her. However, her words were naturally cut off by the maid before long. ¡°Lilith, it would be better for you to give up after all. There¡¯s no need for you to gauge the skills of the new soldiers with your own body¡­¡± p! ¡°¡­?!¡± Lilith suddenly pped her hands once before moving from the Battle Preparation Room to the Mock Battle Arena. Surprised by Lilith¡¯s action of looking into the air with her hands sped together, Emilia¡¯s words were lost for a moment and cut off. ¡®Is she suddenly praying or something¡­?¡¯ To anyone who saw her, Lilith, who quietly stood with her hands sped before the duel, looked like nothing other than a girl praying. Emilia stared nkly at Lilith, who was looking into the air with a serious expression. After a short prayer of about ten seconds, Lilith lowered her hands and immediately turned to Emilia, opening her mouth with a faint smile. ¡°Sorry for cutting you off; I had something to prepare for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, no, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°As for the answer to what you just said, I have no intention of backing down. So, no matter how much you try to persuade me, I¡¯m going to enter the duel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m going to win anyway.¡± Lilith walked towards the arena with a confident tone and expression, and Emilia followed her as if bewitched. There was only one thing she could do in this situation. ¡®Now that it¡¯se to this, I hope she wins¡­¡¯ The fact that this maid named Lilith was truly skilled enough to hunt down the Hooked Tusk on her own¡­ ¡­And that she also possessed the ability to skillfully win a duel against a new soldier with just a dagger, without a single scratch. Betting her fate on that slim possibility was the only way for Emilia to survive. It was a moment when she desperately hoped, more than anyone else, that her previous statement, that there was no way that woman could have defeated the Hooked Tusk, was just ignorant nonsense. Chapter 50 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 50 [The Sword Carries the Will (9)] At the mock arena, the new soldier and I stood facing each other. We quietly bowed our heads and exchanged greetings. ¡°I look forward to a good match!¡± ¡°¡­I look forward to a good match as well.¡± I didn¡¯t feel any particr aura from my opponent. Just the feeling of a regr new soldier. On the other hand, the soldier probably didn¡¯t get any special impression from me either. In the first ce, how nervous would they be facing a mere maid? That was the part I had to aim for in the first duel. Since this moment was the easiest opportunity to win when the opponent was being careless towards me, I had to secure an overwhelming victory as much as possible. That way, I could gain more experience points from the training facility. ¡­And if I needed more XP, it would also be appropriate to use it as an excuse to continue to the next duel. I¡¯d say something like wanting to have another duel with a different opponent because this one didn¡¯t take the duel seriously. ¡ºXP to Next Level: 83¡» Lilith just needed 83 XP remaining to level up. Based on what I knew about the monsters, defeating a level 6 monster would roughly give 80 XP while defeating a level 7 monster would give around 120. Even if they were a new soldier, if they were good enough to join the ckwood Estate Guards, they must have at least the minimum level of skill. So, it was best to assume that the opponent had at least reached level 6-7. If I was lucky, I might be able to finish it in one go. Then, I could end this training as quickly as possible. If I didn¡¯t get as much experience as I expected¡­ I¡¯ll think about that when the timees. ¡°¡­Both sides, get ready!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Following the call of Emilia, who took on the role of temporary referee with a deadly expression, we took our stances. ¡°Begin!¡± With her signal, I immediately leaned my body forward with my dagger in hand. The weapon I wielded was a single dagger. I couldn¡¯t use magic that would stand out too much in this situation. Still, the situation wasn¡¯tpletely hopeless. Since I found this dagger in the preparation room, my chances of victory had increased considerably. In Luminor Academy, Lilith¡¯s mostmon growth path was to focus on support magic and buff the entire team. However, that didn¡¯t mean she had so little flexibility that she had to be used solely as a support magic character.@@novelbin@@ Naturally, Lilith¡¯s skill tree was not limited to just the two options of ¡®attack magic¡¯ and ¡®support magic.¡¯ There was also a skill tree that could be used for closebat. That skill tree contained upgrades for one of the three main weapons that Lilith could equip. Naturally, there was a skill tree corresponding to the dagger among them. I needed 5 skill points to learn Mana st. I currently have 4. If I leveled up once, I could gain 3 skill points, so even after acquiring Mana st, I would have 2 points left over. In other words, it meant that there was no problem with using 2 points now to acquire a skill that was essential for leveling up. Realizing this, I immediately put a point into a lower-level upgrade for using the ¡®dagger¡¯ just before entering the mock arena. ¡ºWhen equipped with a dagger, Attack +15¡» A lower-level skill that increased the value higher than Lilith¡¯s current base Attack at level 5. It was an early-game specialty that allowed even Lilith to one-shot small-fry monsters. Of course, it was a trash skill that only looked decent in the early game, but in thete game, Lilith would need to be equipped with weapons other than a dagger, and regardless, an additional 15 Attack would be insignificant. But for me now, this early-game limited specialty was desperately needed. Base Attack: 12. Plus, the Attack increased by the specialty, +15. In other words, my current Attack with a dagger equipped and the lower-level skill specialty secured was 27. To put it simply, the Attack of a level 10 Hooked Tusk was around 30. In other words, rtive to my Attack stat, I was also approaching level 10. The Attack stat in Luminor Academy literally referred to ¡®all abilities that help in attacking.¡¯ This boost, therefore, epassed all stats, including health, strength, and agility. ng! ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± The soldier, who shed swords with me once in the air, took a step back with a slightly flustered expression. He showed a surprised look at the kind of strength that wasing from this small and slender maid¡¯s body. I don¡¯t know if that soldier inwardly thought of just knocking my sword away and ending the duel or if he was going to try shing swords once to see if he should take the match seriously or not. ¡­But approaching the duel with such a careless attitude became his mistake. Bam! ¡°¡­Urgh?!¡± The new soldier fell backwards from my body m that was thrust in immediately after deflecting his sword. It was a strike delivered from an inconspicuous spot while using Shockwave, so there was no way he could maintain his bnce properly. The moment I pressed one knee on the chest of the soldier who had fallen backward and brought the dagger in my right hand right in front of his neck, the soldier, who was suddenly cornered, dropped his sword and quickly dered his surrender. ¡°¡­I-I surrender!¡± Along with the defeated soldier¡¯s deration beneath me, there were murmurs from the other new soldiers around us. Of course, they weren¡¯t blind either, so they must have fully grasped that the soldier had gone a bit easy in the match. However, deflecting an ordinary soldier¡¯s greatsword once with a dagger and knocking down an adult male with the body was clearly not in the realm of an ordinary maid. It wasn¡¯t a situation where I could afford to becent just because I won a duel against a new soldier. Immediately after the duel ended, I quietly sped my hands and gave a word of appreciation to the opposing soldier as I got up. ¡°¡­Thank you for the match.¡± ¡°Th-thank you for the match¡­¡± Of course, it only looked like I was giving a word of appreciation on the outside, but in reality, the main purpose was to open Lilith¡¯s Information window and check the remaining XP I needed. Let¡¯s see, now the remaining experience until the next level up is¡­ ¡ºXP to Next Level: 43¡» ¡­I¡¯m pretty sure thest time I checked, the remaining experience was 83. Of course, expecting it to fill up to 120 was too much to ask for, but even considering that, only 40 was gained. It seemed that since it was a mock duel in a training facility and not realbat against monsters, the experience gained was also rtively adjusted. There was only one reaction I had to show immediately after confirming this. ¡°Good work, maid. Now, that¡¯s enough¡­¡± ¡°Is there anyone who will engage in the duel more seriously?!¡± ¡°M-Maid?!¡± ¡°Is this the state of the soldiers who will lead the ckwood Estate Guards in the future?! Will no one engage in a serious duel with me?!¡± Through that somewhat forced provocation, I forcibly continued two more duels. Only then was I able to escape level 5 after so long. ¡ºLilith has reached level 6!¡» ¡ºLilith can now use Mana st!¡» On the dirt road created near the ckwood Estate Guard Station for carriages¡­ The carriage carrying Young Master Ethan and Head Butler Dittmeyer quietly ran along that dirt road, heading towards the ckwood Mansion. Lilith, Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, had fallen asleep leaning against the carriage wall, likely due to fatigue. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Until just before boarding the carriage, Lilith had been attending to Ethan without any signs of fatigue, but she, too had been enduring while suppressing her tiredness. The drowsiness that came over her as soon as she boarded the ckwood¡¯s high-ss carriage that rode smoothly was not something she could resist. Ethan only smiled quietly at the sight of his exclusive maid, who had fallen asleep less than 5 minutes after leaving the estate. ¡°¡­It seems Miss Lilith is fatigued.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s awkward for you to wake her up, Young Master, I will do so.¡± ¡°No, leave her be. She must be especially tired today.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± It was disrespectful for an exclusive maid to fall asleep in front of the noble she was supposed to attend to, but Ethan had no intention of reprimanding Lilith for that. The butler Dittmeyer, who quickly grasped his feelings, also followed his decision without any particr interference. ¡°What happened inside the ckwood Territory Guards?¡± ¡°¡­A lot of things did happen.¡± She had a confrontation with the female soldier who told Lilith to yield her achievement. She¡¯d been persuaded not to do it several times when she suddenly said she would participate in the mock duel. In the end, she proved her skills in the mock duel and finally received a sincere apology again from the female soldier named Emilia. Having gone through so many things, it was understandable that fatigue had umted over time. ¡®¡­Perhaps, the maid has much stronger pride than I thought.¡¯ So much so to the point of proving her skills in a mock duel because she was doubted by a female soldier that she had hunted the Hooked Tusk. He had always had the impression that she was a spirited woman, but today was the first time he learned that she had such strong pride. Moreover, her swordsmanship skills, which he directly witnessed with his own eyes today, were also at a level where she would not lose to anyone. The first opponent may have been defeated by a fluke due to carelessness, but the results of the following two duels were not a coincidence. His exclusive maid, Lilith, demonstrated skills that allowed her to still achieve victory in the two consecutive duels. Although it was a precarious level until the final blow, her strength could not be denied. Especially considering that she faced greatswords several times the length of her de with just a single dagger, the actual difference in skill was much more in her favor. ¡­Although, there was a feeling of some kind of explosions on impact as if mana burst out every time the swords shed in the air. ¡®¡­It must be my imagination.¡¯ The idea that Lilith used magic to gain an advantage in a swordsmanship duel was absurd. Magic was something that only nobles could use, almost like a blessing from the gods. In the first ce, whether she could use magic or not was not a major point at this stage. After seeing the abilities and will that Lilith demonstrated before his eyes today, Ethan envisioned a certain future for her. ¡®When I enter the academy in 2 years, it would be best to bring the maid along as well.¡¯ ¡­And to allow her to enter not as his exclusive maid but as a regr student of the academy. It would be too much of a waste to limit her talent to just being a maid of the ckwood family. Giving her an opportunity to learn was the consideration he could show her. ¡­Of course, it also included Ethan¡¯s own desire not to be separated from her even after entering the academy. ¡®Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to speak to Father to increase her training. If we don¡¯t start preparing for her to enter the academy from now¡­¡¯ Unlike Lilith, who only thought of getting away from Ethan, his mind was steadily preparing ns for Lilith¡¯s future. The fact that she would be aware of that was still a story of the distant future. Chapter 51 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 51 [A Man is What a Woman Makes Him (1)] T/N: This bonus chapter is sponsored by Kaden K. (3/14) See my Ko-fi if you want more bonus chapters. A few days after causing a smallmotion at the ckwood Estate Guards¡­ Fortunately, the story of me having a mock duel with three new soldiers at the territory guards did not spread inside the mansion. In the first ce, there were only four people in the current mansion who had the possibility of knowing about that incident: the head butler, Ethan, Harold, and myself. In other words, if just these four people didn¡¯t go around talking about it, there was no chance of the rumor spreading. Dittmeyer was originally a tight-lipped fellow, so he wasn¡¯t a concern. Harold and Ethan would have no reason to go around chattering about the mess their servant made outside the mansion. In other words, as long as I kept quiet, I could somehow prevent what happened that day from spreading inside the mansion. ¡®There¡¯s no reason for me to go around bbering about it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m an attention seeker.¡¯ There was no point in attracting unnecessary attention from others, as it would only lead to bothersome situations, so it was absurd for me to go around talking about it. The guards also wouldn¡¯t spread it outside, as it would be bad if word went around that three new soldiers were defeated by a mere maid. In other words, it meant that I had seeded in leveling up from level 5 to level 6 without any risk. Thanks to that, these days, I feel refreshed and ecstatic at the same time. At longst, I could finally use Mana st. Of course, being able to use it and being allowed to use it werepletely different, so it would still remain a secret skill hidden in my heart. That alone was enough. Just having a backup in case of an emergency was enough to make me feel reassured. It was like bing an office worker who still goes to work even after winning the lottery. In that sense, after being able to use Mana st, the world felt joyful and new every day. Back when I couldn¡¯t use Mana st, I felt like I was desperately clinging to a fleeting life that could end at any moment. But after being able to use Mana st, I no longer feared my future. Who am I? A Mana st user. ¡°Good morning, Maid.¡± ¡°Yes, good morning to you too, Young Master! Did you sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°¡­M-Maid¡­?¡± Before, just seeing Ethan¡¯s hateful face in the morning made me feel unpleasant, but after being able to use Mana st, it didn¡¯t really bother me. ¡°Miss Lilith, there is a summons from the Master.¡± ¡°Yes, Head Butler Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft! I will go right away!¡± ¡°¡­Miss Lilith¡­?¡± I could now remember and diligently recite the name of Dittmeyer, who always brought annoying news. ¡°You called for me, Master!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even when Harold, the final boss of this ckwood family, summoned me to his office, I could face him anytime, anywhere, with confidence and without losing my spirit¡­ ¡°Lilith, it seems you caused a smallmotion at the estate guards.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡­No, scratch that. Harold is still scary, after all. The one who instantly chilled the soaring feeling I had these past few days was none other than the summons from the Lord of the ckwood Estate. The moment Harold mentioned the territory guards incident in his private office on the 3rd floor, I immediately bowed my head and spat out an apology. ¡­Well, there¡¯s no way I could level up without any risk. At that time, I was blinded by experience points and recklessly pushed forward with strange excuses, but thinking about it, there was no more eye-catching idiocy than that. Moreover, strictly speaking, it was my personal actions that had overridden Ethan¡¯s opinion, so naturally, most of the me was on me. The moment Harold mentioned that part and questioned me, I could only tremble like a candle in the wind. Who am I? Amoner debt maid whose head could fly off at any moment with a single word from Harold¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here to demand an apology. I heard that the soldier over there was the one who was rude to you first.¡± ¡°¡­I have no words to say as my personal actions have caused trouble for Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ethan is now old enough to take care of himself, so there¡¯s no need for me to scold you for your actions as his exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± What¡¯s going on? Why is Harold like this? I clearly messed up during the territory patrol with Ethan due to my personal actions, but he¡¯s not questioning it and letting it go? Are you really Harold? Is there someone else hiding under that skin? ¡®¡­Come to think of it, he¡¯s been acting strangetely.¡¯ Before, when it came to matters rted to Ethan, he would unconditionally side with and only think about his son. But these days, for some reason, it seems like he¡¯s be a bit stricter with Ethan. Like suddenly increasing Ethan¡¯s training load some time ago. These days, instructors from outside evene in frequently to teach him various subjects.@@novelbin@@ I¡¯m not sure why, but Harold himself seems to be slowly changing from a doting father to a stricter father. Looking at what he¡¯s been doingtely, it really feels like he¡¯s trying to raise Ethan as the sessor of ckwood Territory¡­ But I still don¡¯t know what caused that change. ¡®¡­Did something change because of me?¡¯ Actually, that possibility was the most likely. After all, from my perspective, I was the only one who could change the original story. It was an undeniable fact that I had done all sorts of weird things for a mere maid. The problem was that I couldn¡¯t really remember directly messing with Harold. My actions probably didn¡¯t have a direct impact on Harold, but there was a high possibility that something indirectly changed this doting father¡¯s attitude. ¡®It could be something like seeing Thanasia¡¯s ne that he thought was lost and strengthening his resolve again, something like that.¡¯ It¡¯s not like Harold would have realized something just by looking at my actions. Of course not. In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t the type to listen to anyone other than his son. While I was wrapping up my spections and imaginations in my head with such thoughts, Harold suddenly asked me in a serious voice, looking into my eyes. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The reason I called you here is to ask about Ethan¡¯s recent condition.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Ethan¡¯s attitude seems to have improved a lottelypared to before. Coincidentally, it almost coincides with the time you became Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Do you have any idea about what might have caused it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Any idea about what might have caused it¡­ If I had to guess, it would be¡­ ¡­there have been many fucking things? Each one of them was such an incident that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if my neck was beheaded the moment I spoke them out loud. Come to think of it, I was really daring in many ways. How the hell am I still alive? If Ethan had reported even one of the crappy things he had to endure from me to Harold, I would have definitely been a dead soul. ¡®Should I be grateful for this or curse it?¡¯ Should I be grateful that he saved my neck from flying off, or should I curse him because he¡¯s the one who caused me to be scolded anyway? As another concern naturally came to mind, Harold suddenly nodded his head as if he understood. ¡°I see. So you were the reason, after all.¡± ¡°Ah, no, Master. I didn¡¯t really do anything to the Young Master¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to publicly reveal what¡¯s going on between you and Ethan. Anyway, the person you serve is not me but my son.¡± As if he misunderstood my silence while thinking of what to say as a different kind of answer, Harold waved his hand and dismissed my exnation. Inadvertently not answering and moving on, I felt a momentary sense of confusion. ¡®Did he let it go?¡¯ ¡­Well, it would be something I¡¯d wee if he didn¡¯t dig deeper. After all, I was the one who would be scared if he asked about the details. Ethan himself seemed to not want to inform Harold about what happened between us, so it would somehow pass. The likelihood of Harold himself letting go of what happened between me and Ethan was slim. If I don¡¯t want to die, I should take good care of what¡¯s above my neck. I¡¯ll be able to step down from being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid in just two years, anyway. Just endure for two more years. Just two years¡­ ¡°I¡¯m d to see you and Ethan getting along well. I look forward to your continued efforts.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Alright, then, you may take your leave.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be going, Master.¡± Fortunately, thanks to Harold not digging deeper into the conversation, it flowed naturally that day without any issues. And so, another year passed. Chapter 52 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 52 [A Man is What a Woman Makes Him (2)] Whiling away the days after reaching level 6, another year had passed in a sh. It¡¯s been about two and a half years since when I clearly realized that I had possessed Lilith in Luminor Academy. Although I couldn¡¯t achieve anything grand due to my status as a debt maid, it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d just been ying around as Lilith for a considerable period of 30 months. Even if I roughly summarized what I had aplished so far, it was quite a decent growth. Starting at a lowly level 2 at first, I had raised my level by a whopping 4 levels up to level 6. I had basic stats solid enough to not just die anywhere. I had a mana capacity overflowing to the point of almost reaching four digits. I now have three lower-level magic spells I could use, including Clean. Above all, I even learned Lilith¡¯s ultimate skill, Mana st. It was safe to say that I had done as much as I could from the position of ¡®debt maid Lilith.¡¯ I had even learned how to drive a carriage from Dittmeyer in my spare time, so I had secured skills for survival to some extent. ¡®Somehow, it feels like I¡¯ve grown much more immersed than when I actually raised her in the game.¡¯ Well, even though Luminor Academy was the game of my life, I never imagined it would literally be my life. Moreover, after spending two and a half years in Lilith¡¯s position, it felt like I was ying with a handicap. You know, like ying only with the mouse, or ying without recovery magic. Living while shifting my thinking like that, I could say that these days were quite lively. To the point where I even unconsciously thought that it might be a bit fun. ¡®They say humans are creatures of adaptation, and it¡¯s indeed a bit scary how the mind adapts to the environment.¡¯ Well, whatever. If I adapt, it¡¯s good that I adapt. Except for the one pitiful fact that I possessed Lilith, entering this game world was still a kind of reward for me. Even if my body had be like this, this world was the world of my favorite game in my past life, Luminor Academy. In a way, it was like an impossible dreaming true, so of course I had to enjoy it to the fullest, or it would be a waste. Once the contract period ended and I left the ckwood Mansion, I could hunt monsters to my heart¡¯s content, achieve my dream of owning a house that I couldn¡¯t fulfill in my previous life, be a fairly famous adventurer in a guild, and make a name for myself, and finally get married even¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Right. Come to think of it, there¡¯s no way I could get married with this body. I almost forgot that I had a female body and contemted with my strange imagination. Getting married with this female body naturally meant that the other party would be a man. Marrying a man. That alone was still terrifying, even after more than two years of realizing my possession. In the first ce, why did I eat garlic in the kitchen in the middle of the night as soon as I realized I was possessed and fought monsters like the Hooked Tusk with my life on the line? All of those were done to avoid a future where there was nothing but getting prated by a man. ¡­But after all that crap, I still end up with a man in the end? If only for the sake of the efforts I had made so far, that was something that absolutely must not happen. I didn¡¯t have any grand goal of leaving Lilith¡¯s genes in this world. My goal was to live well and eat well as a single person until I died in the world of Luminor Academy, which was the game of my life. That alone was my life¡¯s goal. For that, I had been steadily saving up my independence funds through knitting for a year, and whenever I had the chance, I organized the story of Luminor Academy and prepared for the future. ¡­Even though I had been preparing in various ways over the past year. In fact, the one who had changed the most in the past year probably wasn¡¯t me but the noble I had to serve. That piglet noble Ethan¡­ ¡­No, I won¡¯t be able to use that title anymore. Ethan, who had grown so quickly while receiving Harold¡¯s training over the past year, had be so neat that he could no longer be called a piglet. Harold¡¯s swordsmanship training must have been quite tough, as Ethan¡¯s recent appearance could not be likened to a pig at all. Rather, it looked like he had muscles all over his body to the point where it was questionable if there was any fat left. As the fat disappeared, the disgusting pot belly went away, and the arms and legs that were coated with fat were filled with significantly firm muscles. His face, which was once more plump than a steamed bun, now had sunken cheeks and looked considerably sharp. ¡®If I post Ethan¡¯s current appearance on the Luminor Academy Gallery, what kind of reactions would it get?¡¯ I was confident that at least half of them wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish between the game¡¯s hated Ethan and the current Ethan. Still, there were subtle traces of the old Ethan in his hair, eyes, or other parts, so about half would probably recognize him. Of course, even those who recognized him would mostly think of it as an inspired creation or fanfiction. Moreover, perhaps because it coincided with him reaching puberty, Ethan¡¯s body underwent other physical changes, such as growing taller and his fingers getting longer. Comparing the past and present, it was safe to say that it was not just a simple growth; rather, it was aplete transformation. ¡®Still, this is much better than when he was a stupid piglet.¡¯ At least I don¡¯t have to work while smelling the piggy sweat. Ethan had proven with his own body that while drawing lines on a pumpkin doesn¡¯t turn it into a watermelon, a pumpkin can at least be a zhini if it loses weight. Unfortunately, his height seemed to have stopped growing at around 165 centimeters*1after growing to some extent. ording to the official profile revealed in the game, Lilith Rosewood¡¯s height was 163 centimeters*1. Based on my age, Lilith¡¯s puberty would have ended long ago, so my current height wouldn¡¯t differ much from 163 centimeters either. The current Ethan was just slightly taller than me, so he was probably around 165 centimeters. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t grow as tall as other male characters due to the side effects of only growing sideways during his childhood. Of course, 165 centimeters was still above average height based on ordinary people, but fundamentally, this world was the setting of an adult SRPG game. Compared to the protagonist or other major rival male characters, he was definitely on the shorter side. Of course, even considering that, he was much taller than his original supposed height. The original ¡®Lout Prince Ethan¡¯ was less than 140 centimeters even after entering the academy. Somehow, I ended up talking only about Ethan¡¯s dramatic changes, but in fact, there were some changes in people other than Ethan as well. The junior maids, Isabel and Catherine, were promoted to senior maids; now, there were junior maids who hadn¡¯t even been there for a year under them. The original head butler, Jack, retired, and as in the original story, Dittmeyer took the position of head butler.@@novelbin@@ Of course,pared to the dramatic changes to Ethan, these were really minor issues. ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡­Speak of the devil. At the sound of Dittmeyer calling me from the blind spot today as well, I quietly turned my head in the direction of the voice. ¡®Why does he keeping to find me personally even after bing the head butler? Can¡¯t he just have someone else do it at this point?¡¯ I neatly folded those words only in my heart and answered while meeting the eyes of Dittmeyer, who had called me. ¡°Yes, Head Butler Dittmeyer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft.¡± ¡°¡­I said it correctly as Head Butler Dittmeyer this time.¡± ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± After making an awkward expression for a moment, Dittmeyer fake coughed once. Then, as if trying to pretend the previous conversation never happened, he quietly continued with the next message. ¡°There is a summons from the young master. He asked me to inquire if Miss Lilith coulde to his room now.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°By the way, he also said that if Miss Lilith has an urgent matter, there¡¯s no need to call for her.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, understood.¡± No matter how urgent a matter an exclusive maid has, how could it be more urgent than the young master¡¯s summons? Recently, whenever Ethan summoned me, it was always like this. He was somehow trying to show consideration, but upon closer inspection, he wasn¡¯t really being considerate. In fact, Ethan himself would know best what would happen if I ignored his summons because I had an urgent matter to attend to. I would either be summoned by the head maid for my poor attitude as a servant of the ckwoods and get a lecture on etiquette or be summoned by Harold and tremble in fear. ¡®Could he WANT that to happen to me?¡¯ Since there was a time when I wanted to kill him, there was a strong possibility that Ethan also didn¡¯t have good feelings toward me. Perhaps he still harbored the intense resentment of that time in his heart¡­ ¡®No, that¡¯s too much of a stretch.¡¯ Recently, whenever I made a judgment about Ethan, I felt a strange feeling. Perhaps it was because the Lout Prince Ethan I saw in the game and the current Ethan didn¡¯t match at all. After all, it was right to view the hated Ethan in Luminor Academy and the current Ethan as clearly different individuals. The current Ethan wasn¡¯t the lout prince with a dirty and unpleasant appearance and personality¡­ ¡­Nor was he the guy with an unpleasant amount of fat to the point of being called a piggy noble. If I had to give him a fitting title, it would be something like Noble Ethan or ckwood Heir Ethan. His first impression was so bad, but he was fundamentally a noble and the heir to the ckwoods. ¡°Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°There is a summons from the Young Master. By the way, if Miss Lilith has an urgent matter¡­¡± ¡°¡­I heard it the first time.¡± ¡°I thought you hadn¡¯t heard since you were still standing there after listening.¡± ¡­This bastard¡¯s way of twisting words hasn¡¯t changed even after 2 years. It was a moment when I felt that some things never change over time. ¡°You said the young master is in his private room, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°I understand. I will personally respond to the summons, so you don¡¯t need to go back and forth to convey the message to the young master again.¡± ¡°Understood, Miss Lilith.¡± With that answer, Head Butler Dittmeyer*2disappeared towards the corridor where he had appeared. While watching his back for a moment, I also quietly moved my steps to the 4th floor, where Ethan¡¯s private room was located. ¡­It¡¯s been quite a while since I received a direct summons from Ethan. I hope he¡¯s not calling me for something strange. Chapter 53 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 53 [A Man is What a Woman Makes Him (3)] As soon as I received the summons from Ethan through Dittmeyer, I went up to the 4th floor of the ckwood Mansion. I immediately stood in front of Ethan¡¯s door and announced my arrival to the room¡¯s owner inside with three knocks. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Come in, Maid.¡± After a brief silence, I opened the door at the reply and was immediately greeted by the sight of Ethan¡¯s room. I think there was a time when this room was a mess every time I entered. These days, however, whether I came in the morning or evening, it gave off the vibe that it was fairly organized. On top of that, the room¡¯s owner, who gave off apletely different impression from before, was sitting at the table, waiting for me. He looked neat and organized, with slightly disheveled hair and tired-looking eyes with slight dark circles. Arms and legs that had be thinner and firmerpared to before, and a belly that hadpletely disappeared to the point of not being noticeable. The noble, who had changed to a considerably more human-like appearancepared to that at the beginning, was looking towards the door I entered through. Our eyes met, and I lightly grabbed my maid skirt and slightly bowed my head to give a maid¡¯s greeting. ¡°Did you call for me, Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Maid.¡± As soon as our eyes met, Ethan seemed to carefully avert his gaze and even slowly moved his head to the side. Seeing his side profile, it was definitely noticeable how much he had lost weight and gained musclepared to before. He had changed so much that someone seeing him for the first time would never think he was Ethan. Especially to me, who knew what Ethan would have looked like if he had grown as he did in the game, the impression felt even more alien. At least I had gradually gotten used to his current appearance by seeing him lose weight and gain muscle in real time while going around the mansion. ¡°Maid, shall we sit and talk? I think it might take a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s ufortable for you, Maid, we can just talk standing.¡± Ethan¡¯s suggestion to sit at the same table made me hesitate slightly. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like I seriously saw Ethan as a sexual harasser sprout like before, and I only hesitated for a very brief moment. ¡­Well, Ethan had changed in many wayspared to before. He probably wouldn¡¯t try any weird tricks on Lilith at this point. Having reached my own conclusion in my mind, I nodded my head and quietly sat my butt down at the table across from where Ethan was sitting. ¡°I understand.¡± In the first ce, the reason Ethan showed lecherous intentions towards Lilith in the original was likely because she was the person who was the ¡®easiest to touch¡¯ from his position. Not only was she the closest in proximity as his exclusive maid, but the maids of simr age to Lilith were all spirited and not as easy for the young Ethan to mess with. Catherine, who was used by even her peers Ariana and Alicia, was out of the question, and Isabel, who had the nickname ¡®Clever Isabel,¡¯ wouldn¡¯t easily fall for Ethan¡¯s clutches like ¡®Foolish Maid Lilith.¡¯ If Catherine, the weakest in the ¡°food chain,¡± were his exclusive maid, it might be a different story. In the original game, though, Catherine was probably sent to Silverwood in Ariana¡¯s ce after taking the me for her crime. In many ways, the environment itself was set up to make it easy to touch Lilith. ¡®On the other hand, now he has no reason to tarnish his honor by messing with amoner like me.¡¯ Seriously, with that appearance, the moment he set his mind to it, he could easily seduce not only the other maids in the mansion but also the pretty youngdies of lower nobility. As soon as he lost weight, Harold and Thanasia¡¯s genes were showing on his face, as he was a noble in name. Even from my perspective as a man, he had an objectively handsome appearance, so how much more so for women? There was no reason for him to forcibly push down a maid who said she didn¡¯t like him¡­it was right to see it that way. ¡­And, in fact, this kind of concern itself had be meaningless now. ¡®Now, there¡¯s no way I can win if Ethanes at me seriously.¡¯ There was no chance that Lilith, with an Attack of 13 and a Defense of 19, could defeat thepressed battle muscles formed through training. If Ethan had really only swung a sword with Harold in the mansion¡¯s backyard, that would be one thing, but Harold was a person who knew better than anyone how to ¡®be strong¡¯ in this world, befitting a noble. After Ethan was able to swing a sword to some extent, Harold took him to the mountain behind the ckwood Mansion every day after it rained. He did so to have Ethan directly hunt the Slimes that naturally spawned whenever it rained and have him gain experience points. Of course, Harold probably didn¡¯t do it knowing the concept of experience points itself. He was just remembering ¡®this is how you be strong¡¯ based on his experience and taught the same to his son. Anyway, as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I also watched him hunt whenever I apanied him up that mountain. Whenever I apanied him, I estimated the number of monsters he killed and had a rough grasp of what level Ethan had currently grown to. ¡®He¡¯s probably at least level 7 or 8. Moreover, he can use sword and body enhancement magic together, so he¡¯ll be much stronger in reality.¡¯ In fact, at this point, it was meaningless for me to be wary. If he really came at me with determination, I had no choice but to be taken even knowing it. Of course, if I used Mana st, I could resist once, but the moment I used such high-level magic in this mansion, my destruction was a predetermined order anyway. Rather, it was better to put my mind at ease and pray that he wouldn¡¯t do that. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even after going through the trouble of calling me, Ethan just avoided my gaze without saying anything. ¡­Is making people feel awkward after calling them over engraved in his genes or something? For a moment, I almost felt a slight heat spreading in my head at the action that was just like his father¡¯s, but fortunately, before any words could escape my mouth, Ethan¡¯s mouth opened first and started speaking. ¡°¡­Maid.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Do you happen to have time¡­ on Saturday afternoon¡­?¡±*1 ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden? Where in the world is there a master who asks his exclusive maid if she has time? In the first ce, the position of an exclusive maid itself doesn¡¯t have the authority to freely decide holidays or breaks, and even if there are other schedules, it¡¯s only natural to adjust them to the master¡¯s side. Since Ethan asked a stupid question first, it was my turn to give an extremelymon-sense answer in response. ¡°As I am the young master¡¯s exclusive maid, my time is the young master¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not what I meant. I was wondering if you had any other ns scheduled.¡± ¡°What ns or schedules would a debt maid who can¡¯t even go outside the mansion on her own have?¡± ¡°You have many close colleagues, maid. I thought you might have a priormitment or something with the others.¡± ¡­Well, the fact that I got along well with Isabel and Catherine was something most of the other servants knew. There was nothing strange about Ethan mentioning that part. The problem was, why did Ethan keep caring about that and stay mindful of me? Even if I did have a priormitment with Isabel or Catherine, what was he going to do about it, knowing that in the end, I had to prioritize the orders from him, the master? There was no way this noble, who received academic lectures and etiquette education that changed daily, wouldn¡¯t know such basic knowledge. ¡®I¡¯m not sure what his intention is to keep asking, but¡­.¡¯ First of all, I hadn¡¯t really made any promises, and even if I had, I had to say I didn¡¯t in this situation. If an exclusive maid made a noble walk on eggshells, it was hard to expect it to lead to anything good. ¡°I don¡¯t have any, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­Really? You¡¯re not just saying that to be mindful of me, are you?¡± ¡°If you really think I¡¯m being mindful of you, can¡¯t you just take the hint and understand that I don¡¯t have any?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. I¡¯ll be careful in the future.¡± I identally let out a few words because I felt frustrated, but fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like I stepped on andmine. Well, he had heard much worse than that several times before, so he wasn¡¯t the type to get angry over this at this point. Well, maybe the hated Ethan from Luminor Academy would, but not the Ethan in front of me. ¡°For what reason did you ask about my weekend schedule, young master?¡± ¡°¡­An invitation came from the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The Imperial Pce¡­ the Imperial Pce¡­ If it¡¯s an invitation the Imperial Pce would send to Ethan around this time, it¡¯s probably that. ¡°If it¡¯s an invitation the Imperial Pce would send to the Young Master around this time¡­ it would be an invitation to a Birthday Banquet for Her Highness the Third Princess.¡± ¡°¡­You knew?¡± ¡°I just happened to find out.¡± To be precise, it was knowledge I had because the Third Princess was one of the heroines in Luminor Academy. The Emperor was famous for holding banquets and inviting noble sons on each of his children¡¯s birthdays. Ethan¡¯s family had a fairly high status, and his age was simr to the Third Princess, so it wasn¡¯t strange for the Imperial Pce to send a birthday banquet invitation. ¡®The Ethan in the original game probably also asionally received such invitations.¡¯ After all, the Ethan in Luminor Academy was undoubtedly a noble son in terms of his background. It¡¯s just that he was unpopr due to his unpleasant appearance and hygiene, that drained people¡¯s mental strength. He himself probably knew he was ugly, so as far as I knew, he declined to attend most of these kinds of events. Of course, that was only the behavior of Ethan Richard ckwood in the original game. For the current Ethan Richard ckwood, who was walking apletely different path from the hated Ethan¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be strange even if he made a different judgment. The current Ethan probably wasn¡¯tcking in confidence in his appearance, and he had also matured a lot after receiving lessons on proper etiquette.@@novelbin@@ Above all, as he had recently started participating in learning how to manage a territory following Harold, he himself would know best that it was important to show up at such important events. In the end, Ethan asking me if I had any ns on Saturday probably didn¡¯t have any special meaning. ¡®It means that since he has an event scheduled on Saturday, I should clear my schedule as his exclusive maid and apany him.¡¯ I had already roughly grasped his intention, so now it was time to quickly move on to the main point. There was no excuse for me, as an exclusive maid, to be absent from Ethan¡¯s external events anyway. Thinking of finishing the main point quickly today, I casually brought up the matter Ethan might ask. ¡°Will the banquet be held thising Saturday?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. So I wanted to ask you, maid, if you¡¯d be willing to attend together.¡± ¡°I understand. I didn¡¯t really have any ns originally, but I will make sure to clear my schedule for that day, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± In the first ce, it was strange to summon someone over such a trivial matter. It was natural and even essential for an exclusive maid to apany the master she served to events. Moreover, looking at Ethan¡¯s recent actions, such external events that required traveling would only increase in the future. To clearly convey that there was no need to ask for permission from me every time for such matters, I supplemented the answer I had just given to Ethan. ¡°In the first ce, there¡¯s no need to ask your exclusive maid about every little thing like this. After all, it¡¯s the role of the exclusive maid to always apany the young master to external events.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re done with the matter to convey to me, I¡¯ll return to my waiting room.¡± The moment I tried to get up from my seat, thinking I had roughly wrapped up the conversation, Ethan suddenly grabbed my hand that was about to rise from the table with an urgent expression. ¡°W-wait a moment, Maid!¡± ¡°Do you still have more to discuss?¡± ¡°No, I thought you might be leaving with some misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­You understood correctly, right? That you will attend the banquet together with me.¡± Why does he keep asking obvious things multiple times? I¡¯ve already served as his exclusive maid in the ckwood Mansion for over 2 years, so does he think I might not understand even that much? In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t rare for nobles to bring their exclusive servants to attend banquets. To convey the meaning that there was no need to exin again, I nodded my head up and down once greatly. ¡°Of course, I understand clearly.¡± ¡°¡­I-I see. If you understand, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll return to my room. I¡¯ll see you at dinner time, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yeah. Go in and rest, Maid.¡± After finishing the conversation with Ethan, who was saying pointless things like that, I immediately returned to my room adjacent to his and rested until dinner time. ¡­It was three dayster that I woulde to understand the meaning behind Ethan¡¯s words, ¡®let¡¯s attend the banquet together.¡¯ Chapter 54 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 54 [Masquerade Ball (1)] The next morning, after Ethan suddenly called me to his room and told me to prepare for the Third Princess¡¯s birthday banquet¡­ While resting in my room after Ethan¡¯s breakfast, suddenly, a visitor came to my room. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°¡­Come in.¡± With the sound of thetch, the door opened inward. Since the visitor came during work hours, I naturally thought it was a summons from Ethan or Harold, but the person who appeared from beyond the door was unexpected, they weren¡¯t who I anticipated. ¡°Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­Isabel?¡± Why did Isabel suddenly visit my room? As far as I know, this time should be in the middle of her working hours. Coming to my room all of a sudden during work hours¡­ could it be that she¡¯s skipping work? ¡°Isabel, are you confidently skipping work now that you¡¯re a senior maid?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, no! It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you really want to skip work, I¡¯ll hide you. You can rest in my room until Eth¡­ the young master¡¯s lunchtime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for your words, Lilith¡­ but I didn¡¯te to skip work. I¡¯m still in the middle of working, too.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Well, there¡¯s no way our ever-diligent Isabel would carelessly leave during work hours and skip work. In the first ce, if Isabel skipped work, it would be the same as dumping the work she had to do onto Catherine and running away. It was hard to imagine Isabel, who had built a long friendship not only with me but also with Catherine, doing such a mean thing. Reflecting on my own trash-like imagination for momentarily misunderstanding Isabel, who was second to none in kindness, as skipping work, I asked her the most likely reason for visiting my room this time. ¡°Then is it a summons from the young master? Where is he?¡± ¡°Ah, th-that¡¯s not it. I didn¡¯t particrlye to call for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Um, I have a question.¡± ¡°A question?¡± ¡°Lilith, do you prefer a sky blue, an emerald, or a crimson dress?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± What is Isabel suddenly talking about, unlike her usual self? I tilted my head in confusion, meeting eyes with Isabel, who suddenly entered my room and started girl talk. Isabel, on the other hand, urged me to answer as if she couldn¡¯t understand my reaction. ¡°Lilith, hurry. Which color do you like the most between sky blue, emerald, and crimson?¡± ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t really like dresses in the first ce.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give such a cryptic answer~!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Was I supposed to answer seriously?¡± ¡°Of course! I need you to tell me quickly so I can prepare the rest! Come on~!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡­Could it be that she wants to make matching outfits with her fellow maids? Seeing that there were exactly three color options, that possibility couldn¡¯t be ruled out either. If we assume that¡¯s the case, how about virtually dressing Isabel and Catherine for once? If I were to dress someone else, I should answer, excluding the colors that would suit both of them the most. Isabel has vani-colored hair and a lively personality, so a refreshing sky blue would suit her well. Catherine has pink hair and a timid personality, so an emerald dress would provide a nice contrast. Then naturally, the remaining color is¡­ ¡°¡­Crimson?¡± ¡°You like crimson?¡± ¡°Yeah. Crimson would be good.¡± ¡°Got it! Then I¡¯ll prepare Lilith¡¯s dress in crimson!¡± ¡°W-wait a minute, Isabel! What do you mean by prepare-¡° Click. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Isabel came like the wind, asked about the color of the dress, and disappeared like dew as if she had achieved her purpose. In the exclusive maid¡¯s room where she had disappeared like that, only I, the room¡¯s owner, was left alone. I momentarily thought about getting up from my seat and chasing after her, but I gave up, thinking it might disturb her during work hours. ¡°If Isabel is really preparing something, I¡¯ll find outter.¡± ¡­And it was two dayster that I found out she was really preparing something. The next day¡­ Knock, knock, knock. ¡°¡­?¡± For two consecutive days, including yesterday, there was a knock on the door of the exclusive maid¡¯s room. Thinking that it might be Isabel visiting again today, I casually called her name, but the answer that came from beyond the door was from a different maid. ¡°¡­Isabel?¡± ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s me¡­ Miss Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even without introducing herself by name, it wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out who the person beyond the door was. What gave it away wasn¡¯t just the timid voice that sounded like it could disappear at any moment, but there was only one person in this mansion who called me ¡®Miss Lilith.¡¯ ¡°Come in, Senior Catherine.¡± Click. ¡°Ex¡­ excuse me¡­¡± Catherine entered my room today with an especially dejected look. For some reason, I could sense an inexplicable uneasiness in that timid reaction. With a hunch, I casually brought up the reason for Catherine¡¯s visit to my waiting room. ¡°Skipping work?¡± ¡°Eh, huh?!¡± ¡°You seem particrlycking in confidence today, so I thought you might havemitted some kind of crime.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­! I¡¯ve never skipped work, Miss Lilith¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I told you not to call me that.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Miss¡­¡± ¡­Until recently, she was calling me Lilithfortably, so why did she suddenly revert back to the honorifics and formalities from two years ago? Today¡¯s Catherine, who was iprehensible in many ways, approached me with timid steps matching her voice, holding something like a thin string with markings on it in her hand. ¡®A tape measure?¡¯ Judging by the string with markings, it seems to be a tape measure. ¡­But why did she suddenly visit my room with something like that? Before I could even ask what her purpose was, Catherine approached me with the measuring tape in her hand and held it up to my face with her still, timid voice. ¡°Ex¡­ excuse me¡­ Miss Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Then, she suddenly unfolded the measuring tape horizontally in front of my eyes and started writing something on the paper she brought with her. At first, she seemed to be measuring and recording the vertical and horizontal lengths of my face this way and that, and then she suddenly started measuring various parts of my feet. Finally, after measuring the circumference of my left ring finger, she started backing away from me. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m very sorry for disturbing your rest! I¡­ I¡¯ll take my leave now!¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Senior Catherine. What were you so diligently recording with the tape measure just now¡­¡± ¡°Ah, goodbye, Miss Lilith!¡± ¡°I told you not to call me by that title¡­!¡± m! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Catherine hurriedly left the exclusive maid¡¯s waiting room as if she was feeling immense fear from looking at me. ¡­Did I do something wrong to Catherine recently? I don¡¯t think I made any mistakes that would strain our rtionship. Recently, it felt like the misunderstanding that I was a nobledy was gradually fading away over time, but that reaction was like Catherine¡¯s response on the first day she thought I was a noble. ¡°¡­I have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± It seemed like there was some kind of misunderstanding that led to such a reaction, but I couldn¡¯t gauge at all what that misunderstanding was. I briefly thought about chasing after her to clear up the misunderstanding, but I gave up since it was still Catherine¡¯s working hours. ¡°If there¡¯s some misunderstanding, I can clear it upter.¡± ¡­And it was the very next day that I truly realized Catherine had some kind of misunderstanding about me. The next day. As usual, after Ethan¡¯s breakfast was over, during the allotted break time¡­ ¡­And while I focused on knitting as a pastime to secure my funds for independence and making a wool sweater¡­ Knock, knock, knock. ¡­As expected. Today, without fail, there were three knocks on the door from outside the waiting room. ¡°Isabel? Or is it you, Senior Catherine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s both of us, Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­Both?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming in for a bit now~!¡± ¡°W-wait a minute, Isabel! Before getting permission from Lilith, if you just barge in¡­¡± Along with the voices of the two people outside the door, the door to the exclusive maid¡¯s room opened. While I was surprised by the visit of the two, whose reason foring was unknown, Isabel approached me with a beaming expression as I was leisurely knitting. ¡­In her hand, she was holding a crimson dress that nobledies would likely wear for some reason. ¡°¡­Isabel?¡± ¡°Come on, Lilith, what are you dawdling for?! Didn¡¯t you agree to attend the banquet with the young master tonight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ what¡¯s with that dress in your hand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obviously the clothes you¡¯ll be wearing for tonight! Hurry and get up, Lilith! I¡¯ll help you change!¡± ¡°I-Isabel¡­! Li¡­ Lilith is a nobledy, so¡­ Ah, no, Miss Lilith is a nobledy, so¡­ Y-you can¡¯t just call her like that¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right, that¡¯s how it was! Today, Lilith is a nobledy!¡± ¡°N-not just today, but she really was a nobledy¡­¡± ¡­Suddenly, so much information is entering my head that it¡¯s not getting organized at all. Where did the conversation go wrong from the beginning? It¡¯s true that I¡¯m attending the Third Princess¡¯s birthday banquet with Ethan today, but what¡¯s with this crimson dress that Isabel brought, saying I¡¯ll be wearing it? It¡¯s nothing new for Catherine to misunderstand me as a nobledy, but why has she been overly conscious of that part since yesterday? ¡­And why is Isabel agreeing with the statement that I¡¯m a nobledy as if it¡¯s natural, without objecting? At a time when I was momentarily confused by the overload of information entering my head, I was able to grasp the clue of how this situation came to be from a single word Isabel unintentionally let slip. ¡°Lilith, you¡¯re already really pretty, but still, a noble banquet is a ce where many prettierdies gather. For you to not be outshined even there, we need to diligently dress you up for the special asion! You¡¯re Young Master Ethan¡¯s partner today!¡± ¡­Partner? By partner, does she mean that? Usually, a partner refers to a lover or fianc¨¦, someone you pair up with in advance to enter a banquet together. But¡­ I¡¯m ying the role ofTHATpartner? Moreover, at the Third Princess¡¯ birthday banquet? ¡­And as Ethan¡¯s partner? ¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit, no, quite strange? ¡°¡­Isabel.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did you just say¡­ Ethan¡¯s partner?¡± ¡°Yeah, I said that.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Tonight?¡± ¡°Oh my, I keep telling you! You¡¯re the Young Master¡¯s banquet partner tonight!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..What the hell? Chapter 55 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 55 [Masquerade Ball (2)] What is the most important virtue that a moner¡¯ must possess in order to survive in a medieval fantasy world? Let¡¯s assume they don¡¯t have overwhelming power, magic, or status, for a start. Of course, having skills like being good at conversing or cooking would certainly help in living a better life. But putting aside what¡¯s necessary for ¡®a better life¡¯, what is the most essential item for mere ¡®survival¡¯? People may have various answers, but at least my personal opinion is this. The most necessary item for survival is ¡®the ability to know one¡¯s ce.¡¯ No matter how good a person is at talking, if they don¡¯t know their ce and run their mouth in front of a tyrant, their head will be cut off. No matter how good they are at cooking, if they open a restaurant in the middle of the capital without backing down, they are bound to go bankrupt due to debt. ¡­And amoner maid attending the birthday banquet of the Third Princess was clearly an act that went beyond knowing one¡¯s ce to the point of being ridiculous enough to break one¡¯s nose. It was only natural for my body to head towards Ethan¡¯s room next door to put an end to this situation. ¡°W-wait a minute, Lilith! You have to change into your dress; where are you going?!¡± ¡°Miss Lilith¡­! That way is the young master¡¯s bedroom¡­¡± I heard the voices of Isabel and Catherine following me as I dashed out of the room as soon as I heard Isabel¡¯s exnation, but my mind was already too overloaded to make proper judgments. It was also natural that I ended up knocking on Ethan¡¯s door, who was likely the culprit behind all this. Knock, knock, knock. Even while standing in front of Ethan¡¯s door and knocking, my mind was in turmoil with all sorts of thoughts. Soon, the voice of the man who was the root of this whole situation came from beyond the door. ¡°Is it you, Maid? Come in.¡± As soon as I opened the door and entered, the ck-haired noble appeared in front of me. Perhaps he was also in the middle of preparing for the banquet, as he had changed into a much neater formal attire than usual. Now that Ethan is thin, the ck suit suits him quite well too. In Luminor Academy, he could only wear a suit that looked like it its buttons were about to burst¡­ No, that¡¯s not important. As soon as I brought my momentarily distracted thoughts back, Ethan in the ck suit looked at me and gestured with his hand for Isabel and Catherine, who had followed me, to step back for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Creak. My two colleagues, who had inadvertently followed me into Ethan¡¯s private room, quietly closed the door and left. As soon as they disappeared from the spot, Ethan asked me a question with a brazen expression. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Maid? It¡¯s better to start preparing now if you¡¯re going to attend the evening banquet.¡± ¡°¡­Are you in your right mind?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked if you were in your right mind, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What the hell are you thinking? Does it make any sense to have your exclusive maid attend the Princess¡¯ birthday banquet as your partner? No matter how much of a noble from the ckwood ducal family you are, this rudeness ispletely uneptable. At the very least, if it were the birthday banquet of some Baron or Viscount family¡¯s son, it would be fine. Just Ethan attending such an event would be an honor in itself. Whether he brought a maid or a local bakery girl as his partner, there would be no problem at all. However, the host of this banquet was the Imperial family, and it was the birthday banquet of the Third Princess. Although the Third Princess was not a leading figure for the next Imperial session, this was the epitome of rudeness, no matter how you looked at it. A ckwood bringing amoner maid, not even a lower noble, as a partner? What would the Third Princess and other nobles who saw that think?@@novelbin@@ They might think he brought me topare the Third Princess, who was far from the Imperial throne to amoner, or it could be interpreted as symbolizing that the loyalty of the ckwood family to the Imperial family was no different from that of a meremoner. It was an act that wouldn¡¯t be surprising to receive all sorts of strange nder from the Imperial family and other nobles watching the situation. As soon as I saw Ethan¡¯s face asking back with a stupid expression, these impressions naturally came to mind. ¡®I thought he had be a bit decent since he¡¯s been receiving leadership education these days, but is he really still a kid inside?¡¯ My mind was still in a state of confusion at the sight of Ethan, who couldn¡¯t even keep the basics of what a noble of the ckwood Ducal family should have. The evaluation of Ethan, which had improved recently, was also falling in real-time. ¡®If you¡¯re going tomit rudeness, do it by yourself; why are you involving me?¡¯ However, even with my reaction, Ethan only showed a nonchnt response as if it was nothing. Soon, his mouth opened and an answer to my question naturally came out. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you, Maid. Do you really understand what it means to attend the banquet together?¡± ¡°Of course, I understood it as meaning to attend as the young master¡¯s exclusive maid¡­!¡± ¡°I clearly asked you again. And yet, it was you who answered that you clearly understood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t back out now, Maid. It¡¯s already been decided.¡± ¡­Yeah, now that you put it that way, it¡¯s certainly my fault too. It was also my mistake to roughly misinterpret the meaning of Ethan¡¯s words, ¡®let¡¯s attend the banquet together.¡¯ But what maid could even imagine¡­ ¡­that the master she serves would request her to attend a banquet as his partner, and to do such a thing at the Third Princess¡¯s birthday banquet at that. This was a situation that could only be misunderstood due tomon sense. If I had known the true meaning of what Ethan said, I would have naturally refused without needing to consider it. ¡°¡­But it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°What doesn¡¯t make sense, Maid?¡± ¡°You are a noble of the ckwoods. Also, the Master has no other children, so you are the heir to the ckwoods as well.¡± ¡°Yes. I know that, too.¡± ¡°¡­And I am just amoner maid. Moreover, a maid of a lowly status sold for debt. Although I have taken the position of the young master¡¯s exclusive maid beyond my status, I have never thought that my rank has risen because of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Furthermore, this banquet is the Birthday Banquet of Her Highness the Third Princess, so it is also a politically important event. Have you not considered the repercussions of bringing amoner maid as your partner to that event?¡± If you understand, please cancel it now. Don¡¯t risk my life for your political performance and just take any ordinary nobledy. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re thoughtful, Maid.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­No, it was just me talking to myself.¡± Ethan, who heard my words, muttered something in a small voice to himself. Soon, he continued his answer with an expression as if he had been considering the parts I had considered. ¡°I understand your concerns, Maid, but you don¡¯t have to worry too much about that.¡± ¡°How can I not worry¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a letter to the Imperial Pce. That my exclusive maid, you, will be taking the position of my partner.¡± ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± ¡°As you have said, there is a possibility of a misunderstanding if I bring amoner maid to the banquet. So if I convey in advance that I have no such intentions, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡­It was only three days ago that this topic came up, and you say you¡¯ve already sent a letter in advance? While that level of preparation wasmendable, it only raised another question in my mind. Why do you want to take me as your partner to an official banquet event so badly? That question was unresolved. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Because of that, my suspicious gaze didn¡¯t easily fade even after Ethan¡¯s answer. As if he also read the meaning of my gaze, he nodded and supplemented the reason for taking me as his partner. ¡°The reason I¡¯m taking you, Maid, as my partner is to prevent the bothersome approach of other nobles.¡± ¡°¡­Bothersome approach?¡± ¡°As the Maid knows, I don¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e yet. When I was young, I was bedridden due to a curse, and recently, I¡¯ve been too busy to have time to interact with other noble families.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m well aware.¡± ¡°When I make an appearance at a prestigious event after a long time, how many nobles do you think will try to take advantage of the ckwood family¡¯s prestige?¡± ¡°¡­There would be at least a considerable number.¡± Listening to Ethan¡¯s words, it certainly seemed like such a situation would ur. The fact that the ¡®position¡¯ of the fianc¨¦e of a powerful noble, like Ethan of the ckwoods, was vacant meant that the most powerful position to establish connections with the ckwood family was open. There were nobles who made such moves from the time he had just woken up from his curse not long ago, and letters consistently arrived regarding Ethan¡¯s engagement. Perhaps there was a possibility that many nobles would approach him regarding a fianc¨¦e the moment Ethan participated in such an official event. ¡®Moreover, with his current appearance, he would stand out enough to catch the attention of nobledies even without the prestige of the ckwood family.¡¯ Although I tremble and inwardly curse whenever I meet Harold, objectively speaking, Harold is definitely handsome as a man. His wife, Thanasia, was also a nobledy exuding a beautiful dignity full of pure beauty. Of course, I had never actually seen her. The appearance of Ethan, born between those two, didn¡¯t even need an exnation. In the game, that potential waspletely hidden by the thickyers of fat, but the current Ethan had removed all those fat lumps thanks to rigorous training. If a person with such an appearance was also the heir to the ckwood family¡­ there was even a possibility that he would receive more attention than the host of the banquet in a sense. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause amotion, Maid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s the Birthday Banquet of the Third Princess, I think that Her Highness should naturally be the star of this banquet.¡± ¡°¡­I also agree with that opinion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you, Maid. If you attend as my partner wearing the same ring as me, we can pretend to be unnamed fianc¨¦s and divert the attention.¡± ¡°Pretend to be fianc¨¦s¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Among the maids I know, my exclusive maid is the most trustworthy. Not only that, but even just based on appearance, you, Maid, are the prettiest. ¡­And personally, I also thought it would be nice if Maid was my partner.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­No, I was just talking to myself.¡± After hearing the whole story, it wasn¡¯tpletely iprehensible. The n itself to act as if he had a fianc¨¦e and preemptively block other bothersome guests seemed usible enough. However, there was a fatal problem with this n. ¡­And that was the fact that I was amoner ¡®pretending¡¯ to be a noble; I wasn¡¯t actually a noble. It was fine if they just saw Ethan and me wearing the same ring and thought we were engaged and backed off. But if the other party directly asked about my identity, I would naturally have to reveal my rank and identity as amoner. After all, I was amoner, and the other party asking me questions would most likely be a noble. ¡­And if I refused a noble¡¯s question with the status of amoner, it would naturally cause problemster. So, of course, I emphasized this part and asked Ethan again, but Ethan only gave a prepared answer as if he had already prepared for my question as well. ¡°What do you n to do about my identity? If the other party asks for my name and position, I will have no choice but to reveal that I am amoner maid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, there probably won¡¯t be anyone who will ask you such a question at this banquet. Even if they do, just ignore them.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°The concept of this birthday banquet for the Third Princess is a masquerade ball.¡± ¡­Ah. Right, I had momentarily forgotten it since it was so long ago. I¡¯d forgotten the kind of personality the heroine of Luminor Academy, the Third Princess of the Empire, had in the original game. Chapter 56 Seraphine Rosalind Valtoria. The Third Princess of the Argentian Empire and one of the main heroines of Luminor Academy. She was also a character famous among Luminor Academy yers in many ways. ¡­She was more remembered for bad reasons rather than good ones, though. After Ethan exined that the banquet to be held at the pce today was a masquerade ball, I btedly remembered what kind of person the Third Princess was. ¡­And his words that the masquerade ball was her chosen banquet concept could be understood at once. ¡®The Third Princess is a bit of an airhead.¡¯ All people are equal regardless of status and have the right to be respected equally. The words of the people carry the same weight, whether they are nobles ormoners. That was the pure and easy-going personality of the heroine princess of Luminor Academy, Seraphine Rosalind Valtoria. Anyone who had yed Luminor Academy would naturally know this character. That¡¯s because not only was this character a ¡®mandatory character¡¯ that had to join the party in the story among the main characters, but she was also a kind of ¡®cancer character¡¯ where nearly half of all of the episodes started with the inconvenience she caused. For example, she¡¯d be pickpocketed by a little thief, and the stolen item happened to be an essential item needed for game progression. ¡­Or she¡¯d disappear somewhere when the party briefly separated and reunited, only to suddenly be captured by a demon disguised as a human. ¡­Or she¡¯d use most of the loot obtained from the Dragon Subjugation episode for vige reconstruction funds without any consultation. There were quite a few cancerous episodes that anyone who had yed Luminor Academy had to see and move forward from at least once. She was a character who belonged to the ¡®disliked¡¯ category in the game but in a different sense from Ethan. ¡¸Title: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with selling some dragon loot and using them for vige reconstruction funds?¡± Content: (Image of Seraphine) ¡°I¡¯m pretty, aren¡¯t I?!¡±¡¹ Such memes were popr in Luminor Academymunities, so this alone could roughly exin the princess¡¯s character. As a mandatory character, she couldn¡¯t be kicked out in the middle of the story and even had an invincible body that didn¡¯t get hit by the Curse of Erosion that could one-shot the main character. She was also the only character among the heroines that I tried to put the Curse of Erosion on. ¡­Because in multiple ythroughs, there was no other annoying girl who hindered story progression as much as her. ¡­Still, well, she was really pretty enough to spawn the ¡°I¡¯m pretty, aren¡¯t I?!¡± meme. If a poprity vote was held based solely on appearance, she would have definitely been in the Top 3 along with Lilith, but¡­ ¡®In reality, she ranked in the middle due to the troublesome things she did in-game.¡¯ Anyway, the reason I mentioned this airhead princess wasn¡¯t for nothing. It was to exin why the birthday banquet of the Empire¡¯s Third Princess became a ¡®masquerade ball¡¯ and the psychology behind Seraphine, who held such a banquet. As I said before, she was the type of person who argued thatmoners and royals were all the same people. Setting her birthday banquet as a masquerade ball was also a kind of performance iming that she wouldn¡¯t discriminate based on status. ¡®Of course, in reality, it probably wouldn¡¯t work well.¡¯ Usually, in this kind of masquerade ball, most people attended wearing a half mask that only surrounded the eyes but didn¡¯t cover them. Also, nobles didn¡¯t have face recognition disorders, so they were bound to recognize each other even with that level of disguise. It¡¯s not like the masquerade ball was the only ce for socializing, and most nobles were used to familiarizing themselves with each other¡¯s faces at other gatherings or social events. Just by looking at hairstyles, voices, outfits, and physiques, it wasn¡¯t very difficult to identify who the other person was. In fact, Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball was a banquet held for her own self-satisfaction rather than for practical purposes. ¡­The only useful thing in such a masquerade ball would be what Ethan just mentioned. ¡°At Princess Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball, it¡¯s okay for amoner maid to attend. Asking for the other person¡¯s name or status at the banquet hall is strictly forbidden.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thoughtlessly taking you to a ce where you might be in danger, Maid. If this banquet wasn¡¯t the Birthday Banquet of the Third Princess, I naturally wouldn¡¯t have made such a proposal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s still any reason why you shouldn¡¯t participate, please tell me.¡± ¡­As if there could be any. He had already refuted all the reasons why I shouldn¡¯t attend the banquet one by one. Now, he probably couldn¡¯t find someone else to rece me, and in the first ce, Ethan said he had already informed them in advance through a letter that I would be attending the banquet. There was no longer any suitable excuse to run away. ¡­I had no choice but to meekly ept attending as Ethan¡¯s partner. ¡°I understand. If that is truly the young master¡¯s wish, I will also attend the Princess¡¯ birthday banquet.¡± ¡°You made the right decision, Maid.¡± ¡°¡­I will return to my room to prepare. I¡¯ll see youter, young master.¡± ¡°Yeah. See you in the evening, Maid.¡± The door to Ethan¡¯s room opened with a creak. With all sorts ofplicated thoughts still lingering in my mind, I carefully moved my reluctant steps to the corridor. Isabel and Catherine, who were waiting for me in front of Ethan¡¯s room, asked me quietly.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Li-Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on¡­? Are you going to the banquet¡­? Or has it been canceled¡­?¡± ¡°H-how did it go, Miss Lilith¡­?¡± Not knowing what conversation I had with Ethan inside, Isabel and Catherine asked in a careful voice as if gauging my emotions. As it¡¯s now impossible to escape from the banquet, I answered the two with the most nonchnt reaction, as if nothing had happened. ¡°It seems there was a misunderstanding. I thought that my participation in a noble banquet might be considered disrespectful, but fortunately, the young master had already taken care of it in advance.¡± ¡°I-I see, Lilith.¡± ¡°Sorry for causing you unnecessary worry, Isabel. And you too, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s fine as long as nothing happened to you!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine too¡­ P-please don¡¯t apologize, Miss Lilith¡­¡± ¡°Will you help me put on the banquet dress, Isabel?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll help too, Miss!¡± With the help of Isabel, who returned to her original self with a bright smile as soon as she heard that nothing had happened to me, and Catherine, who still had the strange misunderstanding that I was a nobledy, Ipleted my transformation into a nobledy in a crimson dress. To attend the masquerade ball hosted by the Third Princess and the Imperial family. As Ethan¡¯s partner. Inside the carriage engraved with the ckwood family crest¡­ A deep crimson dress, high-heeled shoes, and a formal mask covering the eyes. With a few essories, including a ring, I had transformed into a nobledy and was nkly watching the scenery outside the window change, staying quiet inside the carriage. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± An awkward silence inside the carriage where only Ethan and I were sitting, excluding Dittmeyer, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. It was unavoidable. Although I was going to the banquet as Ethan¡¯s fake partner, in reality, I still wasn¡¯t that close to Ethan. The days of despising him like the hated Ethan in the game had long passed, but in the first ce, human emotions weren¡¯t divided into simply liking and disliking. These days, the emotion I felt towards Ethan was neither positive nor negative, but closest to indifference. To be precise, from the moment I became convinced that Ethan wouldn¡¯t do anything strange to me, I also stopped caring much about Ethan¡¯s whereabouts. ¡®It would be a bit difficult to be friends with him at this point, anyway.¡¯ Our first meeting was an ufortable one to begin with. Not to mention, there was still a clear difference in status between me and Ethan. Plus, the not-so-good conflicts that arose from it. This was a gap that could never be bridged, at least not unless Lilith somehow rose in status for some reason. So, the day I could understand him as a noble would probably nevere, and the same could be said for him. If that¡¯s the case, rather than forcibly patching up an awkward rtionship, it was better to maintain a rtionship with a bit of distance. Ethan would disappear to the academy in a year anyway, and 2 years after that, I could also settle my debt maid life. In the first ce, it was absurd for me, a maid, to take the initiative to build a friendship and approach him. As I said before, I was someone who believed that one must know their ce. It was too brazen, even in my opinion, for a maid to open her heart just because her strange noble master had been a little kindertely. Around the time the carriage carrying two people in awkward dresses, awkward makeup, and an awkward rtionship was heading towards the Imperial Capital, Ethan quietly called out to me in a low voice from the left. ¡°Maid.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, young master.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at the pce in an hour. You know what to do, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Stay by the young master¡¯s side, clearly show that I am the young master¡¯s partner, minimize my words in all responses, but asionally show the ring on my left ring finger and make an expression as if it has some meaning, correct?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m d you know it well.¡± ¡°I have it memorized urately, so you can rest assured.¡± ¡­Since I¡¯ve already epted it, I should do it properly. I had no intention of taking revenge by intentionally acting awkward at this point. In the first ce, doing such a thing wouldn¡¯t benefit me at all and would only cause the inconvenience of getting involved in bothersome matters. Strictly speaking, the situation of attending the Imperial masquerade ball itself wasn¡¯t that bad. It was a good opportunity to see other characters from Luminor Academy besides the people of the ckwood family for a change. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to see Seraphine, the Third Princess, in person. Maybe Agnes of Marquis Elizabeth will attend too¡­¡¯ While I was picturing the characters of Luminor Academy one by one in my head like that, Ethan¡¯s voice calling out to me from the next seat was quietly heard. ¡°Maid.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t call me young master from now on. From now on, Ma-¡­Lilith will be pretending to be my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Well, after going through the trouble of disguising as a nobledy, the moment I used titles like Maid or young master, it would be the same as openly revealing my identity. Nodding my head at Ethan¡¯s words, the moment I tried to call his name, a question suddenly shed through my mind. ¡®Just calling each other by name, huh¡­ Isn¡¯t that too weak to pass as fianc¨¦s?¡¯ Just as I called Isabel and Catherine by their names, calling each other on a first name basis was something that could be done only between friends. It didn¡¯t seem like that meaning would fade, even if the rtionship were homosexual or heterosexual. Of course, there was no problem with using it just to express some level of intimacy and hide one¡¯s identity, but I still wanted to do it clearly if possible. ¡­But using titles like honey or hubby seemed too nauseating. After thinking of a few candidates in my head, I quietly gave Ethan a slightly different name. ¡°Okay, ¡­Ed.¡± ¡°¡­AHEM,ahem?!¡± ¡­I had put some thought intoing up with a nickname, but was it really that bad? Seeing Ethan making such a fuss over just removing one consonant from his name*1made me feel a bit annoyed. Someone was attending the banquet, even pretending to be a fianc¨¦e, to help his political actions. ¡­Yet he showed such a reaction because the nickname that came out of my mouth, Ed, was awkward? ¡­Somehow, seeing that made me want to call this noble by this nickname I just thought of even more, only because I hated the sight of it. Pretending to be nonchnt, I brazenly established Ethan¡¯s new nickname that I had just thought of. ¡°To create an atmosphere where Ed and I seem like fianc¨¦s or lovers, this would be much more effective than just calling each other by name.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°So, I will continue to call you by this title until we return to the mansion, Ed.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­ If Lilith prefers that¡­¡± Ethan, whose face had turned bright red, averted his gaze from me. Seeing him turn his head as if he didn¡¯t even want to make eye contact out of awkwardness, it seemed like there would be some fun in teasing him throughout the masquerade ball. I set my second goal for this banquet to call him Ed as much as possible whenever I had the chance. Let¡¯s see you die of embarrassment throughout the masquerade ball. With the honorifics changed like that and the atmosphere bing awkward instead, the carriage of the ckwoods had already passed through the walls of the Imperial Capital and entered it. The pce where tonight¡¯s ball would unfold was also gradually getting closer. Chapter 57 After a long carriage journey of about three hours from the ckwood Estate, we finally managed to enter the Imperial Pce. I got up with my stiff body due to sitting in the shaking carriage for a long time and slowly got off the carriage with Ethan¡¯s help. As soon as I was in an environment where I could stretch my body for the first time in a while, a refreshing moan naturally burst out of my mouth. ¡°Aggghhh¡­!¡± It¡¯s times like these when you can really feel that Luminor Academy has a medieval fantasy setting. No matter how good the carriage of a ducal family¡¯s noble son is, it can¡¯t match the suspension of a car I rode in my previous life. Moreover, since the roads weren¡¯t made of asphalt, it felt bumpy here and there. Considering that most of this was a well-maintained road leading from ckwood territory to the Imperial Capital, unpaved mountain roads or dirt roads would be even more ufortable than this. Somehow, just imagining them made me feel sick, and my expression naturally frowned slightly. ¡°Lilith, are you tired? Want to rest for a bit before going in?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine. If I can¡¯t even endure a carriage ride of this level, no one would see me as a nobledy, right, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­R-right.¡± Although I had a desire to rest my body that was tired from the long journey for a while, I just gave up on it. My acting had already begun the moment I entered this Imperial Pce. Since I had already taken on the role, I would only faithfully carry it out by matching it. I¡¯d do so just like how I had acted as Lilith Rosewood, the maid of the ckwoods, for the past 3 and a half years. ¡­Personally, I had a stronger desire to enter the Imperial Pce quickly and see the original characters rather than the rest. ¡°Have you visited the Imperial Pce before, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­I may havee before, but I don¡¯t have any particr memories left. It was probably much earlier than when I met you, Lilith.¡± I thought that as a noble son of the ckwoods, he would have visited at least once, but it seemed that it didn¡¯t leave much of an impression due to the time he was bedridden with the Curse of Erosion. The Imperial Pce of the Argentian Empire was famous for its notoriouslyplex structure, even among yers. If you¡¯re not careful, whether you¡¯re a noble or not, it¡¯s the perfect environment to get lost and be aughingstock. ¡­There¡¯s no choice, I have no choice but to use my knowledge from my previous life here. ¡°The gatekeeper said that there will be servants on standby in the central hall, so let¡¯s go there first and get guided to the ballroom¡­¡± ¡°¡­This way, Ed.¡± ¡°Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°The ballroom is to the right after entering from the west entrance and going up to the 3rd floor using the stairs you see ahead. As soon as you go up the stairs, there will be a three-way fork, with the Morning Glory Hall on the left, the Noon Sunflower Hall in the middle, and the Evening Rose Hall on the right. The ce we need to go is the Evening Rose Hall, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about, can I ask?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°As far as I know, Lilith, you are amoner, but how do you know the structure of the Imperial Pce so well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ah, I¡¯m an idiot. I should have just quietly followed where he was going; why did I suddenly get switched to yapping mode at a strange ce¡­ Rambling on when I knew something was an unavoidable habit from my previous life. ¡­Or it could be a characteristic of most humans. ¡­I have no choice but to somehow gloss over it with a suitable excuse. ¡°I knew through prior preparation. Since I was participating in an event hosted by the Imperial Pce, I thought it would be good to collect information about that in advance.¡± ¡°¡­As far as I know, the structure of the Imperial Pce is kept secret and not exined in detail, even to nobles.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Lilith. I¡¯m asking just in case, but have you visited the Imperial Pce before¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I was wrong. As you said, Ed, it would be better to receive guidance from the servants in the central hall. That would be more reliable than following my insufficient guidance and wandering around the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°Ah, no! I didn¡¯t mean to say that I couldn¡¯t trust you, Lilith! It was just a minor question¡­¡± ¡°Shall we go to the central hall where the Imperial Pce servants are, Ed? You said there will be Imperial Pce servants that you can trust stationed there. It would be much better than following my guidance on unfamiliar paths and shamefully getting lost.¡± ¡°No, no! Let¡¯s go to the stairs, then head right! I trust you, Lilith¡­!¡± Somehow glossing over it like that, when we finally arrived at the Evening Rose Hall, there were servants wearing masks waiting at the door to guide us. The butler wearing a mask spoke in a slightly surprised voice, seeing Ethan and I walking to the banquet hall as if it were natural. ¡°It¡¯s not your first time here.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you think so?¡± ¡°The Evening Rose Hall is a room that has never been open to outsiders before. You two are the first guests to find this ce at once without the servants of the pce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I could feel Ethan¡¯s gaze through the mask, and my mouth felt parched again. I should have kept my mouth shut after all¡­ Am I really an idiot¡­? Why did I confidently volunteer to guide the way, drawing more attention than necessary? ¡­Well, what¡¯s done is done, and for now, I should focus on acting as Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Even if I make excusester about knowing the structure of the Imperial Pce, right now, I have to be faithful to the role I need to y. Rather, at times like this, I need to be brazen to make it difficult for them to say anythingter. ¡°Why are you staring like that, Ed? Aren¡¯t we going in?¡± ¡°¡­S-sorry. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Ethan, who was flustered by my confident words, hurriedly entered the hall. Such a reaction was natural, in a way. Now that we had arrived at the venue for the masquerade ball, the one who would be in trouble if my acting as a nobledy was exposed was not me, but Ethan. With that thought, as soon as I entered the Evening Rose Hall with the noble son of the ckwoods, dazzling lights, and gentle music started to enter my eyes and ears. Guests who had already arrived at the ball earlier also started toe into view one by one. ¡®Hasn¡¯t Seraphine joined yet?¡¯ If a person with that unique appearance was walking around the ballroom, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t attract people¡¯s attention. Of course, she would also be wearing a fancy mask covering her eyes like the nobles attending this masquerade ball, but her appearance and features were not something that could be hidden by just a small mask. At least, based on what I experienced in-game, it felt that way. Of course, it¡¯s a prejudice I might need to change when I see her in person. ¡®As for the other key figures¡­ They don¡¯t particrly stand out right now¡­¡¯ Putting aside other characters whose exact whereabouts I don¡¯t know yet, I thought at least ¡®Orion, the Sage of Green¡¯ or ¡®Agnes of the Inferno¡¯ would have attended. Well, they may be enjoying the banquet from their respective positions without catching my eye yet. Since this was the birthday banquet of the Third Princess, it was expected that several people would attend, so it was too ambitious to expect the main characters to catch my eye immediately. Although I¡¯m not certain, it seemed like a few people who were presumed to be supporting characters in Luminor Academy passed by. Like the brown-haired nobledy with short hair who just passed by over there. Of course, I wasn¡¯t a passionate person who memorized the names of all the supporting characters one by one, so I just passed it off as ¡®it is what it is.¡¯ ¡°Is it interesting, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You seemed to be looking around diligently.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I thought you might be familiar with it since you knew about the Evening Rose Hall with such confidence earlier, but I guess this is your first time in the Imperial Pce, too?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, Ed.¡± ¡­It wasn¡¯t a lie. This was indeed the first time I saw it with my own two eyes and not on a monitor. Of course, in the game, I knew the geography like the back of my hand since it was a ce I passed through about five or six times whenever I yed through the main story. It was a situation where my looking around to find the main characters was misunderstood as being surprised by my first visit to the Imperial Pce, but thinking about it, it was actually better to let the misunderstanding continue. After all, it would be much better than making them suspect that I had visited the Imperial Pce before. Thinking that I had glossed over my previous mistake with a natural answer, Ethan asked me about my condition again. ¡°Is the dress not stuffy? Or are the shoes a bit awkward?¡± ¡°It would be a lie to say it¡¯s not ufortable, but I have no intention of neglecting my role as your fianc¨¦e, Ed, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°¡­Can you repeat what you just said one more time?¡± ¡°The part about enduring the difort?¡± ¡°¡­A little further ahead.¡± ¡°I have no intention of neglecting my role as your fianc¨¦e, Ed. ¡­Is this the part you¡¯re referring to?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s enough. Thank you, Lilith.¡± I don¡¯t understand his intention in insisting on hearing that part again. Am I that unreliable to the point where he needs to get confirmation two or three times? Well, it wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t understand him being anxious about. From Ethan¡¯s perspective, bringing me, a maid, as his partner must have been a very adventurous act. As I said before, bringing amoner maid as a partner to an event hosted by the Imperial family like this was something that could easily cause misunderstandings in many ways. Although Ethan said he had discussed my arrival with the Third Princess in advance, other nobles couldn¡¯t support that situation unconditionally. If he was unnecessarily poked at politically or unfavorable nder was amplified, even the ckwood family wouldn¡¯t be able to quell the controversy easily. ¡­Thinking about that, I still couldn¡¯t understand why Ethan brought me as his partner. If he really wanted to act, it would have been much safer to set a lesser-known youngdy from a branch family of the ckwoods as his partner. Well, maybe there was no particr special reason for bringing me. Perhaps thedy he had previously discussed with couldn¡¯t attend for some reason, and he hastily reced her with me. From the beginning, the strategy of bringing a partner to the banquet hall to avoid causing amotion was a role that could be reced by anyone, not just me. It just so happened that I was the exclusive maid closest to Ethan among the maids, so I was coincidentally given this role. Even if Isabel or Catherine had taken this position, what they had to do wouldn¡¯t have been much different. ¡®¡­No, I guess Catherine wouldn¡¯t work after all.¡¯ She was a girl whose heart was so weak that she waspletely distanced from acting and such. If a passing noble just tapped her shoulder in this banquet hall, she would automatically blurt out¡®Young Master, Miss,¡¯and her identity would be exposed. Tap. ¡°Ah?!¡± ¡­Yes, exactly like in this situation. The hand of ady with sky blue hair walking from the opposite side while looking away slightly bumped into my shoulder in the banquet hall. As a result, some of the contents of the cocktail ss in thedy¡¯s hand had spilled. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The youngdy¡¯s glove and the shoulder part of the dress I was wearing got wet at the same time due to the spilled cocktail. ¡­This one dress I¡¯m wearing right now seems to cost more than a mid-level maid¡¯s annual sry. Surely they won¡¯t ask me topensate for itter, right? Well, I¡¯ll think about that problem slowlyter, but for now, I had to deal with the situation at hand first. If I cause amotion like this, I¡¯ll only stand out unnecessarily, so I need to approach this as gently as possible¡­ Honestly, the damage to me, whose dress got wet, was a bit greater than thatdy whose glove got a little wet, and it was her fault for not paying attention to her hand as she held the cocktail. But I, who didn¡¯t want to cause a scene, bowed my head first and spoke. I thought that if we just apologized to each other moderately and moved on without causing a scene, that would be enough until then. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I didn¡¯t notice you approaching because I was looking away for a moment¡­¡± ¡­Perhaps, I had been underestimating the ¡®nobles¡¯ of a medieval fantasy world setting. I had a naive thought that even if it wasn¡¯t my fault, if I apologized first, we could move on without any issues, momentarily forgetting that my thinking was a modern person¡¯s way of thinking. ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-my glove is ruined because you were looking away! How are you going to take responsibility for this?! Huh?!¡± ¡­The audacity of this fucking bitch? Chapter 58 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 58 [Masquerade Ball (5)] In my previous life, there was a saying that circted in onlinemunities: Compared to the past, people in the modern age don¡¯t get hit at home or at school, so their attitudes have gotten worse in proportion. If you realize there¡¯s a possibility of getting hit anywhere at any time, you¡¯re bound to develop some manners. Conversely, if you don¡¯t need to worry about getting hit, your personality goes wild. Looking back now, that saying was half right and half wrong. I somewhat agree that modern attitudes have gotten worse because people don¡¯t get physically disciplined anymore. ¡­But now, I don¡¯t think it only applies to modern people. ¡°You bumped into me! What are you going to do about this?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Whether modern or medieval times, a brat raised without the fear of being hit just had no manners. I was witnessing that eternal truth unfold right before my eyes. The crazy girl brazenly bumped into me and then yed the victim. All sorts of curses rose up to my throat. Thankfully, right away, the good Lilith Rosewood inside me popped out and calmed the delinquent Lilith¡¯s personality. ¡®Endure it, endure. If I stand out here for no reason, it¡¯ll just be more troublesome.¡¯ I had already gotten Ethan¡¯s attention by doing something unnecessary as soon as I entered the Imperial Pce tonight. If I couldn¡¯t endure it here and confronted her angrily, it would feel refreshing in that moment, but the ensuing results would be obvious. Rather than causing a scene, it was easier to just put up with it and move on. If, by any chance, the other party revealed her status and persistently pressed me, it would be disadvantageous for me as amoner. Although it was impossible to force someone to reveal their status inside the masquerade ball, if a noble was really determined, finding out was easier than drinking cold soup. ¡®If something happens, expecting Ethan¡¯s help¡­ would probably be difficult.¡¯ If I were really Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e and this kind of argument urred after rudely shing, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to conversely pressure the other party using the ckwood family¡¯s status. The problem was, I wasn¡¯t actually his fianc¨¦e right now; I was just pretending to be his. Also, I had already finished calcting that Ethan likely wouldn¡¯t actively protect me if a slightly more troublesome situation urred. No matter how exclusive of a maid she was, in the end, Lilith was just amoner maid subordinate to the family. He probably wouldn¡¯t want to cause a rift with another noble family just to cover for one maid. Especially if he couldn¡¯t be sure of the other party¡¯s exact rank and position. Unless Ethan truly had deep feelings of affection for me, it was hard to expect him to feel close to an exclusive maid who had tried to strangle him to death in his childhood. Having clearly judged my position and rank in that short moment, I quickly gathered as much information as I could with my eyes about the brazen girl in front of me. That is, just in case this girl was a major character from Luminor Academy or someone rted to it. ¡®She has the aura of nobility but doesn¡¯t seem like she was raised in a strict household. Judging by her hair color, she doesn¡¯t appear to be from a major family either.¡¯ In Luminor Academy, the nobles called ¡®major families¡¯ usually had distinct characteristics or hair colors that made them easy to differentiate. For example, those with ckwood blood mostly had ck hair and ck eyes, fitting their name.@@novelbin@@ ¡­And if there were a major noble family with sky-blue hair like that girl, she would probably be from the Azeria or August families. For now, though, it was a bit difficult to assume the girl in front of me was from either of those two families. First off, Azeria was a noble of the Serendia Kingdom, not the Argentian Empire, so there was no way they¡¯d attend Princess Seraphine¡¯s birthday party. The August family only had a few famous figures, and as they were viins, I knew each of their faces one by one. ¡®It strangely feels like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before, though¡­¡¯ Of course, if it didn¡¯t clearly remain in the memory of someone who yed for 2000 hours like me, she was probably at the level of a supporting or extra character at best. In other words, to summarize, this girl herself wasn¡¯t that high-ranking of a noble. Of course, whether the opposing noble¡¯s rank was high or low, just the fact that they were nobility was immense pressure for Lilith, so it didn¡¯t really matter. ¡®No matter how low-ranking among nobles, they¡¯re still iparably higher thanmoners.¡¯ Glossing over it as much as possible and ending this disturbance without revealing family names or given names would be the most amicable solution. Knowing who was more wrong and who suffered more damage weren¡¯t very important factors in this world¡¯s judgments. The most important thing when determining what was right and wrong in a medieval fantasy world was power and, usually, wealth or force, after that. I had neither of those three as amoner maid with debt. At best, if they were people of simr status, things like who was more at fault could be used to discern right and wrong, but it wasn¡¯t a method I could use in my current situation. Having grasped the situation in that split second, I began my ¡°persuasion¡± to the noble youngdy, spewing words with a brazen expression, suppressing my emotions as much as possible. ¡°Sh¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡­Oops, my bad. ¡°¡­M-Miss, I¡¯m sorry for startling you. My shoulder bumped into your hand, ruining your pretty gloves with the cocktail.¡± ¡®You brought your hand to my shoulder and have the audacity to act so self-righteous.¡¯ ¡°I was just about to tell you something¡­.¡± ¡°But since the cocktail that spilled from your hand also stained my dress, how about we consider this both our faults and just let it go rather than making a fuss?¡± ¡®I suffered more damage, but let¡¯s not attract attention in an ugly way and just resolve it peacefully.¡¯ ¡°No, but you just¡­¡± ¡°Also, if a young nobledy raises her voice carelessly outside, her refinement may be doubted. If a fight broke out at a wonderful party like Princess Seraphine¡¯s birthday, imagine how sad Her Highness would be.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t yell loudly like a bumpkin outside with no manners. You think the princess would be thrilled to see the spectacle of her guests fighting at her own birthday party?¡¯ I conveyed what I wanted to say in the most roundabout way possible, holding back my true feelings. Still, she seemed to have received some mandatory noble education, as she understood what I said to some extent. ¡°¡­I understand. Th-there¡¯s no choice, then. I¡¯ll have to mercifully forgive you this time.¡± ¡­For now, it seems this disturbance has been quietly suppressed somehow. Then, I just need to distance myself from this spot as if nothing happened. The stain on my dress can be wiped off with a handkerchief. Fortunately, since it¡¯s a crimson dress, any stains aren¡¯t very noticeable. Thinking that, I tried to naturally end the conversation and walk away. But¡­ ¡°¡­What is the meaning of this behavior before my eyes?¡± ¡­It seemed my partner had no intention of just letting this situation go. ¡°Wh-what is it, you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. I¡¯m asking about your attitude; you not only dirtied my partner¡¯s clothes but brazenly demanded an apology from her.¡± ¡°M-my gloves got dirty too! Because your partner didn¡¯t pay proper attention to her surroundings¡­!¡± ¡°The one who didn¡¯t pay proper attention to her surroundings was you. In a situation where a shoulder and hand collide, of course the hand that can move much more freely is the one at fault for bumping, no? Especially if you¡¯re holding something like a ss with a drink, you should have been extra cautious.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Besides, your gloves can be easily changed, but my partner¡¯s only dress was dirtied. It¡¯s clear that the one who should be apologizing is you, not my partner, but I cannot tolerate such a brazen attitude from you.¡± ¡­Ethan, why are you suddenly acting like that? I was just about to smoothly clean things up on my end and move past it, so why is he gathering people¡¯s attention and causing a scene again? The atmosphere of the party quickly centered on us due to Ethan¡¯s sudden ¡°partner protection.¡± It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one startled by the focusing gazes. ¡°Wh-what¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?! I merely graciously epted the apology your partner already admitted to! What gives you the right to say you can or cannot tolerate me?!¡± The sky-blue-haired youngdy seemed surprised by the sudden attention but still didn¡¯t back down to preserve her pride. Judging by this attitude, it was certain that she was unaware of Ethan¡¯s identity. What was truly amazing was her ability to open her mouth so boldly in a situation where she didn¡¯t even know the other party¡¯s identity. ¡­It¡¯s strange; if there was a noble youngdy with this personality, she should have appeared at least once or twice even in the game. I had never seen a character with this appearance, either among the supporting or viinous characters. Since her voice didn¡¯t sound familiar, that meant she didn¡¯t even have a voice actress, so she was really a supporting character at best, no matter what. I could confirm it in detail somehow if she just took off her mask, but it was a pity that I couldn¡¯t attempt that in the current situation. ¡°D-do you even know who I am?! What makes you so rude with such confidence?!¡± ¡°Even if I knew who you were, would that change who¡¯s in the wrong?¡± ¡°At the very least, you¡¯d have to take back the insult you spat at me. Although this is a masquerade party, don¡¯t think you can just brush off your actions.¡± ¡­Well, I think you CAN brush it off. At most, the only guest at this party with a higher status than Ethan would be Princess Seraphine. The ckwood family was quite a powerful noble family, even among other ducal houses. I don¡¯t recall any family with sky-blue hair being more influential than the ckwoods. At best, the August family of Marquis status with sky-blue hair held some meaningful power, but¡­ Even so, the August family appeared as viins in the game. In other words, even if they make enemies now, it won¡¯t be much of a problemter. Around the time I was thinking she was probably bluffing, the sky-blue haired youngdy continued speaking with more confidence than anyone. Ethan and I listened to what she bbered for now, curious about what she¡¯d say. ¡°First of all, you. Judging by your hairstyle and voice being unfamiliar to me, you¡¯re certainly not from a prominent noble family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let me rify something for you who seems excited to participate in Princess Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball. Just because it¡¯s a masquerade party where names and identities are hidden, that doesn¡¯t mean status holds no meaning¡­¡± ¡°¡­Although I¡¯m seeing you for the first time today, I didn¡¯t expect there to be a youngdy at this party who could insult the ckwood¡¯s partner and even make them beg for forgiveness.¡± ¡°¡­ck¡­wood?¡± The moment the family name left Ethan¡¯s mouth, the sky-blue-haired youngdy stopped talking and carefully muttered the name Ethan had mentioned. Judging by that reaction, she clearly hadn¡¯t imagined at all that my partner was from the ckwood family. ¡°¡­ckwood, you say?¡± ¡°Then that man can¡¯t possibly be¡­¡± ¡°He looks different from the rumors¡­¡± No, to be precise, it seemed most people here at the party were unaware. Well, even if I were in those nobles¡¯ positions, I probably wouldn¡¯t have thought of it either. Thest known public appearance of Ethan was from about three years ago, right after he got up from being bedridden. Most people here would only be familiar with the image of Ethan being short and fat. They probably couldn¡¯t immediately connect that the man who had lost weight and even gained some muscle was Ethan Richard ckwood. ¡°D-don¡¯t pretend to be him¡­! I heard the ckwood family only had one son¡­¡± ¡°Yes, just me. My father never took a second wife or concubine after my mother passed away.¡± ¡°¡­And I heard that only son had quite a lot of body fat¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shameful part of my foolish days. It¡¯s a story of my past that I want to forget, so should I take it as an insult to me if you dare mention that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You seemed to have quite a lot to say, but suddenly became quiet.¡± The youngdy, who was cornered the moment Ethan mentioned the ckwood name, avoided eye contact. Judging by this situation, it was easy to predict how this argument would end. At the very least, that ¡°unforgivable act¡± she was talking about would ur. By the way, I feel like I¡¯ve seen that character somewhere before, after all. Where have I seen her¡­ Chapter 59 Lizzy Lynn August, the eldest daughter of the August Marquis family. She was like a representation of a diligent nobledy who had grown up building many connections while immersing herself in high society from a young age. Until now, she had easily built up herwork using her eye for people and the position of the August Marquis family. At this masquerade ball, though, she was earnestly realizing that something was going wrong. ¡®Is that man really the only son of the ckwood family¡­?¡¯ At first, she just thought he was some viscount or baron¡¯s son that she wasn¡¯t aware of. With his slightly messy ck hair, toned muscles, and outfit fully armed in drab ck, even at this banquet hall¡­ ¡­she naturally assumed he was from some unpopr noble family in the outskirts since he was a type of person she had never seen before. It was hard for her to even imagine there being a high-ranking noble that she, who had participated in countless social circles since the young age of eight, didn¡¯t know. Moreover, the fact that the other party was actually Ethan Richard ckwood, who was revealing himself at a social gathering for the first time, was such an exceptional case that it was impossible for her to even consider it. However, looking at just the results, Lizzy failed to recognize Ethan Richard ckwood until right before he revealed his identity himself. The mistake she made, as a result, had long passed the point where she could smooth things over on her end. Having immersed herself in high society since childhood, Lizzy had a knack for reading people¡¯s psychology. In particr, one of her specialties was guessing the emotions the other party was experiencing in a given situation to elicit the reaction she wanted. In fact, in many situations, Lizzy used this ability to make the other party feel indebted to her or, conversely, to naturally smooth over her own mistakes. While searching for the masked Third Princess Seraphine among the many people, bumping the cocktail in her hand into someone else¡¯s shoulder was definitely a ¡°mistake.¡± However, in that situation, instead of admitting her fault, she got angry at the other party, which was a calcted action that popped out after grasping the situation and calcting her gains. Since both the other party and their partner were faces she had never seen in high society, she naturally assumed they wouldn¡¯t be higher ranked than the August Marquis family, at the very least. It was a situation where, in an ident where her own fault was clearly greater, the other party ended up suffering more damage. If she admitted her mistake first, it could sometimes be seen as the August family owing a debt to the other family. To prevent such a situation, she took a brazen attitude instead. If she could provoke the other party¡¯s anger and draw out insulting remarks, at least it wouldn¡¯t simply end as a disgrace for the August family. Of course, what actually returned from the other party was a calm response,pletely different from what she expected. ¡°How about we consider this both our faults and just let it go rather than making a fuss?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She thought the other party would naturally get angry at her for spewing brazen words despite being the one who caused harm, but the other youngdy just summarized what happened as ¡°both our faults¡± and ended the situation in an instant. When she came to her senses, she found herself absently nodding her head after hearing the other¡¯s apology. Although it felt like she lost a psychological battle, the situation itself was actually going well for her. From Lizzy¡¯s standpoint, making her mistake disappear as if it never happened was the most amicable solution. Moreover, Lizzy, who had been rolling around in high society for over 10 years, was instinctively sensing a danger on her radar for some reason. It was a moment when she had an ominous premonition that if she didn¡¯t meekly ept this proposal, her life could be in danger, depending on the circumstances. ¡°I have no choice. I¡¯ll have to mercifully forgive you this time.¡± That¡¯s why Lizzy tried to wrap up the situation as quickly as possible and hurriedly leave the scene, but right after the conversation, the youngdy¡¯s partner, whose clothes were damaged, called out to her again. Getting fired up at those words and arguing again ended up being the worst mistake she made today. Lizzy never could have predicted that the youngdy¡¯s partner would be the eldest son of the ckwood family. In a situation where she felt she also had to reveal her family name, she was caught in quite a dilemma. ¡®¡­What should I do?¡¯ If she had known he was the young master of the ckwood family, she would have immediately prostrated herself on the ground and begged for forgiveness the moment she made the mistake. Even if she didn¡¯t directly offend the ckwood family¡¯s young master, the damage done to his partner was no different from insulting him. But, since she had never seen the man nor the woman in high society before, Lizzy mistook them both for people of lower status than herself. That became a fatal mistake that ended up cornering her. ¡®If I get on my knees and apologize now, could I be forgiven¡­?¡¯ If forgiveness was possible, she was willing to prostrate on the ground right this instant, but that would not be enough, considering the gravity of the deed she hadmitted. The ckwood family¡¯s young master was clearly exuding a sinister aura that felt like murderous intent towards her. Lizzy was certain that she had long missed her chance to be forgiven. At best, the possibility of this passing without incident would be if that man was actually a lower noble impersonating the ckwood family¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ But Lizzy ended up spotting the sword hilt at his waist. The ckwood family crest and the pattern that only one family in the empire could use. The hilt of the sword depicts a ck double-headed eagle. ¡®¡­I have to leave right now.¡¯ Now that apologizing and receiving forgiveness was impossible, and she was certain the other party was the ckwood family¡¯s young master¡­ ¡­the best action Lizzy, as the youngdy of the August Marquis family, could take was to just avoid this ce and hurriedly escape. It was a bitter failure not to be able to meet Princess Seraphine, which was her original goal, but right now, the biggest loss was her rtionship with the ckwood family bing strained even more than it already was. She had no choice but to quickly flee from the ballroom before more people gathered and someone recognized her identity. ¡®First, I need to quickly find Caraham inside this banquet hall. If he stays, my identity will end up being revealed. And as soon as I return, I need to change my hairstyle. On top of that, I should refrain from attending high society events for a while¡­¡¯ If she could just take her younger brother, who participated in the masquerade ball as her partner, and hurriedly leave the scene, there was a high possibility those two wouldn¡¯t be able to chase her to the end. In any case, their main purpose was also to build ties with the Imperial family, so they would prioritize that over tracking down some noble. ¡°You seemed to have quite a lot to say, but suddenly became quiet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since I revealed my family to you first, I¡¯d like to hear who you are and which family you¡¯re from this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Feeling pressured by Ethan approaching her step by step, Lizzy desperately moved her eyes behind the mask to search for her younger brother, Caraham. Fortunately, before long, she could confirm a man with striking sky-blue hair like her own entering her field of vision. Now, she just needed to take her younger brother and get out of this ballroom as soon as possible, she thought. However, unfortunately for Lizzy Lynn August, there was one fatal problem she failed to consider. ¡°S-Sister! Get away from that nasty guy!¡± Her younger brother, Caraham Jamuel August, was a muscle-brain with no tact whatsoever. ¡°You seemed to have quite a lot to say, but suddenly became quiet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since I revealed my family to you first, I¡¯d like to hear who you are and which family you¡¯re from this time.¡± The sky-blue-haired youngdy instantly fell silent the moment Ethan revealed his family name. Seeing that hesitation, I could immediately tell that her family definitely wasn¡¯t at a level that could overwhelmingly dominate the ckwood family. To begin with, it was doubtful whether there even was a family within the empire capable of dominating the ckwoods. It was sufficiently predictable that this would happen the instant Ethan revealed the ckwood name. I could also cautiously predict what judgment she would make in the end after being cornered. ¡®She¡¯ll probably run away. She won¡¯t reveal her family until the end.¡¯ Ethan was already creating a menacing atmosphere around that woman, and the karma she had umted was far too great to receive forgiveness through an apology now. She, who had brazenly raised her voice relying solely on her family¡¯s prestige, saw her ace in the hole backfire. She was essentially no different from a cornered mouse. Among the methods that the woman could attempt in the current situation, the only usible solution was to flee. ¡­Well, I should probably tell Ethan that she¡¯s preparing to run away. After confirming the youngdy rapidly moving her pupils behind the mask, I quietly whispered to him beside me about what I saw and felt. ¡°Ed.¡± ¡°Li-Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°I think that woman is nning to run away.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Just keep that in mind.¡± It was information I shared literally just for him to keep in mind. I wasn¡¯t telling Ethan to stop her from running away or to be on guard in case she does manage to escape. I thought this sudden eleration from Ethan to make the situation rough could be his political move in a way. Although I wasn¡¯t actually Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e and was just his exclusive maid, in any case, the only ones here who knew that fact were Ethan and me (+Princess Seraphine). The situation just now where his partner was insulted was an opportunity that could be utilized as no small political gain for Ethan. ¡®He probably calcted that he could make them sufficiently indebted to him since the other party¡¯s family doesn¡¯t seem to be a small one either.¡¯ In reality, it was that youngdy¡¯s cocktail that spilled on mymoner clothes, but if he wanted to, it could be inted into an issue between families without any problem. In particr, such one-sided insults could be used as a significant weakness in future deals between nobles. Considering the possibility of getting entangled with that opposing nobleter on, it was advantageous in many ways to definitely ce them indebted to him. ¡®He¡¯s certainly using his head well these days as he¡¯s considering territorial management, too.¡¯ Just like how he pressured Emilia through the guardsst year, he clearly knew what would or wouldn¡¯t benefit him and his family. Although I ended up being used twice in the process, I didn¡¯t particrly feel bad about it. In any case, that woman was someone I found unpleasant too, and watching her get screwed over was a refreshing spectacle for me as well. ¡­However, it was a bit embarrassing when I realized it was just my misunderstanding to think Ethan stepped up to defend me. ¡®Still, the fact is he gave that woman who annoyed me a piece of his mind as a result. I¡¯ll consider that as a reward.¡¯ From now on, it was Ethan¡¯s freedom to do as he wished.@@novelbin@@ Whether he just roughly kicks her out after watching her run away¡­ ¡­orpletely blocks her escape and uses her of greater crimes¡­ I was watching the situation unfold with the mindset of a spectator watching a fire across the river, predicting he would choose thetter. Then Ethan, who heard my advice, also began muttering something quietly to me. ¡°Got it. If that¡¯s what Lilith wants.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± What did I want? While wondering about Ethan¡¯s sudden monologue, I observed the situation, and the cornered youngdy finally showed a movement as if trying to escape. Both Ethan and I were focusing on the sky-blue-haired youngdy¡¯s actions, unable to let go of our tension, when¡­ ¡°¡­S-Sister! Get away from that nasty guy!¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± At the man¡¯s voiceing from outside our field of vision, the eyes of the three of us, including that woman, instantly shifted in that direction. ¡°D-Don¡¯t touch my sister Lizzy, you sinister-looking bastard!!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I¡¯ve definitely heard this voice before. No, it wasn¡¯t just the voice. Although part of his eyes were covered by the mask, I could clearly identify that character. Sky-blue hair, a familiar physique, a voice I¡¯ve heard before, and a recognizable sword design. ¡­Moreover, he just called that woman Sister Lizzy. Considering all of these, there was only one character that fit all the conditions. ¡®¡­Caraham Jamuel August.¡¯ Alias, Swordfiend Caraham. Yeah, there¡¯s no way I could forget him even if I tried. That¡¯s because he was the miniboss of the ¡°Seraphine Kidnapping¡± incident in Part 3 of Luminor Academy. Chapter 60 ¡¸Title: Complete Walkthrough for the Seraphine Kidnapping Episode (4) Author: LilGirlChang Content: Continuing from the previous walkthrough. (Image of the entrance to the August Residence) As soon as you pass through the estate and enter the residence, the battle starts right away. As soon as you enter the building, you¡¯ll probably start fighting the infected guards, so Lilith is essential for buffs and curse removal. If you don¡¯t have Lilith yet, at least bring Orion. If you put in either Lilith or Orion, you¡¯ll have one spot left aside from the default members, and since there are a lot of mobs, it¡¯s good to fill one spot with someone who has AOE skills like Agnes. But I brought Natalie with me. She¡¯s also quite useful in the miniboss battle. (Image of the inside of the August Residence) When you enter the residence, there¡¯s nothing on the 1st floor, and one of yourpanions will say to check the 2nd floor first. Obtain the residence map in the library on the 2nd floor and the August family¡¯s secret book in the office on the 3rd. When you get the August family¡¯s secret book, ¡®August Code Decoding Method¡¯ appears. Use that to interpret the writing on the map obtained on the 2nd floor, and you¡¯ll get the way to the secret underground prison and how to obtain the key. (The key randomly drops from the guards on the 2nd-3rd floors) (Image of the stairs leading to the August underground) Now, when you enter the basement, Swordfiend Caraham awaits you at the entrance. He¡¯s in a demonized state and is quite tough. If you brought Natalie like me, you can easily finish by protecting Natalie and fighting, and if you don¡¯t have Natalie, alternate between the protagonist and Lilith taking hits and pour in the damage. Since he¡¯s a miniboss, you should be able to defeat him with most partypositions. By the way, he drops a pendant when defeated. If you give it to a mage, their maximum mana increases a bit, but for others, it¡¯s just decoration. (Image of the August underground prison) After defeating Caraham, nowes the underground prison section, and if you open the prison door with the key obtained earlier and proceed while farming¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ 175.223: These walkthroughs are really good. ??: Keep writing walkthroughs. Last time, thanks to your walkthrough, I barely managed to get Lilith, and the game became super easy, lol. ©¸223.38: frfr ©¸LilGirlChang: I¡¯m gonna write more while doing my 25th ythrough, partly to keep a record, but idk how long I¡¯ll keep it up. ©¸©¸??: wtf how do you manage 25 runs? do you even have a life? Guwon Soon-ae: I can¡¯t find the secret book in the office on the 3rd floor. Can you tell me exactly where it is? ©¸LilGirlChang: You should be able to find it if you search the bookshelf with the ck books. ©¸©¸Guwon Soon-ae: Ah, got it. I thought only the red books had special effects, but the ck books are interactive, too. Found it; thanks a lot. ThisIsAGodGame*1: I got the pendant, but who is the person inside? ©¸LilGirlChang: It¡¯s probably Lizzy. From what I know, she got caught in a monster wave and died while attending an Imperial event. I think it happened about a year before she enrolled in the academy. ©¸©¸ThisIsAGodGame: Ah, so that¡¯s why Seraphine mentioned Lizzy when she was rescued, talking about taking responsibility and all that. 39.7: I don¡¯t want to save Seraphine because she¡¯s so annoying. Can I just skip saving her? ©¸oo: (¡®I¡¯m pretty, aren¡¯t I?!¡¯ meme emoticon) ©¸LilGirlChang: I tried everything, but it doesn¡¯t seem possible.¡¹ Swordfiend Caraham. The miniboss of the ¡°Seraphine Kidnapping¡± episode in Part 3 of Luminor Academy. Looking at the bigger picture, he¡¯s not a character that makes a huge impact on the story, but he¡¯s a character you inevitably encounter at least once, no matter how you go about avoiding entanglement with him. As mentioned before, he¡¯s the miniboss of the ¡°Seraphine Kidnapping¡± episode, and episodes rted to Seraphine in Luminor Academy were basically mandatory episodes. Hisbat power is quite strong, befitting a miniboss of Part 3. He¡¯s at least stronger than Ethan, the miniboss of the Part 2 episodes. Of course, this is talking about the case without considering the growth of the characters as time changes, and objectively, it would be a bit difficult for Caraham to match Ethan inbat power. ¡­Well, even considering that, in the case of Ethan vs Caraham, of course Ethan would get beaten up. Ah, by the way, what I¡¯m talking about is strictly the detestable Ethan in the game. Not the Ethan right next to me now. To begin with, the detestable Ethan, the miniboss of the Part 2 episodes, was a miniboss with Lilith as his assistant, so naturally, he had to fall short in many ways whenparing individualbat power. In contrast, Caraham, the miniboss of Part 3 episodes, was a solo character, and on top of that, a character who underwent demonization with the demon serum, so it wasn¡¯t even a matter ofparingbat power. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ At this point, it¡¯s a bit hard to say with certainty who would win if wepare the current Ethan and Caraham. Ethan started wielding a sword through truly skin-shaving training over the past year. ncing at his recent training sessions, it seemed he could sufficiently handle ki techniques. If the bloodline magic of the ckwoods was added to that, hisbat power would be much stronger than what I saw. Needless to say, Caraham¡¯s physical abilities were already overwhelming even before entering the academy. Although he had some actions that showed a slightck of intelligence proportional to his increased physical abilities, his purebat power was not to be underestimated. In any case, the fact that he remained sane even after demonization with the demon serum itself signified his strength. Seeing Caraham suddenly calling that woman ¡°Sister Lizzy,¡± she was probably¡­ ¡°¡­Lizzy Lynn August.¡± *Flinch* At the words that unintentionally popped out of my mouth, the youngdy unconsciously trembled slightly. That reaction confirmed it. That character was definitely Lizzy Lynn August, the youngdy of the August family. ¡®I forgot about her since she was already a dead character in the story¡­¡¯ I thought I knew all the named characters of the August family, but to think I¡¯d meet a character who was already dead in the game¡¯s story. Come to think of it, she was also a character who always appeared in episodes rted to the August family. Although she didn¡¯t appear directly, Lizzy¡¯s death was the decisive trigger for the August family betraying the empire and joining hands with the demons. Even if she didn¡¯t directly appear in the game, she was a character I had heard about indirectly many times. ¡®In the game, you can confirm her existence through portraits or pendants.¡¯ That was probably the main reason why she left a vague impression. Well, there¡¯s no way a noble character like this wouldn¡¯t have any influence on the main story. But to think I¡¯d recognize a named character instantly, even with a mask on. Even after 3 and a half years of crossing over to this world, my gamer¡¯s eye is still going strong. ¡°Wh-what are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Li-Lizzy, who¡­? Wh-who is that¡­? I don¡¯t know that person at all¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sister?¡± ¡°S-sister, you say¡­ I-I don¡¯t remember having a muscle-brain younger brother like you¡­ Uh¡­¡± ¡­Truly, it was a struggle pitiful enough to make one feel sorry for her. Trying to pretend not to know even her own brother in an attempt to hide her identity¡­ That effort to somehow gloss over it even after her identity was already exposed was unfortunate, and Ethan also seemed to have roughly grasped the situation. ¡­Moreover, even if it was because of her brother Caraham, that half-baked acting wouldn¡¯tst long. Before Caraham fell into being ¡°Swordfiend Caraham¡±¡­ The title attached to him in his human state was ¡°Tactless Caraham.¡± ¡°S-sister! What in the world are you saying?! How can you not recognize me???¡± ¡°Q-quiet¡­ F-first, follow me outside quietly¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Caraham! Caraham Jamuel August! Aren¡¯t I your one and only twin younger brother, Sister Lizzy?!¡± ¡°Ah, ahhhhh¡­! P-please just shut your mouth¡­!¡± Lizzy¡¯s seal was finally broken by Caraham¡¯s self-introduction that poured out as if going on a rampage. Watching theedy-like spectacle of the two, Ethan quietly opened his mouth and asked Lizzy. ¡°I see. As the youngdy of the August Marquis family, you certainly had the guts to confront the prestige of the ckwood family.¡± ¡°N-no¡­! We¡¯re just a trivial family in the outskirts¡­!¡± ¡°Right! It¡¯s only natural that our August family, which blocks the monster front in the empire, is greater than your ck-whatever family!¡± ¡°Lizzy¡­August, was it? I apologize for not recognizing you, as it¡¯s been a while since I stepped into a ce like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lizzy Lynn August! Engrave that in that stupid-looking head of yours, you sinister bastard!¡± ¡°P-please just shut up! Caraham, you muscle-brain¡­!!¡± ¡°S-sister?! Why are you suddenly acting like this?!¡± Right after making a shy entrance on one side of the banquet hall and spouting nonsense calling Ethan a sinister bastard¡­ Caraham boldly revealed his own and his sister¡¯s identities with that booming voice. As the siblings were jointly picking a fight with the ckwood family, even I was getting dumbfounded, when¡­ BAM! Suddenly, a sound that sounded like smashing the floor with a rock rang out inside the banquet hall. When I came to my senses, Caraham¡¯s forehead was mmed into the ground by Lizzy¡¯s right hand. ¡°A-ack! S-sister?!¡± ¡°Regarding the rudeness I showed to Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s partner in this incident, I have no words to say even if I had ten mouths. Also, I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for shamelessly running my mouth without knowing my ce.¡± ¡°S-sister?! What are you doing right now?!¡± ¡°The August family is fully willing topensate for the damage caused by this incident, and we will thoroughly reimburse not only the cost of the dress but also the repair costs and constion payment for ruining your day today. Furthermore, I apologize for my discourteousness towards the youngdy,cking mutual courtesy and respect¡­¡± ¡°Sister?! What are you on about?!?!?!?!?!?! Why does the August family have to kneel before these strange guys we¡¯ve never even seen before¡­A-ack?!¡± BAM!!! ¡°You-! Just shut up and keep that rock-head of yours on the ground!!¡± Lizzy, who was prostrating on the ground, was trying to smooth over the situation now that her identity waspletely exposed, but even that wasn¡¯t going well because of her tactless younger brother. The sound of Caraham¡¯s hard head hitting the floor rang out several times in the Evening Rose Hall. Ethan, who was quietly listening to the apology of the youngdy of August, muttered a sentence in a low voice. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only one you need to apologize to.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± At those words, she immediately turned her head towards me this time and lowered her head. Almost the same words of apology she had just said to Ethan popped out of her mouth again. ¡°I sincerely apologize for daring to damage your dress in this incident, youngdy. The cost of the dress you are wearing and the repair expenses will be fully covered by me and the August family. Also, I apologize for my disrespectful attitude towards you, youngdy,cking mutual courtesy and respect¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. I heard it when you apologized earlier, so you don¡¯t need to say it again.¡± ¡°E-excuse me, but could you please tell me the name of your family? The August family will directly go to your estate topensate¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Please, I beg of you, youngdy.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡­This is somehow getting more and more troublesome. Whatpensation? Even if I receive such a thing, it will just flow into the ckwood family, so it¡¯s not my money anyway. ¡­And there¡¯s no way I have a family name to reveal in this situation. What¡¯s the point of themoner Lilith revealing her family? To send a surprise package to that gambler father of hers? Then again, if I don¡¯t show any reaction in this situation, it will seem like I¡¯m being stubborn because I don¡¯t want to ept the apology. This woman seemed like the type who would annoyingly stick around until I epted her apology. ¡­Here, I can only appropriately deflect and move on. ¡°I¡¯ll ept your apology. But you don¡¯t need to worry aboutpensation.¡± ¡°P-pardon?¡± ¡°As I said earlier, the incident just now was simply a mistake we both made together. So, while I¡¯ll ept your apology for the insult, let¡¯s not talk aboutpensation.¡± ¡°Ah, aaaahh¡­¡± Lizzy looked at me with an expression as if she was moved by my words. Anyway, with this, I should be able to avoid a situation where I have to reveal my non-existent noble family. This was enough. To begin with, the part that annoyed me about Lizzy hadpletely disappeared after seeing her and Caraham¡¯s spectacle just now. I met some other characters from the game for a change and had a moderately fun spectacle, so let¡¯s call it even. ¡°¡­If the apology is over, I¡¯d like you to disappear from my sight now.¡± ¡°E-excuse us! ¡­Ca-Caraham! Get up quickly!¡± ¡°I-I can walk, so don¡¯t pull my ear, Sister!¡± And so, Caraham and Lizzy vanished like the wind as quickly as they hade. In a situation where they had already drawn the attention of all sorts of people in many ways, the two people who were at its center left the Evening Rose Hall and disappeared outside. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It was only after the two disappeared from my sight that I realized I had words I hadn¡¯t conveyed. ¡®I should have told them in advance not to participate in Imperial events for the next year.¡¯ I don¡¯t like it when a character whose face I know dies in the next episode or something. Maybe I should send an anonymous letter to the August family soon. Chapter 61 The scene that had been left behind after the August siblings, who had appeared abruptly and caused all sorts ofmotion, disappeared. The crowd that had naturally gathered due to the two unexpected people naturally returned to its original state, but instead of dispersing, they began to flock toward the young master of the ckwood family. ¡°Ah, greetings, Sir Ethan Richard ckwood! I am Raphael Henry Brighton, the second son of the Brighton Count family!¡± ¡°N-nice to meet you, Young Master Ethan. I-I am Letitia Seitaridis, the eldest daughter of Viscount Kane Seitaridis. I-it is truly an honor to meet the young master at such an asion¡­¡± ¡°I-I am Elvis Preston, the Captain of the Preston Knights¡­¡± ¡­Yes, this is how it usually goes. This was expected given his being from the ckwood Ducal family, his debut into high society for the first time in almost 10 years, and, objectively speaking, his quite handsome appearance. Although they hadn¡¯t recognized him until now due to Ethan¡¯s drastically changed appearance, the earlier incident had clearly revealed that this neat man was Ethan Richard ckwood. For them, there was no longer any reason to hesitate in approaching him. Especially since opportunities to interact with a high-ranking family like the ckwoods were limited, they naturally wanted to establish connections somehow. ¡­Although, it somewhat faded the meaning behind why Princess Seraphine hosted the masquerade ball. Seraphine probably envisioned a ce of free interaction where the distinction between lower and higher nobility didn¡¯t matter. ¡­Not a typical social gathering where everyone flocked to a single high-ranking noble to introduce themselves regardless of who they were. ¡°Greetings, youngdy! I am George Bell Edmond, the second son of Gray Bell Edmond! It¡¯s an honor to meet¡­¡± ¡°Ah, hello¡­ I-I am Natia Braithwaite, the eldest daughter of Nichs Braithwaite, Viscount¡­¡± ¡­Moreover, when people gathered like this, it was natural that attention was drawn not only to Ethan but also to me. I, too, had to struggle quite a bit dealing with people I never expected. How did they all perceive me to be from which family that they respond with such polite courtesy? ¡­Well, at least the August siblings had shown the ¡°prime example of what absolutely not to do¡± before leaving, so it wasn¡¯t iprehensible that they were being overly courteous in this situation. The problem was that I wasn¡¯t a high-ranking nobledy as they expected, but amoner, debt-ridden maid. I had no choice but to force an awkward smile and giveposed responses to the approaching nobles while being overwhelmed by all sorts of burdensome gazes and atmospheres directed at me, someone who was merely amoner debt-ridden maid. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you as well, Miss Braithwaite.¡± ¡®Ah¡­ I feel like vomiting from the pressure¡­¡¯ My head was already being crushed by the strong pressure of dealing with nobles while holding the position of Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s fianc¨¦e. ¡­To begin with, even if these people try to appeal to me, it has nothing to do with the ckwood family. Ethan had exined beforehand that I wouldn¡¯t need to deal with many nobles as long as I didn¡¯t attract too much attention, but in the end, we drew attention and had to greet the endless stream of nobles one by one. We also had to respond as brazenly as possible to the asional sensitive questions. ¡°What is your rtionship with Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Hoho, who knows? What do you think our rtionship is?¡± ¡°T-that ring¡­ Could it be that you¡¯re his fianc¨¦e¡­?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps Ed and I both coincidentally wanted to wear simr rings.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but may I ask which family you¡¯re from¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to reveal that in a ce like this. This is a masquerade ball hosted by Princess Seraphine, after all. It¡¯s not like you need to reveal your identity to socialize, right?¡± ¡°Y-you are absolutely right!¡± ¡­As I said before, even if I¡¯m crushed by the pressure, I have no intention of neglecting my ¡°acting as Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± Bar the fact that I feel nauseous wearing this unfitting mask, I must do what I set out to do properly until the end. In any case, if I get exposed as amoner here due to my mediocre acting skills, the one who will be most troubled is obviously me. Above all, I don¡¯t want toter get unnecessarily nitpicked by Ethan for being half-hearted about it. ¡®The dress is already dirty, making me anxious, so there¡¯s no need to create more reasons to get nitpicked here.¡¯ At least he won¡¯t make absurd demands like asking me to pay for the ruined dress in return for agreeing to his request. Still, staining this who-knows-how-expensive piece of cloth with a cocktail was inevitably causing me anxiety. Separate from acting as the young master¡¯s fianc¨¦e, my financial sense had always remained at a working-ss level since my previous life. I was already trying to be as careful as possible due to my anxiety, but in the end, it turned out like this. In this situation, the conclusion I came to in my heart was that I should at least properly y the role of Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Anyway, the acting I had to do was just putting on a thick face and pretending to be something I¡¯m not. Even if it¡¯s a bit awkward, there won¡¯t be anyone brave enough to point that out. So even though I¡¯m acting as Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­ ¡®Seraphine probably wouldn¡¯t be too happy to see people gathered around one or two people like this.¡¯ I wonder what kind of expression Seraphine would make seeing the masquerade ball she created for people to freely socialize while forgetting each other¡¯s identities turn into a ckwood family-centered gathering. Around the time this uneasiness was rising in my head, I slightly felt Ethan¡¯s gaze on me from the right. The moment I unconsciously turned my head towards him, Ethan, who briefly made eye contact with me, quietly nodded his head to signal me. ¡°¡­Enough, I think we¡¯ve exchanged sufficient greetings, so let¡¯s stop here for today.¡± At Ethan¡¯s remark, the gathered crowd slightly dispersed and seemed to gauge the atmosphere. I was also waiting to see what words Ethan would use to dismiss these people when suddenly I felt the sensation of his hand grabbing and pulling me. Before I knew it, my body, pulled by Ethan¡¯s hand, was embraced by one of his shoulders. ¡°From now on, I want to spend some intimate time with my partner. I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s continue the unfinished conversations next time.¡± ¡­Looking at his recent actions, he¡¯s certainly using his head well. In a situation where he¡¯s openly iming he¡¯s going to have a date with his woman, the only tactless noble who would interfere would be someone like Caraham at best. Half of the nobles reluctantly withdrew at Ethan¡¯s words that he would stop here for today. ¡­the other half hesitated for a moment but carefully turned away, worried that interfering would backfire and earn them a re. The crowd that had been sorge dispersed throughout the banquet hall in an instant, leaving only Ethan and me. ¡°Sorry, Lilith. I made you tired for nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ed. The cause of themotion was me bumping shoulders with the young Augustdy anyway. Rather, it¡¯s fortunate that it ended like this even after causing such a disturbance.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°How is that your fault, Lilith? It¡¯s the fault of that woman who brazenly bumped into you first and then made a fuss.¡± ¡°Still, it wasn¡¯t too bad for you, right, Ed? Thanks to that, you were able to put the August family in your debt.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°The August Marquis family is a family that wields quite a bit of influence in the Western empire. Your judgment to make them indebted to you at this opportunity was very good. It seems you¡¯re learning business nowadays following your mas¡­ father, and you¡¯re certainly showing the qualities of a sessor these days.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan moved his lips as if he had something to say but quietly remained silent. Is he feeling guilty about using me in the process of creating a weakness for the August family? To convey that he didn¡¯t need to worry about that, I supplemented my words about what had just happened. ¡°Just to let you know, you don¡¯t need to worry about me, Ed. I don¡¯t think you used me at all.¡± ¡°U-used, you say¡­?¡± ¡°The situation just happened to work out well in many ways, didn¡¯t it? The youngdy who bumped into me and picked a fight happened to be from a family of decent standing, and I was Ed¡¯s partner, so there was sufficient justification. Even though there was no need to get angry in a situation where the youngdy and I had already finished our conversation, you still got angry, so naturally, you were considering that aspect, right?¡± ¡°N-no, Lilith. I didn¡¯t get angry with that kind of intention¡­¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s fine. Regardless of your intent, I¡¯m satisfied that you gave that woman a piece of your mind. Watching her hurriedly flee outside the hall at the end was an enjoyable sight for me, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°More importantly, how long are you going to hold me? The people have mostly dispersed, so let me go already.¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± As soon as Ethan released his grip on my shoulder at my words, the freedom of my body that had been restrained finally returned. Ethan¡¯s eyes still showed an ufortable expression toward me, as if something was bothering him. ¡®¡­Was the dress more expensive than I thought?¡¯ They say rich people are more stingy when ites to spending money. Maybe that part is really bothering him. I vaguely deflected because I didn¡¯t want to reveal my family name, but maybe I should have just told them topensate the ckwood family directly. Chapter 62 After all the other nobles who had approached to somehow get involved with the ckwood family had retreated at Ethan¡¯s word¡­ In a corner of the banquet hall that had quieted down, Ethan and I quietly settled down and conversed a bit more. Since Ethan had already used the excuse of wanting to spend time alone with his partner to dismiss people, I thought it would be better to create an atmosphere of us interacting a bit more. ¡°Is it alright to be in such a secluded spot at a rare social gathering like this, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re still using that nickname even when it¡¯s just the two of us.¡± ¡°Well, this is the Imperial Pce with many unseen eyes and ears, so we should be cautious by default, right? Or have you suddenly be awkward with my nickname for you now, Ed?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± That¡¯s not what he meant, he says. But his expression clearly shows he¡¯s awkwardly dying inside. It was a strangely enjoyable moment, feeling like I discovered Ethan¡¯s weakness for a change. ¡®He probably can¡¯t bring himself to tell me to change the nickname because it¡¯s awkward for him.¡¯ For him to drag me here and ask me to act as his fianc¨¦e and then stop me from fully immersing myself in that role as fianc¨¦e would be a strange request in itself. In fact, from Ethan¡¯s standpoint, he should be more than grateful to me. What kind of maid would have the audacity to evene up with a nickname for a ducal family¡¯s young master and act as his fianc¨¦e? Most maids, let alone lower nobles, wouldn¡¯t dare to even think of it out of fear of possiblymitting l¨¨se-majest¨¦*1. I can do such a bold thing because, as his exclusive maid, I¡¯ve seen him grow up to some extent. The characters of Luminor Academy may have distinctions between good and bad personalities, but most of them are well-formed characters with ¡°consistency.¡± Ethan, although a viin in the original work, was a character who consistently maintained his stance of ¡°I will never give up Lilith even if I die¡± until the very end. Considering my actions towards Ethan so far, there were many things I did that were way worse than justing up with a nickname, so it would be strange if he got angry over just that right now. ¡®I was a bit surprised sometimes, though, when he got angry over random things.¡¯ ¡­I had already figured out that those actions were all due to his political moves, so there was nothing to fear. So, while discussing the nickname I call him, I stood next to Ethan, who had suddenly gone quiet. I looked around the Evening Rose Hall and diligently continued my motivation for attending today¡¯s masquerade ball. My main purpose for attending was to find characters presumed to be prospective freshmen entering the academy, in other words, characters from Luminor Academy. Of course, even if I found them, it was impossible to actually have a conversation or interact with them in this identity. The least I hoped I could do was to look from afar and appreciate them in person. Especially since I¡¯ve entered the world of my favorite game for a change. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I won¡¯t be able to enroll in the academy, so it¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t experience the main story, but I should enjoy the game elements as much as possible, even in this way. However, even with my intense ¡°gamer¡¯s eye,¡± it was quite difficult to find other characters besides the August siblings. Characters that should definitely be here were nowhere to be seen, so naturally, questions began to arise in my mind at this point.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I don¡¯t know about other characters since some things have changed, but at the very least, Hellfire Agnes should have attended if things were normal.¡¯ Agnes Elizabeth ze. As I¡¯ve been mentioning, some people may have already guessed, but of course, this character was also from Luminor Academy. She wasn¡¯t just an ordinary character; she was one of the main heroines. She was even equipped with useful skills, making her popr enough to keep in the party even outside of her route. As her nickname ¡°Hellfire¡± suggests, she¡¯s a character specializing in fire magic, and as a mage in this world, she was naturally a noble heroine. Of course, I didn¡¯t think she would attend this banquet solely because she was a noble. I just mentioned it in the sense that there was a high possibility she would participate, considering Agnes¡¯ background as a character. ¡®Agnes is a child of a branch family of the Elizabeth family, and since she learns magic with the support of the main family, she can¡¯t go against the main family¡¯smands.¡¯ Such crowded and bothersome ces were one of the venues Agnes hated, but knowing that going against the main family would be troublesome, Agnes reluctantly attended events like banquets even if she didn¡¯t want to. Especially since this masquerade ball was an Imperial-hosted event, it definitely took priority over other banquets, and the Elizabeth Viscount family would have certainly received an invitation. So, even if I¡¯m not sure about other characters¡¯ attendance, I assume that Agnes must have at least participated in this event. Wondering if she might be mixed in with the people dancing, I was observing the moving crowd when Ethan¡¯s quiet voice came from my left. ¡°Lili.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lili?¡± ¡°¡­By any chance, does ¡®Lili¡¯ refer to me, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡­And here I thought he met an acquaintance with a simr name to mine. Come to think of it, until recently, Ethan had an appearance that was quite far from such social events, so there¡¯s no way he would have a noble peer acquaintance who could recognize him by face. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Unless he made a pen pal friend somewhere, I don¡¯t know about it, but that¡¯s also far from Ethan¡¯s personality. To begin with, as his exclusive maid, I managed all the letters addressed to Ethan, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know. ¡°So, why are you calling me Lili?¡± ¡°¡­You said it would be better this way, Lili.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You said in the carriage that it would be better to use a closer nickname if we¡¯re going to pretend to be engaged. And Lili, you¡¯ve been calling me Ed this whole time, too.¡± ¡°¡­Aha.¡± So that¡¯s what he meant. He¡¯s been the only one feeling embarrassed and awkward with the nickname, so no matter how he thinks about it, it¡¯s unfair that he¡¯s the only one enduring it. So, he¡¯s iming that he, too, will brazenly call me by a nickname. ¡­That¡¯s cute. Does he think that if he calls me by a nickname, I¡¯ll somehow get conscious of it and feel awkward together with him? Unfortunately for Ethan, that definitely won¡¯t happen. To begin with, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d feel awkward no matter what he calls me. To convey that he can change what he calls me to whatever he wants, I calmly responded. ¡°That¡¯s a nice nickname, Ed.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°If you want to call me Lili, go ahead. Just because you do that, it won¡¯t make me stop calling you Ed, though.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lili.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re wee, Ed.¡± ¡­¡­Somehow¡­ ¡­I¡¯m not sure how to exin it well, but somehow, it feels a bit embarrassing. Even though it was only two letters off from Lilith, I suddenly started to have the illusion that my rtionship with Ethan got much closer. It even gave me a slightly flushed feeling. Now I can kind of understand why Ethan reacted strangely every time he was called Ed. If he felt this way every time he was called Ed, I can understand his attitude of wanting to die from awkwardness. Of course, I won¡¯t make it obvious to the point of showing that kind of reaction, and I won¡¯t give up calling him Ed over just this much. Never stop calling him Ed. The one who gives up first loses. ¡°So, Lili.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Ed?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s alright with just you, would you like to dance together¡­¡± The moment some kind of proposal was about to pop out of Ethan¡¯s mouth, who seemed nervous¡­ His words were naturally cut off by someone¡¯s voiceing from a side opposite to him. ¡°¡­Fufufu, so this is where you were. I finally found you.¡± ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ ¡­I wonder why this character¡¯s impression is being drawn in my mind even though I haven¡¯t seen her face yet. Actually, it was a natural phenomenon for me as a hardcore yer of Luminor Academy. One of the main heroines, along with Lilith, who I had to stick with for almost 1000 hours out of a total ytime of 2000 hours. The moment I heard her voice that I was so familiar with, to the point of being sick of it, I could naturally be certain of the character who had just appeared. ¡­The moment I turned my head, it was the figure of Princess Seraphine standing there as if it was only natural. ¡°Greetings, nameless young master and youngdy~¡± ¡®No, you just said with your own mouth that you finally found us.¡¯ Perhaps wanting to maintain the concept of her masquerade ball, Seraphine brazenly greeted Ethan and me as if she didn¡¯t know us. The answer Ethan and I had to give in front of her was pretty much set in stone. ¡°¡­Greetings, nameless youngdy.¡± ¡°¡­Nice to meet you, beautiful youngdy.¡± We simply responded to her in line with Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball concept. A noble who recognizes Princess Seraphine here and starts introducing themselves out of joy is third-rate. Since Seraphine herself nned this masquerade ball party concept, she would take joy in ¡°socializing without pretense.¡± By referring to us as ¡°nameless young master and youngdy¡± in her first greeting, she pretty much outright stated the way of interaction she desired. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Anyone with a bit of tact would naturally match the concept to that. Fortunately, both Ethan and I were people with keen eyes and weren¡¯t the type to make a fuss just because we recognized Seraphine. ¡®Well, I had a feeling she woulde find us eventually.¡¯ If she hadn¡¯t been informed in advance, that would be one thing, but Ethan said he told her himself that I would be participating. She probably wanted to check for herself. Whether amoner maid really attended her banquet as a noble¡¯s partner or not. With Seraphine¡¯s personality, she wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied until she confirmed it with her own eyes. But putting that aside¡­ ¡®She¡¯s really fucking pretty.¡¯ Although she¡¯s wearing a mask that covers her eyes like everyone else, Seraphine¡¯s appearance isn¡¯t something that could be hidden by a mask like this, to begin with. It wasn¡¯t only the rest of her face that was exposed, but even the parts covered by the mask seemed to burst out with her beauty. It was like witnessing a scene where her appearance was emitting a radiance. If you faced this and couldn¡¯t recognize it was Seraphine, it would be no different from having slime cores in ce of your eyeballs. ¡®Calm down, Lilith. Even if it¡¯s your first time meeting a main heroine, there¡¯s nothing to be nervous about.¡¯ You¡¯ve seen plenty of in-game characters so far, haven¡¯t you? Isabel, Ethan, and the August siblings are all characters from the game. Of course, Seraphine was a core figure in the game and a main heroine who appeared without fail in the main story, so her rank was different from other characters, but if we¡¯re going to nitpick that, the same goes for Lilith. So without needlessly being intimidated, if I just talk normally to the point of not being awkward¡­ ¡°Oh, the weather is so~ nice today¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ah, fuck. I¡¯m such an idiot, seriously. As if it wasn¡¯t enough to bring up a topic that would make the listener dumbfounded, I blurted out my first line in an acting tone that anyone could tell was awkward. As a result, it was only natural for this situation to instantly be awkward. ¡°¡­Lili, I don¡¯t think that topic quite fits. To talk about the weather, it¡¯s already night.¡± ¡°¡­Pfft, you brought a f-funny partner, it seems¡­ Uh¡­ n-nameless young master¡­¡± Ethan looked at me with a pitying expression, and Seraphine turned her head away, trying to hold back herughter. Because they knew my true identity was amoner maid, their reactions felt strangely considerate, which made me feel even more miserable. I seriously want to end it all, fuck me¡­ T/N
  1. L¨¨se-majest¨¦ is a term that means defamation against the head of state or the state itself.
Hello! Axiomatic here. Ethan¡¯s rizz is infinitely better than mine. I have something to learn from him frfr. Bonus chapter to follow shortly. See you in a bit! Chapter 63 T/N:This bonus chapter is sponsored by Kaden K. (9/14) See my Ko-fi if you want more bonus chapters. Meeting Princess Seraphine as themoner maid Lilith was a situation that inevitably made me very nervous in every way. Of course, the biggest reason I couldn¡¯t control my nerves wasn¡¯t because Seraphine was a princess, but rather because she was a main character from my favorite game. No matter how much of a cancerous character she yed in the story of Luminor Academy, that was only because she interfered with the ¡°progression of the story.¡± Looking at Seraphine from a step back like this, as someone unrted to my fate, I couldn¡¯t harbor any ill feelings towards her. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Just as I was able to lessen my previous anxiety towards Ethan once I became certain his romantic interest in me had waned. So, facing Seraphine while setting aside personal emotions, she was no different from the main character in my favorite game. I tried my best to maintain a calm expression as if nothing was out of the ordinary, as if I were meeting a game character at a fan meeting. ¡­More precisely, I made a diligent effort to do so. ¡°Are you enjoying the ball, youngdy?¡± ¡°Yes, th-thanks to¡­ Ah, no¡­ I-I¡¯m enjoying it well¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so nervous. I¡¯m also just one of the guests participating in the masquerade ball.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not nervous at all¡­?! I-I never thought of you as the pr-princess¡­ Ah, no no no¡­ I mean¡­¡± After making a slip of the tongue due to nervousness, I kept blurting out disorganized words in the next conversation as well. The aura emanating from Seraphine in front of my eyes was making my heart pound too much. Moreover, Seraphine, whom I faced in person, was so beautiful that it took my breath away. As long as she¡¯s not a cancerous character, it¡¯s not for nothing that she¡¯s ranked first in poprity polls. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If this is her appearance with a mask covering the area around her eyes, how beautiful of a face must be hidden behind that mask? It didn¡¯t make sense to say I wasn¡¯t nervous while seeing such a person in front of me in the flesh. ¡­But I need to calm down. If I make more of a fuss here, it will make Seraphine ufortable, and above all, it will inconvenience Ethan, who brought me as his partner. ¡°Sssss, haaaaa, phew¡­¡± After somehow calming my racing heart by cing a hand on my chest, I made eye contact with Seraphine with the calmest expression possible and calmly continued my ¡°nobledy act.¡± ¡°I apologize for showing you an embarrassing sight, youngdy. I couldn¡¯t help but get nervous from your beauty that could be noticed even under the mask.¡± ¡°¡­Oh my?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having a great time with my partner. It¡¯s my first time visiting the Imperial Pce, but it¡¯s so pretty and beautiful that I lose track of time just looking around. Right, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Li-Lili?¡± At the end, I linked arms with Ethan and added a natural smile. As if I really became ¡°Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡± and a ¡°nobledy.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m d to hear you¡¯re enjoying yourself to your heart¡¯s content.¡± After observing my appearance and making eye contact with me once, Seraphine conversed a bit more with Ed before disappearing into the crowd. Surprisingly, the encounter itself was really just a short conversation with nothing much. First of all, her status as a princess made her too busy to leisurely converse. As the host of the masquerade ball, she probably couldn¡¯t just talk with us the whole time. To begin with, it was an exceptional case for her, as a princess, to even speak to me, a mere maid. Of course, for me, who knew her personality, it felt like an extremely natural behavior. Anyway, if it weren¡¯t for this special situation, I would have been grateful to see her from afar, so just directly conversing with her like this was a situation I was deeply grateful for. As I took a breath again after she disappeared, Ethan spoke to me.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Lili, were you nervous?¡± ¡°Not at all, Ed.¡± ¡°For someone who wasn¡¯t, you seemed to stammer awkwardly in front of Her Highness.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t anyone do that when amoner has a one-on-one conversation with royalty? Even if you ordered me to act as your fianc¨¦e, Ed, you¡¯re expecting too much from a meremoner debt-ridden maid.¡± ¡°¡­That means you were nervous.¡± ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t. More importantly, how long are you going to keep linking arms even after Her Highness left?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who came and grabbed it¡­¡± I maintained a brazen attitude as much as possible, not wanting to get caught being nervous in front of the princess by Ethan. Ethan also seemed to have no intention of further pursuing the matter and changed the topic. ¡°Still, it¡¯s amazing that Lili recognized Her Highness instantly. Have you seen her before, even from afar?¡± ¡°Her aura just emitted the energy of a person of high status. Her elegance, her appearance, and various other aspects.¡± ¡°Being able to recognize that at once seems like an incredible talent. Could it be that Lili actually has an aptitude for ying the role of a nobledy?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to let me do that even if I want to? You know best that it¡¯s nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­If Lili really wants to be a nobledy, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ed. I didn¡¯t hear that well, could you say it again?¡± ¡°¡­No, it was just me talking to myself.¡± How nd. Putting aside Ethan, who turned his head away, not making eye contact with me for some reason¡­ I once again searched the crowd with my gaze for the presence of ¡°Hellfire Agnes.¡± Although conversing with Princess Seraphine, who could be considered the biggest figure, was already enough¡­ I still felt that if I came all the way here, I could return more satisfied if I confirmed Agnes¡¯ existence in person as well. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Agnes herself probably thought she was called for a bothersome event and would want to avoid standing out as much as possible, so she was likely hiding in a corner somewhere rather than the center stage. ¡­Or she may be waiting for this banquet to end while looking outside on a terrace or something. Perhaps shepletely hid her identity with a mask that covered her entire face¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ The moment my thoughts reached there, I realized how foolish I had been. Right, there¡¯s no way that Agnes would attend an event like a masquerade ball with just a single mask dangling. No matter how much of a ¡°Hellfire¡± Agnes was, the magic she could handle wasn¡¯t limited to just fire magic. Among them was Agnes¡¯ specialty magic, which was used a few times in the story to easily conceal her identity. ¡®The premise itself was wrong from the beginning.¡¯ Agnes was probably hiding somewhere in this ballroom, quietly waiting for this event to end. She¡¯d be wearing a mediocre mask that covers the eyes like everyone else but with a different face using ¡°transformation magic¡± under that mask. She disliked unnecessarily standing out and conversing with others. For her, who had outstanding magical talent even before enrolling in the academy, transformation magic that changes appearance would be the basics of the basics. In fact, it was one of the magic spells that could be used when taking Agnes as apanion in the game. Of course, it had no use in battle so it couldn¡¯t be used, and it was a story-based magic that asionally popped up in the middle of episodes. ¡®Then¡­ it¡¯s practically impossible to find her.¡¯ Unless her mask was taken off, it was nonsense to try to find Agnes with just other characteristics in a situation where she was wearing both transformation magic and a mask. Moreover, since I was attending as Ethan¡¯s partner today, I couldn¡¯t freely wander around observing here and there. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll have to be satisfied with just meeting Seraphine today. With that thought, my gaze naturally shifted to the nobles dancing in the center of the ballroom. It was a viewing experience that wasn¡¯t too boring to pass the remaining time. ¡®Still, as expected of nobles invited by the imperial family, their dance moves are quite alive.¡¯ High-ranking nobles have probably been frequenting these social circles from the beginning, so they would have no hesitation in their dancing sense as well. Lower-ranking nobles, in their own way, would have practiced dancing as much as possible since they were invited to such a precious asion. They probably thought that the only way to clearly show their charm when interacting with high-ranking nobles while hiding their identity with a mask was through dancing. ¡®In reality, it¡¯s all just a pre-arranged social gathering.¡¯ I wondered how many viscounts and lower-ranking nobles had diligently practiced dancing to catch the eyes of the high-ranking nobles. As I was thinking that in my head and watching the nobles dancing in the ballroom, Ethan¡¯s voice calling me was heard again. ¡°Lili, would it be alright to finish the conversation we couldn¡¯t earlier?¡± ¡°Huh? What were you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really, I was just wondering if you¡¯d like to dance together if it¡¯s okay with you, Lili.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°With Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡­What should I do? I¡¯m not very confident in dancing. I participated in this event to act as Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, not to actually learn the etiquette of a nobledy. To begin with, I only found out about the fact that I would be participating in this ball about 12 hours ago. During that time, when I was busy getting dressed and riding the carriage, there was no way I properly learned something like the dances nobles do. I shook my head to express my refusal, thinking I would only embarrass myself if I went out carelessly. ¡°Forget it. If I go out to dance, I¡¯ll definitely just be aughingstock.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They already know that Lili is my fianc¨¦e, so they can¡¯t really ridicule you even if you can¡¯t dance well.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. Don¡¯t get your feet stepped on by going with me, and if you really want to dance, why don¡¯t you find other youngdies?¡± ¡°Well, I think I prefer dancing with Lili over otherdies.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Well, considering the reason why Ethan brought me to the ballroom today, it makes sense. To begin with, the fact that he brought me to the masquerade ball and even had me act as his fianc¨¦e means that he has the will to fend off the bothersome forces rushing for the position of his fianc¨¦e. In the midst of this, if he is caught dancing with anotherdy while leaving his partner behind, all the build-up he has umted so far will crumble in vain. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Once he starts dancing with onedy, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for that number to increase to five or ten, given Ed¡¯s status as the young master of the ckwood family. Anyway, even in choosing a dance partner, he has to be mindful of other people¡¯s gazes due to his status. Being a noble in a medieval fantasy world was indeed a bothersome position. ¡°Really, no interest?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seeing him persistently asking like that, it seems he really genuinely wants to dance but has no partner, so he¡¯s trying to coax me. Well, considering how he had been pushing himself and growing to the point of almost only looking forward for the past year, Ethan must have inevitably umted a lot of stress, knowingly or unknowingly. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If he changed from a fat pig to having some muscle in just a little over a year, the amount of effort he put in couldn¡¯t be underestimated. If dancing in a ce like this could relieve some of that umted stress, there was no reason not to go along with it. After all, I was Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, and I had to work under the ckwood family for the next 3 years. If Ethan were to copse from stress one day and return to his original state, it would only be my loss. There¡¯s also a saying that weight lost in a short period of timees back easily. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s dance together, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Only if you can lead me, aplete beginner who knows absolutely nothing about dancing.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s fine. I learned properly from the head maid. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Lili, you can just leave your body to me and follow along.¡± ¡°Just to let you know, I¡¯m not saying this because I particrly want to dance. I¡¯m only going along with it because Ed really wants to dance but has no suitable partner other than me.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± ¡°As long as you understand.¡± And so, after confirming each other¡¯s intentions, we moved our steps together towards the center stage of the ballroom in time for the start of the next song. We began moving our bodies to the flowing music and beat, holding each other¡¯s hands. ¡­It was only a momentter that I realized that time was the calm before the storm. T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Ethan is cooking tonight! Thanks for reading; see you tomorrow! Chapter 64 Agnes Elizabeth ze. The eldest daughter of the ze Count family, born from Arthur Elizabeth ze and Nadia Evangeline ze. Also referred to as the sessor of the Elizabeth family, she was currently attending Princess Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball. Amidst the bustling Evening Rose Hall, where various men and women were mingling in the evening, she quietly slipped away to the terrace and leaned against the railing alone. ¡°Haaaaaaah¡­¡± She waited for this boring and bothersome event to pass as quickly as possible. ¡®Why do I have to participate in this meaningless and unproductive birthday banquet¡­¡¯ Instead of participating in this bothersome event that didn¡¯t suit her at all, there were countless productive things she could be doing with that time. She could be researching new me magic in her privateb at the ze estate, reading a new grimoire she acquired from the capital yesterday to gain knowledge. At the very least, even spending time hunting monsters near the ze estate to practice magic would have been a much more desirable use of time than this. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Already having wasted two full days traveling from the distant ze family estate to the royal pce, Agnes felt considerable dissatisfaction with being forced to participate in such an unproductive event.@@novelbin@@ ¡­If it weren¡¯t for the pressure from the main family threatening to cut off support if she didn¡¯t show her face at such events, she would have long escaped from this ridiculous event. ¡®Everyone already recognizes each other, yet they¡¯re wearing masks and dancing and doing foolish things.¡¯ Who on earth came up with the idea for this stupid and strange banquet? The annoying social events held for the Third Princess¡¯s birthday, the high-ranking nobles who subtly reveal their identities amidst the chaos to attract the attention of other nobles, and the people trying to catch the eyes of those nobles at least once. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Every single one of them was filled with parts that Agnes disliked. Shouldn¡¯t they be nning to enter the Imperial Academy in one to two years at most, or already be studying at the Academy? Why were they forgetting their duty as noble mages and getting enthusiastic over such an unproductive event? With such thoughts, she escaped from the crowd to the terrace and gazed at the scenery outside the pce, lost in contemtion. Even so, in her heart, she felt quite proud of the ingenuity of the transformation magic she had devised today. ¡®It was a good decision to use transformation magic before entering. If I had worn this stupid mask that can¡¯t even hide my identity properly, those bothersome guys would have surely flocked to me.¡¯ No matter how much she tried to conceal the emblems of the Elizabeth family on her attire and essories, if she had entered with her conspicuous red hair flowing, there would have been a high possibility of her identity being revealed. If that happened, like other events, bothersome people aiming for the backing of the Elizabeth family would have clung to her. The Elizabeth family had a tendency to make the children of branch familiespete and then adopt the most suitable child for session into the main family. Perhaps many people, including herself, were convinced that she would be the sessor of this generation. As a result, whenever she participated in such events with children from other branch families, bothersome attention was always drawn to her. Just by changing her eye-catching red hair to blue, no one recognized her, making it clear how idiotic the people who had previously approached her were. ¡®They probably can¡¯t even imagine that I¡¯m using transformation magic.¡¯ As she turned her gaze outside the terrace, deliberately ignoring the other noblesughing and dancing noisily inside the Evening Rose Hall¡­ From behind her, a voice calling out to her was heard. When she turned her head, a woman with a strange feeling of light emanating from herself was smiling at her. ¡°Does the party not seem very enjoyable for you, nameless youngdy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A woman approaching and speaking to her, who had deliberately avoided people and gone out of her way toe to the terrace. Even with part of her eyes covered by a mask, it was instantly apparent that she was quite a beauty, with an aura shining around her. Seeing such a woman, who would likely be popr anywhere in the ballroom, approaching her, Agnes instantly heightened her guard. It was suspicious for someone like this to ignore the attention of others inside the hall and approach her, who had separated herself on the terrace. ¡°The weather is quite lovely, hehe. It¡¯s already a dark evening, though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Does the youngdy find it more enjoyable to admire the dark scenery outdoors rather than the masquerade ball filled with people?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Everyone has different preferences. It seems the intentions of someone wishing for everyone¡¯s happiness regardless of status were not well conveyed to the youngdy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, how about conversing with me for a bit?¡± The blonde woman deliberately approached and bothered her with conversation despite her ignoring attitude and averted gaze. When Agnes turned her head again toward the direction of the voice, the blonde woman was still smiling brightly at her despite her rude attitude. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Feeling a prick of conscience, Agnes turned her head back towards the outside of the terrace, expressing a polite rejection of conversation. ¡°¡­Rather than wasting your time with me, there are many people inside who would suit you better.¡± ¡°But I want to talk with you right now, not someone else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to say to you.¡± ¡°Is that so? I thought I could have an in-depth conversation about magical arts with you.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re currently hiding your true identity with transformation magic, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± To think there was someone who could see through her magic amidst these simpletons. At the remark of the blondedy she met for the first time today, Agnes let her guard down and started to show a bit of interest in her. The blonde youngdy naturally opened the flow of conversation while looking at Agnes. ¡°Even at a masquerade ball, using transformation magic to conceal your identity¡­ Do you dislike meeting people that much? Or does it mean you won¡¯t converse with someone unless they can discern your transformation magic?¡± ¡°¡­Both.¡± ¡°The transformation magic felt a bit different from what I know, so I almost couldn¡¯t notice it at first. Usually, transformation magic stands out because the mana of the caster and recipient can be felt fluctuating, right? But with your magic, that was hardly noticeable¡­ It surprised me a bit.¡± ¡°¡­Of course. This is something I directly used on myself. There¡¯s no way the mana flow would feel different.¡± ¡°I thought you might have a twin sister with simr mana capacity, but it was cast directly on yourself?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any siblings. And not to brag, but I¡¯ve never met anyone around my age with a mana capacity simr to mine either.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The blondedy looked at Agnes with peculiar eyes upon her remark. Agnes tilted her head quietly, not understanding the meaning behind the gaze directed at her. Afterward, the blonde youngdy and Agnes continued to have a pleasant conversation about various topics while leaning against the terrace railing. They talked about Agnes¡¯s specialty, fire magic, as well as various magical knowledge and arts. ¡°¡­So with the circuits of fire magic, straight lines must never be included¡­ unless it¡¯s aposite kind of magic involving other elements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Fire magic is an amorphic magic. You can reduce the curvature to the limit if you want to increase the power, but straight lines won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s theplete opposite of nature magic. That one¡¯s full of straight lines, and the magic circuits have tons of corners¡­¡± Outwardly, Agnes looked down on people who were distracted by interacting with others, but in fact, she also had an inherent desire to socialize with people. It¡¯s just that until now, there was no one on the same wavelength as her, so she didn¡¯t feel the need to mingle. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] But as soon as Agnes was able to have a deep conversation about a field she enjoyed, she opened up. Watching her like that, the blondedy quietly smiled in her heart. ¡®With this, it seems there¡¯s no one left who can¡¯t enjoy the banquet.¡¯ She had wandered around the ballroom, having a conversation with each person who was isted or marginalized. Since it was a banquet she had personally nned and hosted, she couldn¡¯t tolerate anyone being isted and unable to enjoy it. Having sufficiently conversed with Agnes on the terrace under the beautiful full moon, she was thinking of revealing her identity and wrapping up the masquerade ball event. ¡°¡­?¡± However, the final part of today¡¯s banquet that she had in mind had been put on hold due to an unforeseen reason. ¡°¡­Utilizing the image is important for this transformation magic I¡¯m using too. Imagining the parts you can¡¯t see yourself is the most crucial aspect for a mage¡­¡± ¡°¡­Wait a moment, Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­Why, why? Do you not like talking about transformation magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Miss Agnes, could you take a look towards thekeside over there¡­?¡± ¡°Thekeside¡­?¡± Following the finger pointed by the blondedy who interrupted her with a serious voice, Agnes¡¯s gaze slowly shifted. It didn¡¯t take long for both of them to realize that the finger was pointing at a group of monsters crawling out from the shore of Lake Verdan. Soon, the door from inside the evening Rose Hall opened, and an imperial guard soldier rushed onto the terrace. ¡°Princess! An abnormal monster proliferation has been reported at Lake Verdan!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I just confirmed it as well.¡± Lake Verdan was to the north of the Imperial Pce, and monsters were seen emerging from there and approaching the pce. Having personally witnessed that sight with her own eyes, she nodded and responded to the soldier¡¯s words. Agnes was momentarily flustered by the guard¡¯s words and thedy¡¯s attitude, making a foolish expression. ¡°¡­Princess?¡± Agnes muttered stupidly while naturally turning towards the blondedy beside her. The blonde youngdy gave her an apologetic smile mixed with a bit of regret. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Miss Agnes. I didn¡¯t intend to deceive you. I just thought you might feel ufortable if you knew my identity.¡± With an apology directed at her, Princess Seraphine leaped onto the terrace railing. For a moment, Agnes was captivated by her elegant figure and stared at her absentmindedly. Seraphine smiled at the guard who came to escort her and replied. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me, so please evacuate the youngdy over there first.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, Princess! You must preserve your precious body¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Today is also a full moon, and it¡¯s not my ¡®fated time to die¡¯ here yet.¡± ¡°Princess!¡± ng! Seraphine leaped into the air, evading the guard¡¯s hand that reached out to grab her. With the sound of her feet kicking off the railing, she fell from the 3rd-floor terrace, spinning in the air. Seraphine¡¯s figure, shadowed against the full moon, perfectly suited her alias: ¡®Moonlight Shadow Princess.¡¯ T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Great to see the spotlight on other characters for a change. Really makes me feel that the story is finally moving forward. Bonus chapter to follow shortly. Thanks for reading, see you in a bit! Chapter 65 T/N:This bonus chapter is sponsored by Kaden K. (10/14) See my Ko-fi if you want more bonus chapters. About five minutes after responding to Ethan¡¯s request and slowly matching steps in the center of the stage¡­ By the time we finished the first song, holding hands with my partner and following the choreography, the impression in my mind was simpler than I thought. ¡®Surprisingly, following along wasn¡¯t as hard as I thought.¡¯ Of course, I was aware that Ethan was moving slowly in consideration of me being a beginner at ball dancing. I wasn¡¯t dull enough not to notice that while moving together in sync. However, it was also true that the process of following the choreography wasn¡¯t very difficult.@@novelbin@@ First, the song itself wasn¡¯t very fast, so there was no need to move the dance in a hurry. Other than that, it was probably because I had unknowingly be familiar with the choreography while searching for Agnes and other characters from the game. ¡®Originally, evening ballroom scenes appeared frequently in the game too. Maybe I got used to it then.¡¯ With a ytime of 2,000 hours, even if I extracted just the ball-rted events separately, wouldn¡¯t it amount to about one to two hours worth of content? Thinking that I might have subconsciously be ustomed to it, I calmly matched steps with Ethan to the slow dance. ¡°You dance well, Lili. Did you learn it somewhere?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe I got used to it from watching. Or, it could be because Ed is leading me well.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m grateful you said that.¡± ¡°Did it help you change your mood? If not, are you going to dance to another song, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Will you apany me more?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just a song or two.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask that of you, Lili.¡± ¡°Alright, Ed.¡± After exchanging some words at the end of the first song, we started moving our bodies again to the second song. When the orchestra¡¯s performance reached the middle, suddenly, dozens of soldiers rushed in through the entrance of the hall. BANG! ¡°Esteemed guests! Please give me your attention for a moment!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The nobles chatting at the edges of the ballroom, the people dancing in pairs in the center like Ethan and me, and even the orchestra gathered on one wall of the evening Rose Hall ying ssical pieces¡­ At the words of the knight, who seemed to be the captain among the soldiers who entered through the door, everyone stopped their actions and focused their gazes on him. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Soon, the words that came out of his mouth were enough to surprise everyone in the hall. ¡°Just recently, an abnormal monster proliferation phenomenon has been confirmed at Lake Verdan, located north of the royal pce! There is a possibility of a monster wave, so esteemed guests, please gather in the main hall of the pce to receive protection from the pce guards!¡± ¡°M-Monster wave?!¡± ¡°¡­L-Lake Verdan isn¡¯t far from here!¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± The guests of the masquerade ball showed various startled reactions to the sudden deration by the security forces. Well, looking at the faces of the people gathered here, it was only natural for them to show such reactions. As it was the birthday banquet of the Third Princess, most of the attendees at this party were guests around Seraphine¡¯s age. The majority of the people gathered here likely hadn¡¯t even entered the academy, let alone graduated from it. Even if they had enrolled, they would be, at most, 1st or 2nd-year students. Especially for noble mages who grew up in a greenhouse*1, it wasn¡¯t umon for them to encounter monsters for the first time only after entering the academy, so as soon as they heard the words ¡°monster wave,¡± they couldn¡¯t help but fall into a panic. ¡°AAAAHHHH! I-I¡¯m going to leave here quickly! Bring out my carriage fast!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do! Outside the pce is dangerous right now! Until the situation calms down, you must stay inside the pce and receive our protection¡­¡± ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m going to run away from here right now¡­!¡± Amidst the chaos, a youngdy who couldn¡¯t endure the anxiety screamed and rushed out, only to be caught by the guards and struggle. Just as I was feeling worried that her actions would only amplify the confusion among the already anxious crowd¡­ A man who walked out from the crowd cast a spell, and she fell asleep like a puppet whose strings were cut*2. ¡°¡­Nature, grant a night of peaceful rest.¡± ¡°Wake me up¡­ rrright¡­. noww¡­¡­..¡± As the youngdy copsed into the soldier¡¯s arms with slumber, a green-haired man stepped forward simultaneously. As soon as I saw his appearance and heard his voice, I was convinced that he was a character from ¡°Luminor Academy.¡± ¡°They seemed to be in trouble, so I put them to sleep for a bit.¡± ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Green short hair, an androgynous voice, and sleep magic, one of the nature-based magics. There were countless ways to identify him, so it would be strange not to recognize him at a nce. A character from ¡°Luminor Academy¡± and one of the main characters who could join as an ally if needed. Orion, the Sage of Verdure. It was the moment he first revealed himself before my eyes. ¡°O-Orion¡­?¡± ¡°The top student of the 2nd-year magic students¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him even once in the ballroom earlier¡­¡± Orion¡¯s appearance caused quite a stir among the audience, perhaps because he was already a somewhat famous figure within the academy. Thanks to his presence, everyone seemed to havepletely lost interest in the nameless youngdy sleeping in the soldier¡¯s arms. Seeing the momentarily bewildered soldiers, Orion continued. ¡°I will also participate in the battle to fend off the monster wave. Evacuate the others to the shelter and guide me to the front lines where the soldiers are.¡± ¡°Ah, that won¡¯t do, Sir Orion! We cannot allow a guest of Princess Seraphine to engage in such a dangerous task!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Despite my appearance, I¡¯m the top student of the 2nd-year magic students at the academy. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be of considerable help.¡± ¡°B-But¡­¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s the best solution to select capable individuals to participate in the battle and resolve the monster wave rather than gathering all the noble children in one room and waiting, right?¡± ¡°Those words¡­ You are correct, but¡­¡± Orion took control of the conversation with the security knight as soon as he appeared. Seeing his frank and straightforward manner, I couldn¡¯t help but think that he couldn¡¯t help but be a popr character in ¡°Luminor Academy.¡± If Seraphine stretched out the main story with unnecessary, frustrating plot points to increase the ytime, Orion was the type to skip bothersome episodes with his frank manner of speaking. For example, let¡¯s say there was an episode where the entire party epted a request to defeat a certain monster together. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] In the process of carrying out this type of episode, there were sometimes cases where the ytime itself differed depending on whether Orion was present in the party or not. There were times when it was possible to skip additional quests attached to episodes, such as proving one¡¯s skills to hunt dangerous monsters if Orion was among the party members. It¡¯s all because of that character¡¯s unique way with words and his position as the top student of the academy¡¯s magic department. ¡®He¡¯s essential for speedrun ys. Thanks to Orion, I was able to skip a few episodes and progress quickly.¡¯ ¡­It would have been better if it weren¡¯t for those suspiciously narrowed eyes*3and a slightly gay-looking appearance. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that 50% of the female yers of ¡°Luminor Academy¡± yed because of Orion. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As I was watching him with such trivial thoughts, Orion gave us a sly, suspicious smile. ¡­And he immediately began a public ¡®recruitment¡¯ targeting the guests gathered in the ballroom. ¡°Is there anyone among you who has experience defeating monsters or is confident in their skills? I¡¯d like to gather people to go with me to stop the monster wave.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you have hunting experience or confidence in your abilities, you don¡¯t necessarily have to be an academy student. Of course, I can¡¯t provide any rewards myself, but the imperial family might express a small token of gratitude to those who fight diligently.¡± ¡°¡­T-The imperial family¡­¡± ¡°B-But a monster wave is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, is there really no one?¡± Despite Orion¡¯s rather lofty recruitment of noble volunteers, the guests were hesitant to step forward. Most academy students would have experience defeating monsters, and even those who hadn¡¯t enrolled yet, about half of them would have experience. Nevertheless, the reason they didn¡¯t readily volunteer was likely due to the atmosphere of fearing monsters themselves or worrying about unfamiliarity. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If the age range of this party was a bit older and there were a few upperssmen from the academy mixed in, there would have been some people voluntarily going out. However, since the gathering consisted mainly of prospective academy students and lower-grade students, everyonecked confidence in their abilities. ¡®I want to go out the most if it were up to me, but¡­¡¯ The problem was that the moment I did that, my identity behind the mask would be exposed, and the fact that I was amoner maid, not a noblewoman from somewhere, would also likely be revealed. I had just calmly received greetings from other nobles while pretending to be a noblewoman, so if it was revealed now that I was amoner, it probably wouldn¡¯t end well. Moreover, I currently didn¡¯t have a dagger to use as a weapon, and considering the gazes of others, I couldn¡¯t freely use magic in my position. As I was watching Orion while expressing deep regret in my heart¡­ ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± Suddenly, I heard the voice of someone beside me responding to Orion¡¯s ¡®recruitment¡¯. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s alright, even if I¡¯m not a student at the academy yet, I¡¯ll participate.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I was also enveloped in a slightly confused emotion as the familiar ck hair unexpectedly pushed me aside and leaped forward. Focusing my gaze on the back of his head, my ¡®partner¡¯ soon began to speak to Orion. ¡°Ethan Richard ckwood, eldest son of the ckwood Duke family. My specialty is magical swordsmanship using body enhancement magic.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°My power may be weak, but I promise I won¡¯t be a hindrance.¡± ¡­What? Why are you suddenly stepping up? T/N
  1. The use of the word ¡®greenhouse¡¯ here is a metaphor likening sheltered nobles to nts in a greenhouse, protected from the dangers of the outside world.
  2. Ever seen the choreo of Fake Love by BTS?
  3. Speaking of narrowed eyes, read Ruminas¡¯ TL!
Hello! Axiomatic here. Great news! I just received a$3donation fromJoshuaWon Ko-fi. Thank you so much for sponsoringone bonus chapter! The Google Sheets schedule has been updated with your name on it, and I¡¯ll now be on track to publish Chapter 104 by June 28! Also, as I was tranting this chapter, something kinda clicked in my head. Lilith is currently wearing a crimson dress, and I expect Ethan to be fighting what seems to be monsters alongside Lilith in the next chapter. Doesn¡¯t that remind you of the cover image??? We¡¯ll both find out tomorrow. Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow! Chapter 66 ¡°My power may be weak, but I promise I won¡¯t be a hindrance.¡± Ethan Richard ckwood nced at me once before walking forward in response to Orion¡¯s recruitment. Seeing him suddenly leap forward with his bold behavior, a small question momentarily arose in my mind. ¡®What¡¯s gotten into him all of a sudden?¡¯ Why would he take up Orion¡¯s proposal, deliberately showing off his abilities in this situation? As the young master of a ducal family who hasn¡¯t even entered the academy yet, no one would say anything if he just waited obediently in the main hall. No matter how much he had faced monsters under Harold¡¯s supervision until now, he would still understand the dangers of monsters better than anyone else here. It was quite unexpected for him to say he would participate on the front lines where emergencies like monster waves could easily ur. ¡®Judging from Ethan¡¯s recent actions, I don¡¯t think he would volunteer without thinking.¡¯ There must be a valid reason, but what could it be? Simply put, some reasons could be showing off his courageous side among the nobles gathered here or wanting to disy his cool appearance to a girl he likes. But the Ethan I had observed recently wasn¡¯t someone who moved with such simple thinking. He had a history of patrolling the estate to solidify his position as the ckwood sessor, revealing his presence. He had grown to be a thoroughly calctive noble, getting angry over a mere maid¡¯s dirtied clothes to put a powerful noble in his debt. For such an Ethan to voluntarily step into danger meant he was seeking somethingmensurate in return. ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Right, the Imperial Family. Ethan was now responding to the monster subjugation unit recruitment to gain an opportunity to build ties with the Imperial Family in his current state. Of course, there was no certainty that the Imperial Family would actually give a reward for stopping the monster wave, and even if they did give a reward, it would probably just end with a small gift and some words of gratitude. However, that alone was enough. Words of gratitude from a royal family member held sufficient value in credit transactions with other nobles. Moreover, a favor granted once could be used as an excuse that couldn¡¯t be coldly rejected when seeking an audience with the Imperial Family next time. In a word, it was a gamble with a pretty good payoff for betting his skills once.@@novelbin@@ Especially if fighting alongside capable Imperial guards, a certain degree of safety would be guaranteed. ¡®Seriously, his mind works really fast.¡¯ In a short time, his thoughts reached that far from Orion¡¯s impromptu proposal. Well, if Ethan had thought that far, I had no reason to be surprised. Honestly, there¡¯s no need for me to worry, either. The current Ethan wasn¡¯t at a level where he would easily get hurt and return, no matter where he went. ¡°Okay, good. Do you havebat experience?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed monsters in the mountains behind the estate a few times. Among the monsters I¡¯ve recently defeated, the ones worth mentioning would be spine boars or shadow spiders.¡± Based on my calctions estimating the experience points Ethan had gained, his current level was around level 7 to 8. For reference, a spine boar is level 10, and a shadow spider is level 11. In other words, apart from Ethan¡¯s base level, his actual skills were nearly at that level. As he said himself, far from being a hindrance, he would be of considerable help. The current Ethan had started to utilize mana in his recent swordsmanship, even if only slightly, and could also use body enhancement magic along with it. He had probably already reached the level of an elite Imperial soldier, at the very least. Orion also nodded and weed Ethan¡¯s words, judging that he would be helpful. ¡°That much will be more than enough help. I¡¯ll be counting on you, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be in your care, Lord Orion.¡± ¡°So, is there anyone else besides Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite Orion¡¯s repeated recruitment, the other students were hesitant to step forward. Usually, in situations like this, when one person musters up the courage, others would follow suit and volunteer. However, it seemed that the ¡®spine boar¡¯ and ¡®shadow spider¡¯ Ethan mentioned when volunteering had be a standard that designated something. They had made their own judgments in their minds that one needed to have at least that level of skill to step forward. Considering that aspect, it was easy to guess why these students couldn¡¯t readily volunteer. Even in this situation where an indirect level restriction had been ced, the only person in this ballroom capable of participating would be¡­ ¡°¡­Agnes Elizabeth ze.¡± Right, Hellfire Agnes, the powerful candidate to seed the Elizabeth family¡­wait, what? ¡°The next sessor of the Elizabeth family. The next top student of the academy¡¯s magic department. The next Archmage of the Crimson Tower.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I, ¡®Hellfire Agnes,¡¯ will also participate in the battle to stop the monster wave you mentioned.¡± A woman appeared from the crowd with confident strides. The scarlet red-haired mage walked forward from among the people. Judging from the scarlet hair I had never seen before, she had probably been participating in this banquet using transformation magic until just now. With an unwavering expression, a confident voice, and a brazen self-introduction that implied she didn¡¯t think for a moment that she wouldn¡¯t be helpful. Everyone¡¯s gazes in the hall instantly converged on Agnes, who had suddenly appeared. As soon as the main character of Luminor Academy, whom I had been searching for so diligently, appeared, one emotion naturally arose in my mind. ¡®¡­That introduction is truly embarrassing for anyone listening.¡¯ No matter how many times I heard Agnes¡¯ shameless self-introduction, I couldn¡¯t get used to it. It was a line I had heard so many times because she was such a high-performing character that I often had her in my party, but regardless, it was inevitable not to get used to that self-praising speech¡­ ¡­despite knowing that everything Agnes mentioned would actuallye true. In that sense, perhaps it could be seen that she possessed a level of self-conceit that matched her actual abilities, but besides that, what was cringeworthy was cringeworthy. Moreover, Agnes herself thought her self-introduction was cool, making it even more embarrassing from a third person perspective. Just hearing it in a VA¡¯s voice from a 3D character on my monitor was already cringeworthy, but to think I would witness that scene live before my eyes¡­ With her brazen voice that made my toes curl from listening, I found it hard to face the main heroine of Luminor Academy directly, even after finally finding her. Just as Agnes¡¯ shameless remarks were about to continue, they were, fortunately, quickly stopped by Orion, the skip specialist. ¡°My specialty is fire magic. If given enough time, I can freely userge-scale fire magic. My mana capacity, which is unrivaled by others, is a whopping one thousand and fifty¡­¡± ¡°R-Right! You said your name is Agnes? A fire mage with 1,000 mana will definitely be helpful!¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not done talking yet¡­¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head to the front lines quickly! It¡¯s time for you to properly demonstrate your skills!¡± ¡°P-Please wait a moment, Sir Orion! I¡¯ll guide you!¡± After hastily cutting off Agnes¡¯ self-introduction, which made its listeners cringe, Orion grabbed Ethan¡¯s and Agnes¡¯ hands and hurriedly left the Evening Rose Hall. Three out of a dozen soldiers followed them out of the hall. The rest of us who remained in the ballroom were left standing in a daze, unable to recover from the cringeworthy self-introduction just now. ¡°¡­We will guide the other guests to the shelter. Please follow us without rushing in an orderly manner.¡± ¡­Ah. Come to think of it, I should have also participated in the battle, dammit. A long evacuation procession to the 1st floor was managed by the Imperial guards. I was walking with a troubled expression, matching the pace of the noble guests¡¯ procession. ¡°¡­Is there perhaps something bothering you, Young Master Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Oh, you must be worried about Lord Ethan¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ A little¡­ I suppose I am a bit worried¡­¡± Worried? As if. With Ethan¡¯s skill level, he¡¯ll do well even without my worries. He already had the ability to overwhelm me in a one-on-one match. If he fought seriously, I wasn¡¯t 100% confident in defeating him, even considering having Mana st. Mana st was, ultimately, a spell used against monsters, not a spell meant to be used against people. The current Ethan, unlike the chubby Ethan from before, could probably dodge my Mana st with the leisurely feeling of crossing a pedestrianne in front of an elementary school. ¡­Ande to think of it, it didn¡¯t seem like a good idea for me to participate in that monster wave response party. ¡®Even if I stepped up there, I would be lucky not to be treated as a strange woman.¡¯ For a moment, I felt a sense of regret seeing Orion take only Ethan and Agnes down, but thinking rationally, even if I had said I would participate there, I would have likely been cut by Orion. [Name?] [I have circumstances and cannot reveal it.] [Then, do you have experience in monster subjugation?] [My track record includes defeating a Hooked Tusk.] [Oh, you¡¯re quite a skilled mage, then?] [No. My main weapon is a dagger.] [Hmm¡­?] [¡­Currently, I don¡¯t have a weapon on me, so if you lend me something simr, I will definitely be of help. Ah, by the way, when I defeated the Hooked Tusk, I used a metal skewer instead of a dagger, but anyway, my skills themselves are useful¡­] [¡­] Even I thought it was a very suspicious way of introducing myself. Saying I was from a noble family but defeated a Hooked Tusk with a metal skewer instead of magic, or that my main weapon was a dagger, but I didn¡¯t have it, so I wanted to borrow one¡­ My rambling was probably too absurd, and they wouldn¡¯t believe me. Rather, it would be fortunate if I didn¡¯t stand out as a woman with a strange mentality. Of course, there was a possibility that I would be allowed to participate in the battle if Ethan vouched for my skills, but Ethan probably wouldn¡¯t go out of his way to vouch for my abilities either. The fewer the subjugation personnel to quell the monster wave, the more Ethan¡¯s achievements would stand out, and it would be much more advantageous for catching the Imperial Family¡¯s attention. If it was truly an event where it seemed necessary for me to participate, I would have forcibly done so, but considering the difficulty of this episode, the personnel they took now would likely be sufficient. I had roughly grasped which part of the main story of Luminor Academy this event corresponded to. ¡®It must be the ¡®Pce Invasion Incident¡¯ that urs a year before enrollment in the academy.¡¯ It was a storyline I only knew the content of since it was an event the protagonist character couldn¡¯t directly participate in, but judging from the unfolding situation, it was undoubtedly that. It was an incident where one of the high-ranked demons deliberately caused a monster wave to bring down the Argentian Empire¡¯s Imperial Pce. Although the attack itself was somehow repelled by the efforts of the Imperial guards and some main characters, it was also an incident where some noble children of the empire were killed or critically injured. With this event as the trigger, the Argentian Imperial Family, sensing a crisis, made a bold move to greatly increase the enrollment capacity of the academy, and that¡¯s how various characters specializing inbat skills such as swordsmanship and magic from all walks of life gathered at the academy. This happened at the beginning of the second part of Luminor Academy. In other words, even with the characters originally scheduled to be active in the storyline, the invasion that urred this time could be sufficiently repelled. I expected Seraphine, Orion, and Agnes to participate. With the addition of Ethan, who had grown quite useful, joining the front lines, theirbined fighting power was rather sufficient. They would probably be able to stop it much more easily than in the original story. The current Ethan wasn¡¯t weak; he was a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, with Ethan¡¯s participation, perhaps a few characters who died in the original story could be saved. ¡®I¡¯d have wanted to sneak out and kill a few monsters to gain XP¡­ But there are too many eyes watching here for that.¡¯ I had already done so many eye-catching things that I was in a dangerous position in many ways. If I did something that stood out here, there was a high possibility that my identity as amoner who could use magic would be exposed, and above all, there were far too many eyes to deceive and simply brush it off. Even if I could somehow deceive Ethan, whom I had been with for so long, it would naturally be impossible to deceive more than a dozen security guards. So, in this situation, I had no choice but to wait patiently for the storyline to unfold as it should. ¡®Nothing much will happen if I just gather in the waiting room with the security guards anyway.¡¯ Let¡¯s stay put today. That was the best solution to get through without causing any problems. ¡­I had the same thought just a while ago. That resolution began to waver with a strange sense of uneasiness as soon as I entered the main hall of the Imperial Pce. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°Eek¡­?!¡± The youngdy with familiar sky-blue hair I met again in the shelter. I encountered Lizzy Lynn August here once more. T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Bonus chapter to follow shortly. Thanks for reading! Chapter 67 T/N:This bonus chapter is sponsored by Kaden K. (11/14) See my Ko-fi if you want more bonus chapters. The Pce Invasion Incident. It was a historic event that greatly contributed to the setting of Luminor Academy. That¡¯s because this incident brought about three major changes to the entire story of the game. One of them, as previously mentioned, was that it became an opportunity for the Imperial Family to sense a crisis due to the demons¡¯ attacks. As a result, in order to respond not only to wars between nations but also to wars with demons, the academy¡¯s enrollment capacity was increased, and new students were admitted based on their skills rather than whether they were of nobility. Due to this change in the academy¡¯s recruitment guidelines, the existing 80-20 ratio of nobles tomoners changed to a ratio closer to 60-40 among new students, and as the years went by, it led to a future that changed the overall atmosphere of the academy. The second incident was when ¡®Moonlight Shadow Princess Seraphine¡¯ rescued ¡®Hellfire Agnes¡¯ who almost lost her life in the monster wave. Just as Orion had appeared in the evening Rose Hall earlier, he must have searched for useful personnel among the nobles and responded to the monster wave in the original history as well. Agnes must have also participated in the operation to fend off the monster wave in response to Orion¡¯s call, just like in this world. However, no matter how skilled he was, it would have been difficult to easily predict which area and how many monsters would rush in. Although he blocked the northern gate of the pce, which was expected to have thergest influx of monsters, unexpectedly, even more monsters rushed to the western gate of the pce, as I recall. Of course, since it¡¯s a story that is only part of the plot, it may not be urate. After all, it wasn¡¯t an incident that the protagonist directly experienced. Anyway, the second incident is Seraphine saving Agnes, who was cornered at the western gate of the pce, from a crisis. As a result, it became an opportunity for Agnes to pledge her loyalty to Seraphine, and in the true ending, it also led to the history of the Elizabeth family bing subordinate to the Imperial Family. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡­¡± Thest incident is the death of Lizzy Lynn August, who is right in front of me. Due to her death in this monster wave, the August family felt betrayed by the Imperial Family, which became the decisive trigger for Caraham to initiate the ¡°Seraphine Kidnapping Incident¡± in his 3rd year. Of course, since this Pce Invasion was orchestrated by the demons and not the Imperial Family, it may not make sense for the August family to join hands with the demons who ultimately killed Lizzy. However, the August family had sufficient reasons to feel betrayed by the Imperial Family in their own way. That¡¯s because Lizzy also had a future where she ¡°didn¡¯t die that day,¡± depending on Seraphine¡¯s choice. ¡®Moonlight Shadow Princess Seraphine¡¯ was a character who could use various powers rted to the moon, as befitting her title. One of those abilities was the power of future vision, which allowed her to see the near future, limited to the ¡°days when the full moon rises.¡± In other words, it meant that Seraphine made the choice not to save Lizzy even though she knew Lizzy would die. ¡®To be precise, it¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t save her, but rather that she couldn¡¯t save her.¡¯ That¡¯s because Seraphine only had one body, and at that time, she had to give up on Lizzy in order to save Agnes. Someone might wonder that if she saw the future where Agnes and Lizzy were being attacked with her future sight, couldn¡¯t she have simply not invited those people to the party in the first ce? However, the future sight that Seraphine possessed wasn¡¯t a cheat-like ability that could be used in such an omnipotent way. The first constraint was that her future vision couldn¡¯t selectively show the future one wanted to see but simply showed what it showed. The second constraint was that the vision shown to Seraphine always forced her to make a ¡°choice.¡± The process of Seraphine¡¯s future sight being triggered was that it would appear blurry at first and gradually be more concrete in her mind as time passed. By the time the scene became clear enough to understand the situation, it was already a moment where she had no choice but to choose one of the two futures she saw. One of the two contents Seraphine saw with her future sight in the ¡°Pce Invasion Incident¡± was the future where she saved Lizzy Lynn August. The other was the future where she saved Agnes Elizabeth ze, as mentioned earlier. ¡®And at that crossroads, Seraphine chose the future where she saved Agnes.¡¯ I don¡¯t know why she chose the future of saving Agnes instead of saving Lizzy. That part wasn¡¯t revealed in the game. Anyway, the important thing was that at the crossroads of that moment, Seraphine chose the youngdy of the ze Viscount family over the youngdy of the August Margraviate. As a result, Lizzy met her death amidst a horde of monsters without Seraphine¡¯s help. ¡®Later on, the August family learning about the crossroads of the future Seraphine saw became the decisive trigger for their betrayal.¡¯ The August family was margravial*1, which had defended the western part of the empire for nearly 300 years. On the other hand, Agnes¡¯ family, the ze family, was merely a family of a viscount that branched off from the Elizabeth family. From the August family¡¯s perspective, despite their loyalty to the empire for three centuries, they must have felt that the life of a viscountess was prioritized over the life of their family¡¯s sessor. It was only natural that this led to a sense of betrayal towards the Argentian Empire itself. Of course, if one looked far into the future, Agnes¡¯ survival would be more beneficial to humanity than Lizzy¡¯s. Thanks to her survival, she was able to prevent many dangerous incidents that urred at the academy from escting, and in the Demon King subjugation in the future, her considerable contributions allowed for victory. However, that was a separate issue from the August family¡¯s anger and betrayal of the empire. Especially since the August family had been loyal to the Argentian Empire for several generations, their sense of betrayal had an even more fatal impact. They say it¡¯s scarier when a fan turns into an anti-fan. The reason Seraphine was so easily subdued by Caraham in the ¡°Seraphine Kidnapping Incident¡± was also because of this background. ¡­Anyway. The introduction ended up being long, but what I want to say is this. In this ¡°Pce Invasion Incident,¡± Lizzy was originally supposed to lose her life after being caught in the monster wave. But that same Lizzy is currently in this shelter.@@novelbin@@ In other words, it meant that this shelter was also highly likely to be attacked by monsters before long. As soon as I saw Lizzy¡¯s face, a brief impression shed through my mind. ¡®¡­We¡¯re fucked.¡¯ Yeah,e to think of it, there were a few other nobles who died or were injured in the original story besides Lizzy. In the first ce, there was no way that mindless monsters would target Lizzy to kill her. It would be more usible to say that Lizzy Lynn August was just one of the people who died after being caught in the attack. In other words, this ¡°shelter¡± will soon fail to fend off the monster wave, and monsters will rush in. In that process, there is a high probability that Lizzy will get caught up and die. Apart from everything else, it also meant that my life was in danger. If monsters entered this space, it would turn into a chaotic mess due to the noble children who would only be concerned about their own survival. On top of that, the current me was a shoddy maid with garbagebat power, and I didn¡¯t even have a dagger. It would be quite challenging to protect myself. ¡®Of all things, Orion had to take all the usefulbat personnel with him¡­¡¯ The personnel in this shelter alone cannot repel the attack that willeter. Still, since most of them are nobles, they should be able to use beginner-level magic to some extent, but it would be difficult to expect the panicking noble children to cooperate in the first ce. Even Caraham wasn¡¯t here, so it seemed he was also recruited to fend off the monster wave. As I was feeling suffocated, naturally imagining what would happen next as soon as I saw Lizzy¡¯s face¡­ I heard her voice cautiously calling out to me, having noticed each other. ¡°Um, um, um, you¡¯re Lord Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­ right¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. We meet again, Miss Lizzy.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m truly sorry about earlier¡­ I didn¡¯t even realize you were Lord Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­¡± ¡°¡­No, well, anyone can make mistakes.¡± ¡°I-I won¡¯tmit the same rudeness as before again!¡± ¡­Why is she being so bothersome? Ignoring Lizzy, who was bowing her head and apologizing again for something that had already passed. I seriously pondered how I could fully preserve my life and Lizzy¡¯s life in this situation. Still, she was a character with a significant role in ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± so it would feel a bit unpleasant if she died right in front of me. Above all, if I saved Lizzy, it would probably be of considerable help in the future of this world as well. ¡®If I can do that, at least I can prevent a future where the August family betrays overnight.¡¯ Since, in the world of ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± the betrayal of the August family dealt a significant blow to the empire. In case of any misunderstandings, let me say this in advance. My goal isn¡¯t to see the ending of Luminor Academy. That¡¯s something for the protagonist, the ¡°Hero,¡± and other main characters to do, and I never wanted to enter that main story. What I desire is simply a peaceful and stable daily life in the Argentian Empire. I just hope it doesn¡¯t be an empire where I wake up one day to find an entire vige devastated by a monster attack, or a city bes upied by demons, forcing me to join a refugee procession. That way, I can also stably engage in adventurer activities while staying one step away from the story. If I can protect this one girl and make the August family¡¯s betrayal as if it never happened, that alone would be enough. ¡®At times like this, it would have been much easier if Ethan or Caraham were here.¡¯ With their skills, protecting two girls while fighting wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem, but they were already recruited to fend off the monster wave, so neither of them were here. In the end, excluding the pce guards, the only meaningfulbat force in this ce was me alone. ¡­No, honestly, it¡¯s a bit ambiguous to even call myself abat force. I am currently only Level 6. I am slightly stronger than a new soldier of the ckwood Estate Guards. If we¡¯re talking about monsters, I could put up a good fight against a Level 7 ck Rabbit. I don¡¯t know the level and scale of the monsters that attacked the pce in the ¡°Pce Invasion Incident,¡± but it was certain that the 10-20 pce guards here couldn¡¯t fend them off. That means they weren¡¯t weak monsters that could be killed with a single Magic Arrow or Shockwave. The only technique I could reliably deal effective damage with was ¡°Mana st¡±¡­ ¡®This¡­ can¡¯t be used recklessly.¡¯ There were many problems withbat relying solely on that one technique that had no backup once used. In the first ce, if I used arge-scale magic like Mana st in front of so many people, I would inevitably draw attention. Above all, if the monster attack continued even after using Mana st, it would lead to a situation where I couldn¡¯t do anything at all. At best, a dagger would be the only means to somehow protect my life and Lizzy¡¯s while avoiding being noticed as much as possible. Even if it were near the kitchen, there was no way a weapon equivalent to a dagger could be found in this main hall¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ No, maybe I could find one. If I do well, even in this situation, I might be able to obtain a weapon equivalent to a dagger that Lilith could wield. In ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± the range of ¡°daggers¡± that Lilith could equip was quite broad. What were considered as ¡°daggers¡± included not only variant weapons of daggers, like kukris and machetes, but even frying pans anddles. As long as it had a handle and a de of a certain length, any weapon could y the role of a ¡°dagger¡± that could receive synergy with Lilith¡¯s stat boosts. Perhaps even Lizzy might have one. Perhaps she has a weapon that Lilith could use inbat, equivalent to a ¡°dagger.¡± ¡°Miss Lizzy.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Do you happen to have a knife?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± No matter how much of a fantasy world where swordsmanship and magic ran rampant¡­ A noble youngdy would conceal a self-defense sword in her bosom, right? T/N
  1. A margravial family (noble rank: Margrave) guards one of the border territories of an empire, such as the western side mentioned earlier.
Hello! Axiomatic here. My prediction really ising closer and closer to reality. I better see Ethan and Lilith fighting together soon, as with the cover, otherwise, I¡¯ll riot. Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow for Bonus Chapter 68! Chapter 68 ¡°A-A knife¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lizzy couldn¡¯t help but react with surprise at Lilith¡¯s sudden question directed at her. Until just now, Lizzy had a good impression of her, who had overlooked her mistake in the ballroom with a generous smile. However, Lilith¡¯s question, asking if she had a de right after meeting again, was something Lizzy couldn¡¯t understand within the scope of her actions. Although Lizzy had experience in noble social activities for over ten years and thought she had a good grasp of human personalities to some extent¡­ ¡­the actions of this youngdy she encountered in front of her were apletely different type of person from the human personalities she had experienced so far. In the midst of that, Lizzy was quickly racking her brain to find a simr type of human personality. Recalling a few cases of people she had encountered, she made a careful assumption about Lilith. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ The appearance she showed upstairs was just a pretense because she was in front of her fianc¨¦, and perhaps this current appearance was her true self. Otherwise, there was no way she would tantly ask for her self-defense dagger. Seeing her confidently demanding her only weapon and means of defense, Lizzy felt a chilling sensation rising from her back. That¡¯s because the moment she handed this silver dagger hidden in her bosom to Lilith, all her means of defense would disappear. On the contrary, it meant that Lilith would gain a weapon that could be pointed at her. ¡°Perhaps, you don¡¯t have one?¡± ¡®What should I do¡­?¡¯ Although she naturally wanted to refuse, she didn¡¯t have the courage to do so. Normally, it would be strange to agree to hand over a dagger that was essentially her lifeline when asked. However, she questioned whether she had the right to refuse this proposal aftermitting an unforgivable rudeness to her in the Evening Rose Hall upstairs. If she didn¡¯t listen to her words here, what would happen to the rtionship between the August family and the ckwood family? Would it cause trouble for her family due to the mistake she made? While the youngdy of the August family hesitated with such concerns, Lilith¡¯s voice rang in her ears again. ¡°Um, Miss Lizzy?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­!¡± ¡°Do you really not have one? Even a self-defense dagger or something simr?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡®I should refuse, but¡­¡¯ Since childhood, she had never been blessed with magical talent. The only skills she had were trivial spells like creating a small amount of water when thirsty or making a small fireball to light a torch up a dark night¡¯s corridor. A noble youngdy should be able to use at least one or two defensive magics, but she had no such means at all. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] So, the moment her de was taken away, she would be someone who couldn¡¯t even put up the slightest bit of resistance. In the end, just as the frightened Lizzy was about to express her refusal first, Lilith unexpectedly waved her hand and began to move away from her. ¡°I-I¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Miss Lizzy, if you don¡¯t have one, it¡¯s fine. If you don¡¯t have one, I have no choice but to borrow from someone else.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Y-Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Still, I asked you first because you were someone I at least knew. Since you don¡¯t have one, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Lilith trying to leave her side without much hesitation along with those words. It was Lizzy who began to feel confused by that movement that seemed regretful yet not particrly important. She had initially thought it was a move to take away her dagger to put her in a difficult position. ¡­But the attitude she showed was a reaction that seemed like she really needed a de. ¡®Could it be that she really just needed a knife itself¡­?¡¯ As soon as Lilith, who had been facing her, took a step away, the raw fear towards her disappeared, and Lizzy was able to calmly assess the situation. Lizzy had been immersed in social circles since a young age and had her own interpersonal skills umted over a long time. The interpersonal skills ingrained in her body were telling her¡­ ¡­that right now, handing over the dagger in her bosom to Lilith was probably the right choice. ¡°I-I have one¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll lend it to you¡­! L-Lilith¡­!¡± That is, without even imagining that she would regret it within just one minute after handing over her only weapon. ¡°I-I¡¯ll lend it to you¡­! L-Lilith¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The voiceing from behind the moment I turned my steps to try talking to other people. In the direction I turned my head again, Lizzy was standing there, urgently calling out to me. In her hand was the silver dagger I had asked for earlier, tightly grasped. ¡®¡­Huh, she had one, after all.¡¯ She seemed hesitant, as if she didn¡¯t have one, so I was nning to cut it short and ask someone else. It seemed she was debating quite a bit about whether to lend it to me or not. Well, it wouldn¡¯t have been an easy decision to lend her self-defense weapon to aplete stranger. I don¡¯t know the extent of Lizzy¡¯s magic skills, but the more means of self-preservation one has, the better. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Especially in the current situation where Caraham isn¡¯t by her side, she would feel psychologically even more anxious. She must have made a big decision in her own way to lend it to me. ¡®I deliberately asked Lizzy first because I thought others would show simr reactions.¡¯ I thought she would easily lend it to me out of guilt for the mistake she made towards me. ¡­And if I borrowed someone else¡¯s dagger and ended up fighting, it could lead to a situation where I would have to protect two people at once, as I¡¯d have to protect that person, too. If I borrowed a self-defense weapon and fought, but the person who lent it ended up in a bad situation, and that would be the most unpleasant thing. In many ways, it was the easiest way to obtain a weapon, so I epted the silver dagger from Lizzy with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Miss Lizzy.¡± ¡°N-No! Compared to the rudeness Imitted earlier, this is really nothing!¡± Well, that¡¯s true. But she seems to understand it well. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I had any intention of petty retaliation against Lizzy for that incident. In the first ce, I wasn¡¯t in a position to argue based on status after taking off the mask. Shing. The sharp silver de gleamed as soon as I drew the dagger from the sheath I received from her. Seeing the quite sharp and clean de, it seemed to be properly maintained on a regr basis. With just this, it could be used as a weapon to sufficiently protect at least myself and Lizzy. Perhaps, with some luck, I could even aim to level up by killing a few monsters¡­ ¡°L-Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°W-What do you intend to use the borrowed silver dagger for¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°S-Seeing you smile while holding the de¡­ It¡¯s a b-bit scary¡­¡± ¡­Did I smile? It seemed I had momentarily failed to manage my expression due to the thought that I might be able to level up. I should be careful about this. Since I was holding a de, I might give her a weird misunderstanding if I wasn¡¯t careful. If I made her anxious, it would be bothersome to protect herter when monsters rushed in. I clearly exined to Lizzy that I wouldn¡¯t harm her with her silver dagger to put her at ease. ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Miss Lizzy. I really have absolutely no intention of stabbing you or anything with this.¡± ¡°Eek¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Why is she more afraid even though I tried to reassure her? I saw Lizzy starting to step back and distance herself from me after hearing my words. In order to get closer to her as she moved away, I also followed the youngdy¡¯s retreating steps with short strides. For some reason, Lizzy¡¯s expression darkened a little more each time. ¡°W-Why are youing closer?!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I get closer? Of course, it¡¯s much more convenient (to protect Miss Lizzy) that way.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯te any closer! C-Could it be that you¡­ intend to do something to me taking advantage of this chaos¡­¡± ¡°I told you not to move away. What if you get hurt (more injured by monsters) because of that?¡± ¡°Eek¡­!!¡± As the conversation continued, Lizzy¡¯s retreating speed gradually increased, and her expression grew darker and darker. Not understanding her reaction, I quickly followed Lizzy¡¯s movements. Finally, her retreat waspletely stopped by the corner wall of the main hall. Thud. ¡°Ah, aah¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t step back any further now. Don¡¯t try to distance yourself from me and stay put¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lilith¡­! N-No, Lady Lilith¡­! I will definitelypensate you for the rudeness Imitted earlier¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I told you it¡¯s not necessary. I clearly epted your apology, so why are you mentioning that incident again?¡± ¡°I-I thought your anger hadn¡¯t subsided yet, Lady Lilith¡­¡± ¡­Maybe it would have been better to just tell her to send the payment for the dress to the ckwoods. I tried to gloss over it, thinking it would be much easier to say I wouldn¡¯t eptpensation, but it seemed this woman took the meaning of my words differently. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It¡¯s as if she thought I hadn¡¯t epted her apology and was still angry. ¡­Can¡¯t be helped. I have no choice but to at least make a show of formally eptingpensation. I happened to be holding an ¡®appropriate item¡¯ for the transaction. ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s just do this.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ept Miss Lizzy¡¯spensation. But there¡¯s no need topensate with money or clothes.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°T-Then with what¡­¡± ¡°Why bother looking for something far away? We can just consider this settled with this here.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± With those words, I held up the silver dagger I received from her. Pointing my finger at the clean silver de with its edge sharpened, I asked. ¡°Thepensation for the dress, let¡¯s consider it settled with this¡­¡± ¡°Eek¡­¡± The youngdy of the August family, her expression darkening to the point of turning pale. She suddenly closed her eyes and seemed to be about to scream something. But fortunately, the incident of me being misunderstood due to her scream didn¡¯t ur. Bang! ¡°T-The southern gate of the pce has been breached. Everyone, prepare for defense!¡± ¡°Aah! W-What is this?!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaah! M-Monsters!!¡± The monsters suddenly barged into the shelter, and the noble children and soldiers began to react in amotion. Due to that chaos, Lizzy¡¯s scream was buried in the uproar. ¡°M-Monsters¡­?!¡± Perhaps due to the chaotic situation, the youngdy of August, who had been screaming, btedly assessed the situation and looked around. I pushed her into the corner of the wall and gripped the dagger, taking a stance. ¡°Miss Lizzy, stay there and don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?!¡± ¡°If you happen to run off somewhere else, I really might not be able to protect you then.¡± This is my first time fighting while protecting someone. ¡­Well, I am Lilith, so it¡¯ll work out somehow. Chapter 69 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 69 [Dagger Maid (3)] Argentian Empire, Imperial Pce, Western Gate Line of Defense. sh! ¡°Maintain proper formation! They¡¯re just a bunch ofke serpents!¡± ¡°E-Even so, there are just too many of them! We need to retreat and call for reinforcements¡­!¡± sh! ¡°The moment we retreat here, the entire pce will be devastated! Grit your teeth and hold them off!¡± The pce guard squad, consisting of a dozen or so members, tirelessly shed at the crawling horde ofke serpents while maintaining their formation in the urgent situation. The monsters, each the size of an adult man¡¯s leg, endlessly rushed in and pressured the line of defense at the Western Gate. sh! ¡°Aaaargh!!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­! These damn monsters keeping without end!¡± Each individualke serpent wasn¡¯t a particrly strong monster. From the perspective of an average person, they could be considered a quite challenging level of monster to face, but in the end, everyone here was a member of the pce guards. Since it was a unitposed of individuals with outstanding abilities, even among regr soldiers, they were capable of dealing withke serpents without much difficulty. ¡°Aah¡­ M-My arm¡­¡± ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡± However, in a situation where they weren¡¯t limited to just ten or 20, but a wave that endlessly rushed in, even the pce guards couldn¡¯t help but get exhausted. The soldiers who were shing at the monsters, swarming in from the darkness like a huge wave, began toin of painful fatigue after 30 minutes. ¡°¡­¡± sh! ¡­Amidst that, there was someone who silently killed monsters without showing any signs of fatigue. Ethan Richard ckwood. The young noble of the ckwood family, recruited by Orion to defend the pce, was silently slicingke serpents without uttering a single tired expression. The longsword adorned with the double-headed eagle, the crest of the ckwood family, was currently flying towards the neck of yet another monster. ¡®¡­This much, I can still endure.¡¯ sh! ¡®Compared to the training I received from my father, this much is¡­!¡¯ Of course, even he had been swinging his sword for over 30 minutes, so fatigue was inevitably umting in his body. He simply focused on killing monsters as quietly as possible without showing his fatigue and kept on defending the western gate. Ethan clearly understood that just by not showing signs of exhaustion as a noble¡¯s son, he could boost the morale of the other guards. ¡°Even the young master of the ckwood family is swinging his sword without any signs of fatigue! Are you guys from the pce guard going to fall first?!¡± ¡°¡±¡±No, sir!!¡±¡±¡± ¡°Kill them all! Hold them off until the end! Think of the people inside the pce as your wives and children and defend with your lives!!¡± ¡°Aaaaaah!!¡± ¡­Right, he couldn¡¯t fall here. As that knight said, he had to risk his life to protect the people inside the pce. Because right now, inside the pce, Lilith, his exclusive maid and his partner for tonight¡¯s event, was there.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have brought her along.¡¯ Why did he have to bring her, humiliate her in front of the August family¡¯s youngdy, and drag her into such a dangerous situation? He deeply regretted his decision from a few days ago to bring Lilith to Princess Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball. It was all because of his small desire to dance with her as his partner, which ended up putting Lilith in danger. So, at the very least, he had to somehow hold out until the end to ensure Lilith wouldn¡¯t be in danger. If he failed to stop the monsters like this and allowed them into the pce, and she got hurt, he felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s fortunate that she didn¡¯t try to join the battle.¡¯ A year ago, recalling the belligerent attitude Lilith had shown at ckwood Estate Guards¡¯ Station, Ethan had been nervously wondering if she would jump into the pce defense operation this time as well. As if his worries had reached the heavens, she obediently stayed put this time, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. They hade up with a n to split up, with Orion, Agnes, and himself blocking the monsters¡¯ invasion at the northern, eastern, and western gates, respectively. But no matter how much he shed and shed, the endless horde of monsters made Ethan feel a gradual sense of strangeness. ¡®Considering we expected the northern gate to have the most¡­ No matter how I think about it, there are just too many¡­¡¯ If even this gate was in such a situation, just how many monsters were rushing towards the northern gate? Even if he desperately held off this ce, if they allowed the monsters to invade through the northern gate, everything would be in vain. Such troublesome thoughts momentarily crossed Ethan¡¯s mind, but realizing they were unimportant, he silently focused on shing the monsters in front of him. sh! ¡°¡­Haa.¡± sh! He simply prayed that Orion and Agnes, who had gone to the other defense lines, were defending them well. A horde of monsters began to rush into the pce after breaching the southern gate, the entrance to the main hall. As soon as a dozen or so snake-like monsters swarmed into the shelter, the hall turned into a scene of pandemonium. Chomp! ¡°AAAAAAHHH!!¡± A noble son screamed as his leg was bitten by ake serpent. Slither! ¡°Kyaaaa!! S-Save me! Kyaaaaa!!¡± A noble youngdy screamed and ran around, trying to remove the monster that had crawled into her dress. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± sh! ¡®Gaaah¡­!¡¯ Even in this chaotic situation, the pce guards were somehow killing monsters and reducing their numbers. It didn¡¯t take long for the scene, filled with all kinds of people and a significant number of monsters, to turn into a state of pandemonium. ¡°Miss Lizzy, stay there and don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?!¡± ¡°If you happen to run off somewhere else, I really might not be able to protect you then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The youngdy simply responded with silence, whether she understood properly or not. Perhaps it was a situation where she couldn¡¯t even answer due to fear. Since it wasn¡¯t a situation where getting an answer was important, I let it slide. What mattered to me was solely killing theke serpent monsters rushing towards me. That¡¯s all. Lake serpents were Level 4 monsters. Some might say there¡¯s no need to tremble and be cautious against a mere Level 4 monster, but for the noble children here, even a Level 4 monster wouldn¡¯t feel easy to deal with. No matter how much magical education they had, there was a limit to oveing the level difference with a body that hadn¡¯t grown through experience points. Moreover, the conditions for facing these monsters one-on-one weren¡¯t even met, and there was no way mages that were level 1-2 could properly deal with two or threeke serpents rushing at them at once. I couldn¡¯t possibly save all those noble children one by one. It was a given that they had to protect their own bodies. ¡°Stick your backs together! All of you, just block the monsters rushing from your direction!¡± In fact, some noble children were already pairing up or forming lines, facing theke serpents with swords or magic. If I were to go around the shelter trying to save nobles who couldn¡¯t even do that much, I would only endanger Lizzy, whom I had to protect. For the sake of the girl who had handed me her dagger, I simply swung my de diligently to the best of my ability. ¡®Hiyaah!¡¯ ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± sh! I thrust the silver dagger into the head of theke serpent rushing towards me and Lizzy, mming it into the ground. The monster, its head pierced, wriggled a couple of times on the ground before going limp. Even with the skill that increases my attack when wielding a dagger, I never thought I would be able to kill it in one hit. It seemed this silver dagger I received from the youngdy was a better item than I thought. ¡°L-Lilith¡­? A-Are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a good dagger.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ I wasn¡¯t asking about the dagger¡­¡± sh! ¡°Eek?!¡± This time, I shed a monster that flew straight at me with the silver dagger. Immediately, the secondke serpent also fell to the ground, its head pierced, and died instantly. ¡°¡­What was it, if not the dagger?¡± ¡°N-Nothing! It¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Seriously, what¡¯s with her behavior since earlier? Anyway, unlike before, she had obediently followed my instructions, making it easier to swing the dagger. ¡°Kyaaah! Get off! Get off me!!¡± If Lizzy had also panicked like that noble youngdy over there running around while taking off her clothes, it would have been truly impossible to fight while protecting her. By chance, I had taken a good position wedged between two walls on either side, making it easy to defend and swing my dagger against the monsters. I just needed to hold out as long as possible like this until Seraphine and Agnes could somehow resolve the situation. This monster wave would probably end with Seraphine and Agnes cooperating to kill the boss monster that appeared at the western gate. ¡®Judging from how theseke serpents are swarming in groups like this, the boss of this monster wave is probably the ¡®King Serpent.¡± If it¡¯s around that level, Seraphine and Agnes should be able to take it down with just the two of them. With Agnes¡¯s full-powered Giga Fireball and the magic used by Seraphine during the full moon, they should have enough power to kill a single King Serpent. sh! ¡°Gaaah!¡± While having such thoughts and killing the thirdke serpent rushing towards Lizzy and me, I observed the situation. At that moment, from the direction of the exit leading to the southern gate, loud impact sounds and consecutive screams of monsters began to ring out. Bam! Bam! sh! ¡°Gah¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡­This familiar sound effect, could it be? Hearing the familiar sound of kicks from somewhere, my mind suddenly began to rise with a troubling thought. In Luminor Academy, there was only one character in my memory who used kicks as her main attack. The thought that the person who arrived at the southern gate might be her, who absolutely shouldn¡¯t be here right now, slowly emerged. With a worrisome imagination starting to form in my mind, I turned my gaze toward the southern gate entrance where the sound wasing from. There, a golden shadow appeared, crushing the heads of monsters with a dozen consecutive kicks. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°P-Princess Seraphine¡­?¡± Although she was still wearing a mask that covered her eyes, there was no way anyone here wouldn¡¯t know that she was Seraphine. Everyone¡¯s gazes instantly shot towards her at the sudden appearance of the Moonlight Shadow Princess. I also unintentionally shifted my gaze to her appearance as she emerged while killing severalke serpents every second, but unfortunately, my gaze reached her for a slightly different reason than the others. ¡®Why is she¡­ here now?¡¯ It was the moment I directly witnessed the story flowing in a way quite different from the original work. Chapter 70 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 70 [An Altered Future (1)] Bam! sh! ¡°Gaaah¡­!¡± Seraphine brought order to the chaotic situation, gracefully dispatching severalke serpents at once with her shy kicks. For a moment, I almost lost my senses to her appearance, as if moonlight was shining from her very being, but I btedly came to my senses and started assessing the situation to understand what was happening. That was because the Third Princess was one of the two people who absolutely shouldn¡¯t be here right now. The other person was, of course, Agnes. Without thebined attack of Agnes and Seraphine, the King Serpent cannot be defeated. To be precise, that¡¯s only possible with the main characters present here. Unlike the Level 4 small fries, the King Serpent was a Level 10 boss monster. As with all boss monsters in games, the boss monsters in ¡°Luminor Academy¡± also possess a strength that is on a different Level from ordinary monsters. One might look down on the King Serpent just because it¡¯s Level 10, but the meaning bes clearly different just by having the title of ¡®boss monster¡¯ attached to it. To defeat a Level 10 boss monster, you don¡¯t need a single ¡®Level 10 character,¡¯ but a ¡®partyposed of Level 10 characters¡¯; that¡¯s how much its strength is amplified. Simplyparing its health to a monster of a simr level, it¡¯s nearly 20 times stronger. Considering its defense and skills, it is naturally several times more dangerous. In fact, a monster at the level of the King Serpent could bepared to Level 40 monsters without any sense of difort. ¡®That¡¯s why I thought Agnes and Seraphine had to charge at it together to just barely defeat it.¡¯ The moment even one of them is missing from the operation, this monster wave will never end. It is virtually impossible to defeat the entire horde ofke serpents, which could number in the thousands, and even if it were possible, there would be no strength left to face the King Serpent. Moreover, these monsters were still persistently targeting only humans as if they were beingmanded by someone, so it was most important to somehow defeat the boss monster and resolve this situation. ¡®Hiyah¡­!¡¯ sh! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The number ofke serpents I¡¯ve killed that rushed at Lizzy and me has already reached four. But Seraphine, who should have gone to defeat the King Serpent, is here now. Why did shee to support this ce instead of defeating the King Serpent and dealing with the remnants? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t understand her actions at all, and various spections began to arise in my mind about what Seraphine had seen in the future. ¡®What on earth did she see in her future sight?¡¯ Could it be that Seraphine¡¯s future sight didn¡¯t reflect the future where ¡®I protected Lizzy¡¯? ¡­Or did some action I took when I met Seraphine make her decide to save Lizzy instead of Agnes? While I was confused with all sorts of questions in my mind, the masked blonde princess began walking towards Lizzy and me, passing through the southern gate. Even at that moment, I was questioning Seraphine¡¯s iprehensible actions. ¡°Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t we not exchange names?¡± ¡°Since we already know each other, it doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± ¡­Well, that¡¯s true. What on earth did she see in her future sight that made here to rescue Lizzy even after seeing the future where she defeats the King Serpent together with Agnes? The question rose to my throat, and I almost blurted out that rude question. But before that, Seraphine, who had grabbed my hand first, suddenly started running while holding me. ¡°Why are you even here¡­ Oh, huh?!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go? Go where?¡± ¡°Ah, Miss Lilith, today must be your first time wearing high-heeled shoes. It seems like it would be difficult for you to run quickly.¡± ¡°What are you even talking about¡­ Aah?!¡± ¡°Pardon me for a moment.¡± You¡¯re already being rude after doing something rude! Seraphine, who suddenly tripped my feet and made me fall backward, caught my body in her arms as I was about to fall to the floor. Unintentionally finding myself in a princess carry position in her arms, I could only show a confused expression, still not understanding what was happening. ¡°I¡¯ll exin on the way. We¡¯re in a hurry right now.¡± ¡°W-What?! Why are you suddenly carrying me and running?!¡± ¡°Because I saw it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The future where you, Miss Lilith, and I subjugate the King Serpent together.¡± ¡­Seriously, what did she see? With a questionable appearance, Seraphine suddenly showed up at the shelter and started running towards the western gate of the pce while carrying me. I unintentionally found myself in her arms, holding the dagger I received from Lizzy, heading towards the western gate. ¡°Princess, this isn¡¯t the time for this! Right now, we need to prioritize defeating the boss monster at the center of the monster wave¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I came to get you, Miss Lilith. Between the two futures I saw, seeking your cooperation was easier.¡± ¡°What?!¡± What on earth is this princess talking about? If she saw the future, she should have flown straight to the western gate as soon as she grasped the situation and dealt with the King Serpent first instead of the other small fries. I couldn¡¯t understand why she was suddenly carrying me and taking me to the western gate of the pce. In the first ce, it was reckless to think that cooperating with me could defeat the King Serpent. Because my current identity was nothing more than an indebtedmoner maid of a ducal family, and thanks to the letter Ethan had sent in advance, Seraphine was one of the people who already knew that fact. ¡°P-Princess, you already know that I¡¯m just amoner maid!¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I almost fell for your naive appearance for a moment myself.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re keeping it a secret, right? The fact that you¡¯re amoner who can use magic.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use asking me how I knew. I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lilith, but my future sight has never been wrong.¡± ¡­Ah, damn it. If it weren¡¯t for the full moon, there was no way I would have been found out. Even if I denied the future sight of the Moonlight Shadow Princess, who bes a cheat character once a month, it probably wouldn¡¯t work on her at all. I had no choice but to nod my head and acknowledge her words. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Normally, as soon as it was confirmed that amoner who could use magic appeared, the empire would have taken protective measures.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m the only one who knows that fact right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret, Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡­Huh? She¡¯s going to hide it? ¡°What did you just say¡­¡± ¡°For whatever reason, you are living like amoner while concealing the fact that you can use magic.¡± ¡°¡­Of course, because it would be dangerous if it was found out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep the scene I saw in my future sight a secret, so in return, Miss Lilith, you must cooperate with me in making the future I saw a reality.¡± ¡°¡­Does that mean the future where I defeat the King Serpent with my magic?¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± ¡­¡¯For now¡¯? How far into the future did she see toe looking for me? She saw the future where I use magic and defeat the King Serpent. Even without further exnation from Seraphine, I could already grasp what kind of situation that was. Among the magic spells and skills I could use, there was only one means to deal a proper attack on the King Serpent. Mana st. I could sufficiently guess it from the moment I heard that I had defeated the King Serpent. If I really did defeat that monster in the future this woman saw, the only attack I could use against it was that. Although confusion still remained, using the information I heard from Seraphine, I could somewhat grasp the content of the story that had now changed. ¡­In the end, my intervention in the story changed the future sight Seraphine saw, and amidst that, Seraphine chose the changed future sight. I didn¡¯t know the reason why she was stubbornly trying to take me to the western gate instead of quickly receiving Agnes¡¯ cooperation to defeat the King Serpent, but anyway, this was a story that had been altered from the original work. Perhaps even now, Agnes, at the western gate, was cornered while facing the King Serpent. I still couldn¡¯t understand at all why Seraphine, who had always made choices that minimized sacrifices in all stories, had endangered Agnes. ¡®If she had seen the future sight where Agnes was at the western gate line of defense, she would have naturally judged to support Agnes at the western gate first. After all, Seraphine would have confirmed through her future sight that the two of them could sufficiently defeat the King Serpent.¡¯ But now that she had made this judgment toe and get me instead, Agnes was probably falling into danger by the minute. ¡­Wait, if the reason Seraphine made this strange judgment was that one of the two targets in her future sight had changed from Lizzy to me¡­ Could it be that the other target of the future sight had also changed from Agnes to someone else? ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­You said that one of the contents of the future vision you saw was the future where you and I cooperate to defeat the King Serpent, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t rude of me, could you tell me what you saw in the other future?¡± As if she had expected me to ask this question as well, Seraphine smiled slightly and nodded in response. The answer that came out of her mouth was shocking enough to make me flustered. ¡°The futures I saw were two. One was as I mentioned earlier, where I take Miss Lilith from the southern gate shelter to the western gate, and then Miss Lilith and I cooperate to defeat the King Serpent at the western gate.¡± ¡°The other is¡­¡± ¡°The other one was the future where I take Miss Agnes from the eastern gate line of defense to the western gate, and simrly, Miss Agnes and I cooperate to defeat the King Serpent.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that have been much easier? Instead of going back and forth between the southern and western gates, if Miss Agnes was at the eastern gate¡­ Huh?¡± ¡­Wait a minute. Did I hear that wrong just now? ¡°W-Wait a moment, Princess. Could you tell me about the second future again?¡± ¡°In the second future, I defeat the King Serpent together with Miss Agnes¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no. That¡¯s not it; where is Miss Agnes right now?¡± ¡°¡­Miss Agnes is currently preventing the entry of monsters at the eastern gate line of defense of the pce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then, what about the western gate? I don¡¯t know how Orion defended the pce in the original history, but regardless, there was one thing that was certain. It was the fact that he had entrusted the defense of the western gate, where the boss monster would appear, to Agnes. But now, she, who should have been facing the boss monster ording to the original story, was stopping monsters at the eastern gate defense line of the pce. It must be true since it was the content Princess Seraphine saw in her future sight, as she could even see me, who ¡®originally wouldn¡¯t be at this scene¡¯, through her future sight. For now, it was confirmed that Agnes was defending the eastern gate defense line. ¡­Then, who on earth was defending the western gate where the King Serpent would rush in? ¡°Could it be¡­¡± As a familiar face shed through my mind, I realized that I had been overlooking one of the most important facts all along. ¡­In the original story, I wasn¡¯t the only character who didn¡¯t attend Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball. Argentian Empire, Imperial Pce, Western Gate Line of Defense. ¡°Haa, haa, haa¡­¡± Ethan Richard ckwood, the eldest son of the ckwood family. He was currently experiencing the greatest threat to his life with his entire being. ¡°ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!¡± A huge monster opened its mouth as wide as a house, sucking out his soul with a bone-chilling scream. An overwhelminglyrge size that was impossible to evenpare to otherke serpents and movements that were too quick and powerful for its size. Ethan felt considerable pressure from the majesty of the ¡®boss monster¡¯ he was facing for the first time in his life. Still unable to make a single proper wound on its scales, he quietly thought to himself as he looked at the unscathed King Serpent. ¡®This¡­ is definitely more challenging than the training I received from my father.¡¯ His body was already exhausted from facing dozens ofke serpents, but he was still standing on his two legs, defending the western gate of the pce. He was gripping the sword he was forcibly holding with his trembling arms, trying to focus his mind. Ethan Richard ckwood, the heir to the ckwood family, remained at the western gate of the pce, guarding thest line of defense. He couldn¡¯t hope for anyone¡¯s help anymore, all alone on the front lines. Chapter 71 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 71 [An Altered Future (2)] The King Serpent. Arge boss monster in the form of a giant cobra. In front of its overwhelming terror, Ethan was somehow enduring while standing firmly on his two legs. Still holding his sword, he maintained his tension while making eye contact with the monster in front of him. His body was already exhausted, the other soldiers had long since copsed, and his strength and mana werepletely drained. In this situation, Ethan couldn¡¯t even gauge how long he couldst alone against this huge monster. He had already rolled on the ground several times while narrowly dodging its attacks, so his body was umting quite a few injuries to match. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he copsed with the next attack due to a single careless mistake. He no longer aimed for victory. The only thing Ethan could do was stall for as much time as possible. Even though he knew there was no possibility of winning, Ethan stood up firmly on his two legs with his sword instead of sitting on the ground or running away. The moment he fell, this huge monster would rush into the pce. No, with this size, it might even break the pce itself. The moment that happened, everyone else inside the pce would be in danger, and Lilith, who had been dragged to the masquerade ball because of his selfishness, would also be one of them. For her sake, Ethan couldn¡¯t copse here. ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡± In this life-or-death situation, Ethan silently recalled Lilith¡¯s face in his mind. Her short ck hair, round face, and reallyrge breasts¡­ ¡®No, no, no¡­¡¯ ¡­Anyway, he recalled his exclusive maid, who was attractive in every way. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Lilith¡¯s beautiful appearance that made Ethan feel that she was special to him. Her upright personality of not hesitating to sacrifice herself to protect others, her warm heart that always thought deeply and cared for him, and her attitude of not hesitating to give harsh words or shock therapy for his sake. In many ways, Ethan felt considerable gratitude to her who had been by his side and assisted him for a long time. ¡­He had been aware for quite some time that he hade to harbor feelings for her that he shouldn¡¯t have as an employer. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­ haaaa¡­ fall¡­. here.¡¯ Gripping the hilt of his sword even tighter, Ethan took his stance once again. He took his stance for the sake of protecting Lilith, who had already be an irreceable person to him. ¡°ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!¡± ¡®¡­Here ites!¡¯ The King Serpent bent its body again and rushed towards him with a loud scream. Suppressing the instinct to dodge with all his might, Ethan watched its movements until the very end. Just before it pounced on him, he twisted his body to the right and slightly raised his sword against the King Serpent. ng! ¡°ROOOAR!!!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The young master of the ckwood family rolled on the ground once again, along with his sword that had grazed and bounced off the King Serpent¡¯s left fang. Although he hadn¡¯t trained his swordsmanship for very long, the ckwood swordsmanship he had learned from his father was certainly effective in many ways. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] In addition, he squeezed out thest of his mana to wield body enhancement magic. Above all,pared to the killing intent his father sincerely unleashed during practical training, the killing intent of the monster in front of him was barely tolerable, so Ethan was able to swing his sword at the right timing with maximum concentration. Of course, physical strength was a separate issue, so he couldn¡¯t avoid colliding with the monster and being thrown back as a result. ¡°Haa, haa, haa¡­¡± The young ckwood noble let out a tired sigh after rolling on the ground a couple of times. The King Serpent wasn¡¯t a lenient opponent to allow him time to recover. The boss opened its huge maw again and rushed at Ethan, whose stance had crumbled. ¡°¡­!¡± There wasn¡¯t even time to get up. If he did, that giant maw would swallow him whole before he could take a stance. Hadn¡¯t several of the guards defending the western gate already been swallowed whole by that giant maw? But he couldn¡¯t take a proper defensive stance with his posture crumbled, so there was only one way left for Ethan to deal with it. Before long, a sword flew through the air from his hand. Whoosh! ¡°ROOOAR!!!¡± After throwing the sword in his hand with all his might into the monster¡¯s mouth, he rolled his body once again to dodge the attack. Some might consider it a disgrace for a swordsman to throw away his sword, which was like his lifeline, and run away. However, Ethan¡¯s father, Harold, always taught him one thing as the top priority. If his life seemed to be in danger, whether it was throwing away his sword or rolling on the ground, the most important teaching of his father was to survive first. Ethan also struggled to the very end to buy as much time as possible, following those words. He seeded in enduring a short time of a dozen or so seconds more. Gulp! ¡°ROOOOOOOOAR!!!¡± Soon, the monster screamed in pain after mistakenly swallowing Ethan¡¯s sword and injuring the inside of its mouth. Ethan thought it would be nice if it disappeared like this, startled by the pain, but the King Serpent showed no sign of backing down easily. The monster spat out the sword in its mouth onto the ground and immediately rushed towards Ethan, who was rolling on the ground and trying to run away. It¡¯s as if it held a grudge against him for causing it pain. ¡°HISSSSSSSSSSSSS!¡± ¡®¡­Is this¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. the end¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡¯ Ethan, who had somehow avoided one more attack by rolling on the ground with his tired body, was eventually blocked by a dead end. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t even have an ounce of strength left in him to wriggle his body any further. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Naturally, his stamina had also reached its limit after facing the Level 10 boss monster alone for nearly 10 minutes. If the previous battles were included, it meant he had been swinging his sword for almost an hour without rest. ¡®¡­I should have learned the sword a little earlier.¡¯ If he had been a little stronger, he might have been able to somehow block this monster with his own power. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have had to see his fellow soldiers copsing and being swallowed. If only he hadn¡¯t wasted time during his immature days, the situation would have been much better than now. Just as he was about to quietly let his tired body rest, hoping that at least the others had safely evacuated. ¡°¡­Ethan!!!¡± A longing voice reached his ears. ¡°¡­¡­.Li¡­.lith¡­?¡± When he opened his eyes, thinking it might be her, the huge mouth of the King Serpent was approaching him. Thinking it was indeed an auditory hallucination, he was about to give up and close his eyes again, when a strong impact sound struck his ears from close range. Bam! ¡°¡­?!¡± The mouth of the King Serpent that had juste to swallow him disappeared somewhere, and instead, what appeared before his eyes was something presumed to be someone¡¯s calf. Ethan quietly recalled in his mind that it couldn¡¯t be Lilith¡¯s calf, but suddenly, tworge objects approached in front of his eyes. Seeing those unmistakable objects, he momentarily felt his soul leaving his body. ¡°Ethan, are you okay?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god, what injuries¡­! Don¡¯t tell me you were fighting the King Serpent alone until now?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Lilith¡¯s voice sincerely worrying about him, Ethan couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer and only silently nodded. It also yed a part that his body was so exhausted that he couldn¡¯t even give a short answer. Even though he was facing Lilith, who was worrying about him as soon as they reunited, he was too ashamed that his instincts had chased her breasts before her face. In the midst of going back and forth between life and death, in the end, his gaze was drawn to his exclusive maid¡¯s breasts. The moment he felt that fact to be so embarrassing, he simply closed his eyes and silently apologized in his heart. As soon as Seraphine and I arrived at the western gate, the first thing we naturally spotted was the King Serpent, presumed to be the boss monster. The huge monster, which was almost 30-40 meters in length, was obviously noticeable as soon as we opened the western gate of the pce and went out. It was rushing towards someone with its mouth wide open. ¡°Ethan!!!¡± As soon as I saw him lying on the ground in a miserable state where the monster¡¯s mouth was heading, his name naturally flew out of my mouth. To think that it really was Ethan who had been defending the western gate line of defense¡­ I had somewhat expected it after hearing that Agnes had gone to the eastern gate, but even so, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my emotions rise when I actually faced him. No matter how much of a rtionship between a noble and an exclusive maid we had, he was someone I had been with the closest for several years. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although my feelings towards him were close to indifference, even so, when you spend time together, you naturally develop some affection. At the very least, I didn¡¯t want to see someone I had known for a long time dying right in front of my eyes. Seeing Ethan about to be pounced on by the monster at any moment, my heart naturally became anxious. Before I knew it, my mouth was urgently calling out to Seraphine, who was running while carrying me.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°Yes, I know!¡± Answering and putting me down on the ground at the same time, Seraphine ran towards the King Serpent. The princess, with her golden hair shimmering in the moonlight, leaped and struck the monster¡¯s head from the upper right. She sent the side of the King Serpent¡¯s head, which was about to pounce on Ethan at any moment, flying to its left with a shy kick. Bam! ¡°ROOOOOOOOAR!!!¡± The monster, unable to close its wide-open maw, tilted its body to the side along with its head. Fortunately, the Moonlight Shadow Princess¡¯ surprise attack was effective against the King Serpent, and we seeded in somehow saving Ethan¡¯s life before he was in danger. I ran to Ethan soon after to check his condition first. ¡°Ethan, are you okay?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± With his appearance, looking dazed as if his soul had left his body, he was unable to even make eye contact with me. Just how fierce of a battle did he fight? He didn¡¯t just have one or two torn and bruised marks on his body. If this was the extent of what was visible on the outside, how severe were the injuries he suffered underneath this thick suit? As soon as I imagined the injuries that seemed obvious without even checking, my mouth was spilling out worried words towards Ethan on its own. ¡°Oh my god, these injuries¡­! Don¡¯t tell me you were fighting the King Serpent alone until now?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering, Ethan closed his eyes and quietly nodded his head. Seeing that he didn¡¯t even have the strength to utter words, just how grueling of a fight did he go through? Just defending this front line up to this point, it was fair to say that Ethan had already done everything he could. If it had been Agnes instead of Ethan in this position¡­ ¡®She definitely wouldn¡¯t havested until now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t aboutparing who was stronger between Ethan and Agnes. Agnes¡¯ magic attacks required a long casting time, so she wouldn¡¯t put up a good fight against the King Serpent. Still, one thing was certain. Ethan had put his all into fighting the King Serpent until the very end, buying time for Seraphine to arrive at the western gate with me. So, it was my turn to reward Ethan for enduring until now. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Rest, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The princess and I will take care of the rest.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I somehow let him know that the time he had bought was never in vain. The King Serpent reorganized its head that had flown off and rushed towards Seraphine and me. Princess Seraphine made eye contact with me once and nodded. Even without saying it, the n was as good as decided. The Seraphine who had seen the future would match me anyway. It was time to make the guy who had put our family¡¯s kid in this state pay the price. Chapter 72 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 72 [An Altered Future (3)] The battle with the King Serpent began somewhat abruptly as Seraphine and I arrived at the western gate. The first thing that needed to be done was, of course, protecting Ethan. To start the fight, Seraphine aggroed the King Serpent so that it wouldn¡¯t touch Ethan any further, who had already copsed from exhaustion. Of course, even for Seraphine, aggroing the King Serpent wouldn¡¯t be easy, no matter how skilled she was in her usual condition. I didn¡¯t know what level she was at right now, but considering her level at the time of joining in the original game, she would currently be at a simr level to Ethan. She was estimated to be around Level 7-8. At most, it wouldn¡¯t exceed Level 10. Then, naturally, it would be absurd for her to respond even briefly to the King Serpent, a boss monster. ¡­But Seraphine, on the night of a full moon, was on apletely different level. Bam! ¡°ROOOOOOOAR!!!¡± The King Serpent, hit on the bridge of its nose by her shy aerial kick, threw a tantrum. Although it didn¡¯t suffer any visible external injuries, it was easy to guess just by watching that its movements were momentarily disrupted by the impact. ¡­As expected of a cheat character that bes ridiculously strong once a month. Seraphine was a character who could fight using ¡®lunar power¡¯ instead of typical physical and magical strength, befitting her alias as the Moonlight Shadow Princess. Inevitably, there were fluctuations in the character itself since her ability relied heavily on external factors, but anyway, on the night of a full moon, she was a powerful character second to none among the main characters. Using an overhead kick with a smooth curve like a crescent moon, she struck the lower jaw of the King Serpent. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] She dazzled the monster with her golden hair, shining like a lunar halo, and endlessly drew the boss monster¡¯s attention. In fact, even in the game, Seraphine was a character with excellent performance as a Sub-DPS and evasion tank. ¡­Well, she was already an essentialpanion due to the story, so if her performance wasn¡¯t good, the public sentiment would have been brutal, so it was an unavoidable decision. Despite being an annoying character, there was a reason why she didn¡¯t hit the bottom in the poprity rankings. ¡®Of course, even Seraphine on a full moon wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the King Serpent at this point.¡¯ In the original story, it was said that Seraphine and Agnes could barely defeat the King Serpent bybining their powers, so perhaps, in fact, Agnes was likely responsible for the firepower to kill the King Serpent even then. Seraphine would have yed the role of drawing the monster¡¯s attention and buying time in that way. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I could roughly guess what kind of battle they would have fought, but there was no need to cross-check that part in my mind. Especially in an urgent situation like now, there was even less need to waste time on useless things, and all I had to do was hit the King Serpent with Mana st. If that was the future Seraphine saw, it was fair to say it would definitely happen. ¡°Lilith¡­? What do you mean by you and the princess finishing it¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet, Ethan. I need to concentrate from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I quickly dismissed Ethan¡¯s muttering from behind, still seemingly unaware of the situation. I immediately started chanting the magic spell with the feeling of creating a mass of mana in my hands. Although this was essentially the first time I used proper high-level magic, and not simple spells like Clean or Shockwave, there was no particr difficultypared to using other spells. Along with the sensation of all sorts of unknown magic forms permeating my mind, a sphere made of mana began to form in my hands. That sphere started to gradually increase in size on my palms. ¡®Yeah, this was the form.¡¯ In the game, characters using Mana st would often start by gathering small masses of mana like this. Of course, most mage characters used tools like sticks or two-handed staffs to create it, but that was a minor difference. It wouldn¡¯t be a lie to say I wasn¡¯t disappointed, but it was only a trivial difference. In the first ce, this scene wasn¡¯t particrly strange to me, who had yed Lilith¡¯s route more than 10 times. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have learned Mana st even once while taking Lilith with me. I had tried it as support magic, close-range magic, and AOE magic. I had attempted all sorts of growth methods other than that. There was probably no one who understood Lilith better than me, who had tried so much. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] This pitiful character, who could use magic but couldn¡¯t equip two-handed staffs or sticks, always used her hands to gather mana whenever she cast magic. Perhaps Lilith¡¯s low uracy was also due to the characterization that she couldn¡¯t use such mediums. Of course, when it came to Mana st, it didn¡¯t matter whether the uracy was low or not. ¡®It¡¯s an ultimate skill with a 100% hit rate that absolutely can¡¯t miss.¡¯ The mana sphere, which had started as the size of a ping pong ball, began to gradually increase in size in my hands. It was growing in volume at a tremendous speed, befitting Lilith¡¯s mana capacity. Even though I felt it had grown to a certain extent, I had a strange feeling that only about half of my mana had been consumed. From the moment it surpassed the size of a basketball and became like a small gym ball, I began to feel a strange uneasiness. ¡®Was it originally this big¡­?¡¯ ¡­I was pretty sure I had never seen it grow this big when I saw it in the game. Beyond growing vigorously, the huge mana sphere growing to a frightening degree made me feel a strange sense of fear. ¡®If I identally drop this, wouldn¡¯t it be the end¡­?¡¯ Inwardly, I wanted to stop here and throw it away, but unfortunately, Mana st wasn¡¯t the type of magic that could be stopped whenever I wanted. It was truly the ultimate skill among ultimate skills, which consumed all the remaining mana in the body at once and threw it out in a single shot. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Even though enough mana had gathered to kill the King Serpent and then some, the sphere in my hands was still gradually increasing in size. Feeling fear of the huge mass of mana flickering before my eyes, I raised both arms and lifted the mana sphere above my head. WHOOOSH! WHOOOSH! WHOOOSH! WHOOOSH! WHOOOSH! WHOOOSH! ¡°¡­!!!¡± The wind swirled around the huge mass of mana as if a whirlwind had formed. The whirlwind and dust, taking my Mana st as the eye of the typhoon, enveloped me and the huge sphere. Unable to face its size with my own eyes, I simply stretched my arms toward the sky and gathered the remaining mana. Eventually, when I felt there was no more mana to drain from my body, I suddenly felt like I could ¡®throw¡¯ the mana sphere held above my head. ¡®So this is how it feels to use Mana st¡­¡¯ It really felt like I could throw it anywhere, even to the head of that huge monster, which was about the height of a 3-storey building. The boss monster raised its huge body and pointed its sharp fangs at Seraphine in front of me. From her figure, she was somewhat struggling to buy time against that boss monster. For her sake, who had somehow bought time, and for Ethan, who had endured until then, it was time to end this battle. ¡°PRINCESS!!!!!! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!!! DODGE IT!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Just before I fired Mana st, I shouted with all my might, calling out to Seraphine. Mana st, into which I had infused all my mana over about 10 minutes, left my hands like that. I couldn¡¯t check if she had actually listened to my words and dodged properly. Just throwing the Mana st in my hands felt quite overwhelming. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] She would probably dodge well. In the first ce, if she hade after seeing the future, dodging my Mana st would be nothing to her. Seraphine never chose the future after seeing she ¡®dies¡¯ in it. She was a character who knew for certain that the future in which she survived would save more peopleter on. WHOOOSH¡­! The huge mana sphere, taking the swirling wind and dust gathered around me, flew away. Now that it had left my hands and started flying, its size was muchrger than I thought. I couldn¡¯t think of an appropriate object of a simr size, but if I had topare, it was probably about the size of a kimchi refrigerator. It was unbelievable that all that mana was from me. The huge sphere of mana generated a fierce whirlwind at an incredibly fast speed as soon as it left my hand. Mana st, befitting its 100% uracy, flew straight towards the King Serpent¡¯s head with full force. Before it could even realize what was happening, my magic made contact with the monster¡¯s head first. BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! With a huge roar, as if several loud thunders were striking at once, Mana st exploded in an instant. The explosion, which began as soon as it hit the side of the King Serpent¡¯s head, momentarily caused a noisy vibration that shook the nearby earth. I, who had fired therge-scale magic, also fell to the ground, identally hitting my butt due to air resistance. Thud! ¡°Eek!¡± Although it was a short explosion of only 1-2 seconds, considering the amount of mana I had poured in, it was enough time to prove its power. After therge-scale magicposed of various elements, such as roar, vibration, and wind pressure, was triggered¡­ When I came to my senses, the ce where the King Serpent¡¯s head should have been hadpletely disappeared as if it had evaporated. Its body, having lost its owner, simply copsed to the ground lifelessly. Thud! With a sound that shook the ground once more, the King Serpent copsed. With this, the boss monster of the ¡®Pce Invasion Incident¡¯ seemed to have been dealt with for now. Fortunately, the story ended without any of the main characters dying, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the western gate line of defense where the situation had concluded. While quietly shifting my gaze to the surroundings that had be a scene of catastrophe, my eyes naturally met Ethan¡¯s bewildered eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡­Now then. How should I make an excuse for this¡­? Chapter 73 The huge sphere of mana burst out with a roar. The head of the King Serpent disappeared without a trace, and its body lost all movement. Ethan Richard ckwood witnessed it all with his own eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I could feel some of Ethan¡¯s emotions in his bewildered eyes that looked at me. I had no idea how toe up with an excuse. ¡ºLilith has reached level 7!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 8!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 9!¡» ¡­In the midst of this, the level was still rising for defeating the boss monster. It was a rather modest level up, considering I used Mana st to defeat the King Serpent. I thought I could reach Level 12 if I did well since it was a monster that gave 6,000 XP when killed. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Seeing that I only gained about 2,000 XP, it seemed that the distribution was applied only to the members who participated in the King Serpent hunt. The remaining 4,000 probably flowed into Seraphine and Ethan at 2,000 XP each. ¡®¡­Will this affect the original story?¡¯ Originally, this much XP was supposed to be split between Seraphine and Agnes, not the three of us. 2,000 or 3,000 XP was an amount that absolutely couldn¡¯t be ignored. Perhaps there would be some changes in Agnes¡¯s story. ¡­Well, what¡¯s the point of worrying about others now? I¡¯m in a situation where I¡¯ve been caught red-handed by Ethan for being amoner who can use magic. He¡¯s not just anyone. He¡¯s Ethan Richard ckwood. ¡°Li-Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Was that just now¡­ your doing, Lilith¡­?¡± ¡­It¡¯s no longer possible to shamelessly cover it up by pretending not to know. Seraphine had recruited me on the condition of keeping my secret, so given her personality, she probably wouldn¡¯t go around telling others. In Ethan¡¯s case, the fact that he found out was the problem itself. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Even in the original game, Lilith began to be exploited by the scumbags in earnest after it was revealed that she was amoner who could use magic. ¡®So she was essentially like a dedicated buffer for the scumbags in the early part of the story.¡¯ Of course, I¡¯m not worried that the current Ethan would do something scummy like that. The current Ethan didn¡¯t seem like the type to threaten Lilith using the fact that she could use magic. In fact, if you think about it, I even saved his life by using magic in this situation, so he should be grateful instead. ¡°Miss Lilith! Come here, quickly!¡± Just as I was pondering what words to use to make an excuse to Ethan, I heard Seraphine¡¯s voice urgently calling me. Having a good excuse, I gave a short answer to Ethan and shifted my gaze to Seraphine. ¡°Since the princess is calling, I will exin the details when we return to ckwood Manor.¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± ¡°Until then, please keep the fact that I used magic a secret from others¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I won¡¯t. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After bowing my head onest time, I ran to Seraphine as she was trying to pull something out from inside the severed neck of the King Serpent. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that it was the leg of a pce guard who had been swallowed. ¡°Miss Lilith, help me! We can still save him! If we cut the serpent¡¯s body and open the hole a bit more¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Watching Seraphine do her utmost to save even one more life until the very end, I slowly cut the King Serpent¡¯s body with the silver dagger I received from Lizzy. Thanks to her effort of not giving up until the end, we were somehow able to save two of the guards who had been swallowed alive. ¡­Of course, it was an undeniable reality that we had achieved this victory at the cost of even more sacrifices. Argentian Empire, Southern Gate Shelter. BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± ¡°Wha-What?!¡± The southern gate shelter, still engaged in a melee with the endlessly slitheringke serpents, also reacted with considerable confusion to the sound of an explosion reaching their ears. Although it was only the southern gate entrance, monsters had already invaded inside the pce. In the midst of that, a huge explosion sound suddenly rang out. Everyone¡¯s attention was momentarily focused on that huge explosion sound as if it was a terrorist act targeting the entire pce. Some began to react noisily, thinking that there might be another attack after the monster wave. ¡°Wha-What?! Could it be another attack?!¡± ¡°We need to run away now¡­¡± Even those who had started fighting with proper formation were looking around in bewilderment. The first to notice the anomaly was a certain soldier of the pce guard. ¡°Huh, huh?!¡± The monsters, which had been clearly targeting and attacking people until just now, suddenly began to show strange behavior. Theke serpents, looking confused as if they had lost their purpose, began to twist their bodies in ce; except for the individuals that had already died or started fighting, the monsters began to act in one of two main ways. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Either they hurriedly returned outside through the southern gate entrance they had invaded, or they began to fight with other nearby monsters ording to their natural instincts. The skilled pce guard soldiers could instantly grasp what it meant, quietly sighing with relief in their hearts and hastily cleaning up the remaining monster remnants. ¡°The monster wave has ended! Finish it up quickly!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s over?¡± ¡°I-Is it over now?! Then quickly, our carriage¡­¡± ¡°These damn monster bastards! Die! Die, you bastards!¡± A young noble, who had been focusing on fighting in a defensive stance, showed a hollow expression at the words that it was over. A youngdy from somewhere began preparations to return home as soon as she realized the situation had ended. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Even a foolish young noble, who had been hiding the whole time, rushed at the fleeing monsters in anger. Their reactions varied, but in the end, the emotions everyone had in their hearts converged into one. It¡¯s safe now. The monster wave that had driven the entire pce into chaos had ended. They didn¡¯t know who had defeated the boss monster of this monster wave, but anyway, that fact wasn¡¯t important to each of them right now. Just the momentary feeling of securing safety from a life-threatening situation was enough to make such trivial issues not worth paying attention to at all. ¡°¡­¡± There was one more person. Among the noble children showing various reactions as soon as they realized the situation had ended, there was one youngdy who had distinctly different thoughts. Unlike others who thought they wanted to rest a bit now or wanted to return home quickly, the youngdy of August was quietly setting a different goal in her mind. ¡­The youngdy named ¡®Lilith¡¯ had been facing monsters with a single silver dagger in front of her until just now. Lub dub. Lub dub. Lub dub. As soon as she recalled what had happened, her heart began to beat as if it were shaking for a moment. She had felt the emotion of ¡®wanting to be close with this person¡¯ several times while engaging in social activities. But the emotion she was feeling now was definitely something clearly different from simple affection. That figure of hers. Lilith had evacuated her to a safe ce and shielded her from monsters with her entire body. That back of hers. Lilith had gantly dealt with the rushingke serpents one by one with just a single silver dagger. Even after the monster wave had ended, Lizzy¡¯s mind was still quietly recalling only that situation. As she stood there in a daze, lost in thought, her younger brother from August ran up to her with a worried voice. ¡°Sister¡­!!!¡± Her younger brother, who had gotten off the carriage that was about to return home as soon as the monster wave situation urred, participated in the pce defense. As soon as she saw his stupid-looking appearance, Lizzy felt the thumping emotion from before go sour. A beatte, she lightly kicked Caraham¡¯s shin with the front of her shoe as he came to protect her. Bam. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Hey, Caraham! Where did you wander off to during the monster wave instead of protecting me?!¡± ¡°W-Well, I had no choice! Monsters had already started rushing to the carriage parking lot, and if we hadn¡¯t defended the southern gate, the carriages would have been wrecked, and all of the horses would have died¡­¡± Bam. Bam. ¡°I almost died, too, while you were gone! Are the lives of horses more important than mine?!¡± ¡°N-No, sister! Of course, your lifees first!¡± ¡­How many times had she suffered in a single day because of this stupid younger brother? Lizzy thought that and vented her meaningless anger on poor Caraham. And yet, she felt a contradictory emotion of slight gratitude towards Caraham, who had briefly left her side. If Caraham had been next to her when the monsters entered the inside of the southern gate, she would have been safe from beginning to end anyway. And the situation where Lilith protected her probably wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Sister? Why did you suddenly be quiet¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, Caraham. I have something to think about for a moment.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The youngdy named ¡®Lilith,¡¯ whom she met today, was someone she had never seen or heard of before¡­ ¡­to the point where she even absentmindedly guessed that she might be a youngdy from a viscount or baron family. Perhaps that could actually be a possibility. She had attended this masquerade ball as the partner of the young noble of the ckwood family. There was also a possibility that Ethan had created a ¡®fake fianc¨¦e¡¯ to shake off the bothersome youngdies who were rushing to him as the young noble of the ckwood family. In fact, Lizzy¡¯s guess was half correct. ¡®If I investigate all the branch families of the ckwood family¡­¡¯@@novelbin@@ If she investigated the households that belonged to the viscount or baron families among the various branches of the ckwood family, it would be possible to find out which family ¡®Lilith¡¯ was from. The problem was that a family as prestigious as the ckwood Ducal family had countless branch families of viscount rank or lower due to its long history. If she poked around carelessly, the ckwood family might be suspicious and think that she was spying on them. In reality, using this method to find ¡®Lilith¡¯ was virtually impossible. ¡®If not that, then¡­¡¯ Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s official age was 22 this year. Next year, he would turn exactly 23, which would essentially be hisst chance to enroll in the academy. As the young noble of the ckwood family, he would probably not miss the opportunity next year and enroll in Luminor Academy. Although his physical age might be a bit younger as he¡¯d been ced under a curse for a considerable time, the academy¡¯s enrollment criteria had to be based on everyone¡¯s actual age equally. And if the youngdy named ¡®Lilith¡¯ continued to act as Ethan¡¯s ¡®fake fianc¨¦e¡¯ until then¡­ She would probably also enroll in Luminor Academy next year to match him. ¡°¡­¡± Lizzy Lynn August had already taken the entrance exam oncest year but failed due to ack of magical talent. Having clearly realized herck of magical talent, she had nned to focus on social gatherings instead of putting effort into other areas. But meeting the unidentified youngdy she met today was enough to change her mind. ¡°The academy entrance exam¡­ should I try it one more time?¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you give up on entering the academy, sister?¡± ¡°I only gave up because I thought it was more advantageous. ¡­Now, I¡¯ve changed my mind a bit.¡± ¡°Is that so! Then, starting today, I will teach swordsmanship to you, sister¡­¡± ¡°You idiot, who said I¡¯m going in with swordsmanship? There are other ways to enter the academy, so you just focus on preparing for your own entrance exam.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Originally, she would have given up on entering the academy after failing once. But for Lizzy, it was the moment she gained the will to challenge the academy once again.v Chapter 74 About half a day had passed since the masquerade ball at the pce, where many events had urred in a single night ¨C the meeting with Lizzy, the conversation with Seraphine, and even the monster wave. The pce had begun its own investigation as soon as the monster wave incident ended that day. The incident that urred at Lake Verdan this time was highly suspicious in many ways. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for a monster wave to ur in the capital. In the first ce, the Imperial Capital Defense Corps existed to protect an environment where monsters could appear. Moreover, the fact that so many monsters crawled out from just oneke meant that someone had intentionally caused the monster wave. The pce would probably conclude within a few days that it was the work of demons. ¡®That would be the story if it followed the original plot, of course.¡¯ There was a possibility that the story, which had begun to twist somewhere, could suddenly flow in a different direction. At least, it would be quite possible to find out that demons were involved in this monster wave. So, the pce would be busy investigating the monster wave incident, and the rewards for those who yed a significant role in this monster wave would be given a littleter. ¡®In the original story, Agnes received the biggest reward, followed by Orion.¡¯ If we were topare their contributions, Seraphine and Agnes would be at a simr level, but Seraphine, as a member of the royal family, received a somewhat formal reward rather than a financial one. Next, Orion would have been highly evaluated after Agnes for his role in selecting Agnes as a talented individual in a crisis situation and ultimately contributing to the defense. Caraham, who had defended the carriage parking lot near the southern gate, was also scheduled to receive a reward, but in the original story, he likely didn¡¯t attend due to the issue with his sister, Lizzy. In the original story, Caraham was a character who yearned for his sister, Lizzy, until the very end. ¡®I don¡¯t know for sure. I can¡¯t possibly know the every move of each character in the work.¡¯ To be honest, I don¡¯t know the details of the rewards either. I guess they received something like cash or rare materials. Anyway, with my and Ethan¡¯s involvement, there were many changes in positions in the pce defense, so the reward process would have beenpletely disrupted as well. There were six people who yed a major role in this monster wave, so these six would likely be called upon during the reward ceremony. Moonlight Shadow Princess Seraphine. Orion, the Sage of Verdure. Hellfire Agnes. Tactless Caraham. Ethan, the Lout Prince. And me, Lilith, the Brave Exclusive Maid. ¡­Now that I list them like this, the titles for Caraham and Ethan are quite ruthless. Of course, since the two were originally viins in the story, it can¡¯t be helped, but now that I have the opportunity to organize it like this, I can¡¯t help but feel sorry for them. Well, judging from Caraham¡¯s appearance when I met himst time, his tactless attitude seems to be the same. So, at least for the current him, that title wouldn¡¯t be too unfitting. However, the title of ¡®Lout Prince¡¯ for the current Ethan feltpletely unsuitable, no matter how I thought about it. The current Ethan was neither lout nor did he show any signs of bing a viin. If such a dramatic change in Ethan¡¯s story had urred in the game, his title would have surely changed to something else. And while I don¡¯t know about the titles of others, I know that at least my title had definitely changed. Three years ago, when I first checked my information window, my title was ¡®Low-Rank Maid.¡¯ But now, the title floating in my information window was ¡®Brave Exclusive Maid.¡¯ At this point, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to give Ethan a different title instead of Pig Prince. Of course, even if the title actually changed, there was no way for me to confirm it from my perspective. In the first ce, the title system was created to make it easier for yers to distinguish characters. So far, there have been no cases where I could check the title of someone other than myself in this world. ¡®¡­But no matter what, he¡¯s definitely not a Lout Prince by any means.¡¯ What title would suit the current Ethan, who is not a Lout Prince?@@novelbin@@ Ethan, the ckwood Young Noble? There are more than a few nobles in Luminor Academy, so the title of young noble is toomon. Ethan, the Son of the Sword Master? That¡¯s practically a title for Harold, not Ethan. Ethan the Slim, Ethan the ck-Haired, Ethan the Swordsman, Ethan the Defender of the Western Pce Gate, No Ethan No Life¡­ ¡­Now that I think about it, Ethan had no distinctive characteristics that rolled off the tongue. Moreover, the titles that could be attached to him were elements that other characters already had one or two of. Looking back, the scumbag Ethan in the original game really had no character-defining elements other than being a ¡®lout¡¯ and just being a ¡®scumbag.¡¯ In fact, even the current Ethan became ambiguous when those two elements were removed. Something special that only Ethan has, unlike other characters¡­. Hmm¡­. ¡°¡­No, why am I even worrying about this?¡± Come to think of it, there was no reason for me to worry about Ethan¡¯s title at all. It¡¯s not like the title Ie up with will be reflected in this world. My habit of being a core gamer in my previous life had unintentionally surfaced again. When I was really into the game, I used to think, ¡®What would their title be?¡¯ whenever a new character appeared. ¡­In fact, what mattered now wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s new title. What I should be worried about is not what title to give him but my personal safety. That¡¯s because I had made a huge blunder in this monster wave. I hadmitted the crazy act of killing the King Serpent with arge-scale magic, Mana st, right in front of Ethan¡¯s eyes. ¡®At that time, I had no choice, but¡­¡¯ If I had hesitated to show my magic there because I didn¡¯t want to, not only my life but also Ethan¡¯s and Seraphine¡¯s lives would have been in danger. By the time someone capable of subduing the King Serpent had gathered, there would have been even greater sacrifices than in the original work. If Seraphine and Lilith had really died in that incident, this world itself would have had no future. Of course, just because I saved the world¡¯s future in the long run didn¡¯t mean I could ignore the fact that I had used magic. It was virtually impossible to expect Ethan to overlook this matter without any questions. ¡®How should I make an excuse for this¡­?¡¯ With that, I moved my steps to Ethan¡¯s room with a slightly anxious heart, timing it with his morning wake-up time. I sincerely hope in my heart that the apology method I had prepared would somehow work well. Generally, what methods are there for amoner to apologize to a noble when they havemitted a sin? First of all, mary appeasement was impossible in my situation. No matter how much money I saved up with my status as an indebted maid, I couldn¡¯t shut the mouth of the young ckwood noble. Moreover, this time, it was also impossible to deceive him with words. After openly using magic right in front of his eyes, it was unthinkable to believe that I could deceive him. Neither money nor lies would work. Due to my status and constraints, I couldn¡¯t use other methods either. In my current situation, there was only one way I could deal with Ethan. ¡­Somehow, I had no choice but to handle it with my body. Thud! ¡°For this matter, I have no words to say, Young Master Ethan!¡± ¡°M-Maid?!¡± ¡°Not only can I, a meremoner, use magic, but I also concealed that fact until now. I sincerely apologize, Young Master!¡± Thud! Thud! ¡°W-Wait, Maid! I understand, so stop it! Don¡¯t keep hitting your forehead on the floor!¡± Are you familiar with the old saying that you can¡¯t spit on a smiling face? This is just my personal opinion, but that saying is wrong in many ways. Even if you just go to the Korean military, you¡¯ll find more than a few bastards spitting phlegm on a grinning face. Rather, if the wrongdoer doesn¡¯t prostrate and beg for forgiveness, they¡¯ll be lucky not to get beaten up even more. Then, conversely, what are the ways to get beaten less after doing something wrong? Of course, it¡¯s to prostrate on the floor and beg before getting beaten. Soft-hearted seniors can¡¯t even think of beating you more once you prostrate and beg first, and even nasty bastards drastically reduce their frequency of bullying if you show a submissive attitude. With the calction that universal human reactions wouldn¡¯t change just because the world I lived in changed, Iy t on the floor, showing the most repentant attitude possible. After banging my forehead on the floor about five times and spewing apologies, Ethan himself started to stop my actions. ¡°To deceive you, Young Master, who has trusted me, about such an important fact, even if I confess my sins with this life, it wouldn¡¯t be enough¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I get it, so stop now! I¡¯m not particrly angry at you, Maid, for this matter!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. For now, let¡¯s sit down calmly and talk. Okay? Please.¡± Indeed, the best way to gain the upper hand in a conversation was to make the other person feel sorry. It would be difficult to properly dominate the conversation while harboring a feeling of guilt. ¡­In fact, Ethan hadn¡¯t really done anything wrong to me right now. Following his words, I stopped banging my head on the floor, moved to the table, and began the conversation. Ethan made eye contact with me and started the conversation by recalling what had happenedst night at the pce. ¡°What happened yesterday was a bit surprising.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°I never even imagined that you, Maid, could use such magic. Not to mention, such arge-scale magic at that.¡± ¡°¡­For hiding it until now, I apologize again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. As I said earlier, I¡¯m not particrly angry about that. Rather, I¡¯m just grateful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You were originally nning to keep hiding it, right? But if it weren¡¯t for you then, it would have led to even greater sacrifices. You were also able to save my life thanks to you and Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d my magic was of help to you, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Maid. Even though you originally wanted to hide it, you made a big decision for me.¡± This is somehow embarrassing. Anyway, judging from Ethan¡¯s reaction, he really didn¡¯t seem to mind that I had hidden the fact that I could use magic. Moreover, he seemed to genuinely feel gratitude for me using magic to defeat the King Serpent. For now, it was a much better situation than the few worst-case scenarios I had worried about. ¡­It was inevitable to think that I had banged my head for nothing at first. ¡°So, Maid.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°You might not like me asking this, but I feel like I have to ask this question before moving on.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Young Master?¡± ¡°Are you perhaps a youngdy born with noble blood from somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the end, this questiones up. Faced with Ethan¡¯s carefully asked question, I was once again engulfed in an internal conflict. Should I shake my head and quietly bury the truth as I have until now? ¡­Or should I reveal this nuclear bomb-level secret that Lilith possesses, trusting that Ethan will keep it confidential? It was the moment I was convinced that I had reached the crossroads of a choice that would change my life forever. Chapter 75 ¡°Are you perhaps a youngdy born with noble blood from somewhere?¡± A question that came up during the conversation with Ethan, which, in a way, could be said to be perfectly natural. Well, it was the first conversation we had after I used such powerful magic, so naturally, such a question had toe up. In this world, not only did amoner who could use magic not exist, but if such a case did exist, the meaning would almost always boil down to one thing. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re amoner who can use magic, but they¡¯d have to be a bastard child who inherited noble blood from somewhere. In this world, a family¡¯s bloodline magic was an element that directly represented that family¡¯s status and ability. As a result, each noble family had a marriage culture where they only married among nobles to ensure that their bloodline magic never ¡®leaked out.¡¯ asionally, if a child was identally born between amoner and a noble, they would at least take them in as a concubine to prevent the bloodline magic from being spread, which was the norm. No, it would be fortunate if they at least took them in as a concubine. There were many cases where they engraved a ve mark to prevent them from running away with the seed, permanently confining them somewhere in the mansion, or killing them to prevent the birth of that bastard child. The existence that was born by escaping a life-threatening situation in such a way was a moner who could use magic.¡¯@@novelbin@@ There were, naturally, reasons why it shouldn¡¯t be revealed that I could use magic. The moment a rumor spread that I was someone¡¯s bastard child, even if I didn¡¯t know who, I might be the target of ¡®nobles who had something to hide.¡¯ ¡®Of course, Lilith is apletely special case, so she has nothing to do with noble bastards¡­¡¯ Regardless of whether it was rted or not, there was simply nothing good about that fact being known. This was a dangerous truth to the point where if it was revealed, I would really have no choice but to live as a maid of the ckwood estate for the rest of my life. The moment I became a free person from belonging to the ckwoods, a nameless noble woulde after me just because I could use magic. In that sense, it might be a better choice to reveal the truth to Ethan and ask for his cooperation. The problem was that the truth itself was even more difficult to reveal to Ethan. That¡¯s because the reason Lilith Rosewood could use magic was that this character was the ¡®Saint¡¯ of this generation. ¡®It¡¯s already hard to believe that Lilith was a bastard child of a noble, but iming to be a Saint is going too far no matter what.¡¯ In this world, there were only two people in the entire world who could use magic despite not being from a noble or royal family. The two beings born with mysterious powers in time for the resurrection of the Demon King, the Hero and the Saint. The Hero, of course, refers to the protagonist character in Luminor Academy. The other one, the ¡®Saint,¡¯ was none other than Lilith Rosewood. Of course, my im of being a Saint would be an even more absurd answer than the answer of being someone¡¯s bastard child, so there was no way Ethan could believe it, no matter what. In the first ce, apart from being a saint, it was impossible for Lilith herself to even be aware of the fact that she was a saint. The Saint in ¡°Luminor Academy¡± wasn¡¯t a character who could prophesy that she herself was a Saint. The process of Lilith being officially recognized as a Saint by the Aurelian Church would probably have to go through these steps. They¡¯d first have to track down Saint Lilith ording to the divine revtion received by the Church, confirming that Lilith possessed the qualities of a Saint. After realizing that she was a Saint, she would have been moved to the main church of the Aurelian Church. The reason I specte that it must have been like that is none other than this. In both the current and the original storyline, the fact that Lilith was a Saint was not revealed until the very end of the story. It was thanks to the greatest troll actmitted by Lilith¡¯s father just before he died of alcoholism. Just before the priests of the Aurelian Church discovered Lilith, Lilith¡¯s father sold his daughter due to gambling debts, which was the cause. ¡®In fact, it¡¯s also the number one reason that made Lilith¡¯s life miserable.¡¯ Thanks to that stupid act, the fate of Lilith, who would have lived a life being revered and blessed by other priests in the Aurelia Church, plummeted to the bottom as the sex ve of Ethan, the Lout Prince of the ckwood Ducal family. Moreover, the father who sold his daughter like that couldn¡¯t even live for a few days and died alone from alcoholism, so it was really miserable. It was the worst incident befitting a character with a single-digit luck stat. In fact, the foreshadowing that Lilith was a Saint could be sufficiently found in certain elements of the game. It¡¯s hinted by how, despite being a mage, her attack magic hardly hit, but her support magic was excessively efficient. It¡¯s exined by why, among her various stats, only her Charm stat that attracted people was unnecessarily high. ¡­And the various hints that could be obtained while ying the game gradually unraveled the foreshadowing that Lilith was a saint. Moreover, one of the decisive hints was that Lilith was the only ¡®non-virgin¡¯ character among all the heroines. ¡­It¡¯s not a setting I particrly like. The powers of a Saint were unique powers that only a Saint could use. It¡¯s just like Moonlight Shadow Princess Seraphine, who used lunar power. There was one more condition attached to using those powers, which was that the Saint had to be a ¡®pure virgin¡¯ to use them. Lilith, who had already be Ethan¡¯s sex ve by the time the academy story began in Part 2, naturally couldn¡¯t use those powers. The fact that none of the main characters could use the powers of a Saint was practically a shocking hint in itself. Still, in the final chapter of the work, Lilith does awaken them and somehow bes able to use her powers. ¡®Actually, by that time, it¡¯s not really special for any character, and not just Lilith, to awaken their powers.¡¯ That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s not impossible to conquer the Demon King without Lilith. My exnation about my identity has be long, but the conclusion was this. The current me cannot reveal to Ethan the reason why I can use magic. Revealing the reason I can use magic meant revealing the fact that I am a saint. Revealing the fact that I am a saint meant revealing that I know what is happening in this world. ¡­And revealing that meant revealing that my existence was from another world, not this world. Rather than revealing all of this, it was the best decision to keep my mouth shut and pretend not to know¡­ ¡­even if Ethan misunderstands me as a bastard child of some unknown noble as a result. For a moment, I had thought that I could maybe reveal the fact that I¡¯m a Saint to him. But in the end, the conclusion I reached in my heart was that I still couldn¡¯t reveal it to Ethan. So from now on, it was time to act as the ¡®Clueless Maid Lilith¡¯. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not sure?¡± ¡°It started when I saw a noble using magic in my hometown where I used to live, and I unconsciously felt interested and tried to imitate it. At that time, I was young and had no knowledge of magic, and I didn¡¯t know that magic was the exclusive property of nobles.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A normal child would have probably just pretended to use magic and nothing would have happened. However, magic that should have nevere out under normal circumstances burst out of my hands with a strange sensation, and I was amazed by it and told my mother.¡± ¡°¡­Your mother must have naturally stopped you from using magic after seeing that.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± It¡¯s a lie. Even in my memories from when I was Lilith, my mother was barely memorable. That¡¯s because she passed away from tuberculosis before even three years had passed since giving birth to me. The first time I used magic was not in my childhood, but the Clean spell I used for the first time after bing a maid. I felt a bit sorry for disparaging my deceased mother, but anyway, the most important thing right now was for me to survive. I shamelessly acted as the ¡®Innocent Maid Lilith¡¯ and glossed over my magic. ¡°But in my childishness, I couldn¡¯t understand my mother, who prevented me from using magic, and I secretly practiced magic where others couldn¡¯t see.¡± That¡¯s a lie. ¡°Of course, that was only until I was sold to the ckwood estate, and I never used it once after I started working as a maid at the ckwood mansion.¡± Of course, that¡¯s a lie. ¡°The magic I used when facing the King Serpent was the same. Princess Seraphine suddenly took me to the western gate of the pce and said she witnessed me using magic to defeat monsters¡­ While concentrating to meet the princess¡¯s expectations, it just happened toe out by chance.¡± That, too, is of course a lie. I don¡¯t even know anymore. Why does it be impossible to do anything but lie the more usible things I say? If I were a lying doll made of wood, by now, just cutting off my nose would have produced enough firewood to warmly heat the entire ckwood mansion. I don¡¯t want to spew out lies like this just for the sake of it. It¡¯s just that the truth I have to hide is so important that I have no choice but to make up apletely different story. I¡¯m not without the desire to go to the Aurelian Church, reveal that I¡¯m a Saint, and receive the church¡¯s protection, but considering the original story of the work, even that is impossible. In the end, there was only one way for Lilith to survive. Hide the fact that I can use magic as much as possible, and if I¡¯m discovered, pretend to be a bastard child of some unknown noble. That was the best method. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ethan, who lowered his head as if pondering something after hearing my words, let out a groan. Perhaps he had found something suspicious in the excuses I just made. After all, the excuses I just gave to Ethan were all stories hastily put together to pretend to be a ¡®noble¡¯s bastard child.¡¯ If Ethan was determined to investigate my background, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to reveal that what I just said was a lie. Things like the fact that my mother in this world passed away when I was young, so she didn¡¯t have a chance to see me using magic, or that my father was amoner farmer, not a noble, could be found out with just a little investigation. Perhaps Ethan already knew those facts. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. For now, giving hastily made excuses was the best method. ¡­Of course, that¡¯s also assuming that Ethan will keep the secret. ¡°Okay, Maid.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You knew how to use magic since you were young, but you¡¯ve been hiding that fact because you¡¯re amoner, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Got it. Now that I know you have such concerns, I¡¯ll do something about it.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡­What does he mean by doing something about it? For now, judging from his tone, it seems like he¡¯s saying he¡¯ll cooperate with me. Could it be that he means he¡¯ll continue to keep it a secret that I can use magic? ¡°Young master. Does that mean you will continue to conceal the fact that I¡¯m amoner who can use magic?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Ah, well, that should be the case for now. Of course, I think I¡¯ll have to talk to Princess Seraphine first about what to do afterward.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to worry about Princess Seraphine. She also said she would keep my secret.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then. If the princess cooperates, we can resolve it a bit more easily.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m truly grateful, Young master.¡± ¡­To think the day woulde when I¡¯d receive such help from Ethan. Of course, the current Ethan had grown up properly, unlike the scumbag Ethan, so his humanity itself wasn¡¯t particrly surprising. But I didn¡¯t expect him to keep his loyalty to me, a mere maid. ¡®Well, this is also proof that Ethan and I have gotten along well so far.¡¯ Let¡¯s think that the bond I¡¯ve built with Ethan until now has moved his heart and helped me at the right time. Anyway, the only direct witnesses to the incident at that time were Ethan and Seraphine. If just the two of them guaranteed to keep it a secret, there was no reason for me to be in danger. I¡¯m really d it somehow worked out well. Thanks to Ethan¡¯s words that he would keep my secret, I was finally able to rx my tense chest. Having cast off all my worries, I immediately returned to my duties as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°We¡¯ve already spent so much time talking. It would be best to go have breakfast before it getste, young master.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Maid. If we go toote, Father will scold me again.¡± Ethan Richard ckwood listened to my words and descended the stairs with me toward the dining room. I also followed behind Ethan to fulfill my duties as an exclusive maid and moved my steps to the first floor with him. However, at that time, I had not yet anticipated¡­ ¡­that the meaning of his words ¡°I¡¯ll do something about it¡± did not simply mean keeping a secret. Chapter 76 The next day. Even though only two days had passed since the day we experienced the monster wave at the pce, Ethan and I had already returned to our normal daily lives. We returned to our positions as Ethan, the young noble of the ckwood family who receives swordsmanship training from Harold every day, and Lilith, his exclusive maid. Fortunately, it seemed that my pretense of being a bastard child of some unknown noble had passed without much suspicion, as Ethan didn¡¯t particrly question me about it again the next day. On top of that, I even received a confirmation that he would keep my secret, so it was the best possible situation for me. My mind had be much more at ease than before. After revealing my secret to one more person, Ethan, in addition to Catherine, I felt a small burden had been lifted off my heart. Of course, the fact that I was a Saint was still forbidden and was information that I couldn¡¯t reveal. This was a secret I should take to my grave if possible. Considering the story of Luminor Academy, I couldn¡¯t even rely on the Church at this point. And so, the daily life of Lilith, the maid, which almost became eventful overnight, returned to its original trajectory without any notable problems. ¡®I never thought it would really pass without any issues.¡¯ Two days ago, when I used Mana st at the western gate of the pce, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to spend such an ordinary daily life again. Fortunately, the only people who directly witnessed me using magic were Princess Seraphine and Ethan, and it was a great relief that those two were cooperative with me. Well, Ethan and I had been together for quite a long time, so it wasn¡¯t too strange for him to cooperate. But the fact that Seraphine, a princess, would go out of her way to keep the secret of me, amoner, would seem strange to many people. ¡®Considering Seraphine¡¯s personality, it¡¯s a rather natural choice.¡¯ In Luminor Academy, Seraphine was always a character who thought and acted for the future that would maximize the number of lives saved. First of all, the fact that she came to get me instead of Agnes in that incident two days ago was proof of that. Why would she go out of her way to get Lilith, an unknownmoner maid, instead of Agnes, a proven mage and the sessor of the Elizabeth family? That was because she must have seen in her future sight that I would show a slightly more cooperative attitude than Agnes. Unlike the original story where Agnes defended the western gate of the pce from the beginning, in this world, it was Ethan Richard ckwood who guarded the western gate.@@novelbin@@ If she had proposed to leave that battlefield to Agnes at the eastern gate and go to the western gate, it would have probably required a long persuasion. Not to mention, the other soldiers at the eastern gate of the pce that Agnes had been defending would have been in danger. ¡®On the other hand, she would have seen in her future sight that I would follow without much resistance even if I was taken by force, so given Seraphine¡¯s personality, she would naturally choose Lilith.¡¯ I knew about Seraphine¡¯s ability, of course, and I also knew what was happening at the western gate of the pce, so there was no need for a long exnation. Now, just as I learned more about Seraphine, Seraphine must have also found out a lot about me overnight. Things like the fact that I knew about Seraphine¡¯s future sight ability and that I knew various other secrets. Anyway, thanks to those various reasons, Seraphine must have chosen me instead of Agnes in that situation. It¡¯s worth mentioning one of the most important points about Seraphine¡¯s future sight. No matter how impossible it may seem, the future shown in Seraphine¡¯s future sight has the possibility of urring. Although the events shown in her future sight may not ur depending on Seraphine¡¯s choice, conversely, if Seraphine chooses the future she saw, there is a high probability that that future will happen. Once she saw the future where I used Mana st to defeat the King Serpent, the difference in status between a noble mage and amoner maid no longer held any meaning to her. She must have simply selected the person who would cooperate with her more quickly between the two. In fact, thanks to my cooperation, without asking this and that, we were able to move to the King Serpent as quickly as possible, and the time to defeat the boss monster was also reduced. Also, one of the two soldiers who were swallowed whole by the King Serpent and rescued was truly on the verge of losing his breath, so my active cooperation must have been an undeniable help. If she had taken Agnes from the eastern gate to the western gate instead of me, there might have been more sacrifices in many ways. Not only would we have been unable to rescue the soldiers swallowed by the King Serpent in time, but perhaps¡­ ¡°¡­¡± The image of Ethan, who had endured until the veryst moment against the King Serpent and copsed, momentarily flickered before my eyes. The thought that he might have lost his life in the battle two days ago gave me a strange sense of fear. In the past, I might not have cared where he died or even liked it. But for some reason, the fact that he had almost died made my heart ache subtly. ¡®I don¡¯t really want to see that guy get hurt or die without me knowing.¡¯ Well, it was a natural sentiment in a way since we had spent time together. If anyone, not just me, faced the same person 4 or 5 times a day, they would inevitably develop a connection in less than a year, and I had been doing that for nearly 3 years while serving as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. The negative feelings I had towards Ethan during the first few months after possessing Lilith had already beenpletely washed away. Judging from Ethan¡¯s attitude towards me yesterday, it seemed that Ethan had also washed away the negative feelings he had towards me. It¡¯s not strange to think that you don¡¯t want to see someone you know get hurt or die somewhere, right? Another reason was¡­ I just felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the uneasiness if Ethan suddenly disappeared from my sight one day. Based on the original story, the point where Ethan dies is in the middle of Part 2. In terms of the academy¡¯s school years, it was during the winter break between the 1st and 2nd years. Since there are still more than 2 years left, it means that Ethan¡¯s life should alsost for at least 2 more years. But what if Ethan, who should technically dieter, suddenly dies even before the first winter break of the academy arrives? If such a future were to happen, I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to shake off a strange sense of guilt. It would be as if the things I had done after possessing Foolish Maid Lilith had resulted in Ethan meeting an early death. Moreover, even though Ethan was the miniboss of Part 2, he wasn¡¯t a character who only had routes where he had to die. If you choose not to rescue Lilith after the battle with Ethan, there is no need to take the life of Ethan, the mid-boss. Of course, most people would choose to kill Ethan and take Lilith because of theter story. Still, sometimes, the percentage of people who yed without killing him because it was bothersome wasn¡¯t low. There would be people who feel reluctant to kill a human who hasn¡¯t even be a demon, and above all, if you don¡¯t kill Ethan, you can skip the battle with Harold, the true boss of Part 2. Although Ethan was a scumbag viin based on ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± so there was no reason to hesitate to kill him, the battle with Harold that followed was unpleasant in many ways. It was said to be for the sake of rescuing Lilith, an abused maid, but in the end, it resulted in cutting off the head of Harold, the Sword Master of the Empire, which was part of Lilith¡¯s salvation story. As a result, the scene in the epilogue where the ckwood family falls is quite bitter in many ways. Moreover, whether you kill him or not, Ethan leaves the story starting from Part 3. So, other than the absence of Lilith, it doesn¡¯t have much impact on the gamey. The Ethan in the original game, who had experienced a near-death crisis, chooses to drop out of the academy before the start of Part 3. Of course, to take Lilith, I had to kill him in the final battle, and I, who had spent 500 hours just on Lilith¡¯s route in my previous life, almost always¡­ ¡®¡­Let¡¯s not feel bothered for no reason. It was just something that happened in the game anyway.¡¯ The scumbag Ethan in the game was a different person from the current Ethan. It wasn¡¯t simply the difference between a character in the game and the person in front of me, but it was right to see them aspletely different people from beginning to end. Above all, the reason why the scumbag Ethan in the game of my previous life ended up dying was the result of being punished by the protagonist for the crime of turning his exclusive maid into a sex ve and abusing her. The current Ethan, far frommitting such crimes, was a savior who had saved countless lives. His feat of enduring and guarding the western gate of the pce until the moment his life¡¯s mes were about to be extinguished was a merit that deserved endless praise. How could anyone treat him the same as the scumbag Ethan unless they were a sociopath? Anyway, thanks to Seraphine choosing me instead of Agnes in that extreme situation, we barely saved Ethan¡¯s life at thest moment. In a way, I was also saved by Seraphine¡¯s judgment. ¡®Well, in the end, everything was resolved well here and there. Let¡¯s think about the good things now.¡¯ There was no need to feel bothered by bad thoughts. Although it couldn¡¯t be said that the Pce Invasion Incident caused by the monster wave didn¡¯t cause any sacrifices, the scale of the damages in the current world was naturally much smallerpared to the scale of sacrifices in the original story. First, there was the youngdy of the August Margrave family, Lizzy Lynn August, whose life I definitely saved by intervening. It may seem like just one life, but in fact, she was the precious eldest daughter who grew up as the treasure of the August family. In the sense that it prevented the corruption of the August family and the more sacrifices that would follow, it held a value beyond simply one life. The level of sacrifice at the other three gates, except for the northern gate, was also reduced to some extent. The eastern gate of the pce, which originally had to be defended only by the pce guards without other support forces, was about to suffer arge-scale sacrifice, but I heard that it was defended without much damage after Agnes joined. At the southern gate, not only the pce soldiers but also some noble children were about to lose their lives to monsters, but thanks to Seraphine¡¯s appearance and her clearing out the monsters at once, this side could also be defended without significant sacrifices. The western gate, where the King Serpent appeared, naturally had massive sacrifices, but even this was rtively smallpared to the original story. What was canon in the original story was that Seraphine joins the battle and defeats the King Serpent in a situation where all the other soldiers have died and only Agnes remains. In that case, the defense squad guarding the western gate of the pce in the existing storyline would have been almostpletely wiped out. On the other hand, in this world, thanks to the efforts of Ethan and me, at least a few people¡¯s lives had been saved, so it could be said to be a blessing in disguise. ¡­And, not only were there good points in such a utilitarian sense, but I also gained some personal benefits to a certain extent. I¡¯m referring to the 2,000 XP that was evenly distributed from defeating the King Serpent. Thanks to that, Lilith achieved the feat of skipping three levels at once while leveling up. ¡ºName : Lilith Rosewood Title: Brave Exclusive Maid Sex: Female Age: 22 Job: Exclusive Maid Affiliation: ckwood Family Servant Attack: 13 ¡ú 23 Defense: 19 ¡ú 34 Intelligence: 14 ¡ú 25 Charm: 44 ¡ú 79 Luck : 1 ¡ú 2 Current Level: 6 ¡ú 9 XP to Next Level: 657 Current Spells >> Clean Shockwave Mana Arrow Mana st Current Health: 52 / 52 ¡ú 94 / 94 Current Mana : 941 / 941 ¡ú 1694 / 1694¡» What, I¡¯m now unable to receive the reward they give for praising the defeat of the King Serpent at the pce? I don¡¯t care about that at all. I¡¯m already so happy that I feel like I¡¯m gonna go crazy. Chapter 77 ¡ºAttack: 13 ¡ú 23 Defense: 19 ¡ú 34 Intelligence: 14 ¡ú 25 Charm: 44 ¡ú 79 Luck: 1 ¡ú 2 Current Health: 52 / 52 ¡ú 94 / 94 Current Mana: 941 / 941 ¡ú 1694 / 1694¡» As soon as I opened Lilith¡¯s information window, I was greeted by an amazing jump in stats. That jump came from leveling up from Level 6 to Level 9. Looking at the approximate ratio of stat increase, each stat increased by about 1.8 times. It was probably a simr ratio in the original game as well. That is, if my memory was correct.@@novelbin@@ Well, in the game, there were hardly any asions to raise by 3 levels at once, so it might not be urate. In the first ce, what¡¯s important about that? The important thing is the fact that I leveled up. This time too, the most noticeable stat was, of course, the mana cap. Every time I see my mana cap growing at a rate that almost pierces the ceiling, I feel like my eyes turn red. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m reminded of the bitter memory of stuffing garlic into my mouth while holding back vomit at the beginning of my possession of Lilith. Even without that, the mana cap, which had already exceeded 900 at Level 6, reached nearly 1,700 as soon as I reached Level 9. If I had leveled up normally in the original story, Lilith would have to be around Level 35 to reach this maximum value. Even Agnes, who was born with a mana cap on another level, would only have about 1,000 maximum mana at Level 10. Since I already reached a maximum of 1,700 at level 9, it practically means that I¡¯m growing more than twice as steeply as the next Archmage of the Crimson Tower. ¡®Of course, Agnes has high Intelligence and Luck stats, so if we fought one-on-one, I would definitely lose.¡¯ ¡­What¡¯s important about that? Anyway, what¡¯s important now is the fact that I¡¯ve grown, isn¡¯t it? Of course, even if my mana cap increased this much, I can only use just four spells, including support magic, so it might not have much significance. Unless I¡¯m doing nonsense like ¡®Clean x100,¡¯ it¡¯s practically useless right now. At least, until I leave the ckwood Mansion, there won¡¯t be many asions to utilize it. That is unless a situation arises where I absolutely have to use Mana st likest time. Moreover, what I gained this time wasn¡¯t just an increase in stats. I also received a whopping 9 skill points, which can be obtained at a rate of 3 per level. I could invest in 3 types of 2nd-tier offensive magic spells that cost 3 points each, or I could invest a little more in other 1st-tier skills that cost 2 points each. At the very least, in terms of being able to learn 3-4 more skills, this is also a valuable asset in its own way. ¡®The question is, where would it be most efficient to use these¡­.¡¯ The most likely candidates would be among the skills tree for ¡®Dagger¡¯ or ¡®Support Magic.¡¯ Since I¡¯ve already invested one point each in¡¸Attack +15 When Equipping Dagger¡¹ and Clean, the conditions are quite good to advance to the next level. The points required to learn 2 1st-tier skills are 2 points each, and another 5 points are needed to unlock a 1st-tier enhancement skill. As if it were tailored, I can unlock an enhancement skill by investing 9 points in a remarkably satisfying way. Considering that, for now, investing in either ¡®Dagger¡¯ or ¡®Support Magic¡¯ would be the most efficient for the next skill. By the way, I n to invest in ¡®Offensive Magic¡¯ a littleter. Right now, even if I invest in it, the hit rate is too low to be efficient. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] In this situation, based on the standards of a yer of Luminor Academy, I would have naturally invested all 9 points in support magic. If I invest all 9 skill points in support magic right now, I can obtain ¡®Stalwart Endurance,¡¯ the first enhancement skill of support magic. It¡¯s Lilith¡¯s unique skill that takes damage for allies for a certain period of time, so it¡¯s a skill that must be learned to utilize Lilith as a tank and supporter. If a situation arises where I use Stalwart Endurance in this world, these are some of the cases where I could use it. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] For example, when hunting monsters in a pair with Ethan at the vanguard, taking the attacks that he receives allows him to unleash even greater power. Or, while hunting by concentrating various buffs, including Stalwart Endurance, on Ethan, I finish it off with my Mana st at the end. Or, likest time, when Ethan is on the verge of death, I use Stalwart Endurance and endure together by taking damage in his stead for a turn or two. Other than that, other ways to utilize it would be¡­ ¡®¡­No, wait.¡¯ Come to think of it, why am I only thinking about pairing up with Ethan forbat? It seems that the monster wave incident at the Imperial Pce two days ago has been deeply engraved in my mind. Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. To be honest, the fact that Ethan confronted the King Serpent alone is worthy of tremendous praise in itself. Moreover, considering his level at that time, it was an outstanding feat achieved at a mere level of 7-8. Come to think of it, Ethan must have also received the XP from defeating the King Serpent as I did, so I wonder if he had already surpassed Level 10 by now. Looking at the battle at the western gate, it seemed like he had already defeated a considerable number of monsters before I arrived, so he might have already grown to Level 11 or higher. Considering his future growth potential, it would be strange not to seriously use him as a vanguard¡­ ¡®No, in the first ce, it has nothing to do with me.¡¯ I acknowledge that if Ethan continues to grow as he is now, he will surely be a character with a significant role in Luminor Academy. His significance would not be as a mediocre viin who serves as a miniboss in Part 2 but as a candidate for arade who can seriously take on more than one person¡¯s share. But honestly, what does that have to do with me? I was a character who had no intention of entering the academy in the first ce and couldn¡¯t even enter even if I wanted to due to my status. The only department in Luminor Academy that Lilith could possibly enter with her status is the Magic Department, but if I carelessly enter, rumors about me being a noble¡¯s illegitimate child will surely spread. The skill that boosts my Attack when wielding a dagger isn¡¯t of much help in entering the academy either. The academy¡¯s Swordsmanship Department only deals with swords of normal length like longswords or two-handed swords. The only way to utilize that dagger would be to enter the Technical Department and take advantage of the ¡®Explorer Lilith¡¯ tech¡­ ¡®If I¡¯m going to enter the academy to do that kind of thing, I¡¯d rather not enter at all.¡¯ I¡¯m not particrly disparaging characters of the explorer ss. Considering gamey, there were often moments when characters of this ss were needed. But apart from that, it¡¯s just that being an explorer as Lilith is too inefficient. The reason I invested in ¡®Attack +15 When Equipping Dagger¡¯ in the ¡®Dagger¡¯ skill tree was also just a temporary expedient to raise my level from Level 5 to Level 6. It wasn¡¯t a skill I invested in without intending tomit my growth in that direction. Rather than wasting time learning how to scout for monsters, disarm traps, open treasure chests, and skin and process monsters in the Technical Department, it would be much more efficient to hunt monsters alone with my bare hands. ¡®There are ways to enter the academy other than entering as a student, but¡­¡¯ That method was none other than entering as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid like in the original game, so for me who doesn¡¯t use that method, there is practically no way to enter the academy. Of course, even if I enter Luminor Academy as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid with my current self, there would be no more of me taking the humiliation and training route like Lilith in the game. If I enter the academy as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid just to fulfill the debt maid¡¯s obligatory service period and leave, one problem arises. Around the time Ethan finishes his second year at the academy and bes a third-year student, my contract period with the ckwood family will end. I don¡¯t have any particrints about living as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid in the ckwood family, but after all, the degree of freedom in living in this world with the status of a maid is bound to be too low. Havinge all the way to the world of Luminor Academy, I have no intention of spending the rest of my life as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. If I don¡¯t intend to do that, it¡¯s better to be independent as soon as possible rather than wasting another 1-2 years. If I continue my maid duties until an ambiguous age, I might really end up with no choice but to get married, or I might end up like Head Maid Melissa, doing maid duties for the rest of my life. For me, who has no intention of getting married or lifelong maidbor, those two routes are practically the worst endings. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I n to resign from the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid around next year, live as a maid in the ckwood family for two years, and then start my life as an adventurer with the money I¡¯ve saved. ¡®For now, I should save the remaining skill points for the future.¡¯ ¡­Because you never know what will happen until you experience it. Maybe I¡¯ll end up investing more in offensive magic, or maybe I¡¯ll use it to open up other skill trees. Recalling my ns for the future which I had already thought about countless times in my mind, I changed my maid uniform from a longer skirt length to a slightly shorter type of clothing. Having changed into an outfit that was much easier to move in, I quickly moved my steps towards the yard of the ckwood Mansion. For now, around this time, Ethan will be busy receiving sword training from his father, Harold, so there won¡¯t be any sudden calls for me because he needs me. So, this time in the afternoon is practically personal time until dinner, and it¡¯s too precious to spend just knitting every day. Slowly but surely, I need to start learning one or two skills to live as an adventurer after leaving the mansion. The debt maid service contract that tied me to the ckwood Mansion will be over in 3 years. This means that the day is approaching when I have to end my life as ¡®Maid Lilith¡¯ and live as ¡®Adventurer Lilith.¡¯ It would be helpful to take various lessons when the opportunity and conditions are met. ¡®In fact, if I were to receive lessons that I can receive as a maid in the ckwood Mansion, it would normally only be the Maid Etiquette education from the head maid.¡¯ In that regard, I used a little trick to make it so that they had no choice but to give me lessons somehow. I could use the excuse that it¡¯s a necessary skill as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, so I¡¯ll learn it when I have the chance. It¡¯s a skill that is essential for living as an adventurer and a skill that wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn as a mansion maid. It was time to learn horseback riding from the ckwood Mansion¡¯s head butler, Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft. Chapter 78 As Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, Lilith is given a fairly long break time every day after lunch. Usually, after breakfast, there is some spare time due to cleaning Ethan¡¯s room, and simrly, after dinner, time tends to fly by strangely due to preparations for bedtime. However, this flying time after lunch could be considered my personal free time unless there were special circumstances. Unlike general maids, exclusive maids are exempt from other duties in the mansion, so it¡¯s kind of a privilege. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, in exchange, one disadvantage is that you have to quickly respond to a call while dropping what you¡¯re doing when your master calls, but Ethan isn¡¯t the type of character to call me at any time anymore. Since that incident three years ago, the number of times Ethan has personally called me can be counted on one hand. Except for a few cases where we had really important conversations, like asking about attending Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball. That means, in other words, the free time from after lunch until dinner ispletely personal time that I can use. I usually invest this time in efforts to survive as Lilith in this world. I did things like steadily saving up Lilith¡¯s independence funds through knitting or gradually umting knowledge of this world with books borrowed from Ethan¡¯s room. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The skill I started learning today was also closely rted to that said survival. That was none other than horseback riding, one of the skills that would never hurt to have as an adventurer. Today, I came out to the stable with Head Butler Dittmeyer to learn horseback riding. ¡°Be careful, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, I know¡­.¡± The instructor, Dittmeyer, warned me while looking at me with a slightly anxious expression. I also made eye contact with the white horse in front of me without shaking off the tension. ¡­How do I be friendly with a horse? Should I make eye contact and pet it? ¡°Um, I¡¯ll be in your care today, Zeraon¡­.¡± ¡°NEEEEEEIIIIIGH!¡± ¡°Eek! Ehehehe¡­?!¡± Although I only made eye contact and greeted it, Zeraon neighed loudly with an exaggerated reaction. It was fortunate that it didn¡¯t seem to show an aggressive attitude, but it was still enough movement to startle me. Seeing that it¡¯s not particrly snorting at me, it¡¯s probably just one of its expressions of affection. ¡°Will you be alright, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­. This much is¡­.¡± ¡°I came to cooperate since you said you wanted to learn horseback riding, but if it seems difficult for you, Miss Lilith, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to learn it. Just because you¡¯re Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid doesn¡¯t mean you necessarily have to learn it.¡± ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯ll learn it properly, so, head butler, please teach me thoroughly.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. If that¡¯s what you want.¡± Dittmeyer, who didn¡¯t take my words lightly, immediately approached Zeraon and grasped the reins attached to its back with one hand. After stroking Zeraon¡¯s neck a couple of times, he handed me the reins in his hand. ¡°Take it, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going to show me a demo or something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much easier to learn horseback riding by directly experiencing it yourself. And horses get tired if the rider changes frequently.¡± ¡°I¡­ see¡­.¡± ¡°Also, haven¡¯t you experienced riding a carriage I drove a few times?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­.¡± ¡°Basically, riding a horse and driving a carriage follow the same principles. Miss Lilith, you have basic motor skills, so just watching me drive the carriage yesterday should be enough as a prior learning experience.¡± ¡­Actually, I was sleeping due to fatigue, so I hardly saw it. How can I watch it when it¡¯s so hard to stay awake while having exhausted all my mana? Well, still, I¡¯ve seen characters riding horses a lot so far. I only recall a scene of the main character riding a horse in my previous life, though. If I roughly imitate that, it should work out somehow. After receiving the reins handed by Dittmeyer, I stroked Zeraon¡¯s nape in front of me a couple of times. With a brief greeting, I kicked myself off the ground and got on the horse¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, Zeraon.¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, that horse¡¯s name is Lucina¡­.¡± Thud! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thanks to the fairly high jump, fortunately, I didn¡¯t show an unsightly appearance in front of Dittmeyer. ¡­I just imitated what I saw in the game, and it worked. It¡¯s probably possible because my current self is at level 9, so my basic physical abilities aren¡¯t that weak¡­ ¡­or it could be the influence of Lilith¡¯s unique abilities as a character. Among the main heroines of Luminor Academy, she was one of the three characters capable of solo horseback riding along with Seraphine and Natalie. By the way, characters like Agnes can¡¯t even get on a horse alone, let alone solo horseback riding. In the first ce, she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯d be good at that kind of thing. ¡°You have good motor skills, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°While tightly holding the reins like that, slowly¡­.¡± ¡°Hold the reins tightly¡­ eek, AHHHHH?!¡± ¡°NEEEEEEIIIIIGH!¡± As soon as I lowered my waist once while tightly holding the string with both hands, Zeraon suddenly ran off with a loud voice. As a result, I had to experience an unexpected sense of speed while clinging to Zeraon¡¯s back. ¡°EEEEK! ACK! AAAAAH!¡± ¡°Li-Lilith! Pull the reins! Pulling means stop!¡± ¡°P-pull, you say?! Like this?!¡± Pull! ¡°NEEEEEEIIIIIGH!¡± ¡°That¡¯s eleration! You shouldn¡¯t pull too fast¡­.¡± Dittmeyer, who was desperately chasing after me to stop me, quickly became distant, and Zeraon suddenly started running around the ckwood mansion¡¯s yard with me. I suddenly felt dizzy from the sense of speed I was experiencing for the first time sinceing to this world. In those few seconds of being unable to regain my senses, Zeraon was running towards the wall at the end of the ckwood mansion¡¯s yard as if it was going to crash into it. ¡°EEEEEK! S-stop!¡± ¡°Neeiigh!¡± ¡°Th-then at least change direction!¡± With the thought that I have to somehow survive, I tilted the reins to the right as much as possible and leaned my body. Fortunately, Zeraon, which understood my gesture, also leaned to the right, and I managed to turn the corner somehow with a 90-degree drift. Wait a minute, I¡¯m at the training ground on the east side of the mansion. The people in the training ground right now are probably¡­. ¡°EEEEK?!¡± ¡°M-maid?!¡± ¡°What are you doing right now¡­?¡± ¡°W-wait a moment! Please get out of the way! Master! Young Master!¡± The ckwood father and son, who were in the midst of shing swords, noticed me approaching, panicked, and avoided me. Fortunately, they avoided the rushing horse with agile movements befitting a Sword Master and his son. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] From the first day of horseback riding, the unfortunate incident of running over the master of the mansion or his son did not ur. ¡°Maid?! What are you doing?!¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s okay! This much is nothing¡­!¡± ¡°What are you suddenly doing right now¡­.¡± Ah, no. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± is not something I should say right now. If Harold or Ethan see this sight of a debt maid suddenly getting on a horse and rushing, they might have strange misunderstandings. Just before turning the next corner with Zeraon, I desperately appealed my innocence to the two. ¡°I-I¡¯m not trying to ride away~!!¡± ¡­It was only after I managed to stop the horse that I realized I had uttered unnecessary words and almost caused a strange misunderstanding. Clop. Clop. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Clop, clop, clop. ¡°S-stop.¡± ¡°Neeiiigh!¡± As soon as I spoke while slightly pulling the reins, Zeraon quietly stopped in ce with a single cry. Seeing its obedient appearance, which made the previous rush seem insignificant, I silently sighed in relief in my heart. ¡°You¡¯re doing well, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°W-was I doing okay¡­?¡± ¡°Being able to do a trot from the first day is a tremendous talent. At this rate, you¡¯ll be able to handle a canter*1sufficiently within a few days.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thank goodness. I was worried about what I would do if I didn¡¯t have talent in riding even after possessing Lilith. Indeed, perhaps because of his skills that allowed him to be the head butler at a young age, Dittmeyer¡¯s teaching method was easy to understand from the start. He taught things like the posture to hold while on a horse, or how to show certain signals to the horse and how it will behave; his way of teaching was so effective to the point where even I, who was riding for the first time, could easily understand and follow along. By the way, the one who ended the ¡®Zeraon rushing incident¡¯ earlier was none other than this head butler. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Dittmeyer, who got on the horse behind me after I circled the ckwood mansion¡¯s yard once and returned, took over the reins from me and stopped Zeraon at the same time. I had often seen the scene of someone getting on a running horse in the game, but I didn¡¯t know Dittmeyer could do that. Due to his image of bing the head butler at a young age, he seemed like a very intellectual character in the original world, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be good at physical tasks, too, huh? Well, in this era, it would be difficult to advance quickly just by being smart and knowledgeable. Seeing him driving a carriage for hours from the ckwood territory to the Imperial capital without getting tired, he¡¯s probably not a charactercking in stamina or strength. Anyway, in that safe state, I practiced a stable trot for about 30 more minutes following Dittmeyer¡¯s lesson. Feeling a little tired physically, I got off the horse and copsed on the ground to take a rest. ¡°Haaah¡­.¡± ¡°Are you tired, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m a bit tired. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this tiring.¡± ¡°Most people think that way at first. Just looking at it at first nce, it seems like the horse is just running and the person is sittingfortably, but in reality, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°¡­I see. I realized that with my whole body.¡± No matter what, I didn¡¯t know I would have to do squats in time with the horse¡¯s movements. Still, thanks to Dittmeyer¡¯s corrections of my posture from beginning to end, I was able to endure it to some extent from the middle. Of course, I¡¯m still not used to it, so I feel like it¡¯s better to just run than trot. ¡°Today¡¯s lesson ends here, but will you continue to learn next week, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Why do you ask that? Is it because me asking you to teach me horseback riding is a burden to you, head butler?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, I¡¯m asking because I thought you might have lost interest in horseback riding, Miss Lilith. Horseback riding itself is an exercise that requires a lot of physical strength, and it takes a long time to learn to the extent that you can use it properly.¡± ¡°Aaaah.¡± So he was just politely asking if I got tired after trying it for a day. Indeed, after trying it once, I was tired in many ways. I was so tired to the extent that I thought it might be faster to practice running with the horse during this time instead. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­But that only applies when Lilith is moving alone. Considering the adventurer life I will leadter, a horse is essential for long-term activities. That includes things like loading luggage and moving when changing locations, or carrying someone on the back and moving during escort requests or rescue requests. ¡­Or if I think about being able to properly drive a carriageter. The fact that it¡¯s difficult to learn means that it requires a lot of time and money to learn properly. In other words, it¡¯s not a skill that I can learn as I pleaseter when I go outside. Then, of course, it¡¯s 100% the right decision to learn to ride even a little now. Learning from Dittmeyer in the ckwood mansion is practically free. Of course, if I express this inner thought as it is, he will definitely not teach me again, so I should express it in a roundabout way. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already started learning, it would be good to learn it to the end. After all, it¡¯s a skill that doesn¡¯t hurt to learn as an exclusive maid, right?¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m able to drive a carriage, it will make things a little easier for you, Head Butler Dittmeyer. After all, we can¡¯t take you along everywhere Young Master Ethan and I go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excellent attitude, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°And it would be a shame to part ways with Zeraon after just one day when we¡¯ve finally be close. Right, Zeraon?¡± ¡°Neiiigh!¡± ¡°¡­That horse is not Zeraon, but Lucina¡­.¡± Ignoring Dittmeyer¡¯s blocked conversation appropriately, I roughly wrapped up the conversation while stroking Zeraon¡¯s mane. It was also about time for the free time in the afternoon to end, and I had to change clothes and prepare to attend dinner from now on. Even for an exclusive maid with flexible time allocation, it was a rule to always participate in the three daily meals. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] With such thoughts, I was moving to hold Zeraon¡¯s reins and take him to the stable when suddenly, a shadow appeared from the eastern training ground of the mansion. That familiar shadow started running towards me, urgently calling me. ¡°M-maid! Are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?!¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡­I know it¡¯s kind of funny when I say this, but you¡¯re so quick to worry. Chapter 79 ¡°M-maid! Are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?!¡± ¡°Young master?¡± Ethan suddenly popped out from the eastern training ground of the ckwood mansion and rushed towards Dittmeyer and me. Seeing him appear drenched in sweat, I could roughly guess why he showed up sote. He must have beente because he was receiving swordsmanship training from Harold until just now. Considering Harold¡¯s personality, he would always try to be serious when ites to the sword. ¡°S-sorry! I wanted to check on you as soon as I saw you earlier, but I couldn¡¯t leave in the middle of my father¡¯s training¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What are you suddenly talking about, young master?¡± ¡°My father is strict when ites to swordsmanship. I couldn¡¯t interrupt the training for personal reasons. I-I was worried, though¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, no, young master. The part I was curious about wasn¡¯t that you couldn¡¯t end the sword lesson with the master midway.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked the question because I couldn¡¯t understand why you were apologizing for not being able to check on my well-being right away, young master¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I asked because I was genuinely clueless, but the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. For some reason, Ethan suddenly avoided my gaze and made an expression as if he was seriously pondering something. In the awkward atmosphere, Dittmeyer quietly alternated his expressionless gaze between Ethan and me a couple of times. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] What the heck? When you suddenly act like this, it feels like I said something I shouldn¡¯t have. Should I think of it as a slip of the tongue and try to rectify it¡­? ¡°Ce to think of it, it also means that you cared about my safety that much, young master. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for you to have said something simr to an apology in a flustered manner.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. I-I only said it because I was really worried about you, Maid. It wasn¡¯t with any strange intention¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s something you can sufficiently say, Young Master, since you cherish Miss Lilith a lot.¡± ¡°I expressed doubt even though I couldn¡¯t even express gratitude for your deep concern for me, so it was more of my fault than yours.¡± ¡°Ah, no, Maid! It¡¯s not like you did anything wrong¡­.¡± The atmosphere is still awkward, but it¡¯s somehow easing up. I still had some questions about the suddenly awkward atmosphere, but I didn¡¯t dare to pry further. Since this was a moment when Ethan and Dittmeyer openly showed strange reactions, I had a momentary feeling that I shouldn¡¯t be suspicious. In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t only Ethan but also Dittmeyer who were in higher positions than me in terms of status. It would be much better than awkwardly hearing some ¡®truth I can¡¯t handle¡¯ and making things ufortable. Fortunately, the two of them seemed to have had simr thoughts, and they quickly started to change the subject of the conversation without any prompting. Among the three of us, the one who opened his mouth first with another topic was the young master of the ckwood family. ¡°Ra-rather than that, Maid! Are you really not hurt anywhere? It seemed like you were riding quite fast earlier¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I was able to stop safely somehow after going around the ckwood mansion¡¯s yard once. Thank you again for your concern, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Y-you managed to stop safely. I¡¯m just d you weren¡¯t hurt, Maid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Head Butler Dittmeyer here throwing himself on the horse to stop me. I owe a great debt to the head butler.¡± ¡°¡­Good work, Dittmeyer. This time, our maid is indebted to you.¡± ¡°No, I was just doing what I had to do.¡± As if to say that he wasn¡¯t lying about wanting to check on me out of concern, Ethan sighed in relief as soon as he heard the exnation of the circumstances that nothing had happened to me. This time, he started asking about the horseback riding that had just happened. ¡°By the way, Maid, why were you suddenly riding a horse earlier?¡± ¡°I was learning horseback riding from Head Butler Dittmeyer.¡± ¡°Horseback riding? So suddenly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I suddenly thought I should learn it. I had been thinking I should learn it for about a year now. It¡¯s just that there hadn¡¯t been an opportunity to learn due to the timing and circumstances between the head butler and me, and starting today, I had some free time for a while, so I started learning from Head Butler Dittmeyer.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± As soon as I answered that I was learning horseback riding from Dittmeyer, Ethan shifted his gaze to him with a strange look. I don¡¯t know why, but in Ethan¡¯s eyes, there seemed to be a strange hostility that was hard to find normally. On the contrary, Dittmeyer seemed to be strangely flustered by his gaze. ¡­What the hell is this atmosphere? Why does it feel like there¡¯s lots of tension in the air today? ¡°Maid.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Did anything strange happen during the learning process?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You know. Horseback riding is a skill where posture and such are important. I was wondering if there was any strange physical contact during the teaching process.¡± ¡­What is he suddenly talking about? Strange physical contact? Dittmeyer? There¡¯s no way that guy, who is a workaholic, would be interested in Lilith¡¯s body. I simply shook my head and refuted Ethan¡¯s absurd spection. ¡°I received a few corrections on my posture, but there was no strange physical contact like you mentioned, young master.¡± ¡°¡­Was there really none? Like him rubbing your thighs saying your legs¡¯ positions are strange, or telling you to straighten your back while holding your waist.¡± ¡°If there had been anything like that, I wouldn¡¯t have denied it. You can rest assured, young master, since Head Butler Dittmeyer instructed me verbally from beginning to end except for moments when it was absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°I-I see. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s fine, yes.¡± Today, Ethan is unusually observing the rtionship between me and Dittmeyer with an awkward atmosphere. I think the three of us were together like this in the carriage going to and from the Imperial Pce Masquerade Ball some time ago. It was difficult to adapt to the awkward atmosphere that waspletely different from that time. Why is Ethan acting like this today¡­? ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, young master, since the thing you¡¯re concerned about regarding me and Miss Lilith has never happened even once.¡± ¡°¡­Can I trust that?¡± ¡°You know that I wouldn¡¯t approach Miss Lilith with strange intentions. Also, most of the servants in the mansion already know about the rtionship between Young Master Ethan and Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, that¡¯s right. Indeed, I was being too sensitive.¡± ¡°What servant would dare to do something inappropriate to the young master¡¯s exclusive maid?¡± ¡­The rtionship between me and Ethan¡­ means the rtionship between an exclusive maid and the young master of the house, right? Somehow, just listening to what the two are saying, it feels like there¡¯s a strange meaning implied. I didn¡¯t dare to ask, afraid that the already strange atmosphere would be even stranger. I just hope this awkward three-way confrontation ends quickly. Above all, it was a sorry thing for me that Dittmeyer, who took the time to teach me horseback riding, was receiving unjustified suspicion. I added an additional exnation to Dittmeyer¡¯s statement that nothing actually happened between us. ¡°The head butler is right, young master. In the first ce, Head Butler Dittmeyer only amodated my request to learn horseback riding.¡± ¡°¡­I see, I¡¯m sorry for suspecting you for no reason.¡± ¡°¡­The only physical contact Head Butler Dittmeyer had with me during today¡¯s horseback riding lesson was the moment he got on the back of the running Zeraon with me and took over my reins.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, Zeraon is the name of this horse. Remember when I momentarily couldn¡¯t stop the horse I was riding and it ran off? At that time, the head butler jumped on the back of Zeraon that I was riding, and took over the reins while embracing me from behind.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That was the only moment that could be called physical contact between Head Butler Dittmeyer and me, young master. Also, what he did was something necessary to stop Zeraon, so it can¡¯t be called unnecessary physical contact.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡­Why does the atmosphere keep getting awkward every time I say something today? Around the time I was contemting whether I should supplement more additional remarks here and exin the situation at that time¡­ Suddenly, Dittmeyer¡¯s mouth opened hastily, and he started to utter something in a tone that sounded like an excuse. ¡°As Miss Lilith said, it wasn¡¯t unnecessary contact but a necessary measure. If I had made a mistake, Miss Lilith could have been seriously injured along with the horse¡­.¡± ¡°I know. I know, but¡­.¡± ¡°I-I have something to discuss with the cooks regarding dinner preparations, so I will take my leave first, young master. Please continue the conversation between the two of you.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, go ahead.¡± Ethan, who answered in a somewhat unpleasant voice, gave off an unusual atmosphere, and Dittmeyer hurriedly drove Zeraon and quickly left the ce. In the unusually awkward atmosphere today, I couldn¡¯t quite grasp the situation and only observed Ethan¡¯s reaction. ¡°¡­Young master?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± ¡°Is there anything bothering you? For some reason, you seem to be in a very bad mood today.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This reaction itself doesn¡¯t seem like the reaction of someone who has nothing bothering them. But if a mere maid tries to guess her master¡¯s emotions, she¡¯ll be treated as an impudent servant. Unable to do this or that, while observing Ethan¡¯s reaction, a clue that could be used to infer why he was in a bad mood finally popped out of his mouth. ¡°M-maid.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°About horseback riding, are you going to keep learning it in the future?¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­Do you have to learn it?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡­ I thought it might be a little dangerous for a woman to learn. Horses are animals that can be violent at times, and you could be in danger if you can¡¯t control them like earlier.¡± ¡­Aha. I was wondering why he seemed to be in a bad mood since earlier, but it was because of this. It seems that Ethan is not very happy about me learning horseback riding. The reason the atmosphere has been awkward all this time is probably because he was in a bad mood because of that. Indeed, as Ethan said, learning horseback riding sometimes involves risks. In fact, even earlier, there was a moment when it could have been dangerous if Dittmeyer hadn¡¯t intervened. If his exclusive maid gets injured and can¡¯t work, it would be very inconvenient for Ethan, so it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand him worrying like that, but¡­ ¡®Still, I don¡¯t particrly want to stop learning.¡¯ As I said earlier, horseback riding is a skill that is useful in many situations if you learn it. If I end up living as an adventurer, it¡¯s undoubtedly a necessary skill, and even if I have a different job other than being an adventurer, there¡¯s plenty of room for it to be helpful in transportation, travel, and such. The problem is that even if I, a mere debt maid, insist on continuing to learn horseback riding, it¡¯s impossible if Ethan doesn¡¯t allow it. Since I wanted to continue the horseback riding lessons as much as possible, I carefully tried to refute the part Ethan was worried about. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about my injuries, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There was no risk of getting hurt at all thanks to Head Butler Dittmeyer teaching me kindly and in an easy-to-understand manner. In fact, even that incident earlier urred due to my mistake, and there was generally no danger except for that moment.¡± ¡°S-still, you can¡¯t say it¡¯spletely safe¡­.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Even if something dangerous happens, I believe that Head Butler Dittmeyer will control it well like earlier. You don¡¯t have to worry, young master, since he has the skills to be able to get on a running horse and control it.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­ So you thought of Dittmeyer like that, Maid¡­? That he¡¯s kind to you, Lilith, and is a trustworthy person¡­.¡± ¡­What? Why does it seem like his mood has gotten worse¡­? Chapter 80 As soon as I exined that learning horseback riding is safe, Ethan suddenly frowned as if his mood had worsened. For some reason, his face seemed to have a hint of anger, which made me feel rather flustered. ¡®What the heck is he angry about¡­?¡¯ Where in what I just said is there a part to be angry about? Didn¡¯t he say with his own mouth that he was worried about my injury? I had just told him a solution to that worry, but why is he reacting like that? Although I couldn¡¯t grasp the reason how it came to be, I was at least quick to read the atmosphere. Thinking that it was urgent to first confirm the reason, I hurriedly asked Ethan why his mood had worsened. ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± ¡°Is me learning horseback riding from Head Butler Dittmeyer an act that offends you, young master¡­?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°If there is another reason that offends you to the extent of my actions, could you tell me the details about it? If you just tell me, I will correct it right away.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not particrly that, but¡­.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go inside for now, Maid. It¡¯s gettingte, and Father will be waiting if we arrivete for dinner.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, Young Master.¡± Due to the timely arrival of dinner time, the conversation between Ethan and me ended with a feeling of being glossed over. Still unable to grasp why Ethan was angry, I was enveloped in a small conflict in my heart. ¡­So, is it okay to learn or not? A few hourster. After dinner, the sky outside darkened and the night grewte. Having finished tidying up Ethan¡¯s room and preparing for bed as usual, I stayed in the room and waited for Ethan to return. Normally, I would have returned to my room right after preparing the bedding and gone to sleep early for tomorrow¡¯s wake-up, but¡­ Since there was still an unfinished conversation with Ethan today, it felt too regretful to just leave in many ways. I wanted to wrap up at least the conversation on the horseback riding lessons we talked about earlier. ¡®At the very least, I need to get a definite answer on whether I can continue learning horseback riding or not.¡¯ ¡­Of course, in this situation, a normal servant would choose to listen to the employer¡¯s words and stay out of trouble rather than insisting on it. They could get fired from their servant position if they carelessly did something that rubbed their employer the wrong way, or they could face disadvantagester in the promotion process. But Lilith waspletely immune to such things. Since I¡¯m a debt maid anyway, I can¡¯t be fired until the contract period ends, and I n to quit being a maid as soon as the contract period ends in three years, promotion or not. Of course, even as a debt maid, if I cross the line during work, there¡¯s a possibility of being punished instead of being fired. I need to be a little careful. At least I calcted that Ethan wouldn¡¯t punish me just for asking whether I could learn horseback riding or not. With such thoughts, I quietly waited for Ethan to return to the bedroom, standing in a corner of his room. Not long after, the sound of familiar footsteps approached the door. Looking at the door in a slightly tense state, the young master of the ckwoods began to enter the room at a time simr to usual. Creak. ¡°Seriously, why is my maid suddenly learning something like horseback riding¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°M-Maid?! You were inside?¡± ¡°Yes, young master. I was waiting because I had something to tell you about the earlier conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He instantly grasped that the earlier conversation was about horseback riding. I could immediately see his expression change to an ambiguous look that seemed like he wasn¡¯t very keen on it, so it was a moment when difficulties were expected in persuading him easily in many ways. Although it¡¯s a bit difficult to guess the exact reason, Ethan is probably dissatisfied with me learning horseback riding. But for the sake of the future, I had the intention to learn how to ride a horse, and naturally, a sh of opinions was inevitable. In other words, from now on, it¡¯s time for me to somehow persuade Ethan. I had to persuade him by proiming not only that my learning horseback riding wouldn¡¯t interfere with work, but also that it would actually be helpful to Ethan. ¡°My intention to learn horseback riding is not simply due to my curiosity, young master.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°As the young master has turned 22 this year, I think you will spend busier days to lead the ckwood family in the future.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°Not only will you be going on inspections to territories outside the mansion or handling external affairs outside the territory, but you are also scheduled to enter the academy next year. So I expect you will have more asions to ride in a carriage.¡± ¡°¡­What are you trying to say, Maid?¡± ¡°In such situations where you have to drive a carriage somewhere to travel, wouldn¡¯t it be convenient for you in many ways if I, your exclusive maid, could drive the carriage? You wouldn¡¯t have to bother calling Head Butler Dittmeyer.¡± ¡°Well. Personally, I think it would be more convenient for someone other than you, Maid, to drive.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust your driving, Maid. It¡¯s just that my heart would feel ufortable if Lilith, my exclusive maid, not only attends to me but also drives the carriage.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not particrly inconvenient now. There are coachmen in the mansion besides Dittmeyer anyway. Most of them are servants who drive cargo carriages, so their driving is a bit rough, which is why I often entrust it to Dittmeyer, but if necessary, they are personnel that can drive carriages with passengers at any time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So Lilith, you don¡¯t need to learn horseback riding just because you¡¯re my exclusive maid. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose your qualification as my exclusive maid if you can¡¯t do that. In the first ce, a situation where we have to make a maid drive because we can¡¯t find a coachman doesn¡¯t easily ur.¡± ¡­I have nothing to say when he puts it logically. As Ethan said, a situation where we have to make Lilith drive a carriage because it¡¯s so urgent doesn¡¯t easily ur. Unless it¡¯s a special situation event where Ethan, who can¡¯t even ride a horse alone, is running away from the protagonist who approaches him for a duel, and escapes to the ckwood mansion alone with his maid. In the game¡¯s cutscenes, there were often scenes where Lilith carried Ethan, who couldn¡¯t ride a horse alone. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because Lilith liked it, but because she had no choice due to Ethan¡¯s orders. It would be a bit difficult to make Ethan imagine such a part and induce persuasion now. Unlike the bastard Ethan in the game, the current Ethan isn¡¯t a character who would get a ride in the carriage driven by his maid. On top of that, if he seriously starts learning from now on, he will probably learn horseback riding well too. Seeing how he learned proper etiquette and swordsmanship, he seems to learn quite quickly when he puts his mind to it. It seems he doesn¡¯t have the luxury to do that now because he¡¯s already struggling just to keep up with Harold¡¯s swordsmanship training. Still, if Ethan makes up his mind to learn, he will probably be able to ride a horse and drive a carriage within a few months. ¡­Considering such aspects, persuading the current Ethan is likely impossible in many ways. Then it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll have to learn horseback ridingter separately after bing independent from the ckwood mansion. For now, I learned the basics from Dittmeyer for a day. It would be safer for me to back down here. ¡°I understand, young master. If that is your intention, I will also put aside my desire for horseback riding for a while.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. As a maid, I must not forget my primary role as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, so I shouldn¡¯t be enthusiastic about actions that you don¡¯t like, young master.¡± ¡°Rather than not liking it, it¡¯s just that there was no need for Maid to learn it¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, you are correct.¡± In the ckwood family with many horses, carriages, and coachmen, there was no need for even maids to learn horseback riding, so I was eventually caught by that logic and had no choice but to give up. Unless there is a clear difference from other coachmen, there is little chance of Lilith having such merit. The difference between other coachmen¡¯s driving and Lilith¡¯s driving is at most the number of people riding in the carriage together. ¡°I thought it would be possible for the young master and me to travel, just the two of us, without the bothersome apaniment of others, if I could drive the carriage. But as you said, it was an unnecessary advantage in the ckwood family.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, just the two of us?¡± ¡°Yes. Since I am a servant, I cannot ride in a carriage driven by the young master, and if we consider traveling with the minimum number of people, I thought it would be right for me to learn carriage driving.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Furthermore, there may be times when we have to move urgently without even a carriage and travel on a single horse. Of course, that¡¯s also a story that would be possible only when my driving skills improve to some extent.¡± Ethan isn¡¯t a perverted bastard like the bastard Ethan in the game, so there¡¯s no way he would like horseback riding while snuggling with Lilith. No, since Lilith herself is pretty, would he still like it? Of course, even considering that part, it wouldn¡¯t be an important enough reason to overturn a decision he had already made. Unless it¡¯s the bastard Ethan of Luminor Academy, the Ethan in front of my eyes right now isn¡¯t a character who prioritizes work ording to his own sexual desires. ¡°Then I will take my leave now, Young Master. I apologize for disturbing your bedtime.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Judging that there was nothing more to gain by staying, I passed by Ethan¡¯s side and moved my steps towards the door. The moment I was about to open the door and leave the room, I heard his voice calling me from behind. Creak¡­. ¡°M-Maid!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Maid, do you have even a little desire to continue learning horseback riding?¡± ¡­What kind of question is that all of a sudden?@@novelbin@@ Well, since the conversation was already over, there seemed to be no reason to hide it, so I answered honestly without dodging. It didn¡¯t seem like the conclusion that had already been reached would change even if I answered a little differently anyway. ¡°If you ask whether I have the desire or not¡­ I have a greater desire to continue learning.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­? So you want to continue learning for now¡­?¡± ¡°However, I will not devote attention to something you don¡¯t want, young master. My primary role is to be Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since it¡¯ste at night, I will take my leave now¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Do you want to just continue learning horseback riding?¡± ¡­Huh? You¡¯re suddenly allowing it? Why? ¡°Are you sure, Young Master? There¡¯s no need for you to say such a thing out of consideration for me¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not allowing it for that reason, I just thought it would definitely be fine after hearing Maid¡¯s words. Lilith is my exclusive maid, so it wouldn¡¯t be bad at all to learn it, indeed.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dittmeyer, so it would be good to continue learning from now on. Just as you¡¯ve said maid, it¡¯s useful even to prepare for contingencies.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yeah. You can go rest now, Maid.¡± ¡°Good night, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yeah, you too, Maid.¡± For some reason, Ethan finally allowed me to undergo horseback riding education in the end. With Ethan¡¯s capricious heart, I quietly cheered in my mind and moved my steps to my room. I quietly smiled at the thought of being able to continue the horseback riding lessons. Still, it was a good thing I talked to him once. ¡­I still don¡¯t know why Ethan¡¯s mood changed from being displeased to being happy, but at this point, it¡¯s a part that doesn¡¯t really matter anyway. Why bother knowing? Good is good. Chapter 81 A few days had passed since I started taking horseback riding lessons from Dittmeyer. It was about a week after the day Ethan and I had dealt with the King Serpent at Seraphine¡¯s Masquerade Ball. Based on the rumors circting about the Imperial Pce, it seemed that the incident at the ball was being resolved to some extent. From the night the Imperial Pce was attacked, an investigation began to determine the truth behind the incident, and at this point, it was almost certain that the incident was caused by demons. Currently, they must be conducting additional investigations to ascertain the details. Separate from the investigation, it seemed that over the three days following the incident, a funeral service was held for the soldiers of the Imperial Pce Guards and some of the servants who were sacrificed. Apparently, even Empress Eleanor, who had been participating in diplomatic affairs abroad, hastily returned to attend the funeral. I don¡¯t know the rest of the situation in detail. I could only specte that Seraphine, the member of the imperial family who had the clearest view of the situation on-site, was taking the lead in handling various matters. Well, I couldn¡¯t help it since the game¡¯s story never mentioned the details. In the first ce, the information I¡¯ve learned so far didn¡¯te from my knowledge of the game either. I just heard rumors without even trying and confirmed various stories through the letters that came to Ethan. After all, as his exclusive maid, checking the letters addressed to Ethan was also part of my job. ¡®If he were the original Ethan, he would have only received a few letters about arranged marriages with little substance.¡¯ Perhaps because of his exceptional performance, quite a lot of letters had been flying in from here and there since the incident at the masquerade ball. Starting with an apology letter from Lizzy of the August family, there was a friendly letter from Orion expressing his desire to build a friendship, and letters from various nobledies formally addressing the matter of Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Although I had expected it to some extent, it seemed that his appearance at the official event had quite a positive impact on his image. Until now, there had been rumors secretly circting that Ethan was the worthless lout kid of the ckwood family. In fact, even not long after Ethan woke up from the curse, numerous people visited the mansion to see him in person. Even then, the power-hungry nobles from remote regions had forcibly tried to match their daughters with Ethan and sent letters regarding the engagement, but that was about it. At the very least, there had never been a single letter sent directly from a youngdy expressing her desire to meet him or hoping for a rtionship¡­ ¡°Today¡¯s letters are no joke either¡­¡± Just by looking at the envelope sealed with a heart-shaped wax seal, I could feel the sender¡¯s tant intention seeping through the paper even before opening the letter. Generally, I carefully remove those stamped seals with a knife and check the letters inside one by one as part of my job. I feel sorry for the youngdies who have to have their love letters read by me instead of the intended recipient, but what can I do? This is my job. In fact, only about 10% of these letters actually reached Ethan. For the most part, I would just read the contents appropriately, summarize them, and exin them to him. ¡­Just in case, let me rify that I¡¯m not jealous of other women approaching Ethan and cutting them off. It¡¯s just that Ethan doesn¡¯t have time to read these letters one by one, so I handle them. My role even extends to sending ¡°polite replies¡± to the nobledies who sent the letters. Ethan was really busy with swordsmanship training and etiquette lessons without a moment to spare. Thinking about what kind of flowerynguage I should use to reject them this time made my head spin. ¡°¡­The Barburk Count family should have some influence in the story, so I¡¯ll have to set this one aside and show it to Ethan. ¡­Berko Viscount family? Who are these people?¡± No matter how young and ignorant thedies were, I couldn¡¯t believe that a viscount family would so boldly send a love letter mentioning engagement. Naturally, I had no choice but to send rejection letters to these letters across the board. It didn¡¯t make sense for the young master of the ckwood family, one of the most powerful ducal families, to be engaged to ady from an unknown viscount family. Well, strictly speaking, Harold¡¯s wife, Thanasia, was also from a remote viscount family, but theirs was a marriage with a backstory of them meeting and dating since their academy days. In the first ce, even if I showed it to Ethan, he would likely refuse. Just recently, he had written a rejection letter to a correspondence letter presumed to be from ady of a ducal family. Of course, considering the status of the other party, he had personally written the reply instead of having me ghostwrite it. The conversation we had two days ago regarding that matter went something like this: <¡­And these letters are from thedies of viscount families and below. Shall I write rejection letters to them as usual?> With those words, Ethan was only re-reading the letter sent by thedy from the Brimton Ducal family among the numerous letters. Thinking that she might be his fianc¨¦e, I casually brought it up. <¡­Huh? Ah, this letter? I appreciate your advice, but I¡¯m going to send a clear reply to this one as well. It¡¯s better to draw a clear line rather than forcibly making time and giving her false hope when we¡¯re both busy.> <¡­Is that so?> <¡­What¡¯s wrong, Maid? Are you perhaps interested as to who my fianc¨¦e would be?> Why is he suddenly surprised that I¡¯m curious about who his fianc¨¦e will be? Isn¡¯t that a reasonable question for a typical servant to have? At the very least, it¡¯s about the person who might be the wife of the person you¡¯re serving. Anyway, since I was actually curious, I gave him an honest answer without any denial. <¡­What do you mean by that?> Even though he said that, he might have feelings for her deep down. In the first ce, Seraphine herself is not just a character who ranked third in the poprity poll among users like Lilith, but she is officially recognized as a beautiful character. Lilith, who is considered a ¡°quite pretty maid¡± even by the nobles, has a fundamentally different level of beautypared to Seraphine. So when Ethan, who had actually seen Seraphine in person before, responded coldly to my question about whether he was captivated by her, I thought he might be in denial. <¡­I understand. Since you put it that way, Young Master Ethan, I won¡¯t dare to specte about the reason why you¡¯re not getting a fianc¨¦e.> I don¡¯t know what this ¡°other goal¡± is, but anyway, if he says it¡¯s not Seraphine himself, I can¡¯t argue and say, ¡°That¡¯s not true, is it?¡± That was the end of the conversation Ethan and I had about his fianc¨¦e two days ago. Recalling the memory of that day a little, I read through the remaining letters that had arrived for Ethan one by one. ¡®Could it be that he¡¯s interested in a genuine marriage rather than an arranged marriage?¡¯ After all, an arranged marriage between nobles can only be described as a meeting involving vested interests. In fact, even though they were nobles, it was quitemon for students attending the academy to have genuine marriages. The most representative example was Ethan¡¯s father, Harold, and Thanasia, whom I mentioned earlier. If Ethan grows up with a personality simr to his father¡¯s, he might have a fantasy about that kind of rtionship. Just as they say blood doesn¡¯t lie, Ethan might also be harboring a delusion that he can only have true love with a partner he meets through a love marriage, unlike an arranged marriage. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me who Ethan dates or marries.¡¯ ¡­But the status of the family of the one he marries is quite important, so there should be a certain level of prestige. At the very least, she should be the daughter of a count family. Appearance is also important. Since Ethan is not the type to be inferior to anyone in terms of appearance, his partner should be pretty enough to be worthy of him, right? Even if she¡¯s not a peerless beauty like Natalie or Seraphine, she should at least be on the level of a sub-heroine. Personality is also quite important. A calcting personality like Lizzy¡¯s felt somewhat unsettling. A high-maintenance personality like Catherine would also be quite tiring if she became his fianc¨¦e. It would be perfect if she were as kind and friendly as Isabel. Well, as long as she meets these minimum criteria, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me who bes Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to serve him for the rest of my life anyway. With those thoughts in mind, while sorting through today¡¯s letters one by one, I came across a letter with a particrly strange name. ¡°Peshinal Viscount Family¡­?¡± What is this awkwardly unfamiliar family name? My head automatically tilted at the strange surname that didn¡¯t seem to fit in a medieval fantasy world setting. But on the other hand, it felt somewhat familiar to be apletely unheard-of name.@@novelbin@@ The fact that I have this feeling means I must have seen a character with this surname at least once in the game. If it¡¯s an ambiguous name that seems to be a rbination of existing words*1, could it be¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± Right, I remember now. The Peshinal Viscount Family. No wonder the sound of it felt awkward as soon as I heard it. That¡¯s because the Peshinal Viscount Family is a fictional family that doesn¡¯t actually exist in this world. Chapter 82 The Pereshina Viscount family. It was one of the families that frequently appeared when progressing the story as the main character in Luminor Academy. One peculiar point was that it wasn¡¯t actually a family that existed within the worldview but rather a fictional family created by someone with personal intentions to make it seem as if it existed. If you progressed mainly through Seraphine¡¯s route, it became a family name you would see even more. Once you dig deeper, you¡¯ll be able to unveil the truth. Because the name Pereshina Viscount family was essentially Seraphine¡¯s pseudonym for the entire family. It wasmon sense that it could be easily figured out by simply analyzing the anagrams of Seraphine and Pereshina. The word Pereshina was created by rearranging the letters of Seraphine. A few yers questioned why an anagram was created in Hangul despite it being a medieval fantasy. Still, in the first ce, ¡°Luminor Academy¡± was a domestically produced game. And if you really wanted to nitpick, it wasn¡¯t impossible to do it in English, either. It was a matter of changing Seraphin to Peshinar, although the yers somewhat forced it to work. More people understood and moved on rather thanining about theck of immersion. In any case, it was true that it was much better in terms of essibilitypared to following an anagram in English.@@novelbin@@ Princess Seraphine deliberately created the fictional sender instead of using her real name to contact others while avoiding prying eyes. If Seraphine, who had the status of royalty, had directly written her name on the letter, it would have be mail that couldn¡¯t be carelessly sent anywhere. On the other hand, she couldn¡¯t impersonate the name of another family either. If she had sent a letter pretending not to be a noble, there would have been nobles who wouldn¡¯t recognize it as Seraphine¡¯s letter and would discard or neglect it. It was a second identity used for private contact or secretmunication, not official business from the pce. Of course, this private contact is why you would see it a lot if you progressed mainly through Seraphine¡¯s route. She couldn¡¯t directly send a letter with her name on it to themoner protagonist, so if you followed her route, she would contact the protagonist by sending love letters under ¡°Viscount Pereshina.¡± ¡­Wait a minute, if we¡¯re talking about love letters¡­ ¡°¡­Could it be?¡± Seraphine¡¯s personal letter was sent to Ethan using a pseudonym. Most of the personal letters sent by Seraphine to the protagonist using a pseudonym during the ythrough of ¡°Luminor Academy¡± were love letters. In other words, it meant that there was a possibility that this letter sent by Seraphine might also be a letter containing personal feelings towards Ethan. ¡­To be honest, it seemed like a moment where it was considered to have a very high possibility. Ethan¡¯s appearance on the day he single-handedly defended the western gate of the pce against the boss monster was quite cool, even from my perspective as a male. Originally, not only Ethan from Luminor Academy but any character brought to this point in time would have found it to be a considerably difficult feat. If not for him, the only person who could face the King Serpent even for a moment at this point would be ¡°Full Moon Seraphine¡± at best. Anyway, it goes without saying that Ethan¡¯s hard work reduced the number of personnel who lost their lives. And for Seraphine, who values human life above all, his actions would have been quite attractive. In the first ce, the trigger for her falling for the protagonist was also the description of her heart being gradually drawn to his righteous actions, her feelings growing stronger over time. Now that the protagonist has yet to appear, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for those feelings to be directed towards Ethan. ¡®¡­ That sounds good¡­?¡¯ Although it couldn¡¯t be hastily concluded, the thought that Seraphine would be quite good as Ethan¡¯s partner shed through my mind. Needless to say, as she had the status of the Third Princess, her family wasparable to the ckwood Ducal family. In terms of appearance, she was described as a peerless beauty in the game¡¯s official setting. When I met herst time, she showcased a beauty that seemed to emanate an aura. Her personality was a bit meddlesome, which was a very slight w, but not to the extent it became overbearing. Having a slight w or two adds to her human charm. In the first ce, her other strengthspensated for the w that didn¡¯t even seem like one. ¡®¡­Realizing it anew, Lilith and the likes are no match for her at all.¡¯ Lilith had no room topete with her in terms of status or appearance. At best, if judged based on personality, the original Lilith might have a slightly better personality than Seraphine, but the problem was that in this world, the content that was the subject of that personality had already been reced by me. Rather, Lilith¡¯s only advantage, her personality, had now beenpletely taken away from her. At least Ethan and Lilith had been together for a long time and were familiar with each other, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if this was an advantage. It can¡¯t be helped. If Seraphine was really interested in Ethan, I would have to acknowledge it and support their rtionship. A marriage proposal with someone like Seraphine was not only rare but also an exceptional case. Even if the other party was Ethan Richard ckwood, the noble son of the ckwoods. Ethan also outwardly said he had no interest in her. Still, if a proper marriage proposal came in, he wouldn¡¯t¡­ ¡®No, what am I thinking right now?¡¯ For a moment, I felt chills at the sight of myself not only evaluating Seraphine as good or bad as Ethan¡¯s partner but even calcting to what extent she waspared to me. In the first ce, I had no right toment on his fianc¨¦e, and being involved with someone like Seraphine was a miracle in itself. I momentarily forgot my ce after getting too involved with the main characters of Luminor Academy at the recent masquerade ball. Or maybe I had a stupid delusion because of the nonsense I temporarily did, pretending to be his fianc¨¦e. I need to restrain myself. I¡¯m just a debt-ridden maid whose head could be cut off or sold off at any time¡­ at least for the next three years. ¡°Since this is Princess Seraphine¡¯s letter, I should separate it and have Ethan read it directly¡­¡± ¡­No, wait a minute. Wouldn¡¯t it be worse if I handed this letter directly to Ethan? That¡¯s because this letter didn¡¯t feel like it came from ¡°Seraphine,¡± no matter where you looked. No other symbol or writing was attached to prove that she was ¡°royalty.¡± From the beginning, Seraphine had sent the letter to Ethan as Viscount Pereshina, so I also had to treat it as such. In my job of reading and sorting the letters that came to Ethan, the rank of viscount was among the letters I had to check first. If I handed this over to Ethan without even opening it, it would rather cause amotion in a different sense. Not only ordinary people but even among high-ranking nobles, very few knew that ¡°Viscount Pereshina¡± was Seraphine. Of course, Ethan didn¡¯t realize this fact yet, either. In such a situation, would I deliver the letter that came without checking it? And if it said something like, ¡°It¡¯s a letter from Princess Seraphine, so it would be better for you to read it directly¡­¡± No matter how much it was Ethan, he would have no choice but to be 200% suspicious if he saw such a stupid act. ¡®I almost got screwed.¡¯ I had already been suspected by unnecessarily reviving my memories of my previous life, walking through the pce with ease. If I were to be seen doing suspicious things this time as well¡­ I would probably be in a lot of trouble. ¡­But it¡¯s also somehow daunting for me to read a letter from a member of the royal family first. Still, since the sender was sent as Viscount Pereshina on the outside, they probably wouldn¡¯t say anything like charging me with insulting the royal familyter. ¡®¡­Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Well, what can I do? It wasn¡¯t a problem that would be solved even if I thought about it anyway. Above all, if Seraphine had sent the letter under her pseudonym in the first ce, she should have already considered the possibility of it being read by a servant. The other youngdies have already been caught by me reading all sorts of embarrassing love letters without their knowledge, so even if it was Seraphine, it would be a bit much for her just to let it slide. It was absolutely not because I was curious about the contents of Seraphine¡¯s love letter. I was just acting this way because it was what I had to do as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, Lilith. With that thought, I took the silver letter opener I was using to open the envelope to Seraphine¡¯s secret love letter (presumed). I carefully peeled off the sealing wax that sealed the envelope with the knife. Tok. With the sound of the seal being removed, the envelope opened, revealing two letters. The first thing that caught my eye was that the front and back pages were slightly attached with another sealing wax. Even if someone¡¯s seal came off and they read the contents on the front, it was designed to prevent them from reading the back page of the first and the front of the second. Seeing this suspicious trace of sealing for no reason, I started to feel like it was getting closer and closer to a love letter. I wondered what the contents of the Princess¡¯s love letter, which I had never directly read even in Luminor Academy, would be like. With a slightly pounding feeling, I started reading the letter from the first sentence of the front page. ¡­As soon as I read the first sentence of the first paragraph on the first page, I was engulfed in a sense of horror that seemed to give me goosebumps all over my body. ¡°To Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± ¡­This crazy girl. How far ahead has she calcted things? _____________________ Author¡¯s Notes None. Sadge. My Author-nim is the goat. Trantor¡¯s Corner Hi guys. Read my stuff. Love you all~ <3 -Ruminas Chapter 83 ¡°To Miss Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Although I was momentarily startled by the chilling first line of the letter, I managed to calm my pounding heart somehow. It can¡¯t be helped. After all, Seraphine was a character with remarkable insight in many ways, even in the game. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] After Ethan revealed his identity during his recent appearance at the masquerade ball, love letters from various nobledies would fly in from all over. Seraphine probably thought it was a sufficiently ¡°predictable situation¡± that I, as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, would manage the overwhelming number of love letters that a single young master couldn¡¯t possibly check. ¡®Actually meeting her in the flesh does give me goosebumps.¡¯ It can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s the kind of character she was from the beginning. It would be absurd to deny Seraphine¡¯s characterization at this point. I stopped thinking and read Seraphine¡¯s letter¡­ ¡­The letter that Seraphine sent to me while pretending to send it to Ethan. ¡ºHave you been well, Miss Lilith Rosewood? I apologize in advance for having to contact you in this way due to the many eyes watching. As someone who has already experienced cooperating with me on the night of a full moon, you should be able to figure out who I am without me explicitly stating my identity in this letter. So, to be prepared for any situation, I won¡¯t include any details about my personal information. I am truly indebted to you for the other day. If you, Miss Lilith, had not cooperated with me that day without any suspicion of my motives, the Argentian Empire would have suffered much greater damage. Considering the results of the other choices I briefly saw, I think it¡¯s fortunate that it ended this way, thanks to you. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I will refrain from asking how you know that I be more intelligent every full moon. The same goes for how you can handle that much power despite being amoner. When I think about what happened that day, I realize I should give you a sufficient reward; I am currently making preparations for that. The details are written at the back of the letter.¡» ¡®The back of the letter?¡¯ ¡­Does she mean the second sheet sealed with sealing wax?@@novelbin@@ I learned in the game that it¡¯s best to check letters from Seraphine as quickly as possible, so I immediately used a letter opener to remove the second sheet. Compared to the first sheet, which was filled with greetings and past events, the second sheet had only one short sentence written at the center of the paper. ¡ºI will meet you soon to discuss it.¡» ¡­Soon? When exactly is ¡®soon¡¯? As far as I know, there is only one case where Princess Seraphine would send a letter with such an ambiguous feeling. When Seraphine, of all people, uses an ambiguous expression, it must be in a situation where it is certain enough that there won¡¯t be any problems even if she writes it this way¡­ ¡®Could it be¡­?¡¯ With a hunch, I stuck my head out the window and spotted avish carriage approaching near the mansion. I had to put aside everything I was doing and call Ethan from the next room first. ¡°Young master! Princess Seraphine has visited the ckwood Mansion!¡± ¡°¡­Now?¡± First of all, we had to wee the guests from the Imperial Family who unexpectedly came to the ckwood Mansion. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit the ckwood Mansion, Princess Seraphine.¡± A reception for the Imperial Family suddenly began in the drawing room of the ckwood Mansion. Centered around the table in the drawing room where Princess Seraphine and Ethan were seated facing each other, all sorts of servants from the mansion had gathered, creating a tense atmosphere. Most of the servants were tense because it was their first time seeing a member of the imperial family, and the male servants were mostly distracted by Seraphine¡¯s beauty. When I thought it would be difficult to have a serious conversation in this situation, Seraphine dismissed all the people gathered in the drawing room with a single gesture. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a private conversation for a moment, so could everyone except the people who are absolutely necessary leave?¡± The servants of the ckwood Mansion hurriedly left the drawing room one by one, murmuring at Seraphine¡¯s deration. In this situation, I was also discreetly trying to gauge whether I should leave or not, but Ethan was the first to clearly resolve the matter of my stay. ¡°I see. Everyone except Lilith, my exclusive maid, should leave.¡± ¡­So I have to stay, after all. Come to think of it, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for the person who needs to have the conversation to disappear from a meeting arranged through a letter sent to me in the first ce. I guess at least 50% of the conversation we¡¯ll have after the meeting will be rted to me. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] After all the other servants of the mansion had left, only four people remained in the drawing room. From the ckwoods, Ethan and I. And from the Imperial Family, Seraphine and her escort, Luke. Luke is quite close to Seraphine, so she¡¯d probably just leave him there. Even if he hears the story about me, he won¡¯t carelessly divulge it¡­ ¡°What are you doing, Luke? You should leave, too.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m going to have a private conversation, so anyone who isn¡¯t absolutely necessary should leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Luke, Seraphine¡¯s escort, was shocked to realize that he wasn¡¯t a ¡°person who was absolutely necessary.¡± However, he still couldn¡¯t refuse Seraphine¡¯s order, so instead of arguing, her escort quietly left. ¡­Except for the resentful re he gave me before leaving the drawing room. ¡®It¡¯s not like I wanted to stay either.¡¯ Seraphine and Ethan have something to say to me, so they kept me here, but why is he jealous of me? While I was worrying about whether I had unnecessarily earned the resentment of a troublesome person, Ethan, who had moved from the center of the sofa in the drawing room to a corner, called me and pointed to the empty seat. ¡°Maid, you should sit too.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be mainly talking about you, anyway. It would be better to sit together and talk rather than having you standing there and listening.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I agree, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Since the two of them were urging me, I had no choice but to quietly sit down in the empty seat. Seraphine sat in front of me while Ethan sat beside me. Sitting between a princess and a young master who could easily crush me with their status even if I stayed still, I carefully observed the situation. In the silence, the first one to open their mouth and start the conversation was Seraphine. ¡°First of all, I should tell you the reason why I came all the way to the ckwood Mansion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I sincerely thank you two for your utmost efforts in ying the King Serpent during the monster wave at the Imperial Pce the other day.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ That much is¡­¡± ¡°It is my greatest pleasure that my humble efforts were of assistance to the empire.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Unlike me, who was flustered and didn¡¯t know what to do, Ethan responded to the conversation as if it were natural to him. Seeing this natural behavior, he was indeed a noble young master. ¡°The reason I personally came to the ckwood Mansion today instead of inviting you to the Imperial Pce is to express my gratitude for this. It would be rude in many ways to make the two of you, who did your best until the very end to save as many lives as possible, travel all the way to the distant pce.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ Rude, you say¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true at all, Princess. If you summon us, it is only natural for a nobleman to respond to that call.¡± ¡­Why is Ethan being so sweet today? Could it be that he¡¯s really interested in Seraphine, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s acting like this? Even though he said he wasn¡¯t, in reality, Ethan is no different from other boys¡­ ¡°And also, it would be even more difficult to arrange a meeting like this at the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There would be no better ce than here to have a leisurely conversation with Lord Ethan and Miss Lilith. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± Indeed, if Ethan and I had been invited to the Imperial Pce, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to create an environment like this. One where only three people¡ªSeraphine, Ethan, and me, Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid¡ªcould have a conversation. ¡°May I ask how the matter I mentioned before is proceeding, Princess?¡± ¡°Although time is a bit tight, I think it can bepleted within half a year. But no matter what, the highest position that can be given would be a viscount.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. As long as the fact that she¡¯s a noblewoman can be proven, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡­What? What are they talking about? Their suddenly having a serious conversation among themselves in front of me made me feel strangely uneasy. Seraphine, who first noticed my reaction from across the table, also told me about what she and Ethan were doing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Lilith. It¡¯s not about actually taking away another noble¡¯s status, but rather, we¡¯re talking about creating a new fictional family.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t hide the secret that you can use magic forever. Fortunately, the princess says half a year is enough, so we can somehow make it in time for next year¡¯s entrance to the academy.¡± ¡°Please, wait a moment. I can¡¯t understand the content of your conversation at all. A new family, entering the academy¡­ These are all unfamiliar topics to me.¡± My uneasiness grew even faster as their exnations only raised more questions. Sensing that something was off, Seraphine nced at Ethan and carefully asked a question. ¡°Lord Ethan, could it be that you haven¡¯t properly exined this matter to Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°I did mention it to her once before, but this is the first time I¡¯m providing the details.¡± ¡°¡­You talked to me about it, Young Master Ethan? I¡¯m truly sorry to say this, but I have absolutely no recollection of hearing anything rted to the conversation you two are having now.¡± ¡°What are you saying? I told youst time. I told you that I would somehow help you, who was troubled by not being able to use magic freely. I also said that I thought I could get cooperation from Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°That¡­ I understood it as meaning you would keep the secret that I can use magic¡­¡± I felt quite perplexed by Ethan, who was casually saying things that were impossible for me to follow as if they were obvious. Unable to watch the two of us any longer, Princess Seraphine took the lead in providing additional exnations about the content they had been discussing. ¡°Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t heard the exact story from Lord Ethan yet, so let me tell you clearly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Miss Lilith, have you ever thought about enrolling in the academy as a noblewoman?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Me? To the academy? ¡­How? Chapter 84 ¡°Miss Lilith, have you ever thought about enrolling in the academy as a noblewoman?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± My mind was momentarily confused by Seraphine¡¯s absurd wordsing from right in front of me. To the academy? Me? As a noblewoman at that? [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As soon as I heard about a new route that I had never even thought of sinceing to this world, I could only respond with a dumbfounded exmation, losing my words for a moment. As if she had been waiting for it, Seraphched onto my answer that had identally slipped out. ¡°You just said ¡®yes,¡¯ right, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°No, that was just by ident¡­¡± ¡°But you did say ¡®yes,¡¯ even if it was by ident, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can I take that as an agreement? Right, Miss Lilith?¡± Seraphine was smiling from ear to ear while suddenly pressing me about my slip of the tongue. Seeing her active response, it seemed that she was truly serious about enrolling me in the academy. Moreover, it appeared that she had already consulted with Ethan to some extent and was preparing to enroll me in the academy. The academy¡­ Of course, it would be great if I could enroll in the academy as a noblewoman, as Seraphine said. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Unlike entering the academy as amoner, enrolling as a noblewoman would mean that I could also enter under the Magic Department, which was Lilith¡¯s main strength. It was a much better offer than entering another department of the academy, which I had mentioned before. However, I couldn¡¯t readily ept Seraphine¡¯s offer just because it sounded good. ¡­I still couldn¡¯t clearly grasp her intention as to why she wanted to enroll me in the academy. ¡°Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°What is it, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not rude, may I ask you one question regarding enrollment in the academy?¡± ¡°By all means, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°May I know what you want from me after I enroll in the academy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seraphine fell silent for a moment, as if my question had unexpectedly hit the mark. Judging from her current reaction, it seemed that she was leaving open various possibilities for how to use me after I enrolled in the academy. ¡°When I make this kind of offer, people usually ask me ¡®how¡¯ I will make it possible.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Miss Lilith, you¡¯re asking what I want from you after enrolling in the academy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­As if you already know that I can easily make it possible for you to enroll in the academy.¡± ¡­Well, I do actually know that. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Seraphine had even created a fictional viscount family to send a letter without being cautious. For Seraphine, creating a viscount family to avoid the eyes of others would be slightly more difficult than flipping her hand. In addition, there were countless other ways she could use to enroll me in the academy from her position, such as creating a special entrance exam for me to take or transferring me after enrollment using her personal authority. Honestly, as long as I could enroll in the Magic Department of the academy, I didn¡¯t really care what method was used to enroll me either. Luminor Academy was basically an academy-based game. Like most academy games, there were some skills or magic that could only be learned by taking sses, so I also wanted to enroll in the Magic Department of the academy if possible. It was just that I had temporarily given up on it because the current conditions were not very favorable. If I could just fulfill that wish of enrolling in the academy, I was willing to ept a deal with Princess Seraphine. Perhaps to the extent that I could dly endure even if the price was a bit high.@@novelbin@@ ¡°If it weren¡¯t possible, you wouldn¡¯t have proposed to me to enroll in the academy as a noblewoman in the first ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it difficult for you to say, Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°¡­No. I was just thinking that I chose the right person.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Seraphine nodded her head calmly in response to my question. ¡­And she also gave me a meaningful smile as she delivered her answer. ¡°What I want to ask of Miss Lilith, who will enroll in the academy as a noblewoman in the future¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°For now, I have nothing in particr.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I just hope that as many talented new students as possible will enroll in Luminor Academy next year. That includes you, Miss Lilith, and Lord Ethan, as well.¡± Isn¡¯t it even more meaningful that she has nothing to ask of me? Am I overreacting? However, seeing Seraphine¡¯s response, it truly seemed that she didn¡¯t want to enroll me in the academy because she wanted something specific from me; rather, she simply wanted to gather as many talented students as possible in the academy. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Considering the story that would unfold in the game, most of those gathered students would eventually suffer and run away here and there. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so suspicious, Miss Lilith. Although I don¡¯t have any separate requests for you after you enter the academy, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t receive anything from you at all.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not doubting you, Princess¡­¡± ¡°Even you, who has never had proper magic lessons, showed the ability to defeat the King Serpent. If you learn magic properly at the academy, how much more can you contribute? And in the future, how many more lives will you be able to save?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking about and investing in, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡­Right, this was Seraphine¡¯s personality from the beginning. A person who unhesitatingly runs toward the possibility of saving even one more life. I felt ashamed of myself for unnecessarily doubting a character that¡¯s absolutely good. There must be a meaning behind every action Seraphine takes. If I had heard the reason this far, it would have been rude to refuse instead. Of course, since Seraphine and Ethan had already been working on it, it might not be easily epted, even if I refuse. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°I understand, Princess Seraphine. Since you said you would grant me a noble status and help me enroll in the academy, I will dly follow your proposal.¡± ¡°No taking it backter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not foolish enough to tell a lie in front of the princess.¡± ¡°I will let you know the detailster by letter. It¡¯ll contain the noble status you will have and the date of the entrance exam of the academy.¡± ¡°I am truly grateful for your consideration until the very end.¡± ¡°No. Compared to the many lives you have saved, Miss Lilith, this is really nothing.¡± ¡­That¡¯s true. As someone who knew the future where Agnes would¡¯ve taken my role, her words resonated with me even more. ¡°For now, let me tell you what has been decided so far. You will likely have the status of a viscount¡¯s daughter. If we had a little more time, I would have tried to make you of count status, but considering the rushed preparations, this was the limit of the status we could create without drawing attention.¡± ¡°Just having the status of being from a viscount family is more than enough for me, amoner, to express my utmost gratitude.¡± ¡°And the main family will likely be the ckwood family. I will send you the detailster by letter.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°I should get going now due to my next schedule. Don¡¯t forget to check the lettersing to Lord Ethan from Viscount Pereshina, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, I will make sure to check them.¡± ¡°It was a pleasure talking with you, Lord Ethan, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°I-I feel the same way!¡± ¡°I was also truly happy to be able to see your face, Princess Seraphine, and have a conversation with you.¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to see me off. I have to get in the carriage right away anyway.¡± As soon as Ethan and I got up from our seats to see her off, Seraphine waved her hand as if to say it wasn¡¯t necessary and made us sit down again. Because Seraphine only moved her steps after confirming that we had sat down again, we had to let her leave without even being able to properly see her off. In the drawing room where she had been, who hade like the wind and disappeared like dew, only Ethan and I were now left alone. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, Maid.¡± ¡°Was it your idea to give me the status of a viscount and enroll me in the academy?¡± ¡°It was, but¡­is it a bother?¡± ¡°Of course not. To you, Young Master Ethan, who has shown so much consideration for a mere maid like me¡­I can¡¯t express enough gratitude no matter how much I thank you.¡± This time, I conveyed my feelings to Ethan by bowing my head with a truly grateful heart. Ethan quietly exined the process of how I came to be enrolled in the academy while epting my gratitude. ¡°¡­I said that your talent would be wasted and asked for help in making you a member of a ckwood branch family and enrolling you in the Magic Department of the academy. Since it¡¯s impossible for a maid ofmoner status to enroll in the Magic Department, I received help from the princess in that regard.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°In the first ce, if it¡¯s discovered that amoner maid can use magic, it will be dangerous in many wayster on. I also¡­oops.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Young Master? Did you perhaps say something you shouldn¡¯t have to me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s just that I realized I shouldn¡¯t call you a maid anymore, Lilith. Of course, you¡¯re still my exclusive maid for now, but you¡¯re scheduled to pay off your debt soon and be incorporated into the ckwood branch family as a noblewoman. From then on, you won¡¯t be my exclusive maid anymore.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡­That¡¯s right. If I gain the status of being from a viscount family, I¡¯ll have to quit my maid job for Ethan. No matter how lowly a noblewoman from a branch family is, it would cause many problems for her to work as an exclusive maid for a young lord. There have been cases where lower-ranking noble families send their children to serve as servants in the main family or higher-ranking noble families. They do so to demonstrate the bond between nobles or loyalty to the main family. However, even among such servants, it was an unwritten rule not to send them to sensitive positions like being an exclusive maid for a man. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As an exclusive maid for a man, you would often observe his personal life, such as his sleeping appearance, changing clothes, or before and after bathing. No matter how lowly, they were still nobles, and especially for youngdies, it could hinder their marriage prospects, so it wasmon not to work as an exclusive maid for a man. Moreover, sending a daughter of a branch family to be the exclusive maid of the young master of the main family could be seen as an act of the branch family seeking power from the main family. ¡®¡­No, wait a moment.¡¯ Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this a bit dangerous? Let¡¯s assume that I quit being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid and be the daughter of some nonexistent viscount family and enroll in the academy. Then, what happens next? A lowly nobledy who¡¯s a viscount solely in the title, with no power or connections and no personalwork since she has never shown her face in social gatherings until now. If I enter the academy alone in this state, surely¡­ ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ Only after thinking this far did I finally realize the situation I was in. I realized the fact that simply receiving a ¡°noble status¡± from Ethan and Seraphine was not enough to survive in the academy. And that to survive, I couldn¡¯t stay as I was now. ¡°¡­It will be a bit sad to think that you won¡¯t be a maid anymore. Of course, you¡¯ll continue to live with our family from now on¡­¡± ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan. This might be rude, but may I make one small request?¡± ¡°A small request? ¡­Go ahead and tell me.¡± ¡°Could I continue to serve as your exclusive maid until we both graduate from the academy?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Even though Ethan¡¯s eyes widened at my sudden suggestion, my heart in making that request to him was more serious than anyone else¡¯s. Because to survive in the academy with an ambiguous status, like that of a viscount, it seemed that I still needed Ethan¡¯s help. Chapter 85 ¡°Are you serious, Maid?¡± Ethan asked with widened eyes in response to my request to extend my time as his exclusive maid. I looked him in the eye and nodded as I answered. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m serious, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­Maid, you might not know this yet, but¡­ normally, a nobledy shouldn¡¯t be an exclusive maid for a man. Of course, they sometimes send them as general servants for the bond of the family, but¡­¡± ¡°No. I already know that nobledies don¡¯t take the role of an exclusive maid for a man, Young Master.¡± ¡°It seems you don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡­Considering my actions in front of Ethan until now, it¡¯s understandable for him to be suspicious, but at least this time, I was certain. The issue he was worried about if I took the role of his exclusive maid was, in fact, not a problem for me at all. However, Ethan still seemed to think that I didn¡¯t understand and continued to provide additional exnations about taking on the role of his exclusive maid. ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated, but I¡¯m saying this for your sake, Maid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine for now, but if it¡¯ster revealed that you, as a noblewoman, worked as my exclusive maid, it could hinder your marriage prospects.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­Well, of course it would. It wasmon for the role of a noble¡¯s exclusive maid to rarely include a ¡°night service.¡± Of course, to some extent, it was a rtionship based on mutual agreement, so it was a slightly different concept from rape, and even that custom had almost disappeared by now. Anyway, an upation with the possibility of having rtions with another man before marriage was bound to receive unfavorable attention. However, nothing like that had ever happened between Ethan and me, and in the first ce, I had been desperately trying to avoid such situations. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean it would seem like nothing happened to others. So, Ethan was probably saying that out of consideration for me in his own way, but honestly, it was an unnecessary concern for me. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Having my marriage prospects hindered by being the young master¡¯s exclusive maid is not a problem for me at all.¡± ¡°¡­Think about it seriously, Maid. I¡¯m saying this because I really don¡¯t want you to be in trouble because of me.¡± ¡°I am thinking very seriously.¡± Because I wasn¡¯t thinking about marriage in the first ce. My marriage prospects are being hindered because I¡¯m Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. So what? Isn¡¯t it rather advantageous to prevent noble sons, who are difficult to avoid due to their power, from trying to hit on me in advance? [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, since this was a world wheremoners didn¡¯t ce much importance on chastity, there was a possibility that they would approach Lilith regardless of whether she had experience or not. But that could be solved with the ¡°viscount noble status¡± that Ethan and Seraphine created for me. And there would be hardly anymoners who would foolishly risk their lives to try to eat a noble¡­ ¡°I want to continue being Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid even after receiving the status of a viscount¡¯s daughter. And that¡¯s for the four years we attend the academy.¡± That was also the only way for Lilith, a viscount¡¯s daughter with no backing or connections, to survive. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m a pretty decent mage who can use Mana st at this level, but this alone could lead to the possibility of getting involved in troublesome matters with other nobles attending the academy. If I, as a viscount¡¯s daughter, who is on the lower end of the lower nobility, enroll without proper connections, there will naturally be many people trying to shut me down in various ways. Among them, there would be quite a few who would approach me pretending to help but actually try to use me. In that case, the most stable way to survive would be to continue working as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid while always doing activities together with him. If I work as an exclusive maid, I will have to stick with him for most of my life in the academy, whether I like it or not, and above all, I can clearly imprint on other students that I belong to the ckwood family. ¡­And even if a situation arises where I¡¯m being used by someone, I thought it might be better to be used by Ethan rather than a stranger I¡¯ve never even met. Considering all those situations, I requested Ethan to extend my position as his exclusive maid. But the answer that came from Ethan¡¯s mouth was close to a roundabout rejection. ¡°¡­For now, I¡¯ll take my time to think about it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really happy that you said you want to continue being my exclusive maid, but this is a matter that needs to be seriously considered.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not mentally prepared yet, so wait a little bit.¡± ¡­Mentally prepared? What do you mean by being mentally prepared all of a sudden? You just have to treat the exclusive maid position like you¡¯ve been doing until now, right? For some reason, Ethan¡¯s answer gave me an uneasy feeling and anxiety began to rise in my heart. For now, though, there was something I was more happy about, so I let it slide. Anyway, the fact that I could enroll in the Magic Department of the academy, even as Lilith, was much more important news to me. A carriage passed through the border of the ckwood territory, and several horses and soldiers surrounded the carriage. Inside the luxurious carriage surrounded by several guards as if protecting it, its owner, Princess Seraphine, quietly looked out the window at the passing scenery without a word. Her escort, Luke Crue, was seated across from her. The ckwood territory gradually moved away from the gate that marked the border of the ckwood territory. Looking back onest time at the ckwood Mansion, which was already so far away that it looked like a dot, Seraphine offered a small apology in her heart. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lilith.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even give a reward to the one who had defeated the King Serpent and ended the monster wave at the Imperial Pce; instead, she just gave her a viscount status and enrolled her in the academy. Feeling guilty, Seraphine could only vaguely stare out the window until she left the ckwood territory. Luke, her escort, carefully asked a question while observing Seraphine¡¯s expression, which was different from usual. ¡°Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°What is it, Luke?¡± ¡°If you have any concerns, would you please confide in me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you trust me and tell me, I will not divulge it even if a de is put to my neck, Princess.¡± Luke requested Seraphine to confide in him, asserting his loyalty to her. She also knew very well that Luke was not the type of person to carelessly spill secrets somewhere. However, apart from that, Seraphine couldn¡¯t fully confide the secret she held in her heart to Luke. If Seraphine¡¯s concern was simply her own secret, she might have felt somewhat relieved just by confiding in her tight-lipped escort. But what was weighing on Seraphine¡¯s mind right now was not her own concerns but a concern about a woman named Lilith Rosewood, a servant of the ckwood family. The moment she spoke about that concern, it would inevitably lead to a situation where she would also have to speak about Lilith¡¯s secret. Carelessly bbing about someone else¡¯s secret was far from Seraphine¡¯s personality, so even if it was Luke, her most trustworthy and tight-lipped escort, Seraphine couldn¡¯t tell him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not a concern I can tell you about, Luke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my personal issue, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Is it a concern rted to the conversation you had at the ckwood Mansion?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seraphine¡¯s expression momentarily faltered at Luke¡¯s question that hit the mark.@@novelbin@@ As an escort who had served her for a long time, Luke could notice the change in Seraphine¡¯s expression in an instant. ¡°Even if you say there is discord with the ckwood family, I will serve Princess Seraphine until the very end, even at the cost of my life.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not such a dangerous issue.¡± ¡°Is it a concern about that maid from the ckwood family? The one who eavesdropped on the princess¡¯ conversation until the very end¡­¡± ¡°¡­Luke.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I clearly sent you out of that drawing room.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t hastily make assumptions about what happened inside. Do you find my orders so amusing?¡± ¡°I-I will correct myself!¡± Seraphine¡¯s escort immediately prostrated himself on the ground to apologize the moment he realized he had misspoken. However, the one who received the apology didn¡¯t even spare him a nce and only silently followed the scenery outside with her eyes. In her heart, she continued to apologize to Lilith, whom she had promised to enroll in the academy. ¡®Miss Lilith, you¡¯re probably just happy about the fact that you can enroll in the Magic Department of Luminor Academy now. But I know. I know what kind of hardships a helpless youngdy with only a viscount status will face when enrolling in the academy.¡¯ The viscount status is the lowest among the nobility. The moment she enrolls in the academy, all sorts of riffraff will likely approach her to use her. It was a future anyone could predict, even without foresight. ¡®Moreover, Miss Lilith¡¯s magic is powerful enough to attract the attention of others in many ways, so people who are too much for you to handle on your own will probably try to approach you. Even knowing that, I won¡¯t ask you to forgive me for deciding to enroll you in the academy. But it was necessary. I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lilith.¡¯ No matter how outstanding Lilith¡¯s individual magical education was, it would not be easy to shake off the persistent interest gathered from so many people. Especially considering the characteristic of the Magic Department, where only nobles could enroll, there weren¡¯t even anymoner students of lower status than her. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to imagine that she would be a ¡°target¡± for the Magic Department students in many ways. Cruelly, Seraphine¡¯s n also included Lilith bing that ¡°target.¡± ¡®Half a year¡­or maybe you¡¯ll get tired even sooner. The Magic Department of the academy will be a ce that¡¯s not easy to endure with the status of a viscount¡¯s daughter. If I extend a helping hand to you when you¡¯re suffering from other nobles like that, will you be able to refuse? If I ask you to be my exclusive maid on the condition that I protect you, will you be able to refuse then? You probably won¡¯t be able to. Because I will only reach out to you when you¡¯re faced with a situation you absolutely can¡¯t refuse. I¡¯m sorry for not being able to think of any way to use you other than this. I will definitely apologize for all these sins I willmit against you in the next life someday¡­¡¯ One day, Seraphine suddenly felt the need to keep the strongest close aides in her arms to prevent the future she saw from bing a reality. Luke, the escort knight, in her right hand, and Lilith, the exclusive maid, in her left hand. In her mind, these two were the strongest cards she could control as she pleased, so enrolling Lilith in the Magic Department of the academy was also the first step in Seraphine¡¯s process of getting her hands on her. Thus, Seraphine¡¯s n to secure her second strongest, and most capable close aide, seemed to proceed smoothly without any particr obstacles, just like her other ns. But unfortunately, there was one unexpected blind spot in Seraphine¡¯s n this time that even she hadn¡¯t anticipated. Because even Seraphine hadn¡¯t predicted the situation where Lilith would insist on being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid even with the status of a nobledy. Chapter 86 About a month had passed since the day Seraphine and Ethan said they would enroll me in the academy. Although it was only a month, quite a lot had happened during that time. For example, Ethan and I briefly visited the Imperial Pce after ying the King Serpent and returned (I had to hide my identity since my status hadn¡¯t been determined yet), and in the process, a considerable amount of money was given not only to Ethan but also to me as a reward. ¡­And as the reward came in, my status as an exclusive maid also became time-limited. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It was inevitable. The amount I received for ying the King Serpent was sorge that it basically settled all of Lilith¡¯s remaining debt. The reward money given to me, who had no noble status and belonged to the ckwood family, naturally had to be delivered through the ckwood family. So, in the process, even though I didn¡¯t want it, it was automatically used to pay off the remaining debt. When I subjugated the Hooked Tusk, it was only thanks to the goodwill of Sir cksong that the money coulde to me. Normally, though, when moneyes to a debt maid, it¡¯s natural to start by paying off the existing debt first. As a result, the period of my contract is now just over two weeks. During these two weeks, I had to negotiate somehow. I wanted Ethan to take me as his exclusive maid so I could enroll with him in the academy together. So now, about three years after I started working as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I was putting my heart and soul into my exclusive maid activities more actively than ever since taking on this position. Somehow, I needed to convince Ethan to rehire me as his exclusive maid. ¡°Have you finished your meal, young master?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°You have a sword sparring session with the master in the afternoon, right? I will prepare the training clothes for you to change into in advance.¡± ¡°¡­Are you going to apany me to today¡¯s training too?¡± ¡°Yes, because that¡¯s the duty of an exclusive maid.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never reallye to watch until now, but you¡¯ve beening diligentlytely. It¡¯s really hot these days¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you, young master, never told me that I coulde and watch until now.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t particrly tell you toe and watchtely either.¡± ¡°¡­But as the young master¡¯s exclusive maid, I think it¡¯s understood for me to be on standby in case you face any inconvenience. Don¡¯t you think so, young master?¡± Ethan gave me a dumbfounded look at my textbook-like answer. I know. I know how brazen I¡¯m being in front of Ethan. Still, just to secure the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I could be even more brazen than this. That¡¯s because it was a position I absolutely needed to enroll in the academy with an ambiguous status like a viscount. ¡°Excuse me, young master, is it rude of me to observe your sword sparring?¡± ¡°N-no, I didn¡¯t mean it was rude; I just meant that you seem to be working too hardtely.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I naturally put in my best effort when ites to work? I must do so to serve as the young master¡¯s exclusive maid even after entering the academy¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll go change into my training clothes before it¡¯ste! Maid, go to the training ground first and wait for me there!¡± ¡­These days, whenever I mention being his exclusive maid at the academy, he always avoids mentioning it like this. If it were Ethan from the original game, he would havemanded me to follow him without hesitation rather than hesitating at such a proposal. It was fortunate that he didn¡¯t grow up to be a lout pig with only lust left, but it was still a bit regrettable that hecked courage to this extent. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Still, the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid was an important position that I absolutely couldn¡¯t give up, so these days, I would stick with Ethan as much as possible and somehow appeal mypetence as an exclusive maid. Of course, just because I¡¯ve been working hard recently doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve been sloppy with my work before. I had never gone against Ethan¡¯s mood as an exclusive maid, and I had never missed a single mandatory duty and had faithfully carried them all out. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been working even hardertely because that alone seems insufficient to be rehired. In fact, excluding the time to change clothes, take a bath, and sleep, I was practically glued to Ethan for 16-17 hours out of 24 hours a day. Among them, observing Ethan and Harold¡¯s daily sword sparring was also added to my duties. ng! ng! ¡°Ugh, hah¡­!¡± ng! ng! ng! ¡°Ackk, uwah¡­!¡± Thud! ¡°Ugh, aaahhh¡­!¡± Ethan, who gripped the wooden sword in both hands and swung it, was hit on the wrist by Harold¡¯s blow and dropped the sword he was holding. Unlike Harold, who swung his sword calmly without a word, Ethan copsed on the floor with a very exhausted look. Dittmeyer, who was watching the match, raised his hand and temporarily stopped the sparring. ¡°The master is victorious! We will take a short break!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give you five minutes; pick up your sword again.¡± ¡°Haaaa, yes, yes¡­¡± Ethan painfully grabbed his hurt wrist and got up, and the family¡¯s healer immediately ran to him and cast a healing spell. I, who quietly approached Ethan, carefully wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At first, when I held out the handkerchief, Ethan was puzzled, not knowing what I was doing, but now, after about ten days of my actions, he epted it without a word. It was important to do some favor work like this, even if it was little by little. At least, even if Ethan doesn¡¯t feel the need to take me to the academy as his exclusive maid, he should know that I¡¯m useful as an exclusive maid so that he has at least a little desire to keep me as his exclusive maid. ¡­In fact, I already knew that there was a much easier way than doing this bothersome favor work. Using this body, which is Lilith¡¯s most notable advantage, to stimte and seduce the male instinct. Of course, I would never use this method. ¡®Even if it¡¯s Ethan, that¡¯s a bit too much.¡¯ It¡¯s not that I particrly dislike the thought because he¡¯s Ethan. Rather, I even thought that it might be better if it¡¯s Ethan. (T/N: Pause???) The current Ethan ispletely different from the repulsive Ethan I saw in the game, and he¡¯s undoubtedly quite good-looking and has a nice personality. It¡¯s just that, separate from that, it¡¯s unavoidable that I don¡¯t want to be held by a man. Above all, it felt like all the efforts I had made so far to avoid a future where I would be dominated by a man would be in vain. Chewing garlic in the kitchen in the middle of the night, getting in a dogfight with the likes of Ariana and Alicia, and even risking my life in battle against monsters like the Hooked Tusk. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] How should I put it, carelessly handling my body now for no particr reason was a course of action that didn¡¯t align with me at all. ¡®Of course, whether I do such a thing with Ethan or not, the future I have already changed will continue to flow¡­¡¯ The unbelievable growth I achieved as Lilith by saving Lizzy, who should have died¡­ ¡­and Ethan¡¯s change that made him unrecognizable, although I don¡¯t know where the influence came from. Thinking about those things, I often have thoughts these days that it might be okay to be used by Ethan in exchange for being protected after enrolling in the academy. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, no matter what, that¡¯s too much of a prostitute-like idea, so I discarded it all not long after thinking about it. ¡­And for some reason, it seemed like Ethan wouldn¡¯t like it very much if I acted that way, either. If Ethan had even the slightest such feelings for me, he would have had countless opportunities to use his position and power to pounce on me long ago. The fact that he hasn¡¯t done that until now means that the current Ethan doesn¡¯t have much interest in my body. ¡°Begin sparring!¡± Meanwhile, Ethan and Harold¡¯s sword training resumed immediately after the break. As expected, Ethan was knocked down by Harold¡¯s sword again without being able tond a proper attack. Thud! ¡°Aaaahhh¡­!¡± It seems like he¡¯s already fallen about 18 times just during today¡¯s training. Seeing him fall without being able tond a decent attack made me feel strangely sorry for him. ¡­But it¡¯s not like I could particrly say anything about Ethan because it was impossible for a fair match to take ce against Harold, a sword master, in the first ce. What I should recognize is that Ethan is incredibly skilled for his age among his peers. [GxyTL/Axiomatic]@@novelbin@@ The mere fact that he can hold out for 10 or 20 minutes in a match against Sword Master Harold is already an unbelievable feat. It¡¯s gotten to the point where I think Ethan might be even stronger than the protagonist at this point. ¡°Hah, hah, hah¡­¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s end today¡¯s training here.¡± While I was having such thoughts and observing the two exchanging swords, Ethan and Harold¡¯s sword sparring finally came to an end. I quietly wiped his face, which was drenched in sweat from hours of training. ¡°Good work, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Thanks, Maid¡­¡± ¡­Come to think of it, it was the same feeling I had when I first observed Ethan receiving sword lessons from Harold. Until then, I never imagined that Ethan would be able to grow up so properly. Ethan must have also worked tirelessly, which I couldn¡¯t help but feel every time I observed his training these days. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] What exactly made Ethan pull himself together like this was still difficult to guess. ¡°Since you seem to have sweated a lot, I will prepare your bath right away. I will prepare the clothes for you to change into now, and the training clothes will be washed¡­¡± In the same way, I was going to take care of Ethan all day today and somehow make him reconsider rehiring me as his exclusive maid. But my n was easily thwarted by Harold¡¯s sudden call. ¡°¡­Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, master?¡± ¡°After you finish preparing Ethan¡¯s bath,e up to my office immediately.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you regarding your recent work attitude.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, master.¡± ¡­What? Did I do something wrong? Chapter 87 Due to Harold¡¯s sudden summons, I quickly moved to the 3rd floor of the mansion as soon as I finished preparing Ethan¡¯s bath. Harold summoned me for a one-on-one meeting with him, which I hadn¡¯t had in a long time. In a state where I couldn¡¯t shake off the lingering tension no matter when I faced him, I quietly knocked on the door of the 3rd-floor office three times. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°¡­Come in.¡± As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I felt an overwhelming atmosphere. I quietly walked into the heavy space that was always difficult to breathe in. For some reason, instead of dragging it out while doing other things as usual, Harold spoke first and presented his business. ¡°Sorry for calling you over and causing you trouble.¡± ¡°¡­No. I am Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, so of course, I have to respond if the Lord of the ckwood family calls, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°But it seems that that exclusive maid job only has about ten days left now. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Even I didn¡¯t predict that the reward from the Imperial Pce would be used to pay off your father¡¯s debt. Isn¡¯t that so, Miss Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t either.¡± ¡­As expected, he¡¯s persistent about it. Perhaps because my actions at the Imperial Pce were too shy, it was virtually impossible topletely hide all of those secrets. Thanks to Seraphine, I somehow received the reward for ying the King Serpent, but due to my affiliation, it had to go through the ckwood family first. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Moreover, there was no way Harold, who manages most of the ckwood Estate¡¯s operations, wouldn¡¯t have noticed my activities. In other words, the fact that I used magic to y the King Serpent had already reached his ears. ¡®He hasn¡¯t said anything about it until now, so I¡¯ve been not mentioning it deliberately.¡¯ Why is he suddenly bringing up the subject of me paying off my debt when he called me here? Wasn¡¯t it because of my recent work attitude that he called me? Was that just an excuse? ¡°Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I heard that because you used magic to y the King Serpent, Ethan was able to ovee a moment when he was in danger.¡± ¡°Ah, no. It was Princess Seraphine, the Third Princess, who saved Young Master Ethan, and I just followed Her Highness¡¯ orders¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? So are you saying that Princess Seraphine lied to me?¡± ¡°Ah, no! Absolutely not!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that Ethan was safe because you used magic, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± I barely escaped the moment of almost disrespecting the Imperial Family and driving a wedge between nobles by saying the wrong word, and I mentally calmed my startled heart. This guy, Harold, won¡¯t even allow me to be humble. ¡°So, Lilith Rosewood.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Do you have any intention of continuing to work as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid even after the contract ends?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡­What is he suddenly talking about? Harold suddenly brought up the topic of a contract extension¡­ ¡­and it¡¯s about being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid? ¡°Although I initially hired you as a debt maid, I feel that your talent is a bit of a waste to end the contract like this.¡± ¡°Is-is that so¡­?¡± ¡°Since you became Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, that child has truly changed a lot. If it weren¡¯t for you, Ethan might still be going astray while longing for his mother.¡± ¡°You-you tter me¡­¡± ¡°But as Ethan¡¯s father, I can¡¯t help but worry, especially when I think about him entering the academy next year.¡± ¡°I-I understand your concern.¡± ¡°Even though Ethan will turn 23 next year, excluding the time he was asleep due to the curse, he¡¯s still only in histe teens. I¡¯m wondering if that child can get along well with other students at the academy, and I¡¯d like you to assist him a little more, at least during that period.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask what you think about it.¡± The eligible age for enrollment in Luminor Academy is from 18 to 23 years old. Whether noble ormoner, since they have to take and pass a proper entrance exam to enter the academy, it¡¯s not umon for even high-ranking nobles to fail in their 1st or 2nd year. So the actual average age of freshmen entering the academy is a little over 19 years old. If Ethan enters the academy next year, he will be enrolling at the age of 23, but excluding the time he was asleep due to the curse, he¡¯s actually close to the minimum enrollment age. As someone who knows the extent of Harold¡¯s love for his family, it¡¯s not that strange for him to worry about Ethan like this. That¡¯s why he¡¯s trying to keep me as an exclusive maid a little longer, somehow. After all, it¡¯s an undeniable fact that I¡¯ve been serving Ethan since he was young until now. ¡­The problem was how far Harold was thinking when he offered me this contract. If I had hastily asked just after hearing the offer to take on the exclusive maid position for Ethan, my n might have been disrupted from another angle. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] What I wanted to do was to ¡®gain the status of a viscount¡¯s daughter,¡¯ ¡®enroll in the Magic Department of the academy,¡¯ and ¡®maintain the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid¡¯ in that situation. If he told me to give up the first two for the sake of focusing on being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, of course, I couldn¡¯t readily ept it. So, before discussing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid position, I needed to clearly convey the things I¡¯d mentioned earlier. ¡°You may already know this, master, but I have already received the grace of Young Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°To temporarily receive the position of a noble in a ckwood branch family and take the entrance exam for the Magic Department of Luminor Academy.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that either. As long as you¡¯re confident that you can fulfill the role of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid even as a fellow student.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Of course, if you act as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid as a nobledy, it will hinder your marriage prospects with other lords, so that¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to bear if you ept.¡± ¡­What? Why is he so cool about it? I thought he would definitely refuse, saying something like, ¡®Will you have time to focus on your studies while serving as my son¡¯s exclusive maid?¡¯ It¡¯s rather suspicious that such good conditions are continuously being offered to me for no reason. There was no reason for Harold to show such favor to me without any benefit to himself. He¡¯s a character who is endlessly soft only to his ¡®family,¡¯ like his wife and children, but he normally shows little interest and a cold reaction to other people. ¡­Even if it¡¯s Lilith, who has spent a long time as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°¡­And, your sry will be this much per month.¡± Clink. I momentarily thought that he would dismiss the monthly sry with a few silvercoinsbecause it¡¯s an exclusive maid jobbined with studies. ¡­But as soon as I saw the threegold coinsced on thedesk, my mind started spinning quickly. ¡°Three gold coins per month. And if you take on the role of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid for all four years, I¡¯ll add four more gold coins per year.¡± ¡­What? Wait, three gold coins a month? How much is three gold coins a month in this world? One goldcoinis roughly the monthly living expenses for a family of four, so let¡¯s say it¡¯s worth about 3 million won (T/N: approximately $2,200). If there are 3 suchgold coinscoinsper month, it amounts to nearly 10 million won (T/N: approximately $7,200) based on the standards of my previous world. In other words, the annual sry is effectively 40 gold coins, and since this is for a total of 4 years, that¡¯s 160 gold coins in total. Even excluding the tuition, living expenses, and other misceneous costs of ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± I could calcte that almost 100 gold coins would be umted in my hands. Just by attending the academy and taking care of Ethan, upon graduation, I¡¯ll have 100gold coinscoins. It would be an absolute loss not to ept such an offer. What kind of fool would refuse 100 gold coins thate into their hands? It¡¯s the basic startup capital that you can start anything with as soon as you graduate from the academy! ¡®¡­Still. Let¡¯s calm down for now.¡¯ Think rationally, Lilith. There¡¯s no way that Harold would make such a favorable offer to me without any benefit to himself. It must be an offer with a trap somewhere. Perhaps if I readily ept it, I might be bound by a contract that¡¯s neither this nor that and continue a forced contract life no different from a debt maid, or he might try to employ me at a much lower amount by mentioning breach of contract. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Was there anything in what Harold just said that could be interpreted in a different way? Enrolling in the academy with Ethan, working as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, with an annual sry of 36gold coinscoins¡­ If I do well as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, an additional 16gold coinscoinswill be given, and ording to his words about enrolling together, Harold will probably guarantee the viscount status as well. ¡­No matter how I think about it, isn¡¯t this offer too good to be true just for me? Moreover, being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid was something I wanted from the beginning, and in this situation, I¡¯m getting an unexpected bonus, so there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Ah, right. I almost forgot about it. The fact that whether I can be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid or not is not enough with just Harold¡¯s permission. No matter how much I want to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, if Ethan himself refuses, this contract and everything else will be meaningless. Since Harold readily agrees to whatever Ethan says anyway, I had to convince Ethan rather than him. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] For that, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of spending time here discussing this with Harold. I have to go back to Ethan as soon as possible and somehow convince him to make me his exclusive maid again. It wasn¡¯t impossible for the contract to be terminated overnight by Ethan if I finished the contract here with Harold and felt relieved. For now, I bowed my head in front of Harold and indirectly expressed my answer that I would persuade Ethan. ¡°I am truly grateful for your words, master¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ are you perhaps rejecting my offer now?¡± ¡°¡­I think it should be up to Young Master Ethan, and not you, master, to decide on his exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°I also want to continue my duties as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, but since it seems that the young master hasn¡¯t made up his mind yet, would you please wait for him to choose his exclusive maid himself?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,e to think of it, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡®¡­Phew.¡¯ Now, it¡¯spletely certain that I just need to convince Ethan. From now on, all that remains is to clearly appeal my excellence as an exclusive maid to Ethan more than ever. ¡°Ethan is also growing up now, so as you said, I can¡¯t decide on his exclusive maid without getting his opinion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, master.¡± ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll ask Ethan separately next time. Wait until a conclusion is reached for now.¡± ¡°Thank you for your words, master.¡± ¡°Then go ahead.¡± ¡°I will take my leave, master.¡± After bowing to convey my gratitude for Harold¡¯s words, I hurriedly left his private office. As soon as I left his office, the first thing I did was search for Ethan, who would have finished his bath by now. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I needed to firmly make up his mind as soon as possible before Harold called Ethan separately and asked about his exclusive maid. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Fortunately, I found Ethan talking to someone in the servants¡¯ room on the same floor as Harold¡¯s office on the third, and I walked briskly to where Ethan was to get a definite answer from him about his exclusive maid. ¡­Until the unidentified silhouette talking to Ethan turned into the face of the person I knew best. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Right. So to you¡­¡± ¡®Isabel¡­? Why is Isabel talking with Ethan¡­?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like Isabel usually talked to Ethan that often. What¡¯s going on? Feeling uneasy for some reason, I quietly hid near Ethan and Isabel and began eavesdropping on their conversation. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Soon, I was engulfed in a shocking feeling at my heart sinking momentarily at the unbelievable words that came out of Isabel¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­Me, as your exclusive maid?¡± ¡®¡­What?¡¯ ¡­Isabel? Why are you being offered that position? Chapter 88 ¡°¡­Me, as your dedicated maid?¡± (T/N: used ¡®dedicated¡¯ instead of ¡®exclusive¡¯ in preparation for the next chapter) As soon as I heard the single sentence Isabel muttered in response to Ethan, I was overwhelmed by such a shocking sensation that I wanted to copse on the floor. ¡®Isabel¡­ as Ethan¡¯s dedicated maid¡­?¡¯ An uneasy imagination shed through my mind for a moment. As soon as I thought of the possibility of her bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, my head was filled with all sorts ofplex emotions to the point where I couldn¡¯t think straight. Beyond the shock of Isabel taking the position that should be mine as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid¡­ I felt so stupid for not having predicted this simplest and most reasonable possibility until now. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s just natural.¡¯ Despite about three years passing since I became Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, how many times had I actually acted like an exclusive maid as his personal servant? Making the bed and cleaning the room? Anyone could do this, not just an exclusive maid but any maid in the mansion. Apanying him during meals or outside activities? This wasn¡¯t even something I did voluntarily, it was an obligation of an exclusive maid from the beginning. However, as soon as I realized that there were countless possibilities for Ethan not wanting to keep me as his exclusive maid, my heart started pounding wildly. What young master would want to keep a woman who tried to strangle him to death and whispered curses into his ear as his exclusive maid? Moreover, there were even a few times when I acted impulsively, ignoring Ethan¡¯s words, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if he was already sick of my very existence in his mind. ¡®Could it be that every time I asked him to make me his exclusive maid for the academy, he kept avoiding it because¡­¡¯ It was a moment when everything made sense if he really didn¡¯t want to keep me by his side and was acting this way to get rid of mepletely with this opportunity. Of course, it¡¯s not like putting on a brazen face and pretending to work properly now would work. Ethan had already decided on Isabel as his next exclusive maid from around the time my contract period was ending. And you know what¡¯s even funnier? If I put myself in Ethan¡¯s shoes, I think I would have chosen Isabel over Lilith as an exclusive maid too. Housework that a maid should do? In terms of skill, Isabel would probably do it a hundred times better than me. And what about personality? Isabel¡¯s kind and warm personality towards everyone was a thousand times better than someone like me who only thinks about self-preservation. You might say Lilith wins in terms of appearance, right? ¡­While it¡¯s hard topletely deny that since it¡¯s part of the game¡¯s official setting, let¡¯s call it a draw since Isabel is cute, too. And even if I slightly win in terms of appearance, that wasn¡¯t a virtue that an exclusive maid should have in the first ce. In short, if Isabel and I were topete for the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, my elimination was practically 100% certain. This means that after giving up Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid position to Isabel, I would have to enroll in the academy¡­ ¡­with the ambiguous status of a viscount¡¯s daughter in the Magic Department of Luminor Academy, where political maneuvering runs rampant. ¡°¡­Could you give me some time to think, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Sure. But I¡¯d like an answer as soon as possible if you can.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± While all sorts of negative thoughts were going through my head as I hid behind the wall where Ethan and Isabel were talking, their conversation seemed to be ending. After making sure Ethan hadpletely disappeared upstairs while staying hidden until the end, I quietly approached Isabel, who was left alone. I needed to somehow ask her to give up the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°Young Master Ethan, really¡­ Even so, to suddenly ask such a question without consulting Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­What were you just talking about with Young Master Ethan, Isabel?¡± ¡°Hiyaaa?! Li-Lilith?!¡± Isabel was startled by my voice suddenlying from a blind spot and almost fell backward. I quickly grabbed her arms and waist as she was about to fall and hit her bottom on the floor, and thanks to that, she barely avoided falling while slightly leaning into me. ¡°Ah, th-thank you, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°I asked what you were talking about with the young master, Isabel.¡± ¡°Li-Lilith? Why are you suddenly¡­?¡± ¡°Answer the question, Isabel.¡± ¡°Li-Lilith¡­ Your eyes look scary today¡­¡± Isabel avoided answering by averting her gaze as if she didn¡¯t know what to do in response to my firm question. Come to think of it, asking like this must be quite a difficult question for Isabel. A veteran maid like Isabel wouldn¡¯t carelessly run her mouth. Keeping quiet about what happens inside the mansion is the top virtue a servant should have. Then the only way is to press her with questions she has no choice but to answer. I could figure out the situation just from theirst conversation anyway. ¡°It was about being a dedicated maid, wasn¡¯t it, Isabel?¡± ¡°Y-You heard, Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± As soon as I showed an attitude of having already heard the conversation, her reaction also softened a bit. Meeting Isabel¡¯s eyes, I asked directly about the offer Ethan had just made to her. Beating around the bush wasn¡¯t really my style, and above all, I didn¡¯t have the mentalposure to ask that way anymore. ¡°Are you going to ept Young Master Ethan¡¯s offer?¡± ¡°Wh-What do you think, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you asking me that, Isabel?¡± ¡°W-Well, because your opinion is important too, not just mine! I was nning to ask you at least once anyway¡­¡± ¡­Still, Isabel has some loyalty in the sense that she didn¡¯t immediately ept bing Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid but tried to ask for my opinion first, who is currently his exclusive maid. If this were Lilith in the original game, she probably would have given a positive answer, saying for Isabel to do as she wanted without caring about her own opinion, but unfortunately, the current me wasn¡¯t in a good enough situation to act as ¡®Good Girl Lilith.¡¯ I conveyed my honest feelings to Isabel, who was waiting for my answer with a tense expression. ¡°Do you want me to be honest? Or should I be roundabout?¡± ¡°H-Honest¡­¡± ¡°I would like it if Isabel rejected Young Master Ethan¡¯s offer.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I would prefer if you didn¡¯t ept the offer rted to being a dedicated maid that Young Master Ethan mentioned.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just saying it because you asked me to be honest.¡± Isabel¡¯s expression immediately hardened, perhaps because my request to reject Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid position was somewhat shocking.@@novelbin@@ Seeing her disappointed expression wasn¡¯t very pleasant, but it was an unavoidable situation now. Even if it was Isabel, I also had a position that I couldn¡¯t yield to anyone. ¡°I-I see¡­ So you think it would be ufortable if I became a dedicated maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not exactly why I¡¯m telling you to reject it.¡± ¡°Th-Then what is it¡­? Can you tell me why I shouldn¡¯t be the dedicated maid¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Isabel.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The position of Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid is absolutely necessary for me.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Isabel showed a strange reaction after I exined why I asked her to reject the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. For some reason, her expression, which looked like she was about to burst into tears, changed to something that seemed perplexed. Not wanting to be hated by her, apart from not losing the position, I exined in as much detail as possible why I asked Isabel to give it up. ¡°I¡¯m going to enter the academy next year, Isabel.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I heard that from the young master just now¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to the young master¡¯s consideration, I¡¯ll be able to enter as a noble, albeit a lower-ranking one.¡± ¡°I-I heard that from the young master too¡­¡± ¡°Do you think the noble students attending other academies will leave a lower-ranking nobledy with no connections alone?¡± ¡°Ah, probably not¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need it. I absolutely need the position of Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. I¡¯m honestly confessing this only to you, Isabel, without telling the young master.¡± ¡°Ah, umm¡­ But Lilith, the position of the dedicated maid that the young master mentioned to me¡­¡± ¡°Please reject it, Isabel. I know it¡¯s shameless and brazen to ask this, but I absolutely must be Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid while attending the academy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Isabel rolled her eyes in confusion as if she didn¡¯t know what to say. Judging by this reaction, she seemed to be struggling with what answer to give. After a moment of silence, Isabel¡¯s answer was, fortunately, the happiest news for me. ¡°About Young Master Ethan¡¯s offer for the position¡­ I never even considered it in the first ce¡­¡± ¡°R-Really?!¡± ¡°Yes. And I want to tell you something because it seems like you¡¯re misunderstanding something. The offer about being a dedicated maid that Young Master Ethan made to me¡­¡± ¡°Isabel~!! You really are my best friend!¡± ¡°Wh-What?! Li-Lilith?!¡± Unable to control my sudden emotions due to the overwhelming feeling of gratitude, I impulsively hugged Isabel with my whole body. Isabel, who was unexpectedly buried in my embrace, called my name with a slightly bewildered voice. ¡°Wh-What¡­?! Li-Lilith, what the young master said was¡­!¡± ¡°Isabel, thank you! I¡¯ll never forget this favor!¡± ¡°W-Wait, Lilith! Where are you suddenly going now?!¡± ¡°So that you don¡¯t have to struggle with rejecting the young master, I¡¯ll convince him for sure! I¡¯ll convince him to take me, not you, Isabel, as his exclusive maid to employ at the academy!¡± ¡°No, Lilith! That¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­!¡± Deciding to check Isabel¡¯s wordsing from downstairster, I quickly ran upstairs towards Ethan¡¯s room for now. Before Isabel¡¯s resolved mind could waver, I had to somehow get a definite answer from Ethan that he would employ me. Chapter 89 ¡°Oh, Lilith¡­ She didn¡¯t have to rush upstairs so suddenly without even listening to an exnation¡­¡± Isabel Grace, a senior maid of the ckwood family. Left alone in the hallway, continuing her unfinished sweeping, she muttered to herself, thinking about her friend who had just gone upstairs. She was thinking about Lilith Rosewood, her best friend and colleague, who had gone up harboring some misunderstanding between herself, Young Master Ethan, and Isabel. Shortly after Lilith went up without Isabel being able to stop her, the sound of knocking on the young master¡¯s door was heard from upstairs. Not long after, the sound of the door opening was heard, along with the young master¡¯s voice, so it was already toote for Isabel to intervene. ¡°By now, the misunderstanding must have been cleared up, right?¡± Isabel was worried about Lilith going up while misunderstanding the young master¡¯s offer to be a ¡®dedicated maid¡¯ as an offer to be ¡®Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡¯ It was true that she had received an offer from the young master to be a dedicated maid and apany him to the academy¡­ But that offer was somewhat different from bing the young master¡¯s exclusive maid. ¡°It wasn¡¯t about bing the young master¡¯s exclusive maid, but about acting as Lilith¡¯s dedicated maid¡­¡± After Lilith enters the academy, it will be difficult for her to fully perform the duties of the young master¡¯s personal maid. Of course, being a fellow student of the academy is a great advantage in terms of being able to work and assist one another during work hours, but being an academy student is not such a leisurely position to take on all other maid duties as well. Ethan was also worried about this aspect and wanted to bring Isabel along in addition to his exclusive maid, Lilith. While Lilith, as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid at the academy, was active with her, Isabel would be assigned separate tasks to do while staying at the dormitory. She was nning to give Lilith instructions for tasks such as cleaning,undry, or meal preparation to divide the work. ¡°But Lilith suddenly asked me if I had be the young master¡¯s exclusive maid¡­ In the first ce, there¡¯s no way the young master would have someone other than Lilith as his exclusive maid¡­¡± It was already a well-known fact among the servants that Ethan had personal feelings for Lilith. It¡¯s just that Ethan had asked the servants to keep it a secret from Lilith, so everyone was keeping quiet about it. In fact, any servant who had seen Ethan and Lilith together even once or twice could already guess the young master¡¯s feelings for his personal maid. Only the insensitive maid, Lilith Rosewood, herself, had not realized this fact. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­Still, it¡¯s fortunate that what Lilith said was just a misunderstanding.¡± When Lilith first asked her to refuse the offer, one can¡¯t imagine how much her heart sank. She almost received a deep emotional wound, thinking that Lilith really disliked for Isabel to be her dedicated maid. That statement, which could only make her imagine that perhaps she alone thought of Lilith as her best friend, was enough to wound the tender heart of Isabel. Fortunately, through the conversation that immediately followed, Isabel was able to quickly realize that it was a misunderstanding, but Lilith had gone upstairs to face the young master without fully resolving that misunderstanding. Still, once she starts talking directly with the young master, Lilith¡¯s misunderstanding will inevitably be cleared up soon. Thinking that this would certainly be the case, Isabel finished her sweeping and quietly went downstairs to empty the dustpan. ¡­She had no idea what was about to unfold in Ethan¡¯s bedroom upstairs. The innocent maid couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine it. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. ¡°Young Master Ethan. Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°M-Maid?! Is that the Maid?¡± ¡°May Ie in for a moment?¡± ¡°J-Just a second! Wait a minute¡­ no, 30 seconds!¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± One, two, three¡­ I counted in my mind, opening and closing my fingers, waiting for Ethan to signal that I could enter. At the same time, I was considering several ways to persuade Ethan in my head. ¡­First, I should apologize for being inadequate as a personal maid until now. Although it¡¯s uncertain whether the affection that had gone out to a greedy maid who only thought of using him would return, it would still be better than asking him outright to choose her as his maid instead of Isabel. And then, I should firmly promise to faithfully carry out my duties as a personal maid from now on. Saying that, from now on at the academy, I will stay by his side as much as possible and assist him constantly. ¡®¡­To be honest, Isabel would probably do better at both the personal maid duties and assisting Ethan.¡¯ That¡¯s probably why Ethan was trying to make Isabel his dedicated maid instead of me in the first ce. In the end, the only possibility was to use something that Isabel doesn¡¯t have but I do to win Ethan¡¯s heart. For Lilith, who falls short of Isabel in both work and personality, the only thing she can offer is¡­ Click. ¡°Y-You cane in, Maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me.¡± Ethan let me into the room somewhat urgently, as if there had been somemotion inside. I needed to talk to him anyway, so I quietly entered Ethan¡¯s room. As usual, when we talked, Ethan sat at the table on one side of the room and gestured for me to sit on the opposite side. ¡°You came to talk about something, Maid?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk first. Seeing how urgently you came, it must be really important.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan, seated at the table chair, extended his hand towards the opposite seat. Normally, I would have sat down without much thought and made eye contact to talk after his permission was given, but now I couldn¡¯t simply ept his offer. For me, who needed to apologize first for not properly performing my duties as Ethan¡¯s personal maid until now, the ce I should be was not on such a luxurious seat as a chair. Swoosh. ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°M-Maid?!¡± Ethan called out in surprise as he saw me lowering my posture without a word. I silently knelt on the floor and bowed forward, ignoring his reaction. With my headpletely pressed to the floor of Ethan¡¯s room, I conveyed my apology for not fulfilling my duties as a personal maid until now. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for everything until now, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°M-Maid?! What are you doing, get up quickly!¡± ¡°During the past three years of serving you, I failed to properly understand what you wanted and wasted time. I have no words to express my regret, even if I had ten mouths.¡± ¡°What on earth are you suddenly talking about¡­?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this apology of mine can soften your heart, but please forgive this lowly maid for only being able to offer such an apology.¡± I delivered a sincere apology with my head bowed tightly to the floor. Honestly, there was no guarantee that apologizing while prostrated like this would be effective, but it was the only method of apology that came to mind right now. Whether it worked or not, offering the most heartfelt apology I could express was the first thing I needed to do. ¡°M-Maid, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying at all! Please, can we just sit down and talk? Hmm?¡± ¡°No. I cannot rise from this spot until I receive your forgiveness, Young Master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to forgive¡­! I need to know what wrongdoing you¡¯vemitted to forgive you!¡± ¡°If I must say, the entire three years I¡¯ve spent as your exclusive maid is practically all my fault.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking, why do you suddenly need to apologize for that¡­?!¡± Ethan came down to the floor with me when I showed no sign of getting up from my prostrated position. Then, he grabbed both my shoulders that were pressed to the floor, trying to lift my body somehow. His strength, which had grown considerably over those three years, was enough to lift my body off the floor. ¡°Get up, Maid. I¡¯m not angry with you at all, and I don¡¯t know what wrongdoing you think you need to be forgiven for.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to force yourself to say such things for my sake, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself to say anything¡­¡± ¡°If you truly weren¡¯t disappointed in me, then why did you ask Isabel if she would be your personal maid?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I-Isabel?¡± Ethan showed a somewhat flustered reaction to my counter-question. Seeing this, I quietly confirmed in my heart and mentioned the content of the conversation between him and Isabel that I had identally overheard. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, on my way back after finishing my meeting with the master, I identally overheard you, the young master, and Isabel talking in the corridor.¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as I confirmed that I had heard his conversation with Isabel, Ethan showed an even more flustered expression, unable to hide his embarrassment. As I thought¡­ he was trying to make Isabel his personal maid in secret from me. ¡­Because I, over the past years, had failed to properly assist Ethan. ¡°From now on, I will be even more devoted to my duties as your personal maid, Young Master.¡± ¡°M-Maid, you¡¯ve been doing more than enough until now.¡± ¡°Then all the more so! I will strive even harder not to neglect my duties as your personal maid from now on!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Maid. I had no idea that offer would hurt your pride this much¡­¡± ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s just this once, it¡¯s fine. So please, I beg you, couldn¡¯t you employ me as your exclusive maid just one more time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I know better than anyone that I¡¯m an inferior maidpared to Isabel in many ways. Not only is Isabel superior to me in performing household chores, but she also has a bright personality that makes everyone smile, which is a virtue Ick.¡± ¡°W-Wait a moment, maid. Shall we reorganize the conversation first¡­?¡± ¡°I shamelessly beg you. Even after entering the academy, I do not want to give up my position as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°Listen, I w-wasn¡¯t really trying to make Isabel my exclusive maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you make me your exclusive maid once again, I can offer you even things that Isabel cannot give you.¡± ¡°Things Isabel doesn¡¯t have¡­ w-wait a moment, what are you-?¡± While Ethan hesitated, not understanding my words, I grabbed his wrist and pulled it towards my chest. The thing that Isabel doesn¡¯t have, but Lilith does¡­ It¡¯s the fact that Lilith had only a miserable and vulgar body. Chapter 90 I grabbed Ethan¡¯s wrist as he hesitated at my words and pulled it straight to my chest. One of Lilith¡¯s most notable features was her chest, which had been extremely ufortable to me ever since I became a woman. I could never beat Ethan if it came down to strength, so now, when he was caught off guard and flustered, was the only time I could pull his hand. At the same time, it was the only chance I had to use my body as the most efficient negotiation tool. Squish. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°H-hey¡­.¡± As soon as his right hand burrowed into my left breast, Ethan¡¯s face turned red, showing a sign of embarrassment. Indeed, it was effective. After all, in the original story, Ethan was the first to sleep with Lilith, so it was only natural for him to feel sexual desire for my body as a man. I didn¡¯t intend to give up my virginity to preserve the power of the Saint, which I would awaken in the future. Besides, I still had no intention of imagining a future where I was prated by a man. ¡­But to maintain my position as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, offering my chest was a line I was willing to cross. Anyway, it was a useless body part that couldn¡¯t be used for anything other than seducing men. Therefore, using it efficiently was a better choice. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Using my chest didn¡¯t mean I was open to losing my virginity or being prated by a man. I couldn¡¯t say it was entirely pleasant, but considering it was Ethan, this much was within my boundaries. Of course, if Ethan demanded more than this, I would have no choice but to give up being his exclusive maid. But if allowing him to touch my chest could secure my position, it was a reasonablepromise. ¡­At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking at the moment. ¡°W-wait¡­! Maid¡­.¡± Squish. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± I pulled Ethan¡¯s hand deeper into my chest as he tried to withdraw it reflexively in panic.@@novelbin@@ Given the difference in strength, there was no way I could pull him in with both hands. It must be his hesitance and emotions preventing him from forcefully pulling his hand away. Even if Ethan had only the average sexual desire of a typical young man, the feeling of Lilith¡¯s chest would be a temptation hard to resist. ¡°¡­Young Master.¡± ¡°M-Maid¡­.¡± ¡°Can you feel it? This chest that only I have, which Isabel does not.¡± ¡°Ah, I got it¡­. I understand what you¡¯re saying, Maid¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about Isabel. No matter which maid you bring from the mansion, it will be the same, young master. This is my most powerful advantage.¡± ¡°I-I knew that for a long time¡­!¡± Among Isabel, Catherine, Ariana, or Alicia, none of the other maids¡¯ chests couldpare to Lilith¡¯s. In this situation, Lilith¡¯s chest became a more powerful weapon than anything else. It could prevent Ethan from thinking about recing me with another maid entirely. Still flustered, Ethan ced his hands on my chest over my maiduniform, avoiding my gaze as his face turned red. I pulled his other hand as well, cing it on my chest. Squish. ¡°M-Maid¡­!¡± When I touched it alone, I didn¡¯t feel anything special, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t feel strange even if Ethan¡¯s hand was on it. But as his hand rested on my chest, I began to feel an unexpected sensation. It must be because it felt unfamiliar to have someone else¡¯s hand there. It wasn¡¯t because it was a man or Ethan specifically that made me feel this way. Even so, I couldn¡¯t stop at this point. Since I had already allowed Ethan my chest, I intended to get a definite answer. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Maid¡­.¡± ¡°Try clenching your fist once.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just offered you my chest, and you¡¯re just awkwardly spreading your hands like a virgin?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ethan was flustered, not knowing what to do. But he couldn¡¯t just withdraw his hands either, as they still rested on my chest. I buried his hands deeper between the fatty tissue and asked him to squeeze my chest again. ¡°Young master. Are you going to keep embarrassing me?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ that¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°Or are you trying to say that this much is not enough?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Maid¡­.¡± ¡°If you intend to continue hiring me as your exclusive maid, please listen to what I have to say without any other thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± In the end, with a serious expression, Ethan nodded, seemingly making up his mind. I moved his hands to both sides of my chest and silently waited for him to move. As I waited, wondering if my heartbeat was being transmitted through my chest, a peculiar, indescribable sensation arose from the fatty tissue at the front of my body. His hands moved cautiously as if not wanting to hurt me. ¡­And for some reason, a girlish moan unexpectedly escaped my lips. Ethan had only touched my chest two or three times, yet the sound that came out surprised even me. More shocked than I was, Ethan quickly pulled his hand away from my chest, releasing my grasp. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± We made eye contact, but an awkward silence followed without any conversation. Was this enough, did I do what I needed to? Ethan probably thought he had touched enough and decided to pull his hand away. He had to think that way. ¡­Because I, too, didn¡¯t want to allow his touch on my chest any longer. For some reason, if I let Ethan continue to touch my chest, an indescribable and unbearable emotion would have arisen. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you make me your exclusive maid, I might allow this much, asionally¡­.¡± ¡°Maid, stop it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re still misunderstanding something about the conversation between Isabel and me, so let¡¯s rify it first.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡­A misunderstanding? You¡¯re saying I¡¯m misunderstanding something? ¡°To prevent any further confusion, let me start by saying that I never proposed to Isabel that she should be my exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­What? But I clearly heard that Isabel received a proposal to be a dedicated maid¡­.¡± ¡°The proposal I made to Isabel was for her to be your dedicated maid, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­My dedicated maid?¡± Realizing something was off, I remained seated and listened to Ethan¡¯s exnation. Only after hearing his full exnation did I realize that I hadpletely misunderstood the situation from the start. Ethan¡¯s proposal to Isabel was to appoint her as my exclusive maid when I would be a viscount¡¯s daughter. That role was intended to assist me with tasks I couldn¡¯t handle while attending the academy as a student. ¡°¡­So, you never intended to rece me with Isabel as your exclusive maid¡­.¡± ¡°I told you from the beginning that it was a misunderstanding, Maid. Why would I rece you, Lilith, with another maid as my exclusive maid?¡± ¡°But you made a suggestion that hurt my pride¡­.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be upset because I asked Isabel to assist you, as it might seem like I hired someone else because you weren¡¯t doing your duties properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°I would be more than grateful if you continue to be my exclusive maid, Lilith. ¡­In fact, I was quite happy when you offered to remain my exclusive maid even after I said you¡¯d be a lower-ranked noblewoman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was worried that your experience as my exclusive maid during your time at the academy might burden you¡­ but it turns out that worry only made you anxious.¡± ¡­It was all a misunderstanding? The fact that Ethan intended to make Isabel his exclusive maid¡­ ¡­the fact that I hadn¡¯t fulfilled my duties as his maid properly for the past three years¡­ ¡­and the fact that Ethan was looking for an opportunity to dismiss me from the position of his exclusive maid¡ªall of it was a misunderstanding? ¡®¡­Then why did I let Ethan touch my chest?¡¯(T/N: I¡¯m asking the same question!!) I rushed into Ethan¡¯s room, apologizing, and prostrated myself on the floor. I grabbed Ethan¡¯s wrist and pulled it to my chest to clear up the misunderstanding. I even told him to touch my chest; what was the reason for all this? ¡®Exclusive maid or not, I¡¯m just a crazy pervert¡­.¡¯ ¡°Ah, aaahhh!¡± ¡°M-Maid?!¡± ¡°Haaa, haaa, haaa, haaa¡­.¡± An embarrassing emotion, unlike any I had felt before, surged through my chest, making my heart pound wildly. I couldn¡¯t even bear to look at Ethan¡¯s face, which I had been staring at moments ago. I felt overwhelming shame at myself for misunderstanding, rushing ahead, and proposing a weird and perverted solution on my own. ¡°Ahhh! Ahhhhh!!¡± ¡°M-Maid! Calm down! I can understand why you might have had such a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°Please forget this¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Please forget this, Young Master Ethan¡­ If you can¡¯t forget this shameful incident, I can¡¯t continue to be your exclusive maid¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, okay! I¡¯ll forget it! I¡¯ll erase everything Lilith did today from my memory!¡± ¡°Haaa, haaa, haaa, haaa¡­.¡± ¡­He says he¡¯ll forget, but there¡¯s no way he can. If I were in Ethan¡¯s shoes, this would be an unforgettable scene. A maid who has served him for over three years suddenly prostrated herself and offered her chest, begging not to be dismissed. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] There¡¯s no way Ethan, being a man, could forget such a sight. To endure the current shame, I could only pretend that Ethan would forget everything. ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if you take a rest today, Maid! Calm your¡­ heart, I mean, your mind first!¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°Alright. Go rest, Maid.¡± ¡°I will withdraw now.¡± In the end, I created the worst kind of dark history with this incident, and with heavy steps, I had to reflect on a valuable lesson: ¡­When having a conversation, always listen carefully to what the other person is saying until the end. Chapter 91 Ethan Richard ckwood, the young master of the ckwood family. The sole heir to the ckwood dukedom, a diligent young man growing day by day under the sword training of his father, a Sword Master. Moreover, he was someone who needed to focus even more on sword training, considering the entrance exam for Luminor Academy, which he would be entering next year. However, recently, Ethan Richard ckwood has been showing signs of being unable to concentrate on training. ¡­Due to a certain action taken by someone who had been confusing his mind, three days ago. Her face appears in his mind whenever he loses focus for a moment. Her chest, and that sensation¡­ Whack! ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± Ethan, momentarily lost in thought during sword training with his father, Harold, allowed a direct hit to the top of his head. The loud impact sound that seemed to echo through the entire training ground startled not only Ethan but even Harold, who had swung the sword. Although it was a wooden sword, Ethan, who had allowed a vital point to be struck without proper defense, copsed to the ground, clutching his head. ¡°Young master?!¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan!¡± The exclusive maid and head butler, surprised by the unexpected situation, rushed hurriedly towards Ethan. Eventually, receiving the healing priest¡¯s touch on his head, Ethan inwardly reflected on the foolish action he had justmitted. Despite it being a duel with his father, who took precious time to spar with him, being distracted by other thoughts and allowing a vital point to be targeted was one of the fatal mistakes he should never make. He couldn¡¯t help but feel even more ashamed, especially since the thought that had crossed his mind was an impure memory of the past. ¡°I sense hesitation in your sword, Ethan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Andtely, it¡¯s been getting worse day by day. It¡¯s already been three days, and you haven¡¯t shown any signs of improvement.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end today¡¯s duel here. Ethan, stay in the training ground and perform 1,000¡­ no, 2,000 swings with an empty mind beforeing in.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± For Harold, who always prioritized his own rules when it came to swordsmanship, someone who didn¡¯t focus on the sword being wielded was uneptable, even if it was his own child. Thus, he only uttered cold words and returned to his office without hesitation. ¡°Young Master Ethan, are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine now; it¡¯s been healed.¡± ¡°It might be better to rest a bit until the wound fully heals¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t get hurt anyway since I¡¯m just swinging. ¡­The task Father gave me is probably meant to clear my mind rather than for physical training.¡± Quickly organizing this emotion that was confusing his mind. That was Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s priority right now. It was the virtue that the current young master of the ckwoods needed to possess ¨C to control the unforgettable, intense memory of what happened with his exclusive maid who had invaded his room three days ago. He tried to shake off the vivid memory that kept rising in his mind by shaking his aching head. Although it was a brief incident born from a misunderstanding, it was an undeniable fact that there had been a somewhat lewd contact between him and Lilith, his exclusive maid. It was an instinct as a man in his prime that the thought of that time kept confusing his mind. The massive chest that he always tried to shake off strange emotions about whenever he faced it¡­ The soft skin and squishy sensation he felt when those were grasped in his palm¡­ ¡­And the sharp voice of hers that momentarily reached his ears when he moved his hand. It¡¯s as if Lilith¡¯s chest was flickering before his eyes even at this moment¡­ ¡°Young master, how is your injury?¡± ¡°Waaah¡­!¡± Realizing that what was flickering before his eyes was not his imagination but the real Lilith, Ethan fell backward with a startled reaction. Seeing Ethan¡¯s reaction, Lilith simply stood up quietly from her ce without saying a word. ¡°¡­You seem to be fine, young master.¡± ¡°S-sorry, maid. I was just surprised for a moment.¡± ¡°I know I made a difficult request, but you clearly said you would forget about that day¡­¡± ¡°I-I forgot! I told you I forgot¡­!¡± ¡°¡­The fact that you know what you¡¯ve forgotten means you haven¡¯t forgotten, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was just as Lilith said. Ethan had not forgotten what had happened between them that day, even after three days, but rather remembered it more vividly. The human brain is an organ that doesn¡¯t understand the concept of denial, so trying to forget something or trying not to recall something only intensifies the memory and thoughts of that something. A young man in his prime could not free himself from the memory of that day as days passed. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°I-I¡¯ll do the swings as Father said and return, so please leave, everyone.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± ¡°M-maid, I¡¯d appreciate it if you left too. When you¡¯re nearby¡­ I-I can¡¯t concentrate.¡± ¡°¡­As you wish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilith, Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, left her ce along with the other servants while giving him a somewhat cold look. Ethan, who had been staring nkly at her retreating figure, soon came to his senses and began swinging the wooden sword in the air¡­ ¡­To erase that lewd and stimting scene that kept appearing in his mind through grueling training. After watching another round of sword training between Ethan and Harold today¡­ I, who had retreated from the training ground along with the other servants, was feeling somewhat troubled. The young master of the ckwood family had started to often wear a somewhat stupid expression and wander around absentmindedly since three days ago. His mental state was so disturbed that he even got distracted during sword training with his father, the most important of all. I knew better than anyone else what had caused his mental state to be disturbed. ¡®Even if he has no experience with women, to think he would end up like this just from touching a chest once¡­.¡¯ Although seducing him physically to regain the position of my exclusive maid was part of the n, I hadn¡¯t expected it to leave such aftereffects on Ethan. Moreover, it was all essentially the result of my stupid misunderstanding, so in the end, it just looked like a perverted maid offering her chest to be touched by the young master she serves. Thinking about it now, it was such a foolish act that I wanted to die of shame because of it, but what made me even more uneasy was Ethan¡¯s noticeable changed behavior. He was constantly acting in a way that suggested something had changed in his mind, and his attitude towards me was bing more and more awkward as days passed. I felt it was only a matter of time before it was discovered that I was essentially the cause of Ethan¡¯s changed behavior. ¡­In fact, the solution might be surprisingly simple. I just needed to close my eyes and somehow let him touch me once more to fade the impression of that intense memory fromst time.@@novelbin@@ The reason he was making that stupid expression and spacing out was simply because the stimulus was too strong. It seemed like a problem that could be almost solved just by making that stimulus familiar. The problem was that I didn¡¯t like that method, which was why I was worrying about it now. It¡¯s one thing to let him touch once, but does it make sense to offer my chest two or three times until he gets used to it? The moment that happens, it¡¯s practically the same as voluntarily getting sucked into bing the original Lilith from the game. Moreover, if I¡¯m not careful, Ethan, who has truly awakened to the sensations of a woman¡¯s body, might demand something even worseter. What I allowed was up to the chest only. If Ethan demands any more lewd acts, I have no intention of allowing it. Personally, I didn¡¯t want to let him touch me anymore, either. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It wasn¡¯t that I disliked Ethan touching me, but rather that I didn¡¯t like the strange feeling I got when I was touchedst time. I had a strange feeling that if I gave in to that sensation, I might not be able to return to my original self for some reason. Now, there was only one viable method remaining. I somehow needed to divert Ethan¡¯s attention, which was currently focused on the memory of touching my chest, to something else. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to rece the memory of touching Lilith¡¯s chest in the mind of a man in his prime with something else, but it was something that had to be done somehow to resolve this situation. If Ethan continued to show such a stupid attitude without recovering, there was a possibility that Harold would find out everything about what had happened between me and Ethan. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of firing the exclusive maid who did such a thing. There was a possibility of severe punishment for the crime of seducing his son. ¡®I might end up having an unwanted reunion with those fucking girls in Silverwood¡­¡¯ As increasingly anxious thoughts rose in my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but worry more and more. Somehow, I needed to make Ethan focus his interest on something else before Harold noticed, and if possible, not on something rted to me, but in a constructive direction¡­ ¡°What are you pondering about, Miss Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± As I was standing still, pondering over the problem that wouldn¡¯t easily be resolved, Head Butler Dittmeyer approached me and spoke. Even after encountering this guy whose thoughts I could never understand, no matter when I saw him, my mind was always in a confused state when he showed up. ¡®I¡¯m already seriously worried about Ethan, so why did he suddenly show up and¡­¡¯ I almost got annoyed at the appearance of this guy who was making my alreadyplicated mind even moreplicated. ¡­But the thought suddenly crossed my mind that I might be able to get help from Dittmeyer, who manages many aspects of the mansion. Come to think of it, this head butler, like me, had most vividly observed Ethan¡¯s recently changed behavior while watching the sword training between Ethan and Harold. Moreover, unlike me, who had only been watching Ethan¡¯s training recently, this Dittmeyer guy had been observing the duels between Ethan and Harold for a long time. Maybe it would be possible to divert Ethan¡¯s interest to something else by utilizing the information I hear from him¡­ ¡°¡­Head Butler Dittmeyer, I have a question to ask you.¡± ¡°What would you like to ask, Miss Lilith Rosewood?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been watching Young Master Ethan cross swords with the master longer than I have, right?¡± ¡°Yes. In case either the young master or the head of the household gets seriously injured, I¡¯ve been trying to observe whenever possible since they started directly crossing swords in duels so that I can respond at any time.¡± ¡°In those duels between the young master and the master, I was wondering if I could ask if there has ever been a time when the young master won against the master.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lilith, but this is a personal matter between the young master and the master, so I can¡¯t easily talk about it even to you, Miss Lilith, who is the young master¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡­As expected of the tight-lipped head butler, he wouldn¡¯t talk about it so easily. In fact, the answer was pretty obvious just from this reaction, but I still wanted to get an official statement from Dittmeyer if possible. I asked the head butler again as if I really needed to hear this important information. ¡°It¡¯s knowledge I absolutely need to know, head butler. ¡­I think I can find a way to bring Young Master Ethan, who has suddenly started changing recently, back to how he was before¡­¡± ¡°¡­Can you be certain about that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but¡­ I think I can find a possibility.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to see Young Master Ethan unable to concentrate like this either, would you, Head Butler Dittmeyer?¡± The head butler showed a quite troubled expression as if he had to agree with those words. Finally, as if he had concluded that answering me would be an act for Ethan¡¯s benefit, Dittmeyer carefully answered me. ¡°This information must not be disclosed to anyone else.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since Young Master Ethan started sword training duels with Harold, the head of the household, the number of times the young master hasnded an effective hit on him is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Unfortunately, not even once.¡± Dittmeyer, who secretly passed on this high-level information to me while checking if anyone else was listening. Although the head butler confessed with a guilty expression, thinking that what he said was truly Ethan¡¯s weakness, I, on the contrary, couldn¡¯t help but smile quietly in my heart as soon as I heard his answer. It was the moment when a way to divert Ethan¡¯s attention, which was currently filled with memories of touching my chest, shed through my mind. Chapter 92 Afterpleting the harsh task of 2,000 swings instead of the afternoon duel with his father¡­ Ethan Richard ckwood walked up to the 4th floor where his private room was, clutching his arm that was aching from muscle pain. He felt somewhat calm after performing the task his father had given him to properly clear his mind. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, this would probably just seem like a temporary settling, bing meaningless the moment he faced his exclusive maid again at dinner time, but for now, he could somehow hide his confused feelings with fatigue. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­On that day, three days ago, did Lilith really let him touch her chest just because she needed the position of his exclusive maid? Maybe, even if just a little, did Lilith also have romantic feelings for him, which is why she allowed it? Is that why she kept approaching him, saying she would be his exclusive maid even after bing a nobledy? [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If he hadn¡¯t stopped touching her chest midway, what would have happened after that? Perhaps that rtionship might have gone beyond simply touching her chest¡­ ¡®No, no, no¡­ I don¡¯t want to build that kind of rtionship with Lilith¡­¡¯ It seemed thattely, whenever his brain had a moment of rest, it always returned to the memory of that moment, so he had to resolve this problem as soon as possible. Now that other people had started to notice his strange attitude¡­ If the reason he became like this was revealed to be because of Lilith, his exclusive maid¡­ ¡­He thought that perhaps his father might separate Lilith from him for the sake ofeducation. There was nothing more foolish than being distanced from the person he loved most just because he was distracted just thinking about her, so Ethan had to somehow erase that scene from his mind to prevent it from happening again. However¡­ It was naturally not an easy process for a man in his prime to forget that. He didn¡¯t know whether he could forget it tonight or whether he could shake it off by tomorrow. With such thoughts filling his mind, Ethan entered his room. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] In his private space, where he entered to find peace of mind, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart racing again.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Have you finished training, young master?¡± ¡°M-maid?!¡± The exclusive maid who had been confusing his mind all day long was waiting for him in his room first. Unlike him, who couldn¡¯t hide his surprise, Lilith, the exclusive maid, continued the conversation with Ethan with a calm expression. ¡°I have something to tell you, young master. Could you spare a moment to talk?¡± ¡°¡­Does it have to be now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just say in advance that the sooner I tell you, the better.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Maid. If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± If it was something she waited for him to return to say, it must have been important from the maid¡¯s perspective, at least. Ethan just nodded to her question and sat down on the opposite side of the table. ¡°¡­¡± Lilith¡¯s chest became even more noticeable as they sat facing each other at the same table. Why is the maid¡¯suniforman attire that particrly stimtes a man¡¯s vision? Because his gaze kept wanting to go to that outfit that he couldn¡¯t avert his eyes from even if he wanted to, Ethan deliberately turned his body away, pretending to be nonchnt, and rested one arm on the table. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, Lilith, who had memories of being a man in her previous life,pletely understood the meaning of that gaze and the action of pretending to be nonchnt. ¡°So¡­ what did you want to talk about, Maid?¡± ¡°I want to talk about what happened between you and me three days ago, young master.¡± ¡°Wa-wasn¡¯t the exclusive maid issue already resolved? It was decided that you would continue to be my exclusive maid even after entering the academy, and Isabel would assist you as your aide¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that, but about you touching my chest, young master.¡± ¡°*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*¡­!¡± Ethan deliberately pretended to have forgotten, bringing up a different topic nonchntly in case it was a trap, but instead, Lilith boldly mentioned that day¡¯s incident. That brazen attitude was enough to make Ethan flustered to the point where he choked on just a few drops of saliva he was trying to swallow. ¡°D-didn¡¯t you tell me to forget about that time¡­?¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t forgotten at all, have you?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, Maid. It¡¯s not easy to forget¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, young master. From now on, you don¡¯t need to try to forget anymore.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°It was an unreasonable request from the start anyway. At the time, I was also in a hurry and asked you to forget. But for you, young master, a man in his prime, it must be difficult to forget that moment.¡± Ethan became troubled, not knowing how to respond to Lilith¡¯s somewhat resigned words. Should he say he¡¯ll try again and ask for one more chance, or should he just move on instead of trying to forget, as Lilith said? [GxyTL/Axiomatic] While he hesitated, unable to answer her words due to such concerns, Lilith continued with the proposal she had prepared in advance. The young master of the ckwoods became more and more confused with each of her words. ¡°Regardless of whether you¡¯re trying to forget about that incident or not, if things continue like this, it will undoubtedly be difficult for you to live your daily life. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine. I think I can manage somehow by pulling myself together.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. So you don¡¯t need to worry about it, Maid.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, since you¡¯ve said you don¡¯t particrly need my help, from now on, you can either take what I¡¯m about to say seriously, or you can treat it as nonsense from a mere maid and ignore it.¡± ¡°Maid¡­?¡± Screech. With the sound of the chair scraping against the floor, Lilith rose from her seat. Then, she boldly stepped in front of Ethan, who had deliberately turned his body. As if emphasizing herrge and beautiful chest, she leaned slightly forward and opened her mouth. ¡°M-maid¡­?!¡± ¡°This chest that you keep recalling and can¡¯t forget, I¡¯ll let you continue touching it from now on.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you saying¡­! Maid, you need to value your body more¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll let you touch it without any reason. I¡¯m not a prostitute from a brothel; how could I carelessly y with my body? So, I¡¯ll allow you to touch my chest only when you satisfy a certain condition, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°C-condition¡­?¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­Seeing that you show interest as soon as you hear the word ¡®condition,¡¯ you really are a man, after all, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± As Lilith said, Ethan felt considerable embarrassment for instinctively showing interest in the ¡®condition¡¯ to touch her chest. Regardless of whether he showed a bewildered expression or not, Lilith just calmly delivered the message she had intended to convey. ¡°Young Master Ethan, you have sword duels with the master every Wednesday and Saturday. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­Y-yes.¡± ¡°So, if you can manage tond an effective attack on the master during your sword duel with him, I¡¯ll allow you to put your hands on my chest for that night only.¡± ¡°¡­!!!¡± ¡°¡­It won¡¯t be for long. Exactly one minute. And I¡¯ll only allow it for a moment before you go to sleep.¡± Thump. Thump. Thump. Ethan couldn¡¯t suppress his heart from racing at Lilith¡¯s seductive proposal. Although it was a difficult condition, it somehow seemed not impossible, and his chest began to burn with all sorts of emotions at the proposal. If Lilith had suggested that he defeat his father, he might have just given up. Even though it was a mock duel using wooden swords, winning against his father, who was a Sword Master, would have meant bing a Sword Master himself. It would have sounded like she was just teasing him, as it seemed like such a distant possibility at the moment. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] But, for some reason, after hearing that the condition was just aboutnding one effective hit, it started to feel like a realistic goal. It seemed like there was a strange possibility thatnding just one hit might somehow be possible. In reality, he had never managed tond a proper hit on his father in all their duels so far. No matter how much of a Sword Master his father was, his father was still human, after all. So, if Ethan, who inherited Harold¡¯s blood, threw himself at him with all his might, maybe he could touch him with the sword just once¡­ ¡°For someone who said they didn¡¯t need it, you¡¯re pondering quite seriously, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°N-no! I wasn¡¯t seriously considering it, just¡­!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed. Rather, it¡¯s a proposal I made for you to consider seriously.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to use that energy as your motivation for improvement rather than blindly trying to control yourplicated feelings and forcibly forget what happened, young master?¡± Lilith was right. Right now, he was so caught up in the shocking memory of just touching a chest once that he couldn¡¯t even properly go about his daily life. If he could pour this concentration directly into swordsmanship, it could be a good driving force. ¡­Even if it stemmed from the impure intention of wanting to touch his exclusive maid¡¯s chest. ¡®But¡­¡¯ There was something that didn¡¯t quite add up about simply epting Lilith¡¯s proposal at face value. It was because he couldn¡¯t understand why she, who was just an exclusive maid, had set the condition based on his swordsmanship improving. Therefore, Ethan had to carefully ask Lilith about her reasons. ¡°Maid, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°What is it, young master?¡± ¡°Why has mending an effective hit in a sword duel with my father be the condition for you letting me touch your chest?¡± ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± ¡°Letting me touch your chest based on my sword skills improving doesn¡¯t seem to be included in the role of an exclusive maid. After all, it¡¯s an act that brings no benefit to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there something that benefits you from my sword skills improving?¡± Lilith froze for a moment, unable to answer Ethan¡¯s sharp question that came from an unexpected situation. Seeing his exclusive maid not answering immediately, the doubts of the young master of the ckwoods deepened. Before Ethan, who sensed something suspicious, could open his mouth to ask again, Lilith Rosewood was barely able toe up with a usible answer to give him. ¡°Could it be that you¡­¡± ¡°¡­That is because I simply like strong people.¡± ¡°¡­You like strong people?¡± ¡°Personally, I tend to find people who are stronger than others and have potential for growth more attractive than those who are weak or passively protected by others. And among the people I¡¯ve seen so far, the strongest person would probably be my master, Harold, the head of the household.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Therefore, if the young master I serve could catch up to the master¡¯s strength even a little, I thought it would be okay for me to offer my body a bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is this answer sufficient?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, for now.¡± Because it seemed like there was nothing particrly strange about the answer at first nce, Ethan quietly nodded. Lilith, whose heart was racing for a different reason, carefully announced her departure. ¡°Then I¡¯ll return to my room so you can rest, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Maid. See you at dinner.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Click. The maid returned to her room, closing the door with an awkward smile. Looking at the ce where she had just been, Ethan was engulfed inplicated thoughts of a different nature. It was the moment when he started seriously considering the ideal type that Lilith, the person he had personal feelings for, had mentioned. ¡°The maid¡¯s type is¡­ strong people¡­¡± The naive young master of the ckwood family still didn¡¯t know that it was just an excuse blurted out to avoid the sudden question. Chapter 93 About three months have passed since the day Ethan touched my chest. The season, which was spring during the time of the masquerade ball, has already changed twice, and autumn has begun with leaves starting to turn red. As the fruit on the trees ripened in the sunset, many changes also urred for Ethan and I. First of all, I have finally escaped from the status of amoner maid and received the noble status of a viscount¡¯s daughter. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] My family name remains Rosewood, as it was originally. The names of my fake parents to prove my status were decided as Louis Rosewood and Marianne Rosewood. Of course, both of them are non-existent people and are just ghost nobles who exist only in formality. As the only real person, I was also amoner who wasn¡¯t a real noble, so it was virtually the same as being a fake noble. Nevertheless, since it was a status that Princess Seraphine had a hand in, there was no particr problem in actually pretending to be a noble. In the first ce, there was no reason for anyone else to do a background check on me since I was a viscount without even an allocated territory.@@novelbin@@ If I truly use it only for the single purpose of attending the academy without using it for any other mischief, there will probably be no significant issues. By the way, my name has also changed to a slightly more noble-sounding name with a middle name added. Lilith ckwood Rosewood. The method I used was to put the family name of the main family, the ckwoods, as my middle name. It is mostmon to create middle names in this way, so I did so without thinking too deeply. Ethan seemed a bit surprised when he first heard the middle name I decided on. ¡°Lilith ckwood¡­ Lilith ckwood¡­ Lilith ckwood¡­¡± It seemed like he kept calling only my first name and middle name as if he was possessed, so at first, I thought it meant I shouldn¡¯t use it. ¡­But when I tried to change it again, he said it was fine to use it as it is, so I¡¯m using it as is. It may be a bit awkward for the maid¡¯s master¡¯s surname to be used as a middle name, but since it¡¯s a status of a branch family anyway, it¡¯s not a part that would be too problematic. Rather, this middle name itself would clearly prove the rtionship between Ethan and me. The number of fools who would easily try to mess with me, thinking of me as just a lowly viscount¡¯s daughter and maid, would definitely decrease. And as for Ethan¡­ In Ethan¡¯s case, there haven¡¯t been any significant changes in the past three months. He just kept repeating his swordsmanship training and studies every day, as he had been doing, and continued to spend time with me as he had been doing. Even his height remained the same, but he gained slightly more muscle. He is just a tiny bit taller than me. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It seems like his growth spurt has ended, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll grow any taller from now on. The abnormal behavior Ethan showed for three days since the day he touched my chest has also noticeably decreased after I set a new condition. At least there are no more incidents where he gets distracted during sword training with Harold because he¡¯s only thinking about my chest. ¡°¡­Maid.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Today is Saturday, so I have a duel with Father today¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯lle watch, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking the obvious.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t mean it in a weird way; I was just curious.¡± There are asional cases where he explicitly appeals his desires like this. Expressing his desires to this extent was fine. At least, as long as he doesn¡¯t go around telling everyone that ¡®something happened.¡¯ It seemed that the condition I set that if hended a solid hit on Harold, in exchange, I¡¯d let him touch my chest, was working. ¡®If he¡¯s managing to keep himself together with just this, Ethan is indeed a man like any other man.¡¯ If I were a woman, I might have felt disgusted by the change in attitude just for the sake of touching breasts a bit, but for me, who had memories of being a man, Ethan¡¯s attitude just seemed cute. It was just the right levelpared to the typical sexual desire of men at that age. Rather, in terms of not trying to forcibly touch me using strength or power, his mindset itself was quitemendable. If I were in Ethan¡¯s position, it would have been difficult to resist easily. I think setting the condition for letting him touch my chest as ¡®one solid hit on Harold¡¯ was quite an appropriate condition. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] At first, I also considered setting the condition to ¡®victory in a match against Harold,¡¯ but no matter how I thought about it, it seemed like I was tantly teasing him if I did that. I thought that if I set a goal that he could barely reach but failed to achieve, Ethan would be able to have some sense of purpose and diligently focus on sword training, and my strategy worked well. Of course, since I set it so narrowly, there was a possibility that Ethan¡¯s hand might touch my chest again if he somehow achieved it¡­ ¡®¡­Well, even if he achieves it once in a while, how many times can he achieve it?¡¯ It¡¯s September now, so the remaining time left until enrollment in the academy is, at most, half a year. Even if you add up all of Ethan and Harold¡¯s remaining matches that take ce at most twice a week, there are only about 50 left in the future. Seeing that Ethan¡¯s sword still can¡¯t touch Harold¡¯s body even after three months have passed, hisnding an effective hit will still be something that could only happen in the distant future. Moreover, once we enter the academy, he won¡¯t have any more duels with Harold, so he won¡¯t have a chance to touch my chest anymore. ¡°Maid.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You muste watch the duel this afternoon.¡± ¡°¡­Is there perhaps some special event scheduled?¡± ¡°¡­Today, I feel like I cannd a hit on Father.¡± ¡­What nonsense is he spouting this early in the morning? For some reason, Ethan was making a deration of victory to me with an unusually confident expression today, and my mind was filled with questions. Along with that, a subtle sense of unease also began to sprout in my heart, albeit very slightly. ¡®¡­That won¡¯t happen, right?¡¯ The title of Sword Master isn¡¯t just some dog¡¯s name. ¡­Even if he is Ethan, I still think that¡¯s a difficult feat. The time for the afternoon duel arrived. As always, Harold and Ethan faced each other, and their sword match began. The spectators were, as always, me, Dittmeyer, and one of the ckwoods¡¯ healing priests. Harold coldly stares at his son with icy eyes and takes a stance, and Ethan focuses his gaze on his father with passionate eyes. In the scene where tension was oddly felt today, Ethan¡¯s body was the first to leap forward towards Harold. Thud! Ethan quickly narrowed the distance with Harold with his fast footwork and swung his sword in arge trajectory from the front. It was a tant and obvious strike that anyone could seeing, but it was also a heavy strike. Of course, Harold easily blocked a simple, reckless downward strike with his sword. ng! With the sound of two wooden swords colliding, the two men pulled away for a moment. Since it was Harold who observed Ethan¡¯s movements until thest moment before moving, it took a little more time for him to regain his posture. Unfortunately, Ethan¡¯s skill level was stillcking to take advantage of that gap. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Instead, Ethan swung his sword at Harold again while regaining his posture in a straightforward manner. Compared to earlier, the trajectory of the sword changed, but in the end, the fundamental problem of it being a simple strike hasn¡¯t. ng! Harold easily parried Ethan¡¯s second strike this time as well. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat disappointed. ¡®¡­Judging from just this, I have no idea what has changed.¡¯ I was getting tense thinking that he might be able tond an effective hit today since he made a meaningful remark, but what I¡¯m actually seeing is a sword match that was more disappointing than I thought. The matches where he would swing recklessly with all his might were more entertaining to watch. The match Ethan is having now is not demonstrative of abat style suitable for facing a Sword Master. It¡¯s a battle where they sh swords and consume simr amounts of energy and stamina. If they have a match where strength simply shes against strength like this, the one to get tired first will obviously be Ethan. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­Anyway, I got tense for nothing. Since he said that he might somehow win today, I thought I really had to visit Ethan¡¯s room at night. I was watching the dispiriting, slow-paced sword match with such thoughts. But the moment Ethan began to react differently was when the swords intertwined for the fifth time. Whoosh! A single dull strike flew from the front as before, and Harold took a stance to parry it. I was watching the match, predicting that if they shed swords like this about two or three more times, the match would be decided. But at that moment, what unfolded before my eyes was Ethan¡¯s unexpected movements. Roll! ¡®¡­He dodged it?¡¯ Unlike my expectation that he would sh swords and have a slow-paced match this time as well, Ethan suddenly rolled on the ground and dodged Harold¡¯s strike. Then, he swiftly changed his posture, from pretending to swing a heavy strike to now swinging his sword towards Harold¡¯s body, gripping it short. Don¡¯t tell me that everything up until now, where he pretended to have slow-paced attacks, was to induce carelessness for this one strike? Thinking that way, everything finally fell into ce. That¡¯s why he continued abat style disadvantageous to himself, and it also exins his confident attitude earlier saying that he might somehownd a solid hit today. This had to work. No matter how much Sword Master Harold is a master of the sword, he has no choice but to allow a strike this one time, a brilliant thrust. The moment Ethan¡¯s wooden sword was about to touch Harold¡¯s side¡­ ng! ¡°¡­?!¡± Ethan¡¯s final attack was blocked all too well by Harold¡¯s wooden sword, which was already waiting for Ethan¡¯s attack as if he had been expecting it. Ethan¡¯s sword, which he was swinging hastily tond the final strike, was deflected into the sky by the Sword Master¡¯s sword. ¡®How¡­?¡¯ ¡­No, does this make sense? Is being able to block that strike within reason? No matter how fast his reaction speed is, he shouldn¡¯t have noticed until right before Ethan¡¯s movements changed, right? Also, if he did sense that something was off the moment Ethan¡¯s movement changed, it should have been toote for him to react. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] For a moment, I had thought of whether Harold could also see the future, like Seraphine, to the point of showing such a way of responding to the attack. But thanks to Harold¡¯s exnation, the mystery was, unexpectedly, easily solved. ¡°In that final strike, your gaze was looking elsewhere, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± ¡°If you were nning to induce the opponent¡¯s carelessness andunch a surprise attack, you should have maintained eye contact until right before turning your body.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Still, the attempt itself was excellent. Even I couldn¡¯t grasp your intentions until the middle of your swing. ¡­If you had tried a simr tactic about a month ago, I might have fallen for it.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s end today¡¯s match here. Clean up the training ground and return. You can stay and do more individual training if you want.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Father!¡± Although Ethan unfortunately failed tond a strike, it was a rare sight to see Haroldforting him along with praise. Ethan also seemed to have his mood lifted to some extent by Harold¡¯s praise. ¡®¡­Phew. For a moment, I thought he really would seed.¡¯ Well, if it were up to my feelings, I¡¯d like to at least give him something like an award for effort, but a promise is a promise. It really was an excellent choice to set the condition ofnding a solid hit on Harold. Seeing Harold¡¯s capability, shown today, it seems there will be no asion to allow Ethan to touch my chest, at least until we enter the academy. ¡­Still, that strike just now was such a waste, though. (T/N: So you wanted him to seed???) Chapter 94 After Ethan¡¯s confident expression about today¡¯s duel was shattered so miserably¡­ As I expected, instead of cleaning up the training ground and returning immediately, Ethan stayed behind alone and began swing training. I also quietly observed Ethan practicing his swings instead of going up to my private room first. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Precise posture and unwavering trajectory, and each strike was fast but not light. Vertical cuts, horizontal cuts, diagonal cuts, and even the stance of blocking a sword once and following up with a counterattack. Looking at his form while swinging, it was a clean movement without any unnecessary elements even to a third-party observer. Of course, it wasn¡¯t at the level of a Sword Master, but seeing Ethan¡¯s somewhat refined form, he seemed to be quite skilled among nobles of a simr age. ¡­That¡¯s why the more I recalled the duel between Ethan and Harold just now, the more regrettable it became. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Honestly, if I were Ethan¡¯s father, I might have let him win once just for that cleverness. No matter how serious you are about swordsmanship, if you can¡¯t properly motivate your child¡­ ¡®No, what am I thinking right now.¡¯ Come to think of it, Ethan wasn¡¯t supposed to score a hit on Harold. I had momentarily forgotten what was at stake in their duel because the recent match was so regrettable. If he had really seeded and won, I even thoughtlessly considered that it might have been okay to let him touch once, so to speak. No, honestly, that¡¯s right. Even if it¡¯s a mock duel, his opponent is a Sword Master¡­ ¡­and Ethan is still a kid who hasn¡¯t even entered the academy. Moreover, including the period when his physical growth was stopped by a curse, he wasn¡¯t even in his 20s but was technically still in histe teens. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care at all if Ethan touches my chest, but if he really scored under those adverse conditions, I could sufficiently endure the embarrassment. Even if the motivation was impure, he grew with the sole intention of touching my chest once, so honestly speaking, I had raised him about halfway. If only thest moment with his gaze had been perfect, he really could havended a hit, and it must have been bitterly disappointing for Ethan, too. Moreover, since his fake out failed once, he won¡¯t be able to use it again. So, it¡¯s probably right to think that Ethan essentially has no chance to touch my chest again. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing for me, but¡­¡¯ Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Seeing Ethan work so hard, swinging his sword like that, it was an unavoidable reality that I felt somewhat sorry for him. At leastpared to what I¡¯ve seen with my own eyes, he was putting in effort on apletely different level from the detestable Ethan in the game. A level of will and desirepletely different from that immature pig who dual-wielded, relying only on his bloodline magic and Lilith¡¯s buffs¡­ ¡®Huh? Wait a minute¡­¡¯ Come to think of it, why isn¡¯t Ethan dual-wielding yet? Clearly, the detestable Ethan in the game was such a crazy dual-sword fanatic that he never used any other weapon. I¡¯ve never seen the current Ethan fight with swords in both hands, even as a joke. Even considering the stats of Ethan in the game, two swords would be much more efficient than a single sword. ¡®Could it be¡­ that he simply hasn¡¯t thought of using them?¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to rank swordsmanship styles, but generally, there¡¯s a fixed idea that orthodox swordsmanship uses a single sword. To begin with, his father, Sword Master Harold, is almost the strongest with single-sword style. It was natural that learning straightforwardly under such a father would naturally lead to him sticking with a single-sword style. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] On the contrary, Ethan, in the original game, hardly learned swordsmanship from Harold at all, and he probably settled on dual-wielding just by swinging however he feltfortable. If the Ethan before my eyes now is fundamentally the same person as the detestable Ethan character in the game, dual-wielding would probably be much more efficient for the current Ethan than a single sword. There¡¯s a slight difference in the strength of swinging with both hands, but he had good conditions for wielding two swords sufficiently. In fact, the dual swords wielded by Ethan as a mid-boss in the game were by no means weak. ¡®Should I tell him?¡¯ Since he¡¯s already ustomed to single-sword style, there¡¯s no guarantee that practicing dual swords now would lead to an explosive change. ¡­But just staying silent without saying anything also felt¡­ somewhat ufortable. Not telling him for no reason seemed like I was acting cowardly, afraid of having my chest touched by Ethan. So, having made up my mind in my own way, I quietly approached Ethan, who was practicing his swings. I casually suggested to him to dual-wield. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, maid. Is it boring just watching me swing? If you¡¯re tired, you can rest until dinner time.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t particrly have such thoughts¡­ but may I dare to give you a piece of advice, young master?¡± ¡°¡­You, advice?¡± ¡°Would you try swinging the wooden sword you¡¯re holding now with just one hand as a test?¡± ¡°¡­With just one hand?¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan, while showing a somewhat questioning expression at my words, obediently grasped the wooden sword with just his right hand as instructed. And then, in that state, he started swinging the sword in various directions, just like before. ¡°Is this good, maid?¡± ¡°Yes. Then, this time, would you try grasping the sword with the opposite hand and swinging it?¡± ¡°¡­The opposite hand too?¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Still with a half-doubting expression, this time Ethan swung the wooden sword grasped in his left hand in various directions. His form looked a bit better with the right hand, but there wasn¡¯t much difference when swinging with the left. Actually, despite the awkward posture, the strength of his swings felt stronger when he used his left hand. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] He had a special physical ability with simr power in swinging swords with both hands but with slightly different characteristics for each. As expected, Ethan was someone with a physique specialized for learning dual-wielding techniques. ¡°Young master, your power is simr whether you swing the sword with your right hand or your left hand.¡± ¡°¡­I do have that tendency. I¡¯m actually ambidextrous.¡± ¡°There are mainly two reasons why many swordsmen only swing swords with one hand. Either their muscle strength in one hand iscking, causing imbnce when swinging with both hands, or their power in one hand is too strong, making it meaningless to grasp a sword with the other hand.¡± ¡°¡­What are you suddenly talking about?¡± ¡°In contrast, Young Master Ethan¡­ it seems there¡¯s no reason you shouldn¡¯t swing swords with both hands, at least.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m just a mere maidcking in knowledge about swordsmanship. I wouldn¡¯t mind if you treat my advice as nonsense from a servant who doesn¡¯t know anything and ignore it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I just remembered something I need to do, so I¡¯ll go up first.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. Go ahead, maid.¡± ¡°Good luck with your training, young master.¡± After adding onest disimer to conclude the conversation, I quietly withdrew from the scene. If I¡¯ve said this much, he should notice. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It was quite a direct piece of advice, so he probably understood it sufficiently. If he still doesn¡¯t understand and only swings with one sword after this, then there¡¯s nothing that can be done. I didn¡¯t want to create a situation where he would forcibly use dual swords just to be considerate of me. So, for now, I made an excuse that I had something to do and left the ce. After hiding behind a corner of the mansion for a moment, I quietly listened to the sound of Ethan training.@@novelbin@@ Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Swish! Swish! Swish! Although it sounded a bit off-beat, it was clearly the sound of two swords cutting through the air. It seemed he was trying out dual-wielding, at least, as a test, following my advice. Whether Ethan would really continue training properly ording to the advice I gave¡­ That future was, albeit only slightly, a moment I looked forward to. As time passed, on a morning two weekster¡­ ¡°Young Master Ethan, it¡¯s morning.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Good morning, maid¡­¡± Ethan responded as usual to the usual morning greeting. As if some fatigue had umted over the past few days, the dark circles under his eyes seemed to have deepened strangely. I wonder if he hasn¡¯t been sleeping well at night recently; it¡¯s a bit worrying. By the way, my advice about dual-sword techniques was ultimately not epted. It could be because he¡¯s already too ustomed to fighting with one sword, or maybe he feels somehow guilty about using dual swords against Harold. Anyway, my advice was essentially telling him to try a different sword technique to counter the swordsmanship he¡¯s learning from his father. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I didn¡¯t particrly feel disappointed or regretful. Considering Ethan¡¯s path so far, this was the natural choice. It might have been advice that hurt his pride, as I told him to try a different sword technique instead of what he¡¯s learned so far overnight. To begin with, why would Ethan seriously listen to the words of a maid who doesn¡¯t have much knowledge about swordsmanship? I¡¯m saying this clearly, but I wasn¡¯t particrly upset that Ethan didn¡¯t take my advice. Really, I¡¯m not upset at all. Seriously. Thinking this, I ced the clothes Ethan would change into at the foot of the bed as usual and opened the curtains to let the morning sunlight into the room. Just as I was about to wait by the door for a moment, intending to tidy up the bedroom once he changed clothes and left the room¡­ The voice of Ethan, who had just woken up, carefully calling me, reached my ears. ¡°Maid.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°¡­You know that today is the day for sword practice between me and Father, right?¡± ¡°Of course, I know. It¡¯s Saturday today, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Make sure toe watch today too. I think I might be able tond at least one solid hit against Father today.¡± Ah. This guy is raising a g again. Chapter 95 On the afternoon of the day when Ethan unexpectedly raised another strange g in the morning, saying he mightnd a hit today¡­ I was once again at the training ground to observe the duel between Ethan and Harold. Although I heard such words in the morning, to be honest, I didn¡¯t expect too much. After all, he had said the same thing two weeks ago and lost. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t even close to winning. It was essentially a match he lost after relying on a feint and failing to execute it well. If it had been a close match when their swordsmanship skills were simr, it might have ended differently, but there was no reason to be tense about Ethan, who hadn¡¯t reached that level yet. So, today, as well, I watched leisurely without any expectation that Ethan would do well. As usual, Head Butler Dittmeyer and a healing priest from the ckwood mansion were waiting beside me. ng! ng! ng! ¡°Put a bit more strength in your sword! Attacking from unexpected angles isn¡¯t everything! Maintain your speed and power no matter which direction you swing your sword!¡± ¡°Uaaaargh¡­!!¡± Unlike two weeks ago, when he tried to feint, in Ethan¡¯s recent duels, he had returned to honest, wild swinging. If he had at least taken up dual-wielding as I advised, I might have had some decent expectations, but Ethan hadn¡¯t shown even such attempts in the past two weeks. Believing that dual swords were essentially the only way Ethan couldnd a hit on Harold, I could watch their duel with peace of mind. ¡®At this rate, nothing will happen to me until his admission to the academy.¡¯ Harold would also be gradually familiarizing himself with Ethan¡¯s swordfighting style while crossing swords with his son, so it would naturally be even harder to close the gap. Thinking this, as I was watching the increasingly boring swordsmanship of the ckwood father and son¡­ Ethan¡¯s awkward grip on his sword suddenly caught my eye today. ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ Instead of gripping the sword tightly with both hands as usual, he was holding the sword with his right and left hands, switching between them. Seeing the awkward grip that seemed to be holding almost the ends of the handle, a strange question naturally arose in my mind. Gripping the sword like that would make the rotation angles of the left and right hands different, but more power was needed to do that, implying muscle fatigue when swinging. Moreover, it¡¯s not like holding it that way would make it particrly more stable. It didn¡¯t look like a way to grip a single sword, but rather like the posture just before drawing a sword from its scabbard, and I naturally started to have a different idea. ¡®¡­Could it be?¡¯ Wondering if the thought that popped into my mind could be true, I focused my gaze on the sword Ethan was holding. Suddenly, the handle of the sword he was gripping started to separate vertically as if lengthening. I could immediately recognize that this was the action of drawing another sword hidden inside the sword. In other words, it meant that Ethan had essentially been swinging a scabbard until now. It was the moment when Ethan¡¯s sword, a single de, instantly transformed into two swords. Swish! ¡°¡­!!¡± Harold was just as surprised as I was by the sudden split of the sword. Ethan had prepared his final blow without showing any awkwardness in his gaze until the end and wouldn¡¯t miss this brief opening. Whack!! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The sword in Ethan¡¯s left hand, which had been acting as a scabbard, blocked Harold¡¯s sword, and the sword in his right hand struck Harold¡¯s side. Harold, who had exposed his waist to the unexpected attack, let out a short groan. The gazes of the other spectators and me watching this scene were also instantly fixed. ¡°Haa, haa, haa¡­.¡± As if he had really used all his strength for that one strike, Ethan looked at Dittmeyer and me while plunging his sword into the ground. Dittmeyer, who was still unable to grasp the situation due to the shocking scene, hurriedly hid his bewilderment and swiftly dered Ethan¡¯s victory. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan is the victor!¡± ¡°Congrattions, young master.¡± Along with Dittmeyer¡¯s deration, my body automatically burst into enthusiastic apuse, congratting Ethan on his first victory. Seeing my reaction, Ethan finally smiled slightly and copsed onto the floor. Harold looked down at Ethan silently, speaking to him in a strangely questioning tone. ¡°To think you¡¯d separate your sword during a duel¡­ Your skill in using techniques has been growingtely, Ethan.¡± ¡°Was it something I shouldn¡¯t have done, Father?¡± ¡°Something you shouldn¡¯t have done¡­ Why do you think that, Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Because it¡¯s a method not used in general swordsmanship, and I won a cowardly victory without proper technique.¡± As the atmosphere seemed to be turning strangely serious, I wondered if Harold might pettily refuse to acknowledge the match, but¡­ Hearing his words that followed, fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°There¡¯s only one important thing you shouldn¡¯t do in a life-or-death situation, Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The most important thing you shouldn¡¯t do to protect your life is ¡®lose.¡¯ No matter what technique you use, no matter what mindset you have in the match, the most important thing is to not ¡®lose,¡¯ Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can be proud. Today, you¡¯re a swordsman who has achieved victory against a Sword Master, even if just for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t say things like the match was void because Ethan used cowardly means, it seemed Harold was quite pleased with Ethan¡¯s growth. It had been three and a half years since Ethan started learning swordsmanship from Harold, so Harold probably felt more joy than pain or shame about the hit he took today. After all, it was a strike that clearly showed that his child, Ethan, had definitely grown. ¡°From the next training onwards, I¡¯ll teach you how to dual wield. It seems you have talent not only for single-swordbat but also for dual wielding, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± ¡°Today¡¯s duel ends here. When you¡¯ve regained your strength, clean up ande inside.¡± ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± Harold exited, discreetly cing his hand on one side of his waist, and the mansion¡¯s healing priest quickly followed after him. I, still at the training ground, made eye contact with Ethan who was resting and offered words of encouragement to him. ¡°Good work, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Maid¡­¡± ¡°Today¡¯s strike was truly impressive. ¡­Although, since it was against the master, it probably won¡¯t work twice.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. He won¡¯t let me hit him again. I was nning to give up on this method if I failed today.¡± ¡°Could it be that your recent fatigue was from practicing this technique?¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re talking about the method of drawing out the second sword, then, yes, a little bit.¡± ¡­Your determination is really something else. To think he would prepare a special sword and even practice how to handle it just tond one hit on Harold somehow. Moreover, the fact that all this effort was just to touch his exclusive maid¡¯s chest¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ ¡­Right, I had forgotten. From the beginning of this match, the side I should have been cheering for wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s. That night¡­ After dinner ended, when it was time to prepare for bed¡­ Having finished bathing with a bit more care than usual, I quietly entered Ethan¡¯s room with a slight tension. All to fulfill the contract of that proposal I had made with Ethan prior to this. ¡®Haa, I¡¯m really an idiot. Why did I make such a strange proposal that day¡­¡¯ If only I hadn¡¯t let Ethan touch my chest due to that strange misunderstanding in the first ce, this situation probably wouldn¡¯t have urred. I added the additional condition of letting him touch more if hended an effective hit in a duel with Harold to somehow cover up what had been touched then without being discovered. My unnecessary meddling and even giving him advice about dual wielding techniques ultimately led to this result. ¡®Well, it¡¯s just one minute anyway.¡¯ How properly could a kid without any sexual knowledge touch in just one minute of trying hard? Last time, I only felt strange because I got unnecessarily excited due to a vague sense of crisis about possibly losing my position as exclusive maid, but if I just prepared my mind, letting my chest be touched for about a minute was really nothing. And to be honest, I thought Ethan deserved that much as a reward. (T/N: Why?!) Thinking deeply about it would probably just lead to strange self-rationalizations, so before any weird thoughts could arise, I knocked on Ethan¡¯s door three times and spoke. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Young Master Ethan, may Ie in?¡± ¡°¡­Come in.¡± A careful replying back from inside the room, seemingly tinged with some tension. I quietly entered inside, opening Ethan¡¯s door. Creeak. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The light in Ethan¡¯s bedroom somehow felt more subtle than usual today. He had entered first and was sitting carefully on the chair at the table, quietly avoiding my gaze. Before entering into the main act, I carefully asked him about what state would befortable for him. ¡°Is it morefortable for you to sit on the chair?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh?!¡± ¡°I asked because you¡¯re sitting at the table, not on the bed. If you think it would be morefortable on the bed, we can move there.¡± ¡°N-no, maid. S-sitting on the chair is¡­ I have something I need to say to you first¡­¡± ¡°Something you need to say first?¡± ¡°¡­Will you sit across from me for now?¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± I don¡¯t know what Ethan was trying to say, but as his exclusive maid, I obediently followed his words and sat in the opposite seat.@@novelbin@@ Sitting face to face at the table, I made eye contact with him and asked about what he said he needed to say first. ¡°What is it you want to say, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°W-well, I wanted to talk about that thing we were supposed to do today¡­¡± ¡°You mean touching my chest for one minute as a reward fornding an effective hit on Master Harold?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that.¡± ¡­Could it be that he wants to ask for a little more time because one minute isn¡¯t enough, or to rx the conditions for touching my chest because they¡¯re too strict? Well, I can understand Ethan¡¯s feelings of wanting to say that as a man in his prime, but of course, I had neither reason nor intention to grant his request. If I kept making small concessions and extensions like that, I might find Ethan touching my chest without any conditions at some point. With the courage to refuse any conditions he might propose firmly in my heart, I made eye contact with Ethan and demanded his next answer. ¡°Please speak, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Um, is it really okay to touch you¡­ maid?¡± ¡°Yes. Because that was the promise.¡± ¡°W-what about you, maid¡­? What do you think¡­?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Do you really want to let me touch your chest because you think I¡¯ve gotten stronger¡­? Or are you here just because you wanted to keep your promise¡­?¡± What nonsense is he suddenly talking about? If he just won against Harold, that should be the end of it, why is he suddenly concerned about my feelings? Not wanting to argue over unnecessary things, I just gave him a formal answer. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, young master. You won the duel against your father, so you can touch my chest as a reward.¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re telling me to touch even though you don¡¯t like it, just because of the promise.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s for that reason, you don¡¯t have to force yourself, maid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t say you didn¡¯t keep your promise or anything like that if you do.¡± ¡­What is this guy babbling about now? I¡¯ve even prepared my mind ande to his room in the middle of the night to let him touch. He says I don¡¯t have to force myself? Suddenly? Is he pitying me now? And for something as trivial as offering my chest? ¡°¡­Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°M-maid?!¡± ¡°Are you saying this despite seeing all the effort you put in to defeat Master Harold?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t go back on my word, Young Master Ethan. If you¡¯re going to be considerate of me with such half-hearted pity, please understand that touching me confidently would be less embarrassing for me.¡± It¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving him my first time or my first kiss. I never intended to be pitied for just having my chest touched. I dismissed Ethan¡¯s meaningless words and simply stood up to approach him. Because I didn¡¯t want to be a cowardly runaway who couldn¡¯t even give this much reward to this guy who had worked so hard for so long. Chapter 96 Also,THIS CHAPTER IS R-19!Read at your own risk. The night when Ethannded a solid hit on his father for the first time during their sparring session¡­ The young master of the ckwoods was feeling the most excited and thrilled he had ever been in his life. It wasn¡¯t necessarily the situation of being able to touch the chest of his exclusive maid, Lilith, that excited him. Of course, initially, it was an undeniable fact that he had made efforts to touch her chest as well. However, Ethan was feeling a fluttering sensation in his heart for a different reason. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After he said he wouldn¡¯t touch her chest, Lilith wasing towards him with anger. Ethan couldn¡¯t calm down the fluttering emotion in the face of her behavior, which would make anyone think strangely. When it was his turn to touch her chest, she even provocatively asked if the bed wasfortable, as if tempting him. But, as soon as he showed no intention of touching her, she got angry and cursed at him. From all of her actions, Lilith¡¯s attitude towards him caused him to misunderstand. ¡®Does Lilith like me, too¡­?¡¯ There were many reasons for Ethan to think that way. When she said she wanted to be his exclusive maid without caring about her noble status after bing a noblewoman¡­ Or when she pushed herself onto him after she mistakenly thought Isabel would rece her as his exclusive maid¡­ And even when she advised him that it would be better to dual wield, and used that advice to win a duel against his father a while ago¡­ Knowing all of those actions, although it was hard to imagine that they were things she could have done without any feelings for him, Ethan was always one step ahead in stopping Lilith¡¯s advances. He recalled the conversation they had in this room two years ago, where he asked Lilith about her preferred type and learned that the type of person she hated the most was him. Of course, two years had passed since that day, and it was hard to imagine he¡¯d get the same answer in return. However, whether he wanted to confirm the ufortable truth as a man who had just finished puberty was a cruel dilemma. ¡°Are you still going to pretend to be a gentleman, young master?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ no, Maid¡­¡± ¡°Then please put your hand on my chest instead of offering your half-hearted sympathy. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve been trying to do all this time?¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­¡± ¡­Indeed, what if Lilith¡¯s feelings were the same as his, or what if they were different? Anyway, what he should be thinking about now was touching the chest of his exclusive maid in front of him. Without realizing it, he cleared the table that had been ced between them and approached Lilith closely, sitting face-to-face with her. Boldly reaching out his hand, he squeezed herrge breasts. Squish! ¡°Ahhhnn..!!¡± As soon as his hand touched her chest, he heard Lilith¡¯s lewd moan in his ear. His heart fluttered even more at her provocative voice that stimted a man¡¯s instincts. He began to focus on feeling the sensation of his exclusive maid¡¯s chest in his hands. Squish. Squish. ¡°Ahhh, haaa¡­!¡± Squeeze. Squeeze. ¡°Ahhhn, nngh, haaa¡­!¡± Even though he was massaging her with both hands, the huge breasts couldn¡¯t be fully contained. During that time, Ethan¡¯s attention was slightly drawn to the firm area he felt under his palm. He could easily guess that it was Lilith¡¯s nipple that had be erect due to excitement. ¡®If I ask her to show it, will she get mad¡­?¡¯ What color could Lilith¡¯s nipples be under her clothes? Unlike the maid¡¯s uniform, which only revealed about a third of that dome, what shape could be hidden inside? The rising desire and burning fantasies of a man that had begun to surface were starting to disturb the innocent mind of the young master of the ckwoods. Eventually, preparing himself for the worst, he cautiously asked Lilith. ¡°Maid¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ is it¡­ haaa¡­ Young Master Ethan¡­?¡± ¡°If I lower your maid¡¯s uniform a little and touch them, would that be okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Only if it¡¯s okay¡­ If it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡± The next sound that came from the quiet room was the sound of clothes and fabric brushing against each other. Rustle. Rustle. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Without a word, Lilith began to lower her own shoulder strap, filled with tension. In that tense atmosphere, Ethan quietly watched her, observing her actions. As the strap supporting her dress slipped down slightly, the maid dress she was wearing also slid down a bit, revealing Lilith¡¯srge and beautiful breasts. ¡°¡­Woah!!¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t help but exim in awe at the sight of his beloved¡¯s beautiful body in front of him. Not only were her lovely breasts fully exposed, but the eye-catching, stiff, pink nipples at their center were also exposed. Ethan gazed directly at the beautiful body before him, as Lilith, who had been quietly watching him, delivered a short message to her master. ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me¡­ and you don¡¯t need to worry¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I promised¡­ And you deserve the reward¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter what anyone says, for the next minute, the right to use my chest as you please belongs to you¡­.¡± With herrge breasts and stiff nipples exposed, Lilith blushed as she spoke, her words dripping with lewdness and sensuality. Ethan¡¯s rationality faltered once again at the provocative words of the exclusive maid, and his hands naturally found their way to her exposed breasts without resistance. ¡°Ahhhh¡­!¡± As the thick barrier of fabric disappeared, Lilith¡¯s soft breasts felt even more vivid. The two nipples at the center of each breast were particrly enticing to Ethan, who was experiencing a woman¡¯s chest for the first time. His hands, which had been caressing her entire chest, inevitably focused on her nipples. Pinch. ¡°Uhh?!¡± Squeeze. Squeeze. ¡°Ahhhn, mmm, ahhhn¡­!¡± Pinching one of the embarrassed nipples with two fingers, twisting it left and right, flicking it with his fingers out of curiosity. Pushing the protruding nipple into her chest with his fingers, pulling it forcefully in the opposite direction. The touch of the ckwood¡¯s hands explored the mystery of the female form before him. Lilith¡¯s intermittent moans filled Ethan¡¯s room as he continued to explore. Pat. Pat. ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡­!¡± As Ethan¡¯s hands roamed over Lilith¡¯s chest and nipples, the maid, who had never had a man touch her nipples before, couldn¡¯t hold back her climax. A sharp moan echoed through the room as proof of her inability to resist any longer. ¡°Ugh, AHHHHHH¡­!!¡± Lilith¡¯s moans reverberated through the room, a testament to her inability to hold back any longer. Ethan, taken aback by thepletely different and sharp moans, involuntarily tightened his grip on her chest. Squeeze! ¡°AHHHHHH¡­!!¡± At that stimtion, Lilith leaned forward, losing her bnce in the pleasure that surged through her body. Grabbing Ethan¡¯s shoulders, she copsed forward, leaving him feeling a mixture of confusion and concern. Thud. ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡­.¡± ¡°L-Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Haaa, ahhh, ughhhh, ahhh¡­.¡± ¡°A-Are you okay?! Are you hurt¡­?¡± Unable to answer Ethan¡¯s question, Lilith only gasped for breath, struggling to speak. It took a dozen seconds for her ragged breathing to calm down, and Lilith finally met Ethan¡¯s gaze and spoke. ¡°Young master¡­.¡± ¡°L-Lilith¡­.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s over¡­ It¡¯s been a minute¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± At Lilith¡¯s words bringing him back to reality, Ethan quickly removed his hands from her chest. ¡°S-Sorry, Lilith¡­! I didn¡¯t realize time had passed so quickly¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°It¡¯s okay, young master¡­ I just couldn¡¯t control myself¡­¡± With those words, Lilith straightened her disheveled clothes and stumbled as she got up from her seat. Watching her acting that way, Ethan cautiously asked. ¡°Should I help you to your room, Maid?¡± ¡°No need for that, young master¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ necessary¡­¡± ¡°But you seem to be out of bnce¡­¡± ¡°After all, young master¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to get up right now, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Lilith¡¯s meaningful words, Ethan quietly blushed and had no choice but to sit back down, his half-raised buttocks back on the chair. Still with her shoulder strap half-slipping down, the provocative-looking exclusive maid bid Ethan goodnight before leaving the room. ¡°Sleep well, young master.¡± ¡°You too, Maid¡­¡± Swing. Thud. ¡°¡­¡± It was a moment so stimting that he almost felt like he had turned into a beast. That day, Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s bedtime was dyed by about 30 minutes than usual. His exclusive maid, Lilith ckwood Rosewood, leaned against his door and muttered to herself quietly. ¡°Ah, fuck¡­ why is that bastard so good at touching¡­¡± Lilith ckwood Rosewood. It was the moment she felt her first orgasm in a woman¡¯s body. Chapter 97 Five months had passed since the day I offered my chest to Ethan for the second time. The year had changed, and February, which could be considered thest month of winter*1, was right around the corner. This also meant that the date when Ethan and I would enter the academy was not far off. Of course, our admission to the academy wasn¡¯t confirmed yet. There was a rule that to enter Luminor Academy, whether noble ormoner, one must take the entrance exam. Even Lizzy from the August Marquis family had a record of failing, showing that there were no exceptions to the academy¡¯s admission rules. ¡­Of course, the difference in difficulty of entrance exams between nobles andmoners was unavoidable. ¡®The academy needs funds to operate, too.¡¯ It¡¯s well known that Luminor Academy¡¯s tuition is expensive, but in fact,pared to the academy¡¯s operating costs, it was rather ridiculously cheap. They had a rich facility infrastructure that could be said to allow learning of all desired knowledge. They had a proper curriculum from veteran specialist professors with 10 to 20 years of continuous service. The current principal even has crazy connections, inviting retired Mage Tower sages, Imperial Sword Knight captains, or former hero party members as guest lecturers. Considering these aspects, the reality of Luminor Academy was that it had to run a deficit every year, even with the expensive tuition of 1 gold coin per semester. In fact, the parts that couldn¡¯t be covered by the tuition were being filled through the empire¡¯s national budget. What somewhat subsidized Luminor Academy¡¯s operating costs was the rtively easier academy entrance exam for nobles. Usually, there was a kind of custom where high-ranking nobles entering Luminor Academy would pay huge donations to the academy in addition to tuition. So, while on the surface, it was said to provide equal educational opportunities tomoners and nobles. But when you actually looked into it, the ratio of noble students tomoners was overwhelmingly high. That was Luminor Academy at its core. It was a natural phenomenon, given that nobles who had received private tutoring and education from childhood were bound to be superior tomoners on average, and on top of that, there was a difference in the difficulty of entrance exams. Of course, that was also set to change slowly starting from this year. As I mentioned once before, from next year¡¯s iing students, the academy¡¯s capacity will increase to three times the current size. The major storyline was already flowing as it did in the original game. Among the measures announced by the empress, who felt a crisising after the attack on the Imperial Pce, to enhance the national defenses was the increase in the academy¡¯s enrollment capacity. No matter how easy the entrance exam for nobles was, the absolute number of nobles was fixed in the end. ¡®Even characters like the detestable Ethan in the original game could enter at this time, so there was that much spare capacity.¡¯ In the end, after admitting all avable nobles, the remaining spots would have to be filled withmoner students. From this year on, the atmosphere of the academy would gradually change from aristocratism to egalitarianism. Of course, even if the admission criteria were rxed, we still had to take the entrance exam, so both Ethan and I had to visit Luminor Academy on the exam date. Today, Ethan and I were nning to take a carriage to move to the Ind of Knowledge to take the entrance exam. ¡°Have a safe trip, Young Master Ethan.¡± (T/N: Dittmeyer? I guess?) ¡°Yeah, I will.¡± ¡°If you make a mistake and fail the entrance exam, be prepared for the consequences then.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Ethan nodded with a slightly tense voice at Harold¡¯s words. Well, given Ethan¡¯s level, he was sure to passfortably not only by noble standards but even bymoner standards, so there wasn¡¯t much worry. If there was any problem at all¡­ it was more about the magic exam I would take. ¡°L-Lilith! Do well on the entrance exam, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do well.¡± ¡°M-Miss Lilith, do your best¡­!¡± ¡°Thanks for the support, Senior Catherine.¡± One of the things that I found to be mostfortable after obtaining my noble status was that no one found it strange when Catherine called me ¡°Miss.¡± Of course, after entering the academy, there wouldn¡¯t be many asions to hear Catherine call me ¡°Miss¡±, anyway. With some concern about the academy entrance exam in my heart, I also prepared to depart for the Ind of Knowledge, receiving encouragement from Isabel and Catherine. They did so while I packed my luggage with clothes and towels good for three days, along with various other essentials in both hands. The reason for bringing clothes and towels for three days was that we would have to stay at a lodging near the academy for that period of time. If we just took one exam and returned, we could stay for just one day ande back, so this much luggage wouldn¡¯t be necessary. Unfortunately, Ethan and I each had to take two exams ¨C one for the Swordsmanship Department and another for the Magic Department. To take the Swordsmanship Department exam on the first day of the entrance exam and the Magic Department exam on the third day, we had to secure lodging to stay during that time. Considering the number and variety of students entering the academy, it would be impossible toplete everyone¡¯s entrance exams in just one day. Some departments even had different exam dates for nobles andmoners, so it was unavoidable for the exam period to naturally be longer. If it were in the imperial capital, we could somehow go back and forth in half a day by carriage, so there wouldn¡¯t be a need to get lodging. However, the Ind of Knowledge, where the academy was located, was a ce that took almost half a day to reach by carriage from the ckwood Estate. Therefore, it was safer to leave with a generous three-day allowance in preparation for any contingencies. The time it takes to travel from the ckwood Estate to the Ind of Knowledge is one to two days. We¡¯d have to stay at the lodging on the Ind of Knowledge, wash theundry umted during travel, take exams, and stay for about three days again¡­ ¡­and it¡¯ll take another one to two days to return to the estate. It was a long schedule, taking from five days at the shortest to a week at the longest, which made me feel a bit dizzy, but it was still a level I could sufficiently endure. I could bear this trouble as much as needed to enter the academy. As I was about to enter the passengerpartment following Ethan, after loading the luggage prepared for the one-week maximum journey into the carriage¡¯s luggagepartment, Harold suddenly stopped me as I was about to board the carriage and began to speak to me with a serious expression. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Even if you happen to fail the academy entrance exam, don¡¯t forget that the contract is still valid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the contract for you to continue as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid for the four years he attends the academy.¡± ¡­Ah. So that¡¯s what he was talking about. Well, to begin with, whether I entered the academy or not wasn¡¯t a very important part of Harold¡¯s request for me to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Rather, from Harold¡¯s perspective, there might even be a possibility that he hoped I would fail to enter the academy. After all, it would be much more reliable to have someone without being a student of the academy to serve as his son¡¯s exclusive maid. Well, of course, I had no intention whatsoever of failing the entrance exam. And even if I failed, I had no intention of giving up a cushy job worth 40 gold coins a year. So, I just bowed my head to Harold and gave a formal reply. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, master. Whether I enter the academy or not won¡¯t be a reason for me to neglect my duties as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°Yes, of course, it shouldn¡¯t be. Well then, have a safe trip.¡± ¡°I will escort the young master and return safely.¡± With that, after giving my final greetings, even to Harold, I boarded the carriage. With the sound of the coachman¡¯s whip, the two-seater carriage started moving towards the Ind of Knowledge. It was the moment we finally departed for the main stage of ¡°Luminor Academy.¡± About two hours after the carriage carrying Ethan and me passed the walls of ckwood territory¡­ The inside of the carriage, where only the asional sound of the coachman¡¯s reins could be heard, had maintained silence for quite a while since departing from the ckwood mansion. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t because there was nothing to talk about. Rather, there was more than enough to discuss. We could talk about things like the Luminor Academy and the Ind of Knowledge we were heading to right now or about life after entering the academy¡­ ¡­or even just encouraging each other not to make mistakes in the entrance exam a few dayster. It¡¯s just that it felt strangely awkward to make eye contact with Ethan right now, so I didn¡¯t want to talk. That¡¯s because if I made eye contact with Ethan now, it felt like what happened in his roomst night woulde to mind again. It had been 5 months since Ethan started learning dual-wielding techniques in earnest. Ethan, who started putting serious effort into dual-wielding as per my advice, began showing tremendous talent in the newly learned swordsmanship over the past few months. Recently, I was clearly feeling with my whole body that he had grown even more than in the past when he used to duel Harold with a single sword. ¡­Really, I mean literally feeling it with my ¡®whole body.¡¯ ¡®Haaaaa¡­ You really are a stupid girl¡­.¡¯ Recalling Ethan, who had been winning one match against Harold in their sword duels almost every two weeks recently, I mentally scolded my past hasty self several times. Damn it, why did it end up like this¡­ Chapter 98 Inside the carriage, an awkward silence hung due to what happenedst night. Deliberately hiding my chest, which still seemed to have a strange sensation remaining, from Ethan, I quietly recalled in my mind what had happened until now. The signs of him seriously handling dual swords appeared about three months ago. It was two months after Ethan started learning dual-sword techniques from Harold in earnest. After the day Ethan first debuted by showing Harold his dual-sword technique, Harold began seriously teaching Ethan how to fight with two swords. I was surprised that Harold could teach Ethan dual-sword techniques, but what surprised me even more was the speed at which Ethan learned. Maybe because of the foundation he had from learning single-sword techniques before, Ethan showed even more effective growth in handling dual swords. Eventually, two months ago, Ethan won a match against Harold for the first time using dual-sword techniques. He won in a pure sword-vs-sword duel without tricks or clumsy techniques. The moment Ethan scored his first proper victory, I felt so dumbfounded that my mind went nk. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I had thought that this would end without him touching me again until entering the academy, but who could have imagined he¡¯d be able to win another match just three months after learning dual-wielding techniques? The biggest problem was that he won fair and square with skill, not with feints or tricks. Since Harold wasn¡¯t a fool, he wouldn¡¯t fall for the same trick technique more than twice, so feints or tricks were essentially one-time-use measures. But a victory gained purely by increasing the power and speed of the sword and one¡¯s own movement and judgment, only increased the possibility of the next victory. ¡­And my ominous prediction came true as if it were natural. Two times, three times, four times. Up until yesterday¡¯s duel, Ethan had achieved a total of five victories against Harold through ¡®pure skill.¡¯ As the number of days Ethan won by purely shing with skill increased, the number of times I visited his room in the middle of the night also gradually increased. As the frequency of offering my chest to Ethan increased, his actions in touching me also became increasingly extraordinary. Recently, it felt like he was focusing more on making me feel good rather than feeling satisfied himself when touching my chest. As the events ofst night momentarily shed through my mind, it became increasingly difficult to face Ethan. Moreover, looking at his recent behavior, he seemed to have be not just brazen but even shameless. The rule of one minute at a time had long since be a dead letter. No, had that time limit ever been properly observed even once? No matter how hard I tried to time it exactly to one minute and end it, every time I came to my senses, five or ten minutes had passed. ¡­Yes, if I had to say, it¡¯s all my karma. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If I hadn¡¯t jumped to conclusions that day and hadn¡¯t told Ethan to touch my chest, the situation wouldn¡¯t have be thisplicated. But who could have predicted this? Probably no one would have expected Ethan, who couldn¡¯t win a single match against Harold for almost two years, to win six times in the past half year. I judged correctly. This is all Harold¡¯s fault for getting beaten by his son periodically. Get rid of that Sword Master title, you son-loving idiot. Anyway, having offered my chest to Ethan about once every two weeks for the past two months, I¡¯ve recently started feeling a strange pounding in my chest whenever I see this guy¡¯s face. Lately, I¡¯ve been expending considerable mental energy to calm this crazed body down. Just to be clear, in case of any misunderstanding, it absolutely wasn¡¯t some cheesy emotion like love. It¡¯s just that my body reacts because Ethan touches me well, and as a result, my body just shows some strange behavior when I meet Ethan. If this were called love or romantic feelings, then prostitutes and AV (T/N: adult video) actresses would all be in polyamorous rtionships. Of course, there were no AV actresses in this world. Either way, the fact that my chest was touched by Ethan¡¯s hands wouldn¡¯t damage my firm masculinity. After all, men often boast and let women touch them when their bodies are built well, right? This was just something simr but opposite to that. Since Lilith¡¯s body itself was a very well-made female body, it probably wasn¡¯t much different from a muscr male body. ¡­It¡¯s not like I wanted Ethan to touch because I wanted to show off this body. While thinking that and quietly looking at the passing scenery outside the window, I suddenly heard Ethan¡¯s voice carefully calling me. ¡°M-maid.¡± ¡°¡­What do you need, Young Master Ethan?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Are you perhaps angry because of what happenedst night?¡± ¡­It seems he does feel a bit guilty about excitedly ying with my chest as he pleased yesterday. Of course, as a servant, I couldn¡¯t nod seriously here, so the maximum resistance I could offer was to deny it without making eye contact with Ethan. ¡°¡­No, young master. That isn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Maid. I really wanted to see you making a more pleasurable face¡­ I think I yed around too much, only thinking about my own feelings¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan, quickly noticing my strange mood, apologized first. This kind of thing was what really confused me. It was this innocent young master of ckwood¡¯s character to always apologize sometime during the next day if I acted awkward or a bit ufortable because of ¡®what happened at night.¡¯ [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Every time Ethan showed such considerate behavior, my heart couldn¡¯t help but be more and more confused. What is this? If he apologizes first like this, how am I supposed to react? If I continue to be displeased here, I¡¯ll just end up being the bad woman, the crazy woman. If he had said something like, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with doing as I please with my possession?¡¯ with a shameless and disgusting face like the detestable Ethan in the original game, I could have at least felt hostility. The current Ethan was so kind and so diligentpared to the detestable Ethan in the original game. I felt disgusted with myself forparing him to the original Ethan, even for a moment. ¡°No, young master. There¡¯s no reason for you to apologize.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You earned my chest as a reward for your victory in the duel with the master, so whatever you do with it is your choice, young master.¡± ¡°Maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­And it¡¯s embarrassing to say, but how could I hold a grudge against you when I ended up feeling pleasure by your hands, young master? You don¡¯t need to attach any special meaning to what happened at night.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, I understand. Thanks for being honest, maid.¡± I just said that because Ethan feeling guilty was actually more ufortable for me. Honest my ass, I didn¡¯t feel good at all. No, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t feel good, but I didn¡¯t want to feel good in that way. I neither wanted Ethan to touch my chest nor did I expect to feel pleasure from it. This is an unchanging fact that won¡¯t change even after four years pass until we graduate from the academy. Well, once we enter the academy, there won¡¯t be any more sword duels between Ethan and Harold anyway, so this strange rtionship should finallye to an end. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Thinking that, I was nkly watching the scenery outside the carriage again when Ethan carefully spoke to me. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the academy, Maid.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you looking forward to it?¡± ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m looking forward to it, too.¡± The main storyline of ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± the sses in the magic department I¡¯ll learn as Lilith, and even the second life that will unfold after graduation. Who would say they aren¡¯t looking forward to all of this? Thinking that, I could quite easily brush off the humiliation of having my chest touched by Ethanst night. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying there¡¯s only one vacant room?¡± ¡­Until we faced a new problem at the inn where Ethan and I were to stay that evening. Chapter 99 After traveling by carriage from morning to evening for a full half-day, we arrived at the Ind of Knowledge, where Luminor Academy is located. Ethan and I decided to stay at an inn to take the entrance exam at the academy the day after tomorrow. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] This was actually amon method used by studentsing from far away to take the exam, regardless of whether they weremoners or nobles. The Ind of Knowledge was somewhat istedpared to other cities due to its unique location, and if one were to bete, one could waste an entire year waiting for the next date. Of course, in this world, luxurious ways of room reservations like phone bookings weren¡¯t possible, so we naturally had to check for vacant rooms at the inn on the day of arrival. At the inn, where we had even left our horse and carriage, an unexpected problem arose for Ethan and me. ¡°You¡¯re saying there¡¯s only one vacant room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, young master. At this time, all of the rooms are always full because of the academy entrance exam.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± In a situation where we needed to stay at the inn for five days from today for the entrance exam, there was one major problem. Only one room remained in the inn we intended to stay at. ¡°I see. Maid, let¡¯s look around at other inns for now.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I don¡¯t want you, noble young master, and your maid to have your trip wasted, but it¡¯ll probably be the same at other inns.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Our inn still has one room left because we¡¯re a bit far from the academy, but you¡¯ll probably find it hard to find vacant rooms as you go deeper into the ind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And even if youe back some other time, I can¡¯t guarantee that the room I just mentioned will still be avable. We need to ept guests too, after all.¡± The innkeeper¡¯s words stopped Ethan, who was about to go out to search for other inns. Judging by hisposed attitude, he didn¡¯t seem to be lying. In fact, the people still remaining in the restaurant on the first floor at thiste evening added to his credibility. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Most of them appeared to be a mix of males and females in theirte teens to early twenties. It wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that they were also here to take the academy entrance exam, just like us. ¡°Is there any chance for you to sell another room for a premium¡­?¡± ¡°All other rooms are already booked. And at this time of year, noble children like yourself frequentlye to stay even at out-of-the-way inns like this. I¡¯m sorry to say, but I have no intention of offending the other nobles by being blinded by a momentary greed for money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t seem to realize that he was actually offending the eldest son of the ckwood family with that attitude. Well, even betweenmoners and nobles, using force or pressure on an innkeeper who wanted to follow principles was quite against proper conduct. Ethan seemed to know this and didn¡¯t intend to reveal the ckwood family crest. ¡°If you really need a vacant room, you¡¯ll have to negotiate directly with other room guests. But, all of them are students who came to prepare for the academy entrance exam, so I highly doubt they¡¯ll be willing to give up their rooms.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve already left your carriage with our inn, haven¡¯t you? It won¡¯t be easy to go around pulling the carriage again at thiste hour, and it would be troublesome to stay at another inn while leaving just the carriage here.¡± The innkeeper¡¯s expression indirectly suggested that we should just sleep in one room together. Certainly, following his suggestion would be the most amicable solution right now. The academy entrance exam was an important test with one¡¯s life at stake, whethermoner or noble. So, it¡¯s understandable that they wouldn¡¯t want to risk disturbing their well-being on the day of the exam by selling their room for extra money. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to use the ckwood family¡¯s status to semi-forcefully take over a room from someone else, but that would be no different from the improper conduct mentioned earlier. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Moreover, since the coachman was supposed to find his own lodging and meals while Ethan and I stayed here, it would be troublesome to now take the carriage from the stable and move it somewhere else. As the innkeeper said, the problem would be solved if Ethan and I just slept in one room. For some reason, Ethan seemed unable toe to that conclusion and kept looking at me cautiously. ¡®Is he ufortable sleeping with me, his exclusive maid?¡¯ It might seem strange to be ufortable just sharing a room when we¡¯ve already gone as far as me offering my chest, but human feelings areplicated, so you never know. I also momentarily felt my mind being filled withplicated thoughts at the thought of having to stay in the same room for one night, or possibly more, and it reminded me ofst night. But that¡¯s that, and this is this. My allowing Ethan to touch my chest was just a reward for his winning against Harold in their duel, it didn¡¯t mean I was permanently entitling him to part of my body. In other words, as long as Ethan didn¡¯t do anything strange, sharing a room with him wasn¡¯t really a problem. After all, once we entered the academy, I, as his exclusive maid, would be using the same dormitory room as Ethan, so this could be seen as a practice run for that. ¡­The problem, however, was Ethan. Considering he was facing the entrance exam, he would want to maintain his condition as best as possible, and having someone else in his bed could certainly be a disturbing factor. I thought he might be worrying about that. Well, if he found us sharing one bed ufortable, I could justy some clothes on the floor and sleep there. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Thinking the conclusion had been tentatively reached, I conveyed to Ethan that we should stay here instead of wasting a trip to find amodation elsewhere. ¡°If it¡¯s not ufortable for you, young master, I¡¯ll use the same room as you until a vacant room bes avable.¡± ¡°M-maid? Are you serious?¡± ¡°If you find it ufortable to share the same bed with me, I can sleep on the floor with clothesid out. I brought clothes for three days so I cany one set on the floor and use another to cover myself.¡± ¡°Ah, no! That¡¯s not what I meant when I asked if you were serious¡­¡± ¡°If you find even sharing the same room ufortable, I can sleep in the carriage in the stable. If you could just keep my luggage in your room, considering the risk of theft¡­¡± ¡°H-how much do you charge for one night in that vacant room you just mentioned?¡± ¡°At this time of year, it¡¯s two silver coins per night.¡± Clink. ¡°I¡¯ll rent it for five nights.¡± ¡°Oh my, thank you very much~.¡± The innkeeper, who received ten silver coins from Ethan, handed over the room key with a brazen expression. Ethan, recing his previous troubled expression, quickly took me up to the second floor, where the guest rooms were located. ¡°I understand, so let¡¯s just go up and rest for now, Maid. That¡¯s enough of the strange talk.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particrly ufortable with you using the same bed. I mean, don¡¯t say things like sleeping on the floor.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Fortunately, it seemed Ethan wasn¡¯t particrly bothered about sharing a room with me or lying on the same bed. It¡¯s a relief that I won¡¯t have to sleep on the floor. After receiving the key for the room Ethan and I were to use and entering, we were greeted by a room that was surprisingly spacious. It was fortunate that the one remaining room happened to be a double room. If it had been a single room, I would have had to lie on the floor regardless of Ethan¡¯s consideration. Of course, even though it was a double room, there was still only one bed, so it was still an environment that required some attention, but I wasn¡¯t so tactless as to grumble about such things. Well, just having an attached bathroom where we could wash ourselves was enough. Whileundry could be handled with Clean without any problem, washing one¡¯s body was impossible with Clean. You might ask why Clean, which can handle dishwashing and even peeling vegetable skins, can¡¯t wash bodies. Well, that¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s because they need to collect CG scenes of female characters bathing. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] We must never forget the fact that this game is essentially an eroge (T/N: Japanese ng for an erotic game) disguised as an academy game. No matter how good the story is or how high the degree of freedom is, an eroge is still an eroge. Of course, in the game, there was content about how the sacred act of making the body clean shouldn¡¯t be reced by magic and such, but to a gamer, it seemed nothing more than an excuse to collect bathing CGs of female characters. We must never forget that the game developers were serious about collecting erotic CGs to the extent that even a personal room in this out-of-the-way innes with an attached bathroom. ¡°Do you want to wash up first, Maid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± ¡­Why does a simple question about who wants to wash first seem to carry a different meaning today? Let¡¯s not think strange thoughts. It¡¯s just sleeping and waking up in the same lodging for five days, right? ¡­And if a vacant room bes avable, we can move then. The Swordsmanship Department entrance exam, which is expected to have the most applicants, starts the day after tomorrow, so empty rooms will probably start appearing from then on. I collected myself and shook my head as I answered Ethan. ¡°No, even though we¡¯re outside the mansion, you¡¯re still my master, young master, so it¡¯s right for you to wash first.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Th-then I¡¯ll wash first, Maid¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the clothes you¡¯ll change into in front of the bathroom.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± With those words, Ethan entered the bathroom to wash off the fatigue of half a day. After confirming the sound of water sshing up and down from inside the bathroom, I immediately started unpacking and organizing the luggage we had brought. I unpacked Ethan¡¯s clothes bag first, of course, rather than my own. Since I had packed most of Ethan¡¯s clothes bag myself, I could easily find where everything was. I took out his clothes to change into, underwear, and a towel, stacked them neatly, and then used Clean to wash the clothes Ethan had taken off before entering, organizing them inside the now-empty luggage bag. It¡¯s quite convenient to be able to use Clean without having to worry about other people¡¯s gazes. Before, I could only use it in the kitchen, the only ce where magic use was allowed, for fear of being caught. ¡°I wonder if preparing and cing this much will be enough.¡± We had already eaten dinner adequately with preserved food in the carriage earlier, and there was no need to go outside the inn again now, so it should be fine to change directly into my nightwear. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Since I¡¯ll need to wash up right after Ethanes out, I should take out the clothes I¡¯ll wear in advance, too. After setting up two sets of nightwear to change into, I opened the door leading to the bathroom and went inside. As usual, I put down the clothes to change into in the changing room between the bathroom and the room. ¡°Young Master Ethan, I¡¯ll ce the clothes you¡¯ll change into in front of the bathroom door in the changing room¡­¡± ¡°M-maid? W-why are you suddenlying into the bathroom?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡­Oh, right. This isn¡¯t the ckwood mansion. Chapter 100 An awkward gaze meeting quietly in the bathroom, and a startled reaction. It was natural for Ethan to react that way. After all, he was naked and showed that state to me. I had thoughtlessly recalled the times I used to prepare Ethan¡¯s bath at the ckwood mansion, assuming there would naturally be a changing room beyond the door and then the bathroom. I should have expected that such a cramped inn wouldn¡¯t separate the changing room and bathroom. Fortunately, thanks to him having his back turned towards the door, I couldn¡¯t see him at an angle where some truly dangerous parts were visible. ¡­To be honest, I didn¡¯t particrly want to look anyway. What¡¯s the point of observing another man¡¯s member? Am I going topare it with mine from my previous life? While I was momentarily flustered by the situation I faced, thinking such thoughts, Ethan carefully called out to me and asked. ¡°M-maid? Did youe in by mistake?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. The structure of this room is different from the mansion, so mistakes can happen.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me. I¡¯ll ce your clothes to change into outside.¡± ¡°O-okay. Be careful next time.¡± Fortunately, Ethan generously overlooked my mistake, not paying much attention to it. As I was about to retreat quietly with backward steps at his kindness, Ethan¡¯s bare back suddenly caught my eye. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Come to think of it, there¡¯s no such thing as a back scrubber to wash one¡¯s back with in this world. The only thing used as a bath scrubber in this world was a round ball of fur-like material made by drying and processing a specific nt. Bathing in this world requires another person¡¯s help to properly wash one¡¯s back. Of course, Lilith¡¯s body was basically flexible enough to reach her back, so there was no problem washing it myself. But it would probably be quite difficult for the current Ethan to wash his back by himself. The more muscle a man gains, the stiffer his body tends to be. ¡­Well, although it wasn¡¯t intentional, I had already seen Ethan¡¯s body. As a way of apologizing for that, I quietly took off my knee-highs and moved into the bathroom to wash his back. Ssh, ssh. ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°M-maid?! You haven¡¯t left yet?¡± ¡°I just realized that I¡¯ve never helped you bathe until now.¡± ¡°Wh-what?!¡± ¡°It must be difficult for you to reach your back and waist by yourself. So, I¡¯ll help you with just those parts.¡± With those words, I brought my hand holding the round bath towel from beside the tub to Ethan¡¯s back. Surprised by my action, he bent over while sitting, looking at me cautiously. ¡°Th-there¡¯s no need for that, maid. I can wash my back by myself.¡± ¡°How do you intend to reach your back with such a muscr body, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­A-anyway!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy, young master. I¡¯m just fulfilling my duty as your exclusive maid.¡± ¡°I-I said it¡¯s not necessary! That¡¯s enough, get out quickly!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan twisted his body away, reacting with rm as soon as my hand touched his back. Seeing this, it was clear he really didn¡¯t wee having his back washed by my hand. ¡­Somehow, it¡¯s a bit irritating. I could understand if the genders had changed, but he¡¯s a man too, and he¡¯s freaking out just because my hand touched his back a little? Come to think of it, justst night, Ethan was directly kneading my bare chest. He¡¯s fine with touching my chest but can¡¯t even stand my hand touching his back a little. Feeling a bit annoyed at Ethan¡¯s brazen attitude, I silently put down the bath towel I was holding. For some reason, I didn¡¯t quite understand. It was a moment when I felt a bit angry. ¡°I understand, young master. If you dislike my hand touching your body that much, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°N-no. I didn¡¯t mean that I particrly dislike your hand touching me.¡± ¡°I understand well that someone who¡¯s been kneading my chest about twice a month can¡¯t tolerate even my hand touching their back.¡± ¡°M-maid?¡± ¡°Since you say you dislike my hand touching your body so much, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I won¡¯t do such presumptuous things as helping you bathe from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­I offered to wash him since I was thinking of him, but there was no need to react so rmingly. I don¡¯t care anymore. Whether his back is unreachable or itchy, he can handle it himself. I had already put down the clothes to change into in front of the bathroom door anyway. As I was about to return to the bedroom, leaving Ethan in the bathroom¡­ This time, I suddenly heard Ethan¡¯s voice calling me urgently. ¡°M-maid!¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°N-no. Well, um.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Actually, my back is a bit itchy, so could you wash just that part for me?¡± ¡­See, I knew he¡¯d be like this. In the end, he was going to call me when his back got itchy, so why did he put on unnecessary airs? Well, I am Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, and I also needed to apologize for seeing his naked body once already. Here, I, being broad-minded, had no choice but to grant his request. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I guess it can¡¯t be helped, young master. I¡¯ll have to wash you.¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Please do.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°You¡¯re just showing your back to your exclusive maid, so there¡¯s no need to be shy.¡± I, who had stood up to return to the room, crouched down behind Ethan again and picked up the bath towel I had put down. From behind Ethan, who was carefully presenting his back to me, I thoroughly rubbed the parts he couldn¡¯t reach with the bath towel. Helping with bathing turned out to be surprisingly doable once I actually did it. ============ In the dark dawn, when twilight had settled, even moonlight no longer illuminated the night sky. The first night on the Ind of Knowledge for Ethan and Lilith, who had experienced various things throughout the day since departing from the mansion, was passing like that. On the bed meant to rest their tired bodies, Ethan Richard ckwood was quietly lost in thought. ¡°Snore¡­ Snore¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at his exclusive maid, Lilith ckwood¡­ Rosewood, sleeping peacefully beside him. ¡®¡­You¡¯re sleeping so peacefully.¡¯ Unlike himself, who couldn¡¯t easily fall asleep due to his pounding heart, his exclusive maid had fallen asleep as soon as shey down. As an exclusive maid, she would have started her day earlier than him, and above all, it was natural in a way that she, who must have been tired from serving him all day today, fell asleep easily. Considering that he himself couldn¡¯t fall into deep sleep even after two hours of lying in bed, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little resentful. ¡°¡­¡± He was so tense that he couldn¡¯t close his eyes just from sharing the same room. Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange dissatisfaction with this attitude that seemedpletely indifferent to whether they shared the same bed or the same nket. He still couldn¡¯t grasp how to approach Lilith¡­ ¡­especially when he thought about what had happened with her in the bathroom today. ¡®Was it because she doesn¡¯t think of me as a man that she entered the bathroom without hesitation while I was bathing? Or was she really angry because I refused when she wanted to wash my back?¡¯ For Ethan, Lilith was always like this. Sometimes, she would treat him nonchntly, as if she didn¡¯t see him as a man at all, and at other times, she would show strange behavior as if she really had some feelings for him. Although their rtionship had certainly be much closer than when she first started as his exclusive maid, he couldn¡¯t guess just how close they had be. Clearly, his initial n of wanting to move forward while gradually confirming her feelings hadpletely reversed at some point. Although it was an action born from a misunderstanding, he ended up touching Lilith¡¯s chest in a daze. Because of that, seeing him unable toe to his senses, she reluctantly allowed the next act as well. In this current rtionship, where physical connection seemed to take precedence over emotional connection no matter how he thought about it, Ethan always worried whether he should view this positively or not. There¡¯s a saying that when the body desires, the heart follows, but it was Ethan himself also wished for the heart to approach first. He had even tried to lead the physical rtionship into emotional love by attempting to share feelings during physical intimacy, but that strategy didn¡¯t work out as well as he had thought. Rather, the more he tried such attempts, the more displeased Lilith seemed to be the next day, so Ethan had no choice but to offer careful apologies whenever he noticed her mood. ¡­If only he could enter her heart just once. If he could at least know what feelings she had for him, he would be able to decide what to do. Whether to maintain the current rtionship and move forward slowly or to approach a bit faster before losing her¡­ ¡­or whether it would be wise to ept that there was no hope and let her go early. ¡®¡­For now, it¡¯s a problem without an answer.¡¯ Since he couldn¡¯t know the correct answer, all he could do was continue to put in more effort. The academy¡¯s swordsmanship exam was the day after tomorrow. In other words, there was still one day of leeway until tomorrow. Since it was a rare day with a free schedule, it might be a good idea to go around the Ind of Knowledge with Lilith tomorrow for a secret date. Just as Ethan was about to fall into deep sleep, imagining walking around the ind where Luminor Academy was located with her. He began to feel two soft sensations wrapping around his forearm up and down. Squish. ¡®¡­Squish?¡¯ At that familiar yet warm sensation, he slightly opened his eyes to look at the space beside him, and there was Lilith, peacefully asleep while facing towards him. His forearm was sandwiched between her two breasts, up and down. Ethan barely managed to cover his mouth with one hand to stop the voice that was about to burst out. ¡°¡­!!¡± Although it was a chest he had touched many times before, this was the first time his forearm had been sandwiched between her breasts. Ethan tried to quickly pull out his arm, worried that she might feel embarrassed. However, as he tried to pull out his arm, Lilith¡¯s action of embracing him even more tightly made Ethan have to hold back his voice once again. Sli-ide. ¡°¡­¡± Squeeze! ¡°¡­!!!¡± On the first night at a remote inn on the Ind of Knowledge¡­ Ethan¡¯s sleepless night was destined to be prolonged. Chapter 101 On the third day since Ethan and I arrived on the Ind of Knowledge¡­ We finished our preparations early in the morning and set out for the academy a bit early. That¡¯s because today was finally the day for Ethan to take the ¡®Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam¡¯ to enroll in Luminor Academy. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°How are you feeling, young master?¡± ¡°Fine. I got enough sleep, and I¡¯m fully prepared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried you might be nervous about the entrance exam since you seemed to have trouble sleeping yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­That was because of you, Maid.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± How silly. Well, it¡¯s fortunate that his condition seemed fine on the day of the exam. Yesterday, he looked tired all day, as if he hadn¡¯t slept well. He was the one who suggested we go sightseeing on the first day if we arrived without dys in our schedule, but what was he thinking, falling asleep until evening due to fatigue? As a result, we had to stay at the inn for most of the second day after arriving on the Ind of Knowledge. We even had all three meals at the tavern-cum-restaurant on the first floor of the inn. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ It¡¯s fortunate that his condition seems better for today¡¯s exam. He probably felt fatigued from the long and unfamiliar carriage journey. It was a thousand times fortunate that we set out a day early. At least it¡¯s much better than being tired andining on the day of the exam. Of course, this year¡¯s entrance exam for nobles was expected to have an extremely low passing score for all departments except magic; at least the evaluation reflected in the entrance exam would be helpful in building connections during the first semester. Naturally, more people would flock to the department¡¯s top student rather than the one at the bottom.@@novelbin@@ ¡®With Ethan¡¯s current skills, he could definitely aim for the top of the department.¡¯ Even though it was a mock duel using wooden swords, he had the skills to win against a Sword Master asionally. If he could disy even half of his usual skills, he¡¯d be able to achieve a score that would surpass most other students. The only variable would be how strong the protagonist is¡­ Well, at least Ethan won¡¯t encounter him today. Today is the Noble Entrance Exam for the academy¡¯s Swordsmanship Department. If the protagonist character enters that department, he¡¯ll participate in tomorrow¡¯s Commoner Entrance Exam. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] They mightpete for the top spot, but their directly crossing swords would happen quite a whileter. ¡°It¡¯s quite a distance from the inn to Luminor Academy, should we call a coachman to drive us?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better to walk. Many nobles will arrive at the exam site on the morning of the exam, so taking a carriage might actually make uster.¡± ¡°I think so too, young master.¡± ¡°¡­If the exam finishes early, let¡¯s look around the ind this afternoon to make up for what we couldn¡¯t do yesterday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, young master.¡± Thanks to Ethan¡¯s wise decision, we fortunately avoided experiencing the traffic congestion from my previous life in this world. After walking for a while, we entered Luminor Academy, avoiding the long line of carriages that appeared. The Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam at Luminor Academy takes ce from morning to evening. Fortunately, not all applicants have to take the exam from morning to evening; the exam proceeds in order of arrival. First, students who arrive at the academy are grouped into fours in order of arrival to take the entrance exam. These groups of four prospective students engage in one-on-one sword duels. The principle is to face each opponent once, so there will be a total of six duels. Each person will have three duels, one with each opponent. Including the time for six duels and the breaks in between, the dueling for each group usually finishes in about one or two hours. New students, who haven¡¯t even entered the academy yet, won¡¯t have dozens of sword exchanges, nor will they typically maintain a standoff for over ten minutes while looking for an opening in their opponent. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] After finishing the duels thatst one or two hours, the eptance results are posted on the academy bulletin board the next morning or the morning after that. In Ethan¡¯s case, since he¡¯s taking the Noble Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam, it will happen the morning after the Commoner Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam ends. By the way,ing first in a group of four doesn¡¯t guarantee eptance, nor doesing fourth guarantee failure. The four-person group dueling method is just a way to save time and eliminate variables, not to evaluate the four prospective students rtive to each other. How unfair would it be if the future 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ranked students of the Swordsmanship Department were grouped together, and the 4th ce student was rejected foring fourth? What really affects the grades is the evaluation given by the supervisors who observe the sword duels. In that sense, it can be considered somewhat fair. Of course, since it¡¯s a subjective evaluation done by humans, it can¡¯t be considered perfect, but that¡¯s how all exams are. I¡¯m not worried because, with Ethan¡¯s skill level, he won¡¯t go and lose shamefully in any battle. Besides, he¡¯s long past the age where I need to look after him for everything. ¡°Did you pack the two swords properly, young master?¡± ¡°Yes, I packed them here properly.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t forget to hang the long sword on your right side, did you? Since your swordsmanship involves holding the short sword in your right hand, to draw quickly when unsheathing¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware. I have to manage the swords myself anyway, Maid. You don¡¯t need to take care of every little thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check once more if the belt to tie the swords is properly fastened. It could be dangerous if it loosens duringbat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already checked, maid¡­¡± I¡¯m not worried at all. Because I¡¯ve seen Ethan¡¯s skills up close until now. Although I¡¯m a bit concerned that today¡¯s duel will be with real swords instead of wooden ones, the academy¡¯s dueling grounds are rtively safe, so there shouldn¡¯t be any danger. In the first ce, the judges will intervene and stop the duel before it¡¯spletely decided in most cases, and even if someone receives a fatal wound, they won¡¯t die but will be transferred to the Aurelian Church within Luminor Academy. To prevent fatalities during duels between academy students, the exam site is covered with ¡®Death Prevention Magic.¡¯ [GxyTL/Axiomatic] In that sense, it was much safer than the mock dueling grounds where he sparred with Harold¡­ ¡­in the sense that there was absolutely no possibility of death. If the Death Prevention Magic were to activate and someone got revived in the church, it would surely be Ethan¡¯s opponent who was cut by Ethan¡¯s sword, not Ethan himself. That was certain. ¡°Since you¡¯ll be dueling with real swords, you must be even more careful in observing your opponent¡¯s movements. Although they say you won¡¯t lose your life, the momentary pain of being wounded will be etched in your memory.¡± ¡°I appreciate the advice, but I¡¯ve already heard about practical dueling from Father, so you don¡¯t need to worry, Lilith.¡± ¡°There might be opponents who attack inpletely unpredictable ways, unlike that of the master. Not all swordsmen always attack urately and efficiently. Rather than attempting attacks that endure injury, it¡¯s better to prioritize safety duringbat¡­¡± ¡°I said you don¡¯t need to worry, Maid¡­¡± I¡¯m not worried at all because I believe in Ethan. I¡¯m really not worried at all about how he fights. After Ethan returned from registering his name at the academy¡¯s Swordsmanship Department reception¡­ With some time to spare, Ethan and I waited leisurely on a bench near the reception for his duel opponents to be determined. ¡°It¡¯s still early morning, but there are surprisingly quite a few people.¡± ¡°If they miss the chance this year, they¡¯ll have to wait until next year. Even nobles would be diligent on a day like today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also a noble now, Maid.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯te here as a noble, I came as your maid for today, young master.¡± ¡­And if I had to say, I actually had almost no authority as a noble in reality. Thinking of it as just an empty title to safely graduate from the academy, it was much morefortable to just think that I wasn¡¯t a noble. It was a useless title unless I was going to belong to the ckwood family for life. ¡­Come to think of it, I wonder who Ethan¡¯s duel opponents will be today. ¡°Young Master Ethan, may I ask what your registration number is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 15.¡± ¡°Then Applicant Numbers 13, 14, and 16 will be your duel opponents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± By the way, nobles taking the exam at this early hour were more likely to be lower-ranking nobles rather than high-ranking ones. Most high-ranking noble applicants were probably stuck in traffic somewhere on the road in their backed-up carriages by now. It was typical of nobles to wait for hours on the road rather than walk directly on the road themselves, even if it took several hours. Of course, this tendency became more severe the higher-ranking the noble was. In other words, the duel opponents encountered at this time were likely to be rtively weak opponents. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Generally, high-ranking nobles hadrger mana capacities than lower-ranking nobles, and their swordsmanship itself was more developed, so it was a natural result. Well, no matter who the opponent was, Ethan would probably win easily. As I was thinking this and waiting for Ethan¡¯s turn to duel, someone who looked like a guide staff member started calling out the applicants for the next duel in front of the dueling ground. ¡°The following people should prepare for the next exam! Applicant Number 13, Louis Finn Agonis!¡± Number 13 would be one of Ethan¡¯s duel opponents. Judging by the unfamiliar feeling of the name, he probably wasn¡¯t a major character. Given that I¡¯ve never heard of the Agonis family name, they were probably a baron or quasi-baron family from the bordends. As I was thinking this and waiting for the next name to be called, the name of applicant number 14 soon reached my ears. ¡°Applicant Number 14, Benjamin Huckleberry Belvin!¡± This was also a name I¡¯d never heard before. Both the name Benjamin and the surname Belvin. As expected, there were many applicants from bordend families in the morning time slot. Probably the only high-ranking noble taking the exam by walking directly at this time would be someone like Ethan. If these are the opponents, Ethan will probably win easily. ¡°Applicant Number 15, Ethan Richard ckwood!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, young master.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After confirming that Ethan¡¯s name as the 15th applicant was called, I was about to move towards the dueling ground with him. However, at that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but doubt my ears at the name of the next applicant that came from the guide staff¡¯s mouth. ¡°Lastly, Applicant Number 16, Caraham Jamuel August!¡± ¡°¡­Caraham?¡± ¡­Why is his nameing up here? Chapter 102 About an hour before Ethan and Lilith arrived at Luminor Academy¡­ Caraham Jamuel August, the eldest son of Jamuel Bruce August, Margrave of Alteration, and the hereditary sessor of the August-style swordsmanship, was also heading towards the academy to take the entrance exam for the Swordsmanship Department. In a carriage adorned with the August family crest, he was shaking his legs with an anxious expression, unable to sit still. Tremble, tremble. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tremble, tremble. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tremble, tremb¡­ ¡°Caraham! Can you stop shaking your legs?! With your size, your trembling is making the whole carriage shake!¡± ¡°S-sorry, sister!¡± Caraham bowed his head at the shout of his only sister, Lizzy Lynn August. Thanks to her warning, he managed topose himself and calm down for a moment. He somehow managed to stop his shaking leg and seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment. However, this temporary stability began to waver again like ripples on a calm water¡¯s surface in less than five minutes. Tremble, tremble. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tremble, tremb¡­ ¡°Ca~ra~hammm~!¡± ¡°So-sorry, sister! I-I unconsciously¡­ due to anxiety¡­!¡± ¡°¡­*sigh*, really now¡­¡± Seeing her younger brother shaking his leg in the Augusts¡¯ carriage as if he was about to jump out at any moment, Lizzy let out a sigh. Wondering what had made her younger brother so anxious, she asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s just the academy entrance exam, isn¡¯t it? Where¡¯s your usual confident attitude, saying you¡¯d never lose since Father has passed down the August-style swordsmanship to you?¡± ¡°N-no, sister! I¡¯m not feeling anxious about the sword duels in the entrance exam, it¡¯s for another reason¡­¡± ¡°What other reason?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve been feeling anxious about this carriage line that hasn¡¯t been moving at all! We¡¯ve been standing still without moving for an hour now, so of course, I can¡¯t help but feel anxious!¡± ¡°Ah, Caraham¡­¡± Lizzy had thought about cheering him up, thinking that even her brother might be nervous about the entrance exam, but seeing her brother scared for a much more ridiculous reason than she had thought, she couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated. In the end, instead of encouragement, she started advising him to maintain his noble dignity, as she always had. ¡°What¡¯s there to be so anxious about just because the carriage has been stopped for about an hour? A noble should be able to wait patiently in a carriage for five hours or ten hours.¡± ¡°Of course I can wait patiently in a carriage when traveling long distances! Bu-but when we¡¯re standing still like this, we can¡¯t move forward! When on earth are we going to arrive at Luminor Academy?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural for carriages to be stuck on the day of the academy¡¯s exam. By now, the nobles of the carriages at the front should be finishing their exams and leaving one by one, so this line of stopped carriages should clear up in about three or four hours.¡± ¡°Th-three or four hours?! What if the entrance exam ends by then?! If I, the eldest son of the August family, can¡¯t take the exam and can¡¯t enter the academy, what aughingstock it would be¡­¡± ¡°The academy entrance exam is held from morning to evening, so you don¡¯t need to worry! Anyway, if you really are a noble, act like one and sit quietly and read a book! Here!¡± ¡°O-okay, sister¡­¡± Lizzy handed her younger brother a book on the history of swordsmanship that she had prepared in case something like this happened, and Caraham received it in a daze. He forcibly opened the book he had received in an attempt to somehow calm his anxious mind, but in his anxious mental state, there was no way the contents of the book could properly enter his head. Above all, the history book, which was full of text with almost no pictures, only served to confuse Caraham¡¯s mind even more. ¡°If you really can¡¯t stand it, lean against the carriage wall and take a nap. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive at the academy¡­¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do this after all, sister.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave for the academy first. It seems it would be much faster for me to run there myself than to wait here for the carriage to move.¡± With those words, Caraham grabbed his sword that was leaning against the carriage wall and jumped out of the carriage. Lizzy urgently called out to her younger brother, who was suddenly showing some strange behavior, but Caraham¡¯s footsteps were already quickly running toward Luminor Academy. ¡°Hey, Caraham! Hey!!¡± ¡°Take your timeing, sister!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even taking the exam today! And you¡¯re going to leave me alone in the carriage while you go ahead? Come back right now!¡± ¡°I¡¯lle back after taking the entrance exam!¡± ¡°Hey, HEEEEY!!!¡± Caraham had already started moving towards the academy, disregarding his sister¡¯s calls. Only Lizzy was left alone in the August carriage, which had lost its purpose. ¡°AAAAGH! And I came along because I was worried!!¡± Only the screams of the youngdy of the Augusts, left in the still turtle-paced carriage line, quietly echoed around. ¡°Lastly, Applicant Number 16, Caraham Jamuel August!¡± ¡°¡­Caraham?¡± Caraham Jamuel August. At the sudden appearance of this named character, I, too, began to feel a strange tension for a moment. To the extent that I thought for a moment that I might have misheard. Of course, I immediately realized that I hadn¡¯t misheard when I heard the boisterous and stupid voice that followed. ¡°Yes! The eldest son of Jamuel Bruce August! The sessor of the August-style swordsmanship, Caraham Jamuel August!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the loud voice and ridiculous self-introduction, not only mine and Ethan¡¯s gazes but also those of the guide staff and other applicants were momentarily drawn. However, the eldest son of the Augusts, just as oblivious as in the original game, simply walked shamelessly towards the guide staff. ¡°Is the exam room this way inside?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Please go inside and have a pre-evaluation duel with the other applicants.¡± ¡°HAHA, I understand! Thank you for your hard work!¡± Then Caraham entered the exam room with his loud voice, following me and Ethan.@@novelbin@@ I had a hunch that it would be a waste of time if we encountered him, so I hurriedly urged Ethan to move deeper into the exam room. ¡°Let¡¯s go in quickly, young master. If the young master of the Augusts happens to recognize you, it might lead to some troublesome situations.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, Maid. I¡¯m not very used to that type of person either¡­¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Young Master Ethan over there! It¡¯s been a long time!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As expected of a sturdy youth of the empire, Caraham immediately recognized Ethan just by the back of his head in this dimly lit dueling hall corridor. Why does he have to act like he knows us in a ce like this? It seems he had made acquaintance when he visited the capital once during a gathering of the imperial guard members, excluding me. ¡­Although it seemed Ethan didn¡¯t particrly want to be close to him. Anyway, it would be impolite to ignore and pass by when another noble young master has spoken to you first, so Ethan had no choice but to respond to Caraham¡¯s question. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a while, Young Master Caraham.¡± ¡°Thest time we met was when we weremended by His Majesty the Emperor. It brings back memories to see you here again.¡± ¡°¡­I see. I didn¡¯t expect to encounter you here again, either.¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan, I had no idea that you would also be taking the entrance exam for the academy¡¯s Swordsmanship Department this year! I thought you would be much too young to take the academy¡¯s entrance exam yet.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks for thepliment.¡± Ethan¡¯s expression momentarily scrunched up strongly at Caraham¡¯s tactless greeting. It was already well-known among most nobles that Ethan didn¡¯t age for 5 years due to a curse, but to think he would brazenly mention that part so nonchntly¡­ Really, just like at the masquerade ball, he was still as tactless as ever. ¡°By the way, it seems your sister didn¡¯te with you, Caraham. I thought a man like you with muscles for brains would need your sister to stick to you like glue.¡± ¡°Ah, my sister is in the carriage right now! She said she was worried about me and came to see me off!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. She says she¡¯s worried but doesn¡¯t attend the exam itself. It seems her affection for you isn¡¯t that deep after all.¡± ¡°Haha, you jest well, Young Master Ethan! It would take at least an hour for my sister to walk from the August carriage to the academy, I couldn¡¯t trouble her with such effort!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Caraham¡¯s words, which made absolutely no sense, were confusing. Even though Ethan, whose Achilles¡¯ heel had been stimted, openly referred to him and his sister as muscle-brains and clingy, Caraham didn¡¯t understand the insults with his stupid head and let it slide. There was no way Ethan could win in a simple conversation with this blockhead. Caraham probably didn¡¯t even think he was in a verbal sparring match to begin with. As the two were facing off, another guide staff from inside the exam room called for Ethan and Caraham. The footsteps of the two, which had momentarily stopped due to the unexpected encounter, moved into the exam room. ¡°Applicants! You need to enter now!¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s continue the rest of our conversation with swords.¡± ¡°Haha! I look forward to it, Young Master Ethan!¡± The two prospective freshmen moved to the exam room in a strange tension. I simply followed them into the exam room, standing next to Ethan without a word. I quietly prayed inside that the exam would end safely without any major injuries. ¡°Come to think of it, I feel like I¡¯ve seen the person next to you somewhere¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Caraham.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? I apologize for my mistake.¡± ¡­He may be tactless, but his unnecessarily sharp eye for faces is just like in the game. Chapter 103 From the very first duel of Luminor Academy¡¯s Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam¡­ Ethan was facing his opponent across from him in a rather tense state. It was because he was about to face Caraham Jamuel August, the eldest son of the August Margrave family, as his first duel opponent. ¡°I look forward to our match, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Likewise, Young Master Caraham.¡± Although they had never crossed swords directly, they had already encountered each other a couple of times before. In their first meeting, Caraham, along with his sister, had been rude to both Ethan and Lilith. Their second encounter was when they met again while receiving rewards for defending against the monster invasion of the Imperial Pce. He had heard that during the invasion, Caraham had defended against the magical beasts attacking the horses and carriages near the stables at the southern gate. Considering the number and strength of the magical beasts that had swarmed him then, it was highly likely that he wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent to defeat. Of course, Ethan had also trained much morepared to that time; he was even winning a round here and there in mock duels against his father, who was a Sword Master, but still¡­ ¡­for some reason, Ethan¡¯s intuition was telling him something. He felt a strong warning that he should absolutely not underestimate the opponent before him. @@novelbin@@ <¡­I understand, maid. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.> Perhaps because he had received advice from his maid before the match, he couldn¡¯t help but feel more tense. Even when he blocked and deflected his father¡¯s sword in mock duels, he often felt considerable fatigue in one arm, and now he had heard that his opponent wielded an even heavier sword. Of course, he wondered how a mere maid knew about the strengths and weaknesses of the August-style swordsmanship, but he didn¡¯t bother to ask about that. Ethan, who had already benefited from her advice several times, had reached the point where he no longer doubted Lilith¡¯s words. As Ethan prepared to cross swords with the opponent before him and took his stance, the young master of the August family across from him began to speak calmly before the test. ¡°To face you, Young Master Ethan, from the start, I¡¯m quite lucky.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wanted topete with you before, Young Master Ethan. I, too, though not as much as you, wielded a sword and contributed during the attack on the Imperial Pce. But, Young Master Ethan, I heard that you achieved even greater merits than I did, so I was curious about what level of swordsmanship skills you might possess.¡± ¡°¡­What does that have to do with you being lucky to face me as your first opponent?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± As Caraham reached for the huge greatsword on his back, preparing to draw it at any moment, a remark that sounded almost casual reached Ethan¡¯s ears. ¡°If we face each other in the first duel, Young Master Ethan, at least you won¡¯t be able to make excuses about losing due to umted fatigue.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan bit his lower lip hard at Caraham¡¯s provocation once again. It became another reason for Ethan¡¯s desire not to lose in the duel that Lilith was watching for him to grow even stronger. On the other hand, Caraham, not even realizing that his words were a provocation, was likewise finishing his preparations to draw and swing his sword. In an atmosphere filled with intense tension, the entrance exam judge announced the preparation for the duel. ¡°Ready¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Begin!¡± As soon as the entrance exam judge dered the start, both of them sprang forward. The two faced each other at the center of the training ground, slightly closer to Caraham¡¯s side, and exchanged blows right there. Caraham attempted a vertical sh as he drew the greatsword from his back with his first step. His sword traced a vertical semicircle in the air, aiming to strike down on Ethan¡¯s body, standing directly in front. As Lilith had advised, instead of blocking the sword head-on, Ethan avoided the first strike with quick movements. Crack! ¡°¡­!¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by the power that shattered the stone floor where Caraham¡¯s sword had struck after he dodged. If he had tried to block it with one hand, his arm would have been crushed along with it. Recalling Lilith¡¯s advice in his mind once again, Ethan rushed at Caraham while he was raising his sword again. Caraham, as if he had predicted Ethan¡¯s reaction, ducked to avoid one attack and then rammed his left shoulder into Ethan¡¯s chest. Bam! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Ethan¡¯s body was thrown back by the body that was as stupid and hard as the sword he wielded. As soon as Ethan¡¯s posture crumbled, Caraham, who had regained his grip on his sword, was now the one rushing at Ethan. ¡®As expected of a member of the August family, his entire body is a weapon.¡¯ The thought suddenly crossed Ethan¡¯s mind that it wasn¡¯t for nothing that the August family had been defending the western border for generations. True to the Augusts, who had been strengthening their bodies using mana since childhood, even that brief collision was enough for Ethan to feel the solid muscles throughout Caraham¡¯s body. With such a robust physique, it must be possible for him to fight with that slow and heavy greatsword. However, Ethan was also the heir of the ckwood family, who had learned the family¡¯s mana swordsmanship from his father. When it came to the technique of strengthening the body with mana to wield a sword, he was notcking, either. It might be impossible to fully defend against that greatsword with his own sword and strength, but at least it seemed possible to guide it to strike elsewhere. In the second exchange, as soon as Ethan avoided Caraham¡¯s sword, he thrust both swords in his hands simultaneously towards Caraham¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­!!¡± Caraham, who was about to swing his sword down to the floor again, hurriedly changed its trajectory when he saw the sudden attack aiming for his vital point. Fortunately, his greatsword, which changed direction just in time, seeded in deflecting Ethan¡¯s swords before receiving a fatal wound. The twin swords in the ckwood young master¡¯s hands were inevitably blocked in the contest of strength. ng! With the small shockwave of mana that burst as the three swords collided simultaneously, the two were forced to create distance between them. Separated by about five steps, Ethan and Caraham both breathed heavily. Even though they had barely exchanged two blows, sweat was pouring from their bodies as if by the bucketful. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°Huu, huu¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re, you¡¯re quite skilled, Young Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huu, you too.¡± As soon as they finished their brief rest and conversation, the two men¡¯s figures rushed towards each other again. After that, Ethan and Caraham¡¯s duel continued for twenty more exchanges. Caraham stubbornly swung his slow but unstoppable greatsword at Ethan, one attack after another. Ethan avoided Caraham¡¯s sword with quick movements and the agility of his two swords, attempting attacks, or when he couldn¡¯t avoid, he blocked with both swords and created space. Unlike the previous applicants¡¯ duels that were decided in just 3 minutes, their duel was still not over even after nearly 15 minutes had passed. For both Ethan and Caraham, fatigue from consuming mana while wildly swinging their swords was gradually overtaking their bodies. ¡®The next exchange will probably be thest.¡¯ Ethan could intuitively sense that if the duel dragged on any longer, he would undoubtedly be the first to copse from exhaustion. He wasn¡¯t sure about the level of Caraham¡¯s stamina, but it would be arrogant to hope that that stubborn-looking man would copse before him. So, he had to make his move to decide the match. In the final showdown, he would create an opening and thrust in a decisive blow. Whoosh! ¡®Here ites¡­!¡¯ Once again, a slow and heavy blow came flying towards him. Ethan, who had elerated his body by squeezing out thest of his mana, avoided Caraham¡¯s sword one more time. The swords in both of his hands aimed for Caraham¡¯s nape once again. ¡°¡­!¡± Caraham, remembering Ethan¡¯s attempt at the same attack as in the second exchange, tried to block Ethan¡¯s swords by twisting his descending sword just as he had done then. However, thest thing Caraham saw before his sword shed was that Ethan had only one sword, held in his left hand. ng! ¡°¡­!!¡± Moreover, as if Ethan hadn¡¯t even really intended topete properly, he let go of the sword in his left hand far too easily. Startled by this nonchnt reaction, Caraham desperately searched for Ethan¡¯s other hand. But by the time the other sword entered Caraham¡¯s vision, he could only realize that he was already toote. The sword in Ethan¡¯s right hand was already at the moment just before plunging into Caraham¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­Stop! That¡¯s enough!!¡± ¡°Uck¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Haaa.¡± Caraham tensed up, thinking a sword was about to pierce his chest, while Ethan barely managed to stop his sword just before thrusting upon hearing the judge¡¯s deration. With only the tip of the sharp sword bearing the ckwood crest lightly cutting the center of Caraham¡¯s upper garment, the judge¡¯s announcement of the result of the duel followed. ¡°Winner, Ethan Richard ckwood!¡± ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡± Thud. ¡°¡­¡­¡± As soon as the judge¡¯s announcement ended, Caraham dropped the sword he was holding and slumped to the floor. Ethan silently watched Caraham¡¯s figure as he sheathed the sword in his hand. ¡°Well done, Young Master Caraham.¡± ¡°¡­I learned a lot.¡± After exchanging brief greetings, Ethan retrieved the other sword that had been sent flying by Caraham¡¯s sword and sheathed it in the opposite scabbard. As much as he wanted to sit down on the floor like that and rest, Ethan had a reason why he couldn¡¯t do so. ¡°Well done, Young Master Ethan. It was truly an excellent duel.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you. Thanks for watching the duel, Maid.¡± After all, the desire to show off a little more in front of the woman one likes is amon desire of men all over the world. Chapter 104 After Ethan and Caraham¡¯s duel ended, the remaining four duels passed by so quickly that they could be considered almost instantaneous. It was so fast that it took less than a minute for them to win each match. Given the overwhelming difference in skill between the two of them and the rest of the applicants, this was only natural. There was probably some reason why the other applicants felt pressured even before starting their duels after seeing Ethan and Caraham¡¯s match. As a result, because the other duels ended as quickly as the duel between the two had been prolonged, the overall exam time wasn¡¯t significantly dyed. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­Actually, if he hadn¡¯t faced Caraham here, it probably would have ended much faster. I don¡¯t understand why this guy, who¡¯s supposed to be from a Margrave family, ising to take the entrance exam at such an early hour instead of leisurely riding a carriage. Well, I suppose I¡¯m in no position to talk, serving a young master from a Ducal family who walked from the lodgings to the academy. After the Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam, consisting of six duels, ended, Caraham and Ethan began to have a rather serious conversation outside the dueling arena. ¡°AHAHAHA, I really thought I was going to die. Your skill with two swords is truly formidable, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Your sword was quite difficult to parry as well. I¡¯m amazed at how you can swing such a heavy sword at that speed.¡± ¡°HAHAHA, as you said, Young Master Ethan, it¡¯s because I¡¯m full of muscle even in my head that I can swing it like that!¡± ¡°¡­I apologize for what I said earlier. It seems we¡¯ll be seeing each other often at the academy from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? Young Master Ethan, did you say something that warranted an apology to me? I don¡¯t remember, but I ept the apology, HAHAHA!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan was surprised and bewildered by Caraham¡¯s iprehensible character. Then, as if seeking agreement, he sent me a look and carefully evaluated him. ¡°I¡¯ve just realized this, Maid, but do you also think that Young Master Caraham¡­¡± ¡°¡­He seems tock the ability to read people¡¯s hearts, and his refinement seems a bitcking for the son of a margrave, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person. I suppose he said you looked young simply because he didn¡¯t know the circumstances.¡± ¡°¡­I see, so that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°Thanks to that, he probably didn¡¯t take your insult as an insult either.¡± Caraham, in the original game, was somewhat more serious than he is now, unlike the current Caraham, who seems to have no worries about the world at all. If things had gone as originally nned, his personality should have changed a bit after Lizzy¡¯s death, but it seems to have continued unchanged. The title of ¡®Tactless Caraham¡¯ will probably soon change to ¡®Extremely Tactless Caraham¡¯ in the near future. ¡°It seemed like you two were talking earlier without me, Young Master Ethan. You must have a good rtionship with your exclusive maid!¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s right. Come to think of it, Caraham, are you not the type to have an exclusive maid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but for some reason, my exclusive maids change frequently! It¡¯s tiring to introduce myself to a new maid every time, so I¡¯ve stopped having maids altogether since about two years ago!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s fine! When I need to go out like today, my sister always takes care of things for me!¡± Ethan, with an expression that suggested he understood why Caraham¡¯s exclusive maids changed frequently, responded with silence. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I, too, privately mourned for Lizzy, who had been struggling outside the game¡¯s story. Meanwhile, Caraham, who had beenughing with a shameless voice, shifted his gaze towards me, slightly furrowed his brow, and leaned his head towards me. ¡°But, you know¡­ I really feel like I¡¯ve seen this maid somewhere before. I couldn¡¯t recognize her immediately in the dark corridor earlier, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°¡­When I met Young Master Ethan at the Imperial Pcest time, I don¡¯t remember seeing a maid like this. If it was a maid with such a striking appearance, I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten¡­¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps you¡¯re mistaking me for someone else.¡± ¡°Is that so? But seeing how you¡¯re sticking close to Young Master Ethan¡¯s side, I feel like I might remember something¡­¡± ¡°¡­Come to think of it, Caraham, didn¡¯t you say earlier that your sister was following in a carriage?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! I told my sister I¡¯d return after taking the exam, I almost forgot!¡± ¡°Then you should hurry back.¡± Thanks to Ethan¡¯s quick thinking, Caraham, who had almost remembered me from the masquerade ball, seemed toe to his senses and sheathed his sword. With the huge sword as big as himself slung on his back, he bid farewell to Ethan. ¡°It was truly enjoyable to match swordsmanship with you today, Young Master Ethan! I look forward to seeing you at the academy in the future!¡± ¡°Yes, you too¡­¡± ¡°My sister is waiting, so I¡¯ll take my leave now!¡± Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! ¡°¡­¡­¡± The young master of the August family, who had shown nothing but rudeness and shamelessness to Ethan until the very end, disappeared like the wind. All that remained was Ethan¡¯s right hand, lonely in the air, having lost the person to shake hands with. ¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to hold it instead. sp. ¡°Well done, young master.¡± ¡°Maid¡­?¡± ¡°Even from my perspective, it was truly impressive swordsmanship. I¡¯m not sure if I should say this, but you looked even more impressive exchanging swords with Young Master Caraham than when you duel with the master.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, there¡¯s a difference between training with wooden swords and dueling with real swords, but at least from the perspective of a mere maid, that¡¯s how it felt.¡± ¡­Actually seeing it made me feel like I had really entered the world of ¡°Luminor Academy¡±. Is thebat level of Ethan and Caraham for real? It¡¯s truly awe-inspiring. At this level, he could genuinelypete on equal terms with the protagonist. Of course, that¡¯s assuming the protagonist¡¯s skill is at a ¡®normal¡¯ yer¡¯s level. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Since there¡¯s still very little information about the protagonist, an investigation into the protagonist¡¯s tendencies would only be possible after Part 2 of the main story begins. I just hoped that clich¨¦s like a world without a protagonist wouldn¡¯t happen.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Th-then, Maid¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If you really thought the duel I just had looked impressive, could you grant me one request?¡± ¡°A request?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Like when I win duels against Father at the mansion.¡± ¡°Like when you duel with the master at the mansion¡­¡± When Ethan mentioned that part specifically and said he wanted to make a request, I naturally recalled what had happened the night beforest. Feeling a sense of crisis, I hurriedly hugged my chest and took a step back. ¡°Ah, no! Unless it¡¯s on the condition of winning against the master in a duel, I can¡¯t offer my chest for this duel! I-I won¡¯t deny that Young Master Caraham was a formidable opponent, but¡­¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not it, Maid! I wasn¡¯t trying to make any strange requests!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°¡­If you listen and think it¡¯s strange, you can refuse on the spot. I promise I won¡¯t make weird requests like asking to t-t-touch those at the inn.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I briefly thought that if he had defeated someone like Caraham, maybe he deserved to touch my chest, but I quickly shook off the dangerous thought that had momentarily crossed my mind. If I carelessly lowered my guard in this area and allowed things one by one, there was a possibility that the line of demands would gradually be more severeter on. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Offering my chest as a reward every time he defeated an opponent like this was essentially the same as dering that he could touch my chest regrly throughout his time at the academy. There was no need to create a new pretext when the regr duels with Harold wereing to an end. ¡­Still, since Ethan had said with his own mouth that it wasn¡¯t that kind of request, it was worth listening to. He also said I could refuse after hearing if it was a strange request. ¡°Since you say it¡¯s not a strange request, I¡¯ll listen and decide after, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Do you remember when I said we could walk around the ind together in the afternoon if the entrance exam ended early today?¡± ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a bitte because we met Young Master Caraham, but it¡¯s still before lunch. I think we have enough time to look around the ind; what do you think?¡± ¡°Yes. I think we should have a few hours to spare as well.¡± ¡°Th-then!¡± It was a moment when even I felt a bit tense, seeing Ethan¡¯s expression full of tension and even stumbling over his words as he made his request. But when I heard what his request actually was, I felt a bit let down. ¡°Can we hold hands while we walk around the ind together today?¡± ¡°¡­Hold hands? You and me, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Are you perhaps using an idiomatic expression¡­¡± ¡°¡­Please understand it literally.¡± ¡­What kind of request is it to suddenly ask to hold hands while sightseeing? Still, I suppose it¡¯s much better than asking to touch my chest, right¡­? Although the proposal to walk around holding hands wasn¡¯t particrly wee, there wasn¡¯t really any reason to refuse either. ¡°Alright, young master. If that¡¯s the extent of your request, I¡¯d be happy to oblige.¡± ¡°¡­Really, Maid?¡± ¡°Yes. If your request is merely to walk around holding hands with me, I can certainly amodate that much.¡± Even if he hadn¡¯t defeated Caraham, I probably wouldn¡¯t have refused anyway. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a celebrity or something; what¡¯s the big deal about walking around holding hands? It would be strange to be overly sensitive about holding hands when I¡¯ve already offered my chest. To begin with, asking for permission to merely hold hands with me, his exclusive maid, was excessively polite. That level of request was something he could easily order using his authority over his exclusive maid. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If it were really two men holding hands and walking around, it would honestly be a bit embarrassing, but I was Lilith on the outside, anyway. It meant that as long as I acted confidently, there was no reason for it to look strange, so I simply took Ethan¡¯s hand without hesitation and started walking. Grasp. ¡°Then, shall we go, young master?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes¡­! Ah, is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go, Maid?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are many good restaurants for lunch in the western part of the Ind of Knowledge. Since your entrance exam is over, how about we satisfy your hunger first?¡± ¡°Y-yes. That sounds good¡­¡± Except for times when we had to let go of our hands for meals and such, we toured around the Ind of Knowledge holding hands until evening. Despite it still being winter, my face felt strangely hot. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 [Entrance Exam -Magic Department- (1)] Two days after Ethan and Caraham took the Noble Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam¡­ Once again, Ethan and I prepared to depart for Luminor Academy to take one of the other academy entrance exams. Of course, we didn¡¯t depart for Ethan¡¯s Swordsmanship Department exam, which had already ended, but for my Magic Department Entrance Exam. By the way, it rained all day yesterday, so we couldn¡¯t go outside the inn. That meant I had to spend most of the day in the same space with Ethan. Resting and talking together in the same room, or going down to the first floor of the inn together for meals¡­e to think of it, even if it hadn¡¯t rained, the day probably wouldn¡¯t have been much different. We¡¯ve already been living like this for the past three days; it¡¯s almost like we¡¯re living together. We¡¯ve even reached the point where we eat meals together these days. He says there¡¯s no need to be overly formal, even when we¡¯re outside. ¡®It might not be bad to get used to this kind of daily life.¡¯ Since Ethan¡¯s admission to the Swordsmanship Department was almost certain, my entry into Luminor Academy was also practically confirmed. The only difference would be whether I enter as a student of the same academy as Ethan, or enter as just an exclusive maid if I fail the exam. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Either way, I had already made a prior agreement with Harold to maintain my role as his exclusive maid, so ¡°living together¡± during our time at the academy was already confirmed. Of course, since there are separate rooms for exclusive maids in the academy¡¯s noble dormitory, we won¡¯t have to share the same bed as we do now. The difference between whether I enter the academy or not¡­ would probably be whether Isabel follows us to Luminor Academy or not. If I happened to fail the Magic Department Entrance Exam, there would naturally be no need to call Isabel, who was supposed to share my exclusive maid duties, to the academy. ¡­I think Isabel also seemed to want toe to the academy when I saw her before, so I should try to pass somehow to avoid being resentedter. ¡°Today is the Magic Department exam, right, Maid?¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be rooting for you to pass. ¡­No, since it¡¯s you, Maid, you¡¯ll definitely be able to pass, so you might as well aim for the top spot.¡± ¡°Thank you for your support, young master.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we walk today too. I saw earlier that there¡¯s a line of carriages in front of our inn as well. It would be a waste of time to wait in a carriage for too long.¡± ¡°I think so too, young master.¡± So, with Ethan¡¯s encouragement, we left the inn and walked to Luminor Academy, avoiding the line of carriages that stretched to the front of our inn. Regardless of Ethan¡¯s encouragement to aim for the top spot, I didn¡¯t really expect to be able to take first ce in the Magic Department entrance exam. This was because there was a good chance that at least one, maybe even two characters with a higher magical aptitude than me would be entering as new students in the Magic Department this year. One of them was ¡°Hellfire Agnes,¡± whom I had met before. The other was, of course, the protagonist character*1. ¡­Although it wasn¡¯t confirmed yet whether they would enter the Magic Department. Anyway, neither of them were characters that Lilith could beat in terms of magical aptitude. In other words, no matter how well I did in the entrance exam, reaching second ce after Agnes would be my limit. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] By the way, the protagonist character had such cheat-like basic aptitudes that they could enter 7 out of the 8 departments that exist in the academy. Of course, they inevitably grew into a character specialized in one ability depending on which department they entered. In this respect, Luminor Academy really brought out its unique charm as an academy-themed game. Except for the Theology Department, which trains prospective priests of the Aurelia Church, it meant that the protagonist character could essentially enter all departments of the academy. Of course, among those seven departments, there were departments that were helpful for gamey or good for pursuing specific heroines, so in the end, the departments that were frequently entered became standardized. ¡®If it were me in my previous life, I probably would have proceeded with the Swordsmanship Department route.¡¯ In fact, the Swordsmanship Department route was the route I yed the most when ying Luminor Academy in my previous world. There were two main reasons for this. One was that by entering the same department as ¡°Swift Sword Natalie,¡± my favorite character, it became much easier to pursue her. The other reason was that when proceeding with the Swordsmanship Department route, it was possible to get involved with Lilith a little faster. Although I¡¯m lucky enough to be preparing for the Magic Department Entrance Exam now, Lilith wasn¡¯t originally a student at Luminor Academy in the game. She was just a character who entered as the disgusting guy¡¯s sexual¡­ no, as an exclusive maid. Moreover, she was a character whose treatment in the game was so consistently and extremely negative that it seemed intentionally cruel. Theter the first encounter with Lilith urred, the more irreversibly intense the disgusting guy¡¯s ¡°training¡± of Lilith became. So, my past self, who didn¡¯t want that, chose the route that met Lilith as early as possible most often. Even if she had already been defiled by one disgusting guy, which was unavoidable as it had already happened, I couldn¡¯t bear to see her being vited by the disgusting guy¡¯s underlings or even dogs. It was important to me, who had made all sorts of efforts to find Lilith¡¯s virgin route. ¡­Of course, for me now, I desperately hoped that the protagonist would not choose the Swordsmanship Department. I absolutely refused to get involved with the protagonist now and get tangled up in the main story, and above all, if Ethan got involved with the protagonist, there was a possibility that things wouldn¡¯t turn out so well. ¡®If the protagonist and Ethan happen to meet in the Swordsmanship Department and the story flows into something ominous like in the original game¡­¡¯ If Ethan were the disgusting guy like in the original game, it would be a different story, but the current Ethan, who is my master, is a necessary existence for me. In that sense, I didn¡¯t want them to confront each other at all. For now, the current Ethan is the heir of the ckwood main family who can maintain my noble status. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] He also yed the role of protecting me, who had to enter with the awkward status of a quasi-viscount daughter. Moreover, personally, I didn¡¯t want to see Ethan, who hadn¡¯t done anything wrong in this world, and the ckwood family meet a tragic demise, so if the protagonist were to face Ethan in a life-or-death battle in the Swordsmanship Department, there would be no worse situation for me now. As I was thinking about this while walking towards the academy to take the Magic Department entrance exam, Ethan turned to me with a slightly worried expression and asked. ¡°Are you worried about something, Maid?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You look serious. Are you perhaps worried about the entrance exam?¡± ¡°¡­A little bit, yes.¡± To be precise, it wasn¡¯t my entrance exam I was worried about, but the protagonist¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Maid. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°Thank you, young master.¡± ¡°¡­And if you do well in the entrance exam, I¡¯ll grant you one wish.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°You granted one of my wishes the day before yesterday. This makes it fair, right?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to be this conscientious. Of course, refusing kindness that¡¯s being offered would also be against etiquette, so I dly epted Ethan¡¯s offer. ¡°I understand, young master. Then I will dly ept your kindness.¡± ¡°Yes, good luck with the entrance exam.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. You already know my magic skills well, don¡¯t you, young master?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m still worried that you might suddenly cause trouble again.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ignoring Ethan¡¯s out-of-context remark for now, I firstpleted the registration process for taking the Magic Department Entrance Exam. ¡­Well, the entrance exam should be a piece of cake for Lilith. Unlike the Swordsmanship Department¡¯s entrance exam, where you have mock duels with each of the other three people in your group, the Magic Department¡¯s entrance exam was conducted quite simply. You just needed to hit targets ced at a certain distance using magic, and the pass/fail grade cut was determined by how many points you scored within the given chances. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an absolute evaluation but a rtive one, and since Luminor Academy¡¯s Magic Department had a fixed quota, it was important to hit as many as possible. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If you tried to control your power and pretended to be ordinary, you would end up failing. Especially in the case of the Magic Department, due to its nature, it was a department where all sorts of nobles gathered. It could be said that the average skill level of the department was superiorpared to other departments. ¡°You need to destroy as many of the ten scarecrows you see in front as possible. You can cast magic a maximum of five times, and if you destroy all targets within those five chances, you can receive a higher score the fewer attempts you use.¡± After hearing exnations of other rules, such as targets further away are worth more points than closer ones, and moving targets and sturdy targets are worth more points than other targets¡­ Looking at the ten targets visible in front of me, I tried to get a rough idea of how to approach them. There are ten targets but I only had five chances. It was clearly a means to distinguish between applicants who could use multi-casting or AoE magic and those who couldn¡¯t.@@novelbin@@ Seeing that the farthest target is 300 meters away, it seems that they¡¯re also evaluating our maximum range. Moving targets and such are probably for evaluating how quickly you can use offensive magic or how well you can use it at the timing you want. Sturdy targets would be the standard for evaluating the power of one¡¯s magic itself. Although it was a simple test of destroying just ten targets, it had sufficient discriminatory power as an evaluation. ¡®If I use triple casting well, I should be able to hit them all somehow.¡¯ Three at a time. The one furthest away needs to be shot with concentration, so that one will have to be dealt with separately. After roughly nning in my head, I briefly chanted the spell for Magic Arrow with triple casting above my right hand. ¡°Hoooh¡­¡± The exam supervisor looked with quite an interested gaze at the three magic arrows created above my hand with a single chant. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It was a natural reaction. While double casting might be understandable, there would probably be almost no applicants who could do triple casting. It was time for the magic skills I learned while peeling potatoes in the kitchen at dawn to shine. ¡°Pierce, arrows of magic!¡± Whoosh! As soon as I finished chanting the spell while swinging my right hand forward, three magic arrows flew forward. At first, I aimed at the three closest targets to warm up. If I just repeat this two more times, I should be able to easily destroy up to nine targets¡­ Thud, Thud, Thud! ¡°¡­Hm?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± However, unlike the scene I had imagined in my head, the three magic arrows that flew from my hand all traced strange trajectories and fell to the ground. For a moment, unable to grasp the situation, one of Lilith¡¯s ability stats shed through my confused mind. ¡ºLuck: 2¡» Ah, right. This cursed uracy stat¡­ Chapter 106 Chapter 106 [Entrance Exam -Magic Department- (2)] As soon as all three magic arrows from my triple cast in my first attempt plunged into the ground, a strange sense of crisis began to swirl in my mind. ¡®Wait, did I just fail¡­?¡¯ Even excluding Mana st, I had two offensive spells I could use, plus I could utilize triple-casting, and on top of that, I could use Clean as a support spell, so I hadn¡¯t been particrly nervous. But as soon as I started the target destruction test, a sense of crisis began to creep up, sensing that I had failed. Lilith¡¯s current luck stat is only 2. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Converted to the hit rate form of ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± it was a measly figure of only about 4-5%. The number of spells I could use simultaneously was limited to triple-casting at best, so even if I used all five chances with triple-casting, I could only use magic a total of 15 times. Ah, no. I¡¯ve already messed up once, so I only have 12 chances left. ¡­This is even more desperate, damn it. If I¡¯m not careful, there¡¯s a possibility of a disaster where I keep using triple-casting and fail without destroying even a single target. ¡®This wasn¡¯t the time to be spouting nonsense about it being a piece of cake.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the time to becent, thinking I¡¯d pass for sure. It was a moment when my possibility of crashing to the ground in the entrance exam, just like the magic arrows that had just flown, was looming. It was a moment when Lilith¡¯s innate limitation of her terribly low luck stat was truly holding her back. ¡­Instead of regretting this desperate stat that couldn¡¯t escape single digits even at Level 9, I should be thinking about how to ovee this situation right now. The problem I was facing was an entrance exam that wouldn¡¯t be strange to fail right away. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, take it slowly.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± It¡¯s not because of nervousness that I can¡¯t hit. It¡¯s just that this character itself wasn¡¯t created for offensive magic. However, having already started the Magic Department¡¯s entrance exam, there was no way to back out now. It was now impossible to enter the academy through another department if things went wrong. Once I had taken the exam for the Magic Department, applying to other departments would be considered cheating by Luminor Academy. ¡­I guess I have no choice but to rely on luck somehow. Although relying on luck with Lilith, who had no luck, was insane in itself, I had no other choice at the moment. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] First, Shockwave was a short-range spell with a slight hit rate correction, so it wasn¡¯t a means I could use now. Also, Mana st consumed all magic power the moment it was used, so it was truly a spell with no backup, and strictly speaking, its range wasn¡¯t wide enough to guarantee passing. With really good luck, it could hit about three targets at once; otherwise, the limit was about two. Moreover, even if I used the nine skill points I had umted, I wasn¡¯t in a position to learn useful offensive magic right now. AoE magic would be the only thing I could try with a low hit rate, but it would take more than 9 skill points to learn area-of-effect magic now. ¡°Magic, dwell in my hand.¡± In the end, I made my decision and created three magic arrows through triple-casting just like before. This time too, I aimed at the three closest scarecrows and cast them as if throwing them, just like before. ¡°Pierce! Arrows of magic!¡± Thud, Thud, Thud! ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Ah. Ah, ah, AHHHHH!!!!!! Watching the magic arrows fly off course and crash into the ground after barely grazing the targets, I let out all kinds of screams in my mind. It¡¯s gotten to the point where the exam supervisor, unable to bear watching, carefully offered advice. ¡°It¡¯s good to try triple-casting, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to focus on hitting with one or two shots? If you pass the entrance exam, you¡¯ll be able to learn how to properly triple cast at the academy.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for the advice.¡± I understand why they would say that. From the academy staff¡¯s perspective, missing out on a talent who can do triple-casting before even entering would be quite painful. While double casting might be achievable through individual effort, triple-casting was magic that couldn¡¯t be used unless one had exceptional magical aptitude. So, I understand tearfully well the intention behind such advice, thinking to pass me first and then nurture me at the academy. ¡­To begin with, the problem wasn¡¯t the scattered concentration due to triple-casting. It was just that Lilith¡¯s terrible hit rate limited my attack magic. ¡°Pierce! Arrows of magic!¡± Crash!! ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± On the third attempt, miraculously, one out of three shots hit and destroyed a target. Although it was the second target from the front, the fact that it was destroyed was what mattered. It meant that I had somehow broken through the slim 5% probability and witnessed a small miracle. ¡®Now, if I can just hit four out of the remaining six shots¡­¡¯ If I could destroy just five out of ten, I might barely make it into the passing cut-off line. That level would mean I¡¯d be considered an average noble apprentice mage. Unable to use AoE magic or multi-casting, but skilled enough to hit targets steadily without mistakes during the 5 chances. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] To be precise, I just need to hit one shot on the fourth attempt. If I can do that, I should be able to destroy up to three targets with Mana st on thest attempt. Thinking that, I tried to shoot three magic arrows in a simr way to the third attempt on the fourth try, but the result for Lilith, with a single-digit hit rate and luck, was disastrous. Thud, Thud, Thud! ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As soon as I saw the magic arrows crashing to the ground, I heard the entrance exam supervisor¡¯s sigh-filled voice. I started to feel ashamed of myself for not being able to hit even stationary scarecrows. ¡°Applicant, why don¡¯t you try using it after calming down a bit? From what I can see, you seem to have enough talent¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ Really, if I could just hit one more shot, it seemed like I could somehow make it. Now, the only means left to me was to throw all my remaining magic power into one Mana st. Even if I was lucky enough to hit three targets, it was already a moment far from the passing range. If I had just hit one more from the triple-castings I¡¯ve used so far, I could have had some hope¡­ ¡®¡­Wait.¡¯ Come to think of it, I don¡¯t necessarily have to use triple-casting only for magic arrows, right? Yes, the premise was wrong from the start. The premise that Magic Arrow was the most suitable spell for using triple-casting was wrong. I hadn¡¯t thought of it until now because I was obsessed with the idea that Mana st was ast resort, but thinking about it, Mana st was actually the most effective spell to use with triple-casting. Since it¡¯s a spell that consumes all remaining magic power, the power of the three magic spheres should be simrly enhanced. Even if the power is dispersed and the range is somewhat reduced, Mana st itself was already a considerable area-of-effect spell. If I could hit special targets with three Mana sts, or hit two or more at once¡­ ¡°Applicant, with yourst attempt, please do your best¡­¡± ¡°Magic!!!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± The moment that thought urred to me, I started chanting the spell for the final sure-hit technique, imbuing both hands with the sensation of using Mana st. By chanting Mana st, along with triple-casting, three spheres immediately began to form above my hands. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The time for being at ease and saying things like I didn¡¯t want to stand out, if possible, had already passed. After all, the most important thing right now is to pass without failing. ¡°Uh, uh?! W-wait a moment, applicant?!¡± The exam supervisor called out to me in confusion upon seeing the three growing magic spheres, but it was magic that couldn¡¯t be stopped once started. Whatever I might hearter, for now, I had no choice but to just throw them. As I was putting about 500 mana into each shot, the power was already certain, and I didn¡¯t need to aim for a specific area with a 5-meter wide magic sphere like the Mana st I usedst time. I only needed to hit three important targets. The farthest target, the moving target, and the sturdy target. If I could definitely destroy these three highest-scoring targets, I should be able to put my name on the passing cut-off line, barring any extreme circumstances. If I¡¯m lucky enough to destroy other targets along with them, that would be a bonus. ¡°Explode!! Bombs of magic!!¡± With that thought, I threw the three magic spheres I had raised above my head forward with all my might. ¡­Soon after, three explosion sounds rang out at the Magic Department entrance exam site. Chapter 107 After somehow finishing the Mana st bombardment¡­ I mean, the Magic Department entrance exam. As soon as I hurriedly left the Magic Department exam site, where about threerge crater-like holes had formed, and returned to the central za of the academy, I encountered Ethan waiting at the ce we agreed on. ¡°Maid, did the exam go well?¡± ¡­Should I say that it went well? Well, since it seemed I had at least avoided failing, I answered moderately to avoid unnecessary worry. ¡°Yes. Well¡­ it seems I did reasonably well.¡± ¡°Reasonably¡­? Was the exam difficult for you, Lilith?¡± ¡°No. Well¡­ it wasn¡¯t that difficult.¡±@@novelbin@@ I just jumped in as Lilith without any preparation and almost failedpletely. Still, it was fortunate, if you could call it that, that I somehow managed to pull through, thanks to the Mana sts on my final attempt. In the end, the targets I destroyed totaled six. I hit one of the sturdiest targets and one next to it¡­ one moving target and one next to it¡­ ¡­and one of the farthest targets, plus one that I hit by chance while firing magic arrows. I destroyed more than half, including the three highest-scoring targets, for a total of six, so my strategy was sessful. ¡­To be honest, it¡¯s rather ridiculous that I only destroyed six targets after firing magic of that scale. But, well, who cares? As long as I reach a passing score, that¡¯s all that matters. As for how to increase my hit rate, that is, how to increase my Luck, I¡¯d have to figure that out after entering the academy. There were a few subjects that increased Luck during academy sses, after all. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°If you¡¯re curious about whether I passed, you don¡¯t need to worry. It looks like I¡¯ll be able to pass sufficiently.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. However, since the exam subject wasn¡¯t my strong area, I probably won¡¯t get a high score.¡± ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be helped. Everyone has things they¡¯re good at and things they¡¯re not. I know you¡¯re an excellent mage, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I think I heard a familiar explosion sound from the exam site earlier, was that caused by you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t today the day your Swordsmanship Department exam resultse out, young master? Did you check while I was taking the exam?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I wanted to check together with you.¡± ¡°That works out well. We still have time before lunch, so how about checking now, young master?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that.¡± So, we moved together to the bulletin board in front of the academy headquarters to check whether Ethan was epted into the Swordsmanship Department. In fact, what I was really curious about wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s results but whether another character had entered the Swordsmanship Department. It was time to confirm whether the protagonist had entered the Swordsmanship Department as expected or had chosen another department. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to find Ethan¡¯s name on the bulletin board in front of the academy headquarters. Generally, when the academy posts multiple student names on a bulletin board, they don¡¯t distinguish between nobles andmoners. Of course, they don¡¯t distinguish between noble ranks either. The method of Luminor Academy was to sort names in ascending order, regardless of whether noble andmoner names were mixed. It¡¯s probably the most fair way to present the results and it¡¯s less likely to be nitpicked. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As I¡¯ve mentioned many times, Luminor Academy was a domestic game, so sorting names in ascending order meant sorting them in alphabetical order. Looking around the list near ¡®E,¡¯ I was soon able to find Ethan¡¯s name. ¡­ Arc Rilkenia Ethan Richard ckwood*1 Emma Lightsword ¡­ ¡°Maid, did you find it?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve passed splendidly, young master.¡± ¡°Sp-splendidly¡­¡± ¡°Congrattions. At least you won¡¯t have to hear the master¡¯s scolding.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, thanks. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Maid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the reward for your efforts, young master.¡± ¡­Well, I¡¯ll admit that I didn¡¯t do absolutely nothing. If I hadn¡¯t stimted Ethan, he probably wouldn¡¯t have built up this level of swordsmanship skill, and he might not have been able to guarantee victory in the duel with Caraham. Still, the most important thing was that Ethan achieved this result because he worked hard. I just provided a bit of motivation. By the way, I also roughly checked whether other major characters were epted. I only looked for those who affected the main plot of the game, like Natalie or Caraham. I briefly wondered if Caraham¡¯s defeat in the duel with Ethan might affect his eptance, but looking at the results, it seemed the story so far wasn¡¯t deviating much from the original. ¡­Of course, what was important wasn¡¯t Ethan or Caraham, but whether the protagonist character had entered the Swordsmanship Department. ¡®How do I find the protagonist¡¯s name among all these names¡­¡¯ Even if I had sunk 2,000 hours into Luminor Academy in my previous life, it was obviously impossible to memorize the names of all the students of the academy. What kind of crazy person could memorize the names of all the extras and minor characters? Still, it didn¡¯t matter. Even if I didn¡¯t know the protagonist character¡¯s name, there was a way to find them. It was by using the fact that in Luminor Academy, the protagonist character has a fixed surname. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It might seem strange that they let you freely choose the first name but fixed the surname, but for the game¡¯s story, this st name¡¯ had to be fixed. In this list of students, I just needed to find the surname ¡®Volt,¡¯ and that would lead to the full name of the protagonist. Volt¡­ Where¡¯s Volt, Volt¡­ ¡°Maid?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°What are you staring at so intently? Are you looking for someone?¡± ¡°¡­No. I just thought I¡¯d memorize some names as they might be in the same sses as you in the future, young master.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so diligent, Maid.¡± In fact, I was looking at the list on the bulletin board because there really was someone I was looking for. I decided to just check the first few lines on the front, as it seemed like Ethan might be suspicious if I kept looking for too long. The thought crossed my mind that I might be wasting time unnecessarily in a situation where I couldn¡¯t even be sure if the protagonist character had taken the Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam. As I was about to turn back after roughly scanning the names near the ¡®G¡¯ section, I was able to find a name that anyone would say could only belong to a yer. As soon as I confirmed that name, whose meaning I could roughly guess, I couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep despair. ¡°Ah, aaaah¡­¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Maid?¡± ¡°Ah, n-nothing¡­ It¡¯s nothing, young master.¡± ¡°¡­For nothing, your expression is quite serious.¡± ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be. I-I¡¯mpletely fine, y-young master.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go back to the inn and rest for now. You seem tired from the entrance exam today, Maid.¡± ¡°Y-yes, yes, yes¡­¡± My mind was filled with all sorts ofplex emotions just from confirming the protagonist¡¯s name. At the same time, it was a moment when I began to seriously worry about whether this world itself could be safe. No matter how I thought about it, the hero of this world who chose that kind of name didn¡¯t seem at all likely to try to catch the Demon King. About an hour after Ethan and Lilith left the bulletin board¡­ A man and a woman, with appearances and attire sufficient to attract many people¡¯s attention, walked directly to the bulletin board of the academy. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] A tall man with white hair with a two-handed sword at his waist¡­ ¡­and a woman with pink hair wrapped in a pure white priest¡¯s robe. Therge and small wounds on various parts of the man¡¯s body and armor indirectly indicated his experience in many battles. The star and curve patterns on the pure white priest¡¯s robe proved that she was a saint of the Aurelian Church. ¡°How did it go, Hero?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Hero of the Aurelian Church looked for his name by scanning the list of those who passed on the bulletin board from top to bottom with a serious expression. His gaze quietly stopped at one side of the bulletin board. After confirming his name written there, he let out a slightly troubled sigh and answered the woman. ¡°Fortunately, it seems I¡¯ve passed, Saint.¡± ¡°A-as expected of you, Hero! I knew you would pass! The ¡®fate¡¯ I felt about you said so, too.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you for believing in me, Saint Serista.¡± The pink-haired girl called Serista gave a smile to the Hero. However, he, paying little attention to such a bright smile, just quietly scanned the academy bulletin board once more. ¡°Natalie, Caraham, Ethan¡­ Is the original story flowing properly for now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then who was that woman I saw in Silverwood¡­? No matter how I looked at it, she looked exactly like Ariana. I¡¯m pretty sure the prostitute in Silverwood was supposed to be a petite woman with pink hair¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ Hero?¡± ¡°Was it set randomly without much meaning from the start? But other parts are still the same¡­¡± ¡°H-Hero¡­! Ho-how long are you going to keep standing in front of the bulletin board¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Saint Serista.¡± The Hero, who had been lost in thought and muttering to himself for a moment, quietly stepped back at Serista¡¯s words. The empty space he left was quickly filled by other applicants trying to check their eptance. ¡°Again, with the iprehensible talk about ¡®original story¡¯ and ¡®random,¡¯ what¡¯s the matter this time?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t exin to you, Saint Serista.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. If it¡¯s something you can¡¯t talk about, Hero, there must be a reason.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve been epted to the academy, let¡¯s go to the church today to report your achievements. I also need to prepare to enter the academy from next year by talking to the High Priest.¡± ¡°Understood, Saint.¡± Although he was still a man whose thoughts were impossible to understand, Serista enjoyed walking together with him while watching his expression. Having already gone through several hardships with the Hero, he already upied quite arge part of Serista¡¯s heart. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The fact that she could live as a student at the academy with him for the next four years was a fact that made her happy. ¡°From next year, both you and I will be students of Luminor Academy!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°As it has been until now, I look forward to working with you in the future! ¡­Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment as soon as he heard his name from Serista¡¯s mouth. As soon as she saw that expression, realizing her mistake, she hurriedly bowed her head to gauge his mood. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Hero! I-I was so happy that I identally¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. ¡­But next time, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could call me by my surname instead of my first name. As I¡¯ve said before, I don¡¯t really like my first name¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡­¡± The two headed towards the Aurelian Church at the academy, each carrying differentplicated emotions in their hearts. Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt, the Hero of Luminor Academy, and Serista, the fake saint of the Aurelian Church. Chapter 108 Although there were various events during the entrance exam, Ethan and I sessfully entered the Swordsmanship Department and Magic Department of the academy, respectively. We also confirmed that the key characters of the Swordsmanship and Magic Departments had passed their respective entrance exams. We couldn¡¯t wait for all of the remaining entrance exams that would continue for over a week, so we could only confirm the characters in these two departments that Ethan and I had applied for. Among the characters I confirmed that passed, the one that troubled my mind the most was, of course, the protagonist¡¯s name. Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt. It was a shocking name that felt like it would chip away at my mind just by imagining it in my head. Probably anyone who sees this name, that looks like it was created by randomly smashing a keyboard, would think the same. Of course, no matter how strange a name the Hero has that¡¯s hard to even pronounce, it doesn¡¯t actually affect what happens in Luminor Academy. It¡¯s just a difference between whether the yer can y with more immersion from the yer¡¯s perspective or just y casually, thinking that a game is just a game. And Gyeongmwa¡­ anyway, that guy¡¯s name was clearly closer to thetter for anyone who saw it. Of course, if it was really about controlling the protagonist as if ying a game, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Who cares what name you give your character? However, believe it or not, this world is now the undeniable reality where I live and breathe, and in reality, I simply couldn¡¯t trust a Hero who named himself like that. Well, whether I can trust the Hero or not, the world will go on as it is, and the inhabitants of this world will treat the protagonist with that strange name just like a normal hero. I, too, had to respond as normally as possible when I encountered that hero. I could be certain in my heart that if I got involved with this person as a fellow transmigrator, it would undoubtedly lead to unfavorable entanglements. ¡°Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt. Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt. Gyeongmwajo¡­ ge, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt¡­¡± If I mispronounced it at all, it would surely raise suspicion. No matter how strangely the protagonist¡¯s name was created, it was treated as a normal name in Luminor Academy, so stammering while pronouncing it would also be dangerous. As we were to depart for the academy again from today, I needed to memorize it thoroughly. ¡°¡­Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt. Good.¡± With this, the n to not get involved with the protagonist was somewhatplete. I should respond normally while pretending to be ¡®Simple-minded Maid Lilith¡¯ as much as possible, even if we meet. If he tries to get involved with Ethan in a strange way¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡­..I¡¯ll just block that part. I had clothes and daily necessities needed for staying at the academy for about four months, study materials, and other things needed for emergency funds or maid duties. I packed all the things I needed securely, so it was now time to board the carriage heading to Luminor Academy. In doing so, we¡¯d enter Part 2 of the story; the start of the main story of the original game, Luminor Academy: Age of Sword and Magic. As I¡¯ve mentioned once before, the main story of Luminor Academy is divided into five parts. Excluding Parts 1 and 5, which can be seen as the prologue and epilogue, the actual main story of the game could be said to start from Part 2, when you enter the academy. In other words, for Ethan and me, today¡¯s departure to the Ind of Knowledge could be said to be the beginning of the main story of Luminor Academy. It might seem a bit unfair that we have to return to the academy again less than a week after taking the entrance exam on the Ind of Knowledge, but it can¡¯t be ignored that the ckwood Estate was in an advantageous location. Nobles whose territories were located at the northern or eastern ends, ormoners who couldn¡¯t easily get carriages, had to wait for dormitory admission on the Ind of Knowledge after taking the entrance exam until they could enter the academy. The proximity of the ckwood Estate to the Ind of Knowledge was an advantage at times like this. ¡°Are you ready, Maid?¡± ¡°Yes, young master. However, there might be items missing from the luggage I prepared for you, so I rmend checking once more before departing.¡± ¡°I checkedst night. Anyway, the only important things we need are the academy uniform and my swords, so if needed, we¡¯ll buy and live with what we get there.¡± ¡°Understood, young master. Isabel has already gone down to the mansion entrance to load the luggage, so we just need you to be ready.¡± ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s depart. If we departte, we might have to camp overnight in the middle of the journey.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t really like camping events because the probability of encountering bandits is high. As Ethan said, it would be better to depart as soon as possible. If we really encounter something troublesome, like bandits, it would be unpleasant in many ways.@@novelbin@@ So, Ethan, having packed his luggage for staying at the academy for four months, ran down the grand staircase of the mansion to its entrance. There, we met the servants of the ckwood family gathered to see me, Ethan, and Isabel off. ¡°Have a safe trip, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll leave the mansion in your care for a while, Dittmeyer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll manage thoroughly so that we can wee you and the master whenever you return home.¡± ¡°Lilith Rosewood, Isabel Grace. Both of you, don¡¯t forget your responsibilities as maids, as your duty is to assist Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡±Yes, Head Maid.¡±¡± ¡°Especially you, Lilith Rosewood. Although you¡¯ve be a noble of a branch family of the ckwoods, as you remain Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I hope you¡¯ll do your best in your role as an exclusive maid. I still think of you as a maid of the ckwoods before being a nobledy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Head Maid.¡± ¡°¡­You shouldn¡¯t make me worry in order for me not to worry.¡± ¡­Well, I owe Head Maid Melissa in many ways. She was one of the few people who still treated me casually, like before, even after I became a nobledy. To be honest, it didn¡¯t feel good to be called ¡°youngdy¡± by other servants while wearing the same maid uniform as them, so I was rather more grateful for the consistent attitude of the head maid and Dittmeyer. The same goes for Isabel and Catherine, who still think of me as a friend and colleague. ¡°T-t-t-take care on your trip, Miss Lilith¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°And Isabel too¡­ Go and serve Young Master Ethan and Miss Lilith well¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Senior Catherine!¡± Catherine approached me and Isabel to give her farewell greetings as soon as the Head Maid¡¯s send-off ended. Today, the face of this pitiful crybaby maid seemed even more pitiful. ¡°Th-thank you for staying with a scatterbrain maid like me for years¡­ If it weren¡¯t for Miss Lilith and Isabel, I-I probably would have lived being bullied by Ariana and Alicia forever¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a scatterbrain maid, Senior Catherine. Neither Lilith nor I think of you as scatterbrained.¡± ¡°¡­No, more than that, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re parting forever. We¡¯ll return to the mansion for our summer vacation after the first semester, so why are you crying like this is thest time you¡¯ll be seeing us?¡± ¡°B-but still¡­ Un-until now, I¡¯ve worked hard because you two were here¡­ If both of you suddenly leave for the academy like this¡­ Uck, WAAAAAAH~!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, senior. Please stop!¡± Catherine is unable to let go of me and Isabel easily, probably because we have a history of working together as a team of junior maids in the past. Unlike when she sent me off alone about ten days ago, it seems her emotions finally overflowed when she had to send Isabel off as well. In two to three years, Catherine will also enter the ranks of the senior maids, but I wonder if it¡¯s okay to promote such a delicate person to a senior maid of a duke¡¯s family. Her working speed and skills were still the fastest and most reliable among the three of us, though. Thanks to Isabel¡¯s personality-fitting soothing andforting, Catherine was able to somehow stop crying and see us off with a smiling face. After finishing our goodbyes, the three of us ¨C me, Ethan, and Isabel ¨C finally boarded the carriage heading to the academy. ¡°Are the farewells over?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting, young master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll be apart for three months, so you should have enough time to talk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but we should still leave before it gets toote.¡± ¡°Right, Maid. And Isabel, get in the carriage too.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan!¡± Isabel entered the carriage, following Ethan and me with a particrly joyful expression. It seemed she was quite happy to visit the academy with the position of my exclusive maid. Well, it¡¯s not iprehensible that she¡¯s so happy, given that as an ordinarymoner, she would rarely have the chance to visit the academy, even as an exclusive maid. By the way, the reason Harold didn¡¯te out to see his son off was simple. While Ethan and I were away taking the academy entrance exam, Harold had left to go somewhere and hadn¡¯t returned yet. As a result, Ethan¡¯sst duel with Harold somehow fizzled out, and of course, there was no instance of me letting Ethan touch my chest when he won against Harold. In the end, Harold didn¡¯t return to the mansion until today, the day we departed for the academy again, so it¡¯s safe to say that Ethan won¡¯t have a chance to touch my chest for at least three to four months. Even if Ethan tries to make other conditions to touch my chest again or proposes other conditions, I n to refuse him thoroughly. The days of moaning in front of this guy every two weeks are now over. ¡­At least, during the semester. As I was thinking about this after boarding the carriage, the carriage bearing the ckwood family crest started moving with the sound of horse driving. The carriage carrying the three of us ¨C one new student of the Swordsmanship Department of Luminor Academy, one exclusive maid to assist thedy entering the academy, and me with the peculiar status of being both a new student of the Magic Department and the young master¡¯s exclusive maid ¨C moved along the southwest road. We moved towards Luminor Academy, where both expected and unexpected encounters were waiting. Chapter 109 The carriage carrying one coachman and three passengers moved towards the academy, maintaining a rather cheerful atmosphere. The scenery seemed somewhat familiar, probably because we had traveled this road once just a week ago. Perhaps the road itself had be familiar quite a while ago. After all, it was a path I often traveled when returning to the academy while ying Luminor Academy. ¡­Even though those memories from several years ago are starting to be a bit hazy. Well, it wasn¡¯t so bad since I had be ustomed to the atmosphere of this world to that extent. After all, the world I would have to live in for longer was not Korea, from my past, but rather the Argentian Empire. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The carriage moved forward, brushing past scenery that exuded the fresh atmosphere of early spring. Isabel, unlike her usual self, couldn¡¯t hide her slightly excited emotions and spoke to me as if thrilled. ¡°Lilith, Lilith. This is the first time I¡¯vee this far by carriage!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve often gone back and forth to the viges in the ckwood Estate for work, but this is the first time I¡¯vee this far by carriage.¡± Well, Isabel, whose living area had been within the ckwood Estate, had reason to be excited. I deliberately didn¡¯t ask questions about her hometown or her parents whom she used to live with. That was also the general courtesy among maids. In this world, most live-in maids in noble houses had, for one reason or another, been cut off from their original hometown or family. There¡¯s no need to dig into facts that are likely to be ufortable if heard. Isabel probably wouldn¡¯t want to hear about how my father sold me as a debt maid due to gambling debts, either. Instead, it was a much better choice in many ways to liven up the mood with the pleasant conversation right in front of us. ¡°You¡¯ll probably be even more surprised when we arrive at Luminor Academy. The Ind of Knowledge, where the academy is located, is a piece ofnd in the middle of argeke connected by an incredibly long bridge.¡± ¡°An ind in the middle of ake¡­ It sounds so beautiful¡­¡± ¡°It is beautiful. On clear days, the sky is reflected in theke, making it look like an ind floating in the sky.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Isabel¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity as soon as I briefly exined the ce we were heading to. Although there were initially some twists and turns in her apanying me to the academy as my exclusive maid, thinking about it now, I believe it was a good thing that we¡¯re going together. Anyway, with Isabel around, it seemed unlikely that there would be any boring or depressing times while attending the academy. Certainly, Isabel¡¯s positive energy had a strange charm that spread to those around her. ¡°The usually expressionless Maid smiles well when she¡¯s with her friend.¡± ¡°¡­Were we noisy, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°No. I just like seeing you looking happy, Maid. You don¡¯t usually show such a happily smiling face.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all.¡± Still, I think I¡¯ve smiled oftentely because there¡¯s been a lot of good news. Come to think of it, most of the times I¡¯ve smiled in this world were when talking with Isabel or Catherine. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Other than that, it was just me grinning alone in my room on special days like when I leveled up or when I gained the status of a quasi-viscount noble. I thought it might have been the first time I¡¯d shown a smiling expression in front of Ethan, except for the fake smile at our first meeting. ¡­Also, I seem to have shown embarrassed expressions more often. ¡°Would you prefer if I smiled more often?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you liked seeing me looking happy? If you need it, I¡¯ll try to work while smiling as much as possible from now on.¡± ¡°Th-there¡¯s no need for that¡­! You¡¯re fine just as you are now, Maid.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. So you don¡¯t need to forcibly manage your expressions because of me. ¡­I want to make you smile myself.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡­How silly. Should I be grateful that he at least didn¡¯t demand that I should control my expressions in front of me? Come to think of it, in Luminor Academy, this disgusting guy always forcibly demanded that Lilith, his exclusive maid, maintain a smiling expression. He did so to hide his abuse of her by making Lilith appear normal on the outside. It was a moment when I could distinguish the clear difference between the disgusting guy and the current Ethan, even in such casual everyday conversations. Well, attending the same academy with this Ethan for four years might not be so bad. ¡­No, thinking about it seriously, it might even be a bit enjoyable. ¡°Hmm~.¡± ¡°Isabel?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly looking at us with such a strange smile?¡± ¡°Hm? When did I~?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re doing it right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, hehe.¡± ¡­Why is Isabel suddenly looking back and forth between me and Ethan with such a strange feeling? Come to think of it, Isabel has also changed a bitpared to Isabel in the game. To give the most obvious example, Isabel in the game always had a worried expression, as if she had a lot on her mind. Sometimes, in cutscenes, when Ethan and Lilith passed by her, she would look at their backs with a really cold gaze. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] She wasn¡¯t looking with this strangely content smile like she is now. Well, no matter how much Isabel¡¯s personality has changed, it can¡¯t be as drastic as Ethan¡¯s. While I was thinking that and continuing the conversation about the academy that we couldn¡¯t finish earlier with her, I heard Ethan calling me quietly from across again. ¡°Um, maid.¡± ¡°¡±Yes?¡±¡± ¡°Ah, no. I was calling the Maid.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°It¡¯s okay, it can happen. Just don¡¯t get confused next time.¡± Ethan briefly apologized to Isabel, who had answered almost simultaneously with me. As you can probably infer from our conversations so far, when he uses the title ¡°Maid,¡± it¡¯s mostly when calling me, his exclusive maid. When calling other maids like Isabel or Catherine, he usually calls them by their name or surname. It wasn¡¯t particrly ufortable. Anyway, I was the only one Ethan called ¡°Maid.¡± Most of the maids working in the mansion knew that fact. I thought for a moment that Isabel might have made a mistake because she was too excited about going to the academy. But for some reason, today¡¯s Isabel added something while apologizing to Ethan. ¡°But, young master¡­ Do you intend to keep using ¡®Maid¡¯ to call Lilith even after entering the academy?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I intend to keep using it.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the academy an educational facility where many nobles gather, not just Young Master Ethan and Lilith? I think there will probably be many noble children and exclusive maids at the academy besides Young Master Ethan and Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just offering my personal opinion that it might cause fewer problems if you called her Lilith instead of ¡®Maid,¡¯ at least within the academy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan fell silent for a moment at Isabel¡¯s rather bold, direct statement. He seemed to be contemting quite seriously as if this was something he hadn¡¯t thought about at all until now. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] After hearing Isabel¡¯s words, I also realized it certainly was an important topic. Once we enter the academy, there will be countless exclusive maids of other nobles or maids employed by the academy itself walking around. If he continued to call me ¡°Maid¡± there, it would inevitably lead to misunderstandings several times a day. Inside the mansion, I was the only person Ethan called ¡°Maid,¡± so except for new maids, there was no one who got confused. Obviously, however, the academy is outside the mansion. It seemed necessary to sort out the titles before we entered the academy. ¡°Certainly, I think Isabel¡¯s opinion has merit.¡± ¡°¡­Maid?¡± ¡°It seems necessary for you to call me by my name from now on, Young Master Ethan, if only to avoid confusion when needed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Young master?¡± Ethan awkwardly avoided my gaze, strangely ufortable with the suggestion to call me by name. Why is he reacting like this only when ites to calling my name when he easily calls other maids by their names? His iprehensible and ridiculous attitude made me feel slightly unpleasant for some reason. I deliberately leaned my head slightly towards Ethan¡¯s averted gaze and asked him again. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes, Maid¡­¡± ¡°Not Maid, but Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith.¡± I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s reacting so awkwardly just to call me by name. Men always seem to get strangely shy about the oddest things. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ugh, now that I¡¯m conscious of it, I feel a bit awkward too. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think Ethan has called me directly by name very often. That was practically the first time, except for when I pretended to be his fianc¨¦e during the monster invasion at the Imperial Pce about a year ago. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] His exaggerated reaction made me feel self-conscious and embarrassed, too, as if by illusion. I deliberately avoided eye contact with Ethan sitting across from me and quietly turned my gaze out the window. ¡°Hmm~.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Isabel?¡± ¡°Nothing~. It¡¯s nothing, hehehe.¡± No, really, what is it? What¡¯s with that look? Chapter 110 Chapter 110 [Dormitory Commotion (1)] The carriage carrying the three of us arrived at the Ind of Knowledgete at night when the sky hadpletely darkened. Just like on the day we took our entrance exams, Ethan and I had to face a long line of carriages, as the procession of noble carriages entering to enroll in the academy extended far into the Ind of Knowledge. In the end, we were finally able to enter the academy at thete hour of almost 11 PM. ¡°You should stay at a nearby inn tonight and return to the ckwood Estate tomorrow. Thank you for driving us such a long way.¡± ¡°Yes, young master. I wish you a safe and sessful life in the academy.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Take care, Mr. Coachman!¡± After sending back the coachman and carriage that had brought the young master of the household and two maids to the academy, we also entered the academy dormitory, dragging our bodies that were tired from the long journey. All three of us had our hands full of luggage packed for four months of living. Before we enter the dormitory, let me briefly exin that the dormitories of Luminor Academy are divided into Buildings 1 through 4. The capacity for each department in the academy is around 50 students, and since there are four years of students, there were roughly 200 students per department. It wasn¡¯t possible to house and manage about 1,500 to 1,600 students from all eight departments in one building. The n of the dormitory was to amodate students by dividing the buildings into two departments each. Building 1 was for the Swordsmanship and Spearmanship Departments, Building 2 for the Archery and Martial Arts Departments, and Building 3 for the Technical and Pharmacy Departments. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} Building 4 was the dormitory for the Magic Department, which I¡¯m in, and the Theology Department. So, Ethan and I, who entered the Swordsmanship and Magic Departments, respectively, would go to Buildings 1 and 4¡­ ¡®No, wait.¡¯ Come to think of it, since I¡¯m Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, shouldn¡¯t I be living in the Swordsmanship Department dormitory with Ethan? There were cases of students like me who were both students and those who performed exclusive maid or butler duties. It was natural that there would be servants with exceptional talents or physical abilities. Just look at Princess Seraphine, who had enrolled Luke in the Technical Department and was using him as her personal knight. Unless you were entering a special dormitory for royalty like Seraphine, usually, servant students in different departments from their masters naturally had to stay in the servant¡¯s room attached to their master¡¯s dormitory room. Then, as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I should naturally go to Building 1, the Swordsmanship Department dormitory¡­ ¡®But then, what about Isabel?¡¯ Come to think of it, Isabel came to the academy as my exclusive maid, right? But if I, Isabel¡¯s actual master, end up in the Swordsmanship Department dormitory, would Isabel be left stranded in the Magic Department dormitory room? Even if that happened, the academy wouldn¡¯t allow it. Above all, the moment that happens, the meaning of bringing Isabel to the academy bes diluted. The reason she came to the academy with Ethan and me was to assist me in serving Ethan, but if we ended up in different buildings, it would naturally be troublesome for her to serve Ethan. On the contrary, if I stayed in the Magic Department dorm, there would be no one to serve Ethan¡­ What should we do¡­? ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve had a serious expression as soon as we entered the dormitory building.¡± ¡°¡­Actually, I was just thinking about the problem that arises with the dormitory assignments for Isabel and me.¡± ¡°A problem arises?¡± ¡°P-problem¡­?¡± Ethan tilted his head towards me in response to my mention of a possible problem while Isabel looked at me with anxious eyes. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} I exined the issue that had just urred to me to both of them. After hearing my exnation, Ethan smiled once and then answered as if wondering why I was worried about such a thing. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I haven¡¯t exined it to you yet, Lilith.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about cases like you and I being separated or you and Isabel being separated. I have a method I¡¯ve thought of in advance.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­However, there¡¯s one document that needs to be filled out before we enter the dormitory. I think we should stop by the Dormitory Management Office first.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡­Come to think of it, this guy has been quite sharp-witted since he started to mature. Thinking that Ethan would have surelye up with a solution, I followed him into the office without much suspicion. As soon as I checked the document Ethan handed me there, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit flustered. ¡ºLuminor Academy Married/Engaged Couple Dormitory Room Usage Application¡» The dormitory room usage application he handed me was what wasmonly known among Luminor Academy yers as the ¡®Couple Dormitory Application.¡¯ Ethan¡¯s intention in writing his name in one column and handing this to me felt somewhat strange. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What does this mean? Even though I closed my eyes and opened them again, wondering if I had misread it, the phrase ¡®Married/Engaged Couple¡¯ written at the top of the document didn¡¯t change at all. The name ¡®Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯ written in the ¡®Male¡¯ column also remained unchanged. Naturally, my gaze had to shift to Ethan, who had handed me the document. ¡°Young Master Ethan¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t give it to you with any strange meaning, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯re aware that it could be interpreted in a strange way.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lilith, but this was the only way for male and female students to use the same dormitory room. More precisely, it¡¯s the only way for the three of us, including Isabel, to use one room.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because each person can only bring one exclusive maid to the dormitory room. If we want to bring Isabel to the room, you and I would have to use separate rooms, but then it would be troublesome for both of you to serve me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Even so, using a married/engaged couple dormitory room was an unexpected solution. It¡¯s all well and good to call it a married/engaged couple dormitory room. In the original game, it was just a means to extract CGs of the protagonist living together with heroines. Of course, such special event CGs also included erotic CGs. Of course, I had no intention of taking such CG-like scenes with Ethan. Objectively speaking, there wasn¡¯t anything particrly problematic about it. Even if I¡¯m just a daughter of a branch family of the ckwoods, I¡¯m still a noble, so whether I got engaged or married to Ethan wouldn¡¯t go against imperialw. For me, Ethan, and Isabel to use one room, this method was the most problem-free and was the most effective solution. (GxyTL/Axiomatic) But still, sharing a couple room with Ethan feels a bit awkward¡­ Ethan probably wouldn¡¯t do anything strange, so maybe I don¡¯t need to worry too much¡­? In the first ce, I wasn¡¯t going to marry a man anyway, so I didn¡¯t care whether rumors spread about me getting engaged with or breaking up with Ethan. Rather, there was a possibility that annoying rumors might spread about Ethan more than me, but it was a proposal he made to me first. There¡¯s no need to interpret it in a distorted way, thinking there must be some deep meaning. There¡¯s no need to go the hard route when the easiest path is right in front of us. ¡°You really didn¡¯t give this to me with any strange meaning, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I-I didn¡¯t give it with any strange meaning, so you can rx.¡± ¡°I understand. Since you say so, Young Master Ethan, I don¡¯t see any reason to refuse.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. As you said, this method would be the most efficient for Isabel to enter the dormitory with us as well.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding, Maid.¡± Having reached my own conclusion, I filled in the part where my name should go on the application form I received from Ethan. I didn¡¯t want to wander around the academy unable to enter the dormitory untilte at night. ¡ºEngaged Couple (Male) Ethan Richard ckwood (Female) Lilith ckwood Rosewood¡» ¡­It felt a bit strange to see Ethan¡¯s name and mine written side by side as an engaged couple, but it¡¯s not like we¡¯re actually engaged. It¡¯s just a simple document for sharing a dormitory room, nothing else. I didn¡¯t have any other thoughts about it. Seriously, I didn¡¯t have any other thoughts at all. After filling out and submitting the Couple Dormitory¡­ no, the Married/Engaged Couple Dormitory Room Usage Application with Ethan¡­ Only after about 30 minutes of document processing were we finally able to be assigned a double room in Dormitory Building 1. It was a spacious room with onerge double bed, befitting a married/engaged couple dormitory room. It was a fairly simple space consisting of one door leading to a private bathroom and toilet and another door leading to the servant¡¯s room. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Perhaps because it¡¯s a dormitory room used by many nobles, the facilities themselves were much more usablepared to the ind outskirt inn we had stayed at before. ¡­This time I¡¯ve confirmed for sure that there¡¯s no separate changing room, so I should be careful not to make any strange mistakes likest time. ¡°Everyone must be tired from the long journey today, so let¡¯s just change and go to bed.¡± ¡°Yes, young master~!¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master Ethan.¡± As Ethan said, we had umted quite a lot of fatigue during the long carriage journey today, so it seemed better to go to bed quickly and prepare for tomorrow. With the Luminor Academy Entrance Ceremony just three days away, we had many tasks to do, such as conditioning and preparing our uniforms. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} With that thought, I was about to move to the servant¡¯s room next door with Isabel, carrying our luggage, but suddenly, Ethan appeared and blocked me and Isabel from entering the servant¡¯s room. As Isabel and I, who couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, turned our gaze towards him, Ethan brazenly made a strange deration. ¡°I¡¯ll use this room. Instead, you two use the spacious room here.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon? Wh-what do you mean?¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Thisrger room is a double room, and the servant¡¯s room is a single room. Wouldn¡¯t it be much morefortable for you if I, as a man, use the single room alone?¡± ¡°Wh-what?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan suddenly presented some absurd logic and tried to enter the servant¡¯s room with his luggage. In ce of Isabel, who was bewildered and didn¡¯t know what to do next to me at his bombshell deration, I hurriedly grabbed Ethan¡¯s arm as he tried to enter the single room. At his statement that I simply couldn¡¯t let slide, my mouth uttered a direct rebuke to Ethan. ¡°Are you in your right mind, Young Master Ethan?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 [Dormitory Commotion (2)] ¡°Are you in your right mind, Young Master Ethan?¡± As soon as I heard Ethan¡¯s statement about barging into the narrow servant¡¯s single room instead of using the perfectly fine double bed, words of frank advice towards him automatically spilled from my mouth. Isabel, rather than Ethan, was the first to react, surprised at my words. ¡°Lilith?!¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m using the dormitory in a marital/engagement rtionship with you, Young Master Ethan, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you, young master, are the highest-ranking person in here. For you, Young Master, to say you¡¯ll crawl into the narrow room used by servants, leaving the best sleeping quarters ¨C it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re speaking with a sound mind at all.¡± ¡°Lilith! You, you shouldn¡¯t speak to Young Master Ethan like that¡­!¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll talk with Lilith myself, so Isabel, give us some space for a moment.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± With Ethan¡¯s words to not interfere, Isabel carefully slipped out from between me and Ethan. In a situation where we were left facing each other, Ethan continued his response to my frank advice. ¡°I understand why you would say that, Lilith. It would seem strange to you, my exclusive maid, for me to use the servant¡¯s room as my bedroom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of seeming strange, it¡¯s apletely nonsensical idea. How could someone like you, Young Master Ethan, who should know better, engage in such an entric act¡­?¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°But before being nobles and servants, you and I are men and women. Naturally, living spaces between the sexes should be separated.¡± ¡°The issue can be resolved by having Isabel and I use the servant¡¯s room and you, Young Master Ethan, use therge room alone.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, you just said it yourself. The ¡®narrow¡¯ room used by servants. Do you think two people can live together in a narrow room with only a single bed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ethan was giving logical arguments of his own, so I stuttered for a moment, unable to organize a response. Taking advantage of that opportunity, nonsense about how he should use the servant¡¯s room spilled from Ethan¡¯s mouth as if it were only natural. ¡°Think about it simply, Lilith. All we¡¯re dealing with is just a single room and a double room. And I¡¯m saying that I, being a man, will use the single room alone.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s more appropriate for Isabel and I to use the single room, even if it¡¯s a bit cramped. I¡¯m sure Isabel said she¡¯de to the academy following me, fully prepared for that much. Right, Isabel?¡± ¡°M-me?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve shared a small room with Lilith before when I was a junior maid, so I don¡¯t mind sharing a narrow room with Lilith, but¡­¡± ¡°You heard that, right, Young Master Ethan? Isabel also agrees with my opinion¡­¡± ¡°¡­But still, since the young master is the highest-ranking person here, I think we can only reach a conclusion if the young master ultimately agrees.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, Lilith,¡± Ethan said. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°S-sorry, Lilith.¡± The situation was flowing towards a 2v1 due to Isabel¡¯s unexpected betrayal. No, strictly speaking, Isabel, being a servant of the ckwoods, was in a position where she had no choice but to quietly follow whatever decision Ethan made. Anyway, it seemed Ethan himself wouldn¡¯t back down from this argument unless I could persuade him, and in the end, if I didn¡¯t persuade him, Ethan might really go into the servant¡¯s waiting room. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Pushing the young master I serve into the servant¡¯s waiting room while two maids livefortably in the spacious room? What nonsense is that? Although I moved ording to things that benefited my own survival and benefit, I still had a minimum level of conscience. No matter how much Ethan himself said he would crawl into the servant¡¯s room, I wasn¡¯t rotten enough to ept that at face value. ¡°Although Isabel said she would follow your decision, my opinion hasn¡¯t changed, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right for you, young master, the heir to the ckwood family, to use therger room. As someone who agreed to be Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid for the four years of attending the academy, this is something I absolutely cannot concede.¡± ¡°¡­Then what about the two people using the single room? Won¡¯t one of them have to sleep on the floor?¡± ¡°If necessary, I¡¯ll sleep on the floor.¡± ¡°¡­No, I can¡¯t allow you to sleep on the floor, Lilith. I won¡¯t ept that either.¡± In the midst of a sharp confrontation with no sign of either of us backing down, Ethan and I continued our conversation while ring at each other. Isabel, who had been watching our conversation, carefully interjected with a suggestion. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry to interrupt the conversation between the young master and Lilith, but may I make one suggestion?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A suggestion?¡± ¡°First, young master, you can¡¯t ept the possibility of Lilith having to sleep on the floor, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And Lilith, you can¡¯t concede to the young master living in the narrow room, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, couldn¡¯t the young master and Lilith use therger room together?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Wait,e to think of it, isn¡¯t that the appropriate solution? Anyway, what I couldn¡¯t concede was Ethan living in a worse environment than me, his exclusive maid, so I wouldn¡¯t have anyints as long as Ethan came out to live in therger room. Also, Ethan was so stubborn because he was worried about Isabel and me living together in a narrow room, taking turns sleeping on the floor. In the end, the problem would be solved if Isabel used the single room and Ethan and I used the double room. As expected of ¡®Clever Isabel,¡¯ she¡¯s really good at thinking of a win-win. ¡°From the beginning, this dormitory room was approved for use as a marital/engagement rtionship dormitory for the young master and Lilith. If we follow the principles, I think it¡¯s right for the young master and Lilith to use therge room together.¡± ¡°¡­No, wait.¡± (GxyTL/Axiomatic) ¡°Isabel has a point, young master. I can¡¯t concede to you using the servant¡¯s room, and you can¡¯t ept Isabel and me entering the single room, so this solves the problem.¡± ¡°W-wait, Lilith. Are you really okay with that?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if it¡¯s really okay with you that you and I will use the same room.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Why is he suddenly making such a fuss about just sharing a room? It¡¯s not even the first time we¡¯ve stayed in the same room. Just ten days ago, we shared a single inn room for four days. Since he said there was no other meaning when submitting the dormitory application earlier, he probably wasn¡¯t conscious of anything just from sharing a room with me. Other than that, if there was another purpose Ethan might be aiming for, perhaps¡­ ¡°Young Master Ethan, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, Lilith. What I¡¯m worried about is just¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you nned everything from the beginning with the intention of sharing a room with Isabel instead of me¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, Lilith.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it either, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± ¡­Well, if that had been the goal from the beginning, he wouldn¡¯t have brought me along as his exclusive maid in the first ce. Fortunately, thanks to the cool-headed reactions of the two, there was no deepening of strange misunderstandings likest time, and Ethan continued the conversation with me, who had quieted down. ¡°What I¡¯m worried about, Lilith, is that you might feel ufortable with my gaze as a man.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± {GxyTL/Axiomatic} ¡°Even though we have experience living in the same space before, it was only for a short period of three to four days. An academy semestersts at least three to four months, so can you guarantee that no idents will happen while you and I live in the same room during that time?¡± ¡°What kind of idents?¡± ¡°You know, the kind of idents that can ur when men and women live in the same room.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t understand, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­For example, imagine if you were changing clothes and I saw you while we were sharing the same room. Wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing for you, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± ¡°Of course, we could reduce the frequency of such incidents if we¡¯re both careful, but we can¡¯tpletely eliminate the possibility. What I¡¯m saying is that it would be better to block the possibility of such things happening from the beginning.¡± Ethan himself did have a point. No, apart from whether he had a point or not, they were strangely persuasive words¡­ ¡­especially from the perspective of a yer who had yed Luminor Academy for 2,000 hours in my previous life. Usually, when using a ¡®Couple Dormitory,¡¯ the first event CG you obtain is the one Ethan just mentioned ¨C changing clothes. In the first ce, as long as you¡¯re living in the same room, it¡¯s natural for situations where you see each other¡¯s bare skin to ur, and there was no better scene than this to button up the first of such situations. Of course, unlike the couple dormitories used by the protagonist with heroines for the purpose of doing naughty things from the beginning, Ethan and I were in a situation where we would use the same room due to our mutual interests, but anyway, as he said, witnessing each other changing clothes was a situation that couldmonly ur. Ethan imed that he would use the servant¡¯s single room in order to block the possibility of such embarrassing situations urring. ¡®If it¡¯s for that reason, his reaction is reasonable.¡¯ It was the moment I could understand why Ethan was insisting on entering the single room instead of the double room. Considering Ethan¡¯s current personality, he would undoubtedly feel sorry even if he identally witnessed a scene of me changing clothes. Of course, I didn¡¯t particrly want Ethan to identally witness Isabel changing clothes, or vice versa, but¡­ ¡­Still, up to the point of ¡®me¡¯ being witnessed instead of Isabel, it was barely within the eptable range. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particrly mind if you happen to witness me changing clothes, Young Master Ethan. There¡¯s no need for me to make a fuss over a simple ident without any intentions, is there?¡± ¡°Are you being serious, Lilith?¡± ¡°I am always serious, Young Master Ethan.¡± It was also funny that I, who was a man in my previous life, would be afraid to change clothes because of the gaze of just one man. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} In the first ce, I didn¡¯t particrly feel ufortable if it was Ethan. I had already shown him my chest several times in the past, so there was no reason to be shy about showing him me in my underwear now. The time to feel shame over such things had long passed. ¡­Although it wasn¡¯t by my own will that it turned out that way. Above all, just by showing this attitude of not minding, the problem of separating the three people¡¯s living spaces would be smoothly resolved. That¡¯s why I was deliberately showing a brazen attitude of not minding while answering. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you, Young Master Ethan, who has already seen my chest, would be concerned about something like this.¡± ¡°¡­This and that are different issues. When you showed me your chest, it was with permission, but this means you might show it without your will¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t mind even if it¡¯s not shown by my will. ¡­If you find it hard to believe, I can show you right here and now.¡± Zip. ¡°W-wait, Lilith! What are you trying to do now?!¡± ¡°L-Lilith?!¡± Regardless of whether Ethan and Isabel were surprised, I was just unzipping the back of my maid uniform to take off the clothes I was wearing. The maid uniform, which had been covering my body until just now, flowed down to the floor in an instant. ¡°Kyaaah?! L-Lilith?!¡± ¡°How is it, Young Master Ethan? This is a body you¡¯ve seen many times in your room until now, isn¡¯t it? Even if you, Young Master Ethan, witness me like this, I¡¯m not bothered at all.¡± ¡°O-okay, I get it; just put your clothes back on quickly, Lilith!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t answer that you¡¯ll use the double room with me, young master, I have no choice but to prove it like this. ¡­If you can¡¯t believe my state of mind, I have no choice but to prove that I wouldn¡¯t mind showing myself in my underwear right here¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I get it, Lilith! I believe you! I¡¯ll live in the same room with you, Lilith, so hurry up and put your clothes back on!¡± Ethan, struggling between instinct and reason, desperately avoided my gaze and ordered me to put my clothes back on. Having achieved my goal somehow, I had no reason to walk around the room in my underwear like a shameless woman. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Anyway, since I was going to change clothes before bed, I just took out clothes to use as nightwear from the luggage I had brought and changed into them. ¡°You, you¡¯re too bold, Lilith¡­ Haah¡­.¡± ¡­I could understand Ethan, but why was Isabel, another woman, being shy? Anyway, the issue of who would live in which room was somehow resolved, thanks to my bold decision. Ethan and I would live together in therger room, sharing the same bed, and Isabel would use the servant¡¯s room alone. ¡­It was fortunate that my persuasion worked before I had to take off my underwear. Even for me, it would have been a bit shameful to brazenly take that off. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 [Entrance Ceremony (1)] Three days had passed since I started living together with Ethan and Isabel in the dormitory of Luminor Academy. Unlike yesterday morning, today I woke up a bit earlier than usual and started preparing to go out. That¡¯s because today was the day of the entrance ceremony for new students at the academy. By the way, due to Ethan and Isabel¡¯s earnest requests, it was agreed that I would change clothes in Isabel¡¯s servant¡¯s room. They said that since the sleeping arrangements are all that matters, there¡¯s no need for Ethan to see me changing clothes. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Thinking about it, it seemed like a reasonable argument, so I epted it without much opposition. It¡¯s not like Isabel¡¯s living space would be cramped just from me changing clothes there. Also, Ethan would be morefortable changing clothes without having to be conscious of my presence in the same room. ¡°Today¡¯s your first day of school, right, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It feels like just yesterday we were working together as junior maids at the ckwood Mansion. I never imagined you would end up enrolling in the academy, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°I can hardly believe it myself.¡± Even I hadn¡¯t expected that I, as Lilith, would enroll in Luminor Academy, let alone in the Magic Department, that only nobles could enter. Right after possessing this body, I had struggled just to avoid bad endings, but now, wearing the academy uniform gave me new emotions. ¡°Hey, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That thing you¡¯re wearing, is that the academy uniform?¡± ¡°Why? Is there something strange about it?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so much strange as¡­ this doesn¡¯t really look like the academy uniform, but something a bit different¡­¡± Isabel expressed her subtle impressions while looking at my clothes. Well, I had tried it on once and made some adjustments. I didn¡¯t alter it by cutting and shortening it like Korean middle or high school students would, but I modified it in a slightly different way by adding some elements. I added a bit of white fabric to give it a maid-like feel to the original academy uniform and wrapped a white sash around the waist. ¡°If I don¡¯t wear something like this, others might not recognize that I¡¯m Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°So you wanted to make it known that you¡¯re the young master¡¯s maid? I guess anyone who sees your outfit would think you¡¯re a maid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine then. The academy doesn¡¯t really enforce anything as long as you don¡¯t damage the original uniform, so this much should be okay.¡± ¡°I wonder if you really need to emphasize that you¡¯re a maid to that extent¡­ but it¡¯s your choice, Lilith.¡± Ignoring Isabel¡¯sst words tinged with concern, I finally put on the white headdress that I always wear. If I stick close to Ethan in this outfit, anyone would probably notice that I¡¯m Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, so at least there wouldn¡¯t be any middling nobles who might pick a fight just because I¡¯m a viscount¡¯s daughter. It felt like I had done my best in all preparations. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off to the entrance ceremony with Young Master Ethan. We mighte back a bit early today since that¡¯s all we need to attend.¡± ¡°Oh, okay! Don¡¯t worry about me; take your time and enjoy yourself with the young master!¡± ¡°¡­Enjoy ourselves?¡± ¡­Well, an academy¡¯s entrance ceremony is a good time, I suppose. Brushing off Isabel¡¯s somewhat questionable words, I left the servant¡¯s room and returned to the spacious bedroom. There, Ethan was already waiting for me, dressed in his academy uniform. A white dress shirt (T/N: a long-sleeved polo, for those in other countries) with a red tie and a navy uniform matched above and below. The ck cape of the ckwood family draped over his shoulders clearly symbolized Ethan¡¯s status. Perhaps because he originally had ck hair and ck eyes, the dark-colored clothes certainly suited him well. It seemed like there were some traces of fatigue under his eyes as if he hadn¡¯t slept wellst night. ¡°Are you ready, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Lilith. It¡¯ster than I thought¡­ uh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Did you make that outfit yourself, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes. I added a few elements to the original uniform to emphasize my identity.¡± ¡°¡­Are you nning to wear that headdress and thosece straps too?¡± ¡°Without these, others might not recognize that I¡¯m Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan looked up at me from his chair, seeming to have a lot to say. However, he didn¡¯t particrly caution me about it and just got up to prepare for going out. ¡­If he has something to say, he should just say it. Why does he start to speak and then stop, making me feel uneasy? ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°The entrance ceremony will be held in the First Auditorium, Young Master Ethan.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yeah, I heard about that yesterday.¡± ¡°Take care, Young Master Ethan! You too, Lilith!¡± Leaving Isabel behind in the dormitory to see us off, we moved together to the First Auditorium to attend the entrance ceremony. ¡­This time, I¡¯ll be able to confirm it properly. I can confirm just how much the story of Luminor Academy is flowing ording to the original game. The academy¡¯s entrance ceremony wasn¡¯t particrly special or grand. The entrance ceremony event was almost entirely about letting you know who enrolled in which department, allowing you to roughly predict the subsequent story of the game. After seeing the ending of Luminor Academy about five times in my previous life, I usually skipped the cutscenes by holding down the X button. ¡­But today, unlike before, I needed to focus intently on this entrance ceremony. After all, since I couldn¡¯t directly intervene in other characters¡¯ pre-game storylines as a yer, I had to clearly confirm where and how the others¡¯ stories had be tangled. If the person who possessed the protagonist had intervened in other characters¡¯ pre-stories, it¡¯s possible that some of the names for the first and second ce in each department changed at the entrance ceremony. For example, ¡®Thomas, the Wind Spear,¡¯ who was supposed to be the top student in the Spearmanship Department, could enroll a yearte due to the protagonist¡¯s intervention before the main story. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Or having ¡®Selena, the Divine Archer,¡¯ who originally would never have left the World Tree Forest, enroll as the top student in the Archery Department. If one wanted, one could make their desired characters enroll by altering their storylines before the main story and proceeding with the subsequent storyfortably. Conversely, it was entirely possible to retire all the characters essential to the story progression before enrollment and turn the difficulty into hell mode. I just earnestly hoped that the person who chose the crazy pseudonym Gyeongmwajogyegigwat hadn¡¯t just been trolling. ¡°From now on, I will call the names of the students who are the first and second ce in each department. Would the attending students pleasee up to the tform once called¡­¡± With those words echoing throughout the auditorium, the names of the new students were called one by one by the host of the entrance ceremony. The first student to be called was, as in the game, the top student of the Swordsmanship Department. ¡°Top student of the Swordsmanship Department, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt.¡± Well, I expected this much. If you enroll in the Swordsmanship Department as the protagonist, it¡¯s normal to be at the top. Anyway, it meant that the protagonist had basicbat prowess, so it wasn¡¯t bad news. ¡­Although it¡¯s a bit disappointing that Ethan didn¡¯t take the top spot. ¡°Second ce, Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± ¡°Congrattions, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Ethan walked out confidently with a strangely relieved expression when his name was called for second ce. It seems he was a bit worried that he might not even get second ce. Well, I had already confirmed that Natalie and Caraham had enrolled in the Swordsmanship Department before, so Ethan taking second ce didn¡¯t cause any problems for my ns. These three, including Ethan, were the only characters likely to y important roles in the story from the Swordsmanship Department. ¡°Top student of the Spearmanship Department, Thomas Jameson.¡± ¡­Well, it seems he didn¡¯t troll at least. By the way, ording to the game, Thomas was the childhood friend of Natalie, my favorite character, so if not for other characters, I had quite a few sinsmitted against Thomas in my previous life. The key to Natalie¡¯s route was deliberately preventing her from enrolling in the same year as Thomas through some actions before the main story and then filling the empty seat next to her, who became lonely without her friend for that year. It was in my previous life, and moreover, it was in the game, so there¡¯s no need to feel guilty about it. ¡°Top student of the Archery Department, Selena Isolde.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Wait, Selena? The fact that Selena enrolled this year means that this Gyeongmwajogyegigwat guy visited the World Tree Forest in the prologue story? I was just surprised in many ways that this Gyeongmwa-whatever guy had been moving around so diligently. ¡®Is he seriously trying toplete the entire game? Or maybe Selena is just his favorite character and he brought her along¡­¡¯ Selena was the only elf heroine in Luminor Academy, so she was overwhelmingly popr among elf enthusiasts. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although I still had many questions, the fact that Selena had enrolled was a very positive sign. With her presence, we should be able to get through the Hunting Festival arc in the middle of Part 2 with minimal damage. Of course, the protagonist¡¯s abilities would y a role there too. After that, the host on the auditorium¡¯s stage began to announce the list of the new students at first and second ce for each department one by one. Among them, I could find the familiar names of characters from Luminor Academy. ¡®Moonlight Shadow Princess Seraphine¡¯ enrolled as the top student in the Martial Arts Department and as the top student overall, ¡®Hellfire Agnes¡¯ enrolled as the top student in the Magic Department, Seraphine¡¯s bodyguard, ¡®Shadow Luke,¡¯ was second in the Technical Department, and I also recognized ¡®Witch Lara¡¯ who was the top student in the Pharmacy Department. Just as I was starting to rx, thinking that not only had nothing deviated from the original story, but things had only improved so far¡­ Suddenly, the name called for second ce in the pharmacy department jolted my rxed mind awake. ¡°Second ce, Lizzy Lynn August.¡± ¡­What? No, why are you appearing here? Chapter 113 ¡°Second ce, Lizzy Lynn August.¡± The familiar name suddenly heard in my ears jolted my rxed mind awake. Lizzy Lynn August. Although I couldn¡¯t remember her since our first meeting, she was now a woman that I had a memorable rtionship with and was someone that I could clearly recall. She was the eldest daughter of the August family and the older sister of Caraham, the miniboss of Part 3. ¡®¡­No, wait, how did she get in?!¡¯ As far as I knew, Lizzy was definitely a woman with an ambiguous talent for magic. It exins why she applied for the Magic Departmentst year, but I believe she failed without achieving proper grades. That¡¯s why I thought there was virtually no chance of meeting her again at the academy, and even if I did meet her, I never thought it would be at the academy. I couldn¡¯t help but feel momentarily flustered seeing her properly enrolled in the academy, whatever her intentions might be, even more so seeing her enrolled in the Pharmacy Department rather than the Magic Department. ¡®Should I consider this good news¡­?¡¯ This meant she was a woman of at least some ability to rank second in the Pharmacy Department, so I guess it¡¯s fair to say the academy¡¯s overall strength had increased. Of course, since the Pharmacy Department was a nonbat department, I didn¡¯t think it would make much of a difference unless she had skills like Lara, who was the top student. It was such an unbelievable reality that I couldn¡¯t help but think it might be an incredibly unlikely case of someone with the same name, but soon, a voice I heardpletely denied thatst possibility. ¡°Sister! As expected of you, sister! You¡¯ve raised the honor of the August family in my stead¡­!¡± ¡°Stop making such an embarrassing fuss and wait quietly¡­!¡± Hearing the clear voices of the August siblings even from a distance, I had to finally acknowledge it for certain. In the end, my actions during the attack on the Imperial Pce caused a change in the Luminor Academy student pool. For now, in Ethan¡¯s case, things had definitely changed for the better, so it might be better to think of Lizzy¡¯s case simrly. Thinking that, I was nkly staring at the stage when a youngdy with sky-blue hair started to ascend. As I was absently following Lizzy¡¯s path with my eyes, for a moment, I had a strange feeling that our eyes met. Wink. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡­Did she just wink at me? No way. She must have just been greeting someone else she knew nearby. In the first ce, I was dressed differently from that day, and on the day I met Lizzy, I was even wearing a mask covering my eyes. No matter how much we were acquainted and even talked, it would be nearly impossible for Lizzy to recognize me at a nce. Anyway, I was just looking elsewhere when, suddenly, familiar names were called for the first and second ce in the remaining Theology Department. Only after seeing ¡®False Saint Serista,¡¯ the top student in the Theology Department, go up did I be certain that the story was flowing properly, at least, in the remaining parts. ¡®Fortunately, it seems they¡¯re properly trying to make Serista the Saint.¡¯ One of the most important elements in determining the difficulty of the game from the prologue alone was whether to make this Serista the Saint or not. If you trusted her as the real Saint, the difficulty became easier, but if you exposed her as a false Saint and emunicated her, the difficulty became harder. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} The principle of making the difficulty easier was simple. Serista, feeling favorable towards the protagonist who saved her from the crisis of emunication, bes the protagonist¡¯s Pocket Sage- no, the protagonist¡¯s healer*1, and follows them along on all journeys. Moreover, after this event, Serista bes almost like a bonus character for the protagonist, not even counting towards the maximum party member limit. When a healer capable of AoE healing and buffs is added to the existing difficulty, the game¡¯s difficulty naturally drops significantly. ¡®Seeing that they saved Serista, it really seems like they¡¯re trying to conquer the game seriously.¡¯ I might need to revise my evaluation of Gyeongmwa-whatever a bit. Even if bringing Selena could be a coincidence, not trusting Serista and emunicating her was one of themon mistakes first-time yers make. Unlike the expectations of yers who think an event to find the real Saint will appear if they emunicate the false Saint, emunicating Serista forces you to y a lonely game without even a healer, let alone the real Saint. By the time the talk of whether to emunicate Serista or notes up, the real Saint, Lilith, would have already lost her qualifications as a Saint after being thoroughly ¡°trained¡± by Ethan. Since Lilith couldn¡¯t be taken as the Saint anyway, it was unconditionally beneficial to take Serista instead. There were hardly any healer characters with better stats than her untilter in the game, and even the awakened Serista was, objectively, quite a good character in terms of performance. ¡®If the protagonist really is a possessed person trying toplete this game seriously, I might need to have a proper conversation with him at least once.¡¯ Thinking that, I was nkly looking up at the stage when Princess Seraphine, the overall top freshman, began her speech. I quietly waited for the rest of the entrance ceremony to pass while listening to her speech from my seat. I wondered how I could talk with that guy named Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt alone. Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt, the possessed Hero of Luminor Academy. He looked around at the faces of the first-ce and second-ce students participating in the entrance ceremony, roughly confirming the lineup of enrolled students. ¡®Although I¡¯ve been getting to know the enrolled students while living near the academy for a few days, there are certainly differences from the story in the original game.¡¯ It was about three years ago that he possessed the protagonist of Luminor Academy. His backstory was that he possessed someone when trying to delete a character created by his younger cousin who hade to visit his house during a holiday to y Luminor Academy. Thus, he entered the world of Luminor Academy with a strange, unwanted name that his cousin had created. However, since he was possessed anyway, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat was diligently approaching the game in his own way. As someone who had yed Luminor Academy several times in his previous life to the point of being a maniac, he had already grasped the general storyline. He was also sufficiently familiar with the overall strategy for the game, having thoroughly read ¡®Lilgirl¡¯s Guide¡¯ on LuAGal. Trusting Serista instead of emunicating her, meeting Selena in the World Tree Forest and making her enroll in the academy, dealing with enemies that are easy to defeat in the prologue, and not interfering with rival characters¡¯ enrollment just to enter the route of some of the heroines ¨C he had done it all. Although he bore the strange name Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, his goal was only one: ¡®Safe Clear.¡¯ To return to his original world, he had to clear the game and see the true ending ¨C that was the condition set by whoever made him possess the protagonist in this world. ¡­The problem was that this world he was possessed in was flowing a bit differently from the original story of Luminor Academy. ¡®No matter how Ipare, many things are definitely different.¡¯ The fact that the spearwoman at Silverwood, which he briefly visited for monster subjugation, had changed from a pink-haired woman to a woman with dull, brown hair resembling Ariana¡­ The fact that the name of a woman presumed to be Saint Lilith was somehow on the list of sessful applicants for the Magic Department while finding Agnes¡¯s name¡­ And even the fact that Lizzy, who should have died in the monster invasion of the Imperial Pce, had unexpectedly enrolled as second ce in the Pharmacy Department¡­ Each of them was enough to make the hero, Gyeongmwajo¡­, flustered, but among them, what surprised him the most was the unbelievable transformation of Ethan, the Lout Prince. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} ¡®Who would call him a lout prince after seeing that appearance¡­¡¯ At first, he thought someone else hade up on stage instead of Ethan. The appearance and atmosphere emanating from him were at a level that made no sense to recognize him as Ethan, and he could barely find anymonalities with the Ethan he knew from the previous world. Even now, looking at Ethan standing next to himself as second ce in the sword department, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat couldn¡¯t help but stare intently at him as if he still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®No matter how I look at it, it seems to be Ethan himself; he really isn¡¯t someone else.¡¯ With the twin swords at both sides of his waist and the ck double-headed eagle crest of the ckwood family engraved on various parts of his sword and cape, even someone who had never met Ethan before would inevitably think of the ckwood family upon seeing him. Moreover, the ck hair and eyes unique to the ckwood family were decisive evidence that he was Ethan Richard ckwood. Faced with this unbelievable reality, the Hero couldn¡¯t help but experience confused emotions for a moment. After thinking to himself for a while, he came to the most usible conclusion in his mind. ¡®For now, this Ethan guy definitely seems to be someone special.¡¯ Whether he came from the same world as himself or not, at least the Ethan before his eyes was a different person from the ¡®Lout Prince Ethan¡¯ he knew¡­ ¡­and the fact that all the changes so far were rted to Ethan increased its credibility. Sending Ariana, who stole his mother¡¯s heirloom, to exile in Silverwood, recognizing Lilith¡¯s talent for magic, and using means to make her enroll in the academy ¨C these were all probably his doing. Moreover, there were even rumors about his considerable achievements during the monster invasion of the Imperial Pce, so he likely intervened to prevent Lizzy¡¯s death as well. ¡®I¡¯m not exactly sure what this guy wants¡­ but our general goals seem to be the same.¡¯ Seeing him act as if he knows the future, he might be possessed like himself from another world, or he might be living a new life after returning from a different future of this world.@@novelbin@@ Of course, since he was basically a viin, he couldn¡¯t rashly reveal the fact that he possessed the Hero, but at least he needed to confirm Ethan¡¯s identity once. Even as he listened to Seraphine¡¯s speech, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat was just waiting for the entrance ceremony to end as soon as possible. He waited for a chance to talk with Ethan Richard ckwood, who stood beside him, alone. Chapter 114 The academy¡¯s entrance ceremony finished in less than two hours. An entrance ceremony isn¡¯t an event that takes much time to begin with, and the atmosphere wasn¡¯t particrly different just because it was the academy¡¯s entrance ceremony. Above all, from a gamey perspective, there¡¯s no need to put much effort into making an entrance ceremony that most yers skip. The ceremony progressed rtively quickly, with Princess Seraphine¡¯s short speech as the overall top student and the awarding of schrships and prizes to the top and second-ce students of each department taking up most of the event. Expecting some chaos around the stage, I deliberately left the auditorium a bit early and waited outside for Ethan toe out. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} I thought it might feel stuffy if I stayed inside the crowded auditorium to wait, and I figured Ethan would notice and follow me outside. While I was standing there waiting for the awarding of the top and second-ce students to end, suddenly, a male student who looked like a freshman approached me and asked me something. A bit flustered by the strange man approaching me, I answered with a cautious question. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°¡­Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a new student so I¡¯m not familiar with the academy¡¯s geography. Could you tell me where the building for the Pharmacy Department is from here?¡± ¡°The Pharmacy Department Building is past the Martial Arts Department Building in front of the auditorium, then on the right. After turning right, the first building you¡¯ll see is for the Technical Department, and the one after that is the Pharmacy Department Building.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Thank you!¡± ¡­I was cautious for nothing. It was just a question asking for directions. I suppose I couldn¡¯t help but be tense, considering the somewhat unsettling atmosphere of Luminor Academy. As a ce where powerful people from all over the empire gathered, this academy was a ce where you could asionally encounter people who had lost their sense of decency and manners. Thinking that, I was nkly staring at the auditorium entrance again when, this time, a woman in white priest robes, who looked like she was from the Theology Department, approached and asked me a question. ¡°Excuse me, could I ask where the Theology Department Building is, sister?¡± ¡°The Theology Department Building also serves as the academy branch of the Aurelian Church. If you follow the main road in front of the auditorium, you¡¯ll see the Magic Department Building. If you go around half of that building to the back, the Theology Department Building is right behind it.¡± ¡°Thank you, sister. May the goddess¡¯s blessings always be with you.¡± ¡°Excuse me, where is the academy¡¯s Central Park¡­?¡± ¡°The Central Park is to the left of the central Main Building. If you follow the main road here, you¡¯ll see a building with a bulletin board ¨C that¡¯s the Main Building.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°How do I get to Dormitory Building 3¡­?¡± ¡­What¡¯s going on? Somehow, it feels like I¡¯m getting a lot of questions asking for directions today. I felt quite flustered by this situation where new students were flocking to me even though I was just waiting for Ethan toe out in front of the auditorium after the entrance ceremony ended. As soon as my eyes caught the clothes of the academy maids guiding people at the auditorium entrance, I could roughly understand why people were asking me for directions. Come to think of it, I¡¯m wearing a modified academy uniform right now. Looking at this outfit that seems half mixed between a maid uniform and the academy uniform, it¡¯s not so strange that people might mistake me for an academy-employed maid. From the beginning, I made this outfit to give a clear impression of being a servant, and it would be difficult for the eyes of new students entering the academy today to distinguish it from the attire of the academy staff. Well, it seemed Ethan would need a bit more time toe out of the auditorium anyway, so I continued giving directions as a kind of volunteer work in the meantime. Having seen the ending 24 times, I already had a rough map of Luminor Academy in my head, and giving directions to send people inside quickly to other ces would also help somewhat in quelling this chaos. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} Even in a fantasy world, new students are still new students. It was kind of fun, feeling like I was guiding underssmen from my school in my previous life. While thinking about that and exining the academy¡¯s geography to other new students for a while¡­ This time, a noble-looking male student with a somewhat sly appearance approached me to ask for directions. ¡°¡­Excuse me, I¡¯d like to ask for directions.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I was supposed to meet an acquaintance at the student cafeteria after the entrance ceremony, but it¡¯s tooplicated, and I¡¯ve forgotten the location that I was told. If it¡¯s alright, could you guide me there¡­?¡± ¡°Judging by your attire, you¡¯re a student from the Swordsmanship Department, right?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°The student cafeteria is behind the Main Library Building if you go up from the Swordsmanship Department Building towards the library.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He stood there nkly as if he had something more to say, but I deliberately avoided making eye contact with him and ignored him. I naturally shifted my gaze to another approaching new student, pretending to give them directions. I was nning to ignore this annoying noble youth and guide other new students while waiting for Ethan. Unfortunately, the sly-looking guy didn¡¯t seem to understand the intention behind my words and actions at once. ¡°A senior from our department told us toe to the back gate after the entrance ceremony, is there such a thing as a back gate at the academy?¡± ¡°The back gate is along therge road between the Archery and Pharmacy Department Buildings¡­¡± Grab! ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± I suddenly felt pressure gripping my arm from where that noble had been standing until just now. I could roughly guess what he was thinking by grabbing my arm, and curses towards him naturally came to mind. ¡­It would be nice if he could just take the hint and leave. ¡°The cafeteria is behind the way from the Swordsmaship Department Building towards the library¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s hard to understand with your exnation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you guide me directly? I feel like I might get lost if I go alone.¡± What bullshit, utter bullshit. I made eye contact once with the noble youth, trying to make a move on me with such an obvious ploy. Exercising myst bit of self-control, I answered as politely as I could. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have the leisure to do that much for new students.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Are you, a mere academy servant, defying the words of me, a scion of the Raidenhart family?¡± ¡­You little shit. If I deliberately show disinterest and give a sign to leave, you should just leave; you really have no tact at all. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} Not only do you have terrible manners, grabbing someone¡¯s hand out of nowhere, but now, you¡¯re arrogantly reciting your family name? Seemingly unaware that I was looking at him with eyes full of contempt, the man, who introduced himself as a scion of the Raidenhart family, started tugging on my arm again, urging me to walk. Reaching the limit of my patience, I shook off his arm and cursed at him. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you just this once, seeing your pretty face. Guide me to the academy cafeteria quickly¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking shit, you fucking bastard.¡± p! Not caring about the gazes around us, I struck the palm of my hand against the forearm of the Raidenhart scion, who was trying to drag me away, and pulled my wrist out of his hand that had momentarily lost strength. To the stupid guy looking down at me with an incredulous gaze, I poured out the thoughts in my heart. ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± ¡°I should be the one asking what you¡¯re doing, you fucking bastard. Don¡¯t you have a mirror in your dorm room? What kind of confidence do you have that makes you think I¡¯d naturally follow you? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Are your ears as fucked up as your face? Why would I guide someone I just met, like you, to the student cafeteria? What¡¯s so pretty about you? This is really fucking ridiculous. Seriously.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Unable to anticipate this reaction from me, Raidenhart trembled, unable to hide his bewilderment. Shing. Then, as if thinking his pride had been hurt, he suddenly drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at me. I thought he was just an ordinarily stupid noble youth, but he turned out to bepletely insane. ¡°Kn-kneel down and apologize right now! How dare a mere academy servant show such disrespect to me, a scion of a count¡¯s family¡­!¡± ¡°Go fuck yourself, you bastard. I thought only your ears were decorative, but are your eyes too? Don¡¯t you see the emblem of the academy on this uniform? Why would I be your servant? Huh?¡± {GxyTL/Axiomatic} ¡°¡­¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°And stop bragging about being a scion of a count¡¯s family or whatever, you idiot. This isn¡¯t your territory, it¡¯s the academy. This is where all the elite noble scions from across the empire gather. Do you think your ¡®Count¡¯s Scion¡¯ title is some amazingly special title that no one can match?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Raidenhart brat looked around bewilderedly, seemingly at a loss for words at my logical argument. Perhaps because of his suddenly drawing of his sword, other people¡¯s attention was drawn, and various figures started to surround and watch me and Raidenhart in a circle. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on? Is there a fight?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that man try to drag that woman away earlier, and she refused? Aren¡¯t they fighting because of that?¡± I was nning to let him go if he put away his sword and left even now, but it seemed he couldn¡¯t easily put his sword away due to the sudden gazes gathering around. In the end, if he didn¡¯t put away his sword, I would have to draw my own sword to defend myself. Shing. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Raidenhart frowned, seemingly a bit dumbfounded at the silver dagger I pulled out from inside my uniform. To the guy who still couldn¡¯te to his senses and wouldn¡¯t put away his sword, I held out the de of my silver dagger and said: ¡°This silver dagger alone can handle a sword wielded by a bratty new student like you, soe at me if you dare.¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°You told me to kneel down and apologize earlier, right? Well then, try to win. If you do, I¡¯ll do whatever you want, whether it¡¯s an apology or me begging for my life.¡± ¡°You insolent bitch of unknown origin¡­¡± ¡°But the moment you get beaten, the honor of the Raidenhart family that you¡¯re so proud of will fall to the ground. It¡¯s all thanks to the Raidenhart brat who attacked with a longsword and was pathetically defeated by a woman who isn¡¯t even in the Swordsmanship Department.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He seemed to have listened to my words to the end, even in this situation, as Raidenhart rolled his eyes, ring at me as if contemting whether to attack or not. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} Since I was showing such a confident attitude, he seemed hesitant to attack. After all, the academy is a ce where all kinds of strong people from the empire gather, so he couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that the woman in front of him might actually be skilled. ¡­But at this point, the chance to resolve this peacefully had already passed, and I had also be interested in dueling him. To make the arrogant noble scion¡¯s resolve firm, I deliberately spoke once more to provoke him into attacking me. ¡­All to stimte the inferiorityplex that the guy who introduced himself as a ¡®scion¡¯ of the Raidenhart family would likely have in his mind. ¡°Ah, no. Come to think of it, you don¡¯t need to worry about the honor of the Raidenharts.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Whatever stupid things a disposable son below the third son with ambiguous sessor qualifications does outside has nothing to do with the Raidenharts¡¯ honor, right?¡± ¡°YOU BIIITCH¡­!!¡± As if I had finally struck a nerve, the enraged Raidenhart rushed at me with his sword. I gripped the silver dagger tightly in my right hand and focused my gaze on the iing sword until the end. ng! The des of my dagger and his sword shed, ringing out once across the open space in front of the auditorium. Raidenhart¡¯s expression showed clear bewilderment at his sword flying away due to my Shockwave. I, too, quietly confirmed the direction of this duel after crossing swords once. This looks like an event where I can earn some XP after so long. Chapter 115 After the academy¡¯s entrance ceremony, which felt both short and long, ended, Ethan, who had been recognized on stage as the second-ce student of the Swordsmanship Department, hurriedly looked around inside the auditorium. He tried to find Lilith, his exclusive maid, in the chaotic auditorium where nearly 400 new students pf the academy had gathered. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] They had definitely been in the front row of the auditorium together at first. He hadn¡¯t seen her move seats during the event, so if she was waiting inside the auditorium, she should still be in that spot. ¡­But the ce where he had been with her until he went up on stage was already crowded with new students trying to leave after the entrance ceremony ended. ¡®Did she go outside first?¡¯ Given how chaotic the situation was, she might have thought it would be easier to find each other outside rather than staying in the auditorium. Still, he should be able to recognize Lilith easily, even outside, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Her beautiful appearance, her distinctive figure, and her strange outfit that looked like a mix between a maid¡¯s uniform and the academy uniform would be hard not to recognize. ¡®I hope she¡¯s not causing any trouble.¡¯ Although Lilith usually made wise decisions, she also had a tendency to be emotional at times. At the very least, he hoped that if such a thing happened, it would be within his sight. That way, even if she caused trouble, he could somewhat handle the situation if it was under circumstances he could manage. Lately, however, Lilith had be more well-behaved without causing any particr trouble. In fact, looking back on most of the incidents she had caused so far, they were mostly things she had to step in for. Even Lilith wouldn¡¯t cause amotion on the day of the entrance ceremony for no reason. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Somehow feeling a bit uneasy, Ethan hurriedly prepared to leave the auditorium. Perhaps thanks to living with Lilith for many years, Ethan¡¯s indescribable intuition was telling him he needed to find her quickly. Just as Ethan, after briefly exchanging words with Princess Seraphine, was about to move his steps outside the auditorium with other students, he suddenly felt someone grab his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. ¡°Can we talk for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan paused at the voice of the white-haired young man who suddenly called out to him. Although they hadn¡¯t even exchanged words yet, he already knew who he was. He was the man who had enrolled as the top student in the Swordsmanship Department at the entrance ceremony just now and stood next to him. His name was¡­ Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­and he seemed to be apanied by women who looked like the top students from the Theology and Archery departments. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although he approached in a manner that breached etiquette, Ethan epted it, thinking it was because the other party was amoner. ¡°What business do you have?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt rolled his eyes, hesitating a bit at Ethan¡¯s words. It couldn¡¯t be helped. He, too, had just hastily grabbed Ethan, who was trying to rush out of the auditorium. Thinking any conversation starter would be awkward, he decided to speak straightforwardly instead. ¡°I was just wondering if you might have something to say to me.¡± ¡°¡­Something to say?¡± ¡°You know, like amonality between you and me? Anyway, it¡¯s like a secret that¡¯s hard to tell other people.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Even if I had a secret that¡¯s hard to tell others, why would I discuss it with you, whom I¡¯ve just met? Especially in this situation where your women are listening too.¡± ¡°Wh-what?! I-I¡¯m not the Hero¡¯s woman¡­¡± ¡°¡­Wait, don¡¯t make strange misunderstandings. I¡¯m not this guy¡¯s woman or anything, I¡¯m just apanying him because our interests align¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Selena. Don¡¯t interrupt the conversation, it¡¯s getting unnecessarilyplicated. We¡¯re in the middle of an important discussion right now.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± He approached with a serious expression as if he had something to say, but all he¡¯s showing is bickering with his women? Ethan¡¯s interest rapidly cooled at Gyeongmwajogyegigwat¡¯s deting attitude, enough to turn his hurried steps back. ¡°It seems there¡¯s no particr business between us. Mypanions are waiting, so I¡¯ll be going ahead.¡± ¡°W-wait, Ethan!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure when we became close enough to call each other by name. Mind your manners.¡± ¡°J-just a moment! Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt is a Hero who received a revtion from the goddess!¡± ¡°Does the Aurelian Church teach that Heroes don¡¯t need to mind their manners? I don¡¯t think such arrogant teachings shoulde from the mouth of a Saint.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± Gyeongmwajogyegigwat and Serista quietly shrank back, at a loss for words against Ethan¡¯s logical argument. In the conversation that wasn¡¯t flowing in a particrly good atmosphere, the hero quietly thought¡­ ¡®¡­As expected. He seems to have already experienced at least either regression or possession.¡¯ The Ethan he knew from the game wasn¡¯t such a noble young man with dignity, nor was he a character capable of silencing others with logical conversation. At least, it seemed certain that he had gone through something that changed himpletely as a person. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Since he himself was already a possessor who had flowed in from a world outside the game, he couldn¡¯t be certain that the Ethan before his eyes wasn¡¯t in a simr case to himself. If he had realized his mistakes in the future, regressed, and then changed the past, it would be fully understandable for him to show such a cautious attitude towards himself. If Ethan was possessed by someone, like himself, Ethan would naturally be wary of him since he knows the game¡¯s story. Anyway, it seemed clear that his somewhat bold approach had offended him, so Gyeongmwajogyegigwat quietly apologized to him. ¡°Sorry, ckwood. Thinking about it, my sudden impolite approach might have been unpleasant from your position.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But I was sincere about wanting to talk with you, ckwood. I didn¡¯t ask with any strange intentions, it should be a conversation that¡¯s not bad for you either.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m already quite displeased.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you. I just wanted to get close as fellow excellent students in the Swordsmanship Department. Since we¡¯re first and second in grades, we should have a lot to talk about between just the two of us, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s guard naturally lowered a bit at the attitude that was somewhat different from the rude one just now. Gyeongmwajogyegigwat was about to continue with a bit more persuasion, finding that gap.@@novelbin@@ However, their conversation was forcibly interrupted by amotion heard from outside the auditorium. ng! ng! ng!! ¡°¡­What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°Wh-what could it be¡­? Could someone be having a duel or something outside the auditorium¡­?¡± The attention of Ethan and the Hero was also drawn outside by the words of the elf archer and the Saint who first noticed themotion. The words that followed were enough to make the young master of the ckwoods react. ¡°Wow! The maid! The maid is winning!!¡± ¡°No way¡­ How can someone wielding such a sword lose to someone just wielding a dagger?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± As soon as he heard the wordsing from the mouths of students watching the fight, he had no choice but to abandon the conversation and rush out of the auditorium. The moment he heard about a maid fighting with a dagger, only one person came to Ethan¡¯s mind. ¡®Lilith¡­!¡¯ How strange; she seemed a bit more well-behaved recently. The duel between me and Raidenhart ended much more easily than I had expected. I had anticipated it to some extent from the moment we first crossed swords. His movements were so pathetic that they could hardly be called swordsmanship, and even his strikescked weight. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] They were just pitiful movements that implied that he could only think about cutting down the target in front of him. Perhaps because I had watched Ethan and Harold¡¯s duels twice a week, the academy freshman¡¯s sword seemed to move in such a simple trajectory that my body reacted before my eyes could. It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult to parry his sword with just the silver dagger in my hand. No special technique was needed to parry such a crude sword. ng! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Just by using Shockwave at the moment the des collided, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to handle a longsword with a dagger. In less than a few minutes after the duel started, the duel wentpletely in my favor. A fight between a dagger and a longsword is generally disadvantageous for the wielder of the dagger. You have to expose more of your body to danger due to the shorter range, and each strike is inevitably weaker due to the lighter weight of the weapon. However, these were meaningless penalties in the current situation when dueling with this guy. There was no particr reason for my body to be in danger just from dodging that simple trajectory of his sword, and I couldpensate for theck of power by using Shockwave when the des collided. With those two weaknesses reinforced, it was now time for the dagger¡¯s advantages to shine. The only advantage of a dagger was its attack speed; it was several times faster than swinging a longsword. ng! ng! ng!! ¡°Ugh, guh¡­! Aaaaargh!!¡± Although he was struggling desperately tond a strike on me, Raidenhart¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t even properly touch my uniform, let alone my body. The match between us was finally decided when I allowed myself one strike in the gradually widening gaps. Stab! ¡°AAAAARGH!!¡± With Raidenhart letting out a painful scream as his left wrist was stabbed by my silver dagger, the longsword in his hand fell to the ground. With the sound of the de hitting the floor, the duel ended. ng¡­. ¡°AAAH, AAAAAH¡­!¡± ¡­It¡¯s not as pleasant as I thought. Even though he picked the fight first, it still felt quite ufortable fighting person to person. ¡­Even in a world where you can reattach an arm or leg at the church if it¡¯s cut off. ¡°Do you understand the difference in skill now?¡± ¡°Y-you damned bitch¡­!!¡± Raidenhart red at me with murderous intent while clutching his wounded area with his right hand. You¡¯d think he¡¯d calm down a bit after this, but it seems his pride was quite severely hurt. ¡°AAAAH! Damn it!! You damn¡­!!¡± ¡°Admit your defeat. If you want to keep what little honor you have left, that is.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll kill you! You lowborn bitch of unknown origin! I¡¯ll kill your entire family in the name of the Raidenharts, and I¡¯ll cut off your limbs and tongue and make you a sex ve for the soldiers¡­¡± ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A familiar figure appeared in front of the guy who was cursing me with lines from a third-rate viin. Ethan, who appeared with the ckwood family crest embroidered on his cape, drew the sword at his left waist before I could exin anything. His sword swung through the air once at a speed that eyes couldn¡¯t follow. sh! Blood sttered. A painful scream rang out. Both of Raidenhart¡¯s wrists flew up into the sky. ¡°AAAH! AAAAAAAAAH!!¡± ¡°Say those exact words one more time. Then this de wille out the back of your head.¡± Ethan held out another sword de towards the guy who had fallen to the ground, screaming. His eyes were sharpened with an icy gaze that even I had never seen before. Chapter 116 The first thing that greeted Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, the Hero, who had followed behind Ethan, was the sight of two hands flying up into the air. sh! ¡°AAAH! AAAAAAAAAH!!¡± When he hurriedly chased after Ethan, who suddenly rushed outside in the middle of their conversation, Ethan had already drawn the sword at his waist and swung it once. On the other hand, the unknown noble, whose wrists had been sliced off, was letting out painful screams. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Having witnessed this scene first, he momentarily began to specte whether Ethan had acted on his original nature from the game. ¡®Seeing that Ethan¡¯s actions are still in his nature, is this regression rather than possession?¡¯ Perhaps he hadn¡¯t been able to abandon his original nature even in his second life. Was it just his own delusion that Ethan might have a simr purpose to himself? With these thoughts as he observed the situation, Ethan¡¯s voice, filled with killing intent, soon reached his ears. This served as a way for Gyeongmwajogyegigwat to make his next judgment. ¡°Say those exact words one more time. Then this de wille out the back of your head.¡± His words were so full of killing intent that it was hard to believe it was the same person who had been calmly conversing with him just moments ago. Although it wasn¡¯t clearly evident due to being hidden by the overwhelming killing intent, the Hero could tell that the current Ethan was filled with intense emotions. He reached his own conclusion that it would be better to observe the situation for now. ¡°Eee, eeeek¡­! W-we must treat him quickly¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Serista, wait a moment.¡± ¡°H-hero¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s not interfere for now and just observe the situation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± Gyeongmwajogyegigwat stopped Serista, who was trying to step in to resolve the situation, and quietly continued to observe Ethan¡¯s next actions. He thought that he could somewhat grasp how much Ethan had changed from Ethan in the game if he watched this situation to the end. ¡°AAAH! MY HANDS! MY HAAAAAANDS!!¡± The man from the Raidenhart family, whose hands had beenpletely cut off, let out endless screams mixed with pain and fear. The expressions of the other new students who had been watching my duel with him also gradually hardened in the chilling atmosphere. Even I hadn¡¯t expected Ethan to suddenly intervene in my duel with Raidenhart and cut his hands off, so it was all unexpected. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Ethan¡¯s sword was pointed at the neck of the guy who had fallen to the ground, looking at his two severed wrists. Raidenhart¡¯s body stiffened in ce at the chilling killing intent surrounding his neck. ¡°What did you just say to Lilith?¡± ¡°Eee, eeek¡­!¡± ¡°Choose your words carefully¡­ unless you want your parents to receive your head and wail tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°¡­Hic, ¡­¡­kuh!¡± Seemingly having noticed the crisis of death that had approached him just now, he bowed his head while prostrated on the ground. He began to stammer out words of apology that he seemed like he would never utter until just a moment ago. ¡°I-I¡­ was wrong¡­¡± ¡°¡­What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°I, I thoughtlessly comitted an un-unforgivable rudeness to Young Master ckwood¡¯s woman¡­ P-please, forgive me¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you understand that well, shouldn¡¯t you also know that I¡¯m not the one you should be apologizing to?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, miss¡­ P-please forgive the rudeness I just comitted¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan quietly looked at me without withdrawing his sword, even after Raidenhart¡¯s apology ended. Wondering what exactly he was looking for, I quietly looked back at him, and Ethan slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­What do you want him to do?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Do you think that insult you received could bepensated with just this shallow apology?¡± ¡°N-no! I, I¡¯m sincerely¡­! Sincerely apologizing! P-please have mercy¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think this is sufficient.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I particrly felt sorry for that Raidenhart guy. I just felt that if Ethanmitted murder on top of bloodying his sword on the first day of school, his life in the academy would beplicated in many ways afterward. There was no need for him to be a delinquent young master for such a trivial reason after growing up properly. I also didn¡¯t particrly want to be known as the exclusive maid of a young master who killed a count¡¯s son on the first day of school. It was too much of a waste of all his efforts so far for Ethan¡¯s reputation to be tarnished because of the blood of such a worthless piece of trash. ¡­Especially since I had watched the process of his training to the bone for those years. ¡°¡­Really, is just this much okay?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to see more blood because of such trash, Young Master Ethan. Please put away your sword.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­No, I can¡¯t. Thinking of what this guy just said to you, Lilith, we should at least cut off his limbs and tongue just like he said¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please, stop there.¡± Although Ethan¡¯s eyes wavered with much conflict at my ultimatum, in the end, he nodded quietly, listening to my words. Turning his gaze towards Raidenhart, Ethan asked him in a cold voice. ¡°State your name and family.¡± ¡°Ca-Cassius¡­ Theodora Ra-Raidenhart. I¡¯m the third son of the Raidenhart Count family, and I have two older brothers and one older sister.¡± ¡°¡­Cassius Theodora Raidenhart.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll remember that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Make sure I don¡¯t have to recall this incident again.¡± With those words, Ethan withdrew the sword he had pointed at Raidenhart¡¯s neck. He wiped the guy¡¯s blood that had stained the de when cutting his wrists with a handkerchief before returning it to its scabbard. ¡°The Aurelian Church is behind the Magic Department Building.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m telling you to take your severed hands and get out of my sight right now.¡± ¡°Th-thank you!¡± He tried to pick up his hands on the ground with his two arms, whose hands had been cut off by Ethan¡¯s sword, in order to recover the wounds. Although it was a pitiful sight to the point of being pathetic, I didn¡¯t particrly feel like helping him. ¡°Uck, *sniff*¡­! Huuu!!¡± The guy who had been sobbing on the ground because he couldn¡¯t grip his hands properly due to the pain finally got up, holding his two hands in his mouth. He started running desperately towards the church to get away from Ethan¡­ ¡­leaving even his longsword, which he had dropped during the fight, on the ground. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although the sword itself wasn¡¯t a big deal, the scene with bloodstains everywhere was unsettling to look at, so I cleaned up the chaotic scene with a single Clean. My spell cleaned Ethan¡¯s uniform, which had been sttered with Raidenhart¡¯s blood, as well as the ground, also stained with his blood. ¡°Thank you, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Were you really nning to kill him, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you wanted, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­I think it would be better to leave it at threats next time. If you reallymit an irreversible act, it could endanger you severely, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Right, I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡± Ethan slightly bowed his head with a somewhat dejected voice at my warning. Seeing Ethan look bitter after standing up for me made me feel a strange ache in my chest, but I still needed to caution him on this point. It was undeniable that I had received some vicious threats from that guy, but trying to kill him outright for that much was almost crossing the line. If he kept drawing his sword for such trivial reasons, Ethan would really be hastening his own death. ¡­Especially because of that Hero, who had mixed into the crowd at some point and was looking at Ethan with eyes that hinted an ulterior motive. ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± The protagonist had been focusing his gaze on me and Ethan for a while now with a strange expression. As someone who wanted to let that guy know that Ethan wasn¡¯t a viin, I couldn¡¯t entirely wee this current situation. Although the killing intent he just showed in that situation couldn¡¯t be easily glossed over, I needed to appeal to the hero as much as possible that Ethan had grown up to be a good person from now on. Thinking about the future, it seemed beneficial to leave this ce for now. ¡°How about having a meal first, Young Master Ethan? Aren¡¯t you tired after being in the spotlight on stage for two hours?¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith. Also, if any guys bother you like that again, let me know whenever. No matter who it is, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Young Master Ethan, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, Lilith.¡± ¡­There¡¯s no need to look so deted just because I said there¡¯s no need to worry. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not grateful for what just happened. I clearly understand that it would be troublesome afterward if I incurred the enmity of the Raidenhart family with my status as a viscount¡¯s daughter. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­But if I straightforwardly expressed my gratitude here, Ethan might get carried away, and that hero would see Ethan as a bloodthirsty psychopath. Although Ethan¡¯s appearance had changed as if it was aplete rebirth and was beyond a simple improvement, that didn¡¯t guarantee the story wouldn¡¯t flow simrly to the game. A crazy Hero who named his character Gyeongmwajogyegigwat might try to kill Ethan and take me into his party at some point. So, I deliberately moved my steps to a ce where the Hero and hispanions couldn¡¯t see us, a bit farther from the scene. After confirming that I couldn¡¯t sense the presence of the Hero or others nearby, I quietly whispered words of thanks to him. ¡°Thank you for earlier, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Li-Lilith?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s wrong to say this as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, but¡­ you were kinda cool back there.¡± ¡°W-wait! What¡¯s thest thing you said?! I couldn¡¯t hear because you spoke too quietly!¡± ¡°¡­I just said thank you, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°No, it was definitely something else!¡± I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s embarrassing to say such a thing twice. Also, a man can find another man a bit cool. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. ¡­But no matter what, I didn¡¯t have the confidence to say the same thing again, so I feigned ignorance and calmly answered regardless of Ethan persistently asking me. Ethan¡¯s obsession with somehow wanting to hear thepliment I had said again continued until that evening.@@novelbin@@ ¡­Next time, I should be more careful about the words I use topliment him. Chapter 117 Exactly one week had passed since I attended the academy entrance ceremony with Ethan. ¡­A week since Ethan and I caused a bit of an incident on the first day, after the entrance ceremony. It was enough time for the news to spread among the new students about Raidenhart, who picked a fight first, getting stabbed in the back of his hand and losing in a duel with me. Along with it was the incident where Ethan intervened and cut Raidenhart¡¯s hands off when he insulted me. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Luminor Academy was somewhat isted from the outside as it is situated on an ind, and while rumors didn¡¯t spread outside, conversely, stories spread within the academy pretty quickly. It would be strange to expect an exciting spectacle of shing des and sttered blood not to spread. So, I was somewhat prepared for stories about Ethan and me to circte after the incident, and it would have been fortunate if only the undistorted facts had spread as they were. ¡­But tales passed from mouth to mouth naturally went through a process of expansion and reproduction. For example¡­@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Is that her? The girl who stabbed the Raidenhart Count¡¯s son¡¯s hand with a dagger because he hit on her?¡± ¡°I heard she didn¡¯t just stab him but cut off his handspletely?¡± ¡°No, from what I heard, she was about to kill him, but her fianc¨¦ barely stopped her.¡± Other new students from the Magic Department looked at me with strange eyes as they talked. Listening to their conversation silently, a feeling of unfairness naturally welled up from deep in my chest. ¡­Okay, I admit that I stabbed Raidenhart¡¯s hand. Even if it was a wound from a duel, it would probably feel a bit brutal among new students. But it was certainly unfair that Ethan¡¯s actions had naturally be my aplishments. In fact, I was the one who stopped him from trying to kill that guy. Of course, no matter how wrong the rumors were, I couldn¡¯t intervene in every conversation of other students I wasn¡¯t even close to in order to correct the rumors, so all I could do now was to quietly attend my sses at the academy. I was just earnestly hoping for another incident to happen at the academy as soon as possible so that the rumors about me would be forgotten. After all, this was the game world of Luminor Academy, so an incident big enough to bury the rumors about me and Ethan was bound to happen at any time. ¡°I remember her because I was next to her during the entrance exam. Seeing how shepletely devastated the exam room with Mana sts when things weren¡¯t going well during the exam¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey! She made eye contact!¡± ¡°Run away, quickly!¡± ¡­They spread unfounded rumors that gnawed at people¡¯s hearts in front of others, and now, they run away without looking back as soon as I make eye contact. I had enrolled with the status of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid in preparation for other nobles bothering me at the academy, but I hadn¡¯t expected my ssmates to avoid me at all. What exactly did I maintain the position of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid for? Strictly speaking, that incident at the entrance ceremony also urred because I was walking around together with Ethan as his exclusive maid. Probably, if I hadn¡¯t been Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten so worked up and yelled like that. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It was likely because I was in a position rted to the ckwood family that he actively intervened in my duel with Raidenhart. Thinking that, I put the notebook with my notes from my morning ss into my bag and went out when Ethan, who seemed to have been waiting for me next to the ssroom door, was heard. ¡°Lilith, is your ss over?¡± ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan, didn¡¯t I tell you is isn¡¯t good to wait for me like this?¡± ¡°My lecture ended an hour earlier, so I just came to pick you up.¡± ¡°Please wait at the Swordsmanship Department Building or the cafeteria, and I wille to attend to you. If you keeping to pick me up like this, what will others think of me?¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, were you the type to care about others¡¯ gazes?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What exactly is my image in this guy¡¯s head? To Ethan, who asked me as if in disbelief, I naturally gave the standard answer. ¡°Of course I care, Young Master Ethan. We¡¯ve just entered the academy; how would it look if others evaluated me as a maid who makes her mastere pick her up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking this from the beginning, Lilith, but is there really a need for you to show that you¡¯re a maid? You just need to be faithful to your role as my exclusive maid while walking around with me, right?¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t wear the symbols of a maid, others might not recognize the master-servant rtionship between us, young master.¡± ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t really matter if they don¡¯t recognize it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Ah, never mind! Let¡¯s go eat quickly. We have afternoon sses today, too.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡± ¡­Well, at least this is better than Ethan not caring about me at all and wandering around the academy alone as he pleases. If we walk around the academy together like this, anyone who sees us will undoubtedly view us as a young master and exclusive maid. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Thinking that way, there was no need to view it negatively. Probably, the other students looking at us from over there will undoubtedly recognize me and Ethan as having a clear master-servant rtionship. ¡°Young Master ckwood is with his fianc¨¦e again today.¡± ¡°For rumors of it being a fake engagement, they seem to get along quite well. Rather, isn¡¯t the ¡°fake engagement¡± part the part that¡¯s fake?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Cassius almost died. I saw it then; if someone had spoken like that to my fianc¨¦e, I don¡¯t think I could have held back either.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shuffle. ¡°¡­Lilith? Why are you suddenly stepping back after walking side by side¡­?¡± ¡°Please go ahead, Young Master Ethan. I will follow behind you, young master.¡± ¡°Why are you acting like this¡­¡± ¡­It¡¯s just that interesting rumors spread quickly because the academy is isted from the outside. I believe they will die down someday, surely. Even during my meal with Ethan, I could asionally hear the voices of other students directed at him and me. I suppose it¡¯s unavoidable to hear other students¡¯ voices in the academy cafeteria, and it¡¯s true there aren¡¯t many decent ces to eat other than the student cafeteria. About 80% of the voices were about unfounded spections regarding the rtionship between me and Ethan, so it was impossible not to be bothered. ¡°He rejected the Hero¡¯s offer to eat together earlier, but he¡¯s with his fianc¨¦e again today.¡± ¡°Just how close is he with his fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°They¡¯re almost always together except during ss time? If they¡¯re even using a couple¡¯s dormitory, they¡¯re practically a married couple already.¡± We¡¯re not engaged. We¡¯re just a young master and an exclusive maid. The reason we¡¯re together at all times except during ss time is that I¡¯m his exclusive maid. It¡¯s not a couple¡¯s dormitory, and we¡¯re not a married couple. Who exactly do you think I am? ¡°Lilith, have you lost your appetite?¡± ¡°¡­No, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.¡± ¡°You have a ss in the Swordsmanship Department this afternoon, too, right, Lilith? I¡¯m d we can take at least one ss together.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I think it¡¯s fortunate too.¡± Well,e to think of it, I¡¯m probably not the only one suffering because of rumors. Just as there are strange rumors circting around me, there are probably equally annoying rumors swirling around Ethan. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although it wasn¡¯t my intention, I felt sorry for Ethan as the one who caused it. I didn¡¯t know that the Raidenhart would continue to make trouble even after getting beaten like that. Moreover, the XP gained from causing thatmotion was only 200, not even enough to lead to the next level up. It was a duel where I only suffered losses. While continuing to eat with these thoughts, this time, a group of youngdies who spotted Ethan began to whisper, mentioning his name. ¡°L-look over there. It¡¯s Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan¡­ Isn¡¯t he the one who cruelly pointed his sword at the Raidenhart family¡¯s son the other day¡­?¡± ¡°Is the person next to him his exclusive maid¡­ no, his fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡­As expected, I thought it would be like this. No matter if he was the young master of the ckwood family, it seems unavoidable to be a topic of gossip among other students at the academy. In the end, it seems Ethan, like me, didn¡¯t make a very good first impression on other students. Seeing Ethan suffering because of me made me feel somewhat sorry¡­ ¡°As soon as he heard his fianc¨¦e was insulted, he drew his sword without hesitation, right? Not even caring about which family the opponent was from.¡± ¡°Moreover, he even got a proper apology towards his fianc¨¦e to protect her honor. He¡¯s truly an exemr of knighthood.¡± ¡°I wish my fianc¨¦ would follow even half of Young Master Ethan¡¯s example. That person wouldn¡¯t care even if I was insulted somewhere¡­¡± ¡°As expected of a son from a noble duke¡¯s family, even his chivalry is lofty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Unlike me, receiving unfair misunderstandings from my ssmates in the Magic Department due to distorted rumors and hearing strange rumors flowing about Ethan among the youngdies somehow made my head start to heat up. I¡¯ve already be a ruffian who draws a knife and tries to kill someone just for making eye contact among my department mates, so why is Ethan¡­ ¡°¡­Lilith, are you really okay?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, there¡¯s nothing wrong with me, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s nothing wrong¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t particrly because I felt wronged. It was good for me, too, if Ethan¡¯s evaluation improved among the youngdies. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I normally should have been happy about those youngdies¡¯ evaluation of Ethan, but¡­ ¡­I¡¯m not sure why my head keeps heating up for some reason. Chapter 118 After finishing our meals at the cafeteria, Ethan and I headed to the Swordsmanship Department Building for our scheduled afternoon ss. Today¡¯s afternoon lecture ss, entitled Basics of Magic Swordsmanship, was one of the fewmon subjects that students from both the Swordsmanship Department and Magic Department could take together, and both Ethan and I had registered for this ss. As an exclusive maid, I thought it would be advantageous to be ready whenever Ethan needed my help as much as possible, so I nned to take as many of thesemon subjects as I could in the future. Of course, if Ethan wasn¡¯t interested in this ss, the premise of taking the same ss would have been impossible, but as a scion of the ckwood family, Ethan was in a position where he needed to learn magic swordsmanship more than anyone else. You could say our interests aligned to some extent, as I needed to create as many points of contact with Ethan as possible. ¡°Since it¡¯s our first time taking a ss together, I feel a bit nervous.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous, Lilith?¡± ¡°As Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I¡¯ve already observed your swordsmanship lessons several times, so I didn¡¯t exactly think this was our first time taking a ss together.¡± ¡°Well,e to think of it, I suppose you could see it that way.¡± No matter how much of a son-loving fool he was, in the end, Harold was fundamentally a Sword Master and a user of magic swordsmanship. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Even for someone like me, with a shallow knowledge of swordsmanship, listening to Harold¡¯s lectures alongside Ethan naturally led to some of the things they were talking about sticking in my mind. Thinking about the past, this ss wasn¡¯t exactly our first ss together. If I had to give it meaning, it would be the first ss we¡¯re actually taking together, but¡­ With these thoughts, as we moved our steps to the Indoor Dueling Arena in the Swordsmanship Department Building, several students were already gathered there and waited for the professor of the Basics of Magic Swordsmanship subject. As soon as Ethan, who had some recognition as the second-ce student in the sword department, appeared, people started greeting him one by one. ¡°Hello, Young Master ckwood.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for the greeting.¡± ¡°Are you taking this ss too, Young Master ckwood?¡± ¡°The ckwood family has used magic swordsmanship, abination of swordsmanship and magic, for generations, so it¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡­Somehow, I¡¯m suddenly getting angry again. I¡¯m already being treated as a person of concern in the Magic Department and can¡¯t make proper friends, so why does Ethan have a never-ending crowd of followers wherever he goes? Moreover, the high ratio of women among those approaching him was strangely unpleasant. ¡°Your fianc¨¦e is participating with you today!¡± ¡°Fianc¨¦e¡­? Ah, um. Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°You said your fianc¨¦e was from the Magic Department, right? Then did your fianc¨¦e learn swordsmanship separately from you, perhaps, Young Master ckwood?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t teach her, Lilith was good with daggers from the beginning.¡± ¡­Whether I was originally good with daggers or not isn¡¯t important right now. Those stupid girls are misunderstanding me as your fianc¨¦e, so why are you vaguely evading instead of denying it? I wanted to jump into the conversation right away and shout that I¡¯m not his fianc¨¦e or anything like that, but interrupting him would only make the atmosphere weird. Above all, arbitrarily intervening and speaking up while my master was conversing wasn¡¯t befitting of an exclusive maid, so I refrained. If it were two to three years ago when I was forcibly taking on the role of his exclusive maid, it might have been different, but now I had volunteered to be Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid of my own ord, so I felt it was my duty to do it properly to the end since I had decided to do it. I was just waiting for the professor to appear while listening to the conversation between Ethan and the other students. ¡­But suddenly, the appearance of a nuclear bomb-level figure momentarily stopped my thoughts.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Hey, ckwood. We meet again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmph.¡± My thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of G.*1, the protagonist of Luminor Academy and someone who is currently presumed to be a fellow transmigrator. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re taking this ss too, ckwood. Then again, the ckwood family would naturally have expertise in magic swordsmanship¡­¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you approaching me too familiarly? I don¡¯t remember bing this close with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve met at the entrance ceremony. And we¡¯re also the first and second-ce students in the sword department. Isn¡¯t that enough to be acquaintances, at least?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s enough to call someone an acquaintance, then you must be acquainted with Princess Seraphine, too. The only difference between you two is the difference between the overall top student and a top student of a department.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Well, someday¡­ No, don¡¯t be so stiff like that.¡± The hero approaches Ethan pretending to be friendly, and Ethan openly feels antipathy towards that attitude and isn¡¯t letting his guard down. That subtlebination that seemed like it wouldn¡¯t match at all, yet somehow did, made my head instantly confused. ¡®Why is the protagonist suddenly pretending to be friendly with Ethan?¡¯ In the original game, the protagonist was far from being friendly with Ethan to the point of thetter being marked as openly hostile from the start. In Luminor Academy, Ethan was a piece of trash who openly showed other students how he abused his exclusive maid, Lilith, from the beginning and strutted around with his gang, bullyingmoner students. Of course, the current Ethan has be apletely different person from that piece of trash and is far from abusing me, his exclusive maid. He tends to be considerate of my convenience, almost to the point of being overly amodating. If the protagonist of this world wasn¡¯t simply a dummy character created by the game system, this kind of reaction would be a bit more natural. ¡­Still, knowing the ending of these two people whom I¡¯ve dealt with in the original game, it was an extremely uneasy meeting for me. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of building a friendship with me just because of my background as a member of the ckwood family, I¡¯d like to tell you to give up in advance. I have no desire to be close to you, and even if we did be close, I have no intention of lending you the power of the ckwood family.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t hoping for anything like that when I say I want to be friends. I just want to be friends as fellow top students in the sword department; why are you so on guard?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite talkative for someone who showed up with women on both sides from our first meeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to build a friendship with someone whocks self-control like you.¡± The hero, G., seemed momentarily at a loss for words, as if he had no rebuttal to Ethan¡¯s logical argument. The women Ethan mentioned appearing with on both sides were probably Serista and Selena. Serista would stick to the protagonist like gum until the ending except for one or two episodes in the middle, and Selena would also have considerable affection for the protagonist at this point. Both characters probably have their own circumstances for sticking with that guy now, but objectively speaking, a guy walking around with women on both shoulders doesn¡¯t look very trustworthy. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Certainly, even I would feel cautious if I saw the protagonist appear with Selena and Serista on both sides without any background knowledge. ¡°Those girls and I don¡¯t have the kind of rtionship you¡¯re thinking. We just became a bit close, and it happened that both of them were women.¡± ¡°For that, both women seemed to have considerable interest in you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also popr with women, aren¡¯t you, Ethan?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯tck self-control and walk around with women on both sides like you. At least if you choose one of the two in front of me, I might be able to believe your sincerity.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I can¡¯t trust an indecisive guy who walks around with women on both hands.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s also impossible for me to be friends with you.¡± With those words, Ethan turned his head with a resolute expression, ignoring the protagonist¡¯s gaze. On the contrary, the protagonist seemed unwilling to give up on conversing with Ethan and tried to speak to him again. ¡­But for some reason, Ethan¡¯s attitude remained firm from beginning to end. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that¡­¡± ¡°You must have seen me cut off the hands of that piece of trash from the Raidenhart family.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I saw it directly that day.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no exception, G..¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means that even if you¡¯re a Hero who received divine revtion, I won¡¯t let it slide if you carelessly approach my Lilith.¡± ¡­Does he still think I¡¯m his possession? I¡¯ve long since left the status of an indebted maid; what¡¯s with this ¡®my Lilith¡¯ stuff? Of course, considering my current position, it was true that I couldn¡¯t easily separate from him as I had to continue my life as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid for a while. ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind regarding that matter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine then.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true that I want to know more about you, regardless of Lilith, so if you ever feel like talking, let me know anytime. If it makes you ufortable, I won¡¯t bring Serista and Selena along.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going.¡± With those words, the protagonist moved to a spot a bit further away. I wondered where he was going, but this time, he immediately approached Natalie and started a conversation. He really is quite busy running around. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Well, Natalie is worth building a rtionship with since she¡¯s convenient to have in both the early andte games. Since he didn¡¯t interfere with Thomas¡¯s enrollment and left him alone, fully clearing the game is probably impossible, but if his goal is just a safe clear with a proper strategy, it¡¯s not a problematic y. Seeing this aspect, I couldn¡¯t help but think that perhaps this Gyeongmwajogyegigwat was seriously trying toplete the game. As I quietly followed him with my gaze, I started to feel a somewhat sharp gaze from the seat next to me. ¡°¡­Do you have something you want to say, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Does that man bother you, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I was just trying to remember him since he seems to be someone you don¡¯t like very much, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°I see. Remember him well, and if he ever tries to talk to you, don¡¯t even bother responding.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± In truth, it was a difficult order to ept easily as someone who also possessed a character like him, but I just nodded for now. As Ethan had expressed hostile feelings towards G., I, as his exclusive maid, had to respect that choice. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Thinking that there would probably be opportunities to exchange opinions with a fellow possessed person in other ways, I withdrew my gaze, and at that moment, the bell signaling the start of the afternoon academy lecture rang. About one minute after the bell rang, a man walked into the dueling arena. A new professor entered that neither I nor Ethan had expected at all. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°No way, that man is¡­¡± ¡°The legendary Sword Master¡­¡± At the appearance of this unexpected famous person, the dueling arena instantly began to stir. Even I and Ethan, who knew the identity of the person who appeared better than anyone, were overwhelmed with bewilderment as soon as we saw him. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°¡­Did you ever hear about this separately from Father?¡± ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m learning about this for the first time, too.¡± I never thought we¡¯d meet again in this way. I had been relieved thinking we wouldn¡¯t meet for a while since the stage had moved to the academy. This son-loving fool following Ethan all the way here¡­ This was a situation I had never seen, even in the game. ¡°Greetings, everyone.¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡­¡­¡±¡±¡± ¡°My name is Harold Richard ckwood. Some of you may already know this.¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡­¡­¡±¡±¡± ¡°From today, I will be in charge of the ¡®Basics of Magic Swordsmanship¡¯ lecture ss, so I look forward to working with all of you.¡± Oh, really¡­ Why is he following us all the way here? Chapter 119 The rumor that Harold had been newly appointed as a professor spread quickly throughout the entire Swordsmanship Department. After all, he was quite famous. He was also a war hero. He was a legendary Sword Master that anyone in the Empire who knew how to handle a sword would know about, so the rumor spread quickly, not just in the Swordsmanship Department but to other departments as well. ¡®No wonder Harold seemed to be absent from the mansion on the day we left¡­¡¯ I never imagined he was preparing to be a temporary professor at the academy during that time. When I first encountered Harold, who had followed us to Luminor Academy, I almost let out a scream. It¡¯s fortunate I was too surprised to even let it out. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} I had a rough idea of how he came to take on the role of an academy professor. To begin with, the Argentian Empire wasn¡¯t the type to leave a war hero like Harold to leisurely manage his territory. Although he had already retired from his position as one of the king¡¯s Three Swords, he was still a person whosebat ability was among the top ten in the Empire. He must have been receiving love calls from various imperial institutions. He probably refused most of them but took on the position of a temporary professor at the academy just for this semester. ¡­Although I¡¯m not sure if it really is a temporary position, given that he can extend it as much as he wants if he desires. ¡°I never imagined Father woulde all the way to the academy. I guess he must have felt lonely staying alone in the mansion, haha¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I suppose he might have, thinking about how you, Young Master Ethan, who was always there, would be gone.¡± Ethan was talking so carefree in the midst of this, so I just responded appropriately to match him. In truth, Ethan probably didn¡¯t have much to regret. With his father being a professor in the Swordsmanship Department, getting good grades would be much easier. Compared to other professors in the department, there were hardly any who could match Harold¡¯s status and achievements, so most would naturally give good evaluations to curry favor with him. Of course, Ethan would probably get good grades in most subjects even without using such underhanded methods. ¡­If there was a problem, it was probably on my side. Now that Harold was at the academy, swordsmanship lessons between Ethan and Harold could happen at any time. They could happen not only during the weekly Basics of Magic Swordsmanship ss, but there was also a possibility they might have regr duels for training every week, just like at the mansion. Even in theirst duel, Ethan was winning about one match every two weeks, and if the current Ethan, who had grown a bit more since then, engaged in duels at the same frequency as before¡­ ¡®He might even win one match against Harold every week.¡¯ This was troublesome. Really troublesome. That¡¯s because the dormitory room Ethan and I are using now isn¡¯t a space used by just the two of us. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} With Isabel living in a space separated by just a not-very-thick door, giving chest¡­ rewards like before was dangerous to say the least. If I identally let out a moan, we¡¯d probably be 100% caught. ¡­But suddenly stopping what we¡¯ve always been doing until now was something my pride couldn¡¯t ept. A man can¡¯t disgracefully go back on his word once he¡¯s said it. ¡­Even though this body is Lilith¡¯s. ¡®Well, I probably don¡¯t need to worry about it just yet.¡¯ It was only a problem worth worrying about if Harold and Ethan¡¯s duels actually happened and Ethan managed to beat Harold in those duels. Since Harold had just been appointed as a temporary professor, he¡¯d probably have a busy schedule for a while, and he couldn¡¯t duel with every student during ss. Just ten days after starting at the academy, the conditions weren¡¯t very good for the two of them to start dueling right away. Maybe their schedules would conflict, and the duel itself might never happen. Thinking that way, worrying about it now would be foolish. Thinking like this does make me feel reassured. ¡®Besides, Harold doesn¡¯t seem to teach any sses other than Basics of Magic Swordsmanship, and even if Ethan has a sword duel with Harold in other sses, it would be hard to prove that I saw it.¡¯ I just need to avoid it well once a week, just once. While I was trying to reassure myself with such thoughts¡­ ¡­the duel between Ethan and Harold came much faster than I had expected. On the day marking exactly two weeks since I started attending Luminor Academy with Ethan¡­ Today was the day of themon ss I take with Ethan once a week. That¡¯s right, the lecture given by Harold. Unfortunately. As soon as my morning sses ended, I quickly packed my things and hurried out of the ssroom, leaving the Magic Department Building. If I dawdled, Ethan woulde to my building to fetch me again this time. Ethaning to pick me up at my building two weeks in a row was careless of me as an exclusive maid, no matter how I thought about it¡­ ¡°Ah, Lilith. Looks like your ss ended a bit early today.¡± ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Ah, just in case, I should mention that I wasn¡¯t specifically waiting for you. I thought it would be a waste of time to just stay in the Swordsmanship Department Building, so I was thinking of taking a walk around the academy.¡± ¡°¡­What a coincidence. You just happened to pass by the Magic Department Building right when my ss ended while taking a walk.¡± {GxyTL/Axiomatic} ¡°Right, it¡¯s a really strange coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡­Ethan is getting more shameless by the day. Anyone could see he came all the way to the Magic Department Building to pick me up, yet he¡¯s trying to y innocent. Seeing him act like this right after I cautioned him that it looks bad for an employee, I had reasonable suspicion that he might be doing this to deliberately put me in a difficult position. ¡°Isn¡¯t the cafeteria much closer to the Swordsmanship Department Building than the Magic Department Building? Why do you always take such an inefficient route¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry, so let¡¯s go quickly, Lilith. We have Father¡¯s ss this evening, so we can¡¯t bete, right?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°If it really bothers you that much, why don¡¯t you take off thosece cuffs and your headdress? You wouldn¡¯t need to fulfill the formalities of an exclusive maid then¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not allowed.¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t like it, L-Lilith, then there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± It¡¯s the only means to prove that I belong to the ckwood family, so I need to wear it and be clearly identified. Moreover, I¡¯ve already been attending the academy like this for two weeks, so if I suddenly stop wearing it, rumors might spread that I¡¯ve been fired by Ethan. I wanted to avoid troublesome things in many ways. To do that, I had to do my best in the role of Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid until our graduation from the academy. That was the way to survive at the academy as Lilith. It¡¯s the second week of the Basics of Magic Swordsmanship ss, taught by Harold. As soon as the time for the afternoon ss came, Harold appeared in the Indoor Dueling Arena and announced today¡¯s lesson to the gathered students. ¡°To roughly assess everyone¡¯s individual skills, from today we¡¯ll have time for dueling in pairs.¡± While the first day¡¯s ss felt like an orientation and passed vaguely, it seemed they were definitely entering into full-fledged sses from the second week. ¡°Before pairing up for duels, the four people I will call shoulde forward separately.¡± Thinking they might be called, several students from the Swordsmanship Department looked around curiously. As soon as I heard the first syble of the namesing from Harold¡¯s mouth, I could immediately grasp what criteria Harold had used to select the four. ¡°Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt.¡± ¡°Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± ¡°Natalie Sharp.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Caraham Jamuel August.¡± ¡­Right, this is how it would usually be. From the moment he called Gyeongmwajogyegigwat¡¯s name first, I could immediately grasp that this was a group of honor students¡­ no, ¡®inhuman¡¯ level individuals. No one among the freshmen in the Swordsmanship Department at Luminor Academy now could beat those four there. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} If he had paired them up to duel with other students mixed in, it would just end up with their opponents getting thoroughly beaten for nothing. ¡°You four are strictly forbidden from dueling with other students except for dueling with each other here.¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±Yes, sir.¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°I believe you know best why I¡¯ve separated you out. Right?¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±Yes, sir, we understand!¡±¡±¡±¡± As expected of kids whose specialty is handling swords, their answers were overflowing with confidence. Especially Natalie, answering with a confident expression among the three men, looked particrly cute. ¡®Enrolling in Luminor Academy is a good idea in this aspect.¡¯ Seeing Natalie, who was my favorite character in my previous life, in person right before my eyes probably means I¡¯ve achieved about half of my goals for entering the academy. I think anyone would fall for her charm if they knew it. Of course, she¡¯s pretty, but more charming than that is her bold personality. Like how she answers confidently despite being the onlymoner without any powers among nobles and heroes who can use magic. Seeing her not shrinking back despite being the only woman among men made me smile fondly, feeling like I was still seeing Natalie from the game in my previous life. If it were my previous life, I would have pressed the PrtScrn key almost every time her expression changed, not to mention collecting separate CGs. It was just regrettable that I couldn¡¯t save the image of her orange ponytail fluttering in the gentle breeze. ¡®Still, somehow, it doesn¡¯t make my heart race like before.¡¯ I suppose it might be because the years I¡¯ve spent as Lilith in the world of Luminor Academy have be too long. Well, with this body, I can¡¯t be with Natalie anyway, and she originally had Thomas, her childhood friend, as a partner. {GxyTL/Axiomatic} I had no right from the beginning to interfere with the love between those two that even the protagonist, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, is trying not to disturb. Just being able to watch my favorite character from my previous life move alive like this from afar was satisfying enough. ¡°¡­¡­¡± While I was relieved in one sense that I no longer felt romantic emotions towards the character I had loved¡­ ¡­Still, feeling depressed that I could no longer feel the emotions I once had was an unavoidable force majeure. Chapter 120 Harold¡¯s Basics of Magic Swordsmanship ss was decent enough. Of course, all we actually did was just duel with swords against students from the Swordsmanship and Magical Departments. With the Top 1-4 from the Swordsmanship Department excluded, the remaining students were fairly evenly matched. However, that was partly because their opponents were just lower-ranked students of the Swordsmanship Department. Even though it was amon lecture ss for the two departments since it dealt with the basics of swordsmanship, enrollment from the Magic Department wasn¡¯t very high. As one of only about ten Magic Department students out of 60 total, I didn¡¯t end up crossing swords with any top-ranked Sword Department students from the first day. With this win rate, I might be able to face off against some higher-ranked students in the next ss. ¡®To be honest, I¡¯d like to try facing off against Ethan or Natalie.¡¯ Of course, it would obviously be a match I¡¯d lose, but so what? As a man, don¡¯t you want to challenge yourself even in matches you¡¯re clearly going to lose? It wasn¡¯t so strange to think about the mindset the characters who faced Natalie¡¯s swordsmanship head-on had until now or wanting to directly experience Ethan¡¯s swordsmanship after his dramatic growth in skill due to my intervention in the story. Of course, I probably won¡¯t get the chance to duel against those inhuman-level kids, even among the Sword Department, being just someone from the Magic Department who can use a sword a bit. Besides that, Harold¡¯s ss was useful enough to be quite helpful even for me. You might think the legendary Sword Master would naturally have a rigid teaching style, but Harold was teaching the kids with a much more flexible mindset than I expected. One unexpected thing I learned about Harold today was that he didn¡¯t care at all about the types of swords the students used. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Rather, he tried his best to impart his knowledge even to students who didn¡¯t use conventional sword types. ¡°If you¡¯re going to swing that heavy greatsword, think several times more than your opponent. And from now on, try to build up your abdominal muscles as much as possible rather than your arms.¡± ¡°Yes, professor!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to use an estoc*1, focus on thrusting rather than shing in your training. With that light sword, concentrating on piercing one point will be much more effective for inflicting fatal wounds than shing a wide area.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± This was the advice Harold gave to Caraham and Natalie after observing their duel once. The sword Harold usually uses is a typical two-handed sword seen in fantasy worlds, and even in the game, he never used any sword other than the short sword he usually carries at his waist. But unlike his seemingly old-fashioned appearance, his knowledge of swords seemed to be quite extensive. As long as the weapon the user wielded maintained the form of a sword, he imparted his knowledge without prejudice. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] He didn¡¯t hold back advice on Caraham¡¯s huge greatsword, Natalie¡¯s estoc, or the various types of swords used by other regr students. Naturally, he also gave advice to me, wielding a dagger. ¡°Out of all these students, only you use a dagger, Lilith Rosewood. ¡­Even though you¡¯re not the only Magic Department student taking this ss.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Is there a reason you insist on using a dagger?¡± Because there¡¯s an awesome option that gives ¡°+15 Attack When Wielding a Dagger¡±. I couldn¡¯t tell him that directly, so I deliberately presented a usible excuse packaged in convincing words. ¡°The biggest reason is to induce carelessness in the opponent.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m learning magic swordsmanship based on a dagger in this ss, but after all, my most powerful ability is magic. The most important thing for a mage to be mindful of when using swordsmanship is not creating situations where they have to use swordsmanship in the first ce. I think the professor knows this part as well.¡± ¡°¡­Go on.¡± ¡°But even if one doesn¡¯t want to, there might be times in life when you have to face an enemy in close-quartersbat. In such a situation, if you, professor, assume that you are that enemy facing a mage up close, what would you think if there was a long sword hanging at the mage¡¯s waist?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d think they¡¯re someone who can handle both magic and swordsmanship well, so I wouldn¡¯t let my guard down until the very end.¡± ¡°Then, what about a mage with nothing at their waist but a dagger hidden in their breast?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d still be on guard, but it would take a bit longer to realize their trump card is a hidden dagger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly the part I¡¯m aiming for.¡± ¡°Hooh¡­¡± Harold stroked his chin and looked at me with quite a serious gaze at my answer. Havinge this far, I couldn¡¯t vaguely gloss over it, so I somehowpleted the excuse I made up on the spot. ¡°For a mage, auxiliary armament is just a supplementary means, after all. The moment close-rangebat is allowed, the tide of battle has alreadypletely turned. In such a situation, there¡¯s no way to properly respond by swinging around a longsword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But this dagger can be effective for stabbing the heart of a careless enemy after keeping it hidden until thest moment. At the very least, the attacker won¡¯t notice what auxiliary armament I have until they get close enough to see the de of this dagger.¡± ¡°¡­A fairly usible theory.¡± Harold looked at me with a strange smile, seemingly not displeased with my answer. Then, he took the silver dagger I had pulled out during my exnation and held it in his right hand. ¡°There are two ways to handle a dagger ¨C the forward grip and the reverse grip. The forward grip allows you to freely wield the dagger as you wish by holding itfortably, but it¡¯s also easier for the opponent to predict the trajectory. The reverse grip has the opposite advantages and disadvantages.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So if you¡¯re going to handle a dagger, it¡¯s good to at least learn how to switch between normal and reverse grips with one hand. ¡­Like this.¡± With those words, Harold demonstrated how to roll the silver dagger in his hand, changing the direction of the de. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration at how easily he changed grips even while holding the de. ¡°You¡¯ve finished your duels for today, so practice changing your grip on this dagger until the end of ss. Feel free to ask if you¡¯re unsure about anything.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°And please continue to take good care of Ethan in the future.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Harold left those words with a strangely different implied meaning and moved to check on another student¡¯s swordsmanship. Watching his back as he left, I practiced handling the dagger grip as he advised. By the end of ss, I had be somewhat ustomed to holding the de in reverse, if only a little. ¡­The slightly depressed feelings I had tried to shake off by concentrating on the ss didn¡¯t disappear at all, even until the lesson ended. After the Basics of Magic Swordsmanship ss, themon subject Ethan and Lilith take once a week, ended¡­ Lilith, who returned to the dormitory room after finishing her sses for the day, had been exuding a gloomy aura with her whole body since she returned. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Lilith sat half-perched on the bed, resting her chin on her hand and sighing. Watching this, Ethan and Isabel could immediately grasp that she wasn¡¯t in a good mood. Ethan and Isabel poured out considerable worry towards her, who had seemed to be in a bad mood since returning to the dormitory room. ¡°Did something happen to Lilith at the academy today, Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­Well. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything in particr thates to mind.¡± One thing that was certain was that she had been in this state continuously since after listening to his father¡¯s Basics of Magic Swordsmanship ss.@@novelbin@@ At least until lunchtime today, there was nothing particrly strange or depressing to be found in Lilith, so if there was something making her mindplicated, it must have happened during or after that ss. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] However, Ethan couldn¡¯t imagine any reason for her to show such a reaction. Especially since, even during the duels in the ss, Lilith had won three times in a row. After the ss ended, they had dinner at the dormitory cafeteria and went straight back to the dormitory room, so there was no reason for anything to happen that would upset her mood. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± However, seeing Lilith groaning weakly while precariously perched on the bed, she had clearly experienced something unpleasant. Even if he couldn¡¯t figure out the cause, Ethan¡¯s thought was that he wanted to at least cheer up her mood. ¡­The problem was that he had no idea how he could cheer up Lilith¡¯s mood. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, are you feeling sick somewhere?¡± ¡°Mm, not really¡­¡± ¡°Is it because sleeping with Young Master Ethan is tiring? Do you want to sleep in my room¡¯s bed just for tonight?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay¡­ Just let me think alone for now¡­¡± ¡°Mm, if you have any worries, don¡¯t suffer alone, and make sure to tell us, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s worry increased as her symptoms didn¡¯t seem likely to improve, even with thefort of Isabel, her closest friend. He was pondering in his own way how he could cheer her up. ¡®What does Lilith like again¡­?¡¯ Come to think of it, despite loving Lilith so much, he didn¡¯t actually know much about what she liked. He knew that she enjoyed spending time with her fellow maids like Isabel and Catherine or that she felt joy in using magic¡­ ¡­but Lilith hardly ever showed signs of liking specific foods or things, so Ethan¡¯s worries deepened about what he could do for her to cheer her up. Ethan closed his eyes and tried to recall when she hadst shown her happiness recently. If it was thest memory of her showing an unreserved happy expression in front of him, it was probably that moment¡­ ¡®¡­No, no, no. What are you thinking, recalling that memory now¡­¡¯ To think that what came to mind when trying to recall Lilith¡¯s happiness was her moaning while he touched her chest¡­ Because of that, the manly desires that had been dormant in Ethan¡¯s heart for a while strangely awakened. Fortunately, the current Ethan did not act irrationally and was not consumed by momentary instincts. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] He had already be a man who could suppress his own desires through the past year of training. <¡­Hah, ah! HAAAA¡­!!> ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, separate from his calmed self-control, Lilith¡¯s flushed face kept flickering in Ethan¡¯s mind. From the brief imagination that suddenly came to his mind, Ethan was able to find a small hint. He quietly began toe up with one way that might be able to cheer up Lilith¡¯s mood. Chapter 121 Ethan quietly thought of a way to improve Lilith¡¯s mood. Before taking any serious action, the first thing he did was to send Isabel, who shared the room, to the servants¡¯ quarters. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Even though Isabel was currently serving as the exclusive maid for both him and Lilith, he didn¡¯t want her to witness their ¡®evening activities.¡¯ ¡°Isabel.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°I¡¯llfort Lilith, so why don¡¯t you go to bed early tonight?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­If possible, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯te out of the servants¡¯ quarters untilte at night.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Thanks to her experience as a maid, Isabel was quick to read between the lines, and she knew Ethan and Lilith¡¯s rtionship better than anyone. Having vaguely understood the meaning of Ethan¡¯s words, she simply bowed and entered the servants¡¯ quarters. ¡°Yes, young master. Then I¡¯ll sleep soundly in my room from now until my wake-up time tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°¡­Very well, Isabel.¡± ¡°Please, enjoy your time with Lilith.¡± Click. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The vani-haired maid quietly entered the servants¡¯ quarters first with a goodnight greeting. Ethan felt embarrassed as if his future actions had been discovered, but apart from that, he felt quite grateful to the perceptive Isabel. He carefully approached Lilith, who was still sitting on the bed, unable to shake off her depression. He wasn¡¯t yet sure if this method would work well tofort her in her depressed state. At least, in that moment when he saw her, Lilith had an expression of happiness that he rarely saw. If that could improve her mood, he was willing to endure being seen as the foolish young master of the ckwood family. ¡­The only worry was whether this action would make Lilith judge him as she had before. That¡¯s why Ethan started by asking for Lilith¡¯s permission in a way that wouldn¡¯t make her despise him. If she developed negative feelings towards him because of his actions, which were motivated by not wanting to see her depressed face, it would only worsen the situation instead of improving her mood. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, Young Master Ethan. Are you nning to sleep now?¡± ¡°No, I think I need to talk to you about something more important than sleep first.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Ethan steeled his nerves as Lilith tilted her head, seemingly not understanding what he was about to say. He then lowered his body and bowed deeply towards Lilith, who was sitting on the bed. ¡°Y-Young Master Ethan?!¡± ¡°Lilith, I have a request!¡± ¡°W-Wait a moment, Young Master Ethan! For the young master of the ckwood family to show such a posture to an exclusive maid¡­¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Lilith! Please let me touch you for just one minute tonight!¡± ¡°Get up right no¡­ What?¡± Lilith reacted and questioned him after hearing the request to touch her chest while trying to make him stand up. ¡­And it didn¡¯t even take a few seconds for her reaction to turn into contempt. ¡°Really, just one minute is enough! Just this once today¡­¡± ¡°Are you in your right mind, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m truly disappointed. I¡¯m sure I clearly told you that I would let you touch my chest when you won a match against Master Harold.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Did you lose your self-control just two weeks aftering to the academy? I couldn¡¯t even imagine that you, Young Master Ethan, would be such a low-level beast¡­¡± As expected, Lilith¡¯s cold contempt returned. Although he had somewhat anticipated this reaction, he couldn¡¯t take back the words he had already spoken. Ethan tried to use his own logic to not offend her feelings and still be able to touch her chest. ¡°I-I¡¯ll win two matches!¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I-In the next duel with Father, I¡¯ll win a total of two matches!¡± ¡°¡­Two matches?¡± ¡°The condition for you to let me touch your chest is that I win one match against Father each time. And as I take the Basics of Magic Swordsmanship lecture, I¡¯ll soon have chances to duel with Father, so I¡¯ll have at least ten opportunities to cross swords during one semester.¡± ¡°¡­Well, go on, keep babb- I mean, please continue speaking.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to duel with Father yet, so I haven¡¯t won any matches, but starting next week, there will be dates set for weekly duels with him. So, I¡¯ll win two matches in total during the uing period. Please let me touch you just once now, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After his desperate persuasion, Ethan bowed his head again on the floor, waiting for Lilith¡¯s answer. He was already aware that his request was unreasonable even to himself, but his goal was to touch Lilith¡¯s chest without offending her. Ethan quietly bowed his head as if he was guilty, waiting for Lilith¡¯s next words. On the other hand, Lilith was stroking her chin on the bed, making her own calctions. ¡®Changing from letting him touch once per match to once per two matches, it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m losing anything¡­ Given Ethan¡¯s skill, he should naturally be able to win two matches during the semester¡­¡¯ As soon as she heard Ethan¡¯s proposal, Lilith started calcting the pros and cons of letting him touch now versus refusing. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The displeasure she felt towards Ethan for suddenly asking to touch her chest had already taken a backseat, and she was now coldly calcting her own benefits as an exclusive maid.@@novelbin@@ She asked Ethan a question, who was lying face down on the floor, considering whether to withdraw his request, saying he had thought wrong. ¡°¡­Are you certain you can win two matches against the master?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­! Of course!¡± ¡°Then why are you asking to touch my chest now, incurring a debt equivalent to two matches, instead of asking after you¡¯ve won the matches?¡± ¡°W-Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t say that it was because Lilith seemed so depressed today, and he wanted to touch her to cheer her up. If he said that, he would surely incur Lilith¡¯s antipathy, and she probably wouldn¡¯t have given permission in the first ce. If she allowed it for that reason, it would be tantamount to confessing that being touched made her feel better, and Lilith, being a woman, would naturally want to conceal her desires. It goes without saying that this would make her despise him even more. To protect her honor and pride, Ethan chose a slightly different approach. He made it appear as if he was requesting it simply because he wanted to touch it, regardless of Lilith¡¯s feelings. ¡°I-I really can¡¯t hold back anymore¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I-If we were still using different rooms in the mansion, it might be different, but n-now, L-lilith, you sleep and wake up in the same bed with me every day. Moreover, you sometimes cling to my body in your sleep due to your sleeping habits. Living like that every day, I just can¡¯t hold back anymore¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So I couldn¡¯t wait until I win the next match¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m begging like this¡­¡± A lie. Ethan created an excuse through a lie mixed with a bit of truth. Although Ethan had blurted out what came to mind at the moment, he immediately regretted it after saying those words. Once he actually said it out loud, it seemed to shamelessly reveal the desires of a young man in his prime. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Ethan had tried to maintain a gentlemanly attitude in front of Lilith in other aspects, but even he thought that what he had just done was quite vulgar. It was only after his head cooled down a bit that Ethan finally realized that what he had just done was somehow wrong. ¡°W-Well, I guess it¡¯s not possible after all, right?! T-Then let¡¯s just forget about it¡­¡± With his mind in turmoil, the desire not to be hated by Lilith grew stronger again, and Ethan tried to salvage his unsightly behavior, albeit btedly. However, Lilith, who understood the sexual desires of a man in his early twenties well in many ways, gave an answer that was closer to affirmation rather than disgust. ¡°¡­You must definitely win two matches.¡± ¡°¡­U-Um?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it with your own mouth, Young Master Ethan? That you¡¯ll win two more matches against Master Harold in the future, so you¡¯re asking to touch my chest now?¡± ¡°¡­T-That¡¯s right. But if you feel ufortable, Lilith, you can refuse¡­¡± ¡°¡­Just this once.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ethan responded with a foolish expression to Lilith¡¯s unexpected permission. Lilith simply repeated what she had just said to Ethan. ¡°I said just this once, Young Master Ethan. If you mention wanting to touch again in the future because you can¡¯t control your urges, I will firmly refuse.¡± ¡°Then today¡­¡± ¡°After hearing your words, I thought there was certainly some reason to them. I understand that you, Young Master Ethan, are also a man in his prime, so I canprehend why you might get excited by the fact that I sleep next to you every night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll give you one chance as an exception. I¡¯ll grant your sudden request just this once¡­ But from now on, you¡¯ll have to learn how to control your urges properly.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you, Lilith.¡± Although they had taken a roundabout way to hide their true feelings from each other, Lilith had finally given permission for him to touch her chest. While the result was a bit sudden, that¡¯s how their ¡®evening activities¡¯ began. That rtionship had been formed while hiding their true feelings from each other and misunderstanding the other¡¯s true intentions. Chapter 122 ALSO, THIS CHAPTER IS R-19!Read at your own risk. Due to the evening mood, caused by a different reason than usual, a strange atmosphere formed between Ethan and me. Originally, Ethan was supposed to win a reward that he could only get by winning a match against Harold, but we¡¯re now in this strange situation where he wanted to touch my chest without leaving me any mental preparation. I thought it wouldn¡¯t matter since we had already shared a room at the inn once, but it seemed that even just sleeping next to me made him quite nervous. ¡­I couldn¡¯t agree with the im that I was sticking to him while sleeping. In any case, if I could just satisfy the urges that had arisen now, he probably won¡¯t be asking for my help in satisfying themter on. ¡­Then, I could fully ept the oue if Ethan wins against Harold twice in the future. As I quietly tried to push my chest towards him, I realized that I was wearing my still unwashed and unchanged Luminor Academy uniform. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong, Lilith?¡± ¡°No. I realized that I hadn¡¯t changed my clothes since returning from the academy. I¡¯ll go get ready now, so please wait a moment, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lilith.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s fine even if you¡¯re wearing the uniform¡­¡± For some reason, Ethan blushed quietly as he awkwardly said that. From his reaction, I could roughly understand why he told me not to wash up. ¡­Whether I wore the Luminor Academy uniform is quite a significant matter. Since I used to be a man, I could understand that to some extent. Since he had only touched my chest in a maid uniform all this time, he probably wanted to enjoy touching me in different outfits. If I hadn¡¯t understood as a fellow man, I wouldn¡¯t have made an exception like today. With that in mind, I awkwardlyplied with Ethan¡¯s discreet request. Since I heard that he was confident he could win two rounds, just this once, I thought it would be okay to indulge his request a little. ¡°Since you¡¯re tired of my maid uniform, you want to touch my chest while I wear my academy uniform. I understand, young master.¡± ¡°Oh, no! It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m tired of you in your maid uniform, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Young Master Ethan. Isn¡¯t it one of the situations that any man dreams of having is doing something lewd with a female student in an academy uniform? I understand.¡± Ethan, who could no longer refute, blushed quietly and looked away. For some reason, Ethan¡¯s actions today seemed strangely cute. Perhaps it was because his psychological position waspletely opposite to the usual situation of touching and being touched. Usually, I only allowed Ethan to touch my chest every time he confidently won a match against Harold as a reward, but in this case, Ethan asked me for a favor, and I allowed it. Anyway, in this rtionship, I was in a slightly superior position¡­ even if it was just for a moment. ¡°You can start anytime, young master. I won¡¯t include the time it takes for me undress in the time you¡¯re allowed to touch.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ethan looked a little flustered at the severalyers of my academy uniform in front of him. It must have been confusing because it was a different outfit than when he usually touched my chest. ¡­But in the end, it was his desire that led rather than emotions, and he reached out with both hands to bring myyered uniform closer. With his cautious hands, the buttons of my uniform began to be unbuttoned one by one from the top. Click, click. ¡°¡­¡± Click, click. ¡°Sigh.¡± ¡­This is, somehow, a little embarrassing. I thought I had be somewhat ustomed to showing my chest, but when it actually happened again, it was impossible to endure the embarrassment. The sensation of Ethan¡¯s desire could be felt in his hands as he unbuttoned the buttons of my uniform one by one. I slightly reacted to Ethan¡¯s touch as he briefly brushed against me to undress me, but I didn¡¯t feel particrly ufortable yet. Pop, pop. ¡°¡­Hm, hah¡­.¡± Ethan unbuttoned my jacket and started unbuttoning my shirt. Perhaps he thought that once he unbuttoned oneyer, my bare skin and my underwear would be exposed since his touch seemed quite excited and showed he was impatient. I could sense Ethan¡¯s emotions subtly through the fabric as he unbuttoned six buttons, including the second to thest one just above my skirt, without daring to touch the one inside, revealing my bra and the skin above my navel. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t usually wear a bra¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s harassment, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Why bring that up now¡­?¡± ¡­In the past, I had deliberately undressed and prepared myself, but today, I was only wearing it because of Ethan¡¯s spontaneous request, which caught me off guard. If he had asked me to undress and touch me like he usually did during our sparring with Harold, I would have taken my bra off in advance. Quietly waiting for Ethan to unbutton thestyer covering my chest, I felt his fingers on my chest, gently lifting the ck bra that covered it. Slip. ¡°Ah, hah¡­.¡± As the bra was removed and my nipple brushed against him, a moan escaped my lips. If it had been me when Ethan first touched my chest, I would have felt embarrassed to let out such a moan, but I had shown more embarrassing reactions before, so brushing over this would have been a waste of time. ¡­Regardless, exposing my chest to Ethan in this situation was absolutely embarrassing. Squish! ¡°Ugh, hah!¡± As I briefly thought about that in my head, Ethan¡¯s hands were roughly pressed against my exposed chest. I quietly started counting in my head to endure the stimtion to my chest as much as possible. Squish, squish. ¡°Your chest is beautiful today, Lilith.¡± ¡°Uh, thank you¡­?¡± Squish, squish. ¡°¡­And your chest is always so soft, Lilith. Your chest always brings peace to my heart.¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ Th-thank you¡­¡± Ethan spouted nonsense as he caressed my chest again today. In the past, I would have thought that responding to such nonsense was being taken advantage of and deliberately ignored it, but my thoughts on this had changed a bittely. I casually answered while deliberately ignoring the nonsense as my chest was being touched. I felt that the least embarrassing way to spend this time was to ept that this was a natural situation. There was no need to avoid Ethan¡¯s answers, change the subject, or hide the fact that I was feeling something in my chest. Isn¡¯t it more embarrassing to hide the natural physiological response to being touched on the chest? It was more embarrassing to hide a bodily function than to just ept it naturally. With those thoughts in mind, even as Ethan casually touched my chest with a rxed expression as usual, I purposely responded nonchntly. ¡°Is this your weak spot, Lilith? When I pull on your nipples like this to draw out your breasts¡­¡± Pull! ¡°Ugh, mmm, ah¡­! Ahh¡­!!¡± ¡°How does it feel, does it feel good? Hmm?¡± Pull, pull. ¡°A, a little¡­ Y-yes¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s just¡­ a natural¡­ physiological phenomenon¡­ It feels good because of Young Master Ethan¡¯s touch¡­¡± Thinking that there was no need to forcibly hide the emotions I was feeling, I quietly nodded my head, not denying my current feelings. If I reacted this way, it was possible that Ethan might not disy his usual arrogant attitude but instead be annoyed at my honesty¡­ ¡°Young Master Ethan¡­? What are you doing¡­?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re really tempting, Lilith.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean¡­ H-huh?!¡± Suddenly, a strange sensation was felt on my right breast where Ethan had ced his face, tormenting my nipple. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that it was Ethan¡¯s lips that had started sucking on my breast. Suck, suck. ¡°Y-young master?!¡± Suck, suck, suck. ¡°Using your mouth¡­ I-I haven¡¯t given you permission yet¡­ AHHHH?!¡± Like a newborn baby sucking on a mother¡¯s breast, Ethan actively sucked on one of my breasts. With the pressure of his lips causing a slight pull on my breast, his tongue was rolling over my nipple vigorously. The unfamiliar yet stimting sensation quickly started feeling really pleasurable. At the same time, his right hand, which was massaging my left breast, continued to stimte my hardened nipple. From the stimtion of his fingers to the sensation of his lips and tongue, pleasure began to surge through both breasts in an instant. I felt like I could climax with just a little more of that strange yet familiar sensation. ¡°UGH, AUGHHH, AHHHHHH¡­!¡± As soon as the thought crossed my mind, a rough moan that I couldn¡¯t control burst from my lips as I climaxed, overwhelmed by intense pleasure coursing through my entire body. Squirt! ¡°UGHGHGHGH, HAAAA, HAAAAA¡­?!¡± The moment my body trembled after I came, Ethan gripped and twisted my left breast forcefully with his right hand. Twist, twist. ¡°AHHH, HAAAA, AGH¡­?!¡± Simultaneously, the lips that had been sucking on my right breast lightly nibbled on the tip of my breast with his front teeth, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. ¡°AHHHH, UGHHH, HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡­.!¡± ¡­ In the end, the one-minute rule that was supposed to be followed without fail was broken again. Even excluding the time it took to undress, I had been at his mercy for almost five minutes. Since we¡¯d been going over the time several times, and in a way, this onlysted half the time of the usual session, it seemed okay to overlook his impromptu actions of sucking on my nipple. ¡°The, the time has passed, haaa, Young Master Ethan¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, I actually knew that since earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, haaaa, anyway, the time was, my, haaaa, it was my fault¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Are you going to wash up?¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­ I need to wash off the saliva that has stained my chest, courtesy of a certain naive gentleman¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@ Consciously mentioning Ethan, I grabbed some fresh underwear and pajamas from my drawer and headed to the bathroom. I gathered my clothes to be changed into and my clothes to be washed separately in one corner of the bathroom, then immediately showered my whole body with warm water spouting from a magical device. ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± Feeling the clean stream of water flowing down my body and hearing the refreshing sound of water, it somehow felt like something that had been tangled in my chest was being washed away along with my body. It felt like I was much fresher than usual after the day ended. The ufortable feeling that had been bothering me since the afternoon seemed to have been relieved. Along with that emotion, my gloomy mood that had apanied it seemed to have suddenly disappeared without a trace. Chapter 123 About a month had passed since the day Ethan suddenly asked if he could touch my chest. Nothing particrly special happened during that month. Ethan didn¡¯t seem to be demanding anything more after touching my chest once. Rather, it seemed like he had built up some mental fortitude from that request, as he had already managed to win two matches against Harold during the following month of sses. The Top 4 students have a chance to duel with Harold once a week during ss. This means he won two out of four duels. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, Harold isn¡¯t in his best condition as he¡¯s dueling not just Ethan but other students as well, but the same goes for Ethan, who¡¯s crossing swords with other top students. I decided to acknowledge Ethan¡¯s two wins without nitpicking. There was no point in creatingplicated exceptions that would only tire us both out. ¡­The problem was that the next time Ethan won another match, his sword-wielding hands would once again grasp my chest. Well, by now, I didn¡¯t find it particrly shameful for Ethan to touch my body. Since I had decided not to hide my reactions to a man¡¯s touch, there was no need to feel embarrassed either! Other than that, the only notable events were themotion caused by Harold¡¯s temporary appointment as a professor, and the protagonist uncovering the corruption of one of the professors in the Technical Department, ¡°saving¡± one of the heroines ¨C changing the hot topic of the academy at least twice. Thanks to these high-profile rumors, the incident of Ethan and I getting involved in a duel in front of the auditorium on the first day of school had more or less died down. While I couldn¡¯t say we were close, I had somewhat be acquainted with the freshmen of the Magic Department. At most, we were just grouping together for joint sses. ¡°Goodbye, Lilith!¡± ¡°See you tomorrow, Lilith!¡± ¡°Yes, please be careful on your way home, everyone.¡± ¡­Well, since it was the Magic Department, the connections I made there meant they were all noble youngdies. All of my fellow students in the department had a peculiarlydylike way of speaking. Of course, there weren¡¯t many high-ranking nobledies like duchesses or margraves even in this academy, so most of the students I associated with were daughters of viscounts or barons.@@novelbin@@ Dealing with real nobledies was tiring in many ways, so it was better for me to associate with people of this level. After all, the higher the rank of nobility, the higher their pride and vanity tend to be. ¡­And recently, one such real nobledy had been consistently sticking to me. Moreover, it was a character who shouldn¡¯t have even appeared in the main story, let alone enrolled in the academy in the original work. ¡°Ah, Lilith~! Over here, over here~!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The youngdy of the August family drew attention by calling my name loudly at the Central za. Naturally, my face heated up as she called my name so loudly in a ce already crowded with people. ¡®¡­Drawing attention with her voice in crowded ces, she¡¯s just like her younger brother.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t understand with my meager intellect why the eldest daughter of a Margrave family had taken an interest in me and started sticking around. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, just because she called me by a familiar name didn¡¯t actually change the hierarchy of our social status, so I still maintained proper etiquette when dealing with Lizzy. ¡°You don¡¯t need to call out to me so loudly, Lady August. I can hear you.¡± ¡°I told you, you can call me Lizzy, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­No, as a mere honorary viscount¡¯s daughter, I can¡¯t address the youngdy of the August Margrave family by her first name.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, though?¡± I do. I DO mind. This perceptive woman probably knew I was deliberately using honorifics to keep my distance and was likely trying to get me to use informal terms to find some weakness. Considering how she had tried to pick a fight with me, thinking I was a low-ranking nobledy, only to end up prostrating herself when Ethan appeared, she was undoubtedly a woman with incredibly sharp instincts. Even now, she was probably pretending to be friendly with me while secretly trying to create a connection with Ethan. ¡®If I actually brought her in front of Ethan, the atmosphere would probably turn quite sour.¡¯ After all, they had openly caused trouble for each other in an official setting, so there was no way they would view each other favorably. At least Caraham, who was also in the Swordsmanship Department, seemed to be building a friendship with Ethan through them crossing swords with simr skills. ¡­But his sister, Lizzy, was in the Pharmacy Department, so there was no way for Lizzy to interact with Ethan at all. Our rtionship consisted only of meeting and talking for an hour or two when I had free time like this. To say we ¡°met¡± was putting it nicely; it was more like Lizzy summoning me. ¡°What did you call me for today, Lady August?¡± ¡°Hmm, well. Do you happen to have any other ns from now, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I was originally nning to read in the Swordsmanship Department¡¯s lounge with the book you gifted mest time, Lady August.¡± ¡°Hmm, so you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t have any other ns, right?¡± I just said I was nning to read. From the perspective of a nobledy like Lizzy, reading might just be a hobby to pass the time, but for me, it was a stat-raising event that I had to go through for various reasons. At least, until the midterms, I needed to finish reading this book to somehow get through the first semester safely with good grades Of course, it was quite difficult to throw away an appointment called by the youngdy of the August family just because I wanted to read, and I already owed Lizzy something since she handed me this book. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Recently, meeting her once or twice a week and spending some time together had be part of my routine. ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to a dessert caf¨¦ operated by the August family! Do you like sweet foods, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t dislike them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect! There¡¯s still about two hours until Caraham and Young Master Ethan¡¯s swordsmanship ss ends, so shall we enjoy some light refreshments at the family¡¯s caf¨¦ in the meantime?¡± ¡°As long as you allow me to continue my reading while enjoying the refreshments¡­ I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t disturb you!¡± ¡­Ah, this is really burdensome. I formally began interacting with Lizzy about three weeks ago. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because I wanted to approach her first, and initially, it was just a chance encounter. At that time, Lizzy Lynn August, a margrave¡¯s daughter, helped me when I was in a difficult situation for another reason. It all started when we ran into each other while I was browsing the underground general store in the central za during Ethan¡¯s free period. ¡°Understanding Mana Flow, Understanding Mana Flow¡­¡± As I mentioned before, once you enter Luminor Academy, it¡¯s possible to improve Lilith¡¯s cursed Luck stat in one way or another. You could do so either by taking lecture sses that focus on improving hit rate and uracy or by using books or special equipment that can be obtained from various ces in the academy. The book, entitled ¡°Understanding Mana Flow,¡± which could only be obtained from the underground general store on campus, was also a major item that could increase my Luck. So, I visited the bookstore to acquire it once my academy life had somewhat settled into a routine. ¡°¡­Ah, found it.¡± Fortunately, since I already knew the book¡¯s design well, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find. In a medieval fantasy bookstore shelf filled mostly with dark and dull-colored books, a cover that shone green was impossible to miss. I managed to get my hands on the book I wanted from the dusty shelves filled with various kinds of ancient books. ¡®Just reading this one book can increase my Luck by 2.¡¯ You might say, what good is an increase of 2? Probably, when ying as the protagonist, I would have skipped over these trivial items from about the third ythrough. There was no need to bother visiting the academy¡¯s underground general store, searching through bookshelves, and spending an additional 2 gold coins just to raise my Luck by 2. However, for the current Lilith, even this +2 was something she desperately needed. After all, once I finish reading this, Lilith¡¯s current Luck of 2 would double. My current hit rate of 4-5% would also jump to 9-10%, more than doubling the original. ¡­Of course, it was still pathetic that even after increasing, it would barely reach double digits. ¡®If I can just endure this semester somehow, it should be manageable from the next semester.¡¯ After taking all the Luck-rted courses I¡¯m enrolled in this semester, I should be able to raise it to about 10, and by then, I could somehow increase the hit rate of my offensive magic to 25%. If I incorporated triple casting, it would be possible to disguise it as a 50% hit rate, at least on the surface. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It was painful to spend 2 gold coins, which was more than half of my monthly sry, on one book, but in my current situation, I would be fortunate if I could buy +1 Luck for 1 gold coin. ¡®It¡¯s actually cheaper to raise it now. If I try to buy it after leveling up more, it won¡¯t be as cost-effective then.¡¯ With that thought, I confidently walked towards the counter of the underground general store, but¡­ ¡­the words that came out of the shopkeeper¡¯s mouth after looking over my face and body once made me feel dizzy for a moment. ¡°Ten gold coins.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Did you mishear? I said ten gold coins.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No, damn it. There¡¯s a limit to ripping people off. I came knowing full well it was worth two gold coins, and you inte it five times? I was on the verge of spitting out the same words, but fortunately, my reason barely suppressed the curse that was about to burst out. Anyway, I was the one who needed this book, so I had to try to negotiate with the shopkeeper who had proposed ten gold coins. ¡°Is, is this book really that expensive¡­? It doesn¡¯t look that expensive from the outside¡­¡± ¡°If you think so, you don¡¯t have to buy it. There are plenty of people who buy from our store besides you anyway.¡± ¡°Could, could you lower the price a little¡­? I don¡¯t have much money on hand¡­¡± ¡°Twenty.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even a man; where do you get off acting cute? I won¡¯t sell it to you for less than twenty, so if you haveints, don¡¯t buy it and leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No, damn it. Fuck this crazy woman, really. Just as I was conflicted over what to do with the shopkeeper who seemed ready to punch me in the face just for speaking a few words, suddenly, a familiar-looking pair entered the underground general store. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As soon as I heard their voices and the content of their conversation, I could immediately identify who the pair was. ¡°Sister, why are weing to this underground general store? Isn¡¯t there a general store for academy students on the first floor of the Student Center?¡± ¡°Obviously, we¡¯re here to get something we can¡¯t find there, right? Use your brain a little, Caraham.¡± ¡°Then why did you bring me along¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to negotiate prices when you¡¯re here. Now stop talking and just follow me¡­ Huh?¡± The siblings of the August family came down the stairs from the ground floor to the underground. Running into these two familiar faces by chance was the starting point of how I came to associate with Lizzy. Chapter 124 After haggling with the female shopkeeper of the underground general store over whether to buy the book in my hand or not, I ended up leaving empty-handed. Unable to acquire the book entitled ¡°Understanding Mana Flow,¡± I sat on a bench in the Central za near the underground store, feeling dejected and expressing my gloomy mood. ¡°Haaaa, damn it¡­¡± Yeah, that¡¯s just my life. Whenever I try to put effort into something, this single-digit Luck keeps tripping me up. It was inevitable for me to feel frustrated. I was frustrated at Lilith Rosewood, a character with a Luck stat of 1 or 2, whose basic stats couldn¡¯t be ovee by my efforts alone. Originally, she was a character who typically only used support magic to assist the protagonist (or Ethan), so there was no need for her Luck stat, which symbolizes hit rate, to be particrly high. However, as I somehow needed to learn offensive magic, I had to seek out every opportunity to raise my Luck. Among those opportunities, I had just lost the chance to use the most unconditional one of them all, the ¡°hidden book from the underground general store,¡± so I really had no idea what to do now. ¡®What am I supposed to do with just 2 Luck?¡¯ At this rate, I would fail all the midterm evaluations for the various subjects on offensive magic I was taking, as well as subjects where uracy was important. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If I couldn¡¯t improve my Luck stat by the end of the semester, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid failing or being at the bottom of the ss in the remaining subjects, including the battle during the final evaluation. If I wasn¡¯t careful, there was a possibility that my entire academy life could go awry. It was a desperate situation for me, who had nned a learning curriculum focused on improving hit rate and luck from the first semester of the first year to the second semester of the fourth year in order to develop Lilith into a character specializing in offensive magic. It was natural for my head to be filled withplex thoughts while thinking about the future that would go downhill from now on. ¡®Should I ask Ethan to lend me money? No matter how I think about it, he probably won¡¯t lend me 10 gold coins easily¡­ Or should I secretly meet with the protagonist and ask him to buy it for me? But if I approach him out of the blue, I¡¯ll definitely just arouse suspicion. Besides, Ethan told me never to interact with him¡­¡¯ As a member of a branch family of the ckwoods and an exclusive maid, I couldn¡¯t freely use money or act as I pleased. Of course,ining wouldn¡¯t improve my miserable life. So, as I was about to get up from the bench after somewhat collecting myself¡­ Suddenly, a youngdy with long sky-blue hair approached the seat next to me and greeted me as if we were acquainted. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°¡­Lady Lizzy¡­ Lynn August?¡± I almost habitually blurted out the familiar name I only used in my head but hastily added her full name and title. Lizzy, who sat down on the bench next to me, spoke to me with her hand to her mouth and an arrogant expression, like that of a nobledy with high self-esteem. ¡°We met briefly at the underground general store earlier, didn¡¯t we, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°How do you know my name¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm, are you thinking of ying dumb? Although it¡¯s been over half a year, we did meet once at the Princess¡¯s Masquerade Ball, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re wondering how I knew. Miss Lilith, you probably wanted to hide your identity because you felt ufortable meeting me, but unfortunately, I never forget the characteristics of someone I¡¯ve met once. Even if you were wearing a mask, I could easily recognize you by your other features. I even greeted you at the entrance ceremony, did you not see me?¡± ¡­No, I saw you. I just didn¡¯t respond because I didn¡¯t realize the greeting was for me. In many ways, this Lizzy character was quite unpredictable to me. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] After all, Lizzy should have normally died in a monster wave incident at this point. No matter how many times I had cleared Luminor Academy ¨C 24 times to be exact ¨C I couldn¡¯t know the characteristics and personality of a character who didn¡¯t appear in the main story. ¡°I apologize, Lady Lizzy Lynn August.¡± ¡°Well, I understand. It might be somewhat burdensome for you to meet me now, Miss Lilith. After all, you received an apology from me as an honorary daughter of a viscount, so you might have been afraid that I would seek revenge if we met again, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t hold any ill feelings towards you, Miss Lilith. I have a personality that clearly distinguishes between gratitude and grudges.¡± ¡­If she really had a personality that clearly distinguishes between gratitude and grudges, she should have been desperate to tear me apart. Not only was she humiliated at such a precious social event as Princess Seraphine¡¯s birthday, butter that day, she was also forced to give up her silver dagger to me. As I was bewildered by Lizzy¡¯s iprehensible logic, she continued speaking to me. ¡°It seemed like you had a bit of an argument with the shopkeeper earlier, is that right?¡± ¡°¡­I showed an embarrassing side of myself.¡± ¡°You wanted to buy something but didn¡¯t have enough money, right? Even I thought 20 gold coins was a bit excessive¡­ Well, with my wealth as the youngdy of the August family, I could manage it somehow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it would have been a burdensome amount for you, Miss Lilith, an honorary viscount¡¯s daughter and Young Master ckwood¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± I wondered what her purpose was for suddenly appearing, but was it just to mock me as I had feared? Well, it made sense that Lizzy wouldn¡¯t have good feelings towards me. It was only natural, considering what had happened that day. Thinking that listening further would only hurt me more, I was about to get up, mentioning Ethan¡¯s name, when a book with a green cover was quietly pushed in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ll excuse myself first to attend to my duties as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­Take this, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­This is¡­¡± ¡°You seemed to need this book earlier, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Perhaps it wasn¡¯t something you needed?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ I do need it, but¡­¡± The book entitled ¡°Understanding Mana Flow¡± unexpectedly came into my possession in an unforeseen situation. Normally, my confused thoughts should have been sorted out after somehow obtaining this book that I was about to miss out on. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Rather, my mind became more confused by this woman¡¯s sudden kindness, and as if anticipating my reaction, Lizzy looked into my eyes and said, ¡°Please think of it as¡­pensation for the rudeness I showed youst time.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about when I identally spilled my drink on you at the masquerade ball. And then, concerned about saving face in front of others, I got angry andshed out at you instead. Even now¡­ I feel so embarrassed thinking about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So I¡¯d like you to ept this as an apology for that time. Of course, it¡¯s probably toote an apology for you.¡± ¡­What¡¯s with her? Did she eat something wrong? Is this really the same Lizzy who threw a fit at me at the masquerade ball? I almost epted her surprising kindness without question due to the natural flow of the conversation, but sensing something ominous in Lizzy¡¯s attitude, my body refused to ept her kindness at face value and rejected it once. ¡°Ah, no. I can¡¯t ept such kindness without giving anything in return.¡± ¡°Your hands are trembling, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°The, the debt from that day was settled when I received your silver dagger that could save my life, right? Look, I¡¯m still using it well even now.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems you¡¯re still using it well. You used that de in your duel with that foolish fourth son of the Raidenharts, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I understand your suspicion, but I¡¯d like you to ept it simply as a gesture of goodwill. After all, it¡¯s just a book worth five gold coins.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ I can¡¯t ept such an expensive item¡­ Wait, what did you just say¡­?¡± ¡­Just now, it seemed like something I couldn¡¯t just ignore had slipped past my ears. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re suspicious of me, but this is just a gesture of goodwill I have for you¡­¡± ¡°No, not that part, the part about this book being worth five gold coins¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s just because the female shopkeeper of that underground general store is an old maid who gives discounts to handsome men.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit awkward to say this about my own family, but my younger brother Caraham is quite decent if he just keeps his mouth shut. He¡¯s tall, from a good family, and has many qualities that are good for charming women. That¡¯s why I bothered to bring him to the underground general store. After all, I don¡¯t have a fianc¨¦ like you do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you hade with your fianc¨¦, you probably wouldn¡¯t have been overcharged. Was there a reason you had to keep this a secret from Young Master ckwood?¡± ¡­How am I supposed to know such unnecessary details attached to an NPC? The fact that the underground general store¡¯s female shopkeeper is a sucker for handsome men was something I heard for the first time in my life. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Originally, I only visited as the protagonist character during gamey, so there was no basis forparison. No wonder the price seemed to skyrocket unreasonably. ¡°Five gold coins shouldn¡¯t be too burdensome an amount for you as an honorary viscount¡¯s daughter, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or do you think that I, the youngdy of the August family, am in such dire straits that I can¡¯t even afford to give a gift worth five gold coins?¡± ¡°¡­No. Since you put it that way, I¡¯ll gratefully ept it.¡± Feeling that refusing any further would definitely be impolite, I silently epted the book Lizzy handed to me. She looked at me with a slight smile and extended her right hand as if to shake hands. ¡°Let¡¯s get along from now on, Miss Lilith. Although we¡¯re in different departments, we¡¯ll probably run into each other ¡®by chance¡¯ quite often in the academy, right? The Magic Department building and the Pharmacy Department building aren¡¯t that far apart either.¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Lady Lizzy Lynn August.¡± ¡°You can call me Lizzy. I¡¯ll call you Lilith in return.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll call you Lady August.¡± ¡°¡­Well, whatever makes youfortable.¡± ¡­And that¡¯s how my connection with Lizzy began three weeks ago. Now, three weekster¡­ For some reason, I couldn¡¯t understand why I was spending time sharing the same space with her in a dessert caf¨¦. What¡¯s even more ridiculous is that this has been going on for almost three weeks. At first, we would talk for 10-20 minutes after identally meeting on campus, but at some point, it changed to properly sitting down and talking for an hour or two. Recently, it had be so natural to meet regrly that we would meet in the central za during our free periods in the academy. It was inevitable to feel a bit dumbfounded every time I objectively thought about my current situation. ¡®How on earth did we end up like this¡­?¡¯ Anyway, for now, I had no good reason to distance myself from Lizzy, and I had some sense of debt regarding this book I was currently reading, so I was going along with it. Also, the coffee at this dessert caf¨¦ that we asionally visited was quite decent. Although coffee in this world wasn¡¯t so rare and expensive thatmoners couldn¡¯t afford it, it was still too expensive to drink daily, like water, as in my previous life. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Originally, it would have been strangely out of ce for me to brew coffee in the dormitory room I shared with Ethan, so the caffeine I drank on these asions was helpful in many ways. Although this body belonged to Lilith, my soul was still imprinted with the spirit of a modern South Korean. ¡°Lilith, you really like coffee, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ve be quite addicted to it since I first tasted it, thanks to Lady August¡¯s kindness recently.¡± ¡°Ourpany steadily imports and processes coffee beans from the southern regions. That¡¯s why we can operate stores that serve drinks using these beans.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re interested, Lilith¡­¡± While I was maintaining a conversation with Lizzy, asionally making eye contact, and mentally continuing to read the book to increase my Luck stat¡­ Thanks to the reactions of other people, I could sense by the atmosphere that some unusual guest had entered the caf¨¦. Along with that subtlemotion, an unexpected guest approached our table in the caf¨¦ without hesitation. ¡°Oh my, what a coincidence to meet you here, Miss Lilith. And the person in front of you is¡­ Miss Lizzy, the second-ranked student in the Pharmacy Department, right?¡± ¡°¡­Princess Seraphine?¡± Luminor Academy¡¯s first-year representative, Seraphine. It was the moment when the Moonlight Shadow Princess appeared in front of Lizzy and me. ¡­But where did she suddenly pop up from? Chapter 125 Princess Seraphine¡¯s appearance was enough to instantly capture the attention of others in many ways. Recently, Princess Seraphine had been interacting with various students as a Martial Arts Department student for a month, and in many ways, she had be a somewhat ¡®familiar celebrity¡¯ within the academy. However, she was still the Third Princess of the Argentian Empire, so her status was second only to the Fourth Prince in the Spearmanship Department among the students currently enrolled at the academy. Therefore, Lizzy and I automatically rose from our seats and showed proper etiquette towards royalty when we faced her. ¡°Greetings, Princess Seraphine. I¡¯m truly honored that you remember my name.¡± ¡°It would be more difficult not to know the name of the capable Lizzy, who is second in the Pharmacy Department. Is this the first time we¡¯ve met since the entrance ceremony?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lilith¡­ ckwood Rosewood. I¡¯m indebted to you from the masquerade ball.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m the one who¡¯s indebted to you, Princess Seraphine.¡± Strictly speaking, ourst meeting was when she met Ethan and me in the ckwood Estate, but that was an unofficial meeting for my identity change. As it wasn¡¯t something to discuss in front of Lizzy, I also nodded and responded to her words. ¡­But why did she suddenly appear here? She wouldn¡¯t havee to see me, who didn¡¯t stand out much in the Magic Department Entrance Exam, and she probably appeared because she had personal business with Lizzy, who was second in the Pharmacy Department. To be honest, that was the only usible reason I could think of. If something happened that would make someone of Seraphine¡¯s caliber act differently from the original game, it would only be when a character who didn¡¯t appear at this point in the original game appeared. ¡°Princess Seraphine, did you perhaps visit to enjoy our store¡¯s refreshments as well?¡± ¡°No, rather, I just came in because I saw Lilith sitting outside as I was passing by.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you, Lilith.¡± I, who was suddenly singled out by the princess, pointed at myself and asked again, but Seraphine nodded without denial and answered. Suddenly left with only questions about why Seraphine had approached me, I quietly tilted my head and asked. ¡°What¡­ what business do you have with me¡­?¡± ¡°Well. First, if it¡¯s not rude to you two, may I join you at the table?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind, but we should also get Lady August¡¯s permission¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it too, Princess Seraphine. Then, including a share for your bodyguard behind you, shall I order two more teacups¡­¡± ¡°Luke.¡± ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning to have a conversation just among us*1¡®noble youngdies¡¯ for a while, so would you mind taking a walk nearby for about 30 minutes?¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Luke looked at me with slightly resentful eyes and hesitated for a moment but soon nodded and left the caf¨¦. I turned my head away from Luke¡¯s gaze, feeling like a guilty person for no reason. Luke knew me even when I wasn¡¯t yet an honorary viscount¡¯s daughter, so he might feel wronged by Seraphine¡¯s statement about talking among noble youngdies. Still, it was fortunate that he was a person who could keep secrets. ¡°One more teacup should be enough.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I think so.¡± Actually, there wasn¡¯t really a need to dismiss Luke, the guard. As I just said, Luke was a character who could keep secrets, so he wouldn¡¯t have disclosed anything he overheard here to outsiders. Yet, the fact that she deliberately dismissed her guard could be interpreted as Princess Seraphine showing her trust in Lizzy and me. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Whether the intended audience for this disy was Lizzy and me or the other students witnessing this situation, dismissing a guard was tantamount to showing trust in the people in front of you. ¡®Coldly speaking, she can do this because even if Lizzy and I attacked her simultaneously, we wouldn¡¯t be a match for her.¡¯ The Moonlight Shadow Princess wasn¡¯t only strong on nights with a full moon. Of course, she tended to get stronger when there was a full moon, but her basic skills were enough to easily take the top spot in the academy¡¯s Martial Arts Department. Still, just by temporarily separating from her shadow, Luke, she had definitely conveyed a certain message to Lizzy and me. Princess Seraphine, who sat down at the table between Lizzy and me, made eye contact with me once and then opened the conversation. ¡°How is your academy life these days, Lilith?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing quite well thanks to your concern, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Are there no people bullying you within the same department, or perhaps male students bothering you?¡± ¡°¡­No. It seems that due to the incident I caused on the first day, male students are rather reluctant to approach me.¡± ¡°Indeed, that incident was quite amotion. I didn¡¯t expect Young Master Ethan to draw his sword without hesitation in that situation either.¡± ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­¡± ¡­Well, Seraphine¡¯s future vision couldn¡¯t always be used. It was natural that she couldn¡¯t predict the entrance ceremony incident between Ethan and me if she didn¡¯t see it in her once-a-month future vision. Even if she had seen it, she probably saw one of the protagonist¡¯s recent main stories. The main narrative of Luminor Academy and the protagonist would have been more important than Ethan¡¯s and my academy life. ¡°Lilith, I couldn¡¯t imagine that you would enter the academy as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­I, I see.¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, I had left my exclusive maid position open to hire you, Lilith. Even for royalty, there¡¯s only one position for an exclusive maid that can be hired at Luminor Academy, so I needed to leave it open just in case.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But, Lilith is already Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, so it would be difficult for you to ept my offer, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Is it really impossible, no matter what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­What is this subtle pressure I¡¯m feeling from Seraphine? While her words seem to resignedly ept that I would naturally keep my position as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, her atmosphere subtly urges me to waver. I should have been suspicious from the moment she approached me instead of Lizzy, who has a higher status and better grades than me. I was about to give an answer to Princess Seraphine¡¯s proposal first, but it was Lizzy who spoke up before me. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°¡­Just a moment, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°What is it, Lizzy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but isn¡¯t this a bit sudden? I was talking to Lilith first, you know?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that.¡± ¡°¡­Then, why¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I waited for three weeks out of courtesy. I gave you plenty of opportunity to speak first to keep faith with the August family, but isn¡¯t it you, Lizzy, who didn¡¯t say anything for three whole weeks?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°How long are you going to monopolize the negotiation with Lilith, Lizzy?¡± ¡­¡­Huh? Wait, what on earth are you two talking about? I felt momentarily dumbfounded watching Seraphine and Lizzy suddenly start talking among themselves, ignoring me, who was right in front of them. Regardless, the two were engaged in a somewhat unsettling conversation. ¡°¡­I was going to talk about it today, actually.¡± ¡°Is that so, Lizzy? But haven¡¯t I already started speaking to Lilith first?¡± ¡°Yes. I know that. But that doesn¡¯t mean you have the right to stop me from saying what I was going to say to Lilith, does it, Your Highness?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡± They turned their heads away from each other, looking as if they had just had some kind of emotional battle without my knowledge. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] And before I could finish giving my answer to Princess Seraphine, this time, Lizzy made a rather direct proposal to me. ¡°I¡¯ll speak clearly without beating around the bush like Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Pardon? What are you going to say?¡± ¡°Lilith, would you consider working with me as my secretary at the August Company?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re volunteering as Young Master ckwood¡¯s exclusive maid, but since you¡¯re engaged, that title of an exclusive maid is just a formality, right? The August Company seriously needs talent like you, Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ To begin with, I¡¯m not in an engaged rtionship with Young Master Ethan or anything¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll add one gold coin per month to the amount the August Company says they¡¯ll give you, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s if you¡¯ll take the position of my exclusive maid that¡¯s currently vacant. Of course, if you do that, it would be difficult to maintain your position as Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Your Highness. How much do you think I¡¯m offering Lilith that you confidently say you¡¯ll add one gold coin?¡± ¡°I can at least predict the cost of hiring a personal secretary for you, Lizzy. I can easily manage a budget that adds one more gold coin to that.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll add two more gold coins to the amount Princess Seraphine is offering, Lilith.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you overextending yourself? I don¡¯t think you can manage that kind of budget from your position, Lizzy.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry about it, Your Highness.¡± ¡­No, why are you two suddenly acting like this? I was momentarily dumbfounded watching Lizzy and Seraphine, who had suddenly entered intopetition with each other before I had even gotten a word in. They continued their strange female power struggle and started urging me to answer. ¡°So, Lilith. Have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Which offer do you prefer, mine or Princess Seraphine¡¯s, Lilith?¡± ¡°You want me to choose now?!¡± ¡°Yes. Choose, Lilith.¡± ¡°Is it me, or is it Her Highness, Lilith?¡± ¡°If you think about the future, it would be better toe with me rather than Lizzy, Lilith.¡± In a situation where it felt like choices would pop up if I were ying Luminor Academy, I hesitated for a moment. But soon, afterposing my surprised emotions, I conveyed my thoughts to the two of them. When I thought about it rationally, the answer I could give to these two in the current situation was actually predetermined from the start. Chapter 126 Luminor Academy, Swordsmanship Department Building, Second Outdoor Training Ground. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Ethan Richard ckwood is the only son of the ckwood Ducal family. The sound of Ethan, who is currently taking his second afternoon ss, ¡°Basics of Mental Concentration,¡± swinging his sword in proper form, echoed throughout the training ground along with the breeze. Unlike his usual dual-wieldingbat style, Ethan was swinging only a two-handed sword straight ahead. Even so, he didn¡¯t particrly dislike this ss. For a swordsman, mental concentration was always an element that needed to be cultivated, and whether one swung a greatsword or dual-wielded wasn¡¯t that important in the process. Only Natalie, ranked third in the Swordsmanship Department and usually wielding an estoc, was struggling a bit with this period of swinging and mental concentration thatsted longer than two hours. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] After all, dual-wielding meant that there was considerable pressure on both arms, so for Ethan, this was a good opportunity to concentrate with a sword that evenly distributed the weight. Especially these days, when thoughts of Lilith were disturbing his mind, this simple mental concentration training was absolutely necessary. A month ago, during their evening activities, Lilith made a shy self-confession. Although it was a short statement uttered in a quiet voice, he had clearly heard and remembered¡­ ¡­that Lilith had said she felt good from his touch. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Was that Lilith¡¯s way of shyly confessing to him? ¡­Or was she just honestly talking about a physical, physiological reaction? One thing for sure was that Lilith¡¯s reaction was the most positive response he had seen from her during their evening activities so far. Because of this, Ethan had been noticeably thinking about Lilith more frequently over the past month. From Ethan¡¯s perspective, until now, Lilith had only tried to hide or conceal what she felt when his hands touched her chest, and she had never shown any direct signs of favor towards Ethan regarding it. The fact that she didn¡¯t get angry even when he went overboard by using his mouth might mean that she was hoping for more from him. If they were to progress beyond just touching her chest, then maybe next time¡­ Thwack! ¡°Ethan! Your energy is scattered! Concentrate!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Struck on the back of his head by the professor¡¯s bamboo sword, Ethan hastily shook off the image of Lilith that had appeared in his mind and once again focused only on the sword in his hand and his energy as he continued swinging. At that time, Ethan had no idea what was happening to Lilith. He wouldn¡¯t have known that there were already quite a few other people targeting Lilith and that they were approaching her while avoiding him entirely. A caf¨¦ in Luminor Academy¡¯s central za. At a table where one person had left from what was originally a group of three, the remaining two female students sat quietly facing each other and talked. ¡°Hmm, we were rejected.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I somewhat expected this. I just asked to be sure, but I didn¡¯t expect her to say it was to keep her ¡®loyalty¡¯ to Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I had even left my exclusive maid position open, hoping to keep her by my side if possible, but in the end, I only got a clear answer¡­ It¡¯s a bit troublesome that things didn¡¯t go ording to n for once in a while.¡± The blonde princess sipped from the teacup in front of her with a self-deprecating smile. The sky-blue-haired margrave¡¯s daughter sitting across from her simply maintained her silence and listened to her words. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] While waiting for her guard knight, who had been sent away briefly for the conversation, to return, Seraphine shared her thoughts on the tea in her cup. ¡°Is this Nilgiri-based, mixed with Darjeeling and Assam*1? It¡¯s quite a good blend for something sold at the academy cafeteria¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because of you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I-If I had just had more time, I could have made here to my side! If only you hadn¡¯t interfered!¡± ¡°Is that so? Didn¡¯t you just say you were going to talk to her today?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t think the result would have been much different even if I hadn¡¯t intervened. The only difference might have been whether the hesitant Lizzy would have been rejected a few weekster or not.¡± Lizzy couldn¡¯t refute Seraphine¡¯s cold assessment any further. She just quietly rinsed her mouth with the blended tea to soothe her bitter feelings. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my only chance, anyway. I thought it would be difficult to bring her as an exclusive maid when she already served someone¡­ although it would have been best if it had worked out that way.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve given up either, Lizzy.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I wonder.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to hide it. I can predict well enough what kind of n you¡¯ll use to approach Lilith next anyway.¡± Seraphine smiled calmly, trying to hide her regretful emotions by deliberately putting on aposed expression and taking the upper hand in the conversation with Lizzy, who was in the same situation as her. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Lizzy, unable topletely hide the emotions on her face, avoided the princess¡¯s gaze. In the caf¨¦ where only two women rejected by one woman remained, only the bitter scent of coffee she had left behind lingered. Luke, Seraphine¡¯s knight who had returnedte from his ¡°walk,¡± approached his master, tilting his head at the somewhat awkward atmosphere. ¡°Did something happen, Your Highness?¡± ¡°No, nothing special.¡± ¡°I see. I thought the atmosphere seemed a bit gloomy, so I wondered if Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I was hoping for that ¡®nothing special¡¯ to happen, which is disappointing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, meeting her today was just a probe at an opportunity that suddenly arose. It seems difficult to recruit her this semester, so I¡¯ll have to aim for the student council president election next semester.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Luke tried to match Seraphine¡¯s mood after confirming that things didn¡¯t go well and was about to leave the caf¨¦ with her. However, Seraphine was already thinking of something else as she looked at Luke, her guard knight. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Luke also started to feel an ominous emotion quietly in his heart as soon as he noticed her strange gaze. ¡°The most difficult problem I have is that I now need to fill thepletely vacant position of my exclusive maid soon.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so, Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°The issue is that bringing in an exclusive maid from outside requires prior approval from the academy. I could bring someone in from next semester, but I didn¡¯t register for someone to fill in the exclusive maid position this semester.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s still half of this semester left, what should I do, Luke?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure.¡± No, actually, Luke knew. He had already expected the order that followed. ¡°Luke.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Today, we need to go into town briefly to have a Luminor Academy uniform tailored. I¡¯ll need a female uniform that fits your build perfectly.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± ¡°Should we add maid frills to the sleeves like Lilith¡¯s clothes? And a headdress andce cuffs, too¡­¡± ¡°¡­As you wish¡­¡± Luke¡¯s title had suddenly changed from guard knight to exclusive maid due to the incident Lilith unintentionally caused. Without Lilith knowing, Luke only grew his hostility towards her once more in his heart. Swordsmanship Department Building. Men¡¯s Locker Room. Among the male students soaked in sweat after finishing their second afternoon ss, Ethan, who had changed from his training uniform to his school uniform, left the locker room a bit quicker than the other students. ¡°I¡¯ll be going ahead. See you all tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah, good work today, Young Master ckwood.¡± ¡°Haha, take care on your way home, Young Master Ethan!¡± After exchanging words with the other Swordsmanship Department students, he walked out of the training ground with slightly quicker steps. Thinking of her, who would be waiting for him at the end of today¡¯s sses as well, his footsteps were light as a feather even after the grueling ss. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As soon as he stepped out of the Men¡¯s Locker Room into the Main Building of the Swordsmanship Department, he could see Lilith, his exclusive maid. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Have you finished your sses, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve just finished them.¡± ¡°¡­As I mentioned yesterday, today is the regr holiday for the dormitory cafeteria. We¡¯ll need to buy dinner from a nearby store and return. Isabel will probably be waiting for us, too.¡± ¡°Right, we should head back quickly then.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Unlike usual, Lilith¡¯s response seemed a beatte today for some reason. Having been by Lilith¡¯s side for a long time, Ethan immediately noticed that her attitude was slightly different from how she usually treated him. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Feeling somewhat uneasy, Ethan carefully asked his exclusive maid. ¡°Um, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Do you have something on your mind? You seem to have a bit of worry mixed in your expression today.¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not a worry¡­ perhaps is there something you want to tell me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­If there¡¯s something I want to tell you, Young Master Ethan, there is a little.¡± The young master of the ckwood family started to feel a frightening emotion as if his heart was copsing at Lilith¡¯s answer. Although Ethan was a bit scared by the unusual aura he felt from her, he didn¡¯t want to avoid hearing what Lilith wanted to tell him. Ethan asked Lilith again, who seemed to be hesitating about something. ¡°Um, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°What is it¡­ that you wanted to tell me¡­?¡± Could it be that she suddenly wanted to quit being his exclusive maid? Or was she going to say that her current dormitory life was ufortable and she wanted to move to the Magic Department dormitory? Either way, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be a pleasant scenario, so Ethan was hesitating about how to react if such a response came back. However, what came out of Lilith¡¯s mouth was an answer that rather reassured him again. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Please continue to take care of me as your exclusive maid in the future.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, yes. Sure. I-I¡¯ll be in your care too, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± It wasn¡¯t the answer he had expected, but with that, the young ckwood master was rather relieved. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Quietly confirming his reaction, Lilith steeled her heart once more. Indeed, it seemed that this position by his side was the mostfortable ce for her, more than being by anyone else¡¯s. Chapter 127 Not long after I rejected Seraphine and Lizzy¡¯s offers, two events, one major and one minor, caused a stir in the academy. The first was the protagonist rescuing Selena, who was being threatened by delinquent students from the Swordsmanship Department, which further strengthened the rtionship between the two. This event wasn¡¯t much different from the original story, so I just took note of it and moved on. As expected, the protagonist¡¯s heroic actions were the talk of the female students. To me, who had cleared Luminor Academy 24 times, it seemed like an event that had to bepleted once Selena was brought in. ¡®For a proper Selena route, you must rescue her. If you don¡¯t do this after bringing her in, you¡¯re practically abandoning her.¡¯ Not only does the protagonist¡¯s favorability with Selena increase greatly when he saves her, but if he doesn¡¯t, Selena will have an injury penalty until the end due to wounds sustained in this incident. From this perspective, the protagonist¡¯s actions seemed to be moving properly towards clearing the game, and I also slightly revised my evaluation of him in my mind. Of course, I still hadn¡¯t directly met or talked to him even once. At least, seeing that he was maintaining a lukewarm rtionship with Ethan without unnecessary conflicts, it seemed that, fortunately, he didn¡¯t think of Ethan as the viin from the original work. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] He probably couldn¡¯t think that the story would flow the same way when Ethan¡¯s body hadpletely changed to the point of being unrecognizable. While the love story between the protagonist and Selena was what it was, the part that surprised me a bit more was the second incident that urred. Although it was certainly less talked aboutpared to the protagonist¡¯s main story, for me, it was a rather unexpected event that happened sooner than I had anticipated. The incident where Luke, Seraphine¡¯s guard, shed his male disguise and changed his position to be Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid felt even more unexpected to me. As you might have guessed from my mention of him shedding his male disguise, Luke was the only cross-dressing female heroine in this game. Originally, in these types of games, having one cross-dressing female heroine who gets into various situations with the protagonist was part of its unique charm. Of course, being a sub-heroine of the game, she was also avable for ¡°conquering.¡± The easiest way to get her was to enroll in the Technical Department and use a two-person dormitory room with her. By sharing the same dormitory, no matter how careful Luke was, situations would inevitably arise where the protagonist would discover that she was a woman, and from there, the protagonist would keep Luke¡¯s secret while building friendship and affection with her. Therefore, usually, only the protagonist and Seraphine knew that she was a woman throughout the game, and in some routes, her being a woman wasn¡¯t revealed even until the ending. This time, Luke revealing herself as a woman and starting to attend the academy in a female uniform with maid frills was a sight I had never seen before, even after 24 clears. Moreover, she didn¡¯t stop there but addedces to her uniform, wore a headdress, and clearly presented herself as an exclusive maid. Seeing her attend school in an outfit strangely simr to mine, I wondered if I might have been the cause. ¡®Maybe Seraphine left that position open trying to make me her exclusive maid, but when I refused, she ended up filling that position with Luke.¡¯ Anyway, to manage Seraphine¡¯s long hair and take care of her body, an exclusive maid was essential, and that role couldn¡¯t be done by Luke while she was crossdressing and attending the academy. It would be untrustworthy to hastily make another student her exclusive maid, and bringing in a maid from outside was only possible from the next semester. From Seraphine¡¯s perspective, moving Luke to be her exclusive maid in this way was probably the best choice. ¡®Wait, then the reason the exclusive maid position was vacant in the first ce was to bring me into that position from the start¡­.¡¯ To be honest, this was the most likely possibility. This was the first time Seraphine had entered the academy without her exclusive maid, and she had a personality that tried to keep people she thought were capable close to her. Originally, she would have brought one of her exclusive maids from the Imperial Pce to enroll in the academy together, but the fact that she left that position empty and enrolled without one suggested that she had likely acted with the intention of putting me in that position from the start. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, even if I hadn¡¯t been Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I probably would have refused Seraphine¡¯s offer anyway. I mean, how could I, who was a man in my previous life, take on the duties of an exclusive maid for Seraphine, a woman? I didn¡¯t mind ironing uniforms andbing hair, but changing clothes and bathing her were actions that felt too burdensome for me to do, no matter how I thought about it. It¡¯s not a matter of feeling sexual desire or not, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t think I could handle it because it would make me feel ufortable. Even now, I felt incredibly guilty whenever I entered the bathroom with Isabel. ¡­And Lizzy¡¯s offer to be her personal secretary that day¡­ I rejected it mainly because I still found it difficult to trust her. I had a feeling that if I hastily epted the position of Lizzy¡¯s personal secretary, she would take every opportunity to work me to the bone without rest. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t be sure that the current Lizzy didn¡¯t harbor any ill feelings towards me, and above all, her offer to hire me as a personal secretary itself was suspicious. She was already skilled enough at gathering and managing people to create her own independent group among the Pharmacy Department freshmen, so why would she need to hire someone like me? And topete with the princess for it? There was definitely some ulterior motive, 100%. It¡¯s obviously not something you should ept, being such a suspicious offer. Fortunately, the excuse of wanting to keep my loyalty to Ethan, with whom I had worked for a long time, was more effective on both of them than I had expected. I was able to reject both offers smoothly without disgracing either Seraphine or Lizzy. As a result, my rejection of Seraphine¡¯s offer led to Luke dropping his male disguise and bing Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid, but that¡¯s not really my fault. I was just keeping my loyalty to Ethan, and there¡¯s no reason for a servant to be criticized for being loyal to one master, right? If you have anyints, take them to your master, Luke. Though, of course, you can¡¯t. ¡­And so, amid various major and minor incidents, the rest of the first semester at Luminor Academy began to pass by in a blur. Before we knew it, we were left with only the final evaluation event of the first semester: the evaluation duel. ¡ºLilith has reached Level 10!¡» ¡ºLilith can now use ¡®Mana Imbue¡¯!¡» As Luminor Academy¡¯s first semester sses wereing to an end one by one, the time to wrap up the first semester was also approaching. As with any academy game, the most important thing at the end of a semester was the final evaluation event. Actually, for students directly attending the academy, the midterm evaluation exam was just as important as the final evaluation event, but the midterm exam wasn¡¯t an interesting enough event to be given significant weight in the game. Who would find it fun to watch and y through everyone gathering in an exam hall, feeling like they¡¯ve gone back to their primary/secondary school days, solving test problems or hitting targets in an outdoor training ground with magic? Anyway, to finish the semester on a strong note, it was necessary to perform well in this final evaluation event, and fortunately, my preparations were going fairly well. The biggest change was that my level had increased from 9 to 10. As I gained experience by dueling with Swordsmanship Department students three times a day in Harold¡¯s ss, my level had naturally risen to Level 10 during the duels. Thanks to this, I also acquired the Mana Imbue skill that is automatically learned at level 10. It was support magic that strengthened weapons by imbuing them with mana, so it increased the stability of my dagger attacks to some extent. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] You might ask, what does the stability of dagger attacks have to do with being a mage? Whether I used magic or melee attacks wasn¡¯t particrly important in gaining an advantage in the final evaluation duel.@@novelbin@@ Using all means at your disposal to somehow defeat your opponent and secure victory ¨C that was the ¡®evaluation battle¡¯ event that ounted for thergest proportion of the Magic Department¡¯s first-semester final evaluation. Incidentally, this wasn¡¯t just limited to the Magic Department. All departments that taughtbat-rted subjects conducted this kind of evaluation battle duel to wrap up the first semester. The Swordsmanship Department, including Ethan, as well as the Spearmanship Department, the Archery Department, and the Martial Arts Department, all concluded the sses of their first semester with this type of final. Of course, since thepletion rate of the courses was also important, the evaluation battle alone didn¡¯t determine the entire semester¡¯s grades, but it was inevitable that it would ount for thergest proportion. Originally, an academy was a ce to nurture talented individuals withbat abilities, and evaluating students based on how strong they were in actualbat was perhaps the most obvious and fair method of assessment. At least, rankingbat power is the most definitive evaluation methodpared to test score evaluations that many people might not understand. Anyway, as a result of focusing on increasing my Luck stat through various hardships over the past semester for this end-of-semester evaluation battle event, I was able to somehow raise my Luck stat, which was barely 2 when I entered, to a usable level. The increase in Luck gained through reading the book I got from Lizzy, ¡°Understanding Mana Flow,¡± was 2. The increase in Luck afterpleting the uracy-focused lectures was 2. I took two of these, so that¡¯s 4. Lastly, my Luck increased along with my level, rising by 1. Seeing my Luck stat that had increased more than fourfold from 2 to 9, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of emotion. It was truly miraculous to have raised Lilith¡¯s Luck to this point. Fortunately, a Luck of about 9 corresponded to an actual hit rate of about 20%. With this, I could roughly raise it to close to 50% through triple casting. This level should be enough to secure a winfortably, even if I couldn¡¯t gain an overwhelming advantage over my opponent. ¡°¡­It really was a lot of hard work.¡± ¡­But once I somehow get through this semester, from the next semester on, it should be somewhat manageable. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] As long as I wasn¡¯t matched with an opponent stronger than me in the end-of-semester duel, I should be able to winfortably and wrap up the first semester. Considering that the evaluation battle duels are only matched within the same department and that Luminor Academy¡¯s matching system allows top performers during the semester to choose their opponents for the final evaluation battle, there should absolutely be no chance of me facing a stronger opponent. ¡­At that time, I hadn¡¯t anticipated it. I never expected that there would be a crazy woman who performed better than me and would designate me as her opponent for the evaluation battle duel, marking the end of the first semester, and ignoring easier opponents. Chapter 128 Luke Crue, second-ranked in the Technical Department of Luminor Academy. She was originally the guard of Princess Seraphine, one of only two royals currently attending the academy, but now, she served as her exclusive maid due to various circumstances. Having entered the academy at the same time as her mistress, Princess Seraphine, Luke was also nearing the end of her first semester like the other students. With only the final exam, the end-of-semester evaluation, remaining, Luke was quietly nurturing a sense of hostility towards one particr person. ¡®Lilith, that damned woman¡­¡¯ Why did she have to give up her role as a guard and take on the role of the princess¡¯s exclusive maid? Knowing better than anyone the person who caused this process, Luke quietly nurtured her anger towards Lilith. Of course, even if she harbored this hostility, there was no way for her to take direct revenge. As Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid, she was in no position to act recklessly on personal matters. Above all, however, the consequences of touching Lilith would be the same for anyone, not just her. It would take great courage toy hands on the ¡°fianc¨¦e of a ckwood.¡± ¡®It¡¯s because she has such backing that she dared to refuse even Princess Seraphine¡¯s offer to be her exclusive maid.¡¯ Although she hadn¡¯t directly witnessed Lilith¡¯s refusal because she had momentarily left her post for a ¡°walk,¡± Luke was sure that Lilith had arrogantly and shamelessly refused, trusting in her fianc¨¦. From their first meeting, she hadn¡¯t made a good impression on Luke. She had seen Princess Seraphine, who she had served as a guard for five years, showing consideration for Lilith in various ways despite knowing her for less than a month. Moreover, when she first met Lilith, she was clearly just a maid of the ckwood family, but suddenly, at some point, she appeared at the academy with the honorary status of a viscount¡¯s daughter. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] When Luke learned that this status was created by Seraphine¡¯s behind-the-scenes work to get her into the Magic Department, she couldn¡¯t help but feel an inexplicable sense of defeat. Clearly, she had served Seraphine for a much longer time, and her loyalty to her was surely more intense than anyone else¡¯s. That¡¯s why she was even epting this shameful exclusive maid duty without refusal, following Princess Seraphine¡¯s words. Luke found it hard to understand why her mistress was showing more interest in another woman rather than herself. Above all, she couldn¡¯t ept Lilith, who shamelessly refused her mistress¡¯s offer even after Lilith received her status. If she had been in Lilith¡¯s position, she would have epted without a word, even if the offered position had been that of an errand runner or cleaner rather than an exclusive maid. Moreover, even this exclusive maid duty she was now undertaking was, strictly speaking, a role she had taken on because it had been left vacant by Lilith¡¯s refusal, which only fueled her resentment. If only, just if only. If only Princess Seraphine had entered the academy with an exclusive maid from the start, this wouldn¡¯t have happened¡­ but due to some incident, the exclusive maid originally nned to serve became unable to perform her duties. If she had received Seraphine¡¯s order to be her exclusive maid in such a situation, she would have dly epted it. That would have meant that Seraphine considered Luke the most trustworthy person to take care of her needs within the academy. For Luke, whose loyalty to Seraphine was unparalleled, such an order would have been unparalleled. However, the title of her position as an exclusive maid didn¡¯t feel like such an honorable position, at least to her. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It was a position that had been left vacant with the intention of cing Lilith in it from the start. In other words, Luke felt like a substitute for that woman, and it was natural that she felt more dissatisfied with her dutiespared to when she was performing her guard duties. ¡­Even more so because she had to perform maid duties in a ridiculous uniform that strangely resembled that woman¡¯s. Of course, it was her mistress, Seraphine, who had made her wear this outfit and perform exclusive maid duties, so Luke focused on her maid duties without showing anyints, but¡­ ¡°Luke.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard as my exclusive maid for a semester despite the sudden change. You must not have been used to the exclusive maid duties, but you performed much better than I expected. Your hair-brushing skills have improved greatly, too.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Would you consider continuing as my exclusive maid next semester as well? I think it might be surprisingly good if you continue to serve as my exclusive maid, Luke.¡± ¡°¡­I appreciate your words, but I think being Your Highness¡¯s guard suits me better.¡± ¡°I thought you might answer like that, Luke.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The princess epted Luke¡¯s statement without much emotion that she would quit being an exclusive maid and return to being a guard, as if she already knew what Luke would say. Would she have shown the same reaction if that woman, Lilith, had taken on this exclusive maid duty instead of her and said she would quit after the next semester? Probably not. Princess Seraphine had made a lot of preparations to make Lilith her exclusive maid. She had even left the maid who should havee with her in the Imperial Pce, waiting for the time when Lilith, who had entered the Magic Department without backing, would be isted within the department and make an excuse to hire her as an exclusive maid. That¡¯s how much effort her mistress had put into trying to recruit Lilith. However, it seemed she hadn¡¯t anticipated Lilith¡¯s refusal. If Lilith had epted the position once and then tried to refuse again, the princess would probably have tried to keep her by any means necessary. Why had that woman caught her mistress¡¯s eye? Why had she suddenly be a substitute for that woman? Even up to this point, Luke could somehow yield. Perhaps that woman had abilities unknown to her that overwhelmed her own. But, even if that were the case¡­ If her mistress wanted to keep Lilith by her side this much, it should be natural to respond to that call. Luke couldn¡¯t forgive Lilith, who, despite being indebted to Princess Seraphine, didn¡¯t show the same loyalty as herself. As Luke was thinking these thoughts while brushing Seraphine¡¯s hair, the princess quietly offered her a piece of advice. ¡°Luke.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Did you know that the full moon rosest night?¡± ¡°Yes, I know. ¡­Did you perhaps see something in your future vision?¡± ¡°Inst night¡¯s future vision, I saw your face after a long time, Luke.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you, Luke. For the first time since that incident in your hometown five years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Her face had appeared in the princess¡¯s future vision. Luke, who had worked as her guard for five years, instinctively understood that someone¡¯s face appearing in the future vision she saw once a month was not a good sign. At the princess¡¯s words that her face had appeared, Luke waited for her mistress¡¯s next words with a slightly tense expression. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°It¡¯s okay, the future I sawst night wasn¡¯t a particrly dangerous one.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± ¡°However, I learned one fact that I didn¡¯t know before, which is interesting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please answer honestly, Luke. Are you nning to duel with Lilith for the final evaluation?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Princess Seraphine.¡± The final evaluation battle was thest event of the first semester of the academy year. There, Luke was nning to designate Lilith as her opponent for the duel. Of course, for Luke, who belonged to the Technical Department and not one of the fivebat departments, the end-of-semester evaluation battle wasn¡¯t originally applicable to her. The Technical Department, Pharmacy Department, and Theology Department typicallypleted finalprehensive exams orprehensive projects, unlike the other fivebat departments. However, while this wasn¡¯t applicable in general, it didn¡¯t mean that students from the Technical Department or the Pharmacy Department didn¡¯t have the right to participate in the evaluation battle at all. The Top 5 students in each department, that is, the high performers, could apply for evaluation battles with students from other departments even if they weren¡¯t frombat departments, and they could even directly designate their opponents. Of course, this designation of opponents only applied to the top 1 to 5 students in other departments, which is why it was generally known that the Technical Department and Pharmacy Department didn¡¯t have final evaluation battles. After all, it was virtually impossible for even top students from nonbat departments topete with top students frombat departments. However, Luke, Seraphine¡¯s guard, was nning to challenge Lilith to an evaluation battle regardless ofbat or nonbat departments, driven by her overflowing hatred. Also, given that she had been selected as Seraphine¡¯s guard, she had confidence in her ability to win. ¡­Contrarily, Seraphine, Luke¡¯s mistress, wasn¡¯t at all confident in her victory. ¡°Are you going to oppose it, Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ don¡¯t you care for that woman, Your Highness?¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Yes, I do care for her. She¡¯s someone I want to keep by my side someday.¡± ¡°So, wouldn¡¯t you not want to see her get hurt and try to stop my duel with her¡­?¡± Was even thisst n to punish Lilith once from her position going to be stopped by her mistress? As such anxious thoughts invaded Luke¡¯s mind, Seraphine¡¯s response was something Luke hadn¡¯t expected at all. ¡°Hmm, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something, Luke.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t particrly rmend the final evaluation battle between you and Lilith, but that¡¯s not because I¡¯m worried about Lilith getting hurt.¡± ¡°What? Then why¡­¡± ¡°The reason I¡¯m against it is because I¡¯m worried about you, Luke.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± Luke, who had been nning to designate Lilith as her opponent for the final evaluation battle, hadn¡¯t thought at all that she might lose. Her pride was instantly hurt by Seraphine¡¯s words. Whether aware of Luke¡¯s feelings or not, Seraphine continued her exnation,paring the two people she had observed until now. ¡°I have a personality that keeps people I care about close to me.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m advising you, Luke. You are the person I care about the most, so I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt by participating in the final evaluation battle.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying that you think that woman will win in the evaluation battle?¡± ¡°What I saw in my future vision was just the scene of you and Lilith facing each other in the arena. The battle scene ended before I could see it, but¡­ I think she might be a difficult opponent for you.¡± ¡°¡­Do you think so¡­¡± Luke¡¯s mood soured at the statement that seemed to trust that woman instead of her again. Seraphine, sensing her mood, conceded her statement a step. ¡°If you really want to settle things with Lilith despite my advice, I won¡¯t stop you. I wanted to see Lilith¡¯s true abilities for myself, too, so if you¡¯re her opponent, it would probably be a good standard for evaluation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What will you do, Luke? Will you participate in the evaluation battle? Or will you substitute it with aprehensive project like other Technical Department students?¡± Luke wanted to prove something. She wanted to prove to her mistress, Princess Seraphine, that she was a much stronger person than that woman.@@novelbin@@ Luke wanted to punish someone. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] She wanted to punish that woman, Lilith, who shamelessly refused her mistress¡¯s request despite receiving thetter¡¯s favor. ¡°I will participate in the final evaluation duel.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, then, do as you wish.¡± ¡°Your words, Princess Seraphine, are always right, but I will definitely prove that your words are wrong for this evaluation battle.¡± ¡°¡­Since you say it so strongly, I¡¯ll look forward to it too, Luke.¡± Luke Crue, second-ranked in the Technical Department. Lilith ckwood Rosewood, fourth-ranked in the Magic Department. It was the moment the final evaluation duel between these two students was decided¡­ ¡­although Lilith herself waspletely unaware that such a duel had been arranged. Chapter 129 ¡¸July 2nd Magic Department 1st Year Final Evaluation Battle Matchups 09:00 AM Magic Department Top Student | Agnes Elizabeth ze / Magic Department Second Rank | Isabel Ravenna Arcana 09:20 AM Magic Department 3rd Rank | Karen Iris Stormweaver / Magic Department 7th Rank | Siz Treize Lilian 09:40 AM Magic Department 4th Rank | Lilith ckwood Rosewood / Technical Department Second-Ranked Luke Crue ¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡¹ On a day inte June, when the evaluation battle pairings for the end of the first semester were announced¡­ As soon as I confirmed my name on the Magic Department match-up list posted on the main bulletin board, I felt a momentary surge of disbelief. ¡°Luke Crue¡­?¡± I almost blurted out ¡°bitch¡± next to Ethan at the sudden move of the Technical Department¡¯s second-ranked Luke, who had designated me as her opponent. ¡­Fortunately, I didn¡¯t say it out loud. ¡°Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Luke Crue, the Technical Department¡¯s second-ranked, is that the person I know?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s that Luke, Princess Seraphine¡¯s guard.¡± ¡°Why did she suddenly be your opponent for the duel? Did you discuss this in advance?¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not sure either.¡± I said so because I truly didn¡¯t know what was going on. Even in the game, there had never been a single instance of Luke participating in an evaluation battle against top students from other departments. Originally, Luke wasn¡¯t the type of character who liked to stand out, fitting her nickname, Shadow Luke. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] That¡¯s why, despite being qualified to be Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid, she had requested the rtively inconspicuous position of her guard. Instead of entering the Martial Arts Department with Seraphine or entering anotherbat department, she deliberately chose the Technical Department. I honestly couldn¡¯t understand this situation where Luke had given up on not standing out and designated me as her opponent for the duel. ¡®I had a bad feeling when the professor said I already had an opponent assigned for the duel.¡¯ The Top 5 students in thebat departments are given the authority to directly designate their opponents for the final evaluation battle. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, just because they can designate their opponent doesn¡¯t mean students often say they want to face the lowest-ranked. Most high-performing students in Luminor Academy are quite prideful. Therefore, it was a general rule to choose the strongest opponent they could perfectly defeat. Just like how Agnes, who was unmatched among the Magic Department freshmen, had openly targeted Isabel, who was second-ranked. ording to the original n, I should have had the authority to designate my opponent, so I was nning to face a student around the 10th rank in the evaluation battle duel. I really hadn¡¯t imagined that Luke, Seraphine¡¯s guard, would designate my name first. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d be on the receiving end of what I did as a yer in my previous life¡­¡¯ When ying as the protagonist character, if you entered the Technical or Pharmacy Department, the events there were for gaining fame and experience, so it was essential to fill that gap by defeating the top students from other departments in the final evaluation battle like this. ¡­But now that I was on the receiving end, thanks to Luke, I was truly dumbfounded. Why is this happening only to me? ¡®Should I be grateful that it¡¯s not Agnes, at least?¡¯ The one hopeful aspect was that my opponent wasn¡¯t Hellfire Agnes, who deliberately seeks out only ¡®strong opponents.¡¯ In fact, when I first heard that my duel opponent had been decided, Agnes was the first one I suspected. Of course, even though I avoided an evaluation battle with Agnes, Luke was certainly not an easy opponent either. As she had already secured the position of Seraphine¡¯s guard, her skills were sufficiently guaranteed, and as I mentioned before, she was also one of the heroines of Luminor Academy. Given that being a heroine in Luminor Academy meant being qualified to be taken as apanion to defeat the Demon King, I couldn¡¯t underestimate her just because she was from the Technical Department, a nonbat department. ¡­Although I still had no idea why Luke had applied for a duel against me. To be honest, I hadn¡¯t done anything to directly provoke Luke¡¯s resentment even once until now. Whether it was Seraphine sending Luke out but keeping me, a fellow servant, during the meeting in the reception room at the ckwood mansion¡­ or Seraphine granting me the position of an honorary viscount¡¯s daughter instead of Luke, who had served loyally by her side for a long time¡­ or Luke bing Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid because I refused her offer to be her exclusive maid. Even her outfit, which strangely resembled mine in its maid uniform style, there seemed to be no reason for her to hold a grudge against me. ¡­Really, I don¡¯t understand the reason. ¡°Could it be a protest from Princess Seraphine? Maybe she felt a bit hurt because I refused her offer to be her exclusive maid recently.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember Princess Seraphine being that kind of person¡­ Wait, Lilith. Is what you just said true?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You just said it yourself. That you received an offer to be Princess Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I received one before. Of course, I refused since I have the position of Young Master Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid already.¡± ¡°¡­Wh-What?! What did you just say¡­?¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s troublesome. I didn¡¯t think Princess Seraphine would be angry at me for refusing that one offer. I should meet her in person as soon as possible to apologize again¡­¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself with an apology for that misunderstanding, Miss Lilith.¡± The princess¡¯s voice, which seemed to have been unheard for quite some time, interrupted the conversation between Ethan and me, which had taken on a slightly serious tone. Ethan and I naturally turned our heads towards the direction of Seraphine¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Young Master Ethan and Miss Lilith.¡± Princess Seraphine and her guard, Luke, appeared behind Ethan and me as if they had been waiting. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Other academy students who noticed the Third Princess¡¯s arrival also started to stir a beatter. The attention of the students, who until just now were only interested in who their own duel opponents were, was naturally drawn to us, centered around Princess Seraphine.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Have you been well, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been doing well, thanks to everyone.¡± Seraphine, who had instantly drawn the attention of those around her, exchanged greetings with Ethan and me with a calm expression as if used to such crowds. ¡­Luke, standing behind her, had been ring at me with a strangely prickly gaze since earlier. ¡°By the way, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°I just heard something about me being angry because you rejected my offer, Miss Lilith¡­ Is that what I heard?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­! Please consider that just the foolish ramblings of a silly honorary viscount¡¯s daughter¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Lilith. You don¡¯t need to apologize. It¡¯s natural for you to misunderstand my true intentions, and the reason I came here is to clear up any misunderstandings you might have about me.¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yes.¡± ¡­Misunderstanding? ¡°First of all, the idea that I¡¯m angry with you, Miss Lilith, is a groundless misunderstanding. Why would I dislike someone as capable as you, Miss Lilith? Right?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ I¡¯m not really qualified to be considered capable by Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°During the monster invasion of the Imperial Pce, we saved many lives thanks to your help, Miss Lilith. Also, you¡¯re maintaining the rank of Top 4 in the Magic Department, which shows you¡¯re a capable mage.¡± ¡°¡­I think I just received an overly generous evaluation by chance, not my actual ability.¡± ¡°You know that too much modesty is not a virtue, right? Even if you really think that way about yourself, my evaluation of you won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Anyway, while I¡¯m disappointed that my n to keep you by my side as my exclusive maid didn¡¯t work out, I¡¯m not angry about it. I still want to maintain a good rtionship with you, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Princess Seraphine. I misjudged Your Highness¡¯s character¡­¡± ¡°I told you not to apologize, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡­I know that, too. But what can I do when my body automatically blurts out apologies? Even though I know that Seraphine isn¡¯t the kind of petty person who would harbor anger over something like this, the instinctive pressure of the status difference made my body move on its own. Unless you¡¯re as familiar with her as Ethan is from spending a long time together, this is an unavoidable phenomenon. Although not today, I, who was a hardcore yer of Luminor Academy in my previous life, knew better than anyone that Seraphine could sometimes be authoritarian for the sake of the greater good. It was best to avoid creating situations that could give her reasons to pick on me or make me indebted to her from the start. ¡°Anyway, I came to tell you that this duel with Luke is entirely of her will, not mine. This is also to prevent you from hiding your full abilities in the evaluation battle due to any misunderstandings about me.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. The evaluation battle duel with Miss Lilith was chosen solely by my will and should be seen as my personal decision, unrted to Her Highness¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Since Princess Seraphine and Miss¡­ no, Lady Luke, havee to tell me this, I¡¯ll believe it.¡± Of course, the option of not believing didn¡¯t exist from the start. Even if I didn¡¯t believe it, it was impossible to show any signs of disbelief in front of Seraphine. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Moreover, the fact that Seraphine came personally to tell me to give my all in the match means that she wants me to approach the match with that attitude. In that case, I would simply give my all in the match. Of course, even if it had really been a case of Seraphine sending Luke to face me out of anger, it wouldn¡¯t have changed my approach to the duel. I had no intention of missing out on this explosive-XP-event from the start. ¡°Is that all you wanted to tell us, Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Young Master Ethan. Well then, I¡¯m busy, so I¡¯ll be¡­¡± ¡°¡­Before you leave, there¡¯s one thing I must say, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Hmm, what might that be, Young Master Ethan?¡± Ethan called out to Seraphine once more as she was about to leave with Luke, having said what she came to tell me. I wondered what he was going to say and listened carefully to the wordsing from Ethan¡¯s mouth, but for some reason, his words sounded a bit cold. ¡°I just heard, Your Highness, that you made an offer to Lilith for her to be your exclusive maid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that really true, Princess Seraphine?¡± For some reason that I didn¡¯t understand, Ethan was creating a somewhat ominous atmosphere and giving Seraphine a hostile look. Seraphine, seeming to sense his somewhat unsettling gaze, carefully nodded while trying to maintain herposure. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Young Master Ethan. Miss Lilith is undoubtedly an excellent person by my standards, and I have a personality that tries to keep excellent people as close as possible.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith is my exclusive maid, Princess Seraphine. Even though she received the honorary status of a viscount¡¯s daughter with your help.¡± ¡°¡­I see, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°I hope you won¡¯t forget that fact.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Princess Seraphine.¡± Princess Seraphine nodded once at Ethan¡¯sst words and moved away. I couldn¡¯t understand why the atmosphere suddenly became so serious when Ethan just stated the obvious fact that I was his exclusive maid. The conversation between royalty and high nobility¡¯s children was beyond my ability to follow. Amidst all this, the day of the evaluation battle duel between Luke and me was rapidly approaching. Chapter 130 ¡°Winner! Agnes Elizabeth ze!¡± ¡°Woohoo! ze! ze won!!¡± ¡°Hellfire! Hellfire!¡± ¡°As expected of the future Archmage of the Crimson Tower!!¡± The result announcement from the arena and the cheers of the spectating students reached the waiting room.@@novelbin@@ As that burdensome voice echoed inside, the tension I had tried to suppress began to rise again. Undoubtedly, Agnes, the top freshman in the Magic Department, must have thoroughly defeated Isabel, who was second-ranked. It was obvious without even watching. This was one of the basic events that would ur even if you only yed ¡°Luminor Academy¡± once or twice, so I wasn¡¯t particrly surprised. Unless the protagonist character entered the Magic Department, Technical Department, or Pharmacy Department and targeted Agnes, this event would ur with 100% probability. In fact, it wasn¡¯t even really an event. In actual gamey, it would only appear in the form of a summary in one or two sentences and had little significance to the game¡®s actual story progression. It was just pitiful for Isabel, who kept getting beaten up every time just because she was second-ranked. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Thinking about this, after about ten minutes passed as the arena was being prepared, the battle between Karen and Siz, ranked 3rd and 7th respectively, also began. The result of that match also ended anticlimactic in less than 5 minutes, just like Agnes¡¯s evaluation battle. ¡°Winner, Karen Iris Stormweaver!¡± ¡°Woohoo!¡± ¡°Karen! Karen!¡± The victory deration and students¡¯ cheers were heard again, not even ten minutes after Agnes¡¯s duel had ended. It was to be expected. Students with the right to choose their opponents tended to pick opponents they could easily defeat. If you only looked at the skills of the 3rd and 7th ranked, it shouldn¡¯t have been a match that ended this quickly, but Karen had a huge advantage over Siz in their specialties. Karen¡¯s specialty was Wind Magic, while Siz¡¯s specialty was Nature Magic. ¡®Originally, I was supposed to winfortably against opponents using Summoning Magic or Dark Magic and wrap up the semester.¡¯ I still couldn¡¯t understand how it had turned out like this. This academy just wouldn¡¯t let me rx even until the end of the semester. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± Ethan, who had been waiting with me in the same waiting room out of concern, approached me. Surely, he wasn¡¯t going to tell me to forfeit because he was worried, right? Even if he said such a thing, I had no intention of missing out on this major XP event from the start. I would have to politely refuse somehow¡­ ¡°You must win, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I believe you can win, Lilith.¡± ¡­What¡¯s with him suddenly? Well, it was still much better than telling me not to do it because it was dangerous. Rather, receiving encouragement helped me focus my mind a little more. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I slightly bowed my head and answered Ethan, who was speaking to me with a serious look. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s what I intend to do.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡­If I say this so shamelessly and thene back defeated, I won¡¯t be able to show my face for a while out of embarrassment. It seemed I had no choice but to win this duel and return victorious. ¡°Next duel! Magic Department, 4th rank, Lilith ckwood Rosewood! Technical Department, 2nd rank, Luke Crue!¡± As I walked out to the arena when the duel announcer called my name, the quite spacious Magic Department evaluation battle arena greeted me. At the same time, I felt the strange sensation of other students¡¯ gazes reaching me. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. The evaluation battle event is quite a spectacle even within the academy.¡¯ As an academy created on an isted ce called the Ind of Knowledge, these sword fights and magic duels between top students were one of the few spectacles for the students. They say the most interesting things in the world are watching fires and fights, right? Thinking this, as I approached the center of the training ground, I could also see Luke walking toward the center of the arena from the opposite side. She seemed to have steeled herself with quite a solemn resolve to face me in this duel. ¡®She¡¯s really harboring some serious grudge.¡¯ Just by looking at the two daggers, her signature weapons, held in both hands, I could clearly see that she wasn¡¯t approaching me with a light heart. She had literally ¡®sharpened her knives¡¯ in preparation for this duel with me. If I let my guard down for a moment, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if a dagger was suddenly thrust into my side and I was forced to retire. Incidentally, this evaluation battle arena is equipped with Death Prevention Magic to prevent idents during intense duels. After all, this is a facility that gathers famous talents from all over the country to learn knowledge and nurture talent, so of course, they would have to prevent fatal idents during evaluation battles. The moment a fatal wound is inflicted on the body, the said magic stops the progression of that wound, and the student who has received such damage is transported to the academy church through Spatial Transfer Magic. Of course, this doesn¡¯tpletely erase the damage received; it just prevents death itself, so the injured might have to lie in the church for days or even weeks. Anyway, the important thing was that lives, which should be protected as the highest priority, could be preserved somehow, and in this world, most injuries could be treated except for those in the mental. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­In other words, there was no problem with rushing at your opponent with killing intent in this arena; because the Death Prevention Magic was protecting lives. ¡®It also means I can use Mana st without worrying.¡¯ If I couldnd just one hit, it would be my victory. Conversely, if I failed to hit or failed to cast, it would be my defeat. It was a simple form for victory. I just thought the process of getting there might be a bit difficult. As I made eye contact with Luke walking towards me from the opposite side, I immediately feltplex emotions directed at me from his gaze. We took our positions at a slightly reduced distance, ready for battle, without any further conversation. ¡°¡­Ready.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Luke and I took our stances in our positions at the announcer¡¯s words. I gripped the silver dagger in my uniform¡¯s inner pocket, ready to chant a spell as soon as the battle started, while Luke held daggers in both hands, looking like she might pounce at any moment. In this strangely tense atmosphere, the announcer¡¯s deration to start the battle fell. ¡°Begin!¡± Thudthudthudthud! Luke¡¯s body rushed towards me with quick steps, her daggers swinging towards both sides of my body. Her twin daggers, which closed the distance of about 15 meters in an instant, swung quickly as if to finish me off in one blow. des that would be difficult for an ordinary person to even perceive approached, aiming at my body from left and right. It was a firm resolve to stab me no matter which way I dodged, but the sound that followed was not of des cutting and piercing flesh, but a single sound caused by friction. Shiiiing! ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± The silver dagger from my chest collided with Luke¡¯s left dagger, causing some sparks to fly in the air from the impact. At the same time, murmurs of surprise at my reaction could be heard from the spectators¡¯ seats. ¡°A sword? Isn¡¯t that a dagger?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Lilith from the Magic Department?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, isn¡¯t she the woman who cut Raidenhart¡¯s wrist with a silver dagger at the entrance ceremony¡­?¡± Most students in the Magic and Swordsmanship Departments already knew that I could fight with a silver dagger due to the incident I caused at the entrance ceremony, but the spectators¡¯ seats weren¡¯t just filled with students from these two departments. It wasn¡¯t that strange for them to show such surprised reactions. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The same seemed to be true for Luke, who had rushed at me with daggers. ¡°H-How¡­?¡± How, my ass. You shouldn¡¯t be surprised by something like this when you¡¯re the one who picked this fight in the first ce. To be fair, it wasn¡¯t purely a battle of sword against sword. She was swinging her daggers purely with the grip strength of her hands, while I had deflected her sword once using Mana Imbue and a Shockwave. I dodged one of the desing from both sides by turning my body and deflected the other to create an opening. Of course, this wasn¡¯t particrly important. What mattered was that I had the means to deal with Luke¡¯s movements and techniques. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a mage¡­?¡± ¡°No, I am.¡± ¡°Then how can you use a dagger¡­¡± ¡°Well, what can I say? If you don¡¯t like it, use magic yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the Technical Department, but you¡¯re making a fuss. Don¡¯t make this troublesome.¡± Obviously, there was no rule saying that a mage couldn¡¯t use a sword in the final evaluation battle. In the first ce, magic itself wasn¡¯t exclusive to the Magic Department, and there were quite a few closebat warriors among the nobles who used magic as a supplementary means even if they weren¡¯t in the Magic Department. It wasn¡¯t against the rules for someone from the Magic Department to fight with a sword or a spear. After all, what the academy wanted was ¡°academy students withbat abilities,¡± and they weren¡¯t a stupid group that would prohibit magicians from equipping secondary weapons to develop thosebat abilities. ¡°¡­¡­¡± On the other hand, Luke, whose first attack had been blocked by me, showed somewhat confused emotions in her eyes. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] For someone with strong pride as the princess¡¯s guard, the situation of having her de blocked by a female student from the Magic Department must have been hard to understand. However, that moment of hesitation on her part became an opportunity for me. For a closebat fighter to give distance and time to a Magic Department student meant giving them time to respond. Thanking Luke¡¯s momentarily foolish judgment, I used the next spell I had secretly memorized. *SHIIIINE* ¡°Ugh?!¡± Blurred Light, a spell I had learned separately from the auxiliary magic tree for this battle. It was a magic used to momentarily blur vision by shing a strong light in front of the eyes, allowing other party members to attack in the meantime. Of course, there were no other party members with me, so I had to do both the support and the attack myself. Luke showed an opening as she momentarily squinted at the sh of light thrust before her eyes. That opening was exactly the moment I was aiming for, and this time, I cast three Magic Arrows, created by triple casting flew toward Luke. There wasn¡¯t enough time to use Mana st, so the n was to inflict small wounds little by little for now. Whoosh! ¡°AAAAARGH!¡± With only a 20% hit rate, there was a possibility that all three shots would miss, but fortunately, it seemed the god of fate hadn¡¯t abandoned me. One of the three Magic Arrows pierced Luke¡¯s left forearm, and her painful scream reached my ears. ¡®Well, that¡¯s one hit.¡¯ For a duel between a closebat fighter and a mage, it wasn¡¯t a bad start. Whether I could end it this decently until the end remained to be seen. Chapter 131 ¡°Haa, haaa¡­¡± Luke red at me intensely, having taken a Magic Arrow to her left forearm. I could tell from her gaze that her mindset in approaching the duel with me had changed a bit. Not only had she failed in her attempt to stab me in one go from the start, but she had also allowed me tond the first hit. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] From now on, she probably wouldn¡¯t treat me as just a magic-only novice mage. I wished she would maintain thatcency until the end of the evaluation battle, but Luke was a character skilled at assessing situations on the spot. Probably from now on, instead of recklessly rushing in with daggers, she was more likely to make more efficient attacks. I quietly waited for her next attack as the situation changed. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thudthudthud! First, she moved her feet, circling around me as if to surround me, probably to avoid the sight-blurring magic from earlier. If this were a battle between an ordinary rogue and an ordinary mage, Luke¡¯s decision wouldn¡¯t have been a wise one. When facing a mage or an archer, creating distance inbat is essentially the same as volunteering to be a living target. However, I wasn¡¯t an ordinary mage in the sense that I could engage in closebat, and Luke wasn¡¯t an ordinary rogue fighting with just two daggers, either. Sharp, needle-like objects began flying towards me from her hands, five or six at a time, as she circled around me. Fwip! Fwip! As expected, she immediately switched to this tactic as soon as she gave up on closebat. It was quite a tricky attack that was weakerpared to wielding daggers directly but with the advantage of being able to attack from a distance. The fact that she could send needles flying from various directions while moving at high speeds made it even more difficult. Of course, it was impossible to dodge them all with my body, and it was also impossible to deflect them all with my dagger. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] For an ordinary mage, this would be a situation where they¡¯d have to think about ¡®which direction would hurt less¡¯ and escape while taking a few needles to the body. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t an ordinary mage, nor was I just any mage. Ping! Plink! Ping! Clink! ng! Arcane Barrier: it is thest basic skill in the Auxiliary Magic tree. This was also a spell I had learned in preparation for my duel with Luke, just like Blurred Light. I thought she would definitely try a ranged attack at least once. Of course, Arcane Barrier was the lowest level among barrier-type spells, a spell that would be destroyed after blocking just one or two iing needles, but for me now, even that much was enough. I used triple casting to protect three out of four sides of my body simultaneously and deflected the needles flowing into the remaining open space with my dagger. If the Arcane Barrier broke due to its weak durability, I could just keep replenishing it. After all, I now possessed an insane amount of mana with a maximum capacity exceeding 2000. Whoosh!! ¡°DIE!!¡± A slightly heavier sound mixed with the sound of thin needles flying. This was also a sound I had often heard while ying ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± so I quickly turned my body towards the direction of Luke¡¯s voice. I used my dagger to deflect Luke¡¯s left dagger, flying among the thin needles, which he had thrown while aiming for my heart, upwards into the sky. CLANG! The sharp dagger, its trajectory twisted upon colliding with my silver dagger, flew up into the air. Judging by the sparks flying just from deflecting the flying de, I could tell how strong her determination was to finish me off. ¡®Shit, I really thought I was going to die there.¡¯ Unlike the thin needles, the dagger that flew from her hand was clearly different in weight. If I hadn¡¯t used Shockwave to match the moment the des collided, it would have undoubtedly pierced my heart or at least wounded some part of my body if I hadn¡¯tpletely altered its trajectory. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If I had relied solely on Arcane Barrier and beencent, I probably would have been pierced right through. After all, throwing her dagger was Luke¡¯s most powerful technique at this stage, so she probably intended to end it with this one move. She must have judged that it was impossible to wield properly with her injured left hand and used her finishing move at what seemed like the most vulnerable moment. Fortunately, with the failure of her finishing attack just now, the tide of this duel had almost turned in my favor. Luke, with only one dagger left, had herbat effectiveness reduced by about 30-40% by my estimates, so in terms of overallbat capability, I had naturally taken the lead. Moreover, she looked anxious, having seemingly exhausted most of the needles she had been throwing while circling around me. Of course, even if she had a few left, they would still be blocked by my Arcane Barrier. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The problem was that I still wasn¡¯t in a particrly good position to finish Luke off either. To win the duel, I needed to use Mana st in a situation where I could hit her decisively, but the biggest issue was that such a situation hadn¡¯t arisen yet. To use the spell, which has a long casting time and leaves me defenseless while using it, I needed to subdue her more definitively than I currently have. Originally, it wasn¡¯t even an efficient spell to use in person-to-personbat; it was a spell used as a final blow in party hunts. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Wounding one arm, blocking all ranged throwing weapons, and even taking away the left dagger she was holding wasn¡¯t enough to say I had definitively subdued her. ¡®The best thing to do would be to approach that girl somehow and bind her body with Mana Chains.¡¯ Just as Mana st was the first Enhanced Skill of offensive magic, Mana Chain was the first Enhanced Skill of auxiliary magic. It¡¯s a skill that binds the opponent for 10 seconds without fail if they are of a simr or lower level than oneself. The problem was that to use this skill, I had to approach her close enough to almost touch daggers, and since the opponent was a person, not a monster, there was a high possibility she would sense something off about my approach and try to run away. ¡­There¡¯s no choice, I¡¯ll have to call Luke over to me here. I wasn¡¯t very confident in provoking people, but having ¡®conquered¡¯ Luke in my previous life, I knew well enough what she liked and what angered her. I quietly opened my mouth and turned Luke¡¯s gaze, who was standing still and watching me, towards me. ¡°Is that all you can do?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Really? Then why are you just standing there?¡± ¡°¡­None of your business.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I thought the second-ranked in the Technical Department would have something more, confidently requesting an evaluation battle with me, but you¡¯re more pathetic than I expected, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Luke fixed her gaze on me, filled with anger, biting her lower lip at my words. I pretended not to even notice her gaze and nonchntly picked up the dagger that had fallen in front of me. I gripped Luke¡¯s left dagger, which seemed to be a gift from Seraphine, in my right hand, turning it this way and that. In my mind, I was slowly reciting the chant for Mana Chain that I could activate at any time. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you were holding in your left hand just now?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t touch it.¡± ¡°Why? Seeing how you threw it away like trash, didn¡¯t you just discard it like it was nothing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it trash!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­This is certainly effective. Is it because the dagger is rted to Seraphine? Well, I, as a yer of ¡°Luminor Academy,¡± knew best that this dagger was a good item. Seraphine wouldn¡¯t have given Luke useless equipment as a gift in the first ce. To lure her towards me, I needed to use strong expressions to provoke Luke. Just in case there¡¯s any misunderstanding, I wasn¡¯t showing this arrogant attitude because I particrly wanted to. It was just a necessary provocation to lure her towards me. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I had to thoroughly convey emotions different from my true intentions to prevent Luke, who was quick-witted, from realizing that I was trying to guide her movements. Without doing so, it would have been practically impossible topletely deceive her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s too good to call trash. Looking closely, it¡¯s quite a nice dagger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can I keep this?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Thanks for the gift. I¡¯ll use it well, Luke.¡± ¡°G-Give that back¡­!!!¡± As I pretended to actually keep it by trying to put the dagger into my uniform¡¯s inner pocket, Luke, who had been standing still, started to move. Realizing that my provocation had definitely worked on her, I watched Luke¡¯s movements with only thest sentence of the chant for Mana Chain I had been reciting in my head left. I just need to focus until the end and not misrecite the spell. If I can restrain Luke¡¯s right hand with the spell right before her dagger pierces my body and start chanting Mana st immediately from that moment, I can winfortably. Thinking this, I was preparing to use Mana Chain while predicting the trajectory of Luke¡¯s right hand, but for some reason, my intuition started to spark an uneasy feeling in my chest. ¡­In Luke¡¯s gaze, who had approached quite close, I noticed for a moment that she seemed to be looking ¡®elsewhere¡¯ for some reason. ¡®Wait, something¡¯s not right¡­¡¯ Come to think of it, there was one awkward point in Luke¡¯s actions in the recent battle. When Luke threw her dagger in the fight with me earlier, why did she specifically throw her left dagger at me? She couldn¡¯t have thrown with her injured left hand, so if she wanted to aim for an opening as quickly as possible, she should have thrown her right dagger instead. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­And if it failed, it would have been better to hold the left dagger in her right hand. After all, there¡¯s not much difference between left-handed and right-handed daggers. Then, there must have been a reason for Luke to specifically switch her left dagger to her right hand. There¡¯s a reason why she specifically threw the left dagger at me, even in that urgent situation. ¡®Could it be that what Luke threw wasn¡¯t just the ¡®dagger¡¯, but also the information that ¡®there¡¯s no dagger in the left hand¡¯¡­¡¯ The moment that thought urred to me, I remembered the moment when Ethan and Harold were swinging swords in the ckwood mansion training ground a few months ago. I could also recall how Ethan had achieved his ¡®first victory¡¯ against Harold there. ¡°Die!!¡± In the split second I was understanding Luke¡¯s intentions, her body had already approached right in front of me, ready to swing her de. I didn¡¯t have a clear certainty that this would happen, but following my intuition, I used my mana chain on the approaching Luke. I used it not on Luke¡¯s right arm swinging from the front but on her left arming from a blind angle. Whoosh! nk! ¡°AAAAAARGH?!¡± Just before Luke¡¯s left hand could stab a dagger into the back of my head, my Mana Chain first wrapped around her left arm, and immediately, I saw Luke being subdued and falling, bound by chains wrapping around her entire body. Even in the situation of being dragged to a corner of the arena by the chain, Luke, wearing an expression of not understanding what was happening, muttered in a bewildered voice. ¡°H-How¡­?!¡± ¡°How what?¡± Ignoring Luke¡¯sst question, I quickly gathered all my remaining mana into a Mana st in my palm. Seeing the huge mana sphere appearing above my head, Luke instinctively started to writhe against the binding chains in terror, but before the chains binding her body could loosen, my Mana st was alreadyplete. ¡­As a gift for the loser, I might as well tell her why she lost. ¡°If you¡¯re going to ambush¡­. you should maintain your gaze until the end, you idiot!!!¡± With my resentful cry, the Mana st flew toward the corner of the arena where Luke was bound. Whether myst words reached her or not, her expression froze in dismay as she epted my final strike. After a strong explosion passed, nothing remained in the ce where Luke had been bound by chains. ¡­The Death Prevention Magic seems to have activated properly. ¡°W-Winner! Lilith ckwood Rosewood!¡± ¡°Lilith! Lilith! Lilith!¡± ¡°Woohoo! That¡¯s awesome! Lilith is insane!!¡± ¡°Kyaaa! Lilith! I knew Lilith would win!! Lilith!!¡± ¡°S-Sister, please calm down! Everyone is staring at us¡­¡± Receiving the cheers of the academy students chanting the winner¡¯s name, I led my tired body out of the arena towards my preparation room, where Ethan would be waiting. ¡­Phew, I really thought I was going to die this time. Chapter 132 ng!! ¡°¡­I, I lost.¡± ¡°The winner! Ethan Richard ckwood!¡± ¡°Ethan! Ethan! Ethan!¡± ¡°Dual-wielding Ethan! It¡¯s dual-wielding Ethan!!¡± Two days after my evaluation duel with Luke, the day for Ethan and Natalie¡¯s duel arrived. It was a rather fierce battle, but the moment Ethan¡¯s dual swords deflected Natalie¡¯s estoc and imed victory, the spectating students¡¯ cheers echoed throughout the arena. To me, who had already seen the two of them duel several times in Harold¡¯s lectures, it seemed like an almost inevitable result. ¡®Considering both theirpatibility and skill level, Ethan has the upper hand over Natalie.¡¯ Ethan and Natalie. When the two faced each other, Ethan¡¯s win rate was about 80% by my estimates. Natalie¡¯s sword, which specialized in quick thrusts and targeting openings, showed a good win rate against wielders of blunt weapons, like Caraham¡¯s. In the case of Ethan, though, there were hardly any openings for Natalie to strike. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Ethan probably kept this in mind when he chose Natalie as his opponent for the final evaluation match, and he imed victory as expected. ¡°Kyaaa! Lord Ethan! Take me!! Please take me!!¡± ¡°Hey, hey! Next to you, next to you!¡± ¡°Huh? Next to me¡­? Kyaaa?! L-Lord Ethan¡¯s fi-fianc¨¦e¡­!¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not Lord Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e or anything like that¡­¡± ¡°I-I apologize, Lady Lilith! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± One noblewoman, who had been enthusiastically cheering for Ethan, noticed me and instantly fled elsewhere. Other students who btedly witnessed this scene started whispering about me and Ethan while looking at me. Why are they doing this again? This time, I¡¯m truly innocent. ¡®¡­Somehow, no matter how I think about it, this doesn¡¯t seem like Lilith.¡¯ Where on earth did Lilith Rosewood, who in the original story, became Ethan¡¯s sex ve and received pitying and sympathetic gazes wherever she went, disappear to? Of course, I had no intention of bing Ethan¡¯s sex ve just to receive some pitying gazes, but it was hard to understand why I was constantly being misunderstood and treated as a strange woman for things I hadn¡¯t done. Moreover, since thest duel ended, rumors were even circting that I had actually stolen the dagger that the princess had given to Luke. I didn¡¯t steal it. I¡¯m going to return itter when I meet her. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t visit the church now because she¡¯s currently prohibited from receiving outside visitors due to the treatment for her injuries. As I was thinking about this while absentmindedly fixing my gaze on the arena, it seemed that Caraham¡¯s duel with another student had also ended. ¡°The winner, Caraham Jamuel August!¡± Judging by the fact that the opposing student had disappeared without a trace, it seemed he had failed to control his strength and triggered the Death Prevention Magic. The arena was split in half as if an earthquake had urred. If we were to consider pure strength alone, excluding swordsmanship or magic, that guy would probably be twice as strong as the Hero. For reference, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, who had the right to choose his opponent first due to being the top student, chose to target a random fifth-ranked student instead of Ethan or Natalie, easily securing his victory. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although the Hero¡¯s win rate in practice matches against Ethan was slightly higher, it was so close that the result could easily be reversed if the former wasn¡¯t careful. The rest of the students were also opponents that the protagonist couldn¡¯t guarantee 100% victory against from his perspective. Especially against Caraham, he often found himself overwhelmed by the former¡¯s brute strength. For him, who wanted to secure points decisively to maintain his position as the top student in the Swordsmanship Department, facing Ethan and the other three non-standard individuals as evaluation match opponents seemed burdensome, so he ultimately shifted his target to the fifth-ranked student. After all, maintaining the top position in the Swordsmanship Department for the next semester would make it much easier to handle the events in the second half of the academic year. ¡®It¡¯s about time for Ethan toe out too, I should head down soon.¡¯ With Ethan¡¯s evaluation matches now all finished, I had to prepare to leave the dormitory today. There was no reason to stay at the school anymore since the final grades would only be posted a few days before the start of the next semester, and with Ethan¡¯s match just now, our first semester at Luminor Academy had finally ended. It was time to return to the ckwood mansion after a long time. Aurelian Church, Luminor Academy branch. This building, which had always felt quiet and solemn, was now bustling with the voices of busy priests and prospective priests during the busiest time of the semester ¨C the evaluation match period. ¡°Patient iing in Transfer Room 11! Cause of death: vertical bisection!¡±*1 ¡°Quickly move them to a private room and repair every single internal organ! Finish the procedure before the Death Prevention Magic wears off!¡± ¡°What kind of muscle-brained idiot splits a person in half and triggers the Death Prevention Magic?! Are they insane?!¡± ¡°A few days ago, there was a crazy woman who exploded someone¡¯s entire body with some superrge magic sphere;pared to that, being cut in half is rather tame.¡± They were busy enough treating students who had suffered minor and major injuries during the end-of-semester evaluation matches, but the condition of students being transferred by the Death Prevention Magic was even more severe. [GxyTL/Axiomatic]@@novelbin@@ Students with all sorts of injuries were being transferred to the church to the point where a stab wound to the neck or heart would be considered fortunate. Luke, who had been transferred to the church by the said magic two days ago, was now recovering from her injuries. Although her body was starting to heal, herplicated feelings were far from being calmed. ¡®What will happen to me now?¡¯ It was all well and good that she had chosen Lilith as her evaluation match opponent out of petty revenge. Until then, she had no doubt that she would win. Although she was in the nonbat Technical Department, she was still a knight who had been certified to be skilled enough to serve as Third Princess Seraphine¡¯s bodyguard. She was skilled enough to win duels against Imperial Knights two or three times her age with her dual daggers and throwing needles. With that in mind, she didn¡¯t think she would lose in an evaluation match battle against even a top student from the Magic Department. ¡­But the result of entering the duel carelessly was her clear defeat. It was a crushing defeat that even triggered the Death Prevention Magic. She was in such a miserable state that she couldn¡¯t even make excuses. ¡®There were no openings.¡¯ As if Lilith already knew all of her techniques, Lilith responded to each of her attacks as if it were absolutely natural. From the start, Lilith countered her dual daggers with a dagger hidden in the former¡¯s clothes as if it had been anticipated. As soon as the distance between them grew, Lilith blocked her vision with Blurred Light and wounded her left arm with a Magic Arrow. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Lilith had nned from the beginning to block ranged attacks with Arcane Barrier. Lilith even parried the dagger she threw in between those attacks with the dagger the former was holding. Lilith evenpletely saw through her surprise attack, which was supposed to be herst resort. It was a fight that could only be described as an overwhelming difference in skill throughout the duel. She even felt that Lilith was going easy on her. ¡®If she had intended to end me from the start, she could have ended it in less than a minute.¡¯ If Lilith had aimed for her vital points with Magic Arrows when she was caught in the first Blurred Light, it wouldn¡¯t have been a battle thatsted so long. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Despite even being capable of triple casting, all that woman aimed for was just her left forearm. There was no way a magician of that skill level would have missed her attack. She must have deliberately grazed her just enough to show the clear difference in their abilities. As a result, she ended up suffering a miserable defeat, hit by a massive magic sphere whose name she didn¡¯t even know. Luke had paid a harsh price for arrogantly picking a fight out of hatred without properly assessing her opponent. ¡®What will Her Highness say?¡¯ She suffered a disgraceful and miserable defeat, far from being able to serve as a bodyguard. It would even be embarrassing to call herself a house pet. Princess Seraphine must surely be disappointed. Not only would she no longer be able to keep her position as a bodyguard, but she might even end up longing for her former position as the princess¡¯s exclusive maid. Perhaps, due to this arrogant action of hers, she might even be abandoned by her entirely¡­ ¡°¡­Hic.¡± Tears that she had been holding back moistened Luke¡¯s eyes. After all the effort she had put in to stand by Princess Seraphine¡¯s side¡­ From the day she swore loyalty to her five years ago, she had made bone-breaking efforts to somehow maintain and defend her position by her side. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The thought that it might all dissipate like mist due to a single loss filled her not only with sorrow but even with fear. Unaware of Luke¡¯s feelings, from outside the room, Seraphine¡¯s voice seemed to close in on her like a noose. Knock, knock. ¡°Luke, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°May Ie in? I think we need to talk about future matters.¡± Talk about ¡®future matters,¡¯ she says. It must surely be to discuss firing her from the bodyguard position. After all, a bodyguard who loses to a mere exclusive maid of a duke¡¯s family would be nothing but a worthless and unnecessary existence to her. As much as Luke wanted to send the princess away without answering and remain as her servant for even a little longer¡­ ¡°Y-Yes¡­ You may enter, Princess Seraphine¡­¡± Luke answered, calling Princess Seraphine¡¯s name with a trembling voice. Not responding after hearing Seraphine¡¯s voice would be an act of disloyalty that would be unforgivable even if she offered her life. Creeak. As the door opened and Seraphine entered, Luke quietly lowered her gaze. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to meet her mistress¡¯s eyes right now. Not only had she ignored her mistress¡¯s advice and entered the evaluation duel against Lilith, but she had ended up losing miserably. ¡°Luke, have your injuries improved?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Thanks to you, Your Highness, I¡¯m fine now¡­¡± ¡°Did the priests give you any precautions? Like, perhaps, staying still and resting for a few days?¡± ¡°¡­They said I should stay at the church for about five days to treat my injured areas.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? Then does that mean you won¡¯t be able to perform your bodyguard duties for five days?¡± ¡°¡­!!!¡± That was a mistake. The moment the princess indirectly mentioned that Luke wouldn¡¯t be able to guard her for five days, it was essentially the same as mentioning a reason for Luke to be fired. Luke should have said two days, not five. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] No, she should have said she could move right now. As Luke Crue tried to hurriedly get up from the bed to take back the words she had identally blurted out¡­ Seraphine¡¯s response was something Luke had not expected at all. ¡°Ah, no, Princess Seraphine! Actually, it¡¯s not five days, but ri-¡° ¡°I¡¯ll start the provincial vige tour, which was scheduled to begin as soon as summer starts, five days from now.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Someone of my status can¡¯t go around the imperial provinces without a bodyguard, right, Luke?¡± ¡°¡­By bodyguard, do you mean me, Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°Hmm, did you want to quit your job, Luke?¡± ¡°N-No! That¡¯s not it! I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­!¡± Luke Crue, still confused by the meaning of Princess Seraphine¡¯s words, made another mistake. Seraphine, not minding Luke¡¯s slip of the tongue, calmed her down¡­ ¡­to prevent Luke from panicking at the thought of possibly losing her position. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just rest and recover, Luke. I never had any intention of firing you from the beginning.¡± ¡°Is, is that so¡­? Your Highness¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always told you, Luke. I¡¯m the type of person who can¡¯t rest easy unless I keep capable people close to me.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Y-your Hi-Highness¡­¡± ¡°Get well soon, Luke.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Leaving those final words, wishing for Luke¡¯s quick recovery, Princess Seraphine left the recovery room to attend to the rest of her schedule at the academy. In a room of the academy church, now upied by just one person, a gray-haired girl was sobbing, unable to hold back her welling tears. The meaning behind those tears had clearly changed from just moments ago. Chapter 133 The day after Ethan¡¯s Swordsmanship Department Evaluation Duel ended¡­ The three of us, including Isabel, were on a long journey back to the ckwood Estate by carriage. We thought Harold would return with us since he¡¯s currently appointed as a temporary professor at the academy. Surprisingly, it seemed he had some work left to do as a temporary professor, so he sent word that he would stay at the academy for a few more days. Therefore, it was decided that the three of us would return to the ckwood Mansion first. If we dyed our schedule any further, we might have to return to the academy just a few days after arriving at the ckwood Estate, so we decided that at least those of us who had finished all our schedules at the academy should return to the mansion first. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The problem was that this was also the time when other academy students were returning to their hometowns for vacation, so finding a coachman who could drive a four-seater carriage was quite challenging. In the end, the three of us had to depart from Luminor Academy to the ckwood Estate on the day of departure without looking for a coachman. Who¡¯s driving the carriage if we can¡¯t find a coachman, you ask? Of course, it was decided that I would drive it. What other option was there? ¡°Will you be alright, Lilith?¡± ¡°Are you worried, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried. Driving a carriage is dangerous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive in a way that ensures not a scratch on your precious body, young master. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about myself, but about you, Lilith¡­¡± Well, it¡¯s probably Ethan¡¯s first time riding in a carriage I¡¯m driving, so he¡¯s bound to be anxious, but dying our schedule any further would be inefficient. I had learned carriage driving from Dittmeyer in preparation for moments like this. In fact, if Lilith was included as a member of the ¡°Demon King Subjugation Party¡± in the game, most of the carriage driving would be alternated between Lilith and the protagonist, so there was no chance that this body I¡¯m possessingcks talent in carriage driving. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It¡¯s not like it would be impossible to drive a carriage if it wasn¡¯t Lilith¡¯s body, but if I¡¯ve been reincarnated as Lilith, I should at least be able to drive a carriage easily. ¡°Lilith~, I don¡¯t think all the luggage will fit in the trunk. Can I put some on the seats inside?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be in the driver¡¯s seat anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter if you fill up my seat with luggage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As we had this conversation, I climbed onto the driver¡¯s seat after preparing to depart for the ckwood Estate early in the morning. Suddenly, Ethan also started to take a seat next to me in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Oof.¡± ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilith?¡± ¡°The passengerpartment is empty. Please sit in thefortable seats instead of this ufortable spot.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, Lilith. I just feel like getting some fresh air right now.¡± ¡°It will take nearly a full day to reach the ckwood Estate. Sitting on the driver¡¯s seat won¡¯t be a very pleasant experience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can depart now. Isabel, don¡¯t wait, get in the passenger seat.¡± ¡°Understood. As per Young Master Ethan¡¯s orders, I¡¯ll board the passenger¡¯s seat alone.¡± ¡°¡­Isabel?¡±@@novelbin@@ Ethan insisted on squeezing into the seat next to the driver¡¯s seat despite the perfectly good seats inside, and Isabel boarded the passengerpartment alone without any particr reaction to this entric behavior. Feeling like I might be the one reacting strangely, given how brazenly these two were acting, I had no choice but to start driving the carriage. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The carriage, loaded with the three of us and our luggage, began to move towards the ckwood Estate in the northeast. After driving the carriage from the Ind of Knowledge towards the ckwood Estate for a day and a half¡­ Despite departing quite early in the morning, the road where the carriage was traveling had already be quite dark. Judging that it would be difficult to proceed further in this darkness, I cautiously suggested something to Ethan. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡± ¡°I apologize, but I think we should camp for the night around here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was starting to think we should do that too.¡± With Ethan¡¯s permission, and seeing a suitable t ground that could be used as a campsite, I stopped the horses I had been driving. As I got down, I stretched my body, which had be stiff from sitting in the driver¡¯s seat for a long time. ¡°Uuungh~!!¡± ¡°Tired from driving the carriage? Isabel and I will prepare the camp, so Lilith, you should rest a bit.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± It seemed much faster when driving a carriage in the game, but in reality, the perceived time is quite different. It was a moment when I newly appreciated the skills of the coachmen of the ckwoods. They had apparently made this trip between the ckwood Mansion and the Ind of Knowledge several times, but how could they cover this distance in just one day each time? Still, we¡¯vee about 60-70% of the way, so if we depart tomorrow morning, we should easily reach the ckwood Mansion around lunchtime. ¡°Shall we set up the tent first, young master?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll tie this side of the tent; you take the other end and tie it to that tree over there.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± I felt strangely apologetic towards Isabel and Ethan, who had alreadye down from the passengerpartment and were setting up the spare tent. I quietly approached him as he was tying the tent to a tree and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Lilith? I told you to rest.¡± ¡°If I had driven the horses a bit better, we might have been able to reach the estate today. I have no words to express how sorry I am for making you prepare for a night in the open like this.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Lilith? If it weren¡¯t for you, we probably wouldn¡¯t have even departed from the academy until the day after tomorrow.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Still, the other coachmen of the ckwoods can cover this distance in just one day¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, you can¡¯tpare yourself to the mansion¡¯s coachmen who have been driving carriages for over a decade. You learned how to drive a carriage in case there was no coachman avable. This is more than enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Young master~! Please help me set up this tent too~!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming! ¡­You must be tired, Lilith. For now, rest in the carriage.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± After watching Ethan set up the second tent with Isabel for a bit longer, I followed his words and went into the carriage to rest for a while. It was two hourster when I woke up, drawn by the smell of stew. ¡°Hah, mmm¡­slurp¡­¡± ¡°Eat slowly, Lilith. The stew isn¡¯t going to run away.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Lilith, did you rest enough? You¡¯re not a coachman, so you shouldn¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I slept well, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± It really felt like I had slept deeply. Myst clear memory was of sitting briefly on the passenger¡¯s seat of the carriage, but when I came to my senses, I was lying on the seat, even drooling while sleeping. It seems the fatigue from nearly nine hours of carriage driving had umted quite a bit. Moreover, unlike simply being carried in a carriage, directly driving the horses and sitting in the driver¡¯s seat naturally multiplied the fatigue several times over. The headwinding from the front, eye strain, the slightly bumpier driver¡¯s seatpared to the passengerpartment, the mental energy expended on paying attention to the speed and fatigue of the two horses, etc., were probably the causes of my body¡¯s exhaustion. Still, I was able to shake off the fatigue somehow with a bowl of chicken vegetable stew and baked bread that Isabel had prepared. At times like this, I was truly grateful for Isabel¡¯s handiwork in making such a meal from the ingredients gathered among our unremarkable luggage. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate to have you here at times like this, Isabel. I have no talent for cooking at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you, young master, are the young master of the ckwood family! It¡¯s not that youck talent; it¡¯s natural!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t ask Lilith to cook when she¡¯s tired from driving the carriage. In the first ce, Lilith¡¯s cooking is more like¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°¡­What about my cooking, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing, Lilith.¡± Why stop mid-sentence? If you¡¯re going to say something, say it all the way through. Ethan, who had ended his words in a strangely concerning way, seemed to be deliberately focusing more on his meal as if to avoid any further questions. I, too, focused on the food in front of me without any further pressing for the sake of recovering my strength. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Tomorrow morning, as soon as we wake up, we¡¯ll have to drive the carriage for another three or four hours towards the ckwood Estate, so replenishing our energy was essential. ¡°If you gather the dishes in one ce, I¡¯ll clean them all at once with Cleanter.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll leave it to you, Lilith.¡± ¡°After we finish eating, we should set up some security measures around the area and take turns sleeping. Do you both know how to do night watch?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ I don¡¯t have any experience¡­¡± ¡°I know how to, Young Master Ethan. I have actual experience, too.¡±*1 ¡°¡­You have experience?¡± ¡­Oops. Slip of the tongue. ¡°¡­I¡¯m referring to the experience of standing watch against monsters in my hometown vige when I was young. In my hometown, it wasmon for slimes toe down to the vige during the rainy season.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s what you meant.¡± ¡°I¡­ When Lilith said she was the only one with experience, I thought I hadcked something in my duties as a maid¡­¡± It¡¯s fortunate that they¡¯re both innocent enough not to probe deeper and let it slide. I¡¯ve been trying not to make mistakestely, but I got a bit tired today, and I let my guard down a bit. ¡°Since I just took a nap, I¡¯ll take the first shift.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the middle shift, and Isabel can take thest shift and prepare breakfast when dawn breaks.¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Yes, young master!¡± ¡°Today, we¡¯ll just need to keep watch in case of emergencies, but I don¡¯t expect anything to happen. It¡¯s unlikely for bandits or such to suddenly appear in such an open area.¡± ¡­Ah. Why do I feel like he just jinxed us? Chapter 134 To be honest, security measures for camping on the roadside aren¡¯t much to speak of. You just drive short stakes about ankle height around the campsite and hang thin, barely visible strings on them. In the middle of the strings, you attach security bells or objects that resonate well at intervals, and that¡¯s it. Just doing this much is usually enough to catch careless groups of thieves, not to mention low-intelligence monsters. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, if we were dealing with assassins who are determined to take our lives, these security measures wouldn¡¯t mean much, but surely there¡¯s no one bold enough to send assassins after Ethan. ¡°There are no forests or mountains around here, and there are no viges or territories nearby. Probably, no thieves or such will show up.¡± ¡°I think so too, but I still believe we should set up proper security measures.¡± ¡°Yeah. We should, of course. Just in case something happens.¡± As Ethan said, there probably won¡¯t be any thieves, and at most, some low-level monsters might pop up, but it¡¯s always better to set these things up properly to avoid troubleter. ording to the ¡®Security Measures Statistics¡¯ someone posted on LuAGal, there¡¯s a statistically significant difference in the probability of encountering danger when camping with and without security measures. Needless to say, statistically, it¡¯s safer to have measures in ce. In other words, although it¡¯s bothersome, setting up these security measures reduces the chance of unnecessary risks, so there¡¯s no harm in doing it. ¡®In the game, I often skipped this out ofziness.¡¯ The act of driving stakes and tying strings and bells feels quitebor-intensive, and by the mid-game, you be strong enough that security measures be meaningless anyway. Whether monsters or thieves appeared, it was usually quicker in terms of ytime to just fight a battle or two than to set up security stakes. Also, defeating thieves was pretty good for farming, so I often intentionally camped without such measures. Above all, catching the named thief, ¡®Elf Hunter,¡¯ who appeared every time I camped with Selena, was efficient farming. Of course, I had no intention of doing such life-threatening, crazy things now that this world had be a reality. Besides, Isabel, a nonbat personnel, was with us at today¡¯s campsite. If I didn¡¯t set up proper security measures and Isabel was to lose her life to thieves or monsters, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself. The same goes for Ethan, of course. ¡­Well, he¡¯s so strong that I¡¯m not really worried about him being attacked. As I was driving stakes into the ground one by one, encircling the campsite like a long oval, and about to take out my dagger from my chest to cut the thin rope for tying the security devices¡­ Instead of the thin handle of the silver dagger I usually held, I felt a slightly thicker handle wrapped around my hand. Wait, is this¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that the dagger you picked up when facing Luke in thest duel?¡± ¡°¡­Regrettably, it is.¡± It was the dagger that Luke received as a gift from Seraphine that I had kept to provoke the former during our evaluation duel. It was the moment when a sigh inadvertently escaped my mouth as I btedly realized I had forgotten to return that dagger. No, I really meant to return it. I even visited the academy branch of the church twice. ¡­But what could I do when they said patients in the emergency room couldn¡¯t be visited until they fully recovered, except for guardians? [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I couldn¡¯t just carelessly entrust Luke¡¯s possession and Seraphine¡¯s gift to someone else to pass on, so in the end, I ended up keeping it and bringing it all the way here on our journey home. ¡®¡­This makes it look like I really stole Luke¡¯s dagger.¡¯ I surely won¡¯t be called a thief by Seraphine as soon as we return to the academy, right? No, given Seraphine¡¯s personality, she probably wouldn¡¯t say such things, but there was still a good chance she might be disappointed. The only option is to keep it safe and return it as soon as school returns to avoid misunderstandings. ¡°You¡¯re going to return it, right, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡± Swish. ¡°¡­I will¡­¡± ¡­But it cuts well. Is it because it¡¯s made by the princess? Compared to the one I received from the youngdy of the August family, there¡¯s definitely a significant difference in quality¡­ ¡°¡­You will return it, right, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°If you need a new dagger, I¡¯ll buy you one. There¡¯s no cksmith in the ckwood Estate, but there are many skilled craftsmen in the nearby territories.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± I wonder if those craftsmen are skilled enough to make a dagger like the one that Seraphine personallymissioned for Luke. I didn¡¯t tell Ethan that such a thought had inadvertently entered my mind. Late at night, when everyone was asleep¡­ As the time on the hourss passed number 1, the only sources of light remaining were the campfire in the center of the campsite and the moonlight in the night sky. Even though it was stillte summer, it got a bit chilly at night, and I was warming myself by the quietly burning campfire. ¡®I¡¯m bored.¡¯ Well, I had expected this to some extent, but standing night watch alone was quite a tedious task. I was reading a book I bought from the Ind of Knowledge by the campfire light, but reading a book in a dimly lit ce with irregr light tends to break concentration. After trying to focus on reading, I eventually gave up and quietly closed the book in my hand. Now that I¡¯ve learned Mana Chain and advanced from the first tier to the second for the Auxiliary Magic ability tree, it might not be bad to boldly learn a spell like Unquenchable Light. ¡­But I couldn¡¯t afford to waste skill points just for reading when I still hadn¡¯t even surpassed Level 10. Although I gained about 1,000 XP from defeating Luke in the evaluation match, I still needed a bit more experience to reach Level 11. It would be frustrating to waste points carelessly and then not be able to use them when I really need them. As I was thinking about this and poking at the burning campfire with a stick a few times¡­ ¡­Suddenly, I felt an unexpected presence behind me. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I knew; it was just wishful thinking. I thought it would be better if it were you, young master, rather than a thief or monster.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, did I startle you?¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°I wasn¡¯t startled, but please be careful next time. If I had mistaken you for a thief, young master, I might have attacked without thinking.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡± ¡°No. Strictly speaking, my mistake was worse since I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± I had clearly checked that he was in the tent about 10 minutes ago, so when did he sneak up behind me? It seems he came out of the tent while I was momentarily focused on trying to read somehow. Seeing that I couldn¡¯t even notice the tent right in front of me opening, reading during my shift was something I clearly shouldn¡¯t be doing. ¡°Why are you up already? You still have an hour left before your shift, young master.¡± ¡°¡­Just¡­ couldn¡¯t sleep much, you know?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, Young Master Ethan, you couldn¡¯t fall into a deep sleep for the first few days at the academy dormitory either. I guess you¡¯re the type who can¡¯t handle unfamiliar sleeping arrangements.¡± ¡°No, Lilith, that was because you¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± What did I do? What does his insomnia have to do with me? These days, there have been many cases where things I didn¡¯t do turn into misunderstandings and strange rumors spread, and I didn¡¯t want to hear unfounded usations from Ethan, too. Moreover, as someone who was literally giving my body to assist Ethan, I felt wronged in many ways. ¡°Are you using me knowing that I¡¯m epting your raging sexual desire about once every two weeks?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ That, that¡¯s really¡­ um, pleasurable- ah, no, I mean, I¡¯m grateful for it, but¡­¡± ¡°I even let you touch me without any conditions just four days ago. I went along with your excuse that you were worried about your duel with Miss Natalie in the evaluation match.¡± ¡°That, that was actually because you seemed a bit upset after your duel with Luke¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing! ¡­Th-thank you for letting me touch you, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°As long as you understand, that¡¯s fine.¡± Well, I reluctantly allowed it because I didn¡¯t want to see Ethan lose to Natalie either. No matter how much Natalie was my favorite character in my past life, she and I were only Academy Freshman 1 and Academy Freshman 2, who had nothing to do with each other. On the other hand, Ethan and I had grown up together since he was young, so we had a rtionship with both good and bad feelings mixed in. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It wasn¡¯t particrly strange for me to support Ethan instead of Natalie now. ¡°¡­Um, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Can I ask you one question?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It might be a bit sensitive for you to answer right away, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why is Ethan suddenly creating a strange atmosphere again? In an atmosphere that seemed like it would be a heroine¡¯s confession event if this were a game, Ethan carefully asked me a question. While I was momentarily flustered, not knowing how to respond to his reaction, only the crackling sound of the campfire tickled my ears. ¡°What is it you wanted to ask, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, do you perhaps still have negative feelings towards me?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Well, Lilith, I don¡¯t remember leaving a good impression on you when I was young. I kept calling you when you were busy working, ying weird pranks, and doing things you hated most, like sexual harassment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was wondering if you might still be angry at me because of what I did back then.¡± ¡­And here I thought he was going to say something after setting up the mood. I didn¡¯t expect him to ask if I was still angry about something that happened years ago. Needless to say, I had long forgotten about the things that happened back then. If anything, it was only when Ethan just mentioned it that I remembered, ¡®Oh, that happened.¡¯ In fact, what made me angry back then wasn¡¯t particrly the sexual harassment. I just hated how he kept interfering with everything I did and being a nuisance. I was already in an irritated state, and he did things like kancho*1, and then provoked me when I couldn¡¯t even get up due to the pain, so everything I had been holding back just exploded. It¡¯s been several years since then, and even I could see that Ethan had reflected and grown since then, so if I still held a grudge from that time, it would be simr to me having a mental illness. I just replied to his query by saying there was no need to worry about something from ages ago. ¡°No, I¡¯m not particrly holding onto those past events in my heart anymore.¡± ¡°R-Really?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been several years already, hasn¡¯t it? At the time, I certainly got angry at you often, Young Master Ethan, but not anymore.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­ That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± Why is he so concerned about my feelings when he¡¯s my master and I¡¯m his exclusive maid? What would he do if I was still bothered by what happened back then? Pouring out my personal grudges in front of the son of a ducal family was enough with that one time back then. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] With those thoughts, I turned my gaze back to the burning campfire and threw another piece of firewood in it when Ethan, sitting next to the campfire, called my name once again and carefully spoke. ¡°¡­Um, Lilith. I have something to say.¡± ¡°If you have something to say, please go ahead.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like you to listen a bit seriously, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡­Wait, what? Is this really a confession? No, that can¡¯t be, right? Why would Ethan suddenly confess to me? For some reason, the atmosphere seemed like it might be just that, so my heart started to race with a bit of confusion. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Not knowing whether he understood my feelings or not, Ethan took both my hands as if he was really going to confess and began to speak seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t like beating around the bush, so I¡¯ll say it directly.¡± ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan? Please calm down for a moment and organize your thoughts again¡­¡± ¡°Lilith. After we graduate from the academy, will you be my¡­¡± Jingle jingle jingle. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Just as a serious conversation that seemed like it would be a turning point was about to take ce, the sound of bells suddenly rang in our ears. At this time of night, there could only be one or two reasons for the sound of bells. In the silence filled with a strange tension, one emotion naturally arose in my mind. ¡®Shit, there goes all my sleep for tonight.¡¯ I knew something was off from the moment we¡¯d been jinxed. Chapter 135 Jingle jingle jingle. An ominous sound forcibly interrupted our peaceful conversation in front of the campfire. Like me, Ethan¡¯s expression instantly hardened as he heard the security device activate. In that state, he briefly made eye contact with me, and we exchanged opinions in quiet voices. ¡°Lilith, that sound just now¡­.¡± ¡°¡­One moment, Young Master Ethan. There¡¯s one more thing I need to confirm.¡± Nod. Ethan quietly nodded as I covered my mouth with my finger and whispered instructions to him. Thinking that the bell might ring once more, I listened for a few seconds, but after the first ring, the sound of the bell tied to the security device didn¡¯te again.@@novelbin@@ The good news is that the opponent isn¡¯t a group of monsters. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­The bad news is that the possibility of the trespasser not being a monster has increased. If it were monsters, they should have rushed in by now after sensing our presence, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything in the darkness that sounded like monster cries or footsteps. It seemed we were destined to give up on sleeping peacefully. Squish¡­ Squish¡­ It was the sound of slow footsteps that clearly showed an intention to lower their sound. As my suspicion increased, I quietly whispered to Ethan. ¡°It¡¯s people, and there seem to be about five or six of them.¡± ¡°Thieves?¡± ¡°Maybe not, but I think it¡¯s better not to let them approach. We have Isabel with us, after all.¡± ¡°¡­Right. We have Isabel with us.¡± Although it was dark, the flickering light of the campfire and the faint moonlight were enough to guess their positions. When they approached about ten meters from the campsite, Ethan drew the sword at his waist, thrust it into the darkness, and warned: ¡°That¡¯s far enough. Don¡¯te any closer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve lost your way, I¡¯ll let you go, so return the way you came. This is our campsite, and we can¡¯t let youe any closer.¡± A slight murmur could be heard from the darkness. It seemed the unidentified individuals were discussing among themselves. I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, but I could sense that they were trying to match their stories. ¡°Oh my~, sir. That¡¯s so frightening, couldn¡¯t you put that sword away?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your ¡®sir,¡¯ and we intend to use this ce until tomorrow morning, so disappear and go elsewhere.¡± ¡°You see~, we identally took a wrong turn while hiking during the day~. We somehow managed toe down the mountain only by thiste hour, but it¡¯s so dark we can¡¯t tell where we are~.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a sad story, but it has nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°Oh, sir~. Can¡¯t you be a bit more understanding and help us out~? We¡¯ll leave as soon as the sun rises tomorrow morning~.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± From the group of five or six, a man with a somewhat friendly appearance came forward to persuade Ethan. The rest of them remained in the darkness without revealing themselves, and by this point, we had a pretty good idea of who these guys were. Ethan carefully nced in my direction as if seeking my opinion. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shake shake. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nod. After our eyes met briefly, we confirmed each other¡¯s intentions through some quick gestures and bodynguage. Ethan, still pointing his sword at them, repeated what he had just said. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. If you take one more step forward, I won¡¯t hesitate to use force.¡± ¡°Oh my~. Why are you being so harsh, sir~? How do you expect us to navigate through this pitch-dark night~?¡± ¡°You can go back the same way you came. If necessary, I¡¯ll give you a torch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The expression of the man in the lead hardened, and my and Ethan¡¯s wariness intensified. As soon as it seemed like the negotiation, or rather the scheme, was stalling, the rest of the group began to reveal themselves from the darkness one by one. ¡°What¡¯s taking so long? How long are you going to make us wait?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you could borrow their campfire? Why are you still talking?¡± Including the man in the lead, there were six sturdy men visible. Except for the friendly-looking man who had first shown his face, the rest all had swords that looked like arming swords*1or broadswords hanging at their waists. Judging from the scars and signs of sword wounds on their bodies, their appearances couldn¡¯t be described as pleasant. That was the moment when even the 1% possibility of them being ¡®lost travelers¡¯pletely disappeared. ¡®Shit. I had a feeling this would be the case.¡¯ Setting aside the fact that we wouldn¡¯t be getting any sleep, we first had to assess whether Ethan and I could handle them with our current strength. First off, I can¡¯t use my Magic Arrows. With their already terrible uracy, it would be impossible to hit anything in this darkness. Mana st takes too long to cast, and above all, since I used it recently, using it again would put too much strain on my body. Since it¡¯s arge-scale AoE spell, there was also a chance I could hurt Ethan if I messed up. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] It¡¯s impossible to use Blurred Light when it¡¯s dark, which meant I¡¯d have to engage in closebat using a dagger. Naturally, I wasn¡¯t keen on the idea. As I was assessing what I could do, setting aside Ethan¡¯s actualbat ability for now, one of the thieves who had btedly shown his face shouted at Ethan. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be like that; let¡¯s share the campfire! Are you going to take responsibility if we freeze to death in this darkness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why I should be responsible for that. If you feel wronged, goin to the sun after you freeze to death.¡± ¡°Oh,e on! The tent looks quite spacious, surely it can fit the six of us! Besides, you have two of them!¡± ¡°With two tents, there¡¯d be room even if ten people slept in them! Right?¡± The group of thieves approached us one or two steps at a time while having this brazen conversation. Facing them, Ethan drew his second sword,pleting his preparation for a real fight. Shing. ¡°I told you not toe any closer.¡± ¡°Oh my~. How scary. The young master has drawn not one, but TWO swords~!¡± ¡°But what can you do? There are only two of you, and we have quite a few more.¡± ¡°Two? Oh, is that girl going to fight too? What can such a skinny girl do?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, idiot? Of course, he means that woman and the maid inside the tent. I saw her earlier, so I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡­¡­What? What the hell are these bastards babbling about? ¡°Ah~. Well, it would be a bit difficult for two girls to handle all of us!¡± ¡°I found this ce, so that ck-haired girl is mine. If you want to use her, it¡¯ll be after I¡¯m do¡­ne¡­¡± The words of the thief, who had been fixing his gaze on me with a brazen expression, didn¡¯t quite make it to the end. The sword energy wielded by Ethan¡¯s right hand had already urately dropped the bastard¡¯s head from above his neck. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Wh-What?!¡± When the confused group of thieves regained their senses, not knowing what had happened, Ethan was already in the center of them, swinging his dual swords with a fierce look in his eyes. Including the one whose head had fallen off first, the heads of three of them fell to the ground in quick session. ¡°Hey, hey! Kill that bastard!¡± ¡°Fuck! Who¡¯s the bastard who said we should rob this ce!¡± ¡°He just died, you idiot!¡± Of the remaining three who btedly came to their senses, two began to resist by swinging their arming swords at Ethan. Thest one, who looked the weakest, immediately started running towards me. ¡°You son of a bitch, put down that sword! I don¡¯t want to see this bitch di¡­¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking shit, you fucking bastard.¡± ng! ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± The guy looked confused for a moment as his arming sword, swung with all his might, was deflected by my dagger. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to stab my dagger into the neck of such a guy full of openings. sh! ¡°Uck, ughhhhh¡­¡± My dagger, which had prated the center of his windpipe, cut through his cervical spine, turning the bastard¡¯s head into something like those nearly-decapitated ghosts or zombies you might see in fictional movies. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Ah, shit. Now that I look at it, this is Luke¡¯s dagger. I had just grabbed whatever was at hand in the urgency, but no wonder it cut so well. As that useless thought shed through my mind, miserable groans from two more people could be heard from Ethan¡¯s direction. Naturally, Ethan¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t among those painful cries. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°Y-You crazy¡­ There were¡­ six of us¡­¡± Thest one copsed, uttering some moronicst words. What does it matter if there were six of them? When trash who attack camping carriages gather, whether it¡¯s six or ten or twenty, they all end up dead. In fact, even without me, Ethan could have easily sliced through about ten of them on his own. In a situation like just now, I might have even been a hindrance. I could probably handle one or two thieves easily enough, but if three or four rushed at me, it would be difficult to deal with them easily with this body. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Ethan¡¯s judgment to quickly assess the situation and swing his sword first was correct in many ways. ¡­Although it looked a bit reckless for a moment. ¡°Lilith, are you okay?!¡± ¡°Yes, as you can see, I¡¯m fine, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?! Did that piece of shit injure you¡­?!¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern, but could you lower your voice a bit?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± Ethan nodded quietly and lowered his voice as I pointed toward the tent where Isabel was sleeping. Just in case, I put my ear to the side of the tent to listen for any signs that she was awake, but all I could hear was Isabel¡¯s characteristic shallow breathing when she slept. ¡°Fortunately, it seems she didn¡¯t wake up despite all thismotion.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant sight for Isabel to see when she wakes up in the morning, so I think it would be best to bury them a bit far away for now.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take care of that, so Lilith, could you set up the security devices again, for now?¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Young Master Ethan.¡± Well, I had a feeling that if I had offered to help carry and move the bodies here, Ethan would have refused with a serious face. I set up the security devices again that the thieves had damaged while breaking in and roughly covered the bloodstains on the ground with dirt. I had to use Clean to remove bloodstains on objects or rocks. Of course, it took quite a bit of time to create a burial site for six buff men. When we finally finished everything and entered the tent at almost three in the morning, what we saw was the sight of Isabel sleeping soundly, oblivious to everything. ¡®It¡¯s fortunate she slept through it all, unaware of what had happened.¡¯ It was enough that Isabel was safe and sound. I had a momentary feeling that I had forgotten something, but with my head full of fatigue after finishing the night watch and dealing with the attack, it was quite difficult to recall. In the midst of the sudden exhaustion, my body copsed right into the sleeping bag. ¡­Well, if it was really important, I¡¯ll probably remember it by tomorrow morning. Chapter 136 ¡ºLilith has reached Level 11!¡» It¡¯s the morning after Ethan and I encountered thieves while standing night watch during our camping, and cooperated to dispose of them. Fortunately, the sudden attack at midnight ended with just that one incident, and I didn¡¯t have to wake up again to kill more thieves and bury some bodies. ¡­Even for someone like me, it¡¯s not possible to bepletely unaffected by killing people, so my sleep was a bit restless. But fatigue outweighed that, so I did manage to get some sleep in the end. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] If I¡¯d just killed monsters, I wouldn¡¯t have minded much. However, this was the first time I had directly killed living humans. Even though these guys were no different from monsters wearing human skin, they were still people, after all. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t only bad news, but good news as well. The fight with these thieves filled up the tiny bit of XP I was missing, resulting in my leveling up. I was too tired to checkst night, but when I woke up in the morning and checked my status window, I saw that I had reached level 11, and I could easily confirm that various other stats had grown a bit as well. ¡ºName: Lilith Rosewood Title: Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s Exclusive Maid Current Level: 10 ¡ú 11 Attack: 28 ¡ú 31 Defense: 41 ¡ú 45 Intelligence: 31 ¡ú 34 Charm: 89 ¡ú 98 Luck: 9 ¡ú 10 Current HP: 113 / 113 ¡ú 124 / 124 Current Mana: 2033 / 2033 ¡ú 2236 / 2236¡» I had already gained about 1,000 XP from the evaluation match with Luke, so I was already very close to the next level up. The fight with the group of thievesst night was enough to push me to the next level. Thanks to those thieves, I could finally say goodbye to single-digit luck forever. Of course, it still couldn¡¯t be called a high number. Also, for some reason I¡¯m not sure of, my title had changed from ¡®Brave Exclusive Maid¡¯ to ¡®Ethan Richard ckwood¡¯s Exclusive Maid¡¯. ¡­Well, this is probably just a temporary thing. It didn¡¯t particrly bother me since it¡¯s true that I¡¯m currently Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Once I graduate from the academy and be independent, that title with ¡®exclusive maid¡¯ attached will probably change to something else. Meanwhile, as for the current state of Ethan, who had fought the thieves with mest night and took charge of disposing of the bodies¡­ ¡°Young master, aren¡¯t you tired? It seems you haven¡¯t slept at all since you took over from me.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. I slept well before the shift change, so I¡¯m not that tired.¡± ¡°I seeeee~¡­ If you say so¡­¡± He was sitting around the campfire with slightly darker circles under his eyes and a tired look. It¡¯s understandable that he¡¯d be tired. Even for Ethan, this wasn¡¯t an incident he could just brush off easily. This was probably Ethan¡¯s first time killing too, and judging by his appearance, it seemed he had continued to keep watch even during Isabel¡¯s shift without sleeping. Given what had happened, he probably felt a bit uneasy about leaving Isabel alone on watch, even though it was morning. It was a rational decision when you think about it. I probably would have had simr thoughts if I had been on watch during Ethan¡¯s shift. We needed to return to the mansion as soon as possible to let Ethan rest. ¡°Let¡¯s just satisfy our hunger quickly and depart, Young Master Ethan. I think it would be better to have a proper meal and rest at the ckwood Mansion.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± After finishing a simple but warm meal of a sandwich made with toasted bread and a slice of salt-cured ham, along with a cup of warm milk, we felt somewhat energized. The final leg of our journey home, which felt much longer than usual, waspleted with me driving the carriage. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡­Camping on the roadside really isn¡¯t easy. ¡°Wee back, Young Master Ethan. And Lilith and Isabel as well.¡± Thanks to Dittmeyer, who came out to greet Ethan as soon as we returned to the mansion, we were able to start unpacking without much trouble. The amount of luggage was a bit too much for just Isabel and me to move, but the head butler had prepared manpower in advance to move it, so Isabel and I were able to reduce our workload by more than half just by handing over the luggage from the carriage to the servants one by one. Most of the mansion¡¯s servants were simr to before we left, so it felt likeing home after a long time, but seeing a few new faces among them made me realize that four months had indeed passed. While Isabel and I continued unpacking with the other servants, Dittmeyer greeted Ethan. ¡°How have you been, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve been well. Has anything happened at the mansion?¡± ¡°Nothing particrly problematic. There are quite a few documents that need to be signed when the master returns, though.¡± ¡°Set aside any documents that I can sign on his behalf. I¡¯ll take a look at it briefly before Father returns.¡± ¡°Understood, young master.¡± It seemed that even in small details, like his way of speaking, he was graduallying to resemble Harold. Dittmeyer then asked Ethan another question about the journey. ¡°Did you encounter any trouble on your way back?¡± ¡°Trouble¡­ not particrly.¡± There was trouble, actually. The thieves attacking while we were camping overnight during our break certainly qualified as ¡®trouble¡¯ in Dittmeyer¡¯s book. Even though we had dealt with them smoothly without any harm and cleaned up without a trace, the fact remained that we had experienced some threat to our safety. However, Ethan seemed to want to keep quiet about that part and didn¡¯t mention it, and I also only exined to Dittmeyer about our overnight camping, excluding the part about the group of thieves. ¡°Due to my inexperienced carriage driving, I¡¯m afraid I caused Young Master Ethan to spend an ufortable night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, Lilith.¡± ¡°As the young master says, that much is fine, Miss Lilith. It must have been your first proper carriage drive, and just driving the carriage from the Ind of Knowledge to here is already an impressive feat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to what I learned from you, head butler.¡± ¡°Miss Lilith, you must be tired from driving too, so it would be good to rest soon today. Your arrival is also a call for celebration, so you can use therge bath with Miss Isabelter. Of course, that would be after the Young Master has relieved his fatigue first.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, head butler.¡± ¡­Is this really Dittmeyer? Was he always this kind? Until just before I entered the academy, he seemed like an annoying person who would subtly irritate me whenever we met, but meeting him after a long time and suddenly receiving warm greetings and words of understanding about my hardships made me feel strangely at ease. Maybe because of all the annoying people I met at the academy, my brain has adjusted to think that someone like Dittmeyer is quite decent inparison. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] A lot has happened, indeed. There were tiring things, but also a lot gained in return. ¡°When Master Harold was active on the battlefield, he once camped out for weeks in the cold Silverwood, so you, young master, should be old enough to endure a day or two of camping.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­And unless you encountered a group of thieves or something, it can¡¯t really be called trouble. Hahaha.¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right¡­¡± He seemed to be making what he thought was a joke, but for Ethan and me, who had actually encountered a group of thieves, it was awkwardly difficult to respond. Meanwhile, Isabel, who didn¡¯t even know that thieves had attacked us, wasughing along, and what broke this awkward atmosphere was the sudden appearance of a skinny maid with pink hair. ¡°Miss Lilith! Isabel!¡± ¡°Senior Catherine!¡± Isabel and Catherine, who hugged each other tightly as soon as they met, presented a pleasant sight of two pretty and cute girls embracing, which would still be nice to see even if their genders were reversed.@@novelbin@@ ¡­Though I felt a bit shy about joining in, so I moved my steps a little slower. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Did you enjoy the academy, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, it was enjoyable. Many things happened, too. Your expression seems to have improved quite a bit as well, Senior Catherine.¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t keep relying only on Miss Lilith and Isabel forever.¡± Compared to when we had that tearful farewell just a few months ago, Catherine¡¯s appearance had noticeably changed. It was hard to believe she was the same person who used to tremble in fear when I raised my voice a little in the preparation room in the kitchen at dawn. In fact, I was quite worried about her before leaving, but I felt relieved to see that she seemed to have grown unexpectedly well. ¡°Shall we gather in your roomter and chat together, Catherine? I have some snacks and tea I bought as gifts anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all for it, Miss Lilith!¡± ¡°I told you, you can just casually call me Lilith.¡± ¡­It seems the ¡®Miss¡¯ title is still valid even though her personality has changed. But, well, she definitely seemed better than her past self, who was only timid. I¡¯m not sure yet what exactly changed her mindset. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Although many things had changed in the ckwood Mansion, there was one thing I could feel for certain as soon as we arrived. At least, for me now, there was no ce morefortable than home sweet home. Chapter 137 About a week had passed since I returned to the ckwood Estate with Ethan. The days during this week were so rxed that they could almost be considered a vacation. First of all, my duties as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid at the mansion weren¡¯t any more than what I did at the academy, and in fact, I was more ustomed to these duties as I had been doing them longer than those at the academy. Of course, following Ethan around all day and assisting him meant I had almost no personal time. ¡°Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. If you need my help with anything, please let me know anytime.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t call you for that reason. I was just wondering if you aren¡¯t bored just standing there.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been by my side for days since we returned to the mansion. I¡¯ve been staying in my father¡¯s office all daytely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It would obviously be a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t bored at all. Ethan has been spending eight hours a day handling Harold¡¯s work, and although we¡¯re in the same space, we only talk once or twice an hour. In that sense, Ethan¡¯s question about whether I was bored wasn¡¯t iprehensible, but it wasn¡¯t like I was so bored that I couldn¡¯t stand it. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I could pass the time by reading books on magic from the ckwood Mansion¡¯s storage or doing some knitting as a pastime. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Young Master Ethan. Where else would I, your exclusive maid, go if not by your side?¡± ¡°You could take a break alone or go out on a holiday with Isabel or Catherine. You¡¯re not a debt maid anymore, so you¡¯re free toe and go from the mansion.¡± ¡°I can rest sufficiently here, and I spend enough time socializing with Isabel and Catherine outside of work hours, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m d¡­¡± As he said this, Ethan looked at me with a somewhat concerned expression. Seeing that strange gaze, I suddenly wondered if I had been misunderstanding something all this time. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s been ufortable with me being in the same space as him all this time.¡¯ Indeed, given that Ethan has been bing more like Haroldtely, it was quite possible. Harold was famously known for not having an exclusive maid because he found it annoying to have someone around, so it¡¯s possible that his son Ethan inherited that trait. I¡¯ve been needlessly irritating him for days without realizing it. ¡°I apologize, Young Master Ethan. I¡¯ve been failing to grasp the true meaning behind your words until now.¡± ¡°Huh? True meaning¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the type who finds it distracting to have someone else around while working, Young Master Ethan. I¡¯ll withdraw so as not to bother you anymore. Please call me back anytime if you need me.¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not it! It¡¯s not like I find your presence particrly bothersome!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be considerate, Young Master Ethan. I¡¯ll withdraw for a while so as not to disturb you. Please call me back when you need me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan, who had just indirectly expressed that he was ufortable with me in the same space, now looked flustered as I offered to withdraw. Thinking he might have something more to say, I waited for a moment, and he suddenly drained his teacup in one go and held it out to me. ¡°Lilith, I¡¯ve finished my tea, could you go to the dining room and bring me some more?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Oh, and on your way, could you deliver these letters to Dittmeyer? There¡¯s no one else I can ask but you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really reassuring to have you always by my side, Lilith. If I were alone, I¡¯d have been tired going back and forth outside the office.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stating the obvious.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I think it¡¯s better if you just stay by my side. I¡¯d like you to wait in the office even after youe back from the errand. ¡­Like you¡¯ve been doing until now.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, Young Master Ethan. If you absolutely need my help, I suppose I have no choice.¡± ¡°Yes. I absolutely need your help, so please keep waiting in the office. I¡¯m asking you.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll do so, Young Master Ethan.¡± Honestly, if he was going to say he needed me in the end, why did he pretend I was bothering him? Thinking that he was quite dishonest in many ways, I left Ethan¡¯s office with a teacup in one hand and letters in the other. As expected, he can¡¯t do without me. Harold returned to the ckwood Mansion that very evening. It seemed he had returned as soon as he finished his backlog of work at the academy, riding in on horseback proudly to the ckwood mansion. Unlike Ethan, being a character capable of personal horse riding, he didn¡¯t bother to use a carriage. Well, while it would take nearly a full day by carriage from the Ind of Knowledge, riding one¡¯s own horse could reduce the travel time by 60-70%. Harold, who arrived at the ckwood mansion after half a day¡¯s ride from Luminor Academy, returned justst night. Naturally, the workaholic Harold immediately upied his office desk upon return, bringing Ethan¡¯s temporary role as acting head of the household to an end after a week. ¡­As a result, I, who had been spending time in the office with Ethan, was left with nothing to do and was now waiting in my personal room. ¡®I really have nothing to do now.¡¯ In fact, if I wanted to, I could ask Ethan for permission to go out and hunt monsters in the back mountains, which would help me grow a little. At least that would be more visibly beneficial growth than reading books in my personal room like this. ¡­But I didn¡¯t want to obsess over growth to the point of neglecting my main job. First of all, now that my level is somewhat on track, the monsters in the back mountains of the ckwood mansion would only give me a tiny amount of XP. Having just leveled up recently, I was destined to umte over 1,000 XP again for the next level. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I had concluded that to level up from the monsters that spawn in the back mountains, I would have to hunt almost every day for two weeks straight. Rather than abandoning my exclusive maid duties to do such a thing, it was better to just stay by Ethan¡¯s side. After all, passing time like this and reading magic books from the ckwood Mansion¡¯s storage was helpful in its own way. It wasn¡¯t just the numerically visible growth that was meaningful information for living in this world. ¡®It¡¯s nice to have some leisure time after a long while.¡¯ I had a sense of mental rxation I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, having escaped from the Luminor Academy life where I was pressed bypetition and assignments every day. After all, the ckwood Estate itself was a peaceful setting with almost no connection to the main story, except for the ¡®Ethan Subjugation Battle.¡¯ By now, that Gyeongmwajogyegigwat guy is probably participating in the main story along with Seriste and Selena. Luminor Academy had many events during the summer and winter vacations where you could progress the story while getting involved with various heroines. As I was enjoying this peace of mind,pletely unrted to the troublesome events of the main story, I heard a knock at the door with a rhythm I could now recognize just by the sound. Knock, knock. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°I have something to talk about. Is now a good time, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master. I¡¯m always on standby.¡± ¡°Thene to my room for a moment to talk. I¡¯ll be waiting inside.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± It¡¯s not mealtime yet, I wonder if he¡¯s nning to go out for something. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°I¡¯ming in, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes,e in.¡± Creeak. With the sound of the door opening, I stepped into Ethan¡¯s personal room.@@novelbin@@ As I visited every morning and evening to prepare his bed, it was a familiar sight in a way, almost as much as my own personal room. Naturally, my eyes fell on Ethan, who was sitting at the table waiting for me as if he had been expecting my arrival. ¡°What did you call me for?¡± ¡°First, could youe over here and sit down for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± What¡¯s this about? I remember that most of the conversations where Ethan sat me down at the table were about fairly important matters. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] For a moment, I wondered if he was going to take me to some noble socialization event again, likest time. ¡°Lilith, do you have any ns for tomorrow or the day after?¡± ¡°No, as your exclusive maid, I basically keep my schedule clear.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Do you have ns to go out of the estate?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Now that Father has returned, I no longer have to handle the official duties, and I think this is the best time since you¡¯re free, too, Lilith. I could go alone, but it would be much better if you came along.¡± ¡­I had just thought about it in my head, but it seemed he really was nning to disguise me as his fianc¨¦e and take me to another nobles¡¯ gathering. By the way, I¡¯ve already given up on correcting the rumors circting here and there about me being Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. That issue hadpletely left my hands already. Due to Luminor Academy¡¯s unique closed amplificationwork, it was already a rumor that wouldn¡¯t die down even if I denied it. If Ethan, who is both a party to the same rumor and the son of a duke¡¯s family, directly intervened, he could certainly prevent it from spreading openly, but Ethan didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of denying the gossip between us. He¡¯s probably not denying it because it¡¯s a politically useful situation. If rumors spread that the son of a duke¡¯s family in hising-of-age period doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e, it would always cause troublesome issues in future negotiations between nobles. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Not only would he have to deal with nobles who use the position of his fianc¨¦e as a negotiation card in almost every exchange, but it would also be easy for rtionships to sour if he refused engagement proposals from nobles he was friendly with. Also, he would always have to ept rtionships with heirs requesting new exchanges with double and triple suspicion. In that sense, the current situation where I act as a fake fianc¨¦e and serve as a breakwater was the time when Ethan could move most freely. Therefore, it was quite understandable for him to take me to another noble socialization event. His purpose would be to confirm that it¡¯s not just a baseless rumor circting within the academy by taking me to the noble exchange venue once again. ¡­Well, if Ethan wants it, I guess I have no choice. I didn¡¯t particrly want to go somewhere and act as his fianc¨¦e, but it was politically important for Ethan. Above all, as someone who had no intention of marrying a man in the future, I didn¡¯t care whether I wasbeled as Ethan¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e or not. So, I had no choice but to willingly agree to Ethan¡¯s request as his exclusive maid. ¡°Where are you nning to go, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going too far. We¡¯re going to Grainstone Vige.¡± ¡°Grainstone Vige?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a nearby vige, so we¡¯re leaving tomorrow. Do you know where it is?¡± ¡°Yes, I know where it is, but¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Can they hold noble socialization events in such a small vige?¡± ¡°¡­Noble¡­ socialization events?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a cksmith shop in Grainstone Vige run by a half-dwarf, so I¡¯m going there to have a new dagger made for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡± Oh! Oh, oh no, oh nooo! Chapter 138 Right after I made a brazen misunderstanding and mentioned noble socialization events when Ethan had simply made a kind offer to have a new dagger made for me¡­ As I covered my face in shame and buried my head on the table, Ethan carefully spoke to me as if tofort me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. I should have exined properly from the beginning.¡± ¡°¡­No. I made a foolish assumption, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not foolish or anything like that. I¡¯m always grateful that you don¡¯t deny being mistaken for my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, young master. I¡¯ll ask you this: could you please forget the conversation we just had? I¡­ I¡¯m too embarrassed to face you like this¡­¡± ¡°¡­What conversation? Weren¡¯t we in the middle of talking about going to Grainstone?¡± ¡­As expected of the young master of the ckwoods, he¡¯s really good at reading the atmosphere. Thanks to Ethan pretending to have forgotten my words with a nonchnt attitude, I was somehow able to calm my flushed face. Although there was still some heat left on my face, I had to continue the conversation somehow, so I answered with a brazen attitude. ¡°Grainstone Vige is the small vige where the half-dwarf cksmith runs a forge, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°What¡¯s the reason for visiting such a small vige? Are you thinking of getting a new sword made, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­No, not that. I want to have a new dagger made for you, Lilith.¡± ¡°You mean a dagger for me? I really didn¡¯t expect that, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan was biting his lower lip hard as if trying to hold something back, somehow restraining his emotions. Well, with this, the brazen timeline where I was going to participate in a noble socialization event with Ethan has somehow disappeared. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] This time, I asked the first question that came to mind about Ethan¡¯s offer to have a new dagger made for me. ¡°By the way, is it necessary to go all the way to Grainstone to have a new dagger made?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind if I can get a good dagger, but I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s not too troublesome for you to take me along, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°What are you saying? It¡¯s not troublesome to go get a dagger made for you, Lilith.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± He says it¡¯s not troublesome to have a dagger made for his exclusive maid, and he¡¯s not even concerned about his own sword. I was momentarily confused about what he meant, but I soon understood the hidden intention behind Ethan¡¯s words. ¡®He must be thinking about the Harvest Festival in the second semester.¡¯ Just as the evaluation battles forbat department students mark the end of the first semester at Luminor Academy, the event marking the end of the second semester was the Harvest Festival, in which all students participated. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] One of the thingsbat department students do at the Harvest Festival is to hunt in the forest hunting grounds near the academy, and this is the only time of the year when it¡¯s possible to form parties, regardless of year level or department, to participate in the test. If Ethan is thinking of including me in his party there, it¡¯s not particrly troublesome to strengthen mybat ability. Thinking this was a perfectly understandable reason, I nodded to show that I understood. ¡°I understand, Young Master Ethan. I think I can see why you say it¡¯s not troublesome to have a dagger made for me.¡± ¡°¡­Can you tell me why you think so? I¡¯m not doubting you, but I¡¯m worried you might be making another strange misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because, as your exclusive maid, an increase in mybat ability is equivalent to an increase in your ownbat ability, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Did I get it wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ I was just surprised that, for once, you understood correctly without any strange misunderstandings, Lilith¡­¡± ¡­It seems like Ethan just momentarily gave me a somewhat harsh evaluation. I just brushed it off as my imagination. ¡°Anyway, if we¡¯re going, let¡¯s leave tomorrow morning. I¡¯d like to leave right now, but that seems a bit difficult.¡± ¡°Pardon? Isn¡¯t Grainstone Vige not too far from the ckwood territory? If we leave now, I think it wouldn¡¯t even take half a day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but we can¡¯t just ask the coachman to leave right away. We should have the carriage checked before departing.¡± ¡°Is there any need to take a carriage for a trip to just Grainstone?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ethan, who was saying something strange, tilted his head and asked me. I immediately made a gesture of holding reins with both hands and waved my fists in front of Ethan. ¡°If it¡¯s just a journey for the two of us, Young Master Ethan, we don¡¯t need to rely on a carriage. One horse should be enough.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°If we leave now, we can arrive before evening, Young Master Ethan.¡± That was the moment when the members of the expedition to Grainstone were decided. In front of the stable, which I came to with Ethan after the Grainstone expedition was decided¡­ Stroking the mane of a majestic white horse that I hadn¡¯t seen in quite a while, I called out the name of the horse I had almost forgotten. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Zeraon.¡± ¡°Neigh!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten me while I was away at the academy, have you? I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re healthy.¡± ¡°Neigh, neigh!¡± Zeraon, the white horse of the ckwood family, helped me in many ways during Dittmeyer¡¯s horseback riding lessons. Fortunately, it seemed that Zeraon hadn¡¯t forgotten the memories of the three months we spent together, as he happily responded upon seeing my face. ¡°¡­Lilith, this here says its name is Lucina? And Zeraon is a bit odd for a female¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go outside for now, Zeraon.¡± ¡°Neigh!!¡± Ignoring Ethan¡¯s unnecessary nitpicking, I grabbed Zeraon¡¯s reins and headed outside the stable. My heart started to flutter strangely at the thought of riding on this old friend¡¯s back after such a long time. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] I guess I had developed quite an attachment since I started my first horseback riding lesson with this friend, and above all, there were many differences between driving a carriage and riding a horse directly. Personally, I found riding on horseback much more enjoyable than driving a carriage. Although it¡¯s a bit bumpier than a carriage, you tend to feel that less when you¡¯re riding on the horse directly, and you can enjoy the main aspect of horseback riding ¨C the feeling of speed ¨C without any interference. ¡°Will you be alright, Lilith?¡± ¡°I mastered horseback riding even before carriage driving, Young Master Ethan. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re worried when you¡¯ve experienced riding in a carriage that I drove myself.¡± ¡°No, I know about your horseback riding skills, so that¡¯s not an issue, but what I¡¯m worried about is something else¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Ethan hesitated, seeming to have difficulty answering directly. Then, out of the blue, he confessed something I already knew and seemed to hesitate about the journey to Grainstone Vige. ¡°I can¡¯t ride horses, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, I know, Young Master Ethan. You spent more time on sword training instead of learning horseback riding.¡± ¡°So, if we go to Grainstone on horseback as you suggested, the only way is for you to sit in front holding the reins and for me to sit behind you.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that too.¡± ¡°¡­You knew?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just traveling together on horseback, aren¡¯t we? There¡¯s nothing particrly problematic about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan suddenly went quiet after myst reply. Then, with a slightly stiff expression, he nodded as if he understood. ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t mind, Lilith.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, Lilith. Let¡¯s just go like this, the two of us riding together.¡± ¡°¡­Is there something bothering you, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing like that, so don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s just hurry and depart, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Something about his demeanor seemed clearly displeased. Given the considerable time we¡¯ve spent together, I thought I had been careful not to do things he might dislike in our daily lives. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] But now, Ethan was clearly expressing his emotions as if he wasn¡¯t very happy with me. ¡­I don¡¯t know what it is, but knowing Ethan¡¯s personality, he¡¯ll probably get over it soon. Thinking this, I mounted Zeraon¡¯s back, as Ethan said, despite feeling a bit ufortable about his attitude. As soon as I got on the horse, I felt Ethan climbing up behind me. Thud. ¡°We¡¯ll be departing for Grainstone Vige now, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Please hold onto me tightly so you don¡¯t fall off during the ride.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Squish. ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± I inadvertently let out a slightly embarrassing sound as I felt hands from behind momentarily touch my chest. Wondering what Ethan¡¯s intention was in suddenly grabbing my chest from behind, I turned my head back, and Ethan immediately apologized. ¡°¡­Young Master Eth-¡° ¡°Sorry, Lilith. It was a mistake.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I was trying to hold onto you from behind, and it seems I identally touched you. I¡¯m sorry, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t intentional but a mistake¡­ I guess there¡¯s no need to get angry and interrogate him about it. Well, I was the one who suggested we travel together on one horse in the first ce, so it would be strange toin about this now. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t expect this level of physical contact. ¡­And this might sound a bit odd, but to be honest, my chest has already been touched several times before. It was something I could easily ignore if I chose to. ¡°I understand, Young Master Ethan. Please be more careful next time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Squish. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was trying to adjust my posture a bit.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, Young Master Ethan.¡± The first time, he unconsciously grabbed my chest, and now this¡­ Could he be doing this on purpose¡­? No, that can¡¯t be. What kind of person is Ethan? It can¡¯t be intentional. Pushing away the unpleasant thoughts that had momentarily crossed my mind, I pped Zeraon¡¯s reins that I was holding with both hands. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] The white horse carrying the two of us, myself and Ethan, began galloping towards Grainstone Vige. Chapter 139 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 139 [An Unexpected Outing (3)] Grainstone Vige. We arrived at our destination after two hours of riding north from the ckwood Estate. I turned my head to Ethan, who was sitting behind me, and said: ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ ugh, arrived¡­ Young Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Ethan met my gaze for a moment, then blushed strangely and turned his head away. Considering what had happened on horseback on the way here, his reaction was quite understandable. Throughout the journey from the ckwood Estate to here, Ethan¡¯s hands had repeatedly brushed against or squeezed my chest, making the atmosphere awkward more than once or twice, even while we were galloping. Well, it was unavoidable since I was controlling the horse, and Ethan was clinging to me from behind. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Firstly, riding a horse requires moving your waist in sync with the horse¡¯s movements, and Ethan didn¡¯t seem to be as ustomed to this sensation as I was. In that process, it was inevitable that his whole body would bounce, and his hands would slide above my waist. To begin with, Lilith¡¯s chest tended to shake a bit excessively during intense movements, so in the process, my chest would oftene into contact with Ethan¡¯s hands holding my waist. Moreover, I felt a strange aching sensation around my chest area, probably because it had been shaking quite a bit throughout the ride. ¡®Maybe I should wrap these with a binder or something.¡¯ I didn¡¯t feel this way when I learned horseback riding from Dittmeyerst year because I changed into proper riding attire before mounting the horse. It seemed like a mistake to have rushed to leave while still in my maid outfit. I didn¡¯t know it would hurt this much. ¡®¡­Maybe I should ask Ethan to hold my chest with his hands when we return to ckwood Estate.¡¯ He¡¯s already touched me several times unintentionally during the journey here. If he¡¯s going to touch and make the atmosphere awkward anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to tell Ethan to hold onto my chest from the start? My chest wouldn¡¯t bounce up and down because of the riding, so it would hurt rtively less than now, and Ethan would be able to stabilize his body much better than holding onto my waist¡­ ¡®No, no, no. What kind of crazy thoughts am I having right now?¡¯ I shook my head, quickly shaking off the insane thoughts that had momentarily crossed my mind. No matter how much it hurts from the shaking, how could I possibly suggest to Ethan that he hold onto me the entire time we¡¯re on horseback? For some reason,tely, I felt like my senses were bing loose when it came to Ethan. I need to pull myself together. Even if Ethan had touched my chest more than a dozen times, asking him to touch me first was a whole different matter. I wouldn¡¯t be crazy enough to make such a suggestion first. If I did that, Ethan would really think I was some kind of man-crazed, sexually frustrated person. As I was hugging my aching chest and pondering unnecessarily after dismounting, Ethan carefully approached me, looking at my expression strangely. ¡°¡­Um, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Are you mad, by any chance?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I thought you might be angry because I kept touching your chest during the ride¡­¡± He¡¯s still being considerate about this. As I said when we departed, I had no reason to be angry at Ethan for this level of contact. From the moment I suggested that we ride the horse together, I should have been prepared for my chest to be touched during the ride. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Of course, I hadn¡¯t anticipated being touched this frequently. ¡­I didn¡¯t think I had ridden the horse that roughly, though. ¡°No, as I said when we left the ckwood Mansion, it¡¯s not a problem at all, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. And it¡¯s not like you touched me on purpose, right? It was an unavoidable ident that urred while riding.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­ true¡­¡± ¡°Of course, Young Master Ethan, if by any chance you¡¯d had taken advantage of my defenseless state to satisfy your lustful desires, I would naturally have despised you.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like cowardly people who sexually harass and satisfy their desires as if they¡¯ve found a weakness when a woman can¡¯t move or resist. Of course, Young Master Ethan, I know you aren¡¯t that kind of person, so I naturally believe your words that your hands touched me unavoidably and that it was an ident.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, young master, where is the cksmith that you¡¯ve mentioned in Grainstone Vige? I remember you visited with Master Haroldst year, but this is my first time here¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Follow me this way¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Looking strangely dejected, Ethan walked ahead of me and led the way to the cksmith in Grainstone Vige. ¡°I¡¯m trash¡­ Trash that takes advantage of Lilith¡¯s weakness and only satisfies my own desires¡­¡± Following Ethan, who was muttering iprehensible words to himself timidly, Zeraon and I entered the vige. ¡­I don¡¯t know why Ethan¡¯s emotions are fluctuating a lot today. The atmosphere of Grainstone Vige, which I entered with Ethan, was subtle. I don¡¯t know why, but the vigecked vitality, giving off a somewhat gloomy feeling. First of all, despite it being midday, there didn¡¯t seem to be many people walking around outside, and the few people visible had an unmistakable look of fatigue on their faces. They even had dark circles under their eyes, like Ethan when his sleeping ce changes. ¡®I wonder if Ethan¡¯s sudden gloominess upon arriving at the vige is rted to this?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the people; even the livestock didn¡¯t seem lively. Even the vige dogs looked somehow exhausted. ¡°Neigh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Zeraon?¡± For some reason, Zeraon, who I was leading, suddenly slowed down shortly after entering this vige. Seeing that it affects outsiders like Ethan and Zeraon, there might be some problems with the vige. In this depressing atmosphere that felt like entering a town of graduate students, Ethan¡¯s steps continued forward, entering the vige. Sensing something suspicious, I quietly called Ethan¡¯s name from behind. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°I just wanted Lilith to see me as a man¡­ To do such a trashy thing¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan!¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes?! L-Lilith?!¡± ¡°I have something to say. Could you lend me your ear for a moment?¡± ¡°S-Something to say?! R-Right now?!¡± ¡°¡­? Yes.¡± Was my having something to say such a surprising reaction? For a moment, I was puzzled by Ethan¡¯s sudden fear of my words, for some reason. Thinking that I couldn¡¯t just ignore this strange atmosphere in the vige, I quietly conveyed my observations to him. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lilith¡­! Earlier, when we were on the horse¡­¡± ¡°This vige. Doesn¡¯t something seem strange, Young Master Ethan?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± What was that? I think Ethan just said something that caught my attention. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Ah, th-the vige? You¡¯re saying the vige is strange?¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan, could you please exin what you meant by that apology¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it is indeed strange. For some reason, all the vigers seem tock vitality. It¡¯s not just the people, but the animals, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± As Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I couldn¡¯t interrupt his words twice when he was deliberately changing the subject. Forgetting the question that had popped into my mind, I continued the quiet conversation with Ethan. ¡°Was it like this when you visited with Master Haroldst year?¡± ¡°¡­No. It wasn¡¯t like this then. It was more lively, and the people were more energetic.¡± ¡°Then, this atmosphere¡­¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, Lilith, it does seem a bit strange. I don¡¯t know the cause, but¡­¡± Well, usually, people in small viges that don¡¯t belong to any territory tend to have brighter personalities and are more affectionate. Unlike in cities, where you can get everything you need without knowing who lives next door, in small viges like this, you need to know everyone to get the resources you need. In that sense, the current atmosphere of this Grainstone Vige was too alien, no matter how you looked at it. With lingering questions, we moved towards the cksmith, supposedly run by a half-dwarf. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cksmith first, Lilith. The reason we came here today is to have your dagger made.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s some problem in the vige, we¡¯ll investigate after we¡¯ve had your dagger made at the cksmith first.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± Well, to be honest, I didn¡¯t really care about the atmosphere of the vige as long as I could get my dagger made. Why couldn¡¯t the residents and animals of this vige shake off the strange fatigue from their faces? Also, why were Ethan and Zeraon, who weren¡¯t from the vige, affected by it? Above all, why was I fine and didn¡¯t lose energy like Ethan and Zeraon? The vige was very questionable as these anomalies existed. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Honestly, I prioritize my personal growth and equipment upgrades, and solving such mysterious problems was the Hero¡¯s job, to begin with. It wasn¡¯t something for a mere maid like me to be concerned about or involved in. ¡­That was my mindset until just a moment ago. I thought so until right before I heard at the half-dwarf¡¯s cksmith shop, which I visited with Ethan, that they couldn¡¯t forge my dagger. Chapter 140 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 140 [Smander Furnace (1)] ¡°Go away, we¡¯re not open for business now.¡± This was the first thing we heard from the half-dwarf when Ethan and I entered the cksmith at the innermost part of Grainstone Vige, which we had crossed. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I said we¡¯re not open. Come back another day, or just leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The half-dwarf craftsman looked us over once and responded with a cold answer. At first nce, it seemed like he didn¡¯t like something about me or Ethan. However, a dwarf living among humans rather than in the Obsidian Mountains wouldn¡¯t particrly dislike humans, andst year, he had already forged the dual swords Ethan was currently using. So, it wasn¡¯t because he disliked me or Ethan that he wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°It won¡¯t be asplicated a request asst time. This time, you just need to forge one dagger. If money is the issue, I can pay as much as¡­¡± ¡°Money isn¡¯t the issue. We¡¯re not open for business now.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not money but something else you want¡­¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­You can¡¯t make weapons even if you want to right now, can you, mister?¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°How can we help you so that you can make the dagger, Mr. Dwarf?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan looked at me, slightly surprised as I spoke, while the half-dwarf silently fixed his gaze on me. I had somewhat expected this when we entered this strange vige, but it seemed this story corresponded to a ¡®side quest.¡¯ Of course, I couldn¡¯t be certain that this story was a side quest, as I didn¡¯t know all of the side quests in Luminor Academy. If it really was just that, solving it as quickly as possible was the way toplete my and Ethan¡¯s business. In the game, I mainly progressed through the main story, and even for side quests, I didn¡¯t progress through them much unless they centered around a heroine. It¡¯s probably reasonable to think I¡¯ve just encountered one of the hidden quests I don¡¯t know about. ¡°¡­The furnace.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°The furnace won¡¯t light. It¡¯s been like this for two weeks.¡± ¡°The furnace?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the workshop up the mountain; follow me.¡± With those words, the half-dwarf craftsman opened the door and headed towards the workshop in the mountain with a waddling gait. Instinctively realizing that the quest had officially begun, I quickly followed behind him. Ethan just followed behind me, still wearing a puzzled expression. ¡°This is the furnace I just mentioned.¡± In the workshop, there was a furnace that looked like it hadn¡¯t been used for several days. There was no hot air or dry air typically associated with a dwarf¡¯s workshop; it just felt like a cold space. As if to confirm that he wasn¡¯t refusing the request because he didn¡¯t want to work, the half-dwarf briefly pointed outside the workshop and spoke to Ethan and me again. ¡°You understand now? I can¡¯t do it even if I want to until the furnace returns to normal. Soe back when it¡¯s back to normal.¡± ¡°¡­How long will it take to return to normal?¡± ¡°How would I know? Probably when the fire spirit dwelling in the furnace is in a good mood.¡± ¡°What?¡± [GxyTL/Axiomatic] ¡°Anyway, just know I can¡¯t ept your request until it returns to normal.¡± With those words, the half-dwarf watched as Ethan and I exited the workshop. Leaving aside Ethan, who had been confused and unable to follow the conversation since earlier¡­ Wondering if I could find something out by examining it up close, I approached the iron and brick furnace. ¡°You think something will change by looking at it up close? I¡¯ve already tried everything I could for two weeks.¡± ¡°But, if there¡¯s a spirit in the furnace, shouldn¡¯t we ask how to improve its mood?¡± ¡°If that were possible, I would have¡­¡± Creeeeak. As the half-dwarf grumbled at me disapprovingly, the lid of what looked like the furnace¡¯s fuel input suddenly creaked open. Immediately after, something of mixed red and orange suddenly jumped out towards me from inside. Whoosh! ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°Lilith!¡± I turned my body to dodge the unidentified something that suddenly lunged at me, but the bright red something that had sprung from the furnace¡¯s fuel input had already disappeared. Eventually, as I shifted my gaze to the faint heat I felt on my right arm, I could see something about the size of a fist clinging to my arm. {Mana, it¡¯s mana¡­! Maaaanaaaa¡­!} ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wait, could this be¡­ As I was surprised by the small me-like form that suddenly clung to my right arm, Ethan had already drawn the sword at his waist. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] This time, the dwarf who owned the workshop reacted, surprised at Ethan¡¯s action. ¡°Lilith, stay still! I¡¯ll get that thing off you right now!¡± {Maaaanaaa¡­. Eek¡­?!} ¡°Y-Young Master Ethan! Wait a moment!¡± ¡°S-Stop right there! What are you trying to do to the fire spirit?!¡± ¡°Spirit¡­?¡± While holding the smander*1clinging to my right arm and panicking, I first calmed Ethan down. Hearing the half-dwarf mention a spirit, Ethan quietly lowered his sword, seeming to have calmed down for now. ¡°Did you say spirit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that fire spirits dwell in dwarven furnaces to light the fires?!¡± ¡°Smanders are basically harmless spirits to humans. There¡¯s no need to be so rmed, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize. I was out of line.¡± Why is he in such a hurry to swing his sword at this small spirit? Of course, since a smander is just a simple spirit, a normal sword wouldn¡¯t have harmed it, but just now, Ethan had unconsciously channeled magic into his sword to try to cut it. Depending on the circumstances, he could have significantly damaged this furnace¡¯s spirit. Of course, being a spirit, it couldn¡¯t bepletely destroyed. {S-Scary! That human is scary!} ¡°It¡¯s okay. He just got hasty because he didn¡¯t recognize you as a spirit, but he¡¯s not a bad person.¡± {You seem like someone I can talk to easily! You have a lot of mana, and it¡¯s delicious!} ¡°Mana?¡± {Yes! I¡¯ve been starving for two weeks!} Two weeks, huh? Come to think of it, the half-dwarf craftsman also mentioned earlier that the furnace hasn¡¯t been working for about two weeks. It seems the furnace hasn¡¯t been working until now because this smander had no mana left in its body. The smander was a small girl who looked like she was wearing clothes made of zing mes. In a way, it¡¯s only natural, but most spirits in this world took this form. As I always say, Luminor Academy was a dating sim eroge disguised as an academy game. It was designed to cater to men¡¯s preferences, even in the small details. ¡°Then, when you suddenly clung to my body just now¡­¡± {It¡¯s because I felt mana from you! A lot of it! It¡¯s leaking out even when you¡¯re standing still!} Well, my maximum mana had long since exceeded 2,000. As my mana cap increases, the mana regeneration rate also tends to increase, and this generated mana usually leaks out of the body unless consciously contained. While talking to the smander clinging to my right arm and absorbing the mana leaking from my body, Ethan carefully asked me something as if he didn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°Um, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just asking, but are you talking to the spirit right now? ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you tell by looking?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t really tell just by looking¡­¡± ¡­Come to think of it, in this world, only high-level mages could talk to spirits. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t necessarily high-level mages, but mages with a lot of mana. However, since a lot of mana was essential to bing a high-level mage, it wasn¡¯t that different. After all, these spirit beings have a close rtionship with mana, so only those with a lot of mana could see their form and understand theirnguage. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Those with less mana couldn¡¯t see the spirits¡¯ form properly or understand theirnguage. Of course, thanks to the protagonist buff, the main character could understand spiritnguage even at low levels with low magic. ¡°If I may ask, how do I look to you right now, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­It looks like you¡¯re talking to a fireball stuck to your right arm.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying what I see! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re talking to a spirit!¡± ¡­This would be perfect for being treated like a crazy person if I talked to spirits in crowded ces. Anyway, this furnace couldn¡¯t be used because this smander hadn¡¯t been able to eat mana and was starving, so if I fed it a lot of mana, this should be resolved. Thinking I could solve the problem faster than expected, I asked the smander attached to my right arm. ¡°Spirit. Do you need more mana?¡± {Huh?} ¡°The furnace isn¡¯t working properly because you were hungry, right? How much mana do I need to feed you so you can operate it again?¡± If it¡¯s just a matter of feeding some magic and being done with it, that would be the easiest way to end this. It meant I didn¡¯t necessarily need to solve the unidentified lethargy that had urred in the vige. [GxyTL/Axiomatic] Also, unlike the other people in the vige, that half-dwarf didn¡¯t look particrly tired or sluggish, and he would surely start his work once the furnace was working properly. With that thought, I was preparing to channel magic to her, the smander, but unfortunately, her response wasn¡¯t very positive. {Hmm~ I can¡¯t operate it!} ¡°Pardon?¡± {Even if I¡¯m full, there¡¯s no mana in the air~. I light fires by gathering mana from the air into one~!} ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Lilith? Is your mana alone not enough? If you need my mana too¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem¡­¡± She can¡¯t operate the furnace because there¡¯s no mana in the air¡­ To quote the smander, it ultimately meant that, to operate the furnace, we¡¯d have to solve the abnormal phenomenon in Grainstone Vige first. It would be a bit difficult to ¡®do nothing¡¯ and move on from here. ________________________ Hello! Axiomatic here.
  1. The notion that smanders are spirits of fire is attributed to the Swiss physician Paracelsus. Generally, however, some cultures see smanders as having an affinity with fire. This link probablyes from how many types of smanders sleep in old, rotting logs during cold seasons.
New arc iing! It looks like the second semester will happen after this issue is resolved. Also, I¡¯ve decided that ICANNOT5 chapters per dayjust to finish tranting that novel, and I know I won¡¯t have time to work on Lout Prince given that schedule. However, I¡¯ll find time to trante if someone donates bonus chapters despite the price increase. Apologies for this inconvenience, but I¡¯d like to give Genius Wizard its own spotlight as well. On the bright side, once I doplete that novel, I won¡¯t have any more distractions and will be able to fullymit to this novel. Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow! Chapter 141 After meeting the smander, a fire spirit, in the half-dwarf¡¯s workshop, I quickly grasped what had been happening. About a month ago, the mana in the air began to gradually decrease, and about two weeks ago, it waspletely depleted. Along with that, the wind and light elementals that roamed the air also disappeared. The smander exined that when it was on the verge of disappearing, surviving on the faint mana left in the furnace, it leaped out after smelling the mana flowing from my body. That information alone was enough to infer the situation unfolding in this vige. ¡®Could it be a wide-AoE spell that drains mana¡­?¡¯ Based on what this elemental was saying, that possibility seemed most likely. Additionally, through the smander¡¯s exnation, I could understand why the vigers looked so unwell. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s natural since there¡¯s no natural mana in the air.¡¯ One might mistakenly think thatmoners and animals don¡¯t have mana flowing through their bodies in a world where only nobles can use magic, but that wasn¡¯t the case in this world. Basically, mana flows through the bodies of all humans. Of course, the maximum mana capacity ofmoners is meagerpared to that of most nobles, but the important thing is that it flows nheless. Humans in this world were constitutionally designed to gain vitality by constantly circting the mana internally generated in their bodies with the natural mana present in nature. With no mana in the air now, everyone in the vige looked exhausted. Without mana from nature, constantly producing and releasing it would quickly drain the energy of ordinary people. In my case, it didn¡¯t matter since I generated more mana internally than what leaked out. [Read this novel on Gxy Trantions only! / Axiomatic] Also, dwarves are a race inherently less affected by mana in terms of their condition, so they would be rtively fine. Even as a half-dwarf, half of their nature would still be dwarf-like. ¡®But¡­ why did Ethan suddenly be depressed as soon as we entered the vige?¡¯ He¡¯s basically a noble, so his maximum mana capacity is higher than that of ordinary humans. He shouldn¡¯t be the type to wilt in this kind of environment. I¡¯ll need to look into that separatelyter.@@novelbin@@ Anyway, gathering mana from the air was a type of skill that ordinary humans couldn¡¯t use. Usually, it¡¯s magic that only demons closely rted to mana or elementals can use. However, elementals generally aren¡¯t the type toe down to human society and cause harm, and to begin with, an elemental capable of absorbing mana on the scale of an entire vige would have to be at least some kind of elemental king. Since it¡¯s unlikely that such a being would descend upon this small vige, it¡¯s rational to assume it¡¯s a demon. ¡­And a fairly high-ranking demon at that. ¡°¡­¡­¡± As soon as the idea of a high-ranking demon being involved urred to me, I felt my internal crisis detection sensor activate. Feeling that further involvement here wouldn¡¯t be good, I bid farewell to the smander. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your story well, Miss Smander.¡± {Do you know what¡¯s going on?} ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve grasped more or less what the cause might be.¡± {Hooray! So you¡¯re going to help?! If you follow the faint flow of mana, the ce where mana is gathering is probably on the opposite side of this mountain¡­.} ¡°Young Master Ethan, I think it would be best to return to the ckwood Estate as soon as possible. It seems that something ominous is happening around here.¡± As I said before, I didn¡¯t want to get involved in troublesome matters unnecessarily. Defeat a dangerous demon powerful enough to suck up the mana of an entire vige and resolve the unknown fatigue that has befallen the people? Anyone can see this is a job for a hero. It¡¯s not an issue that a mere maid should eagerly volunteer for. {Why, whyyy?! Weren¡¯t you going to help?!} ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilith? Did the elemental say it¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°Yes. The smander said it could be dangerous for it to stay in this area, so it told us to leave the vige right away.¡± {I didn¡¯t say that! Why are you lying?! Why are you just trying to leave?! Whyyy?!} ¡°The disappearance of all mana from an entire vige is undoubtedly a sign of an anomaly. We can¡¯t rashly intervene at our level. We don¡¯t even know the source of this phenomenon.¡± {Mountaiin!! I told you it¡¯s on the opposite side of the mountain~! I said the mana is flowing that way~! I¡¯m asking for help~!} Seriously, it¡¯s so noisy with all that chattering. No matter how much it clings to me and begs, it¡¯s useless. I wasn¡¯t kind enough to risk my life in battle for a person, no, an elemental I just met for the first time today. In fact, even saving Lizzy, who was supposed to die in the original story, was a kind of impulsive action, and it was also closely rted to preserving my own life. I intervened because I felt uneasy about the possible death of someone I knew from the game, but if it had been some unknown noble youngdy in danger of being attacked, I obviously wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved. ¡­And now you want me to risk my life for an elemental, not even a person? For an immortal being that will revive after a few decades even if it disappears once? No matter how I thought about it, there was no justification or reason for me to get involved. On the contrary, there were plenty of excuses to run away. {You¡¯re a bad human! I told you everything, thinking you¡¯d help! Traitor! Liar!} ¡°If I fed you mana and saved you when you were about to disappear, you should be grateful¡­ Why are you being so clingy and¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith? What are you whispering about with the elemental?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, Young Master Ethan. It seems this fire spirit likes my mana and doesn¡¯t want to part with me.¡± {I didn¡¯t say that! It¡¯s true that your mana is delicious, though!} I vaguely answered Ethan¡¯s question about my conversation with the smander. Just as I was trying to forcibly detach the smander, which was stubbornly clinging to my arm, and push it back into the furnace, I heard the half-dwarf craftsman¡¯s voice beside me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you figured out the cause?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks since the furnace stopped working properly. The harvest season is just a month away, and it¡¯s when farming tools are most needed. Although our vige is small and I¡¯m the only half-dwarf, it¡¯s like a second home to me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± ¡°If you can fix it, I¡¯ll make you a dagger to use first thing. Judging by the calluses on your fingers, it seems you mainly use daggers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve figured out the cause, don¡¯t you know how to solve it, too? Or is it something beyond your power to resolve?¡± ¡­Hah, really. Why is this old man suddenly starting to recite his sob story? When he looks at me like that while saying such things, it makes me feel like I¡¯m the bad guy. Of course, a dagger made by a dwarf craftsman isn¡¯t something easy toe by, and if this were in the game, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to ept the quest, but it was quite foolish to thoughtlessly ept a mission that might require risking my life. [Read this novel on Gxy Trantions only! / Axiomatic] Especially unlike quests in games that can be epted andpletedter at leisure, quests that have be reality were time-constrained in many ways, so I couldn¡¯t carelessly ept this suspicious offer that might be a binding contract the moment I epted it¡­ {Me, me too! I¡¯ll help make the sword too!} ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± {Hu-humans like it when we bless their weapons, right?! I¡¯ll add my blessing to the weapon that dwarf makes! So, please! Please~!} ¡°¡­¡­¡± A fire spirit¡¯s¡­ blessing¡­? And on a dagger forged by a dwarf¡­? ¡®Crazy¡­. That¡¯s almost epic-grade equipment¡­¡¯ Even I couldn¡¯t help but hesitate at the offer from the half-dwarf and the smander, which was hard to refuse. Struggling to suppress the desire in my heart, I cautiously asked Ethan for his opinion. ¡°What do you think, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you intend to help the dwarf craftsman here and contribute to normalizing the vige? Or are you concerned about facing unknown dangers and wish to leave this vige?¡± ¡°¡­What do you think, Lilith?¡± ¡°I will simply follow your decision, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan pondered with his hand on his chin after hearing my response as his exclusive maid. Not only my gaze but also those of the half-dwarf and the smander were focused on him at that moment. Ethan¡¯s response came back carefully. It was a bit defensive, but it was also the answer everyone wanted to hear. ¡°¡­For now, if it¡¯s just investigation¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start by investigating what the cause is, and if it¡¯s something we can resolve, we¡¯ll do it then. If it turns out to be something beyond our ability to solve, we¡¯ll have to retreat at that point.¡± ¡°I understand. If that is your opinion, Young Master Ethan, I will follow it.¡± {You¡¯re going to help? Really?!} ¡°So you¡¯ll cooperate?¡± ¡°For now, we¡¯ll start with investigating the cause. Whether we can resolve it or not will be decided after we understand the problem.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, I understand.¡± {Yesss~!} It did seem a bit dangerous for just Ethan and me to investigate this event alone. ¡­But the offer of epic-grade equipment was too tempting to simply refuse without a second thought. Chapter 142 To solve the incident of mana disappearing from the entire vige, Ethan and I headed to the opposite side of the mountain. ¡­Including a somewhat noisypanion who wasn¡¯t originally part of the investigation n. ¡°I don¡¯t think you needed toe along, Ms. Smander.¡± {No way! I feel like if I don¡¯t follow, you¡¯ll just run away!} ¡°¡­¡­¡± It seemed I had lost my credibility due to our conversation at the cksmith¡¯s shop earlier. Fortunately, Ethan couldn¡¯t understand what the smander was saying, so it didn¡¯t matter much. ¡°You seem to get along well with the elemental, Lilith.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± {Not at all!} ¡°Seeing how it¡¯s been sticking with you since we met at the workshop, that fire spirit must like you, right?¡± ¡°No, not particrly¡­¡± {That¡¯s not it~!} Judging by how casually he spoke, it was clear that Ethan couldn¡¯t understand the smander¡¯s words. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t even see its form as a girl surrounded by mes like I could; to him, it probably just looked like a ball of fire. Most likely, he couldn¡¯t read its emotions from expressions or actions either. If anything, it was fortunate that I didn¡¯t need to exin the smander¡¯s anger to Ethan bit by bit. There was no need to be overly cautious since we probably wouldn¡¯t see each other again after today anyway. ¡­And in the end, it was fortunate that we brought her along up the mountain. The smander, who had lived in this area for a long time, was more capable than I was at finding the mountain path we were visiting for the first time. ¡°Are we still far, Ms. Smander?¡± {Just follow quietly! I¡¯m following the path where mana is flowing!} ¡°I don¡¯t feel much mana around here yet.¡± {Hmph, of course, you don¡¯t. You dull humans can¡¯t detect such faint mana flow as sensitively as we can.} Her way of speaking was rather irritating, but her small girl-like appearance made it somewhat tolerable. It¡¯s fortunate that the elementals in this world are cute. If they weren¡¯t cute, they probably would have gone extinct long ago. [Read this novel only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] With such thoughts, after about 30 minutes of hiking the mountain path with the smander, even I started to feel a strong mana presence. The smander, seemingly excited about finding the strengthening source of the problem, began to fly rapidly toward the direction where the mana was getting stronger. {It¡¯s this way! This way!} ¡°W-wait! Don¡¯t go ahead!¡± The smander flew away, easily oveing theplex terrain of the mountainous area, leaving Ethan and me stranded on the mountain path. If we continued like this, we would inevitably lose sight of her, so we hurriedly moved our feet to follow the flying fire spirit. ¡°Young Master Ethan, this way!¡± ¡°Ah, okay!¡± Now that we were this close, even I could feel the strong sense of mana, so Ethan and I were able to follow the smander without getting lost. Expecting to encounter a high-ranking demon using mana-draining spells, Ethan and I cautiously approached, reducing our pace. Contrary to my expectations, what we found at the scene wasn¡¯t a high-ranking demon but a group of low-ranking demons. ¡°Boss, shouldn¡¯t we move locations soon? It¡¯s been three days, and we haven¡¯t caught anything.¡± ¡°Shut up. I told you, I can still smell elementals around here.¡± ¡°If there were any, they would havee out by now. We¡¯ve probably caught almost everything we can in this area, right? Before the ones we¡¯ve caught start deteriorating, we should¡­¡± {You bad guys~!!} Grab! ¡°See? I told you there were some left.¡± ¡°Oh, as expected of you, Boss!¡± ¡°This one seems much bigger than the ones we¡¯ve caught so far. We¡¯re going to make some good money.¡± {Let me go~!! You stupid low-ranking demons~!!!} While we were hiding in the bushes, observing the situation that seemed ominous, the smander, who had rushed out impatiently, was caught by the hand of one of the demons. The low-ranking demon who grabbed the fire spirit put it into a ss cage and sealed it right away. {Ah! No~! Open this up~!! Hey~!!} ¡°How much do you think this one will fetch?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a fire spirit, so it should sell for much more than the others. Fire spirits are in demand not only among mages but also among ordinary people as ornamental pets.¡± {Open it~! Where are you nning to take me!!} Elemental hunters. Just from listening to their conversation, it was clear that they were this type of demon. They were the kind of demons who roam around uninhabited forests or mountains where many elementals live, collecting them and selling them at high prices to demon mages and the like. The reason they came all the way to this remote human vige was probably because elementals don¡¯t live in demon habitats. Of course, it was only possible for those guys to physically grab the approaching smander without hesitation and put it in a ss cage because they were demons. Looking at the unidentified magical device that was spinning on one side, it was as if it was sucking in mana from the surroundings. It seems they set a trap to remove all the surrounding mana and lure elementals with faint mana. ¡®Anyway, those guys were the cause of the disappearing mana in this area¡­¡¯ Regardless of whether they were elemental hunters or not, the fact that they were demons themselves was reason enough for extermination. If left alone, they would eventually be a major threat to the empire, anyway. Luminor Academy didn¡¯t have some half-baked ending where humans and demons made a treaty and lived happily ever after. ¡­And above all, I didn¡¯t like the situation of that smander being captured. Without that creature, it would be impossible to operate the half-dwarf¡¯s furnace in Grainstone Vige or receive a blessing from that fire spirit. It was important that the smander was safe, especially because the spirit¡¯s blessing was a characteristic I desperately needed right now, as it could affect my Luck stat depending on the situation. I needed to somehow deal with all of them and retrieve the smander. ¡°It seems we can¡¯t avoid a violent confrontation if we want to restore the vige to normal and rescue the smander, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°They all look like low-ranking demons to me¡­ what do you think, Lilith?¡± ¡°I think the same, Young Master Ethan. I thought they would surely be high-ranking demons, but it¡¯s fortunate in many ways that they¡¯re a group of low-ranking demons. Are you nning to start with a surprise attack?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the most efficient way.¡± As expected of Harold¡¯s son, he doesn¡¯t particrly discriminate in his means of winning. I nodded at Ethan¡¯s proposal, as it was a truly admirable mindset. Before Ethan stepped in front of them with his swords, I created three Magic Arrows by triple casting. ¡°I¡¯ll start.¡± ¡°¡­Will you be alright? Your Magic Arrows don¡¯t usually hit, right?¡± ¡°¡­Today, I think quite a few will hit.¡± ¡°Alright. If you say so, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± ¡­If you say you believe me, I might miss them because of the habit of getting nervous. Still, I couldn¡¯t cancel the Magic Arrows I had already loaded, so I aimed the three arrows at the neck of the one who seemed to be their leader. [Read this novel only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] The three arrows flew at once towards the demon, who seemed to have let his guard down, excited about catching the smander as theirst catch. ¡°We did it! Let¡¯s withdraw now! We need to get away from this human-smelling ce quickly¡­¡± Stab! Stab! ¡°Uck, ugh?!¡± ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Wh-what bastard?!¡± Two out of three, huh? I can definitely feel that my uracy has improved. In the past, I would have been lucky if even one out of three hit. While I was thinking that, Ethan jumped in among the demons with his dual swords, timed with my surprise attack. He swept away the necks of two subordinates who were bewildered by their leader¡¯s death with just two horizontal shes. sh! Slice! ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°Ack¡­!¡± About three demons remained. If I took care of one and Ethan took care of the other two, this situation could be more or less resolved. With that thought, just as I was about to rush at one demon with my dagger¡­ I heard a sharp sound cutting through the wind from somewhere. ¡°Protect!¡± As soon as I instinctively sensed danger, I created an Arcane Barrier with double casting. Fortunately, the Arcane Barrier, which activated in time, was enough to cover our faces and necks. Immediately, two arrows flew towards each of us from the other side of the Arcane Barrier. Twang! Twang! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan, there¡¯s an archer!¡± ¡°I see it, too!¡± Thanks to my reflexively creating the Arcane Barrier, neither Ethan nor I suffered the misfortune of having our necks pierced by arrows. It was very fortunate that I had sparred with Luke before. If it hadn¡¯t been for that duel with her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to reflexively create an Arcane Barrier in this situation. After secretly sending a mental thank you to her, I rushed at the demon in front of me again. I quickly exchanged swords with the demon using the heavy dagger in my right hand. ng! ng! ng!@@novelbin@@ ¡°Wh-who the hell are you, man?!¡± ¡°Not a ¡®man¡¯ but a ¡®woman,¡¯ you idiot!!¡± ¡°Who the hell are you, woman?!¡± ¡°Why do you need to know?!¡± sh! As the dagger shed across the demon¡¯s neck, the somewhat noisy demon¡¯s voice fell silent. I could also confirm that the remaining demons who were facing Ethan 2-on-1 had their breath cut off at the same time. ¡°Lilith, let¡¯s hide for now! There¡¯s a possibility that there are more of them in the forest¡­¡± ¡°¡­No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I picked up the short dagger of the demon who had just fallen with its neck shed in front of me and used Dagger Throw to throw it in the direction the arrows hade from. Stab! ¡°Ugh, uck¡­!¡± Soon after, the sound of a de piercing flesh and a demon¡¯s voice fading came from between the trees in the forest. Since there was more than one arrow that flew from the forest, I naturally took another dagger from the hand of another demon and threw it into the opposite side of the forest. This time, too, I heard what sounded like flesh being pierced and a scream, and the presence I had felt faded away. As for remaining presences¡­ there don¡¯t seem to be any that I can feel. ¡°With that, it seems to be over for now.¡± ¡°¡­Y-yes¡­¡± Demon corpses were scattered all around, and bluish bloodstains were everywhere. Considering the cleanup of this chaotic scene, it seemed we wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the estate today after all. Chapter 143 Cleaning up the traces of demons in Grainstone Vige was quite a cumbersome process. We tidied up the chaotic demon camp, leaving just enough evidence to prove that demons had invaded the empire, released the mana-draining device to restore the depleted mana concentration in the vige to its original state, and freed the bound spirits, including the smander, from the furnace. About a month had passed since we restored Grainstone Vige to its original state. Now, having spent most of the summer vacation at the ckwood Estate, Ethan and I were in a carriage returning to Luminor Academy for the start of the second semester. Although there was still about a week left until sses resumed, we didn¡¯t have anything particr to do at the ckwood Estate, anyway. Due to Harold¡¯s position as a temporary professor, we had to return to the academy a bit earlier than regr students, so we naturally had to match our return schedule with that of the highest-ranking person in ckwood. Besides, we¡¯d have to use a four-seater carriage to amodate Isabel anyway, so there was no need for Harold to ride a horse separately. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so conscious of me even in this space. You all should talkfortably like usual.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Th-thank you for your consideration¡­¡± ¡°It-it¡¯s not particrly ufortable with you here, master¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, with Harold joining the space that originally had three people, including Isabel, an awkward atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife settled in. It couldn¡¯t be helped. I could speakfortably with Ethan only because I had been his exclusive maid for several years, not because I had be a noble and had be arrogant. Moreover, I didn¡¯t think Harold would particrly like it if I spoke casually with Ethan as I usually do. ¡­But then again, there have been too many years of us knowing each other to suddenly act out a strict master-servant rtionship unlike usual. It was natural for my mouth to close shut, thinking it would be better for my well-being to keep quiet rather than risk making a mistake by opening my mouth. Even Isabel, usually the mood-maker, seemed to find it difficult to start a conversation in this atmosphere with two high-ranking nobles present. The carriage moved quietly towards the Ind of Knowledge, where Luminor Academy was located, apanied by silence. {What¡¯s this?! Why is everyone so quiet?! It¡¯s boring!} ¡­Apart from that, this tiny smander kept chattering non-stop inside the carriage. Just to exin, this is indeed the same fire spirit that was in the dwarf¡¯s furnace in Grainstone Vige. It followed me purely of its own will, and we reached an agreement with the cksmith that another fire spirit that had been captured would remain for the dwarf¡¯s furnace. In other words, I didn¡¯t forcibly bring it along or extort it from the half-dwarf at all. {I don¡¯t particrly like you, but your mana is delicious!} ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. I was thinking something simr.¡± By the way, I did give it a name after it started apanying me. It felt oddly awkward to keep calling it Miss Smander every time. However, the limit of my naming sense was just shortening Smander to Sally. Anyway, after just a month of this creature sticking by my side, my mind was already starting to feel tired. This creature had a talent for annoying me in many ways, reminding me of Ethan from the time when he didn¡¯t know what manners were. It felt like Ethan from back then, minus the sexual harassment, but with the added penalty of clinging to me 24 hours a day. ¡®Why do these kinds of creatures keep increasing around me?¡¯ Of course, a fire spirit in itself was a very precious being, and having it around was undoubtedly helpful. Moreover, having Sally as apanion increased various auxiliary stats due to the ¡®Fire Spirit¡¯s Protection¡¯ effect. [Read this novel only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Among those, the buff increased the Luck stat by 2, making it an absolutely necessary item for me. Combined with the buff on my dagger, it increased my Luck stat by as much as 4. In that sense, this creature¡¯spanionship was a really good connection from ¡®Lilith¡¯s¡¯ perspective. Still, I couldn¡¯t help feeling irritated and annoyed by this small spirit. {Ah, I¡¯m bored! Do something! Sing a song or something!} ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be too mindful of me, everyone. Just think of me as not being here and talkfortably.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes¡­¡± With the pressure to make conversationing from both sides, it became a bit difficult to maintainplete silence. In the end, I ended up uttering the forbidden words that should never have left my mouth. I didn¡¯t know at the time what tragedy these words from my mouth would lead to in the future. ¡°Since the journey to Luminor Academy seems long and boring, shall I pose a simple quiz? It¡¯s fitting as we¡¯re all heading to the Ind of Knowledge together.¡± {A quiz?} ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°A quiz?¡± ¡°Although I say quiz, I won¡¯t ask a question that particrly requires knowledge. I¡¯ll give a problem that the master, Young Master, and Isabel can all solve equally.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± {Me, me! I want to solve the quiz too!} ¡°Yes, of course, Sally, you can solve it too.¡± ¡°If not only Miss Isabel but even the spirit can solve it, won¡¯t the problem be too easy, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you try solving it yourself first, master?¡± ¡°¡­You seem quite confident.¡± Harold fixed his gaze on me, seemingly intrigued by the im that everyone here could solve the problem. Not just him, but Ethan, Isabel, and even Sally were all focusing their attention on me. I didn¡¯t expect to receive so much attention for just making a little joke. ¡®Surely they won¡¯t dock my pay or something if it¡¯s not funny.¡¯ In this unnecessarily tense atmosphere, I finally blurted out the ¡®joke¡¯ that had popped into my head to everyone. I hadn¡¯t anticipated what would happen to me in the future because of this joke. ¡°What happens when a Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°A Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?¡± {What do you mean?} ¡°Think about it. What happens when a Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?¡± The three people and one elemental made strange expressions as they pondered over the nonsense quiz I had posed. Thanks to everyone being lost in their own thoughts, I could leisurely enjoy the scenery outside the window for a moment. The first to attempt an answer was Isabel, sitting next to me. ¡°¡­It itches?¡± ¡°Wrong!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not¡­?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, that would be correct, but I¡¯m talking about what happens when a ¡®Spear Master¡¯ gets bitten by a mosquito. Anyone would itch if they got bitten, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a Spear Master¡­¡± Strictly speaking, I hadn¡¯t seen one either, except in the game, but this wasn¡¯t the kind of problem you could solve based on whether you had met a Spear Master or not. Judging from this response, it seemed Isabel had given up on solving the problem, and now I just had to wait for the others¡¯ answers and enjoy their reactions. It¡¯s quite fun watching Ethan and Harold struggle and ponder. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you just tell me secretly, Lilith?¡± ¡°No. Someone might overhear. And Sally hasn¡¯t solved it yet either.¡± {I, I won¡¯t listen! You can tell him. I won¡¯t listen!} ¡°Even if you slylye closer to my face, I still won¡¯t tell you.¡± {You¡¯re so me~an!} It¡¯s mean to ask for the answer right away for a problem that was given to be solved. Faced with my firm attitude, both Isabel and Sally seemed to have given up for now and quietly waited for the others¡¯ answers. The next to speak was Ethan. ¡°The mosquito dies?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°A skilled person like a Spear Master would never let a mosquito that bit them get away alive. In other words, from the moment it bites the Spear Master, that mosquito is as good as dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If everyone could catch the mosquitoes that sucked their blood, mosquitoes as a species probably wouldn¡¯t exist in this world anymore. So, this answer only applies to ¡®Spear Masters¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Then does a Sword Master be a Spear Master from the day they catch a mosquito? And I can catch mosquitoes that suck my blood and fly away, too, you know?¡± ¡°¡­I, I see. That was a blind spot.¡± Blind spot or not, such a boring answer couldn¡¯t possibly be correct. It seems Ethan was also wrong in guessing the answer, which meant Harold was essentially the only one left. [Read this novel only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic]@@novelbin@@ Compared to the other two, he had quite a bit more experience, and above all, he was at an age where he might enjoy this kind of joke. Thinking that Harold mighte up with a rtively close answer, I waited quietly as Harold began to speak. ¡°¡­Hmm, I see. Now that I think about it, it was a simple problem.¡± ¡°Oh? Did you figure it out?¡± ¡°Yes. You posed quite a witty question, Miss Lilith.¡± Seeing him look so confident, it seems he got it right. I started to feel a strange expectation, thinking that Harold might be someone who understands my sense of humor. Ethan and Isabel also focused on Harold¡¯s words, waiting for the correct answer toe out of his mouth. ¡°It was quite an easy question for me who has an acquaintance who is a Spear Master, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°The Spear Master friend I know has wielded des with me on battlefields for quite a long time. Of course, back then, neither he nor I were skilled enough to earn the title of ¡®Master.''¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When I was young and reckless, I first met him while working as a mercenary in the army instead of serving my sentence for cutting the Empire¡¯s castle wall in half, trying to test the limits of my sword. However, he wasn¡¯t a noble like me. Quarty Jameson¡­ I could see a special energy in his spear that other mercenaries couldn¡¯t handle, even though he was amoner.¡± ¡­Wait, what? Why is he suddenly diving into reminiscing about his past and getting lost in memories? I tried several times to interrupt him somehow and get him to state the answer to the nonsense quiz, but once Harold¡¯s mouth started, it wouldn¡¯t stop, and he began to endlessly unfold stories of his past. In the end, for the rest of our half-day journey, we had to listen to Harold¡¯s stories about his ¡°Spear Masterrade from his war hero days.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s how it was when we were struggling with insects at our jungle campsite. While myrades and I couldn¡¯t sleep night after night because of the flying insects, for some reason, Quarty didn¡¯t even have a single small bite mark. Even then, he was already at the threshold of bing a ¡®Master,¡¯ so he could be considered a skilled person no different from a Spear Master¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, master.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I got carried away, and the story became a bit long. I¡¯ll tell you the rest of the story another time.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­!¡± ¡°It, it was an interesting story, master!¡± ¡°¡­It was truly an enlightening and invaluable story, Father.¡± ¡°I see. You must all be tired from the journey, so get some rest.¡± With those words, Harold walked towards the faculty building with a strangely light expression. Watching Harold disappear between the buildings, I quietly made a vow in my heart. I would be an absolute fool to ever tell another joke in front of Harold, that non-stop talker, ever again. Chapter 144 What¡¯s the most important thing for a fulfilling semester at the academy? Well, opinions may differ, but I think the most important thing is course registration. The academy is a ce you attend to learn something. If you¡¯re not going to gain knowledge, there¡¯s no point in paying the expensive tuition fee. The same goes for unnecessarily taking sses that aren¡¯t relevant to you. If it¡¯s not knowledge necessary for living¡­ no, for surviving, it would be a waste of time to take it. From course registration, which could be seen as the start of a semester, it was necessary to choose sses as carefully as possible. What I needed was the knowledge I could learn at Luminor Academy, not just earn a diploma. ¡­Well, of course, having a diploma from the academy wouldn¡¯t hurt for living in this world either. ¡°Lilith, have you decided on your sses for the second semester?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve mostly decided.¡± ¡°¡­Can you tell me a little about what sses you¡¯re taking?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯ve registered for two lecture sses on controlling mana flow to improve uracy. Although my way of handling magic has improvedpared to when I first enrolled, I still think I need more practice.¡± ¡°Right, your Magic Arrows are still a bit unstable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°O-of course, since you can use triple casting, it¡¯s okay even if they¡¯re a bit unstable, but I think it would be best if you could reliably hit all three shots instead of just one or two.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± I was just quietly agreeing with Ethan¡¯s words, but why was he suddenly watching my reaction with all these words? [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Anyway, Ethan and I agreed that the uracy of my Magic Arrows needed to improve.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Other than that, I n to take two required major courses from the Magic Department. Oh, and I¡¯m also nning to take Practical Monster Hunting Training.¡± ¡°Practical Monster Hunting Training?¡± ¡°Yes. The end-of-semester evaluation for the second semester isn¡¯t a duel between students but monster hunting in the ck Forest. I thought it would be good to learn how to deal with monsters in advance.¡± In truth, I was just using the ss as an excuse to enter the ck Forest to gain XP. I don¡¯t understand why they made a rule that first-year students can¡¯t enter the ck Forest for personal reasons. Because of this, I couldn¡¯t even level up properly despiteing all the way to the academy. From now on, securing XP was more important than anything else, as leveling up was the fastest way to grow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take it too, Young Master Ethan? I think it will provide considerable practical experience for the hunting festival you¡¯ll participate in at the end of the semester.¡± ¡°Sh-should I?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, the choice is yours, so I won¡¯t insist.¡± ¡°¡­No, I think I should sign up for it too, as you said. Thanks for the advice, Lilith.¡± ¡­Not bad. As I mentioned before, if there were lectures I could attend together with Ethan, I nned to match our schedules as much as possible. It wasn¡¯t for any creepy reason like wanting to be with Ethan; it was just much more convenient for my duties as his exclusive maid. It was better than drawing other students¡¯ attention bying to the Magic Department building likest time. Also, we could also practice coordinating for the hunting festival at the end of the semester. ¡°Lilith, I¡¯m just asking out of curiosity.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you not taking the Magic Swordsmanship ss anymore?¡± ¡°¡­By Magic Swordsmanship ss, do you mean the Applied Magic Swordsmanship lecture ss that the master teaches?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, since you use a dagger, strictly speaking, it might not be a necessary ss for you, but I was just wondering.¡± ¡°That was naturally included in my schedule, so I didn¡¯t mention it specifically. After all, the master took my course registration form before we left for the academy.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, he took yours too. I thought Father only took mine.¡± Well, unlike Ethan, I had expected this. Seeing as he advised me to sign up for the Applied Magic Swordsmanship lecture, he must have naturally told Ethan, who understands swords dozens of times better than me, to sign up as well. Given Harold¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t bother mentioning that Ethan and I would be taking the same ss. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] For me, it was actually a good situation as I couldfortably secure a spot due to the harshpetition of course registration. After all, magic swordsmanship was the most necessary foundational knowledge for Lilith to survive. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be taking two sses together this year.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Me too, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡­I almost got flustered for a moment when Ethan said he was looking forward to it. He probably meant he was looking forward to the new semester. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t be excited about having two ovepping sses with me instead of one. ¡°And for thest ss¡­¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s more?¡± ¡°Yes. Since we¡¯re paying expensive tuition to attend the academy, isn¡¯t it better to take as many sses as possible?¡± ¡°¡­Right. It¡¯s your choice, after all.¡± Ethan gave me a look as if he couldn¡¯t believe it, but his gaze wasn¡¯t going to change my decision. Still, I was considering my well-being and nned to take only 21 credits out of the maximum 22. ¡°Communication with Spirits¡± ¡­Well, it should be fine to invest in this subject for one semester. It wasn¡¯t a ss I was signing up for because I particrly liked Sally. The reason I chose ¡°Communication with Spirits¡± as myst course was simple. Considering the time I¡¯d be spending with Sally from now on, I felt it would be difficult to cooperate with our current level of trust. Perhaps because I tried to back out after hearing its story in Grainstone Vige, Sally often showed a subtly arrogant attitude while traveling with me. I needed to make it a somewhatmunicable partner if notpletely educate its personality as a human to a spirit. Especially, I had to somehow stop it from waking me up when it was bored while I was sleeping. {Communication with Spirits? Instead of taking such a ss, why don¡¯t you sincerely express your admiration for me every morning? Then I might respect you too, you know?} ¡°You think I¡¯d fall for such nonsense after suffering you for a month?¡± {Suffering~?! I just talked to you a bit because I was bored when you wouldn¡¯t pay attention to me~!} [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] ¡°Don¡¯tpare a spirit that¡¯s awake 24 hours a day with a human who needs to sleep eight hours a day. If you had just guaranteed my right to sleep, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered allocating time for this ss.¡± {Hmph~! I¡¯ll prove to you that taking this ss will be of no use!} bber all you want. Whether you chatter or not, I¡¯ll just diligently attend the ss. What I believe in is not the nonsense of this noisy fire spirit but the clear rewards I can get from finishing the ss. As long as Iplete the ss, I can get ¡®+10 Spirit Affinity¡¯, which means that regardless of its attitude, I¡¯ll probably be able to turn it into a somewhat obedient creatureter. ¡®I¡¯m a bit curious about how the Spirit Affinity points from the game will apply here¡­¡¯ Well, I¡¯ll find out afterpleting the ss. With such thoughts, I entered the ssroom for the first meeting of the ¡°Communication with Spirits¡± subject and already saw a few diligent students preparing for the first day of ss. Among them, I could immediately spot one fairly familiar face. ¡®Oh, Agnes is taking this ss too.¡¯ Agnes Elizabeth ze. Not only did she enter the Magic Department of Luminor Academy at the top spot, but she also showed an overwhelming gap with second ce, making her the cream of the crop of the Magic Department. Considering her future of bing the Archmage of the Red Tower, she was by far the character with the most potential for growth among the current Magic Department students. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t hurt to get close to her.¡¯ We were both in the upper ranks of the academy¡¯s Magic Department, and from this semester, we were side by side in first and second ce. My rank had risen to second ce due to the results of the evaluation battle at the end ofst semester. To avoid catching the eye of this crazy woman who ¡°hunts the second ce¡± during each end-of-semester evaluation event, it was important in many ways to build a rapport from now on. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] I really didn¡¯t want to face her in next year¡¯s first-semester final evaluation battle for various reasons. Well, Lilith¡¯s appearance itself tends to be quite likable to people, so it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to befriend her. I also roughly knew her tastes and personality, having conquered her character once in the game. ¡°Hello, Miss Agnes Elizabeth ze.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Agnes tilted her head silently, slightly surprised by my sudden approach and greeting to the empty seat next to her. Given her personality of not showing much interest unless it¡¯s someone she finds intriguing, I thought she might not recognize me and was about to introduce myself first. Unexpectedly, contrary to my expectation, Agnes seemed to know of Lilith¡¯s existence. ¡­Judging by the content of her first words to me, it didn¡¯t seem like she knew me in a good way. ¡°This is our first time talking close and personally, right? My name is Lilith ckwood Rose¡­¡± ¡°¡­The crazy bitch who used Mana st in the final evaluation battle.¡± ¡­Wait, who¡¯s calling who a crazy bitch? Chapter 145 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 145 [Spirit Affinity Lecture (2)] As soon as I heard Agnes¡¯ words attempting to nder me as a crazy bitch from our first meeting, about a dozen insults that I almost hurled back at her shed through my mind. Arrogant bitch, self-absorbed, pathological liar, attention seeker, obsessivepulsive, socially inept, loner, 145cm (T/N: 4¡¯ 9¡±), A-cup¡­ Along with various other negative descriptors that could describe her, they almost spilled out of my mouth. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t pour those insults that popped into my head out towards Agnes in front of me. After all, I approached her to build a friendly rtionship, not to engage in childish verbal arguments or exchange blows. For the sake of naturally improving our rtionship, it was best to pretend I hadn¡¯t heard her clearly in this situation. ¡°¡­Pardon? I¡¯m sorry, Miss ze. I didn¡¯t quite catch that¡­¡± ¡°The crazy bitch who used Mana st in the evaluation battle.¡± ¡­She¡¯s still going on about it even though I pretended not to hear. Well, I suppose it couldn¡¯t be helped if she misunderstood. Only Ethan and I knew that the method I used in the final evaluation battle was the only way I could defeat Luke. It wasn¡¯t so strange for other regr students to misunderstand why I used a wide-AoE spell like Mana st instead of quickly settling the match with Magic Arrows. Still, I thought Agnes, who calls herself the future Archmage of the Crimson Tower, would have figured out why I won that way, but it seems she¡¯s not at that level yet. ¡°¡­I thought someone like you, Miss ze, who calls herself the future Archmage of the Crimson Tower, would have figured out why I won that way, but it seems you¡¯re not at that level yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡­Oops, I meant to keep that to myself. But, well, it didn¡¯t really matter if she overheard. What¡¯s she going to do if it rubs her the wrong way? [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] After all, between us, Agnes was clearly the one who provoked me first, and I have a personality where if someone does something shitty to me for no reason, I feelpelled to give them a reason. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Did you really expect a kind response after spitting out an insult like ¡®crazy bitch¡¯ to someone¡¯s face in your first meeting with them? I may be Young Master Ethan¡¯s maid, but I¡¯m not your maid. Naturally, I don¡¯t need to show you any particr courtesy, Miss ze.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You noticed I used Mana st, but the fact that you don¡¯t understand the reason behind it shows that you¡¯re not really all that great despite being the top student of the Magic Department.¡± ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Agnes red at me angrily in response to my words, but she closed her mouth, seemingly at a loss for words. Then, she immediately started pondering, chewing over the meaning of what I had said. Given her strong pride, it was characteristic of Agnes to spend all night searching through books to find out about ¡°things she didn¡¯t know,¡± so my seemingly meaningless words would probably keep bothering her for a while. Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to tell her the reason that I had no other finishing move besides Mana st. After all, exining that reason would be tantamount to revealing my weakness. ¡°¡­Hmph. You probably used such arge-scale spell because you were annoyed that a woman from the Technical Department picked a fight with you. What other reason could there be?¡± ¡°Well, think what you will.¡± ¡°¡­You probably wanted to set an example of how miserably crushed someone would be if they challenged me. It¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°For the top student of the Magic Department, your range of thinking doesn¡¯t seem to go beyond that of an average student.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± That response was quite satisfying as I gently prodded Agnes, who was trying to act like she knew everything while testing out possible answers one by one. Yeah~. It¡¯s no use ring at me like that~. I¡¯m absolutely not going to tell you~. It might seem foolish to pick a fight with Agnes, who fights the second-ranked student in the same department every final evaluation battle and crushes them with overwhelming power, but I had my own reasons to be confident. As her middle name suggests, Agnes was from a branch family of the Elizabeth family, a noble lineage. The Elizabeth family was truly obsessed with magic, selecting the most outstanding seeds from numerous branch families to continue their line. Agnes was one of the most talented individuals among her peers,ing from a branch family of a lineage so obsessed with magic that they would eliminate even members of the main family from sessor candidacy if their magical abilities werecking. This meant that even if I provoked her like this, she couldn¡¯t openly cause me direct harm. ¡­At least, not until next year¡¯s first-semester final evaluation battle. Whatever happens in next year¡¯s final evaluation battle, that¡¯s for my future self to deal with. {That woman seems to have a personality quite simr to yours~. I feel like you two would get along well!} ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh.¡± Meanwhile, Sally, who had been watching the exchange between Agnes and me, muttered these suspiciously dubious words while oddly directing her gaze towards Agnes. Somehow annoyed by those words, I spoke to Sally with a slightly irritated tone. ¡°You think our personalities are simr? Then, are you going to forget the month you spent with me and go cling to that woman now?¡± {No~! Your mana still tastes much better! Her mana feels like it would be really unpleasant for some reason!} ¡°¡­Well, if you say so.¡± She basically implied that she¡¯d continue to use me as a mana source in the future, but it was still a somewhat pleasing answer, so I wasn¡¯t too upset. She¡¯s annoying and troublesome to deal with every day, but she seems to have some loyalty, at least. ¡°Spi¡­rit?¡± Meanwhile, Agnes, who had been observing my conversation with Sally, quietly muttered a word in a somewhat dazed voice. As soon as Sally noticed Agnes¡¯s reaction, she approached her to start a conversation. {What?! Is this your first time seeing a spirit?} ¡°It, it talks¡­? Could it be a high-ranking spirit¡­¡± {Hmm~? So you¡¯re the type of human who can hear my words, too? I thought I sensed something like that from your mana!} ¡°H-how?! Getting into a contract with a high-ranking spirit is absolutely impossible with a first-year¡¯s mana capacity¡­ Even I could theoretically only manage up to intermediate spirits at best¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt the conversation, but Sally and I aren¡¯t exactly in a contract.¡± {I¡¯m not in any kind of contractual rtionship with this one, okay? I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t make strange misunderstandings!} ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± As Agnes said, it would be difficult to be in a contract with a high-ranking spirit at our current level. We¡¯d need to reach at least Level 20 or so to be able to contract stably. If I were going to make a formal contract, I wouldn¡¯t have contracted with such a noisy spirit in the first ce; I would have chosen a quieter one. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Sally just followed me from Grainstone to here because she said my mana was delicious. There wasn¡¯t any special bond between us. Agnes seemed even more surprised and flustered by the fact that we hadn¡¯t been in a contract. ¡°Both of you aren¡¯t in a contract, but a high-ranking spirit is following a human around¡­? Impossible¡­ This has to be a joke¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I, I spent a whole month training in the Spirit Forest trying to get in a contract with a low-ranking spirit, so why is it only this crazy woman that¡­¡± From what I gathered, it seems Agnes had visited the Spirit Forest during the summer vacation. Well, it wasn¡¯t that unusual, as most high-ranking mages visit that ce at least once in their lifetime. Mages and spirits have good synergy, making them great for cooperative attacks, and above all, they have a mutualistic rtionship. With the help of spirits, mages can use spells that would be difficult to cast alone. On the other hand, spirits can constantly receive delicious mana from high-ranking mages. It truly was a mutualistic rtionship, making it possible to form contracts and work together. Of course, in my case, I wasn¡¯t particrly trying to use the spirit to cast high-level magic; my primary goal was the ¡®Luck +2¡¯ attribute attached to the ¡®Fire Spirit¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡°Impossible¡­ Why am I the only one without a spirit? I want one the most, so why does everyone else have one except me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Not to mention, it¡¯s a high-ranking fire spirit¡­? It¡¯s following a human without even making a contract¡­? Why her¡­?¡± Meanwhile, Agnes had been muttering to herself as if in a daze ever since she saw Sally apanying me. As someone who had already yed through Luminor Academy, I fully understood why she was reacting this way. Agnes was a character with extremely low Spirit Affinity, so despite her overflowing mana capacity, she couldn¡¯t contract with spirits for a long time. She only managed to start contracting with low-ranking spirits around the time she graduated from the academy. Regardless of her desire to get into a contract with spirits, the spirits weren¡¯t very weing of a contract with Agnes. After all, Spirit Affinity was a stat heavily influenced by the Charm stat. In Agnes¡¯s case, she was one of the heroines with an extremely low Charm stat. Of course, Charm wasn¡¯t simply a measure of a character¡¯s appearance, so it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that Agnes was ugly. ¡­But it would be a bit strange if Agnes, who was short, t-chested, and didn¡¯t even have a particrly good personality, had a high Charm stat. Anyway, in practice, Charm only affected the sess rate of support magic, so it was a somewhat useless ability for Agnes, who mainly dealt with offensive magic. At least in terms of ¡®spirit contracts,¡¯ this moment proved that I was far more capable than her right before her eyes. ¡°Are you envious?¡± ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± ¡°Actually, I originally had no intention of taking any spirit-rted courses this semester. I didn¡¯t particrly visit ces like the Spirit Forest wanting to contract with spirits, and I haven¡¯t separately learned the spiritnguage of low-ranking spirits either.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, I thought I needed to learn a little if only to get closer to Sally. Although this rtionship wasn¡¯t something I sought out, it seemed Sally and I were destined to be together for a while.¡± ¡°Ugh, ughhhh¡­¡± Agnes was seething with frustration and resentment at my tant statements right in front of her. If she hadn¡¯t ndered me by calling me a crazy bitch from our first meeting, I might have been willing to teach her how to get along with spirits¡­ but now that the strategy to befriend her had failed, there was no need to teach her. ¡­You ask how I¡¯m going to deal with that crazy woman who¡¯ll be all fired up at next year¡¯s first-semester final evaluation battle? That¡¯s for my future self to handle, not something for my current self to worry about. Chapter 146 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 146 [I Hope We Be Friends (1)] T/N:This bonus chapter is sponsored by Lemon (2/5). For more bonus chapters, see my Ko-fi. Long T/N at the end! The first meeting of the Communication with Spirits lecture ss ended in less than an hour. As with most sses in the academy, the first day usually was dedicated to an orientation of the course sybus. Of course, there were asionally people like Harold, who started practical training from the very first day, but that was really because Harold was an exceptional case. All the professor of the ss did on the first day was assign seats and give a brief exnation of the uing topics. ¡­Also, the professor paired up students who would work together for the semester. ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t know anyone~. I¡¯ve already decided on partners who I think will be a good match for the semester~.¡± ¡®Wait, don¡¯t tell me this means¡­¡¯ As is often the case with clich¨¦s in these kinds of events, my uneasy premonition turned out to be correct. [Axiomatic on GxyTL] When I came to my senses, my partner had naturally be Agnes. The half-halfling professor said something like this: ¡°Agnes and Lilith have simr mana capacities~. Also, you two have simr grades, so you¡¯ll make good partners~. Ahahahaha~.¡± When he suddenly matched me with Agnes with an innocent expression, I almost objected to the professor. ¡­But if I had argued against the partner the professor had already decided on by his own criteria and asked for a change, the atmosphere would obviously have be awkward. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know anyone else taking the ss, so I didn¡¯t have another partner to switch to anyway. In terms of psychological distance*1, Agnes, whom I was familiar with from the game, was actually one of the better options. ¡®If only we hadn¡¯t irritated each other before ss started, it might not have been so bad¡­¡¯ Looking back, I wondered if I had needlessly provoked her. ¡­But Agnes was the one who started the provocation first, wasn¡¯t she? I just responded in kind. To be honest, my fault was at most 10%. About 90% was all Agnes¡¯s fault. Although I found outter through spection, it seems my pairing with Agnes had been decided from the moment of course registration. There were a total of 30 students taking the Communication with Spirits ss. Excluding me, who had a somewhat special connection with Sally, there were 14 students who had already contracted with low-ranking spirits and 15 who hadn¡¯t, making up the 30 students in the lecture. I only realized near the end of the first day that it was a ss where students who had already been in a contract would guide those who hadn¡¯t. ¡®I didn¡¯t know about this ss in my previous life because I never had to take it¡­¡¯ The protagonist had a decent enough Charm stat, so there was no need to raise Spirit Affinity separately. In fact, I only found out today that Agnes was taking this ss. Agnes and her ¡°fans¡± probably all experienced this ss that seemed to be useful for raising affection with her, but I had never liked Agnes romantically, even once. Her being 145 cm and being an A-cup were far from my taste, no matter how I thought about it. In my previous life, my preference was firmly for healthy beauties like Natalie. ¡­Well, whether she was my type or not wasn¡¯t important now. Now that we¡¯ve be ss partners, I was destined to face Agnes once a week, whether I liked it or not. [Axiomatic on GxyTL] Of course, properly progressing through the ss would be impossible in this situation, where we had just irritated each other with our most recent conversation, so I needed to repair our rtionship first. ¡®It¡¯s clear that I need to be friends with her somehow when thinking about the future. ¡­This is going to be troublesome.¡¯ ¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to try approaching Agnes based on her hobbies and interests as I did in my previous life. I never thought I¡¯d be in a position simr to the protagonist, trying to conquer a heroine, but it wasn¡¯t in my nature to despair and do nothing. ¡°Since it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s try to get along for the semester, Miss ze. We can¡¯t be at odds with each other all semester, can we?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph, do as you like.¡± At this point, I had no idea how to be friends with that sourpuss over the course of a semester. A week passed right after the start of the second semester. Normally, the beginning of the semester would be the most rxing period for regr students, but I had quite a packed schedule. I had to be busy from now on to make various preparations for the end-of-semester Hunting Festival, which was the main event of the second semester.@@novelbin@@ It was time to start actively interacting with students from other departments to gather members for the Hunting Festival and to secure items needed for it. For reference, there are generally preferred departments for party members in the academy¡¯s Hunting Festival. Among them, the students of the Magic Department had the worst poprity. This was because out of the fivebat departments, only the Magic Department was unable to ¡°solo hunt¡± in the final evaluation. The Swordsmanship Department, the Spearmanship Department, the Martial Arts Department, and the Archery Department. [Axiomatic on GxyTL] Unlike the Magic Department, these four departments could solo hunt in the final evaluation. As such, many students with a certain level of skill often participated in the Hunting Festival solo instead of forming parties. Of course, students who were ambitious about their grades formed parties to hunt stronger prey, but usually, these parties were often just groups of acquaintances rather than gatherings of strong individuals. This meant that even though I had achieved good grades in the first semester, there was still a possibility that I wouldn¡¯t be invited to a party. Of course, even if I wasn¡¯t invited by anyone, I had Ethan to rely on, so I was somewhat at ease. ¡®If I can pair up with Ethan, our duo would be enough, but it¡¯s better to form a more impressive party if possible.¡¯ I had to consider the possibility that Ethan might not think to gather additional members beyond our duo party. I couldn¡¯t afford to carelessly pass through the Hunting Festival, which had the most significant impact on the final grades for the semester. The more insurance, the better. Of course, as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, it was difficult for me to be brazen enough to socialize with students from other departments in front of Ethan, so there wasn¡¯t much room for me to intervene in securing members. Sometimes, when I talked with male students from other departments, I felt a strangely sharp gaze from Ethan¡¯s direction. He probably didn¡¯t like that I wasn¡¯t focusing on my duties as his exclusive maid. Being perceptive, I had no intention of preparing for the Hunting Festival by doing things that the young master I serve disliked. ¡­But it wasn¡¯t in my nature to make no preparations at all either. Having given up on securing party members, I instead focused my time on two areas: ¡®self-improvement¡¯ and ¡®potion procurement.¡¯ The second part, potion procurement, was particrly important. ¡®Potions are literally a matter of life and death.¡¯ Unlike the first semester¡¯s evaluation battle, where we could fight with Death Prevention Magic, living wasn¡¯t guaranteed in the second semester¡¯s Hunting Festival. It was impossible to secure the enormous amount of mana needed to cast and maintain Death Prevention Magic over the entire ck Forest, and besides, the said magic wasn¡¯t limited to just humans. If they didn¡¯t want to see live monsters being delivered to the academy¡¯s Theology Department building, they wouldn¡¯t do something crazy like casting Death Prevention Magic in a forest where monsters appeared. Potions were what could preserve life in case of emergency in such a dangerous forest. I needed to start talking with potion suppliers now, if only to treat potentially fatal injuries and preserve my life. At this point, there was only one acquaintance in the Pharmacy Department I had who could act as a potion supplier for me. ¡®Lizzy Lynn August.¡¯ The youngdy of the August Margrave family. Second-ranked in the Pharmacy Department. I honestly don¡¯t know how she rose to second rank in the Pharmacy Department. I¡¯m not sure whether she was naturally talented in that area or if she used somewhat underhanded methods befitting the youngdy managing the August Trading Company. Given that she maintained her second-rank position even after a semester, it was more likely that she herself was talented in pharmacy. ¡­But even if the youngdy of the August family had secured her rank through underhanded means, it didn¡¯t really matter to me. After all, what I needed were recovery potions for the end-of-semester Hunting Festival, not a friend overflowing with loyalty and morality. [Axiomatic on GxyTL] The problem was how to befriend Lizzy again, whom I had parted with somewhat awkwardly during the first semester. After I rejected her offer to be her secretary, our tea times, which used to happen once or twice a week, naturally disappeared. Also, since the August and ckwood Estates were far apart, it was difficult to even identally run into each other during the summer vacation. Because of this, I thought that even if I went to the Pharmacy Department building to look for Lizzy, she might have lost interest in me and could turn me away at the door. If I went to the top student, ¡®Witch Lara¡¯, instead, I would undoubtedly receive a quest that would be difficult toplete as Lilith, so restoring my rtionship with Lizzy had be one of my essential tasks now. ¡®I know how to approach Agnes, but how should I approach Lizzy¡­¡¯ She¡¯s not even a heroine in Luminor Academy, nor does she appear in the main story since she died before it happened. Moreover, judging by her personality that I confirmed at the masquerade ball, she was a woman with quite a strong personality and wasn¡¯t the kind of woman that I, who was a virgin in my previous life, could easily be friends with. ¡­Especially considering that I had already rejected her goodwill once. However, if I went to the end-of-semester Hunting Festival without potions, I might be in danger due to the ¡®First Hunting Festival Event.¡¯ Recruiting a student from the Theology Department was even more difficult. While I was pondering this difficult situation, a thought suddenly seemed to flicker in my mind. ¡®¡­Come to think of it, I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something important.¡¯ As I was walking towards the Pharmacy Department Building to meet Lizzy, I felt troubled by a question that had arisen in my mind. I realized that the question in my mind wasn¡¯t just a feeling right after that. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s been a while, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you, Miss Lilith¡­ If it¡¯s alright, could you spare some time?¡± As soon as I saw Princess Seraphine¡¯s face and the face of her exclusive maid, Luke, behind her, I was finally able to remember what I had forgotten. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Right, Luke¡¯s dagger. Chapter 147 As soon as I faced Princess Seraphine, my mind immediately recalled something I had forgotten. I forgot about the dagger I had confiscated¡­ no, temporarily held onto, to provoke Luke during thest evaluation battle. I barely realized that I hadn¡¯t returned it yet when I saw their faces. ¡®Actually, I hadpletely forgotten about it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t intentional; I had truly forgotten. That¡¯s because the item I¡¯ve been usingtely was so good that I couldn¡¯t even recall Seraphine¡¯s dagger. It¡¯s the OP ckwood dagger that was made by the half-dwarf cksmith and blessed by the fire spirit. When you¡¯re wielding a dagger that would make Lizzy¡¯s silver dagger gasp and Seraphine¡¯s dagger tremble, it¡¯s easy to forget about someone else¡¯s belongings you were temporarily holding. While Seraphine¡¯s dagger was slightly superior in sharpness, Ethan¡¯s gift dagger, with the ckwood crest, also had considerable cutting power. Above all, Ethan¡¯s gift dagger was imbued with the fire spirit¡¯s blessing. For me, who desperately needed more Luck, this dagger was far more crucial¡­ ¡®No, this isn¡¯t the time for this.¡¯ For a moment, it felt like I was making excuses in my head, but there was only one thing I needed to do right now. I had to apologize for daring to steal the cherished dagger that the princess had given to her guard. If I didn¡¯t want my head to fly off, I had to bow my head without hesitation. ¡°Since we¡¯ve met by chance, shall we have a light cup of tea nearby¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I havemitted a mortal sin.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­I have no words, even if I had ten mouths. I will dly ept punishment for not only daring to possess the item Princess Seraphine gifted to her guard but also for using it carelessly. So please, just spare my life¡­¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, Miss Lilith?! Won¡¯t you raise your head first¡­?¡± ¡°No, as a sinner, I don¡¯t even have the right to speak at the same level as the princess.¡± With those words, I quietly bowed and prostrated myself right in front of Seraphine¡¯s feet. I could hear the murmurs of students passing by as they saw Seraphine and me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Looks like someone did something wrong to the princess.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the crazy girl from the Magic Department prostrating there?¡± ¡°Maybe she incurred personal resentment for beating Luke inst semester¡¯s evaluation battle¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t clearly hear what they were saying, but they were probablymenting on my appearance. Probably about how a noble was prostrated on the dirt ground without regard for appearances. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] However, I couldn¡¯t raise my body once I had bowed. In my current situation, I had to do at least this much, or my life would be in danger. It would be fortunate if it only ended with losing some face. If I incurred the resentment of royalty, my life in the academy would be over. ¡°I-I will return the dagger right away, Princess Seraphine. Although I used it once for an unsavory purpose, I have cleaned it thoroughly using my magic. If it doesn¡¯t please you, I can offer marypensation¡­¡± ¡°W-will you please stand up first, Miss Lilith? Thanks to you, we¡¯re drawing too much attention.¡± ¡°I cannot rise until I receive forgiveness from the princess.¡± ¡°O-okay. I¡¯ll forgive you, so please stand up first. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m forgiving you for¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Princess Seraphine.¡± After clearly hearing her words of forgiveness, I raised my prostrated body and stood up. Seraphine was looking at me with an uncharacteristically flustered expression. ¡°Let¡¯s move somewhere else to talk. There are too many eyes here.¡± ¡°¡­Are we just going to talk?¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡­If it¡¯s just to talk, it should be fine. The ce Seraphine brought me to talk was the VIP Room inside the academy. Of course, it¡¯s only called a VIP Room in name; Royal Mansion would be much more fitting. It was a space no different from a royal mansion both in appearance and purpose. The interior decorations were a bit excessive for student amodations, and it was hard to find any lighting in the entire building that wasn¡¯t a chandelier. Just counting those luxurious lights, there might be almost as many as in the ckwood mansion. Of course, considering the status of the people using this ce, the interior decorations were understandable. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] This was the dormitory where the royal students stayed at Luminor Academy. While the academy promotes equality among all students, and even if most nobles use the dormitories provided by the school, royalty was naturally an exception. If royalty lived among ordinary students, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if an assassination attempt urred the moment someone had ill intentions, so this was a minimum safety measure. Although I had frequently visited this ce when ying Luminor Academy, the scenery I saw with my own eyes now felt distinctly different from what I saw in the game. Indeed, it makes your heart swell when you face it in reality. ¡°My fourth brother is expected to returnte today, so we should be able to talkfortably, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± The fourth brother Seraphine mentions is, of course, referring to the Fourth Prince, Machart. He¡¯s the only person among the current students with a higher status than Seraphine. Of course, whether the Fourth Prince was present or not, the idea of having afortable conversation in such a space was impossible from the start. Either way, what could I do? If the princess says for us to talkfortably, I have to at least pretend to befortable on the outside. It was impossible for someone with the status of a viscount¡¯s daughter to refuse a conversation with the princess in the first ce. Clink. ¡°Please make yourselffortable, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± For some reason, Luke, who was still Seraphine¡¯s exclusive maid even after a semester, ced a teacup in front of me. After confirming her strangely calmer appearancepared to when we met at the dueling groundsst time, I took a sip from the teacup. As the feeling of calming herbs passed down my throat and my palpitations began to subside, Seraphine made eye contact with me and spoke. ¡°First of all, I didn¡¯t call you here to reprimand you for any wrongdoing, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°In fact, your thinking that you¡¯ve done something wrong to me is a misunderstanding to begin with. It¡¯s about Luke¡¯s dagger, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± I nodded, recalling one of the three daggers currently in the inner pocket of my uniform. ¡°First of all, you don¡¯t need to worry about not returning that dagger. It became yours from yourst duel with Luke.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Please ept it as an apology for the rudeness that my guard¡­ no, my maid,mitted against you. It seems you also use daggers for self-defense, Miss Lilith, and it¡¯s quite a good item, so I think you¡¯ll be sufficiently satisfied with it.¡± ¡°Then, you aren¡¯t mad that I took the dagger you gifted to Luke, Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve been considering that dagger as yours since the end of yourst duel with her.¡± ¡­Should I consider this fortunate in some way? I felt a bit resentful for having worried needlessly in the past, but it was more important to know that Seraphine hadn¡¯t harbored any ill feelings toward me from the beginning. Anyway, this was much better than incurring unnecessary resentment. The problem was what would happen to Luke if I took this dagger¡­ ¡°I appreciate your words, but what about Luke¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already had a skilled cksmith give her a new dagger. I¡¯m not the kind of person who keeps my associates close without arming them properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now, do you feel inclined to ept my gift, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ If you insist so much, I¡¯ll gratefully ept it.¡± Well, if she was going to give it to me while saying all this, I had no particr reason to refuse.@@novelbin@@ Rather, out of personal greed, I felt a bit regretful about returning this useful dagger to Luke. Of course, I could roughly guess that Seraphine expressing such overt goodwill meant she wanted something from me, but that was a conversation I¡¯d have to hear regardless of whether I epted the dagger or not. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] After putting the dagger I was about to take out of my inner pocket back in, I quietly waited for Seraphine to continue speaking. ¡°Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous. The favor I want to ask of you today isn¡¯t as troublesome as the one I tried to askst time.¡± ¡°Ah, no. What you offeredst time was too great an honor for me. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t betray my loyalty to Young Master Ethan and the ckwood family¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. That¡¯s why, this time, I¡¯ve prepared a request that doesn¡¯t require you to be separated from Young Master Ethan¡­ Ahem, a request that won¡¯t interfere with your rtionship with Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± A request that won¡¯t interfere with my rtionship with Ethan? Something feels oddly strange about the meaning, but it¡¯s probably nothing significant, right? I nodded after roughly interpreting it to mean she would ask for something I could do while maintaining my duties as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Seraphine was in the process of making a request to me that was somewhat improvedpared to what she had said before. ¡°Do you know that exactly ten days from today, the academy¡¯s Student Council Presidential Election period begins?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m aware of that.¡± The main events of the academy¡¯s second semester were always dominated by the Student Council Presidential Election and the Hunting Festival event. In fact, this was an important event in the main story of Luminor Academy that it hardly changed even when the school year changed. Well, the Student Council Presidential Election episode was a major episode because it was closely rted to Seraphine, one of the main heroines. ¡°I n to participate in this student council president election, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made some progress on forming the cab. I can¡¯t tell you about it until you respond to my request, though.¡± ¡°¡­My response?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Lilith.¡± Wait. Why does this situation feel like I¡¯ve experienced it somewhere before? Meeting by chance within the academy, being invited to the VIP Room, mentioning the student council president election, and seeming to want to ask me for something. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] If my memories from my past life are correct, this is probably the event rted to Seraphine¡¯s Student Council Presidential Election in ¡°Luminor Academy¡±¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be direct, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I want to recruit you and Young Master Ethan for my future cab in the student council.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°With this level of a request, Miss Lilith, you can surely maintain your ¡®loyalty¡¯ to Young Master Ethan, right?¡± ¡­Somehow, I have an ominous feeling about this. Chapter 148 Although I was invited to join Princess Seraphine¡¯s student council cab, I didn¡¯t feel particrly flustered by it. I could somewhat understand from our recent conversation that she wasn¡¯t genuinely interested in recruiting me for the student council. ¡®She¡¯s targeting Ethan.¡¯ The current Ethan Richard ckwood would be quite a useful candidate for her potential student council cab. Good looks, a good family background, and his personality¡­ well, at least, it seems quite good on the surface. Although he currently doesn¡¯t have many noticeable followers as he hasn¡¯t formed or joined any factions yet, it would only be a matter of time before he enters someone¡¯s student council cab. ¡­Especially if he joins under someone like Seraphine, who has already built her own faction to some extent. This proposal is probably just one of her strategies to entice Ethan rather than trying to persuade me. It would be less noticeable to others to first recruit me, his exclusive maid, rather than directly proposing to Ethan¡­ ¡®Wait a minute. Something seems off here.¡¯ ¡°¡­Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°May I ask a question that might be disrespectful to you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Have you perhaps mistaken the subject of your recruitment offer? If you intend to recruit both Young Master Ethan and me, wouldn¡¯t it be better to persuade Young Master Ethan directly instead of me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seraphine remained quiet for a moment, only showing a smile in response to my question. To be honest, this didn¡¯t make any logical sense. Who would try to recruit a servant first when trying to bring a noble into their faction? It really doesn¡¯t make sense. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Moreover, Ethan, whom Seraphine needs to persuade, is a young man in his prime. So much so that I had to suppress his boiling sexual desire about once a week at the mansion. With Seraphine¡¯s looks, she should be able to easily captivate a young man like him, so I couldn¡¯t understand why she was bothering to make this recruitment offer to me. ¡°I haven¡¯t mistaken the subject of the offer, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making the recruitment offer to you, Miss Lilith. Of course, it would be nice if I could recruit Young Master Ethan as well, but even if that¡¯s not possible, I intend to recruit you.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­And if I can recruit just you, it will be much easier to bring in Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­?????¡± ¡°So, Miss Lilith, you just need to give me your opinion.¡± Somehow, the more we talk, the more strange questions arise. At this point, it didn¡¯t seem like I¡¯d get a different answer, even if I pressed further. It was more rational to assume that Seraphine was hiding her true intentions and nning to use me to entice Ethan. Nobles often hide their true feelings and say things differently from their actual intentions, and this is even more true for royalty. Now, about the student council cab¡­ ¡®Looking at her proposal at face value, it¡¯s not a bad offer.¡¯ The members of the student council selected by Seraphine¡¯s eye would likely be quite capable individuals. There was a good chance she had already recruited some of the heroines from Luminor Academy. Their being heroine-level characters in ¡°Luminor Academy¡± meant they were talented enough to pull their own weight at the very least. Moreover, as I mentioned earlier, the final evaluation at the end of the second semester was the Hunting Festival in the ck Forest, so it was entirely possible to build rtionships with other cab members and party with them in the said festival. ¡®¡­But I haven¡¯t even made proper contact with Lizzy yet, and if I take on student council duties too, I really won¡¯t have any free time this semester¡­¡¯ ¡°Since you seem to be in deep thought, Miss Lilith, shall I reveal one person you might know who¡¯s involved?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Lizzy Lynn August. She has also agreed to participate in the student council lineup I¡¯m putting together.¡± ¡°Miss August?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s still conditional, though.¡± If Lizzy has already decided to join Seraphine¡¯s faction, I guess I don¡¯t need to worry about that reason anymore. Thanks to this, I somewhat gathered my thoughts and responded to Seraphine, implying that I would leave some room for consideration. Of course, Ethan¡¯s will would be more important than mine when ites to actually joining the cab. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll discuss it with Young Master Ethan. I can¡¯t decide on such matters without his permission.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± There was a meaningful, strange smile at the corners of her lips. After finishing the sses for today with Ethan and returning to the dormitory, I sat at my desk and mentally organized the tasks I needed to do. Given the various events that suddenly started as soon as this semester began, I had to: ¡¸Build a friendship with Agnes to resolve our snarling emotions and enter into a contract with a low-ranking spirit before the end of this semester.¡¹ ¡¸Give an answer regarding Princess Seraphine¡¯s recruitment to her future student council cab. (Need to discuss with Ethan)¡¹ ¡¸Restore my rtionship with Lizzy and ask her to make potions for use in the end-of-semester Hunting Festival. (Possible to make contact through Seraphine¡¯s student council)¡¹ These were the things I needed to deal with immediately. Among them, specifically with what I needed from Lizzy, I could only get a chance to get in touch with her if things went well with Seraphine. Having to build rtionships with three women in one semester¡­ What is this, some kind of beautiful girl dating game¡­ oh,e to think of it, it is a beautiful girl dating game. It¡¯s just unusual that I keep getting entangled with women in a position simr to the protagonist, even though I¡¯m not the protagonist. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Luminor Academy was a game with such diverse choices that it was absolutely impossible to experience all of the heroines¡¯ romance events in a single ythrough. Just because there¡¯s no protagonist doesn¡¯t mean the events that would have happened to the original heroines will disappear, so the original stories continue to flow. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I kept getting involved and entangled in that position. ¡®The protagonist must be busy with Serista and Selena this semester.¡¯ The events of helping restore the trust of the fake saint, Serista, and sorting out the troublesome chores that the academy¡¯s only elf, Selena, gets tangled up in were the focus of the second semester. Judging by his actions in the first semester, he seemed to have a sense of responsibility, so he¡¯d probably move towards conquering those two this semester. He would start working on gaining favor to form the Demon King Subjugation Team in earnest from the third year, so until then, the orthodox y was to solidify the cards in his hand. At first, I thought he was an unreliable guy just by looking at his name, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, but after seeing his actions over the semester, I changed my mind to some extent. I even felt that I should meet him at least once and have a proper conversation with a fellow transmigrator. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Anyway, it¡¯s only the events that he originally decided not to get involved in that I¡¯m getting caught up in, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. Seraphine probably made an offer to the Hero before making a recruitment offer to me. It shouldn¡¯t cause any trouble to pick up the events that the Gyeongmwajogyegigwat guy has already given up on once. After all, this much wasn¡¯t really interfering with that guy¡¯s motives. ¡°Lilith, the bathroom¡¯s free.¡± ¡°Young Master Ethan, I have something to discuss with you for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­What is it about?¡± I discussed the offer Seraphine made today with Ethan, who had just finished bathing. After hearing everything, Ethan first asked me this question in return: ¡°What do you want to do, Lilith?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just asking for reference. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to follow your opinion.¡± Ah, so it was just for reference. Well, Ethan would have his own thoughts, so he probably wouldn¡¯t just follow what I say without any consideration. Since he said my words wouldn¡¯t particrly influence his decision-making, I also delivered the thoughts in my head to him without much burden and without holding back. ¡°For now, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad proposal.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Princess Seraphine has already formed her own independent group within the academy using her status and personal virtue. If there are no major problems, the princess¡¯s faction will likely be maintained until she graduates from the academy.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree with that.¡± ¡°So, I think it¡¯s best to join Princess Seraphine¡¯s faction now when there are fewer people who could be called close associates. As the curriculum from the third year onwards bes closer to practical training with virtually no departmental boundaries for most sses, there¡¯s much more potential for development there than other factions that form connections within the same department.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ethan looked somewhat displeased. Well, he¡¯s the young master of the ckwood family, so he probably isn¡¯t too keen on joining someone else¡¯s faction this early. Having somewhat read Ethan¡¯s feelings, I tried to pique his interest with another suggestion. ¡°Or, Young Master Ethan, it¡¯s possible for you to start forming your own independent force now¡­ but to be honest, I think it would be difficult to grow it as much as Princess Seraphine, who has already gained momentum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it¡¯s a bit toote to do that now.¡± If your goal was just to graduate from the academy, it wouldn¡¯t matter if you didn¡¯t form or join a faction. Mostmoner students couldn¡¯t even mingle with these noble factions to begin with. ¡­But Ethan was the young master of the ckwood family, so it would be difficult for him to erase his presence and focus solely on graduation in that way. Unless you had the overwhelming power to shut everyone¡¯s mouth like Harold, you needed some level of faction as a noble. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Unlike ordinarymoner students who could livefortably after graduation with just an academy diploma, noble society required maintaining rtionships with the factions from that time even after graduating from the academy. In that sense, the most efficient way for Ethan, the son of Duke ckwood, to build connections now was to join arge faction that was favorable to him, and Seraphine¡¯s faction was one of them. Other than that, if there was a faction that had the potential to grow into arge one in the future and had shown a friendly attitude towards Ethan so far¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t like Princess Seraphine¡¯s faction, there¡¯s also the option of building a rtionship with the Hero, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat. Currently, the Hero is showing a favorable attitude towards the Master, so if you make a good impression on him early on, perhaps the Hero would also¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°The princess would be better.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Tell the princess that I¡¯ve responded positively, Lilith. I don¡¯t really want to get close to that lecher¡­ I mean, the Hero.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master Ethan.¡± What¡¯s this? Did they have some kind of fight that I don¡¯t know about? I felt a bit uneasy seeing Ethan¡¯s expression harden as soon as the Hero¡¯s name was mentioned, but anyway, Ethan had chosen to join Seraphine¡¯s cab. It wasn¡¯t a problem for me, who had remaining issues to resolve with the princess. Chapter 149 Although Ethan and I had decided to join Seraphine¡¯s future student council cab, it didn¡¯t immediately cause any major changes in our daily lives. First of all, the Student Council Election period is a two-week period that starts with candidate registration, continues through the campaign period, and ends on the voting day. This means that even if we start student council activities as soon as possible, things won¡¯t get really busy until about two weekster. Unless something unexpected happened, it was almost certain that Seraphine would be elected as Student Council President this semester, and as someone who knew about those potential unexpected events, I had no reason to worry about the election. ¡®When the protagonist doesn¡¯t interfere with the election, following the normal storyline would mean Seraphine¡¯s confirmed victory.¡¯ In line with Seraphine¡¯s Student Council Presidential Election, the protagonist can choose one of three options: cooperation, non-intervention, andpetition. Cooperation naturally means joining the iing cab that Seraphine will form. Non-intervention means they neither participated in nor interfered with the student council cab selection. [Only on GxyTL! / Axiomatic] Lastly,petition means choosing to join another candidate¡¯s student council cab or directly running as an independent candidate. ¡®Among these, only thepetition route interferes with Seraphine¡¯s election.¡¯ In other words, unless some meddling with protagonist-level abilities and connections urs, the structure of the Student Council Presidential Election storyline inevitably leads to Seraphine¡¯s victory. Also, even though it¡¯s called a Student Council Presidential Election, it¡¯s essentially just an election to see how many followers one has within the academy. Since Fourth Prince Machart isn¡¯t participating in the election, most of the votes for the presidential election would inevitably go to Seraphine, the only royal candidate. It was right to assume that Seraphine would be elected as student council president, at least for this year and next year. There might be a more election-like event in the second semester of the third year, though. With this, there was no need yet for Ethan and me to be called out for campaign activities to spread Seraphine¡¯s name or to manage internal affairs on her behalf while she was busy with the campaign. Thinking about two weekster when the student council would start, and things would get busy in earnest, for now, I was just focusing on sses as usual. For example, like in today¡¯s ss. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In a silence so thick you could cut it with a knife, a Sword Master faced me, keeping a short distance. It was Harold, with his hand on the sword at his waist, waiting for me to approach him. ¡°Come whenever you¡¯re ready, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± With the start of the second semester, Harold¡¯s Magic Swordsmanship ss curriculum had also be more systematic. [Only on GxyTL! / Axiomatic] One of the changes was the practical opportunity to directly cross swords with a Sword Master. The regr duels that were previously only given to the top four students ¨C the protagonist, Ethan, Caraham, and Natalie ¨C now became an opportunity that came around once a month, even for ordinary students. Of course, it¡¯s not the kind of duel where the Sword Master¡¯s full strength and my full strength actually sh since there are some handicaps in ce. ¡®If we were to fight full-on, my wrist would be cut off just by his aura.¡¯ The professor, Harold, could respond only with pure swordsmanship without using mana or magic, and students would try tond an effective hit using either energy, magic, or any other misceneous techniques ¨C this was the evaluation method for the second semester¡¯s magic swordsmanship ss. By general student standards, if you could somehownd an effective hit on Harold, it was an automatic A+. Since it was an opportunity that came around only once a month, each chance had to be valued carefully. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve seen Harold¡¯s sword swings many times before.¡¯ Although not by choice, Harold¡¯s swordsmanship was what I had seen most often after Ethan¡¯s sword swings. Although most of what I had observed was when Harold was facing Ethan, I could take the test from a much more advantageous positionpared to other students who didn¡¯t even know that much. With the ckwood dagger engraved with the ckwood crest, a double-headed eagle, in my left hand, I shook off my steps as if springing towards Harold. WHOOSH! The Shockwave I activated from my toes at the moment of my first step helped elerate my body. I couldn¡¯t use it recklessly as it would strain my ankles if used too many times, but it was enough to quickly close the gap for my first few steps. [Only on GxyTL! / Axiomatic] After closing the distance of about 5 meters at once, I immediately swung the ckwood dagger in my left hand in front of Harold¡¯s eyes¡­ that¡¯s a feint. Swish! ¡°Blur!¡± After deliberately approaching Harold to a distance where his de would barely reach, I first blocked his vision with Blurred Light. Am I crazy enough to face Harold sword to sword? That¡¯s nonsense. In closebat, I, at my current skill level, would honestly struggle even against Luke. So, do you think I, who had cleared Luminor Academy 24 times in my previous life, wouldn¡¯t know Harold¡¯s capabilities?@@novelbin@@ ¡°Mana, pierce the enemy!¡± After blocking his vision with Blurred Light, I first created Magic Arrows with triple casting, which could be considered my full power. With my current improved uracy, I should be able to hit at least two out of three shots easily. For a moment, I had a hopeful feeling that if all three arrows luckily flew toward Harold, I might be able to inflict a slight wound¡­ ng! ng! ng! ¡­Well, I expected as much. I knew that Harold wouldn¡¯t fall for such trivial tricks. Even if I blocked his vision, Harold, who could read mana flow, wouldn¡¯t fall for low-level spells like Magic Arrows. I heard the sound of him deflecting all three Magic Arrows with just one swing of his sword, but I didn¡¯t feel particrly desperate. After all, even those arrows were just a feint for me. Swish! The real deal was this dagger I had hidden among the Magic Arrows I fired. I used Dagger Throw, which I had learned when dealing with the demons in Grainstone Vige. It¡¯s also the same technique Luke uses. Even Harold, who is sensitive to mana, might possibly let his guard down if an attackpletely unrted to mana is mixed in. The ckwood dagger, extended from my left hand, flew in a straight line towards Harold¡¯s silhouette in the Blurred Light. ng! ¡­This time, too, it was deflected by his sword just like the other Magic Arrows, as if it was nothing. ¡®This is fine.¡¯ If that attack had properlynded on Harold, it would have been the cleanest and best finish, but it would be unconscionable to expect such trivial tricks to be effective against a Sword Master. In the end, thinking that I had no choice but to end it with a physical sh, this time, I took out Seraphine¡¯s dagger from my bosom and rushed at Harold. [Only on GxyTL! / Axiomatic] Confirming the path of Harold¡¯s sword that had just been swung within my Blurred Light, I gripped the dagger in my right hand strongly in reverse grip and stabbed at his thigh¡­ ng! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Yes, up to now¡­ I had predicted he would respond sufficiently up to now, too. However, I ended up taking damage because I took too long to change grips, leaving a window of opportunity for him to attack. Receiving the impact of Harold¡¯s longsword with a dagger not even 20 centimeters long, the impact on my hand was no joke. Although I eventually let go of Seraphine¡¯s dagger, it seemed my paralyzed arm would need some time to recover. Fortunately, Lizzy¡¯s silver dagger was still left in my bosom, so I still had ast resort, and my real purpose wasn¡¯t tond a hit with this attack anyway. The reason I deliberately closed the distance and rushed in without magical support wasn¡¯t because I was foolish. It¡¯s because I had been reciting the chant for Mana Chain in my other hand, ready to activate it at any time. RATTLE-CLINK! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡®I did it¡­!¡¯ This was a moment when I could confidently say that my surprise attack would definitely work. I didn¡¯t miss Harold¡¯s expression, stiffening slightly in surprise as my Mana Chains wrapped around his longsword. Even for a Sword Master, fighting without magic or mana was essentially an act of constraining oneself. Especially for someone of Harold¡¯s skill level, he would have to consciously suppress the mana leaking from his body. While he focused on that, he naturally couldn¡¯t go all out, either. Having suppressed the Sword Master¡¯s sword, it was now my turn. That is, if I could stab with thest silver dagger even once into his body. At that moment, when I thought I hadpletely suppressed Harold¡¯s sword¡­ RATTLE-RATTLE! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Contrary to my expectation that I had surely removed Harold¡¯s longsword by binding it with Mana Chains, it was my Mana Chains that were being pulled by force. Harold swung my chains along with his sword, as if making a whirlpool in the air, then used the chains to wrap around my right wrist, which was holding the silver dagger. ¡°Aaargh!!¡± ¡°Lilith!!¡± With my left wrist, which was holding the silver dagger,pletely suppressed, it was a defeat right there. There was nothing more I could do. My right hand still had a tingling sensation remaining, so I couldn¡¯t even choose the option of switching hands to hold the sword. I copsed to the ground, bound by the chains I had cast myself. Thud. ¡°I, I¡¯ve lost¡­¡± ¡°Well done, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Mas¡­ Pro-Professor¡­¡± Btedly reciting the spell again to release the Mana Chains binding my arm, I got up from my position. ¡­If possible, I wanted to pass on the first attempt by using all the cards I had, whether they existed or not, but life doesn¡¯t always go as nned. He wasn¡¯t the final boss of Part 2 for nothing. It was actually a dream beyond reach to try to defeat Harold with my skills that can¡¯t even beat Ethan, who¡¯s just a miniboss. ¡°It was an excellent battle, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Professor.¡± ¡°However, you should learn to fight while saving the cards in your hand. The reason you lost despite fighting with three daggers is that you consumed them as if they were cards to be discarded from the start. Of course, depending on the situation, it can be useful to follow a new strategy without lingering attachments, but in your case, you were following the strategy you had set up in your head beforehand and didn¡¯t think about cases where you didn¡¯t need to discard them. You¡¯ve always got to have an ace in the hole.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± [Only on GxyTL! / Axiomatic] ¡°I hope you¡¯ll show an even better performance in the next duel. ¡­That way, I can also feel at ease about allowing your rtionship with Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Next. Martin Zemberner Clinton, step forward.¡± While questioning Harold¡¯s iprehensible additional remark, I picked up the daggers I had dropped one by one and returned to my seat next to Ethan. As soon as I returned to his side, Ethan looked at my left wrist with concern and asked: ¡°Lilith, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Young Master Ethan. It wasn¡¯t a battle that would leave some wounds, I just feel some slight pressure on my wrists.¡± ¡°When you fell earlier, did you get scraped anywhere¡­?¡± ¡°Just a little dirt that can be cleaned with Clean, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m d¡­¡± ¡­I wonder what Harold meant by allowing my rtionship with Ethan. Right now, me and Ethan are nothing more or less than an exclusive maid and her master. ¡®Maybe if I can¡¯t win even once in the duel, he¡¯ll make me quit being Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid¡­?¡¯ ¡­Surely not, right? Hoping that Harold wasn¡¯t that narrow-minded, I felt that I needed to take this semester¡¯s Magic Swordsmanship lecture ss more seriously. Chapter 150 Two weeks had passed since Agnes and I became partners in the lecture ss based on Spirit Affinity. This was already our third meeting for the Communicating with Spirits lecture ss. ¡°Alright, everyone~! Today, we¡¯re going to have a chance to meet spirits in person~!¡± ¡°Okay~!¡± Professor Erin Esilda, the spirit studies professor, led the students of Luminor Academy with a childlike expression, as if guiding kindergarteners. Perhaps due to her tone, some of the students even matched her vibe. Although she looks young, she¡¯s probably older than most professors at this academy. After all, she¡¯s half-fairy. ording to the curriculum, which Professor Erin exined on the first day, the grading system for this ss was simple. For students who hadn¡¯t contracted with a spirit yet, the goal was to somehow contract with a low-level spirit by the end of the semester. For those who already had contracts, the goal was to increase intimacy with their existing spirit. Professor Erin¡¯s subjective judgment would determine whether intimacy had increased or not. Since she¡¯s half-fairy and can freely converse even with low-level spirits, there¡¯s no way to dispute the grades. ¡®In my case, it doesn¡¯t matter since I canmunicate with Sally anyway.¡¯ But wait, I haven¡¯t actually contracted with Sally, so how will my grade be measured?@@novelbin@@ Well, I¡¯m sure Professor Erin will figure it out. It¡¯s not my ce to decide the grading criteria. By the way, any student who fails to contract with a spirit by the end of this semester will receive the lowest grade in this subject. [Only on Gxy Trantions!/Axiomatic] I suppose that¡¯s only natural, given that the course is aboutmunicating with spirits. If you can¡¯t find a spirit tomunicate with, you¡¯re out. ¡°Since some students are still unfamiliar with spirits themselves, we¡¯ll start our session by getting used to their presence~!¡± ¡°Okay~!¡± ¡°Spirits are always around us, even though they don¡¯t often show themselves~! There aren¡¯t many visible in the academy because of all the people, but there are many spirits in my secret garden. We¡¯ll spend some time meeting them directly and learning how to talk to spirits~!¡± ¡°Professor! Can those who haven¡¯t contracted with a spirit yet make a contract with one we meet?¡± ¡°If the spirit wants to, it¡¯s possible~! But most of the spirits in my garden are mid-level or higher, so it won¡¯t be easy~!¡± Out of the 30 students in this ss, only about three or four had a high enough mana capacity to contract with a mid-level spirit. Most of the students had already contracted with low-level spirits, so realistically, only Agnes and I could potentially contract with a mid-level spirit. As I mentioned before, Sally and I weren¡¯t in a contract rtionship, so there was nothing stopping me from contracting with a new spirit. Well, my goal wasn¡¯t to contract with a new spirit but to build a bit more intimacy with Sally, so I wasn¡¯t even thinking about making a contract. ¡°A mid-level spirit¡­. Theoretically, it¡¯s enough. Rather than a low-level spirit that can¡¯t evenmunicate, it might be better to try one that can speak a little¡­¡± ¡­The problem wasn¡¯t me, but Agnes, with her obsession with spirits. Seeing her spout nonsense about being able to theoretically contract with a mid-level spirit when even low-level spirits ignored her, it seemed Agnes would face significant challenges just contracting with a spirit this semester. If it were just her struggling alone, I wouldn¡¯t care what Agnes did, but if that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t haveined about this damned professor pairing us up as partners. Of course, the partner¡¯s ss achievement is included in the evaluation criteria. Since it ounts for a significant 30% of the final grade, I couldn¡¯t just let Agnes¡¯s grade plummet. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible to secure a spirit for Agnes before the end of our first year. It¡¯s just that I had never done it in the game before. ¡®I didn¡¯t even follow the standard route when I pursued Agnes in the first ce.¡¯ If I were to deliberately pursue Agnes¡¯s ¡°pure love¡± ending, the most orthodox method I know would be to enroll in the Magic Department, defeat Agnes in the first-year, first-semester final evaluation, and then enter into apetitive rtionship with her, bickering along the way. [Only on Gxy Trantions!/Axiomatic] With that, this Communication with Spirits course, where we help Agnes get a spirit, would probably be easy for Agnes fans to clear. Sadly, this was essentially my first time taking this course in both my previous life and this one. As I mentioned before, I didn¡¯t like Agnes romantically in my previous life. I only pursued her on a whim after identally clearing a major affection event, thinking I might as well try conquering all the heroines. ¡®Now, though, it¡¯s a matter of fate that I have to pursue her even if I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ Since it had be something I had to do, I naturally had no intention of doing it halfheartedly. At this point, I had no choice but to secure a spirit for her before the end of the first year. Even if I didn¡¯t know how to pursue Agnes, I knew how to pursue spirits well. No matter how charmless Agnes was, if she just followed my instructions well, it shouldn¡¯t be impossible. ¡­Of course, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯ll listen to me well, given our rather poor impressions of each other after our first meeting. ¡°Contracting with a spirit isn¡¯t that difficult, Miss ze.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just by waiting calmly for a spirit without being impatient, spirits tend toe on their own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Also, it¡¯s better not to have useless fantasies about aiming for a mid-level spirit from the start. For someone with low Spirit Affinity, it¡¯s just a waste of time anyway¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy with your chatter and meddling.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle the spirit contract on my own, so don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s my business anyway, so there¡¯s no reason for you to interfere.¡± ¡­How can there be no reason? Your grades affect my grades, you know. As expected of someone so selfish, she was full of self-centered thinking to the bone. Not to mention, she doesn¡¯t even know her own limits. She thinks she¡¯s some all-rounder who can handle spirits well just because she¡¯s good at magic. It was fortunate that I had good patience. No matter how unpleasantly she treated me, I had no intention of backing down easily. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that approaching spirits with such impatience won¡¯t work, they can all tell. When contracting with a spirit, it¡¯s important to approach calmly with an open mind. If you go around openly disying your desire to contract out of necessity, Miss ze, the spirits will naturally distance themselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine that I can contract with mid-level spirits at most if not high-level ones.¡± ¡°Even low-level spirits can sense how humans approach them. I don¡¯t even know what basis you have for saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine that I can contract with mid-level spirits at most.¡± Do you think spirits will eagerly contract with you without a thought just because they have eyes, Miss ze?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, spirits have their own standards of beauty from their perspective. You can¡¯t easily contract with a spirit just because you have a lot of mana. Of course, having a higher maximum mana capacity makesmunication rtively easier, so contracting bes easier, but you need to solve the problem before that in the first ce.¡± [Only on Gxy Trantions!/Axiomatic] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right now, from the spirits¡¯ perspective, Miss ze, your mana probably smells like some terribly stinky food. Some spirits might find it tasty if they force themselves to take a bite, but it¡¯s not easy to get them to take that first bite. At the very least, you need to change that unseble-product-like attitude to make spirits feel curious¡­¡± Tap, tap, tap, tap! ¡°W-wait a moment, Miss ze! Where are you suddenly going?!¡± Just when I thought she was quietly listening and focusing on my words for a moment, Agnes suddenly turned away and started moving away from me. As I was about to chase after her, feeling exasperated by her unpredictable behavior, this time, Sally suddenly started calling me urgently. {Lilith, Lilith! Look, look over there!!} ¡°What is it, Sally? I need to go knock some sense into Agnes right now¡­¡± {That¡¯s not important right now! Just look over there~!!} ¡°What¡¯s over there that¡¯s so important?¡± True to her nature as a fire spirit, Sally was making a fuss like a zing me as she called out to me. Giving in to her insistence, I quietly shifted my gaze to find a type of spirit I had often seen in the game in my previous life. A small girl wearing thin, translucent clothes was slowly floating in the air as if surrendering herself to the flowing wind. I could immediately recognize it as a wind spirit from its familiar appearance. ¡®A sylph? No, it should still be a mid-level spirit, so is that a sylphid?¡¯ Usually, high-level wind spirits are called sylphs, so I probably wasn¡¯t wrong. It didn¡¯t seem to have a specific name either, as it appeared to be without an owner. Well, this was Professor Erin¡¯s personal garden where several spirits were already roaming around, so a sylphid didn¡¯t feel particrly special. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a sylphid? Why are you suddenly making such a fuss about¡­¡± {Contract with that one, Lilith!} ¡°¡­What?¡± {I just had a hunch! I feel like my meeting with that spirit is fate!} ¡°Ah.¡± {Contract with her! Lilith! Quickly! Hurry!!} ¡­This crazy lolicon spirit. Chapter 151 {Hurry! Go and make a contract with it quickly! Lilith, you have plenty of mana, so you can easily contract with a mid-level spirit!!} ¡°¡­¡± {My following you to the academy was fate; it was meant for me to meet that child! So hurry up and go charm her, Lilith!} As soon as we encountered a sylphid in Professor Erin¡¯s secret garden, Sally began shouting excitedly. Seeing her attitude change so suddenly, I felt an incredible sense of exasperation towards her. {If you contract with her, you¡¯ll be able to see her whenever you¡¯re with Lilith! Hurry up and make the contract! Hurry¡­} ¡°Are you crazy?¡± {¡­Huh?} ¡°Why are you suddenly injecting your selfish desires into my spirit contracting? There¡¯s a limit to how absurd you can be.¡± {W-what¡¯s wrong with that?! It¡¯s only natural that wind and fire have goodpatibility! That child will definitely boost my power, too! It¡¯s not a bad deal for you either, Lilith!} Even after I bluntly called her absurd to her face, Sally acted as if she didn¡¯t understand what she¡¯d done wrong. Until now, I thought she was just a bit noisy but still somewhat useful. Thanks to that statement just now, my good impression of herpletely reversed. ¡°You pedophile.¡± {W-what are you saying?! S-spirits live much longer than humans! I¡¯ve lived dozens of times longer than you, Lilith, and that child over there is at least 200 years old¡­} ¡°So you¡¯re a pedophile by spirit age standards. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know that spirits under 400 years old are practically children among your kind?¡± {H-how did you know that, Lilith¡­ No! That¡¯s not it! Don¡¯t say such rude things! You¡¯re not even a spirit!} [Read only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go ask the professor right now? She¡¯s half-fairy and has been tending this garden, so she probably knows much better than I do.¡± {Aaaah, no! Okay, I admit it! I was wrong!!} It seems she has some sense of shame, at least, enough shame not to want the professor to know she¡¯s a lolicon. Why make such an easily exposed lie in the first ce? Her face burned with embarrassment as she realized how unsightly she must have looked just moments ago. I meant that in two ways since she¡¯s a fire spirit. {I-I¡¯ll admit that child is young! B-but calling me a pedophile is wrong! I do feel love for that child, but it¡¯s definitely not sexual!} ¡°Well, that¡¯s natural since your species doesn¡¯t reproduce.¡± {And it¡¯s not like I particrly like young spirits! It just happens that the one who caught my eye is young!} ¡°Don¡¯t spirits havew enforcement? Who deals with mentally unstable ones like you, huh?¡±@@novelbin@@ {Even so, your words are too harsh!} If only she could see herself reflected in water, she¡¯d know who the harsh one is. Well, from a spirit studies perspective, it¡¯s not out of the ordinary for fire spirits to be attracted to wind spirits. It¡¯s a natural phenomenon that fire spirits are drawn to wind spirits, wind spirits feel affection for water spirits, and water spirits want to associate with earth spirits. My disgust with Sally was apletely different issue from this natural phenomenon. I was exasperated by her shameless attitude of being attracted to a mid-level spirit that was practically a child from a high-level spirit¡¯s perspective and her obsessive fixation on a spirit she¡¯d just met less than fifteen minutes ago. Of course, I had no reason to go along with Sally¡¯s nonsense. ¡°If you like that child so much, go try to charm her yourself. Don¡¯t order me to do it.¡± {D-don¡¯t say such ridiculous things! It¡¯s obvious she¡¯ll run away if I approach her! What fearless sylphid would just stand there watching a smander approach?!} ¡°So you do understand. You understand the reason why you should give up.¡± {P-please, don¡¯t be like that! You can definitely charm her, Lilith! If you set your mind to it, you could attract any mid-level spirit with how delicious your mana is!} ¡­Well, considering Lilith¡¯s Charm stat, it wasn¡¯t impossible. With my Charm approaching triple digits soon and the proportionally increasing Spirit Affinity, it would certainly be possible to contract with one innocent sylphid. [Read only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] However, I didn¡¯t feel like simply going along with this smander¡¯s words when her intentions didn¡¯t seem very pure to begin with. ¡°Your intentions are too impure for me to go along with this. Wouldn¡¯t that innocent child be much happier living without knowing a being like you exists? Why don¡¯t you just give up for both of your sakes?¡± {W-why?! I¡¯m really not trying to do anything weird! I¡¯d be happy just watching from the side! If you¡¯re worried about not having enough mana for the contract, I can eat less!} ¡°My mana overflows normally anyway, so whether you eat less or more doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± {T-then, let¡¯s make a contract now! If you just contract with that child, I¡¯ll make a contract with you, too! Okay?!} ¡°No, you¡¯re a high-level spirit, so it¡¯s impossible for you to contract with me in the first ce.¡± Contracting with a spirit is simr to a monthly rent contract. The principle of spirit contracts works simrly to creating a nest made of mana around oneself. Creating a nest for these spirits to live in requires quite a high initial cost, and the reason why a high mana capacity is needed to contract with spirits also stems from this. A lot of mana (the initial deposit) must be consumed at once to create the mana nest, and once it¡¯s made, only maintenance costs (the monthly rent) of mana need to be consumed afterwards, so it¡¯s essentially like a monthly rent contract. Naturally, the higher the level of the spirit, the more mana is consumed to create this nest, so the beings that can contract with them are limited. [Read only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] You¡¯d need titles like Sage, Archmage, or Master of a Magic Tower. Even for me, who insanely increased my maximum mana from a very low level, it would only be possible after reaching Levels 30-40. Trying to contract with one before that would just waste my mana and leave me exhausted. Well, contracting with a high-level spirit was an attractive proposal, but at the same time, it was a meaningless proposal for me right now. ¡°If I had enough mana to contract with you, I might consider it, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a meaningless proposal for me right now?¡± {A-a temporary contract is possible! It doesn¡¯t use as much mana as a formal contract, and it¡¯s much easier to change to a formal contractter!} ¡°Hmm¡­¡± {Please! It¡¯s my lifelong wish! If you just contract with her, Lilith, I¡¯ll listen to you well from now on! I won¡¯t wake you up at night when you¡¯re sleeping!} ¡­Not waking me up at night when I¡¯m sleeping is quite an attractive offer. Honestly, the temporary contract proposal itself was a really good condition. Although she¡¯s a noisy lolicon, she¡¯s still a high-level spirit. If I contract with her, there would be ways to use her in some sense. It would be beneficial since one way for Lilith, whose uracy is stillcking, tond confirmed hits is by using spirits. If I feed mana to a spirit and have it attack directly, I could ovee one of my chronic problems. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± {Really?!} ¡°But don¡¯tin if it doesn¡¯t work out. Just because my mana is delicious doesn¡¯t mean I can charm every spirit.¡± {Y-yes! I understand!} ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment, so Sally, please keep some distance from me for a while.¡± After distancing Sally from myself so as not to frighten the sylphid, I slowly walked towards the mid-level spirit floating in the wind, without any particr expectations. I approached it with a light heart, thinking it would be good if the contract worked out luckily, and if not, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Agnes Elizabeth ze. The only daughter of the ze Viscount family and the top student of Luminor Academy¡¯s Magic Department. Also Lilith¡¯s partner in the spirit studies lecture, she was momentarilyposing her sorrowful emotions in a corner of the garden. ¡°¡­Sniff.¡± In truth, she knew it herself. She knew that her mana capacity was high, but her affinity with spirits wasn¡¯t very good. She knew that even if theoretically she could contract with mid-level spirits, in reality, even low-level spirits were reluctant to contract with her. She also knew that she was being impatient about contracting with spirits ¨C these were all facts she knew well. <¡­from the spirits¡¯ perspective, Miss ze, your mana probably smells like some terribly stinky food. ¡­ At the very least, you need to change that unseble-product-like attitude to make spirits feel curious¡­> ¡°You didn¡¯t have to go that far¡­¡± Terribly stinky food? An unseble product? For her, who had grown up receiving all sorts of expectations as a promising talent of the Elizabeth family, it was a scathing evaluation she had never heard before. To think someone who looks pretty and gentle on the outside would unhesitatingly say such things to her. Moreover, the fact that she couldn¡¯t refute what Lilith had said kept pricking at her heart, making it impossible not to feel even more dejected. ¡°I know that too, you know.¡± After secretly wiping her tears away in a corner, Agnes was finally able to calm herplicated emotions to some extent. She realized how childishly she had beenpeting with Lilith. In any case, she probably didn¡¯t say those things just to torment her. After all, if Agnes couldn¡¯t contract with a spirit, Lilith herself would be disadvantaged as well. She must have been sincere in worrying about her and giving advice. ¡­It¡¯s just that the advice she gave was so intense that she momentarily lost herposure. Anyway, she was a woman with such a high understanding of spirits that she could bring around a high-level spirit without even contracting it. If she just obediently followed her words, she should be able to contract with at least a low-level spirit. For Agnes, who needed to somehow contract with her first spirit in order not to fall behind in the fight for a sessor among the numerous branch families of the Elizabeths, she could put aside petty and childish emotions for that purpose. ¡°That woman hasn¡¯t made a formal contract with the smander yet, either.¡± She probably couldn¡¯t easily contract with other low-level spirits, which made her contract with a high-level spirit instead. If she could contract with even a low-level spirit before her in the meantime, she could say she had won for now. Such thoughts became the driving force that made Agnes, who had be depressed, rise from her seat once again. It was shortly after this that she would encounter Lilith, who had finished contracting with a mid-level spirit while she was briefly away. T/N Hello! Axiomatic here. Poor girl. It¡¯s a canon event that all gifted kids have to go through at least once in their lives. I know the pain all too well. Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow! Chapter 152 About ten minutes had passed since Sally asked me to contract with the nameless sylphid¡­ The wind spirit that had been wandering around Professor Erin¡¯s garden without a contractor until just now had suddenly be my formally contracted spirit. ¡®I didn¡¯t think it would actually work.¡¯ To be honest, I was nning to make an attempt and then give up with a suitable excuse if it didn¡¯t work. While opportunities to contract with mid-level spirits don¡¯te easily, it wasn¡¯t a decision to make impulsively just because it was a mid-level spirit. Although spirits can provide spontaneous advantages in battle and assist with judgment inplex situations, naturally, spirit contracts don¡¯t only have such advantages. In a sense, it was like permanently adding an ally that I couldn¡¯t control at will, so there were often cases where spirits would act contrary to my intentions. In Luminor Academy, there were asional instances where a spirit¡¯s attack would identally kill an enemy I intended to capture alive with binding magic or where water would be poured on a burned enemy, extinguishing the mes. To prevent such cases from happening, I usually had to be cautious about spirit contracts themselves, so I was nning to break it off immediately if the other party¡¯s reaction was ambiguous this time, too. [O-ooh~! Ooh~!] Seeing the sylphid clinging to me, wanting to contract as soon as I fed her a bit of mana I¡¯d released from my fingertips, it seemed ourpatibility wasn¡¯t too bad. I think I understood what Sally meant by me having ¡°mana delicious enough to attract anyone.¡± When I yed Luminor Academy, I mostly contracted with high-level spirits, so I didn¡¯t notice. However, with Lilith¡¯s current Charm stat, it seemed possible to easily attract mid-level spirits. ¡­It¡¯s also possible that this sylphid and I just had particrly goodpatibility. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic]@@novelbin@@ ¡°Um¡­ would you like to contract?¡± [Ooh~! Ooh~!] Although she¡¯s a mid-level spirit and can¡¯t speak yet, seeing her nod enthusiastically and cling to me, she seemed quite full of willingness to contract. It would be a bit awkward to send her away when she wanted it this much¡­ I guess I should just ept it as fate at this point. With such thoughts, I had just finished the contract using almost all of my remaining mana a moment ago. As soon as I finished the contract, Sally, who had briefly left her position, rushed back to my side. {Lilith! You just contracted with her, right?! You did contract, right?!} ¡°Yes, yes. I contracted, so please don¡¯t make such a fuss, Sally.¡± {Kyaaa! She¡¯s so cute! Do you have a name? If not yet, should Big Sister Sally give you one?!} [U-uh~?! N-no~!!] Sally rushed towards the sylphid with an expression that anyone would find somewhat dangerous, and the wind spirit fled in panic at her reaction. Although I had contracted with the sylphid at Sally¡¯s request, I certainly didn¡¯t want this child to be Sally¡¯s ything. To avoid leaving a bad impression on each other from their first meeting, I separated Sally and the sylphid, holding them back with both hands. ¡°Wait a moment, Sally. Didn¡¯t you promise not to do anything weird?¡± {¡­I didn¡¯t do anything particrly weird, though¡­} ¡°What did you say?¡± {Ah, no¡­ I was just greeting her a little¡­ What¡¯s wrong with greeting someone you¡¯re meeting for the first time¡­} ¡°Does a child you¡¯ve just met tremble like this from a simple greeting? Shouldn¡¯t a high-level fire spirit approach a mid-level wind spirit much more carefully in the first ce?¡± {O-okay¡­ S-sorry¡­.} ¡­Somehow, considering her usual image, it feels like she¡¯s just pretending to reflect now but will be shameless againter. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] For the sake of the sylphid who had kindly contracted with me, I needed to mediate between the two spirits for now. After all, it was the sylphid, not Sally, who had formally contracted with me, so as a contractor, I had a duty to protect her from Sally¡¯s shady desires. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That pedophile smander was being annoying.¡± [Uh, f-fire¡­ scary¡­. Fire, scary¡­.] {D-don¡¯t be scared! I¡¯m not scary! I-I really just want to be friends! You don¡¯t have to be so wary just because I¡¯m a fire spirit¡­.} ¡°I told you not to approach, Sally.¡± {O-okay, I get it¡­.} Sally stepped back slightly with a somewhat dejected expression as I deliberately protected the sylphid. I almost weakened at her gloomy appearance, so different from her usual overly cheerful demeanor, but I had to deal with this more firmly and clearly. If I showed weakness here, I would continue to be swayed even after formally contracting with Sallyter, which would be unfair to the sylphid who had contracted with me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. For now, I¡¯ll make sure that thing doesn¡¯t approach you while I¡¯m watching.¡± {Calling me ¡®that thing¡¯ is too harsh! We¡¯ve been together for months!} [Eek! F-fire is still scary¡­.] {N-no! I-I wasn¡¯t trying to get angry at you¡­} Surprisingly, it seemed Sally¡¯s im of falling for this sylphid at first sight wasn¡¯t a lie. She became flustered as soon as the wind spirit showed signs of fear. Seeing that attitude, I could be certain that I had the initiative in this rtionship. Since I had the justification of being contracted with the sylphid, I first created an environment where Sally couldn¡¯t act recklessly. ¡°Sally, are you going to keep scaring the sylphid? If you keep acting so insensitively, I have ways to deal with you, you know?¡± {Huh, huh?!} ¡°From what you said earlier, it seems you want to use me to get close to this sylphid, but if you keep being annoying, I just won¡¯t contract with you.¡± {W-what are you saying?! Why! We¡¯ve been getting along well until now!} ¡°Getting along well is just from your perspective.¡± At least, it wasn¡¯t for me. How many times had Sally forcibly woken me up and disturbed my sleep when I was exhausted? Moreover, since Ethan couldn¡¯t hear her voice because she¡¯s a spirit, I was the only one who had to wake up every time she made a fuss. Until now, I had been enduring it because of the buffing from her blessing, but with the sylphid here, I didn¡¯t necessarily need Sally¡¯s blessing anymore. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Although she¡¯s a mid-level spirit, I could still get a spirit blessing through the sylphid, and even if the effect was slightly weaker, it was something I could sufficiently bear. After all, the sylphid was the first to formally contract with me, so naturally, prioritizing her was the attitude I should show as a spirit contractor. ¡°You know we haven¡¯t even made a temporary contract, let alone a formal one, right? But the sylphid has already formally contracted with me. If you do anything suspicious to ¡®my spirit,¡¯ I won¡¯t stand by idly, even if it¡¯s you, Sally.¡± {O-okay! I won¡¯t be scary, so please, give me one more chance, Lilith!} ¡°For now, maintain at least a one-meter distance until the sylphid opens up to you. Of course, suddenly rushing in and hugging her like before is forbidden.¡± {Uh, uhhh¡­.} Sally carefully distanced herself from me with a somewhat unconvinced expression. It seems I¡¯ve managed to separate that lolicon smander from the sylphid for now. I started with a light introduction with the sylphid, who had be able tomunicate a little after the formal contract. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there was a bit of a disturbance. Now that fire spirit won¡¯t be able to approach you for a while¡­¡± [You, cool.] ¡°Pardon?¡± [You, strong. Magic, tasty too. Yes.] ¡°Oh¡­ thank you?¡± [I, look forward? Um¡­ master?] ¡°I¡¯m Lilith ckwood Rosewood. You can just call me Lilithfortably.¡± [Yes, Lilith. I am¡­ Uh, I, I am¡­.] ¡°Yes?¡± [I, don¡¯t have name¡­. What to do¡­?] From this, it seems she¡¯s not a spirit who has contracted before. Unlike Sally, who seems to have experienced a lot of human society, this sylphid seemed to have an untainted purity about her. For some reason, I felt a strange affection towards her appearance that oddly aroused a protective instinct. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a name yet, may I give you one?¡± [Yes, yes.] ¡°Since you¡¯re a wind spirit, how about Sei? I think it sounds nice, like the sound of wind.¡± [Yes, like it. I am Sei.] ¡°I look forward to working with you, Sei.¡± [Yes, Lilith.] With those words, Sei carefully flew onto my shoulder and quietly leaned against me. It seemed the fatigue from the spirit contract was hitting her btedly. Well, since spirit contracts use vast amounts of mana, both the contractor and the contracted spirit need time to adapt. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] I don¡¯t know whether contracting with her will be beneficial or detrimental to me in the future, but she was still the first spirit I had contracted with, so it was inevitable that I felt a bit more affection for her. As I was thinking this and feeling tired from my mana being almost depleted, I felt a hand gently grabbing the hem of my clothes from behind. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for just running away earlier.¡± Feeling the hand pulling from below, I momentarily thought of the short girl in my mind, but as I expected, it was the fire mage who had just run off and disappeared behind me. Not expecting her to suddenly return, I carefully called her name. ¡°Miss ze?¡± ¡°H-how do I get close to spirits? And how can I quickly contract with even a low-level spirit?¡± ¡­Judging by her expression, it seems she¡¯s made up her mind to some extent. It seems she needed time alone to think about her limitations. I should have told her earlier. Well, if she¡¯s decided to do it properly, I guess I have no choice but to properly support and help her. ¡°Have you made up your mind? You¡¯ve decided to start with contracting a low-level spirit first?¡± ¡°Yes. Like you said, I think it was hasty to try and contract with a mid-level spirit first. So for now, I¡¯ll start from the bottom as you said¡­ Huh?¡± [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Agnes, who seemed to have changed her mind, slowly raised her head and met my eyes. For some reason, her gaze shifted from my face to one of my shoulders carefully. Soon, with a slightly surprised voice, she asked about the mid-level spirit sleeping on my shoulder. ¡°W-what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The spirit sleeping on your shoulder¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Sei? She¡¯s the wind spirit I just contracted with while you were away, Miss ze.¡± ¡°Y-you just contracted? With a mid-level spirit?¡± ¡°Well, I already have Sally. Wind and fire have goodpatibility in many ways, right? Of course, it¡¯ll take time for them to be close since Sei is still scared of Sally for now¡­¡± ¡°Uh, uhhh¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Miss ze?¡± ¡°WAAAAAAAAH!! That¡¯s unfair!! That¡¯s cheating!!!¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, Miss ze! Weren¡¯t you asking how to contract with spirits?!¡± Even though she wasn¡¯t a character I paid much attention to in the game, this Agnes was truly an unpredictable person. I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to get through this semester safely¡­. Chapter 153 Two weeks had passed since I formally contracted with Sei, the mid-level wind spirit. As expected in an academy world based on a game, various events urred over the past two weeks, but from Ethan¡¯s and my perspective, it felt like fairly ordinary days passing by. If there was anything special among those events, it would be that my level increased by one to Level 12 during the practical monster subjugation sses over the past two weeks. It was a natural result, considering Ethan and I paired up to hunt five or six monsters a day. Of course, it was an incredibly slow growthpared to focusing solely on leveling up, but the fact that I was growing at all was important in its own way for now. The typical scene when Ethan and I attended practical monster subjugation sses looked something like this: ¡°Lilith, can you buy time against the goblin at 3 o¡¯clock?!¡± ¡°Easily! So Ethan, please focus on the orc in front of you!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Basically, while Ethan fought strong enemies at the frontline and focused on those battles, I defended the inevitably exposed blind spots. Alternatively, our typical pair hunting style involved Ethan dealing with monsters in closebat while I kept ranged monsters in check with Dagger Throws or Magic Arrows when their numbers were few. I also asionally used Arcane Barriers or Mana Chains to support Ethan¡¯s hunting. It was reassuring in many ways to fight with a reliable tank and damage dealer in front. In Luminor Academy, I, as the protagonist, had almost exclusively yed the tank role. Dropping honorifics during battle was Ethan¡¯s idea. He said that in urgent situations, using ¡°young master¡± every time could lead to missing important information. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] As a maid, I couldn¡¯t suggest such a brazen proposal first without risking being used of disrespect, so I kept quiet. Fortunately, Ethan wasn¡¯t so oblivious. Of course, I agreed since I had been thinking about it before. Anyway, apart from being the young master I served and a nobleman, Ethan was quite a useful partner in practical hunting. I couldn¡¯t help but naturally think that I wanted to continue working with him until graduation from the academy, if possible. ¡®As long as I remain Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I should be able to act in a partner-like position while attending the academy.¡¯ It feels like just yesterday I saw him as a child whining for food in the kitchen, but now, he had be a reliable vanguard I could entrust myself without worry. It was inevitable to feel a strange sense of emotion every time we attended practical hunting sses. If there was anything else that was special, it might be that I¡¯ve gotten a little closer to Agnes. Well, from her desperate situation, getting closer to me was probably the best solution, so it was essentially an unavoidable choice. For Agnes, spirits were not an option but a necessity to win in theplex battle for the sessor of the Elizabeth family. It wasn¡¯t really a matter of her magic bing stronger or weaker with a spirit. The Elizabeth family had a tradition that the heir who would continue the family line must always be superior to others in every aspect, and this wasn¡¯t limited to just magic. Basic knowledge of magic was fundamental, but social graces and Spirit Affinity were also included in the evaluation criteria for heirs. No matter how strong one¡¯s magic or knowledge of magic was, if their Spirit Affinity was terribly low, they would naturally fall behind in the session race. Especially if Agnes, who was taking spirit studies sses to try and contract even a low-level spirit, failed to contract a spirit by the end of the semester, her position within the family would be quite precarious, no matter how promising she was. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Professor Erin¡¯s ss focused on ¡°bing friends¡± with spirits rather than ¡°contracting¡± them, so from Agnes¡¯s position, I was almost the only one who could help her. That¡¯s why, recently, I intentionally stayed behind for an hour after ss to help Agnes prepare for spirit contracting. ¡°Basically, Miss ze, your obsession with spirits is too strong. You approach them too aggressively.¡± ¡°¡­Why is that a problem? If I don¡¯t approach them actively, there¡¯s no way spirits will approach me first.¡± ¡°Normally, that would be true. But Miss ze, your mana is a bit special, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the kind of mana that spirits find difficult to approach readily.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been curious about this for a while. Is my mana really that bad? Since I have a lot of it, shouldn¡¯t there be some spirits who like it?¡± [No, there aren¡¯t. You smell. It¡¯s a strange smell.] {No~pe! One of the reasons we contract with humans in the first ce is to eat delicious mana that doesn¡¯t exist in nature! Of course, your mana also has a taste that probably doesn¡¯t exist in nature¡­ but there are hardly any spirits who want to stuff themselves with mana that tastes bad and smells! Well, there might be some unusual ones who actually find your magic delicious!} ¡°¡­¡­¡± Agnes¡¯s expression froze in shock after hearing Sei and Sally¡¯s scathing evaluation. It¡¯s not like I had developed any special affection for her, but even so, the two spirits¡¯ assessment was too harsh. ¡°Wait a moment, Sei, Sally! Don¡¯t speak so bluntly! There are ways to say things more indirectly, you know!¡± [Strange smell. How to say indirectly? I don¡¯t know such things.] {Then why don¡¯t you try saying it indirectly, Lilith?! I just honestly said I don¡¯t want to eat mana that tastes bad and smells strange!} ¡°M-mana that tastes bad and smells strange¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Miss ze. There¡¯s nothing particrly wrong with your mana. It¡¯s just that spirits find it a bit unfamiliar, so it¡¯s hard for them to approach readily. Even if a steak looks perfectly fine, it¡¯s human instinct to avoid it if it smells like rotten eggs, right? If clear soup smells like urine, you¡¯d naturally suspect the chef. What spirits feel from your mana, Agnes, is simr to this¡­.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re the worst.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Anyway, recently, I¡¯ve been focusing on helping Agnes understand the nature of her mana in this way. The most fundamental solution was, of course, to increase Agnes¡¯s Charm stat and, in turn, her Spirit Affinity, but that wasn¡¯t something that could be done in a short period. The n for Agnes¡¯s spirit contract was to proceed with a method closer to a trick. ¡®If it¡¯s a young spirit that can¡¯t even sense the taste of magic, I should be able to attach one to her.¡¯ It¡¯s entirely possible to raise a contracted spirit into a strong one depending on the human¡¯s capabilities. The event to give Agnes a spirit woulde to the academy on its own soon enough, so until then, I had to make her willing to contract with even a low-level spirit somehow. This doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m harboring resentment towards her from our unpleasant first meeting and saying things to upset her to her face. After discussing spirit studies seriously with Agnes for two weeks, I became somewhat familiar with how to handle her. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic]@@novelbin@@ While seeking help from me regarding spirit contracts, Agnes often looked at me with eyes that suggested she didn¡¯t like me. Well, even if she looks at me with those yes, she can¡¯t do anything to me until the next evaluation test anyway. ¡°Please vote for the princess for Student Council President!¡± ¡°We ask for your support for the Moonlight Shadow Princess!¡± Meanwhile, Seraphine¡¯s student council election campaign was steadily progressing. If something unexpected had happened, I would have participated in helping with Seraphine¡¯s campaign. For now, though, the student council election was proceeding as in the original story, so I didn¡¯t intervene unnecessarily. Besides, even if I jumped in to participate in the campaign, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference Seraphine¡¯s election as Student Council President was already almost certain, and other candidates were essentially participating for the sake of participating, not actively campaigning with the thought of bing president themselves. Well, although the royal family¡¯s power doesn¡¯t reach much within the Ind of Knowledge, they would still have to meet as royalty and subjects outside the academy. They probably wouldn¡¯t want to risk falling out of favor with the royal family by staking their lives on the uncertain possibility of being elected as the academy¡¯s Student Council President. In other words, when Seraphine¡¯s student council starts its activities in a few days, Ethan and I will also start to get busy in earnest. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] If we do student council work on weekdays, we¡¯ll naturally have to deal with assignments we would dy to weekends, so this weekend was essentially thest leisurely weekend Ethan and I could spend. ¡­And for some reason, on thisst weekend, I was out walking the streets of the Ind of Knowledge with Ethan from the morning, having left the academy. Moreover, we were walking without Isabel, who was always by our side in such situations, so it was just the two of us. ¡°Lilith, is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go?¡± ¡°¡­No, you don¡¯t need to ask for my opinion, Young Master Ethan. I¡¯ll follow wherever you decide to go¡­¡± ¡°We agreed not to use ¡®young master¡¯ today, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­E-Ethan.¡± As I struggled to call Ethan¡¯s name with lips that seemed reluctant to part, Ethan nodded with a satisfied expression. Feeling a bit puzzled by his iprehensible reaction, I quietly followed Ethan¡¯s steps for now. Really, how did it end up like this¡­ Chapter 154 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 154 [Date? (2)] Today, I¡¯m on a spontaneous weekend date with Ethan. It actually started as an extension of our usual routine. Harold¡¯s weekly Magic Swordsmanship ss. After nearly three weeks since thest duel, I got another chance to face Harold. Learning from my previous defeat, I challenged him once again. As expected, this duel also ended in my defeat without much progress. Heeding Harold¡¯s advice that I had used up my tricks too easilyst time, I tried to conserve my three daggers as much as possible this time. However, a Sword Master was not an opponent I could face while holding back at my level. As a result, I was crushed even more thoroughly than in the previous duel. Yet, for some reason, Harold still praised me after the duel ended. It seemed I needed a different approach to face him. Of course, I had no idea what that different approach might be at the moment. After several students, including myself, were thoroughly defeated by Harold, the usual duels between the top students and Harold followed. Having used all my strength against Harold, I quietly watched the duels between the top students, including the duel between Ethan and Harold. Although he lost one of the two rounds, Ethan managed to win the other, ending his duel with Harold in a draw. I quietly apuded him. ¡®Since Ethan won, I¡¯ll have to change out of my uniform a bitter today.¡¯ It would be better not to remove my bra beneath the uniform. I had once made the mistake of taking off just my bra in advance, which led to misunderstandings about whether I hade to school without one. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Besides, it seemed Ethan preferred to undress me himself, so there was no need to spoil that pleasure for him. ¡­And to allow Ethan to quietly relieve his sexual desires, I would spend a bit more time in the bathroom afterward while I also did by myself, quietly¡­ ¡®No, wait.¡¯ I felt flustered by the series of thoughts that suddenly crossed my mind. It felt strange that I was so naturally envisioning the process of my nighttime activities just from seeing Ethan¡¯s victory. It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯m somehow enjoying having my chest touched by Ethan. ¡®¡­Surely not.¡¯ Could it be that, regardless of Ethan not doing ¡°terrible things¡± to me, my body, as Lilith, had somehow be ustomed to Ethan¡¯s body at some point?@@novelbin@@ No, probably not. After all, in the original game, Lilith was a heroine who fell for the protagonist after being saved. Even all the sexual abuse she suffered from the disgusting Ethan before that, if you think about it, intensified precisely because Lilith didn¡¯t give her heart to the disgusting Ethan. It¡¯s just that now I no longer have any particr resistance to Ethan, so I can ept being touched on the chest as pure pleasure¡­ ¡®Strictly speaking, that might be even more problematic.¡¯ To feel pleasure from having my chest touched by a man¡¯s hand ¨C this wasn¡¯t a normal way of thinking either, of course. It didn¡¯t make sense for me, who was originally a man, to be happy about being touched by Ethan. If I onlypared the absolute number of years lived, the number of years I lived in my previous life and the number of years I¡¯ve lived here as Lilith were almost simr. Even with that, I still had some aversion to being in a romantic rtionship with a man. If I had realized I had possessed Lilith when she was very young, it might have been okay, but I only realized it about five to six years ago. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] That short amount of time wasn¡¯t enough to ovee this issue, no matter how nice a guy Ethan was¡­ ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. What is it, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Is something wrong? You looked like you were troubled by something.¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s not an issue important enough for you to worry about, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± It seems I was so lost in my confusing thoughts that I didn¡¯t even notice Ethan returning to my side after finishing his duel. The duel between Natalie and Harold was already in full swing in front of me after Ethan¡¯s duel had ended. I need to focus. No matter how confused my mind was, I was still Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, and I had to give my all to my duties at the very least. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t miss watching my duel with Father because you were lost in thought, did you?¡± ¡°¡­No. I watched that part properly, so you don¡¯t need to worry, Young Master Ethan. I confirmed that you split the rounds, achieving a draw with the master.¡± ¡°¡­I see. That¡¯s good, then.¡± Judging by his relief, it seemed that bedtime would be a bitter tonight as well. Lately, Isabel seemed to quietly retire to the servants¡¯ waiting room early on such nights, which suggested she might have vaguely noticed the rtionship between Ethan and me. Well, considering we were doing such things while making noises with just a door between us, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she had figured it out long ago. If anything, it was impressive how Isabel treated us without showing any sign that she knew what Ethan and I were doing. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan. If you wish, I¡¯ll prepare the reward for tonight as well.¡± ¡°About that reward¡­ Actually, I wanted to ask for something else¡­¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± My mind suddenly went cold at Ethan¡¯s mention of asking for something else. If he¡¯s asking for something other than the chest-touching reward, could he be saying he wants to move to the next step? [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] In a situation where I¡¯m already having my chest touched every night, the next step could mean¡­ is he asking to touch me down below this time? No, no, no, no. If we¡¯re talking about the next step after the chest, it might not end there ¨C he might even aim for my first time and pounce on me. ¡®That absolutely cannot happen¡­¡¯ Although I wasn¡¯t able to use my power as a Saint at all, that didn¡¯t mean I was in a position to freely throw away my chastity. To use a Saint¡¯s power, one needs to receive a formal consecration at the main Aurelia church, so that condition wasn¡¯t easily met. However, just because I couldn¡¯t use it right away didn¡¯t mean I could easily give up the potential I possessed. It didn¡¯t make sense topromise a Saint¡¯s potential just to satisfy the sexual desires of a boy who had just passed puberty. The problem was that if Ethan were to deliberately try to pounce on me, Icked justification in many ways to immediately reject him. I had already had my chest touched by Ethan at least a dozen times, so acting innocent now wouldn¡¯t work at all. Moreover, Ethan already had an overwhelming physical advantage, so if he forcefully pounced on me, I couldn¡¯t offer much resistance¡­ ¡°Y-Y-Young Master Ethan. I acknowledge that your skills have improved greatly, b-but e-even so, moving to that kind of rtionship is, I-I think, a bit i-improper¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, Lilith. I-I¡¯m not trying to ask for anything lewd.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°When I say I want to ask for something else, I don¡¯t mean what we usually do at night, I just mean something normal, not lewd at all¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°With our work in the student council starting soon, weekends will get busy too, so before that happens, I wanted to ask if we could go out together the morning after tomorrow¡­ Is this kind of request not allowed?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­So, that¡¯s what this is about? From the start, Ethan had no intention of asking me for anything lewd. I was the only one who unnecessarily scared myself, assuming he would naturally ask for something lewd, and spent time agonizing over how to refuse and how to respond if he forcefully pounced on me. For some reason, a familiar feeling of embarrassment washed over me, and I could only quietly lower my head. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] I didn¡¯t want Ethan to see the redness rushing to my face. ¡°I-I understand, Young Master Ethan. If that is what you wish, I can certainly amodate such a request.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, Lilith.¡± ¡°For such a request, you don¡¯t need to offer anything in exchange. As your exclusive maid, it¡¯s only natural for me to follow you, Young Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°Right. Since we¡¯re on the topic, I should talk about that aspect as well.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°For that one day after tomorrow, I¡¯d like you to spend time with me not as my exclusive maid but as Lilith, an ordinary viscount¡¯s daughter. That¡¯s the extent of my request, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± I thought I had been watching over the not-yet-fully-grown Ethan for quite some time. However, seeing him say such iprehensible things, it seems that even after knowing someone for a long time, you can never truly understand them. Chapter 155 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 155 [Date? (3)] The current situation arose from Ethan taking me out of the academy for the weekend to grant his reward for winning the duel against Harold. Ethan had taken me out not as his exclusive maid but as Lilith, a viscount¡¯s daughter. Since I wasn¡¯t his maid for today, I couldn¡¯t use titles like ¡°young master,¡± nor could I use the extremely formal expressions I usually did. Thinking about it that way, the atmosphere felt somewhat like a date. Realizing this, I became a bit suspicious about Ethan¡¯s intentions in taking me out. ¡®¡­Could it be that he¡¯s trying to create a subtle date atmosphere to confess again likest time?¡¯ In truth, I had been sensing signs of Ethan¡¯s strange feelings towards me for quite some time. After all, just a few months ago, he had tried to create an atmosphere as if he was going to confess to me. It was entirely possible for a boy his age to develop romantic feelings for a woman who looked like Lilith, who was constantly by his side. ¡®He should know better than anyone that he¡¯s the heir to the ckwood Ducal family, so he probably won¡¯t make the foolish choice of trying to make me his actual fianc¨¦e.¡¯ However, I wasn¡¯t sure if he had given up on the idea of a one-night fling or a casual romance. The academy¡¯s atmosphere was quite liberalpared to the outside world, and there were quite a few examples of positive rtionships developing between noble andmoner students. [Axiomatic / Only on Gxy Trantions!] So it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all for him to want to enjoy a free romance while still a student, even if he would choose a different woman as his fianc¨¦e in the future. ¡®I feel like I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to this.¡¯ Now that I was conscious of it being a date, I almost felt it would have been better to just have my chest touched once instead. I absolutely couldn¡¯t stand the awkwardness of a romantic atmosphere developing between a man and a woman. While I could ept having my chest touched as a reward for Ethan¡¯s efforts, I still had resistance to bing lovers. Although I didn¡¯t think Ethan had any ws as a man, I still wasn¡¯t interested to enter in a rtionship with a man. ¡®I hope Ethan is thinking the same way I am.¡¯ Seeing that he gave up even touching his favorite chest to ask for a date, I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility of things taking a strange turn. At this point, there was only one solution. If there was even a hint of a good atmosphere developing, I had to somehow break it and make sure he didn¡¯t develop any romantic feelings for me. With this in mind, I asked Ethan about today¡¯s schedule as naturally as possible. I needed to know where we would be going in advance so I could think of appropriate ways to deal with each situation. ¡°Um, Ethan¡­?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Lilith.¡± ¡°Where are you nning to go today, bringing me as a noblewoman rather than a maid?¡± ¡°¡­Even if you ask where we¡¯re going, I didn¡¯t really have a specific destination in mind.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I just wanted to go out of school with you as an ordinary noblewoman, Lilith. Until now, I¡¯ve only seen you in your maid uniform or your school uniform.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan lowered his head carefully, blushing as if embarrassed. For some reason I didn¡¯t quite understand, I almost found myself swept up in Ethan¡¯s atmosphere for a moment. He may look normal, but still¡­ With such thoughts, I walked alongside Ethan with slightly awkward steps through themercial district streets of the Ind of Knowledge. Ethan¡¯s steps slowly came to a stop in front of one of the stores. [Axiomatic / Only on Gxy Trantions!] I quietly stopped as well, matching his pace. ¡°Shall we buy some new clothes first?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have plenty of spare clothes in the dormitory?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not talking about my clothes, but yours, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­My clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. Looking at your current attire, I think we need to change your clothes first.¡± Feeling a bit puzzled by Ethan¡¯s words, I briefly looked over the clothes I was wearing. It was just my ordinary maid uniform, no different from usual, so I couldn¡¯t help but express my confusion once again. ¡°It¡¯s just a normal maid uniform, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s ordinary for a maid uniform, but it¡¯s hardly suitable for a noble youngdy to wear.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. But I thought it would be a bit strange to wear the academy uniform on a non-school day as well.¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s why we should buy you some clothes first. Aren¡¯t you getting tired of only wearing the academy uniform and your maid uniform, Lilith?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t really mind even if I continue to only wear my uniforms and my maid outfit. However, I couldn¡¯t refute his im that it wasn¡¯t befitting of a noble youngdy, so I had no choice but to nod in agreement for now. I was a person with at least some basicmon sense, after all. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, I found myself thinking that having a set of casual wear for going out wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. From the start, I didn¡¯t have the option of refusing, as I was here to fulfill Ethan¡¯s ¡°request.¡± ¡°Alright, Ethan. I was just thinking that I could use a set of casual clothes for going out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d we¡¯re on the same page, Lilith.¡± ¡°But this shop seems a bit expensive, so maybe we should walk a bit further towards the ind¡¯s entrance. The prices here are a bit burdensome for my personal circumstances¡­¡± Grab. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll buy it for you, so don¡¯t worry about it and enter with me.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Before I knew it, Ethan had grabbed my wrist and forcefully pulled me into a clothing store that exuded an air of luxury. As soon as we entered, several female staff members dressed in elegant Western clothing from head to toe came to greet us. ¡°Wee. Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°Ah, no, well¡­¡± The store clerk began to serve us without any hesitation despite the odd pair of a noble youth and a maid entering the store. While I was briefly pondering how to respond to her, Ethan, beside me, responded in a way that felt natural. ¡°Prepare a few outfits that would suit this girl. If possible, we¡¯re looking for something that gives the impression of a noble youngdy.¡± ¡°Clothes befitting a noble youngdy that would suit this young miss, correct? We¡¯ll prepare them right away.¡± With those words, several store clerks approached me with measuring tapes in hand and began to measure my body. I quietly caught the staff members¡¯ voices mentioning my chest size in hushed tones. ¡°100, no, 105 cm¡­¡± (T/N: 105 cm ¡Ö 41.3¡±) ¡°¡­There should be somerger sizes in the back of the store. Let¡¯s look for something among those first.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± While I pretended not to hear and averted my gaze, the store staff moved efficiently. Less than two minutes after measuring my body, one staff member approached me with a Gothic-style dress that exuded the air of a noble youngdy. ¡°Would you like to try this dress on first?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡­So they did have clothes that fit Lilith¡¯s body type, after all. Well, Lilith is a heroine in Luminor Academy, after all. It would be strange if there were no clothes for Lilith to wear in a game where dressing up heroines is one of the main features. Quietly thinking such thoughts, I changed into a ck dress with a high-waisted skirt in the changing room and walked out. Since Ethan was buying the clothes for me, I formally asked for his opinion. ¡°How is it, Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ethan?¡± ¡°Ah, u-um¡­ I-it suits you well, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°Does it?¡± To me, it seemed more like a nobledy¡¯s outfit rather than a young noblewoman¡¯s attire. Well, young noblewomen do grow up to be nobledies, so Ethan¡¯s assessment that it suited me well probably wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. There¡¯s no need to look at anything else, we can just go with this¡­¡± ¡°Ah, miss!¡± ¡°Whoa?!¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t say that, how about trying on this outfit next?! I¡¯m sure this will suit you well, too!¡± [Axiomatic / Only on Gxy Trantions!] ¡°Please do try this one on as well!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The store clerks, who had suddenly be strangely enthusiasticpared to earlier, pushed new clothes towards me. Feeling a bit flustered by the insistent clerks, I quietly turned my gaze towards Ethan, seeking help. Unfortunately, what came back from Ethan was not salvation for me, but agreement with the store staff. ¡°W-why don¡¯t you try them all on once, Lilith?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­You never know, there might be clothes that suit you even better.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Ethan.¡± Well, since this was the store Ethan brought me to and he was the one offering to buy, I had no choice but to obediently try on what he told me to. The impromptu fashion show at the clothing store continued for about 30 more minutes. ¡°How about this one, Ethan?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s pretty, but isn¡¯t it showing off your figure a bit too much¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± A midnight dress with a simple design flowing from top to bottom but clinging tightly to the body, emphasizing the figure. ¡°Even I find this one a bit embarrassing. I don¡¯t mind the rest, but clothes that expose my thighspletely are a bit¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I think this is something that shouldn¡¯t be worn outside, either. ¡­Though, it is pretty.¡± A fairy-style outfit made withyered sheer fabric, with a short skirt, resulting in quite a high level of exposure. ¡°¡­Personally, this one feels the mostfortable. I suppose it¡¯s because I¡¯m used to seeing this kind of outfit.¡± ¡°Dressed like that, you look every bit the noble youngdy, Lilith.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to tter me with empty words, Ethan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, I really mean it¡­¡± Finally, a ssic noble youngdy dress with abundant decorations and frills, spread wide in an A-line. After changing into four or five different outfits in a short time, the impromptu fashion show at the clothing store finally concluded. ¡®Changing clothes so many times is certainly tiring.¡¯ Even in reality, trying on this many outfits would have been quite exhausting. Given the medieval fantasy setting, most clothes used buttons instead of zippers, which inevitably consumed more time and energy in the process of putting on and taking off each outfit. [Axiomatic / Only on Gxy Trantions!] Moreover, noble clothes mostly consisted of dresses with various flowing attachments, so there were many things to pay attention to. After trying on various outfits, it seemed Ethan had quietly made up his mind about which outfit was best. After I¡¯d tried on the final outfit, the noble youngdy dress, I asked for Ethan¡¯s opinion. Surely after trying on so many outfits, there must have been at least one that Ethan liked. ¡°So, have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Personally, the one I¡¯m wearing now is the mostfortable. Of course, your opinion is the most important¡­¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯ll take all of them, from the first outfit this youngdy tried on to the one she¡¯s wearing now.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± Ethan dered he would buy all the dresses, each of which looked like it would cost several gold coins. I felt momentarily dazed as I watched several months¡¯ worth of my sry being spent so casually right before my eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ll carry the luggage¡­¡± ¡°They said they¡¯ll deliver the clothes to the academy dormitoryter, so we can just go. Are you a bit tired from changing clothes? Shall we have a meal first?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± I felt momentarily bewildered by Ethan¡¯s casual bulk purchase of clothes that I wondered how many times I would ever wear in my life. ¡­Well, it¡¯s not my money anyway, so I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. For some reason, the thought that I was being strangely swept along today began to creep into my mind. Anyway, our weekend date continued, with me now changed from a maid uniform into a noble dress alongside Ethan. ¡­Or, to be precise, it wasn¡¯t really a date¡­ Chapter 156 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 156 [Date? (4)] The date¡­ no, the weekend outing with Ethan continued after that. I¡¯m not calling it that despite my outfit having changed from a maid uniform to a noble youngdy¡¯s red dress. The maid uniform I had been wearing until just now was scheduled to be delivered to the academy dormitory along with the other clothes bought at the store. Perhaps because I had changed clothes and was walking around, I felt like the number of gazes directed at me had decreased somewhatpared to earlier. Maybe people were deliberately averting their eyes, thinking I might really be a noble youngdy. Most people wouldn¡¯t have any issues just staring at a maid who was at most a viscount, but they wouldn¡¯t dare to stare too long at a woman who clearly appeared to be of noble status, as they couldn¡¯t tell if she was a viscount¡¯s daughter or a margrave¡¯s daughter. After leaving the clothing store, Ethan took me to an ordinary Italian-style restaurant. Of course, there¡¯s no ¡®Italy¡¯ in this world; I just mean the menu gave that kind of impression. It was a decent restaurant serving sd, grilled freshwater fish, light pasta, and slightly sweet desserts. I didn¡¯t intend toin or find fault no matter what restaurant he took me to, but the restaurant Ethan chose had quite a clean and rxing atmosphere. ¡°Does it suit your taste, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan. The food is delicious, and it¡¯s a nice ce.¡± I thought he might order wine or try to create an atmosphere suitable for a confession, but fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem that was his purpose in bringing me here. ¡­Or perhaps Ethan hadn¡¯t been thinking about confessing at all from the start, and I was just getting ahead of myself. I hoped I was just being a presumptuous maid who didn¡¯t know her ce. That would be much better than receiving an awkward confession that I could neither ept nor reject. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been getting along well with the daughter of the ze Viscount familytely. Rumors say you two spend an hour after ss together talking about various things.¡± ¡°Miss ze seems tock knowledge about spirit studies, so I¡¯ve been helping her. Although she¡¯s the top student of the Magic Department, she doesn¡¯t seem to be very popr with spirits.¡± [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] ¡°¡­Well, you did recently contract with a sylphid.¡± For reference, Sally and Sei didn¡¯t join us on today¡¯s date. They had used quite a bit of mana in yesterday¡¯s monster training. While Sally, being a high-level spirit, was fine, Sei, a mid-level spirit, seemed a bit tired, so I fed her plenty of mana and let her rest in the dormitory. With Sei staying in the dormitory, Sally, who dotes on Sei, naturally chose to stay in the dormitory as well. ¡­I hope nothing troublesome happens while they¡¯re left alone for a day. ¡°What about you, Ethan? Are you getting along well with your ssmates? I heard that Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat has been showing quite an interest in you.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t particrly like that guy.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°He has a bad reputation, so you¡¯d better not pay attention to him either, Lilith. He¡¯s already hanging around with two girls, andtely, it seems he¡¯s been bothering Miss Natalie and the princess as well.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± Natalie probably aimed to get close to him from the moment she enrolled in the Swordsmanship Department. The Natalie-Thomas couplebination could cover the protagonist¡¯sck of endurance in the middle of the story. His approaching the princess was probably a required event. If his goal was to clear the game, he would definitely try toplete the required events. If he identally skipped one, it could mess up the storyter on and prevent him from using the external knowledge he had. I could understand to some extent why Ethan disliked Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, but knowing the circumstances, I just felt sorry for this meaningless vignce. ¡®Judging by this reaction, it seems I won¡¯t have many opportunities to make contact with Gyeongmwajogyegigwat.¡¯ I¡¯d need to somehow resolve Ethan¡¯s wariness towards the protagonist before I could talk to him or probe his thoughts. If, by any chance, the protagonist thought of Ethan as a viin, I¡¯d need to clear up that misunderstanding, too. Anyway, Ethan and I spent time taking a light walk along the wideke surrounding the Ind of Knowledge while discussing recent events. In this rxed atmosphere that we hadn¡¯t experienced in a while, my mind also became a bit calmer. ¡®This kind of leisure is nice too.¡¯ With the sudden increase in tasks since the start of the second semester, I¡¯ve been having a lot of headachestely. Maybe I needed an opportunity to spend time leisurely like this. Ethan might have been wanting this kind of time, too, given how busy he¡¯d been recently. ¡®Was I really just mistaken?¡¯ Maybe he asked to spend time with me as the noble ¡°Young Lady Lilith¡± just to create afortable atmosphere. He might have felt a bit stifled if he felt like he had a maid by his side, even on a rare day off. Come to think of it, he could confess to his exclusive maid anytime, anywhere. If he had strange feelings for me, he would have pounced on me long ago, given that we¡¯re using the same dormitory. I must have been the one making strange thoughts about this not being a date. I really am overly self-conscious. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] As my mind calmed down, theplex worries I had been harboring in my mind flew away, making me feel more rxed. As we spent time like this and our light lunch was somewhat digested, Ethan carefully made a suggestion to me. ¡°¡­So when I introduced Sei, who I contracted with that day, to Miss ze, she suddenly said something to me and ran off somewhere¡­¡± ¡°¡­Um, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, shall we rest for a moment on that bench over there?¡± ¡°Are you tired, Ethan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m tired, but I noticed a cheese shop as we were passing by earlier. If you¡¯re okay with it, how about we take a break and have a little pic?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Until we were talking, I didn¡¯t have any particr thoughts, but after hearing Ethan¡¯s words, I realized I did feel a bit hungry. Maybe it was because I rxed and let my guard down. Until just now, I had been on edge, thinking Ethan might confess to me, carried away by the atmosphere. ¡­Or maybe it was just because we had a light lunch, so I got hungry after walking for a bit. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll go get it. You rest for a moment, Ethan.¡± ¡°Ah, no. I brought it up, so I should¡­¡± ¡°You paid for everything at the clothing store and the restaurant, didn¡¯t you? Then, at least let me buy the snacks.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who told me to act like a noble youngdy, Ethan? Or is your ideal noble youngdy someone who shamelessly freeloads from beginning to end without opening her wallet once?¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Ethan, seeming to judge that further persuasion would be meaningless in the face of my firm attitude, finally nodded and allowed me to open my wallet. To think I need such persistent permission even to buy a few coins¡¯ worth of snacks¡­ ¡°I saw the cheese shop while we were walking earlier, too. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay, be careful.¡± After nodding slightly in response to Ethan, I briefly walked back along the path we had juste from. It¡¯s just within the Ind of Knowledge; how dangerous could it be? ¡°Beautiful youngdy, is there anything you need?¡± ¡°Could I have a piece each of Gouda and Cheddar cheese? Just enough for a simple snack would be sufficient.¡± Listening to the muscr-armed cheese shop owner, I ordered two pieces of cheese disyed in front of the store. Gouda and Cheddar were about the only cheeses I knew, given my limited culinary knowledge. I hadn¡¯t tried Blue cheese raw yet, so I didn¡¯t particrly feel like challenging it. Also, it didn¡¯t seem like this shop sold things like Ricotta or Emmental. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re out for a pic with your fianc¨¦. I saw you passing by earlier.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ he¡¯s not my fianc¨¦. We are nning to have a pic, though.¡± ¡°Then, is he a family member?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say he¡¯s family¡­ it¡¯s a bit of aplicated rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡± Well, it¡¯s not just in the academy, but generally, nobles often had variousplicated family rtionships. Bringing in an heir from another family to continue the family line, step-siblings born from remarriage between noble families, children born of incest, and so on. It was knowledge not worth digging too deeply into. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Themoners living on the Ind of Knowledge were quite perceptive about these matters, having frequent interactions with nobles. After hearing me say it was aplicated rtionship, the shop owner seemed to be conscious of my gaze and hurriedly packaged the items I ordered and handed them to me. ¡°That¡¯ll be two silver coins, miss.¡± ¡°Thank you. Take care.¡± ¡°Have a good time!¡± The bag containing the two pieces of cheese felt strangely heavy as if he had added something extra as a service. I didn¡¯t think it was strange, as it was an event that often urred when Charm stats were high. My charm had already surpassed three digits after my recent level-up. ¡®In games like this, usually, the heroine gets kidnapped when she¡¯s separated from the protagonist.¡¯ Of course, having learned dagger techniques, I was now in a position where anyone trying to kidnap me would have to worry about their own life instead. I always carried three daggers in the inner pocket of my maid uniform every day without fail¡­ ¡®¡­Ah, that¡¯s right.¡¯ Come to think of it, the daggers would still be in the maid uniform I changed out of earlier. I had intended to retrieve them when changing backter, but I forgot in the rush. ¡­Well, it should be fine. Nothing should happen just because I don¡¯t have my daggers. Still, feeling strangely uneasy without the daggers on me, I returned to thekeside bench, our meeting ce, while maintaining vignce in all directions. Fortunately, nothing dangerous, like encountering kidnappers or robbers, happened along the way. ¡°Ah, Lilith. You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°Why are you walking so anxiously? Did something strange happen¡­?¡± ¡°No, Ethan. It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± How would Ethan react if I told him I was anxious because my daggers were gone? Thinking this, I approached Ethan with the paper bag containing the cheese when I noticed a long, corked bottle in his hand. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Seeing that, my wariness towards Ethan, which I had momentarily set aside, was instantly rekindled. ¡°What¡¯s that, Ethan?¡± ¡°Ah, this? I bought it while you were out getting snacks. I thought it would feel a bit empty without something to drink, and wine seemed appropriate for cheese.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So you bought alcohol¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll drink too, right Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Well, I suppose I should, given your thoughtfulness.¡± ¡­Forget about kidnapping events. Maybe the one I should have been wary of was someone else entirely. Chapter 157 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 157 [On the Boat (1)] The sudden pic with Ethan had been timed to match the afternoon tea time. In an atmosphere that seemed to have a strangely awkward current flowing, Ethan and I quietly clinked our cups together. Clink. The two wooden cups filled with red wine collided between us, making a dull sound. They were rather in cups for wine, but it wasn¡¯t easy to find ss or porcin wine sses in a ce like this to begin with. ss cups, being expensive, would be difficult to procure even if somehow found.@@novelbin@@ Rather, I was amazed that Ethan had managed to get wine and wooden cups in such a short time. It almost made me think he had prepared in advance for this moment. ¡®¡­Well, probably not.¡¯ As Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid, I spent most of my time with him. If he had been up to something strange, I would have noticed long ago. If he had nned in advance to buy cheese for a pic or suddenly buy wine to go with it, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have noticed. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] Above all, today¡¯s date¡­ no, outing, was a spontaneous promise that came from the result of Ethan¡¯s duel with Harold. Ethan and I each took a sip of wine, with a few bite-sized pieces of cheese between us on the spread-out paper bag. Perhaps because the alcohol entered my empty stomach, I felt like my intoxication was rising quickly. ¡°How is it, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. This is my first time trying wine.¡± ¡°For someone trying it for the first time, you seemed to be savoring even the aroma.¡± ¡°¡­I was just imitating what I¡¯ve seen other nobles do.¡± Of course, saying this was my first time trying wine was a tant lie. Wine wasn¡¯t particrly expensive in reality, either. ¡­Well, most of my drinking life in my previous life consisted mainly of beer. ¡°Although it¡¯s my first time drinking it, I personally think it¡¯s quite good. It¡¯s a bit heavier than the cocktail I briefly tasted at the masquerade ball, but the aftertaste seems a bit cleaner, perhaps because the sweetness is gone.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure this is your first time drinking?¡± ¡°I told you, it is.¡± To avoid Ethan¡¯s suspicious gaze, I deliberately picked up a piece of cheese between us, pretending to eat it. As I was about to put a piece of dark-colored cheese, presumably cheddar, into my mouth, a thought crossed my mind. ¡®Should I feed Ethan first instead of myself?¡¯ Although I came out today as a viscount¡¯s daughter rather than an exclusive maid, strictly speaking, there was still a certain difference in status between Ethan and me. Even if I wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s servant right now, it didn¡¯t mean the status gap hadpletely disappeared. However, I couldn¡¯t put the cheese I had already picked up back on the bag, so I naturally brought my hand towards Ethan, as if this had been my intention from the start. ¡°Here, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach will upset it. You should eat some food with it.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Thank you, Lilith.¡± Ethan awkwardly took the piece of cheese from my hand and brought it to his mouth. For some reason, his face was a bit red as he ate the food I gave him. ¡­Well, now that I¡¯ve fed him first, there shouldn¡¯t be any issue with me eating now. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] With that thought, I quietly picked up another piece of cheese and brought it to my mouth. The savory and salty vor of the cheese quietly resonated in my throat. ¡®This is pretty good.¡¯ Even though I had only eaten cheese in hamburgers or pizza before, I could tell that the cheese in my mouth was quite delicious. Come to think of it, eating cheese in this world would be no different from eating authentic cheese on location, since it would be difficult to distribute it far without making it on-site. For that reason, I¡¯m not surprised that it tastes good. While there was still a slightly sticky sensation left on my tongue, I let a sip of wine flow into my mouth. The slightly remaining saltiness and the bitter aroma of the wine seemed to blend oddly well, swirling on my tongue. ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was the first proper taste of alcohol I had tasted in nearly a year, no, almost two years. That¡¯s if you count the cocktail I had at the masquerade ball as alcohol. Come to think of it, I had almost no memory of properly drinking alcohol in this world. I suppose being the exclusive maid of a duke¡¯s son didn¡¯t provide many opportunities for drinking. As I started to feel oddly ted by the taste of proper alcohol after so long, Ethan looked at me with a somewhat curious expression. ¡°Lilith, are you drunk?¡± ¡°No, Ethan. I¡¯m not weak enough to get drunk on just half a ss of wine.¡± ¡°¡­How do you know if you¡¯re weak to alcohol or not if this is your first time drinking?¡± ¡°Just a feeling, I guess.¡± ¡°I think you are drunk¡­¡± Ethan mumbled something while looking at me, but it didn¡¯t seem particrly important, so I let it pass. Above all, I wanted to focus on the remaining wine and snacks in front of me. For the second bite, I put a piece of cheese with holes in it (presumably given as a freebie by the cheese shop owner) into my mouth. A strong vor with a slight bitterness filled it. Immediately after that, I finished by drinking the remaining wine in the ss. Perhaps because it had been so long since alcohol had entered my body, this oddly ting feeling wasn¡¯t so bad. A pleasant drowsiness seemed toe along with it, perhaps because my stomach was slightly full. ¡°Lilith, you seem to like alcohol more than I expected.¡± ¡°¡­No. I thought you might feel disappointed if I didn¡¯t show that I was properly enjoying the wine you bought, Ethan.¡± ¡°For someone saying that, you seem to be drinking very enthusiastically.¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you drink a bit more, too, Ethan? Everything seems to go well with the wine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with just watching you eat. There¡¯s still wine left, want another ss?¡± ¡°¡­Just one more ss.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Unlike the first ss, which was only half full, this time, Ethan filled about three-quarters of the ss. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] I noticed the increased amount, but I just epted it withoutment. It¡¯s not like I would pour it back into the bottle if there was too much. ¡°Here, Lilith. Try this too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Here, you didn¡¯t get to try the cheddar cheese earlier, right? This is delicious, too.¡± With those words, Ethan held out a piece of deep yellow cheese in front of me. As the cheese piece came right in front of my eyes, I epted the cheese he offered with my mouth without much thought, along with a word of thanks. ¡°Thank you, Ethan. ¡­Ahhh~ Mmmm.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Wait, huh?!¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ This is quite good, too. It¡¯s savory and has a nice salty taste.¡± ¡°Ah, u-um¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± For some reason, Ethan suddenly became flustered and quickly pulled back his hand that had given me the cheese. Feeling something was odd, I looked at his expression and saw Ethan avoiding my gaze with a face several times redder than usual. ¡­He didn¡¯t seem to have finished even one ss yet. Is he the type with a weak liver? With that thought, I emptied the contents of the second ss that had been refilled, fully enjoying the suddenly started pic. Just then, I inadvertently heard Ethan¡¯s voice calling me in a serious tone. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you about seriously, will you listen?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± The intoxication that had started to circte in my head suddenly seemed to clear away, and my eyes shook in confusion. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] In contrast, Ethan¡¯s eyes that met mine were more serious than anyone else¡¯s. ¡°Lilith¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve had something I¡¯ve wanted to say to you for a long time.¡± No, don¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re going to say but just don¡¯t. ¡°W-what is it? Is it something that must be conveyed right now?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t convey it now, it will only be dyed further in the future.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± You can dy it forever. No, at least until we graduate from the academy would be fine. ¡°I think it¡¯s already quitete, but I¡¯ll say it clearly on this asion. If it¡¯s alright with you, Lilith, from today on, our rtionship¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ethan, wait a moment.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± Before more dangerous words coulde out of his mouth, I interrupted Ethan and hurriedly looked around. A bench in front of thekeside walkway on a weekend afternoon. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t so crowded that people were packed like sardines, but it wasn¡¯tpletely empty either ¨C a moderate poption density. If there was anyone among them who could recognize me and Ethan or was an academy student, our current conversation would be extremely problematic. If we weren¡¯t careful, it was the perfect situation for rumors to spread about how a viscount¡¯s daughter, who was the exclusive maid of the ckwood Ducal family, shamelessly rejected the young master she served. To smoothly reject Ethan¡¯s words, we needed to move to a ce where somemotion wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°¡­I understand you have something you want to say, Ethan. However, before that, shall we go somewhere where we can be alone?¡± ¡°¡­Somewhere we can be alone?¡± ¡°Yes, somewhere beyond the reach of other people¡¯s eyes and ears.¡± There were too many people here for a ¡®serious conversation.¡¯ When Ethan expressed his feelings towards me, and I responded to them, there might be people who could spread secondary and tertiary rumors. Love stories of high-ranking people were good gossip material regardless of the era. Moreover, in the case of me and Ethan, simr rumors had already spread once in the academy. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious. ¡°Somewhere we can be alone¡­ Where do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± The problem was that in the current situation, the only ce we could urgently be alone was, at best, a room in an inn. If we suddenly entered a double room at a nearby inn just to hear what he had to say, it would be practically the same as epting Ethan¡¯s words. I needed to find a ce where we could reasonably talk alone but where Ethan couldn¡¯t do anything rash, somewhere¡­ Any other ce would do, so just where¡­ |Boat Rental| ¡®Ah¡­!¡¯ ¡­Right, no matter how bold Ethan might be, he wouldn¡¯t try anything on ake. With that thought, I pointed to the boat rental sign that had caught my eye and called out to Ethan. ¡°How about there, Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­A boat rental?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re on theke, we can talk without worrying about other people overhearing, right? I think it¡¯s a good ce for an important conversation. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, not a bad idea.¡± It was the moment I seeded in cutting off Ethan¡¯s words and led us to a ce where only the two of us could be. Now, we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about others seeing or hearing, so I just needed to reject him carefully. If possible, I had to reject him with as much exnation as I could so that Ethan could understand, too. This was the most rational decision to continue my life as an exclusive maid without things bing awkward with Ethan. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan looked at the boat rental I had pointed to with a meaningful gaze. At that time, I still didn¡¯t know. I wouldn¡¯t have known that the boat, the ce I had led Ethan to for us to be alone, would be a ce I couldn¡¯t escape from. Chapter 158 I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince - Chapter 158 [On the Boat (2)] Title: Complete Strategy Guide for the Deep Sea Kraken Subjugation Battle (3) Author: LilGirlChang Content: Continuing from the previous guide. You sessfully charmed Agnes in thest guide, right? Nowes the main event. Note that this event won¡¯t ur at all without Agnes, so don¡¯t bother trying to raise affection with other characters throughke dates, thinking it might trigger the subjugation battle. (Panorama image of Luminor Academy) Whether it¡¯s an after-school date or a weekend date, if you¡¯ve managed to take Agnes out, you¡¯re halfway there. Be careful with nning the course of the date here ¨C if you mess it up, you won¡¯t be able to enter the Kraken Subjugation event even after all your preparation. There are mainly two routes to thekeside walkway:
  1. Have a meal in themercial district and then move to thekeside walkway as a second destination.
  2. Give Agnes a book as a gift at therge bookstore in themercial district, then move to thekeside walkway as a second destination.
Choose Route 1 if you want to collect CGs, and Route 2 if you want to raise affection. If you want both, go meal ¡ú bookstore ¡úkeside. I only proceeded with the meal route since I didn¡¯t care about Agnes¡¯s affection. (Image of thekeside walkway) This is thekeside walkway that you¡¯ll reach after finishing the meal and arriving at the second destination. See the circle in the corner of the screenshot? That¡¯s the boat rental ce. If you proceeded with either Route 1 or Route 2, your affection with Agnes should be high enough that suggesting a boat date will be ok. (Be careful; if you bring her to thekeside walkway first, she won¡¯t want to ride the boat, and you¡¯ll lose affection) Pay 3 silver coins for the rental fee and rent a two-person boat. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] (Image of a boat on theke) As you row the boat around the academy, several dialogue events will ur. There¡¯s no particrly important content, so you can just answer casually and skip through. Choices doe up asionally, but they¡¯re so easy even a monkey could raise affection with her, so I won¡¯t bother exining them. (Example of choices) Agnes: Do you know what tomato meatball spaghetti and the 4th me Form have inmon?
  1. They¡¯re both made up of only curves?
  2. They¡¯re both so easy even a monkey could understand?
  3. ¡­¡­
These are the kinds of choices thate up throughout the conversation, and as you can see, there¡¯s only one choice a normal person would make. (An ominous sound is heard from somewhere¡­) Anyway, as you¡¯re going around thekeside of the Ind of Knowledge, you¡¯ll see signs that the Kraken is about to appear. If you choose ¡°Return¡± here, you¡¯ll avoid the battle and end the day. If you choose ¡°Ignore and Enter,¡± the Kraken will appear, and the battle will start. (Image of squid tentacle striking theke surface) I¡¯ll post the battle strategy tomorrow. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Anonymous(175.223): You¡¯re ending it here? Anonymous(223.38): Ah, why aren¡¯t you finishing the battle strategy?!!! ©¸LilGirlChang: I have first period tomorrow, gotta sleep. Bye ©¸©¸Anonymous(223.38): This bastard is a fake otaku. How dare you have a life? SalvationPureLove: What kind of book should I gift at therge bookstore to raise affection? Can I just give her any book? ©¸dd: Figure that out yourself. This guy keepsing to ask about every little thing in the guide.@@novelbin@@ ©¸LilGirlChang: Ah, sorry. I forgot to write about that. The red books in the Fire Magic Studies section raise affection the most. Other types of magic books are average. The rest are all about the same. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] ©¸©¸SalvationPureLove: Thanks thanks. Always enjoy your guides. I have a personality where I get OCD if I don¡¯t follow guides like this, haha ReallyGodGame: Is it really impossible to trigger the Kraken event with other characters? I have a disease where I go into convulsions when I see tsunderes ©¸LilGirlChang: I haven¡¯t tried, but overseas guides say it works with any character that has over2,000 max mana.But no matter how much you hate tsunderes, you¡¯re not going to date Orion or the Witch, right? ept your fate ©¸©¸ReallyGodGame: Ah, so I can seduce Orion? ok ©¸©¸©¸LilGirlChang: Are you crazy??? ©¸©¸©¸Anonymous(61.43): Orion is gay gay¡­ oo: So, what¡¯s the choice?! ©¸Anonymous(39.7): (Agnes sucks emote) ©¸LilGirlChang: (Agnes ¡­¡­ emote) On the small boat that Ethan and I had spontaneously rented and boarded¡­ In a strangely awkward atmosphere, the boat carrying Ethan and me began to move towards the center of theke with quiet water sounds. Splish. Splosh. ¡°¡­Ah, Ethan. There¡¯s a tree behind us.¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± It¡¯s an awkward boat ride with Ethan rowing and me looking behind the boat, guiding him. Ethan, whose face was slightly flushed, perhaps from the alcohol, rowed the boat away from the shore and towards the center of theke. We eventually stopped at the center of one side of the vastke that enveloped the entire Ind of Knowledge. ¡°Is this far enough?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, this is good. At this distance, we shouldn¡¯t be seen or heard by others.¡± Now, even if someone from the Ind of Knowledge looked our way, it would be difficult to identify us as Ethan and me. It would be impossible for anyone to hear the content of our conversation from here anyway. Ethan¡¯s oar, which he hadst used, slowly cut through the water and then stopped its movement on the surface of theke. Thanks to the gentle waves of theke, Ethan and I could face each other in a serious atmosphere without our bodies swaying. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°Can I continue with what I was trying to say earlier?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s why we moved to this location.¡± I had hoped that in the process of rowing, the effects of alcohol would wear off and his calm mind would return. Unfortunately, today, Ethan seemed to have made up his mind. Well, this wasn¡¯t the first time I had almost received a confession from him. There had already been a simr atmosphere in front of the campfire once before. At that time, thanks to some thieves who appeared at the right moment, I was somehow able to let it slide, but in the current situation, it would be impossible to avoid it. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] There wouldn¡¯t be any crazy thieves appearing on a boat to rob thiske. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Wait a minute, why did I suddenly feel strangely uneasy as soon as we entered thiske? I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something important rted to thiske. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Just as I was about to rack my brain to recall what I had forgotten, Ethan¡¯s serious voice calling me reached my ears again. Guessing that it probably wasn¡¯t very important since it didn¡¯te to mind immediately, I focused on the conversation with him in front of me for now. ¡°Actually, this kind of talk might sound a bit out of the blue to you, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°But still, I feel like I need to convey these feelings to you at least once. At least, I wanted to express once that I like you, Lilith.¡± ¡­So, it has finally begun. I had really hoped this development wouldn¡¯t happen if possible, but it seemed I couldn¡¯t run away without answering now. To begin with, I didn¡¯t intend to run away anyway. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°Do you remember what you said when I asked you about your type before?¡± ¡°¡­You mean when I told you that while I don¡¯t have a type of man I like, there are kinds of people I dislike?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. You remember.¡± ¡­Well, I had no choice but to remember. At that time, I was at a point where my negative feelings toward Ethan had peaked, and I hated everything rted to Ethan. Looking back, it was probably from that moment. It¡¯s the turning point where Ethan started to change fundamentally as a person instead of tormenting or bothering me. ¡°You said you dislike unhygienic people, or people who are short yet abnormally fat, or arrogant, self-important,zy bums¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And, and, that you dislike sexual harassers who poke people andugh right in front of them, that they¡¯re the worst of all men in the world¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Back then, you actually wanted to say those words to me, right, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°P-please tell me honestly, Lilith. I won¡¯t get angry or anything.¡± ¡°¡­To be honest, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡­Well, it seems Ethan has more or less figured it out already. At this point, lying would only erode trust. If that¡¯s how it was going to be, it was better to proceed honestly. I already knew well enough that Ethan wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would bring up past events to disgrace me. ¡°Compared to how I was then, how am I now?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Because you said you dislike unhygienic people, I acquired proper etiquette and education. Because you said you dislike short, fat,zy people, I received daily sword training from my father.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°And, thinking you might dislike it, I didn¡¯ty a hand on you even while sleeping in the same bed. Well, except for what you allowed me to do first¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. That was something I allowed you as a reward, so it¡¯s different from sexual harassment.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡± In truth, I had vaguely noticed. The fact that Ethan, who had been carrying the title of ¡®Lout Prince¡¯ as a hated character, was growing in apletely different direction from the Ethan in the game no matter how you looked at it. There was only one difference in the environment experienced by the Ethan in the game and the Ethan in this world. Only now, after hearing the cause directly from Ethan¡¯s mouth, could I finally be certain. Indeed, it was me, not someone else, who had changed Ethan, the Lout Prince. ¡°Is there still somethingcking? Is it perhaps that I¡¯m still a bit short?¡± ¡°¡­No. Your height isn¡¯t really a problem for me now, Ethan. You¡¯re a bit taller than me anyway.¡± ¡°T-then¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I-if, by any chance, if you have even a little romantic feeling towards me, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°W-would you be willing to be in a rtionship with me, as a man and a woman¡­ t-to date me¡­?¡± Water all around. Two oars in Ethan¡¯s hands. There was no longer any way to escape. It was time to face Ethan¡¯s passionate feelings for me head-on. Chapter 159 Ethan had sincerely confessed to me while looking into my eyes in a ce where I could no longer escape. Carefully avoiding his gaze, I cautiously uttered some words to buy time. ¡°Could you give me a moment to think?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t decide easily, Lilith.¡± ¡­Well, I¡¯ve managed to buy some time to think, at least. If I was going to reject him anyway, it would be advantageous to dy my answer as much as possible. From Ethan¡¯s perspective, it would be less shocking if it seemed like I had deeply considered before reluctantly rejecting him. I also needed to give a more proper, longer response rather than simply saying I would reject him. Just making excuses about not wanting to date men wouldck sincerity and would certainly be disrespectful to Ethan. I¡¯m sorry, but due to the difference in status between us, I cannot ept your proposal right now. As the future heir to the ckwood Ducal family, you will someday have to take a partner other than me, so I don¡¯t intend to give my heart to a man I won¡¯t be able to love until the end. I¡¯m sorry to give you a disappointing answer, Ethan. My response doesn¡¯t mean that you aren¡¯t attractive right now. ¡®I wonder if this will be enough¡­¡¯ While not perfect, it was the most polite expression of rejection I coulde up with in my mind. It¡¯s a response that mentions being unable to ept the confession for other reasons while emphasizing that the current Ethan is a sufficiently attractive man. With such a courteous response, Ethan would probably understand well enough. At least, the Ethan I had known until now was that kind of person. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] A man who knows how to put in effort for the one he loves, fixes his own problems, can throw himself in front of others to protect them, and isn¡¯t too slow in expressing his own feelings. ¡­Probably, even if it wasn¡¯t me, Ethan could meet a good woman. That must certainly be the case. Of course, a reckless and hot-tempered woman like me was far from being a ¡®good woman¡¯, so it was rational for Ethan and me not to be lovers, for both our sakes. ¡°¡­E-Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-my answer is¡­¡± Just as I was about to carefully utter words of rejection, thinking this would be right for the future¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± For some reason, my mouth was unable to speak the next words. It felt as if expressing this rejection in words would create an unbridgeable gap between him and me forever. I didn¡¯t love Ethan, but I felt the closest intimacy with himpared to anyone else. I couldn¡¯t feel romantic emotions for Ethan, but I felt most at ease when I was by his side. I couldn¡¯t have sexual desires for Ethan, but I had felt something by his hands. ¡­Quite a lot, in fact. ¡®I should reject him, but¡­¡¯ If I rejected his confession here, we probably wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain most of our current rtionship as before. As soon as I thought this might happen,plicated emotions endlessly shed in my mind like lightning striking. Perhaps epting the confession might lead to a better future for me. If we added a romantic rtionship on top of our young master and exclusive maid rtionship, at least Ethan and I wouldn¡¯t grow apart in terms of our connection. At the same time, though, no matter how I thought about it, that answer felt like it would be betraying Ethan¡¯s feelings. I can¡¯t feel romantic emotions towards men. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] The memories of my previous life as a man and the knowledge from that previous life that this world was modeled after a game world were still hindering me. With such half-hearted feelings, I couldn¡¯t answer Ethan¡¯s heart with lies. His brave confession felt so sincere that I couldn¡¯t give a false answer to it. I didn¡¯t want to reject him. I couldn¡¯t ept his confession either. In a situation where I couldn¡¯t choose either option, only my pounding heart was frantically beating. ¡°Ha, haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°Li-Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Haa, haa, haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°Lilith?! Are you okay?! If you¡¯re feeling unwell, we should go to the church right now¡­!¡± ¡°D-don¡¯te closer!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sensing something was wrong with my condition, Ethan suddenly approached me, but feeling it was dangerous, I unconsciously pushed his hand away. To Ethan, who looked at me with a surprised expression for a moment, I hurriedly exined my reaction as if making an excuse. ¡°Lilith¡­¡± ¡°N-no! It¡¯s not that I dislike you, Ethan!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to answer you right now, Ethan¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ If this world were truly a game, there would probably be only two or three choices in this kind of situation. If I were my previous self, I would have looked at all those choices one by one and then proceeded with the route of the best choice. But this world wasn¡¯t a game. At least for me, it was a space that was practically reality. There were no predetermined answers or ways to go back if I failed. I want to ept. I must reject. I want to ept and maintain this current rtionship. I can keep my chastity by making other excuses anyway. I must reject and answer Ethan¡¯s question seriously. I can¡¯t answer with lies to emotions I can¡¯t take responsibility for. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s difficult, you don¡¯t have to answer right now. I told you this after much consideration, too, so, of course, you¡¯ll need a lot of thought as well, Lilith.¡± ¡°No, l-let me¡­ let me answer now¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡­.. To you, E-Ethan¡­¡± My head was spinning. It felt like the ground was dancing and rippling. I was disgusted with myself that this irresponsible nonsense was the answer I came up with after long deliberation. ¡­But this was all I had. An answer that would maintain my current rtionship with Ethan while honestly conveying my feelings to him. ¡°To you, Ethan¡­ m-my feelings as a romantic partner¡­¡± ¡°W-wait, Lilith!¡± ¡°I said I would answer now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Lilith! Something¡¯s wrong with theke right now!¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± At Ethan¡¯s urgent voice, all theplex emotions that had been cluttering my mind seemed to wash away at once. At the same time, I finally realized that the sensation of feeling the ground shake wasn¡¯t just my imagination. Ssh! ¡°Aah!¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± The previously calm surface of theke suddenly began to churn with tremendous water currents. I could clearly tell that something was emerging from the bottom of theke. My thoughts naturally extended to theke surrounding the Ind of Knowledge and whatever wasing out from under thatke. ¡°E-Ethan, row back to the academy quickly!¡± ¡°Huh, what?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Kraken! The Kraken is rising from the bottom of theke!¡± ¡°K-Kraken¡­?!¡± Although Ethan expressed half doubt at my words, he started rowing hard towards the academy. ¡­But it seemed we were already toote to escape, as a giant tentacle blocked our path. SPLASH!! ¡°AAAAAH!!¡± ¡°KYAAAAAH¡­!!¡± The ssh of the giant tentacle created enormous waves, easily pushing aside small boats with the current produced. However, even its huge suction cups seemed smallpared to the creature¡¯s body. Soon, the massive body of the giant kraken that had emerged from theke bottom began to burst through theke¡¯s surface. SPLASH!!! SWOOSH!!! ¡°ROOOOOOOOAR¡­!!¡± The Kraken¡¯s roar, which had burst out parting the huge streams of water, spread in all directions from the center of theke. The small boat carrying Ethan and me was already trapped, blocked by the arms of the giant monster. ¡­This time, I think we¡¯re really screwed. Luminor Academy, VIP Room. One afternoon. In one room of the VIP building, three men and women were having a slightlyte tea time together. Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt. Saint Seriste Aurelia Mireya. Third Princess Seraphine Rosalind Valtoria. In an isted space beyond the reach of others¡¯ eyes, the three quietly held a secret conversation. Unlike Seriste, who was a bit tense between the two, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat and Seraphine were calmly discussing the events that had urred previously. ¡°Thank you for your hard work earlier, Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt.¡± ¡°No, Princess Seraphine. I only did what I had to do as a Hero.¡± ¡°Knowing what to do as a Hero and actually doing it arepletely different things. No matter how much of a Hero you are, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, I believe your achievements deserve praise and proper reward.¡± [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] ¡°When you say it like that, I can only express my gratitude.¡± ¡°Miss Seriste, you worked hard too. I heard your power of prophecy yed a big role in the final battle, is that right?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡­ I just rode on the Hero¡¯s power¡­¡± ¡°¡­Say it¡¯s true, Seriste.¡± ¡°Y-yes! My power of prophecy helped us find the secret underground room! I-if I hadn¡¯t been a Saint, the Hero wouldn¡¯t have been able to find that demon assassin!¡± ¡°Fufufu. I¡¯ll be counting on you to support the Hero well in the future, too, Miss Seriste.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Seraphine showed a meaningful smile towards Seriste, while Seriste avoided her gaze with a slightly guilty expression. In that subtle atmosphere, the secret meeting of the Hero and the princess, disguised as tea time, continued a bit longer. ¡°For now, we n to reward you for your efforts, Hero and Saint. However, given that we had to move secretly, it will be limited to what I can personally give you.¡± ¡°Just receiving your praise is more than enough for me, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Refusing isn¡¯t always a virtue, Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat.¡± ¡°¡­If you insist so much, I will gratefully ept your kindness, Princess.¡± ¡°For now, what I can give to both of you might be¡­¡± The three were discussing the matter of dealing with the demon assassin who had infiltrated the academy. However, their conversation was inevitably interrupted by Luke, who suddenly burst into the room. ¡°P-Princess Seraphine! It¡¯s an emergency!¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter, Luke?¡± ¡°A giant magical beast has appeared in the Lake of Knowledge!¡± ¡°¡­A giant magical beast?¡± ¡°A giant magical beast? Surely not¡­¡± Seraphine tilted her head slightly in question at Luke¡¯s urgent report while Gyeongmwajogyegigwat pondered with his chin in his hand, feeling a bit perplexed. It didn¡¯t take long for both of their expressions to change to shocked ones. [Only on Gxy Trantions! / Axiomatic] ¡°ording to reports from witnesses and students, it seems a K-Kraken has appeared¡­¡± Stand up!tter! ¡°Eek?!¡± Gyeongmwajogyegigwat and Seraphine reacted simultaneously to the word ¡®Kraken,¡¯ hurriedly rising from their seats. ¡­And Seriste, surprised by their immediate reaction, reflexively stood up as well. ¡°Hero, I¡¯m sorry to say this after calling you here to give you a reward, but given the urgency of the situation¡­¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s what I must do. I¡¯ll go to subjugate it right away.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll help too. It¡¯s still far from the full moon, but with my full power, I should be able to¡­¡± ¡°No. Princess, please find Agnes Elizabeth ze from the Magic Department.¡± ¡°¡­You mean Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°Yes. She is absolutely necessary for the subjugation of the Kraken.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Since you¡¯re saying this, Hero, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s meaning to it.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me, Princess. Seriste, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt hurriedly moved towards theke, guided by Luke, to subjugate the Kraken. Although it was an unexpected sudden event, he quickly headed towards thekeside without hesitation. After all, he was a transmigrated Hero who knew the ¡®strategy¡¯ to defeat that monster, the Kraken of the Abyss. Chapter 160 The Abyssal Kraken. A named monster that appears through a specific event in the massive Lake of Knowledge, which surrounds the Ind of Knowledge. The moment I saw its enormous body, specifically the blue, massive tentacles studded with suction cups like a squid, I immediately knew the Kraken had emerged. Of course, I couldn¡¯t figure out why this boss monster had appeared so suddenly. ¡®Why the hell is that thing here now?!¡¯ There were mainly two scenarios in which the Abyssal Kraken could be encountered ording to the story. The first was to participate in the episode where the former headmaster of Luminor Academy, Del Rondo Prime, is attacked by the Abyssal Kraken at thekeside and then defeat it. The second scenario was visiting theke with party characters who met ''certain conditions'' before that event urred and summoning the Kraken forcibly, defeating it in the same manner. As far as I knew, only a few characters at the academy, including Agnes, met those ''certain conditions'' at this moment. The minimum requirement to summon the Kraken was entering theke with a character whose maximum mana exceeded 2000. ¡®Agnes, Orion, and Lara aren¡¯t here, so why has it suddenly appeared¡­?¡¯ No matter how fast Ethan had grown, there was no way his maximum mana had exceeded 2000. Moreover, there didn¡¯t seem to be any other boats passing nearby. Aside from Ethan, I was the only one here... ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Only then did I realize the mistake I had made. As soon as I entered theke by boat, I felt a subtle sense of crisis running down my spine. ¡®Damn it, my maximum mana exceeds 2000 now.¡¯ Specifically, it was 2460. In terms of maximum mana, I was almostparable to Agnes, practically a walking mana tank. I wanted to smack my forehead at the realization of my carelessness. Of course, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to do that as I was struggling just to hold onto the deck of the boat, swaying with the waves. ¡°Li-Lilith!¡± ¡°Calm down, Ethan! First, grab your sword!¡± ¡°Ah, got it!¡± Despite the chaos, Ethan''s sword, a high-quality piece with the ckwood emblem engraved on it, stayed sheathed. Thank goodness. At least we wouldn¡¯t be water ghosts without being able to do anything. The true life-threatening crisis calmed my previously confused mind, troubled by Ethan¡¯s confession. Answering the confession wasn¡¯t the priority now; we had to deal with the monster in front of us first. Running away would be the best option, but it was impossible to escape while dodging the attacks of those huge arms on the water. Even if it was risky, it seemed inevitable that we had to fight. ¡®This is bad¡­¡¯@@novelbin@@ The bestbination to attack its weak points was the protagonist and Agnes. The most standard strategy I knew for attacking the Kraken was deflecting the numerous tentacles with the protagonist¡¯s swordsmanship and dealing damage with Agnes''s fire magic. Of course, I had never tried to defeat the Kraken with thebination of Ethan and Lilith. The conditions to summon it weren¡¯t met, and Ethan wasn¡¯t even a yable character. Even as a protagonist character, it would take at least until the second year at the academy to barely withstand its attacks. Though Ethan was as strong as the protagonist now, I wasn¡¯t sure if he could deflect those enormous tentacles... The one advantage Ethan had over the protagonist was slightly better mobility and the ability to use dual swords for more versatile attacks. With the addition of Lilith¡¯s support magic, it might be possible to deal with it somehow. Even in their worst moments, Ethan and Lilith had a great synergy. With the current Ethan, thepatibility with Lilith would likely be even better. Fortunately, Lilith also had a skill that could be utilized in this water battle. ¡®Water Walking: Allows the target character to walk on water for a certain period.¡¯ It was a secondary support skill consuming four points despite being amon skill, but there was no hesitation. Only the protagonist and Agnes could fight effectively on such a small boat, and Ethan and I had our fighting style suited for us. ¡®Remaining Skill Points: 9 ¡ú 5¡¯ I used the saved skill points without hesitation, casting it on both Ethan and myself. As soon as I confirmed the thin veil of mana surrounding us, I shouted at Ethan. ¡°Abandon the boat, Ethan!¡± ¡°What?! Are we swimming away?!¡± ¡°No, trust me and jump onto the water! Quickly!!¡± Ethan, still showing a bit of doubt, hesitated but eventually followed my instructions and jumped onto theke. -Ssh! ¡°W-whoa?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Water Walking! You can stand on the water as long as my mana holds¡­.¡± -Crash!! ¡°Aaah?!¡± ¡°Lilith!!¡± As I jumped out of the boat a momentter, one of the Kraken¡¯s tentacles smashed into the boat Ethan and I were in. If I had stayed there, my body would probably have been stuck to one of those suction cups. The battle for survival left no room for a single moment of rxation. -Ssh! ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± Fortunately, Water Walking was also active on me, so I didn¡¯t fall into theke. Thank goodness. I can¡¯t swim. I couldn''t swim even in my previous life, and I certainly couldn''t with theserge breasts. Without Water Walking, I would surely sink. With that thought, I brushed off my slightly wet clothes and stood up. To survive, we needed to either defeat the Kraken or deal enough damage to escape. ¡°Lilith, are you okay?!¡± ¡°¡­Focus on the battle, Ethan! Is this the time to worry about me?!¡± ¡°Ah, got it!¡± Hearing my words, Ethan quickly drew his dual swords from his waist. His eyes burned with intense determination as he faced the Abyssal Kraken. -Swoosh! ¡°It¡¯sing, Lilith!¡± ¡°I see it¡­ whoa?!¡± A tentacle swung diagonally from the right towards our position. Ethan fearlessly faced the tentacle with his dual swords. I panicked and deactivated Water Walking, making Ethan fall into the water. -Ssh! ¡°Argh?!¡± -Swoosh!! As Water Walking''s effect disappeared, Ethan fell into the water, narrowly missing the tentacle. If my judgment had been a second slower, Ethan would have been ttened by that tentacle. Why does he keep giving me such a fright? I quickly reactivated Water Walking on Ethan, making him float back to the surface. ¡°Phew, Lilith?!¡± ¡°Kraken¡¯s tentacles are tough. I doubt your swordsmanship can cut through them.¡± ¡°But my father cut through the walls of the Imperial City with his sword¡­¡± ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re at the same level as that monster of a man? At least know the difference between what you can and can¡¯t do!¡± ¡°Okay¡­! I won¡¯t be greedy!¡± It wasn¡¯t that Ethan¡¯s swordsmanship wascking; his father was just a monster. Even someone as strong as Gyeongmwajogyegigwat couldn¡¯t cut through those thick tentacles alone; deflecting them was the best he could do. The problem was that our current fighting style couldn¡¯t defeat the Kraken. Unlike Agnes, who could umte damage with multiple small spells, I had only one attack spell that could properly hurt the giant monster. ¡®We need to buy time to use Mana st.¡¯ Mana st required 10 seconds to cast. Standing idle for 10 seconds in front of the Abyssal Kraken was practically asking to die quickly. Ethan¡¯s sword wouldn¡¯t even scratch the giant monster¡¯s body. Moreover, his range was too short. He hadn¡¯t reached the level of Sword Expert, so he couldn¡¯t release a fully powered sword wave. Like it or not, my Mana st was our best option. Ethan¡¯s role was to buy time until my spell was ready. It wasn¡¯t easy to ask Ethan to defend for 10 seconds, but I had a method. I used thest of my skill points to level up a second support skill. ¡®Sharp de: Increases the power of attacks using a sword.¡¯ ¡®Remaining Skill Points: 5 ¡ú 1¡¯ I had no points left for other skills. If this didn¡¯t work, well, I¡¯d just ept it as fate. With that thought, I cast the new support magic, ¡®Sharp de,¡¯ on Ethan. A tentacle came flying at us again, and I shouted to Ethan. ¡°Ethan! I¡¯ve boosted your attack! Cut it down with all your strength!¡± ¡°Yaaahhhh!!!¡± Ethan held his dual swords in a cross and swung with all his might at the approaching tentacle. His swords, now enhanced, cut deep into the massive tentacle.
  • sh!
¡®Moooaaaarrr!!¡¯ The Kraken roared as its tentacle was severed. It was effective. Chapter 162 ¡°Glub! Glub, gah!!¡± As soon as the Water Walking support magic ended, my body sank into theke. Having never learned how to swim in my past life or this one, I started sinking quietly to the bottom of theke. ¡®Ahhhh! Damn it! Damn it!!¡¯ I desperately iled my limbs, trying to stay afloat, but it was like waving my hands and feet in the air ¡ª futile. The chilling sensation of my body sinking lower sent shivers up my spine. Just moments ago, I had already given up on life once. But having felt the relief of surviving, I clung to life even more desperately now. ¡®Save¡­ me¡­.¡¯ But despite my desperate wish, the light from above grew fainter. I had used all my mana on thatst Mana st, leaving me with no way to reach the surface. As my consciousness began to fade, reaching out to the surface became more and more meaningless. Then, a shadow blocked my view, and a familiar hand grabbed my wrist. That was thest thing I remembered before cking out underwater. On the Knowledge Ind, Somewhere on the Lakeside Path -Ssh! ¡°Huff, cough, cough, hack¡­¡± A man emerged from the depths of theke, coughing and sputtering as he gasped for air. His wet hair covered his eyes and part of his face, and his soaked clothes clung to him like a drenched rat. On his shoulders, a woman in a red dress with ck hair was draped, being carried by him. Afterying the woman on the ground, the man, still wet and exhausted, called out her name urgently. ¡°Lilith! Wake up! Lilith!!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Shaking her shoulders and pping her cheeks, but Lilith remained unresponsive. Ethan''s mind filled with despair as he repeatedly called her name. Shortly after the pair emerged from the water, a group of people began approaching them. ¡°Here! Over here!¡± ¡°We found them!!¡± ¡°Lord Ethan! Lady Lilith! Are you both alright?!¡± The Saintess of Aurelia Church, the Hero, and the Third Princess of the Empire approached Ethan and Lilith urgently. Seeing the saintess''s face, Ethan¡¯s expression momentarily softened. ¡®Thank goodness¡­.¡¯ Though he didn''t know how they found them, Ethan had no time to ponder that. As soon as the saintess and the hero reached the unconscious Lilith, Ethan desperately pleaded with the saintess. ¡°Are you alright?! Both of you, the Kraken¡¯s wounds¡­.¡± ¡°Saintess!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Lilith isn¡¯t waking up! Please, do something to save her!¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll heal her right away!¡± Although she was a ¡®false saintess¡¯ created by the church, she was still chosen because she was the most capable priestess of her age. Unless the person¡¯s heart had stopped, she could save almost anyone with her divine power. ¡­However, even her abilities couldn¡¯t restart a stopped heart. ¡°Oh, oh¡­?¡± ¡°What is it, Saintess? Please, save Lilith¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Her, her heart¡­. It¡¯s not beating¡­.¡± At Serista¡¯s despairing words, Ethan felt like his own heart had stopped. Why did such things keep happening to him? Just when he thought he could finally ovee the despair of losing his mother in childhood¡­ Why did Lilith now have to leave him too? Ethan felt despair for the first time, facing a tragic fate that seemed to target only him. ¡°Wait a minute! Did you say Lady Lilith¡¯s heart isn¡¯t beating?!¡± ¡°Yes¡­! Normally, as long as the heart is beating, I can heal, but my divine power isn¡¯t working¡­.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long; with CPR, we might still¡­¡± If he hadn¡¯t asked Lilith out on a date today¡­ If they hadn¡¯t taken a walk near thekeside¡­ If he hadn¡¯t created a romantic mood and confessed, making her flustered¡­ She might still be alive now. Ethan¡¯s mind was consumed with guilt and despair, feeling like his brain was being stirred with a fork. ¡­Then, he noticed a man reaching out towards Lilith¡¯s body. ¡°Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Are you trying to defile her body in front of me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about! It¡¯s CPR! We can still save her!¡± ¡°¡­CPR?¡± Yes, the hero. Thinking back, it wasn¡¯t just the saintess with divine powers here. The hero, too, had divine blessings from the goddess Aurelia. It wasn¡¯t strange for him to have powers to revive the dead.@@novelbin@@ ¡°How do you n to save her? Is it some power of the hero?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the hero¡¯s power; it¡¯s CPR¡­ Oh, damn. People here don¡¯t know what CPR is¡­.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not the hero¡¯s power?¡± ¡°You press on her chest to manually restart her heart. If we can get it beating again, the saintess¡¯s healing will work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± So, he was trying to save her by pressing on her chest? The exnation sounded usible, but Ethan still couldn¡¯t trust another man touching Lilith¡¯s chest. Facing the hero¡¯s gaze, he made a decision. ¡°Hurry! The longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just pressing on her chest as you described, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Suspicion, possessiveness, jealousy. In a short time, the hero saw many emotions in Ethan¡¯s eyes. Deciding it was easier to teach Ethan than to convince him, the hero instructed him on CPR. ¡°¡­ce your hands like this, t against her chest.¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± ¡°Then use your body weight topress her chest. Keep going, firmly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± -Press, press, press. ¡°Harder! We can fix broken ribs, but a stopped heart is beyond help!¡± ¡°Huff, huff, huff!!¡± -Press! Press! Press! Ethan¡¯s body moved up and down as he pressed on Lilith¡¯s chest. Despite being exhausted from rescuing her, he continued CPR as instructed. He desperately wanted to save Lilith. If he copsed, the hero might take over, which he couldn¡¯t allow. Even in this situation, Ethan didn¡¯t want to let another man touch Lilith. ¡°¡­Lady Agnes, please use heating magic to keep their bodies warm.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve already started.¡± For about five minutes, Ethan desperately pressed on Lilith¡¯s chest. Then, a hopeful voice came from Serista. ¡°J-Just now! Her heart beat for a moment!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°Ethan! Don¡¯t stop! It¡¯s not over yet!¡± ¡°S-Sorry!¡± Despite the hero¡¯s stern tone, Ethan¡¯s heart filled with hope. Seeing a chance to save Lilith, he continued CPR even more fervently. Although her heart beat sporadically, it wasn¡¯t enough for Serista¡¯s healing to work. Ethan overheard the hero muttering about the next step. ¡°¡­We might need to do artificial respiration.¡± ¡°Huff, artificial respiration¡­? What¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°Just pressing on her chest might not be enough. We need to blow air directly into her lungs to get her cirction going.¡± ¡°Blow air into her lungs¡­ Who here can use wind magic¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not magic. You have to do it yourself. I¡¯ll exin once, so listen if you want to save her.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Having seen hope with CPR, Ethan trusted the hero more and had no other option. He listened intently to the hero¡¯s instructions on artificial respiration. ¡°First, tilt her head back and open her mouth wide.¡± ¡°Alright, then what?¡± ¡°Pinch her nose shut. Only let air through her mouth.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, then what?¡± ¡°Cover her mouthpletely with yours and blow air into her lungs.¡± ¡°Cover her mouth with mine¡­ What?¡± Ethan, thinking the hero was joking, looked at him in shock, but the hero¡¯s expression was deadly serious. Annoyed by Ethan¡¯s hesitation, the hero exined again. ¡°Don¡¯t think lightly of this. It¡¯s a life-saving technique.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, let me. I¡¯m more likely to save her than you.¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Not wanting to let the hero kiss Lilith, Ethan quietly apologized to Lilith and pressed his lips to hers. Following the hero¡¯s instructions, he covered her mouthpletely and awaited the next step. ¡®Sorry, Lilith.¡¯ ¡°Inhale through your nose, then blow into her mouth. Think of inting a paper bag. Don¡¯t worry about sucking the air back, just keep breathing into her.¡± ¡°Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale¡­.¡± ¡°Good, keep going, don¡¯t stop¡­.¡± He wanted to save her. He couldn¡¯t let her die here. He didn¡¯t need an answer to his confession. Please, just stay alive and with him¡­. ¡°Inhale, exhale. Inhale¡­.¡± ¡°Cough, cough, gag?!¡± ¡°¡­Gasp?!¡± Lilith¡¯s body jerked, coughing while their lips were still touching. Startled, Ethan pulled away quickly. Lilith, after coughing up water, slowly opened her eyes and looked around. ¡°Cough, hack, cough¡­. Where¡­?¡± Thest thing she remembered was the dark depths of theke, but now she saw the blue sky and many faces around her. Hearing Serista¡¯s words, Lilith finally realized she had been revived. ¡°She¡¯s alive! Her heart is beating!¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive! It¡¯s a miracle!¡± ¡°Lilith, how are you feeling? Are you cold or¡­?¡± Amid themotion, Lilith couldn¡¯t easily grasp what had happened while she was unconscious. Realizing she had died and been brought back, Lilith muttered to herself in a daze. ¡°¡­I survived.¡± Chapter 163 ¡ºLilith has reached level 13!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 14!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 15!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 16!¡» Two days had passed since the day I nearly drowned in theke and was somehow brought back to life. Unsurprisingly, the date we had nned that day was canceled. In fact, considering how close it came to bing a funeral, it wasn¡¯t exactly the right time to think about continuing the date. I still felt as if I could see thest scene from two days ago lingering in front of my eyes. The chaotic situation where so many people were calling my name. ¡®Lilith! Lilith¡­!!¡¯ ¡®Thank goodness you¡¯re safe, Lady Lilith. However, you still need to rest, so we should hurry to the church for further treatment¡­.¡¯ ¡®I will personally take care of you until you¡¯re fully stable! It¡¯s not like the hero told me to do this or anything!¡¯ ¡®¡­Are you really alright?¡¯ Of course, given that I had almost died, it was understandable that everyone was so concerned. Especially Ethan, who wouldn¡¯t let go of me, holding me tightly, showing just how worried he had been. Luckily, in the game world of ¡ºLuminor Academy¡», as long as you were alive, the divine power could heal you. For now, I was continuing my recovery in a private room of the Aurelia Church to ensure stability. In the Private Room of Aurelia Church -Creak. ¡°How are you feeling today, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better, thanks to your devoted care, Saintess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that¡­. There was a moment when I truly feared for your life¡­.¡± Serista, cautiously entering the church¡¯s infirmary from the morning, was the face I had seen the most over the past two days. She had taken charge of my treatment after my near-death experience. From her asional slip-ups, I could infer that it was the hero who had assigned her to take care of me. ¡®Assigning Serista to take care of me¡­ Is it part of his strategy?¡¯ Although it felt odd to say it myself, Lilith¡¯s abilities in the game were quite useful. The standard strategy involved including Lilith in the party as a supporter and sub-tank. Judging from the hero¡¯s recent actions, it seemed he was aiming for a standard, stable strategy to clear the game. This wasn¡¯t a good sign for me. I had no intention of joining the protagonist''s party to defeat the Demon King. It was natural for any sane person to avoid dangerous situations. Moreover, considering the event where the hero takes Lilith as apanion, I found it even more unsettling. The thought of the hero decapitating Ethan and taking me as spoils was a sight I never wanted to witness. Even though Ethan had changed significantly, and it was clear now that the hero was an isekai character, things might not spiral out of control like that. But it still seemed better to return to my routine as soon as possible rather than relying too much on Serista. Missing more sses would make catching up difficult, and I also needed to resume my student council duties. ¡°I think I might be able to return to the academy as early as tomorrow, Saintess.¡± ¡°But you still need to rest a bit more. You were literally at death¡¯s door¡­. If it weren¡¯t for the hero¡¯s CPR¡­ it was truly dangerous. Even though there don¡¯t seem to be any side effects¡­¡± ¡°¡­You mean CPR, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­. You remember well¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t just remember; it was knowledge from my past life. From the context, it was clear that the hero had used CPR to save me. The thought of my heart stopping and being restarted was terrifying. Even though I was scared when I had to rely on the church after fighting the Hooked w, this time I had injuries even the church couldn¡¯t heal, which was even scarier.@@novelbin@@ If the hero hadn¡¯t been nearby, I might not have survived. ¡­I never expected to receive CPR from the hero. ¡®No one else but Ethan has touched me.¡¯ Even though I was unconscious, knowing another man had touched my chest felt weird. Of course, it was necessary because Ethan couldn¡¯t perform CPR, and there was no way he could learn it on the spot. It was medical treatment, not something to be overly concerned about. Still, I couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable knowing another man touched me in front of Ethan. ¡®It seems they even performed artificial respiration.¡¯ The faint memory of someone else¡¯s lips touching mine lingered. It had to be the hero, given the circumstances. Even though it was to save my life, Ethan must have felt terrible seeing his loved one¡¯s chest touched and lips kissed by someone else. I felt a bit guilty even though it wasn¡¯t my fault. If I were Ethan, I would have felt very ufortable too. ¡®It might have been better if it was Ethan.¡¯ Since he often touched me anyway, having him touch my chest wouldn¡¯t have bothered me. Even artificial respiration, if done by someone familiar, would have been less awkward. I also felt guilty for not being able to give a proper answer to his confession. If I ever had to kiss someone, it might have been better if it was Ethan¡­. ¡®No, what am I even thinking?¡¯ ¡°Are you feeling hot, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­. It¡¯s not that¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Suddenly embarrassed by my thoughts, my face felt warm. Thinking about Ethan had been like this for the past few days, making me unnecessarily conscious. I had anticipated that Ethan might confess at some point. It hadn¡¯t changed my perception of him. In the critical moment, he showed signs of bing a Sword Expert and blocked the Kraken¡¯s final attack. Even when we sank to the bottom of theke, he pulled me to the shore. Naturally, thinking about these things made me more conscious of him. Even as a man, anyone would feel their heart race in such situations. Anyone who didn¡¯t feel gratitude towards someone who saved their life would be heartless. There¡¯s also the suspension bridge effect. In crises, hearts beat faster, often mistaking this for love towards someone nearby. Thinking of Ethan, my heart raced. It must be abination of the suspension bridge effect and conditioned response. ¡­Of course, I felt genuine gratitude towards Ethan. His help was invaluable. If he asked for something in return, I¡¯d have no choice but to agree. Touching my chest? No problem. If he asked to reschedule the date, I¡¯d agree. If he asked me to be his girlfriend as repayment, I might not be able to refuse. Or even more than that¡­. -Tap, tap. ¡°Lilith, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°E-E-Ethan?!¡± Startled by Ethan¡¯s voice from outside the room, I instinctively panicked. I quickly turned to Serista for an exnation. ¡°H-How did this happen? I thought visits weren¡¯t allowed yet¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t mention it. After your condition stabilized yesterday, we informed Lord Ethan and Princess Seraphine. We allowed visits for one person at a time¡­.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this now?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­! I meant to tell you after checking your condition¡­.¡± What should I do? How should I face Ethan now? I need to wash my face¡­. No, I should fix my hair first¡­. ¡°Lilith, may Ie in?¡± ¡°J-Just a moment, Ethan!¡± I hurriedly removed the sleep from my eyes and tidied my hair with my fingers. Using a Clean spell, I cleaned my clothes and the bed. Then¡­. ¡°Head dress!¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± ¡°Could you hand me the head dress over there?¡± ¡°This one¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that one!¡± Taking the head dress from the maid outfit hanging on the rack, I quickly put it on, tidying my hair underneath it. It looked presentable enough. ¡°You cane in, Ethan.¡± -Creak. After ensuring I looked like ¡®Lilith, the exclusive maid,¡¯ I called Ethan in. As soon as I finished speaking, the sliding door opened, and Ethan entered. Seeing his face for the first time in three days, my heart unexpectedly started pounding. ¡°Lilith, how are you feeling?¡± -Thump. ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­. My body, you mean¡­?¡± -Thump, thump. ¡°¡­Are you still not feeling well? Even with the saintess¡¯s care¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s just¡­.¡± -Thump, thump, thump. Suspension bridge, suspension bridge¡­. It¡¯s the suspension bridge effect¡­. Chapter 164 -Thump, thump, thump. Facing Ethan suddenly, with my heart in turmoil, was overwhelming. The sudden encounter made my heart race, likely a lingering effect from the battle with the Kraken at theke. The mix of feelings¡ªconfusion from his confession, guilt for not giving a proper answer, and gratitude for saving my life¡ªcreated a whirlwind of emotions inside me. The closer Ethan got, the louder and heavier my heartbeat became. ¡°You seem to be doing well on the outside.¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­ thanks to the saintess¡¯s special care¡­.¡± ¡°Thank you for taking care of her, Saintess Serista.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s my duty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is there something you want to say¡­ Ah!¡± Realizing something, Serista quickly responded to Ethan¡¯s quiet gaze. She moved swiftly to the door, heading out of the infirmary without hesitation. ¡°You two must have a lot to talk about. I¡¯ll leave you alone for a while!¡± ¡°Wait, Saintess¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Saintess.¡± ¡°If anything goes wrong, call me anytime!¡± -Creak, click! With herst words, Serista closed the door, leaving only Ethan and me in the room. An awkward atmosphere filled the small space, and I could only hear my heart pounding in the silence between us. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Thump, thump, thump. ¡­Calm down, calm down. This is a face you¡¯ve seen every day for over five years. Why suddenly feel strange now? It¡¯s just your heart reacting to the crisis where you almost died. This awkward feeling will surely settle down in a few days. If not, then¡­ ¡°Are you really okay?¡± ¡°Y-Y-Yes?!¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Of course, I¡¯m fine! Being healthy and strong has always been my strong suit, right?¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that¡­¡± ¡°Haha, is it¡­?¡± ¡­My thoughts are making me say strange things. I hadn¡¯t expected to face Ethan so soon. I had only regained consciousnessst night and had been busy sorting out my thoughts for the past two days, not knowing what to say when we finally met. Ethan broke the silence first. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°About what happened¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I am grateful for¡­ Sorry, what?!¡± Expecting to express my gratitude, I was taken aback by Ethan¡¯s apology. What could he possibly be sorry for? ¡°Why are you apologizing? What are you sorry for, Ethan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you in danger by saying strange things the other day, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t tried to confess to you, you wouldn¡¯t have suggested going on the boat to theke. It¡¯s my fault you ended up in danger.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Ethan! It was my idea to go to theke. I was the one who suggested it because I was worried about what others would think¡­¡± ¡°No. If I was going to confess something important, I should have chosen a private ce from the start. Thekeside park bench wasn¡¯t the ce for that.¡± ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s words made no sense. I was the one who wanted to talk privately on theke, forgetting about the Kraken¡¯s presence and putting us both in danger. I was the one who abandoned the boat, relying only on the Water Walking spell, and nearly got us both killed after defeating the Kraken. There was no fault in Ethan¡¯s actions. He had saved my life twice in that short battle. In that moment, when he blocked the Kraken¡¯s tentacle, he looked like a hero. ¡°No, Ethan. The incident was entirely my fault¡­¡± ¡°Let me ask you one thing, Lilith. Please answer honestly.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t tried to confess to you that day, would you still have gone on the boat with me to theke?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Probably not. But that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Lilith. That¡¯s all I needed to hear.¡± ¡­¡­Huh? What does he mean by that? I haven¡¯t even answered his confession yet. ¡°Let¡¯s forget I ever confessed that day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I was thoughtless. Considering our positions, confessing my feelings might have been a burden for you, Lilith.¡± ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you anymore. I¡¯m sorry for making you worry, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wait a minute. What¡¯s happening now? Does Ethan really believe my near-death experience was his fault? Does he think his confession led to the Kraken¡¯s attack and our battle? And now he¡¯s decided not to confess to me anymore because of it? ¡®¡­What should I do?¡¯@@novelbin@@ My mind couldn¡¯t process this properly. When Ethan first confessed, I was full of thoughts hoping he wouldn¡¯t. I had been thinking about how to respond without hurting him, trying to uphold my loyalty to him. Now, even though I didn¡¯t have to answer his confession, I felt a strange sense of suffocation. ¡®Saying he won¡¯t burden me anymore¡­¡¯ Does that mean I won¡¯t have the chance to reject his confession again? That I won¡¯t have to worry about how to refuse him in the future? That¡¯s what I wanted all along. But thinking of a future where Ethan never confesses again made me feel suffocated. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ No, no. I don¡¯t have romantic feelings for Ethan. I¡¯m just grateful he saved my life, and my heart raced because of the situation. Maybe Ethan looks a bit more handsome now, but that¡¯s it. Possibly, but just maybe, if I spent more time with Ethan, I might develop feelings for him. After all, Ethan is charming enough to make anyone fall for him. Not that I¡¯m in love with him now, but it could happen. The problem is whether Ethan would still feel the same about me if I miraculously developed feelings for him. In a fleeting moment, a feeling of not wanting to lose him crossed my mind. Ethan¡¯s words that he wouldn¡¯t confess again meant that this was myst chance to respond. I grabbed his arm urgently as he prepared to leave. ¡°Sorry for bothering you during your recovery, Lilith. I¡¯ll head back¡­¡± -Grab. ¡°Wait, Ethan¡­¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t answered your confession from theke yet¡­¡± Mustering courage, I tried to answer Ethan, but he looked like he didn¡¯t want to hear my answer. Seeing him shake his head slightly made my heart sink. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lilith. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to answer my pushy confession¡­¡± -Squeeze. ¡°No, it¡¯s not forced. I don¡¯t think your confession was pushy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you truly don¡¯t want to hear my answer, I understand, but you don¡¯t want to leave your confession unanswered, do you?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Thankfully, my words seemed to reach him, and he nodded seriously. Seizing the opportunity, I conveyed the answer I had prepared. ¡­With a slightly changed emotion from before. ¡°To be honest¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t fully understand love between a man and a woman¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell if the feelings I have for you, Ethan, are love or just gratitude for saving my life¡­¡± ¡°I see. If that¡¯s your answer¡­¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°For the four years at the academy, I¡¯ll try to develop feelings for you!¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°So, during our time at the academy, can we be temporary lovers?¡± ¡°¡­Temporary lovers?¡± ¡°Yes. During our time at the academy, you can think of me as your girlfriend. I¡¯ll also think of you as my boyfriend.¡± ¡°¡­So you¡¯re epting my confession, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ But only while we¡¯re at the academy.¡± This was the best answer I could give Ethan. It was inevitable. With Ethan¡¯s status, marriage woulde with many restrictions, and he couldn¡¯t marry a quasi-baroness maid. So, at least during our time at the academy, we could be like lovers. If Ethan¡¯s feelings remained unchanged after graduation¡­ ¡°What about after graduation? As temporary lovers, would we break up then?¡± ¡°If I fall in love with you by then, and if your feelings for me remain unchanged¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Then, you can do as you wish with me.¡± ¡°¡­Do as I wish?¡± ¡°Yes, as you wish.¡± Chapter 165 After I finished my response to Ethan''s confession, a brief, awkward silence filled the room. ¡­Could it be that my response was a mistake? I had conditionally epted Ethan''s confession, promising that if he still wanted to maintain our rtionship by graduation, I would ept it. Surely, this was an answer Ethan could understand. It allowed me to maintain my loyalty to him after five years of friendship. Just as I started to feel a bit relieved by my response, Ethan asked an unexpected question in a serious tone. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to be like lovers, what exactly does that mean for you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know, like holding hands, saying ¡®I love you,¡¯ those kinds of things lovers do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you willing to allow?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Well, um¡­¡± ¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought that far. While I was focused on maintaining loyalty, I hadn¡¯t considered the specifics of what being ¡®like lovers¡¯ entailed. I was just thinking about doing typical couple activities, but I hadn¡¯t set any boundaries. The biggest problem was that I had never been in a rtionship before, either in this life or my past one. How could someone like me, who knew nothing about dating, set boundaries for physical contact? Realizing the gap in my knowledge, I felt increasingly flustered. ¡°Well, um¡­ that is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan waited patiently for my answer, his eyes fixed on mine. Holding hands should be fine, right? No, that¡¯s too minimal. We''ve held hands before during the masquerade ball and other asions. What about hugging? But hugs can be tonic too. Then, should I allow kissing? ¡°Ah, um, ah¡­¡± ¡°Lilith?! Are you okay? Should I call Saintess Serista?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that kind of problem, Ethan.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Imagining kissing Ethan made my mind go nk. I had already had my first kiss due to CPR, but thinking about kissing Ethan voluntarily made my head spin. No, that kiss doesn¡¯t count. It was a medical procedure. ¡®No, thinking about when I had my first kiss isn¡¯t important right now.¡¯ I needed to focus on what I was willing to allow Ethan, and ignore these confusing thoughts. The furthest we had gone physically was when Ethan touched my chest. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to let him do that, but since he kept winning against Harold, it became a regr thing. Given that the most intense contact we had was chest touching, did that mean I needed to allow more now? Would the next step be¡­? ¡°No! Absolutely not!!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°No matter how much we¡¯re like lovers, doing such things as students is inappropriate¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, calm down. What do you mean by ¡®such things¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Caught up in my thoughts about the next step, I identally blurted out my panic. I needed to be clear and specific so Ethan understood my boundaries. I couldn¡¯t let things escte without setting firm limits. ¡°¡­Sex¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sex?¡± ¡°I mean, um, sexual¡­ I mean, um¡­ no¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, Lilith. I understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°No, let me be clear.¡± I needed to ensure there were no misunderstandings. ¡°I believe it¡¯s inappropriate to engage in sexual acts before marriage.¡± ¡°Can I ask why? I¡¯m not questioning your decision, just curious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of my mother¡¯s teachings. She was a devout follower of the Aurelia Church and raised me to keep my purity until marriage.¡± ¡°¡­I see. If it¡¯s your mother¡¯s teaching, I understand.¡± I felt a bit guilty for lying, but I needed this excuse to prevent us from crossing a line I wasn¡¯t ready for. Without this boundary, it could have easily escted. Ethan, understanding and respectful, epted my exnation. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll respect that boundary.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ethan.¡± Ethan, always considerate, moved closer to my face. ¡°Ethan? You¡¯re a bit close¡­¡± ¡°So, is that the only condition, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Is it just sex that¡¯s off-limits, or are other things allowed?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Wait, did I really imply that everything else was okay? No, I hadn¡¯t meant that. I was just trying to establish a final boundary. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan leaned so close that our noses almost touched. At thest moment, I closed my eyes, anticipating a kiss, but felt something firm and slightly hard against my lips. It wasn¡¯t his lips. It was his¡­ ¡°Just kidding, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± When I opened my eyes, Ethan was pressing his finger against my lips, a calm understanding in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lilith. I won¡¯t rush things.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t rush our rtionship. Let¡¯s start fresh as lovers from today. That way, you¡¯ll feel morefortable.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that sounds good.¡± ¡­Phew. I thought he was really going to kiss me. Though I had imagined these scenarios, actually kissing Ethan was too much for me right now. I needed more time to prepare. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize a kiss would make you this nervous, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Given that we¡¯ve done more intense things, it¡¯s interesting you¡¯re nervous about a kiss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way. I¡¯m happy to see this new side of you.¡± ¡°¡­Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡±
  • Peck.
Feeling irritated by his smugness, I lightly kissed Ethan as he turned his head. ¡­Just a quick peck. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan stared at me in shock, while I felt a strange heat rising inside me. I needed to act calm despite feeling flustered. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t misunderstand, Ethan.¡± ¡°Lilith? What was that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so weak that I¡¯d tremble over a mere kiss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I just wanted you to know that.¡± ¡­I hope he understood. I¡¯m not so weak that I¡¯d tremble over a kiss. ¡°Okay, Lilith. I understand¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As we shared an awkward silence, neither of us could meet the other¡¯s eyes. When Serista returned to the infirmary a few minutester, Ethan and I still hadn¡¯t managed to break the tension. Chapter 166 ¡°Please take care, Miss Lilith. If you experience any issues, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me again.¡± Standing at the entrance of the Luminor Academy¡¯s church, which also served as the Theology Department¡¯s building, Serista held both my hands, repeating the same cautions she had given me countless times before. I simply nodded in response, having heard them enough tost a lifetime. ¡°Yes, thank you for everything, Saintess Serista.¡± ¡°Thank you for taking such good care of Lilith, Saintess.¡± ¡°It was my duty, after all.¡± After giving Ethan my answer to his confession, Serista returned to the infirmary. The first thing Ethan and I did upon her return was to arrange for my discharge from the church today. The weekend had already ended yesterday, and it felt wrong to miss any more academy sses and responsibilities while lying in bed. In my previous life, I might have relished the opportunity to skip school legitimately, but paying for my education at Luminor Academy made skipping sses a daunting prospect. Additionally, I had group projects with Agnes and student council duties that I couldn¡¯t neglect. Fortunately, since there were no major injuries, I was able to be discharged without any issues, although Serista repeatedly emphasized how close I hade to dying. This marked the second time I owed my life to the Aurelia Church. Both times had been near-death experiences, and I hoped this would be thest visit. ¡°Well then, goodbye¡­¡± ¡°Um, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking, but may I ask you one question before you go?¡± ¡°What is it, Saintess Serista?¡± ¡°Could you lean in a bit closer?¡± It seemed like something she didn¡¯t want Ethan to hear. When I leaned down to her level, Serista asked in a cautious voice. ¡®Miss Lilith, are you truly a noble?¡¯ ¡®¡­Yes?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re the only daughter of the Rosewood Bar family, correct?¡¯ ¡®¡­Yes. But why do you ask?¡¯ ¡®Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sorry for asking such a strange question¡­¡¯ Why was Serista suddenly inquiring about my status? As mentioned before, my current identity as the daughter of a bar family was fabricated by Ethan and Seraphine. I was Lilith Rosewood, the only daughter of Lewis and Marianne Rosewood. Although it was a fake identity, only a select few knew the truth, including Ethan, Seraphine, and some of their close associates. Even Isabelle and Katarina believed I was genuinely a bar¡¯s daughter. While I knew Serista wasn¡¯t an antagonist, I still wasn¡¯t close enough to her to reveal such a significant secret. ¡®It¡¯s probably because she finds it strange for a noble to be a maid.¡¯ As I mentioned earlier, it was highly unusual for a nobledy to serve as a personal maid at the academy. It was understandable that she was curious, and it didn¡¯t bother me. After all, I had spent three days in the church under her care, so she had the right to ask a few questions. Waving goodbye to Serista as I moved away from the church, a slightly awkward silence began to envelop Ethan and me. -Step, step. ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Thud, thud. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thinking about the kiss we shared earlier made it awkward for me to start a conversation, and Ethan seemed to be lost in his thoughts about the infirmary incident. If this continued, the ufortable silence would follow us all the way to the dormitory and possibly into the next morning. As the elder here, it was my responsibility to break the silence and address the awkward atmosphere. ¡°How¡¯s Princess Seraphine¡¯s student council, Ethan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. There are people you know and some you probably don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Check it out yourself tomorrow in the student council room. The main activities start then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t cause any inconvenience while I was bedridden.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s going to me someone who almost died for resting a bit, Lilith.¡± ¡­Well, anyone significant enough to catch Seraphine¡¯s attention wouldn¡¯t. After that brief exchange, the conversation halted again, leaving only the sound of our footsteps in the quiet surroundings. -Step, step. ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Thud, thud. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Darn it, seriously. At this rate, any attempt at conversation would likely lead back to this awkward silence. I decided to address the issue directly to avoid these moments in the future. ¡°Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Lilith?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re troubled by the kiss we shared in the infirmary, please don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s not that¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, it was only my second kiss, so there¡¯s no need for you to feel burdened by it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Ethan suddenly gave me a sharp look as if I had said something wrong. Just as I was about to speak, he interrupted, staring at me intensely. ¡°Did I say something wrong¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Who was it?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Who was the person who took your first kiss?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­What? I thought Ethan knew about the CPR. He was there when the hero performed it. Why is he reacting like this? ¡®Could it be that he saw the CPR but not the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?¡¯ Given that Ethan and I both nearly drowned, it¡¯s possible his memory of the event was patchy. Maybe he missed that part. I tried to ease the tension by exining calmly. ¡°Calm down, Ethan. I understand why you¡¯re upset, but that person is my lifesaver.¡± ¡°¡­Lifesaver? So, someone saved your life and then demanded your first kiss as a reward?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. He performed a life-saving procedure that required mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.¡± ¡°Who dared to use such an excuse to touch your lips? When¡­¡± ¡°It happened the day before yesterday, Ethan!¡± ¡°¡­Oh?¡± Upon hearing ¡®the day before yesterday,¡¯ Ethan looked puzzled, tilting his head. Taking this as my chance, I continued to exin about the CPR. ¡°I heard everything from the saintess. When I was pulled out of theke, my heart had stopped temporarily, putting my life at risk.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it was a close call. I thought I was going to lose you.¡± ¡°And to save my life, the hero performed CPR.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And the process involved mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The procedure requires sealing the patient¡¯s lips with your own and blowing air into their lungs.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, Lilith. Are you saying your first kiss was¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I considered that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as my first kiss, thinking you were aware since you were present.¡± I didn¡¯t expect Ethan, who hugged me as soon as I woke up, not to know about it. How could he not have noticed? ¡°Actually, Lilith¡­ that wasn¡¯t the hero.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your mouth-to-mouth resuscitation¡­ I did it.¡± ¡­What? Ethan did the mouth-to-mouth? No way. How did he know about mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? ¡°How did you¡­¡± ¡°The hero told me what to do: pinch your nose, seal your lips, and blow air.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I thought you knew it was me, given how you woke up. I assumed you realized it.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°And the chestpressions¡­ I did those too. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of another man¡¯s hands on you.¡± ¡°¡­I see. You did well.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the right to touch you, but¡­¡± ¡­So, that¡¯s what happened. Despite being unconscious, my first kiss was with Ethan. No other man had touched me. Feeling a sense of relief, I rxed. ¡­At least it was Ethan. ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°¡­A relief?¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°Lilith, did you just say ¡®a relief¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean, Ethan?¡± ¡°You said ¡®a relief.¡¯ Did you mean you¡¯re d it was me?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that. If I did, it didn¡¯t mean what you think.¡± ¡°You definitely meant¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Ethan kept pressing, but I denied it repeatedly. Eventually, his persistent questioning continued all the way back to the dormitory. ¡­Really, just because he found a small slip, he¡¯s so smug about it. Chapter 167 After sending Lilith and her protector, Ethan, back to their dormitory from the church''s private room, Serista quietly reflected on her private worries while tidying up the now-vacant room. ¡°I definitely felt it¡­¡± The mysterious yet familiar power emanating from Lilith¡¯s body. Serista, who had been the closest to Lilith during the past three days, had sensed something unusual. As someone who could handle the strongest holy power among the children of the church, it was only natural that Serista had developed her talents as a priestess diligently. She had be so proficient that her ability to handle holy power exceeded that of ordinary intermediate priests. Additionally, her heightened sensitivity to even the faintest holy power allowed her to detect the subtle force within Lilith¡¯s body, a force that could not exist without a priestly consecration by the Aurelia Church. ¡°Could it be that she was consecrated as a priestess before¡­?¡± She considered this possibility briefly but dismissed it. The Aurelia Church strictly managed priestly consecrations, performing them once every five years for a select few to prevent the indiscriminate spread of holy power. Nobles or those of noble birth were generally not consecrated to avoid the concentration of excessive power in individuals. Yet, despite Lilith¡¯s assertion of her noble status, Serista had undoubtedly felt the presence of a faint, uncontainable holy power within her. This led Serista to question the true nature of Lilith¡¯s identity. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Lilith is truly¡­¡± A noble-born individual with an inherent holy power, yet unconsecrated. Serista knew all too well what this implied: Lilith could very well be the ¡®True Saint¡¯ the Aurelia Church had been searching for so fervently. Unlike herself, the fabricated ¡®False Saint.¡¯ Sinking into the bed that still faintly held Lilith¡¯s holy presence, Serista pondered whether it was wise to reveal this discovery to the main church. Could it be that Lilith, with her genuine saintly potential, would be of greater help in future crises than Serista, who was merely a high priestess inparison? And if she did reveal this truth, what would be of her? Serista, who had been elevated to the status of a ¡®False Saint¡¯ to cover the failures of the high priests responsible for finding the true saint, knew how precarious her position was. The high priests had hastily made her a saint five years ago, plucking her from an orphanage where she had been training as a novice priestess. Initially content with the better food andfortable bed, Serista gradually realized the heavy burden of the saintly title. She had often felt the crushing weight of her responsibilities and had considered abandoning the title and fleeing. Serista believed that the world needed the real saint, Lilith, far more than it needed a weak, fake saint like herself. Lilith, who had the courage to confront a massive monster like the Kraken, would undoubtedly be more helpful to the Hero and the world. However, revealing the existence of the true saint would likely mean her own demise. Serista imagined the church''s ruthless measures to preserve its dignity and silence her. "I can''t let that happen¡­" She felt the unfairness of her predicament deeply. Although she had understood the gravity of her role from the start, she had never anticipated that it might cost her life. As she weighed her choices, Serista was caught between her desire to stay by the Hero¡¯s side and her duty to the world. It was a cruel decision for a young woman in love. The Hero¡¯s Dormitory Meanwhile, at the Hero¡¯s dormitory within the Luminor Academy¡¯s Swordsmanship Department, Geob Majo Sejigut Bolt, the top first-year swordsman and the hero of prophecies, was also deep in thought about the events of two days ago. Since being transported into the world of Luminor Academy as the Hero, the most changed character from the original story was Ethan. Ethan¡¯s moniker was no longer the ¡®Pig Prince.¡¯ Instead, he had be known as ¡®Ethan, the Dual Swordsman.¡¯ From their first meeting, it was clear that Ethan¡¯s physique was far from the chubby character he was meant to be. He had a lean, muscr build. The significance of this title change suggested that Ethan would not be the same viin as depicted in the game. Over the past half year, the Hero had confirmed that Ethan was indeed different from the Ethan Richard ckwood of the game.@@novelbin@@ Initially suspecting Ethan of being a transmigrator or regressor, the Hero¡¯s recent observations had led to a slight adjustment in his theory. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not a case of transmigration but regression¡­¡± The Hero reconsidered after witnessing Ethan¡¯s reaction during theke incident. Ethan¡¯s panic at seeing Lilith¡¯s cardiac arrest and his resistance to the Hero¡¯s attempt to perform CPR indicated that he wasn¡¯t a transmigrator. A transmigrator would have known about CPR and would have performed chestpressions on Lilith before the Hero arrived. This left two main possibilities: One, Ethan was a regressor who had returned to live a second life after dying in the future. Or two¡­ ¡°Is it possible that someone else influenced Ethan?¡± The Hero pondered the idea that another character might have changed Ethan from the ¡®Pig Prince¡¯ to ¡®Ethan, the Dual Swordsman.¡¯ While it was a coincidence, it brought him closer to the truth. The Hero¡¯s understanding of the situation deepened, but the true answer still eluded him. Chapter 168 The possibility that the person thought to be a possessor or regressor was not Ethan but someone else around him. In theory, it was a fully usible story. Initially, it was a hypothesis that hadn¡¯t even been considered due to Ethan¡¯s drastically changed appearance and the fact that most of the altered story revolved around the ckwood family to which Ethan belonged. However, due to Ethan¡¯s actions seen by Gyeongmwajogyegigwat at thekeside, he began to give considerable weight to the second hypothesis. That there was a possessor who had possessed someone other than Ethan and was intervening in the story in various ways, including the person known as Ethan himself. Two days ago, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat had never missed the modern speech pattern that had casually reached his ears. ¡®I guess I¡¯m buying this.¡¯ It was a familiar speech pattern presumed to belong to a young man in his teens to twenties, which he had heard quite a lot in his past life. Had an ordinary academy student casually uttered it, he might have overlooked it without thinking too deeply. However, it was the person who used that speech pattern that made him suspicious. A person whose appearance and position made it absolutely impossible to believe they would use such a speech pattern, as if they had been possessed by someone else, muttering carelessly. Lilith Rosewood. Or, for some reason, now a quasi-baroness going by the name Lilith ckwood Rosewood, she was the most likely candidate for the second possibility. ¡°When you think about it, the circumstances themselves are the most usible.¡± The fact that Eiria, a courtesan taken to the Silverwood estate, was the viiness who tormented Lilith in the original story. That Lizzy, who should have been removed ording to the original plot, was not only alive but sometimes seemed to follow Lilith in a peculiar way. Even the fact that Lilith, ¡®just a maid,¡¯ had confidently taken on an administrative position in Seraphine¡¯s student council announcement today. Although not as much as Ethan, Lilith also showed actions that were significantly different from those in the original game. ¡°¡­But there was one reason why it was hardest to think of her as a possessor.¡± ¡°If Lilith is the possessor, how did she manage to tame that pig prince, Ethan?¡± How had she managed to turn Ethan into a proper person without incurring Harold¡¯s wrath, given her status as just a maid? From the perspective of the hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, that part was utterly iprehensible. Had Lilith even slightlyid a hand on Ethan or cursed at him, she would have been punished by Harold. If their rtionship had soured even a little, Lilith would have been alongside Eiria, facing the same fate as a courtesan in Silverwood estate. It was even more absurd to believe that she had reformed Ethan¡¯s troublesome personality without violence or verbal abuse. The future Lilith faced in the original game, suffering under Ethan as the ¡®foolish maid,¡¯ was proof that those methods were ineffective. ¡°If I could just figure out how she managed that part, I could be convinced Lilith is the possessor¡­¡± He wanted to speak directly with her if possible, but Ethan was guarding Lilith closely, pointing out the promiscuity of her rtionships. It seemed it would take a bit more time to confirm the truth. ¡°¡­There¡¯s still plenty of time.¡± The final event of the second part, where Ethan loses his life, was at the end of the second semester of the second year. As long as he could ascertain how the story had changed before then, it would be enough. ¡°Once I find out by then, I can decide whether to recruit Lilith for the ssic ythrough of the original game or consider a different way of clearing it.¡± There was more than enough time to defer the judgment. Dormitory of the Fencing Club. Ethan and Lilith''s Room. Returning to the dormitory shared with Ethan after three days, I was warmly weed by one person and two spirits who had been waiting for me. ¡°Lilithhhh~!!!¡± As soon as she saw my face after three days, Isabel reacted loudly and ran toward me. ¡®Lilith, are you okay?! Are you really fine now? Are you fully recovered?¡¯ ¡®¡­Lilith, you won¡¯t die, right¡­?¡¯ And receiving a warm wee from Sally and Say, who surprisingly seemed genuinely worried about my safe return. ¡°Lilithhh~!! I heard you almost died again this time~!! Why do you keep doing dangerous things, Lilithhh~!!!¡± ¡°Sorry, Isabel. I made you worry unnecessarily.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t unnecessary worrying~!!!¡± Isabel clung to me, her tearful face burrowing into my chest. Had something gone wrong with me, Isabel would have been deeply saddened in various ways. Especially since she had followed me to Luminor Academy in the awkward status of being the personal maid of a personal maid, losing me would have left herpletely stranded. Of course, thanks to my safe return, the potential tragedies for both of us were all canceled. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go wash up first. You guys can talk while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°Oh, Young Master Ethan. What about your change of clothes¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t worry, and rest up today, Lilith.¡± -ng. With those words, Ethan took his underwear and nightwear and entered the dressing room. Thanks to that, I had to listen to Isabel¡¯s worried scolding for nearly ten minutes. ¡°¡­So don¡¯t do dangerous things, Lilith. Why does Lilith, who is supposed to be a personal maid like me, keep facing crises?¡± ¡°Sorry, I have no excuse.¡± ¡°¡­If you do something dangerous again and almost die, I¡¯ll really¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ Saying I¡¯d cut ties is too much. I, I won¡¯t talk to you for a week¡­.¡± Unable to say she¡¯d cut tiespletely due to her soft heart or because she feared I might do something dangerous again, she hastily softened her punishment. Though it was a somewhat cute deration, I could only bow my head and apologize to Isabel. Even before regaining my past life memories, she had been a precious connection, so I didn¡¯t want our rtionship to be estranged. ¡®Lilith, Lilith.¡¯ ¡°Oh, Sally. What is it?¡± ¡®Can I eat your magic now? Or do I need to wait a bit more?¡¯ ¡®I want to eat your magic too, Lilith¡­.¡¯ ¡°Oh.¡± Come to think of it, it had been three days since Ist provided them with magic. Though being contracted spirits didn¡¯t necessarily mean they had to consume only my magic to survive. They could maintain their life force with the ambient magic in the air. However, if they didn¡¯t receive a sufficient supply of the contractor¡¯s magic, the spirits¡¯ intimacy and growth rates would decrease, making consistent supply crucial. Since I had fully recovered yesterday after surviving the near-death crisis, there was no problem giving them magic now. ¡°You can have as much as you want, Sally and Say. I couldn¡¯t provide you with it for three days, so feel free to eat your fill.¡± ¡®Hooray~!!¡¯ ¡®Thank you, I¡¯ll eat well¡­.¡¯ With brightened expressions, the two spirits attached themselves to my right and left hands and began to absorb my magic. As a high spirit and a mid-level spirit simultaneously absorbed my magic, I could feel it draining from my body, but my capacity had exceeded 3000 after leveling up from 12 to 16, so it was manageable. ¡®Lilith! Your magic seems denser than before?¡¯ ¡®And it tastes better, hmm¡­.¡¯ ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s because I got stronger while defeating the Kraken?¡± ¡®At this rate, we might soon be able to form a formal contract! Keep getting stronger quickly!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds. This time, I was lucky to have the conditions to defeat the Kraken. If I make a mistake, I could die¡­.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­,¡± ¡°¡­though I didn¡¯t. Anyway, it was a close win. I don¡¯t want to engage in life-threatening battles if I can avoid it.¡± ¡°¡­Phew.¡± It hurt a bit to tell the truth with Isabel¡¯s worried gaze upon me. It wasn¡¯t mere annoyance but genuine concern. When a loyal and kind-hearted person like Isabel got angry with me, it was usually my fault. After worrying my best friend so much, I had no choice but to ept the consequences. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s surprising that Sally and Say behaved so well. I thought you¡¯d be searching for me if I was away for days.¡± ¡®You told us to wait quietly. I was a bit worried but waited. I overheard other humans in this room saying you were alive.¡¯ ¡®With a contract, you can tell if they¡¯re dead or not. ¡­It was a bit worrying when the connection was momentarily cut.¡¯ I guess they do listen to their contractor¡¯s instructions. Anyway, it was fortunate that these two spirits didn¡¯t wander around looking for me. If they had wandered off and gotten lost or confronted the academy church, my recovery might have been dyed due to fatigue. ¡­Given the Kraken subjugation, I should always carry at least one of them with me. ¡°Lilith, you can use the bathroom now.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Young Master Ethan.¡± Responding to Ethan, who came out of the bathroom at the right moment, I also grabbed my nightwear and underwear and headed to the dormitory dressing room. After washing up in the well-equipped dormitory bathroom, I immediately faced a new problem.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Lilith, how about lying on the bed now? We both have sses starting in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. That¡¯s right¡­ Young Master Ethan is right, we should go to bed soon. Yes¡­.¡± The double bed, which I had always sleptfortably on, suddenly felt so unfamiliar tonight. Chapter 169 The next morning, on the way to the academy after spending the night in bed with Ethan for the first time in a long while. "Haa, haaaah..." Feeling slightly fatigued from not being able to fall into a deep sleep all night, I unconsciously let out a yawn, different from my usual self. Noticing this, Ethan looked at me with a slightly worried expression and asked, "Lilith, are you okay? You seem particrly tired today." "...I''m fine, Young Master Ethan. Excuse me." "If you''re tired, why not take another day off?" "Thank you for your concern, but missing more academy days could interfere with my studies. Also, as your personal maid, I need to assist you properly." "...If you say so, Lilith, I won''t insist." ...As if he didn¡¯t know that he was the cause of my fatigue. Last night, I couldn''t sleep easily because I was conscious of Ethan sleeping beside me in bed. Despite being undoubtedly tired from various events, I couldn''t fall asleep easily. Until just a few days ago, whether it was Ethan or Isabel sleeping next to me, I could fall asleep without much thought. Now that we had the addedplexity of being temporary lovers, I was tormented by thoughts of Ethan possibly attacking me in my sleep, keeping me awake until around 3 or 4 in the morning. With the personal maid''s wake-up time being 6 AM, a mere two or three hours of sleep wasn''t enough to shake off my fatigue. That''s why I had dragged myself out of bed this morning, barely able to function. "......" "Lilith, is there something on my face?" "No, nothing at all." "...Then why have you been staring at me so intently?" "Is there any reason I shouldn''t, Young Master Ethan?" "...Huh?" "Even if it''s temporary, aren''t we lovers now, Young Master Ethan?" "Oh, yes. That''s true... Sorry, Lilith. That was a strange question." Now, if I suggested using separate beds or installing a curtain divider on the bed, it would surely seem suspicious. Ethan might even mistakenly think I was being conscious of him, as he didst time, and put on that self-satisfied expression again. If I had known this would happen, I would have installed a curtain divider back when we weren''t lovers in the first semester. Back then, it would have been justifiable as securing privacy. I hadn''t anticipated that sharing a bed would be so awkward. Up until a few days ago, I couldn''t have imagined bing something like temporary lovers with Ethan. "Don''t fall asleep in your morning sses, Lilith. I''lle to the magic department building for lunch, so wait for me." "...Yes, understood." My heart still mistook the events on theke for feelings of love, unable to stop fluttering in Ethan''s presence. After parting ways, I walked to the magic department building with a slightly calmer heart. The bed issue... I''ll figure it out with time. Adjusting to the New Rtionship Even though an awkward rtionship of temporary lovers was added between Ethan and me, his behavior didn¡¯t change noticeablypared to before. We still had lunch together as usual, took light walks around the campus talking during the remaining time, and after all sses ended, returned to our daily life as young master and personal maid. Contrary to my worries, Ethan did not suddenly try to close the distance or surprise me with sudden physical contact. ...Even as temporary lovers, I had braced myself to ept him being a bit more forward, but nothing happened. After all, the time we had spent in a master-servant rtionship was overwhelmingly longer than as lovers, making it inevitable. If Ethan had not been aware of us as lovers before and was suddenly asked to act like one overnight, he would have been just as confused as I would.@@novelbin@@ At least in this world, the Ethan I had observed closely had no romantic experience and waspletely inexperienced in dealing with women. -Clop, clop, clop... "Oh, Lilith. This way." "...Yes, Young Master Ethan." ...Even so, he was still meticulously adhering to the manners of a romantic rtionship, which felt oddly frustrating. As soon as the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels came from behind, Ethan guided me to the inside, a small but appreciated gesture, yet somehow unsatisfying. Isn''t this... not what a romantic rtionship usually looks like? It felt like being a butler serving ady, which bothered me. My master was Ethan, and I was the personal maid, yet the roles felt reversed. Maybe I have to take the lead here. To honor mymitment to Ethan, I wouldn¡¯t take the role of temporary lover lightly. Though I never had romantic experience in my past life, I had been a man for over 20 years. I knew well enough what actions would make a man of this age happy. ...Starting too aggressively from day one of being lovers mighte off as a bit cheap, so I should start lightly. -Grab. "...Li, Lilith?!" "...Don¡¯t make such a fuss over something this small, Young Master Ethan. Holding hands is amon act between lovers, isn¡¯t it?" "Oh, yes. Sorry, Lilith. We are lovers now, yes." Raising his voice unnecessarily drew attention from those around us, ruining my n to naturally hold his hand from below, but letting go now would hurt my pride. I deliberately gripped his hand tighter, ensuring I wouldn¡¯t let go. -Squeeze. "......" "......" Feeling Ethan''s warmth through our hands made my face flush. We walked to the student council room without making eye contact even once. At the Student Council Room "Wee, Lord Ethan. And Miss Lilith." "Good day, Princess Seraphine." "It''s been a while, Princess." "The weather seems quite cold outside. Your faces are both red." "......" "......" Exchanging formal greetings with Seraphine after a long time, Ethan and I entered the student council room. As we stepped inside, Luke, who had bepletely adept at his duties as a personal maid, handed us two cups of chamomile tea. "It¡¯s a tea that warms the body." "...Thank you." "...Thank you." ...If I get any warmer, I might overheat. Unable to refuse Luke''s kindness, I quietly epted the herbal tea. Taking a sip, a pleasant warmth spread inside me. "You¡¯re early today too, Princess Seraphine." "I just arrived, Lord Ethan. You both came just as I was about to start working." "Will I be handling the administrative duties from today, Princess?" "Yes, Miss Lilith. Come to think of it, we didn¡¯t have much time for a proper introductionst time. Are you feeling better now?" "Yes. Thanks to your concern, I have recovered a lot." "It¡¯s more thanks to Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt and Miss Seriste." Well, that¡¯s true. If it weren¡¯t for them, I would have already been dead. However, Iter learned that the reason they could arrive at theke in time was due to Seraphine receiving a report of the Kraken¡¯s emergence while talking with them. Indirectly, both Luke and Seraphine had also helped save my life. "How have you been, Miss Luke?" "Yes, Miss Lilith." "...Are you managing well as Princess Seraphine¡¯s personal maid? You¡¯re not doing it reluctantly because I refused the princess¡¯s offer, are you...?" "I¡¯m not a personal maid for such reasons, so please don¡¯t worry, Miss Lilith." "...Is that so?" Considering the original plot, it felt awkward for Luke to be a personal maid now. Though there were several routes in the game where Luke¡¯s true identity as a woman was revealed, her bing Seraphine¡¯s personal maid was a rare storyline. I momentarily worried that my actions had forced Luke into an unwanted position, but her answer indicated she liked her current role. "During the evaluation match at the end of thest semester, I learned a lot from my battle with you, Miss Lilith. Despite having such skills, you protect your master as a personal maid. It was a revtion for me." "Pardon?" "I realized the importance of my role as a personal maid not just in hiding my identity but in taking full responsibility for my master¡¯s well-being. Seeing you made me rethink my approach." "......Pardon?" "I was foolish not to understand your perspective then, but inspired by you, I decided to be a personal maid who could fully support Princess Seraphine. Therefore, my current position is entirely my choice." "Ah, yes, I see... Thank you for your honesty, Miss Luke." "Indeed, Miss Lilith, you have a broad heart." It seemed she had misunderstood several things, but the atmosphere was such that I let it pass. ...Well, if she¡¯s happy, there¡¯s no need for me to spoil it. Chapter 170 After exchanging appropriate greetings with Seraphine and Luke upon entering the student council room, I sat at the administrative desk Luke guided me to, waiting for the other student council members to arrive. I already had an idea about some of the members from what Seraphine had told me, and I was roughly aware of the student councilposition from the original story. As I sat at my desk in the student council room, making small talk with the other members, familiar faces began to appear one by one. "Long time no see, Lilith." "...It''s been a while, Lady Auguste." "Did you have a good summer vacation? I spent mine leisurely at an estate owned by the Auguste Merchant Company." "That sounds wonderful. I''m d you had a good time." "...If it''s alright, perhaps next summer we could..." "I would prefer if you didn''t cling to my maid too much, Lady Lizzy Lynn Auguste." "...My apologies." A nobledy boasting about her summer vacation story quickly averted her gaze and retreated at Ethan''s appearance. "Is everyone here~? Hm? This youngdy here seems unfamiliar~." "Nice to meet you, Senior Orion. I am Lilith ckwood Rosewood, a first-year in the Magic Department." "Oh, so you''re that girl~? I''ve heard a lot about you~." "Really? What have you heard...?" "Oh, just this and that~? You''re already quite famous among the first-years in the Magic Department~. I think you and Agnes are the most well-known, right~?" "...Senior Orion, please don''t get too close to my maid..." "Oh my, Ethan~! Long time no see~! Thest time we met was at the royal pce, wasn''t it? You''ve grown a bit taller and look a bit more manly~." "...Pardon?" "Please step away from Young Master Ethan, Senior Orion!" Just like in the game, Senior Orion from the Magic Department was a mysterious and seemingly dangerous figure. ...And on top of that, there was another character I only knew by name and who had no significant presence. "Nice to meet you. I''m Gwen Ivelt, a second-year in the Engineering Department." "Ah, yes. I''m Lilith ckwood Rosewood, a first-year in the Magic Department." "Noted. I''ll remember that." "...Thank you." Because of his faint presence, he was in some ways even more enigmatic than Orion. This was my first meeting with Gwen Ivelt, a rival character in Luke''s route. Gwen Ivelt Honestly, I barely remembered anything about him besides his name and appearance. One might wonder how I could forget a rival character after spending thousands of hours on Luminor Academy, but he was really that forgettable. He was quiet, had no significant connections with major characters, and thus had no impact on the story, practically making him an NPC. With short brown hair, standing about 180 cm tall, and having a stoic personality, he looked like a character the developers might have thrown together out of boredom. He had no memorable traits and no main storyline. Even characters like Old Ethan or Caraham had main storylines. Despite being a rival character, he didn''t act like one. If the protagonist started to build a bond with Luke, he would naturally fade into the background. So why call such an extra a rival character? Because if you didn''t show any interest in Luke, the ending would simply state that Luke married him. So he was treated as a rival just for ending up with Luke in the conclusion. The Student Council Meeting Two weeks had passed since we began following the order set by Seraphine in the student council. It was the season after the midterm exams of the second semester, offering a slight breather. Nothing particrly special had happened during those two weeks. After all, why would any special events ur for Ethan and Lilith, who weren''t the main characters? The most notable event during that time was probably losing another duel to Harold during his ss. Although Isted a bit longerpared to the second duel, I still couldn''t create as intense a battle as the first duel. I might have had my first andst chance during the first duel. The more I dueled with Harold, the more he would get used to fighting me. So I should have somehownded a strike during the first duel when he had no information about me. I hoped I wouldn''t go the entire semester without winning once. Although not winning against a fencing instructor wouldn''t result in a failing grade for a Magic Department student, it felt personally unsettling not to score even once against Harold. ...Maybe it was because of the dreams I started having frequently after my third defeat to Harold. Nightmare "Ipetent, Lilith. Even if you wield a dagger, how can you go an entire semester withoutnding a single proper attack?" "I''m sorry, Master. It''s myck of skill..." "I can no longer keep such an ipetent maid by Ethan''s side. From next year, you will no longer be his personal maid and will leave the ckwood estate." "No, Master! Please give me one more chance...!" Waking up several times from such unsettling dreams, it was hard not to focus on them. Although I knew Harold wasn''t the type to dismiss a personal maid for such reasons, the contents of my recent dreams were troubling. Regardless of the dream''s content, I needed to score at least one win against Harold before the semester ended to leave a good impression. Blocking all my attacks with just one sword while I used three daggers and various spells was increasingly annoying. No matter how skilled a Sword Master he was, I still wanted to win at least once. Even more so because he fought with both his physical and magical abilities sealed. Ethan''s Duel with Harold While watching Ethan and Harold''s duel from the audience, Ethan, who was close to reaching Sword Expert, was fighting in apletely different stylepared to my duels with Harold. -ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! "Huff, huff... haah..." "..." Ethan, swinging his dual swords with a fierce intensity as if to devour his opponent, and Harold, seriously blocking his strikes. Since the Kraken battle, Ethan had undergone significant changes.@@novelbin@@ Ethan''s swordsmanship had grown at an incredible rate since that day. He continued to attack Harold tirelessly and with more vigor during their evaluation duels, and in weekly monster-hunting sses, he achieved better results than before. Seeing the threshold of Sword Expert seemed to have ignited Ethan''s motivation. Ethan''s Victory -ng!! "...Ugh!" "Huff, huff... haah..." With Ethan''s horizontal sh, Harold''s sword momentarily flew into the air. Students watching the duel let out soft exmations. "...What?" "Did he just disarm Professor Harold...?" "As expected of the ckwood family..." For the first time, Ethan achieved a plete victory" during a duel with Harold. Among the students taking the same ss, he was the second to do so after Gyeongmwajogyegigwat. "Ethan." "...Yes." "Since you achieved aplete victory against me, like Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, you will receive a perfect score for this semester." "Thank you!" "Additionally, from now on, I will also use my magical abilities during our duels. Be prepared." "Yes!" Ethan had effectively graduated from Harold''s ss for this semester, just like the hero. Meanwhile, as a mid-level student, I had yet to win even once against Harold, who wasn''t using his physical or magical powers. While everyone has their own strengths, this made me feel oddly inadequate. Conversation with Ethan After finishing the duel with Harold, Ethan returned to my side, and I offered him a calmpliment. "Congrattions, Young Master Ethan. Your skills are improving rapidly." "...Thank you, Lilith." "Since you won against Master Harold, I will prepare a reward for you tonight, as usual, Young Master Ethan." "...About that, Lilith." "Yes?" "Today, it''s not just any win, but a plete victory'' against my father, right?" "...That''s correct." "Although it feels a bit strange for me to say this, shouldn''t aplete victory warrant a more significant reward?" "...Do you want a different reward for yourplete victory?" "It''s not that I want a different reward. I just feel like we should take things a step further. After all, we are temporary lovers now. Of course, if you say no, I''ll understand." "...Understood. Since you put it that way, Young Master Ethan, I''ll prepare a reward suitable for aplete victory." "I''ll look forward to it, Lilith." ...What should I do? I hadn''t thought about a reward for aplete victory. Chapter 171 After finishing the magic swordsmanship ss with Ethan and the student council duties, it was time to return home. The day had passed, and night had fallen, but my thoughts were still a mess. ¡®Reward for the perfect victory¡­ perfect victory reward¡­.¡¯ I was deep in thought, trying to figure out the appropriate level of the reward I should give Ethan for his perfect victory. So far, I had allowed him to do quite a lot. He had been allowed to touch my bare chest, I had let him suck on it, and even did some uniform y. But I had no idea what more I could possibly offer. ¡®¡­At this point, haven¡¯t I already given him everything possible with my chest?¡¯ If I only gave him what I had allowed so far, Ethan would definitely be disappointed. But if I moved beyond my chest to other parts, then... no, there¡¯s no way. ¡®No, no, no, that¡¯s definitely not happening.¡¯ No matter what, that part is off-limits. It¡¯s still too early. At least until I no longer needed the power of the saintess, I had to maintain my purity. ...It¡¯s almostughable to talk about purity when I let a man suck on my chest once or twice a month. But in this world, Lillis¡¯s holy power would remain as long as she didn¡¯t engage in intercourse. So, moving further down was off the table for now, and I had to think of some other way to reward Ethan. Among the things we hadn¡¯t done yet that could be considered progressing further, there was only handjobs or titjobs¡­ ¡®A handjob might be okay, but a titjob¡­¡¯ Even though it was Ethan, the thought of putting a man¡¯s thing between my breasts felt oddly unpleasant. It¡¯s basically like massaging his penis with my breasts. How is that different from a blowjob? As a guy, I found that situation arousing, but now that I¡¯m the one who has to do it, it¡¯s a y that disgusts me. ...Of course, I¡¯m not going to do it anyway. ...Besides, I don¡¯t even know the size of Ethan¡¯s thing. What if I offered a titjob, only to find out that it¡¯s too small to fit between my breasts? That would make things awkward. The CG in the game was all censored, so I don¡¯t know Ethan¡¯s actual size. Plus, I skipped most of the scenes where Lillis was assaulted because they felt off. There was that time I joined him in the bath to scrub his back, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to his lower half then. Staring at his groin while pretending to scrub his back would have made Ethan think I was some kind of crazy pervert. ¡®The safest option is probably just to do it with my hand.¡¯ ...But the problem is how to naturally get Ethan to take off his pants. It felt weird to start by saying, ¡°Here¡¯s your victory reward,¡± and then tell him to take off his pants right away.@@novelbin@@ And it wouldn¡¯t be natural to strip off his pants and underwear in the middle of touching my chest. Besides, by that point, I¡¯d probably be too distracted to undress him myself, and Ethan would be too focused on my chest to undress himself... ¡®Ugh, why am I even worrying about this?¡¯ Come to think of it, the victory reward wasn¡¯t something I had promised to give in the first ce. Ethan had just randomly demanded it, and strictly speaking, I wasn¡¯t obligated to give him a reward for his perfect victory. The only promise I made was to allow him to touch my chest if he won the duel with Harold. I never agreed to give extra rewards for a ¡°perfect victory¡± or ¡°overwhelming win.¡± Ethan was the one who changed the rules, so I didn¡¯t have to follow them... ¡®¡­No, let¡¯s not be petty. If I said I¡¯d give him something, I should stick to it.¡¯ Even if I¡¯m only half a man now, going back on my word is embarrassing, no matter who you are. And besides, I owe Ethan my life twice over. Thinking of it as repaying that debt made it easier to ept. So, back to the main question: how do I get Ethan to take off his pants naturally tonight? There has to be a natural way... ¡°Lillis.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Um, do you want to wash up first, or should I go first?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t take long to prepare, so please proceed as usual, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± With his face slightly flushed, likely from thinking about what might happen tonight, Ethan headed into the dressing room. I managed to push him into the bathroom, keeping my own worries hidden. As I continued pondering how to get Ethan to naturally take off his pants, I heard the sound of water as he started washing himself. -Shhh! ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Shhhh, shhh! ¡­Wait? Why do I have to wait until the act to get him to undress? If he¡¯s already naked when we start, he¡¯ll probably ept it naturally. For example, I could just join him in the bathroom now, pretend to help wash him, and then smoothly transition into giving him a handjob. Plus, if we did it in the bathroom, cleanup would be much easier than doing it outside. Considering my hands might get dirty, I should take off my gloves, and since he¡¯ll probably touch my chest, I should also avoid getting my maid outfit wet¡­ ¡®¡­Maybe I should just get naked and join him?¡¯ Meanwhile, in the dormitory bathroom. While Lillis was struggling with what reward to give Ethan, her master was also lost in simr thoughts. ¡®Come to think of it, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡¯ Caught up in the joy of his first perfect victory against his father, Ethan had impulsively mentioned the idea of a ¡°perfect victory reward¡± to Lillis. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he might have made things awkward. Seeing Lillis deep in thought at the dining table about what to give him as a reward only reinforced that feeling. ¡®If I had known it would be this awkward, I should¡¯ve just led things naturally.¡¯ Ethan¡¯s desire wasn¡¯t even that big. He just wanted to take things a little further than usual, maybe adding a kiss to the usual chest touching. The two kisses they had shared so far weren¡¯t quite enough to call them real kisses. The first was more of a life-saving gesture. The second was just a brief peck when they weren¡¯t paying attention. It was closer to a lip touch than a kiss. His small wish was to have a real, romantic kiss where their lips stayed together a bit longer. In hindsight, it would have been better to go for a kiss in a natural, quiet moment rather than asking for a ¡°perfect victory reward.¡± ¡®They say girls are more attracted to men who take the lead.¡¯ Lillis was a girl, after all, so she probably wouldn¡¯t be much different. In that sense, asking Lillis for a reward might have been a mistake or made him seem weak for leaving the lead to her. ¡°Huu¡­¡± -Shhh! As he poured the hot water heated by Lillis¡¯s spirit over his head, trying to calm his troubled thoughts, a familiar knock echoed from outside the bathroom. -Knock, knock, knock. ¡°¡­Lillis?¡± Isabelle had discreetly retreated to her room, so the only person who could be knocking was Lillis. And just as he expected, the familiar voice from beyond the door confirmed it. ¡°M-Master Ethan¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What is it? If it¡¯s my clothes, you can just leave them outside like usual¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯vee to give you your reward for the perfect victory against your father.¡± ¡°¡­R-Right now?¡± ¡°Yes, right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-May Ie in, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Hold on¡­ Just a moment.¡± He had no idea what kind of reward she had prepared that required her toe into the bathroom, but meeting Lillis whilepletely naked was too embarrassing. He quickly wrapped a towel around his waist before answering. ¡°¡­You cane in now.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ming in.¡± Maybe she was nning to scrub his back likest time. It wasn¡¯t the reward he had hoped for, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. After all, just knowing that Lillis was thinking of doing something for him was enough to make him happy. So he waited without much thought, expecting Lillis to enter dressed in her usual maid outfit. But the Lillis who stepped through the door was far more dangerously dressed than he could have imagined. -Creak. ¡°¡­E-Excuse me.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ethan had expected her to be in her maid or academy uniform, so when he saw what she was wearing, he was utterly taken aback. The first thing he noticed was her pale white thighs. Then, the towel barely covering her hips and waist. Even her chest, which he had seen many times before, was barely hidden by a single towel, making her look even more provocative. Aside from the towel, the only thing she wore was the headdress on her head. All Ethan could do was let out a quiet exmation in response. ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t stare too much, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, o-okay¡­! S-Sorry¡­!¡± Ethan had no reason to apologize. Any man in his position would have found it hard to look away. Lillis''s nearly naked body was too much of a shock for Ethan, who had only seen her chest before. Startled by his own reaction, Ethan quickly turned his gaze away, unable to handle the intensity of the situation. Behind him, Lillis cautiously approached and quietly knelt down. ¡°¡­I-I¡¯ll start by scrubbing your back, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Uh, s-sure¡­¡± ¡°P-Please¡­ don¡¯t turn around. I¡¯m not¡­ ready for that yet.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ I promise I won¡¯t turn around¡­¡± Ethan struggled to suppress his desire to look back at her and instead focused on keeping his gaze straight ahead. Behind him, Lillis began scrubbing his back with a bath towel. The quiet sound of the towel rubbing against his back filled the silence between them. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Neither spoke, the only sound in the room was the soft rustle of the towel and the faint, nervous breathing of both Lillis and Ethan. Chapter 172 In the silent bathroom where not a word was exchanged, only the sound of breathing between Ethan and me could be quietly heard. For some reason, I felt a rush of heat on my face. Perhaps it was due to tension, as my heart had been pounding unusually hard since earlier. "At first, I thought it was a good idea." I had no problem with the idea of offering Ethan a hand job in exchange for the perfect victory reward and my life. The problem might have arisen from entering the bathroom without an excuse to take off my pants, and also from thinking about the fact that my chest would be touched and my hands would get dirty. When the idea first came to mind, I thought it was a good solution, but looking back now, it was not a good idea at all. In any case, entering the bathroom together in this attire could have made it seem like I had ''allowed'' Ethan to do that final act. In a way, I was like a head being thrust into an alligator¡¯s mouth. If, in this situation, Ethan couldn''t control his desire and attacked me... Thump. "Ugh." Calm down, calm down. You know better than anyone that Ethan is not that kind of person. Yes, if we were to nitpick, the fact that I could enter the bathroom with just a towel draped around me was only possible because I trusted Ethan that much. The fact that he had never attacked me in the many situations where he could have was a kind of trust indicator. "But still..." Originally, I had nned to smoothly move my hand down to his lower body and finish with a hand job. But as I pushed Ethan''s back and pulled his gaze forward, the towel I had hastily put on made it hard to see his private parts clearly. I at least wanted to know the size beforehand. Or at the very least, whether he had gotten an erection or not. With those thoughts in mind, as I pushed Ethan¡¯s back and pulled his gaze forward... Swish. Swish, swish. "Ah, ah..." Due to the change in position, the towel that was barely covering my body slipped off and fell to the bathroom floor. "W-What''s happening, Lilly?!" "Ah, it''s nothing!" "For something like that, you sound quite flustered..." "T-The towel that was covering me just fell. It¡¯s really nothing, Lord Ethan." "Ah, the towel, right." "Well, I was going to take it offter anyway. So, Lord Ethan, you don¡¯t have to worry about it." "Okay, got it." Although I said that, in reality, my mind was filled with all sorts ofplicated emotions at that moment. The situation of being naked behind Ethan and pushing his back was enough to trigger my embarrassment in many ways. Trying to recover the fallen towel suddenly, but unable to move my hands in this awkward situation, I couldn''t remember what I had nned to say or do next. And at that moment, the towel that had been on Ethan''s thigh quietly fell to the floor.@@novelbin@@ Swish. To be precise, it wasn''t that it fell, but that Ethan had picked up the towel from his thigh himself. I didn''t quite grasp what had happened until Ethan spoke those words to me himself. "If it makes Lilly ufortable, it might be a bit embarrassing." "Eh?" "If Lilly doesn''t mind, then you don''t have to worry about my towel either." "Understood." ¡ªWhy is he suddenly being considerate and kind in a ce like this? But for me, it was not bad news at all. Ethan had removed his towel himself, so now I could see the area I had been trying to confirm. In addition, strictly speaking, the situation Ethan had shown me was no different, so I could confidently confirm it. With those thoughts in mind, I nced over his shoulder and found myself staring at his crotch. Unconsciously, a gasp escaped my lips. "Hun..." Did I see that wrong? No, was Ethan''s thing originally that size ording to the settings? Even though I roughly skimmed over the mosaic CG, it didn¡¯t seem to be that size during the humiliation period. I knew there were changes in physique from the original work, but why does the lower part seem bigger than in the original? Could it be that the part that was buried in fat in the original now looks bigger because it''s exposed? Or maybe it''s due to bnced meals and exercise during the growth phase. Anyway, it was an object that made me think a lot as soon as I saw it. If by any chance I had something like that inserted into my body, it would feel like my virginity and everything else would just tear apart due to the size. "Hey, Lilly." "Yes?" "You keep staring at it like that; even I feel a little embarrassed." "I''m sorry!" Crazy, crazy, crazy! Lilly, are you really an idiot? How long were you staring at Ethan''s thing? It was a moment more embarrassing than just showing my naked body to Ethan. "Sorry, Ethan... I really wasn''t intentionally staring at it." "It''s okay, Lilly. I''ve seen a lot of your chest until now. I just asked because it seemed like you were staring at it for too long." And once again, a long and awkward silence ensued. My heart, which was already pounding due to embarrassment and shame, now lost control and started beating like crazy. The only way to stop this confusing emotion, even a little, was now only one. "Ethan." "Yes?" "You can turn around now." "Are you sure, Lilly?" "Yes, I''m fully prepared." "Okay, if that''s what Lilly wants." To quickly resolve the plete victory reward'' for Ethan and escape from this frustrating space, that was the only way to suppress my shameful emotions. Upon hearing my words, Ethan slowly turned on the chair. Soon, we faced each other, naked, without a single thread on our bodies. His thing, which was particrly prominent between his thighs today, showed a presence that was more pronounced than usual. I had seen it erect a few times when touching his chest under his clothes, but this was the first time I had directly faced it with my own eyes. Of course, there were no mosaics in this world, and the shape of his curved thing waspletely exposed without any editing. For some reason, from the moment I directly faced Ethan''s penis, my heart couldn''t stop beating faster, and blood rushed through my whole body. "You have a beautiful body, Lilly." "Err..." "Ethan, you also... Uh, you have a great... thing..." "Oh, n-no!" "I meant... Uh, you have a great body!" "Is that so...? W-What am I saying..." Crazy, crazy, crazy! Are you really an idiot? Why do you keep saying weird things and acting so foolishly?! The maid who started praising his manhood as soon as she saw it¡ªwhere on earth did shee from? Is she some kind of prostitute? It felt like my emotions would only get more confused if I kept staring at that thing in front of me, so I decided to quietly bring my hands between Ethan''s thighs, avoiding eye contact. "E-Ethan, sir." "Yes?" "From now on... I will give you the ''victory reward'' for defeating Harold, sir." "Alright." "If the reward I give you is not to your liking or makes you ufortable, please feel free to let me know." "Got it... Well, I don''t think that will happen, though." Just in case my hand job doesn¡¯t please him, I made sure to have some backup. This time, I cautiously grasped Ethan''s manhood with both of my hands. Squeeze. "Uh, hm..." Ethan let out a weak moan, and his body trembled slightly when I grabbed his manhood. Even though I''ve touched my own manhood countless times in my past life, this was the first time I''ve touched someone else''s. It felt soft and hard at the same time, with a slightly subtle sensation. Well, it would be strange not to feel that way in the current situation of touching someone else''s manhood with my hand. But I had promised to do my best to satisfy Ethan. At least hand jobs were much better than fetio or paizuri. Squeeze, squeeze. "Ah, hm." Ethan was struggling to suppress his moans as my hand made contact with his already stiffened manhood. I used to find male moans disgusting when watching adult videos, but Ethan''s moans didn''t feel that repulsive. In fact, they might even be somewhat satisfying. Anyway, the fact that Ethan was feeling my touch was clear. Thanks to the towel I had been holding and massaging his back with, there were soapy bubbles on my hand. This might have been the reason why Ethan''s moans deepened rapidly as he received a massage from my hand. Squeeze, squeeze. "Hah, L-Lilly..." Slip, slip. "Hah, hah, hah!" Ethan was breathing heavily, and squeezing his thighs with my hand, his breath getting heavier. I shook Ethan''s manhood gently, trying to exclude any emotions. Soon, his manhood reached its climax with a few throbs, making it clear to me. "Hah, haah." The problem was, I hadn¡¯t done anything about it. The sticky semen that spurted out forcefully hit my body as I was massaging his manhood. Ethan''s lightly bitter and sticky bodily fluid flowed quietly down my sternum and navel. "Hah, haah, hah..." "S-Sorry, Lilly... A-Are you... okay?" "It''s fine, Ethan, sir. It''s just a matter of washing it off with water." "I should have warned you beforehand..." "It''s also my responsibility for not being prepared. Please don''t worry, Ethan, sir." "Okay." Even though I reassured him that there was no need to feel sorry, Ethan still looked remorseful. To show that there was really no need to worry, I casually poured a basin of water over my body. Ssh! "Please look, Ethan, sir. It will all wash away with just one ssh of water." "I see, Lilly." "Yes. So there''s no need for Lord Ethan to worry about such things." "Got it, Lilly. If you say that, then..." As if understanding my words, Ethan nodded his head slightly, but then quietly stopped his gaze as if frozen. I was momentarily puzzled by his reaction, but soon realized where Ethan''s gaze had stopped, and cautiously shifted my thigh, speaking. "What I asked you to look at wasn''t the space between my thighs, Lord Ethan." "S-Sorry, Lilly!" "There''s no need to apologize, Lord Ethan." I had already shown everything I had to show today. It was a bit embarrassing to be stared at so intently without even being aware of it. Chapter 173 TN: While I''m trying to ess the chapters closed behind the 18+ icon on Novelpia, which is not so easy due to theck of a Korean phone number, I decided to skip chapters 171 and 172 for now, and continue tranting from chapter 173. As soon as I get through to the administration of Novelpia, the missing chapters will be published! __________________________________________________________________________________ After Everything Was Over, in the Bathtub "......" "......" In the warm water heated by Sally, I quietly met Ethan¡¯s gaze in the bathtub. We sat facing each other, each leaning against opposite ends of the tub, with our knees drawn up. I tried to cover various parts of my body with my knees and feet, avoiding Ethan¡¯s gaze. ¡­How did ite to this? It had all started so innocently. I was merely helping Ethan relieve his sexual tension using my "hands." However, when I came to my senses, I realized I had not only shown my naked body to Ethan but also ended up receiving his climax on my body. As the act came to an end, a cold feeling washed over me, and my mind became oddly cluttered. ''I didn¡¯t intend for things to go this far.'' I hadn¡¯t nned to show Ethan the lower half of my naked body. The upper part was something he had seen plenty of times before, so I wasn''t too concerned about showing it again. But the lower part was only exposed because the towel slipped away. Had I known this would happen, I would have at least worn some underwear before getting in. And even though Ethan, conscious of my reaction, had removed his own towel to reveal himself entirely, it felt strange for me, his personal maid, to pick up my towel and cover myself again. After all, I had only shown it to him; I hadn¡¯t let him touch it, so technically, I was still barely safe... ''No, thinking about it, it¡¯s not really safe, is it?'' If we continued to progress this hastily, there was a real chance we might cross a line before graduating from the academy. I should have exercised more restraint somehow.@@novelbin@@ Even if it was a bit awkward, perhaps it would have been better to tell him he could quietly remove his pants on the bed in exchange for hisplete victory. Of course, that would have been embarrassing as well, but at least I wouldn''t have to bear the shame of showing my naked body. "......" -Ssh. Knowing full well there was no point in covering up after already showing everything, I still tried to push my body further into the corner of the tub. As the awkward silence lingered, Ethan¡¯s voice reached my ears. "Lilith." Ethan¡¯s voice sounded slightly more subdued than usual, probably due to the acoustics of the bathroom. I tried to maintain myposure, ignoring the faint dizziness from the bath¡¯s heat, and responded to him as calmly as I could. "Yes, Young Master Ethan." "...Thank you for today." "Pardon?" "I didn¡¯t expect you to do all this for me, Lilith. I did expect a reward for myplete victory, but I didn¡¯t expect you to go this far." Of course, you didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t expect myself to go this far, either. Looking back, entering the bathroom with just a towel on might not have been the best idea. I had subconsciously felt that the rewards between Ethan and me were bing more intensetely. Even though I knew in my head that this was not right. ¡­I need to make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again next time. "...This is as far as it goes, Young Master Ethan." "Huh?" "Even if you win against your master in a duel next time, I cannot offer a reward beyond this." "...What do you mean?" "I heard that from the next duel, your master will be using both his magical and physical powers against you." "...That''s right." "It will undoubtedly be much more challenging to winpared to previous duels, but even if you manage to win, I would prefer it if you did not expect anything more than what you received today." "...Oh, that¡¯s what you meant?" "Yes. Let me remind you once again: I absolutely cannot allow any intimate rtions between a man and a woman before graduating from the academy." "...Oh, I understand, Lilith." I was sure Ethan understood me, given how firmly I had spoken. Since my actual mental age was much older, it was only right for me, the elder, to set boundaries in situations like this. Maintaining boundaries while acting as temporary lovers was definitely not an easy task. Ethan¡¯s Thoughts "...Even if you manage to win, I would prefer it if you did not expect anything more than what you received today." "...Oh, that¡¯s what you meant?" "Yes. Let me remind you once again: I absolutely cannot allow any intimate rtions between a man and a woman before graduating from the academy." "...Oh, I understand, Lilith." As Lilith, who believed she had set a clear boundary while wrestling with confusing emotions, spoke, Ethan quietly reflected. Today was the first time he had entered the bathroom naked with Lilith and experienced the sensation of climax through her hand. Recalling today¡¯s experience in his mind, Ethan pondered her words. ''So this much is allowed. I thought we¡¯d just go back to groping her breasts¡­'' Without realizing it, Lilith had reignited Ethan¡¯s motivation to grow further. One Week Later A week passed after I first gave Ethan his plete victory reward" in the bathroom. The second semester of my first year in Luminor Academy¡¯s Magic Department was progressing without any major issues. Though Ethan and I felt awkward until the day after the bath incident, we returned to our usual selves within a few days. The potion transaction for the end-of-semester hunting festival with Lizzy, with whom I had resumed contact through the student council, was also proceeding smoothly. ''Looks like this semester will end uneventfully too.'' After all, dealing with constant incidents and idents was the hero¡¯s job, not mine. Even though I had transmigrated into Lilith, I was no longer Ethan¡¯s ve or a tragic heroine. As long as I didn¡¯t interfere with the main story, I should only experience ordinary events typical for a student at the academy. ¡­It was just that things had gone awry, leading to recent crises. The defeat of the Kraken of the Abyss was meant to be the hero¡¯s task, not mine... Thoughts About the Hero ''By the way, I wonder if the hero is doing alright?'' By defeating the Kraken of the Abyss, I unintentionally stole a major experience event from the hero. While there were plenty of ways to gain experience in Luminor Academy, even withoutrge events like defeating the Kraken of the Abyss, I wasn¡¯t sure if Gyeongmwajogyegigwat felt the same way. And if the hero¡¯s target was Agnes, then missing out on a major affection event could lead to resentment toward me and Ethan. ''I wish I could find out what the hero thinks of me and Ethan.'' Thinking about this, I made my way to Ethan¡¯s fencing department building after my morning sses finished early. Just then, the person I was most familiar with from the hero¡¯s group appeared. Approaching her from behind, I cheerfully greeted the girl with pink hair and a pristine white priestess robe. "Haaah¡­ How can I reveal that Lilith is the true saint without any trouble¡­" "Hello, Saint Seriste." "Eek, kyahaaa?!" "...Whoa?!" As soon as I called out to her, Seriste leapt back in surprise. Startled by her reaction, I also took a step back involuntarily. Seriste, looking ten times more shocked than me, sped her hands over her chest and fixed her gaze on me. "Huff, huff, huff¡­." "¡­Saint?" "Did¡­did you hear?" "Pardon?" "...N-no! If you didn''t hear, then it¡¯s nothing to do with you, Lilith¡­" She seemed to be muttering something to herself, but whatever it was, she clearly didn¡¯t want anyone else to hear it. Maybe she was contemting asking the hero out on a date and was practicing how to say it to herself. Knowing Seriste¡¯s character, it would make sense for her to be mumbling about something like that. After all, her shy side as a girl in love was a key part of her identity in the game. Remembering the image of her from the original game, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought. -Smile. "Eek?! I''m sorry¡­! So you did hear?!" "......What?" "Under the goddess''s name, I mustn''t deceive anyone. I can¡¯t change what''s already done, but I need to reveal my true feelings soon¡­" "Please calm down, Saint! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s troubling you, but please ce your hands on your chest and take a deep breath!" "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­" "Slower, please, Saint. Take it slower." "Whooo¡­. Whooo¡­." ...I hope I didn¡¯t do anything weird to her while I was staying at the church. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t think of anything. I remembered receiving treatment quietly and leaving as soon as I could. Or maybe it was because she thought I had overheard her muttering. Either way, I needed to calm her down to have a proper conversation. "I really didn¡¯t hear what you were muttering about earlier, so please don¡¯t worry, Saint Seriste." "What? Then what was that smile about¡­" "I was simply happy to see you, Saint. After all, you saved my life." "...Ah, ahh¡­. So that¡¯s what that smile was about¡­ Phew, whoo¡­." "I apologize if my approach caused you any distress, Saint." "N-no¡­! I was just mistaken. Haha¡­." For some reason, her reactions felt awkward today. Based on her flustered expression, it seemed like she was hiding something from me. Given her character, which wasn''t ustomed to hiding things, this was probably the case. She was one of the easiest characters to read in the game. Despite pretending to be the "Prophetic Saint," she seemed more like she should have been titled the "Pure Saint." ¡­Regardless of whether Seriste was truly hiding something from me, it didn¡¯t concern me much. As I often said, I had no intention of getting involved with the main characters of Luminor Academy more than necessary. The hero was no different, and Saint Seriste, if you think about it, was also a high-risk individual for me. rifying with Seriste Nevertheless, I approached her only to confirm one thing. I wanted to ensure that Gyeongmwajogyegigwat didn¡¯t hold any grudges against Ethan and me for the previous incident. If I didn¡¯t address this now, the hero might harbor unintended resentment towards uster. "Um, Saint Seriste. Since we''ve met, may I ask you a question, if it¡¯s not too much trouble?" "Y-Yes...? A question...?" "Yes. If it¡¯s too difficult, you don¡¯t have to answer." "Oh, okay..." "...Actually, it¡¯s more about the hero than you, Saint." "......" "Could I ask if the hero has mentioned anything about me or Young Master Ethan recently?" "............What?" Chapter 174 "L-Lilith, you mean... Has the hero ever talked about you...?" "Yes, Saint Seriste." Seriste was immediately engulfed in confusion by Lilith''s sudden question. She was unsure of Lilith''s true intentions when asking whether the hero had any interest in her. Especially now, when she was debating whether to reveal the truth about Lilith being the real saint. Lilith¡¯s words felt like a test, and Seriste couldn''t help but feel terrified of her approach. Seriste naturally wondered if her identity as a fake saint had already been discovered. Moreover, perhaps... ''Could Lilith also be aware of the power she possesses inside her¡­?'' Could it be that she was asking such questions because she sensed something? Seriste wasn¡¯t sure, but the possibility was there. After all, the power she held as a saint was something that even someone as dull as herself couldn¡¯t help but notice. Lilith must have used it several times throughout her life, even if unintentionally. Since Lilith wasn¡¯t formally blessed as a priestess, she wouldn''t be able to fully use her holy powers. Instead, that divine energy would have manifested as her explosive talent for magic. Perhaps Lilith had realized that her power wasn¡¯t ordinary and was now warning her. Or maybe she was simply drawn to the hero, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat. He was the hero, and she was the saint. Heroes and saints are naturally drawn to each other. But she... she was an intruder between them. Seriste had spent days worrying about her and Lilith¡¯s changed destinies, envisioning every possible scenario. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but be flustered by Lilith''s seemingly innocent question about how the hero viewed her. Even though she knew that it was impossible for Lilith to discover her status as the real saint, Seriste was still unnerved. "......" "......?" Lilith was puzzled by Seriste¡¯s reaction. Why was she trembling and avoiding eye contact? Seriste¡¯s inability to respond to such a simple question seemed strange to Lilith. Noticing Seriste¡¯s difort, Lilith quickly retracted her question. "If it was an ufortable question, you don¡¯t have to answer it, Saint Seriste. It really was just a meaningless question." "...Was it really just a meaningless question?" "Yes, it was. ...To be honest, the hero indirectly saved my life, so I just thought that if the hero didn¡¯t have any bad feelings towards me, I could thank him personally." "......" "So, please don¡¯t worry about my question, Saint Seriste. I would be grateful if you could pass on my gratitude to the hero." Seeing Seriste flustered and unable to answer, Lilith retracted her question immediately. To Seriste, it felt like Lilith was willing to give up her ce as the saint. Was it just her imagination, or was the real saint showing her mercy? Somehow, the fake saint realized what was going on.@@novelbin@@ Even though Lilith was fully aware of everything, she was pretending to know nothing. This was her way of recognizing and respecting Seriste¡¯s situation. ''Compared to her, I...'' I am just ignoring the greater cause and the necessary destiny because I don¡¯t want to part with the hero. I know that the seat next to the hero should belong to the true saint, not me. Even though I am aware that this is what is needed for the hero, the saint, and all of humanity, I can¡¯t let go. It makes me feel even more pitiful. Yes, this seat should go back to the real saint. But I want to be with the hero for a little longer. Even if it¡¯s just for a few more years, it would be enough. At least until I graduate from the academy. "I apologize, Saint. Please continue to support the hero with your studies..." "...When I graduate from the academy, I¡¯ll definitely give it back." "...Pardon?" As Lilith hurriedly walked away from her, Seriste responded with a sad expression. Lilith didn¡¯t understand what Seriste meant, but Seriste seemed determined as if she had made up her mind about something. "Please don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take away your future, Lilith." "...What do you mean, Saint Seriste?" "...I can¡¯t answer that. If I were to answer your question, I would lose my right to be here." "......What??" "So please, could you let me enjoy this life a little longer, Lilith?" Lilith didn''t fully understand what Seriste meant by enjoying life or what she had permitted. Yet, looking at Seriste¡¯s serious expression and firm refusal to borate, she couldn¡¯t help but nod. She instinctively felt that pressing the matter further could lead to an undesirable future. "...Alright. If that¡¯s what you want, Saint..." "Thank you for your kindness, Lilith." "Well, I¡¯ll be leaving now, Saint." "Farewell, Lilith." "Yes... You too, Saint." Lilith left, thinking she had a fruitless conversation with the pink-haired fake saint. ¡­Without realizing that at some point, Seriste had started addressing her as "Miss Lilith." Another Encounter "I¡¯ll be leaving now, Saint." "Farewell, Miss Lilith." "Yes... You too, Saint." During the conversation with Seriste, I sensed something was off, so I hurriedly concluded the chat and distanced myself from her. Even though I didn¡¯t know why, it was clear that Seriste¡¯s mood had shifted during and after our conversation. ''She''s already a vtile person; it''s better not to provoke her.'' If I inadvertently pushed her too far and she decided to quit being a saint, I would be in a bind. In such a scenario, my only option would be to join the hero''s party. In the final battle against the Demon King, having an awakened healer in the form of the "true saint" was essential. Whether that would be Lilith, the fallen saint, or Seriste, the fake saint. In the game, neither saint fully matched the ideal standards of a saint. It was always implied that one of them needed to awaken. Although I might meet all the criteria for a perfect saint now, if this world is truly based on Luminor Academy, then awakening Seriste wouldn¡¯t be impossible. In short, to avoid spending years fighting against the Demon King after graduation, I needed to ensure Seriste remained firmly by the hero''s side. If she lost her resolve and parted ways with the hero, the only one who could fill that void would be me. ''Spending four years at the academy wouldn¡¯t be so bad, but...'' Joining the Demon King Subjugation Party, which couldst several years post-graduation, was daunting. Basically, it would mean sacrificing my twenties for the sake of humanity. How many people would willingly ept that? The hero, driven by the goddess''s will and vengeance for his parents killed by the Demon King. The saint, who loves the hero and wants to stay with him forever. The magician who aspires to be the master of the Red Tower and the rightful heir of the Elizabeth family. The stubborn elf with a strong sense of gratitude who always repays favors. These characters are fitting for the roles in the Demon King Subjugation Party. I just want to enjoy my life in this world, using magic freely. ''If I join the Demon King Subjugation Party, I would naturally be distanced from Ethan.'' Regardless of whether I joined the Demon King Subjugation Party or not, Ethan had to return to the ckwood Duchy. As the only son of the ckwood Ducal family, it was unlikely he would join a Demon King Subjugation Party that would require him to be away for years. Even if Ethan wanted to join, Harold would never allow it during Ethan''s crucial years for establishing his position as a noble in his mid-tote twenties. ''No, no, no.'' Why am I associating Ethan with my potential involvement in the Demon King Subjugation Party? The exclusive maid contract and our temporary rtionship were meant tost only during our academy days. I had inadvertently imagined joining the Demon King Subjugation Party with Ethan because of the looming possibility. ...I need to be careful. Developing unnecessary feelings for Ethan would onlyplicate thingster. After all, Ethan is the only son of a ducal family, and he¡¯s expected to enter a political marriage with another noble or royal family. Even if Ethan¡¯s feelings for me remain unchanged, the best I could hope for would be to be his concubine. If maintaining my rtionship with Ethan meant bing his concubine, I would rather end it myself. Despite Luminor Academy being a harem game, bing a part of that harem is apletely different story. I also have no desire to see Ethan being intimate with other women. "Anyway..." In the end, I didn''t find out what Gyeongmwajogyegigwat thought about me and Ethan. I didn¡¯t expect Seriste to react so nervously, sweating like that. I still don¡¯t know what she was hiding from me. It seemed something must have happened while I was staying at the church. Still, how could I possibly know what Seriste was thinking? Although I lost an opportunity tomunicate indirectly with the hero, I¡¯ll have to try another method. There¡¯s still over a year before Ethan¡¯s confrontation with the hero, so I¡¯ll have to find a chance to interact somehow. I just hope Gyeongmwajogyegigwat isn¡¯t one of those nasty Agnes supporters who constantly manipte forum posts. After all, the only reason he might hold a grudge over me taking the Kraken event is because of something like that. Online Conversations Anonymous (39.7): What''s with all the downvotes on the guide? I wondered why it wasn''t trending. ReallyAGreatGame: Some time ago, the "Lilith the Slut" girl was pissed off after some Agnes supporters rigged the trending posts and started a downvote attack. Anonymous (222.39): Seriously, lol PureLoveOnly: I couldn¡¯t find it because it wasn''t trending for a while;; TheTrueLoveIsAgnes: (A GIF of Agnes saying "Love, you!") LilithTheSlut: Oh, f*ck off. Anonymous (175.223): Sudden Worship Anonymous (106.102): Frequent Worship Annoyed at Online Antics ...The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Damn those Chihuahua supporters. Chapter 175 Another Week Later Another week passed since that day. The second semester of the first year at Luminor Academy was approaching its end. Most of the sses for the second semester would conclude the following week, and only the final hunting festival, which involved almost the entire Combat Department, would remain after that. If there were any tasks to bepleted before the semester''s end, it was imperative to finish them within this week. And right now, I had two major problems that needed to be addressed. One was figuring out how to win a bout against Harold in his Magic Swordsmanship ss next week. The other was to ensure Agnes bonded with a low-level spirit before the semester''s Spirit Affinity course ended. Both issues, if not resolved promptly, could cause trouble in my future rtionships. One involved Harold, and the other involved Agnes. ''I guess I should start with what''s most pressing right now.'' The event where I needed to hand Agnes a newly born spirit and help her form a contract with it. I hadn''t pursued the Agnes route specifically, but I had a general understanding of the strategy. The theory was done. It was time to move on to the practical part of forming the contract. Spirit Contract Training After the usual ss onmunicating with spirits, the empty ssroom was left behind. Agnes and I were training diligently in a voluntary supplementary lesson to help her form a contract with a spirit. "You remember, right, Miss ze? Take slow breaths in, refine them, and then exhale." "Shhhh, hoo.... Shhhh, hoo..." "How is she doing, Sally, Say?" ''Hmm~! Compared to the beginning, she''s quite good now? If you¡¯re not paying close attention, you might not even notice.'' ''...Agnes, right now, no strange smell.'' A strange smell, she says... While helping Agnes with her spirit contract training, I tried correcting Say''s peculiar choice of words, which were proving difficult to change. "Hold on, Say. I told you not to use expressions like that. Telling a girl her mana smells weird can easily hurt her..." "...It''s fine if those kids say it, so mind your own business." "Your concentration is disrupted, Miss ze." "...Who do you think is to me for that?" If only I could correct her habit of ming others whenever things go awry.@@novelbin@@ Still, at least the n to get her bonded with a low-level spirit was progressing smoothly. At least up to this point. To get a newly born spirit to bond with Agnes, we needed to suppress the unpleasant smell her mana emitted. Even if young spirits didn¡¯t have a concept of the taste of mana, there would always be certain smells they instinctively wanted to avoid. The only way for Agnes to form a contract with such spirits was to conceal that smell and approach them. Agnes needed to build more patience for this to work. She also needed to control her temper for now, which red up at the slightest provocation, like a typical fire mage. "As I mentioned, unless you curb that fiery temper, you won''t seed in real-life contracts..." "...Rosewood, just to be clear." "Yes, Miss ze." "...The only reason I¡¯m putting up with your arrogance is that I need your help with the spirit contract." "Is that so? I¡¯m surprised you im to have tolerated my attitude during these supplementary lessons, given the usual level of your temper." "...If I can''t form a contract by the end of this semester, you''re dead meat." If that happens, I''m definitely in trouble. The most likely oue would be Agnes challenging me in the first-semester evaluations next year. In a duel between mages, the skill gap between Agnes and me was significant. Being apetent character, she''d quickly realize that I relied solely on Mana st. This would likely result in a duel where she''d torment me with fire magic, mocking me for the entire duration of the evaluation. The thought of that future loomed so vividly that I could imagine myself pleading for death just to trigger the resurrection spell. ''I must ensure this seeds to avoid that future.'' Agnes was the only one in the Spirit Affinity course who hadn¡¯t formed a contract yet. If she didn¡¯t manage to form a contract this semester, the blow to her grades and pride would lead to retribution worse than I imagined. And to prevent that, I¡¯d been preparing Agnes for a spirit contract throughout the semester. "Don''t worry, Miss ze." "What?" "The time hase for you to finally form a spirit contract." "...Huh, really?!" "Please meet me at the ck Forest north of the academy the night after tomorrow." "The night after tomorrow...?" "Yes, that will be the only day for Miss ze to form a spirit contract." "...Can you take responsibility for saying that?" "Of course, Miss ze." In my past life, I spent over 2,000 hours ying Luminor Academy. Having seen the ending 24 times, there was no way I would forget the date of such a major event. Two Days Later, at the ck Forest Entrance For various reasons, I arrived at the ck Forestter than nned. Agnes, who had seemingly been waiting for quite some time, frowned slightly as she saw me. "You''re early, Miss ze." "...You''rete." "Arriving early won¡¯t solve anything. Entering the forest at the appointed time is what''s crucial." "Then why didn''t you tell me the exact time?" "There''s nothing wrong with being prepared ahead of time, is there?" "Damn you...!" If only she could fix that temper of hers. I hoped she wouldn''t mess up the contract by losing her cool and then me me for it. Anyway, since I didn¡¯t sneak out of the dorms at thiste hour to mess with ze, I was determined to help her sessfully form her spirit contract. And I dreaded the potential consequences of failure. "By the way, how did someone like you manage toe out at this hour?" "Pardon?" "Did your fianc¨¦ allow you to wander out here alone thiste at night? Are you two not on good terms?" "...I''m not sure what you''re implying, Miss ze. Young Master Ethan and I are only in a rtionship due to certain circumstances; we aren''t engaged." "I saw you two practically making out by thekeside." "That was part of a life-saving resuscitation..." "Enough already. Just tell me how to form the contract. If I fail today, you¡¯re dead meat." Her personality, seriously... Ugh, whatever. Once this semester ends, I won''t have to deal with her anymore, so I''ll just bear with it. Better to proceed with helping Agnes with the spirit contract rather than dragging this out with pointless arguments. First, I exined to her why she could form a spirit contract today. "First, let me exin how you''ll be able to form a spirit contract, Miss ze." "...Okay." "For that, you need to understand what today is. Do you have any guesses?" "...Guessing what today is? How would I know?" "Really? I thought someone as knowledgeable as Miss ze would know. But it seems I¡¯ll have to exin..." "The night of thergest full moon. The 55th anniversary of the great mage Heinz Stan''s passing. The once-in-a-centuryary alignment. The original publication date of Volume 1 of Viz''s Basics of Fireball." Wow, she knew it all. Her knowledge of magical dates was almost like an encyclopedia. "I didn¡¯t expect you to know." "...How does Heinz Stan¡¯s 55th anniversary rte to my spirit contract...?" "The once-in-a-centuryary alignment is your condition for forming a spirit contract." "......" "Not the 55th anniversary of the great mage Heinz Stan¡¯s passing." "...I knew that." Ignoring Agnes'' stubborn reply, I exined to her about the magical currents that urred with theary alignment. The night when the full moon coincided with theary alignment. A day when the world¡¯s mana surged, causing all sorts of magical phenomena. "Yeah, I know. On full moon nights, strange phenomena ur due to mana. Monsters get more aggressive." "The full moon is a form ofary alignment. Technically, the moon is a satellite, not a, but the effects are nearly identical, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that." "...Satellite? What''s that?" "It''s better to focus on today being theary alignment. If not today, the next opportunity for you to form a spirit contract will be in about 100 years." "...Okay. I won¡¯t fuss, so get to the point." "The key is the magical phenomena. Among them, the birth of spirits is included." "...How do you know...never mind, continue." "These newly born spirits are the only ones you can currently contract with." "Newly born spirits...what?" She tilted her head in confusion, not fully grasping my words. So I exined the principle of spirit contracts once more for rity. "Noble families often hire wet nurses for infants, correct?" "Yes." "One reason it¡¯s hard to let a wet nurse go is that the baby bes ustomed to the taste of her milk." "......Yes." "So what you need to do tonight is to let these newly born spirits taste your mana first. Once they get used to it, they will find your mana more appealing than others." "...Ah, oh!" "Looks like you understand now." She seemed to grasp why I had brought her to the ck Forest on this dangerous night. Now, it was time to finally reap the benefits of all the efforts she and I had put in so far. Chapter 176 After Lilis and Agnes met at the entrance of the ck Forest, about an hour had passed. Agnes, who had not yet formed a spirit contract, was only able to enter the ck Forest for the contract at midnight. Although, it was a slightly different method of entry than she had initially thought. Why, why do I have to enter this dark forest alone at this time of night¡­ In one hand, she held amp that did not use magic to read the mana reactions and keep the spirits from running away. In the other hand, she held a map of the ck Forest to avoid getting lost inside. Both items had been given to her by Lilis. The map, in particr, seemed amateurish and was presumed to have been drawn by Lilis herself. Intellectually, Agnes knew she shouldn¡¯t me someone who had put so much care into looking out for her until the end. -Rustle. ¡°Eek?!¡± ...Even so, Agnes had not imagined that she would be thrown into the ck Forest alone at thiste hour. I hadn¡¯t thought about going in by myself¡­ From the moment they arranged to meet in front of the ck Forest, Agnes had prepared herself to some extent, but she didn¡¯t expect she would actually be going in alone. Of course, she had assumed that Lilis would apany her. Lilis was always wearing an expression that seemed unfazed by anything scary. Agnes herself wasn''t particrly scared ofrge monsters or things like falling from heights. But the darkness of night was an environment she particrly disliked. The reason she became so obsessed with fire magic was because it could create light in the dark. If she had an affinity for light magic, Agnes would have certainly majored in it instead. "It is an oilmp that is unaffected by mana. It shouldst for about two hours, so I suggest youe back before then." "Alright." "This is a map of the ck Forest, located north of Luminor Academy. Hold themp and follow the narrow path straight in. If you go around the back of therge tree, you will find a ce called the ''Spirit¡¯s Pond'' where many spirits gather." "Shouldn¡¯t I just follow you in? Why do I need a map¡­" "What are you saying, Miss ze? If I enter the forest with you, all the spirits will be attracted to me. How could you form a contract then?" "¡­I guess you''re right. Wait a minute, does that mean¡­" "I trust that someone of your caliber, the top of the Magic Department, is not afraid to enter the ck Forest alone." "¡­Hmph. Of course, that¡¯s ridiculous. Hand over the map andmp. I''ll go in myself." Well, it actually made sense. The moment she lost Lilis¡¯s expected presence, Agnes felt an inexplicable anxiety causing her body to tremble. As a result, even the mana she had managed to control was now constantly leaking out. Realizing btedly that her mana was escaping, Agnes hurriedly controlled the leaking mana using the method Lilis had taught her. Any spirit is fine. As long as I can make a contract quickly with any spirit¡­ If she could just form a contract, it didn¡¯t matter if it was a low-level spirit or not, or even if it wasn¡¯t a fire spirit. She just wanted to escape this chilling forest as soon as possible. Of course, there was little chance of her being attacked by a dangerous monster tonight. The ck Forest was a training facility within the academy designed to match the students'' current level. Even though she was only a first-year, Agnes was already stronger than most second or third-year students, and no monsters in the ck Forest could defeat her. -Whoosh! ¡°...!¡± ...But knowing this didn¡¯t ease the fear Agnes felt alone in the dark forest. I¡¯m only halfway in¡­ Why did the Spirit''s Pond that Lilis mentioned have to be so deep within the ck Forest? Why was it only in such a ce that she could form a spirit contract, forcing her into this dangerous area? For a moment, she wondered if Lilis had sent her into such a ce to deceive her. ¡°...Huh?¡± Seeing a young spirit appear in front of her, Agnes finally put aside her suspicions about Lilis. -Wooong. ¡°Could it be¡­ Is that really¡­?¡± So it was true that new spirits are born on the day of theary alignment. Though it was still just a small sphere, not even in the form of a spirit yet, Agnes could tell from the mysterious energy emanating from it. She was convinced that this blue orb, which was just beginning to emerge before her eyes, was the young spirit she had been seeking. There¡¯s still a bit more to go before I reach the pond¡­ Lilis hadn''t specifically said that she needed to form the contract at the pond. She had only mentioned that there would be a lot of spirits at the pond, making it easier to find one that suited her. In other words, if she could form a contract here and now, she wouldn¡¯t have to stay in this dark forest any longer. Agnes hurried her steps toward the newborn spirit. -Pak! Papak! ¡°There, there¡­!¡± -Whoosh! ¡°...Huh?¡± But the young wind spirit vanished the moment she approached it. As Agnes missed the spirit right in front of her eyes, she recalled one of the pieces of advice Lilis had given her during the supplementary lessons. "The younger a spirit is, the more wary it is. If it were an older spirit, even Miss ze¡¯s clumsymunication skills wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but right now, Miss ze needs to be moreposed in front of spirits." ¡°...Oh.¡± ...I knew that. But in her impatience, she momentarily forgot. She was so eager to escape this darkness after forming a spirit contract that she had be careless. ¡°...It was a wind spirit.¡± If she had formed a contract, it would have made an excellent partner for her fire magic. Butmenting over the lost spirit wouldn¡¯t bring it back, so Agnes dusted off her uniform skirt and continued to follow the map andmp deeper into the ck Forest. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before she encountered another spirit. -Rustle. ...I found it. From the ground, a newly born earth spirit quietly stirred. She could tell from its iplete form that it was a newborn spirit. To avoid repeating her previous failure, Agnes approached the spirit cautiously. -Step, step. ¡°There, there¡­.¡± ...?! ¡°Would you like to make a contract¡­ with me¡­?¡± ...... ......Ah! The spirit didn¡¯t flee when she spoke to it, despite her sudden approach. This was the first time Agnes had experienced a spirit not running away when she spoke to it. Not only was she perfectly concealing the unpleasant mana that usually repelled spirits, but the young spirit, being newly born, was more curious than wary. As a result, it didn¡¯t flee from Agnes¡¯s awkwardmunication skills. Con¡­tract? ¡°...Yes.¡± What¡¯s that¡­? ¡°......¡± How should she exin a contract to a young spirit that didn¡¯t even understand the world? For Agnes, who wasn¡¯t used to having deep conversations, trying to persuade a young spirit wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°The contract is¡­.¡± ...... ¡°So, um¡­.¡± ...... ¡°If you make a contract, you can stay with me, always¡­.¡± -Papapap! ¡°Wait¡­!¡± But the earth spirit, uninterested in her stumbling words, disappeared back into the ground. Agnes reached out hastily to the spot where the spirit had been, but of course, the vanished spirit didn¡¯t return to her grasp. Having let a second chance slip away, Agnes quietly dusted off her skirt and stood up again. ...I should go to the Spirit''s Pond. Lilis had said it was the ce where the most spirits would be born tonight in the ck Forest. Maybe one of those spirits would want to make a contract with her. With that faint hope, Agnes continued her journey deeper into the ck Forest. About 20 minutester, after burning through half of themp¡¯s oil and following the map, she noticed something. ¡°Huh?¡± In the dark forest, she spotted a faint light emanating from behind arge tree. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@ Was this the Spirit¡¯s Pond that Lilis had mentioned? Suppressing her growing excitement, Agnes gripped therge tree and walked around to the back. As she walked around the tree, the pond that had been hidden from view gradually revealed itself. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Seeing the scene with her own eyes, Agnes could only utter a few words of awe. In the heart of the dark ck Forest, a beautiful water surface was illuminated with various colors. Hundreds of newborn spirits emitted a spectrum of light, reflecting on the pond¡¯s surface, flickering like a ballroom of spirits. For Agnes, who had struggled to encounter even one or two spirits before, it was a dreamlike ce. Chapter 177 ¡°Wow¡­.¡± The spirits of wind, water, and earth. Seeing these spirits gathered and dancing in a colorful disy, Agnes was mesmerized and couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them. It was the first time she had encountered so many spirits at once. Even in Professor Erin''s secret garden, she had never seen such arge number of spirits. While those spirits were mostly intermediate spirits and therefore stronger, the spectacle before her, with spirits shining like stars in the night sky, was enchanting. For Agnes, who had been obsessed with forming a spirit contract for a long time, the scene was so captivating that she almost forgot her purpose. ¡®I can¡¯t be idle now.¡¯ Though she wanted to watch the fairytale-like scene of newborn spirits gathering and ying, she knew she couldn¡¯t let this precious opportunity slip away. The reason she braved the dark night and came here was to form a spirit contract. ording to Lilis, today was the most favorable day for forming a spirit contract, which only came once every hundred years. ¡®I don¡¯t fully trust what she says, but¡­¡¯ At least, she couldn¡¯t deny that today was an extraordinarily favorable day for such a contract. She was well aware, through painful lessons, that her presence was not particrly weed among spirits. She knew that if she clumsily tried to mingle with the spirits, she would only be rejected. Though it felt a bit selfish to intrude on the gathering of newborn spirits for her own benefit, she feared the prospect of falling behind as a mage or wasting the opportunity someone else had created for her even more. She especially didn¡¯t want to receive a failing grade in the spiritmunication ss this semester. -Hum. -Rustle! -Tap, tap. Agnes moved carefully among the spirits, suppressing the mana leaking from her body as she had been taught. Many spirits were curious about the unfamiliar presence. For the first time, Agnes felt like she was being ¡®chosen¡¯ by the spirits. ...Of course, this feeling was fleeting, as the spirits quickly showed their usual cold response towards her. ¡°Um, excuse me¡­.¡± -Whoosh! The moment she spoke, the wind spirits, most sensitive to air currents, disappeared into the breeze. ¡°Would you like to form a contract with me¡­?¡± -Tap! The water spirits vanished like droplets as soon as she touched them. ¡°Just, just form a contract with me¡­!¡± -Tap, tap, tap! Even the earth spirits, who she managed to talk to almost until the contract stage, tasted a bit of her mana and then fled. ¡°...Hmph.¡± Maybe it was a bit too harsh a trial for a girl who had just be an adult. Tears welled up in Agnes¡¯s eyes as she faced repeated rejection. The beautiful sight of the spirits was no longer appealing to her. It didn¡¯t matter how beautiful or numerous the spirits were; none of them wanted to be her partner. She hadn¡¯t wanted to be born with mana that was unpopr with spirits. Feeling pathetic and miserable, Agnes sat down by the pond, hugging her knees and sobbing quietly. ¡®Maybe I should just go back.¡¯ She didn¡¯t see any point in staying here. It would be better to leave now while there was still fuel left in hermp, rather than being rejected by all the spirits and then having to walk back alone in the dark. With this thought, she picked up hermp and was about to leave the Spirit¡¯s Pond when she heard a small voice. -Tap. ¡®Ow!¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± Agnes looked down into themp she was holding. -Hum. ¡®That hurts! Can¡¯t you move more gently?!¡¯ Inside the ssmp, a small me spirit looked at her. It was a newly born me spirit. ? About an hour after sending Agnes into the ck Forest. ¡°She should have arrived by now.¡± I muttered to myself, staring nkly at the night sky. Agnes was a determined character, so she probably wouldn¡¯t give up halfway. Despite her fear of the dark, I believed she was strong enough to ovee it. While I wanted to follow her and ensure her safety, I knew my presence would hinder her from forming a contract. If I were there, the spirits would be drawn to me, including the me spirit that was supposed to be born from themp I gave her. ¡®Soon, she¡¯ll return with a spirit just like mine~.¡¯ ¡°Yes, I hope so. It was a lot of work over the past few months to ensure she could form a contract today.¡± ¡®And I didn¡¯t expect you to give her amp made from the embers of my body! As expected, my chosen master is very clever~!¡¯ ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want her to fail and take it out on me.¡± Considering she might be the main damage dealer in the hero¡¯s party, I also wanted to ensure she was properly upgraded. Themp I gave her was not an ordinary one. It was amp made from the embers of Sally¡¯s body, which had a high ¡®spirit affinity.¡¯ Although having amp with high spirit affinity wouldn¡¯t directly affect its owner, Agnes wouldn¡¯t be well-received by the spirits. However, if she kept themp burning until she reached the Spirit¡¯s Pond, everything would go smoothly from there. The bond with a spirit is a rare urrence before forming a contract. Unless something extraordinary happens, like when Sally and I wiped out the demons together, it''s difficult to form such a bond.@@novelbin@@ But spending an hour exploring the dark forest alone with amp made from the embers of a spirit would naturally create a bond. The me within themp, when it became a spirit, would feel a connection to Agnes, who was the closest to it. Moreover, the ember from Sally¡¯s body had high spirit affinity, making it easier for unstable mana to coalesce into a spirit. When Agnes reached the Spirit¡¯s Pond, she would almost certainly be able to form a contract with a spirit. ¡®It¡¯s really tricky toplete a quest.¡¯ When ying as the protagonist, I probably would have apanied Agnes to the pond and guided her through forming a contract directly. Even for Agnes, having the protagonist, blessed by the goddess, by her side would naturally attract the spirits out of curiosity. With the protagonist¡¯s help, Agnes could easily form a contract with one or two young spirits. The problem is that, as Lilis, I can¡¯t use the same method as the protagonist. If I went to the Spirit¡¯s Pond with Agnes, most spirits would be drawn to me. Why would any spirit choose a rotten egg over a fresh one? Instead of interfering and making things worse for Agnes, I repeatedly taught her how to form a contract and somewhat forcefully sent her into the ck Forest at night. This was the only way I could help her form a contract under the current circumstances. And most importantly, this method would allow Agnes to form her first contract with a me spirit. In the game, the most powerfulbination for Agnes was with a wind spirit that synergized well with her me magic. A decent second choice would be an earth spirit, although in this case, Agnes would have to y a supporting role. A water spirit was the worst match. Unless both the spirit and Agnes were perfectly synchronized, their attacks would interfere with each other. But it seemed that forming a contract with a me spirit at the Spirit¡¯s Pond wasn¡¯t possible. I didn¡¯t know the exact reason, as I hadn¡¯t yed that part myself. I assumed it was because there was no seed of a me spirit near the pond. While it was natural for seeds of earth, water, and wind spirits to form in a remote pond, me spirit seeds could only be found in ces like the ck Rock Canyon, where dwarves lived, or theirs of me dragons. Or from the embers of a high-ranking spirit that had lived a long time. ¡®Having Sally around was really helpful this time.¡¯ As I thought this, I saw a girl with red twin-tails quietly walking out of the forest. A me spirit circled around her endlessly, indicating that a contract had been formed. ¡®Agnes! I look forward to working with you! The name you gave me is awesome! It¡¯s the best!¡¯ ¡°Yeah. I look forward to working with you too, Infernosilia.¡± ¡®Yeah! Nice to meet you, Agnes!¡¯ She hadn¡¯t lost her sense of naming even at the moment of forming a contract. ...As long as they liked it, it didn¡¯t matter to me. Chapter 178 After contracting with Infernosilia¡­ or whatever that overly dramatic-sounding fire spirit was called, Agnes returned, unable to hide the excitement on her face. ¡°Agnes, where are we? Why are there so many strange stones and trees right after leaving the forest? Who¡¯s that over there? And¡­.¡± ¡°This is the Academy, a ce where humans gather to study. Those stones and trees are like the houses where humans live, and the ones that aren¡¯t shaped like those are made with magic¡­.¡± Agnes, who seemed unusually thrilled¡ªlikely due to this being her first contracted spirit¡ªanswered the spirit¡¯s questions with a bright expression. Since joining the Academy, it was the first time I¡¯d seen her smile like that. ¡­She always seemed to wear either a sullen or angry expression around me, never anything like this. ¡®It would be nice if she smiled like that more often.¡¯ Dealing with tsundere characters might be fun in a game, but in reality, they¡¯re just difficult people. And that was something I learned all too well during this semester. But anyway, I managed to help Agnes contract a spirit before the end of our spiritmunication ss, so I aplished what I set out to do. Moreover, giving Agnes, a fire magic expert, a fire spirit could lead to some unexpected growth events. ¡®Since Agnes will most likely join the hero¡¯s party, it¡¯s better for her to be stronger¡ªit can only be a good thing.¡¯ The exactposition of the hero¡¯s party, including whether or not the outsider Cerista will join, remains to be seen. But Agnes, driven by her own goals, will definitely aim to join. And the hero, knowing her irreceable firepower, would have no reason to reject her, even if he wasn¡¯t particrly interested in her. In other words, the stronger Agnes bes, the easier it will be to defeat the Demon King, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of my peaceful future. So, giving her a fire spirit as her first spirit was definitely the right choice. ¡®Besides, if Agnes bes stronger, it¡¯ll reduce the chances of her bing interested in other potential party members.¡¯ Even though the hero already has Cerista, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be interested in Lillis, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to have some insurance. While I was lost in these thoughts, watching Agnes teach the fire spirit about this world, our eyes suddenly met. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s the dormitory where you and I will¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®¡­Agnes?¡¯ ¡°¡­Wait a moment, Infernosilia.¡± Agnes, who had been enthusiastically chatting with the spirit, suddenly fell silent when our eyes met. Sensing the awkwardness, I quickly averted my gaze, pretending not to notice, but I could hear her footsteps approaching me. Her steps, strangely cautious, hinted that she had something to say to me.
  • Step, step.
¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Lillis.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss ze.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Thank you.¡± ¡­Of course she should be thankful. I went through a lot to help her contract that spirit. In the original story, this was an impossible feat no matter how you twisted it. I practically spoon-fed her the contract with that fire spirit. Even Agnes, who isn¡¯tpletely devoid of conscience, expressed her gratitude to me for making the spirit contract happen. I responded to her thanks with feigned ignorance, trying to remain asposed as possible. ¡°I¡¯m just d Miss ze¡¯s spirit contract went well.¡± ¡°Lillis¡­.¡± ¡°But I think it would benefit you to work on your social skills a bit, like not calling people ¡®crazy¡¯ when you first meet them. It would help with your future.¡± ¡°¡­You always have to add one morement, don¡¯t you? So irritating.¡± No matter how talented she is, she can¡¯t live her whole life as a tsundere. That¡¯s probably why, in the game, her character either ended up with the hero or alone. Anyway, I¡¯d aplished my task for the day, so it was time to head back. ¡­And I had to hurry back to avoid being caught sneaking out by Ethan. ? ? ? Several hours had passed since dusk had fully set in, and it was now the deep of night. It was well past the dormitory¡¯s curfew, and I quietly walked through the corridors of the Swordsmanship Department¡¯s dormitory, heading back to the room I shared with Ethan. I had to make sure that Ethan didn¡¯t discover I¡¯d snuck out while he was asleep. ¡®If I¡¯d told him I was going out at night by myself, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have let me go.¡¯ As his personal maid, it was audacious to sneak out like this, and Ethan would likely have been worried and tried to stop me. Since the incident at the Lake of Knowledge, Ethan had be increasingly protective of me, so there was a good chance he would have objected to me going out alone, even if it was for Agnes. ¡®And I¡¯d feel too guilty to wake him up and take him along.¡¯ Besides, it was ridiculous to drag Ethan into something between me and Agnes. If anything, Agnes might mock me for bringing him along everywhere. That¡¯s why I¡¯de up with the idea of a secret outing. After all, once Ethan falls asleep, he doesn¡¯t wake up until it¡¯s time to get up. It¡¯s a small habit I¡¯d noticed after sharing a bed with him for several months. The n was simple: sneak out after he falls asleep and return before he wakes up. As a maid, I was already used to going to bedter and getting up earlier than my master, so slipping out in the middle of the night wasn¡¯t a problem. The tricky part was getting back in. ¡®A sleep cyclests about 90 minutes, so if I return about three hours after leaving, I should be fine.¡¯ It took me 22 minutes to leave the dormitory and reach the pitch-ck forest. Agnes took 1 hour and 47 minutes to make her spirit contract at the Spirit¡¯s Pond and return. We spent 19 minutes talking after she got back, and it took 22 minutes to return. I figured I¡¯d wait about 10 more minutes before heading back. During that time, I started thinking about myst remaining task for this week. ¡®The only thing left now is the swordsmanship duel with Harold the day after tomorrow¡­.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t too worried about the End-of-Semester Hunting Festival since Ethan and I would be participating as a pair. The real challenge was the swordsmanship duel with Harold. I still wasn¡¯t confident I could win. Even though Harold would have all his strength, magic, and advanced sword techniques restricted during our duel, the real challenge was the difference between a Sword Master and a regr person. Unless I could find an unexpected opening, it would be impossible to win. But the problem was finding an opening that someone like Harold, who¡¯s been through countless battles, wouldn¡¯t seeing. I waited quietly by the dormitory door as I pondered these thoughts. After counting 600 seconds in my head, I slowly moved inside, walking as quietly as possible.
  • ck, creak.
¡°¡­¡­.¡± The room was dark as soon as I entered. I had to rely on the faint lighting from Sally, but I needed to move quietly anyway, so not seeing well wasn¡¯t much of a problem. I hadn¡¯t changed out of my night maid uniform when I went out, so there was no need to change now.
  • Softly, softly.
I tiptoed to the bed where Ethan was sleeping, quietly slipped into the empty spot next to him, and prepared to go to sleep.
  • Ssssshhh.
¡®¡­Phew.¡¯ It seemed like I hadn¡¯t been caught. I let go of the worries about the swordsmanship duel with Harold that had been guing my mind. There was no point in thinking about it while lying in bed; I wouldn¡¯t know if my strategy would work until I faced him in battle. Besides, with the End-of-Semester Hunting Festival with Ethan next week, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to focus solely on this. Exhausted from thete-night outing, I buried myself under the covers, ready to fall asleep. But just as I closed my eyes and was about to drift off, there was a slight movement next to me.
  • Ssssh, sshh.
¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡­Was he just turning over in his sleep? Sleep talking is a characteristic of REM sleep. I must have cut it close. I realized that if I had returned even a littleter, I might have been caught as soon as I entered the dormitory. The thought sent a chill down my spine. But, in the end, I¡¯d managed to sneak out and back in without getting caught, so I rxed¡­
  • Tight.
¡®¡­¡­Huh?¡¯ ¡­Or so I thought until I felt my left wrist being gently grasped under the covers. My mind froze for a moment, unable to process what was happening. ¡®Seriously, does he have to grab my wrist in his sleep?¡¯ Ethan was holding onto my wrist so tightly that it didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d let go even if I shook it gently. ¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to sleep like this tonight. After all, I should be deeply asleep beside Ethan at this time, so if I clumsily pulled away, it might make him suspicious. It was better to endure a bit of sleep talk than to get caught sneaking out. ¡°Lillis¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± What? What just happened? Did he really wake up? My heart sank as Ethan suddenly called my name. As I debated whether to respond or not, I finally calmed down enough to analyze why he might have called my name. ¡®¡­It¡¯smon to sleep talk along with sleep habits.¡¯ It must have just slipped out in his sleep. Since I¡¯ve had the most interactions with Ethan since joining the Academy, it¡¯s natural for me to appear in his dreams. He was probably dreaming about one of our dates or the time we spent at theke. Thinking it was no big deal, I was about to go back to sleep when Ethan shifted again. ¡­A muchrger and more troublesome movement than before.
  • Srrrt.
¡®¡­¡­Huh?¡¯
  • Squeeze.
¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ He turned towards me, and then¡­ he practicallyid on top of me. He was treating me like a pillow, wrapping his arms around me as hey down. The whole situation felt so absurd that I almost wanted tough. ¡®Even if it¡¯s just sleep talk¡­.¡¯ This is a bit¡­ over the top, isn¡¯t it? Even on nights when his sleep habits were particrly bad, he¡¯d never tangled himself up with me like this. No matter how much I wanted to ignore it and go to sleep, I couldn¡¯t sleep in this position. So, I decided to push Ethan off and move to the side, but just as I grabbed his shoulder to shove him away¡­@@novelbin@@ ¡­I heard Ethan¡¯s clear voice softly whisper in my ear. ¡°Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Where did you go?¡± Chapter 179 ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ethan¡¯s voice whispered into my right ear, clear and cold. The moment those words reached me, the exhaustion clouding my mind instantly vanished. ¡®He wasn¡¯t sleeping¡­?¡¯ I thought something was off with his sleep talking tonight. His voice, filled with emotion, left me momentarily unable to think clearly. As my mind raced to figure out how to respond, Ethan¡¯s voice whispered in my ear again. ¡°Lillis, I¡¯m asking where you went.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, you should be sorry. A personal maid sneaking out in the middle of the night without her master¡¯s permission?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I had no excuse. What I did was clearly a breach of my duties as Ethan¡¯s personal maid. While I might have had reasons, such as not wanting to disturb Ethan with unnecessary worries or not wanting to wake him up to take him all the way to the edge of the dark forest with me, the fact remained that I had overstepped my role. ¡°So.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you not going to tell me where you went?¡±
  • Thump.
Ethan¡¯s voice wrapped around me, squeezing my heart until it pounded in my chest. Was it the guilt of betraying his trust? The shame of failing in my duty? Or just fear of this situation where Ethan seemed to be doubting me? ¡°I went to the Dark Forest¡­ and then came back.¡± ¡°¡­The Dark Forest?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Were you training at thiste hour?¡± ¡°¡­No, it wasn¡¯t for training.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°¡­I had someone to meet.¡±
  • Squeeze.
¡°Ow¡­.¡± The moment I mentioned meeting someone, the grip on my wrist tightened significantly. The pressure and anxiety radiating through my wrist made my voice tremble. ¡°¡­Who?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Who called you out in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°N-no one¡­ It wasn¡¯t like that. We had an agreement¡­.¡± ¡°An agreement? Was it Princess Seraphine? Or that girl from the Auguste family?¡± ¡°No¡­ It wasn¡¯t them¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me it was that cursed Hero.¡±
  • Squeeze!
¡°N-no¡­ Master Ethan¡­.¡± The pressure on my wrist increased further, reaching a point where it started to hurt. I had a bad feeling that if I didn¡¯t exin things properly, this situation could spiral out of control. Before the atmosphere grew any more tense, I hurriedly exined to Ethan about my spiritmunication ss, my connection with Agnes, the once-in-a-centuryary alignment, and her need to contract a spirit. ¡°¡­So, I just finished helping Miss ze contract a lower fire spirit and came back, Master Ethan. I didn¡¯t stray or leave the area at any point.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Miss ze herself. I can even introduce you if necessary.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ethan seemed to find my exnation somewhat satisfactory, as the grip on my wrist loosened slightly. The intense pressure I felt earlier had eased, and Ethan asked me again, as if to confirm. ¡°I see¡­ So, you didn¡¯t meet with the Princess or Miss Auguste¡­.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s correct, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t go to meet that Hero who¡¯s always surrounded by women¡­.¡± ¡°I swear to the Goddess, I didn¡¯t meet anyone else but Miss ze. The only other person I encountered was the dormitory warden.¡±
  • Sigh.
Finally, Ethan let go of my wrist, seemingly reassured by my repeated exnations. The murderous aura that had been emanating from him earlier seemed to calm down. Although he still pinned me down on the bed, making it impossible for me to escape. ¡°So, Lillis.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Putting aside who you met, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were sneaking out in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°I understand this might sound strange to you, but¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Go on. I¡¯ll judge whether it¡¯s strange or not after hearing it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to trouble you or make you worry, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The moment I uttered the first sentence, Ethan¡¯s face hardened again. Even in the darkness, I could clearly see the change in his expression. Despite noticing this change, I continued to convey my thoughts and the reasoning behind my actions to Ethan. ¡°I was afraid you might worry and forbid me from going out alone at night, or worse, that you would be troubled enough to apany me. That¡¯s why I decided not to say anything.¡± ¡°¡­So you knew.¡± ¡°¡­Master Ethan?¡± ¡°You knew, and yet you still went out alone without telling me, Lillis?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ethan¡¯s face drew closer to mine, his voice thick with anger. Even in the dim light, I could see his expression clearly as he leaned in. At that moment, I realized that keeping this secret and sneaking out was a grave mistake. ¡°Lillis.¡±
  • Thump.
¡°¡­Y-yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Are you testing me, Lillis?¡±
  • Thump, thump.
¡°T-testing you? I would never dare¡­.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep provoking me like this? Always acting so secretive, constantly putting yourself in potential danger.¡± ¡°¡­It was just a night out, Master Ethan. As you know, I¡¯m capable of handling a few thugs¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you, Lillis.¡±
  • Thump, thump, thump.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± Ethan was genuinely angry this time, his face serious as he berated me. Hismanding tone sent my heart racing wildly in my chest. ¡®I know I did something wrong¡­.¡¯ My intention had been to avoid causing Ethan unnecessary worry. If I had told him, he might have banned me from going out at night, which would have prevented me from keeping my promise to Agnes. So, to handle the matter smoothly, I decided to sneak out while Ethan was asleep. But now, seeing how things had turned out, it seemed like I should have told him upfront. ¡®A simple apology won¡¯t be enough to smooth this over¡­.¡¯ As I tried to think of a way to calm Ethan down, a rumor I once heard on an onlinemunity suddenly popped into my head. Hoping to defuse the situation, I looked Ethan in the eye and cautiously suggested something. ¡°If more than just a few thugs attacked, what would you have done? There are plenty of people here at the Academy who are stronger than you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And have you already forgotten about what happened at theke? The thought of nearly losing you still wakes me up in the middle of the night¡­.¡± ¡°M-Master Ethan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done talking, Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­W-would you like to touch my chest¡­?¡± ¡°Tou¡­.¡± Ethan, who had been ranting about my nighttime escapade, suddenly stopped mid-sentence and stared at me, clearly shocked by my suggestion. ¡®Could this actually work?¡¯ ¡°¡­Lillis, are you joking in this situation¡­?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it as a joke, or as a way to ask for forgiveness.¡± ¡°¡­Then what?¡± ¡°I-I read somewhere that when men touch a woman¡¯s chest, it releases calming hormones in the brain¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Hormones?¡± ¡°Yes, so I thought maybe instead of getting worked up, you could touch my chest and calm down a little, Master Ethan. That¡¯s all I meant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And of course, this offer is only for you, Master Ethan.¡± Will this work? I really hoped this would help diffuse the tension. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to suggest something so embarrassing. Even asking if he wanted to touch my chest was a mortifying thing to do. But this was clearly my fault, and Ethan¡¯s anger was justified. If letting him touch my chest would help calm him down, it was a small price to pay.@@novelbin@@ ¡­Though I was unsure of what to do if this didn¡¯t work. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No matter how angry he was, Ethan was still a young man in his prime. He hesitated, clearly conflicted, as I offered him this option. Finally, deciding to go all in, I took one of Ethan¡¯s hands and ced it on my chest. Caught off guard by my bold move, Ethan¡¯s face betrayed his emotions as he realized what he was doing.
  • Soft.
¡°¡­Lillis.¡± ¡°Are you feeling a little calmer now, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ethan, who had been momentarily dazed by my unexpected offer, regained his senses, his hand still resting on my chest. His eyes, glowing in the darkness, met mine. After a moment of silence, Ethan¡¯s face slowly drew closer to mine. In the faint light, our lips met quietly. Chapter 180 ~ Thud. Our lips collided in the darkness¡ªEthan and I. The kiss, initiated from such a close distance, left me no chance to even think about avoiding it. Moreover, lying beneath Ethan''s body, there was no way I could avoid it even if I tried to move. "Yeah, it''s just a kiss; we did itst time too." Ethan had previously mentioned that this kind of lip-locking was nothing special from my side. So, there was no need to avoid this act of our lips colliding with each other. If this could ease his mood, I thought he might easily overlook the simple act of lips meeting lips. Until Ethan''s tongue peeked out between his parted lips and licked mine. ¡ª Mm? ~ Thud, thud. ¡ª Wait, what?! The moment Ethan used his tongue as soon as our lips met, a considerable amount of embarrassment overwhelmed me. I almost lost my mind momentarily in the face of this affectionate gesture that seemed to go beyond reason. It wasn¡¯t like we had kissed five or ten times, and Ethan using his tongue on the second kiss was surprising. "Well, technically, including CPR, it¡¯s the third time, but that''s not really important." A kiss where lips meet is practically just a peck, so I allowed it, but using the tongue in the process would significantly change the meaning. It was more like a sticky exchange of bodily fluids inside our mouths. That was closer to sex than a kiss, really. ~ Thud, thud. ¡ª I-I think we should stop... Just as I was about to say not to do this, it became obvious that Ethan''s tongue would enter my mouth. Pushing his face away with my hand seemed too direct, and he didn''t seem like he would back off easily. If I did that, Ethan might grab the back of my head and pull me towards him. But I couldn''t just let him put his tongue inside my mouth either, so I struggled internally while his hand on my chest started to move gently, as if caressing. ~ Caress. ¡ª Ugh, hm... Turning his left hand that was touching my right chest slowly, Ethan squeezed it tightly with his five fingers, showing a desire to grip my chest as much as possible. His physical touch made me moan, urging me to give in. ~ Caress, caress. ¡ª Ush, hm... ~ Thud, thud. ¡ª Huh, bm. Hold on. I have to hold on. Even if it''s like this, French kissing is definitely not okay. Allowing a kiss that is practically meant for the bed would be no different from actually having sex. Well, of course, this is a bed, but it¡¯s not that kind of bed, obviously. ~ Stroke, stroke. ¡ª Hub, bm... ~ Thud, thud. ¡ª Hin, uch. Ethan''s touch became slightly rougher, and his tongue persistently delved between my lips. I had to endure somehow to resist Ethan''s passionate attack. It was like a siege to invade a tightly closed territory, and the battle between the assault and the defense. And so, after a few minutes of the confrontation between attack and defense, Ethan gently dropped our touching lips and quietly asked a question. "A kiss wasn''t a big deal, right, Lilli?" "Right, a kiss is naturally nothing to be concerned about." "Oh really? It felt like you were desperately trying to seal your lips shut." "Well, of course. The kiss I mentioned is simply the act of lips touching, not the exchange of bodily fluids with tongues involved." "You seemed pretty nonchnt about it during our first kiss." "W-Well, that was just CPR, it couldn''t be helped!" Chuckles Despite responding with logical reasoning to the absurd statement, all I received in return was Ethan''s incredulousughter. "Lilli, you''re amusing." "Excuse me?" "Most girls would feel embarrassed in situations where they should be confident, but you feel embarrassed about something like this, which I find amusing." "Even if you try to provoke me like that, Ethan, it''s pointless. I cannot allow this behavior. At least, not now." "Alright, I understand. I didn''t mean to provoke you." With those words, Ethan''s left hand, which was resting on my right chest, moved towards my corbone. His hand gripped the top of my maid outfit, dragging it down to my sternum. My maid outfit and off-shoulder bra were slightly exposed by Ethan''s hand. I didn''t feel embarrassed by this now. After all, I''ve already shown my chest plenty of times. Plus, it had been touched over my clothes just a while ago. "Lilli." "Yes, Ethan." "You may think that a French kiss has some special meaning, but honestly, I consider any kiss where lips touch as the same kind of kiss." "Your opinion is your own, Ethan, but mine remains unchanged." "Alright, that¡¯s fine. Even if your thoughts don''t change." Smack "Mm?" With a meaningful statement, this time Ethan brought his right hand to my left chest. His touch on the soft flesh of my bare chest, without the protectiveyer of clothing, was much stronger than when he touched it over twoyers of fabric, causing me to involuntarily moan. "If you want to keep your lips sealed like that, it''s fine." "Ugh, moan!" "But I won''t let you off that easily. I''m really angry with you today, Lilli." ~ Squeeze, squeeze "Moan...! Sigh..." "If you just open your mouth obediently, I''ll be a little gentler." With those words, Ethan immediately pressed his lips back onto mine. As his face obscured my view, sensing an instinctual sense of danger, I tightly sealed my lips again. Even with my reaction, Ethan seemed to have expected it, calmly continuing to press his lips against mine, and his hand on my chest was applying even stronger pressure than before, trying to make me open my lips wider. ~ Soft, soft, soft "Moan! Sigh" Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze Feeling Ethan''s rough touch on my bare skin, my primal senses were continuously being stimted. It was a natural reaction since my body''srgest erogenous zone was being stimted by Ethan''s hand. ~ Lick, lick Suppressing a moan as best as I could, I endured without parting my lips when an irresistible pleasure surged from my left nipple as if piercing my body. Pinch This time, Ethan attacked relentlessly, targeting my weaknesses as if it were a given, stroking and pulling my nipple with his thumb and forefinger, almost causing me to moan involuntarily. "You endure well, Lilli. Just by pulling on your nipple like this, you''re already on the verge of moaning." "Ugh, ah, uh." "If you hate it that much, I can''t help it. I''ll stop if you really want me to, Lilli." "Ah, uh." "Is it over?" Contrary to my expectations, Ethan withdrew his hand from my chest a bit more easily this time. And at the same time, his tongue, which had been licking my lips, slipped into my mouth, causing me to slightly rx and breathe a sigh of relief in my mind. Until I felt the pleasure of my other nipple being pulled again unexpectedly. Tug "Ah, aaah?!" Just when I thought I could finally rx, a sudden intense pleasure overwhelmed me. As I had been trying to hold back my moans, the recoil of that tension brought even stronger pleasure coursing through my body. As if waiting for this reaction, Ethan''s head bent and his lips met mine, covering thempletely. Smack "Ugh, ugh..." Smack, smack "Uh, uh! Uh..." Ethanpletely sealed my lips with his and pushed his tongue into my mouth, licking the inside of my lips and the front of my teeth, exchanging saliva and breath. For a moment, I felt a slight anger at being betrayed after he had said he would stop... I was wrong! Since Ethan seemed to want this French kiss, I just went along with it. Touching my chest a bit and kissing a bit was nothing. Even though a French kiss could lead to sex, strictly speaking, it was just a type of kiss. Suck "Mmm." Suck, suck "Ugh, ah. Hah." The exchange of thick saliva and breath between our lips continued. From the moment Ethan and I started our first deep kiss, several minutes passed. And even as his hand on my chest continued to caress until he was satisfied, Ethan gradually pulled away from our pressed-together lips. Sigh "Ah, ugh." The sound of our lips parting slowly left a lingering sensation between us. The sticky liquid that dripped between us sparkled in the moonlight shining through the window.@@novelbin@@ "At first, you said you didn¡¯t like it, but now you''re not resisting." "Once we''ve started, there''s no point in resisting further." "Are you mad, Lilli?" "I was just surprised by the audacity of my lord, who said he would stop but then continued to kiss me." "Do not misunderstand. I don''t usually lie to you, Lilli. It''s just that today, because you deceived me first, I lied just once. Can you understand that much?" To argue with such logical and factual reasoning... Speechless at Ethan''s perfectly reasonable statement, I could only respond with quiet silence. In that moment, Ethan spoke to me with a smile, as if he were the one initiating reconciliation. "So, let''s make sure not to lie or deceive each other from now on, Lilli." "Understood, Master Ethan. I am truly sorry for today''s incident." "Alright. Fortunately, nothing happened to you, so I''m fine with that." "After returning from the night breeze, I will quickly wash up and return to bed. Master Ethan, you can go to sleep first without waiting for me." "I''ll wait, so hurry up ande back after washing up." In the end, it was just another step forward in the rtionship between Ethan and me, unexpectedly. If this keeps happening, it really won''t be good... Chapter 181 Two days had passed since the day I helped Agnes contract a fire spirit and, as a result, received a punishment-like skinship from Ethan. In thest lesson of Harold''s second-semester swordsmanship course, "Application of Magic Swordsmanship," I stood facing Harold, tense and on edge. This was essentially the final task of the semester¡ªmy duel with Harold. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Grip. Holding a two-handed sword quietly in his hands, the Swordmaster fixed his gaze on me, waiting for me to make a move. Even though this was a handicap match, the gap between a Swordmaster and an academy student was still iprehensibly vast. Unlike Harold, who had lived his whole life wielding a sword, swordsmanship wasn''t even my major. While it was possible to enhance my sword with stronger magic, as a member of the Magic Department, oveing the physical limitations was still difficult. Seeing him without a single visible w, I couldn''t help but grip my dagger even tighter. ¡®¡­It''s okay, just do as you practiced.¡¯ This was myst chance of the semester and my final duel. Whether or not I could win this match would determine my grade for the second semester. It would decide whether I could earn an A+ in Harold''s "Application of Magic Swordsmanship" course. Of course, not getting an A+ wouldn''t drastically affect my overall grades, but I still wanted to achieve the highest possible score. Just like in the original game, I had already confirmedst semester that additional rewards were granted based on academic achievement. If possible, I needed to win at least one match for my stat growth. ¡­In a lifetime with only four years of opportunity, I had to make the most of everything I could get. ¡°You can attack whenever you¡¯re ready, Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Master¡­ Professor.¡± ¡°However, if you do not attempt an attack within a minute, I will approach you. I cannot waste too much time on a single duel.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± It would be much harder to counterattack Harold if he came at me first, so I had no choice but to make the first move. With my resolve somewhat steeled, I stepped forward and simultaneously utilized the newly learned dagger technique. ¡ºQuick Draw: At the start of battle, the attack power of ded weapons increases.¡» The first dagger skill, Quick Draw. I didn''t want to invest too much in dagger skills, but with a half-hearted resolve, there was no way I could defeat Harold. Hoping that the coursepletion rewards and grade evaluations would justify the points I had invested, I charged at Harold with my new skill. At the same time, I didn''t forget to apply a sharp de buff. -Tadadak! Kicking off the ground, my body moved swiftly toward Harold¡¯s lower body. While aiming for the neck or heart would be more effective for a decisive blow, that was only an option for those who had the capability. For someone like me, with a short reach and a height difference with Harold, it wasn¡¯t the best strategy. The target was the abdomen, or perhaps the waist. With the intent of driving my sword into that area, I closed the distance with Harold. I attempted a thrust at Harold¡¯s sr plexus with the dagger engraved with the ckwood emblem in my right hand. -Kaang! ¡°Guh¡­¡± Harold calmly moved his sword to block the attack, having anticipated my approach to his waist. I hadn''t expected my first attack tond a killing blow. It was merely an attack to draw out a response from Harold¡ªnothing more, nothing less. Luckily, I managed to absorb enough of the impact with the shockwave to prevent myself from losing grip of my dagger. From there, I immediately cast a newly learned secret magic. ¡ºEnergy Bolt: Fires a medium-sized magic projectile at the enemy.¡» While its principles were simr to Mana st, this was a lower-tier magic that could be cast much faster. Naturally, its power was significantly weaker than Mana st. However, if it hit properly, it could still inflict some damage. Even Harold would have to choose between dodging or blocking it. And when three of them are flying at you at once, you''d have to use your sword to block at least one or two of them. Especially when your vision is obscured by a hazy light. -Paak! ¡°¡­¡­¡± With a sudden sh of light, a misty white fog enveloped Harold¡¯s body. As Harold''s vision was temporarily obstructed, three magic projectiles flew into the mist. If I was lucky, two of them would hit their mark. Although, given my opponent, they probably wouldn''t inflict any direct damage. After forcing Harold to use his sword to deflect the attacks, I immediately prepared the next move to bring him down. The rules of the duel in the "Application of Magic Swordsmanship" ss allowed for the use of any means necessary to defeat Harold. ¡°Now, Sally! Sey!¡± ¡®Take this!!¡¯ The high-level fire spirit Sallyunched a massive fireball from her hand. Despite consuming about a quarter of my maximum mana, the fireball wasn''t particrlyrge. Since Sally was still under a temporary contract, the efficiency wasn''t very high. But it didn¡¯t matter. With Sey around, I could make even Sally''s mediocre power much more effective. ¡®Ugh, whew¡­!!¡¯ Sylphid, the wind spirit, gathered air with her hands and exhaled a strong breath in the direction of Sally''s fireball. The fireball and Sey''s support magic collided in mid-air and were drawn into the misty light. Then, with a rather noisy explosion, the light-filled fog erupted. -Kwakwakwang!! ¡°¡­¡­¡± The explosion itself seemed to have gone through without being canceled or blocked. There was no way Harold would die from this. Given my opponent''s physical strength, he should be able to withstand this level of explosion. However, whether my attack had hit Harold directly was still uncertain¡­. Since I couldn''t be sure of my victory, I began preparing my next move, even in this state. The ominous words from Sally''s cursed mouth made me even more anxious.@@novelbin@@ ¡®¡­Did it take him down?¡¯ -Taaak! ¡®No, it didn¡¯t¡­.¡¯ As Harold emerged from the cloud of dust, cutting through it with a single sword stroke, the fire spirit muttered in disappointment. As much as I wanted to punch Sally¡¯s mouth shut, there was no time for such distractions. In a hurry, I threw Seraphine¡¯s dagger, which I held in my left hand, at the approaching Harold with a ¡ºDagger Throw¡». -Whish! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Harold merely tilted his head slightly to avoid it, as if it posed no threat. His clothes were only slightly dirtied, without any signs of burning or scorching. This meant that the explosion earlier hadn''t caused any significant damage to Harold. ¡®He''s like a real monster¡­.¡¯ How could he emerge unscathed from abination attack that would have instantly roasted most monsters? The thought naturally crossed my mind that he must have used either his stamina or mana to defend himself while his vision was obscured in the hazy light. With an overwhelming sense of intimidation, Harold advanced on me with his sword. I tried to hold my ground using support magic and dagger techniques, but it wasn''t difficult for Harold to overpower me when I had already exhausted almost all of my trump cards. -Kang! ¡°Guh¡­!¡± -Kaang! ¡°Ugh, haa¡­!!¡± Harold urately struck the weak points of my sword in several exchanges, sending myst remaining weapons¡ªmy ckwood dagger in my right hand and the silver dagger belonging to Lizzy, which I had hastily grabbed with my left hand¡ªflying into the air. With that, Harold effectively ended the duel in a state that was nothing short of aplete victory, his gaze quietly shifted toward me. ¡°¡­Not a bad attempt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, Harold''s words were a subtle way of saying that it hadn''t worked against him. Well, if it had been a good attack, I would have been the one tond the decisive blow, not Harold. Satisfied that he had thoroughly subdued me, Harold began to give an evaluation of our battle as if concluding the duel. ¡°You started with an attack that I could only block with my sword, limiting my movement, and immediately followed up with your next attack.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°The hazy light was unnecessary. Blinding your opponent isn''t a bad strategy, but it won''t work on me. At this level, even with my eyes closed, I can still sense where magic ising from. And you also missed one of your magic shots because you couldn''t locate my blurred figure.¡± ¡­It wasn''t because my vision was impaired; I just missed due to low uracy. Of course, I couldn''t just interrupt and argue with the course instructor, so I had to listen quietly. ¡°You seem to have a good affinity with spirits. To use abination magic at such precise timing must have required quite a lot of practice.¡± ¡°Yes. And I also took a ss onmunication with spirits this semester.¡± ¡°It will likely be a considerable strength for you in the future, as long as you can manage your mana well in battles alongside the spirits.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Harold slowly lowered the sword he had been holding with both hands, gradually releasing the tension in his stance from the duel. His final assessment was nearing its end. ¡°Your swordsmanship has improved significantly since the beginning of the semester. Especially that first strike you made right after the start¡ªit was the sharpest I''ve seen from you so far. ¡­Although, the swordy in the final exchange was a bit disappointing.¡± Well, that was because the effect of Quick Draw had ended. It couldn''t be helped. It was a buff skill that couldn''t be reused during the battle. Harold continued to provide various exnations and evaluations of Lillis¡¯s performance. While pretending to listen attentively, I secretly prepared onest attack. ¡­To capitalize on Harold''s fatal mistake, which he had inadvertently overlooked during this duel. ¡°¡­So, overall, your final grade is likely to be¡­.¡± ¡°Professor Harold, before you give me my grade, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to say.¡± ¡°Hmmm, what is it?¡± ¡°¡­The duel isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Chapter 182 "¡­The duel isn''t over yet." That''s right, it''s not over yet. Although I had lost all three of my swords, I had not yet dered defeat to Harold. For a mage, a sword was merely a supplementary tool, not the primary weapon. Harold might have thought he had achieved a plete victory" since he had disarmed me, but that logic only applies to a duel between swordsmen. When a mage and a swordsman truly go all out against each other, the standard of what constitutes aplete victory changes. -Bang! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± With the propulsion of the shockwave I used from beneath my feet, my body shot toward where Harold was standing. Startled by my sudden charge following those final words, Harold hastily adjusted his grip on his sword. Even so, true to his title as a Swordmaster, his reaction in regaining his stance after briefly lowering his guard was impressively quick. However, no matter how much of a master one is, it''s impossible to be perfectly prepared for a surprise attack. Normally, he would be ready to counter both sword and magic attacks, but with little time to spare, Harold adopted a defensive stance to ward off the magic he assumed would being at him. ¡®Yes, that''s what most would do.¡¯ I had already used all three of my swords. Throughout this entire semester¡¯s duels, I had only ever used three daggers against Harold, making sure to reinforce that impression. For a mage to engage in closebat with a swordsman without a weapon was unthinkable. I didn¡¯t even pretend to reach into my uniform to draw a sword, so he would never have expected it. He never could have guessed that my final trump card was a "sword-creating spell." -Swoosh! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I saw Harold''s expression stiffen for a split second as he noticed the sword materializing in my handing straight at him. Of course, he couldn''t have predicted this. A spell that creates a sword out of thin air? Who could see thating? But if you¡¯ve yed even a little bit of Lillis in the game "Luminor Academy," you would naturally be familiar with this technique. It¡¯s odd, isn''t it? Among Lillis¡¯s dagger skills, one of them is ¡°Dagger Throw.¡± Anyone with half a brain would realize how risky it is to fight while expending your weapons in battle. Fortunately, the developers weren''t so foolish, and Lillis was able to learn a skill that could solve the dangerous situation caused by throwing daggers. That skill is the ¡°First Dagger Enhancement Skill,¡± Visionary de. A de crafted through magic appeared at my fingertips, ready to be conjured at any moment. That gleaming de shed with Harold¡¯s sword in midair. -Sizzle! ¡°Guh¡­!¡± Harold managed to block my Visionary de in midair, though the magicallypressed de slightly chipped, causing a small burst of energy. Naturally, a magically created de couldn''t withstand a real sword for long. But it didn¡¯t matter. ¡­This Visionary de, myst resort, was designed from the start to be used with double casting. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± With a slight dy, I created a second Visionary de in my other hand and swung it toward the unprotected area near Harold''s waist. It was the final surprise attack, striking at his most vulnerable point. If this was blocked as well, then it would be fair to say that I had no other way to win a match against Harold. With that thought in mind, my Visionary de nearly touched his body¡ª But then, a thin protective barrier of magic barely deflected my second de. -Sizzle! ¡°Hah, haah¡­.¡± Even in a situation where his hands were not free, Harold¡¯s instinct to protect himself was at an almost animalistic level. Though my attack didn¡¯tnd, this duel still counted as a victory for me. The moment Harold broke the initial condition of not using mana or energy to maintain the handicap between a Swordmaster and a regr student, I won. ¡°You used magic, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I had no choice.¡± With those words, Harold slowly lowered his sword and acknowledged his defeat. It was a somewhat underhanded victory, but it was still a definite win for me. ¡°I never dered defeat, Professor Harold. After all, a mage should fight with magic. My swordsmanship is merely a technique for inducing my opponent''s overconfidence.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed, in that regard, you used it quite effectively.¡± To think that I had induced overconfidence in Harold of all people. Even though this was a trial duel for the semester¡¯s exam, the fact that I had made him lower his guard remained unchanged. ¡°You¡¯re bing more like Ethan in certain ways.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll admit this was my mistake. I should have anticipated that someone like you wouldn¡¯t give up so easily.¡± ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve won this match, so you¡¯ve earned an A+. Well done this semester, Lillis.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­thank you, Professor Harold!¡± This, this is victory. Finally, finally, I managed to win a match against Harold. I was the only student in the Magic Department who managed to score a victory against him, making this an extraordinary achievement. ¡®Lillis, wasn¡¯t that a bit underhanded?¡¯ ¡®Master, that was a little¡­ unseemly.¡¯ Shut up, you two don¡¯t understand anything. As long as I beat Harold, it doesn¡¯t matter how I did it. ? ? ? A week had passed since the somewhat underhanded victory I secured against Harold. The final semester event, the end-of-term Hunting Festival, hade to a close, and most of the lectures were winding down one by one, signaling that it was time to prepare to return to ckwood Manor. However, Ethan and I remained at the academy, even days after the end of all the lectures, spending rather busy days. That¡¯s because Seraphine¡¯s ¡°Student Council Duties,¡± which began this semester, were still ongoing. The student council¡¯s termsts slightly longer than that of other students. While most students would return to their hometowns afterpleting theirst sses, the student council stays behind to perform their duties. These duties include processing applications for students who n to remain at the academy during the break for club activities or study sessions, and addressing studentints or requests received during the semester to improve the academy during the vacation period.@@novelbin@@ As a result, the student council¡¯s term ends slightlyter than that of the general student body¡ªthough it¡¯s only about a week¡¯s difference. ¡®The workload is much lighterpared to during the semester, so it¡¯s more rxed.¡¯ As a yer of "Luminor Academy," I sometimes found it annoying that the student council duties extended the term by a week. Since it was a game with high freedom, there were many things to do in that week, like collecting items or exploring hidden opportunities. But now, I wasn¡¯t in a position to do those things, nor did I have any pressing reason to chase after hidden events or items. I felt bad about defeating the Abyssal Kraken with Ethan and taking the sub-event from the Hero''s party, but there was nothing I could do about it. I did, however, help Agnes contract a fire spirit, so the Hero¡¯s party had gained a stronger ally in the end. Besides, I hadn¡¯t touched any obvious hidden opportunities or items that others might have imed. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to risk interfering with the Hero¡¯s campaign against the Demon Lord. That would be a real hassle.¡¯ The worst-case scenario would be if things went so wrong that Lillis had to join the Demon Lord subjugation team. That would not only ruin my life but also make it seem like I was breaking my promise with Ethan. While I was organizing the student council¡¯s paperwork with these thoughts in mind, I noticed a mysterious document in the pile, which seemed to be a list of potential new students for the next year. ¡°President Seraphine, what is this document?¡± ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s a list of students who are likely to enroll in the academy next year. I thought it would be good for you all to familiarize yourselves with the names of those who might be attending the academy with you next year!¡± ¡°I took a look at it earlier, and I suspected as much. There are a few students on that list that the Auguste Trading Company is already keeping an eye on.¡± ¡°Hmmm, is that so? Do I really have to memorize this? I¡¯m not good at remembering names unless I¡¯ve seen the person¡¯s face~¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright. The materials I provided are just for reference. If you think it¡¯s too much trouble, you don¡¯t have to memorize them.¡± Even though she was saying it casually, it would definitely be beneficial to memorize it. This was practically an opportunity to build connections with potential first-year students, using Princess Seraphine¡¯s name to do so. Connections really are valuable. If you¡¯re a princess, you even distribute information like this to your people for free. Of course, for me, this information wasn¡¯t particrly useful at the moment, and I already had a rough idea of the main characters, so it didn¡¯t really matter. Still, I decided to nce through the list to see if there were any key figures. The "Barbarian Lyria" from the Spear Department. The "Kind Alchemist Tralia" from the Pharmacology Department. And the "Inventor Seldick" from the Engineering Department. It seemed that the main first-year characters would be enrolling as usual without any significant changes, given that I hadn¡¯t intervened. If I had to add one more, it would be "Back-Alley Brawler Carniel" from the Martial Arts Department. Given their background, it seems they didn¡¯t make it onto Seraphine¡¯s list of candidates. After briefly checking the list of iing students and setting it aside, I thought I was done for the day when Seraphine suddenly made a suggestion. ¡°Tomorrow is thest day of this semester¡¯s student council duties, right?¡± ¡°Yes, President Seraphine.¡± ¡°In that case, how about we all have a little get-together to celebrate the end of the semester?¡± ¡­A get-together? All of a sudden? Was there such an event in the original game? Chapter 183 "How about we all have a little get-together tomorrow to celebrate the end of the semester?" At Princess Seraphine''s unexpected suggestion, everyone''s gaze in the student council room shifted towards her¡ªexcept for one person, Orion, who remained absorbed in his book, showing no interest. ¡°Hmmm~. It sounds like a hassle, so I¡¯ll pass~.¡± ¡­Well, that was to be expected. Honestly, it was surprising that Orion even showed up in the student council room in the first ce. Of course, the remaining five of us, except for Orion, were naturally intrigued or interested in Seraphine''s proposal for a get-together. ¡°A get-together at the end of the semester?¡± ¡°Yes, Gwyn. I thought it might be a bit of a shame to end the semester like this, so I wanted to have a small gathering.¡± ¡°In that case, the first thing we need to do is secure a location. Most of the buildings on the academy grounds will be upied for supplementary lectures starting the day after tomorrow, so I¡¯ll check if we can find a suitable ce off-campus.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about the location. We¡¯ll be using the sub-hall of the guest lounge. My brother, McHart, returned to the royal pce four days ago, so the only ones currently using the guest lounge are Luke and me. There won¡¯t be any problems.¡± ¡°Ah, then there¡¯s no need to rent a venue.¡± As soon as Vice President Gwyn Evelt confirmed that the location had already been secured, he nodded and stepped back. As someone from a mercenary background, his first instinct after hearing about the get-together was to start addressing any issues that needed to be resolved. He seemed to have no intention of declining Seraphine¡¯s suggestion, given that it came from his superior. ¡°We¡¯ll meet after the student council duties conclude tomorrow. The head chef of the guest lounge will be employed for one more day to prepare the food, and I¡¯m sure Luke will take care of the other misceneous preparations. Isn¡¯t that right, Luke?¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Princess Seraphine.¡± Of course, if there was a get-together, Luke would naturally be involved. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for Seraphine¡¯s personal maid and bodyguard not to participate. Judging by Luke¡¯s calm response, she must have been in on the n from the start. ¡°Hmmm¡­ A get-together, huh.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lizzy and Ethan seemed to hesitate slightly at the sudden suggestion. Both appeared to be contemting whether to participate, as returning home might be dyed by a day. At some point, their gazes naturally turned toward me. ¡°What do you want to do, Lillis?¡± ¡°Are you going to participate, Lillis?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I was a bit taken aback by their nearly simultaneous questions. If I wanted to participate, I could; if not, then I wouldn¡¯t. Why were they suddenly asking for my opinion? ¡®Well, I understand why Lizzy might care about whether I participate since we¡¯re the closest in the student council¡­¡¯ But as for Ethan, why was he asking me when he was the one who should decide? Shouldn¡¯t he be the one making the decision? If he participates, I¡¯ll participate; if he doesn¡¯t, then I won¡¯t either. Since this was an important matter, I couldn¡¯t make the decision myself, so I simply deferred it back to Ethan. ¡°As Master Ethan¡¯s personal maid, I will, of course, follow his wishes.¡± ¡°Then as your master, Imand you to decide whether or not to participate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Damn it, really? Should I be happy that Ethan gave me the choice, or should I be annoyed that he passed the potential conflict with Seraphine onto me? Ethan probably didn¡¯t mean any harm by letting me choose. He likely just wanted to give me the option. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about Seraphine¡¯s idea of a get-together. Having yed the original game to the point of exhaustion, I found it suspicious to hold a get-together at this time of year. ¡®As far as I remember, the get-together was held at the end of the first semester, right before the student council disbanded, not at the end of the second semester.¡¯ I¡¯ve spent over 2000 hours on Luminor Academy, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know that. Joining Seraphine''s student council was necessary not only when pursuing her route but also when aiming for Luke''s route or building a rtionship with Orion. And the student council¡¯s term ran from the start of the second semester to the end of the first semester of the following year. In other words, in the game, the student council¡¯s closing ceremony, held at the end of the first semester of the following year, served as the get-together event. That¡¯s why Seraphine¡¯s suggestion to have a get-together at the end of this semester felt strange. Even more puzzling was Seraphine¡¯s uncharacteristically hasty behavior in organizing the event. ¡°President Seraphine, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Of course, Lillis.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early to have a student council get-together at the end of the second semester? There¡¯s still half a year left in the student council¡¯s activities.¡± ¡°Ah, actually, I didn¡¯t n on telling you this¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The get-together tomorrow is actually intended to serve as our student council¡¯s inaugural ceremony as well.¡± ¡­Oh.@@novelbin@@ Right, the inaugural ceremony. That was a student council event, too. Now that I think about it, we never held the inaugural ceremony for this student council. If we had, I definitely would have remembered it. ¡°There was a bit of a dangerous situation for you at the start of the student council term, Lillis. We couldn¡¯t hold the inaugural ceremony without you, so we skipped it this semester.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°So, now that we have some free time, I thought it would be nice to have a simple meal together and chat. But does that burden you, Lillis?¡± ¡­Now that she put it that way, how could I refuse? If I declined after hearing that, I¡¯d feel terribly guilty. Considering that I was the reason the inaugural ceremony didn¡¯t happen, if the get-together fell apart too, it would be like I was letting Seraphine down. Not that I had any real reason not to participate. Turning down an invitation from someone like Seraphine would require a significant excuse, which would be a hassle toe up with. It was easier just to attend for a day. ¡°Alright. If my participation wouldn¡¯t be a burden to you, President Seraphine, I¡¯ll join the get-together.¡± ¡°Burden? Not at all. Please, feel at ease, Lillis.¡± ¡°Since my personal maid is attending, I will, of course, participate as well.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll join too. I can just send a letter to my family saying I¡¯ll be returning home a dayter.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m d everyone¡¯s joining in.¡± ¡­It¡¯s a bit unsettling that this event wasn¡¯t in the original game. But the semester is over, so what could possibly happen? ? ? ? Two days before Seraphine proposed the get-together to the student council members. Princess Seraphine was waiting for an expected guest in her private room in the guest lounge. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice, Princess Seraphine.¡± It was none other than the Hero of Prophecy, Bolt. He was the hero from another world who had supported her in many ways over the past year, both inside and outside the academy. ¡°Wee, Hero. In fact, I¡¯ve been expecting you, so there¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Could it be that you foresaw this meeting¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. The full moon was just a few days ago, after all. Of course, it was my choice to meet with you instead of dining with Count Verco.¡± ¡°¡­I see. It seems I¡¯ve caused you some inconvenience by visiting on a day like this.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it, Hero Bolt. After all, the number of lives you¡¯ve saved thanks to your efforts is countless. Meeting with you is far more important to me than merely discussing personal gains with the Count.¡± ¡°¡­Hearing that from you, I¡¯ll dly ept your kindness, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you.¡± Seraphine¡¯s genuine smile, one she rarely showed in front of others, reached Bolt¡¯s eyes. It was a smile free of pretense, full of sincere goodwill. Given the person she was smiling at, Bolt felt an almost bewitching sense of being captivated by her expression alone. ¡°Today, I don¡¯t see Miss Cerista, who usually apanies you. She¡¯s always by your side, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Cerista doesn¡¯t particrly like it when I talk about other women.¡± ¡°Oh my, are you charming another woman again? After winning over Miss Cerista and the elf from the Forest of the World Tree, are you nning to add another to your collection? Perhaps you should be called the Hero of Debauchery instead of the Hero of Prophecy?¡± ¡°Please, Princess, even you shouldn¡¯t tease me. You know very well why Cerista and Silena stay by my side.¡± ¡°Haha, of course. I was just joking.¡± Recently, Seraphine had been expressing her jealousy in small ways toward the Hero, who kept adding more women to his circle despite knowing she harbored feelings for him. Of course, as a princess, she couldn¡¯t openly disy her affection for him, which could cause many problems. So she only showed these feelings when they were alone. Her affection wasn¡¯t simply because he was a hero who saved many lives. It was also because, in believing in her foresight anding to her aid whenever needed, he seemed like a real-life prince on a white horse. ¡­The problem was that Bolt was not just the hero of this world but the prince on a white horse for many women, not just Seraphine. ¡®He¡¯ll never understand how I felt when I helped Miss Cerista out of that crisis. Yet he keeps surrounding himself with more women, which could disrupt my future ns.¡¯ ¡°So, which woman can I help you charm today? It was Miss Nataliest time, so is it Miss Agnes that you mentioned earlier?¡± ¡°Princess¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you.¡± With a mix of seriousness and humor, Princess Seraphine and Hero Bolt finally began to discuss the real purpose of their meeting after the atmosphere settled down. ¡°The truth is, Princess, I need your help arranging a meeting with someone.¡± ¡°For you to request my help in meeting someone, this must be quite thedy. Could it be my sister?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s someone of much lower status than Princess Luchetia. It¡¯s someone who already has a connection with you, Princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. No matter how much I respect you, I doubt I could ever get along with my sister.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. So, who is it? Someone who has ties with you and yet is difficult for you to meet?¡± Seraphine expected him to name a duchess or the daughter of a marquis, perhaps even a foreign royal or nobledy. But the name that came from his lips took Seraphine by surprise, so much so that she couldn¡¯t hide her astonishment. ¡°Lillis¡­ ckwood Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to arrange a meeting with her, the personal maid of Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± Chapter 185 Title: Strategy Side Story ¨C Item Interactions Author: LilGulChang Content: No strategy today. Instead, I¡¯ll talk about an interaction between a character and an item. (Photo of Agnes Elizabeth ze) See this tiny brat here? Agnes, the public dealer of Luminoir Academy, who must be included in the hero''s party to clear the game due to her firepower. She joins the party easily if you flirt a bit, thanks to her family issues. Anyone who''s yed Luminoir Academy knows this brat, so I''ll skip the introductions and get straight to the point. (Photos of Red Wine, Ale, and Whiskey) You know what these have inmon, right? They''re all alcoholic drinks. There are many types like Blue Cura?ao cocktails or White Ros¨¦ wines, but since you''ll encounter these three most often in the game, I''ve included only them. So, why am I bringing up this red Chihuahua and alcohol? (Photo of Agnes + Alcohol) To show you what happens when you give Agnes alcohol. In the game, alcohol ismonly used to set the mood for H-scenes. However, Agnes is the only character whose H-scene cannot be triggered with alcohol. (Natalie has an event that leads to an H-scene even if she''s drunk.) It''s obvious. If depicted explicitly, it would vite youth protectionws, so they couldn''t create an H-scene for her. In fact, Agnes doesn''t have an H-scene even after her solo ending. There''s an ending where she lives happily with the hero and their two children, but anyway, it''s not in the domestic version. (Apparently, it''s in the Japanese version, but I''m not interested in looking it up. Why would I want to see an illustration of a Chihuahua mating?) To lock Agnes''s H-scene, the developers designed her drinking habits. Beware of the Wild Dog (Photos of Agnes mming the table in anger, lying on the table crying, and hitting the hero with her staff) See that? The amazing evolution of this already problematic girl turning into aplete beast after drinking. Unlike Adam and Eve, who became aware of their shame after eating the forbidden fruit, Agnes loses all sense of shame once she drinks. Honestly, she''s already a nasty character; alcohol just brings out her true nature. As soon as she drinks, she starts by cursing her family and elders, then cries about how it''s unfair that she, the strongest, has to cater to them. If you don''t cate her properly, she''ll get pissed and attack the hero with her staff. (How is this a heroine? LOL) Anyway, even if it''s not for an H-scene, whenever there''s a chance for her to drink during the story, make sure to stop her. If you''re collecting CGs, it''s fine, but if she drinks and causes a scene, her intimacy and affection levels plummet the next day. She feels embarrassed herself. LOL (Photo of Agnes passed out on the table after drinking) The dignity of Luminoir Academy''s proud heroine. Today, we learned about the interaction between Agnes and alcohol. Make sure you don''t "Agnes" after drinking. ... ... ... Comments: Anonymous (175.223): What is this? LOL@@novelbin@@ Anonymous (117.111): Haha, I wondered what you meant by a strategy side story. dd: As soon as the Agnes fans¡¯ post got deleted, you start ndering her with made-up stories. LOL
  • LilGulChang: It''s not made up. I upvoted it 20 times.
    • Anonymous (223.38): That''s maniption! LOL
SalvationPureLove: So we just shouldn''t give Agnes alcohol? I''ve learned something new. AgnesIsTheMainWife: (Comment deleted by the author.) OnlyAgnes: (Comment deleted by the author.) AgnesBolt: (Comment deleted by the author.) FireLove: (Comment deleted by the author.) Anonymous (223.38): Real-time traces of Tiananmen Square. LOL
  • oo: As expected, LilHwang is stirring the pot.
Anonymous (61.43): The pedos swarm in as soon as coordinates are posted. LOL
  • Anonymous (39.7): Not pedos; bestiality enthusiasts.
  • oo: LilHwang, the number one agitator, has sessfully suppressed the Agnes squad.
    • LilGulChang: No, they''ve been "Agnes''d."
TrulyAGodGame: It''s hrious how this guy mentions item interactions with alcohol but conveniently leaves out Natalie. LOL
  • Anonymous (211.36): Truly a "Sword Woman till Death" (meaning he''s obsessed with sword-wielding female characters).
  • LilGulChang: Why mention Natalie, who, even after drinking, politely requests a spar to avoid bingzy as a swordsman?
    • TrulyAGodGame: A polite spar request (with shouting, criticism, and threats).
      • Anonymous (1.224): Just the "event" before the H-scene. LOL
? ? ? As soon as I saw the hero Bolt and his party members entering, a strong sense of foreboding washed over me. Among the members he brought to the after-party were two individuals who were essentially ticking time bombs. Natalie from the Swordsmanship Department and Agnes from the Magic Department. These were two heroines who should never be brought to gatherings involving many people¡ªspecifically, gatherings that included alcohol. As mentioned earlier, Natalie and Agnes have the worst drinking habits in Luminoir Academy. If they simply couldn''t handle alcohol and passed out after one drink, it wouldn''t be a problem. But with Natalie and Agnes, you must never let alcohol pass their throats. Natalie would demand sparring until the alcohol or her energy wore off, and Agnes would whine incessantly until she fell asleep. ''At least they have people to look after them since they came as part of the hunting festival party.'' I had previously checked the winning party of the hunting festival. Hero Bolt, Saintess Celesta, the elf archer Silena, the swordswoman Natalie, the spearman Thomas, and the mage Agnes. They had already gathered nearly 80% of a standard hero''s party, which was reassuring. I especially gave high marks to Bolt for recruiting both Natalie and Thomas. ''Recruiting both suggests he''s more focused on clearing the game than personal gains.'' Natalie and Thomas are childhood friends. Both are potential party members for the hero. While they''re childhood friends, it''s not just a tonic rtionship. Thomas secretly harbors feelings for Natalie. If left alone, they naturally start dating, and in their ending, they even get married¡ªa wholesome childhood friends-to-lovers route. If the protagonist intervenes and steals Natalie, it creates a storyline where Thomas feels, "I liked her first," but that''s how the developers designed it. In other words, to pursue Natalie, Thomas needs to be sidelined. Bolt chose to utilize the Natalie-Thomas synergy for a more reliable and safe game strategy. ''I''ll leave the main strategy to him.'' Luminoir Academy is a challenging game because it''s hard to pursue heroines and clear the game simultaneously. But if you focus solely on clearing, it''s achievable even on the first ythrough. I suspect Bolt has even consulted strategy guides, making him a reliable yer. If he aims solely for gamepletion without getting swayed by the heroines, I can only support him. After all, defeating the Demon King is essential for this world''s peace. ''With Thomas around, I won''t have to deal with Natalie''s sparring rampages.'' Thomas, having known Natalie the longest, is well aware of her low alcohol tolerance. He''ll likely prevent her from drinking, and even if she does and causes a scene, Thomas can handle it. No need for me to intervene. That leaves the hero to prevent Agnes from drinking. If I keep an eye on her, we can avoid any chaos. Agnes isn''t physically strong; I can restrain her if needed. We''ve attended a ss together for a semester, so we''re somewhat acquainted. No one would find it odd if I stuck close to her. "Since we have new guests, shall we have another toast?" Afterying thepletely passed-out Lizzy on a hall sofa, I quietly moved to sit next to Agnes. ... Five minutester, the after-party descended into chaos. "Sir Ethan! If you''re truly a man, draw your sword at once! Today, I shall wash away my past defeats with my life!" ...Sigh. I just want to grab Ethan and leave. Chapter 186 As the number of people doubled, themotion should have only doubled as well. But in reality, it was much more chaotic¡ªno, it was beyond chaotic. The noise level had multiplied many times over, and this wasn¡¯t just about wanting to avoid witnessing the horrific drinking habits of a wild orange-haired ponytail. "Ethan! Of the 21 duels we''ve had, I''ve lost 18! I''ve never forgotten a single one!" "...Natalie, your drinking habits aren¡¯t exactly the best. If you want a duel, I''ll oblige, but this is a gathering organized by Princess Seraphine, so perhaps you should restrain yourself¡­." "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t get drunk! There''s no way I have any bad drinking habits when I don¡¯t get drunk! Even my old friend Thomas, who I used to drink with often, said he¡¯s never seen me drunk!" ...Of course, Thomas would say that. It would take a lot of courage to admit your drinking habits to a woman you like.@@novelbin@@ To make matters worse, Natalie was the type who wouldpletely lose her memory when she got drunk, making her even more troublesome. Naturally, I couldn''t help but direct a resentful nce at Bolt, who had caused this situation. ''Seriously. Why didn¡¯t that hero stop Natalie from drinking?'' I thought he knew the strategy. He protected Serista, brought Silena along, and even added Thomas to the party¡ªhe¡¯d been ying like a pro. But why did he make the rookie mistake of not stopping Natalie from drinking? Of course, it¡¯s not like Bolt did nothing during the drinking session. He was aware of the interactions between the heroines and alcohol and tried to prevent anyone dangerous from drinking. ...The problem was that the person he tried to stop wasn¡¯t Natalie but Agnes. ¡®Miss Agnes, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit early for you to drink?¡¯ ¡®What? Are you mocking me for being childish?¡¯ ¡®I think a different drink would be better suited for you than this Blue Cura?ao cocktail. Here, try this instead.¡¯ ¡®And who do you think you are? Themunication sses with spirits are over, you know? The semester¡¯s done, so why do you think I¡¯ll just listen to you?¡¯ ¡®Please, Miss Agnes. Alcohol can affect people differently¡­.¡¯ ...He had rushed in to stop Agnes from drinking, just like I had, but no matter how you look at it, Bolt¡¯s actions were incredibly irresponsible. I fully agree that Agnes shouldn¡¯t be allowed to drink, just like Natalie. However, if you can only stop one of them, it should obviously be Natalie. It¡¯s much better to deal with a few hours of whining than to let a wild ponytail start a riot by demanding a duel. ...And I don¡¯t understand why Natalie is pointing her finger at Ethan instead of the hero. As Natalie, with her orange ponytail iling wildly like a true wild horse, demanded a duel, Ethan responded with an exasperated tone. "If you like dueling so much, why don¡¯t you challenge the hero you follow instead of pointing your finger at me?" "Out of 21 duels, I lost 18! Eighteen losses! I only managed to win three times, including one draw!" "And what does that have to do with me? Are you saying it¡¯s my fault that your sword couldn¡¯t break through my defense?" "No! I just want to defeat you, Ethan, and reim my honor tarnished by those 18 losses! Eighteen! Eighteen!" ...I guess that 18 losses she kept emphasizing sounded a bit like a curse because of my mood. It seems that Natalie¡¯s ¡®duel-maniac¡¯ drinking habit makes her pick the opponent with the lowest win rate in the room. Bolt, Ethan, and Natalie. Including Karaham, the four of them were the top first-year students in the Swordsmanship Department. Among them, Natalie¡¯s Esterc, a style focused on exploiting weaknesses and striking at openings, was particrly weak against Ethan¡¯s dual-wielding style, which seamlesslybined offense and defense. Even though Natalie had a win rate of about 30% against Bolt, she couldn¡¯t even achieve a 20% win rate against Ethan. That¡¯s probably why Ethan became the target of her duel-maniac drinking habit. The original game never depicted a scene where Natalie drank in front of anyone other than the protagonist, so this was something I hadn¡¯t anticipated. ¡®This is really a mess¡­.¡¯ If she were picking a fight with the protagonist, I could just ignore her or sneak Ethan out amidst the chaos. But the problem was that her focus was on Ethan. If he didn¡¯t agree to a duel, she would likely keep this up for hours, repeating the demand until she either exhausted herself or copsed from alcohol-induced fatigue. Sure, with Serista around, we could prevent any serious idents during a duel, but I had no interest in listening to that crazy woman¡¯s demands. If possible, I wanted to put her to sleep without having to duel her. But how could I do that? "Face me in a duel, Ethan! If you¡¯re a true swordsman, you must respond to a challenge with honor!" ''...Wait, honorably?'' It was at that moment that an idea came to me¡ªa way to defuse the situation. Just as a duel between Natalie and Ethan was about to take shape, I quickly stepped in between them to manage the situation. "I thought you were just a politemonerdy, but I didn¡¯t realize you harbored such resentment toward me." "As a swordswoman, I only wish to ovee my past defeats and move forward! And the first mountain I must climb is you, Ethan¡­." "N-Natalie, please calm down! No matter how much you want to duel, you¡¯re challenging Lord Ethan of the ckwood family! I can''t defend you any further if this continues¡­." "Wait, Natalie!" "...Lillis?" "...Lillis?" My sudden appearance blocking Natalie caught the attention of both Ethan and Seraphine. Even Natalie, who had been creating a ruckus after getting drunk on just one cocktail, turned her gaze to me. "You must be Lord Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Are you thinking of interfering with this honorable duel out of concern for your fianc¨¦¡­?" "That¡¯s not important right now; we can discuss thatter. But just now, you said you wanted to duel ¡®honorably,¡¯ correct?" "Indeed! I, Natalie Sharp, though born amoner with nothing but a skill for wielding a sword, have lived a life of honor under the heavens!" "And you also said that you¡¯ve never been drunk before, correct?" "Absolutely! I¡¯ve never been drunk, so the im that I¡¯m challenging Lord Ethan to a duel because of some drunken habit is clearly nder¡­." "In that case, Natalie, is it truly ¡®honorable¡¯ for a sober person to challenge a drunk opponent to a duel?" "¡­¡­Huh?" The loud demands for a duel immediately stopped as Natalie¡¯s mouth mped shut. Given her personality, there was no way she could ignore this line of reasoning. Honor and fairness were values that Natalie held dear, as if they were her very life in the game, representing her character¡¯s defining traits. Even in her drunken state, where only her subconscious instincts were in control, these words seemed to awaken her. "Th-That¡¯s¡­ not an honorable action¡­." "Exactly. And Ethan has been here long before you arrived, meaning he¡¯s had plenty to drink and is currently intoxicated." "A-Ah¡­." "Do you understand now, Natalie? You were trying to take advantage of an unfair situation by challenging Lord Ethan to a duel while he was drunk, hoping for a dishonorable victory." "A-Ah, what have I done¡­." Finally, Natalie lowered her usatory finger and brought her hands to her head in shock. It seemed she was deeply disturbed by the realization that she had acted dishonorably. -Thud. "I-I¡¯m sorry, Lord Ethan! I¡¯vemitted an unforgivable offense by behaving so dishonorably as a swordswoman!" "It¡¯s fine. Everyone makes mistakes at some point in their life¡­ Though you came close to crossing a line." "H-How can I ever atone for this shameful mistake¡­." -Bang! Bang! "N-Natalie?!" With a look of despair, Natalie started banging her head against the floor. Her rock-solid head made a loud noise, echoing throughout the hall, reminiscent of Karaham¡¯s notorious hard-headedness. Worried that either the floor or her head might break, I hurriedly grabbed her shoulder and suggested an alternative way to apologize. "N-Natalie!" "Stop that. I don¡¯t need an apology, so there¡¯s no need to punish yourself like this." "Natalie, enough! Lord Ethan said it¡¯s okay!" "N-No¡­. I¡¯ve disgraced myself as a swordswoman¡­. I-I must apologize¡­." "It¡¯s alright, Natalie. There¡¯s a better way to apologize than through this senseless act." "...R-Really? Is there truly a way to atone, Lady Lillis?!" "Y-Yes¡­." Natalie grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth at the mention of a sure way to apologize. I decided to ignore the sudden change in her addressing me as ¡®Lady¡¯ since she would forget everything the next day anyway. "Natalie, you made just one mistake. You, a sober swordswoman, challenged a drunk Lord Ethan to a duel." "Yes¡­. To take advantage of a weakened opponent is shameful¡­." "In that case, all you need to do is get just as drunk as Lord Ethan." "......What?" "A duel between two equally drunk people would be seen as nothing more than a joke, right? Don¡¯t you think?" "T-That¡¯s true!" ¡­As if that would work. If getting drunk afterward could absolve someone of causing a scene, why would we needws and police¡ªno, knights? But what mattered now wasn¡¯t an unassable, wless argument. It just had to be convincing enough for a drunk to ept without question. Thest thing I wanted was to have Natalie start causing trouble again after she realized the truth. I doubt anyone else would argue with my logic at this point. "Come on, have another drink, Natalie. Down it in one go¡­." And so, I handed her the strongest drinks I could find, disguised as regr cocktails, and watched her down three sses. -Thud. "Snoooore, phwooo¡­ snoooore, phwooo¡­." The wild orange pony had finally fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. ¡­Seriously, cleaning up after this mess is exhausting. Chapter 187 The end of the first year at the academy, and the arrival of winter. Winter break was a time to catch a breath from the daily sword training and busy academy life. The hero, Bolt, was spending his vacation at an orphanage in the remote western region, caring for children. ''In the end, I couldn¡¯t confirm it this time either.'' Ethan Richard ckwood''s personal maid, Lillis Rosewood. Though she was now recognized as a noble of the ckwood family¡¯s branch and went by the name Lillis ckwood Rosewood, Bolt was well aware that she was the same Lillis from the original game. And now, he was starting to suspect that Lillis, like him, might be a transmigrator. In fact, seeing how she tried to prevent Agnes from drinking at the banquet and how effortlessly she handled Natalie¡¯s drinking habits, Bolt had reason to believe she might be. Of course, there was still room for doubt, and Bolt wanted to be more certain. ''I should have somehow gotten Lillis to say something at thatst banquet.'' However, the banquet ended in chaos due to Natalie¡¯s drunken outburst. Instead of challenging Bolt, she had insisted on sparring with Ethan, of all people. Thanks to Lillis¡¯s quick thinking, they managed to calm Natalie down, but that was as far as it went. As soon as Natalie settled down, both Ethan and Lillis left the after-party, leaving the atmosphere among the remaining guests far from pleasant. ''Indeed, these kinds of gatherings don''t suit me. It seems my presence made Natalie ufortable, so I should leave first.'' ¡®Wait, Lord Ethan. I¡¯ll apologize on Natalie¡¯s behalf, so if you could just...'' ¡®I don¡¯t see the point of epting an apology from someone other than the person who caused the trouble. And even if I did ept it, that doesn¡¯t mean I have any reason to stay.'' ¡®...¡¯ ¡®Since Lord Ethan insists, I shall also take my leave.¡¯ ''...Lillis, you can stay a bit longer. I saw that you had some acquaintances among the hero¡¯spanions. Feel free to socialize with them.'' ''No, I will leave as well. I think it¡¯s best if I prepare to leave for ckwood early tomorrow morning.'' ''...If that''s the case.'' Ethan, who already didn''t seem to like Bolt much, expressed hisplete displeasure, which Bolt vividly remembered from the way Ethan furrowed his brow the moment their eyes met. Already in a bad mood, Ethan made his displeasure clear, and Lillis, who had disyed fatigue while calming Natalie down, naturally left with him. Though Seraphine tried to keep the conversation going with the remaining guests, the mood was too far gone to recover. Despite Seraphine¡¯s best efforts to create a valuable opportunity for Bolt, he couldn¡¯t determine whether Lillis was indeed a transmigrator. ¡­No, it might have been better if that had been the only thing he failed to achieve. The banquet ultimately brought the worst possible result for Bolt. The cohesion within the hero¡¯s party, which he had painstakingly built, began to show cracks. ¡°E-Everyone, stop! If you y with food, I-I¡¯ll have to punish you...!¡± ¡°I lost my doll, and you expect me to find it myself? Do you think I came all the way here in this ufortable carriage to babysit you?¡± Volunteering at the western orphanage. This was one of the episodes avable during the winter break of the first year at ¡ºLuminor Academy¡». The goal was to solve the mystery of the children¡¯s disappearances in Seraphine¡¯s hometown orphanage and eliminate the roots of the Dark Cult. It was a significant event, and originally, Bolt had nned to bring all the members of the hero¡¯s party. Not only could they gain valuable experience, build camaraderie, and strengthen their bonds, but the final battle against the Dark Cult¡¯s high-ranking official, the mastermind behind the kidnappings, would also be a lot easier. However, the group nned for the orphanage volunteer work had been reduced by half, leaving only three members. Natalie, shocked by the footage of her drunken antics shown by Seraphine via a magical recording device, returned to her hometown. Thomas, who had nned to join themter after stopping by his hometown, sent a letter saying he was too worried about Natalie toe. Agnes, who had lost her affection for the hero¡¯s party after witnessing Natalie¡¯s chaotic behavior, silently returned to her family home. In the end, only Seraphine and Silena, the two who were willing to follow Bolt no matter what, apanied him to the orphanage. ¡­And they were the two least suited to dealing with young children. ¡°Haa... I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re crying. You¡¯re the one who couldn¡¯t take care of yourself. Stop crying, will you?¡± ¡°I-I told you not to y with food! Why, why do you keep picking on me...! Hmph...!¡± One person was making a child cry. Another was crying because of a child. Silena, with her strong individualistic nature, was ill-suited to caring for children, while Seraphine was too soft-hearted to handle the children¡¯s pranks. Seeing the two struggle, Bolt couldn¡¯t help but miss the others who should have been here. Natalie and Thomas, who were from the same vige and had experience looking after local children, would have eased the burden on Seraphine. Even Agnes, who was not great with people but surprisingly good with children, would have been a better fit. The volunteer work at the western orphanage was proving to be a tough start, foreshadowing a difficult journey ahead. ''Did I cause this mess by deviating from the original story¡­?'' If so, perhaps it would be better to strictly follow the original strategy. However, if things followed the original storyline, he would eventually have to fight Ethan to the death by the end of the second year. ''I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s still about a year left.'' Although a year didn¡¯t seem that long, especially considering how quickly the past year had passed, now was the time tofort the tearful Seraphine and teach Silena how to handle children. ¡°Silena, they¡¯re just kids. How can they understand if you scold them like that? And Seraphine, stop crying. You don¡¯t want the priest toe and scare you, do you?¡± All he wanted was to defeat the Demon King and return home, but every day felt like an exhausting struggle. Unlike the troublesome summer break, winter break passed by in the blink of an eye. Seraphine''s student council duties dyed Lillis''s return to the ckwood estate, and simrly, the need to return to school early for the same duties made her return sooner than expected. Of course, the atmosphere upon her return was still tense due to the events of thest banquet. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, why is the student council room so quiet today~? What¡¯s going on, everyone~?¡± Orion, who hadn¡¯t attended the after-party, spoke in his usual tone, but the other members exuded an awkward atmosphere. ¡°L-Lillis¡­ here¡¯s the budget list for the first semester club funding¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Lady Auguste.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re wee¡­.¡± Lizzy, who had clung to Lillis after two cocktails and made a scene, avoided Lillis¡¯s gaze with an awkward expression. ¡°¡­Here are the gratitude documents for the recement of the drinking fountainsst quarter, President.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you, Lord Ethan¡­.¡± Seraphine, who had invited guests without consulting anyone and caused Ethan difort, also couldn¡¯t meet his gaze.@@novelbin@@ It was a gathering of four people¡ªtwo obvious victims and two apparent perpetrators. Naturally, the atmosphere was anything but pleasant. While it was understandable that Lizzy might have miscalcted her alcohol tolerance, Seraphine¡¯s situation was different. She couldn¡¯t have known about Natalie¡¯s drinking habits, so her feelings of injustice were understandable. But if she was going to express her frustration, she should have at least given the student council members a heads-up that the hero¡¯s party would be attending. Since Seraphine had invited Bolt''s party without prior consultation, the problems that arose were ultimately her responsibility. She likely thought that by skillfully guiding the conversation and helping people be friends, she could handle the situation. As a princess who had received extensive education in early diplomacy, Seraphine was adept at findingmon ground among people and helping them build rtionships. But even she couldn¡¯t control Natalie¡¯s reckless drinking habits, and as a result, Seraphine ended up wronging Ethan. Seraphine¡¯s handwritten apology letter and the gifts she sent to both me and Ethan during the winter break somewhat eased my feelings. ¡­But it seemed that Ethan was still holding a grudge over that incident. ¡®Things keep going wrong because of unexpected events that didn¡¯t happen in the original story¡­.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a good sign to be at odds with Seraphine at this stage. After all, she was a protagonist throughout ¡ºLuminor Academy¡», from start to finish. Being at odds with Seraphine meant potentially being at odds with Bolt, the hero, which could lead to Bolt seeing Ethan as a viin. Even if their rtionship became strained, there might be ways to mend it, but bing her outright adversary was an entirely different matter. As I quietly pondered these concerns, the clock indicated that it was time to end the student council meeting. ¡°I¡¯ve finished all the ounting audits, so I¡¯ll be leaving for the day, President Seraphine.¡± ¡°Oh, Lord Ethan. If you have time this evening¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still have some unpacking to do at the estate. I need to finish organizing before the semester begins, so I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Please have a safe journey home, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, President Seraphine.¡± Ethan¡¯s refusal of Seraphine¡¯s tentative olive branch was tantly rude, but since the cause of his anger was ultimately Seraphine, everyone except Orion and Lizzy understood. As a result, no one could easily restrain Ethan, not even Seraphine¡¯s attendant, Luke. ¡°Lillis, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Master Ethan.¡± At that moment, I still believed that I could somehow resolve the tension between Seraphine and Ethan. ¡­That was until we returned to the dormitory and Ethan said something unexpected. ¡°I won¡¯t be joining the student council in the second semester, Lillis.¡± Chapter 188 "I won¡¯t be joining the student council in the second semester, Lillis." It was a week before the new semester started. This was what Ethan told me after returning from his first student council duties following the winter break. Even though I knew he was upset about what happened that day, I never imagined he would already talk about leaving the student council. Though Natalie¡¯s behavior was rude, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was serious enough for him to give up his connections with Seraphine. ¡°When you say you won¡¯t be joining the student council, are you also saying you¡¯re giving up your connection with Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving it up. She gave me a reason to.¡± Seeing that Ethan was now referring to Seraphine as ¡°she,¡± it was clear that he was still quite upset about the previous incident. Judging by his reaction, it was evident that Ethan had grown tired of dealing with Seraphine. ¡°If it¡¯s because of the incident with Miss Natalie¡¯s drinking habits, I¡¯m sure she wille to apologize once the semester begins. She probably didn¡¯t have a way to meet with you during the break.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s likely. Even though she¡¯s amoner, she¡¯s notpletely without manners. Besides, she¡¯s a decent person when she¡¯s not drinking.¡± ¡°So, perhaps it would be better to reconsider leaving Princess Seraphine¡¯s student council after hearing Miss Natalie¡¯s apology?¡± ¡°Sorry, but this isn¡¯t about Miss Natalie¡¯s mistake. I¡¯ve simply lost trust in Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°What?¡± Not because of Natalie? I had assumed that Natalie¡¯s drunken behavior was what angered Ethan, but now I was confused. As I tilted my head, trying to figure out what exactly had upset him, Ethan reluctantly exined. ¡°Making a mistake at a drinking party because of alcohol is something I can tolerate. Anyone can make a mistake like that. Miss Natalie has always been polite and never acted out of line before, so there¡¯s no reason for me to be upset about that. Honestly, even if it was Princess Seraphine herself, I wouldn¡¯t have been that bothered.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°What I can¡¯t trust about Princess Seraphine is the fact that she invited that hero, Bolt, without informing me first.¡± ¡°¡­You mean the problem is that she invited an unannounced guest?¡± ¡°...Well, it¡¯s something like that.¡± Ethan sighed deeply, looking at me as if he was trying to decide how much to exin. ¡°You know that hero usually walks around with two women hanging off his arms, right?¡± ¡°¡­Are you referring to Saintess Cerista and the elf, Silena?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve always disliked how he unts those two women around, even if he is a hero.¡± ¡°But the Saintess is obligated to be with the hero, and Silena, being the only elf, doesn¡¯t have any connections aside from the hero. Isn¡¯t that just how things are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Seeing how recklessly that hero has been actingtely, it¡¯s even more annoying. Just look at that Miss Natalie.¡± ¡°Miss Natalie?¡± ¡°¡­She originally nned to participate in the end-of-semester hunting festival with her childhood friend, Thomas, alone.¡± Well, that¡¯s true. If no one offered to team up with her, that¡¯s how the original story would have yed out. I started to get a sense of what Ethan was implying. Even I thought it wasn¡¯t a good look for the hero, who was already nked by two beauties, to recruit Natalie as a vanguard. No one would deny Natalie¡¯s excellent swordsmanship, but she was also famously beautiful. Seeing the hero, who already had Cerista and Silena by his side, adding Natalie to his party could easily be misunderstood by others. ¡°If he needed another swordsman, he could have asked me or Karaham. But as far as I know, he only offered it to Natalie¡ªthe only girl in that group.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Not that I would have epted the offer, but he should have at least made the suggestion. His intentions are too obvious.¡± Knowing Bolt¡¯s circumstances, I silently swallowed the knowledge only I had. After all, Ethan and Karaham were mid-bosses in the second and third parts of the original story, so it wasn¡¯t like the hero could approach them easily. And even though I knew that Bolt¡¯s intentions were purely strategic¡ªrecruiting Natalie and Thomas to follow the original game¡¯s path¡ªthat was something only I, who had yed ¡ºLuminor Academy¡», could understand. To others, it would look like Bolt was after Natalie and took Thomas along as an afterthought. So, I tried to gently defend him without revealing too much. ¡°Perhaps the hero suggested it to Miss Natalie first because he was closer to her than to you, Lord Ethan? And if she had declined, he might have approached Karaham next.¡± ¡°Yeah, if it was just that, it wouldn¡¯t seem so strange. It¡¯s not wrong for strong students to band together to win the hunting festival.¡± ¡°Is there anything else that bothers you besides Miss Natalie?¡± ¡°Agnes Elizabeth ze. It¡¯s also suspicious how she suddenly joined the hero¡¯s party at thest minute.¡± ¡°Miss ze¡­?¡± As Ethan pointed out, Agnes had also be a new heroine in the hero¡¯s party during the hunting festival. Natalie, being in the swordsmanship club, had some connection, and Thomas was recruited because of his link to Natalie.@@novelbin@@ But it made little sense for Bolt, who was in the swordsmanship club, to suddenly recruit Agnes, a member of the magic club. Especially since Agnes had a notoriously difficult personality and was known for her poor social skills. ¡°Lillis, I¡¯ve heard you have a connection with Miss ze, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Miss ze and I took the spiritmunication ss together this semester. We¡¯ve exchanged a few favors as well.¡± ¡°Right. Then do you think that someone with such a difficult personality would willingly join someone else¡¯s party?¡± ¡°¡­Not in the slightest.¡± If I tried to defend her here, Ethan might start suspecting me as well. So I exined Agnes¡¯s personality to Ethan as objectively as possible. ¡°As you know, Miss ze doesn¡¯t really have any friends at the academy, so she would likely refuse any party invitations. She probably thinks of others trying to recruit her as leeches looking to boost their scores.¡± ¡°Is she really that difficult? That¡¯s what I felt too.¡± ¡°And I can¡¯t imagine her bowing her head to join someone else¡¯s party either. She has too much pride to be anyone¡¯s subordinate. That¡¯s likely why she has so few rtionships; she¡¯s too stubborn topromise.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the strange part. Normally, there¡¯s no way Miss ze would join the hero¡¯s party. So I looked into it a bit. I wanted to find out what connected the hero and Miss ze.¡± There¡¯s only one person who could have connected them¡­ The one person I can think of who fits the role. In fact, when starting in a different department than the magic department in ¡ºLuminor Academy¡», the process of recruiting Agnes was almost predetermined. Even the stubborn and prideful Agnes had a secret rtionship with someone she considered a friend at the academy. ¡°It turns out that Princess Seraphine has a personal connection with Miss ze.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Not only that, but it was also Princess Seraphine who connected Natalie and Thomas to the hero¡¯s party. I found this out by ident.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Princess Seraphine has introduced two women to the hero. Then, she suddenly invited his party to the after-party¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all just a coincidence. But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to endure the uneasiness of it all.¡± He had a point. If maintaining a rtionship meant enduring anxiety, it might be better to sever ties. If I were in Ethan¡¯s position, I would likely feel the same unease. Especially since Ethan didn¡¯t know the direction in which Bolt was moving, which only fueled his suspicions. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to cut ties with Seraphine¡­¡¯ But if forcing the current situation would cause Ethan more anxiety, it wasn¡¯t a good idea either. In fact, if the two were forced together and ended up shing, it could lead to the original story ying out, which was something I wanted to avoid. Maybe it was better to let them drift apart now before things got worse. Misunderstandings could be cleared upter if necessary. ¡°I understand, Lord Ethan. If that¡¯s your wish, we will only cooperate with Princess Seraphine¡¯s student council until the end of this semester.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for understanding. I know you have personal connections with both the princess and Lady Auguste.¡± ¡°The safety of Lord Ethan is far more important to me. Have I ever gone against your wishes?¡± ¡°¡­Haven¡¯t you done that quite a few times?¡± ¡­Now that I think about it, maybe I have. Anyway, since Ethan decided to distance himself from Seraphine, as his personal maid, my conclusion was simply to follow his lead. ¡°But this time, I¡¯ll definitely act ording to your wishes, so you can rest assured.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for saying that, Lillis.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural as your personal maid, Lord Ethan.¡± After all, if I didn¡¯t trust Ethan, who would? He was already feeling uneasy, so of course, I had to be there for him. Chapter 189 The Academy''s VIP Room. Seraphine¡¯s Private Reception Room. Across a table from the blonde princess sat a pair of individuals, a man and a woman. The couple, who had visited Seraphine''s VIP room, engaged in a serious discussion with her, exchanging various topics. After a lengthy conversation, the Third Princess, wearing a slightly bitter expression, asked the two in a somewhat dejected tone: "...So, Lord Ethan and Miss Lillis will be stepping down from the student council after this semester, correct?" "Yes, Princess Seraphine." "I will also be following Lord Ethan''s decision, Princess Seraphine." "...I understand. Since both of you seem firm in your decision, I won¡¯t try to stop you any further. After all, everyone has their own priorities." "I apologize for having to deliver such news, Princess Seraphine." "No, it¡¯s their choice, after all. I¡¯m just grateful that you¡¯ll both continue to handle the ounting and administrative duties until the end of the semester." Despite the calm words that left her lips, Seraphine''s heart was burning with frustration. But she was not foolish enough to let her true feelings show. Instead, she simply nodded at Ethan and Lillis¡¯s decision with as calm a smile as she could muster. "Thank you for informing me in advance. This gives me time to find recements for the student council."@@novelbin@@ "...We¡¯ll take our leave now, Princess." "Yes, Lord Ethan. And please, keep your departure from the student council a secret for the time being, for the sake of maintaining a good atmosphere." "I understand, Princess." "May peace be with you, Princess." As the two bowed and left her reception room, Seraphine maintained her smile until they had exited the building. Only then did she finally allow herself to let out a long, deep sigh. ¡°Haaa...¡± "Are you alright, Princess Seraphine?" "Yes, I¡¯m perfectly fine." "......" "...Or at least, I would like to say that. But this time, even I¡¯m quite shaken." In truth, Seraphine had somewhat anticipated this conversation before Ethan''s visit. She had already noticed that Ethan had been investigating Natalie and Agnes during the winter break. It wasn¡¯t that she had been keeping an eye on Ethan, but rather that she had learned of it by chance when his investigation brushed against her own connections. And knowing this, it wasn¡¯t difficult to predict what decision Ethan might make after discovering the connection. So Seraphine had prepared as much as possible to try and persuade them, but she found herself unable to sway Ethan and his personal maid, who both disyed firm resolve. ¡°This was clearly my mistake.¡± ¡°Princess Seraphine...¡± ¡°I should have been more careful. I didn¡¯t anticipate that Lord Ethan would be so wary of the hero, Bolt.¡± "It¡¯s not your fault, Princess. You intended to mend the rtionship between Lord Ethan and the hero during that gathering, but unforeseen events disrupted your n..." "In other words, it was a wed n that could easily be derailed by such a minor incident. I appreciate your kind words, but the fact remains that it was my fault." "......" Luke could only look at Seraphine, who was gazing out the window with a troubled expression, unable to find the words to continue. He instinctively knew that any words he might offer would only leave his mistress feeling more regretful rather thanforted. ¡°It took so long to gather them, yet they scattered in an instant.¡± "......" ¡°This is the just punishment I deserve for being a viiness. This is the consequence of trying to use others for my own selfish desires.¡± "Princess Seraphine, you are not a viiness. Without your benevolence, I would not be here today." "No, Luke. I keep you around because you are useful to me. I¡¯ve always formed rtionships based on mutual benefit, and I¡¯ve believed that it was eptable to sacrifice personal connections if it meant achieving my goals." "But isn¡¯t your ultimate goal a future that benefits everyone?" "...Perhaps. But not everyone will agree with my goals. After all, everyone has something they hold dear, something they value more than their own life." Seraphine sighed again and quietly gazed into the void, recalling the events of thest banquet. Was the hero¡¯s true intention in asking her to arrange a meeting with Lillis really to bring her into his party? If that was his goal, why did he target her specifically? Though Lillis¡¯s magic was powerful, Agnes was already far more skilled in that field. And while her supportive magic was useful, it was still somewhatckingpared to that of Cerista, who was always by the hero¡¯s side. The only thing Lillis had that was undeniably superior to the other two was her overwhelmingly prominent physical attributes. Perhaps the hero had some other motive for approaching Lillis¡­ ¡®...I can¡¯t seem to think clearly. This doesn¡¯t usually happen.¡¯ It seemed that whenever the hero was involved, Seraphine¡¯s mind became clouded. She was a princess who, despite feeling uneasy about the growing number of women around the hero, didn¡¯t want to be disliked by him and thus did her best to fulfill his requests. This time, too, she had only arranged the gathering at his request. Normally, Seraphine would never have set up such a hurried meeting. They say that a girl in love bes foolish. No matter howpetent Seraphine was, she couldn¡¯t help but be blinded by love, and as a result, the hero¡¯s sudden request momentarily clouded her judgment. However, the incident at the party did not entirely bring bad news for Seraphine. She secretly felt a bit of joy when she heard that the hero''s party was beginning to fracture. ¡®I know I shouldn¡¯t be pleased by something like this, but...¡¯ She felt some relief in knowing that Lillis, who she had feared might be her strongest rival, would not be joining the hero¡¯s party after all. And she couldn¡¯t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction at the news that Natalie and Agnes had temporarily distanced themselves from the hero¡¯s party. Of course, the nowposed Seraphine would soon work to bring them back into the hero¡¯s party, but for the moment, she enjoyed the respite from having to consider them aspetitors. ¡®I can still salvage this. I¡¯llfort Miss Natalie, bring her back into the hero¡¯s party, and then persuade Miss Agnes to return as well...¡¯ Rtionships that have be strained can always be repaired. Seraphine had confidence in her ability to forge human connections, and she believed that starting from scratch, she could make up for what was lost. ¡®I suppose I¡¯m too maniptive to ever see heaven when I die.¡¯ But that didn¡¯t matter. For Seraphine, the most important thing was the salvation of this world and all of humanity. ...The second most important thing was winning the heart of the hero she loved. One week after Ethan and I informed Seraphine of our decision to leave the student council. As the new semester at the academy began, it brought a new atmosphere with it. The senior students who had little impact on the main story had mostly graduated, and a new wave of first-year characters with ties to the protagonist were enrolling. Though their numbers were not as significant as the current second-year ¡°protagonist generation,¡± there were still several characters among the first-year students who would y major roles in ¡ºLuminor Academy¡». The Spear Club¡¯s Barbarian Liria. The Martial Arts Club¡¯s Backstreet Kael. The Pharmacology Club¡¯s Kind Tralia. The Technology Club¡¯s Inventor Seldik. Among these, Liria and Kael could eventually be recruited as the protagonist''spanions, while Tralia and Seldik were more like NPCs. If I had to prioritize, thetter characters were slightly more important than the former. ¡®There are alternativepanions for the Spear and Martial Arts Clubs in Thomas and Seraphine, but the only sources for medicine and tools are Tralia and Seldik.¡¯ In simpler terms, it was about whether or not there were substitutes. Seldik, in particr, was more important. While Tralia¡¯s consumable potions could be reced by other people or NPCs after graduation, some of the items Seldik created were powerful enough to be used right up to the ending. I had briefly worried that these four might not enroll in the academy due to the changes in the future, but in the end, all four of them made it onto this year¡¯s list of new students. They even secured top or second ce in their respective departments, just as they had in the original story. ¡®There were a few close calls, but this much is manageable.¡¯ I also heard that Natalie had returned to the hero¡¯s party after apologizing to Ethan and that Seraphine had recently met with Agnes privately. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Bolt¡¯s hero party, which had temporarily scattered, was reunited. I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t feel a bit sorry for Seraphine, who had been running around tirelessly trying to keep everything together, but it was her responsibility to bear. After all, if she hadn¡¯t invited the hero¡¯s party to the student council¡¯s after-party, none of this would have been necessary. ¡®It was strange that Seraphine made such an uncharacteristic mistake, but it¡¯s toote to look into it now.¡¯ At least, she wasn¡¯t persistently clinging to me and Ethan. That was something of a relief. Whether she had fully understood Ethan¡¯s decision to leave the student council or was simply preupied with other priorities, she wasn¡¯t showing any special interest in us at the moment. Of course, there was always the possibility that she might suddenly take an interest in us again if she had a vision of the future, but that was something beyond my control. For now, it was better to enjoy the peaceful days and the return to normalcy. Though it was personally a shame that our rtionship with Seraphine had cooled, the previous semester didn¡¯t leave only regrets. When one rtionship fades, another often grows closer. -Creak. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The door to the ssroom opened for the first session of the new semester, and a red-haired mage quietly entered. As I stared at her, lost in thought, our eyes met. Agnes, who had been looking around, locked eyes with me and then calmly walked over to where I was sitting. -Thump. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She sat down beside me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, avoiding my gaze and remaining silent. There was a slightly awkward silence between us, and just as I was about to wonder what her purpose was, she spoke softly, her face slightly flushed. ¡°¡­You can call me Agnes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­I said, you can call me Agnes¡­ Lillis.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch that. Could you say it again, Miss ze?¡± ¡°¡­I said, you can call me Agnes!¡± ¡°Yes, yes~. So, I should call you Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°You¡­! You understood me the first time, didn¡¯t you?! You¡­!¡± ¡­Seeing her like this, she does seem kind of cute. It was one of those moments when I thought that maybe this kind of rtionship wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Chapter 190 It was about two weeks after the start of the second year at the Academy. By this time, nearly half of the second part of ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» had already passed. Contrary to my earlier concerns that the story might develop major cracks due to the numerous events at the end of the previous year, the second semester at the academy progressed more smoothly than expected. Natalie and Thomas rejoined the hero''s party after a brief period of tension, and it seemed they were slowly mending their awkward rtionships. Agnes also informed me personally that she had resumed interacting with the hero, Bolt. "...I have to work with him because of the session issue. It''s either him or the Fourth or Fifth Princes, and I''d rather choose the hero over them." "You¡¯ve made a wise decision, Miss Agnes. Especially considering that Prince McHart is known for hosting...¡± ¡°Hosting what?¡± "...frequent parties. Those events are famous for inviting only noblewomen. To be honest, he doesn¡¯t leave a very good impression." ¡­That was close. I almost let slip that McHart would soon face ruin. I need to be more careful. The fact that McHart was colluding with demons and had a hand in the death of the First Prince hasn¡¯t been revealed yet. I didn¡¯t want Agnes to get entangled with such a dubious character and share in his downfall, but causing trouble by speaking ill of the royal family would be counterproductive. ¡°I don¡¯t care much about his parties. But McHart is too slimy for my taste. As for Antonio, I met him once, but I couldn¡¯t read him at all.¡± "Is that so?" ¡­Was there an episode where Agnes interacted with Prince Antonio? I don¡¯t remember any, but there must be something. After all, Agnes wasn¡¯t a heroine I mainly focused on in my previous life, so there are probably dozens of episodes I¡¯m not aware of. Since she mentioned Antonio by name, it¡¯s clear they¡¯ve at least exchanged words. I have no way of knowing what happened between them that I¡¯m unaware of. ¡°Compared to them, Bolt... ugh, I forgot his name again.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Hero Bolt Ghetmozheshegiquat?¡± ¡°Yeah, that strange name. At least I can tell what he''s thinking. And he¡¯s close to Seraphine. In that sense, he¡¯s the better choice.¡± If Agnes doesn¡¯t feelpetitive with Seraphine at this point, it seems unlikely that she will follow the heroine route. Personally, I don¡¯t mind. No matter how troublesome Agnes is, I wouldn¡¯t want to easily hand her over as another member of the hero¡¯s harem. From Agnes, I gathered rough information about the hero and the people around him. It appears that there are no ns to approach the first-year students Liria and Kael, which makes sense. In Liria¡¯s case, there¡¯s already Thomas in the party, so there¡¯s no need to recruit another spear user. Liria was mainly intended as part of an all-female party concept, with little value beyond that. Her only notable trait was being a female spear user, but even in that role, she was vastly inferior to Thomas. Simrly, Kael wasn¡¯t needed. His fighting style would directly sh with Seraphine¡¯s. While he might be useful in episodes where Seraphine is absent, he isn¡¯t strong enough to carry through to the final battle. Seraphine, on the other hand, is essential as both a main heroine and a powerful ally, not to mention her beauty. There¡¯s nopetition. ¡®Given the number of people the hero has gathered so far¡­¡¯ So far, the hero has secured five reliable allies. Cerista, Silena, Natalie, Thomas, and Agnes¡ªthese five are likely to be thepanions he takes to the end. Seraphine is a mandatory addition, and if she¡¯s recruited, her synergy with Luke means he¡¯ll likely be included too. With the hero himself, that makes eight. As mentioned before, the maximum number of members in the Demon King subjugation team is eight. At a nce, it seems like the party is full, but... ¡®¡­There¡¯s still room for one or two more.¡¯ ording to the teachings of the Aurelia Church, the hero and the saint are considered one entity, so Cerista counts as part of the hero. While Seraphine is mandatory, Luke¡¯s inclusion isn¡¯t guaranteed, leaving at least one or two spots open. ¡®I just hope he doesn¡¯t start pestering me to join.¡¯ Objectively, taking Lillis would be the right choice, but I¡¯ll do everything I can to prevent that. In the original story, Ethan dies, and Lillis is ¡®saved¡¯ and taken away, but that path is off the table. I don¡¯t even want a future where he tries to recruit me without Ethan being involved. I¡¯ve had enough of wandering around the world for years after graduation just from the experiences in the game. ¡®Please, just recruit Orion instead. He¡¯s good at magic, too, including support spells.¡¯ Seraphine and the other heroines would likely wee Orion with open arms. After all, from their perspective, it would mean one lesspetitor vying for the hero¡¯s attention. As I pondered my next move, the conversation naturally shifted to Prince Antonio, following the mention of him earlier. ¡°¡­Speaking of Antonio, that reminds me.¡± "Hmm? What does it remind you of?" ¡°His birthday banquet, which is in two weeks.¡± "Ah, it¡¯s that time of year again." ¡°¡­That time of year?¡± "...Oh, nothing, Miss Agnes." I¡¯ve experienced Antonio¡¯s birthday banquet many times in my previous life, so it slipped out. After the incident at Seraphine¡¯s masked ball a few years ago, where no noble gatherings were held at the pce for a while, events like Antonio¡¯s birthday banquet marked the return of such gatherings. Having yed ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» 25 times, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d forget such an event. "I take it you¡¯ll be attending Prince Antonio¡¯s birthday, Miss Agnes, since you know the date?" "...Are you not going, Lillis?" "I¡¯m merely a youngdy from the minor branch of the Rosewood family. I¡¯m far too lowly to be invited to the prince¡¯s birthday banquet." ¡°Lowly¡­ I¡¯m just the daughter of a baron, and I¡¯m only going because my family insisted. My status isn¡¯t much different from yours, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Oh, yes, I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± It makes sense. It¡¯s hard to imagine Agnes attending such a social event unless she¡¯s forced to. Given her personality, she¡¯ll likely end up awkwardly standing in a corner like she did at Seraphine¡¯s birthday banquet. And since she was probably scolded by the elders for using concealment magic to hide her identity at Seraphine¡¯s event, she won¡¯t be able to use the same trick again. Hearing that I wouldn¡¯t be attending, Agnes mumbled something with a slightly disappointed expression. ¡°¡­I thought you would be there too, Lillis.¡± "I don¡¯t have the status. I haven¡¯t even received an invitation." ¡°¡­I see.¡± "Since it¡¯s a royal banquet, Princess Seraphine will likely be there. I know you¡¯re personally acquainted with her." ¡°¡­Seraphine is busy. She can¡¯t stay with me the whole time." ...Does she expect me to stay by her side the entire time? On the other hand, if I did attend, I probably wouldn¡¯t be very busy. After all, the only reason I¡¯d be there is if I were with Ethan, and he¡¯s not the type to go around mingling with people. ¡°Still, it¡¯s strange. Are you really not going? Surely your fianc¨¦ received an invitation?¡± "Of course, Lord Ethan received an invitation." ¡°¡­So, does that mean ckwood is declining to attend the prince¡¯s birthday banquet?¡± "No, Lord Ethan will likely attend. Just not with me." ¡°...What?¡± Agnes began to look at me with increasingly puzzled eyes. I had a good idea of what she was misunderstanding, so I decided to rify to avoid unnecessary confusion. "Just so you know, Miss Agnes, Lord Ethan and I are not engaged." ¡°...Really?¡± "Everyone just assumes we¡¯re engaged, and we don¡¯t bother correcting them. But in reality, we¡¯re just a maid and her employer." ¡°Then, why do you share a room in the fianc¨¦s¡¯ dormitory¡­?¡± "It¡¯s for personal reasons. If I want to attend the academy and still serve as Lord Ethan¡¯s personal maid, it¡¯s a necessary arrangement." Agnes stared at me with a shocked expression, seemingly processing this information. Then, as if it was hard to believe, she mumbled something under her breath. ¡°¡­The other day, anyone would have thought you two were lovers. Was that all an act?¡± "No, we are lovers." ¡°¡­Are you messing with me again?¡± "Why? Just because we¡¯re lovers doesn¡¯t mean we have to be engaged. Or do you, Miss Agnes, believe that holding hands means you must get married?" "N-No, but..." We might be temporary lovers, but Ethan and I are definitely in a rtionship. Agnes, still looking confused, asked me onest question. "You share a room, and you¡¯re dating, but you¡¯re not engaged? Doesn¡¯t that seem strange?" "Dating and marriage are different things, Miss Agnes. Besides, Lord Ethan should find someone with a better marriage prospect than me. How could the only son of a duke marry the daughter of a minor noble branch?" "...And you¡¯re okay with that? I¡¯d find that very unsatisfying." "The Elizabeth family is special because, with enough skill, one can be inducted into the main family. The rtionship between the main and branch families is just like that." "¡­¡­" In truth, my status is technically that of amoner, not even part of a branch family. Seeing Agnes¡¯s expression, as if she had asked something she shouldn¡¯t have, I tried to ease her mind a bit. "Besides, it¡¯s not like Lord Ethan and I are that deeply involved. We haven¡¯t even done anything that typical lovers do." "...K-Keh, Kehek! Why are you telling me that?!" "Because for an ordinary engaged couple, such things are typical. I was just exining that Lord Ethan and I haven¡¯t crossed that line as lovers¡­" "I didn¡¯t need to know that¡­! And I didn¡¯t want to know...!" She may look young, but she is an adult. Agnes¡¯s innocent reaction made me chuckle. Chapter 191 The evening after returning from catching up with Agnes about recent events, including the celebration of Prince Antonio¡¯s birthday banquet. After finishing dinner in the dormitory dining hall, Ethan asked me a sudden question when we returned to his private room. "Have you prepared for the banquet in two weeks, Lillis?" "Sorry, what?" "The banquet in two weeks at the royal pce for Prince Antonio¡¯s birthday. You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?" "Oh, no¡­ I remember the contents of the invitation, of course¡­" I was the one who handed Ethan that letter that arrived at the academy, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯d forget it. I¡¯d already prepared several options for the clothes Ethan would wear in two weeks. If necessary, I could buy something from the shops under the academy and make minor alterations. But considering that he¡¯s the one attending the banquet, why is he suddenly asking for my opinion¡­? ¡®¡­Wait a minute, this pattern¡­.¡¯ For some reason, I had a hunch that if I brushed off this conversation as usual, it would undoubtedly lead to some troubleter. So, I decided to rify Ethan''s intention behind this question. "Am I also attending this banquet?" "¡­Huh? Of course, you¡¯re attending." "¡­." "¡­You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be going alone, did you?"@@novelbin@@ "¡­Yes." As I nodded cautiously, Ethan looked at me with a somewhat exasperated expression. Even Isabelle, who was observing our conversation, was looking at me with a strangely pitying gaze. Of course, I had a reason for assuming that Ethan wouldn¡¯t take me with him. The royal banquet hall generally doesn¡¯t allow outside servants to enter, so if he wanted to bring me along, it would have to be as his fianc¨¦e or something simr. Back when I was new to the academy and didn¡¯t know anyone, it might have been different, but now, half of the students at the academy would recognize me if I attended an external event. Unlike Seraphine¡¯s birthday banquet, this wasn¡¯t a masquerade, so there was a real chance I could jeopardize Ethan¡¯s marriage prospects. It was simply a matter of knowing when to step in and when to step back. "Are you sure about this? This time, a lot of people might actually start believing that I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e." "I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s actually preferable. It¡¯s better than women who are only interested in arranged marriages clinging to ckwood." "But what about Lord Harold¡­." "I¡¯ve already gotten my father¡¯s approval. I asked him if I could bring you as my fianc¨¦e, and he said to do as I please." ¡­Well, now that I think about it, Harold was always a doting father. From the moment Ethan expressed his intention to bring me as his fianc¨¦e to the banquet, Harold¡¯s opinion was practically irrelevant. Lately, I¡¯ve only seen Harold as the sword master who beats Ethan mercilessly, so I forgot about his doting father persona from the game. "¡­Is it because you¡¯re worried, Lillis?" "Huh?" "You agreed to the temporary rtionship for the duration of the academy, but are you concerned that stories of being my fianc¨¦e might spread after we graduate?" "Is there really any reason to worry about that now? With everything that¡¯s happened at the academy, that rumor is already unstoppable." "Well, you¡¯re right about that." "Besides, I¡¯ve never thought about marrying anyone other than you, Young Master Ethan, so you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with that." "¡­What." "¡­Oops." ¡­Did I say something strange? I was just expressing my honest thoughts, but Ethan and Isabelle both reacted with surprise. If you think about it, the idea of getting married to a man is a bit strange. Even though I¡¯m a woman now, I still have memories of being a man in my previous life, so it¡¯s hard to imagine a future where I live happily ever after with a man. It¡¯s almost as if my brain refuses to entertain such a horrible thought. That said, my body is female, but I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings toward women either. If it¡¯s Ethan, who is the only man I¡¯m somewhat familiar with and to whom I owe a few favors, he¡¯s my limit. The thought of marrying or even holding hands with any other man just fills me with an indescribable sense of disgust. "Did I say something strange?" "Oh, no, Lillis. I was just a bit surprised. I didn¡¯t realize you were thinking that way too." "¡­Lillis, you¡¯re usually so clueless, but sometimes you say really bold things. Like those noises I sometimes hear through the wall at night." "Huh? Noises at night?" "Huh?! W-What did I just say? I, I suddenly can¡¯t remember¡­." While I was pondering Isabelle¡¯s sudden flustered behavior, Ethan continued our earlier conversation. "Anyway, if you¡¯re okay with it, then there¡¯s no problem. You can join me as my fianc¨¦e." "Yes. I have no problem with that." "Isabelle already prepared a dress, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that. It¡¯s the same one you wore for Princess Seraphine¡¯s birthday." ¡­He¡¯s talking about that deep crimson dress. Given what happened with Lizzy back then, I can¡¯t say I have fond memories of it, but I did like the design. Besides, the dark yet striking color gave it an evildy vibe that matched well with Ethan when I stood beside him. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at the time, but if I¡¯m going to be acting as his fianc¨¦e, that might be the best option. "If you think the color is too dark, should I prepare something lighter?" "No, it¡¯s fine. The dark color suits you better, Young Master Ethan. I¡¯ll stick with that." "¡­If that¡¯s what you think, Lillis." ¡­Now that I think about it, if I¡¯m going to act as his fianc¨¦e, I should go back to using the nickname we established back then. It¡¯s been years since Ist used it, so it feels a bit embarrassing, but I decided to hide that feeling by boldly using it. "Since I¡¯ll be attending as your fianc¨¦e, I¡¯ll use the same nickname as before at the banquet in two weeks." "The same nickname as before¡­." "¡­It¡¯s been a while since we showed up at a banquet together, Ed. May I ask you to escort me again?" "¡­¡­." "¡­Like this, Young Master Ethan." "Oh¡­ Th-That¡­." Ethan visibly blushed, clearly flustered by hearing his old pet name for the first time in years. Then he carefully recalled that day and addressed me with the nickname he had used back then. "Right. P-Please take care of me again, ¡­Lily." "¡­Yes, Ed." ¡­Why does my face feel so hot over something like this? ? ? ? Two weeks passed after I decided to attend Prince Antonio¡¯s birthday banquet. The banquet, held at a rather fitting time after the midterms, had us arriving at the royal pce. ¡®It¡¯s been almost three years since Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball.¡¯ The royal pce had changed quite a bitpared to before. The most significant change was the security and defense facilities. In light of the terrorist attack during Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball, the number of guards had more than doubled, and the pce itself had been reinforced with various defense magic circles during the repairs. ¡®It¡¯s basically impossible to use magic inside now.¡¯ To be precise, any magic, no matter how small, would likely be reported to the pce guards immediately. Even though the defensive magic circles can¡¯t predict and block every type of magic, they¡¯re more than enough to detect and counter disguise or concealment spells from external intruders. ¡®This time, I should avoid drawing attention.¡¯ Given that this is the first official event since the terrorist attack at the masquerade ball, they¡¯re probably on high alert for any suspicious individuals. I should avoid doing anything that might attract suspicion. ¡­Like, for example, confidently navigating the pce as if I knew itsyout by heart on just my second visit, and heading straight to the banquet hall. "The banquet is in the Sunflower Hall at noon. You know how to get there, right, Lily?" "¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Ed." "Huh? But during Princess Seraphine¡¯s masquerade ball¡­." "There are so many maids at the pce entrance, why should we wander around looking for the way ourselves? That maid over there seems free; let¡¯s ask her for directions." "¡­¡­." After receiving directions from a maid, we made our way to the Sunflower Hall, where a few noble heirs had already arrived and were chatting inside. Ethan, taking my joke about escorting me seriously, began attending to my needs. "It¡¯s still a bit quiet." "We left early in case the carriages got dyed. There¡¯s still plenty of time, so let¡¯s rx and wait, Ed." "Sure, Lily. Should I get you a drink? What would you like?" "Anything cold will do." "Alright, I¡¯ll be right back. Wait here." With a nod, Ethan headed over to the self-service bar set up for early guests. As I watched him walk away, I felt a gentle tug on the hem of my dress from behind. Turning around, I saw a red-haired mage who only came up to my chest, looking up at me. "¡­Lillis?" "Are you well, Lady Agnes?" "¡­What¡¯s this? You said you weren¡¯ting today." ¡­Come to think of it, I forgot to tell her about the change. Chapter 192 ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting today, Lillis.¡± Agnes, who had apparently arrived at the banquet hall earlier, tugged at my dress and spoke to me. Seeing her expectant expression, as if she wanted an exnation, I quickly exined how I ended up participating. ¡°Come to think of it, I forgot to correct myselfst time, Miss Agnes. I originally thought I wasn¡¯t going to participate, but Ed insisted that I join him, so here I am.¡± ¡°¡­Is that really all? You¡¯re not hiding something else from me?¡± ¡°Hiding something? Why would I have a reason to hide my participation from you, Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. Maybe you didn¡¯t want to acknowledge knowing me at the banquet.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡­The way she said that made me feel like I¡¯d done something really wrong. Not wanting to create unnecessary misunderstandings with a friend I¡¯d only recently made, I hurriedly cleared up what she was concerned about. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that. I really just forgot.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Honestly, Miss Agnes, you¡¯re the only person at the academy I could call a friend. Why would I lie to my only friend?¡± ¡°¡­I, I have plenty of friends! There¡¯s Seraphine, and Natalie¡­ Well, maybe not Natalie yet¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes. But still, thank you for being my friend, Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­I feel like you¡¯re teasing me somehow.¡± Although she gave me a strange look, her expression softened as soon as she realized I didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives for not mentioning my participation. I didn¡¯t expect her to think so much about me mentioning it a bitte. At least Agnes wasn¡¯t like other nobledies who scheme behind people¡¯s backs. If it had been someone else, rumors might have already started spreading by now. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re straightforward, Miss Agnes. We could¡¯ve had a pointless misunderstanding over something trivial.¡± ¡°¡­By the way, what¡¯s with that tone? You don¡¯t usually talk like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m adjusting my behavior and mindset ording to the situation and role. Normally, as Young Master Ethan¡¯s personal maid at the academy, I behave like a servant. But now, I¡¯m here as Ed¡¯s fianc¨¦e, so I need to act in a way that suits that position.¡± ¡°¡­Ed? You¡¯re calling Ethan ¡®Ed¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no better way to emphasize familiarity than using a pet name.¡± Agnes frowned slightly when she heard me call Ethan by that name, but that was all. After all, I was here as Ethan¡¯s stand-in fianc¨¦e, and it wasn¡¯t really Agnes¡¯s concern. ¡°So what, you¡¯re actually engaged now?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that having me by his side keeps thedies who are only interested in his family from approaching him.¡± ¡°¡­Just for that? Sure, he¡¯s a guy, so it doesn¡¯t matter, but what about you? What will you do when it¡¯s time for you to get married?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never considered marrying anyone other than Ed. I¡¯ll just live alone if ites to that.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Agnes frowned, clearly displeased with my response. She then nced over at the self-service bar where Ethan was and muttered something. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say something? Can you really stand by and let your marriage prospects be sacrificed for his political intentions?¡± ¡°What? I already told you I have no ns to get married. It¡¯s not like this is blocking any prospects.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. Don¡¯te crying to meter when you¡¯re used up and discarded.¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡­Wait, on second thought, maybe it is? After all, posing as a fianc¨¦e and attending official events isn¡¯t really part of a personal maid¡¯s duties. Just like at the masquerade ball, it does feel like I¡¯m being pushed to do something more sensitive than what a maid typically handles. But¡­ since I¡¯m also his temporary girlfriend right now, I guess it¡¯s still within the range of what I can tolerate. ¡°I¡¯m back, Lily.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Ed.¡± As we continued our conversation, Ethan returned from the self-service bar, holding two sses of cold cocktails. He handed one of the sses to me, then noticed Agnes and greeted her briefly. ¡°Lady ze? It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Were you talking with Lily while I was away?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. We¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard Lily mention you quite a few times. I hope you¡¯ll continue to be good friends with her.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± This was the first proper conversation between the two of them, who had only been vaguely aware of each other¡¯s presence before. Given that Ethan usually looked at the people around me with a less-than-pleasant gaze, this reaction was rather surprising. While his eyes had a sharp edge when he looked at Lizzy or Seraphine, his gaze towards Agnes was noticeably softer. ¡­Though it didn¡¯t seem like Agnes had a particrly good opinion of Ethan. ¡°Mind your own business.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°If you use her up and throw her awayter, I won¡¯t let it slide.¡± ¡°¡­I feel like there¡¯s a misunderstanding here, but I promise you, what you¡¯re worried about won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Even after hearing something akin to a threat from the daughter of a Viscount, Ethan responded with a smile and calmposure. Agnes, displeased by his demeanor, turned her head sharply and started walking away. ¡°Where are you going, Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°Just to say hello to Seraphine.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. See youter.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine her having much to talk about with anyone other than Seraphine, so I could already picture hering back to me after the banquet had been underway for a while. ¡°She¡¯s a good friend, Lily.¡± ¡°Sorry? Agnes is?¡± ¡°She¡¯s much better than Lady Auguste or the princess. At least she looks at you directly without any pretense or ulterior motives.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, Ed. Personally, she¡¯s the least burdensome friend I have at the academy.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too thrilled about her joining that lecherous hero¡¯s party, but that¡¯s Lady ze¡¯s personal matter.¡± He muttered this while ncing at the hero, Bolt, and Celesta, who had arrived at the banquet and were talking with Seraphine. It seems that Ethan¡¯s wariness towards the hero had only intensified after the chaos caused by Natalie at the after-party. I¡¯d like to approach Bolt and at least have a conversation with him once, but with Ethan acting like this, it¡¯s going to be tough. Ethan had explicitly told me not to talk to the hero, so I couldn¡¯t approach him first. If it weren¡¯t for that incident at the after-party, I might have had a chance. It¡¯s already been over a year, and I haven¡¯t been able to tell him to stop wasting time trying to recruit me and to find another character. ¡®The candidates for the Demon King subjugation party will keeping in until next year, so it¡¯s not toote, but¡­¡¯ Still, it¡¯s better to convey such information early. Since I don¡¯t know what ns the hero has, he needs to prepare for the possibility that Lillis won¡¯t join his party. As I pondered this while sipping my cocktail with Ethan, I heard the excited voices of nobledies from the entrance of the banquet hall. At this level of noise and crowd, it could only be one person¡­ ¡°Kyaaah! It¡¯s Prince Mechart!¡± ¡°Prince Mechart! H-How have you been?!¡± ¡°Thank you, mydy. Would you care to dance with meter?¡± ¡°R-Really, Your Highness?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m busy at the moment, but I could fit you in as the eleventh dance. I have many prior engagements today¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to wait, even if it¡¯s not the eleventh, but the hundred and first!¡± ¡°Prince Mechart! H-Have you been well¡­? I met you at the academy¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not good with names, but I¡¯m delighted to meet such a beautiful youngdy anew. Will you forgive me?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Of course!¡± Ugh, gross. Wow, disgusting¡­ Seeing him in person after only encountering him in the game is genuinely nauseating¡­ The difort I felt from seeing the old Ethan, or rather the ¡°Pig Prince¡± from the original game, was nothingpared to this. When I yed the game, his scenes were just cutscenes, so I didn¡¯t feel much, but seeing that sickening face spouting such cringeworthy lines right in front of me made me feel like I was about to lose my lunch. I quickly turned away from the entrance to avoid looking at his disgusting antics any longer. Honestly, terms like ¡°phnderer¡± or ¡°lecher¡± should be pinned on that bastard, not the hero. The number of nobledies he¡¯s bedded at the academy must be in the double digits. Not that I cared much, since they were all extras anyway.@@novelbin@@ A revolting bastard who relies solely on his looks to flirt with all the female characters. The fact that he even flirts with heroines like Celesta and Agnes makes him even more irredeemable. It¡¯s a relief that he¡¯s a viin. If there had been a route to recruit him as an ally in Luminor Academy, the genre would have definitely taken a darker turn. ¡°Let¡¯s move to another spot, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Lily. It¡¯s best not to attract the Fourth Prince¡¯s attention.¡± As Ethan and I quietly agreed to move away, intending to distance ourselves from that guy, I suddenly felt a shiver run down my spine as I heard his voice calling to me from behind. ¡°¡­Ah, excuse me. You, thedy in the deep crimson dress.¡± ¡®¡­Oh, crap.¡¯ I should have moved the moment themotion started. I ended up catching Mechart¡¯s eye while trying to avoid the crowd toote. With a royal calling out to me, I couldn¡¯t just walk away, so I slowly turned my head toward that sickening voice. ¡°Even from behind, I could tell¡­ such a beautiful¡­ Oh, oh my¡­ To think there¡¯d be such a perfectdy here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®Are you going to stop staring at my chest?¡¯ ¡°Since fate has brought us together, how about we introduce ourselves, my beautifuldy?¡± ¡®Introduce myself, you say, Prince Mechart?¡¯ ¡°¡­Get lost, you bastard.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Oh, I slipped up. Chapter 193 The moment the curse slipped out of my mouth, the atmosphere in the banquet hall became eerily silent. On the surface, it was a situation where a nobledy had cursed at a prince. To those who knew that I was merely the daughter of a baron, it was practically a deration of suicide. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ I had prepared a proper response in my mind, but as soon as I opened my mouth, a reflexive reaction came out instead. But honestly, how could I not be disgusted by him? His gaze was tantly fixated on my chest without even trying to hide it, and he acted all sweet while being a phnderer with the nobledies. There was no way anything nice coulde out of my mouth. If only Mechart had been the only one to hear it, I might have managed to bluff my way out of it. Unfortunately, the words that slipped out of my mouth weren¡¯t exactly quiet. It was clear that at least the nobledies following this disgusting prince had heard what I said. ¡°Y-You¡­! Did you just curse at Prince Mechart?!¡± ¡°How could you do such a thing! Do you think you can get away with anything just because you have a pretty face?!¡± ¡°Do you think just because you have arge chest, you have the right to speak so shamelessly?!¡± ¡®Damn it, seriously.¡¯ As if it wasn¡¯t bad enough that I had to face this repulsive golden-haired prince, now his fangirls were chiming in one after another. And why the hell do both men and women feel the need toment on someone¡¯s physical features? It¡¯s not like I wanted to reincarnate into a character with such arge chest. I barely managed to resist the urge to reach for the dagger hidden inside my dress as I quietly waited for Mechart¡¯s response. Although the tense atmosphere was due to my initial slip of the tongue, the man in front of me was undeniably one of the main viins in Luminor Academy. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if he drew his sword right then and used me of disrespecting the royal family. I remained vignt, ready to defend myself at any moment. ¡°You¡¯re a bolddy.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I apologize. If myck of skill in winning ady¡¯s heart has upset you, I sincerely apologize. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ sure¡­¡± Contrary to my expectations, Mechart stepped back with an unexpectedly refreshing expression. He withdrew so suddenly that I didn¡¯t even have time to apologize for my slip of the tongue. ¡°Y-You! Just because you have a handsome face, you think you can act all¡­ W-Wait, Prince Mechart!¡± ¡°Prince, why would you bow your head to a woman like that¡­?¡± Moreover, the group of nobledies who had been ring at me with venomous eyes quickly followed him and disappeared. I was left bewildered, unsure of what had just happened, when Ethan spoke to me from my right. ¡°Are you okay, Lily?¡± ¡°Oh, Ed. Yes, I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Lily. That lecher¡­ I mean, Prince Mechart was the one at fault.¡± Ethan used some pretty strongnguage to describe the prince, but he was defending me. Well, technically, it was true that Mechart was in the wrong. It¡¯smon courtesy in social circles not to approach someone who is already with a partner, and the way he stared at my chest without even bothering to hide it was downright lecherous. If an ordinary nobleman behaved like that in society, they¡¯d be the subject of gossip behind their back. It was only because Mechart had his looks and family background to support him that he hadn¡¯t faced any bacsh from the nobledies. In fact, there were probably plenty of women who would willingly show him more if he just nced at their chest. But even considering all that, I couldn¡¯t deny that I was the one in the wrong for cursing at a prince right to his face. ¡°I agree with you, Ed, but I still think it was my mistake this time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I had prepared a proper response, but I was so flustered that something else just came out. I should apologize to Prince Mechartter.¡± ¡°Something else¡­? So that wasn¡¯t how you really felt?¡± ¡°No, I did feel disgusted. But even if it¡¯s true, it¡¯s still a crime to say it out loud.¡± ¡°¡­Then it¡¯s fine, Lily.¡± Ethan seemed oddly relieved when I admitted that I was genuinely disgusted. Seeing his reaction, I could guess why he had been worried, so I smiled slyly and asked him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ed? Were you worried that I might develop some strange feelings for him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯ve never considered dating or marrying anyone other than you.¡± ¡°R-Right¡­ Sorry for thinking something weird, Lily¡­¡± Ethan, who had been on guard, was relieved to hear that I hadn¡¯t developed any feelings for Mechart, and teasing him about it was oddly satisfying. It was enough to make me forget, at least for a moment, about the trouble I¡¯d have to deal with because of the curse I¡¯d blurted out at Mechart. ¡°Seriously, though. Do you really think I¡¯d fall for such an indecent man who drags women around with him? He might have a handsome face, but he spouts nonsense he thinks is seductive. I nearly gagged just¡­¡± But my time teasing Ethan didn¡¯tst long. From a distance, two figures were quickly approaching us.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Hey, hey! Are you out of your mind¡­?!¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°What were you thinking saying something like that?! Do you even know where he is in the line of session?! Or even if we forget about that, how could you¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I wasn¡¯t thinking straight.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t something you can just brush off with an excuse like that¡­!¡± Agnes grabbed my shoulders and shook me with a serious expression on her face. It felt like she was the one being shaken more than I was, probably due to the difference in our center of gravity. But what could I do? The words were already out, and the damage was done. A momentter, unlike Agnes, who had abandoned her noble demeanor to rush over to me, another figure approached me slowly and cautiously spoke. ¡°Miss Lillis, what were you thinking when you made such a dangerous statement¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I apologize, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°While it¡¯s true that our fourth brother is quite¡­ interested in women, wasn¡¯t it a bit risky to¡­ curse at him to his face?¡± ¡°It was a mistake. I had nned to greet him politely, but it just slipped out¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like Mechart¡¯s behavior either, so I understand how you feel, Miss Lillis, but¡­¡± Princess Seraphine¡¯s reaction was one of concern over my disrespectful words towards a royal family member. While she was worried, she surprisingly agreed with my criticism of her brother. Once again, it became clear that the Valtoria royal family was a dysfunctional one, with siblings who didn¡¯t get along, despite sharing the same blood. There might have been a time when the royal children maintained a fa?ade of harmony, but after the death of the first prince, Philipson, the royal family had essentially fractured. ¡®And it was Mechart who was involved in the first prince¡¯s death.¡¯ The fact that the first prince wasn¡¯t exactly fit to be the next emperor wasn¡¯t important. What mattered was that his death had caused the royal family to splinter. On top of that, Mechart¡¯s connections to demons left no room for leniency. In that sense, my actions might have been the better course. If I had gotten involved with him, it would have only led to mutual destruction. It might have been more reasonable to cut ties decisively rather than leaving things ambiguous and risk getting entangled. Besides, Mechart, with his obsession with women, hadn¡¯t managed to build a proper power base, so he wasn¡¯t much of a political threat either. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, Princess Seraphine, but I believe Lillis made the right decision. Even if he is a prince, I didn¡¯t appreciate the way he openly addressed my fianc¨¦e¡­ while I was right there.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not criticizing her. I just hope you¡¯ll be more cautious in the future. While Prince Mechart isn¡¯t particrly dangerous, if you show such behavior to my other siblings, I might not be able to protect you. I¡¯m just concerned.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying Lillis did anything wrong either. I don¡¯t like him either.¡± After my outburst, it seemed like we had formed an impromptu ¡°anti-Mechart alliance.¡± Agnes and Seraphine didn¡¯t like the fourth prince in the original story either, so it made sense. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Princess Seraphine. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡± ¡°¡­Please do. Be careful, Miss Lillis.¡± As Mechart and the group of nobledies disappeared to the other side of the banquet hall, Agnes and Seraphine eventually returned to where Bolt and Celesta were, and the banquet seemed to resume its peaceful course. In the end, the curse I spat at Mechart turned out to be a minor incident. ¡­Especially since something much more disruptive happenedter during the banquet. Chapter 194 The Valtoria V of the Argentia Empire had four wives and nine children. Or rather, he had them. There were five princes and four princesses born among the four wives, a number that was more than sufficient to ignite a fiercepetition for the imperial throne. Indeed, in the world of Luminor Academy, that power struggle is very much ongoing. Of course, even with four wives, there would naturally be a main wife and a legitimate firstborn son, so normally, there wouldn''t be any reason for the children to sh, regardless of how poorly the wives got along. The presence of the first wife, the main consort of Valtoria V, and the first prince, Philipson, had, until a few years ago, prevented any cracks from forming. While there was some vetting to ensure that the heir wouldn¡¯t be a tyrant, the qualifications required to be emperor were generally easy enough for any royal child to meet. And if several children passed the qualifications, it was customary to pass the throne to the first legitimate son, regardless of how well or poorly the others had performed. Philipson barely passed the qualification exam, thus securing his right to the throne. However, following the plot of the game, such a straightforward session would be boring. Besides, if the session went that way, it wouldn''t allow Seraphine, the main heroine, to be empress. Thus, Luminor Academy began with the assassination of the first prince, Philipson, and his mother, the first wife, during the first part of the story, setting off a fierce battle for the throne among the remaining royal heirs. With most of the royal children harboring their own ambitions, a full-scale power struggle was inevitable. As a result, the remaining eight children¡ªexcluding the youngest princess, who was too young¡ªwere thrust into the session battle, whether they wanted it or not. Among them, four were particrly sensitive to thepetition: the second prince, the first princess, the third prince, and the third princess. The third princess, Seraphine, was the main heroine of Luminor Academy and the only royal who wholeheartedly supported the protagonist. But what about the other three royals who should have been involved in thepetition? Well, they just acted like they had no interest in the session battle from the start, going about their lives as usual. The second princess, Luscetia, the fourth prince, Mechart, and the fifth prince, Antonio. These three characters were portrayed in the story as having no interest in the throne. To be precise, they were more content with living their lives as members of the royal family rather thanpeting for the throne. Mechart, who spent his days indulging in a debauched lifestyle with nobledies, was a prime example. Despite being Seraphine''s half-sister, Luscetia was only interested in living avish life. And then there was Antonio, the youngest of thepetitors, who was simply unmotivated when it came to the session battle. One of the main storylines of the game involved oveing the obstacles posed by the other threepetitors and making Seraphine the empress. ¡­So, why did I suddenly start exining the family dynamics of the royal family and Seraphine? Well, it''s obviously to talk about today¡¯s banquet''s main character, Antonio. In the original work, Antonio Robert Valtoria, the fifth prince, had little to no impact on the power struggle for the throne. Despite being a royal, he didn¡¯t y a significant role in the story. Today, he was simply the host of the banquet, and I didn¡¯t expect to have any special interaction with him. But due to his absurd actions, I found myself unintentionally entangled with Antonio. ¡°I¡¯ve been smitten since the moment I first saw you at the pce two years ago! Please, I beg you to promise your hand in marriage to me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Both Ethan and I were left speechless, watching this absurd scene unfold. Even Seraphine and Bolt, who had been talking a little distance away, seemed equally stunned as they stared at the scene in disbelief. The other noble heirs who had been chatting nearby and the servants bustling around the banquet hall were all now silent, waiting for the response to Antonio¡¯s sudden public confession. ¡­Just to rify, I wasn¡¯t the one being confessed to. For a moment, I almost thought this unexpected confession was directed at me, but it was clear that Antonio¡¯s gaze was fixed on thedy standing beside me. Even now, hearing him say her name, I wondered if this was all just a bad dream. ¡°Please ept my feelings, Lady Agnes Elizabeth ze!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡­If this is a dream, it must be a nightmare. ? ? ? About an hour before Prince Antonio¡¯s public confession to Agnes, the birthday banquet had been progressing rtively smoothly. After Mechart approached me earlier, we hadn¡¯t had any further confrontations. The banquet hall was spacious enough that it was unlikely we would cross paths again unless one of us intentionally sought out the other. Additionally, it felt like Mechart was deliberately avoiding me, which was fine by me. We also took care to steer clear of his path, and it seemed he wasn¡¯t eager to run into me again either. Perhaps he now saw me as a bothersome woman, unlike the other nobledies. If that were the reason, it was fortunate. It meant there was no longer any reason for Mechart to approach me. No one wanted to get entangled with a character destined for ruin, after all. ¡°Thank you all for attending my birthday banquet today. Although I am still young, as a prince of the Argentia Empire¡­¡± We listened to Prince Antonio¡¯s speech, which was so clearly written by someone else, while Ethan and I quietly conversed on the side. After some time, Agnes also made her way over to us. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Agnes. Have you finished greeting your friends?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡±@@novelbin@@ It was clear that after the banquet began in earnest, Seraphine became busy talking with other nobles, so Agnes slipped away. Had she raised her rtionship level with the hero just a little more, she might have stuck by him instead ofing to me. The fact that she came to me suggested that things hadn¡¯t gone well on that front. The incident with Natalie probably still made things awkward between Agnes and the hero¡¯s party. Given that after graduating from the academy, she would spend several years with the hero¡¯s party to defeat the Demon King, this was not a good sign. ¡®Though, due to the issues with the Elizabeth family, she¡¯ll join the hero¡¯s party eventually, whether she likes it or not.¡¯ It would be better if she could join the party on good terms. If their rtionship was too awkward, it could hinder their coordination in actualbat. Of course, getting too close could also lead to Agnes falling for the hero, so maintaining a proper distance was important. She was a friend who required a lot of careful attention. ¡°What are you drinking? Alcohol?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s just a light cocktail.¡± ¡°¡­Light? Really?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying, Miss Agnes, I think it would be best if you didn¡¯t drink. Just a gut feeling, but I think you might be the type who can¡¯t handle alcohol well.¡± ¡°¡­I know that.¡± Surprisingly, Agnes didn¡¯t try to be stubborn and readily admitted that she couldn¡¯t handle alcohol well. She probably became more cautious about drinking after the incident with Natalie. She might have even secretly tried drinking alone, away from others'' eyes. Unlike Natalie, Agnes had the advantage of a good memory, which allowed her to recall everything she did while drunk. The winter break was long, so if she had experienced getting drunk at some point, she probably wouldn¡¯t have considered drinking at a formal event like this. ¡°Lady ze, I hear you¡¯re taking several sses with Lily this semester.¡± ¡°¡­Lily? Oh, you mean Lillis? Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Could you let me know how Lily is doing in ss? I¡¯m taking two sses with her, but both involve physical activity rather than theory. I¡¯m curious about how she¡¯s doing in lecture-based sses.¡± ¡°¡­She¡¯s just normal. She listens attentively, takes notes diligently, and sometimes dozes off a bit during the Monday afternoon lectures.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because she has a magic swordsmanship ss in the morning. Lily¡¯s skill with the dagger has been improvingtely. She¡¯s getting good enough that I can asionally spar with her. Of course, I¡¯m still giving her some handicaps, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­Tell me more. How is she in the magic swordsmanship ss?¡± ¡°¡­Do we really need to have this conversation with me right here?¡± For some reason, the two seemed to get along well enough, continuing their conversation without much awkwardness. Although the topic seemed rather one-sided. It made sense for Ethan, who had liked me since we were young, but I wasn¡¯t sure why Agnes suddenly had an interest in my personal life. Perhaps she was still grateful for my help in contracting her first spirit, the fire spirit. Up until that point, I thought the banquet for Prince Antonio¡¯s birthday would end with just some light socializing. But then, a significant event unfolded, one that turned the entire hall upside down. ¡°Oh, there you are. I¡¯ve finally found you, my mademoiselle.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As Ethan, Agnes, and I were talking, Prince Antonio suddenly appeared before us. Ethan, who was already on guard due to the earlier incident with Mechart, immediately showed signs of wariness, but he maintained the proper etiquette towards a prince. ¡­If I suddenlyshed out and cursed to his face like I did with Mechart, the atmosphere would turn hostile again. ¡°Greetings, Prince Antonio. I am Lillis ckwood Rosewood, eldest daughter of the Rosewood family.¡± ¡°¡­Ethan Richard ckwood, eldest son of the Duke ckwood family, and Lillis¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± To avoid drawing attention to my lower status as the daughter of a baron, Ethan quickly followed up my introduction with his own. I appreciated his subtle thoughtfulness as I tried to figure out how to deal with Antonio. However, contrary to his usual demeanor, Antonio didn¡¯t react negatively to our introductions. ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lillis. Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, the pleasure is mine¡­¡± ¡°¡­Likewise, Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°But¡­ I haven¡¯t heard the name of this beautiful youngdy here¡­¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Both Ethan and I were shocked when Antonio referred to Agnes as ¡°this beautiful youngdy,¡± and we turned to look at her. Of course, the most surprised was Agnes herself, who had just been addressed by Antonio. ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yes, my mademoiselle.¡± ¡°¡­Agnes Elizabeth ze¡­ is my name¡­¡± ¡°Oh, how could even your name be so beautiful?!¡± ¡­It¡¯s just an ordinary name. I almost mistook Antonio for a different character, given how different he was from his portrayal in the original story. The hairstyle and eye color confirmed it was indeed Antonio, but¡­ As I frantically tried to figure out what had gone wrong, Antonio continued his ¡°confession¡± to Agnes. ¡°I¡¯ve been smitten since the moment I first saw you at the pce two years ago! Please, I beg you to promise your hand in marriage to me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please ept my feelings, Lady Agnes Elizabeth ze!¡± And so, the story circles back to the beginning. Chapter 195 Antonio Robert Valtoria The fifth prince of the Valtoria Kingdom, Antonio Robert Valtoria, found himself unexpectedly drawn into a power struggle for the throne after the sudden assassination of the first prince. In the game Luminor Academy, Antonio was originally intended to be a support character with mediocre abilities. He could be recruited as an ally, but his skills were not impressive enough to justify keeping him for long. He was mainly useful when the yer needed a royal character in the absence of Seraphine. Given his situation, Antonio had no other choice. At the time when Philip was decided as the heir, Antonio was only ten years old. How could he have predicted that five yearster, Philip would die and he would be thrust into thepetition for the throne? Even if Seraphine, with her ability to foresee the future, had made some preparations, Antoniocked any such advantage. As a result, from the yer¡¯s perspective, he was just a royal character who didn¡¯t interfere with Seraphine and could be used asionally without much consequence¡ªa character who did just enough to survive. Still, objectively speaking, Antonio was a fairly likable character. In Luminor Academy, apart from Antonio and the youngest princess, all of Seraphine¡¯s siblings were either rivals or obstacles. Thus, under normal circumstances, Antonio would have remained a reclusive figure, staying out of sight of his siblings and asionally helping the protagonist as a potential ally. But then... ¡°Please ept my feelings, Miss Agnes Elizabeth ze!¡± ¡°What...?¡± I couldn¡¯t fathom what could have driven Antonio to suddenly confess to Agnes like this. It was beyond my understanding. ¡®...What did I do wrong?¡¯ No, thinking about it, maybe it wasn¡¯t even my fault. It¡¯s possible that Bolt did something to trigger this. No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed unfair to me. After all, I had only been involved with Agnes for about half a year, and as for Antonio, this was practically our first encounter. Common sense suggested that whatever happened must have been Bolt¡¯s doing. ...Yes, that makes sense. I¡¯m not the only variable that appeared in this world. And Bolt, unlike me who can¡¯t go anywhere without Ethan, is free to roam in an open-world RPG. So if he wanted to build a rtionship with Antonio before the second story arc, it wouldn¡¯t have been impossible... ¡°I waspletely captivated by your beautiful magic from the moment I first saw it!¡± ¡®...Magic?¡¯ ¡°Two years ago, when you appeared like aet to protect the eastern gate of the royal pce, I was saved from the dangers of that day.¡± ¡®...Two years ago? The eastern gate of the pce?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve dreamed of the day I could meet you again since then. I feared we might never meet again.¡± Wait, if this story is true... Two years ago, the eastern gate, and magic. There¡¯s only one incident I know of that involves all these elements and Agnes. The memory of the masquerade ball on Seraphine¡¯s birthday suddenly came to mind. ¡®Wait, could it be that when Agnes said she had met Antonio before...?¡¯ Could it really have been when she was fighting monsters at the eastern gate of the pce? Why didn¡¯t Agnes mention such an important detail? Of course, I hadn¡¯t asked about it directly and had just brushed it off, but still, something like this should have been brought up! The murmurings in the hall grew louder with each of Antonio¡¯s shocking derations. Meanwhile, Agnes, now the center of attention, looked more flustered than I had ever seen her, her eyes darting around in confusion. ¡°I... I...¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Agnes!¡± ¡°I... I don¡¯t know anything about this...!¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Aaah, aaaaahhh!¡± ¡°W-wait! Miss Agnes!!¡± -Bang! Unable to bear the attention, Agnes bolted, choosing to flee. The door to the Sunflower Hall mmed shut behind her as she made her escape, leaving Prince Antonio standing there, stunned, with his hand outstretched. ¡°Bring her back quickly! She might be the future princess!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± The pce guards, who had been stationed at the banquet, immediately dashed out to find Agnes. Taking advantage of themotion, I quickly slipped out of the banquet hall as well. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Agnes back! Ed, just wait for me!¡± ¡°Lillis?! Wait, how will you find Lady ze...?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can find her!¡± Even though I didn¡¯t focus on Agnes¡¯s route in my previous life, I still knew her basic habits. So for now, my only option was to find her before the pce guards did. Whether I would persuade her to return or send her home would depend on what I found. ? ? ? Finding Agnes turned out to be surprisingly easy. She had a certain pattern she followed when something embarrassing or distressing happened. It was something I had naturallye to know, despite never having intentionally pursued her route in the game. After all, Agnes was a highly capable character whom I had recruited in nearly 20 out of 24 ythroughs. ¡®I bet the pce guards are heading down to the ground floor entrances.¡¯ In a situation like this, most would assume she was trying to escape entirely. Of course, the pce guards don¡¯t have the authority to stop a guest from leaving, but since Agnes had abruptly cut off her conversation with Prince Antonio, they had some reason to attempt to persuade her to stay. ¡®But the idea that Agnes has fled is mistaken.¡¯ Even in the most distressing circumstances, Agnes wouldn¡¯t abandon her duties representing the Elizabeth family at this event. She wouldn¡¯t risk being criticized by the ¡°family elders¡± she so despised. She was likely seeking a ce to be alone, and I had a good idea of where that might be. She had a habit of seeking out ¡°high ces¡± when she needed to think. ¡®And the only high ce near the Sunflower Hall is the outdoor garden on the fifth floor.¡¯ The moment I stepped outside, I spotted a red-haired youngdy standing by the edge of the garden. From her height and figure, there was no doubt it was Agnes. I quietly approached her from behind. ¡°Why did you run away so suddenly, Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°...Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Who did you think it was?¡± ¡°Seraphine, or maybe that prince I don¡¯t even know.¡± A prince she doesn¡¯t even know, huh? From Agnes¡¯s perspective, that was probably urate. After all, she had just received a sudden confession from Prince Antonio, whom she barely knew. Based on our conversation from a couple of weeks ago, it seemed they didn¡¯t have much of a history together. In fact, it seemed like Antonio had only learned her name today. Curious to unravel this mystery, I decided to ask her directly. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Prince Antonio?¡± ¡°...There¡¯s no rtionship. We just know each other¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°Well, it seems Prince Antonio doesn¡¯t see it that way. Didn¡¯t you mention you met him once before? When was that?¡± ¡°...Do you remember two years ago, the day the serpent horde attacked the pce?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Well, I fought alongside Antonio at the eastern gate.¡± I had a feeling it was something like that. Considering the original game¡¯s storyline, it made sense. During the King Serpent attack, the northern and western gates of the pce were held thanks to key characters stepping in to defend them. In Luminor Academy, it was Orion who defended the northern gate, while Agnes and Seraphine managed to hold the western gate against the boss monsters. yers would naturally learn this as they progressed through the story. As for the southern gate, it fell due to insufficient defense, resulting in Lizzy¡¯s death.@@novelbin@@ The eastern gate, however, was held with great sacrifice. But the game¡¯s narrative didn¡¯t exin much, leaving it as an oddly mysterious event. But if Antonio had been part of the defense, it changed things. Even with his mediocre stats, Antonio was still a viablepanion with enough skill to be useful. Though at the time, Antonio would have been only about fifteen, which might exin why the defense led to such heavy casualties. ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t know he was a prince. I just thought he was a young knight among the guards.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. When I arrived, I noticed a couple of guards in danger, so I supported them with magic. Then, seeing that the prince was exhausted, I pulled him back for a moment, and we took turns defending the gate. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit more mundane than I expected.¡± ¡°Were you expecting a story about a prince on a white horse saving the day? That¡¯s all there was to it.¡± Well, Agnes was not a physical fighter, so she probably didn¡¯t find it as challenging as the others. But for Antonio and the other guards who had been holding the line before her arrival, it must have felt quite different. It¡¯s possible Antonio mistook the adrenaline rush from the life-threatening situation for feelings of love. And it was true that Agnes¡¯s intervention had reduced the casualties. In the original story, Antonio might have survived without her help, but many of the other guards would have lost their lives. ¡°So, did you introduce yourselves during the battle?¡± ¡°Huh? No, we didn¡¯t even exchange names.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When the fight ended, he copsed from exhaustion, and the guards were just thanking me for saving the prince. That¡¯s when I found out his name.¡± ¡°Oh, I see...¡± ¡°And that was the end of it. I never saw him again after that... So, I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s suddenly saying such strange things to me.¡± So, it¡¯s like this? From Antonio¡¯s perspective, during a critical moment when his life was in danger, Agnes appeared and saved the lives of the guards. She fought alongside him on the front lines against the monsters, and in the midst of the chaos, he mistook the adrenaline for love before copsing from exhaustion. When he woke up, the woman who had saved him had vanished without even revealing her name... something like that? ¡®I can see how he might get a bit too excited upon meeting her again.¡¯ Even so, confessing his feelings so publicly at his birthday banquet was probably a step too far. Chapter 196 After hearing Agnes''s ount of her first meeting with Prince Antonio, I could somewhat understand his sudden obsession with her. From Antonio¡¯s perspective, it probably felt like a fairy tale¡ªa prince on a white horse, or perhaps more urately, a miraculous savior appearing out of nowhere during a crisis only to vanish without leaving her name. Agnes''s intentions didn¡¯t matter much in this context. In Antonio¡¯s mind, she remained as the mysterious woman who saved him and then disappeared without a trace. Even though Agnes herself didn¡¯t think much of the event, it was clear that, from Antonio¡¯s point of view, the memory had likely been exaggerated and idealized over time. "Antonio isn''t a bad person," I mused. He didn¡¯t particrly desire more power, but that wasrgely because his circumstances had shaped him that way. He had a gentle nature, always smiling mysteriously, which was more a defense mechanism than anything else¡ªa way to navigate theplex world of royalty. He never betrayed anyone in the original story, and aside from his lower capabilities in the context of the Demon King¡¯s raid, he was a good character.@@novelbin@@ Hisck ofbat prowess wasn¡¯t a reflection of his humanity. Judging people solely based on their fighting abilities was hardly an objective measure to begin with. "But then again, my evaluation of Antonio doesn¡¯t really matter at this point." Even though this situation arose from the chain of events that Ethan and I inadvertently set in motion by attending the masquerade ball, ultimately, the future decisions rested with Antonio and Agnes. Their rtionship would unfold ording to their own choices, not mine. No matter how much I highlighted Antonio¡¯s virtues, it wouldn¡¯t matter if Agnes wasn¡¯t interested. Conversely, if she was inclined towards him, there wasn¡¯t much anyone could say to change that. My role was simply to listen to Agnes''s concerns and offer her a bit of advice. "What do you want to do, Miss Agnes?" I asked. "...What?" she replied, seemingly caught off guard. "It was a sudden confession, but it was still a confession. Running away doesn¡¯t make it disappear, Miss Agnes." "...I know," she admitted, leaning against the railing and staring out at the pce grounds. Despite thete hour, the lights from the capital illuminated the streets below, a view she would see every day if she became a princess. No wonder she was troubled. If I were in Agnes''s position, I¡¯d be just as conflicted. "First, I need to figure out if he¡¯s serious," she said. "And if he is?" I probed. "...If he¡¯s serious, then I guess I¡¯ll do it," she said, though her tonecked enthusiasm. "Really?" I asked, somewhat surprised. "It would give me an advantage in the session struggle. If I get engaged to a prince, it would meet most of the qualifications the family elders are always harping on about," she exined. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how she immediately factored her session into such an important decision. I wasn¡¯t trying to undermine Antonio, but I hoped Agnes would approach this with more caution. If she epted the engagement with Antonio purely out of necessity, they might miss the chance to truly understand each other. "I understand where you¡¯reing from, Miss Agnes, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit early to decide?" I suggested. "...What?" she responded, a bit confused. "I mean, engagement is the step before choosing a lifelong partner. Isn¡¯t it too hasty to decide after only meeting him twice?" She remained silent, considering my words. "Even if you¡¯re thinking of getting engaged to Prince Antonio, wouldn¡¯t it be better to take some time to get to know each other first? He¡¯ll be enrolling in the academy next year, so you¡¯ll naturally have more opportunities to meet and spend time together." Initially, Agnes seemed doubtful, but as she listened, I could tell she was seriously contemting my suggestion. After all, she had previously benefited from my advice, and as one of her few friends, my words likely carried some weight. I could sense her genuine hesitation about missing out on this opportunity. "But what if I say that and Antonio gets offended and calls off the engagement?" she asked. "Then that just means he wasn¡¯t the right person for you. An engagement with someone like that would¡¯ve only led to unhappiness, so there¡¯s no need to feel regret." "...You¡¯re not just saying that because it¡¯s not your situation, right? It¡¯s not like opportunities to get engaged to a princee around every day." "The same goes for you, Miss Agnes. How often do you think the chance to marry the future head of the Elizabeth family and the Red Tower¡¯s masteres around?" "The future head of the Elizabeth family... and the future master of the Red Tower... Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right," she said, her pride clearly evident. As I mentioned before, in the original game, Agnes ended up with the hero in most cases, but if not, she usually had a solo ending. In other words, only someone like the hero was deemed worthy of being with Agnes. So, from an objective standpoint, it was almost as if Antonio was the one getting a chance with Agnes. At this point, when Agnes hadn¡¯t yet participated in the Demon King raid or been acknowledged as the next head of the Elizabeth family, this was the only time they were on somewhat equal footing. "In a rtionship, the one who¡¯s more invested usually has the upper hand. If you ept a public confession like this without setting any boundaries, how do you think Prince Antonio will perceive you in the future?" "...How would he perceive me?" "He might think, ¡®This woman doesn¡¯t mind if I act rudely towards her,¡¯ and that could lead to him taking liberties¡ªtrying to rush intimacy before marriage, ignoring what you enjoy during dates, or even taking other wives or mistresses without caring about your feelings." "...Could that really happen?" "Yes. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to be clear from the start. You need to let Prince Antonio know that this public confession was inappropriate and that it¡¯s too soon for an engagement. Suggest getting to know each other first. That way, he¡¯ll realize that you¡¯re serious and not someone to be trifled with just because he¡¯s a prince." "..." "But this is just my opinion. The final decision is yours. If you choose to ept the engagement simply because he¡¯s a prince, I won¡¯t stop you." I might have exaggerated a bit to make my point. Given the Antonio I knew from the game, it was unlikely he would demand physical intimacy before marriage or take multiple mistresses. But it didn¡¯t hurt to be cautious. People¡¯s personalities can change, and I had no way of knowing how meeting Agnes had affected Antonio over the past two years. Just look at Ethan¡ªhe¡¯spletely different from the character he was in the game. ...Though in Ethan¡¯s case, the changes were for the better, there¡¯s no guarantee that would always be the case. -Bam! "Found you! There you are!" "Miss Agnes! I mean, Lady Princess! Please, you must return to the Sunflower Hall..." At that moment, the pce guards burst into the outdoor garden, looking relieved to have finally found us. Judging by their exhausted expressions, they must have searched each floor one by one before reaching us. ...Well, their timing wasn¡¯t too bad. I had already said everything I needed to. "Stop calling me princess. It hasn¡¯t been decided yet." "...Pardon?" "And don¡¯t stand so close to me. I¡¯m not running away. I just needed some time to think." "Yes, mydy!" At Agnes¡¯s firm tone, the guards immediately straightened up and stepped back, showing her the respect shemanded. Though she wasn¡¯t yet engaged to Antonio, she was already recognized as someone who had caught his eye. I followed her as we headed back to the Sunflower Hall. Walking beside me, Agnes brought up the conversation we had just had in the garden. "You said in love, the one who cares more loses, right?" "Yes, Miss Agnes." "I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Because it was you who said it, Lillis." "Thank you, Miss Agnes." "After all, watching you and Ethan, it seems you weren¡¯t wrong." "...What?" Before I could fully grasp the implication of herstment, Agnes pushed open the door to the Sunflower Hall and re-entered the banquet. Now, all I could do was quietly observe and see what decision she would ultimately make. Chapter 197 Antonio''s Passionate Confession to Agnes To put it simply, the oue wasn¡¯t as smooth as I had hoped. Initially, it seemed like things were going well when Agnes told Prince Antonio that she needed more time to get to know him better before making a decision. I was optimistic that this would lead to a positive oue¡ªuntil Antonio¡¯s response took a turn for the worse. Antonio began with, ¡°So, Miss Agnes, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll need to learn more about me before you can make a decision.¡± Agnes, a bit wary, responded, ¡°...Yes.¡± He sighed slightly but then continued, ¡°...I see. Well, I suppose there¡¯s no other choice then.¡± Agnes tensed up at the mention of ¡°no other choice,¡± but then Antonio quickly added, ¡°But I¡¯m not willing to give up on you just yet, so I¡¯ll ept your proposal.¡± At the word ¡°ept,¡± Agnes visibly rxed, her tense shoulders easing. Despite trying to remainposed, she was clearly relieved. It was understandable¡ªdespite her outward demeanor, the idea of being engaged to a prince was something she couldn¡¯t entirely dismiss. I thought that was the end of it, that they had reached a reasonablepromise where Agnes would have more time to get to know Antonio, and he would make efforts to win her heart. It seemed like a good resolution. But then, Antonio just had to add one more unnecessary sentence. ¡°In that case, Miss Agnes, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°...What is it?¡± she asked, slightly apprehensive. ¡°When do you n to enroll at the academy?¡± ¡°...What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Someone as skilled as you would undoubtedly pass the entrance exam for Luminor Academy with flying colors! I¡¯ve just turned eighteen today, so I¡¯m eligible to enroll next year. But if it means being in the same ss as you, I can dy my enrollment by a few years!¡± Agnes stared at him, dumbfounded. ¡°At your current age, Miss Agnes, you¡¯ll likely be ready to enroll in about three years. I can wait until then. How does that sound? We can use those years to get to know each other better, and then, perhaps in two or three years, we can apply for the marriage and engagement dorms together¡­¡± ¡°...I¡¯m already attending.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already attending the academy! I¡¯m a second-year student! What, do you think this is some kind of joke? Everyone always treats me like a child¡ªboth you and everyone else!¡± ¡°A-ah... I¡¯m sorry, Miss Agnes! You¡¯re just so... young-looking¡ªI mean, beautiful! I mistakenly thought¡­¡± And so, Antonio¡¯s careless remark had thoroughly struck a nerve with Agnes, effectively putting an end to any potential engagement between the two. In the end, what could have been a budding rtionship was left in an awkward limbo. It seemed like my attempt to intervene might have only worsened the situation between them. But since it was the prince¡¯s own words that caused the rift, I figured it wasn¡¯t something I needed to worry too much about. All I could do was hope that Antonio would find a way to mend his mistake and establish a good rtionship with Agnes. And so, the evening of Prince Antonio¡¯s eighteenth birthday concluded with a strained and unresolved dynamic between him and Agnes. ...And I silently hoped that this would be the end of the matter. ? ? ? Lillis has reached Level 17! ? ? ? A week had passed since the incident of Antonio¡¯s public confession to Agnes. The academy had settled back into its usual rhythm after the prince¡¯s birthday banquet and the flurry of events that coincided with the midterm exams. One of the most notable aplishments of the past week was that I had finally leveled up. With few eventstely to gain experience from, my progress had slowed considerably. But thanks to the experience gained from the ¡°Practical Monster Hunting¡± ss that Ethan and I attended together, and the dueling practice in the ¡°Application of Magical Swordsmanship¡± ss, I had managed to reach a new level. ¡°Leveling up in this world is absurdly difficult.¡± If only leveling up were easier, my progress would be much smoother. But at least I wasn¡¯tgging behind as a second-year student in the Academy¡¯s Magic Department, so I had to be grateful for that. Of course, my level-up also meant that Ethan, who had more opportunities to gain experience, had likely leveled up as well. And so, the two of us now stood in the training yard, swords in hand, staring each other down. ...Both of us breathing heavily, showing signs of exhaustion.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Hoo... Hoo... Hoo...¡± ¡°Hah... Hah... Hah...¡± In the shared ss between the Magic and Swordsmanship Departments for second-year students, ¡°Application of Magical Swordsmanship,¡± it wasn¡¯t typical for a first-division student like Ethan and a second-division student like me to be paired for a duel. However, with the changes in Professor Harold¡¯s curriculum, we found ourselves squaring off with swords in hand. ¡°This is really intense...¡± I thought, struggling to keep up. After exchanging several dozen blows, my mind was starting to wear down from the sheer mental strain. Given my current state, there was no way I could win a one-on-one swordfight with Ethan. My strategy had been to predict his moves and react quickly, using the knowledge I had gained from observing him closely over the past two years. At least, with Ethan, I could rely on these little tricks to hold my ground. But when it came to dueling other first-division students, it was hopeless¡ªa one-sided match, no matter what. Whether it was offense, defense, or anything else, the heroes of the first division were simply on another level. Natalie¡¯s swordsmanship was sharp and precise, able to strike multiple times per second, far faster than my own movements with a dagger. Karaham¡¯s massive sword, while slow, was so powerful that blocking or defending against it wasn¡¯t even an option for me. ¡°The first-division Swordsmanship Department is full of monsters...¡± Even though this world was built around swordsmanship and magic, it seemed unbnced to have a department with one heroine and two mid-bosses. And among them, Ethan was arguably the most challenging opponent for me due to his superior reach, speed, and power. The only way I managed to hold my ground was by using tricks and because Ethan hesitated when fighting me. This hesitation gave me a few openings to counterattack, allowing me to survive a little longer in our duels. For the record, Professor Harold wasn¡¯t forcing me to duel against first-division students as some kind of punishment for my performancest semester. There were four other students who rotated weekly to spar with the first division or Harold himself. These five of us were recognized by Harold as ¡°1.5-division¡± students, having managed to impress him bynding a hit on himst semester. Our role was to serve as a bridge, training with both the first and second divisions to facilitate overall growth in the academy. The downside was that this put us in a position where we were constantly outmatched, losing in duels against both first and second-division students. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder... fighting without being able to break through an Arcane Shield is almost impossible.¡± First-division students could easily cut through an Arcane Shield with pure swordsmanship. Not only that, but they could slice through most defensive spells with ease. For us, however, using defensive spells in our duels provided no real advantage, as they could still pierce through our shields andnd their blows. To make matters worse, we 1.5-division students hadn¡¯t yet reached the level where we could break through an Arcane Shield with just our swordsmanship. I could manage it with supplementary magic, but since magic was prohibited during duels, I couldn¡¯t use that technique. So, even if I managed tond the first blow, the shield would absorb it, leaving me vulnerable to a counterattack. This made me realize just how remarkable it was that first-division students could shatter an Arcane Shield with pure swordsmanship. Professor Harold probably anticipated this skill gap. He was likely using these intense training sessions to push us 1.5-division students towards the level where we could break through shields with our swordsmanship alone. While I could feel that my sword strikes had grown stronger over the course of the semester, my mental stamina was wearing thin. In a moment of carelessness, Ethan closed the distance and knocked the dagger from my hand with a powerful strike. -ng! ¡°Ugh?!¡± Before I could recover from the shock of the impact, Ethan¡¯s other sword came flying towards my opposite hand. As I hastily tried to draw another dagger from my waist, Ethan grabbed my wrist and wrenched the weapon from my grip. -ng! ¡°Ahh!¡± With both daggers knocked from my hands, I felt Ethan¡¯s grip on my wrists as he pinned me to the ground. I waspletely overpowered, ending up t on my back with Ethan leaning over me. -Thud. ¡°Do you want to continue, Lillis?¡± Ethan asked, slightly out of breath. ¡°I concede, Master Ethan,¡± I replied, acknowledging my defeat. It was a humiliating loss, leaving me feeling utterly powerless. Chapter 198 That afternoon, after the humiliating defeat during my sparring session with Ethan, we sat down for lunch. But I couldn¡¯t help noticing how awkward Ethan seemed¡ªhe kept ncing at me, almost as if he were worried about something. ¡°...Hmm.¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± Since enrolling in the academy, Ethan had be more confident, but today, his behavior was getting on my nerves. The tense atmosphere made it hard to enjoy my meal, so I finally decided to break the silence. ¡°Master Ethan, do you realize that your constant worrying is making me feel even more ufortable?¡± I asked, trying to sound calm. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Lillis.¡± He looked genuinely apologetic. ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯re trying to make me forget about our duel in the ¡®Application of Magical Swordsmanship¡¯ ss by making me feel uneasy? If so, that¡¯s quite a strategy.¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not my intention at all¡­¡± he stammered. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going through his mind. It wasn¡¯t like he hadmitted a crime by defeating me. After all, as a 1.5-division student, I would likely have to spar with him another one or two times this semester. If he kept acting like this after every duel, it would be endless. ¡°Just so you know, Master Ethan, I wasn¡¯t emotionally scarred by losing to you.¡± ¡°I know, Lillis. You¡¯re not the type to be upset over something like that.¡± ¡°Are you sure you know that?¡± I pressed, sensing his hesitation. ¡°But really, it didn¡¯t bother you at all?¡± he asked, still unsure. ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. And it won¡¯t in the future, either. If anything, I was more worried that you¡¯d want me to act like I was upset so you could enjoy the feeling of victory.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to do that, so don¡¯t worry...¡± Ethan finally managed a small, relieved smile, seemingly reassured by my words. ¡°Yeah, I was overthinking it. You¡¯re stronger than anyone else I know, Lillis.¡± ¡°Not necessarily, but I won¡¯t get down over losing a mock duel in ss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that duel today. What exactly was the point of it?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Ethan¡¯s expression tightened, surprised that I was bringing this up. I didn¡¯t give him time to recover, insteadunching into a critique of the sparring match. ¡°What was that about, Master Ethan? Not once did you actually aim your sword at me. In a duel between swordsmen, shouldn¡¯t the first targets be the wrists and waist? What¡¯s the point of holding back?¡± ¡°I-I was just worried I might not be able to control my strength...¡± he admitted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why the seniors from the Divine Arts Department cast Heavenly Shields on us before each duel? The duel is designed so that the shield breaks if we take a serious hit.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°B-but it¡¯s still dangerous. If I identally caused more damage than the shield could handle, you could really get hurt, and I don¡¯t want to see you injured, Lillis...¡± ¡°It¡¯s more embarrassing for me to bebeled a swordsman who lost because my opponent held back, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Lillis. I didn¡¯t consider that.¡± Ethan¡¯s shoulders slumped as he realized his mistake. It was obvious to anyone watching that he had held back, trying to find the safest way to subdue me. That¡¯s why our duel had dragged on so long. When I sparred with Bolt, Natalie, or Karaham, they didn¡¯t hold back, and I quickly lost as soon as my Heavenly Shield was broken. But with Ethan, as soon as my shield was about halfway depleted, he started to go easy on me. That¡¯s why the duel had dragged on unnecessarily, and why I had even managed to appear somewhat equal to him for a moment. If we had fought at full strength, I wouldn¡¯t havested two minutes against Ethan. That¡¯s the reality of a close-quarters duel between a mage and a swordsman. There was no way I, who used swordsmanship as a supplementary skill, could defeat someone who used magic as a supplementary tool to enhance their swordsmanship. ¡°Please, next time we spar, don¡¯t hold back like that, Master Ethan. It doesn¡¯t help my growth, and it¡¯s detrimental to your own swordsmanship as well.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry, Lillis.¡± ¡°Even if the Heavenly Shield breaks and I get hurt, I won¡¯t me you. Besides, we live in an age where even if you lose a limb, the church can reattach it almost immediately.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s a bit extreme, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ethan responded, looking slightly rmed. ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to take the duel seriously, Master Ethan.¡± ...Honestly, he¡¯s still just a kid, no matter how you look at it. ? ? ? ¡°Have a good afternoon, Lillis. I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± ¡°See you this evening, Master Ethan.¡± After our somewhat stern conversation during lunch, Ethan and I parted ways, heading in opposite directions for our afternoon sses. ¡°I might have been a bit harsh with Ethan today.¡± But it was necessary. His mindset during the duel had beenpletely off. Ethan knew better than anyone what it meant to hold back during a duel¡ªespecially with someone like me who was determined to grow stronger. If he let these small hesitations continue, they could lead to fatal mistakester. Better to hear harsh words from me now than to lose his head because of indecisionter. -Step, step, step. ¡°Is there something else you need to say?¡± I hadn¡¯t walked far before I heard footsteps behind me. At first, I thought Ethan might havee back for another conversation, but as I nced back, I realized that wasn¡¯t the case. The footsteps belonged to someone else¡ªsomeone I had hoped to avoid at all costs within the academy. ¡°Master Ethan? Do you have something else to say¡ª¡± ¡°Long time no see, bold littledy.¡± ¡°Ah, damn it¡­¡± I barely managed to stop myself from cursing out loud, but I couldn¡¯t hide the displeasure on my face. Seeing my reaction, McHart smiled and leaned closer. Remembering his abilities toote, I tried to step back, but his hand was quicker, grabbing mine before I could react. By the time I realized the danger, it was already toote. -Grab! A shroud of darkness engulfed us, the air around us thickening with McHart¡¯s dark magic. In an instant, I was pulled into his realm, trapped in the space he controlled. ¡°Shit, I let my guard down.¡± I shook off his grip and backed away, but McHart¡¯s Inner Darkness wasn¡¯t a space I could simply escape by putting distance between us. There was no point in cursing anyone but myself for being so careless. I¡¯d gotten toofortable in the recent peaceful days and had momentarily forgotten that Luminor Academy was a ce meant to gather a demon king¡¯s hunting party, filled with dangers like this. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I had the right person, but it looks like I found you after all.¡± ¡°I apologize for my behavior at the banquet, Prince McHart Paris Valtoria.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to force an apology you don¡¯t mean. I already know it¡¯s not sincere.¡± ¡°No, I truly regret the mistakes I made back then¡­¡± ¡°If you really meant that, you would¡¯vee to my quarters in the guest residence to apologize. It¡¯s not exactly hard to find my location here at the academy, is it?¡± ¡°...¡± McHart stepped closer with that eerie smile, his ck aura surrounding us. The world around us had been consumed by darkness, with only a small area around us still visible, as if we were standing in a spotlight within his domain. ...Now that he had dragged me into this space, there was no point in pretending or being polite anymore. ¡°Ah, fuck. You¡¯re a real piece of shit, aren¡¯t you?¡± McHart¡¯s grin widened into a sickening curve. Just looking at him made me feel like the lunch I had eaten was going toe back up¡ªit was that nauseating. Chapter 199 McHart Paris Valtoria, the Fourth Prince. He was the only one among Seraphine''s blood rtives to have connections with demons, making him a kind of spy for the Demon King''s army. In the original storyline, he wasn¡¯t supposed to engage in his first battle until around the fourth part, which meant he was strong enough to showcase hisbat abilities only in thetter half of the story. ...And although I don¡¯t want to admit this before the battle even begins, Lillis, as just a maid, couldn¡¯t possibly win against him alone. It wasn¡¯t just that she couldn¡¯t win "at this point." From the start, McHart was someone who would require the stats of a hero at the end of part four to defeat. For Lillis to reach that level, it would have to be near the end of part five. In terms of levels, she was barely at one-fourth of what was needed, around levels 6 to 70,pared to her current state. ¡®I''ve been so focused on Agnes and Prince Antonio¡¯s situation that I didn¡¯t notice the beehive I was poking...¡¯ Distracted by the unfolding rtionship between those two, which was deviating from the original storyline, I failed to prepare for the imminent danger approaching me. If I had known he would approach like this, I might have swallowed my pride and asked Ethan to escort me to the magic department building for a while, at least until McHart lost interest in me.@@novelbin@@ McHart¡¯s unique ability, "Inner Darkness," was a mental prison that could only trap one person at a time. It was essentially an assassination-specialized power. ¡®He probably used this ability to kill Philipson and the First Empress.¡¯ Considering his assassination-specialized power and his free ess to roam the royal pce, it would have been easy for McHart tomit regicide. Even if he had a sudden change of heart, and let me go safely from this space, it was unlikely for someone who was involved in the deaths of his foster mother and half-brother to show mercy to a lower noble like me. Another option would be to escape by slicing through or destroying the space itself with master-level swordsmanship or magic. Of course, I was neither a master swordsman nor a skilled magician, so escaping on my own was impossible. If nothing else worked, thest resort would be to kill the caster of this mental magic. "Hmm, interesting. Most youngdies who first arrive here usually tremble in fear or scream." "...So what?" "Unlike them, you¡¯re neither scared nor noisy." I mentally ran through a simtion of how I would sever McHart''s head, who was grinning at me. Taking the dagger from my inner pocket and aiming it at his neck would be too big a movement, and he¡¯d easily counter it. If I took out the dagger from under my skirt, I could reduce the time needed to strike, but to actually kill him with a de, I¡¯d need the speed of someone like the Hero or Natalie. Either that or make himpletely drop his guard. Using magic was also out of the question since Icked the firepower, and trying to cast arge spell like Mana st would undoubtedly be stopped before I could even finish the incantation. Adding to that, trying to obtain a skill with the few remaining skill points I had left didn¡¯t seem promising either. As I kept my guard up, unable to hide my tension, McHart¡¯s previously smiling eyes started to quietly focus on me, and the unnerving gaze made me curse involuntarily. "What are you staring at, you bastard?" "I thought about this before, but it seems like you¡¯re not the most polite youngdy. Didn¡¯t your etiquette teacher instruct you properly?" "Did your mother teach you to go around ripping through the virginity of stupid, brainless sluts?" "Ha, ha...¡± "What¡¯s so funny, bastard? Your face is hideous." "Pffft, ahahaha...! That¡¯s quite a fresh reaction. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard something like this. Truly refreshing, hahaha...¡± ...Look at this jerk,ughing as if he¡¯s all cool. To him, being called ugly must be a joke. The reason he was involved in the murders of the First Empress and the Crown Prince was to conceal his hideous face. I knew the real reason behind his fake handsome face and why he acted so arrogantly. He had always had low self-esteem about his appearance, so once he learned a "handsome spell" overnight, he began to use it as he pleased. To be exact, it wasn¡¯t a spell that made him handsome, but rather a wide-range perception-distortion spell that made his face appear handsome to others. Annoyed by my insult, he leaned his face even closer to mine. "Say that again? What did you say about my face...?" ¡°Get your ugly mug out of my face, you bastard!¡± "......" ¡°Did your mother eat seaweed soup after giving birth to you? The Third Empress must have had a strong stomach to put up with you.¡± "I¡¯m not sure what seaweed soup is, but I can tell that you¡¯re insulting me and my mother." "Even a goblin would understand that much. Or is your mother a goblin, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re proud of your goblin-level intelligence? What a stupid thing to brag about." "......" Deliberately poking at his insecurities about his appearance, I could see a dark gaze slowly focusing on me from McHart. Even with the slightly changed atmosphere, I could tell that the situation was not in my favor. "Clearly, you weren¡¯t trying to provoke me on purpose to gain my attention. At first, I thought you were a youngdy trying a new approach to catch my eye." "Shut up and keep those delusional thoughts to yourself." "If you were merely trying to get my attention with low-ss insults, I would have ended this already... but I''ve changed my mind." "What does it matter to me if you¡¯ve changed your mind...?" Smack! "...You, be my woman." ¡°You son of a...!¡± A ck hand emerged from the darkness, grabbing one of my wrists, while two more hands rose from the floor, pinning my legs down. Completely restrained and unable to escape, McHart leaned in close to my face again. "Let go, you bastard!" "Perhaps you misunderstood me earlier." "...What?" "I¡¯ll rephrase it. You, be my wife." ¡°¡­¡­¡± "Don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a bad deal. Do you think just anyone gets a chance to be a prince''s wife? Especially as the wife of the extremely handsome Prince McHart, thepetition is quite fierce." "That¡¯s nonsense." "But I like you, so I¡¯ll make you my first wife. I¡¯m not sure if there will be a second one, but at least it¡¯s not such a bad offer for you..." Spit! ¡°Screw you, you bastard.¡± Who does he think he is, proposing to someone who¡¯s already taken? Well, not that I¡¯m actually taken, but I would refuse him even if he were thest man on Earth. The idea of marrying a man is revolting enough, but marrying someone like him, who¡¯s involved with demons? Just thinking about being tied to him at this time and ce, and possibly being destroyed along with him, is enough to make me lose sleep. Tears streaming down ¡°Ha! Hahaha! Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!!!¡± Despite the spit running down between his brows, McHartughed like a madman, unfazed. With both my legs and right arm bound, I reached for a hidden dagger tied under my skirt with my free left hand. ¡°It¡¯s not such a bad offer. If you promise to marry me and prove it, I¡¯ll let you go and overlook the rudeness you¡¯ve shown.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one being rude, you bastard.¡± "With your current abilities, you can¡¯t escape from here on your own. I looked into it, and you¡¯re not even at the Expert level, let alone Master level, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°All you have to do is make one promise. Promise to marry me and be my first wife, and seal it with a kiss on my lips. It¡¯s simple, isn¡¯t it?¡± "Is eating through your rear the trend in the pce these days? Because all I hear from your mouth is crap." ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind shy youngdies either.¡± ¡°Get your face out of mine, you bastard!¡± Without another word, McHart leaned in, pressing his lips towards me, his face creeping closer. ...I kept cursing him, ying the helpless maid, all while waiting for the right moment to strike. As his lips came within reach, I didn¡¯t hesitate. I swung the silver dagger in my left hand at his throat, feeling the de make contact. The sensation of the de slicing through flesh, tearing muscles as it plunged in. Squelch! ...The only regret was that the de didn¡¯t hit his neck but somewhere else. Drip, drip... ¡°Ha, this is...¡± ¡°You bastard...¡± ¡°Not only shy but also a dangerous and wild youngdy.¡± Just before the de could reach his neck, McHart blocked its path with his right arm, causing the dagger to embed in his forearm instead of his throat. ¡°I had a hunch when you didn¡¯t drop your guard even at thest moment, but to think you¡¯d still swing a de in this situation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly insane...¡± "They say beautiful mushrooms are often poisonous. I¡¯m d I was cautious before eating." It wasn¡¯t a joke¡ªI had intended to kill him with that strike. Since I couldn¡¯t escape unless I killed him, it was better to kill him and escape. Furthermore, if I killed him here, it would make progressing through the main storyline easier in many ways, and with him dead, the demons¡¯ ns would be disrupted. Of course, I would be executed for regicide afterward, but if I was going to die anyway, I might as well take him down with me. As the futile attempt ended and the surge of frustration and sadness began to well up inside me, the darkness surrounding me and McHart suddenly dissipated, and the familiar scenery of the academy began to reappear. "Unfortunately, we¡¯ll have to end things here for today. I would have liked to y with you a bit longer, but I¡¯ve lost too much blood." "...What?" "See you next time, shy and dangerous youngdy." ng! "..." McHart casually pulled out the silver dagger embedded in his forearm and tossed it to the ground. Then, as if nothing had happened, he began walking towards the church. Watching his shameless back, I was too drained to chase after him and could only copse to the ground. Plop. ¡°Ha, ha-ha, ha...¡± ...For a while, I think I¡¯ll have to stick close to Ethan or Agnes. Chapter 201 "Hmm..." Ethan¡¯s expression hardened, clearly displeased, when I mentioned that we should meet with Bolt. ¡®He really doesn¡¯t like him.¡¯ Strictly speaking, Bolt hadn¡¯t directly harmed Ethan up to this point. The person possessing the hero might even be confused about whether Ethan was a viin or not. If Bolt had been certain that Ethan was the antagonist, he would have already warned him to release Lillis. In the original storyline, after receiving such a warning from the hero, Ethan and Lillis would have fled to the ckwood estate, where they would go into hiding. The hero¡¯s pursuit of them at the ckwood estate was a major plot point in thetter half of Part 2 of Luminor Academy. Of course, in reality, if that had happened, Ethan would likely have stood his ground and shed with the hero, leading to a bloody confrontation at the academy. As it stands, I¡¯ve never heard of Ethan receiving any direct threats or attacks from Bolt. In fact, after the Kraken subjugation, Bolt had even helped save my life by teaching CPR. Although Bolt had repeatedly approached Ethan despite being warned to stay away and had indirectly caused trouble by instigating Natalie¡¯s drunken outburst using Seraphine, these weren¡¯t actions that would have earned Ethan¡¯s deep-seated hatred. However, it¡¯s understandable that Ethan would be wary of a hero who always has women by his side. If I were in Ethan¡¯s position, I wouldn¡¯t want to get too close to him either. Ethan¡¯s concern that Bolt might steal me away was hard to shake off easily. After all, Lillis was one of the main heroines in the original game Luminor Academy, so his concern wasn¡¯t entirely unfounded. "Of course, I understand that you¡¯re not particrly fond of Bolt, young master Ethan." "...I can¡¯t deny that." "But right now, neither you nor Bolt have the strength to defeat demons or those who have been empowered by them. It¡¯s not just you, young master Ethan; the hero is probably not at that level yet either." "...If that¡¯s the case, then why do you think we should involve the hero?" "Because the hero is the only one who can cut down demons without bowing to status or power." "..." At present, Bolt doesn¡¯t hold any special noble title. He¡¯s simply known as the "Hero of Another World" or the "Prophesied Hero." In other words, he¡¯s a person free from the burdens of responsibility and rank, which is why he¡¯s able to cause such a stir both inside and outside the academy without facing serious repercussions. It would be unwise to reprimand a hero summoned from another world for his behavior, as it might lead to usations of being in league with the demons. The fact that Bolt enjoys such freedom isrgely due to his sess in reducing the number of demons, thus maintaining his influence. In any case, Bolt is likely moving forward with his goal of clearing the game and is aware that McHart is a major antagonist in Part 4, so he wouldn¡¯t pass up the chance to deal with him in advance. If Bolt understood the seriousness of my proposal, he would likely agree to help. ¡®If I were to gather people and ask for help myself, it would raise suspicion. But no one would find it strange if the hero gathered people to hunt demons.¡¯ If Ethan or I asked another powerful figure for help¡ªsaying that someone important in the state seemed to be connected to demons and we needed to unite to take them down¡ªwe would likely be dismissed with, "Are you out of your mind?" at best. Even if it went well, we¡¯d still risk being used of treason. However, if the hero Bolt and the saintess Celesta gathered people for a demon hunt, that would be a different story. Those who had previously fought alongside Bolt and Celesta in demon subjugations would have some trust in them, and with the hero and the saintess on our side, revealing McHart¡¯s connection to demons wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Of course, I was referring to the true saintess who could wield the power of a saint, not the fake saintess Celesta. ¡®...This isplicated.¡¯ Given the nature of the enemy, there was much to be done not only in killing McHart but also in dealing with the aftermath. That¡¯s why we needed the help of Bolt and Celesta, who would understand the situation and cooperate once it was exined to them, no matter how much Ethan disliked the idea. "Alright, Lillis, since you¡¯re insisting, it looks like I¡¯ll have to meet with him at least once." "Are you sure about this, young master Ethan?" "I don¡¯t like the thought of him keeping women on all sides of him, but it seems we need his help right now." "Thank you for your brave decision, young master Ethan." "So, how do you n to arrange this meeting, Lillis? It seems difficult to approach Princess Seraphine given that your rtionship isn¡¯t what it used to be." "I¡¯ll ask Miss Agnes for help. She¡¯s my friend and has worked with the hero before." "Alright, I¡¯ll leave the arrangements to you, then." Our emergency meeting ended with a final note of caution to keep the uing secret meeting confidential. After several attempts, I finally managed to arrange a meeting with Bolt. ? ? ? The day after I convinced Ethan to meet with Bolt, I managed to set a time and ce for the meeting through Agnes¡¯s mediation. One weekter, in the theology building of Luminor Academy. The meeting ce was a room on the fifth floor of a massive church that housed the Aurelia Church Academy branch, the theology department¡¯s educational building, and the theology dormitory. We chose the church as our gathering ce for two main reasons. First, the church was a ce where hundreds of patients and Aurelia Church believers came and went daily, so a student from another department visiting wouldn¡¯t draw much attention. Second, since Celesta resided in the church, we wouldn¡¯t need to find a separate ce to meet. Bolt, Celesta, Ethan, myself, and Agnes, who had helped arrange the meeting, gathered in Celesta¡¯s dormitory room on the fifth floor of the theology building. As the person who had set up the meeting, I was the first to speak and exin the situation. "First of all, I¡¯d like to thank the hero and the saintess for responding to my sudden request." "Oh, no... It¡¯s only natural that we respond if Miss Lillis requests it..." "It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t have any ns before the evaluation anyway. Don¡¯t worry about it, Lillis." "...You might want to be a little more mindful. It seems you¡¯re being overly familiar with my personal maid..." "Young master Ethan, please restrain yourself. These people are here at my request." "...Sorry, Lillis." I had to caution Ethan before the meeting even began to prevent him from creating an unpleasant atmosphere, and then I quickly ryed the story to Bolt and Celesta. I exined the recent attack by Prince McHart and how he had used demonic power to target me. Since this meeting was meant to persuade not only the hero but also Celesta, I gave a detailed ount of what had happened that day. As my story went on, I could see the expressions of both of them grow darker. "Is that really true, Miss Lillis...?" "...Saintess Celesta, isn¡¯t your way of addressing me a bit too formal?" "Wait, McHart targeted you? Was it because of that incident where you insulted him at Prince Antonio¡¯s birthday banquet?" "Yes. It seems I¡¯ve thoroughly earned his dislike. I was fortunate to escape unscathed this time, but I doubt I¡¯ll be as lucky if it happens again." "Lately, I¡¯ve been sticking close to ckwood and keeping an eye on him. Since he¡¯s using demonic power, who knows what he might do, but it¡¯s definitely safer to face him together than alone." "Has the story changed again? What¡¯s the best way to handle this..." "...Story?" "Ah, nothing. Just talking to myself." Bolt muttered to himself, lowering his head after listening to Agnes¡¯s additional exnation. Only Ethan seemed puzzled by his muttering, while Celesta and Agnes didn¡¯t appear particrly suspicious, as if they were used to it. Celesta, in particr, had been acting strange, avoiding eye contact with me as if she were guilty of something, and had been calling me "Miss Lillis" in an overly formal manner since the beginning. It was clear that something was off with her. But now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about her reaction; we needed to discuss how to deal with McHart first. After considering the altered scenario I had shared, Bolt carefully began to speak. "Actually, I had my suspicions too. I sensed demonic energying from Prince McHart." "...Really?" "That reaction seems a bit dubious. Are you just pretending to agree with Lillis now?" "No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just that, since we¡¯re dealing with a prince, I¡¯ve been trying to be cautious with my words. If I wrongly used a real prince of being a demon and killed him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid punishment, even as a hero." "......" "Besides, I wasn¡¯t the one who first noticed it. It was Celesta who did. I only started suspecting after she mentioned it... isn¡¯t that right, Celesta?" "Y-Yes! I¡¯ve thought something was off about Prince McHart from the first time I saw him! There was just something strange about his aura and presence..." ...It seemed they were trying to go with the narrative that they had "already suspected" McHart from the start. Although I could tell from Celesta¡¯s reaction that she hadn¡¯t known and didn¡¯t yet have the means to detect demonic power, I didn¡¯t point it out for the sake of the discussion. "I see, Hero Bolt. So, may I understand your words to mean that you believe what I¡¯ve said?" "If it involves demons, of course, I have no choice but to help. Having a demon spy within the royal pce is particrly dangerous. It could lead to a crisis for Seraphine, and leaving a demon agent in the pce could allow other demons to spread across the Empire." "Thank you, hero." "...However, before I agree to help, there¡¯s onest thing I need to confirm." "What is it?" All eyes turned to Bolt as he fixed his gaze squarely on me.@@novelbin@@ "Miss Lillis, could you step outside with me for a moment?" "Excuse me?" "I¡¯d like to speak with you alone, without anyone else." ...Did he figure it out? Chapter 202 "No, I can¡¯t allow that." Before Bolt could finish his sentence about wanting to talk alone, Ethan grabbed my arm, firmly rejecting the request. ¡®¡­This is expected.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t surprised by Ethan''s reaction to Bolt''s request. I had somewhat anticipated this response and remained calm. Since I knew I¡¯d need to persuade Ethan first, I didn¡¯t bother getting up to follow Bolt. Ethan''s dislike for Boltrgely stemmed from the sheer number of women who surrounded the hero. Even before the academy¡¯s entrance ceremony, both Celesta and Sillena were constantly by his side, and even Princess Seraphine showed some favor toward him by granting his unreasonable requests. Although in this world, Natalie and Agnes only maintained a proper acquaintance with Bolt, in the original story, they were considered potential heroines as well. It was natural for Ethan to be wary of Bolt approaching me. ¡°I was suspicious from the moment you agreed so readily, but now you¡¯re finally showing your true colors.¡± ¡°Huh? True colors?¡± ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice that you¡¯ve been targeting my Lillis? It was suspicious how your gaze constantly drifted toward her during every magic swordsmanship ss, and now that you have a chance, you¡¯re not going to pass it up, are you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that she looked much better than in the original¡­¡± -Thud!- ¡°Looked better?! Are you daring to evaluate my Lillis with that filthy mouth of yours?!¡± ¡°E-Ethan, please calm down!¡± ¡°No, no! I misspoke! I¡¯ll apologize, so please calm down for a moment!¡± ¡°Eek! Please, don¡¯t swing your sword indoors!¡± Ethan, who mistook Bolt''s careless words as ament on my appearance, was about to draw his sword in anger, almost causing a scene in Celesta¡¯s dormitory. While Bolt was at fault for making such a misunderstanding, Ethan was also at fault for reaching for his sword as soon as he misunderstood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I truly didn¡¯t mean anything inappropriate by what I said. The reason my eyes were often drawn to Lillis was simply because the rtionship between you and her doesn¡¯t seem like a typical master-servant rtionship, which I found intriguing.¡± ¡°¡­You still haven¡¯t exined what you meant by ¡®looked better.¡¯¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°That was just an impression I got because you two seem to get along much better than what¡¯s usual for a noble and their exclusive maid. Normally, nobles who bring their maids to an academy tend to be authoritarian and mistreat their servants, but Lillis doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s been mistreated. That¡¯s why I blurted out that she looked better.¡± ¡°¡­Be more careful with your words in the future.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± Bolt managed to smooth things over with a usible excuse, temporarily dispelling the misunderstanding. If only he could be as careful with his words all the time. Unlike me, Bolt openly acknowledges that he¡¯s from another world, but he should still be careful not to mention anything rted to the original game, Luminor Academy. Even if his situation is different from mine, he shouldn¡¯t be so careless. ¡°And just to rify, I¡¯m not interested in Lillis in that way.¡± ¡°How can I believe that? I remember that since the entrance ceremony, you¡¯ve always been surrounded by women. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, ckwood, but I didn¡¯t gather them with romantic intentions. I just happened to have many women in my group because I was assembling people to fight against the demons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather weak excuse to dismiss such suspicions.¡± ¡°I truly have no improper intentions, so what more can I say? You know it¡¯s harder to prove something you didn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And besides, weren¡¯t we all gathered here to protect Lillis from Prince McHart? Even if you¡¯re suspicious of me, that shoulde after we deal with McHart, who¡¯s already attacked Lillis once.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a valid point.¡± Bolt¡¯s logic finally calmed Ethan down. It was fortunate that Bolt could exin things calmly. If I had tried to use the same logic to persuade Ethan, it wouldn¡¯t have had the same effecting from me as it did from the hero. ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand why you need to talk to Lillis alone. Dealing with Prince McHart, who¡¯s rted to the demons, should be your priority as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I need to confirm some things.¡± ¡°¡­Confirm what?¡± ¡°I want to verify whether Lillis genuinely discovered Prince McHart¡¯s connection to the demons, or if she just doesn¡¯t like him and is making up stories. As an ally, I need to be sure.¡± ¡°¡­Are you suggesting that Lillis might be lying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility. I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s lying, but I can¡¯t act hastily based on one person¡¯s word alone. I need to confirm the truth before proceeding.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Well, Ethan tends to prioritize emotions over logic when ites to matters involving me. Right now, Bolt¡¯s reasoning was sound by any standard. On the other hand, Ethan seemed stubborn, almost as if he was letting his personal feelings cloud his judgment, making it hard for him to argue his point effectively. ¡°I¡¯m not nning anything strange. The hero¡¯s holy sword has the power to discern truth. I just need Lillis to hold it, and I¡¯ll be able to tell if she¡¯s telling the truth.¡± ¡°Then why do you need to talk alone?¡± ¡°If other people are nearby, their magic could interfere, making it difficult to get a clear reading. Also, I¡¯m the only one who knows how to use the sword for this purpose. It¡¯s just a practical reason, so don¡¯t think too much of it, ckwood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hearing that the hero¡¯s sword had such a power, Ethan couldn¡¯t find a reason to argue and fell silent. Bolt¡¯s reasoning meant that Ethan had no legitimate grounds to stop him from speaking to me alone, leaving him feeling troubled. There¡¯s no need for Ethan to worry¡ªI won¡¯t be swayed by the hero. While it was nice to see how much he cared for me, I didn¡¯t like seeing him troubled over unnecessary worries. ¡°It won¡¯t take long. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes. If you want, ckwood, I can promise not to approach your Lillis after this McHart situation is resolved.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to be in the same boat, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could trust me a little.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. But stick to those ten minutes. That should be enough time to discern the truth from Lillis¡¯ words, right?¡± ¡°Thanks, ckwood. Lillis, could you step outside with me for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Bolt. ¡­I¡¯ll be back, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Following Bolt, I stepped outside Celesta¡¯s dormitory, and we moved to a deserted corner of the corridor. Once we were far enough from Celesta¡¯s dorm, Bolt pulled out hisrge sword, still in its sheath, and handed it to me. ¡°Lillis, could you hold this? You need to be holding the sword to discern the truth.¡± ¡°Discern the truth? Like hell. There¡¯s no such function in the holy sword, is there? You just made that up, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re the variable that changed things. I had a feeling.¡± As soon as we were alone, my demeanor shifted, and Bolt rxed, understanding what was going on. I also felt a strange sense of calm upon meeting someone from my home world for the first time in nearly seven years. It seemed that Bolt had gone through quite the trouble to find me. ¡°At first, I thought Ethan had been possessed or had time-traveled. He was nothing like the Ethan from Luminor Academy. How on earth did you manage to turn him into such a decent person?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time for small talk. Let¡¯s get to the point. Ethan gave me ten minutes, so let¡¯s focus on the essentials. Isn¡¯t that what this meeting is for?¡± ¡°Ah, right. But still, hold the sword. Someone might walk by and see us, and we don¡¯t want to give the wrong impression.¡± I took the holy sword that Bolt handed me. As he said, if I wasn¡¯t holding something like this, it might indeed look like we were sneaking off for a private rendezvous. ¡°Let¡¯s alternate between questions and answers. If there¡¯s anything crucial that needs to be said, just say it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally talk to someone who understands. It¡¯s been exhausting talking to these people.¡± ¡°If you want to chat, let me start with a question. How many times did you clear Luminor Academy in your past life?¡± ¡°I never cleared it, not even once.¡± ¡°Really? For someone who never cleared the game, you¡¯ve managed to bring Celesta and Sillena along¡­ Wait, what?!¡± The moment I learned that Bolt was from the same world as me, I felt a wave of betrayal. How could someone who had never cleared the game get everything right up to this point in the second half of the story? Is that even possible? ¡®What kind of person is this¡­?¡¯ Whether he was lying or telling the truth, it didn¡¯t take long to realize that this guy was anything but ordinary. Chapter 203 I was quite taken aback by Bolt''s words, "I''ve never cleared it even once." Luminor Academy? Never cleared it? Then how has he managed to progress this far without making any mistakes? ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ve never cleared it?!¡± ¡°Keep your voice down. You¡¯re going to let the whole dorm hear.¡± ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯ve never cleared it, how did you get this far?¡± ¡°We agreed to take turns asking questions, didn¡¯t we? I just answered, so it¡¯s my turn now, right?¡± ¡°¡­Right. Go ahead, ask your question.¡± While I was trying to wrap my head around the idea of a hero who had never cleared the game, Bolt posed his first question to me. ¡°What exactly happened with Ethan to make him change so drastically? Did the original Ethan get swapped out with someone else? Or did you apply some sort of ¡®Ethan re-modeling¡¯ mod?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. He just changed gradually as I tried to avoid getting attacked by him.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know anything with that kind of exnation? Surely there¡¯s something specific you did.¡± ¡°¡­I got sick of watching him harass and do disgusting things, so I cursed him out a few times, and then he changed. I don¡¯t know the exact mechanism behind it. This is my first time navigating the game world as Lillis, so how would I know?¡± I didn¡¯t bother mentioning that I nearly strangled him to death withundry. If that were to slip out in the wrong context, it mighte back to bite meter. ¡°Is that all it took to change Ethan? That doesn¡¯t seem likely¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s my turn to ask a question now.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, fine.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve never cleared the game, then how did you manage to get this far? The fake saintess plotline with Celesta and the twist with Sillena are only things you¡¯d know on a second ythrough.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t clear it, but I yed it ¡®by the book¡¯ up until now. I followed a walkthrough someone posted on LuaGal after ying the game 25 times. I just didn¡¯t make it to the end, but I got as far as the final battle against the Demon King.¡± ¡°Oh, so you were following a guide. Guess I was worried for nothing.¡± ¡­If he had said that from the start, it would have saved me the trouble of getting confused. For a moment, I felt like I had wasted a question. ¡®¡­Wait a second, did he just say 25 ythroughs?¡¯ ¡°Can I ask my next question now?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, go ahead.¡± Before I could process the thought, Bolt hit me with his next question. ¡°You said you¡¯re not sure how Ethan changed, so I¡¯ll let that slide, but what do you think of Ethan now?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been by his side the most, so you should have some idea. Do you think he¡¯ll end up as a viin or a hero?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­ But what if he does turn out to be a viin?¡± ¡°It would be unsettling if someone you know became a viin, but if it¡¯s necessary for clearing the game, I¡¯ll do what I have to as the protagonist.¡± ¡­So if he¡¯s not a viin, there¡¯s no reason to fight him. While I didn¡¯t like how Bolt¡¯s tone made it sound like he¡¯d casually dispose of Ethan for the sake of the game, it also showed he was serious about clearing it. Honestly, I¡¯d rather have someone who follows the standard ythrough. It means there are fewer variables I need to consider. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say for sure if he¡¯ll be a hero, but he definitely won¡¯t be a viin.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°In the original game, Ethan only became a viin because he¡­ I mean, because he abused Lillis. Since there¡¯s no abuse, there¡¯s no reason for him to be a viin. Besides, Ethan¡¯s storyline didn¡¯t involve any connection to demons.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. He doesn¡¯t seem to be someone who¡¯s been abused. In fact, it looks like he cares for you a lot.¡± ¡°Well, we are dating, after all.¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± ¡°Keep your voice down. They¡¯ll hear you inside.¡± Bolt stared at me with wide eyes, clearly shocked by what I¡¯d just said. There was no reason to keep it a secret, so I told him the truth. Besides, telling him about my rtionship with Ethan could help build trust. It was also a more believable exnation for Ethan¡¯s change in behavior than just saying he became a better person. Anyone could see how much Ethan cared for me, so convincing Bolt wouldn¡¯t be difficult. ¡°Wow¡­ You¡¯re dating Ethan after possessing Lillis? You¡¯ve got some skills.¡± ¡°Just so you know, it¡¯s not that Ethan is my type or anything. I¡¯m not particrly into guys.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dating him because he really likes me, and I owe him a lot. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s there to get wrong? It¡¯s a rtionship between a man and a woman, so if you want to date, just date.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, well, yeah, I guess that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡­Come to think of it, he doesn¡¯t know that I was a guy in my previous life. If he thinks a woman has possessed another woman¡¯s body, then his reaction makes sense. From an objective standpoint, Ethan is a perfect man¡ªhandsome, from a good family, and a skilled swordsman. It¡¯s easier to let him continue thinking I¡¯m a woman. Even if this is just a temporary rtionship, revealing that I was a man in my past life would feel like I was chipping away at something in my soul. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s my turn, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°As the protagonist, what¡¯s your goal? Is it just to clear the game? Are you nning to marry Seraphine and be emperor? Or are you aiming to build a harem? Or is there something else?¡± This was something I needed to know. I had a hunch he was focused on clearing the game, but I wasn¡¯t sure what his ultimate goal was. In Luminor Academy, after defeating the Demon King, you can make a final wish to the goddess and choose one of the possible endings. You could be a hero of the nation, gaining wealth and fame, or, if you¡¯re tired of all the attention, settle down in a quiet vige with your harem members. Both were viable options. Just to be clear, I didn¡¯t care if Bolt wanted to build a harem or go for a true love ending. ¡­As long as he didn¡¯t try to drag me into the Demon King¡¯s battle or make me part of his harem. ¡°Defeat the Demon King and clear the game¡­ and return to Earth.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I know there isn¡¯t a return option among the original game¡¯s choices¡­ but the goddess said she¡¯d grant any wish, so it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°Really? You think you can go back? Life here would be a lot more fun after defeating the Demon King, wouldn¡¯t it? Besides, you already have three girls following you around¡­¡± ¡°¡­Some might think that, but I¡¯ve been focused on returning to my original world from the start. I didn¡¯t get to clear the game before I got stuck here, so it¡¯s only natural to want to go back.¡± ¡°¡­I guess that makes sense.¡± I could understand Bolt¡¯s reasoning. In my case, Luminor Academy was my favorite game, so there was a time when I was thrilled to find myself in this world. I even thought that living a second life in this world would be great, regardless of gender¡­ though being reincarnated as Lillis wasn¡¯t ideal. And since I died in my previous life, I had nothing to go back to, but Bolt might still have a physical body in the real world. If he has things he left behind, it makes sense that he¡¯d want to go back. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s your choice, I can¡¯t argue with it.¡± ¡°From the way you¡¯re talking, it sounds like you don¡¯t have any attachment to the real world.¡± ¡°I already died once in my past life, and Luminor Academy was my favorite game. Honestly, even if I could go back for free, I wouldn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I respect your choice. People have different values.¡± In that moment, we both confirmed our differing views on this world. At the same time, I started to understand some of the actions that had confused me about him until now. He probably gave himself a casual nickname because he wanted to keep a clear distinction between this world and the real one. If he was nning to return to reality, it made sense to draw a line and avoid getting too attached here. And now I understood why he was so determined to follow the standard ythrough. Reality held more value to him. This short conversation gave me the certainty I needed and helped clear up some unspoken misunderstandings. It¡¯s ironic that it took almost a year and a half to have a conversation like this. It feels both a bit anticlimactic and somewhat of a relief. Thanks to Bolt¡¯s quick thinking, the chance of a deadly showdown between Ethan and the hero was effectively eliminated. As we continued our back-and-forth questions, ten minutes passed quickly. I quietly decided it would be safest to wrap up after one or two more questions. ¡°We¡¯re almost out of time, so let¡¯s wrap up with yourst question for today.¡± ¡°¡­Sure. We¡¯ll have more chances to talk while we deal with McHart anyway.¡± ¡°Is there anything you¡¯re curious about? I yed Luminor Academy obsessively in my past life, you know? I cleared it 24 times and even wrote guides on the gallery, so I can tell you almost anything.¡± ¡°Not really. I read most of the guides on LuaGal. But 24 clears¡­ That¡¯s almost on par with ¡®LilGirlde.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±
  • Flinch -
¡°¡­¡­What?¡± When I heard my oldmunity username after so long, my body froze for a moment, and Bolt gave me a suspicious look. Could it be that the guide he mentioned reading on LuaGal was the one I wrote¡­? ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Are you¡­ ¡®LilGirlde¡¯?¡± Chapter 204 After Bolt and Lillis left for their one-on-one conversation, the atmosphere in Celesta¡¯s dormitory became tense. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan, Agnes, and Celesta were left in the meeting room, with an awkward silence hanging over them. Lillis was close to both Ethan and Agnes, while Bolt was familiar with both Agnes and Celesta. Now that Lillis and Bolt were gone, the remaining three were essentially just friends of friends. It wasn¡¯t too ufortable with three people present, but with just two, it would have been challenging to find a natural conversation topic. Given the situation, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the atmosphere grew awkward. It was Ethan who eventually broke the silence. ¡°It seems like no one has much to say. Without Lillis and that hero, I suppose there isn¡¯t anyone here who¡¯s particrly close.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If neither of you has anything to say, would you mind if I speak for a moment?¡± ¡°Oh, by all means, Lord ckwood!¡± ¡°¡­Go ahead.¡± Just as Lillis and Bolt were taking advantage of a rare opportunity to talk, this meeting between Ethan, Agnes, and Celesta was also quite unusual. Despite having different interests and connections, Ethan had identified amonality among the three of them, which rted to his personal goals. He decided to draw the other two¡¯s attention to it. ¡°It¡¯s about the two people who are outside right now.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Is there anyone here who actually wants to see Lillis and that hero get closer?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What I mean is exactly what it sounds like.¡± Since Ethan judged that Lillis and Bolt wouldn¡¯t return for a while, he decided toy out his personal goals and intentions before the two women in front of him. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t want Lillis to get closer to that hero.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°That much is obvious.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you two feel the same way. Isn¡¯t that right, Lady Celesta?¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about? I-I don¡¯t really¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in pretending. I already know that you have feelings for the hero, Lady Celesta.¡± ¡°W-W-What?!¡± Celesta, suddenly confronted with her feelings by someone else, stammered like a startled hamster, trying toe up with a denial. But it was clear that both Ethan and Agnes were already convinced of her affection for Bolt. ¡°N-No¡­! I-I would never harbor such improper feelings for the hero¡­!¡± ¡°You might want to lower your voice. If you¡¯re not careful, the hero might overhear us outside.¡± ¡°Gasp?!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I knew too. It¡¯s pretty obvious.¡± ¡°Eep?!¡± After confirming Celesta¡¯s flustered expression, Ethan turned his attention to Agnes. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not too thrilled about Lillis getting close to that hero either, Lady ze?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not particrly fond of the hero.¡± ¡°I know that. But that means you wouldn¡¯t want to see Lillis getting involved with him either, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He already has aplicated rtionship with other women. Do you really want to see your only close friend getting entangled with a man like that? Plus, there are rumors that your other friend, Princess Seraphine, is also interested in him.¡± ¡°W-What?! The princess?!¡± ¡°I doubt you¡¯d enjoy watching your two friends fight over one man. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not wrong.¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute¡­ The idea that the princess has feelings for the hero must be a misunderstanding¡­ A-Also, I¡¯ve never had improper feelings for the hero¡­¡± ¡°So, it seems we¡¯ve found amon goal.¡± Ignoring Celesta¡¯s awkward denial, Ethan confidently continued with his n. ¡°To be blunt, I absolutely cannot let my Lillis fall into that hero¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± ¡°¡­Do as you wish.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯d like to ask for your cooperation. From both you, Lady ze, and you, Lady Celesta.¡± ¡°C-Cooperation? What exactly do you want us to do¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to help ensure that Lillis doesn¡¯t end up alone with the hero.¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that a bit wrong? I believe the hero always has good intentions¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you. If you¡¯re not inclined to help, feel free to disregard what I¡¯ve said. After all, if you truly have no such feelings, there¡¯s no reason for you to be swayed. But one thing is certain: I¡¯ll do everything I can to keep those two from spending time alone together. Even if you disagree, that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s sudden deration to sabotage any rtionship between Lillis and the hero left Celesta feeling flustered, but also with a strange sense of excitement. If Lord ckwood was determined to keep Lillis and the hero apart, then the truth about her being the real saintess might nevere to light, meaning she could stay by the hero¡¯s side longer. It was Agnes¡¯s response, though, that tipped Celesta toward making her decision. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But only if you promise to take full responsibility for Lillis.¡± ¡°I swear on the name of the ckwood family. With Lady Celesta here as a witness, it¡¯s a perfect arrangement.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll keep it in mind¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Celesta.¡± ¡°N-Not that I have any improper feelings for the hero, or that I¡¯m jealous of Lillis¡­ I just think the hero needs to maintain some decorum¡­¡± Ethan nodded to himself, satisfied with securing even Celesta¡¯s unexpected cooperation. In that moment, an alliance was formed between Ethan, Celesta, and Agnes. ? ? ? ¡°Hey, you¡¯re definitely ¡®LilGirlde,¡¯ aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Sir Bolt. Who is this ¡®LilGirlde¡¯ you¡¯re referring to?¡± ¡°Come on, stop pretending! You were so brazen in the conversation just now, so why start acting all coy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh, damn it. I never expected to be outed with my old username in this world. I should have been more cautious in our conversation. Instead of getting carried away and saying too much, I ended up revealing something I shouldn¡¯t have. If Bolt had just remained suspicious, I could have brushed it off somehow. But because I hadn¡¯t heard that name in so long, my body instinctively reacted before I could think. ¡°Wow, seriously? You¡¯re really that ¡®LilGirlde¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You mean the guy who used to troll Luminor Academy forums by calling Lillis a ¡®slutty whore¡¯ actually ended up possessing Lillis? Wow, that¡¯s legendary, man¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, shut up¡­¡± Oh, damn it. How did I end up in this mess, being outed like this? How could the hero, of all people, have been a yer on the same forum, and how could the guide he read be the one I wrote? This was such an absurd twist of fate that it left me feeling almost defeated. ¡°Man, I guess karma really does exist. How else could ¡®LilGirlde¡¯ end up as Lillis? This is priceless, hahaha.¡± ¡°¡­What was your forum name?¡± ¡°Me? It¡¯s been so long since I possessed this body that I barely remember, but I think it was ¡®PureLoveSavior.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Oh, so that was you. No wonder you¡¯re ying so by-the-book.¡± I don¡¯t have the best memory for IP addresses, but I do remember the names of a few people who frequentlymented on my guides. One of them used the nickname ¡®PureLoveSavior,¡¯ and this guy always asked questions on every guide I posted. He left such an impression because he practicallymented on every guide I put up. Honestly, I suppose it¡¯s a relief that it was him who ended up possessing the protagonist. Given the mental state of some of the other forum users, at least this guy always followed my guides to the letter. If I hadn¡¯t died, I probably could have finished that 25th ythrough andpleted the final chapter of my guide, but I had stopped just short of the ending. It wouldn¡¯t have affected his ability to clear the game, though. ¡­Even so, I never expected to be outed as ¡®LilGirlde.¡¯ ¡°Ugh, damn it. Let¡¯s just get back before we arouse any more suspicion.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure thing, ¡®LilGirlde.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­And just so you know, don¡¯t call me that in front of Ethan. I¡¯m not joking¡ªhe¡¯ll seriously try to kill you.¡± ¡°Heh, okay, got it. Must be nice to be so loved, haha¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I only wanted to confirm that we were both from Earth, but instead, we ended up revealing our old forum usernames to each other. ¡®I should have just pretended to be an anonymous user¡­¡¯ Bolt kept chuckling all the way back to Celesta¡¯s dormitory, clearly finding it hrious that the infamous ¡®LilGirlde¡¯ had ended up possessing Lillis.@@novelbin@@ When we finally returned to the meeting room, we were met with an atmosphere that had be even more awkward than before. Chapter 205 As soon as we entered the temporary meeting room in Celesta¡¯s dormitory, an oddly awkward atmosphere hung over the entire space. Celesta looked startled when our eyes met, and for some reason, Agnes was quietly staring off into the distance, avoiding eye contact. Ethan, well, he still blushed whenever our eyes met, so it didn¡¯t seem too different from usual. I wondered if it was just me sensing something off, so I subtly nced at Bolt¡¯s expression, and it seemed he had noticed the strange atmosphere as well. ¡°What happened? Why does everyone seem so ufortable¡­?¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s more important work to do first. What about verifying the truth of what Lillis said?¡± ¡°Oh, that? It was all true. Prince McHart did indeed attack Lillis, and he is truly connected to the demons.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± ¡°¡­So it was true after all.¡± Celesta and Agnes, who still harbored some doubts, nodded as if Bolt¡¯s statement had confirmed everything for them. Given that Bolt had confidently taken me outside to verify the truth with his ¡°holy sword,¡± it might seem like a natural conclusion. But the fact that neither Celesta nor Agnes noticed that the story about the holy sword was a lie just showed how naive they were. Or perhaps the idea of lying in the presence of a weapon blessed by the gods was so irreverent that it never crossed their minds. Of course, Bolt, who had lied to me without a shred of guilt, clearly had no such reservations. ¡°Honestly, Lillis never struck me as someone who would lie. Still, I felt it was worth confirming, just in case. Lillis doesn¡¯t seem like the type to lie, after all.¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re trying to win Lillis over with obvious ttery, I¡¯d suggest you stop. iming you trusted her all along after supposedly verifying it with your holy sword only makes you look foolish. I never once doubted Lillis.¡± ¡°Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± Ethan¡¯s response seemed more guarded than before, though I couldn¡¯t quite understand why. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± ¡°What else? There¡¯s only one conclusion to draw.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to fight Prince McHart, won¡¯t we¡­.¡± Celesta, who had no qualms about confronting monsters or demons, didn¡¯t look pleased at the thought of fighting a human, especially a prince. In the standard storyline, most of the enemies were either monsters or demons, and there were only one or two human viins. For someone as gentle as Celesta, it was natural to react this way when it came to the idea of killing a human, especially a prince. However, we couldn¡¯t afford to exclude Celesta from the uing battle with McHart, as we¡¯d need all avable forces. I¡¯d have to leave it to Bolt tofort herter after we dealt with the immediate threat. ¡°Since we need toe up with a concrete n, I must ask everyone here not to speak a word of this conversation outside of this room.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Even if you think someone else might be able to help, you must not let this information leak. Please keep that in mind.¡± If it were anyone else, it might not matter, but what we were nning was nothing short of a royal assassination. If word got out, everyone here would be branded as traitors, and their entire families could be at risk. Not only did we have to keep this secret from Seraphine, a member of the royal family, but also from people like Natalie or Thomas, who were currently allies of the protagonist. They might misunderstand and think the protagonist was being manipted by me, which could cause even more problems. The only people we could truly trust, who were also valuable assets in this situation, were Agnes, Ethan, and Bolt. ¡°The first step is to lure Prince McHart out.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t exactly have a sword fight in the middle of the academy or the royal pce.¡± ¡°And from what I remember of my encounter with Prince McHart, his demonic magic doesn¡¯t seem well-suited for fighting multiple people.¡± ¡°¡­What kind of magic was it?¡± ¡°He grabbed my wrist and suddenly transported me to a strange, dark space. A small circle of light surrounded Prince McHart in the center, and shadows enveloped the area, blocking my escape and gripping my ankles.¡± To be honest, I was itching to exin everything about McHart¡¯s abilities and how to counter them. But if I, who had only been attacked once, suddenly knew more than I should, it would raise suspicions. It could even make my recent near-assassination by Prince McHart seem suspicious. So, I opted to give a detailed description while leaving the others to figure out the magic¡¯s nature and how to counter it. This way, I could share the information without arousing suspicion. With a magic genius like Agnes present, I trusted she¡¯d interpret it correctly. ¡°The fact that you were dragged into a dark space the moment he grabbed your wrist does suggest demonic magic.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure, Lady ze?¡± ¡°Demons wield mysterious powers, using strange magic that operates onpletely different principles from ordinary magic. It¡¯s likely that the magic Prince McHart used was pre-stored in his body. Demons can store magic within their bodies and activate it under certain conditions.¡± ¡°Indeed, the Snow Witch we fought in the north used a simr ability! She was said to be the third-ranked officer among the seven elite soldiers under one of the Four Knights serving the Demon King¡­¡± ¡­Is that really a position where one would bother introducing themselves? I almostughed at the thought of a demon who was the equivalent of a fourth-grade civil servant in terms of rank introducing themselves like that. The fact that Celesta remembered it was impressive in its own way. ¡°Anyway, unlike ordinary magic, demonic magices with activation conditions due to its unique nature. The magic McHart used likely required grabbing someone¡¯s wrist to activate.¡± ¡°It seems it would be difficult to use in the middle of a battle, then. Offering your wrist to your opponent during a fight is practically an admission of defeat.¡± ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s undeniably dangerous magic for assassination or one-on-one situations. He can pull someone into his domain as long as he grabs their wrist.¡± ¡°It might not be easy to use in a general fight, but I imagine McHart could easily take advantage of his status and appearance to use it.¡±@@novelbin@@ Once the discussion shifted to magic, Agnes enthusiastically shared her expertise, with Bolt smoothly jumping in to keep the conversation on track. Of course, Bolt already knew about McHart¡¯s abilities and how to counter them, so he was now subtly dropping hints for the others, pretending to piece it together. If Bolt really was ¡®PureLoveSavior,¡¯ as he imed, he would have alreadypleted the McHart battle guide. ¡°The problem is proving that Prince McHart is using demonic power. Even if we seed in taking him down, if we can¡¯t prove his connection to the demons, we¡¯ll be branded as traitors.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve heard that there are ways to extract evidence of demonic power from a demon¡¯s corpse, but would that work?¡± ¡°It seems that McHart hasn¡¯t fully transformed into a demon yet. The time it takes for a person¡¯s body to fully assimte with demonic power varies. We have two options. One is to wait until his body fully assimtes with demonic power, and the other¡­¡± The discussion about how to take down McHart and prove his demonic ties continued for quite some time. During the three-hour-long meeting, Ethan absentmindedly looked at me and muttered quietly. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ it¡¯s possible that the recently missing noblewomen are rted to him too.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. We might be able to find their whereabouts after dealing with Prince McHart.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°L-Lord Ethan?¡± While discussing the missing noblewomen, Ethan suddenly looked at me with a sorrowful gaze. Then, as if ovee with emotion, he took my hand tightly and quietly sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe, Lillis.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you¡­¡± ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll tear that McHart scum limb from limb. I¡¯ll expose all his ties to the demons and destroy his reputation.¡± ¡°Um, could you please let go of my hand now? The others are watching¡­¡± Especially since Bolt is watching. As Ethan tightly held my hands and cried, seemingly genuinely worried about me, Bolt stood off to the side with a smug grin, as if he were watching an amusing spectacle. ¡­If he weren¡¯t the hero, I¡¯d seriously punch him in the face. Chapter 206 Three weeks had passed since the day we started the emergency meeting to n McHart''s assassination. It was a period that could be considered long or short, depending on how you looked at it. One thing was certain: within the Academy, those three weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. This was inevitable since, while we were progressing with the assassination n, we still had to attend sses at the Academy diligently, just like usual. Bncing the preparations and the rigorous demands of Luminor Academy, notorious for pushing its students to the limit, was a challenging task. The most important thing, of course, was my own life, so naturally, I had to neglect some of my other sses. The best example of this was the magic swordsmanship ss taught by Harold. ng. "Haah, ha¡­ I lost¡­ haah¡­" "¡­Yes, well done." In my final duel with Harold during the magic swordsmanship ss, I ultimately failed to reach the level where I could break through the vision shield with my swordsmanship. Moreover, I hadn¡¯t managed to defeat any of the four 1.5-section students, and in the final evaluation duel with Harold, I was easily defeated. It was fair to say that I made no significant achievements in swordsmanship this semester. To be honest, there was no real need for a mage to excel in swordsmanship. If you had reliable frontline fighters, it was obviously wiser to focus solely on magic. So, this semester, with little time to spare, I concentrated on my major subjects rather than swordsmanship, and as a result, I ended the ss with a considerable sense of futility, having spent three hours every week in a course that led to no tangible progress. "Haah¡­" "Don''t be too disheartened, Lillis." "Professor Harold¡­" "Growth isn¡¯t something that happens in a short time. Be patient and wait." "Ah, yes¡­" Although Harold''s words were unusually gentle for him, they didn''t quite reach my heart. This was partly because one of the students who had been taking Harold''s magic swordsmanship ss had suddenly broken through the Expert barrier and joined the ranks of the 1-section students. This was an event that had not urred in the original storyline, so it caught me off guard. The student¡¯s name didn''t even ring a bell, likely indicating they were a mere extra in the game, not even a supporting character. Yet, that student had suddenly be the fifth member to join the 1-section, following the Hero, Ethan, Natalie, and Karaham. It was probably due to Harold''s teaching. Harold was not only skilled at customizing swordsmanship training for each student but also specialized in nurturing their growth. He had even trained Ethan, who used dual swords, to be the second-inmand of the Swordsmanship Department. It wasn¡¯t surprising that someone with potential would bloom under Harold¡¯s guidance. But witnessing that, I couldn''t help but feel disheartened, especially since I was the main character of Luminor Academy. No matter how different our majors were, Lillis should have had the advantage in innate abilities as a character, yet I still couldn''t even break the vision shield with a sword, while others were rapidly catching up to Ethan. Even though I had the advantage of being able to attend Harold''s swordsmanship sses during the break, my progress was slow, which made the situation even more frustrating. "Lillis, what are your ns for the magic swordsmanship ss next semester?" "Pardon?" "I hope you''ll attend the ss again next semester. Even though swordsmanship isn¡¯t your major, given what you''ve achieved so far, I believe you''ll soon aplish something significant with the sword." "Thank you for saying so, Professor Harold, but you don¡¯t need to go out of your way tofort me." "I''m notforting you; I''m genuinely saying what I think." "Yes¡­" ¡­Maybe I should trust the words of a Sword Master at least once more. To be honest, I had been considering stopping my swordsmanship lessons altogether, thinking I had learned all I could with a dagger. However, since magic swordsmanship was a shared major with Ethan, I was nning to continue the ss next semester anyway. If I was going to continue, it wouldn''t hurt to put in more effort until then. After all, being proficient with a self-defense weapon like a dagger could never hurt. In a world like this, being able to handle a dagger could be the difference between life and death in a tight situation. "And, I don¡¯t particrly care whether you excel in swordsmanship or magic, as long as you maintain a good rtionship with Ethan. If that''s what''s bothering you, there¡¯s no need to worry." "¡­Excuse me?" "Just keep a good rtionship with Ethan. Even after graduation, if you wish." Why is he suddenly bringing up Ethan? Is he implying that I should focus on my duties as his personal maid and not worry about this? Harold probably didn¡¯t know that Ethan and I were in a rtionship, so he likely didn¡¯t mean anything by it. And so, I wrapped up the magic swordsmanship ss for the first semester with a B grade, feeling more than a bit confused by Harold¡¯s mysterious words. At least the good news was that I performed well in most of the required courses for the Magic Department. Unlike swordsmanship, I had no trouble understanding the material, so it was expected that my grades would reflect that. And so, it was time for the final evaluation of the first semester, which had returned this year just likest year. As with the previous year, thebat department would determine the final exam score through a series of evaluation matches between students at the end of the first semester. This final exam was an opportunity for all students to make up for any shorings in their grades, so everyone took it seriously. Naturally, there was a lot of curiosity about which opponents the top students in each department would choose. In reality, most students were silently praying, "Please don''t let them pick me," except for the top five. Currently, the top student in the Magic Department was, without question, Agnes. Even though I hadn¡¯t been neglecting my magic sses, the gap between us was insurmountable. Despite scoring well inst year''s evaluation match and hunting festival, the final evaluation still reflected the massive difference between us. Agnes had an almost absurd level of intelligence, effortlessly acing any test in her primary subjects, which made catching up nearly impossible. Although she often appeared clumsy and awkward in non-magical fields, when it came to magic, not even my knowledge from my previous life and Lillis'' inherent abilities could match her. Despite the gap between first and second ce, I was barely maintaining my position as the runner-up in the Magic Department. ording to Agnes'' character in the game, it was only natural that she would use her privilege as the top student to challenge the second-ce student¡ªme¡ªto a duel, using the evaluation match as an excuse to showcase her magic. Normally, I should have been her opponent. In fact, I had even considered adjusting my grades to fall to third ce to avoid her. Last year, Isolbe had tried to show off from the second-ce spot, only to getpletely crushed in the evaluation match and drop down to around tenth ce. However, there was no longer a reason for me to lower my grades to avoid Agnes, so I continued holding onto the second-ce spot. This change was, of course, due to the dramatic improvement in my rtionship with Agnes¡ªsomething I could never have predictedst year. We had grown closer ever since I helped her contract the fire spirit she had longed for, which resolved her biggest concern and brought us together. Throughout the semester, we attended several major sses together, and now, we were close enough to call each other best friends. In other words, at some point, I had be irreceable in Agnes'' heart. I had likely secured the position of her second-best friend after Seraphine. ¡­Although it was a bit embarrassing to say that myself.@@novelbin@@ Unless Agnes wanted to ruin our rtionship, it made sense for her to choose someone ranked below me for the duel this time. ¡­And yet, here we were, in a situation that defied all expectations. "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." Agnes and I stood on the evaluation match stage, ring at each other. Despite everyone assuming that we, being so close, wouldn''t point swords and spells at each other during the evaluation match, Agnes had chosen me as her opponent for the first semester''s final evaluation. To exin how this situation came to be, we would have to go back about a week. Chapter 207 The n to kill Prince McHart was carried out with both secrecy and caution. In truth, McHart himself wasn''t particrly threatening. His personality was fundamentally timid and indecisive, and he was more focused on indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle rather than bing stronger. Whenparing the time it took for McHart to awaken as a demon to other characters, his weakness became even more apparent. For instance, Karaham, who also borrowed the power of demons in the original storyline,pleted his transformation in less than a year, while it took the fool McHart a total of five years to do the same. Because of this, McHart often became a meme within themunity. People would joke about how it took as long to produce five Karahams as it did to produce one McHart, and yet, even five McHartsbined wouldn''t be as strong as one Karaham. In terms of difficulty, McHart, the boss of the fourth chapter, was actually easier to deal with than Harold, the boss of the second chapter, or Marquis Auguste, the boss of the third chapter. Moreover, McHart hadn''t evenpleted his transformation yet and was still a human borrowing the power of demons. So, in his current state, as long as we formed a party to take him on, he wasn''t particrly threatening. The only reason we couldn¡¯t kill him before he fully transformed was that he was still a member of the royal family. Although he wielded the power of demons, he hadn''t fully awakened yet, so killing him now would be considered regicide. Therefore, there were two main tasks we had to aplish before killing McHart: The first was to create a situation where McHart would let his guard down, making it possible to confront him. The second was to gather evidence or methods that would prove McHart''s connection with demons after his death, thereby justifying his execution. ¡­And the strategy we devised to achieve the first task¡ªmaking McHart lower his guard¡ªwas a mock duel between Agnes and me during the final evaluation. Since McHart currently sees me and Agnes as close friends, we need to make him believe otherwise, to make him doubt that. The reason McHart couldn''t easily approach me within the Academy was solely because Agnes or Ethan was always around to keep him at bay. Usually, Agnes would stick close during morning sses, while Ethan would apany me on the way back in the afternoon. Given McHart¡¯s cowardly nature, he wouldn''t dare attack me unless he was sure he could win, as he had provenst time. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had given up on me. He would likely continue trying to find an opening to im me. The game had depicted McHart as someone with a considerable obsession. Ethan was an unavoidable presence as my master and dorm mate, but Agnes was a different story. The n was to make McHart believe that my rtionship with Agnes had soured, leading him to let his guard down and attempt to attack me again, just like before. To initiate the first step of this n, a week before the evaluation match, Agnes and I had a seemingly casual conversation in front of the Academy¡¯s Central Hall, near the fountain. Pretending to be on our usual walk from the Magic Department to the Swordsmanship Department, we began the n to lure McHart into a false sense of security. "Shall we begin, Lady Agnes?" "Are you sure about this? We don¡¯t really have to go to such lengths." "If we don¡¯t do this now, I might be in danger from Prince McHart not just this semester, but next year as well. While it might seem unnecessary, I''d rather do everything I can and regret itter than leave things undone and regret it even more." "¡­Alright, then." With that exchange, Agnes and I sat down on a bench near the fountain in front of the Central Hall and began speaking in slightly louder voices than usual. We wanted to ensure that the people around us could overhear our conversation and start paying attention. "This semester has been really tough, Lady Agnes." "¡­You too, Lillis." "Agnes, you¡¯re at the top of the ss again this semester, right? I just can¡¯t seem to keep up with you." "¡­That¡¯s not true, you did well too." We had practiced this conversation several times in advance, so it flowed naturally, even with the slight awkwardness in Agnes¡¯ tone, given that she wasn¡¯t a professional actor. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to seem suspicious to anyone listening. After all, Agnes rarely spoke to anyone except me or Seraphine, so it wasn''t like anyone would notice a difference in her usual tone. Feeling confident that our n was going smoothly, I continued the conversation with ease, speaking loudly enough for the students who had begun to gather around to overhear. "So, all that¡¯s left is the final evaluation duel, right? Have you decided on your opponent, Lady Agnes?" "¡­¡­!" "¡­¡­." The moment I said those words, I felt the attention of the people around us intensify. There were especially many gazes from the Magic Department students, recognizable by theirrge staffs or cloaks that enhanced magical sensitivity. It made sense, considering their major sses had just ended. They were all listening intently, curious to know who Agnes would choose as her opponent for the evaluation duel. Most of them were probably praying, ¡°Please don¡¯t let it be me.¡± Agnes seemed to notice the increased attention just like I did, but she remained calm, continuing to speak the lines we had rehearsed. "Yes, I¡¯ve decided." "Could you perhaps give me a hint as to who it is?" "Why? Are you not considering the possibility that I might have chosen you?" "While it¡¯s not impossible, I don¡¯t think you would choose me, Lady Agnes." "Why do you think that?" "Well, because I¡¯m your friend. If you wanted to duel, I¡¯d be happy to oblige anytime, but you wouldn¡¯t pick me for something as important as the final exam, right?" "¡­Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not you, Lillis." "¡­¡­." "Th-Then why only me¡­?" The moment Agnes confirmed that she hadn¡¯t chosen me as her opponent, I heard a subtle shift in the people around us. For a brief moment, I thought I heard Isolbe, who had been beaten by Agnes inst year''s evaluation match, but I didn¡¯t have time to check. The Magic Department students who had gathered around us, seemingly anticipating a long conversation, began using various methods to eavesdrop. They employed wind magic like "Whispering Wind," or arcane magic such as "Mana Communication," among other eavesdropping spells. It was a very typical Magic Department scene. If this had been a normal conversation, I would have disrupted their spells by scattering my mana, but instead, Agnes and I suppressed our natural mana leakage, allowing them to overhear us. This conversation wasn¡¯t a secret; it was a rumor we wanted to spread to as many people as possible. "It¡¯s not you, Lillis. I¡¯m choosing Karan." "Kyaa¡­! Mmph, mmph?!" "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." I thought I heard a muffled scream from Karan, but I didn¡¯t have the nerve to check. I could only assume that the third-ranked student in the Magic Department had been listening to our conversation. Someone must have quickly covered her mouth to prevent any further outburst. They couldn¡¯t afford to cause a scene and risk exposing their eavesdropping. "You mean Karan Iris Stormweaver, the third-ranked student in the Magic Department?" "Yes. She¡¯s the next highest after you, Lillis." "Now that you mention it,st year you chose the second-ranked Isolbe, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s very much like you, Lady Agnes."@@novelbin@@ "What about you? Have you decided on your opponent?" "Not yet. But I do have someone in mind." "¡­¡­!" "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­?" Hearing that they might also learn who my opponent would be, the intensity of the eavesdropping spells increased once more. Although I wasn¡¯t as overwhelmingly intimidating as Agnes, I was still the second-ranked student in the Magic Department, and most students wouldn¡¯t want to face me in the evaluation duel either. Some of the students who had watched my duel with Lukest year might even consider me more challenging than Agnes. After all, fighting with a dagger required them to be prepared for both long-range and close-quartersbat, making me a difficult opponent for students at this level. So, it was only natural that they were eagerly waiting for my next words. But I didn¡¯t give them the answer they were hoping for. From the beginning, there had been only one thing I wanted from this conversation. The reason we chose to have this conversation in front of the Central Hall, the most crowded spot in the Academy right after the end of all the Magic Department¡¯s major sses, and didn¡¯t block the eavesdropping spells, was so that as many people as possible would overhear it. "Oh, by the way, Lady Agnes." "Yes?" "That curved magic circle you submitted as your final project this semester¡­" "¡­Yes?" "I must say, now that I¡¯ve seen it, it was really unimpressive." "¡­?!" "¡­!!!" "¡­¡­." Simply letting rumors spread about a falling-out between us wouldn¡¯t be convincing enough. To make our falling-out seem real, we had to clearly show the cause of our supposed rift. Chapter 208 "¡­¡­." Lillis had concocted a n to fake a falling-out with Agnes to dispel McHart''s suspicions. However, when Lillis suddenly provoked Agnes with an unexpected insult, Agnes found herself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. The n was simple: Lillis would pick a fight with Agnes, and Agnes would pretend to get angry, creating the illusion of a rift between them. They had even rehearsed the exact conversation, which was supposed to revolve around Agnes¡¯s affinity with spirits¡ªa topic they had previously shed over. But when Lillis abruptly shifted the topic to criticize Agnes¡¯s magic circle, it caught Agnes off guard. Wasn¡¯t the n to argue about spirit affinity? Although confused by the sudden change in topic, Agnes quickly realized there must be a reason behind Lillis¡¯s unexpected move. Lillis couldn''t genuinely be dissatisfied with her magic circle, especially when their professor had praised it for its minimal mana loss. So why had Lillis changed the subject? Agnes could only assume that Lillis hade up with an alternative n, perhaps to ensure that their argument seemed more natural and believable. Agnes quickly recalled theirst conversation during the strategy session: "Agnes, your affinity with spirits is so weak that even low-level spirits can''t sustain themselves on your mana, isn''t that right?" "Yes, you''re right¡­ If it weren''t for you, Lillis, I wouldn''t be able to manage even a low-level spirit¡­" "Wait, Agnes! You shouldn''t just ept it¡ªyou''re supposed to push back! Say something like, ¡®You might have better spirit affinity, but there''s nothing else you''re better at,¡¯ or, ¡®I don''t need to rely on spirits to crush you!¡¯"@@novelbin@@ "Y-You might have better spirit affinity, but there''s nothing else you''re better at, you...!" "That sounded too rehearsed. Could you add a bit more anger to it?" "I-I don''t know. I was trying my best. Maybe we should consider another approach¡­." "Fine. I''ll handle your awkward acting, but we''re sticking with the n to stage a fight between us." Agnes realized that this was Lillis''s way of improvising. By changing the subject, Lillis ensured that their argument wouldn''t seem forced or rehearsed, a clever move to keep the deception intact. "Lady Agnes?" "Uh, yes?" "Why are you so quiet? Were you that shocked to hear me say your magic circle was terrible?" "No, it''s not that¡­" "Or did you not understand what I said? Do I need to rify that a magic circle filled with curves,cking symmetry, and without a clear starting point is nothing more than a useless, self-serving design?" "¡­¡­?!?!" Agnes was stunned by the harshness of Lillis''s words. Despite knowing it was all an act, she couldn''t help but feel a pang of shock. Is this really just an act? Or could there be some truth in what she''s saying? Agnes began to wonder if Lillis had been harboring these thoughts all along. The thought made her involuntarily retort: "That¡¯s nonsense!" "Excuse me?" "My magic circle isn¡¯t functional because you can¡¯t understand it? Maybe the problem is that your intelligence isn¡¯t up to the task!" "¡­What did you say?" "It''smon knowledge that curved structures in a magic circle reduce mana loss and increase power. My project is designed entirely with curves, making it more efficient. If you find it useless, it''s probably because you can¡¯t even memorize it properly and can only copy it by sight!" That¡¯s it, I can do this. Even though Agnes wasn¡¯t skilled at acting, she could definitely handle a heated debate, especially one rooted in her favorite subject¡ªmagic. She was starting to enjoy this back-and-forth, even though the initial purpose of their argument had been to deceive McHart. But then, in a moment of overconfidence, Agnes let her emotions get the better of her and crossed a line: "Why do you find drawing such a simple magic circle difficult? Is it because all the nutrients that should have gone to your brain went to¡­ your chest instead¡­?" "¡­¡­." As soon as the words left her mouth, Agnes realized her mistake. The conversation, which had been a disguised debate, suddenly became something far more personal. She hadn¡¯t meant to turn it into an insult about Lillis¡¯s physical appearance, and she quickly felt the urge to apologize. But before she could, Lillis smiled slyly and responded: "Oh, that was a slip of the tongue¡­" "Are you saying all the nutrients that should have gone to your body went to your head, leaving you so t-chested and short?" "¡­What?" Agnes had overlooked one crucial fact: while she might be able to keep up with Lillis in a debate about magic, she stood no chance in a battle of wits and words outside of that. "Then again, Lady Agnes, I suppose you wouldn''t understand. After all, you have one less area for nutrients to reach, which must be why your brain works better than mine." "T-That¡¯s not¡­ I mean¡­" "Maybe your fiery temperes from having no space forpassion in that t chest of yours? They say people with warm hearts have ''warm chests,'' after all. Perhaps that¡¯s why you¡¯re so cold and calcting?" "Lillis¡­? Maybe we should stop with the jokes¡­" "I apologize; I forgot for a moment about the difference in our physical conditions." As Lillis crossed her arms under her chest, emphasizing the difference, Agnes felt herself growing increasingly dizzy from the relentless barrage of insults. What is this? This one-sided, unfair conversation. Just moments ago, they had been in a mock argument disguised as a magical debate. How had it devolved into this? Even if the subject had shifted because of her slip-up, did Lillis really have to go this far? I thought we were friends, Lillis. Why would a friend say things like this? While Agnes was internally reeling from what felt like a verbal beatdown, Lillis continued to deliver her insults with a calm demeanor. Lillis hadn¡¯t initially intended to take the conversation in this direction. She was well aware of Agnes¡¯s insecurities about her height and figure and had nned to avoid such topics. But when Agnes herself had brought it up, Lillis took it as a sign that she was free to pursue the topic, knowing full well that it would leave Agnes with no way to defend herself. Naturally, the argument had be one-sided, with Agnes unable to keep up. The increasingly personal nature of the insults built up anger within Agnes until Lillis¡¯s final remark pushed her over the edge: "Come to think of it, I now understand why your magic circles are filled with curves. Since your bodycks any, you must bepensating by adding them to your magic circles¡­" "Did you just say everything you needed to?! You, you¡­ you fat lump of flesh!!!" Agnes finally exploded in anger,pletely forgetting the original purpose of their conversation. Chapter 209 "Did you say everything you needed to?! You, you fat lump of flesh!!!" "Kyah?! Lady Agnes!" "Wait, Agnes! What are you doing?!" "Don''t rush at Lillis, Lady ze!" The fake falling-out n to convince everyone that Agnes and I had a rift was a resounding sess, thanks to her passionate performance. Agnes''s outburst, charging at me as if genuinely angry, and the perfectly timed intervention by Gwyn and Ethan, who had been waiting outside the square, made the scene look all too real. Agnes''s face was flushed with rage as she yelled at me, fully immersing herself in the role. "Let go! Let me go!! That Lillis! That¡­ that wretch!!" "Calm down, Agnes! Why are you acting like this with your friend?" "She¡¯s not a friend!! Friends don¡¯t say things like that to each other!! You, you¡¯ve always thought that, haven¡¯t you? That I¡¯m t-chested and short?! That I have no curves and a cold heart?! You awful¡­!!!" "¡­¡­." I was so taken aback by Agnes''s performance that I momentarily forgot my lines, simply staring at her in stunned silence. This was the first time I realized that Agnes had such a talent for acting, making her seem like apletely different person from the Agnes I knew. I knew she was trying, but I didn¡¯t expect her to throw herself into the role like this. When we practiced the fight, her acting had been so awkward that I¡¯d had to create a more realistic scenario to make it work. But now, seeing her deliver such a convincing performance, I was genuinely surprised. No one would suspect that this was just an act¡ªshe looked like she was genuinely furious with me. Even Gwyn and Ethan, who had been briefed to intervene at a specific moment, seemed to have rushed in earlier than nned, likely because they were also fooled by Agnes''s performance. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of appreciation for Agnes, who was going to such lengths to make our n work. I never imagined she would try this hard for my sake. "Agnes, what if someone thinks you''re really angry? We agreed to just pretend to fight." "B-But she¡­ Lillis¡­ she¡­." Gwyn, who had pulled Agnes away from me, was whispering to her. I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but I assumed they were just reviewing the n. Meanwhile, Ethan, who had rushed over as soon as the fight began, put aforting hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. "Are you okay, Lillis? Did you get hurt?" "I''m fine, Young Master Ethan. We¡¯re just pretending to fight; it¡¯s not a real fight." "R-Really? You¡¯re not actually fighting?" "Of course not. This was all part of the n Agnes and I came up with. You were briefed on it beforehand, weren¡¯t you?" "Well, yes, but¡­ this doesn¡¯t seem like what we discussed¡­." That¡¯s just how acting goes. Sometimes, you have to go off-script if it makes the performance more believable. Ethan looked at Agnes with a concerned expression, likely worrying about something unnecessary. There was no way Agnes would be truly upset over a few jabs about physical traits¡ªespecially since she was the one who¡¯d brought up that topic in the first ce. Even Ethan, who knew about our n, seemed uncertain, which spoke volumes about how convincing Agnes''s angry performance was. She might have been awkward during rehearsals, but she was a natural when it came to the real thing. "Y-You¡­ you awful¡­ you awful person¡­! Sniff¡­ sniff¡­"@@novelbin@@ Agnes, fullymitted to deceiving everyone, even teared up as part of her performance, making me wonder if this was all really necessary. Still, I was grateful for her dedication¡ªeveryone watching would undoubtedly believe that a severe rift had formed between us. This would certainly fool McHart, who would think our bond hadpletely broken. He would undoubtedly seize the next opportunity to attack, believing that Agnes was no longer by my side. That¡¯s when I, Ethan, and the unexpectedly involved Agnes would trap him, and Gwyn and Celesta would join in for the final battle. This staged fallout was just the first step in that n. Feeling confident that we had set the n in motion perfectly, I fought back a smile. Any sign of satisfaction now could ruin the rest of our strategy. With the semester nearing its end and the Magic Department sses over, there was no need for Agnes to guard me any longer. The only event left was the evaluation match a weekter. As I silently congratted myself on the timing and execution of our n, Agnes, still in character, shouted onest time at me: "You¡­ you just wait! I won¡¯t let this go! You¡¯ll be on your knees, begging for forgiveness!!!" Her final, dramatic exit,plete with a tearful performance, drew the crowd''s attention fully to us. The slightly risky n to stage a falling-out was brought to a perfect close as Agnes stormed off toward the Magic Department dormitory. ¡­At least, that¡¯s what I thought at the time. ? ? ? A weekter. Back in reality, I was now sitting quietly in the waiting room for the evaluation match, pondering over recent events. I still couldn¡¯t fully understand why I was about to face off against the top student in the Magic Department in the final evaluation match. Why is Agnes insisting on finishing the semester with a duel against me? The incident in front of the Student Council Hall a week ago should have been more than enough to convince everyone that we had fallen out. So why continue the charade with this evaluation match? The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed. If Agnes had truly been furious at me that day, then maybe this duel made sense. But if it was all an act, why would she choose me as her opponent? Was it possible that her anger back then wasn¡¯t entirely an act? "¡­Oh." Maybe I had been too narrow-minded in my thinking. It was odd, indeed. The performance Agnes had given that day was so convincing that it was hard to believe it was just acting. If her anger had been real, and if her final words about making me kneel and apologize were genuine, then it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand what she had nned. "¡­Agnes¡¯s performance isn¡¯t over yet." I nearly fell for it myself. Agnes had anticipated how she would act if she were truly angry, and one of those actions would be dragging me into the final evaluation match to use me as a test subject for her magic. For someone who had screamed and shouted at me with such intensity, it would have been odd for her not to challenge me to a duel. She knew that to make the act believable, she needed to follow through with her typical behavior when she was furious. Agnes had been thinking several steps ahead of me. She was making sure that McHart couldn¡¯t possibly suspect that anything was amiss by creating a wless performance. "She really got me this time." To think that she had guided me into such a natural situation without even giving me a heads-up. I had originally thought I would have to help her improve her acting skills, but it turned out I was the one struggling to keep up with her. At least I realized it now. I had genuinely worried that Agnes was so angry she was ready to end our friendship. "We will now begin the first-semester final evaluation duel for the second-year students of the Magic Department! The first match is between the top student of the second-year, Agnes Elizabeth¡­." Hearing my name called alongside Agnes''s from outside the waiting room, I headed toward the evaluation arena with a lighter step. Our staged fallout was nearing its final act. ? ? ? As I entered the evaluation arena, I immediately spotted Agnes stepping out from the opposite waiting room and making her way to the center of the stage. Her eyes were serious, filled with a resolve I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Having spent so much time with the more rxed and friendly version of Agnes, it was almost jarring to see her like this. She reminded me of the Agnes from our first day in the Spirit Studies ss, the one who had called me a crazy woman. In fact, she seemed even more determined than back then. Given that she had brought along her low-level fire spirit, Infernosilia, which I had helped her contract before the end of that ss, it was clear she was fully prepared for this duel. "Hey, you! Big boobs!" "Yes?" "You made my Agnes cry! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re her friend¡ªthis time, I won¡¯t let you off!!" "¡­¡­." I couldn¡¯t believe she even got her spirit to y along with the angry act. Impressed by Agnes''s thoroughness, I stood there quietly as she followed up with her own challenge. "Lillis." "Yes, Lady Agnes?" "¡­This time, I won¡¯t let you off the hook." "What do you mean by that, Lady Agnes?" "I¡¯m going to show you the difference in our abilities and make you kneel before me and apologize." For an evaluation duel, her taunt was almost cute. Of course, no matter how much this duel was part of our n, I had no intention of losing to Agnes¡¯s magic without putting up a fight. If I went down too easily, not only would my first-semester evaluation rank plummet out of the top ten, but McHart might also start to get suspicious if he was watching. This duel wasn¡¯t part of our original n, but now that it was happening, I intended to give it my all. "I hope you achieve your dreams, Lady Agnes." "¡­¡­." Agnes tightened her grip on her staff and moved to the arena¡¯s edge, preparing for the duel. I also took my position, ready to face her in what would be the final act of our staged fallout. This was thest phase of our n to deceive McHart. Chapter 210 ¡°Duel, begin!¡±
  • Whoosh!
The magic duel between Agnes and Lillis began with Agnes ze making the first move. Given the tension that had built up in Agnes over the past week due to an incident involving Lillis, it was no surprise that she immediatelyunched a fireball at the start of the duel. Ever since the incident in front of the student council hall a week ago, Agnes had been determined tond a hit on Lillis, her resolve unwavering even if her opponent was one of her closest friends. ¡°Shoot! zing mes!¡± A fast-moving fireball shot across the circr magic department arena, heading straight for Lillis. The spell crossed the 30-meter distance in less than a second, its power amplified by the fact that Agnes was the one casting it. The spell was formidable; after all, duringst year¡¯s evaluation duel, it had knocked out Isolbe, who was the second top student, in one hit. In magic duels, it was generally epted that one could only focus on either speed or power in a spell, but Agnes excelled in both. It was no wonder that she had maintained her position as the top student in the magic department. And among the second-year students, only one person had the means to face someone like Agnes.
  • sh!
Since the moment Agnes began chanting, Lillis had anticipated the fast-moving fireball and sprang sideways, pushing off the ground with force. The spell''s power was such that an average magic student would have been caught in the st radius even with a jump, but Lillis¡¯s physical abilities far exceeded those of her peers in the magic department.
  • Thud!
Lillis rolled through the air, covering a distance of over five meters beforending. The sight of hernding, her body slightly bouncing, rekindled Agnes¡¯s resolve. ¡®Hmph, so you¡¯ve got good physical abilities, huh?¡¯ Agnes was already aware that Lillis had superior physical abilitiespared to the other students in the magic department. Otherwise, there was no way she would have been able to take swordsmanship sses for three straight semesters despite being in the magic department. Even if she had a boyfriend in the swordsmanship department, it would have been difficult to continue taking such sses without genuine talent. Andst year¡¯s evaluation duel, where Lillis faced Luke with dagger skills, had also shown her prowess. Although Agnes had chosen Lillis as her duel opponent in a fit of anger, she wasn¡¯tcent enough to assume she would win easily. Having used the fast-moving fireball as her first spell, Agnes now had a brief opening, which Lillis immediately seized upon. ¡°Pierce through, arrows of magic power!¡± As always, Lillis executed her signature triple casting, sending three magic arrows towards Agnes. This attack focused on speed, unlike energy bolts that were geared more towards raw power. Unfortunately, Lillis hadn¡¯t anticipated that energy bolts would be more effective against Agnes. ¡®Three magic arrows. Just as expected.¡¯ Agnes, known for her sharp memory, recalled most of the duel between Lillis and Luke fromst year¡¯s evaluation, having observed it closely despite pretending to be uninterested. Her dedication to her magical studies, driven by her determination to join the main branch of the Elizabeth family, meant that she meticulously analyzed the duels of other top students in the magic department, including Lillis, who ranked fifthst year. ¡°Shield!¡±
  • Thwack!
With Agnes¡¯s chant, three magical barriers surrounded her, and two of Lillis¡¯s magic arrows embedded themselves into the shields. If Lillis had used energy bolts, she might have been able to break through and deal some damage. Even if Agnes had been prepared, she would have had to spend more time chanting to defend against energy bolts, making them a better choice than the magic arrows. Moreover, one of the three arrows missed entirely due to Lillis¡¯s still less-than-perfect uracy. ¡°Infernosilia, it¡¯s time to use what we practiced.¡± ¡®Got it!¡¯ ¡°¡®As the burning me awakens the soul, today the young spirit shall burn with a new form!¡¯¡± Agnes and Infernosilia chanted in unison, their voices harmonizing perfectly. As the chant ended, a massive fire spirit began to materialize on one side of the arena. Infernosilia had taken on the form of the "Fire Giant," a formidable being. ¡®Alright, here I go!!!¡¯ This cooperative magic,bining the abilities of a fire mage and a fire spirit, was something rarely seen in the original storyline. Lillis felt a bit of surprise at witnessing Agnes¡¯s original technique. ¡®I¡¯ve seen Orion use the Forest Giant before, but¡­.¡¯ Lillis hadn¡¯t expected Agnes to employ the Fire Giant in this duel, though it made sense since she was the one who had helped Agnes contract with the fire spirit. It was, after all, a consequence of her own actions. ¡®Take this, you big-chested girl who made Agnes cry!!!¡¯ With her rank temporarily elevated through the cooperative magic, Infernosilia swung her giant ming fist at Lillis. Even though she was now temporarily more powerful, Infernosilia¡¯s high-pitched voice and overly enthusiastic demeanor were still those of a lower spirit. Naturally, Lillis wasn¡¯t just going to stand there and take the hit, so she jumped to avoid the giant¡¯s ming fist. Though Infernosilia¡¯s attacks were relentless, they were easier to dodgepared to the fast-moving fireball from earlier. It seemed that Infernosilia wasn¡¯t yet ustomed to her giant form, and as a lower spirit, her only attack option was to use her erged body. A lower spirit like her couldn¡¯t replicate the truly terrifying aspects of a higher spirit. However, what made the Fire Giant dangerous was that it granted even a lower fire spirit the means to unleash powerful and dangerous attacks, forcing Lillis to dodge far more frantically than when she was only facing Agnes.
  • Boom! Crash!
¡®Both sides are attacking, but if I focus, I can dodge¡­.¡¯ ¡°me Field!¡± ¡°¡­Darn it!¡± As Lillis focused on dodging the attacksing at her from two directions, her concentration inevitably wavered, and Agnes took advantage of that moment of vulnerability. Predicting where Lillis¡¯s feet wouldnd, Agnes cast a fire spell that ignited the ground beneath her. Suspended in midair, Lillis didn¡¯t have enough distance to use a shockwave to counter the mes, but fortunately, she wasn¡¯t fighting alone. ¡°Sei! Tailwind!¡± ¡®Yes.¡¯ With a brief reply, Sei created an updraft that lifted Lillis out of the mes. Although Sei was only a mid-level wind spirit, her magic was more than sufficient to carry the weight of a single girl. ¡°Sally! Please take care of that big friend! You can use as much of my magic as you need, just make sure to handle it!¡± ¡®Leave it to me, Lillis!¡¯ Realizing she couldn¡¯t fight both Agnes and the fire spirit simultaneously, Lillis called for help. The moment she did, Sally eagerly flew towards the Fire Giant, forming a ming ring with her right hand and expanding it.
  • Whoosh, whoosh.
¡®Huh, what¡¯s this¡­?¡¯ In an instant, the ring in Sally¡¯s hand grew to a size that rivaled the Fire Giant. Startled by the sight, Infernosilia hesitated momentarily, and Sally, with a grin, hurled the ming chakram with all her might at the Fire Giant. ¡®That giant body is ten thousand years too early for someone who hasn¡¯t even lived for a year!¡¯ ¡®Waaah!!¡¯ The ming chakram sliced through half of the Fire Giant¡¯s body, causing it to copse. With Infernosilia now half the size she was, Sally gleefully charged towards her. ¡®A high-ranking spirit can be quite reliable after all.¡¯ Having left the fire spirits to battle it out amongst themselves, Lillis refocused on her duel with Agnes. She barely managed to evade another series of Agnes¡¯s spells, then countered with a triple-cast of energy bolts aimed at exploiting a gap in Agnes¡¯s defenses. However, Agnes quickly deployed another defensive spell, blocking Lillis¡¯s attack once again. ¡®Two out of three again. I¡¯ve noticed for a while now that Lillis isn¡¯t the best when ites to uracy.¡¯@@novelbin@@ Duringst year¡¯s evaluation duel, and even in today¡¯s, Lillis never seemed tond all three of her spells when using triple casting. There was always one or two that missed, with only one or two hitting the target. Agnes, who had studied alongside Lillis and observed her many times, was certain of this pattern. Initially, Agnes had assumed that Lillis¡¯s triple casting was simply unrefined, but there were no signs of the typical mistakes associated with thatck of refinement in her casting. Despitepressing the three spells into a single sentence, which usually led to mistakes in the final spell, Lillis¡¯s casting didn¡¯t follow this pattern. ¡®This time it was the second spell that missed. Last time it was the first. Is she deliberately miscasting one of the spells?¡¯ Agnes couldn¡¯t believe it was just bad luck that one spell always missed. After all, she herself had never missed when she poured her heart and soul into a spell. But this peculiar uracy was beginning to raise suspicions in Agnes¡¯s mind, slowly drawing her focus away as the intense battle continued. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Agnes failed to notice that Lillis, who appeared to be simply evading her spells to buy time, was gradually closing the distance between them. Chapter 211 The academy''s evaluation duels have predetermined starting distances depending on the event, as each discipline benefits differently from the spacing. For example, in the hand-to-handbat division, the distance is set at 5 meters, in the swordsmanship division, it''s 7 meters, and in the spear division, 8 meters. For the archery and magic divisions, the standard starting distances exceed double digits, with archery at 20 meters and magic at 30 meters. This distance allocation was always a bit unfair to me personally. While my magic skills weren''t bad, mybat style wasn''t limited to just magic. Of course, I knew thatining wouldn''t make the academy change the rules just for me, so I had no choice but to adapt mybat style to survive. In a duel between mages, the key is to close the distance, making it impossible for the opponent to continue using magic effectively. This was the strategy I adopted in my evaluation duel against Agnes.
  • Whoosh!
I dodged Agnes''s mes, rolling through the air and managing to narrow the distance between us by a few more meters. To an observer, it might have looked like I was desperately evading Agnes''s magic whileunching ineffective counterattacks. But it didn''t matter if they misunderstood. From the beginning, my goal wasn''t to have a straightforward magic duel with Agnes, but to turn this fight into a close-quarters battle. The official name of our final evaluation duel was the "Evaluation Magic Division Duel," not a "Pure Magic Duel." Just because it was a duel between mages didn¡¯t mean I had to fight using only magic. If there had been an issue with fighting using non-magical means, it would have been pointed outst year when I used a dagger against Luke in our evaluation duel. My aim was simple: close the distance, break through Agnes¡¯s magical barrier with my own magic, and then finish her off with a dagger. ¡­The thought of stabbing her small body with a dagger was a bit unsettling, but the academy''s evaluation duels were protected by death-prevention magic to ensure that no one was seriously harmed. Moreover, if I didn''t show this level of determination, we wouldn''t be able to convince the public that Agnes and I were on bad terms. Of course, we weren¡¯t actually at odds; it was all just an act. ¡°Burn! Explode! Let all the mes consume that wretched lump of fat!!¡± ¡­This is just part of the act, right? I moved forward step by step, dodging the barrage of fireballs that Agnes hurled at me while changing her incantations. Even though my physical abilities were good for someone in the magic division, they weren''t enough to dodge every fireballing directly at me using just my physical skills.@@novelbin@@
  • ng!
As I moved forward, I repeatedly chanted my own barrier spells, using them to block the fireballs I couldn''t dodge. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous, Lillis.¡¯ For the fireballs I couldn¡¯t block, Sei used wind magic to subtly alter their trajectory. Rather than trying to push the fireballs away with wind, she used wind magic on my body, helping me dodge the fireballs. Normally, wind magic would amplify fire magic if they collided, so Sei made sure the wind never touched the fireballs, focusing entirely on my body. Despite her usual quiet andzy demeanor, Sei was proving to be a reliable mid-level spirit.
  • Whoosh!
After enduring Agnes¡¯s relentless fireball barrage and narrowing the distance, there were now less than 10 meters between us. It was a distance close enough that, if I were to throw a dagger, it could reach Agnes, but I wasn''t going to take any unnecessary risks. If I made a half-hearted attempt, my dagger would just be blocked by her magical barrier, wasting a valuable opportunity. I had to break her barrier and deliver the finishing blow with the dagger simultaneously, and I had to do it on the first try if possible. ¡°zing mes! Tormenting screams!¡±
  • Roar!
Agnes''s next spell ignited a ring of mes around me, a 4th-circle spellmonly known as the "me Fortress." ¡®Already at 4th circle? That¡¯s demoralizing.¡¯ For reference, aside from Mana st, the most powerful attack spell I could use was the 2nd-circle spell, Energy Bolt. In contrast, the fast fireball Agnes had used earlier was a 3rd-circle spell. There would be timeter to envy Agnes for casually using 3rd- and 4th-circle spells before the end of our second year. For now, I needed to figure out how to escape the walls of heat surrounding me. If I didn''t, the mes would close in and roast me alive. ¡°I¡¯ll burn you to a crisp, Lillis! Your plump, fatty chest! And everything else from head to toe!!¡± ¡­She¡¯s not actually mad, right? Agnes¡¯s insults felt surprisingly genuine as she surrounded me with the walls of me. The mes were closing in on me slowly, but it was impossible to escape the meticulously crafted "me Fortress." The height and thickness of the mes were enough to justify the term "fortress." To avoid bing a well-done Lillis, I had to find a way to escape before the mes closed in on me. ¡­Or, I could end this fight right here and now. ¡°Dim mist and faint light!¡± As the mes of the "me Fortress" started to close in on me, I hurriedly cast a dim light spell at Agnes. Even if she was shielding herself with a magical barrier, a simple light-blocking spell like this shouldn''t be stopped by it. Of course, this alone wouldn¡¯t stop Agnes¡¯s me Fortress, as it continued to tighten around me. But just blocking her sight was enough. At this moment, what mattered most was that I obstructed Agnes¡¯s vision. With Agnes¡¯s sight blocked, I shouted the incantation for a spell that would help me end this fight. The spell that was Lillis the Mage¡¯s ultimate technique, the guaranteed hit, Mana st. ¡°Mana! Answer my call!!¡± If Ipleted Mana st within this me Fortress and fired it at Agnes, it would certainly be powerful enough to finish the duel. It would shatter all her magical barriers and likely incapacitate Agnes herself. Even with her sight somewhat blocked by the dim light, as long as Agnes¡¯s position remained the same, my Mana st would be a guaranteed hit. ¡°Vision! Condensed mana bomb!!¡± Agnes¡¯s me Fortress was gradually closing in on me, but I was confident that my Mana st would bepleted first. It seemed that Agnes had ounted for my physical abilities and left a little extra room, allowing me the time toplete my spell. Normally, I avoided using Mana st unless the conditions were perfect because it left me vulnerable during its casting. However, this situation seemed like the ideal opportunity to use it. After all, the me Fortress was a channeling spell. Even Agnes, no matter how talented, wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain focus on a 4th-circle spell while casting another spell to counter me. If my Mana st waspleted, the duel would be over in my favor. But knowing Agnes, she wouldn¡¯t take such a frustrating loss lying down.
  • Fizzle¡­
¡°Burn, burn!¡± Realizing that she was running out of time, Agnes abandoned her me Fortress and hastilyunched a fireball at me. She had chosen to forgo a grand finish in favor of a more practical victory. She probably thought that since I was casting Mana st, I wouldn''t be able to dodge, so even a 1st-circle spell would suffice to finish me off. ¡­But this final decision of Agnes¡¯s was her downfall. Because I never had any intention of finishing this with Mana st.
  • Whoosh!
¡°¡­¡­¡± I lightly jumped out of the way of the fireball that was aimed at where I had just been standing, then quickly darted into the misty fog that still surrounded Agnes. In my right hand, I held the dagger for the finishing blow, and in my left, a spell prepared to break through her barrier. Mana st? I had never intended to cast such an inefficient spell. I merely recited the incantation to make it seem like I was casting it, but I hadn¡¯t expended any mana for it. Using Mana st in a one-on-one duel was practically a death wish. In Luke¡¯s case, I had used Mana st after binding him with magical chains once his only means of attack was closebat. But using such an arrogant spell against another mage like Agnes would have just left me open for a counterattack, as we had just seen. The only reason I cast the dim light spell on Agnes was to make her think I was preparing Mana st. The n was always to finish her off with the dagger, just as I had originally intended. ¡°Sei!!¡± ¡®Yes, I know.¡¯ At my call, Sei used her wind magic to blow away the fog that had been surrounding us. As the mist cleared, the sight of the red-haired, twin-tailed mage came into view, her form nowpletely exposed. I dashed toward her with all my might.
  • ng!
¡°...Ah!!¡± Agnes gasped as she heard the sound of her magical barrier shattering and turned towards me. But it was toote¡ªmy dagger was already aimed at her heart. And with no more obstacles in the way, my short dagger plunged into Agnes¡¯s chest, striking her heart with precision.
  • Thud!
¡°¡­Ugh!!¡± ¡°¡­No hard feelings, Agnes.¡± ¡­Feeling a pang of guilt at her pained voice, I found myself awkwardly mumbling something that was neither an apology nor an excuse. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°If it were up to me, I¡¯d dly let you win, considering your situation¡­ But a duel is a duel.¡± ¡°¡­I had some hard feelings, though.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡±
  • Thunk.
Before I could even process what Agnes had said, her staff, still held in her hand, suddenly plunged into my chest. Even with a dagger lodged in her heart, Agnes quietly muttered her final incantation. ¡°me¡­ Explosion¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The moment Agnes finished herst incantation, the fire magic unleashed from the tip of her staff engulfed both our bodies. ¡­That day, the first evaluation duel in the academy¡¯s magic division triggered the death-prevention magic twice. Chapter 212 After the magic division''s evaluation duel ended, Agnes and I found ourselves not just admitted, but rather confined, to a shared double room in the academy¡¯s infirmary. Normally, when the death-prevention magic is triggered, each individual would be assigned a private room, as the recovery period following such an incident requires absolute rest. After all, the death-prevention magic is nothing short of a miracle, bringing someone back from the brink of death, so utmost care during the recovery phase is crucial. However, even thoughplete rest is essential, the number of patient rooms in the academy''s infirmary is limited. It¡¯s not feasible to demand an extra room for each match. Therefore, Agnes and I were ced together in a single room that had been quickly converted into a double by adding another bed. ¡°How are you feeling, Agnes?¡± ¡°¡­It hurts. It¡¯s throbbing.¡± ¡°Well, who told you to use an explosion spell at such close range? Using such a self-destructive technique was bound to affect you too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the explosion spell that hurts, it¡¯s the side where you stabbed me with your dagger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That just made me feel guilty. Even though neither of us held back during the duel, it¡¯s hard not to feel a bit bad hearing her say that. If I hadn¡¯t fought so fiercely that day, I¡¯d probably be the only one lying in this room, burned to a crisp after being trapped in Agnes¡¯s encroaching me Fortress. In terms of immediate pain, the explosion was slightly better than full-body burns. ¡­Though the longer recovery period is another matter. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the best that we both ended up knocked out together.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°If I had to visit you in your room right now, weird rumors would start circting again, right? People would say something like, ¡®They were fighting to the death, but now they¡¯ve reconciled.¡¯ We went through all that trouble to duel just to avoid McHart¡¯s suspicion, so it¡¯d be unfair if those rumors undid everything.¡± Since I needed to discuss our n to lure McHart with Agnes anyway, sharing a room made things simpler. Plus, it would be easier to gather Ethan, Gwyn, and Seraphine here. Ethan and Gwyn could use the excuse of visiting me and Agnes, and Seraphine, being a student of the theology department, wouldn¡¯t raise any eyebrows by visiting the infirmary. ¡°¡­I disagree.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why would you visit me? Are you saying you would have won if it wasn¡¯t a simultaneous death?¡± ¡°Well, Agnes, you were the one who got stabbed by my dagger first. The explosion spell was just a desperate move after you were already in a corner, so technically, it¡¯s my win. Let¡¯s acknowledge the facts here.¡± ¡°No, the verdict was in my favor. Both of us died because of my explosion spell, and since you were closer, you died first, so I won.¡± ¡°But it was my dagger that forced you into that situation in the first ce¡­.¡±
  • Creak!
¡°Lillis, Agnes, I told you to remain calm and rest!¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Just as Agnes and I were getting heated over who won, Seraphine walked in and immediately diffused the situation. It seems even in a fantasy world, doctors¡ªor priests, in this case¡ªhold ultimate authority when ites to patient care. ¡°Please remember that both of you were transported to the church under death-prevention magic. Lillis, especially, was hit by the explosion at closer range, so you must rest properly.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°You see, Lillis, you were more severely injured, so that means I won¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You got hit by the explosion too, plus you had a stab wound to deal with! Your injuries were just asplex!¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± That¡¯s what happens when you argue in front of a healer. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk a little at Agnes¡¯s silent retreat after Seraphine scolded her. Just then, the door creaked open again, and a familiar face walked into the room.
  • Creak.
¡°Lillis, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Wee, Master Ethan.¡± Despite his slightly disheveled appearance, likely from rushing over, Ethan entered the room with a calm demeanor. Judging by the sweat dripping down his face, it seemed like he had just finished his evaluation duel. ¡°Did you just finish your evaluation duel?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t attend, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re a patient right now. I¡¯d feel worse asking you toe.¡± ¡°Still, I knew you would win. Congrattions, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lillis.¡± With that, Ethan naturally approached my bed, cing a basket of fruit beside it. He then casually picked up an apple and began to peel it with a small knife. ¡°Oh, let me do that, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a patient, Lillis. Just rest.¡± ¡°But you might cut yourself. I can still peel an apple in this state¡­.¡± ¡°Just rx. I¡¯ve been handling swords for years; I think I can manage a knife.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Of course, a small knife is quite different in weight from the longsword he usually wields. As expected, Ethan struggled with the lightness of the knife as he tried to peel the apple.
  • Scrape, scrape.
¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Um, Master Ethan, isn¡¯t your hand moving a bit too ¡®straight¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t aiming to cut this at a ¡®right angle.¡¯¡± ¡°The cut seems a bit too ¡®t,¡¯ Master Ethan. If you keep peeling like that, you¡¯ll waste the flesh along with the skin.¡± ¡°I thought I was pretty good with a sword, but it seems I¡¯m still a ¡®beginner¡¯ when ites to peeling fruit. I¡¯ll try again, so watch closely, Lillis.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. If you peel it so ¡®t¡¯ here¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Phew, this is harder than I thought. Watching you do it always made it look easy. I¡¯ve peeled off too much, and now this apple slice looks like a ¡®stubby¡¯ little thing.¡± ¡°Still, I appreciate it, Master Ethan. You cut it for me, so it¡¯s special. Even if the slice is a bit ¡®short,¡¯ the taste hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°¡­Are you two doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± For some reason, Agnes, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly red at Ethan and me with an irritated expression. Before I could think much of it, the door creaked open again, and another visitor entered.
  • Creak.
¡°Agnes, Lillis¡­ how are you feeling?¡± Carrying a basket of fruit like Ethan, Gwyn entered the room. I guess since Ethan¡¯s duel was over, Gwyn¡¯s must have been finished as well. ¡°¡­I¡¯m alright. Seraphine said I just need plenty of rest.¡± ¡°Both Agnes and Lillis have severe injuries, but recovery shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. The injuries are mostly concentrated in vital areas, so as long as we focus on those, they should heal well.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief. I thought Agnes would need a longer recovery after using that explosion spell.¡± ¡°When they were first transported to the church by the death-prevention magic, the initial treatment went smoothly. Since the healers had experience from treating Lady Luke after she got hit by a mana bombst year, they said these injuries didn¡¯t seem as bad.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hearing Gwyn bring upst year¡¯s evaluation duel between Luke and me made me avert my gaze ufortably. Back then, Mana st was the only way I could win, so I had no choice but to use it. I didn¡¯t realize the injuries had been so severe. It seems Mana st isn¡¯t really meant for dueling; it¡¯s more suited forrge-scale monster hunts. ¡°But why did you arriveter than ckwood? Weren¡¯t we supposed to have a meeting after your evaluation duel? You finished before ckwood, didn¡¯t you? And you¡¯re ranked higher.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I had to check on something.¡± ¡°Check on something?¡± ¡°I heard the results of Agnes and Lillis¡¯s evaluation duel were in, so I wanted to confirm and share them with you.¡± ¡°I won, right?!¡± ¡°I won, didn¡¯t I?!¡± Agnes and I spoke up almost simultaneously, prompting Seraphine to shake her head sympathetically. But the only thing that mattered to us at that moment was the oue of our duel. ¡°Agnes won. Lillis¡¯s death was registered 0.04 seconds earlier.¡± ¡°See? I won, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t judge it like that! I was the one who inflicted the fatal wound first¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point arguing about it. And when it¡¯s a simultaneous death, the one who dies first is always the loser. You know that¡¯s the rule at Luminor Academy, Lillis.¡± ¡­Of course, I knew. The evaluation rules at Luminor Academy in the event of a tie were something every student was familiar with. But it didn¡¯t make it any less frustrating. If this had been a real fight rather than a duel with set distances, I would have won. ¡°Let¡¯s have a rematch in next year¡¯s evaluation duel, Agnes.¡± ¡°Huh? Why should I? You¡¯re weak, Lillis.¡± ¡°I can win if we fight again!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to pick someone else next time. If you¡¯re so upset, try taking the top spot and challenge me yourself.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Lillis, you need to rest and take it easy!¡± ¡­If the starting distance had been 5 meters closer, I would have won for sure. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but feel even more frustrated with the magic division¡¯s evaluation duel rules, which seemed unfairly stacked against me. Chapter 213 ¡°So, what¡¯s your n for drawing out McHart? Do you have one?¡± Once all five of us who were part of the n to take down McHart had gathered, we began our meeting in earnest. There were two main things we needed to prepare for the operation, and the first, as Gwyn had just pointed out, was to create a trap to lure McHart in. A hunter¡¯s most essential tool isn¡¯t a bow or a spear¡ªit¡¯s the prey itself. ¡°Prince McHart won¡¯t fall for just any trap. He¡¯s already tried to target me once and failed, so he¡¯s likely expecting that I¡¯m prepared and aware of his true nature.¡± ¡°¡­That makes sense. If he were the type to charge in recklessly, he would¡¯ve approached you at least once or twice more recently. The fact that he hasn¡¯t attacked while I and Lady ze have been frequently by your side suggests he¡¯s more cautious than he appears.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s crucial to make McHart think I¡¯m alone. Specifically, he needs to believe that Ethan, Agnes, or anyone else won¡¯t be interfering. With the fake fallout between Agnes and me, he might feel reassured that she won¡¯t be involved.¡± ¡°What about Seraphine and me? If he¡¯s that cautious, wouldn¡¯t he also be wary of us being nearby?¡± ¡°You and Seraphine are definitely threats in his eyes, but probably not as much as Ethan. Sir Gwyn, you¡¯ve rarely socialized with Ethan or me outside of necessary interactions, and Seraphine, aside from meeting in the church, we haven¡¯t had any official encounters.¡± From McHart¡¯s perspective, the biggest obstacles were Ethan and Agnes since they were the two people most publicly associated with me. ¡°But even though Sir Gwyn and I have met Lillis before, wouldn¡¯t that still raise some suspicion if we were nearby?¡± ¡°Generally, if a baron¡¯s daughter ims that the fourth prince of the empire is a demonic coborator, most people would dismiss it as nonsense unless they have solid evidence. If I were to insult Prince McHart publicly, it would likely be seen as nothing more than the jealousy of a lower noblewoman who couldn¡¯t gain the prince¡¯s favor.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I was fortunate to have four people who actually believed in me. Setting aside Gwyn and Seraphine, who were in the same situation as me, Ethan and Agnes had trusted my ims without hesitation. If I had only asked one of them to protect me, McHart might have found an opening to approach me during the semester. In that case, I would¡¯ve had to face McHart in an unprepared state, which would have surely led to defeat. When ites to a raid boss like him, you need to fight with the right strategy and not take on the challenge alone. ¡°We¡¯re going to use the uing noble exchange event at the imperial pce during the summer break as bait to lure Prince McHart. It¡¯s a gathering where he¡¯ll likely prey on unsuspecting noblewomen, so I expect he¡¯ll definitely attend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been regrly invited to those events, but I¡¯ve always declined. Such gatherings are often just an excuse for nobles to engage in less-than-pure rtionships.¡± Ethan¡¯s assumption wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªMcHart had indeed been using those events for that purpose. As Ethan showed us the invitation he¡¯d received, Agnes looked at it with a puzzled expression. ¡°I never received anything like this.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about these noble exchange events.¡± ¡°That makes sense, Lady ze. Didn¡¯t I just mention the purpose of these gatherings? Lady ze, you¡¯re¡­ well¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If Master Ethan finds it difficult to exin, allow me. As Master Ethan mentioned, these gatherings are often for immature noblemen and women to pursue ¡®impure¡¯ rtionships. I imagine that you might not have received an invitation because you might not fit the criteria for such engagements.¡± ¡°¡­I thought the fake fallout n was over. So can I take what you¡¯re saying seriously now, Lillis?¡± ¡°I apologize, I was merely trying to exin why you hadn¡¯t received an invitation¡­¡± In the modern world, where all sorts of tastes are catered to, someone like Agnes would certainly have her admirers. However, in this world, men who sought an ¡°impure¡± rtionship with someone like her would likely be consideredcking in refinement. ¡°For the record, I have received invitations before. Ever since I started my activities as a hero, I¡¯ve been invited to these exchange events regrly, though I¡¯ve always declined because I was too busy.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve received one too¡­ just once, duringst year¡¯s winter break¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also been getting them consistently since I enrolled in the academy. Before that, I wasn¡¯t involved in many social activities, so I never got any invitations.¡± ¡°I was already well-known¡­ not that I wanted it, but I participated in social events regrly¡­ So why¡­¡± It was unavoidable. Invitations to these events were generally based on one¡¯s ¡°charm¡± stats. With Agnes¡¯s lower charm stat, the chance of her receiving an invitation was almost zero. Of course, attending these events wasn¡¯t really worth it; there were few useful items to gain, and it could damage your reputation. However, this time, our goal was to target the attendees, so participating was necessary. Since Agnes didn¡¯t have an invitation, we decided she would attend as Gwyn¡¯s partner. Seraphine¡¯s expression momentarily darkened, but she nodded in agreement, understanding the necessity given the demonic involvement. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to create a situation to lure Prince McHart. By staging a fight between Ethan and me over some rtionship issues, I¡¯ll distance myself from him temporarily. If I¡¯m right, Prince McHart won¡¯t be able to resist taking advantage of the opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­The problem is whether such a straightforward n will work. If Prince McHart has been cautious enough to avoid attacking Lillis until now, won¡¯t he suspect it¡¯s a trap?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you a demonstration? After seeing my performance, you can judge whether or not Prince McHart would fall for it. Master Ethan, could you please y along for a moment?¡± ¡°Wait, if we¡¯re going to act this out, shouldn¡¯t you give me some idea of what to say¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°You¡¯ll understand once we start.¡± Knowing that things oftene naturally in the moment, I left a flustered Ethan to quickly dive into character. I was no longer the personal maid of a nobleman, but a fierce noblewoman ready to act. ¡°Ed. We need to talk.¡± ¡°¡­Lillis?¡± ¡°Oh, are we not on nickname terms anymore? Fine, I¡¯ll address you properly then, Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± ¡°S-Sorry, it just slipped out, Lilli.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. It¡¯s not just your words that are slipping up. Just a moment ago, I saw you ogling that youngdy over there as if you wanted to bore a hole through her. I guess it¡¯s not your mouth but your eyes that have been misbehaving.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Lilli! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d look at anotherdy when you¡¯re by my side!¡± ¡°Is that so? So, I must have misseen it, then? My apologies, Ethan, for falsely using you of being a lecher.¡± ¡°N-No, Lilli, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I should¡¯ve known something was wrong when you brought me to such an obviously improper party. I suppose I¡¯m not enough for you anymore, is that it? You came here to find ady who can join us in bed, someone who can share in your long, hard ¡®lollipop¡¯? If you¡¯d told me that earlier, I would have helped you find ady with a big mouth and a long tongue.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t say things that could be misunderstood, Lilli! I-I never had that intention, and I wasn¡¯t even looking at any otherdy¡­¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s all my fault, right? If I were just a bit prettier and more charming, I could have kept your attention on me entirely. Should I have worn a shorter dress? Oh no, wait¡ªsince you like breasts so much, I should have worn a dress with a lower neckline, right?¡± ¡°W-What are you saying, Lilli?! You¡¯re already beautiful and charming!¡± ¡°Enough. I¡¯m going to get some fresh air, so don¡¯t follow me.¡± ¡°Lilli, wait¡­¡± ¡°If you take even one more step, it¡¯s over between us. Consider yourself warned, Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan, who had reluctantly gone along with my act, did quite well. The scene we acted out might have been rough around the edges, but it was convincing enough to get the point across. ¡°In the real situation, I n to act something like this. Do you think this level of performance will be enough?¡± As soon as I finished speaking, I was met with three, no, four heads nodding in agreement, including Ethan¡¯s. ¡°L-Lilli¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan? Thank you for helping me with my sudden request.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I just have to ask¡­ you¡¯re not actually mad at me, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m always grateful to you, Master Ethan. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°G-Good. If you¡¯re ever angry or upset, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. I¡¯ll do my best to fix it right away¡­¡± For some reason, it felt like there was a bit more distance between Ethan and me now. Even though I had clearly said it was just acting from the start. Chapter 214 And so, that night. Late in the evening, after Ethan, Celesta, and the rest of the visitors, including Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, had all returned to their respective ces, only Agnes and I were left in the hospital room. We hadn¡¯t yet discussed the second part of the preparations to eliminate McHart. Since it was a topic that only a few people should know about, it wasn¡¯t something to be talked about in front of everyone. As for the matter regarding the saint, I should discuss it with Celesta aler on. If necessary, we can include the Hero, but no one else. In any case, after all the exhausting events of the past two days, my body had reached its limit. Yesterday, I had a serious evaluation duel with Agnes, and today, the meeting went on so long that I didn¡¯t get any rest, leaving me physically drained. ¡®I need to rest well and recover quickly. If I¡¯m going to participate in the noble exchange event that McHart will attend this break¡­.¡¯ As I was slowly drifting off to sleep with those thoughts, Agnes¡¯s voice called out to me from the bed across the room, snapping me back to reality. ¡°Lillis, are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­I was just about to fall asleep.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, should we talk tomorrow?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a long conversation, I don¡¯t mind. If we put it off until tomorrow, I might forget again, so just tell me now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the quiet silence, I heard nothing but the sound of her breathing. Just as I started to think she might have fallen asleep due to exhaustion, Agnes spoke again, cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for fighting so seriously during the duel yesterday.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said you had no ill intentions, but I did. ¡­So, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, you did say something like that.¡± I remembered that I had been caught up in the explosion of Agnes¡¯s mes right after she said that, so I didn¡¯t fully grasp her words at the time. But it seemed she truly meant it when she said she had ill intentions. I didn¡¯t recall saying anything that would make Agnes hold a grudge against me. I had teased her a bit during the duel, but with her high magical prowess, I didn¡¯t expect her to take offense. The only other thing that might have upset her was when I made fun of her physical attributes¡­. ¡°Did I upset you when I mentioned your height and chest size a week ago?¡± ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t realize?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± Agnes looked at me with an expression of disbelief. I had thought her anger was just an act, but realizing now that it wasn¡¯t, everything made more sense. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it genuinely hurt you. I¡¯m sorry, Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not your fault. I was the one who brought up the topic of our chests first. I was wrong to take it out on you.¡± ¡°But in the end, our n worked out well, and we even ended up sharing a room. So let¡¯s look at the bright side.¡± ¡°¡­So, we¡¯re making up?¡± ¡°Huh? Making up?¡± ¡°¡­Do you still dislike me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­ I¡¯ve never been mad at you, Agnes. We¡¯ve always been friends, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± With that final word, Agnes quietly turned her face away, her cheeks slightly flushed. Understanding that this was her way of saying she¡¯d said enough, I closed my eyes and let myself drift into sleep. ? ? ? Four days had passed since Agnes and I were admitted to the academy¡¯s church. Two days after the meeting, Agnes quietly rose from her bed across from mine, gathering her belongings. Today was the day Agnes was to be discharged. ¡°It looks like the Elizabeth family¡¯s carriage has arrived, Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe I should stay a bit longer?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You never know. What if that bastard McHart tries to attack you while you¡¯re alone?¡± ¡°We already heard from Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat that Prince McHart has returned to the imperial pce. Since the information came from Princess Seraphine, it should be reliable.¡± ¡°¡­Still.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be discharged in a day or two as well. Ethan will visit often until then, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The carriage is waiting, Agnes.¡± Despite still looking worried, Agnes nodded silently, seeming to make up her mind. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go now. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Take care on your way home.¡± By the way, Celesta had advised me to stay in the church a little longer for treatment. Although both of us were injured in the duel, my injuries were more severe, so I would be staying here a bit longer. The power of Agnes¡¯s explosive magic was just that overwhelming. Originally, I had only been hit by one of Agnes¡¯s me explosions, while she had taken a stab to the heart and the same explosion. It would make sense for her injuries to be worse, but the fact that I was hit by a much stronger st exined my longer recovery time. ¡­In the final moments of our duel, Agnes had managed to wedge her staff between my chest, which likely absorbed some of the st¡¯s impact. Considering the size of this mass of flesh I¡¯m faced with every day in the mirror, it probably helped reduce the damage from her explosion. ¡°Your bag looks heavy. Would you like me to help you carry it?¡± ¡°A patient? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried you might trip while going down the stairs.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a child?¡± Honestly, if you only looked at her, you might think she was still in middle school, so she¡¯s pretty much a kid. Well, helping her as a patient myself didn¡¯t make much sense either, so I just waved her off, watching her leave. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll see you at the imperial pce on the appointed day.¡± ¡°Yes, Agnes.¡± -Click. After confirming that Agnes had left the room, I quietly woke one of the spirits resting beside me and asked for a favor. Since I wasn¡¯t physically helping, Agnes probably wouldn¡¯t refuse this kind of assistance. ¡°Say, could you escort Agnes to the entrance of the church? It¡¯d be nice if you could use wind magic to lighten her luggage a bit.¡± ¡®¡­Sure, I¡¯ll do that.¡¯ Watching Say secretly follow Agnes, I looked around the now empty hospital room. It had felt a bit cramped with the two of us, but now that I was alone, it felt oddly lonely. As I waited by the window, watching for Agnes to appear, the door to the room suddenly opened, and Celesta, who was overseeing my treatment, walked in. ¡°Oh, how are you feeling today, Lillis?¡± ¡°Thanks to your care, I¡¯m feeling much better. I feel like I could run around right now.¡± ¡°Well, you know you¡¯re not supposed to actually run around, right? You¡¯ll probably be fully recovered by tomorrow or the day after, so please hang in there until then. You did sustain more serious injuriespared to Agnes, after all.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As Celesta checked on me, I couldn¡¯t help but think about something that had been on my mind for a while. For some reason, she had started calling me ¡°Lady Lillis.¡± I had tried to ignore it as much as possible, but the situation of her addressing me with such honorifics felt increasingly odd. In the original story, Celesta only used that level of respect for very few characters. Usually, she reserved the term ¡°Lady¡± for the Hero, whom she admired, the elders of the Aurelia Church who outranked her, and the royal family, whom everyone treated with utmost respect. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t use polite speech with others. Celesta was the type to use formalnguage with everyone, be they children or animals. But when addressing others, she would usually use moremon honorifics like ¡°Miss¡± or ¡°Mr.¡± The use of ¡°Lady¡± was reserved for those of significantly higher status. Even for someone of high rank like Ethan, a duke¡¯s son, it would be understandable, but there was no reason for her to use such an elevated title with me. Yet, Celesta continued to address me as ¡°Lady Lillis.¡± ¡®And every time I¡¯ve tried to correct her, she¡¯s refused.¡¯ It could only mean one thing. Celesta knew something about me that warranted this level of respect. I had a vague idea of what it might be. I remembered that there was a time in the original story when Celesta had called Lillis ¡°Lady Lillis.¡± It was during the period when Lillis had awakened as the Saintess, and Celesta hadn¡¯t yet undergone her own awakening. That was when Celesta started using ¡°Lady Lillis¡± to address her. It was an event that urred only asionally in the game. The reason it was rare was that the ¡°Saintess Awakening¡± event usually happened with Celesta before Lillis.@@novelbin@@ Celesta was a character who was with the Hero from the early part of the story, so her experience level would naturally rise alongside the protagonist¡¯s. Lillis, on the other hand, joined the party near the end of the second act, meaning there was usually a significant experience gap between her and Celesta. Although Lillis started at level 15 when she joined, by the time the story reached mid-second act, Celesta and the other main characters were usually around level 20. Not raising your characters to level 20 made it almost impossible to defeat the mid-second act boss, Ethan. Even if he was still the ¡°Pig Prince¡± at that point, he was strong enough that you needed to level up to 20 just to have a chance against him with Lillis¡¯s support at level 15. In the process of leveling up, Celesta¡¯s experience would naturally grow alongside the Hero¡¯s, making her stronger than Lillis at the point of her joining the party, which was the mostmon scenario in the game. ¡®But I wasn¡¯t the average yer of Luminor Academy.¡¯ As someone who had tried every possible way to reach Lillis¡¯s ¡°Maiden Ending,¡± one of my strategies included awakening Lillis before Celesta. By focusing all my grinding on a single character early on, I could create a vastly over-leveled protagonist, which allowed Celesta to join at a lower level than Lillis. This made it possible to beat Ethan and ensured that Lillis awakened as the Saintess first. If I yed through the game this way until the end of the fifth act, Celesta would eventually refer to Lillis as ¡°Lady Lillis,¡± just as I remembered. So, if my theory applied to this situation¡­ ¡®¡­It means Celesta already knows that I¡¯m the true Saintess.¡¯ If she indeed knew this, there was no reason to hesitate any longer. The time and opportunity to talk to Celesta alone were running out. Chapter 215 As soon as I concluded that Celesta had likely realized that I was the Saintess, my mind began to work rapidly. If she indeed believed I was the Saintess, many of the issues I had been hesitant to address suddenly became much simpler. It meant that I no longer had to carefully gauge her reactions before bringing up the topic. ¡®In any case, considering the n to eliminate McHart, it was something I would have had to discuss before then.¡¯@@novelbin@@ It was just that now, knowing it wasn¡¯t just my secret, made it easier to talk about. I wasn¡¯t sure how Celesta had figured out that I was the Saintess, but as a high priestess, she likely had numerous ways to discover the truth. Fortunately, finding an opportunity to speak with her alone wasn¡¯t difficult. She was responsible for my treatment after the evaluation duel, and even now, she was in my room, using divine power to heal my body. ¡°¡­May the blessings of the sun and the goddess watch over this small life¡­.¡± Until now, sharing a room with Agnes had meant that there were few chances to be alone with Celesta, but today, Agnes had already been discharged in the morning. Celesta hade at her usual time to continue my healing, making this the perfect opportunity to talk. If I could also involve Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, the conversation would flow even more smoothly, but hoping for that much might be asking too much. ¡°¡­Today¡¯s treatment isplete, Lady Lillis.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Celesta.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle by at the same time tomorrow. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be on my way¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Celesta, could I ask you something before you go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Celesta froze in ce, her reaction making it clear she was hiding something. My suspicions were bing more of a certainty. ¡°¡­W-What would you like to ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is appropriate to mention, but¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Lately, whenever I receive treatment from you, I feel something divine welling up inside me. Could you check if it¡¯s some kind of illness or just a natural part of the healing process?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, well¡­.¡± Celesta¡¯s stiff expression and stammering response were as good as an answer. She had almost certainly figured out that I was the Saintess, but she likely hadn¡¯t expected me to bring it up so directly. Of course, I couldn¡¯t have known on my own that I was the Saintess; the feeling of divine energy welling up inside me was just something I made up on the spot. But even a question as vague as this was enough to get Celesta, who was already suspicious, to confirm my identity. Unlike most who believed her to be the true Saintess, Celesta was one of the few who knew she was a ¡°false Saintess.¡± And finally, given her self-sacrificing nature, Celesta would surely acknowledge me as the true Saintess¡­. ¡°S-Such a thing, is it¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Celesta.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite¡­ interesting¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°On second thought, I have a lot of patients to see today¡­! P-Please excuse me!¡± ¡°W-Wait! Lady Celesta¡­!¡± -Click, thud! ¡°¡­Lady!¡± Contrary to my expectations, as soon as I hinted that I might be the true Saintess, Celesta fled the room, leaving me alone, stunned. ¡­This couldplicate things. ? ? ? After Celesta bolted from my room, I sat quietly, pondering what had just happened. ¡®Did I approach this the wrong way?¡¯ Maybe I hadn¡¯t been considerate enough. I should have thought more about how terrifying it must be for her to confront the reality of a true Saintess appearing before her. ¡®Perhaps I should have reassured her about her safety first¡­.¡¯ Of course, I would need Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat¡¯s cooperation for that, but in any case, revealing my identity as the Saintess while we were alone might have been too hasty. Not to mention, the situation was indeed urgent, with the threat of McHart looming close. We needed to harness the power of the Saintess before the noble exchange event. My n had been to gently bring up the topic of the Saintess with Celesta and eventually offer to pass on the Saintess¡¯s power to her after everything was over. But I hadn¡¯t anticipated that revealing my identity would cause such a problem. ¡®If I can¡¯t convince her today, I¡¯ll only have about a day left to sort this out. This is bad.¡¯ As I sat there, clutching my head in thought, I heard the sound of the door opening. This time, it wasn¡¯t Celesta who entered, but a man. -Click. ¡°Yo, Lilgalchang.¡± ¡­Here he goes again. I told him not to call me that. ¡°¡­Keep your voice down, you idiot.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one in the hallway. Almost everyone but you has been discharged.¡± ¡°Still, be careful. Unlike you, I can¡¯t afford to be found out as a reincarnator.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Sorry, sorry.¡± I sighed internally as Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat sauntered into the room with apletely unapologetic look on his face. This guy had seemed serious enough when discussing the game¡¯s storyline or when I first revealed that I was a reincarnator, but since then, his attitude had be endlessly rxed. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before, were you? When I saw you at Seraphine¡¯s after-partyst year, you seemed more¡­ normal.¡± ¡°Well, I was keeping it together in front of the others. I don¡¯t loosen up like this with anyone but you.¡± ¡°Then maybe you should keep it together in front of me, too. Every time you open your mouth, it¡¯s ¡®Lilgalchang, Lilgalchang¡­.¡¯¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. But it¡¯s hard not to let my guard down when there¡¯s someone from my hometown right in front of me after all these years. Celesta and Sillena are close, but I still have to pretend to be the ¡®Hero¡¯ around them. But with you, I don¡¯t have to worry about that, so¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Fine, do whatever you want around me, but please be careful in front of others. I¡¯m still nervous thinking about what almost slipped out of your mouth during thest meeting.¡± ¡°What can I do? I¡¯ve seen your nickname ¡®Lilgalchang¡¯ on the boards more times than I¡¯ve seen you in person. It¡¯s hard to stop it from slipping out.¡± ¡­Well, I guess that¡¯s understandable. I had also seen his nickname countless times before realizing who he was in this world. Of course, after being reincarnated and spending several years just trying to survive, I had mostly forgotten those memories. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Ethan? Why are you here alone?¡± ¡°Ethan? He¡¯s in the student council room, of course.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, right. There¡¯s still student council business to take care of.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I heard you and Ethan are nning to quit the student council after one year. Is that true?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, something like that. It¡¯s a bitplicated.¡± I didn¡¯t bother mentioning that theplications were mostly because of him and Seraphine. No need to make him feel guilty about how his actions had affected Ethan and Seraphine¡¯s rtionship. Wait a minute, if he¡¯s here before Ethan, maybe I don¡¯t need to worry about Celesta after all. ¡°Actually, this is perfect.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re here, help me out with convincing Celesta. Just hint to her that I might be the Saintess.¡± ¡°Huh? Why? Are you trying to join the Hero¡¯s party?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I do that? I spent years grinding my way through that in the game. I don¡¯t need to go through it again here.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ yeah, it was a grind¡­.¡± He understood, at least, that being in the Hero¡¯s party was a long and difficult journey, especially since he had nearlypleted the game following my strategy. ¡°I only need one thing: to receive Celesta¡¯s blessing and awaken as the Saintess.¡± ¡°Awaken as the Saintess¡­ wait, what?!¡± ¡°What? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Not a problem, but¡­ is that even possible?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Ethan already¡­ you know? How can you awaken as the Saintess if you¡¯re not a virgin¡­?¡± -Thud! ¡°Ugh, cough¡­!¡± My fist flew reflexively,nding squarely in Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat¡¯s sr plexus. He doubled over, clutching his chest in pain. ¡°You¡¯repletely insane, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Chapter 216 My unexpected punch seemed to have really hurt Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, as he clutched his chest and groaned in pain. ¡°Ah, my sr plexus¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, did it hurt that much?¡± ¡°What do you think? You hit me pretty hard¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And I mean, it¡¯s not like it was unreasonable for me to think that. You¡¯ve got that whole ¡®Lilgalchang¡¯ nickname history, so it wasn¡¯t crazy to wonder if you weren¡¯t a virgin anymore¡­.¡± Looking back, maybe the punch was a bit much¡­ but still, he did start with the sexual harassment. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t do it! Why would you even think I¡¯d done anything with Ethan? What¡¯s your reasoning?¡± ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve heard, you two are dating, and I¡¯ve seen how close you are. It seemed like a reasonable assumption.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true, but still, that alone isn¡¯t enough. And you should exclude themunity nickname because it was from before I was observing Virgin Lillis.¡± ¡°I also heard that you and Ethan are staying in the marriage/engagement dormitory, right? If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯re probably sharing a bed. I know those dorms usually have just one big bed.¡± ¡°¡­We do share a bed, but¡­¡± ¡°And Luminor Academy was originally an eroge, right? In a world like this, it¡¯s normal to assume that when a pretty girl and a handsome guy are spending that much time together, they¡¯ve probably done the deed.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s also true.¡± ¡°Then why did you punch me?!¡± Seeing the indignant expression on Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat¡¯s face made me feel a bit guilty. His reasoning was sound, and it was hard to argue against it. ¡°Anyway, nothing like that happened, so don¡¯t get the wrong idea. And I¡¯ve been keeping my virginity for moments like these.¡± ¡°Right, you were a virginity purist, weren¡¯t you? Thinking about how you acted back in the day on the boards, it¡¯d be stranger if you had done it. So, congrats, I guess, on finally being the Virgin Lillis you always wanted to be.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks, you jerk. So, you get it now, right? Ethan and I haven¡¯t done anything. Sure, there have been some close calls, but I¡¯m still a virgin¡­.¡± ¡°Wait, what close calls?¡± ¡°¡­N-Nothing happened!!¡± I almost blurted out something about those other close encounters with Ethan in my confusion. Damn, I really need to watch what I say around this guy. Plus, the more I talk to him, the more I feel the atmosphere getting too casual. I decided it was best to get back on track quickly. ¡°Anyway, to awaken as the Saintess, I need to be blessed by a high priest. That¡¯s how it worked in the game too. So, I need your help convincing Celesta.¡± ¡°Why do you specifically want Celesta to bless you? Are you trying to rub it in her face that you¡¯re the real Saintess and she¡¯s a fake?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what kind of image you have of me from ourmunity days, but no, I¡¯m not trying to be a jerk.¡± ¡°I actually get it. It¡¯s for secrecy, right? If you get blessed by anyone other than Celesta, it¡¯ll reveal that she¡¯s a fake Saintess. I was just messing with you earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±
  • I clenched my fist again.
¡°¡­Hey, let¡¯s not get violent.¡± Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat raised his hand to protect his sr plexus as I tensed up. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Most of the high priests in the Aurelia Church who could perform the blessing are elderly, and the younger ones are involved in the n to make Celesta the fake Saintess. Celesta is the only one who can bless me without exposing the truth.¡± ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but isn¡¯t it only a matter of time before your true identity as the Saintess is revealed? The divine aura thates with the awakening is impossible to hide from the priests, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t hide it. In less than a month, there¡¯ll probably be a search party for the real Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­Knowing that, you still want to go through with the blessing? Celesta¡¯s already under suspicion by many people. They¡¯re only staying quiet because I¡¯ve been so insistent. But if you suddenly appear, what¡¯s going to happen to her?¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I n to give up the Saintess¡¯s power before they can track me down.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Once we¡¯ve dealt with McHart, I¡¯ll transfer the Saintess¡¯s power to Celesta.¡± ¡°¡­Can you really do that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡±@@novelbin@@ This was a n I had in mind for a while, even without worrying about a search party. If I ever had to awaken as the Saintess, I always intended to pass the power to Celesta as quickly as possible and return to a normal life. Transferring the Saintess¡¯s power wouldn¡¯t strip me of the magical abilities I¡¯d already learned or reduce my mana capacity, which had surpassed 3,000. I¡¯d confirmed this during my previous life while ying the game, so I was sure of it. Besides, my current status wasn¡¯t that of amoner anymore, but a ¡®junior nobledy.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure how the game¡¯s rule that only nobles could use magic would apply here, but losing the Saintess¡¯s power wouldn¡¯t mean losing my other abilities. If things went well, Celesta would be the true Saintess she¡¯d always wanted to be, able to assist Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat. Meanwhile, I could get rid of the bothersome power and deal with McHart. And once the Saintess¡¯s power was gone, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about staying a virgin anymore. Even if Ethan lost control and tried to¡ª ¡®No, no, no, no, no!¡¯ What the hell am I thinking?! Ethan isn¡¯t going to assault me! The idea that I¡¯d even be worried about losing the Saintess¡¯s power in such a scenario was ridiculous. Whether I could be the Saintess or not didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that I wasn¡¯t going to let anything like that happen. No matter how much I had epted my new life as Lillis, there were still boundaries that needed to be respected. And that included my psychological and emotional well-being. Even though I hade to terms with my life as a woman, being with a man like that was apletely different matter. ¡­Although, if I had to be with someone, it would be Ethan. But that wasn¡¯t a choice I was ready to make unless absolutely necessary. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you shaking your head?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back to what we were talking about. You¡¯re sure you can transfer the Saintess¡¯s power to Celesta?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ve done it a few times in the game, and it always worked.¡± In Luminor Academy, the game that had been my obsession in my past life, there were theoretically two potential Saintesses. The prophecy named Lillis as the true Saintess, but even after Lillis lost her virginity, there were two ways to unlock powers simr to those of the Saintess. One was for Celesta to awaken as the Faith Saintess, driven by her deep desire to fulfill the role of the Saintess. The other was for Lillis to awaken as the Indomitable Saintess, a result of her unwavering will despite the numerous humiliations she endured. In the case of Indomitable Lillis, it was possible to transfer the Saintess¡¯s power to an unawakened Celesta. I had tested this multiple times during my quest for the Virgin Lillis ending, so I was fairly confident it would work. On the flip side, I had tried to see if Celesta could transfer her awakened power to an unawakened Lillis, but no matter what I did, it was impossible. And honestly, knowing Celesta¡¯s personality, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to give up her newly acquired power to Lillis anyway. The in-game exnation was that Lillis didn¡¯t like the Saintess¡¯s power, so she was able to transfer it. So, I figured that even if I awakened now, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to pass the power on to Celesta. Just as the in-game Lillis had found the Saintess¡¯s power burdensome, I, too, was desperate to rid myself of this power that I never wanted in the first ce. ¡°You¡¯re 100 percent sure it¡¯ll work?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m pretty sure. I tried it three times in the game, and it worked each time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly foolproof¡­.¡± ¡°But if it works, it¡¯ll be good for Celesta too. If she really awakens as the Saintess, the other priests will automatically fall in line, and she won¡¯t have to live with the guilt of being a fake anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I get that you¡¯re worried, but I¡¯m not going to force you. However, to defeat McHart, this is necessary, so I¡¯ll convince Celesta alone if I have to.¡± It was better to convince Celesta than to risk being used of treason after killing McHart without proof of his demonic connections. Once I awakened as the Saintess, most of the problems would be solved. ¡°Alright, but promise me one thing before you do this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you manage to get Celesta¡¯s blessing and awaken as the Saintess.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°And if you defeat McHart and pass the Saintess¡¯s power to Celesta.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°If for any reason, you can¡¯t transfer the Saintess¡¯s power to her¡­.¡± ¡°¡­If that happens?¡± ¡°Then you have to join the Hero¡¯s party with Celesta. That¡¯s my minimum condition.¡± Chapter 217 ¡°...What?¡± What did he just say? The suggestion from Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat that I should join the Hero¡¯s party caught mepletely off guard. I was bbergasted. Up until a moment ago, I was sure he understood that I had no intention of joining the Hero¡¯s party. Yet, out of nowhere, heid out this condition that made no sense. ¡°What¡­ what kind of nonsense is that?!¡± ¡°I told you, this is the minimum condition I can agree to. If you¡¯re not willing to ept this, I won¡¯t cooperate with your n. In fact, I might even actively work against you.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª! Look, I¡¯m willing topromise on most things, but that condition is just insane! I¡¯m a 25-time yer of Luminor Academy. I know better than anyone how joining the Hero¡¯s party means years of grueling effort. Who do you think you¡¯re dragging into this mess?!¡± I¡¯d rather take a bolt to the head than end up in the Hero¡¯s party. Part of the reason I fought so hard to survive as Lillis was to avoid getting crushed by Ethan during his piggy days, but another big part of it was avoiding getting caught up in the main storyline and ending up in the Hero¡¯s party. Back then, I figured that whether I got pinned by Ethan or the Hero, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. I wanted to avoid the kind of future where I¡¯d end up being someone¡¯s submissive, in any sense. But after all that struggle to avoid both Ethan¡¯s assault route and the Hero¡¯s party route, now he¡¯s telling me to join the Hero¡¯s party? Absolutely not. ¡°Is this all about getting your hands on my body?! If you¡¯re under any illusion that just because I join the Hero¡¯s party, I¡¯m going to spread my legs for you like game Lillis, you¡¯d better drop that thought right now¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. I¡¯m not interested in your body, and I¡¯m not trying to sabotage your life ns. But if Celesta can¡¯t awaken as the Saintess, I¡¯ll need you in the party, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m making this condition.¡± ¡°But¡­ but Celesta is destined to awaken as the Saintess anyway, so there¡¯s no need to drag me into this¡­.¡± ¡°I know that much from the walkthroughs too. But that¡¯s only if there¡¯s no true Saintess in the picture.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°For Celesta to awaken, it¡¯ll likely bete in the fourth act, which is almost five years from now. Do you think it¡¯s possible for her to carry the burden of being a fake Saintess and continue as part of a proper Hero¡¯s party during that time?¡± I was momentarily speechless. He had a point I hadn¡¯t fully considered. ¡°And what if, during that time, Celesta¡¯s resolve falters or she¡¯s influenced by her situation and fails to awaken? It¡¯s more likely that she won¡¯t be able to, especially since, with the presence of the true Saintess, she might never develop the conviction that she could be one herself.¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°And even if she somehow holds onto her faith and endures for those five years, what about the shame of beingbeled a fake Saintess all that time? Do you think an apology or two will be enough to make up for that?¡± ¡°Of course not, but¡­¡± Maybe, deep down, I had been denying this reality. I must have realized that if I became the Saintess, Celesta would never be able to believe she could be one herself. But because that truth was inconvenient for me, I might have subconsciously pushed it aside. In the game, Celesta could still awaken even after Lillis had awakened because by that point, her belief in herself had already solidified. But here, if she were to witness the true Saintess before she was mentally mature enough, it would be nearly impossible for her to awaken on her own, even if the story followed its original path. ¡°But listen¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Even if I joined your party after awakening, it would still eventually be revealed that Celesta is a fake Saintess. That¡¯s something that would happen whether I¡¯m in the Hero¡¯s party or not, so wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to prevent the blessing in the first ce?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d prefer that too, but it¡¯s better than letting you die. It would be unsettling to know that I let someone from my hometown die without doing anything.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I can see that.¡± ¡°And besides, taking care of McHart now is useful for the story progressionter, which is why I¡¯m cooperating. But if your decision ends up being a hindrance to clearing the game, I can¡¯t help you. Plus, if you join the Hero¡¯s party, there¡¯s a way to protect Celesta from disgrace.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± How would my joining the Hero¡¯s party protect Celesta from disgrace? Confused, I waited for Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat to exin, which he did, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°First off, just being with Celesta would allow her to keep up the pretense of being the ¡®true Saintess.¡¯ Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to differentiate where the divine aura ising from, especially in a group setting.¡± ¡°But even if that works formoners, what about church-rted events? Celesta would still have to visit the church a few times, wouldn¡¯t she?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°We¡¯d have to be careful with those events, of course. But with the help of the high priests who supported Celesta, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to keep the secret.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And more importantly, if Celesta¡¯s secret is eventually revealed, you¡¯ll be there to protect her.¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°If you and I are working together in the Hero¡¯s party and it eventuallyes out that you¡¯re the true Saintess and Celesta was a fake, she¡¯s going to get mmed with usations. People will ask why she pretended to be the Saintess when she wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°If that happens, all you need to do is say one thing: ¡®Celesta was only pretending to be the Saintess to protect me from demonic assassination attempts.¡¯ One simple statement from you, and she¡¯ll go from being a fake Saintess to a courageous protector who took on danger for your sake.¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± It all started to make sense. Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat hadn¡¯t wanted me in the Hero¡¯s party just because he needed a Saintess. His concern had been for Celesta all along. Rather than needing the Saintess for the final push of the game, he was thinking about how to protect Celesta from disgrace. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t seem like just a Hero on the outside but someone who genuinely cared about hispanions. It made him seem more heroic in a way I hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°And for that excuse to work, you have to be with the Hero¡¯s party. If Celesta just stays in ce and does nothing while you¡¯re off doing all the work, it¡¯ll look like a flimsy cover story.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it now. I was just¡­ a little surprised.¡± ¡°Surprised about what?¡± ¡°I thought you were only focused on clearing the game and getting back to the real world. But it¡¯s kind of surprising that you care so much about people like Celesta.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have much of a choice. Celesta¡¯s devoted her whole life to supporting me, and she can¡¯t even reveal that she¡¯s not the real Saintess. Of course, I¡¯m going to do what I can for her. The same goes for Sillena and Seraphine. As long as I¡¯m around, I can protect them from the fake Saintess rumors, but I have to go back to my original world eventually. I need to make sure Celesta has a safe environment even after I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡­Hearing how determined he was, I realized that saying ¡°I still can¡¯t do it¡± would be the height of irresponsibility. Even I couldn¡¯t be that shameless. After all, what I was nning to do would only increase the chances of Celesta being exposed as a fake Saintess, so I had to take some responsibility. For me, it might just be a few years of hardship, but my choice could mean a lifetime of suffering for Celesta. In the worst-case scenario, she might not just be humiliated but also face severe consequences for pretending to be the Saintess. Thinking that, I couldn¡¯t help bute to a decision. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s only fair. It¡¯s the least I can do to avoid feeling guilty about Celesta.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t back outter, saying it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not so shameless that I¡¯d run away after receiving help just to save myself.¡± ¡°Not a ¡®guy,¡¯ but a ¡®girl.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Whatever.¡± ¡°Just keep your promise. If Celesta can¡¯t awaken as the Saintess, you¡¯ll join the Hero¡¯s party.¡± ¡°I got it. If it looks like Celesta won¡¯t be able to awaken, I¡¯ll join the Hero¡¯s par¡ª¡± -Click, thud! ¡°¡­Ah, no, no, no¡­!!¡± ¡°Join¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Celesta?¡± ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t do!! No matter who it is, not even Lady Lillis can take the Hero away from me!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Both Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat and I were left speechless by Celesta¡¯s sudden outburst as she barged into the conversation. ¡­Wait, how much of this did she hear? Chapter 218 As Celesta suddenly barged into the infirmary, both Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat and I couldn¡¯t help but freeze in shock. Earlier, when I was speaking with Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat alone, she had hastily made an excuse to leave, so I assumed that she was just avoiding the situation. But it seemed that excuse was just a front. The moment she heard the conversation involving the Hero, she had returned. If not that, perhaps she found it strange that Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat had visited the theology building withouting to see her, and that¡¯s why she came back. Either way, the only two ces the Hero was likely to visit after stopping by the church were Celesta¡¯s dormitory or my infirmary, so if she wasn¡¯t the one he visited, it would have made her anxious. However, her sudden interruption wasn¡¯t really the issue. We had almost finished discussing the secret matters I needed to talk about with the Hero, so it wasn¡¯t as though we couldn¡¯t wrap up our conversation.@@novelbin@@ The real problem was how much of the conversation Celesta had overheard. If she had caught the wrong parts, she might even have discovered that I¡¯m a transmigrator, which naturally made me tense. ¡°Se-Selesta, Saintess¡­?¡± ¡°No! I haven¡¯t even confessed my feelings to the Hero yet! I-I know that Lillis is the real Saintess, but¡­ I¡¯m not ready yet¡­!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, but maybe you should calm down first¡­?¡± ¡­Especially since the Hero, the very person she¡¯s talking about, is standing right here listening to her. She was so flustered that not only did she blurt out that she knew I was the real Saintess, but she also revealed her feelings for the Hero. Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, listening to all this, had turned red and was now awkwardly looking away. I had thought Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat wasn¡¯t interested in women, given his talk about returning to his original world after defeating the Demon King, but this reaction was unexpectedly revealing. ¡°I¡­ I know I¡¯m not the real Saintess! I¡¯m well aware that I¡¯m just a fake! But it¡¯s too soon! At least while we¡¯re still at the academy, even if it¡¯s just for a short time, I just want to stay by the Hero¡¯s side¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Celesta, Saintess. I understand that you¡¯re upset by the conversation I had with the Hero, but aren¡¯t you sharing a bit too much personal information?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡­ You do realize that I¡¯m not the only one here, right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Hearing my words, Celesta slowly turned her head, and her eyes met Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat¡¯s, who was trying hard to avoid her gaze. The moment their eyes met, the previously quiet infirmary was filled with Celesta¡¯s scream. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. If it helps, I can pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything just now¡­¡± ¡°Eeeeeek?!¡± ¡°Celesta?!¡± With a ssic shriek that fit the image of a delicate heroine, Celesta¡¯s face turned bright red as she fainted backward. Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat quickly caught her as she copsed. ¡°Are you okay?! Stay with me!¡± ¡°A-Ahh¡­ I¡¯m, I¡¯m¡­ Ahh¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s just overwhelmed with embarrassment. She¡¯ll be fine after some rest.¡± ¡°¡­She fainted just from embarrassment? Was this even in the game?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it was in my guide. This must be from one of Celesta¡¯s solo events during the first night. I vaguely remember it happening when I yed through it in my fourth or fifth run. But by the 25th run, I was focused on clearing Lillis¡¯s route.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I never imagined I¡¯d witness that event in this way. In the game, this was a popr event showcasing Celesta¡¯s adorable side, but seeing someone faint from sheer embarrassment in real life was quite a different experience. ¡°Her heart raced too fast, causing her brain to temporarily shut down, but thanks to her divine power, she should recover on her own. If you take her back to her room, she¡¯ll probably wake up by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°What should we do? We need to find out how much of our conversation Celesta overheard.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s handle that once she wakes up. You can ask her yourself and let me know. Celesta isn¡¯t the type to spread your personal business around, so it should be fine.¡± ¡°¡­True.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly capable when ites to taking care of a faintingdy, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tease me.¡± I couldn¡¯t resist a light tease as I watched Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat carry Celesta out of the room, his actions resembling someone about to carry out a bridal ceremony. With the Hero temporarily out of the picture, the day wrapped up uneventfully as Ethan returned after finishing his student council duties. However, my initial goal of convincing Celesta and helping her awaken as the Saintess seemed to have slipped through my fingers for now. ¡­Honestly, I was starting to worry whether we¡¯d even have a chance to discuss her awakening as the Saintess before the operation day arrived. ? ? ? That night, after my secret meeting with Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat and the whole fiasco with Celesta fainting, I was slowly awakened from my deep sleep by the sound of a familiar voice. ¡°¡­Miss Lillis. Miss Lillis.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Mm¡­¡± I was in a deep sleep when a woman¡¯s voice gently roused me, my tired body slowly rising as I squinted into the darkness. Gradually, the face of a female priest came into view. ¡°Miss Celesta¡­?¡± ¡°Are you awake, Miss Lillis?¡± ¡°What brings you here at this hour¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lillis. There¡¯s something I absolutely must tell you right now.¡± ¡°If this is about the confession you made to the Hero earlier, don¡¯t worry, I was nning to keep it a secret¡­¡± ¡°Eeeep¡­!¡± As soon as I mentioned the incident earlier in the day, Celesta quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her exaggerated reaction making it clear that if she had screamed like that earlier, she would¡¯ve woken everyone on the floors above and below us. Although most of the students had already been discharged or gone home by now, there were still some people managing the church, so amotion like that would¡¯ve definitely caused an uproar. ¡°Well, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could keep that a secret too¡­ But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here¡­¡± ¡°Then what brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­There isn¡¯t much time, so could I exin while we walk?¡± ¡°Huh? Where are we going at this hour¡­?¡± ¡°This is the only time the main church building at the academy will be empty.¡± ¡­The main church building? Why was Celesta trying to take me there in the middle of the night? I was puzzled by her sudden appearance and the abrupt interruption of my sleep, but her next words quickly cleared up my confusion. ¡°I¡¯m going to consecrate you so that you can use the power of the Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­Right now?¡± ¡°Yes, right now.¡± It seemed that, unbeknownst to me, Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat had sessfully convinced her. He sure knows how to get things done when he needs to. ? ? ? As Celesta and I walked through the darkened corridors of the church, we spoke quietly, our voices barely above a whisper. We talked about how much Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat had told her and why she had decided to perform the consecration. ¡®There are many reasons I decided to consecrate you, Miss Lillis, but the biggest one is probably the promise Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat made to me.¡¯ ¡®¡­A promise?¡¯ ¡®Yes. The Hero promised that even if I¡¯m not the real Saintess, he would never abandon me.¡¯ Even in the dim light, I could see her face redden. Seeing how happy she was just from a single promise from the Hero, it was clear that this world¡¯s Celesta liked him even more than the original game¡¯s Celesta did. It¡¯s possible that she liked him even more than the Celesta in the original game. In the game, her affection was limited by the choices made by the yer, but in this world, it seemed Celesta had spent a lot more time with Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, leading to a much deeper bond. Considering she was the type of heroine whose affection could automatically rise just by spending time together, it made sense that her affection for the Hero had skyrocketed in this world. ¡®How much of the conversation between me and the Hero did you overhear?¡¯ ¡®I heard from the part where the Hero said he would take you with him if I couldn¡¯t awaken as the Saintess. That¡¯s when I got anxious and interrupted your conversation. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay. The Hero and I had almost finished talking by then anyway.¡¯ Thankfully, it seemed she hadn¡¯t overheard the parts about the ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» game strategy or other important details. I guess I should be grateful for small mercies. ¡®At first, I thought the Hero was going to abandon me because I was no longer usefulpared to you, Miss Lillis. After all, I¡¯m just a fake Saintess who can¡¯t use the power of a real Saintess, and you¡¯re the real deal.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Saintess Celesta. With your pure heart, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a real Saintess, not a fake one.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re saying the same thing as the Hero.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®It must be your Saintess power that allows you to know this, right? The Hero often told me that his power includes the ability to see the future, even though that¡¯s not widely known. He used that power to help me pretend to be the Saintess even though I¡¯m not.¡¯ ¡®¡­I see.¡¯ ¡®If you also possess that power as the real Saintess, then it makes sense why the Hero would tell me to use it to pretend to be a Saintess. He must have foreseen all of this and made me the ¡°Prophetic Saintess.¡±¡¯ In reality, it seemed more like everything just happened to line up that way. When Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat first met Celesta, he probably had no idea that someone else had possessed Lillis. It seemed that, in the end, Celesta didn¡¯t have any doubts about me being the real Saintess, likely because everything turned out so well. Even a haphazard process can seem like it was nned from the start when the results are good. ¡­Though, before my awakening, I was using the Saintess¡¯s power not to see prophecies but to st Krakens with mana, so I felt a bit guilty. When we finally reached the first floor, where the main church was located, Celesta turned to me cautiously. Since I had asked her a question earlier, it seemed like she thought it was her turn to ask one now. ¡®Before I perform the consecration, may I ask you one question, Miss Lillis?¡¯ ¡®¡­If it¡¯s something I can answer, I¡¯ll do my best.¡¯ ¡®No matter how you answer, I¡¯ll still perform the consecration, so don¡¯t worry. Please just answer honestly.¡¯ ¡®Of course, Saintess Celesta.¡¯ ¡®W-Well, I was wondering¡­ Miss Lillis¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­Yes?¡¯ ¡®Do you¡­ do you love the Hero, just like I do?¡¯ ¡­Absolutely not. Chapter 219 ¡°Do you, just like me, love the Hero, Miss Lillis?¡± For a moment, my mind went nk as I stared at Celesta, who had just uttered such an absurd statement with a straight face. This girl¡¯s head ispletely filled with flowers¡ªhead over heels in love. Of course, I never once felt any romantic feelings toward Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, let alone considered him as a potential partner. In fact, I hadn¡¯t even felt a moment of attraction to him as a member of the opposite sex. To begin with, I hadn¡¯t spent much time with the Hero, and the number of times we had spoken alone, including the conversation yesterday, amounted to exactly two. For someone to fall in love within those two meetings, the Hero would have had to save my life at least once¡ªpreferably twice¡ªduring that time. While it was true that we were from the same hometown and shared somemon ground, making him easier to talk to than most men, he had too many drawbacks as a romantic prospect. ¡°I knew it¡­ Miss Lillis, you also have feelings for the Hero, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Celesta, misinterpreting my silence as agreement, continued to weave her narrative, prompting me to quickly refute her assumptions before Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat got any strange ideas. ¡°That sound you hear is not my heart fluttering¡­ Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Saintess Celesta. I¡¯ve never had such feelings for the Hero.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed, Miss Lillis. The Hero is handsome and dependable; it¡¯s only natural for any woman to be drawn to him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassment; it¡¯s really a misunderstanding, Saintess Celesta. I don¡¯t have any deep connection with the Hero, and I certainly don¡¯t have any reason to¡­¡± ¡°You can be honest with me. I won¡¯t tell anyone. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll refuse to consecrate you because of it¡­¡± ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said no. How many times do I have to say it for you to understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡­Why is it that when I try to be polite, people don¡¯t listen the first time? It was only after I spoke sternly that Celesta finally closed her mouth, making me sigh involuntarily. The premise that I had fallen for the Hero was wrong from the start. Even though quite some time had passed since I realized I had transmigrated into this world, that didn¡¯t mean I hadpletely abandoned the memories of my past life.@@novelbin@@ Having yed ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» obsessively, it had be a significant part of my life, so the experiences from my previous life were still ingrained in my mind. Just because I ended up in a woman¡¯s body didn¡¯t mean I would suddenly fall in love with a man overnight. And considering my shallow connection with Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat, he was thest person I¡¯d consider romantically. In fact, if I were to consider the person I¡¯ve spent the most time with, it would be Ethan, not the Hero. Not just among men, but among people in general, the time I¡¯ve spent with Ethan far exceeds that with anyone else. And it¡¯s not just the quantity of time, but the quality and intensity of those moments. Whether it was the King Serpent hunt at the masquerade ball, the bandit attack on our way home, the battle against demons in Grimestone Vige, or the Kraken hunt on the Lake of Knowledge, the moments where we fought with our lives on the line, trusting each otherpletely, were overwhelmingly with Ethan. Of course, there would be times when I would need to fight alongside the Hero in the uing battle against McHart, but that would be the same with Ethan. And no matter how intense that experience might be, it wasn¡¯t going to spark any romantic feelings toward Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat. On the other hand, Ethan had built enough trust that, in a very unlikely scenario, I might consider it¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Buzz, buzz! ¡°Miss Lillis?¡± I was about to conclude that Ethan was my answer again, so I shook my head to clear my thoughts and whispered to Celesta, trying to rify the misunderstanding. ¡°Let me make this very clear, Saintess Celesta: I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for the Hero, so you can rest assured.¡± ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s not even a little bit?¡± ¡°There¡¯s none.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it natural for the Saintess and the Hero to be drawn to each other? Since you¡¯re the Saintess and Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat is the Hero, isn¡¯t it only natural that you¡¯d feel some attraction¡­?¡± ¡°Where is thating from? Please don¡¯t say such unreasonable things.¡± ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s what I felt. Even though I¡¯m a fake, I thought my feelings for the Hero came from being called the Saintess¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it simply because you¡¯ve liked the Hero from the beginning, Saintess Celesta? Don¡¯t use a strange excuse to hide your feelings.¡± ¡°...!!¡± If this were in the game, there would probably be a "pop!" effect right next to Celesta¡¯s head as her face suddenly turned bright red. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m not really interested in romantic rtionships, so you don¡¯t need to worry about me being your rival, Saintess Celesta.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not interested in romance? ¡­Oh, could it be that you¡¯re in a rtionship with Agnes instead of the Hero¡­?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it either. Can¡¯t you just think of it as me not being interested in romance at all?¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± She said that, but Celesta was now looking at me with uneasy eyes, as if she still doubted whether I had some hidden interest in women instead. Well, Celesta is cute, so maybe in my previous life, she would have been within my range of interest. But that was when I was still in my original body. The idea of two women being romantically involved in this body just didn¡¯t make sense to me. Still, I didn¡¯t want any strange misunderstandings to pile up, so I decided to give her a reasonable exnation she could ept. ¡°Onest thing: for now, I¡¯m in a rtionship with Ethan, so you really have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°Ethan loves me, and I¡¯m doing my best to respond to his feelings. Though, I¡¯m not very experienced in romance, so I¡¯m not sure how well I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding¡­¡± iming to have someone else in mind has always been an effective way to deflect an unwanted confession. ¡­Or rather, it seems to work just as well in a medieval fantasy setting as it did in the modern world. Though, in Celesta¡¯s case, she wasn¡¯t confessing to me, but rather making an odd assumption about my rtionship with Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat. And honestly, what I told her wasn¡¯t a lie. I had no intention of marrying anyone in this world, but if I had to choose, Ethan would be the most likely candidate. ¡­To be clear, he¡¯s just the most likely candidate. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m nning to marry him. ¡°By the way, the Hero is already aware of this, so I hope there won¡¯t be any more misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Then¡­ why did you agree to join the Hero¡¯s party? If it wasn¡¯t because of the Hero or someone else, why would you¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll leave that for you to ask the Hero himself when the timees, Saintess Celesta.¡± Since it had to do with her position as a fake Saintess, I figured it was better for Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat to exin the situation. After all, he was the one who set the condition of me joining the Hero¡¯s party, so it was only fair that he handle the exnation. If I do end up joining the party, he¡¯ll need to exin my presence to the other members as well, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s alreadye up with a suitable cover story. As we conversed, we finally reached the empty main church. Celesta cautiously put her ear to the door, and after a moment, she turned to me and nodded. Click, creak. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Using her authority as a high priestess and the power associated with the title of Saintess, Celesta quietly unlocked and opened the door to the main church. With the summer break just starting, most of the academy priests were on alternating vacations, so there was no one on night duty at the church tonight. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly while no one¡¯s around. Miss Lillis, pleasee this way¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Following Celesta, who gently pulled me by the hand, I walked into the main church. Inside, she began to perform the consecration ritual ording to the teachings of the Aurelia Church. She had me kneel on the floor, read from the church¡¯s scriptures, sprinkled holy water over my head while covering me with a veil, and fed me a piece of bread and a ss of wine, which she¡¯d brought from somewhere, as part of the ritual. After nearly thirty minutes of this lengthy ritual, we finally stepped out of the main church, and I emerged as an awakened Saintess. It was a moment that had taken over six years to arrive since I first realized I had been transmigrated into this world. ? ? ? ¡ºName: Lillis Rosewood Title: Prophetic Saintess¡» Chapter 220 After receiving Celesta''s consecration and finally awakening as the Saintess, I sped my hands together and checked my status window. I saw that my title had changed from "Ethan''s Exclusive Maid" to "Prophetic Saintess." But rather than feeling relieved that I had sessfully awakened as the Saintess, the first thought that crossed my mind was confusion about why I had been given the title "Prophetic Saintess." ¡®Why did I be the Prophetic Saintess instead of the Saintess of Destiny?¡¯ Based on my memories from clearing ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» 24 times, the title I should have received after Lilith''s consecration, ording to the original storyline, was ¡°Saintess of Destiny.¡± The Hero summoned from another world, the Saintess of Destiny with the power to change the future. These two were supposed to form the original ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» IF storyline if Lilith hadn''t deviated from her path. So, I couldn''t understand why I had suddenly been given the same title as the Hero. ¡®Well, as long as I¡¯ve awakened as the Saintess, it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­¡¯ The important thing was that I could now wield divine power, which meant I could defeat McHart. So, it wasn''t a major issue, though I couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about this strange anomaly. If I had awakened as the ¡°Unyielding Saintess,¡± like in the original game, I would have just epted it as a continuation of the game''s storyline. But the title of Prophetic Saintess didn¡¯t even exist in the game. ¡®Seraphine¡¯s ability to see alternate futures changing¡­ I guess the game¡¯s Lilith and I are being treated as different entities.¡¯ Part of me wanted to discuss divine power and the concept of the Saintess with Celesta, but unfortunately, neither of us had the time for such a conversation. Now that I had been consecrated as the Saintess, I needed to hurry andplete the discharge process from the church instead of returning to my room on the third floor. ¡®If I head back to the infirmary with my body now filled with divine energy, it¡¯ll be like announcing to the whole world that I¡¯ve be the Saintess.¡¯ Since I didn¡¯t want everyone in the academy and beyond to know about my new status, I had to get as far away from the church as possible while everyone was still asleep. Ideally, I should avoid any encounters with people who could sense divine power until the day of the operation. Luckily, most of the theology students had already left for summer break, and the few remaining were likely fast asleep. The theological dormitories were run with strict rules, and early rising and curfews were strictly enforced. Naturally, there would be no theology students attending the uing ¡°Unholy Noble Exchange.¡± Events like that were the kind of things devout students would avoid at all costs. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the discharge paperwork now, but I¡¯ll tell the other priests that you left early in the morning. Otherwise, it might raise suspicions if they find out you discharged yourself in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°I understand, Saintess Celesta.¡± As a high priestess at the academy church, Celesta wielded enough authority to easily handle the discharge process, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to finalize it.@@novelbin@@ ¡°And please, it¡¯s not ¡®Saintess Celesta¡¯ anymore. You¡¯re the Saintess now, Miss Lillis.¡± ¡°That may be true, but the Saintess that everyone knows is still you, Saintess Celesta. And I believe you¡¯ll truly be a Saintess soon as well.¡± And I¡¯ll make sure that happens. Celesta responded with a grateful smile, but I was certain of it. Once this is over, she¡¯ll receive the full power of a Saintess from me and be the real deal. And once she¡¯s established as the Saintess, the story¡¯s progress should be much smoother, making most crises more manageable. The relief I felt knowing that my identity as the Saintess and the game¡¯s end were close to being resolved was significant. ¡°I need to clean up the items I used for the consecration, so I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t escort you.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one helping since I was the one receiving the consecration.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is part of my duties, after all.¡± There was a slight difort in the way Celesta spoke, as if she was diminishing her own role. But I didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on that strange feeling. Pushing aside my unease, I simply looked up at the sky as I made my way back to the Swordsmanship Department¡¯s dormitory. The night sky seemed to shimmer even more brightly on my first night as the Saintess. ? ? ? Returning to the Swordsmanship Department dormitory after receiving the consecration from Celesta, I managed to sneak past the dormitory matron without being caught and made my way to the double room I shared with Ethan. I knocked three times, hoping the person inside would hear me. ¡®I hope Isabelle isn¡¯t asleep yet.¡¯ That way, it would be Isabelle, not Ethan, who opens the door. Thest time I¡¯d snuck out with Agnes, the anxiety I felt about returning to the dorm at this hour lingered. Of course, I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong this time, so I had no reason to feel guilty when facing Ethan¡­ I think. ¡®Nothing wrong¡­ right?¡¯ The only thing that might be considered wrong was not telling him I was the Saintess sooner. But that wasn¡¯t something I could just blurt out, so I figured Ethan would understand. Or I could im that I didn¡¯t know I was the Saintess until recently when Celesta told me. Ethan did mention that wandering around at night was dangerous, but most students had returned home by now, so it wasn¡¯t really a concern. The most dangerous one, McHart, was in the royal pce. There was no problem with me being discharged early despite having time left in my hospital stay. My body had already started healing itself with the divine power flowing through me, so the internal injuries were regenerating from the moment I received the consecration. ¡®Nope, nothing wrong.¡¯ Convinced that I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong and that Ethan had no reason to be upset with me, I waited for the door to open. After a moment, a ck-haired man opened the door and stepped out, looking slightly surprised to see me standing there in the middle of the night. ¡°¡­Lillis?¡± ¡°Sorry to disturb your sleep, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ but why are you back at the dorm at this hour? Weren¡¯t you in the church?¡± ¡°I was discharged because my injuries from the evaluation match have healed.¡± ¡°In the middle of the night¡­? And Saintess Celesta allowed that¡­?¡± There was a hint of suspicion in the way Ethan looked at me, as if he was considering the possibility that I wasn¡¯t really Lillis. Given that I had warned him about this kind of thing, it was a natural reaction. Especially since some demons could take on different forms, it was necessary to be cautious during times like these. ¡°If you¡¯re unsure whether I¡¯m really your maid, Lillis, you¡¯re wee to test me.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, may I ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What was the biggest crisis we faced together?¡± ¡°The biggest crisis between us would be when a young Master Ethan yed a prank on me that went too far, and I got genuinely angry.¡± ¡°¡­Can you be more specific?¡± ¡°You gave me a wedgie, and I retaliated by choking you with theundry I was holding.¡± ¡°When Icked table manners as a child, how did you or I get scolded?¡± ¡°Do I need to repeat the exact words?¡± ¡°¡­Just something simr.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember the exact words, but I think it was something like, ¡®If you¡¯re going to slobber all over the meat, then shove it in your own mouth.¡¯¡± ¡°What did you say when I first asked you about your ideal type?¡± ¡°I told you what kind of person I didn¡¯t like instead.¡± ¡°Specifically, who?¡± ¡°I said the worst type would be a pig who doesn¡¯t take care of himself, who eats with terrible manners, or a pervert who touches butts and gives wedgies. I may not remember it exactly, but I believe I listed all the traits I disliked in you at the time. I¡¯m pretty sure I said I hated you more than anyone back then.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re definitely the Lillis I know.¡± Ethan gave me a rueful smile as he let me into the dorm, muttering quietly to himself that no other maid would have the nerve to act that way. I had worried that Ethan might scold me foring back sote, but instead, it was Ethan who seemed a bit dejected, as if he had been the one chastised. ¡­Of course, back then, Ethan was just a childish brat, and I had judged him harshly based on my bias from the game, so I did feel a bit guilty for my past attitude toward him. ¡°Master Ethan, there¡¯s no need to be upset about the past. You¡¯re an admirable and impressive person now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. And besides, it¡¯s thanks to the Lillis of that time that I am who I am today. There were times when saying the wrong thing could have gotten your head chopped off, yet you still spoke your mind to me. I¡¯m grateful for that, even now.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it was anything worth calling advice¡­¡± Still, I appreciated Ethan¡¯s words, acknowledging that his current self was shaped in part by my past actions. ¡­It seems I should be honest with Ethan, at least. I decided then that I would tell him everything: how I had be the Saintess, and how I had known for a long time that it was my destiny. Chapter 221 Upon returning to the dormitory, the first thing I did was confess to Ethan that I was the Saintess. With Isabelle still asleep and only Ethan awake, it seemed like the most opportune time to reveal the truth. Moreover, it was necessary to exin why I had returned to the dormitory at such an odd hour, as that exnation required me to disclose that I had be the Saintess. ¡°Saintess¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Lillis¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan stared at me with a bewildered expression. It wasn¡¯t the kind of dazed look one gets from being woken up suddenly; it was more like he was trying to process something unbelievable. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy to believe right away. It must have been as shocking for him as if someone had told me that Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat was a fake Hero and that Ethan was the real Hero all along. Whether he believed me immediately or not didn¡¯t matter much. I had confessed simply because I didn¡¯t want to lie to him. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to believe, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m only telling you the truth, but I have no intention of forcing you to believe it, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to look at you like that, Lillis.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Lillis.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Ethan suddenly stepped closer, calling my name in a low voice, which made me feel a little uneasy. There was something intense in his tone, almost as if he was angry, and it made me tense up. ¡°When did you know?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That you might be the Saintess, Lillis.¡± ¡°Well¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°Look me in the eyes and tell me.¡± ¡°¡­For quite some time.¡± For a moment, I considered downying the time frame, given the way Ethan was staring at me so intensely, but I realized that reducing the timeline wouldn¡¯t help much. I had no choice but to be as honest as possible, to admit that I had known since the moment I realized I had been transported to this world. ¡°I¡¯ve known for about six and a half years.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not long after I started working as a debt maid at the ckwood estate, I copsed in front of you shortly after you woke up, Master Ethan. Do you remember that?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit hazy since I was so young at the time, but I think I do remember a maid copsing. I didn¡¯t realize that was you, though.¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve known since then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s expression grew even more serious as he looked at me, clearly displeased that I had kept this secret for so long. But I figured it was better to just get everything out in the open now that I had started telling the truth. ¡°The reason I copsed then was because of a divine revtion or some simr power. As soon as I woke up, I suddenly gained knowledge about various things in this world, including the fact that I am the Saintess.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I believe I became the ¡®Prophetic Saintess¡¯ after receiving the consecration. On the day I copsed, I received visions of the future of this world.¡± ¡°So, you thought that power was the power of a Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Back then, Saintess Celesta hadn¡¯t been officially announced yet. It was natural for an ordinary girl like me to think I might have be the Saintess after suddenly gaining mysterious knowledge.¡± Ethan seemed to ept my exnation of how I had realized so long ago that I was the Saintess. Part of me wanted to tell Ethan everything, to bepletely honest, but there were two things I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reveal. I couldn¡¯t tell him that this world was actually the setting of the game ¡ºLuminor Academy¡», nor could I tell him that I had been a man in my previous life. Those two facts would be too shocking for Ethan to handle. So, while I was honest about most things, I had to slightly alter the story regarding how I had known I was the Saintess and why I had kept it a secret. ¡°Why did you keep it hidden all this time?¡± ¡°The reason I kept it a secret is that shortly after I received that divine revtion, Saintess Celesta¡¯s existence was officially announced.¡± ¡°¡­Saintess Celesta? Or should I call her just Celesta now, if what you¡¯re saying is true?¡± ¡°You can call her whatever you like. The point is, I couldn¡¯t reveal that I might be the Saintess because Saintess Celesta was already known as the true Saintess. If I, a mere debt maid from a noble family, imed to be the Saintess when a recognized Saintess had already been established, who would have believed me?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Even in ancient times, when the Aurelia Church announced they were looking for a Saintess, there were many women who imed to be the Saintess. I can see why you might have hesitated.¡± ¡°¡­Even if it were revealed that I was the true Saintess, it would have caused numerous problems. The priests of the Aurelia Church who supported Celesta as the Saintess would likely have been punished.¡± ¡°The fact that you considered those details makes me think I can believe you really are the Saintess, and why you kept it hidden until now.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡­Ethan¡¯s praise for what I had done out of self-preservation made me feel a bit embarrassed. It was true that I hadn¡¯t revealed my identity as the Saintess to protect Celesta and the church, but it was also because Celesta was ying the role of the Saintess in my ce. I couldn¡¯t reveal my true identity, but not because I was unsure. I knew very well that Lilith was the Saintess; after all, I¡¯d yed the game 25 times. But exining all of that would be impossible, so I just let it slide. ¡°In any case, I intended to keep the fact that I¡¯m the Saintess hidden until the very end.¡± ¡°¡­You intended to live your life hiding the fact that you¡¯re the Saintess? Why?¡± ¡°If it were revealed that I¡¯m the Saintess, I¡¯d have no choice but to join the Hero¡¯s group and spend almost all my time with him. I wouldn¡¯t be able to continue serving as your personal maid, and even after graduating from the academy, my actions would be dictated by the Hero¡¯s journey.¡± ¡°¡­I see. If it were revealed that you¡¯re the Saintess, you¡¯d be stuck by that womanizer Hero¡¯s side just like Celesta is¡­ Wait, what?¡± Ethan suddenly seemed to realize something as he processed what I had said about not wanting to join the Hero¡¯s party. ¡°Is there something wrong with what I said¡­?¡± ¡°Hold on, Lillis. When you said that just now, can I take that as your true feelings?¡± ¡°Which part are you referring to¡­?¡± ¡°When you said you didn¡¯t want to join Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat¡¯s Hero party and preferred to remain as my personal maid¡ªwas that how you really felt?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Master Ethan.¡± Strictly speaking, it was more about how ipatible the Hero¡¯s party was with my ideal lifestyle, but it was true that I had chosen to stay as Ethan¡¯s personal maid instead. Andtely, I had been considering continuing to serve as Ethan¡¯s maid for a while even after graduating from the academy before eventually bing independent. So, saying that I chose Ethan over Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, and I nodded in agreement. ¡°I see¡­ So you thought it would be better to stay by my side than with someone like him¡­¡± ¡°¡­Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Ethan muttered to himself with a somewhat mischievous expression, which made me feel a little uneasy, but I needed to finish what I had to say. ¡°In any case, the reason I decided to embrace my role as the Saintess wasn¡¯t because I wanted to stand by the Hero¡¯s side and save the world. It was simply to expose the truth about Prince McHart¡¯s connection with demons. If I can use the divine power thates with being the Saintess, I¡¯ll be able to extract the demonic energy from Prince McHart.¡± ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s the reason, then you really had no choice. McHart is definitely a dangerous person who needs to be dealt with.¡± ¡°Additionally, once I¡¯ve finished this task of bringing Prince McHart to justice, I n to relinquish this overwhelming power I¡¯ve been given. For someone like me who just wants to live a simple life, being the Saintess is nothing but a burden.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, you¡¯re nning to give up your status as the Saintess? Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be, but I¡¯ve seen a way in the future. There¡¯s one method that would allow me to relinquish the power.¡± ¡°One method? What is it?¡± ¡°By passing on my power to someone who truly deserves to be the Saintess. That¡¯s the only way to give up the title.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan stared at me quietly, clearly considering the same person I was thinking of. ¡°I intend to make Celesta the true Saintess.¡± Chapter 222 ¡°You want to make Celesta the Saintess?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan stared at me in disbelief after hearing that I nned to make Celesta the Saintess. His reaction wasn¡¯t surprising, considering what I had just said. ¡®It¡¯s not exactly something a person who¡¯s actually a Saintess would usually say out loud.¡¯ Bing a Saintess meant gaining power and recognition of an unmatched status. The title was apanied by honor and rank higher than that of even most nobledies or heads of noble families. Considering the honor that would follow Celesta and Lillis at the end of their journey, it was obvious that this wasn¡¯t a power to be easily given up. But that perspective only applied to ordinary people, not to me. After all, I had already experienced the journey of the Hero¡¯s party from the ¡°Luminor Academy¡± 25 times, albeit indirectly, so I had no interest in the duties and honors that came with being a Saintess. ¡°As I mentioned before, this power is unnecessary for me. In fact, it¡¯s a burden that would hinder the life I wish to lead.¡± ¡°¡­Then what kind of life is it that you want, Lillis?¡± ¡°At the very least, it¡¯s not a life where I graduate from the Academy with the Hero and then travel around the world working for peace. I don¡¯t have the resolve to take on such grand tasks. I¡¯m satisfied with a simple life where I can live quietly, perhaps using the magic and swordsmanship I¡¯m learning at the Academy, but I definitely don¡¯t want to live in a constant state of life-threatening danger.¡± In the first ce, the only reason Lillis became a Saintess was because her previous life was so miserable that she had no choice but to ept the title. Her mother had died of illness, and her father was a gambling addict who sold his daughter to pay off his debts¡ªa worthless scum of a man. For Lillis, bing a Saintess and working with the Hero to benefit the world might have been a better option, but that wasn¡¯t the case for someone like me, who had lived an ordinary life in a previous existence. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, there were many people more suited to struggling to survive in the Hero¡¯s party than someone like me. ¡°A life where you can use what you¡¯ve learned at the Academy while living normally¡­ It sounds easy, but it¡¯s not as simple as it seems¡­.¡± ¡°Pardon? What did you just say¡­?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, I understand why you don¡¯t want to be a Saintess, Lillis. But let me ask you this: is the method you mentioned actually possible?¡± ¡°You mean transferring the power of the Saintess to Celesta?¡± ¡°Yes, that.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s definitely possible. At least, it was in the future I saw.¡± Though, to be honest, that future was still about 7-8 years away, but that wasn¡¯t information I needed to share right now. After all, as long as I relinquished the power of the Saintess and Celesta desired to be the Saintess, the power would naturally find its way to an appropriate host. ¡°From the future? Ah, you mentioned that you saw various events in the future when you received the Saintess¡¯s power, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°¡­Just to rify, could you share a few of the things you¡¯ve seen in the future that I would know about?¡± ¡°The most prominent example would be that Prince McHart had already allied himself with the demons. The curse I uttered at the banquet slipped out because I knew what Prince McHart had be.¡± ¡°Indeed, you did seem a bit taken aback at that time. What else?¡± ¡°For example, Lady Luc is not actually a man but a woman who was disguising herself as a man, or that Lady Agnes would struggle with making a spirit contract due to her poor affinity with spirits, and then¡­¡± To reassure Ethan that I could pass on the power of the Saintess to Celesta, I exined some of the events we had experienced together. I told him how I knew the monster¡¯s weakness the first time we fought the Hookfangs several years ago, and how I navigated the pce without getting lost, even on my first visit, by understanding itsyout¡ªthings that only someone who had seen the future could know. Ethan nodded, seemingly convinced. ¡°Alright, I understand. If what you say is true, it seems that the future where Celesta receives your power as the Saintess is certain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°But are you sure that future wille to pass without change this time?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°To my knowledge, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone bing a Saintess and then transferring their power to another. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing happening.¡± ¡°B-but in the future I saw¡­¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯ve seen the future doesn¡¯t guarantee that events will unfold exactly as you saw them. There have probably been many times when the future you foresaw didn¡¯te to pass. For example, when you defeated the Hookfangs in ckwood¡¯s territory without causing any casualties, or when Lady Agnes sessfully made a spirit contract¡ªthose were futures you changed, weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Ethan¡¯s logical argument left me unable to refute him, and I could only nod in agreement. As he pointed out, the knowledge I possessed was merely a glimpse of what might happen at certain pivotal moments, and there was no guarantee those events would ur. The fact that Ethan was even talking to me so calmly right now was the result of a future I had changed, so there was indeed a possibility that the future where Celesta didn¡¯t receive the power of the Saintess could exist. After all, even during my 25 ythroughs, I only seeded in meeting the conditions to pass on the power once, and it wasn¡¯t something I had repeatedly verified. ¡°What I¡¯m asking about is what happens if things don¡¯t go as nned, Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you fail to transfer your power to Celesta in time, the Aurelia Church will likely begin searching for the true Saintess soon after. As I understand it, the presence of a Saintess¡¯s aura is something high-ranking priests can¡¯t overlook. The reason Celesta is repeatedly being tested to confirm whether she is the Saintess is because her aura isn¡¯t convincing enough, correct?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So, if you fail to transfer your power to Celesta and the Aurelia Churches to take you away to crown you as the Saintess, what do you n to do then, Lillis?¡± Although I had intended to reveal this information eventually, the way Ethan was cornering me made me feel like I wasmitting some kind of crime. It was as if I was being forced to reveal something I had deliberately kept hidden. But since I had resolved not to hide anything from Ethan anymore, I decided to exin the ¡°condition¡± that the Hero had once demanded of me. ¡°Young Master Ethan, there¡¯s no need to worry about that future. I can prevent it from happening.¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°If I join the Hero¡¯s party as he requested, all of this can be resolved.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­What? Why do I suddenly feel a chill running down my spine? I nced at Sei, wondering if she was ying some kind of prank, but she was just floating idly in the air, looking rxed. ¡°Lillis, repeat what you just said.¡± ¡°I-I said, if I join the Hero¡¯s party as requested, then we can avoid any danger to Celesta¡¯s life¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Why?¡± ¡°B-because if I¡¯m with the Hero¡¯s party, people won¡¯t be able to distinguish between me and Celesta, so they won¡¯t know who the real Saintess is¡­¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°B-because Celesta is already widely recognized as the Saintess. No one would suspect that I, a stranger who suddenly appeared, could be the real Saintess. And if Celesta¡¯s identity as the Saintess is revealed, it¡¯ll be easier to exin.¡± ¡°¡­So why?¡± ¡°To protect me from the demons who would target the real Saintess, we could im that she was pretending to be my shadow all along, risking her life to protect me¡­¡± ¡°Lillis.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m asking you the same question over and over because I¡¯m worried about the life of that fake Saintess, Celesta?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡­Wait, when did he get so close? He was definitely sitting across from me at the table just moments ago, but now, Ethan¡¯s face was right in front of mine, as if he had closed the distance between us without me noticing. Ethan leaned in, his face nearly touching mine, and his expression made it clear that there was something he was deeply dissatisfied with. His sudden proximity startled me, and I instinctively stood up from my chair. -tter! ¡°¡­Lillis, where are you going?¡± ¡°N-nowhere¡­ It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you. Do I look like I¡¯m upset because I¡¯m worried about some priestess named Celesta, whom I barely know?¡± ¡°A-are you angry¡­? Young Master Ethan¡­?¡± ¡°¡­So, you didn¡¯t even realize that I was angry or why I might be?¡± -Thud! Ethan grabbed my wrist, preventing me from retreating any further as I backed into the wall. He pulled me toward the other side of the room, then shoved me onto the bed as if throwing me. -Thud. ¡°Y-young Master Ethan?! W-what are you doing all of a sudden¡­?!¡± ¡°Lillis, you just said it yourself.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t make Celesta the real Saintess, you¡¯ll have no choice but to join that damn Hero¡¯s party.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s only if things go wrong. If I keep the power of the Saintess, the issues I mentioned earlier will definitely arise. And I absolutely don¡¯t want to spend years suffering in the Hero¡¯s party¡­¡± ¡°I know. But, Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­As far as I know, there¡¯s another way to lose the power of the Saintess.¡± -Slide. ¡°Eek?!¡± Without warning, Ethan¡¯s hand slipped under my skirt, and I let out a squeal like a startled girl. The seriousness in his expression as he talked about a way to lose the power of the Saintess made it clear that I instinctively understood what he was implying. Chapter 223 Ethan suddenly grabbed my arm, pulling me onto the bed, and his hand moved swiftly under my skirt, causing me to feel a surge of panic. Until now, I had allowed him to touch my chest a few times, but his hand had never ventured below before. ¡°W-wait, Young Master Ethan!¡± ¡°Be quiet, Lillis. Isabel is asleep.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°That¡¯s not the issue right now¡­ mmmph?!¡± Ethan nced sideways at the servants'' quarters where Isabel was sleeping and then silenced me by covering my mouth with his hand. The seriousness of the situation made my heart race with a growing sense of danger. ¡®I told him I needed this power until I dealt with McHart!¡¯ I was certain I had exined this, but Ethan''s sudden move to take my chastity was something I couldn¡¯t understand. Naturally, I struggled against the threat of losing my virginity so abruptly. Of course, trying to push off Ethan¡¯s body, which had already pinned me down, with sheer strength was almost impossible, making my resistance seem futile. My legs were pinned down by Ethan¡¯s lower body, and my left hand was bound by his right hand, rendering me immobile. With his other hand covering my mouth, I was left unable to even call for help. In an instant, my limbs and mouth werepletely subdued by him. -Press. ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Thud, thud! ¡°¡­¡­¡± I tried to push Ethan¡¯s body with my free right hand, but he didn¡¯t budge, and even hitting his side with my fist several times didn¡¯t affect him. I felt bad about hitting him in the face or head, so I just hit his side instead. Using magic to resist in this situation seemed too risky, so I refrained for the time being. ¡°Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Nod. With my mouth covered, I nodded to respond. I thought it might be better to try and resolve this through conversation rather than resisting in a situation like this. Thankfully, it seemed that Ethan wasn¡¯t entirely intent on assaulting me, as he quietly looked at me with serious eyes, ready to confess something. ¡°Lillis, the truth is, for a long time, I¡¯ve always thought about this whenever I looked at you.¡± ¡°Mmph¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always feared that one day, Lillis, who is within my reach just by extending my hand, might suddenly leave my side.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried to hold back until now. After all, Lillis, you¡¯ve always been on my side in every situation. Not always, but in most important matters, you¡¯ve valued my opinion over your own, and the proof of your love for me that you asionally showed allowed me to endure.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Considering he had thrown me onto the bed, his words were surprisingly tame. I thought he might forcibly take my virginity in a rush, but instead, Ethan was just holding my mouth shut and conveying what he wanted to say. Looking at it this way, he didn¡¯t seem like someone who intended to assault me. At least, the current Ethan didn¡¯t exude the same aggressive aura as McHart, who had tried to attack me a month ago. Not that he didn¡¯t have any of those tendencies, but it felt more like he was fiercely battling between his instincts and reason. ¡°Do you know how angry I was when I heard that you were almost taken by McHart?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°For several days after that, I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. I was terrified that one morning I¡¯d wake up and find that you had suddenly disappeared from my side.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And while I¡¯m still furious enough to tear that bastard apart, the thing that made me the angriest at the time was myself. The thought that I couldn¡¯t protect you and let you fall into danger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you were to be taken from me so easily, I thought I might as well just make you mine, Lillis.¡± ¡°Mmmp?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but make a surprised sound at Ethan¡¯s shocking confession. I was a little grateful that he was being honest about his feelings, but it also meant that he was essentially confessing that he had been ready to take me by force at any time. It was unavoidable that memories of the Ethan I knew so far shed through my mind in response to this revtion. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been trying to restrain myself. I¡¯ve held back until now because I thought it was more important to win your heart, even if I lost everything else. I believed that winning your heart someday was the most important thing.¡± ¡°Mmph¡­ mmmph¡­.¡± ¡°But when you keep making me feel conflicted like this, I don¡¯t know what to do. It feels like not only your heart but now even your body is slipping away from me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lillis, you once told me that men who let themselves go, don¡¯t even bother with basic manners, and constantly harass women are the worst.¡± -Nod. ¡°After hearing that, I learned the sword from my father and lost weight. I also took etiquette lessons three times a week until just before entering the Academy. And no matter how much you tempted me as if testing me, I never crossed the line you set.¡± -¡­Nod. ¡°And now you¡¯re telling me you want to join that lecherous Hero¡¯s party? The same Hero who ys around with the Saintess and even Elves? After just a few conversations, has that Hero be more important to you than me?¡± -Shake, shake. I couldn¡¯t agree with hisst statement, so I quickly shook my head from side to side to dispel his misunderstanding. ¡­Okay, I admit it. My actions had caused Ethan to misunderstand, and because of that, he had be so obsessed with me. I could understand that. It was also my mistake to decide to join the Hero¡¯s party without discussing it with Ethan first. I still had a day to decide whether or not to be the Saintess, so I should have talked to Ethan before epting the Hero¡¯s offer. Of course, I couldn¡¯t predict whether Ethan would have reacted the same way, saying it was impossible, or if he would have reluctantly epted my honesty. But at least we might have avoided this situation if I had handled it differently. ¡°Lillis, please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t want to do anything that would make you hate me. I¡¯m more afraid of you hating me than of hating myself. I¡¯m scared that your eyes will look at me with the same cold and unpleasant gaze you used to have when we were kids.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So please, convince me. Convince me that if I try hard enough, I can win your heart someday. If you can¡¯t say that, I might end up making a terrible decision. I might end up taking your body if I can¡¯t have your heart.¡± ¡­What should I do? Even if he suddenly asked me to convince him, I had no idea what to say. I had never lived a life where I was close to psychology, either in my past life or in this one. But Ethan, unaware of my struggle, quietly removed his hand from my mouth, leaving me at a loss for words as my lips parted and closed hesitantly. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan, who had pinned me down on the bed, waited quietly for my answer, his gaze focused on me. His expression and eyes were so intense that I couldn¡¯t bear to look at him directly. For some reason, I felt a warm flush rising to my face. It was like the day I first realized that Ethan liked me after he confessed his feelings. Back then, the emotion I felt from Ethan was simple affection. But now, the emotion I felt from him was obsession and desire. A strong obsession and desire directed at me. There was no way I coulde up with the right words to persuade Ethan while facing such passionate emotions head-on. ¡°Y-Young Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Could you please let go of my hand for now?¡± ¡°Why? Are you nning to run away to the Hero if I let you go?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t think clearly with you so close¡­ Could you please move away for a moment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wait as long as you need. Even if it takes until tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± If this went on until morning, I was sure my mental strength wouldn¡¯t hold out. But I couldn¡¯t think of anything persuasive to say to Ethan while being so conscious of his gaze. Even for a short while, I needed to get away from this situation to clear my thoughts¡­. ¡®Right, the spirits.¡¯ In that moment, I remembered the existence of the spirits who could assist me, and I mentally called out to Sei, the wind spirit, asking her to separate me and Ethan, even just for a moment. ¡®Sei, Sei!¡¯ ¡®Yes¡­ Lillis¡­¡¯ ¡®Please use your magic to separate me from Ethan! Just for a moment!¡¯ ¡®¡­I can¡¯t¡­.¡¯ ¡®Yes, you can! Like when you used wind magic to gently push me during my duel with Agnes¡­.¡¯ ¡®But¡­ I¡¯ve made a contract¡­ with Lillis¡­.¡¯ ¡®Yes! You made a contract with me, so you should listen to my requests¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s why¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ If it¡¯s something Lillis dislikes¡­.¡¯ ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Confused by what she was saying, I was suddenly interrupted by Sally¡¯s voice, who had been listening to my conversation with Sei. ¡®That¡¯s right, Lillis. Since we¡¯re contracted, we can¡¯t do anything you dislike.¡¯ ¡®W-what are you talking about?! I just asked you to separate me from Ethan¡ª¡¯ ¡®But we can¡¯t help with that because you don¡¯t really want it.¡¯ ¡®What are you even saying¡­.¡¯ This is hopeless. Judging by their nonsense, these spirits are useless in this situation. I just asked them to separate me from Ethan for a moment, and they¡¯re saying I don¡¯t want that? What kind of nonsense is that? As I struggled with the futility ofmunicating with the spirits, Ethan called out to me again, meeting my eyes. ¡°What are you thinking so hard about, Lillis?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°Were you talking to the spirits? Asking them to separate me from you?¡± ¡°N-no, Young Master Ethan. I was just deep in thought, trying to organize my thoughts.¡± ¡°Alright. Then tell me. Convince me that I can win your heart someday. Please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible. How could I tell him something so absurd as, ¡°Maybe if you behave, I might fall for you someday¡±? It was impossible. While I had learned enough about manners as a maid from Isabel and the head maid, I had never learned how to eloquently persuade someone with convincing words. ¡­There¡¯s no other choice. I¡¯ll have to use the most effective method instead of trying to find the right words. As someone who had once been a man, I knew the best way to earn a man¡¯s trust, so I decided to take the first thing that came to mind and act on it. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­I have something to tell you quietly. Could youe a little closer?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ethan, thinking I wanted to whisper something to him, lowered his head toward me, bringing our faces within inches of each other. -¡­Smooch. ¡­Our faces met, and the softest part of both touched for a brief moment. Chapter 224 Ethan looked at me with a strange expression after our lips collided with a brief friction. For a moment, it seemed like he didn¡¯t fully understand what had just happened. It was only after seeing my face, burning red with embarrassment, that he finally seemed to realize that I had kissed him. Although it was a very brief kiss, the shock of it hadn¡¯t yet worn off for him. ¡°¡­D-does this suffice as an answer?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I apologize for not being able to convince you with words. I didn¡¯t think I could give you the assurance you needed, so I had to resort to this action.¡± Still, I thought that this should be enough for Ethan to understand. After all, what woman would brazenly kiss a man she had no feelings for? Moreover, in Lillis¡¯s body, I had never kissed anyone other than Ethan. ¡­Well, strictly speaking, I hadn¡¯t in my previous life either, but that wasn¡¯t relevant here.@@novelbin@@ I thought that perhaps now Ethan might release his grip on my arms and legs, but unfortunately, instead of rxing, his hold only tightened, pressing down on me even harder. ¡°Young Master Ethan? Maybe it¡¯s time to let go¡­.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not enough yet.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You said before, Lillis, that a kiss is no big deal. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten that?¡± ¡­Right, I did say that. As soon as he mentioned it, I recalled how I had nonchntly imed that a kiss was nothing special. What was I thinking, saying something so reckless? ¡°O-of course, I remember!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Did you think I was some crazy woman who goes around kissing just anyone without a care? What I said back then was just bravado¡­ no, I said it to avoid burdening you, Young Master Ethan¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you were thinking when you said it. What I¡¯m saying is that this isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Open your mouth, Lillis.¡± ¡°Mmmp?!¡± The moment I instinctively parted my lips slightly in response to Ethan¡¯s words, his face tilted at a 45-degree angle, and he pressed his lips down onto mine. This time, it was a kiss that went deeper than our previous French kiss. Or rather, it felt even more intense than the one before. Back then, Ethan had only let his tongue enter my mouth while facing me directly, but now, hepletely covered my mouth as if sealing it shut. Ethan¡¯s thick tongue invaded my mouth even deeper than before, exploring every inch as if it were his own domain. -Lick, lick. ¡°Mmph?! Mmm, mmph¡­!¡± -Lick, lick, lick. ¡°Mmm, mmph¡­ Hmph, mmph¡­.¡± He ravaged the inside of my mouth¡ªmy lips, gums, the inside of my cheeks, behind my teeth, the tip of my tongue, and even underneath it. Ethan turned our entwined mouths at different angles as he thrust his soft flesh deeper inside, thoroughly dominating the inside of my mouth. In a way, this kiss felt as intimate as sex. As we exchanged bodily fluids through this deep intrusion, the thought briefly crossed my mind that this might actually be a form of sex. We continued kissing for nearly a minute, and Ethan showed no sign of pulling away. I knew I had to make a decision. -Smack. ¡°Mmm, mmph¡­.¡± -Smack, suck¡­. ¡°Mmm, mmph¡­ Ah¡­.¡± Thinking that perhaps my hesitation and avoidance were the problem, I decided to match his deep kiss and let him have his way. Though he had suddenly forced his tongue into my mouth, saying that a mere kiss wasn¡¯t enough, surely he wouldn¡¯t keep me pinned down until morning. If I just went along with what he wanted, exchanging kisses and sharing our tongues, I hoped he would be satisfied and pull away on his own. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to indulge in Ethan¡¯s stubborn behavior; I just wanted this ufortable situation to end as quickly as possible. In that moment, I fleetingly thought that if the situation ended with just sharing the inside of my mouth rather than losing my virginity, I could consider myself fortunate. ¡­And so, about three minutes passed while we shared each other¡¯s lips. As we continued to exchange sensations through our lips and tongues, I felt a strange, indescribable sensation pulling from just below my sternum. -Suck, suck. ¡°Mmm, mmph?!¡± ¡­What was that feeling just now? It was just a kiss, yet I suddenly felt an odd sensation rising from below my body, which startled me. I wondered if Ethan had somehow touched my body in the confusion, but his hands were still firmly gripping my wrists, unmoving. This only added to my confusion, as I couldn¡¯t understand the source of the stimting sensation my body seemed to be reacting to. ¡®I felt something simr when Ethan touched my chest¡­.¡¯ As I was trying toprehend why I felt that way, Ethan¡¯s tongue, which had momentarily paused, resumed its movement, rubbing against mine, and I regained my focus on the intense kiss. -Suck, suck. ¡°Mmm, mmph¡­.¡± -Lick, lick. ¡°Mmm, mmph¡­. Ha¡­¡± As I focused on the act of exchanging saliva through our lips and tongues again, the lewd sensation once more began to swirl through my mind. Even though he wasn¡¯t touching me, and even though I wasn¡¯t revealing my body to Ethan, the strange pleasure I felt every time our tongues and mucous membranes met made my head grow hotter with each passing moment. -Drip. ¡®How much longer is this going to go on¡­.¡¯ Even though I was bing increasingly aware of a sensation that felt like something other than my mouth was getting wet, Ethan continued pressing his face close to mine. He kissed me so deeply that my head was almost buried into the soft mattress, leaving me with no way to escape. Just when I was starting to worry that he might really kiss me until morning, Ethan¡¯s lips slowly began to separate from mine. A thin string of saliva, a lewd symbol of our intense kiss, stretched between us as our lips parted after so long. ¡°¡­Ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Are you¡­ satisfied now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His expression was subtle. It seemed that his earlier anger had subsided somewhat, but there was still a hint of lingering regret. And as I looked at his face, I couldn¡¯t help but feel equally unsettled. The Ethan I knew would have let go of me by now, but today, he seemed far more persistent. ¡°¡­I¡¯m worried that you might be misunderstanding something, so let me rify.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°As I said before, I have never kissed anyone else¡ªno other man, or rather, no other person¡ªbesides you, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re currently the person closest to my heart, Young Master Ethan. Even after saying this, do you still need further proof?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan just stared at me, his face flushed, without saying a word, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight of his gaze. He seemed to be conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t. But at least in this moment, I could tell that he didn¡¯t truly intend to harm me¡­ probably. Fortunately, my instincts were right. Hearing my sincere words, Ethan slowly loosened his grip on my wrists and began to move his body off mine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m pathetic for having such strange thoughts. Even though I know in my head that you wouldn¡¯t leave me for someone else by choice, I couldn¡¯t help but doubt you because of my own insecurity.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you feel troubled when you¡¯re already tired. I knew that doing something like this would only frighten you, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®You couldn¡¯t stop yourself in the moment,¡¯ huh¡­. It wasn¡¯t the best apology, to be honest. This kind of excuse implied that something simr could happen again in the future. But Ethan¡¯s sudden behavior today, where he nearly crossed the line, was definitely unusual. Until now, he had always been almost obsessively careful not to do anything that would make me ufortable, yet suddenly, he had be so aggressive. It was strange. ¡®Wait,e to think of it¡­.¡¯ When was thest time I relieved Ethan¡¯s sexual tension? My most recent memory was at the end of thest semester when I sneaked out without telling him, and he punished me for it. That was thest time. Before that, I had voluntarily rewarded him after he had his first plete victory¡¯ against Harold, giving him a reward in the bath. That was thest time I voluntarily offered anything. Thinking about it, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Ethan¡¯s behavior tonight was due to pent-up sexual frustration that had suddenly exploded. After all, I was the person he loved most, his lover (though only temporarily), and we shared a bed every night. It wasn¡¯t just sharing a bed; we were practically sharing our living space. Although we tried to be as discreet as possible to avoid embarrassing each other, there were times, maybe once or twice a month, when we identally saw each other changing clothes. We lived in such close proximity every day, both on weekdays and weekends. Even with the winter break in between, Ethan and I had been living like this for almost half a year. Perhaps I hadn''t been attentive enough to his needs, unintentionally tormenting him by being so close yet so distant for all this time. His sudden attempt to take me by force might have been due to his pent-up sexual frustration reaching a breaking point. ¡®¡­It looks like I have to take responsibility.¡¯ If I simply brushed off his desires today, it mighte back with even greater intensityter on. If that happened, there was a real risk that he might cross a line that neither of us wanted to cross. And it wasn¡¯t that Ethan¡¯s skills had dulled recently or anything; it¡¯s just that my standards for what constitutes a ¡®reward¡¯ had gotten higher. So, if I decided to give him a little something now, Ethan probably wouldn¡¯t find it strange. ¡­Probably. ¡®It¡¯s not because I want to do this with Ethan¡­¡¯ I¡¯m just trying to soothe Ethan¡¯s frustration and prevent any potential disasters from urring because of it. There¡¯s no selfish desire on my part at all. Chapter 225 "Ethan, Young Master." "...Yes, Lillis?" "Before we go to sleep, there''s something I need to tell you." "...Ah, yes. I was just about to say something too." What? He was about to say something too? Does that mean he was also thinking about the same lewd thoughts? As I made up my mind to help him relieve his sexual tension, Ethan sat up on the bed and began to put on his coat, preparing to leave. "Ethan, Young Master? What are you doing right now¡­?" "Well, considering what just happened, I understand that you probably don''t want to share a bed with me tonight. So, I''ll sleep outside ande back in the morning. I''m sorry for scaring you, Lillis." "W-wait a moment¡­!!" -Grab! What the¡ª?! Just a moment ago, he was practically assaulting me on the bed, and now he''s misunderstanding the situation and trying to distance himself?! I grabbed Ethan''s sleeve to stop him from heading out the door, and when he looked back at me with a surprised expression, I could see his confusion. "Lillis?" "W-wait a moment! What I was trying to say wasn''t that¡­!" "Calm down. You''ll wake Isabel if you''re not careful." "¡­Okay." Fortunately, the door to Isabel''s attendant room was still closed. I suppose I should be thankful that she¡¯s a heavy sleeper. "So, what did you want to say, Lillis?" "Well, um¡­ that is¡­." Ethan turned around to face me, his sleeve still in my grasp, and quietly looked at me, waiting for my words. For a moment, I couldn''t bring myself to say what I had nned. I had managed to stop him from leaving, but now I was at a loss for how to naturally bring up the subject of "relieving his sexual tension" in this atmosphere. I was suddenly overwhelmed with thoughts of how exactly I was supposed to go about helping Ethan with this issue. ''Should I just offer to let him touch my chest like usual? Or maybe I should do what I didst time and¡­ handle his¡­ thing?'' Men¡¯s sexual desires generally revolve around experiencing pleasure to the point of ejaction. At least, that was how I felt when I was a man, so I doubt it''s much different in reality. But simply telling Ethan to drop his pants so I can help him ejacte might make him feel humiliated. Thest time, when I helped him in the bath, both of us were naked, so it wasn¡¯t as embarrassing for him. But if I suddenly offered to relieve his tension while he alone exposed himself, it might feel degrading for him as a nobleman. And with Ethan already feeling regretful for what he did, there was no need to add to his shame. Then again, offering my chest for him to grope like usual might not be enough either. The problem is that it wouldn''t help him "finish." Lillis¡¯s chest, as one of thergest among the heroines, might satisfy him visually and through touch, but if it doesn''t lead to the most crucial act of release, it might leave him even more frustrated. In the modern world, it¡¯s like watching porn without the final act of release¡ªgetting aroused but not being able to relieve that tension. In some ways, it might even make things harder for Ethan. Doing just one of those acts wouldn¡¯t fully relieve Ethan¡¯s sexual tension, but I also couldn¡¯t just let him leave the dorm room like this. ¡®¡­I guess I have no choice.¡¯ In the end, my decision boiled down to one solution. To relieve Ethan¡¯s sexual tension without causing him shame and to ensure he finds fulfillment, which includes finishing the act. "Ethan, Young Master." "Yes, Lillis?" "I¡¯m not upset with you, and I¡¯m not afraid of you because of what happened earlier." "¡­." "This¡­ is proof of that." I pulled his sleeve closer, bringing his hand to my chest over my uniform. Ethan¡¯s eyes widened in shock as his hand came to rest on my breast, his expression showing clear hesitation. Even though he was touching through the thick academy uniform, Lillis¡¯s chest wasn¡¯t something that could be ignored or diminished by a fewyers of fabric. -Squish. "Uh, ah¡­." "Lillis¡­." "If I were truly afraid of you, could I bring your hand to my body like this?" "¡­." "In fact, I¡¯m grateful that you were honest with me about your feelings. I think it takes a lot of courage to speak the difficult truths that you did, Young Master." "Lillis¡­." "So now it¡¯s your turn to convince me. You need to make sure I understand that I don''t have any negative feelings toward you." ? ? ?@@novelbin@@ After stopping Ethan from leaving, we sat together on the bed. The soft mattress supported both of us as we awkwardly exchanged nces. "...Lillis." "...Yes, Ethan, Young Master." "I understand now that you trust me. So, can''t we just sleep together like usual? I think that would be enough to prove what you wanted to say." "No, that won''t do." I firmly rejected Ethan''s attempt to back out now after I had gone through all the trouble of creating this atmosphere. Sleeping beside him might prove that I wasn''t afraid of him, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough. After all, my n was to relieve Ethan¡¯s tension tonight and prevent a simr incident in the future. And, if I were to be honest, my chest, which Ethan had briefly touched earlier, had been burning with desire ever since. ''No, that¡¯s irrelevant.'' Anyway, it couldn''t be allowed to happen. It simply couldn¡¯t. After all, I was offering to do this, and Ethan rejecting it wasn¡¯t an option. "Ethan, Young Master." "¡­Yes." "Just do as you usually do. Feel free to touch my chest and relieve your ¡®tension¡¯ as you have before." "Alright. If you''re being this insistent, refusing would be an insult to your trust." Finally, Ethan seemed to understand my intentions, and he nodded in agreement. He then reached out to the front of my uniform and began to unbutton it. -Slip, slip. "¡­." -Snap, snap. "Uh, ah¡­." -Slide, slide¡­. "Ah, ah¡­ ha¡­." He removed my jacket, unbuttoned my blouse, and then slid the blouse off my shoulders. As Ethan¡¯s hands got closer to my bare skin, I found it increasingly difficult to breathe, overwhelmed by a strange sensation. "Ha, ha, ha¡­." "Lillis, are you alright? Should we stop if you''re scared?" "No¡­ I¡¯m not scared¡­." "But your breathing is erratic¡­." "I said I¡¯m fine." "¡­Alright, Lillis." Finally, Ethan stopped asking if I wanted to stop, and he reached for the central sp of my front-hook bra. -Snap. "Ah¡­." -Release. With thest bit of support removed, my chest spilled out in front of Ethan. I might be the one saying this, but the term "spilled out" was probably the most appropriate way to describe the scene, given the size of my chest. "Lillis, have you gotten bigger sincest time?" "My chest has felt tightertely. We¡¯ve altered the blouse and the uniform jacket to allow more room, but this isn¡¯t something Isabel and I could easily adjust." "We¡¯ll need to get you new undergarments when we return to ckwood territory." "Enough talk. Just touch my chest as you always do, and prove that you understand I trust you." "¡­Alright, Lillis." With that, Ethan brought his hands to my now-exposed chest. As his hands made contact, I felt a sensation shoot through me like an electric shock. -Squish! "Ah, ah¡­!!" It had been nearly six months since Ethanst touched my chest. During those six months, Ethan had been training intensely with Harold, using all his strength and mana, yet still unable to win even one match. I had wondered if he might have lost interest in my chest, but judging by his eager hands, that didn''t seem to be the case. -Squish, squish! "Ah, ah¡­! Ha, ha¡­!!" -Squish, squish! "Ha, ha, ha¡­! Ahh¡­!!" With every squeeze of my chest, a wave of pleasure washed over me like an electric current. I thought I had gotten used to this after over a year, but apparently, I was mistaken. Even after just six months, the sensation felt just as intense as the first time he touched me. Maybe even more so. Caught up in the continuous waves of pleasure, I couldn¡¯t suppress my moans or hide the expression on my face. I didn¡¯t even have the presence of mind to think about restraining myself. I just wanted to let go and let Ethan¡¯s hands guide me through this pleasure. -Pinch. "Ahhh!!" Pinching my nipple, that¡¯s cheating¡­. -Press. "Ah, ahhh¡­?!" Then he pressed it inward after pulling it out. Even though it had been six months since Ethanst touched my chest, he seemed to remember exactly where my sensitive spots were. And as he skillfully massaged my chest, all the ns I had carefully thought through began to dissolve like mist in the face of his ministrations. "Ah, ha, ha¡­." "Lillis¡­ Are you alright¡­?" "I-I¡¯m fine, Ethan, Young Master¡­." "If it¡¯s too much, we can stop here¡­." "Ethan, Young Master." "Y-yes." "If you say we should stop or that we should quit one more time¡­ I might really start to dislike you." "¡­Alright, Lillis." "Don¡¯t say we should stop until I tell you that we¡¯re done." Understanding my serious request, Ethan nodded and then resumed massaging my chest, his hands working over therge mounds with familiar expertise. -Squish, squish. "Ah, ah¡­." And with that, the intense pleasure began to wash over me again. I needed to move to the "next stage" before my thoughts became too muddled from the sensations. Just letting Ethan continue to massage my chest wouldn''t be enough to fully relieve his "tension." -Clink. "...Lillis?" "Stay still, Ethan, Young Master." -Zip. "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." I unbuckled Ethan''s uniform pants and unzipped them, pulling them down along with his underwear to his mid-thighs without hesitation. -Thump. "Ah." Ethan¡¯s "dragon," hidden stiffly beneath his uniform pants, finally sprang free. Chapter 226 -Thunk. His partially exposed member fell between his thighs with a dull sound. It wasn¡¯t fully erect like it had been when I touched it in the bathroom before. To be precise, it was only about halfway there. After letting him touch my chest so eagerly, the fact that he was only half-hard stung my pride a bit. Did he not find my chest as arousing as he used to? "Lillis? If you stare at me like that, I feel a little embarrassed..." "...I''m sorry." I almost blurted out, "Why is it still like this after you touched my chest?" That would have made the situation twice as awkward. ''...Well, as long as I can get him fully erect, it should be fine.'' I allowed Ethan to touch my chest to give him a sense of security, while I handled his issue to alleviate his sexual frustration. Since he was touching my body as well, there was no particr reason to feel ashamed or guilty. Besides, I knew better than anyone that once a man releases, his desire quickly diminishes. So getting him erect wasn¡¯t going to be a problem. ''...Sticky?'' I suddenly noticed the familiar, sticky sensation in my hand. It wasn¡¯t just the tip of his member that was wet¡ªit felt like the whole thing was covered in the sticky substance, probably seeping through his underwear. And now, I could finally catch a faint scent, reminiscent of night-blooming flowers. I started to realize why his erection had only gotten halfway. "Ethan?" "...Yes?" "Did you already... release before I undressed you?" "......" Ethan averted his gaze with an embarrassed expression, which was enough of an answer, and I realized I had made a grave mistake. My question was almost like indirectly asking if he had premature ejaction. As a man, such a question could seriously hurt his pride. Realizing my blunder, I bowed my head deeply. "I''m, I''m sorry, Master Ethan. I shouldn''t have asked such an inappropriate question..." "...It''s okay, Lillis. I just got too excited, that''s all." Although I apologized, I wasn''t sure if his wounded pride would recover. I had created this situation to help him relieve his sexual tension, but instead, I had only embarrassed him. ''...Well, at least he did release, so his sexual tension should be relieved, right?'' Even though my original n to help him finish with my hands was cut short, he had released, and his sexual desire should have been alleviated along with the sticky fluid. My goal was to ensure Ethan''s sexual frustration was relieved to prevent him from potentially acting out during the night. In that sense, I had effectively achieved my objective without having to do much. And the misunderstanding that his erection had only been partial despite touching my chest was also naturally cleared up. ''Of course. How could he not get aroused while touching Lillis''s chest?'' The fact that he released on his own after such a long period without any relief meant that he still found my body attractive. With the misunderstanding cleared up, the difort I had felt subsided. Now, I could just dress him again, clean up, and go to bed... ''...Wait a minute.'' Going to bed like this would make the situation seem weird. If I had simply undressed him and helped him release, that would have made sense. But undressing him just to confirm that he had already released, and then dressing him again without doing anything, would make the whole situation seem off. It would appear as if I had undressed him not to help him relieve his sexual tension but just to look at and touch his body. That would make my dedication as a personal maid look like nothing more than the perverse behavior of a deviant maid. ''Since it¡¯se to this, I guess I have to make him release again...'' I hadn¡¯t relieved Ethan¡¯s sexual tension in over half a year, so there was some justification for making him release twice. In modern times, even an average man in his twenties would relieve himself at least once a week, and sometimes even daily. So helping Ethan release twice after six months wasn¡¯t excessivepared to average. -Rub, rub. "Lillis...? What are you doing?" "I''m going to help you get erect again, Master Ethan." "...What?" "While I work on getting you erect, please either wait patiently or feel free to touch my chest again." "..." I wiped the sticky fluid off Ethan''s member with the white gloves I was wearing and began to rub his now-clean member up and down. Even in its slightly soft state, it was toorge to grasp fully with both hands. It would likely grow evenrger once fully erect. Last time, I estimated it was about the size of two and a half of my fists, roughly 20 centimeters. I had measured the length of my palmter to remember its size. To make him release, I needed to make it evenrger and firmer. "W-wait, Lillis. I''m fine. I''m already satisfied with what happened earlier." "No, it''s not enough yet. The reason you tried to pounce on me was because I hadn¡¯t been helping you with your sexual frustration for the past six months. I need to make sure it¡¯spletely relieved so that no desires remain." "W-wait... Since I just released, I''m a bit sensitive, so please go slow..." ...Oh, right. I should go slower. Recalling my memories as a man, I rubbed my hand up and down between Ethan''s thighs, slowly increasing the size of his member... -Rub, rub. "......" "Ugh..." -Stroke, stroke. "......" "Ah... ah..." ...What? Why isn¡¯t it getting bigger? Even though I was moving my hand up and down, his member wasn¡¯t growing anyrger. It was still thin and soft, not the thick, firm thing it had been. It seemed that he really had released all his pent-up frustration earlier. ''This isn¡¯t good.'' If I had dressed him immediately after realizing he had already released, I could have just dismissed it as a minor mistake. But now, I had been holding and rubbing his member for several minutes, trying to get it erect again. It would be improper for me as a maid to simply put it back in his pants now, and as a woman who understands a man¡¯s body, it was a blow to my pride. ''I need to make it erect again and make him release one more time.'' If my hand wasn¡¯t enough to get him erect, it might be a psychological issue. In that case, I needed to do something that would satisfy him mentally to make it firm again. What Ethan probably wanted most was to have a physical rtionship with me. But that was something I absolutely couldn¡¯t allow. Maybe if I transferred my Saintess powers to Serista or dealt with McHart, I might consider it. But at this point, preserving my status as the Saintess was crucial. ''While I can''t lose my virginity, I need to do something more stimting than using my hand, something that will make him feel closer to me...'' As I thought about it, one idea naturally came to mind. I made up my mind and slowly moved my face closer to Ethan''s lower body. -Slide. "Lillis? What are you doing...?" "...Huff." -Gulp. "Ah...!" I opened my mouth wide, tucking my teeth behind my lips, and took the tip of his member into my mouth. After a handjobes oral. That was the basic progression I had seen in adult videos and eroticics in my past life. And after this, naturally,es sex, but that was something I absolutely couldn¡¯t allow. Still, oral was barely within eptable limits, so I could justify going this far. Technically, as long as I didn¡¯t lose my virginity, the other acts didn¡¯t affect my status as the Saintess. Honestly, putting a man¡¯s member in my mouth felt repulsive, and I still disliked the idea of even seeing or touching another man¡¯s member, let alone putting it in my mouth. But right now, getting Ethan¡¯s member erect again was important, and if this was what it took, I could handle it. Besides, since I had already seen it before, I didn¡¯t feel particrly disgusted or repulsed by it. -Suckle, suckle. "Huff, huff." "Lillis..." -Suckle, suckle. "Huff, huff." "If you do it so suddenly... ah, huff...!" Fortunately, my efforts seemed to be working, as Ethan¡¯s member started growing in size as soon as I took it into my mouth. As I thought, he was still susceptible to such stimtion as a man. Just a little more, and once it¡¯s fully grown, I can make him release with my hand... -Suckle, suckle. "Huff, huff." "Lillis...!" -Thud. "...Ugh?" As I was about to pull away after getting his member back to its original size, I felt a hand on the back of my head. Something felt wrong, and I tried to pull away, but it was toote. -Suckle, suckle. "Ugh?! Hmph, hmpf!" "Huff, huff! Lillis! Lillis!" -Suckle, suckle! "Hmph...! Hmph, hmpf!" "Lillis! This feels so good, Lillis!" Ethan, overwhelmed by the intense sensations of his first oral experience, gripped the back of my head and forced it down onto his member. I hadn¡¯t intended to continue this act, but Ethan¡¯s strength, honed from wielding heavy dual swords in battle, was too much for my neck muscles to resist. My attempts to pull away only resulted in my head moving up and down in a piston-like motion,bining with Ethan¡¯s thrusts. "Lillis! Lillis!" "Ugh! Hmph, hmph!" "Lillis, I love you!" "Ugh?!" Confessing love while forcing someone''s head between your thighs¡ªthere are certainly better ways to express feelings. I couldn''t understand why he would confess love like this, especially while forcing me to continue the oral act. ''...Damn it, there''s no other choice.'' Since it didn¡¯t seem like Ethan was going to let me go anytime soon, the only option was to make him release again. I hadn''t nned on taking his release in my mouth, but considering the situation, I felt some responsibility for how things had escted. -Lick, lick. "Huff, Lillis!" -Lick, lick. "Huff, ha, huff...!!" ...It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just letting him release in my mouth. As long as I don¡¯t swallow it, I can immediately use a cleansing spell to get rid of any unpleasantness. That was my n: to hold it in my mouth without swallowing and then pretend to swallow before using a cleansing spell. But Ethan¡¯s unexpected actionpletely shattered that n. "Lillis, I''ming!" -Slurp! "...Hmph, what?!" As he climaxed, Ethan pushed my head down with all his strength, forcing his entire member into my mouth and down my throat. His member suddenly filled my throat, and I felt the sticky substance surge into my mouth, filling itpletely. "Hmph! Hmph! Ugh, ugh!" -Smack! Smack! Smack! "Hmph, Lillis! Swallow it all, Lillis!!"@@novelbin@@ Panicked by the sensation of the sticky fluid sliding down my throat, I repeatedly hit Ethan¡¯s thigh with my fists, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice in his euphoria. He kept the pressure on my head, ensuring I swallowed everything. In the end, I had to endure several waves of his release, swallowing it all down my throat over the course of several long seconds, feeling the hot liquid travel down inside me. "Hmph, ugh!! Ugh!" -Thump! Thump! Thump! "Lillis?!" It was only after I desperately pounded his thigh with my fist that Ethan seemed to realize what he had done. His grip on my head loosened as he called out in a panicked voice. "Ugh, cough! Ugh, cough...! Cough, cough..." Finally freed after he finished releasing inside me, I pulled away, coughing and gasping for air. Ethan, seeing my distress, looked at me with a worried expression. "I''m so sorry, Lillis! Are you okay?! Your mouth felt so good that I lost control..." "Huff, huff, huff..." "I¡¯m really sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to force it! I just lost my senses for a moment..." A nobleman bowing his head to his maid repeatedly like this¡ªhow many times had he done it already? Seeing him apologize so humbly, I found it hard to stay angry. It was probably just a momentarypse of judgment on his part, so I decided to let it go. ''I¡¯m never doing oral again.'' If I did, who knows what he might do next time. If I ever put that thing back in my mouth, I wouldn''t be a person anymore¡ªjust a female animal. Chapter 227 It had been two days since I inadvertently dealt with Ethan''s pent-up sexual frustration in a way I hadn''t nned (though it was partly forced). Now, Ethan and I were staying at the ckwood estate instead of the academy. With my treatmentpleted and the student council duties wrapped up, there was no reason to remain at the academy. Besides, staying too long could risk exposing my identity as the Saintess to other theology students, so we quickly returned to the estate. Incidentally, since I stayed at the academy for a few extra days after the evaluation match, our return to the ckwood estate coincided with Harold¡¯s. As a result, we ended up sharing a four-person carriage with him on the way back, just likest time. ...And along with that, I was subjected to another round of Harold¡¯s nostalgic stories for almost twelve hours straight. What could a middle-aged man approaching fifty have so much to talk about? After enduring a non-stop chatterbox Sword Master during the entire journey, I couldn¡¯t sleep in the carriage and arrived back at the estate exhausted, which was just yesterday. This morning, feeling a bit weary, I woke up and made my bed. ¡°Ah, ugh¡­¡± Despite waking up in my familiar bed, my whole body felt as heavy as if I were under a spell. My muscles ached as if they hadn¡¯t properly recovered. It wasn¡¯t because the bed was different. I had always slept well, whether in the ckwood estate, the academy dormitory, or the infirmary at the academy church. If I had to pinpoint a cause, it would be that damned McHart and, secondly, the fact that I didn¡¯t have someone sleeping next to me. Ever since the night McHart threatened me, I had asionally been gued by nightmares of being attacked in my sleep. But whenever that happened, Ethan¡¯s warmth beside me helped me fall back asleep. Now that we were back at the ckwood estate and sleeping in separate rooms, I couldn¡¯t rely on him anymore. When I was staying in the infirmary at the academy church, Agnes was always there to keep mepany, which put me at ease. But after returning to sleeping alone, I couldn¡¯t restfortably, which led to a restless night. ¡°Yawn...¡± ¡°Lillis, are you alright?¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve looked tired all day. You looked like this in the morning too.¡± ¡°I agree with Isabel, Lady Lillis. Did you have trouble sleeping because of the change in beds?¡± During lunch, Isabel and Katarina both asked me these questions. I quickly waved off their concerns, assuring them that nothing was wrong.@@novelbin@@ ¡°No, Katarina. I''ve been used to changing beds frequently between the academy and here. I think it¡¯s just because I had a bad dreamst night.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can keep working? Should I ask Master Ethan to let you rest for an hour or two? I can attend to him in the meantime.¡± ¡°Thanks for worrying, but I¡¯m fine, Isabel.¡± It would be absurd for a personal maid to sleep while her master was awake, especially in broad daylight. After finishing my meal and sharing a brief conversation with my colleagues, I returned to my duties as Ethan¡¯s personal maid. ¡°Attending to Master Ethan is my job.¡± Missing a bit of sleep wouldn¡¯t ruin my condition. I hadn¡¯t entirely missed out on sleep, just had some interrupted rest. I could manage that. ...Or so I thought at the time. ? ? ? Two dayster. Three days had passed where every time I closed my eyes, nightmares haunted me, waking me up with a start. My mind was already so worn out that just breathing made me feel exhausted. ¡°...¡± ¡°Um, Lillis...?¡± ¡°...Lady Lillis?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I really think you should rest...¡± ¡°Master Ethan would understand, considering your condition, Lady Lillis¡­¡± I could hear Isabel and Katarina speaking to me from either side, but honestly, it took all my focus just to keep my eyes open. ¡®I¡¯m dying...¡¯ I finally understood why sleep deprivation is used as torture. No wonder the CIA uses it to extract information. If someone offered to let me sleep in exchange for revealing the secrets of my past life, I wasn¡¯t sure I could refuse. In fact, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I had the mental strength left toprehend such a demand. Last night, and the night before, I had tossed and turned in bed, trying to sleep, but every time I began to drift into a deep sleep, I was dragged into nightmares, forcing me awake. After three days of restless, shallow sleep, my nerves were reaching their limit. ¡®That bastard McHart even haunts me in my dreams... I need to deal with him soon...¡¯ If this continues, my mind will break before I can deal with McHart. The carefully crafted n I spent over a month on was on the verge of falling apart. But with three days left before the n could be executed, spending them in this state would only result in me getting defeated by McHart rather than the other way around. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ The thought of being captured by McHart and turned into a puppet was far worse than being trained by Ethan or wandering the world with the hero, fulfilling the prophecy. If I had to choose between those fates, I¡¯d rather be with Ethan. After all, Ethan wasn¡¯t the scumbag he was in the original story. Even if he did try to train me, it would be better than bing McHart¡¯s puppet or a mindless wanderer... ¡®No, what am I even thinking?¡¯ My tired mind kept veering toward simple, one-dimensional thoughts. I had already eliminated the possibility of such a future. I had stuffed myself with garlic from the ckwood estate¡¯s kitchen to avoid that oue, so why was I even considering it? When the human mind enters a subconscious state, it naturally seeks the most survival-oriented path, and maybe that¡¯s why I was thinking of Ethan. ...But what does Ethan have to do with my survival instinct anyway...? -ng. ¡°...Ah.¡± As I was bringing the spoonful of soup to my lips, my weakened grip caused the spoon to slip from my hand, and it dropped right in front of my lips, spilling its contents. The spoon ttered to the ground after bouncing off my chest, scattering soup everywhere. I was so numb that I couldn¡¯t even feel the soup¡¯s heat or the impact of the spoon on my skin. The only thought in my mind was that I needed to pick up the spoon. ¡°Ah?! Lady...!¡± ¡°...Master...!¡± The voices around me grew distant, making it hard to distinguish who was speaking. Isabel, Katarina, or just some other maid¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. Instinctively, I leaned down to pick up the spoon, and the weight of my upper body caused me to sway. -tter! ¡®Ah.¡¯ ...If I hit the floor, it¡¯s going to hurt. Honestly, I didn¡¯t care about the pain; I just wanted to sleep properly. If I passed out from hitting the floor, maybe I¡¯d finally get some uninterrupted sleep. But contrary to my hopes, the sensation of impact wasn¡¯t the hard floor but someone¡¯s embrace. The warmth enveloping my body guided me into a deep slumber. ? ? ? A pitch-ck darkness. All around me, up, down, left, and right, everything was engulfed in total darkness. As soon as the umted fatigue vanished from my body, I found myself in a familiar ce. ¡®...No, this isn¡¯t unfamiliar.¡¯ During my waking hours, it was hard to think clearly due to exhaustion, but in this ''dream,'' my mind was somewhat functional. Of course, since I was still in the ''dream,'' my thoughts were limited, and I couldn¡¯t think of more than one thing at a time. Realizing that this was a space I had visited many times before and that I was dreaming, my mind naturally anticipated what would happen next. -Rustle. Rustle. ¡°...¡± Footsteps approached me in the darkness, emitting a faint light. It was the familiar, dreaded sound of footsteps I had heard countless times in my recent nightmares. "Are you awake? How does it feel to be left alone in the dark, hmm?" ¡®Damn it.¡¯ That sickening voice, one that made something in my gut churn, pierced through my ears. Though, of course, there was nothing left to vomit up in this dream. His face emerged from the darkness, illuminated by the faint light, as if he was the sole protagonist in this scene. "It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it, foul-moutheddy?" "..." It was yet another encounter¡ªso many that I¡¯d lost count¡ªwith the ursed McHart Chapter 228 The moment I opened my eyes and saw that detestable face, my mood instantly soured. I had seen it so many times that I had memorized every loathsome detail against my will. A reflexive curse slipped out of my mouth. "You damned bastard." How long was he going to torment me before he was satisfied? Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if McHart himself could physically torment me, causing his face to constantly appear in my dreams. It was just that my subconscious couldn¡¯t let go of the fear and vignce I held against him, leading me to repeatedly dream about him. Given that McHart was connected to demons and I knew his capabilities, the fear that he could invade my bed and abduct me at any time was deeply ingrained in my mind. This unspoken terror was the root of the exhaustion that had been eating away at my sleep for days. ''Damn it... I''m tied up again...'' The moment I saw his face, my instinct was to move my right hand and stab him in the throat, but just like in all the previous dreams, my wrists were tightly bound by something in the darkness, leaving mepletely immobile. "It¡¯s no use. You¡¯ve already been captured." McHart¡¯s smug voice echoed as he shed me a rotten smile, taking satisfaction in my helplessness. And then, that nauseating voice I had heard so many times before began to tear through my insides again. "You have no idea how much effort I put into capturing you. Why is it that a nobledy like you is so unruly and resistant?" "......" "Could it be because you grew up rough as amoner? That¡¯s the only exnation that makes sense." Stay calm. Don¡¯t let him get to you. As long as I could firmly recognize that this was a dream, I could find a way to wake up. McHart¡¯sment about knowing I was amoner, the fact that he didn¡¯t have the time to actually tie me up, all of it pointed to the dream¡¯sck of reality. I had to keep reminding myself that this world wasn¡¯t real and wake up from this nightmare. ''But what if this isn¡¯t a dream... No, it has to be a dream.'' Only a handful of people knew I wasn¡¯t a noble, and none of them were close to McHart or loose-tongued. There were plenty of other clues that this was a dream. I just needed to keep focusing on them to wake up. The oddly realistic sensations, the strange sense of reality clinging to my body, were all just tricks my mind was ying. It was only because I had briefly fallen into McHart¡¯s trap that my mind was conjuring such a vivid dream. ''It would be easier if this were a more typical dream where I couldn¡¯t think clearly.'' Having just enough rity to direct my anger at McHart only made the experience worse. And now that I was back at the ckwood estate, sleeping alone, these dreams had be a nightly urrence, chipping away at my sanity. The nightmare had begun even before McHart''s attack, but back then, I could probably brush it off and fall back asleep because I had Ethan¡¯s warmth beside me at the academy. The thought that Ethan could protect me if something went wrong allowed me to rest easy and return to sleep. Even in the academy church infirmary, where I shared a space with Agnes, I felt some degree offort, even if it wasn¡¯t as much as with Ethan. But back at the ckwood estate, sleeping alone for the past three nights, I had no choice but to face these nightmares by myself. "So, have you finally decided to submit to me?" ''Don¡¯t engage. It¡¯s just a dream. Don¡¯t fall for the provocation.'' "There¡¯s no way for you to escape from me. Now that I¡¯ve trapped you in this space, you can¡¯t resist." ''Ignore him. Don¡¯t listen. It¡¯s all nonsense.'' "I was relieved when that clingy brat disappeared. I almost had to scar that pretty body of yours. Don¡¯t you agree?" ''Please wake up. Quickly. This is just a dream. Wake up, wake up, wake up...'' Desperately trying to block out McHart¡¯s smug monologue¡ªlines I¡¯d heard dozens of times¡ªI focused all my willpower on waking up. My wrists and ankles were bound by those dark chains, making it impossible to grab a sword and escape like before. Being in McHart¡¯s domain, I couldn¡¯t use magic either. Even if someone argued that I could control the dream with my imagination, I had tried that countless times before in previous dreams, only to fail every time. The longer I stayed in this dream, the more inevitable the oue became. I tightened every muscle in my body and concentrated on waking up. Even in a dream, I didn¡¯t want that bastard McHart toy a hand on me. A dream or not, what I hated was what I hated. I had to erase McHart from my thoughts and focus solely on waking up. The more I visualized his face, the harder it would be to escape... "Not that the oue would have been any different, even if that foolish boy had been by your side. Someone who hasn¡¯t even be a Sword Master couldn¡¯t possibly stand up to me." ''What did you just say, you bastard?'' "What did you just say, you bastard?" -Smirk. ...Damn it. Why did he have to bring up Ethan all of a sudden? I had almost managed to focus enough to wake up, but McHart¡¯s sudden mention of Ethan shattered my concentration. And just like that, I lost my chance to escape this nightmare, as McHart closed in on me, grinning with that disgusting smile. "As expected, you have quite the foul mouth." "......" "Ady who hasn¡¯t even learned basic manners must be re-educated from the beginning." With those words, McHart reached out to touch my chest.@@novelbin@@ I clenched my eyes shut, refusing to look at what was happening. Even though it was just a dream, I wasn¡¯t going to let that bastard touch me. If I had to let someone touch me, it would only be Ethan... -Slice! Then, I heard the sound of a de cutting through something. Specifically, the sound of a de slicing through flesh. For a moment, I wondered if McHart had injured me in the dream, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain in my body. "Aaagh!!" The scream that followed wasn¡¯t mine. It was McHart¡¯s, the same bastard who had been leering at me just moments ago. And with that, a strange sense of hope welled up in my chest. When I cautiously opened my eyes, the first thing I saw wasn¡¯t McHart but a reassuring back. "What do you think you¡¯re doing to my Lillis?" "H-How did you...?" "Even in a dream, I won¡¯t allow anyone to touch Lillis, not for a single moment." ...Had I ever experienced a dream like this before? In all my previous nightmares, I always woke up just before McHart¡¯s hand touched me, only to fall back asleep and relive the same nightmare, dreading sleep every time. That had been my sleep pattern for days. I had never expected Ethan to show up and save me in this wretched dream, let alone prevent my escape from this nightmare. ''...But it¡¯s kind of reassuring.'' In reality, I had leaned on that broad back a few times. I never thought I¡¯d be saved by him even in my dreams. It was a bizarre situation, but I didn¡¯t mind. It was better than being helpless before McHart. -sh! "Aaagh!" -Stab! "Ugh, aaagh!!" It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one surprised by Ethan¡¯s appearance. The McHart in my subconscious was also being ruthlessly cut down by Ethan¡¯s sword. "You... you bastard...!!" -Rip! "Aaagh, aaagh!!" ...It felt almost too one-sided, but I wasn¡¯t going toin. Even if this was a nightmare, it was still my dream, so I supposed it made sense that I would see what I wanted. No matter how unrealistic it seemed, I¡¯d rather see Ethan win than lose. With Ethan¡¯s sudden attack, McHart was cut to pieces, each slice dividing him further until he was reduced to nothing. The moment McHart¡¯s breath ceased, the dark restraints binding my limbs released their grip. -Thud. "Lillis, are you alright?" "......" "Let¡¯s get you inside and rest. It looks like the exhaustion from the past few days has finally caught up to you..." ...Somehow, his voice felt overwhelmingly real in my ears. And the sensation of my body being held felt as if I were truly in Ethan¡¯s arms. Even in a dream, Ethan was like a real prince on a white horse. Not only did he show up to rescue me from the viin, but he also held me in his arms like a princess. Under normal circumstances, I would¡¯ve been flustered by such actions, even in a dream, but right now, I didn¡¯t care. It was far better to be held in Ethan¡¯s arms than to keep reliving the nightmare of being vited by McHart. ''Ah, right, I should give a reward...'' Even though it was a dream, I owed Ethan something for saving me. As usual, it was only right to give him a reward. My head was too foggy to think clearly, but I knew what I needed to do in this situation. ''Ethan likes physical contact, so giving him something simr should be a fitting reward. But in this position, letting him touch my chest wouldn¡¯t be possible...'' Following the flow of thoughts in my head, I wrapped my arms around Ethan¡¯s neck and gently leaned my weight on him. -Slide. "...Lillis?" In that moment, I raised myself slightly and brought my lips to Ethan¡¯s. -Mwah. "...?!?" Even though it was a kiss in a dream, the sensation felt surprisingly soft and real, as if it were happening in reality. It was warm andforting, just like being held in Ethan¡¯s embrace. Chapter 229 ckwood Estate, Ethan''s Private Room Ethan had rushed Lillis to his room after she suddenly copsed in the dining room. Now, with her head resting on hisp, he gently stroked her hair as she slept peacefully. ''She hasn¡¯t slept properly for almost three days... No wonder she''s so exhausted.'' Ethan had been the first to notice Lillis¡¯s deteriorating condition, as he spent most of his day with her, given she was his personal maid. He had suggested she rest from the very first day she seemed tired, but Lillis had refused, or more urately, she couldn¡¯t afford to rest, which Ethan hadn¡¯t understood at the time. Now, with her copsing from overwork, guilt gnawed at him. The only reason he had been able to catch her just before she hit the floor was that he had a bad feeling that day and decided to follow her closely. He hadn¡¯t intended to let her rest on hisp like this¡ªit had just happened. Originally, he was going to let her sleep on his bed, but when she moaned and seemed distressed whenever he tried to move away, he had eventually settled on this position. ''Is she having nightmarestely?'' If nightmares were the reason she hadn¡¯t slept well for the past few days, there was nothing Ethan could do. No matter how much he loved Lillis, he couldn¡¯t protect her in her dreams. Unbeknownst to him, Lillis was actually sleeping soundly, soothed by his warmth, free from the nightmares that had gued her. But Ethan couldn¡¯t know this. All he could do was continue stroking her hair, knowing it seemed to calm her. To Ethan, the sight of Lillis, resting peacefully with her head on hisp, was utterly endearing. It even stirred a desire within him to kiss her as she slept, a desire he barely managed to suppress. ''...Come to think of it, what exactly was that?'' Ethan shifted his thoughts, trying to focus on what had happened earlier in the dining room. He remembered holding Lillis in his arms after she copsed, telling the other maids to let her rest. Then, out of the blue, Lillis had opened her eyes and, seemingly half-awake, had kissed him. His heart started racing again as he recalled the moment. ''It wasn¡¯t a dream, right?'' Lillis might have kissed him in a daze, not fully aware of what she was doing, but to Ethan, it was undoubtedly a kiss initiated by her. It wasn¡¯t like the times he had approached her or asked for something¡ªthis was a kiss she had given him freely. The feel of her lips on his, though brief, lingered in his mind. ''What could it have meant...?'' He thought he might have heard her faintly whisper his name just before the kiss. She had looked troubled, as if she were having a bad dream, but then, after whispering his name, her expression had softened, and she had kissed him. And to make matters worse, her colleagues had witnessed the whole scene, which meant that by tomorrow, the servants would be buzzing with gossip. ''I did warn them to keep quiet, but...'' He trusted Isabel, who had apanied Lillis to the academy and helped her with her duties. But the other maid, with her presence so faint, didn¡¯t inspire much confidence. Not that it really mattered to Ethan if rumors about their kiss spread. If their rtionship became public knowledge, it might at least deter others from pursuing Lillis among the ckwood staff. What mattered more was Lillis¡¯s feelings. No matter how much he loved her, if she didn¡¯t want him, the future he dreamed of would remain just that¡ªa dream. There had been a time when the mere suggestion that she might end up with the hero had made Ethan¡¯s blood boil. But since Lillis had confirmed her feelings for him, Ethan had been able to rx. After all, she had initiated a kiss, forgiven him for his previous aggressive behavior, and had done things that only someone who truly cared would do. And then there was the recent kiss, which, though mysterious, seemed to confirm her affection for him. "Puuu... Puuuu..." ''You¡¯re sleeping so soundly. You must have been really tired.'' "Don¡¯t press my head down, Ethan... You know I don¡¯t like that..." "...!!!" Ethan quickly pulled his hand away from her head, startled by Lillis¡¯s sleep-talking. The words brought back memories of a certain incident a few days ago, when Lillis had brought her face close to his thighs¡ªa memory that made Ethan¡¯s face flush a deep red. ''...I never imagined she¡¯d go that far.'' He had thought that as his personal maid, Lillis wouldn¡¯t be knowledgeable about sexual matters, but her actions had proven otherwise. Perhaps she had more carnal thoughts than he had imagined, though he quickly dismissed that idea, reasoning that it was unlikely for a youngdy to think that way. ''We agreed to wait until after the academy...'' They had an agreement that they wouldn¡¯t engage in a full physical rtionship until after graduation, and that if her feelings remained unchanged, they would talk about it then. At first, Ethan had thought this was just a way for her to dy giving him an answer, but after what happened recently, he couldn¡¯t think that anymore. He had always feared that while he was the only one in love, Lillis was simply going along with his advances because of the difference in their status. But if the interim rtionship she had proposed was genuine, and if she, like him, was holding back due to her role as the Saintess... Maybe there were other ways to deepen their rtionship without crossing the line they had set. ''She seemed to think oral wasn¡¯t a problem for the Saintess...''@@novelbin@@ If that was allowed, then perhaps other simr acts might be eptable too. Ethan had asionally picked up some lewd knowledge from his interactions with other noble heirs at the academy. Though he never spoke of what he and Lillis did with others, he couldn¡¯t avoid hearing the stories other nobles boasted about. The things he had heard included what Lillis had done¡ªmetaphorically described among nobles as ¡°wrapping the wine bottle neck,¡± or other acts like ¡°licking the soup from the m dish¡± and ¡°rubbing the sausage between the hot dog buns.¡± Such vivid metaphors often came up in conversation. Of course, Ethan wasn¡¯t brave enough to ask Lillis for anything like that. He didn¡¯t want her to despise him or look at him as if he were some sort of pervert. ''...Maybe I should leave her to rest alone.'' It wasn¡¯t that Lillis¡¯s head was too heavy or that he disliked the current situation of her resting on hisp. But he feared that if he stayed too long, he might start harboring inappropriate thoughts. The memory of what had happened a few days ago was enough to make his head feel hot. -Slide, slide... Carefully, he lifted Lillis, making sure not to touch her inappropriately, andid her on the bed. He was just about to leave the room quietly when... "Ethan...?" Lillis¡¯s faint voice reached his ears, and the next moment, he was yanked back onto the bed. "Uwah?!" -Thud. Lillis had pulled him down with surprising strength, leaving him sprawled on the bed in a rather embarrassing position, especially since it looked like the two of them were in the middle of an intimate act. Of course, they were both fully clothed in their formal attire, but the position itself was unmistakably suggestive. "W-Wait, Lillis... Are you awake...?" -Squeeze. "Lillis...?!" Before he could gather himself, Lillis wrapped her legs around his lower body, trapping him in a position that resembled a romantic encounter, leaving Ethan caught in a mix of emotions. ''No, this isn¡¯t right... I need to break free...'' If he didn¡¯t pull away, he might lose both his self-control and his sanity. So, despite knowing she was asleep, Ethan tried to extricate himself from her hold. "Ethan, don¡¯t go..." "......" But the pleading tone in her voice was something he couldn¡¯t ignore. In the end, Ethan abandoned the idea of escaping and insteady still, holding back his desires as he stayed by her side. Chapter 230 Three days had passed since I copsed from sleep deprivation in the dining room, and finally, the long-awaited day of the operation to eliminate McHart had arrived¡ªthe morning of the noble gathering at the pce annex. "Ah, ugh..." As the morning sunlight streamed through the window, my body instinctively woke up, a habit ingrained from years of being a servant with a strict morning routine. Just a few days ago, I had been struggling to get through each day due to sleepless nights, but thankfully, I had managed to sleep well recently. My condition, which had deteriorated momentarily, had returned to normal, just in time for the operation. -Flip, flop. I started undressing from my sleeping maid uniform, not really paying much attention since I wasn¡¯t at the academy but at the ckwood estate. But as I casually tossed off my clothes, something familiar yet strange caught my eye, and my groggy mind began to clear. ''Wait, hold on a second...'' This isn¡¯t my room. Realizing that I had woken up in Ethan¡¯s room, not mine, a small wave of confusion hit me. Fortunately, the confusion quickly dissipated as my mind fully woke up. ''Oh, right. I did tell Ethan I would be sleeping here for a while.'' Because of the nightmares and insomnia I had been experiencing, I hadn¡¯t been able to sleep deeply. So, three days ago, I had decided to sleep in Ethan¡¯s room to ensure I was well-rested for the operation. Though I didn¡¯t fully understand the reason, I knew that as long as I could feel Ethan¡¯s warmth beside me, I wouldn¡¯t have nightmares.@@novelbin@@ It wasn¡¯t that I particrly wanted to share a bed with Ethan; it was just that I needed to be in top condition for the uing confrontation with McHart. If my physical state waspromised, it could endanger not only me but everyone else involved in the operation. ''Thankfully, it looks like Ethan is still asleep.'' I narrowly avoided being caught in apromising situation, as a maid undressing in her master¡¯s room could easily be misunderstood. Since I woke up before Ethan, I quickly gathered the clothes I had discarded. -Slide. Carefully, I climbed onto the bed to retrieve my clothes, some of which had unfortunatelynded on the opposite side of Ethan. I moved cautiously to avoid waking him up. Slowly, carefully... "Ah, good morning, Lillis..." ...But despite my best efforts, Ethan woke up just moments after I did, and unfortunately, the position of my body wasn¡¯t ideal. -Soft. "Uh?!" In the process of reaching for my clothes while leaning over him, Ethan¡¯s face ended up buried in my chest as he sat up. "Mmff?!" -Thud. Startled by the sensation, I lost my bnce and fell forward, pressing Ethan¡¯s face even further into my chest. "Uh, mmm?!" "I-I''m sorry! Please excuse me!" "Lillis?! What just happened...?" Hastily, I grabbed my clothes, quickly put them on, and rushed out of the room into my own. During breakfast, Ethan and I couldn¡¯t make eye contact the entire time. ? ? ? In the carriage heading to the pce annex for the noble gathering with Ethan. The atmosphere inside the carriage was awkward, not just because we were alone but because things had been awkward between us for a while now. The awkwardness had been building, especially after what happened this morning. And then there was the incident where I passed out in the dining room only to wake up hugging Ethan, and the night I asked to sleep in his room because I couldn¡¯t sleep alone. And the next morning, I woke up clinging to him again. I almost instinctively kissed him in my sleep. Such incidents had been happening frequently, leading to this current awkward tension between us. Honestly, the atmosphere was suffocatingly awkward, but... ''Considering the n, this awkwardness might actually work in our favor.'' After all, if it seemed like there was tension between Ethan and me, McHart would be more likely to let his guard down and approach me. A touch of realism in our act wouldn¡¯t hurt. Of course, if it was too awkward, it might ruin the performance, so I needed to lighten the mood a bit. "Ed." "......" "...Ed?" "Oh, yes, Lillis? What is it?" "Lilli...s?" "Lilli..." Was he not nervous, or was he so nervous that he was making mistakes? As that thought crossed my mind, I realized I needed to ease his tension a bit by discussing the uing operation. "If you''re this tense already, how are you going to fool Prince McHart?" "...I''m sorry, Lillis." "......" "Lilli..." "We''ve been preparing for this moment for a long time. Agnes even went as far as pretending to argue with me to dispel Prince McHart¡¯s suspicions, and the Saintess Celesta has blessed me despite the risks to herself. We''ve all worked hard together to n this, so we need to carry it out properly." "...Don¡¯t worry, Lillis. I''ll do my best in the real thing." Ethan was the type of man who could pull through when it mattered, so I was confident he¡¯d be fine once we were in the thick of it. Still, I wanted to have some extra reassurance. After all, if he lost control and revealed his anger when facing McHart, or if he wandered too close to me and got caught before McHart took the bait, it could jeopardize the whole operation. If something went wrong during the operation, it would be nearly impossible to get another chance. McHart, once alerted to the trap, wouldn¡¯t fall for it again. And if that happened, I might have to beg the hero¡¯s party to let me join, as staying at the ckwood estate after McHart¡¯s full transformation into a demon would only endanger everyone there. Dragging out the campaign against McHart would only exhaust me further, so I needed to end it during this summer break and return to my peaceful academy life by the next semester. I knew Ethan wouldn¡¯t intentionally put me in danger, but since I was relying on his help, I figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give him a little extra motivation. "Ed." "Yes, Lillis." "If everything goes well today and I¡¯m no longer threatened by Prince McHart, I¡¯ll grant you one wish." "What...?!" "A wish. Just one." ...Wait. Maybe I was too hasty. I quickly added a condition to prevent Ethan from making an unreasonable request. "Of course, I won¡¯t grant something like asking for 10,000 gold coins. It has to be within my ability to grant." "......" "Not very enthusiastic, are you? Did you have something else in mind, Ed?" "No, no! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like your offer, Lillis." "Then what is it?" "I was just wondering if I could really ask for anything... as long as it¡¯s something you can grant..." "......" What a sneaky guy. It seems that he was still thinking about what happened a week ago. His true intentions were practically written all over his face. If we managed to defeat McHart, I didn¡¯t see why I couldn¡¯t do what I did for him again. My mouth and throat might suffer a bit, but it was a small price to paypared to saving my life. And unlike the hero or others, Ethan was risking his life to help me without expecting anything in return. If this was the reward he wanted, I could grant that. "Do as you please. Of course, this is all assuming I¡¯m still alive after the operation." "...I¡¯ll make sure you are, so don¡¯t worry." "I¡¯m counting on you, Ed." At the time, I thought I could easily grant whatever request Ethan might make. Little did I know what he would eventually ask of me as a reward for helping to defeat McHart. Chapter 231 Half a day had passed since we began our journey to the capital in the carriage led by Ditmayer. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Young Master Ethan, Miss Lillis.¡±@@novelbin@@ True to the reputation of a skilled butler, the ckwood family carriage, carrying Ethan and me, arrived at the pce annex much earlier than expected. From outside the carriage, I could hear the murmur of voices. Peeking out from behind the curtain, I could see youngdies dressed in gowns clearly meant to impress men, gathered outside. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t see him here yet.¡± ¡°Who? That warrior guy?¡± ¡°No, Prince McHart. Though it would be problematic if our esteemed ¡®Hero¡¯ doesn¡¯t show up, the most important thing is whether Prince McHart attends.¡± If my n had leaked, things would be a real pain from that point on. However, I trusted that everyone involved had kept their mouths shut. ¡°He¡¯ll probably be inside already, or maybe he¡¯lle in a bitte, likest time.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, if it¡¯s that prince, he¡¯s likely to bete.¡± Though I agreed with Ethan, I couldn¡¯t calm my nerves. After all, I was risking my life to face McHart in a decisive confrontation. The ck and red dress I was wearing made me anxious as I wondered whose blood would stain it soon. My n was only to lure McHart in, and the actual battle would determine whether we could defeat him. ¡®There¡¯s no sign of Savio or Cerista. Agnes will likelye with the Hero¡­¡¯ ¡­Well, we arrived earlier than expected, so it would be best to go inside and secure a spot where we could easily observe when McHart and the others arrive. With that in mind, I stopped looking outside and, after acknowledging Ditmayer¡¯s greeting, stepped out of the carriage. ¡°Have a pleasant time, Young Master Ethan. Miss Lillis.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ditmayer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll return to pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± As the ckwood carriage disappeared into the distance, Ethan and I walked toward the entrance of the annex¡¯s banquet hall, immediately sensing the eyes of several nobles turning toward Ethan. As expected, being a young lord of the ckwood family, Ethan naturally drew the attention of the youngdies. ¡°Oh, who is that?¡± ¡°¡­Could it be? Is that the Young Lord ckwood?¡± The youngdies lingering near the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone, began to murmur in excitement at Ethan¡¯s appearance. They were probably surprised that someone as upright as Ethan would attend such a scandalous gathering. I bet they were waiting for McHart, but honestly, Ethan wasn¡¯t inferior to him in any way. ¡­No, if we¡¯re talking about looks alone, Ethan was definitely more handsome than McHart. Add his personality and swordsmanship, and it wasn¡¯t even close. In that sense, some of the youngdies might have shifted their attention from the highly sought-after McHart to Ethan as soon as they saw him. But Ethan wasn¡¯t in any state to entertain their advances, and even if they tried, I would personally make sure they didn¡¯t get anywhere near him. ¡°Who¡¯s that next to him¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Miss Rosewood? The fianc¨¦e of Young Lord ckwood¡­¡± ¡°Why are the two of them attending this gathering?¡± ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re nning to ¡®swap partners¡¯ because they¡¯re bored with each other¡­?¡± Their openly disrespectful whispers were irritating, but I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to confront them over it. I had expected this kind of talk the moment I decided to show up at this event. What concerned me more was Ethan. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t get upset or embarrassed by such vulgar conversations, as it would only cause us trouble. Fortunately, thanks to the conversation we had in the carriage, Ethan didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the chatter and walked calmly into the banquet hall with me. ¡®Judging by the gender ratio of about six women to four men, it¡¯s almost certain that McHart will attend this gathering¡­¡¯ Even in a world inspired by an eroge, men generally had higher libidos than women. Usually, more men would attend such debauched gatherings, but whether McHart showed up or not greatly influenced the turnout. For young noblewomen who enjoyed one-night stands, spending a night with McHart was like a dreame true. It wasn¡¯t just about his looks¡ªthough those certainly helped¡ªbut the fact that he would flirt with anyone of a certain standard, regardless of status, made him incredibly popr. Despite being far down the line of session, his royal blood made him highly desirable. That said, men didn¡¯t hate gatherings attended by McHart either. With the gender ratio flipped, noblemen saw this as an opportunity to seduce the naive youngdies who came hoping to catch McHart¡¯s eye, knowing full well he couldn¡¯t spend the night with all of them. ¡®¡­Well, in real medieval times, things were even more decadent than this.¡¯ At least there was no incest in this world. And except for one, all the potential heroines were still virgins. ¡­The more I think about it, the angrier I get. How many virgins has McHart deflowered, even though he¡¯s not the protagonist? Just thinking about how he increased the non-virgin count in this damn game pisses me off¡­ With these thoughts in mind, Ethan and I entered the main hall where the noble gathering was taking ce. The scene inside was a sight to behold. Half of the men and women who had arrived early were already paired off, and some of those couples were openly making out or worse¡­ -Kiss. -Smack, smack. Some couples were discreetly exchanging kisses, trying to avoid the gazes of others, while others were shamelessly making out,pletely indifferent to the stares. ¡°Hmph¡­ Ah¡­¡± There were even some who had already started their private time in the corners of the hall. Seeing the true nature of the noble scions who were supposed to lead the empire¡¯s future made me want to cry out of sheer disgust. ¡®No wonder the academy is due for a generational change with people like these in charge.¡¯ After taking in the scene, Ethan and I found a small standing table off to the side. In gatherings like this, a small round table usually meant seating for two, while arger round table amodated more people. The more people, the more debauched the night would likely be. I had no intention of mingling with other nobles at this event, as it would only interfere with my n to take down McHart, so naturally, Ethan and I stood at the smaller table. A few men who had been eyeing me¡ªespecially my chest¡ªlooked disappointed when they saw us settle in. ¡­I should gouge out those bastards¡¯ eyes. The dress I was wearing revealed more of my chest than usual, partly because my breasts had grown a bit since thest time, and I had to make quick adjustments. There was no helping it, given the increased volume. ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Squeeze. Ethan seemed to notice the unwanted attention I was drawing. He quietly gripped my hand, likely bing aware of the kind of den of iniquity we had entered. As I scanned the hall to see if any of our allies had arrived, my eyes fell on a youngdy with brown hair sitting alone at thergest round table, clearly waiting for someone. Was her name Evelin, or maybe Sivelin? I couldn¡¯t remember exactly, and honestly, I didn¡¯t care enough to remember the names of insignificant side characters. It was hard enough keeping track of the names of the heroines and main characters, so I wasn¡¯t about to waste brain space on this kind of trash. ¡®But still, she¡¯s like a McHart rm bell. Seeing her here means McHart is likely to show up as well.¡¯ For the record, thatrge round table usually seated about ten to twelve people and was often reserved for McHart during these debauched gatherings. The only reason a girl like ¡®Loose Evelin¡¯¡ªor whatever her name was¡ªcould sit there so confidently was because of her connections. She held the position of McHart¡¯s fianc¨¦e at the Luminor Academy. Lady Pinkhart, the Duke¡¯s daughter. She was the one who had turned McHart into a demon and was a subordinate of the Subus Queen. She was one of the few who knew McHart¡¯s secret and acted as his liaison to the demon world, so McHart couldn¡¯t afford to treat her lightly. And for the women who spent the night with McHart, it was considered normal that she would be involved as well, which exined her brazen attitude. Lady Pinkhart was the one who encouraged McHart to seduce as many women as possible. After all, subi could drain energy from women just as easily as from men, making her a true bisexual. With that in mind, you might think that she only engaged in such rtionships with McHart, but the fact that she was known as a ¡®loose woman¡¯ made it clear there was more to the story. I watched as a young nobleman approached her, hoping to overhear their conversation. ¡°Lady Pinkhart, do you have a moment?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm? My dear is arriving soon, so I can¡¯t stay long.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then perhaps just¡­ with your hand?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, please.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll use my mouth then. Come to thedies¡¯ room on the third floor in five minutes. You can bring a friend if you like. I think I¡¯ll have time for that.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, mydy.¡± Just listening to their conversation made my stomach churn. As a former unicorn, it was enough to make me want to vomit. It was a small relief that she was a demon. If she had been a heroine in Luminor Academy instead¡­ Chapter 232 "Ugh... ugh..." "...Lilli, are you alright?" Ethan gently patted my back as I dry-heaved at the sight of that disgusting woman for the first time. ''My head''s spinning. I should have just turned away the moment I saw her face.'' No matter how much my body had changed into that of a woman, it seemed that some things just couldn''t be altered. At the same time, I found myself reflexively reflecting on my past life when I used to stir up trouble on Lua Gallery, calling Lillis a slutty whore. Though the main heroine not being a virgin had triggered my unicorn instincts back then, seeing Evelin up close made her seem much worse inparison. "It''s understandable that you''re nervous. Are you feeling better now? Should I get you some water?" "...No, I''m fine. I just felt a bit sick for a moment, but I''m alright now." Even though the mere act of breathing the same air nearly made me vomit my stomach acid on an empty stomach, I was proud of myself for holding it back. Fortunately, Ethan assumed my difort was due to nervousness about the uing confrontation with McHart, which was a relief. If he asked for the real reason, I wouldn''t have had any usible excuse. But, well, at least the information I gained in exchange for that nausea confirmed that McHart would indeed attend today''s noble gathering. Now, all that was left was to wait. As people started to gather, I gradually reduced the conversation with Ethan and intentionally created an awkward atmosphere between us. Although McHart hadn''t shown up yet, I needed to set the stage to deceive himter. While Ethan and I spent time together in a corner of the banquet hall, the other members who had gathered for the operation began to arrive one by one. "Agnes, is it ufortable walking at my pace? Should I slow down a bit?" "...Stop treating me like a child." "Your dress is lovely. It''s different from what you usually wear." "...I didn''t wear it for you to notice. Mind your own business." Agnes appeared in a rare, delicate dress, walking alongside the Hero, whose name I couldn''t care to recall. "..." "Miss, if it wouldn''t be too much trouble, may I have this dance when the ball begins...?" "A-Ah, no...! I... I''m allergic to dancing...!!" "Excuse me?" I also confirmed the attendance of Cerista, who insisted on wearing a mask to avoid being recognized, even though it made her stand out even more. Seeing her attend alone, due to the unexpected situation of Agnes not receiving an invitation, made her look quite pitiful. Given her naturally timid personality, she usually stuck close to the Hero during such events, like a hamster thrown into a snake pit. I did feel a bit guilty about putting her in this situation, but her presence was crucial for our n, so it couldn''t be helped. Once this operation was over, I intended to make her the true saintess, so that should serve as an adequate apology and reward for the fake saintess, Cerista. Finally, after about 30 minutes, the filthy wench Evelin returned to her seat, meaning that everyone except McHart had arrived. With the host''s (anonymous) brief opening remarks, the gathering officially began. After about 10 minutes, the noise in the room suddenly increased as one man entered the hall. ¡­And of course, he was nked by a dozen or so women. "Have you been well, Prince McHart?" "Yes, I''ve been well. I apologize if my memory is a bit hazy, but are you perhaps the youngdy from Viscount Berkow''s family?" "My father is actually an earl, but I''m honored that you remembered me at all!" "Good, I got half of it right. Do you have ns for tonight? I was quite impressed with the time we spent togetherst time. If you could do that thing again, I might just call on you tonight as well." "Really?! I''m honored, Prince McHart!" "I''ll do anything for you, Your Highness! Please, grant me the honor..." "Me too, Prince McHart!" "It''s a safe day for me today..." ...Yeah, I think it''s best for my mental health to avoid looking over there for a while. McHart''s arrival, along with the sudden spike in the non-virgin density in the room, made my stomach churn again. Still, it seemed that Evelin had acted as a kind of vine, making it somewhat bearable. With McHart''s entrance, the Hero and Agnes seemed ready to move forward with the operation. They signaled me with a nce, and I subtly nodded in response. ...This was the start of the operation. ? ? ? From the moment McHart entered the pce, Ethan began executing the n I had instructed him to follow. The n was for him to ignore me, sitting across the table, and deliberately direct his gaze toward other noblewomen. Right now, our rtionship appeared too good for McHart to think about making a move on me, so we needed to create visible conflict between us. Ethan focused his gaze on a woman with an especially revealing neckline, almost exposing half of her chest, just as I had suggested, knowing it would have the intended effect. His stare gave off a lecherous vibe that anyone could sense. ...Well, even though that woman was unting her cleavage, Ethan knew that my chest was bigger. "I''ll get us some drinks, Ed." "...Sure, Lilli." As the youngdy who had noticed Ethan''s gaze began to approach, I purposely left the table, creating an opportunity for the drama to unfold. I needed to create a bit of space to set the stage for the uing confrontation. After retrieving two sses from the drink bar, I returned to find the unfortunate victim already upying my seat, chatting away with Ethan as if she had suddenly be his fianc¨¦e. "I didn''t realize the Young Lord ckwood was such a man. You''re surprisingly lecherous." "...I don''t know what you''re talking about." "I saw you staring earlier. When you look at a woman''s chest that tantly, we can all feel it, you know." "......" "Does your partner not let you touch her? Or have you just gotten bored with those oversized lumps of hers?" The nameless youngdy, oblivious to my approach from behind, continued to chat happily with Ethan. Ethan, for his part, averted his gaze and continued the conversation with an air of indifference. "I''m sorry topare, but I can''t see how your body is any better than Lilli''s." "Do you really say that to a woman? Honestly..." "If you''re so confident, why don''t you exin?" "Well, for one, your fianc¨¦e''s breasts are unnecessarily huge. They might look nice, but they''re no fun to touch~." That''s bullshit. Any healthy man in his prime would agree that the bigger, the better when ites to breasts. Sure, some guys might have a preference for extreme figures like Agnes, but those are the exceptions, not the rule. For most men who preferrger breasts, the general opinion is that the bigger, the better. I know because that was exactly how I felt in my past life. "Her breasts are just saggy and bby, with no firmness, and they don¡¯t even feel good when you touch them. What''s the point of that? On the other hand, mine have just the right amount of firmness and are still plenty soft to the touch. Plus, you don''t have to worry about them sagging with age." You kidding me? In this world, magic fixes everything. Breasts don''t sag with age here, you obnoxious bitch. I ought to smash this ss over her head... ''No, no, that''s not the point...'' Come to think of it, there''s no reason to get worked up over this. I almost lost focus because of that momentary distraction. This woman had no idea that Ethan and I had orchestrated this entire situation to lure her out. She was just an unfortunate pawn in our game. In a way, she was helping me with my n to defeat McHart, so there was no reason to be angry at her. This wasn''t the time for me to intervene and start a fight. I needed to let the situation y out a bit more before stepping in to start a verbal confrontation with Ethan. "And you know, bigger breasts are less sensitive. A quiet woman in bed isn''t exactly appealing, is she? Isn''t that right, Young Lord ckwood?" "...Is that so? I wouldn''t know. Lilli doesn''t seem to have any issues with sensitivity." "That''s all an act. With breasts that big, there''s no way she feels much. She probably wouldn''t even notice if a mouse crawled into her cleavage." Not true. She¡¯s extremely sensitive, more than you can imagine.@@novelbin@@ Every time Ethan touches my chest, I feel it. Listening to this woman run her mouth is making me want to shut her up. But the shameless youngdy, with her breasts half-exposed, continued to belittle me while trying to elevate herself, not realizing she was crossing a line she shouldn''t. "If you don''t believe me, why don''t you tryparing for yourself?" "...Comparing?" "You''re here with your fianc¨¦e today, aren''t you? Being at an event like this together means she''d do anything for you, right? So why not tell her outright that you want to have both of us in bed tonight?" "...That''s ridiculous..." "If you put us side by side, you''ll see who¡¯s more passionate and seductive, who¡¯s faking their moans. Then you can decide, Young Lord ckwood." "......" "We could start with a kiss. You''ve kissed your fianc¨¦e, right? Why notpare who has the softer lips right now?" -Drip, drip. "...Lilli?" As she leaned in, her pig snout-like mouth almost touching Ethan''s face, I was already pouring the contents of the ss in my right hand over the top of her head. "Get that greasy pig intestine away from Ed, you bitch." Chapter 233 The expression of the youngdy, who had been happily chatting with Ethan across from her, quickly hardened. It didn¡¯t take long for her to realize that a drink had been poured over her head. ¡°Kyaa, kyaaah?!¡± Noticing the sticky liquid flowing down her face, the nameless youngdy stood up, covering her head with her hands, but the sharp scent of alcohol already wafted from her crown. ¡°Lilli¡­ Lillis¡­?¡± Ethan, who was equally bewildered by my actions, also averted his eyes in confusion. He was taken aback by how my behavior had diverged from our original n, where I was supposed to simply chase away the intruding youngdy and then start a fake argument with him. ¡®The n might have changed a bit, but we¡¯ll have to go with it.¡¯ At the point where I had already upended a drink over the youngdy¡¯s head, there was no way to ¡°lightly¡± chase her away anymore. The only relief was that I had poured white wine instead of red, so at least her clothes weren¡¯t stained.@@novelbin@@ Thinking that pouring the remaining red wine would make things impossible to control, I simply drank the contents of the other ss. ¡®This white wine looks strangely orange... but whatever, it¡¯s all the same.¡¯ Now holding two empty sses, I noticed the youngdy ring at me¡ªactually, I should just call her the ¡°White Wine Lady¡± since that¡¯s what she smells like now. Anyway, the White Wine Lady red at me and snapped in a sharp voice. ¡°What¡­ what do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°...What did you say?¡± ¡°Oh, you understood that perfectly.¡± Up until now, I had only seen the White Wine Lady¡¯s profile, but looking at her face directly, the pig intestines she had been trying to press on Ethan stood out even more. Damn it. No matter how much I set the stage for seduction, there should be a limit to what¡¯s eptable. What was she thinking, trying to stick her lips on someone else''s property? Well, not that Ethan is my property, but still. ¡®Why is my head so hot¡­? Is it because of the alcohol¡­?¡¯ Even though Lillis''s body shouldn¡¯t be as weak to alcohol as Agnes or Natalie, no wine could be that strong. There¡¯s no way a single ss could get me drunk. Was there really such strong wine? I didn¡¯t look at the name when I grabbed it, but I think it wasbeled with some brand or something. Anyway, there¡¯s no way I got drunk off a single ss of wine, so I wiped my mouth and locked eyes with the White Wine Lady. If I wanted to start a convincing quarrel with Ethan, I first had to get rid of thisdy. ¡°What¡­ what kind of rudeness is this?! How can you just pour a drink on someone¡¯s head and then act so shamelessly¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. My hand slipped.¡± ¡°Y-your hand slipped?! Are you saying that was an ident?!¡± ¡°Of course, it was. Just like it was an ident when you tried to press your pig-like lips on Ed. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°P-pig-like¡­ Did you just say that?!¡± Why is it that no matter where you go, noblewomen''s arguments are always the same? I almost yawned at the expected, tired response. But regardless, the original n to spread rumors about a rift between me and Ethan was moving forward in some way. The attention that had gathered around us was so palpable that I could feel it without even turning my head. I felt a little sorry for the White Wine Lady, who had be an unintended victim, but she had brought it on herself by trying to pull that crap on Ethan. ¡°Shut your mouth. The pig stench is overwhelming.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t nder me! And what¡¯s with that filthy mouth of yours? How can you go around saying things like pig¡­ manure and... mouth! Don¡¯t you have any shame as a nobledy?!¡± ¡°Oh, soparing breast firmness with someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦ is considereddylike behavior now?¡± ¡°Ha! So you don¡¯t even know what kind of event this is and you got dragged here. I guess it makes sense that someone with such a nasty temper would drag her fianc¨¦ to a gathering like this.¡± Actually, I knew. The fact that this gathering was openly meant for these dim-witted nobles to have one-night stands means that a bit of vulgarity makes one more appealing. tantly saying something like ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at what¡¯s under this dress¡± in front of a man, or a nobleman boasting to ady that ¡°I¡¯m skilled in horseback riding, and I can ride for six hours straight¡± was the more refined way of disying one¡¯s charms. Some more extreme cases, like the woman in front of me, just jumped straight to physical contact. In that sense, what the White Wine Lady did to Ethan wasn¡¯t necessarily out of line at a gathering like this, but that wasn¡¯t why I was angry. I was fine with letting her try to seduce Ethan for the sake of the n, but she dared to try and stick those lips on Ethan. ...For some reason, my head wasn¡¯t working properly. Maybe I was too absorbed in the moment. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the Young Lord ckwood would get tired of someone like you. What¡¯s the point of being pretty and having big breasts if your manners and personality are a mess? I heard that the Rosewood family is just a bar family. It¡¯sughable that a mere bar¡¯s daughter is pretending to be the fianc¨¦e of a duke¡¯s heir¡­¡± Crash! ¡°Kyaaaah?!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t hear you. Could you repeat that? ording to you, Ie from a lowly family and have no manners, right? I¡¯m not very good at controlling my temper.¡± The White Wine Lady took a startled step back from the shattered ss at her feet, while I still held another empty ss in my hand. ¡°So why did you try to mess with someone else¡¯s man? If you¡¯d backed off, I wouldn¡¯t have had to do this. Why did you try to put those filthy lips on him?¡± ¡°Ha, do you think something like this will scare me?! And why do you think the Young Lord ckwood¡¯s lips belong to you?! I can¡¯t understand your logic! You might have been able to hide your violent nature until now, but today there are plenty of witnesses to prove yourck of manners! I¡¯m sure the Young Lord ckwood will use this opportunity to break off your engagement¡­¡± ¡°Why do Ed¡¯s lips belong to me? Want me to show you?¡± Grab! ¡°Mmhh?!¡± In response to the drunk woman¡¯s demand to know who owned Ethan¡¯s lips, I grabbed Ethan and pulled him toward me, pressing my lips against his right in front of her. Smooch, smooch. ¡°Mmmph, ha, hmpf¡­¡± I knew that just a peck wouldn¡¯t be enough to prove my point, so I made sure to kiss him deeply, with our tongues entwined, exchanging breath and saliva openly. Fortunately, Ethan caught on to my intent, wrapping his arms around me and kissing back with enthusiasm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the youngdy¡¯s expression freeze in shock. After about a minute of this disy, the chatterbox woman finally fell silent, leaving Ethan¡¯s and my lips slick with saliva. ¡°Lillis, this seems a bit strong. Wasn¡¯t what you just drank actually br-¡­¡± ¡°See? Now do you get whose lips belong to Ed?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you understand, get lost. If you try to stick those pig-like lips on him again, I¡¯ll stuff actual pig shit in your mouth.¡± The youngdy, whose face had been frozen in shock, quickly snapped out of it and hurried away, as if fleeing from both me and Ethan. ¡°Fine! I refuse to stay here a moment longer with such a violent woman! Do whatever you want with him for the rest of your lives!!¡± ¡°What the¡­?¡± Do whatever we want for the rest of our lives¡­? Did she just say that? Maybe she wasn¡¯t such a bad person after all? I might have gone a bit too far with her. For a non-virgin, she seemed rather decent. With the departure of the nameless youngdy, whose parting words still puzzled me, I immediately felt the eyes of everyone around us focusing on Ethan and me. ¡®¡­Oh, right, the n.¡¯ Although things had gone a little¡ªno, a lot¡ªdifferently than expected, we had still managed to draw attention and create a scene. I¡¯d caused more of an uproar than nned, but as long as the oue was good, it didn¡¯t matter. Now, all that remained was for me and Ethan to stage a fight, and for me to be temporarily isted. After that, everything would be ready¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lillis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your face is red... are you drunk¡­?¡± Jerk! ¡°S-stay away from me!¡± Damn it. What the hell is going on? My head wasn¡¯t quite clear after chugging that ss of wine, and when Ethan¡¯s face suddenly appeared in front of me, I was caught off guard. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because we just kissed¡­¡¯ Even though I¡¯d only kissed Ethan to prove our rtionship to that White Wine Lady, it still felt a bit overwhelming. Honestly, I didn¡¯t care how it looked to other people. I was just embarrassed to be facing Ethan after what I¡¯d just done. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. The moment that woman tried to force her lips on Ethan, there was no way I could just stand by and let it happen. If I hadn''t intervened, some girl whose name I didn¡¯t even know, who might not have even existed in the game, could have stolen Ethan¡¯s lips right in front of me¡­ ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Right, I had something to ask Ethan. The flush on my face quickly cooled as if hit by a st of cold air, and my now-clear mind began analyzing the situation and the potential disaster that could have unfolded. ¡°Ed.¡± ¡°Yeah, Lillis?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°When that youngdy tried to press her lips on you earlier while I was away¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you move? Why didn¡¯t you push her away?¡± I wasn¡¯t really asking because I was curious. It just seemed that starting with this topic would be a more believable way to set the stage for a fight between Ethan and me, as opposed to the conversation topics we had originally nned. ¡°Lillis? What do you mean by that all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Answer me seriously, Ed.¡± This was just a simple question. Chapter 234 "Answer me seriously, Ed." "¡­" Ethan Richard ckwood was flustered. First, because Lillis had brought up somethingpletely different from the conversation they had originally nned to have in this situation, and second, because there was something chilling about the way she was suddenly interrogating him. ''This wasn¡¯t what we originally nned to talk about¡­'' As far as he remembered, the content of their nned argument was nothing like this. The n was for Lillis to chase away the girl who approached him, thenpare herself to that girl while getting angry, and for Ethan to rebut her as if he was tired of her behavior. It was supposed to give the impression that there had been growing tension between them for a while (though there hadn''t been) and that this tension was finally exploding at this noble gathering. If things didn¡¯t go well and no other woman approached him, they had nned to repeat a conversation simr to the one they had at the Academy church. Ethan had prepared for both scenarios, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated the question Lillis had just asked, so he didn¡¯t have an immediate answer. "Ed. I¡¯m asking you." "Lillis¡­ Are you angry right now¡­?" "I¡¯m asking you why you didn¡¯t move when that girl¡¯s lips were getting closer to yours. I¡¯m really curious." A chill ran down his spine, and he felt a cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck. Even though he knew this was part of the operation, Ethan had the strange feeling that if he didn¡¯t answer this question properly, it might make things awkward between him and Lillis in the future. "¡­I was going to move." "But you didn¡¯t." "If she had gotten any closer, I would have moved. But since you stepped in, I didn¡¯t need to, so I didn¡¯t." "¡­" Her expression was ambiguous. It seemed like she was both angry and not fully convinced by his words. Ethan felt incredibly frustrated. The reason he had pretended to be unfazed until the girl¡¯s lips almost touched his was solely to avoid disrupting the n he and Lillis had devised. Ethan cherished and loved Lillis more than anyone, and he didn¡¯t want to ruin the operation because of his actions. If he had obviously tried to avoid the girl, it would have been like openly admitting that his rtionship with Lillis was still strong. That would have disrupted the n, and the McHart subjugation operation they had spent nearly a month nning would have failed. That¡¯s why Ethan couldn¡¯t understand why Lillis was asking this question now. The Lillis he knew was always the one to make the right decisions and guide him to make wise choices. Even when she acted on impulse, things always seemed to turn out for the best. ¡®¡­Unless, maybe¡­¡¯ What if Lillis¡¯s angry question was actually part of the performance to start a fight with him? Thinking that way, everything made sense. Of course, Lillis wouldn¡¯t ask a question that would put him in a difficult position without a reason. It seemed that Lillis intended to paint herself as the ¡°possessive fianc¨¦e¡± at this noble gathering. The impulsive kiss they shared earlier was probably just groundwork for this n. It would have been strange for Lillis to suddenly kiss him in front of so many people without any ulterior motive. From Ethan¡¯s perspective, Lillis wasn¡¯t the type of woman to be overly possessive. ¡­Though that was only the ¡°image of Lillis¡± that Ethan had in his mind; the reality might be a bit different. Having grasped the situation, Ethan knew he needed to adjust his performance. The current situation wasn¡¯t too far off from what they had originally nned; it was still suitable for creating the impression of discord between him and Lillis. Abination of a possessive fianc¨¦e and a partner who¡¯s fed up with it was amon enough dynamic. Considering their background, it wasn¡¯t strange for Lillis to appear possessive of him, making it a brilliant choice of role. In reality, it was Ethan who was possessive of Lillis, but he set that fact aside and began to y along with her act. "So, what would you have done if I hadn¡¯t moved away and kissed her, Lillis?" "¡­What?" "I¡¯m getting tired of you constantly finding fault with everything I do. Is there any reason to get so worked up over something that didn¡¯t even happen? Whether I was nning to move or not doesn¡¯t matter, does it? It didn¡¯t happen." "W-what¡­?" Ethan silently admired Lillis¡¯s performance, watching her feign shock as if she hadn¡¯t anticipated his response. She had been so convincing when pretending to argue with Agnes before, and now, once again, Ethan was impressed by how talented Lillis was. In reality, Lillis was genuinely taken aback by Ethan¡¯s unexpected response, but he had no way of knowing that. "I¡¯m getting tired of your constant possessiveness. How long are you going to keep doubting your fianc¨¦ and pushing me like this?" "When¡­ when have I ever doubted and pushed you¡­?" "You¡¯re doing it right now. Just moments ago, you grabbed me by the cor and forced a kiss on me, and now, not even a minuteter, you¡¯re questioning my feelings again." "F-forced¡­? Did you just say forced?" "What else would you call it when you grabbed my face and kissed me, acting like I¡¯m your property? You¡¯re starting to cross a line, Lillis." "¡­" Every word felt like he was driving a dagger into his own heart. Even though this was just an act to create the appearance of discord between them, it pained Ethan to say things that might hurt Lillis. To protect Lillis, he had to make her look bad, and that tore him apart. After today, rumors would spread about her being an overly possessive bar¡¯s daughter engaged to a duke¡¯s son.@@novelbin@@ Lillis had always said she didn¡¯t care about her reputation as long as she could avoid marrying anyone else, but as someone who loved her, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel regret over having to create this situation. "¡­Do you really agree with what that girl said, Ed?" "What do you mean?" "Do you really think that those modest-sized breasts are better than these disgustinglyrge ones?" "¡­Huh?" "Do you agree with what she said, that these overlyrge breasts are inefficient? That they get in the way when I swing a sword, that they¡¯re just lumps of fat that don¡¯t even feel good to touch, and that I can¡¯t feel anything properly because they¡¯re buried in fat? Is that what you think every time you touch my breasts?!" Ethan was once again thrown off bnce by Lillis suddenly bringing up her breasts. He could y along with the possessive fianc¨¦e act, but how was he supposed to respond to such a sensitive topic? He knew he should say yes to provoke the argument they were aiming for, but the words wouldn¡¯te out. Denying it would meanforting her, which would defeat the purpose of the argument. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to discuss Lillis¡¯s body, especially in front of other people, including men. To Ethan, Lillis¡¯s body belonged entirely to him, from head to toe. He had always thought that one day he wanted to have both her body and heartpletely to himself, so he didn¡¯t want to evaluate her in front of others. ¡®Maybe I could¡­ change the subject¡­?¡¯ Ethan thought it might be better to steer the conversation in a different direction, one that didn¡¯t involvementing on her appearance or body. ¡­He didn¡¯t anticipate how Lillis would take his next words. "So you really do agree with her?! That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t try to avoid her and let her get so close! Now, you¡¯re taking her side instead of listening to me!" "¡­You¡¯re just a bar¡¯s daughter. Isn¡¯t it presumptuous of you to act this way, especially as a member of the ckwood family¡¯s branch?" "¡­What?" "Did you think you were something special just because you got engaged to a duke¡¯s heir? If you weren¡¯t my fianc¨¦e, you¡¯d be nothing more than a lower-ranking noblewoman with no real backing." "¡­" Ethan didn¡¯t want to bring this up, but it was preferable to degrading Lillis¡¯s body in front of others. Arguments based on social rank differences often ended badly. It was the perfect way to make it seem like their rtionship was already falling apart. Lillis had originally been amoner, so he didn¡¯t think she would take offense to being called a lower-ranking noblewoman. From Ethan¡¯s perspective, this topic was a safe choice¡­ "¡­Sob." ¡®¡­Tears?¡¯ Lillis began to cry for the first time since the argument started, and Ethan was taken aback. Her unsettling response and the words that followed left him even more shaken. "So you really did think that way." "Wait, Lillis¡­" "I apologize for acting so arrogantly, given my lowly status as a lower-ranking noblewoman. Goodbye." Wiping away the tears that had welled up in her eyes, Lillis quickly fled toward the back exit of the pce. Ethan could only think to himself: Please, let that reaction just be part of her realistic performance. ? ? ? In the garden connected to the back entrance of the pce annex, a ck-haired bar¡¯s daughter walked alone after the dramatic confrontation with Ethan. "¡­Oh." Lillis let out a single wordden with meaning as she looked up at the night sky. It was dark, without even a sliver of the moon in sight. Thecold night air calmed her heated emotions, the sharp edge of the brandy¡¯s alcohol began to fade, and the excitement she had felt earlier subsided. Lillis covered her face with both hands and let out a deep sigh from the depths of her chest. "Haah, this is so embarrassing¡­" Chapter 235 The cold night air brushed past her head, bringing with it a chilling sensation that settled into her mind like a frostbite-inducing shiver. The moment she tried to recall the conversation she had just had with Ethan in the banquet hall, her heart plummeted. "What was that about? Why didn''t you move away when thatdy''s lips came so close to Ethan''s nose?" "Do you prefer a smaller, more manageable chest over this annoyinglyrge one?" She couldn''t fathom why she had uttered such things in front of Ethan. Especially the second remark¡ªit wasn''t the suspicion of a fianc¨¦e worried about her partner¡¯s fidelity but the irrational jealousy of a madwomanining about not being loved. "Damn it. How embarrassing. Why did I even say that?" As the night wore on and the cold air cleared her head, the shame from the conversation made her face flush, not because of the lingering summer heat but from pure embarrassment. "Sigh... how humiliating." She should have stuck to her original n and just yed the role of a spiteful, hystericaldy. Whether or not Ethan had any intention of avoiding that woman¡¯s kiss¡ªwhat did it matter? Well, if she was being honest, it did matter. If Ethan''s lips had touched that woman¡¯s, it would have been awkward to kiss him again, with the image of that pale-faced wench stuck in her mind. Given that, of course, she had to stop it. And in that sense, what Ethan did was a bit... odd. "No, no, no, no, no." Why was she so naturally assuming that she would be kissing Ethan again? The frequency of their kisses had recently be unnecessarily high, and her mindset seemed to be loosening because of it. Somehow, she hade to perceive kissing as a somewhat eptable level of physical intimacy. But really, since when was any kind of physical contact between a man and a woman "eptable"? She couldn¡¯t afford to let this kind of thinking be familiar. Otherwise, she might end up concluding, absurdly, that anything goes as long as it doesn¡¯t involve losing her virginity. "...Well, in the end, it¡¯s a relief that everything went smoothly." In the end, she had managed to create the impression that her rtionship with Ethan was strained, as nned, making it clear to McHart. Although Ethan had been taken aback at first, he quickly regained hisposure and yed along with her performance, leading to an even more convincing disy of discord between them than she had initially nned. Now, when McHart approached her, believing she was alone, she could call in the others and swiftly deal with him. No matter how powerful McHart''s demonic strength was, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a coordinated attack. "The signaling device is prepped and ready." The one-way, single-use signaling device had been expensive, but given the stakes, it was worth the cost. If McHart tried to attack her, she would channel her magic into the device, summoning the others from the banquet hall. With Ethan, the hero, Agnes, and Cerys, they would be more than enough to eliminate McHart before he could fully utilize his demonic powers. Then, she would use her saintly authority to prove in front of everyone that McHart had been tainted by demonic power and disguise it as the work of Cerys. The n she had spent over a month crafting would finally beplete, and everything would fall into ce. "It¡¯ll work. It has to work." If it didn¡¯t, she would have no choice but to abandon everything and rely on the hero''s party. Even if she had spent over 2000 hours ying "Luminor Academy" in her previous life and memorized the game¡¯s plot, that didn¡¯t mean her strategies were infallible. If her n didn¡¯t work, she would have to switch to a simpler approach: join the hero¡¯s party and focus on killing McHart. If that meant years of grueling battles after graduation, so be it¡ªit would just be the price she paid for getting entangled with McHart in the first ce. With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she quietly awaited McHart¡¯s appearance in the garden outside the pce''s rear gate. Suddenly, the conversation she had with Ethan in the banquet hall resurfaced in her mind. Specifically, the harsh truth Ethan had thrown at her during the climax of their staged argument. "Did you think bing engaged to a duke''s family would make you something special? Without me, you''re just a lowly noblewoman with no real backing, Lillis." ...Well, he wasn¡¯t wrong. She had be so immersed in her academy life that she had momentarily forgotten. Ethan was a powerful scion of the ckwood dukedom, while she was just the daughter of a viscount¡ªa fake one at that. Knowing this, she had always made a point to address Ethan with utmost respect, emphasizing her role as his "personal maid." But with everything that had been happening recently, their rtionship had be far too rxed. Perhaps it was because she had grown too close to people of such high status¡ªlike the future Red Tower Master, the hero, and even the saintess. "It might not have been meant as a genuine insult, but..." Still, the fact that he had called her a "mere viscount¡¯s daughter" meant that, on some level, he really thought of her that way. Otherwise, the words wouldn¡¯t havee out so naturally. Being alone made her thoughts spiral into negativity. If only she could just finish this mission quickly and rid herself of these troubling thoughts. As she yed the role of a "youngdy abandoned by her fianc¨¦" in the garden outside the rear gate, the person she had been waiting for finally showed up. ...Half of her didn¡¯t want to meet him, but it was an inevitable encounter. "Well, well, such a lonely sight, mdy." "..." The one who appeared with a nauseatingly clich¨¦ line, along with the sound of footsteps, was none other than Prince McHart, tonight¡¯s target. He must have followed her the moment she left the banquet hall. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have found her so quickly. While everyone else was inside, busy securing their partners for the night, she had been moping around in the garden outside the rear gate. And that damned McHart had been sending her unwanted attention for nearly two months, making it impossible for him to ignore the bait she hadid. "For now, I just need to buy some time." She channeled her magic into the signaling device in her pocket, alerting the others in the banquet hall to converge at the rear gate. It would take about 20 seconds for the signal to transmit, and considering how long it would take for the others to discreetly make their way there, she estimated it would be about one or two minutes before they arrived. They had to be careful not to make it look like a group ambush on an innocent prince, so they would each use stealth magic or cloaking abilities, which would take time. In the meantime, her job was to avoid being drawn into a "private" space with McHart.@@novelbin@@ "What, do you think you deserve credit for making me look lonely?" "Not really. But I can certainly make sure you don¡¯t feel lonely anymore." "Oh, shut up. You just show up out of nowhere the moment I start to forget about you..." Suppressing her rapidly beating heart, she continued to act as nonchntly as possible. She couldn¡¯t afford to let fear show or reveal that she was hiding something¡ªshe had to act just as she always had with him. Any deviation from her usual behavior could tip him off, and he might flee before they had him trapped. "So, how have you been, Lillis?" "Don¡¯t call me by my name. It makes me sick." "Then how about a pet name? Lily?" "You bastard!" The moment "Lily" came out of his mouth, she couldn¡¯t help but lose control of her emotions. Calm down, calm down. Don¡¯t let him get to you. "I''ve been so lonely. Usually, when I find a woman I like, I can¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve gotten her into my bed within a week. But your guard is so damn high, Lily." "Is that so?" "You¡¯re always being watched¡ªby that young master you serve and by thedy of the ze family." "..." "My power isn¡¯t exactly suited for dealing with multiple people at once... Honestly, managing the power of a demon is tricky." McHart was now openly admitting to using demonic power, not even trying to hide it anymore. He probably figured there was no need to hide it from someone who already knew, confident that he could silence her afterward. His arrogance was likely because there were so few people who would listen to a mere viscount¡¯s daughter, which exined why he hadn¡¯t been caught yet, even though nearly two months had passed since he first attacked her. In the end, the only way to resolve this was to gather people who believed her and deal with it themselves. By now, the others should have received her signal, so she just needed to stall for time until they arrived. "So, why are you alone now, after being so well protected? Can I take this as a sign that you¡¯re finally opening up to me?" "Think what you want. It¡¯s a free world." -Ssssshh. "Of course, you might find that today is thest day you indulge in such foolish thoughts." The ckwood-engraved dagger she had hidden beneath her dress gleamed coldly. The confrontation with McHart was about to begin, sooner than anticipated. Chapter 236 A single dagger, drawn from my dresste in the evening, gleamed in the light spilling out from the pce. Of course, I had no intention of facing him head-on with just a dagger. After all, there was nothing to gain from fighting him one-on-one in this situation. The dagger was merely a deterrent, something to keep him at a distance. Since I had already sent the signal, time was on my side. ¡°What¡¯s this? A dagger? nning to stab me and run off again likest time?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll stab you, alright. But this time, I¡¯m aiming for your neck, not your hand.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? Killing a royal is a capital offense. If youmit regicide, death might be the least of your worries. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just be my fianc¨¦e instead?¡± ¡°Like hell. You¡¯ve already thrown away a truckload of women after tricking them with talk of engagement. I¡¯d rather kill you and end it all than crawl between your legs.¡± ¡°A truckload¡­? Is that some kind of dialect? Anyway, it¡¯s fascinating how much you know. The way you were wary of my powersst time and prepared for them... How did you find out?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You really are an interesting woman. Maybe this time, I¡¯ll get to y with you longer.¡± Magic red around McHart. He hadn¡¯t yet unleashed his full demonic power, suggesting that he was at least mindful of our location within the pce. As these thoughts shed through my mind, his body suddenlyunched toward me. Thwack! ¡°Hah!¡± McHart closed the distance between us in an instant, using a burst of magical speed. The way he reached out, trying to grab me, suggested he intended to drag me into that nightmarish dream world of his once again. He left his arm and neck exposed to me, as if daring me to strike. For a moment, I could almost see a cut line drawn between his jaw and shoulder. Swish! I stifled the desire to kill him right then and there, leaping into the air with Lillis¡¯s natural agility.@@novelbin@@ If I drove my dagger into him now, he would surely drag me into his mindscape. I couldn¡¯t afford to let my desire to end this get the better of me. Thwack! Swish! Thwack! sh! For what felt like several seconds, McHart and I engaged in a silent chase around the garden outside the pce¡¯s rear gate. McHart used his magic-enhanced speed, while I relied purely on the physical abilities I had honed in Lillis''s body. If only I had Sei¡¯s wind magic, it would have been helpful in this situation, but unfortunately, the two spirits were waiting for me outside the pce. Due to the magical detection devices installed in the pce and its grounds after thest attack, bringing the spirits¡ªwhose very existence is magic¡ªinside was impossible. In this fight, I hadn¡¯t used a single ounce of magic, dodging McHart¡¯s attacks purely with physical skill. McHart, on the other hand, was pouring magic into every move. The reason McHart could use magic inside the pce while I couldn¡¯t was simple. As a member of the royal family, his magic was registered and thus wouldn¡¯t trigger the detection devices. It was frustrating, having to dodge and roll on the ground to avoid his attacks while I couldn¡¯t use my magic, but if I wanted toin, I should have been born royal. ¡°A moment ago, you were all about stabbing me with that sword, but now that we¡¯re actually fighting, all you do is run. Are you scared of the crime of regicide?¡± ¡°With that nauseating face of yoursing at me, who wouldn¡¯t run? Humans are wired to avoid ugly things out of instinct, you know.¡± ¡°Hm, I do like a woman with spirit. After living with this face for so long, no one dares to defy me anymore, so it¡¯s been rather dull. But calling this face disgusting¡­ You don¡¯t really mean that, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that leather mask you¡¯re wearing. I mean the real face you¡¯re hiding underneath, you idiot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have called an idiot an idiot. That was harsh.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know where you got your information, but I¡¯m definitely going to capture you.¡± I spat in his direction, signaling that he could try if he wanted. He paused momentarily, clearly caught off guard, and the sight of him hesitating made me smirk. ¡°Pathetic. Look at you flinch just because I spit. Who would have thought?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with avoiding something dirty flying at your face. But your taunts are losing their sting.¡± ¡°You talk about engagement, but are you really grossed out by your fianc¨¦e¡¯s spit? Besides, isn¡¯t your real fianc¨¦e¡¯s mouth even filthier? I heard the sounds of her sucking off another man in the bathroom were loud enough to reach the banquet hall.¡± ¡°Shut up. You don¡¯t know anything about Ebelin. She¡¯s not someone you can insult.¡± Just like in the original story, I pressed his buttons, and McHart snapped, charging at me. What a fool, defending his whore of a fianc¨¦e. But I had to be careful not to push him too far. If I provoked him too much before my allies arrived, I might not survive long enough. ¡®But seriously, where the hell are they¡­?¡¯ It had been about a minute since the chase with McHart began. Even if all four of them couldn¡¯t make it, at least one of them should have shown up by now. But I didn¡¯t sense anyone approaching the garden yet. Ethan might take a bit longer since I caused such a scene, but the other three should have had plenty of time to slip away with some excuse. Agnes and Cerista, especially, had stealth magic and concealment blessings at their disposal, so they should have been able to arrive by now. So why were they sote? Just as an uneasy feeling began creeping into my heart, McHart, as if reading my expression, smiled slyly at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been ncing towards the banquet hall for a while now, as if you¡¯re waiting for someone.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense.¡± ¡°I have a pretty good idea who you¡¯re waiting for, but I think you should give up.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Did you really think I¡¯de here unprepared? Haven¡¯t you considered that might be a little too optimistic?¡± ¡­He had to be lying. There was no way McHart could have figured out that I was setting a trap for him. Even if he had suspected something, there was no reason for him to walk into my trap on purpose. If he did, it would only be because it somehow benefited him. But no matter how many soldiers McHart might have brought, it was impossible for them to stand against the hero, a high-ranking priestess, a magical powerhouse, and a dual-wielding sword expert. ¡°¡­You¡¯re delusional. You¡¯re just making wild guesses.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been running from me desperately without using any magic. It¡¯s obvious. If you use magic, the pce guards wille running, and you don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. If the guardse, I won¡¯t be able to slit your throat.¡± ¡°For someone who wants to kill me, you¡¯ve been running away this whole time. And you¡¯re not even trying to leave this area. I¡¯ve enjoyed humoring you, but it looks like you¡¯re about to reach your limit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°By now, the banquet hall must be in an uproar. If you were counting on your magic signal reaching the hero or the saintess, it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Damn it. Did he really know? Did he figure out from the start that this was a trap? Could he have known all along, despite the magic duels I had with Agnes at the academy and the ridiculous lover¡¯s spat I staged with Ethan in the banquet hall, all to set this up? As I struggled to hide my shock, McHart looked at me with a mocking expression and mentioned someone unexpected. ¡°There¡¯s a rather interestingdy among the group you¡¯ve gathered to trap me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Agnes, was it? That short little girl.¡± ¡°¡­You bastard¡­ If you so much as touched her¡­¡± ¡°Calm down. She¡¯s pretty, but I¡¯m not into children. Do you really think I¡¯d be interested in a little brat like her when I have Ebelin as my fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it seems my little brother doesn¡¯t share my tastes. He¡¯s been making quite the fuss over that tiny girl.¡± Unfortunately, at that moment, I didn¡¯t fully grasp what McHart was implying. I couldn¡¯t yet imagine what kind of ¡°variable¡± McHart¡¯s brother had introduced at the banquet hall. ? ? ? Around the same time that Lillis and McHart began their standoff in the garden behind the rear gate, inside the banquet hall... Hero Ethan Richard ckwood couldn¡¯t even check if Lillis had sent the magic signal, as he was pinned down in the center of the hall. In truth, even if he had managed to confirm it, the oue might not have changed much. Surrounded by the attention of everyone at the noble gathering, there was no way Ethan could discreetly slip away without attracting notice. ¡°Draw your sword, Ethan Richard ckwood.¡± ¡°No, Your Highness, it¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°Tonight, I will reim my fianc¨¦e, who attended this gathering with you, by my own hand.¡± The fifth prince of the Argentian Empire, Antonio Robert Valtoria. His appearance was an unexpected variable that neither Lillis, Ethan, nor anyone else had anticipated. Chapter 237 Ethan Richard ckwood, a key member of the team assigned to help Lillis in the operation against McHart, was supposed to y a crucial role in the mission. He had been given a magical signaling device to receive Lillis''s gathering signal, but he hadn¡¯t even noticed when she sent it. Due to the sudden appearance of an unexpected prince, Ethan had lost any chance to pay attention to the signal or anything else. ¡°Prince Antonio, please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°Misunderstand... That¡¯s what people usually say.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I tried my best not to care when I heard that Lady Agnes was part of your party after that day. After all, aptitude for swordsmanship and magic isn¡¯t gender-specific, so it was only natural that the one destined to be the greatest mage, my fianc¨¦e, would be part of a party led by someone like you, called the Hero.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your fianc¨¦e, exactly?¡± Ethan overheard Agnes mumbling something about how they weren¡¯t even engaged yet, but he couldn¡¯t afford to focus on her words. He was too busy sensing the dangerous aura radiating from Prince Antonio, who had drawn his sword against him. ¡°I¡¯m aware that there are some unsavory rumors about your party. They say almost all the women in your group are infatuated with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding, Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°Is it? Yet, your track record with women is quite impressive. The saintess of the Aurelia Church, who must maintain her purity until the Demon King is defeated; an elf from the Forest of the World Tree, known for their pride; and even Princess Sera, the so-called Moon Shadow Princess. If you can control even royalty at your whim, how hard could it be to seduce the daughter of a mere baron?¡± ¡°Please stop jumping to conclusions. Besides, I didn¡¯t seduce anyone.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Whether you seduced them or they came to you willingly doesn¡¯t matter. What matters now is that you¡¯veid your hands on my fianc¨¦e... enough to bring her as your partner to this depraved gathering.¡± Ethan felt an overwhelming sense of injustice, but Antonio''s suspicions were not entirely baseless. Events like these, hosted anonymously at noble gatherings, often had unsavory intentions behind them. Even if Agnes had attended alone (which wouldn¡¯t have been possible without an invitation), Antonio would havee to retrieve her. Seeing Agnes attend the noble gathering with a partner was enough to send him into a fit of jealous rage. Bringing a partner to such an event often signified a desire to find someone to ¡°share¡± or ¡°exchange¡± with. Even if the man in question loved only Agnes for life, Antonio, being a prince, couldn¡¯t simply let such a love affair continue without intervention. But allowing her to be thrust into the vile hands of these debauched nobles was something he could never forgive. ...Of course, the real reason Ethan and Agnes were attending this gathering was entirely different from what Antonio imagined. But Antonio, unaware of their true intentions, had acted on the words of his half-brother, McHart, and snuck into the event, only to find Agnes and, without thinking, charged at Ethan. ¡®This is bad. I¡¯ve never fought Antonio before, so I don¡¯t know his patterns...¡¯ Ethan couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on Antonio, not knowing when Lillis¡¯s magic signal might return. But ignoring him wasn¡¯t an option either, given the attention they had already drawn. The best course of action would be to quickly end the sudden duel and slip away in the ensuing confusion, but Ethan had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t be easy. Ethan¡¯s actions were mostly guided by his knowledge of Luminor Academy, a game he had yed and studied extensively. He had followed the main route to be strong, and whenever he encountered unavoidable battles, he used his past experience to navigate through them. He knew how to handle characters he frequently interacted with or fought against, which was why he often achieved excellent results against opponents like Ethan, Natalie, and Caraham. However, this knowledge also meant that he was less prepared to deal with opponents he hadn¡¯t faced before. In the game Luminor Academy, Antonio¡¯s presence was rather subtle. As ate-born prince who had lost out in the struggle for the throne, he was naturally sidelined. He wasn¡¯tpletely absent from the game, but his role was limited to a temporary ally during an event involving Seraphine''s kidnapping, nothing more. His performance wasn¡¯t impressive enough to include him as a regr party member, so Ethan rarely used him in battle, preferring to keep him out of the way. ¡®He¡¯s probably weak. But even if he is...¡¯ Fighting an opponent whose exact strength was unknown always came with a sense of unease. Especially since this wasn¡¯t the original Luminor Academy world but a version where Lillis had already twisted several events. Ethan couldn¡¯t becent, assuming that Antonio¡¯s skill level was the same as it was in the game. He sincerely hoped to avoid this fight. ¡°Prince Antonio, I have no desire to cross swords with you. I can exin that everything you¡¯re thinking is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Later, you say... When would that be?¡± ¡°Perhaps after tonight...¡± ¡°By then, it would be toote. My fianc¨¦e will already have been tainted by your unsavory touch.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to demand purity from my future wife, but I certainly don¡¯t want her to experience something she¡¯ll regretter. Especially when I can prevent it.¡± ¡°Sigh...¡± ¡°...Tsk.¡± Ethan let out a deep sigh, and from behind him, he heard Agnes click her tongue in irritation. Antonio had no idea that his actions, which he believed were for Agnes¡¯s sake, were steadily lowering her opinion of him. If something happened to Lillis or if things went irreversibly wrong tonight, Antonio might as well give up any chance of winning Agnes''s affection in this lifetime. The pink-haired priestess, Cerista, nced between the prince and the hero, unsure of what to do. She was the only person in the banquet hall who had noticed Lillis¡¯s signal. ording to the n, Cerista was supposed to use her Concealment Blessing, or Agnes was supposed to cast her invisibility magic, so they could slip out unnoticed once the signal was received. But given the attention they were drawing, Agnes couldn¡¯t use her magic, and even if Cerista used the Concealment Blessing to hide among the people, the effect would be minimal. Unsure of what to do, Cerista watched as Ethan reluctantly drew his sword from its scabbard. Screech. ¡°Yes, of course, real men should settle things with their swords.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very sexist remark, Prince.¡± Antonio¡¯s words, though already grating, managed to lower the Red Mage¡¯s opinion of him even further. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can pull it off, but I¡¯ll have to subdue him without killing him. It would be ideal if I could just knock him out...¡¯ If Ethan identally killed Antonio, it wouldplicate matters beyond repair, not to mention severely limit his ability to act as the hero. If Antonio, like McHart, had been influenced by demonic forces, killing him might have been justifiable. But the prince in front of him was simply a fool blinded by love. However, if Ethan held back too much and got injured, it would be counterproductive. And if he lost, he and Agnes would be trapped here. That would mean Lillis, who was facing McHart alone, would likely end up missing tonight and be found as an unrecognizable corpse in a few months. Ethan couldn¡¯t allow that to happen, especially since Lillis was a rare ally from his homnd and someone he had grown close to over time. ¡®I need to knock him out and escape using the ensuing chaos. If I can¡¯t hold back in the first exchange, I¡¯ll have to choose to save Lillis instead.¡¯ If it came down to saving only one, Lillis was the right choice. With this in mind, Ethan¡¯s sword flew toward Prince Antonio, and Antonio¡¯s sword moved to counter the strike when suddenly... Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°Arrghhh!!!¡± ...A sound that could nevere from shing swords rang out from Prince Antonio¡¯s side. Squish! ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± Ethan, realizing what had happened a beat toote, froze with his sword in mid-air, turning his gaze to the fallen prince and the mysterious attacker. A woman who had suddenly intervened in the duel and kicked the prince in the side now stood there, furiously shouting the name of the prince she had just floored. ¡°Antonio!!!¡± Despite the clear offense ofying hands on a member of the royal family and interrupting a duel involving royalty, no one in the hall dared to reprimand her. For she, too, was of royal blood, just like Antonio. And her rank was even higher than his. ¡°Sera...¡± ¡°Antonio!!! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?! Drawing a sharp de in a noble gathering like this¡ªare you out of your mind?!¡± ¡°Guh... S-Sister Sera...?¡± ¡°You suddenly left the pce tonight, iming you had an urgent matter... I thought you were the only one with some sense left, but...!!!¡± All eyes in the banquet hall turned to the shouting Seraphine, whose uncharacteristic disy of emotion was impossible to ignore. Even Ethan noticed that she was intentionally drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Ethan didn¡¯t know how Seraphine had found her way here, but it was clear she was giving him an opening. Realizing this, Ethan immediately nned to regroup with Cerista and use the Concealment Blessing to escape... ¡®...Wait, where¡¯s Ethan?¡¯ ¡®If you¡¯re looking for Lord Ethan, he slipped out during the earliermotion...¡¯ Of those who remained in the hall, Cerista was the only one who had noticed Lillis¡¯s signal and stayed behind. Ethan had already left the hall to respond to Lillis¡¯s call long before. Chapter 238 ¡°The banquet hall is probably too chaotic right now for anyone to notice the signal you sent. My brother¡¯s obsession with that mage girl turned out to be stronger than I thought. By now, he¡¯s probably swinging his sword at the Hero in a fit of rage.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re using your own brother to achieve this...¡± ¡°Using him? You talk about dishonor, but didn¡¯t you try to seduce the Hero and the saintess to lure me into a trap? It seems like this was the right move after all.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You must have nned to rely on that Hero and mage for help, didn¡¯t you? Otherwise, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d have attended such a suspicious noble gathering with such a peculiar group. In this situation, it would be impossible for the Hero or the mage to arrive here without drawing attention. Without them, I have no reason to be afraid of you, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ...As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Even though McHart hadn¡¯t fully awakened as a demon yet, he was not an opponent she could defeat without the protagonist¡¯s buff. If Cerista showed up to help, it would only buy some time. Of course, that would still be better than trying to stall alone. As she had mentioned earlier, Ethan would have a hard time slipping away unnoticed, thanks to the attention she had drawn to him at thest moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think things were going a little too smoothly?¡± ¡°What...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? A bunch of new faces suddenly showing up at a noble gathering with such unsavory intentions, when they had never attended before. And you, who were always so cautious at the academy, suddenly creating conflicts and isting yourself from others? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t realize it was a trap?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But if I missed this opportunity, you would have run back to that annoying noble and the mage girl, avoiding me again. So I decided to make the most of this chance. Although, I didn¡¯t expect you to go so far as to pretend to fight with that noble prince you¡¯re so attached to, just to lure me out.¡± McHart sneered as he finished, clearly pleased with himself. Lillis wanted nothing more than to carve a vertical line into that smug face, but shecked the strength to do so. As McHart¡¯s words made her realize the ws in her n, regret began to set in. ¡®That fool couldn¡¯t have figured this out on his own. It must have been Ebelin¡¯s doing.¡¯ Ebelin wasn¡¯t exactly a genius strategist, but if she was able to manipte McHart, it meant she was at least smarter than him. In the end, it was the w in Lillis¡¯s n to deceive a single prince. If she had considered Ebelin¡¯s involvement, she might have devised a more sophisticated strategy¡ªor perhaps even attempted a direct confrontation. Trying to lure McHart into a trap by analyzing his psychology alone was her mistake. It was a shaky n, and she should have created a more reliable safety. Even if she had just gotten help from one or two more people, the situation might have turned out differently. Although she hadn¡¯t informed Seraphine due to the sensitivity of suspecting another royal, in hindsight, it might have been better to ask for her help. Huff! ¡°...!¡± McHart suddenly lunged at her again using a magical leap. Lillis¡¯s instincts kicked in, and she managed to dodge, but she was reaching her limit. Dodging him without using magic was exhausting her, and she could feel her strength waning in her legs. ...And she had a strong feeling that if this kept up, she would soon be captured and dragged into his mental world again. ¡®Maybe I should have joined Ethan¡¯s party from the start.¡¯ She regretted not teaming up with them at least until the final story arc of dealing with McHart. At least then, she wouldn¡¯t be facing such a hopeless end here. In the end, she might have dragged Agnes and Cerista into this mess unnecessarily. If she ended up in a bad situation here, they would carry the guilt of failing to help her for a long time. ...And she especially felt guilty toward Ethan. She had created a situation where he had to participate in a fake lover¡¯s quarrel. If she didn¡¯t make it out, how much would he me himself for not being there to protect her? As these thoughts flooded her mind, the chase continued in the backyard, with her stamina almost depleted. ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are you slowing down? At this rate, I¡¯m going to catch you soon!¡± ¡°Huff, huff, huff...¡± ¡°Are you finally giving up, realizing no one¡¯sing to save you? If so, feel free to surrender!¡± ...If she were going to die, she¡¯d at least stab that bastard¡¯s face once before she went down. Unable to bear the thought of dying without even that satisfaction, Lillis stopped in her tracks and turned to face McHart, charging at him with her dagger. Swish! ¡°What...?!¡± Caught off guard by her sudden change in direction, McHart was surprised as her dagger quickly entered his reach. ¡®Please, let this be enough to finish him!¡¯ The sharp, gleaming de, boosted by her desire to end this, flew toward McHart¡¯s forehead, aiming to slice through the boundary between his left and right brain. Crack! ¡°...Huh?¡± Thud. ¡°Finally, I¡¯ve got you.¡± In a split second, McHart twisted his neck in an unnatural way, dodging the de and catching her hand instead. ¡®Damn, he¡¯s already partially demonized...!¡¯ The moment McHart grabbed her, the surroundings began to darken rapidly. It was as if the colors were being drained from the world, turning it into a ck-and-white scene. With that ominous sensation, McHart was pulling her into his mental world again. Once he had her in his grip, it was nearly impossible to escape. ...She knew she wouldn¡¯t survive this time. Last time, she had only managed to escape because of his carelessness, but there wouldn¡¯t be a second chance.@@novelbin@@ ¡®Is this really the end?¡¯ So, this was it. She had managed to survive for seven years, inhabiting Lillis¡¯s body without sumbing to Ethan¡¯s advances, fighting and struggling to stay alive. She had done everything she could. She had given Agnes the Fire Spirit, prevented Ethan and Caraham from bing mid-bosses, and provided the justification to eliminate McHart before he fully demonized. She had yed her part in the story. Even if she exited the stage now, it shouldn¡¯t disrupt Ethan¡¯s path to victory. The Hero would defeat the Demon King and return to the real world. Agnes would be the Master of the Red Tower, Seraphine would ascend to the throne, and Cerista would awaken as a true saintess. In a few years, they would all find their happy endings. Ethan, too, had lost weight and be much more handsome than in the original story. After her death, he would move on, marry a proper fianc¨¦e, and carry on the ckwood lineage. After a few years of their epic journey to defeat the Demon King, all she needed was for them to remember her for just a brief moment. ¡®If I had known it would end like this, I might have gone ahead and taken Ethan¡¯s virginity...¡¯ If she had known she wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat McHart, she might have done it as a final act of loyalty. But it was toote for regrets now. All she could do was cover the bleak reality with a bit of wishful thinking. No, if she was going to be used in this damned mental world as McHart wanted, maybe suicide was the better option¡ªto die before she could be manipted. ¡°Lillis...!!!¡± Just as thest remnants of light were fading, and McHart¡¯s power was about to engulf her in darkness, she thought she heard Ethan¡¯s voice calling her. It was such a vivid voice that she wondered if she was seeing something like her life shing before her eyes. But then Ethan¡¯s voice transitioned from mere sound to a tactile sensation, grounding her in reality. Thud. ¡°Lillis!! Are you still okay?!¡± ¡°...Ethan?¡± A familiar hand reached through a small gap that McHart¡¯s magic hadn¡¯t fully closed, grabbing her wrist and trying to pull her out of the mental world. ...Or rather, he was trying to. Crack! ¡°Lillis! It¡¯s you, right?! Answer me!¡± ¡°W-Wait, wait!! My arm! My arm¡¯s going to dislocate!!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± His attempt to pull her out of McHart¡¯s mental world wasmendable, but his brute force approach was about to tear her left arm off. Just as she was gripped by a new kind of fear¡ªone of losing her arm rather than her life¡ªanother sharp de tore through the space in front of her. ...And I don¡¯t mean that metaphorically. I mean literally, right in front of her eyes. Stab! ¡°Eek?!¡± A razor-sharp de burst out right in front of her face, narrowly missing her temple, sending a wave of realistic fear through her body. The terror of being dragged into McHart¡¯s mental world was one thing, but this was a different kind of fear¡ªa very real one. Losing an arm could be fixed by Cerista, but bing a headless ghost would require a suspicious mortician, not a doctor. However, before she could fully register her fear, Ethan¡¯s sword continued to slice through McHart¡¯s mental world, tearing the space apart. From the gap, the light she thought she¡¯d never see again began to filter in. ¡®Wait, is this...¡¯ The de, radiating a steady flow of blue energy, cut through the otherworldly dimension with ease. It didn¡¯t take long for her to realize that Ethan had triggered the awakening g to be a Sword Expert. Slice! In an instant, Ethan had cut through half of the space surrounding her and shredded the remaining barrier, pulling her out of McHart¡¯s mental world. When she finally regained her senses, she found herself in Ethan¡¯s arms, being held in the ¡°princess carry¡± position. ¡°Lillis, are you alright?! Are you hurt?!¡± ¡°...Yes, yes.¡± ...Who would have thought Ethan would arrive before the Hero? And that he would awaken as a Sword Expert? For a brief moment, Lillis found Ethan more reliable than the Hero, but she quietly buried that thought deep in her heart. Chapter 239 ¡°Are you really not hurt anywhere?! Or did that guy do something to you, Lillis?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ I¡¯m really fine¡­ There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± To be honest, the arm that Ethan had pulled on a moment ago still ached a little, but it didn¡¯t seem right toin to the person who had just saved me. It would be like demanding a reward after being rescued from drowning. If Ethan had been even a little bitter, I would¡¯ve been dragged into a mental world I might never have escaped from. I was just grateful beyond words for his timely intervention. ¡°But, how did you know? It was just before I was almost taken away, and I don¡¯t think you could¡¯ve seen my face through that tiny gap.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, I just had this feeling that you were there, Lillis.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I saw a hand as the space was closing, and somehow, I just knew it was yours. I¡¯m d I wasn¡¯t toote, Lillis.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did he really figure out I was being pulled in by McHart just by seeing my hand? It was touching, in a way, but also a little unsettling. No, no¡­ I told myself I would just be grateful right now. I could think about the extent of Ethan¡¯s obsession with meter. After all, we had more pressing matters at hand. ¡°¡­What a shame. I thought I almost had you.¡± McHart reappeared, as if there was no longer any reason for him to remain in his mental world once Ethan had pulled me out. From the outside, it looked as if he had stepped out of thin air, and now, standing at a slight distance from us, he muttered while keeping his gaze fixed on us. ¡°I was surprised to see you arrive so quickly amidst all themotion, but it seems that so-called hero wasn¡¯t the one who found me.¡± ¡°So it was your doing after all. I wondered why Lady ze¡¯s disguise magic suddenly vanished, and then Prince Antonio appeared out of nowhere.¡± ¡°Yes, it was amusing, wasn¡¯t it? Thanks to that, it seems the other heroes are still stuck in the banquet hall. I was worried for nothing.¡± Thanks to Ethan, I had somehow escaped McHart¡¯s mental world, but the battle between him and me was far from over. If anything, it felt like it was just beginning. Until a moment ago, there was no chance of winning against McHart, but now that Ethan, a Sword Expert, had joined, the odds were much better. ¡®Not just his sword, but his entire body is radiating with blue energy. Has he fully awakened?¡¯ Until now, Ethan had only asionally dipped into the realm of an expert, but the energy I felt from him now was overwhelming, almost as if he hadpletely blossomed. I had seen a simr disy during the Kraken subjugation, though I had dismissed it as a temporary phenomenon after the battle ended and his power subsided. During his duels with Harold, Ethan had sometimes shown signs of blossoming into an expert. It made me wonder if he was the type to grow stronger in the face of great battles. Thinking back to the original game, where Ethan had been unexpectedly strong during the mid-boss fights, it seemed he was indeed the type to be more powerful in life-or-death situations. Whether this was a unique trait of Ethan¡¯s character or just a coincidence that mirrored the original game, I wasn¡¯t sure. -Thunk. I stepped down from Ethan¡¯s arms, gripping my daggers with both hands, preparing for the battle ahead. We would have to hold out until Agnes and Cerista arrived, and until then, it would be just Ethan and me against McHart. ¡°Be careful, Ethan. Whatever you do, avoid getting sucked into his world.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, Lillis.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re nning to hold out until those other heroes arrive? Sorry, but it¡¯s already toote!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± As McHart spoke, the surroundings began to darken again. The loss of color in the environment was unsettling, but as I took in the scenery around me, I quickly assessed the situation and allowed myself a quiet smile. This wasn¡¯t the oppressive mental world of deep darkness that McHart had shown me before. It was clear that this space was something he had hastily thrown together for intimidation. ¡°Once I¡¯ve caught a woman in my world, it¡¯s easier than crushing an ant underfoot to trap her there again. Too bad for you¡ªyou came to save your beloved fianc¨¦e only to be caught yourself.¡±@@novelbin@@ It was a bluff. If he had such a method, he could have attacked me within the academy, and there would have been no need for the chase in the rear courtyard of the pce. While McHart¡¯s mental world was a terrifying power that made even moving an arm or leg difficult, creating it in this non-contact situation posed little threat. In this space, McHart couldn¡¯tpletely overpower both Ethan and me. This was why he had avoided using it until now, saving it for when he could fully leverage his advantage. Of course, since it was his own creation, McHart could use his unique abilities more efficiently here, but the same went for Ethan and me. Especially now that I was free from the constraints of the pce, I could use my magic more freely. No matter how powerful his domain was, if it came down to magic versus magic, I could hold my own. And with Ethan on my side, it was hard to imagine either of us being easily defeated. ¡°Captured together? What nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°A world without Lillis is a fake world to me. So as long as she¡¯s by my side, this ce is my real world, no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Good grief, seriously?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if Ethan was saying this on purpose, but his words made my face flush. Thankfully, in this dull, monochrome world, the color of my face didn¡¯t show much. Even McHart seemed momentarily taken aback by Ethan¡¯s deration, though he quicklyposed himself and continued. ¡°There¡¯s no need to put on airs in front of a woman. When faced with the fear of death, men and women all be the same.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And besides, I¡¯ve never really had an interest in anyone other than that woman. I don¡¯t have any personal grudge against you. Honestly, I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± ¡°You talk too much. Even with the power you¡¯ve gained from your alliance with demons, you don¡¯t seem confident in taking on both Lillis and me at once.¡± ¡°Within this space, I can crush you both as easily as I please. The woman standing next to you knows that better than anyone. If you think I¡¯m bluffing, I¡¯ll give you a moment to ask her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± McHart must have thought I was terrified of this space, having experienced it twice before. If I had been ignorant of his patterns, I might have despaired at being pulled back into this world. But I had cleared ¡ºLuminor Academy¡» 24.9 times. I was an expert among experts, having in McHart at least twenty-five times in the game. There was no way I couldn¡¯t identify his patterns by now. If Ethan asked, I could tell him about the weaknesses of this space and how McHart was just bluffing¡­ ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. No matter what kind of space this is, the only true world for me is the one where Lillis exists.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The main reason I wield my sword is for Lillis. No matter how much you try to scare me or threaten me to abandon her, it¡¯s pointless. That¡¯s never going to happen, not until my bones are ground to dust. Rather than living a cowardly life without Lillis, I¡¯ll stand as a shield to protect her. The only way you¡¯lly a finger on her is by tearing my body apart first. And even if you¡¯re a stronger opponent than I can defeat, I would rather fight by Lillis¡¯s side until the very end, in this world where no one else can see us, than run away. That is the reason I started learning the sword, and that will be the oue.¡± What on earth is he thinking, to be able to say something so cringeworthy without stuttering or even flinching? Meanwhile, here I was, finding it increasingly difficult to hold my head up because of Ethan¡¯s knightly deration. ¡­I had a strong feeling that after today, it would be even harder to look Ethan in the face, but for entirely different reasons than before. Chapter 240 "Haha¡­ Truly, what a ridiculous knight you are." McHart let out a hollowugh, trying to mask his frustration with a facade of nonchnce in response to Ethan''s unwavering determination. However, the forced smile on his face quickly faded as he extended a dark, menacing hand andunched a fresh attack. "If dying together here is your wish¡­ then I have no choice but to grant it!" Abandoning any attempt to persuade Ethan to leave, McHart immediately activated his unique ability, initiating an assault. Naturally, neither Ethan nor I could afford to sit idly by as his attacks rained down on us, so we each gripped our weapons and prepared for battle. "Hands of darkness! Tear those wretched fools apart!" -Shhhhk! -Shhhhk!! At McHart¡¯smand, six or so shadowy hands emerged from the surrounding darkness, wing their way toward us. It was the same technique I had fallen victim to when I was first trapped in McHart¡¯s mental world. Back then, I had been unable to respond because I was enveloped inplete darkness. McHart¡¯s shadowy hands, created from the surrounding gloom, were most effective in pitch-ck conditions, where their reach and power were magnified. Though the current surroundings were dim, they weren¡¯t nearly dark enough to give McHart¡¯s shadows the same advantage as before. We had ample time to spot the approaching hands and prepare a defense. "Ethan! Let¡¯s use the third stance! I¡¯ll cover the front and anythinging from below!" "Got it, Lillis! I¡¯ll handle the rest!" Given the nature of the attacks, there were moreing from behind us. These attacks were more sudden and required sharper reflexes, but it wasn¡¯t that I was putting Ethan in more danger. As a swordsman, Ethan had far better instincts than I did, so I trusted him with the role that required quick reactions. On the other hand, my lower center of gravity made it easier for me to deal with enemies crawling from the ground, which was why we chose this third stance to counter McHart''s attack. It was a formation we had often used during our practical monster-hunting sses, where we faced iing waves of monsters together. -Swish! -Shhk! In our well-practiced stance, Ethan¡¯s sword and my daggers sliced through the shadowy hands one by one. We defended our assigned positions, focusing on repelling the immediate threats. Indeed, there was no one I could trust more to watch my back in this world than Ethan. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of strength; it was about the bond we had formed as partners over a long period. -Stab! Crackle! My magic-imbued dagger pierced through one of McHart¡¯s shadowy hands, and the light that spread from the wound caused the hand to dissolve into nothingness. This was the effect of "The Evesting me," one of my secondary support spells. Normally, this magic was just used to light the way in dark ces like forests or caves, but against an enemy with a darkness attribute, it could be used as an offensive spell. I had spent nearly all of my remaining skill points to learn this magic, but it was necessary. After all, surviving this fight was the only way to level up or learn new skillster. After a few minutes of fighting, we had grown ustomed to slicing through McHart¡¯s shadowy hands, and before long, Ethan and I were cutting them down faster than McHart could summon them. As a Sword Expert, Ethan was already capable of holding his own against McHart, even in a one-on-one battle. With my magical support, the tide of the battle had clearly turned in our favor. Even though this space was advantageous for McHart¡¯s unique magic, the half-dozen shadowy hands he could summon weren¡¯t enough to overpower us. As intimidating as those hands might have looked¡ªlike something a final boss would use (which, in truth, they were)¡ªtheir actual power wasn¡¯t all that impressive. The hands were designed to restrict movement and drain magical energy from their targets. In the game ¡ºLuminor Academy¡», they were difficult to deal with only because you had to control all four party members manually. But as long as everyone did their part, defeat was out of the question. -Shhk! "Damn you, you wretched¡­!" McHart, who had been maintaining a facade of calm while continuing his attack, was now visibly panicking. He seemed to realize that if he didn¡¯t finish us off quickly, he would be the one in danger. Time was no longer on McHart¡¯s side. His magic reserves couldn¡¯t sustain this space much longer, and once his energy was depleted, the battle would end in our favor. Besides, by the time that happened, Agnes and Cerista would likely have arrived. Even if Antonio was holding them up, a hero¡¯s basic physical prowess would be more than enough to deal with someone like Antonio.@@novelbin@@ As the number of shadowy hands McHart could summon dwindled from six to three, Ethan and I began to n our final move to take him down. "Ethan, I think he¡¯s reaching his limit." "Got it. I¡¯ll cover you, so take a moment to¡ª" "No, I mean he¡¯s reaching his limit, not me. The frequency of his attacks is dropping, and he¡¯s only summoning half as many hands as before." "Oh." Understanding dawned on Ethan¡¯s face, and he nodded, ready to execute our final strategy against McHart. "Let¡¯s go with the fifth stance. It¡¯s the one we used when hunting the Soul Hounds in the ck Forest." "Confirmed, Lillis." "And as I mentioned before we started today, we can¡¯t just kill him outright." "¡­I¡¯ll try." Whether he meant he would try to subdue McHart without killing him or resist the urge to kill him on the spot, his answer seemed to carry a double meaning. Even though the n was to defeat McHart, killing him outright would causeplications. We needed to reveal his demonic nature in front of everyone before dealing the final blow. With the n in mind, I signaled to Ethan, who immediately closed the distance between him and McHart with both swords drawn, marking the start of our "fifth stance." -Dash! "¡­!!" Ethan sprinted straight toward McHart, the priority target, closing the gap in an instant. McHart¡¯s eyes widened as he watched Ethan charge at him like a moth drawn to a me. But then, a sly smile crept across McHart¡¯s face as he continued his assault, refusing to back down. Countless shadowy hands shot up from the ground, trying to seize Ethan as he approached. "Did you think getting close would give you the advantage?! I expected more from someone who seemed skilled with a sword, but in the end, you¡¯re just another fool who only knows how to swing it around!" McHart¡¯s unique ability grew stronger the closer he was to his target. Like all demonic magic, dark magic was most potent around its caster. This was particrly true for McHart¡¯s shadowy hands, which were more effective the closer they were to their master¡¯s body, where the shadows were the darkest. But that didn¡¯t mean McHart had gained an advantage over Ethan. No matter how much stronger McHart became in closebat, Ethan was still the superior fighter, even ounting for that. -Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Ethan dashed forward, slicing through the shadowy hands with the force of a Sword Expert¡¯s strikes. The hastily summoned shadows shattered into pieces after only a few blows. The slight increase in McHart¡¯s power wasn¡¯t enough to ovee Ethan. That was the power of a Sword Expert in ¡ºLuminor Academy.¡» Thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters. As the distance between Ethan and McHart closed, McHart¡¯s attacks grew more frantic, but Ethan either deflected or cut through them as he continued his advance. ¡®Ethan can handle this on his own for now.¡¯ There weren¡¯t many opportunities for me to assist, so I had to be careful with my timing. If I intervened at the wrong moment, I might inadvertently put Ethan in danger. And even if that didn¡¯t happen, I only had three chances to use my magic, so I had to use them wisely. "Now, die¡­!!" -Kwabang! ¡®Now¡­!¡¯ As McHart unleashed his final desperate attack, a massive hand erupted from the ground, hurtling toward Ethan. Recognizing McHart¡¯s move, I immediately threw one of my daggers at the colossal hand. "Ethan! I¡¯ll handle this one!" "Understood!" My ckwood-engraved dagger flew through the air and embedded itself in the hand that was about to grab Ethan. The "Evesting me" stored within the dagger activated, causing the hand to shatter into pieces. With the gap between Ethan and McHart now almost closed¡­ "Don¡¯te any closer¡­!! You monster!!" In ast-ditch effort, McHart summoned three more hands from the ground, the final remnants of his power, sending them toward Ethan from the front and sides. Having anticipated this final pattern, I hurled my remaining two daggers and shouted to Ethan. "Just cut the one in the middle, Ethan!!!" Nodding as if he understood, Ethan¡¯s head dipped slightly. Though it was hard to see his expression from the back, I was sure of it. My two daggers flew straight toward the hands on either side of Ethan, destroying them, while Ethan did as I instructed and sliced through the middle hand. -Shhk. With all the obstacles between Ethan and McHart eliminated, the two shed, swords meeting in a burst of sparks. ¡­And when the dust settled, the only one left standing was Ethan. Chapter 241 "Eck, urrgh¡­" As the sh between Ethan and McHart concluded, the sound of a pained voice echoed in the air. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s. When the brief yet intense battle ended, Ethan was the only one left standing on his feet. Ethan stood over the fallen McHart, his foot nted firmly on McHart''s chest, one sword held threateningly against his throat. As I approached to confirm the oue, it was clear that Ethan had emerged victorious in the final skirmish. "Aaargh, aaaahh¡­!!" McHarty on the ground, groaning in pain, his arms severed¡ªone at the shoulder, the other at the elbow¡ªlying uselessly beside him. I had asked Ethan not to kill him outright, and he hadplied, though just barely. The blood loss was severe, but it wasn¡¯t immediately fatal, and leaving McHart in such a state was safer than giving him a chance to retaliate. "For your crimes against Lillis, you will pay with your life, McHart Paris Valtoria," Ethan dered, his voice cold and resolute. "W-wait¡­! Calm down! Think this through carefully before you do something you¡¯ll regret!" "What choice could I possibly regret more than letting you live? You¡¯ve been the greatest threat to Lillis, and there¡¯s no reason for me to spare you." "If you kill me now, what will you do? If I die, you¡¯ll be trapped in this world forever, unable to leave, doomed to be stuck here with that woman for eternity! If that¡¯s what you want, go ahead and kill me!" "¡­" "He¡¯s lying, Ethan. This world is just a fake created by his unique magic. It will naturally dissolve if the caster dies." "Thank you, Lillis." ¡­Did Ethan just look oddly pleased after hearing McHart¡¯s threat about being stuck here with me forever? Surely, that wasn¡¯t the case. Ethan¡¯s de pressed closer to McHart¡¯s neck, the razor-sharp edge nicking his skin. -Slice. "Hi-hiieek¡­!!" "And even if what you said were true, my decision wouldn¡¯t change. No matter what you say, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re walking out of here alive, so you might as well ept your fate." "W-wait¡­! You do realize that the punishment for regicide is the extermination of three generations, right?! No matter how influential the ckwood family is, you won¡¯t get away with killing me¡­!" "What are you talking about, with your blood so tainted by demonic power that you¡¯re barely human anymore? I¡¯m curious if you¡¯ll still be saying that after everyone learns the truth." "How will you prove I¡¯m a demon?! Do you expect me to confess before I die?!" "¡­" "Let me make one thing clear. If I die, not just you, but your father and that woman standing next to you will all be executed for regicide. If you¡¯re ready to face that, then go ahead¡ªkill me! Ahahahahaha¡­!!" Whether it was the fear of death driving him mad or if he truly believed his life still held that much value, McHartughed with a confidence that was almost unnerving. Ethan simply looked down at him with a disdainful expression. "Normally, proving that someone like you, who¡¯s only begun to ept demonic power, is a demon would be impossible." "Exactly! The moment you cut my throat, you¡¯ll be nothing but a regicide, and I¡¯ll die as a royal to myst breath!" "No, you¡¯ll die as a demon. Once your identity as a demon is revealed, your name will be erased from the royal family¡¯s records, and your very existence will be wiped out." "And how do you n to prove that? Are you relying on the hero? Do you think anyone will believe them if they im I¡¯m a demon?!" "Are you an idiot? What good is it to say something even a child wouldn¡¯t believe?" "A¡­ child? What kind of monster is that? Lillis¡­?" "¡­" Setting aside whether McHart thought ¡®child¡¯ was a type of monster, I gave him a reality check, making sure he understood the situation he was in. "With the power of the Saintess, why would we need to rely on something so ridiculous? Even a simple Truth Mirror would reveal that your blood is half demon." "The¡­ Saintess¡¯s power?" "Yes, the Saintess¡¯s power." "Ha, haha¡­! Ahahahahaha¡­!!" ¡­Has he finally gonepletely mad? McHart clutched at his head¡ªor tried to, but without hands, he could only twitch the stumps of his arms¡ªas he let out a crazedugh, his remaining strength pouring into his deranged cackling. "Ah, hahaha¡­! So that¡¯s why¡­! That¡¯s why you¡¯re so confident!" "¡­" "¡­" "You even went as far as to disguise her with that ridiculous mask and bring her to this noble gathering just for this! Ahahahaha¡­! Kgh, urgh¡­!" McHart¡¯s bitter smile and manicughter suddenly made sense. As a member of the royal family, he must have known by now that Cerista hadn¡¯t been bestowed with the Saintess¡¯s power. "Yes¡­ you¡¯re right. With the power of the Saintess, it would be impossible to hide that I¡¯ve been using demonic power." "¡­" "¡­" "But that¡¯s only true if the woman you brought is the real Saintess!" As McHart spat out his final words, the gray, ck-and-white world that had surrounded us suddenly shattered, revealing the radiant, star-lit garden of the royal pce once more. The opulent lights streaming from the banquet hall and the faint sounds of music echoed through the night air. ¡­And along with that, the presence of many noble guests and the royal guards who had somehow gathered in the courtyard. "Kyahhh! Prince McHart!!" A scream erupted from ady in a red dress, triggering a wave of shocked and horrified murmurs from the crowd that had gathered in the garden. "What have you done to the Prince?! Put that sword down, immediately!!" "My goodness¡­ He¡¯s already injured¡­!" "How could anyone be so cruel¡­ to do that to Prince McHart¡­?" ¡­Didn¡¯t I specifically signal for everyone to gather here discreetly? For a moment, I wondered if I had somehow sent the wrong signal, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. The sight of a certain brown-haireddy smiling smugly among the crowd made it clear who was responsible. ¡®Damn it, it¡¯s her again.¡¯ Sensing that McHart¡¯s trap had failed, Evelyn must have gathered all these people here in an attempt to save him. Or perhaps there was some form ofmunication between McHart and Evelyn, given his demonic powers. Either way, this unnned gathering was unexpected andplicated matters. In such a situation, public opinion could easily turn against Ethan. From what little they had seen, it would look like Ethan was on the verge of killing McHart in a petty dispute, not as a knight executing a demon using forbidden power. ¡®Public opinion is really against us. Can I even turn this around?¡¯@@novelbin@@ Though I knew that showing proof of McHart¡¯s demonic nature would silence all the criticism, the problem was that convincing people in this context wouldn¡¯t be easy. People tend to see what they want to see. In this situation, where it looked like Ethan was the aggressor and McHart the victim, even a Truth Mirror might not sway them. There were always those who would refuse to believe the truth, choosing instead to cling to their initial perceptions. If I could just get people to focus during the moment McHart revealed his demonic transformation, it might work. But given my status as a mere baroness¡¯s daughter, it was unlikely anyone would take my words seriously. "Step away from the Prince, Lord Ethan!" "Lord Ethan! If you don¡¯t lower your sword, even as the sole heir of the ckwood family, you won¡¯t escape the consequences of regicide¡­!" "Prince McHart, stay with us! Prince¡­!" "Everyone, be quiet¡­!!!" "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" The chaotic mor of the gathered nobles, royal guards, and various other onlookers was abruptly silenced by a powerful,manding voice. The high, sharp tone cut through the noise like a knife, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. A figure of striking beauty and unmistakable authority slowly stepped forward from the crowd, her presence alone enough to quiet the tumultuous garden. ¡­Even I was momentarily stunned. I hadn¡¯t expected her to appear at this noble gathering. All eyes turned to Seraphine as she strode into the center of the courtyard, her long golden hair shimmering under the lights. With her sudden entrance, the atmosphere shifted dramatically, and I found myself bewildered by her unexpected arrival. ¡®Why is she here?¡¯ Chapter 242 The sudden appearance of Seraphine was an unexpected twist that wasn''t part of my original n. Given that our secret operation was aimed at taking down McHart, a member of the royal family, it had been impossible to inform someone like Seraphine, a royal herself, without risking exposure. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust her, but rather that it was simply unfeasible to secretlymunicate something as sensitive as regicide to a princess. Even bringing it up might have led to disaster before we could even carry out the n. But now, with Seraphine here¡ªa development that never urred in the original story¡ªI could only surmise that her appearance had something to do with either McHart, myself, or perhaps even the situation involving Ethan and Cerista. Somehow, Seraphine had found out about this. How she did so was anyone¡¯s guess¡ªwhether through the sheer information power the royal family possessed or perhaps through some foresight into the events of today. "For now, only those who can take responsibility for their words should speak," Seraphine dered, her voice clear and authoritative. "Anyone who disrupts this moment with unnecessary words will be remembered by me. And I have an excellent memory." Thanks to Seraphine''s intervention, the unruly crowd was quickly subdued. It was a feat neither Ethan nor I could have managed with a few words, so, in an unintended way, I owed her for this. "Seraphine! Get this madman off me! He''s dared to threaten a royal¡ªme!" McHart, whoy pinned under Ethan''s foot, reached out to Seraphine as if she were hisst hope. Of course, with both his arms severed below the elbows, even if a lifeline had been thrown to him, he wouldn''t have been able to grasp it. Seraphine clicked her tongue softly, a look of disgust crossing her face as she gazed at McHart. Her disdain for him was palpable, just as it had been in the original story. Fortunately, with her back to the crowd, only Ethan and I could see her expression. "Haven''t I always told you, McHart?" Seraphine''s voice was cold. "If you go around seducing other people¡¯s women indiscriminately, someday, someone wille along who won''t care that you¡¯re a royal and will put a de to your throat." "I¡ªI didn¡¯t mean¡ª" "I¡¯ve seen you harassing Lillis with my own eyes, so don¡¯t bother denying it now. I won¡¯t believe you anyway." "N-never mind that! Just save me! Your brother is about to be killed by this lunatic!!" "Ethan, would you mind lowering your sword? I understand your feelings, but he is still my brother." Seraphine¡¯s words, though diplomatic, were clear: "I know you¡¯re angry, but blood is blood, and not helping him would cause problems." Though Ethan, as a noble, surely understood the subtleties of her words, he didn¡¯t lower his sword. He remained resolute, his de still poised at McHart''s neck. "No matter what the princess says, I cannotply. This prince has threatened and attempted to take my fianc¨¦e, Lillis. He even stooped to using demonic power to fulfill his vile desires. For the sake of the Argentian Empire and the Valtoria royal family, it is better for him to die here." ¡­Now he''s openly calling me his fianc¨¦e. While I understood that this wasn¡¯t the time to rify theplexities of our rtionship, hearing Ethan dere me as his fianc¨¦e so openly always made me feel a bit embarrassed. But I wasn¡¯t the only one reacting to his words¡ªseveraldies in the crowd seemed to blush, though likely for different reasons. "Prince McHart is a demon? That¡¯s a nderous lie!" "He¡¯s just making up stories to get out of trouble after threatening a royal!" "Let go of the prince, you murderer!!" McHart''s supporters in the crowd began hurling insults at Ethan, and some of the more agitateddies even threw objects at him. Fans and handkerchiefs missed their mark, but one object, a champagne ss, flew straight toward Ethan¡¯s head. I quickly reached out and caught it before it could do any damage. -Thump! "¡­" "¡­" As I scanned the crowd for the culprit, severaldies averted their eyes, clearly hoping to avoid responsibility for their actions. Annoyed by their cowardice, I tightened my grip on the ss. -Crack! "Eek!" "¡­!"@@novelbin@@ Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t find the culprit, but at least nothing else came flying our way. The sudden silence among thedies was puzzling, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it. "Thank you for silencing them for me, Lillis," Seraphine said unexpectedly. "What?" Before I could make sense of her words, Seraphine turned her attention back to Ethan, asking if he was prepared to take responsibility for his earlier statements. "Ethan, what you just said could be considered an insult to me, as I share the same blood as McHart. Can you take responsibility for that?" "I meant no offense to you, Princess. My point is that this man used demonic power to harm my fianc¨¦e. It¡¯s his personal crime, and I have no suspicion that the Valtoria royal family is involved with demons." "I see. So, you¡¯re saying that because McHart might be involved with demons, it¡¯s best to kill him now to prevent any further threat?" "Obviously, that¡¯s a lie! He¡¯s just trying to avoid being charged with regicide!" "¡­Very well. We should hear both sides more thoroughly. But first, my brother needs treatment. After that, we can continue this discussion." "I have stated that Prince McHart used demonic power. Are you saying you don¡¯t believe me, Princess Seraphine?" "For now, it¡¯s just your im. Do you have any proof that McHart is indeed connected to demons?" "With the power of the Saintess, using the ¡®Mirror of Truth¡¯¡­" "Yes. But until that ¡®Mirror of Truth¡¯ is used to reveal the truth, we can¡¯t make any assumptions. We need to determine whether McHart is indeed involved with demons or if you are deceiving us." "¡­" "Even if McHart is guilty, if that fact isn¡¯t revealed before his death, you will still face consequences, Ethan." Seraphine was right. If McHart died before his connection to demons was exposed, Ethan and I would be in serious trouble. His death had to ur only after his demonic ties were proven. That¡¯s why I had warned Ethan not to kill him outright. Seraphine then leaned in close to Ethan and whispered something I couldn¡¯t catch, but I could see Ethan¡¯s grip on his sword rx slightly. "If it¡¯s proven that Prince McHart is indeed involved with demons, what will you do, Princess Seraphine?" "Though I don¡¯t want to believe it¡­ If he is involved with demons, even as a royal, he must face the appropriate punishment." "Understood." With Seraphine¡¯s final words, Ethan sheathed his sword and stepped off McHart¡¯s body, ready to let the matter be judged ording to Seraphine¡¯s suggestion. ¡®Not exactly the oue I nned, but at least the worst-case scenario was avoided.¡¯ Had McHart been killed¡ªor killed himself¡ªthings would have be very difficult for Ethan, no matter how justified his actions were. The original n had been for McHart¡¯s demonic nature to be revealed naturally, with the hero, Cerista, and Agnes all present to take him down. At thest moment, I would have used the "Mirror of Truth" to expose the traces of demonic power within him, ensuring that his death was seen as justified. Afterward, we would have left his body in the courtyard, where it would be discovered the next morning. With the "Veil of Concealment" spell, no one would have noticed the body until then, allowing us to distance ourselves from the scene and avoid suspicion. But with so many eyes now watching, that n was no longer viable. The best course of action was to prove McHart¡¯s demonic ties in front of everyone, ensuring that Ethan wouldn¡¯t be wrongfully used of regicide. "Lady Cerista." "¡­" "Lady Cerista, please step forward." The mention of the Saintess¡¯s name caused a ripple of murmurs in the crowd, but Cerista did not immediately reveal herself. -Murmur, murmur. "¡­" Instead, the crowd parted, revealing her location. Surrounded by people, there she was, wearing a suspicious mask that only made her stand out more. "Uh, um¡­" "¡­" "I think there¡¯s been some misunderstanding¡­ I¡¯m not the Saintess, just someone who happened to pass by and decided to join the gathering¡­" "Lady Cerista, this is not the time for jokes." "It really is the Saintess. I thought she looked familiar." "Did you really think no one would notice?" "¡­" Blushing furiously, Cerista finally stepped forward, quietly removing her mask. I couldn¡¯t help but think that wearing something so conspicuous had only made her more noticeable. Chapter 243 Cerista¡¯s entrance, which drew unintended attention, was followed by her treating McHart¡¯s injuries. This set the stage for the confrontation, led by Seraphine, regarding the conflicting ims of McHart and Ethan. Ethan insisted that McHart had used demonic power and threatened my life, justifying his death. McHart, on the other hand, used Ethan of fabricating the demon usation as an excuse to kill him. With both sides presenting their arguments, it was clear that words alone wouldn¡¯t resolve the issue. This was where the "Mirror of Truth," one of the Saintess¡¯s powers, needed toe into y. Using the Mirror of Truth would reveal the true nature of anyone hiding their demonic identity. However, McHart hadn¡¯t fully transformed into a demon yet, so it was unlikely that the mirror would reveal him as one directly. But I had a n. Since McHart had already fused with dark magic to such an extent that it was nearly inseparable from his essence, the Mirror of Truth would expose his connection to demonic forces by revealing this dark magic. "Cerista," Seraphine called, "Could you use the Mirror of Truth on my brother, McHart?" "Y-yes¡­!" Cerista stammered, clearly flustered, but nodded reluctantly. As someone who knew Cerista was a false Saintess, I understood her reaction. She wouldn¡¯t be able to sessfully use the Mirror of Truth on her own. Cerista¡¯s title was "False Saintess," which meant she couldn¡¯t wield the powers of a true Saintess. Perhaps in a few years, she might awaken to her true potential, but that time hadn¡¯te yet. For now, shecked the pure faith required for such a role. Even McHart and Seraphine seemed aware of this, judging by their confident and uneasy expressions, respectively. After all, in the original game, Seraphine never addressed Cerista as "Saintess" until she fully awakened, a subtle detail that could be noticed from the third ythrough onwards. McHart, through his connection with Evelyn and the demons, likely had information about Cerista¡¯s true nature. "Huu, hoo¡­ Huu, hoo¡­" Cerista tried to steady herself, visibly nervous. "Cerista, are you ready?" Seraphine asked, her tone patient but firm. "Y-yes¡­ Just a moment¡­ It¡¯s been a while since Ist used this, so I¡¯m a bit nervous¡­" Cerista was struggling even to pretend she could use the Mirror of Truth. My n had been to secretly cast the spell in her ce, making it seem like she had done it, but it appeared Cerista was too nervous even to go through the motions. Clearly, her gentle nature made lying difficult for her. The pressure of being falsely promoted as the Saintess for years had only worsened her timid personality. If things continued this way, not only would we fail to expose McHart¡¯s demonic ties, but Ethan could be charged with attempted regicide, and Cerista¡¯s identity as a false Saintess might also be revealed. I couldn¡¯t let that happen, so I quietly stepped behind Cerista and ced a reassuring hand on her shoulder. -Tap. "Eek! I¡¯m s-sorry¡­" ¡®Lady Cerista, calm down.¡¯ "Y-yes¡­?" ¡®I¡¯m going to whisper the incantation for the Mirror of Truth to you. Just repeat after me slowly.¡¯ "Y-yes, I under¡ª" ¡®Don¡¯t respond out loud. People are watching.¡¯ Cerista needed to maintain her role as the Saintess until we defeated the Demon King. If her true nature were exposed now, everything would fall apart. ¡®If not, I¡¯ll be running around like crazy after graduation.¡¯ This was an important issue for me. I had enrolled in the academy with the hope of living an easy life after graduation, and if my n went awry, all my efforts to alter my fate by entering the academy would have been in vain. "Cerista?" Seraphine called again, noticing the dy. "Princess Seraphine, Lady Cerista seems a bit nervous. May I hold her steady for a moment?" I asked, trying to sound calm andposed. "¡­Yes, go ahead." Whether Seraphine knew about my true identity as a Saintess or not was unclear, but with her permission, I began to quietly whisper the incantation into Cerista¡¯s ear. ¡®Let the false mask be removed, let the veil of delusion be lifted, and let the power of the Mirror of Truth descend upon this ce.¡¯ "Let the false mask be removed, let the veil of delusion be lifted¡­" Cerista repeated my words slowly and carefully. She stumbled over some words, but it didn¡¯t matter. The power of the Saintess wouldn¡¯t falter due to a few minor errors. As long as I chanted the spell correctly, the Mirror of Truth would activate, regardless of what Cerista said. ¡®When all illusions are revealed as false, the truth of the world will be unveiled through the holy power.¡¯ "When all illusions are revealed as false, the truth of the world¡­" Though Cerista was clumsy, she was trying her best to follow my lead. It was an admirable effort, considering this was her first time hearing the incantation. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for her to memorize it now; after this event, she would eventually awaken as the true Saintess. As our synchronized chanting reached its conclusion, the incantation echoed through the courtyard, and Cerista¡¯s final words resonated quietly. "When the Mirror of Truth isplete, all illusions will converge into a single vortex." -Bwoom! As Cerista finished her chant, the Mirror of Truth I had secretly cast illuminated McHart, and a small, circr holy sigil appeared in the air, bathing him in a pure white light. For about five seconds, McHart was enveloped in this light, and when it finally faded, the results of the Mirror of Truth were revealed. ¡­There were no visible signs of demonic transformation¡ªno horns, no discolored skin, no altered eyes. "Is it over?" McHart asked, his voice filled with smugness. "¡­" "Nothing seems to have changed. I don¡¯t feel any horns on my head, and my skin color hasn¡¯t changed either." "¡­" "A person calling themselves the Saintess wouldn¡¯t use a mere light spell to pretend they were using the Mirror of Truth. So, the fact that I haven¡¯t transformed into a demon must mean that you were lying, Ethan." Confident in his apparent victory, McHart approached Ethan, taunting him. He believed that because he hadn¡¯t undergone a physical transformation, the Mirror of Truth was a sham, a mere trick. But everyone except McHart already knew that the Mirror of Truth had worked perfectly. McHart was disying undeniable evidence of dark magic right on his "face." "Regicide¡­ No, more precisely, attempted regicide is a serious crime. You may be in trouble, Ethan, but at least it¡¯s not as severe as the actual crime. You might lose your head, but your family and fianc¨¦e will be spared." "¡­" "Of course, the ckwood family will no longer be a ducal house, and your fianc¨¦e will lose her noble status. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of her after you¡¯re gone¡ª" "Who are you?! Where is Prince McHart?!" A voice suddenly cried out from the crowd, cutting McHart off. "W-what?" McHart¡¯s smug expression froze as he realized that one of the nobles he had considered an ally was now using him. The woman¡¯s reaction left him stunned; she had no idea what kind of "face" he was showing to the world. McHart, still oblivious to the change in his appearance, confidently approached the crowd, but the young noblewoman who had spoken backed away, a look of disgust on her face. "What are you saying, mydy? I¡¯m right here, your beloved¡ª" "Don¡¯t lie¡­!! There¡¯s no way the prince could look like¡­ like such a hideous beast¡­!!" "¡­Hideous?" McHart was taken aback by the young woman¡¯s harsh words. As he hesitated, others in the crowd began to hurl simr insults at him. "Where did you hide the prince?! Give him back!" "Don¡¯t pretend to be Prince McHart with that grotesque face! It¡¯s revolting!" "Stay away! You monster!!" "W-wait¡­ What are you all talking about¡­?" The nobles, who had once shown unwavering loyalty to McHart, now turned against him. Their voices, filled with anger and disgust, overwhelmed him, causing him to stumble backward and fall to the ground. He had never experienced such collective scorn, and it showed on his face, which contorted with disbelief.@@novelbin@@ One of the more observant noblewomen finally seemed to grasp the truth, murmuring aloud, "Could it be¡­ that this is the true face revealed by the Mirror of Truth¡­?" With that realization, the crowd began to murmur among themselves, their suspicions growing. A small hand mirror suddenly fell at McHart¡¯s feet, thrown by Seraphine. "Brother McHart, why don¡¯t you take a look at your face?" Seraphine suggested with a tone of disdain. "¡­" McHart hesitated, but he eventually picked up the mirror. What he saw reflected in it was the distorted, ugly visage of a man who looked like he had been crudely sculpted out of y. Chapter 244 "U-Urgh... Aaaaaaahhh!!" McHart screamed in horror as he dropped the hand mirror, stumbling backward in terror at the sight of his own reflection. The hideous, disfigured face staring back at him was a far cry from the handsome features he once prided himself on. It had been nearly four years since he hadst seen his true face, and the shock of it was overwhelming. "W-what... What is happening... Why...?" McHart muttered, his hands trembling as he touched his face, as if trying toprehend the reality of what had happened. It wasn¡¯t just McHart who was confused; most of the people present didn¡¯t seem to grasp what was going on either. Seizing the opportunity, I began to exin how the "Mirror of Truth" worked to the bewildered crowd. "The Mirror of Truth is a power that reveals the true nature of its target, exposing their real form," I said calmly. "Lillis?" someone in the crowd called out, puzzled. "With the power of the Saintess, the Mirror of Truth can unmask demons hiding among humans," I continued. "Dark magic, which demons use to conceal their true forms, is nothing more than an illusion in the face of this power." "Lillis, who are you talking to right now...?" another voice inquired, even more confused. "So, if the light from the Mirror of Truth has revealed this as Prince McHart¡¯s true appearance... isn¡¯t this his real face?" I concluded, letting the implication sink in. "¡­!" McHart visibly panicked, his expression betraying his fear as my words took hold among the onlookers. Slowly, the realization began to dawn on the crowd, and they started nodding, piecing together the situation. "Y-yes, if the Mirror of Truth showed this... then he must have been using transformation magic..." "But transformation magic is dark magic, right? And only imperial-approved sorcerers are allowed to use it, aren¡¯t they?" "The empire banned dark magic because it¡¯s used by demons, you idiot." "So, could it be that Prince McHart is really...?" The crowd murmured, hesitant to fully voice their thoughts, likely out of fear ofmitting sphemy. Despite the obvious evidence that McHart had been using dark magic to disguise himself, he was still a royal, after all. Amidst the growing tension, a brave noblewoman, with beige twin-tails, stepped forward, eager to defend McHart. "N-no! There¡¯s no way Prince McHart could be some ugly monster!" she cried out, her voice trembling. This girl, likely an extra from earlier, had entered with McHart, but I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her. Her presence now, standing before the crowd, was an attempt to clear McHart¡¯s name. "You¡¯re all being deceived! There¡¯s no way Prince McHart could be such an ugly freak!" she insisted. "Is that really true...?" "But the Mirror of Truth..." "Someone must have cursed Prince McHart! There¡¯s no way he could really be such a hideous...!" "No, that person is indeed Prince McHart, Lady Erisya," Seraphine¡¯s voice rang out, silencing the girl¡¯s protests. "Princess Seraphine?" Erisya stammered, taken aback. "I¡¯ve always noticed something odd when recalling memories of my brother, McHart," Seraphine began, her tone calm but pointed. "Seraphine... What are you talking about?" McHart¡¯s voice wavered with growing fear. "In my memories, McHart has always been handsome, but he never seemed to like his own face for some reason," Seraphine continued, her words heavy with meaning. "W-what do you mean? No, this can¡¯t be...!" "To alter not just one¡¯s appearance but also how others remember it¡ªthat¡¯s a power even the imperial-approved dark sorcerers aren¡¯t permitted to wield, isn¡¯t it, brother?" Seraphine¡¯s question was more of an usation. "N-no, that¡¯s not true... Please, you have to believe me..." McHart¡¯s voice trembled, hisposure crumbling under the weight of Seraphine¡¯s words. Seraphine¡¯s quick grasp of the situation and her firm conclusion that McHart had already turned to demonic power left Erisya, who had stepped forward to defend him, in a difficult position. "Lady Erisya," Seraphine addressed her directly, "didn¡¯t you just im that my brother was cursed and that¡¯s why he looks like this?" "Y-yes...? No... I mean, I didn¡¯t mean...," Erisya stammered, caught off guard. "Then are you willing to take responsibility for what you said in front of a royal?" Seraphine asked, her tone sharp. "..." Erisya fell silent, realizing the gravity of her words. "It¡¯s alright, Lady Erisya," Seraphine continued, her voice softening slightly. "You truly believe my brother is cursed, so I¡¯ll give you a chance to break that curse with your sincere kiss. Surely, you¡¯ve heard the old tale of the prince turned into a frog by a witch¡¯s curse, haven¡¯t you?" "..." Erisya¡¯s face drained of color as she realized where this was heading. "In that tale, the prince was freed from his curse by the kiss of ady who truly loved him," Seraphine exined, her voice dripping with gentle cruelty. "So, Lady Erisya, if you believe my brother is truly cursed, then your kiss should be able to break that curse. Go on." Seraphine¡¯s grip on Erisya¡¯s arm tightened as she led the reluctant girl toward the fallen McHart. Erisya¡¯s face was filled with dread, and she hesitated with each step, knowing that the idea of kissing McHart¡¯s cursed face was horrifying. "Come now, Lady Erisya," Seraphine urged. "P-Princess...?" Erisya whimpered, her voice shaking. "Quickly. A kiss from you can break the curse on my brother," Seraphine insisted. "I-I... I can¡¯t... I¡¯m sorry, Princess...," Erisya choked out, desperately trying to pull away. "Why don¡¯t you hurry up?" Seraphine¡¯s voice was suddenly steely. "..." Erisya, unable to resist Seraphine¡¯s grip, was forced closer to McHart¡¯s face, who, despite everything, seemed to hold out some hope for the kiss. But as Erisya neared his disfigured face, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. -Smack! "Gurk! Uurrgh...!!" "..." "Bleergh...! Uueergh...!!" ...Poor girl. Clearly, the idea of kissing McHart repulsed her to the point that she knocked Seraphine¡¯s hand away and turned her head, vomiting uncontrobly. McHart¡¯s suit was now stained with Erisya¡¯s bile, but I couldn¡¯t muster any sympathy for him. After all, that suit would soon be his burial shroud. "Oh dear, it seems you¡¯re not feeling well, Lady Erisya," Seraphine remarked, her tone almost mocking. "Gurgh... H-hurgh..." "Why don¡¯t you try again? My brother will forgive you for dirtying his suit if you manage to break the curse." "N-no... I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not a curse... McHart was always this ugly... I¡¯m sorry, Princess Seraphine... Please, no more..." The crowd fell silent at Erisya¡¯s desperate admission, the truth finallying to light. They all seemed to share a sense of pity for the unfortunate girl. "I see. I had hoped that you could break my brother¡¯s curse, Lady Erisya," Seraphine said with feigned disappointment, releasing Erisya from her grasp. The young noblewoman, her courage shattered, quickly fled into the pce, leaving the courtyard behind. Of the remaining onlookers, about sixty percent were still nobledies. "Is there anyone else who would like to try breaking my brother¡¯s curse?" Seraphine asked, her tone deceptively sweet. -Stampede. Before she even finished her sentence, the majority of the remainingdies quickly dispersed. "Oh, and gentlemen, you¡¯re wee to try as well. Normally, this would be out of the question, but given the circumstances of breaking such an ugly curse, exceptions can be made," Seraphine added, watching as thest few remaining nobles hurriedly fled, leaving only a small group behind. Among those who stayed were Ethan, Seraphine, Cerista, McHart, and me. It seemed like Ethan¡¯s allies¡ªAgnes and the others¡ªwere nowhere to be seen, though the situation had resolved itself without them. The focus now shifted to McHart¡¯s proper punishment. The Mirror of Truth had exposed his use of dark magic, and with numerous nobles and royal guards as witnesses, the evidence was undeniable. As Seraphine prepared to carry out justice, she addressed McHart with cold finality. "Colluding with demons, using forbidden dark magic, manipting the memories of royals... The list of your crimes is long, McHart. Do you have anyst words?" "W-why...?" McHart stammered, his voice trembling. "..." Seraphine waited, her expression unchanging. "That woman... she¡¯s not the real Saintess..." McHart mumbled, pointing a shaking finger at Cerista. His hands trembled violently as he realized the full extent of the betrayal. He turned his gaze slowly towards me, recognition dawning in his widened eyes. "Y-you... couldn¡¯t be...," McHart stuttered, his pupils dting as if finally understanding something crucial. His eyes filled with terror, and he began to stammer out a dangerous revtion, one that the royal guards nearby shouldn¡¯t hear. But just before he could speak further, Ethan intervened, ensuring that McHart¡¯sst words were silenced forever.@@novelbin@@ "Could it be that you are the real Sa¡ª" -sh. ...A head without a body can¡¯t finish a sentence. Chapter 245 With a dull thud, McHart''s head hit the ground, rolling away lifelessly. The sound of it dropping was followed by a rather awkward apology from the one who had wielded the sword. "I''m sorry for acting without permission, Princess Seraphine. But with the undeniable evidence of Prince McHart''s collusion with demonic forces, I felt it necessary to eliminate him swiftly before he could cause further harm." "No, there''s no need to apologize. It was something that had to be done, and if you hadn¡¯t, it would have been required sooner orter anyway. In fact, I should thank you for your swift action, Lord Ethan." In reality, Ethan''s action had been more about silencing McHart before he could reveal that I was the true Saintess, but Seraphine didn''t seem to have any sympathy left for McHart. She didn''t consider Ethan''s impulsive act a problem. "It¡¯s still shocking to think that my brother McHart would resort to demonic power to alter his appearance and even manipte the memories others had of him," Seraphine mused, her voice tinged with both sadness and disgust. "Indeed, Princess Seraphine," Ethan replied solemnly. "I knew that my brothercked confidence in his appearance when he was younger," Seraphine continued, "but I never imagined his insecurities would lead him down such a dark path. It¡¯s unforgivable that he not only altered his looks but used that power to harm women and even threaten Lillis." Seraphine gestured to the royal guards, who quickly began to collect McHart¡¯s body, now severed and lifeless. As the guards moved to clear the scene, Seraphine looked up at the night sky, her expression distant. "Five years ago, when our brother Philipson died, I wondered if McHart had gone into seclusion to avoid a simr fate. But now, it¡¯s clear he was preparing thisrge-scale memory maniption magic all along. Even though we were only half-siblings, it¡¯s still hard to process this so coldly." "It¡¯s understandable, Princess Seraphine," I offered, trying tofort her. "But in a way, I¡¯m relieved that McHart is gone," Seraphine admitted. "So many of my suspicions about him have been resolved. Whenever I recalled memories with him, there was always something off. But now, everything makes sense. The reason why new maids or butlers couldn¡¯t recognize McHart and inadvertently acted rudely, or why he had three different fianc¨¦es¡ªall those strange urrences were because of his reliance on demonic power." "Princess Seraphine¡­," I began, unsure of how to console her further. "And as his sister, I should have noticed his suffering and tried to understand it... but I waspletely useless," she said with a bitter smile. Even though Seraphine could sometimes see the future, it was a sporadic ability, not something she could control at will or use to look into specific moments. Yet here she was, ming herself for not foreseeing McHart¡¯s descent into darkness. It was just who she was¡ªa person who felt deeply responsible for those around her. But while Seraphine dealt with herplex feelings, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief. The one person who had posed the greatest threat to my life was finally gone. McHart had been a constant source of torment ever since I ended up in this world, and now, with his head severed, that threat was finally over. If the situation had allowed it, I might have even danced with joy. But given the solemn atmosphere, I had to settle for inward celebration.@@novelbin@@ "Finally," I thought, "it¡¯s over." I had gone through so much just to take down this one man. There were moments when I genuinely thought I might die, and countless other close calls. Facing a fourth-act boss before the end of the second act was never going to be easy. The only reason we had managed to seed was because both Ethan and I knew the story so well. There were so many variables¡ªfacing off against a royal, the fact that McHart hadn¡¯t fully transformed into a demon, and the absence of a fully recognized Saintess. Even in the end, McHart had nearly revealed that I was the true Saintess. If he had managed to say it, I doubted it would have caused much harm, as the royal guards'' silence could have been secured, and the others present either already knew or were trusted allies. But I still preferred to avoid any unnecessaryplications. As I thought this over, I noticed Seraphine watching me with a curious, almost suspicious gaze. It was likely she had already deduced that I was the true Saintess. The situation made it almost impossible for her not to. Now, it seemed like I would have to exin myself to her, yet again. "Why do I have to keep confessing that I¡¯m the Saintess?" I sighed internally. At the same time, I couldn''t help but wonder where Ethan''s allies¡ªAgnes and the others¡ªhad gone. Without them, I was left to deal with Seraphine''s attention all by myself. "They better have a good reason for not responding to my call," I thought with mild irritation. "This was a life-and-death situation for me, so I think I¡¯m entitled to a little bit of frustration." ? ? ? Meanwhile, in another part of the pce, Ebelin Bridget Steiner found herself in a dire situation. The name she had used to blend in among humans was now useless. The very reason she had adopted that identity had vanished before her eyes. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" she cursed internally. When Ebelin had alerted the noblewomen about McHart¡¯s disappearance and subtly guided them toward the courtyard, she hadn¡¯t anticipated things would turn out like this. She had been preparing for the possibility that McHart might not be able to ovee that woman, Lillis, and had gathered as many witnesses as possible to protect him. After all, she had underestimated the unexpected appearance of a Sword Expert, a factor that had thrown her n off course. But instead of seeding, her n had backfired horribly, putting her in a precarious position. When the "Mirror of Truth" had been used, Ebelin had initially thought everything was going smoothly. She knew that Cerista was a fake Saintess, a fact widely known among the demons. It was Ebelin who had informed McHart of this. She assumed that when the mirror exposed McHart¡¯s dark magic, it might also reignite suspicions about Cerista being a fake Saintess, potentially driving a wedge between her and the Hero. But to her horror, the mirror had functioned correctly, revealing McHart¡¯s true nature. It was only then that Ebelin realized something was terribly wrong. "Could it be... the real Saintess is among them?" she thought in panic. Unlike the others, Ebelin quickly pieced together what had happened. The final incantation that had activated the mirror hadn¡¯te from Cerista but from the woman whispering in her ear. Ebelin had sensed a strong aura around this woman and had nned to use her for her own purposes. Little did she know that this woman was the true Saintess she and McHart had been targeting all along. "I need to inform the others... If the Dark Lord revives while the Saintess is still alive...," Ebelin thought, her panic mounting. Without looking back, Ebelin fled, knowing she had to ry this crucial information to the other members of the Dark Lord¡¯s army. If the Saintess remained alive, the prophecy would alsoe to pass. The demons had gone to great lengths to avoid this by hiding the child destined to be the Saintess, pushing the church to create a false Saintess to deflect attention. Originally, they had nned to kill the destined child outright, but things hadn¡¯t gone as nned. They had settled for hiding her, hoping she would lose her divine connection in obscurity or perish in harsh conditions. But against all odds, the Saintess had survived, and Ebelin knew she had to act quickly. However, as she attempted to escape, a cold, sharp pain pierced her back, impaling her heart. "Cough¡ªCough! W-what...?" Ebelin gasped, blood spilling from her mouth as she looked down at the de protruding from her chest. The weapon radiated holy energy, and Ebelin didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who had struck her. "H-How...?" she tried to speak, but her voice was faint. "Found her, Agnes! Over here!" a voice called out. "I told you not to call me by my first name like we¡¯re close," another voice responded. It was the Hero and Agnes Elizabeth ze, two people the Dark Lord¡¯s army had been monitoring closely. Even as her consciousness faded, Ebelin recognized their voices. "Wow, you really are next in line to be the Archmage. That detection spell was no joke. You even found a demon using concealment magic." "Stop exaggerating. It was nothing," Agnes replied, her tone t. "Anyway, good thing we got her. If she¡¯d escaped, she might¡¯ve spread dangerous information about Lillis and Ethan. Thanks to you, we avoided that," the Hero said, relief evident in his voice. "Just make sure Lillis knows this was your fault if sheins about us not meeting up as nned," Agnes warned. "She won¡¯t be that mad," the Hero shrugged. "By the way, how did you know she was a demon? I wasn¡¯t certain until just now." "Uh, well... I sometimes receive visions as a Hero, and one happened toe through just in time..." the Hero trailed off, clearly improvising. "I need to... warn them..." Ebelin thought desperately, but her body was already failing. The two didn¡¯t even spare her a nce as they conversed, treating her as little more than an obstacle they had dealt with. With herst thoughts cursing her fate, Ebelin, a nameless demon, crumbled into dust in the pce¡¯s garden. ? ? ? "Huh?" I muttered. "What¡¯s wrong, Lillis?" Ethan asked, concerned. "Is something the matter, Lillis?" Seraphine added, her brow furrowed. "No, it¡¯s nothing," I replied, shaking off the strange feeling. I couldn¡¯t quite ce it, but it felt like the purity of the area around me had suddenly increased. Was it a side effect of my newfound powers as the true Saintess? Or maybe it was just my imagination. Chapter 246 After the Defeat of MacHart, Another Meeting The meeting after the defeat of MacHart had a slightly differentpositionpared to when the original task force was formed. Of course, those present at the scene of MacHart''s punishment¡ªEthan, Serista, and myself¡ªwere naturally included. Joining us was Seraphine, who had recently discovered that I was the true Saintess. Although I hadn''t officially confirmed my identity to her, it was clear from her behavior that she already knew the truth. ''This meeting was clearly organized by Seraphine to confirm whether I am the Saintess or not.'' Naturally, she had many other questions she wanted to ask me, but the most pressing one was undoubtedly about my identity as the Saintess. The meeting was also meant to discuss the circumstances of the MacHart incident¡ªwhen it was nned, how many people were involved, and other details. I had plenty of questions for Seraphine as well, so I couldn''t refuse to attend. Besides, I needed to hear what had transpired in the banquet hall while I was away. Another addition to the meeting was Luke, who was always by Seraphine''s side. I was slightly concerned about whether it was safe to reveal my identity as the Saintess and the royal assassination plot in front of her, but I figured that Luke was trustworthy enough. If anything particrly sensitive came up, Seraphine could always ask her to leave. Fortunately, the pce was eerily quiet, as if the recentmotion had never happened. Finding a quiet room to hold the meeting wasn''t difficult. After all, it would be strange if any of the noble guests were still lingering in the pce after such a major incident. We found a room and were about to start the meeting when two more people entered. "Ah, there you all are. I was looking for you in the back garden." "We expected you to arrive soon, Hero." "Just so you know, Lilith, we didn''t ck off." "Yes, Agnes." Well, to be precise, three people entered. "Agnes, I apologize for what happened earlier. I truly thought my fianc¨¦e was in danger and felt it was my duty as her betrothed to intervene¡ª" "I told you to go away. Who said I''m your fianc¨¦e? Just leave... I don''t want to see you." "But Agnes, I really¡ª" "Stop holding my hand!" It was clear that the Hero and Agnes had returned from some important task, and with them was Prince Antonio, clinging to Agnes like a lost puppy. Even without witnessing the events firsthand, I could guess what had happened. Earlier, MacHart had arranged for Antonio to meet Agnes, so it seemed that Antonio had somehow dyed Agnes from joining the battle, which understandably put her in a foul mood. "Antonio might not be directly involved in this incident, but you should sit down as well." "...Yes, Seraphine." -Click. "Don''t sit next to me. I don''t want to see your face, so sit far away. And don¡¯t sit across from me either." "But, Agnes¡ª" "Antonio, stop being stubborn and sit next to me. I have a few things I need to say to you today." "...Yes, Seraphine." Antonio, reluctant to upset Agnes further, carefully took a seat two spots away from where he had intended to sit. There were eight seats at the round table, so there was no shortage of space. Luke, who had naturally taken on the role of serving tea and snacks, left one seat vacant as she served everyone. Thus, seven people sat down to begin the report on the day''s events. "So, where should we start?" "..." "First, let''s discuss the facts we all know to get a clear picture of the situation." With Seraphine guiding the discussion, we quickly reviewed the events that had taken ce a few hours earlier. I had been put in a life-threatening situation due to MacHart¡¯s dark magic, prompting me to seek Ethan¡¯s help. Of course, the situation was too dire for just Ethan and me to handle alone, so we sought help from those we could trust¡ªthe Hero, Serista, and Agnes. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust Seraphine, but given the sensitive nature of the situation involving royalty, I was cautious about informing her. MacHart had informed Antonio that Agnes would be attending the exchange meeting, and Antonio¡¯s unexpected intrusion nearly jeopardized our operation. While the Hero and Agnes were temporarily tied up dealing with Antonio, Ethan managed to save me, and together we were able to defeat MacHart. Finally, using Serista¡¯s "Mirror of Truth" (though it was actually mine), we exposed MacHart¡¯s dark magic and executed him on the spot. Our discussion resulted in a detailed, dramatic recount of the events, and it also rified why Agnes was so upset with Antonio. "Once again, I apologize for my actions today. I was only thinking about Agnes¡¯s future..." "Be quiet. I don¡¯t want to hear it. If something had happened to Lilith because of you, I would have¡ª" "Agnes, please calm down. I¡¯m fine now, aren¡¯t I?" "...Yes." I was barely managing to calm Agnes, who was on the verge ofmitting a crime against the prince of a royal family. If something had happened to me, I doubt I could have calmed her so easily. I could almost see Agnes biting her tongue to hold back the curses she wanted to hurl at Antonio, even though he was royalty. "By the way, Hero, where did you and Agnes go without joining us? I¡¯m sure everyone received my magical signal at the same time." "There was another of MacHart''s coborators. I had a feeling it was important to track them down, so Agnes and I conducted a separate search." "We didn¡¯t miss the battle. We were there when the Mirror of Truth was used. Then this guy dragged me out, saying he had something else to do." "If MacHart had a coborator... could it be the person I¡¯m thinking of?" "...It might be dangerous to discuss this openly. I think we should limit the audience." Seraphine, understanding the Hero¡¯s implication, nced at Luke, who, with a single nod, finished pouring tea into everyone¡¯s cups and quietly left the room. "I¡¯ll be waiting 10 meters outside the meeting room." Luke¡¯s transformation into a perfect maid over the years was evident¡ªshe no longer worried about being left out of the conversation, a stark contrast to her younger self. "Agnes, could you tell us who this coborator is?" "Antonio, you should leave too." "Seraphine?" "This doesn¡¯t concern you, Antonio. Your role in this matter ended when you exined why you swung your sword at the Hero. Now, you should either wait outside with Luke or return to the pce." "But, Seraphine, since it concerns Agnes, I have the right to know¡ª" "Seraphine told you to leave. Get out." "Please excuse me, Prince Antonio. This is a matter of confidentiality."@@novelbin@@ "..." "...Understood. I¡¯ll wait outside, Agnes." "Don¡¯t wait. Just go." Antonio''s departure was reminiscent of how Luke used to leave the room¡ªlonely and reluctant. But Antonio wasn¡¯t directly involved in the main events, so this was necessary. Considering what was about to be discussed, the fewer eyes present, the better. The conversation and actions that would take ce in this room were too confidential to be shared with Antonio. Once the door closed behind Antonio, leaving only the six of us in the room, Seraphine was the first to speak again. "Before we hear from the Hero, I¡¯d like to ask Lilith a question, if that¡¯s alright." "...Yes, Princess Seraphine." "Actually, it¡¯s less of a question and more of a confirmation. I think you already know what I¡¯m going to ask, Lilith." "..." "When I saw the power you disyed in the garden earlier, I was convinced. Lilith, you are the true Saintess of this generation, aren¡¯t you?" "...What?" Agnes, sitting beside me, turned her head in shock, realizing for the first time what was being said. The others, who already knew the truth, simply maintained theirposure in silence. "Seraphine? What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t there only one Saintess? And isn¡¯t that Saintess Serista?" "Yes, Princess Seraphine, you are correct." "So it was you behind Serista when the Mirror of Truth was used." "Well, it wasn¡¯t something I could hide forever." "..." "Please don¡¯t tell anyone else, Princess Seraphine. We don¡¯t want the fact that Lilith is the Saintess to be widely known." The Hero responded calmly, as if he had expected this all along. Serista¡¯s eyes darted around nervously, realizing that Seraphine had figured it out, while Ethan requested that Seraphine keep my secret safe. Agnes, seeing everyone else¡¯s reactions, could onlye to one conclusion. "...Was I the only one who didn¡¯t know?" We hadn¡¯t intentionally kept it from Agnes, but yes, she was thest to find out. Chapter 247 Reassuring Agnes and Exining My True Identity as the Saintess After noticing how Agnes became disheartened upon realizing she was thest to learn that I was the Saintess, I gently reassured her. Then, I began exining the circumstances under which I truly came to terms with my identity as the Saintess. "So, does that mean both Serista and the Hero knew that Lilith¡ªno, that Lady Lilith was the true Saintess from the beginning?" Seraphine asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern. "Yes, that''s correct. In my case, I learned about it through a ''divine oracle'' that was given to me after I became the Hero," the Hero responded. "And for me¡­ I found out when I was treating Lady Lilith some time ago¡­ it was by chance, really¡­" Serista added, her voice tinged with unease. Their responses confirmed that both had known of my status as the Saintess well before it became public knowledge. For context, the Hero often used the excuse of a ''divine oracle'' whenever he needed to predict future events in this world. The inhabitants of this world were unaware that the Hero came from another world and knew the storyline, so this exnation usually sufficed. "But why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier¡­ No, on second thought, it makes sense that you kept it from me," Seraphine concluded, understanding the reasoning behind their secrecy. "Exactly. As I mentioned before, I never cared whether Serista was the real Saintess or not. As long as she could fulfill her duties by my side, that was all that mattered," the Hero said inly. "Hero¡­," Serista whispered, touched by his words. "And that''s why I couldn¡¯t tell you, Seraphine. If I had, and you had distanced yourself from Serista just because she was a ''fake'' Saintess, it would have made our journey much more difficult," he added. "I agree with that. Even if Serista couldn¡¯t fulfill the role of a Saintess, her abilities as a priestess, particrly her divine power, are exceptional. In fact, she¡¯s probably far more skilled than Lady Lilith, who only recently became the Saintess," Seraphine acknowledged, offering a subtle constion for Serista¡¯s contributions.@@novelbin@@ Her words made it easier for me to bring up Serista¡¯s role in my own transformation. "Yes, and Serista was the one who secretly consecrated me, making me the Saintess. She risked her own safety to do so, which makes her more fitting for the role of Saintess than I am," I added, genuinely meaning every word. "N-No! Lady Lilith, please don¡¯t say that¡­!" Serista stammered, horrified at the suggestion. Given her devout upbringing within the church, Serista was understandably shocked by what she considered a sphemous statement. However, I couldn¡¯t afford to stop here. "But I truly believe that Serista is more suited to be the Saintess. She has courageously led the fight against the demons alongside the Hero, something I have yet to do," I continued. "N-No¡­ I¡¯m too selfish to be a Saintess¡­," Serista replied, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "Actually, your human qualities make you even more fitting as the Saintess. And¡ª" I began, but my words were suddenly interrupted. "Anyway, there was a demon among those present when MacHart¡¯s dark magic was exposed. It seemed to be fleeing in a hurry, so we went after it, which is why we werete," the Hero interjected, steering the conversation back to his own aplishments. "Thank you, Hero. I appreciate your efforts in the demon hunt," I replied, though it was clear he was trying to shift the focus away from my words. It was likely that the demon he mentioned was Evelyn. Ideally, I would have liked to deal with her as well, but the reason we didn¡¯t was that I didn¡¯t want to spread our resources too thin and risk failing to deal with MacHart. Even though Evelyn was a formidable demon, MacHart was a prince, and handling him was far more challenging in every respect. "I see. Thank you, Hero," I said, trying to steer the conversation back. "And judging by how quickly the demon fled, it seems like it figured out that Lilith is the real Saintess. If we¡¯d left it alone, that information might have spread among the demons," the Hero added nonchntly. "...What?" I replied, caught off guard. "I¡¯m not trying to make a big deal out of it. Just saying," the Hero said casually, though his words implied, "You owe me for saving your life, Lilith." "Thank you, Hero, I truly appreciate it," I responded, though internally, I added, "Yes, I¡¯m really, truly grateful, you jerk." After finishing the briefing, a silence settled over the room. Initially, I was tense, thinking I¡¯d have to make a troublesome confession about being the Saintess. But as the meeting progressed, I realized those worries were unnecessary. Seraphine had already been certain of my identity before I revealed it, and Agnes had gradually epted it as the truth. Now, only the six of us knew that I was the true Saintess. ...And soon, it would be up to us to confirm that Serista was not the true Saintess. "Well, now that it¡¯s out in the open, I suppose it¡¯s for the best. It¡¯s a shame that the possibility of Serista being the true Saintess ispletely dismissed, but at least we know for sure that Lady Lilith is the real Saintess," Seraphine said, trying to put a positive spin on the situation. "I-I¡¯m so sorry for deceiving everyone¡­," Serista stammered, bowing her head. "Don¡¯t worry about it, Serista. We all knew, and for now, it¡¯s better for the public to continue believing that you¡¯re the true Saintess," Seraphine reassured her. "...No, that won¡¯t be necessary, Princess Seraphine," I interrupted, catching everyone by surprise. Seraphine turned her gaze towards me, slightly tilting her head in curiosity as I approached Serista. "Serista," I called softly. "L-Lady Lilith? Please, there¡¯s no need to be so formal¡­," Serista replied, visibly flustered. "Have you ever thought, even once, that you wanted to be the real Saintess while traveling with the Hero as the ''fake'' one?" I asked. "...What?" Serista responded, her voice tinged with confusion as she processed my words. Clearly uncertain of my intentions, she nervously nced around, her eyes darting from side to side. "W-What are you saying, Lady Lilith¡­?" Serista stammered. "I mean exactly what I said. I think you¡¯re more suited to the role of Saintess than I am," I exined calmly. "Th-That¡¯s¡­ such a sphemous thing to say¡­," Serista replied, shaking her head. "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s sphemy at all. You¡¯re the one who embodies the virtues closest to the goddess¡¯s will: selflessness, unwavering love, and the courage to face any danger," I continued, trying to convince her. "O-Oh no¡­ I-I¡­," Serista was clearly overwhelmed, her face growing more distressed with each word. "Lady Lilith¡­ or rather, Saintess Lilith¡­ you shouldn¡¯t say such things lightly¡­," Agnes interjected, her voice tinged with concern. "Lilith, be careful with your words. You might invoke divine punishment," Ethan added cautiously. Apparently, Serista wasn¡¯t the only one troubled by my words. Both Seraphine and Agnes were now watching me with worried expressions, and even Ethan seemed rmed, his wide eyes staring at me in disbelief. Was this really such a shocking idea? Only the Hero, also from another world like me, seemed unfazed. Seizing the moment, I decided to direct my argument to him. "Hero, what do you think?" I asked. "...Me?" the Hero replied, clearly caught off guard. "Yes. You¡¯ve spent the most time with Serista, so you must know better than anyone that she¡¯s the most fitting person to be the Saintess, right?" I pressed, trying to bring him on board with my n. "We already discussed this, so help me out here," I thought to myself. "If Serista became the Saintess instead of Lilith, it wouldn¡¯t cause any problems. In fact, since most people already believe Serista is the Saintess, it might even be for the best," the Hero replied, adding his own thoughts, "It would also make it easier to protect Serista from the public eye." Hearing his response, I thought I was on the verge of sess. If I could secure the Hero¡¯s agreement, Serista¡¯s would surely follow. My n was simple: pass on the title of Saintess, along with all its responsibilities, to Serista. Then, I could finally enjoy a peaceful, leisurely life in this world¡­ "It seems you agree, Hero," I said, trying to solidify his support. "It¡¯s not about agreeing. It¡¯s more that I¡¯d prefer if that were the case," he rified. "In that case, Hero, if it were possible for me to transfer my ''qualifications as Saintess'' to Serista, what would you think about that?" I asked, pushing the matter further. "Saintess Lilith?!" Serista gasped. "Lilith? Have you lost your mind?" Agnes eximed. "O-Oh no¡­ oh no¡­!" Serista stammered, on the verge of panic. "..." Except for Ethan, everyone else in the room seemed shocked to the point of standing up. The Hero, however, remained seated, calmly listening to my proposition. Given that the Hero was fully aware of the situation, I had expected him to support my n, but instead, he responded with an unexpectedly lukewarm and vague answer. "Hmm, I¡¯m not sure what to say," he replied. "What do you mean?" I asked, taken aback by his response. "To be honest, I¡¯ve worked closely with Serista, but I have almost no experience working with you, Lilith. Atst year¡¯s end-of-year hunting festival, we weren¡¯t even in the same party, and even during the MacHart incident, we fought separately for most of it," he exined. "I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, Hero," I said, feeling my frustration build. "What I mean is that I can¡¯t make an objective judgment on who is more suited to be the Saintess. I know Serista is a great priestess, but I don¡¯t know enough about you, Lilith, to say whether you¡¯re a great priestess, a great mage, or a great swordsman," he said,ying out his reasoning. "..." I fell silent, processing his words. "Sure, I¡¯d prefer it if Serista were the Saintess, given how long we¡¯ve worked together. But I can¡¯t make that judgment when I barely know you," he concluded. What was this? His logic was sound, but did he really have to bring this up now? Wasn¡¯t the n to transfer my Saintess powers to Serista already agreed upon? Why was he suddenly being difficult? As my mind raced with frustration, someone else spoke up, interrupting the Hero''s string of excuses. "By the way, Lilith¡­," he began. "...By the way," Ethan''s cold voice cut in, sending a chill through the room. "..." The Hero fell silent as Ethan''s aura red with a cold, blue energy. Ethan''s eyes narrowed, and his gaze was filled with deadly intent as he stared directly at the Hero, making it clear that he would not tolerate any further discussion on the matter. Chapter 248 Ethan''s Killing Intent and the Tense Negotiation Ethan¡¯s killing intent was so palpable that it seemed a sword fight could break out at any moment. The tension was directed squarely at the Hero, who, as I had somewhat expected, had managed to provoke Ethan with his ambiguous words. The Hero¡¯s attitude had been far too lukewarm from the start. Despite having privately agreed with me that he would help make Serista the official Saintess, the Hero was now singing a different tune, leaving me feeling increasingly frustrated. ¡®Could he actually be interested in me¡­? No way¡­¡¯ I could only hope that wasn¡¯t the case. I was already teetering on the edge of a delicate situation with Ethan, and thest thing I needed was the Heroplicating things further. From my perspective as someone who was once a unicorn, the number of men a woman could be with in her lifetime should be limited to one. The moment a woman slept with more than one man, she was no longer pure in my eyes¡ªshe became what I disdainfully referred to as "impure." While I could ept that I had been reincarnated as Lilith, who was destined to be a "fallen woman," I had worked hard to change that fate. I had avoided the horrific destiny of being subjected to gang rape, drug abuse, or even being defiled by animals. Despite everything that had happened between Ethan and me, I still considered myself pure by my own standards because we hadn¡¯t crossed the final line. But now, if I ended up with the Hero too, just like the original Lilith who was saved by him in the game¡­ I had to prevent that at all costs. If I ended up bing the true "Lilith the Fallen" in this world, I might very well lose all will to live and end things myself. "I¡¯m not done speaking yet, Lord Ethan. Please, don¡¯t misunderstand," the Hero said calmly, trying to defuse the tension. "I can¡¯t imagine how there could be anything in what you just said that wouldn¡¯t be a cause for misunderstanding. It sounded to me like you¡¯re trying to recruit my Lilith into your party full of women who are all infatuated with you," Ethan retorted, his tone icy. "Wait, I¡¯ve never been infatuated with him! Don¡¯t lump me in with them," Agnes snapped, immediately rejecting Ethan¡¯s assumption. Meanwhile, Seraphine and Serista quietly averted their gazes, saying nothing. Knowing more about the Hero¡¯s rtionships than I ever wanted to, I could tell he was about to push back. "What I meant was that we need to be sure who truly fits the role of the Saintess. I never said Lilith must be the Saintess, nor did I imply she has to join my party," the Hero rified. "Exin it properly then. If I¡¯m not convinced, I¡¯ll use my sword to speak instead," Ethan warned. "The qualifications of a Saintess are a divine gift, not something humans can just transfer around at will. What if, by trying to shift that power, we anger the goddess Aurelia, and she revokes Lilith¡¯s status as Saintess entirely? If neither of them ends up as the Saintess, how do you n to deal with the looming threat of the Demon King?" the Hero argued. "Lilith wasn¡¯t born the Saintess, so if the power is revoked, another person somewhere in the world will receive it. Maybe even that girl you¡¯re always dragging around might receive a new revtion and be the true Saintess," Ethan countered coldly. "If Serista were to be the Saintess, I¡¯d be happy. I¡¯ve always wanted her as my partner. But what if the next Saintess is some girl in a remote vige with no church or worse, what if the power of the Saintess disappears entirely? What then?" the Hero pressed on. "Does the goddess Aurelia seem so irresponsible to you that she would let the fate of the world hinge on mere whim? Do you think she would let such a crucial matter go awry out of caprice?" Ethan shot back. "I¡¯m an atheist from another world, so I don¡¯t care about that. And even if there¡¯s some divine n, how can humans possibly understand it? What I¡¯m saying is that if we¡¯re going to change the fate that the goddess has set, we need to show undeniable evidence that Serista is more fit to be the Saintess," the Hero exined. "...What?" Ethan, Agnes, and I all eximed simultaneously, taken aback by the Hero¡¯s reasoning. But two people in the room seemed to understand him¡ªSeraphine and Serista, who probably had the strongest faith among us. "The Hero¡¯s argument isn¡¯t entirely wrong, Lord Ethan," Seraphine said, breaking the silence. "What do you mean, Princess Seraphine?" Ethan asked, clearly confused. "If the goddess Aurelia chose Lady Lilith as the Saintess, there must be a reason for it. At the time Lilith received the Saintess¡¯s power, she was likely more suited to the role than Serista. But it¡¯s been over seven years since the prophecy was first given. We can¡¯t know if, after all these years, Lilith is still the best fit, or if Serista, who has worked hard during those seven years, might now be more suitable. We won¡¯t know unless we show the goddess herself," Seraphine exined thoughtfully. "..." "And traditionally, the Saintess is supposed to be the Hero¡¯s partner. So, it¡¯s only fair that Lady Lilith gets a chance to act as the Hero¡¯s partner at least once. Byparing her performance to that of Serista, who has been the Hero¡¯s partner all this time, we can determine who truly deserves the title. At the very least, if Serista proves that she hasn¡¯t fallen short of the goddess¡¯s expectations, there won¡¯t be any risk of angering the goddess," Seraphine concluded.@@novelbin@@ Ethan, who had been ready to refute every word the Hero said, listened more calmly to Seraphine¡¯s reasoning. Although he still didn¡¯t look thrilled about the idea of me temporarily partnering with the Hero, he seemed to be considering it. "Having Lilith... as that Hero¡¯s partner..." Ethan muttered, clearly displeased. "Just once, Lord Ethan. Serista has achieved so much without the title of Saintess. Even if Lilith joins the Hero for one mission, the goddess won¡¯t disregard Serista¡¯s years of dedication," Seraphine assured him. "..." "Lord Ethan?" Seraphine prompted, noticing his hesitation. Ethan fell silent for a long moment, clearly wrestling with his thoughts. Finally, he turned to Serista, as if seeking a final piece of information before making his decision. "Lady Serista, may I ask you one question before I decide?" Ethan asked. "Y-Yes¡­?" Serista stammered, looking nervous. "Putting aside any concerns about sphemy or faith, have you ever truly wanted to be the real Saintess to support that Hero?" Ethan asked, his tone serious. "I-I¡­," Serista hesitated, her voice trembling. "Please, answer honestly. I need to make a fair judgment," Ethan urged her. Serista was visibly shaking, knowing her words could influence the final decision. However, she managed to steady herself enough to speak. "I have never¡­," Serista began, pausing to collect herself. "..." "I have never forgotten, even for a single moment, my desire to be the true Saintess," she confessed, her voice filled with emotion. "I see," Ethan responded, nodding slightly. "Every day, as I stood by the Hero¡¯s side, I wished for more strength. When the Hero was injured, I thought that if only I had the true Saintess¡¯s power, I could have prevented it. When he was in danger, I believed that if I had the Saintess¡¯s powers, I could have saved him. I think about it constantly," she admitted. "¡­" "I know it¡¯s sphemous for someone who serves the gods to feel this way, but this is my true desire, Lord Ethan," Serista finished, her voice steady despite her nerves. "I understand. Thank you, Lady Serista. Your courage has helped me make my decision," Ethan said, his expression resolute. With Serista¡¯s firm confession guiding his decision, Ethan turned to the rest of us and held up three fingers. "I will allow Lilith to join your party as your partner, but there are three conditions," Ethan stated firmly. "What are they?" the Hero asked, wary but willing to listen. "First, the partnership will only happen once. After that, there will be no changes. If you try to argue that Lilith should join you again because Serista has already done so many times, I¡¯ll cut out your tongue," Ethan dered. "Fine. I only need her to join me once anyway," the Hero agreed, his tone neutral. "Second, while she¡¯s your partner, you will not make any physical contact with her. If you so much as try to hold her hand, I¡¯ll cut it off," Ethan continued, his voice deadly serious. "Under any circumstances?" the Hero asked, raising an eyebrow. "Only if it¡¯s necessary to save her life. Otherwise, no exceptions," Ethan rified. "That¡¯s fair. I was going to ask the same thing. What¡¯s thest condition?" the Hero inquired. "Thest condition is¡­," Ethan began, his eyes scanning the Hero¡¯s party members before settling on the Hero himself. "I will join your party during this mission. I don¡¯t trust a harem full of women," Ethan dered. "..." "If you refuse, I¡¯ll take it as a sign that you have other intentions for Lilith, and I¡¯ll behead you right here and now," Ethan finished, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. Even something as simple as temporarily joining the Hero¡¯s party to determine the true Saintess had be incrediblyplicated. One thing was clear: this mission wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Chapter 249 The Hero and Seraphine¡¯s Proposal for a Single Mission Although a single mission together was nned, as suggested by the Hero and Seraphine, that didn¡¯t mean we immediately assembled the party and set off on the next episode. The major events at Luminoir Academy had a specific timeline, and arriving early wouldn¡¯t have achieved much beyond camping out nearby. Moreover, the timing was far from ideal. The incident at the noble exchange had concluded, and the night had almost turned into dawn. It was toote to move anywhere, and given the questionable intent behind this noble gathering, it was customary for everyone to retire to their rooms as the event wound down. Tonight, however, due to the MacHart incident, most of the noble sons and daughters had hurriedly left the pce. Some were probably on their way back to their home territories, even at thiste hour, while others would spend the night in a nearby inn before departing early in the morning. As a result, the guest rooms in the pce, which would have been used as a hotel for the nobles, were mostly empty. Of course, they would be upied again starting tomorrow, but for now, they were avable. "I¡¯ll ensure that you all can stay in the pce until the schedule for the ''temporary mission'' is arranged," Seraphine said. "Please don¡¯t hesitate to use the rooms, and if you find anything ufortable, feel free to inform the staff." "Seraphine, are you staying here in the pce tonight as well?" the Hero asked. "...No, I¡¯ll be returning to the main pce. I need to report to our father about Brother MacHart¡¯s funeral arrangements. It¡¯s something that needs to be handled quietly, and I believe I should exin it to him myself," Seraphine replied. "Really? I was nning to visit your roomter tonight," the Hero said casually. "...Wh-What?" Seraphine stammered, clearly taken aback. Has this guy suddenly lost his mind? I wondered, feeling my trust in him plummet. Just when I had started to think that his proposal for a temporary partnership wasn¡¯t entirely without thought, he made thatment. Could it be that his whole n was just an excuse to get closer to me¡­? "Hero, please say things like that when we¡¯re alone," Seraphine replied, trying to maintain herposure. "I need to conduct myself properly during my brother¡¯s funeral¡­" "Huh? Oh, I just meant I wanted to use themunication crystal in your room to contact someone. I have a few people I need to call before our mission," the Hero rified. "...If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give you the key to one of the private rooms in the pce. You can use it whenever you need," Seraphine offered, visibly relieved. "Thanks, Seraphine," the Hero replied with a smile. Was he teasing her on purpose, or was Seraphine just overthinking it? I wondered, watching as Seraphine¡¯s face turned bright red in embarrassment. In the game, she was an annoying character, but with the increased freedom here, even she was being swayed. At least this interaction suggested that the Hero wasn¡¯t the type to let his desires control him, at least notpletely. I had to admit, based on previous conversations, he didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Judging by Seraphine¡¯s reaction, it seemed like he was halfway to winning her over, though they hadn¡¯t crossed any serious lines yet. Serista was likely in a simr situation. And while the Hero might have grown closer to Agnes, it didn¡¯t seem like he intended to pursue her seriously. As for Natalie, considering he had left Thomas behind, it seemed he wasn¡¯t nning on pursuing her either. It seemed that the Hero had formed a harem party not because he wanted to seduce all the women but because it was simply the most effective party configuration forpleting the game. Not exactly the fun-loving protagonist you¡¯d expect from a game like this, I thought. Of course, if he tried anything with me, I¡¯d resist with every ounce of strength I had. While I was lost in these thoughts, the Hero and Serista went to their rooms on the third floor of the pce, where Seraphine¡¯s private quarters were. Meanwhile, Ethan, Agnes, and I each took an empty room on the second floor. "Lady Agnes, could you tell me which room you¡¯ll be staying in tonight? I don¡¯t mean to be rude; I just want to say good morning tomorrow¡­" Antonio started to ask, but was cut off. "Antonio, you know you¡¯re not supposed to stay in the pce. Stop bothering Lady Agnes and hurry up," Seraphine scolded, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him away. "Ow, ow! Sister, please don¡¯t pull my ear!" Antonio yelped as he was forcibly escorted out. Sigh. Agnes sighed in relief once Antonio was out of sight. This isn¡¯t how he was in the original story, I mused, reflecting on how different Antonio¡¯s current behavior was from his character in the game. The original Antonio was a timid prince who had been sidelined in the battle for the throne. This bold, somewhat desperate version of him was quite a contrast, though in a way, it was an improvement. "I suppose we¡¯ll be staying here longer than expected. Should we notify your master, Lord Ethan?" I asked as we entered our rooms. "It¡¯s fine. My father is probably too busy to keep track of every letter. We¡¯ll contact him once the Hero sets the schedule for the temporary mission," Ethan replied. "Understood." "Get some rest; you¡¯ve had a long day," Ethan said with a gentle smile. "Thank you. You have a good night as well, Lord Ethan," I responded, feeling a warmth in my chest at his words. With that, we each retired to our respective rooms. As soon as I entered my room, I found myself drawn to therge, inviting bed. Thud. "Haaa¡­" I sighed as I copsed onto the bed. It had been a long time since I had pushed myself to this extent. The physical exhaustion I felt wasparable to the Kraken battle I had faced back at the Academy. It wasn¡¯t that MacHart was as strong as the Kraken, but the psychological pressure and the umtion of various stressors had taken a toll on me. "Mmm¡­" As Iy on the bed, I found it difficult to muster the energy to get up again. I knew I should shower and change before going to sleep, especially after all the sweating. Maybe I¡¯ll just do it tomorrow¡­ I thought, rationalizing my exhaustion. What difference did it make if I washed in the morning instead of now? Despite knowing what I should do, my body simply couldn¡¯t bring itself to move. All I could do was surrender to the sleep that was quickly overtaking me. But what is the Hero really thinking¡­? I had told him I didn¡¯t want to join the Demon King¡¯s raid, so surely he wasn¡¯t nning to take me along as part of his party, right? If he was, I¡¯d have to resist with everything I had. My happy life in this world did not include risking my life in a battle against the Demon King. I probably should have started nning my resistance earlier, but at this point, it might be toote. As I drifted off, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how I would avoid getting dragged into the Hero¡¯s mission¡­ Snore¡­ Thebination of relief from resolving my month-long worries and the physical exhaustion of the day was enough to pull me into a deep sleep, despite the new concerns on my mind. ? ? ? In the pce¡¯s private room reserved for Seraphine, the Hero used the key she had given him to ess the room. There, he activated the magicalmunication crystal at the center of the table to contact someone. "Where did you say you were?" a voice asked from the other end. "The Imperial Pce in the capital of the Argentia Empire. It¡¯s the secondrgest castle in the city," the Hero replied. "The capital¡­? Do I really have to go there¡­?" the voice responded, clearly displeased. The Hero frowned slightly at the reaction of the green-haired elf on the other end, though he had expected it. "I need your help, Silena," the Hero urged. "The capital is where lots of humans gather, right? I don¡¯t like ces like that¡­" Silena muttered. "Silena¡­" the Hero began, his tone more pleading. Silena¡¯s help was crucial for the next event at Luminoir Academy. The n was to bring her to the capital as soon as possible so they could depart for the next destination together. However, the elf¡¯s reluctance to be in crowded ces was starting to derail his ns. Maybe I should have worked harder to raise Silena¡¯s affection level¡­ the Hero thought with a sigh. But he had already maxed out her affection through normal events, and the only way to increase it further was one that he was reluctant to pursue. The only option left was to engage in a physical rtionship with her to deepen their bond, amon method in the original game. However¡­ I just don¡¯t feel right about doing that, the Hero thought. He was destined to return to his original world once the Demon King was defeated, and forming deep attachments here felt wrong. If he chose to stay in this world, he could freely ept the affections of the women around him, but his decision was already made. He had too much left behind in his original world to consider staying, and he had resolved not to create ties that would bind him here. Even though there are some who may have grown too attached already¡­ he mused, thinking of a certain pink-haired priestess. Still, he reassured himself that things were fine for now. As long as he didn¡¯t cross that final line into a full physical rtionship, the women who had grown attached to him would eventually move on and find new loves once he was gone. "Volt, what are you thinking?" Silena¡¯s voice broke through his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, nothing," he replied, shaken from his reverie. "So, do I really have to go to the capital?" Silena pressed again. "¡­No, you don¡¯t have to. How about meeting me in a week at ¡­ instead?" he suggested. "Okay. That ce has fewer people, so it¡¯s better," Silena agreed.@@novelbin@@ "Great. Thank you, Silena. I¡¯ll see you in a week." "Okay, Volt," Silena replied before the connection ended. The Hero withdrew his magic from themunication crystal and was left alone in the room, his thoughts a mix of emotions that he couldn¡¯t easily show to others. Chapter 250 The Morning After the Execution of MacHart and the Discussion about My Saintess Qualifications The next morning, after executing MacHart and concluding the meeting about my Saintess qualifications, I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time. Despite sleeping alone, I had no nightmares, and I slowly sat up in bed with a light heart. ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve slept this well on my own.¡± The cause of my nightmares had been almost entirely due to MacHart, so with him gone, I could finally enjoy a peaceful sleep. I had briefly worried that I might not be able to sleep without Ethan beside me after the battle, but thankfully, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Even at the Academy, I had to share a bed with him out of necessity. ¡°It would¡¯ve been so embarrassing if I had to share a bed with Ethan even here.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but worry about what Seraphine and Agnes would think of me if they found out. Even if I insisted that we only shared a bed and nothing more, they probably wouldn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Ah, right¡­¡± I realized that I had fallen asleepst night without changing my clothes. I hadn¡¯t even removed the corset that squeezed my waist¡ªno wonder I felt a bit constricted when I woke up. I must have been exhausted to sleep like that. In this regard, the maid uniform was much morefortable, without any annoying essories like a corset. Although garter belts were a hassle to put on and take off, they didn¡¯t interfere with daily life. The maid uniform, designed for practical work, was naturally easy to move in. ¡°I¡¯d better wash up and change into something else.¡± While cleaning my clothes with a "clean" spell was an option, the thought of putting the same clothes back on felt ufortable. With that in mind, I began to undress, using the spell to clean each piece before neatly folding them on one side of the bed. Since I was staying in the pce, I knew I¡¯d have to wear them again when I returned home. After all, these clothes belonged to the ckwood family, not me. The warm water flowed over my head as I stepped into the bathroom attached to my room, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful for the modern plumbing and heating system¡ªsomething rare in a medieval setting. As I let the water wash over me, I started to n for the day ahead. ¡°I¡¯ll probably stay in the pce for about four days.¡± The Hero would likely take us to one of the events that ur during the second-year summer break. Since that time was approaching, there were two major events left in this period, and both would start in about four days, making it a likely timeframe for our departure. One event was ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret,¡± which involved resolving a problem rted to the alchemist witch Lara in the Witch¡¯s Forest in the southwest of the Empire. Completing this event would reward you with a powerful bound item and increase Lara¡¯s affection. The other event, ¡°Lyria¡¯s Land,¡± took ce in the northeastern ins, where the yer intervened in a territorial dispute between barbarians and nobles, ultimately defending the barbarian tribe and earning Lyria¡¯s affection. In the game, these events happened simultaneously, so you had to choose between them. The general consensus was that ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret¡± was the better choice for Luminoir Academy. ¡°After all, Lara¡¯s event offered more rewards.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Lyriacked charm as a heroine¡ªher wild and athletic nature had a certain appeal. However, the rewards for finishing her event paled inparison to those of Lara¡¯s. Even fans of Lyria typically chose ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret¡± because it was simply the smarter choice. Lara¡¯s event gave you the ¡°Witch¡¯s Pendant¡± as a reward, a broken item that granted immunity to mental attacks¡ªan invaluable asset in theter stages of the game. Additionally, raising Lara¡¯s affection would allow you to purchase items from her at half price, which was an absurdly beneficial perk. Perhaps the most significant reward, though, was the fact thatpleting the event led directly to Lara¡¯s ¡°scene¡±¡ªa moment that left asting impact. Lara, who fit the archetype of a gloomy, mentally unstable girl, would fall deeply in love with the protagonist after resolving her issue, to the point of sneaking into his bed that very night. Despite her intense feelings, she wasn¡¯t the type to give her body easily. In the in-game scenes, Lara was portrayed as someone who had kept her purity intact. ¡°If she were a true heroine, she would have easily outshone most others.¡± Lara¡¯s biggest w was that she wasn¡¯t a full-fledged heroine, despite having a devoted fan base. The real issue was that she only had this one event in Luminoir Academy, with no other personal events tied to her. In the end, she lived her life as a witch,pletely independent of the protagonist, making her an unromanceable character. On the plus side, this meant that yers didn¡¯t have to worry about her demanding amitment after sleeping with her. It was a rare event where you could enjoy the benefits without theplications. Even the Hero, who insisted on maintaining his chastity, would find it hard to pass up this event. Who could resist a ¡°no-strings-attached gloomy big-breasted mentally unstable virgin witch¡±? On the other hand, Lyria¡¯s event offered mediocre rewards and an unsatisfying conclusion. While you did receive the ¡°Barbarian Ne¡± as a reward, its stats were inferior to those of the Witch¡¯s Pendant. Moreover, raising Lyria¡¯s affection didn¡¯te with any practical benefits like discounted items, and since she wasn¡¯t mentally unstable, there were no ¡°scenes¡± to collect. In terms of both efficiency and ¡°scenes,¡± Lara¡¯s event was the clear winner. So, I expected that in about four days, we¡¯d be heading to the Witch¡¯s Forest in the southwest. ¡°I should pick up some insect repellent perfume when I get the chance.¡± Having worked as a maid for so long, I wasn¡¯t particrly bothered by bugs anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to get bitten by mosquitos or ticks while trekking through a summer forest. After finishing my shower, I rummaged through the wardrobe, looking for something to wear. Seraphine had given me permission to use anything in the room, so I figured I could wear whatever I found. ¡°Maid uniform, maid uniform¡­¡± However, as I searched through the wardrobe, I realized there was no maid uniform¡ªno aprons or headdresses, either. All I found were noble dresses.@@novelbin@@ What? Why aren¡¯t there any maid uniforms? I thought, feeling puzzled. I had expected at least one to be avable. It seemed they hadn¡¯t anticipated the need for a maid to stay in this guest room. It made sense; in a ce like this, maids usually stayed in the servants¡¯ quarters on the first floor, sharing amodations with other staff. ¡°It¡¯s too much of a hassle to go down to the servants¡¯ quarters just to change¡­¡± But I couldn¡¯t walk around in my current state, wearing only underwear and garter belts. As I pondered what to do, I noticed a door leading to the next room beside the wardrobe. ¡°Could this be the servants¡¯ quarters?¡± I wondered if there might be a maid uniform in there. Without thinking much, I opened the door and stepped inside, only to find that the room was anotherrge bedroom, not a servants¡¯ quarters. ¡°Huh?¡± Was the pce¡¯s servants¡¯ quarters really this luxurious? Could it be that even the servants in the Imperial Pce lived in suchfort? But then again, I didn¡¯t remember seeing anything like this in the main pce. Despite having yed through the game 25 times, I had never seen a servants¡¯ quarters this luxurious. This room felt more like another guest room than anything else. As I stood there, trying to figure out the purpose of this room, the door on the opposite side opened, revealing someone familiar. Click. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The man who stepped out was none other than Ethan,pletely naked, fresh from a bath. My mind went nk as I stared at him, my thoughts frozen. Ethan, who was drying his hair with a towel, noticed me standing there in nothing but my underwear. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?!¡± he eximed, clearly shocked. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± I stammered, snapping out of my daze. ¡°Why are you in there, and why are you only in your underwear?!¡± he asked, his voice rising in panic. ¡°What about you, Lord Ethan? Why are you here¡­ naked?¡± I countered, equally flustered. ¡°Well, I just finished bathing, so¡­¡± ¡°I was just curious about the door leading to the next room, wondering if it was the servants¡¯ quarters, so I opened it and¡­ oh.¡± As I spoke, realization dawned on me. The door I had opened wasn¡¯t leading to the servants¡¯ quarters¡ªit was simply a door connecting the two guest rooms. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lord Ethan!¡± I cried, quickly mming the door shut. Oh, for the love of¡­ I thought, my heart pounding. Why didn¡¯t anyone warn me about this kind of roomyout?! Who would have thought that the pce rooms would have connecting doors like this? Was this standard for the pce? Now that I think about it, this pce was used by MacHart during the noble exchanges in the original story¡­ It didn¡¯t take much to guess how those doors had been used before. Knowing the debauchery of the nobles, they hadn¡¯t been put there for anything innocent. ¡°Haa, haa, haa¡­¡± Not only had I just shown Ethan my underwear, but I¡¯d also ended up seeing him naked. My emotions, already heightened from the morning¡¯s events, would take some time to calm down. Chapter 251 The Morning After identally Witnessing Ethan¡¯s Naked Body The morning after the incident where I identally witnessed Ethan¡¯s naked body, things wrapped up rather awkwardly once we confirmed that the rooms we were staying in were connected by a single door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, Lilith. You¡¯ve seen me once¡ªno, twice before, right? And I don¡¯t mind you seeing me either,¡± Ethan said, trying to ease the tension. ¡°I will be more careful in the future, Young Master Ethan. If you desire an apology, perhaps you would like to see me naked as well¡­?¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s fine! I trust you, Lilith, so there¡¯s no need for that kind of apology. And besides, you¡¯ve already¡­ shown quite a lot¡­ ah, no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ After a clumsy conversation like that, we agreed that we would knock before opening the door connecting our rooms from now on. But just knowing that Ethan was right next to me, separated by a door that could open at any time, made my heart race in a way that was hard to calm down. ¡®I don¡¯t remember feeling thisplicated when we shared a room at the Academy.¡¯ As far as I recall, nothing had happened recently that would have significantly changed my rtionship with Ethan. Sure, on thest night at the Academy, I had ¡°helped¡± him with something using my mouth, but we had done that kind of thing before. We also shared a bed for several nights at the ckwood estate because I was having nightmares, but that was necessary to maintain the best condition before capturing MacHart. And then there wasst night when the mission went awry, and Ethan saved me just in time from being captured by MacHart¡­ Now that I think about it, that might have been enough to make my heart race. But honestly, it was unavoidable. If Ethan had been even a littlete, I would have been dragged off by MacHart, subjected to who knows what for months, and left as an unrecognizable corpse. ¡­Honestly, even as a fellow man, I couldn¡¯t help but fall for Ethan a bit after what happened that night. ¡®Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t mentioned the wish yet¡­¡¯ I did say to Ethan that I would grant him a wish after the MacHart mission was over. While it¡¯s up to him when he wants to use it, I wish he¡¯d at least tell me what he has in mind. That way, I could prepare myself, mentally or physically. Since I limited the wish to something I could grant, I doubt he¡¯d ask for money or material things. That leaves the likely possibility that Ethan, being a man in his prime, would request something naughty. He knows it¡¯s off-limits to ask for full-on intercourse, as I¡¯ve made that clear multiple times, but I¡¯ll have to fulfill any other borderline request since I promised. ¡­To be honest, just thinking about the kinds of things he might ask for makes me realize that I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept them with a smile. If he asks me to rub him with my chest or use my mouth again, I could barely agree to that. I¡¯ve already let him touch my chest countless times, so I wouldn¡¯t mind that too much, and I¡¯ve done it with my mouth once before. But if he asks me to rub it against his lower parts, or suggests that another ¡°hole¡± might be okay¡­ what then? ¡®¡­If that happens, how should I react?¡¯ Should I allow it because I made a promise? But wouldn¡¯t that be crossing a line? That would go beyond the excuse of ¡°it¡¯s just simr to sex¡± and turn into something that¡¯s practically the real thing, just without actual pration. If he asks, I¡¯d have to do it, but I¡¯d need time to prepare myself mentally if ites to that¡­ ¡®Ugh, I can¡¯t keep my head straight.¡¯ I just hope Ethan¡¯s imagination doesn¡¯t stretch that far. By the way, I ended up borrowing a maid¡¯s uniform from the servant¡¯s waiting room on the first floor. The maids gave me odd looks when I insisted on wearing a maid¡¯s outfit, but as long as I¡¯mfortable, that¡¯s all that matters. So, after changing intofortable clothes and finishing breakfast, we gathered in the meeting room where Seraphine and I had met the night before to discuss the ¡°temporary mission¡± again. ¡°In ten days, we¡¯ll head to the Witch¡¯s Forest in the southwest,¡± the Hero announced. ¡°Huh?¡± I blurted out involuntarily in response to the unexpected statement. Everyone turned their gaze towards me at once. Ignoring their stares as best as I could, I tried to cover up my slip of the tongue as naturally as possible. ¡°Ahem, I mean¡­ So, you¡¯re nning to head to the Witch¡¯s Forest in the southwest in ten days?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s something I need to discuss with the witches there. Lara also asked for a favor.¡± ¡°I see. If we n to arrive at the Witch¡¯s Forest in ten days, that means we¡¯ll need to leave the pce in about a week.¡± ¡°No, ten days is the travel time. We¡¯ll leave here in about two weeks.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± It was ridiculous from the start, but the more I heard, the more absurd it became. What? Two weekster? Is this a joke? The ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret¡± episode is supposed to start in six days, and you¡¯re nning to go there two weekster? Is this some roundabout way of saying you want to skip the episode entirely? My mind couldn¡¯t help but spiral into confusion. You weren¡¯t like this before. ¡®Aren¡¯t you supposed to save at least one of them, either Lara or Lyria?¡¯ If you disliked Lara or preferred Lyria so much that you chose her instead, I could begrudgingly ept that. After all, the whole point of this episode¡¯s branching paths was to force a choice. The Hero only has one body, so he can only save one of them. But missing the golden opportunity to start the event and then showing up dayster makes no sense. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re avoiding it because it¡¯s far or annoying, so why? I almost blurted out whether the Hero had forgotten the event schedule, but thankfully, his next words naturally cleared up my confusion. ¡°So, I want you all to go ahead of me and help Lara with her Witch¡¯s Trial. Serista and I will catch upter.¡± ¡®Ah.¡¯ Now that the Hero had exined his n, I could finally see his intentions. His idea of leaving in ten days was based on the schedule for the northeastern ins, not the pce. It seemed that the Hero didn¡¯t want to give up on either the Barbarian Territory event in the northeastern ins or Lara¡¯s Witch Trial in the southwestern forest. Of course, even the Hero can¡¯t be in two ces at once, so he ns to send us ahead to dy things as much as possible. Normally, sending other characters wouldn¡¯t help since they wouldn¡¯t know how the episode unfolds, but this time, my presence made it possible. I, like the Hero, had a perfect understanding of how the Luminoir Academy episodes would y out. In fact, I had progressed over 80% of the Lara route at the Lyria-Lara crossroad, so I knew exactly what to expect and how to help Lara. As I started to think about how I¡¯d need to buy some bug repellent for the journey, Agnes asked the Hero a question. ¡°Go ahead? How soon?¡± ¡°About six days from now¡­ so you can leave here in about four days.¡± ¡°What will you and Serista be doing in the meantime?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make a quick trip to the northeastern ins. Lyria asked me for something during the semester.¡± ¡°Lyria? Who¡¯s that?¡± It seemed Agnes hadn¡¯t met Lyria yet. Well, the first formal opportunity to meet her would be during the 2nd-year end-of-term hunting festival. There might have been a few chances to cross paths if Agnes frequently dueled with the Swordsmanship Club, but typically, the Magic Club¡¯s mock duels were against the Archery Club, so there weren¡¯t many opportunities. On the other hand, since Ethan is in the Swordsmanship Club, he likely knew of Lyria, the first-year spear-wielding prodigy. ¡°Lyria¡­ do you mean Lyria Marasendar Galenhar Soraven Fionis Barbaracus of the Spearmanship Club?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Lyria from the Spearmanship Club.¡± ¡­I didn¡¯t expect him to know that much about her. Chapter 252 Ethan''s Surprising Interest in Lyria I wasn¡¯t the only one shocked by Ethan¡¯s unexpected disy of interest in Lyria. The others were equally taken aback when they saw him casually recite her full name. It made sense¡ªthey were surprised because Lyria¡¯s name was notoriously difficult to remember, a running joke within the game itself. It wasn¡¯t just tough for the yers; even the characters within the game struggled to recall it. Even after ying through Luminoir Academy twenty-five times, I had long given up trying to memorize Lyria¡¯s full name. The fact that Ethan, who had only sparred with her a few times in the Spearmanship Club, could remember it meant there was only one usible reason. ¡®...Could he be interested in Lyria?¡¯ Honestly, I couldn¡¯t think of any other exnation. Especially considering Lyria¡¯s route in Luminoir Academy. Many yers opt to join the Spearmanship Club when pursuing Lyria¡¯s route, thinking it would make it easier to get close to her since she¡¯s part of the club. While there¡¯s some truth to that, it¡¯s only partially urate. Lyriaes from the Barbaracus tribe, a wild group of barbarians who still live by hunting and gathering. The most efficient weapons for the barbarians to hunt wild monsters are spears and bows. Bows are difficult to make and maintain, so most of the Barbaracus people, including Lyria, grew up using spears, just like their fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and friends. While using the same weapon could create a sense of camaraderie, it sometimes bes a stumbling block for developing a deeper rtionship. People tend to be less interested in things they already know well. On the other hand, if you joined the Swordsmanship Club, you might not see Lyria as often, but you would still meet inmon sses, spar with her in sword vs. spear duels, and, most importantly, pique her interest by using a different weapon. In other words, Ethan was in the perfect position to catch Lyria¡¯s attention and potentially form a deeper connection. And the fact that Ethan knew so much about her¡­ ¡®It¡¯s hard not to think he¡¯s interested in Lyria.¡¯ Lyria had the typical appearance of a barbarian warrior woman,pletely different from Lilith, but that didn¡¯t mean shecked appeal. Although her chest was a bit smaller, she had a well-toned, slender physique, was the second tallest among all the heroines, and most notably, had the most defined abs of the group. Moreover, she was a character who often walked around the Academy with her uniform half-unbuttoned, exposing her midriff because she found it too stifling. If Ethan really had fallen for her because of those abs¡­ ¡®Should I start doing sit-ups or something¡­?¡¯ Lilith¡¯s body wasn¡¯tcking in health or fitness. Her abs were just hidden under a bit of soft flesh, but with a little effort, they would undoubtedly be visible. The problem was that losing weight in one area often meant losing it elsewhere too, which might diminish Lilith¡¯s best feature¡ªher chest. But if I left things as they were, Ethan¡¯s attention might shift from me to Lyria. To prevent that, maybe I should train a little¡­ ¡®No, wait, why do I even care?¡¯ Why was I so concerned about who Ethan liked? Whether he liked Lyria, Lara, or anyone else, what difference did it make to me? After all, Ethan and I were only in a temporary rtionship. It wasn¡¯t as if we were a real couple, and once we graduated from the Academy, our rtionship could end without a second thought. If Ethan became interested in another woman along the way, that would be the end of it. Just as I was scolding myself for worrying over something so pointless, Agnes casually asked Ethan a question. ¡°When did you memorize it? That long name?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t memorize it; I just remembered its meaning. It¡¯s easier if you think of it in Barbariannguage.¡± ¡°Barbariannguage?¡± ¡°¡®Lyria¡¯ means ¡®Protector of Nature¡¯ in Barbarian. ¡®Marasendar¡¯ means ¡®Sweet and Beautiful Flower,¡¯ ¡®Galenhar Soraven¡¯ means ¡®Carrying a Fragrance,¡¯ and ¡®Barbaracus¡¯ is her tribe name. So, the only part you really need to remember is her surname, ¡®Pionis.¡¯ In other words, her full name, Lyria Marasendar Galenhar Soraven Pionis Barbaracus, can be tranted to ¡®Protector of Nature, the sweet and beautiful flower carrying a fragrance from the Barbaracus tribe.¡¯ If you remember that, the name is easy to recall. You won¡¯t forget it now, will you, Miss ze?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Ethan¡¯s exnation left the room in stunned silence once again. When did he learn the Barbariannguage? And since when was learning anguage that easy? It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so, as Agnes suddenly red up and shouted at Ethan. ¡°That¡¯s way harder than just memorizing the name! Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Language is a system created formunication, so it¡¯s one of the easiest disciplines to learn. Even if the words are unfamiliar and the sentence structure is different, you can easily understand it in about a week.¡± ¡°A-A week? You learned it in just a week¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I think that¡¯s a bit unrealistic, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Even when I talk to Miss Lyria, I sometimes have to use the Blessing of Wisdom to understand her¡­.¡± ¡°...¡± Now it was three against one, with Agnes, the Hero, and Serista all ganging up on Ethan. Even he seemed to realize that his ability was a bit unusual. ¡®So it¡¯s not that he¡¯s interested in Lyria, but that he¡¯s just a genius.¡¯@@novelbin@@ Right, I had forgotten that his mother was the Archmage Thanassia. She was said to have mastered five elemental magics, could cast three of them simultaneously, and spoke sixnguages, including Imperial. In terms ofnguage skills alone, she was practically a god. Learning anguage is the starting point for magic, after all. Even I had to cram spell incantations into my head until it felt like my brain would burst, and that was just to learn a few spells with skill points. Thanassia not only mastered five types of magicalnguages but also five foreignnguages on top of that. Her understanding was beyond human. Even though Ethan was said to be slowerpared to Thanassia and Harold, that was only inparison to those two monsters. Objectively speaking, Ethan was a genius in his own right. ¡°...Lilith, am I strange?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not strange, Young Master Ethan¡­ It¡¯s just that we¡¯re mere mortals who haven¡¯t surpassed normal limits.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re strange. Even if Barbarian is a simplenguage, learning it in a week is¡­¡± ¡°Miss Agnes, Young Master Ethan¡¯s mother is the Archmage Thanassia.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Agnes quickly backed down at the mention of ¡®Archmage Thanassia.¡¯ The son of the Archmage Thanassia? Well, that exins it. And his father was Sword Master Harold, too. A genius born to geniuses. She must havee to terms with it that way. Even if she was a prodigy of fire magic and the future head of the Red Tower, hearing about Ethan¡¯s lineage and natural talents would make her acknowledge it. Ethan might have been an early-game viin in the original game, but only because he never had the opportunity to showcase his talents. Given the chance, it was inevitable that he would be recognized for his abilities. Well, in any case¡­ ¡®At least he¡¯s not interested in Lyria, thank goodness.¡¯ After all, he was still the same guy who got flustered by seeing me in my underwear this morning. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be interested in someone else now. Lilith didn¡¯t lose to Lyria or any other heroine in terms of looks or figure, even with the unfair rumors about her. She consistently ranked in the top three in poprity polls despite everything. Not that Lyria was unattractive or unappealing, butpared to me¡­ well. ¡®Seriously, what a relief. I was worried for nothing.¡¯ ¡­Wait, why was I so worried about whether Ethan liked Lyria in the first ce? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m counting on you three to help with Lara¡¯s Witch¡¯s Trial in the Witch¡¯s Forest in the southwest. We¡¯ll consider that as fulfilling the ¡®temporary mission¡¯ I mentioned earlier.¡± ¡°...What are you nning?¡± ¡°nning? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking about your true intention behind tying down my Lilith with this ¡®temporary mission¡¯ and then suddenly sending her on an errand. Doesn¡¯t this contradict your supposed aim of testing her partnership effectiveness?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but if I asked Lilith to go to the Witch¡¯s Forest with me while you went to the Northeastern ins, you¡¯d refuse, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Obviously. It would vite the third condition I set. If you want your head separated from your shoulders, go ahead and try.¡± ¡°¡­Which is why I¡¯m doing it this way. The prophecy says that what will happen in the Northeastern ins and the Witch¡¯s Forest in the Southwest are both crucial events that must be resolved on time. So, I¡¯m asking you to take care of this because you¡¯re the most reliable. Lilith and I can start working together as partners after we arrive, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°If you sayter that it was only a half-baked partnership and it wasn¡¯t enough¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. This temporary mission will be over with this. The point wasn¡¯t to prove that Lilith is qualified as my partner, but to show what it would be like if she were¡ªeven for a day or two. As long as Lilith acts as my partner and aplishes something, that¡¯s enough proof. I won¡¯t bring it up again.¡± To Ethan, this must have sounded like a suspicious proposal, but knowing the truth, I could guess why the Hero was doing this. The Hero never intended to take me as a permanent party member. He just needed my help to handle the current ¡°two-ces-at-once¡± event. The method might have seemed a bit forceful, which is why it felt strange. But now that I understood the truth, the situation made a lot more sense. ¡°¡­Onest question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If we help this ¡®Lara¡¯ pass her Witch¡¯s Trial before you arrive and there¡¯s nothing left to do, what will you do then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­The Witch¡¯s Trial that Lara has to undergo isn¡¯t the kind of trial that can bepleted in just one or two weeks.¡± ¡­Well, that¡¯s definitely true. Chapter 253 The Morning Meeting and the Uing n The morning meeting wrapped up after we discussed a few important things to keep in mind about the Witch¡¯s Forest. The Hero and Serista would head to the Northeastern ins with Seraphine in two days, while Ethan, Agnes, and I would depart for the Southwestern Witch¡¯s Forest in four days. The Hero mentioned that he would send a letter to Lara, informing her that we would arrive ahead of him to assist. This meant that we three would help Lara with her tasks for about a week before the Hero and the rest arrived to kick off the main event. Given my knowledge of Lara¡¯s episode, this n made sense. The initial trials weren¡¯t too difficult, so the three of us could manage without the Hero and Serista. ¡®So, he¡¯s trying to catch two birds with one stone.¡¯ From a Luminoir Academy yer¡¯s perspective, this was a risky y¡ªtrying to do too much at once might cause everything to fall apart. But if it seeded, it would be worth it, as we¡¯d gain allies on both fronts and obtain two unique items. Since the Hero was heading to the Northeastern ins with Serista and Seraphine, he would at least finish Lyria¡¯s episode before returning. As for Lara, while my involvement could potentially mess things up, I trusted that the Hero would manage toplete the Lyria route sessfully. I wasn¡¯t too worried about the Hero¡¯s group since Seraphine was apanying them. Her ability to foresee the future and her diplomatic prowess made her an invaluable asset. ¡®Once this episode is over, I¡¯ll be done with this tiresome Saintess role.¡¯ Honestly, the only time I had truly used my powers as the Saintess was during the defeat of MacHart, and I didn¡¯t regret it. This kind of troublesome power was never something I wanted. The ideal future for me was to hand over this burden to Serista and return to being just a regr person. With our departure set for four dayster, we suddenly found ourselves with some free time. Since there was no need to hunt monsters or practice magic in the Imperial Capital, this break turned into an unexpected vacation for Ethan, Agnes, and me. As we left the meeting room and headed back to our rooms on the second floor, Ethan casually asked me about our ns for the next few days. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Our departure is set for four days from now. Do you have any ns in the meantime?¡± ¡°No, my schedule is typically aligned with yours, so I don¡¯t have anything specific nned.¡± ¡°¡­Right. Butst night, you participated in the gathering as my noble partner, not as my maid. So, how about spending the next few days as a regr noblewoman instead of my maid?¡± ¡°Asking amoner like me to live as a noblewoman sounds like a joke, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Is that how it sounds?¡± But I understood what Ethan was trying to say. He wanted me to spend the remaining time here at the pce as Lilith Rosewood, the daughter of the Rosewood family, rather than as his personal maid. He wanted me to enjoy this rare break from duties and responsibilities. While it might not make much difference in status¡ªsince a lower noble and a maid of the ckwood family were not that far apart in hierarchy¡ªI could see the kindness in his suggestion. ¡°Still, wouldn¡¯t it be tiring to address everyone so formally? Everyone knows you¡¯re a baron¡¯s daughter, so I doubt anyone would mind if you didn¡¯t act as a maid for a while.¡± ¡°Alright, Ethan. If you say so, I¡¯ll take it easy for a bit.¡± ¡°¡­You sure change your mind quickly.¡± ¡°Well, I was going to ask for your permission to go out tomorrow. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while, but since I couldn¡¯t leave your side while on duty, I was hesitant. But now I don¡¯t need to ask for permission to go out.¡± ¡°O-Oh, going out¡­?¡± Ethan suddenly seemed flustered at the mention of me going out. Did he have ns to spend time with me tomorrow? But if that were the case, why give me a break in the first ce? ¡°Is there a problem, Ethan?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ If you¡¯re nning to go out, I won¡¯t stop you. But can you at least tell me where you¡¯re going? I¡¯m not asking for any strange reason¡ªjust curious.¡± ¡°I was thinking of visiting the market. The journey to the Witch¡¯s Forest won¡¯t be short, so I need to buy supplies for two days of camping. Originally, I nned to ask Princess Seraphine for help, but since she¡¯ll be busy with Prince MacHart¡¯s funeral and then leaving for the Northeastern ins, I didn¡¯t want to trouble her.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­.¡± ¡°I also want to prepare some emergency rations and supplies like nuts, extra clothes, and insect-repellent perfume in case we end up staying in the Witch¡¯s Forest longer than expected. Of course, if I think of anything else we might need, I¡¯ll add it to the list.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very thorough. It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯ve been to the Witch¡¯s Forest before.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just trying to be prepared for the journey.¡± Saying this made my excuse feel even more awkward. Maybe I should¡¯ve just imed that my prophetic Saintess powers showed me what to expect in the forest. Ethan seemed to be calcting something in his head as he nodded a few times, then suddenly suggested joining me for tomorrow¡¯s outing. ¡°Then, may Ie with you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I also need to prepare my own food and extra clothes. It¡¯s better to do it together than alone, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I was nning to take care of your supplies, too. I know all your measurements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason for me toe. I can¡¯t just leave everything to you while I go off and enjoy myself, right?¡± ¡°But there will be a lot to carry¡­¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll need someone to help with the load. That¡¯s another reason why we should go together, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Now that I think about it, he has a point. When I¡¯m working as a maid, it¡¯s natural for me to handle everything, including both our supplies. But considering the amount of food needed for three days, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to carry everything by myself. Even if Sei helps with wind magic, there¡¯s a limit to what she can do. And Sally, being a fire spirit, wouldn¡¯t be of any help at all. Having Ethan carry his own share would make things a lot easier. ¡°Alright, Ethan. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Great, Lilith. How about after breakfast tomorrow¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, and what about Miss Agnes? She¡¯ll need to prepare food and extra clothes too, right? Should we all go together?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked at me with a stiff expression, while Agnes, who had been pretending not to be interested in the conversation, stared at me with a look of disbelief. I was confused about why the mood had changed so suddenly when Agnes sighed in exasperation. ¡°¡­Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re doing this on purpose, just to mess with us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll prepare on my own. I¡¯m not so clueless as to intrude on someone else¡¯s date.¡± ¡°Date?¡± ¡°Yeah. Your master is inviting you to meet as equals, as fellow nobles, and if that¡¯s not a date, then what is?¡± ¡­Oh.@@novelbin@@ Wait, was that what this was supposed to be? ¡°D-Date¡­?¡± ¡°Lilith, are you really that dense?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re both hopeless, you know that? One is a fool who can¡¯t think beyond his maid, and the other is just a in fool. You two really are a perfect match.¡± With that, Agnes shot us a look of disbelief and walked into her room next to mine, leaving Ethan and me alone in the second-floor hallway, surrounded by an awkward tension. ¡°Was that really a date invitation, Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I kind of expected this. I thought it wouldn¡¯t matter if you didn¡¯t see it as a date.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°¡­Were you nning to refuse if it was a date, Lilith?¡± ¡°N-No, of course not¡­ We¡¯re supposed to be temporary lovers, so going on a date should be natural¡­ right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Then, I¡¯ll see you at breakfast, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ethan.¡± After realizing it was a date, the atmosphere between us became so awkward that we couldn¡¯t have a proper conversation for the rest of the day. ¡­Well, I¡¯ll just have to make sure it¡¯s as ordinary as thest date. Just an ordinary date¡­ Chapter 254 The Next Morning The next morning, after breakfast, Ethan and I stepped out of the pce for our morning outing. Agnes, who had made it clear she didn¡¯t want to interfere with our date, was nowhere to be seen. She must have left early to prepare for the journey on her own. While I was a bit worried about leaving her alone, I knew she could handle herself. After all, she was a walking time bomb¡ªanyone foolish enough to try and pickpocket her would be lucky to escape with just a few burns. Lately, Agnes seemed to have mellowed out, but one could never be too sure. Regardless, I nned to pack some essential extras for her, like insect repellent spray, knowing she¡¯d likely forget something important. ¡®Not that I should be worrying about Agnes right now.¡¯ For some reason, the idea of going on a date after such a long time made my heart race. This was our first date since we became "temporary lovers," and even though it wasn¡¯t real, it still made me nervous. Lately, I had been feeling more and more unsettled around Ethan, and it was hard to ignore that tension, especially now. Ethan had done so much for me recently. Most notably, he had been indispensable in dealing with MacHart. From nning to execution, he had been there every step of the way. ¡®I should probably find a way to thank Ethan separately, aside from granting his wish.¡¯ Of course, I wasn¡¯t nning to thank him with anything inappropriate. A thoughtful gift would be more appropriate, something to convey my gratitude without any suggestive implications. I hadn¡¯t decided on what to give him yet, but fortunately, I had brought along a decent amount of money¡ªten gold coins, to be precise. I hadn¡¯t expected to need them, but it was always wise to be prepared for an extended stay in the capital, where prices were higher than in other towns or cities. Even though I didn¡¯t n on splurging, it was reassuring to have a financial cushion. With these thoughts in mind, I descended to the first-floor lobby of the pce where Ethan, already dressed and waiting, greeted me. As soon as our eyes met, I quickened my pace to reach him. ¡°Did you wait long, Ethan?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t been waiting for long.¡± ¡°Well, that makes sense. We just finished breakfast a little while ago.¡± ¡°¡­True, but then why did you ask if I was waiting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a polite greeting. Usually, the person who¡¯ste asks that on a date.¡± ¡°¡­Really? How do you know that, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I just heard it somewhere.¡± It would have been nice if he just epted my exnation instead of digging deeper. Ethan had a tendency to get oddly inquisitive about the strangest things. It wasn¡¯t a bad habit per se, but sometimes his excessive interest could be a bit overwhelming. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ethan. It¡¯s not like I learned this from dating other men.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get going. When ites to long journeys, freshness is key, so we need to secure fresh ingredients for our smoked and preserved foods. And if we don¡¯t find everything we need today, we¡¯ll have toe back tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­Right, let¡¯s go.¡± Our date was off to a bit of a shaky start. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t ideal for a first date as "temporary lovers." If this awkwardness continued throughout the day, it might be too much for me to handle. Realizing that I needed to brighten the mood, I noticed Ethan¡¯s empty left hand next to me. ¡ªSuddenly, I grabbed it. ¡°L-Lilith?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a date, right, Ethan? It¡¯s okay to hold hands, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, of course¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t bother mentioning that traditionally the man is supposed to make the first move. I¡¯m practically half a man myself, so there was no problem with me taking the initiative. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a date if we just wandered around the market barely speaking to each other. A date should at least start with the right atmosphere¡­. ¡®Wait, wasn¡¯t the point of this outing just to buy supplies?¡¯ We were just out shopping for things we needed for the journey¡ªwas it really necessary to create this kind of atmosphere? Now that I thought about it, a strange warmth crept into my hand as I realized what I had just done so nonchntly. The truth was, Ethan liked me, but I didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for him. So, why was I trying to create this kind of atmosphere? ¡®¡­But it would be even stranger to let go of his hand now.¡¯@@novelbin@@ It seemed I would have to continue this date, hand in hand, until a natural opportunity to let go presented itself. ? ? ? The marketce in the capital was bustling with energy in every sense. With a wide road lined with shops on both sides, it reminded me of a traditional market back home. The only differences were the Western architecture and the medieval European-style goods being sold. It was probably nothing like an actual medieval European market, which would have been much less pleasant. The creators of Luminoir Academy clearly wanted to design a lively, clean environment for the protagonists and heroines to enjoy their dates, rather than a narrow, dirty, and smelly street where yers might lose track of their partners or get pickpocketed. I wasn¡¯t looking for any unnecessary trouble, so I had chosen the most modest dress I could find¡ªa pastel pink dress from the pce wardrobe. Even though it was understated, it still had a noble air, as it was a dress from the royal guest rooms. ¡°Your dress looks nice, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Ethan.¡± I hadn¡¯t worn it to receivepliments, but it didn¡¯t feel bad to be praised. As we continued to stroll through the marketce, hand in hand, Ethan suddenly called out to me from my right. ¡°¡­Lily.¡± ¡°Y-Yes? ¡­Yes?¡± I was a bit flustered by the unexpected use of a pet name. Didn¡¯t we usually agree on this kind of thing beforehand? In social settings where we wanted to emphasize our closeness, we¡¯d use nicknames, but hearing it out of the blue in this casual situation was a bit surprising. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I call you Lily?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, but¡­ suddenly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a date. Don¡¯t people use pet names on dates? And we¡¯re supposed to be lovers, right? Pet names are usually used to express affection, not just for show.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ed.¡± I felt a slight pressure in our joined hands, as if he was just as nervous as I was. Even though Ethan called me ¡°Lily¡± so casually, it seemed he wasn¡¯t entirely at ease either. In a normal romantic rtionship, this would be perfectly natural. Pet names are meant to express affection, after all, not just to show off. So, it wasn¡¯t strange to call each other by pet names¡­. ¡°Lily, do you want to check out that stall over there? It looks interesting.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, Ed. We can take a quick look.¡± My face felt warm every time I said his nickname, something I couldn¡¯t control. Chapter 255 As soon as they entered the market, Ethan, who had already gotten a little sidetracked to buy a snack that looked like roasted potatoes with cheese and a seasonal watermelon juice to share, asked about the day''s ns.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Have you decided what to buy, Lily?¡± ¡°Well, I haven''t made an extremely detailed n. I have a rough idea, though,¡± Lilith replied. ¡°And how rough is that?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯m thinking of securing ingredients that can be preserved for a long time. If fresh meat seems cheap, I¡¯ll buy a lot and get Sally¡¯s help to smoke it. If there¡¯s no significant price difference, I¡¯ll buy processed meats like sausages. For carbohydrates, I n to get biscuits or dry bread and supplement moisture from other ingredients. You can sandwich juicy fruits like tomatoes between bread or soak them in stew until they soften. As for vegetables, I¡¯m prioritizing tomatoes, but I haven¡¯t decided yet. If there aren¡¯t any good options, I might buy a few limes; they could serve as a dessert instead of a cooking ingredient.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds like you¡¯ve thought it through quite a bit.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t settled on exactly what to buy yet. I¡¯ll probably take some timeparing things. And it''s not just ingredients¡ªwe also need to buy camping tools.¡± They had basic items like tents and utensils loaded on the ckwood carriage, but they needed to restock single-use items. Especially since they were heading to the Witch¡¯s Forest, insect repellent was a must. Lilith had to be careful with the ingredients, too. In this summer heat, meat or bread could spoil quickly and contaminate the other food in the cart. Although she could use cleansing magic to cut out the rotten parts, once something spoiled, she¡¯d have to throw it away. And cooking with spoiled ingredients was off-putting anyway. ¡°If you¡¯re making stew, how about fondue? Cheese is an aged food, so it shouldn¡¯t spoil easily, right?¡± Ethan suggested. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great idea! Parmesan or Gouda cheese doesn¡¯t spoil easily! Plus, with a cheese dish, we can use less meat and still get enough protein¡­¡± Thump. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Just as Lilith was getting excited discussing their travel menu with Ethan, she felt someone bump into her side, diverting her attention. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± A rough-looking person, their hat pulled low, muttered an apology in a hoarse voice and disappeared into the crowd before Lilith could respond. Feeling uneasy, Lilith reached for the cloth pouch in her right pocket and, as expected, found it gone. The thief hadn¡¯t even checked the contents before swiping it. ¡°Lily, was that person just now¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it looks like they were a pickpocket.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we chase them? With all these people, they could disappear quickly if we leave them be¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll find out where they are soon enough.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± It would be foolish not to prepare for pickpockets whening to a market in a medieval fantasy world. The gold coins she had brought for shopping were, of course, stored in a ce where no one could ever steal them. ¡­Instead, the pouch the pickpocket had taken contained something special. ¡°Aaaaaagh!!¡± ¡°They seem to have run into that alley,¡± Lilith noted calmly. ¡°¡­Yeah, seems like it.¡± Lilith and Ethan quickly moved toward the direction of the scream they had just heard. The pickpocket had certainly picked the wrong target. ? ? ? When they reached the source of the scream, they found the thief on the ground, clutching his face, which was covered in a red liquid that Lilith had prepared herself. ¡°Aaagh! My eyes! Aaaaaagh!!¡± The pouch had been a special trap, designed so that when opened, a wind spell crafted by Sei would burst out. Of course, just the wind wouldn¡¯t be enough to cause such a reaction, so Lilith had added a small touch¡ªchili oil sprayed directly into the thief¡¯s face. The thief seemed moved by the trap, judging by the tears streaming down his face as he covered his eyes with both hands. ¡°Do you like the gift, Mr. Pickpocket?¡± ¡°Ahhh! Damn it! What did you put in here?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s chili oil, made by extracting chili pepper essence in olive oil for about ten minutes. I was saving it for pasta, but thanks to you, I can¡¯t use it anymore.¡± ¡°Gaaaaah!! Damn it!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the pouch back. It only had a few coins, but even that¡¯s too good for you.¡± Lilith retrieved the pouch that had triggered the trap and offered a parting word to the pickpocket, who was writhing on the ground. ¡°You damn¡­!¡± ¡°I can see you¡¯re angry, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to stay calm? Shouldn¡¯t you be worrying about other things right now? If you don¡¯t get to a church within the next thirty minutes, those eyes of yours might be useless for the next thirty years of your life.¡± ¡°D-damn it¡­! You cursed woman! I¡¯ll remember your face¡­!¡± ¡°And what do you n to do by remembering it? If you don¡¯t get to the church soon, you won¡¯t be able to see that face ever again. What good will it do to remember it?¡± ¡°W-what¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, maybe I should¡¯ve asked if you even have the money for treatment in the first ce. If you don¡¯t n to go to the church anyway, maybe you should start remembering my voice instead. At least your ears still work, so you can remember that properly. Then, when you think of meter, you can stop someone and ask, ¡®Excuse me, but your voice sounds a lot like the woman who blinded me. Are you that cursed woman?¡¯ And if I¡¯m in a good mood, I might nod. Though, of course, you wouldn¡¯t see it even if I did.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The thief was so taken aback by Lilith¡¯s bold words that he lowered his hands from his face, staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. He had probably assumed that the noble-looking girl was just some sheltered flower out on a market trip. He could never have imagined that the pouch he stole was trapped or that she woulde back to mock him so openly. But what could he do now? He was practically helpless with his eyes blinded. Lilith could tell just by the way he was fumbling through his inner pockets that he was still intent on causing trouble. ¡°You really should head to the church now. I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll even make it there with those eyes.¡± ¡°You¡­you damn woman¡­¡± ¡°If you keep hesitating, it¡¯ll be toote. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life blind? Or should I say¡­ hmm¡­¡± Lilith pondered if there was a famous blind character from Western fairy tales or history. Helen Keller came to mind, but she was too modern. The Happy Prince? The goddess of justice? Nothing seemed quite right. As she was lost in thought, the thief, unable to bear it any longer, pulled out a knife and charged at her. ¡°You damn woman! Die, you cursed¡ªaaagh!!¡± As expected, the thief revealed his true nature and lunged at Lilith with a knife. His predictable actions only reaffirmed to Lilith that she hadn¡¯t been wrong to treat him as she had. If he had admitted his wrongdoing and begged for forgiveness when she first caught him, she might have used cleansing magic to wash his face and even healed him with her saintly powers. Blinding someone permanently for a simple theft would have been too harsh. But now, after his continued defiance and violence, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to show mercy. Perhaps getting rid of someone like him was the real cleansing magic. Whoosh! Whoosh! ¡°You damn woman! Where are you?!¡± For someone like Lilith, who had sparred enough with Ethan to block at least half of his strikes, dodging the blind thief¡¯s wild stabs was no challenge at all. If anything, his reckless attack made her think she might have underestimated him. Deciding she would never see this person again, Lilith deftly dodged his attacks and tripped him, sending him sprawling to the ground. Thud! ¡°Aaaagh!!¡± The thief, unable to resist, hit the ground hard, iling his knife aimlessly in desperation. As Lilith watched, Ethan stepped in to deliver the final blow. ¡°¡­How dare you swing a de at someone like that.¡± sh! ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± The thief¡¯s knife flew into the air, along with the hand that had been gripping it. Leaving the now handless and blinded thief in the alley, Lilith and Ethan walked back out, just in time to meet the imperial guards arriving at the entrance. ¡°Halt! We heard a scream from this alley, and¡ªoh, my¡­¡± The guard grimaced at the sight of the thief lying on the ground, clutching the stump where his hand had been. ¡°If you don¡¯t properly exin what happened¡­¡± ¡°I am Ethan Richard ckwood of the ckwood Duchy. I¡¯m currently staying at the pce for certain reasons.¡± ¡°B-ckwood Duchy, you say?¡± ¡°And this is my fianc¨¦e, Lady Lilith ckwood Rosewood. You¡¯ve probably heard of her.¡± ¡°Lady Lilith? The one close to the Third Princess¡­?¡± ¡°Her beauty and figure are as rumored¡­¡± ¡°That man just stole from Lilith and, not satisfied with that, ran at her with a knife when she tried to get it back. The knife in his severed hand should be enough evidence, but do you need anything else?¡± ¡°N-no, sir! Sorry to have detained you!¡± ¡°Alright then, carry on.¡± Even though the same words were spoken, they carried a lot more weight whening from a duke¡¯s son. The guards clearly didn¡¯t want to cross the ckwood family and didn¡¯t dare ask anything further. Lilith and Ethan walked through the now parted guards and returned to the market to begin their actual shopping for the camping trip. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Neither of them noticed the gaze following them as they left the alley. Chapter 256 "Yes, yes. Please send this to the secondary pce as well. Just say it''s a personal item for Master Ethan."@@novelbin@@ "Understood! I''ll make sure it''s well-packaged and sent right away!" "Thank you, and I hope you have good sales!" It had been about two hours since Lilith and Ethan began shopping for travel supplies at the market. Despite having purchased quite a few items, they were still wandering around empty-handed, save for the snacks they were carrying. The reason they didn¡¯t have to carry any heavy items was primarily because they were staying at the secondary pce. When they first visited the cheese shop, the shopkeeper, recognizing that Ethan was a noble of considerable standing, had confirmed where they were staying and immediately offered to have the items sent directly to the secondary pce. It turned out that this market was frequented by maids from the pce or the secondary pce who came to purchase groceries. Transporting enough food for the three hundred or so nobles, royal family members, and servants residing within the pce was impossible for the maids alone, so the market had developed a system of transport wagons that delivered goods to the pce twice a day. This meant that Lilith and Ethan could take advantage of this service without any issues, adding their supplies to therge shipment wouldn¡¯t dy the delivery. The shopkeeper had mentioned that other nobles staying at the pce often used this service, so it was perfectly normal. As a result, instead of being weighed down by baskets full of food as originally nned, their hands werepletely free. ¡®Phew¡­ Phew¡­ Phew¡­¡¯ ¡®Hehe¡­ Hehe¡­ Hehe¡­¡¯ Sei, who hade along to help, was now asleep on Lilith¡¯s shoulder, while Sally, who had followed Sei, flitted about, seemingly enjoying watching her sleep. Even the gold coins Lilith had brought for the trip remained untouched. This wasn¡¯t surprising, considering Ethan¡¯s presence. ¡®Given Ethan¡¯s personality, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d just watch me spend money.¡¯ Lilith had tested this theory at the cheese shop, pretending to take out her wallet, only for Ethan to immediately stop her hand and pay for the cheese himself. The same thing happened at every other shop they visited afterward. Although Lilith was currently pretending to be an ordinary noblewoman, in reality, her rtionship with Ethan was that of a young master and his personal maid. It would have been a blow to Ethan¡¯s pride as a noble to let his servant pay for anything, so this was only natural. With no need to carry heavy items or spend any money, Lilith was able to leisurely enjoy shopping in the market. If she saw something they might need, she would buy it and have it sent to the secondary pce. If she spotted a snack, she would buy one to share with Ethan. ¡­At this point, it felt less like they were preparing for a trip and more like they were on a date. Of course, that wasn¡¯t far from the truth, considering that Ethan had asked her out. "Lily, say ''ah.''" ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Even now, as Ethan fed her fruit skewers bought from a stall, it was unmistakably a date. Lilith was d she hadn¡¯t brought Agnes along. If Agnes had seen this, she would have used them of flirting in public, causing a scene both now and in the future. As Lilith savored the sweet, sugar-coated strawberry skewer, Ethan asked about the rest of the day¡¯s ns. "It seems like we¡¯ve bought almost everything. What¡¯s left, Lily?" "We¡¯ve almost finished with the food and camping supplies; the only thing left is insect repellent." "Insect repellent?" "Yes. I¡¯ve heard that the Witch¡¯s Forest is home to some rather dangerous insects. I¡¯m not sure if Lara will have any for us, so it¡¯s better to be prepared." The main reason was that Lilith hated bugs. Despite her years of experience as a maid, which had made her adept at killing even the most disgusting insects with her bare hands, they still grossed her out. The idea of being hot, sweaty, and then swarmed by bugs was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. "We could probably find some at a general store or a magic shop. But those kinds of ces might be located outside the market, in a more remote part of town." Considering the capital was arge city that could fit two castles, finding such a store immediately might be challenging. When she yed Luminor Academy, she rarely used insect repellent items, so she wasn¡¯t even sure if they sold them in the capital. As a yer, she hadn¡¯t needed them since she wasn¡¯t the one encountering the bugs. Lilith was pondering whether she¡¯d have to spend the afternoon circling the capital to find a store that sold insect repellent spray when someone suddenly blocked her and Ethan¡¯s path. "I saw a strange sign earlier; it might have been a general store¡­" "Excuse me, miss¡­!" "Eek?!" "Kyaah?!" Startled by the sudden appearance of a small girl who barely reached half her height, Lilith stumbled backward, only to be caught by Ethan, who had been quietly following behind her. "Are you okay, Lily?" ¡°¡­Yes, thank you, Ed." Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t fallen and embarrassed herself. Ethan had caught her before she could hit the ground. The girl, on the other hand, had fallen over, startled by Lilith¡¯s scream. Lilith quickly reached out a hand to help her up. "I¡¯m sorry for yelling like that. Are you hurt?" "N-no¡­" The girl, wearing a red hood, cautiously took Lilith¡¯s hand and stood up, brushing off her clothes. She looked about six or seven years old, but in this world, appearances could be deceiving. Malnutrition wasmon, so she might be older than she looked. "You called out to me earlier. Is there something you need?" "W-well¡­" "Did you lose your parents? Or are you lost and can¡¯t find your way home?" "Are you¡­ are you an adventurer, miss?" ¡°¡­What?" Lilith was taken aback by the unexpected question, but she quickly regained herposure and shook her head. "No, I¡¯m not an adventurer." "T-then¡­" "I¡¯m just a normal maid¡­ no, a noblewoman¡­ or rather, I¡¯m just an ordinary person, not an adventurer or a noble." "¡­¡­." Given that she wasn¡¯t currently a maid, introducing herself as such felt awkward, and she wasn¡¯t sure if this girl, who seemed to be amoner, would even know what a maid was. She also didn¡¯t want to rm the girl by revealing herself as a noble, so she simply described herself as an ordinary person. ¡­Though in truth, a truly ordinary person probably wouldn¡¯t introduce themselves like that. "T-that¡¯s a lie¡­" "Pardon?" "A normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to fight so well. I-I saw you earlier in that alley, dodging that bad man¡¯s knife like this and that!" "Uh, um¡­" "I-I saw it all! That strange man was swinging a knife at you, and then your brother chopped off his hand with a quick sh!" "¡­¡­." It seemed the girl had witnessed the incident with the pickpocket (who was actually a robber) earlier in the alley. Lilith recalled that it wasn¡¯t exactly a scene suitable for a child to witness. Then again, this was a medieval fantasy world. Maybe things like that were moremon. After all, in a bustling capital like this, it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for crimes involving knives and killings to happen daily. "In that case, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m a slightly better fighter than most ordinary people." "¡­¡­." "So, where are your parents? If you¡¯ve lost them, I can help you find them¡­" "They¡¯re¡­ not here." Lilith hadn¡¯t meant to say anything wrong. It was just normal to assume that a child in a crowded market would be with their parents. Not that she thought this girl was abnormal or anything. "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­" "My mom and dad are lying down right now. Even if I asked them toe to the market with me, they wouldn¡¯t havee." "Oh, you startled me. When you said they weren¡¯t here, I thought I had said something really wrong¡­" "It¡¯s been about a year since they¡¯ve been lying down. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll get up anytime soon." "¡­¡­." "I¡¯m kidding. Actually, if you go that way, you¡¯ll find where they are." "S-so it was a joke¡­ You really scared me¡­" "That¡¯s where my mom and dad are buried. They actually passed away about three years ago." "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." "¡­So that wasn¡¯t a joke?" "No. So I don¡¯t have a mom or dad anymore." ¡­In the end, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Lilith had misspoken from the start. She could have just said her parents had passed away. Why go through all that roundabout way and make things even more awkward? Of course, she couldn¡¯t get angry at the child. If she did, she¡¯de off as a really bad person, so she managed to suppress her emotions. "¡­Then, do you have any other family you live with?" "My grandmother. I live with my grandmother." "¡­Your grandmother isn¡¯t¡­?" "No, she¡¯s still alive. Just yesterday morning, she made carrot and potato soup for me. I asked her to leave out the carrots, but¡­" ¡­Thankfully, the grandmother wasn¡¯t part of the tragic backstory. With a sigh of relief, Lilith realized she had found the opening she needed to shift the conversation and understand the girl¡¯s situation better. "Would you like me to help you find your grandmother?" "Yes!" "Great. Where did youst see her? If you think back carefully¡­" "Last night, at our house!" "¡­What?" "The night beforest, a big, bad wolf suddenly appeared at our house and took my grandmother away!" "¡­¡­." ¡­What? Is this girl really Little Red Riding Hood? Chapter 257 I felt a bit taken aback by the sudden appearance of this little girl in a red hood¡ªthough she wasn¡¯t exactly Little Red Riding Hood, she seemed to be something close. The story she told was reminiscent of a tale that anyone from my previous world would recognize: the characters from the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood." Luminor Academy was a game, so it wasn¡¯t surprising if it had an episode inspired by a fairy tale. The problem was that this episode was entirely unfamiliar to me. Could it really have been part of Luminor Academy? I had yed through the game 25 times, and I¡¯d never encountered anything like this. Given how thoroughly I¡¯d scoured forums in multiplenguages for tips on Lilith¡¯s route, it was strange that I had no memory of this episode. I couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what kind of episode this might be. Although part of me didn¡¯t want to get involved in anything troublesome, my instincts as a hardcore yer of Luminor Academy made me hesitate. This was the first time I was encountering an episode I genuinely knew nothing about. Besides, I¡¯d already made a bit of a blunder with this girl, so the least I could do was listen to her story. "I can¡¯t really understand what happened if you just say she was taken. Could you exin what happened in detail, little Red Hood?" "So, it was the night beforest. My grandmother¡­." As I listened to the girl, who introduced herself as Cat, she recounted the events. She had been living with her grandmother for the past three years, ever since her parents passed away in an ident. Her grandmother was her only remaining family. Cat¡¯s grandmother always stayed with her until she fell asleep, telling her stories to help her drift off. However, her grandmother would asionally leave the house for two or three days each month, during which Cat had no choice but to sleep alone. While she could sleep without her grandmother, she still preferred not to. Cat didn¡¯t know why her grandmother had to leave regrly. She¡¯d been told it was for work, but she had never seen what that work was, and whenever she tried to go along, her grandmother would insist she stay behind. Thest time her grandmother had left was about two weeks ago, and she wasn¡¯t scheduled to leave again for another two weeks. So, the night beforest, her grandmother was supposed to be home. But when Cat went to call her grandmother to bed, she found a big, bad wolf in her grandmother¡¯s room¡ªor so Cat imed. "Wait, there was a wolf in your grandmother¡¯s room?" "Yes!" "And what about your grandmother?" "The big, bad wolf took her away!" "¡­¡­." So, we were back to square one.@@novelbin@@ There were some things in this story that didn¡¯t quite add up. It wasn¡¯t like Cat had skipped or left out parts of the story¡ªit just didn¡¯t make sense. Of course, children¡¯s stories can often seem jumbled and disorganized, so maybe that was why it felt so confusing. But the thought of asking her to retell the story from the beginning was also daunting. "Hmm¡­." "You and your brother are strong adventurers, so you can beat the big, bad wolf, right?!" "No, like I said, we¡¯re not adventurers¡­." "That doesn¡¯t matter! I¡¯m sure you two can save my grandmother!" "Well, we could handle a wolf, but¡­." Yes, Ethan and I could certainly handle a wolf or two. We¡¯d already faced far more dangerous and terrifying monsters. Ethan, after all, had nearly reached the level of a Sword Expert. He could probably take down a dozen wolves on his own, and with my support, we could easily handle twice that number. But my concern wasn¡¯t about whether we could defeat the wolf. It was the likelihood that, even if we found the wolf that had taken Cat¡¯s grandmother, it was already toote to save her. It had been two days since the grandmother was taken. Realistically, she would have likely died within the first hour of being captured, possibly in a very gruesome manner. I didn¡¯t want to exin that harsh reality to this little girl. She had already lost her parents, and the idea of making her understand that her grandmother was also gone was unsettling. Even if she didn¡¯t die immediately, it¡¯s been two days. It¡¯s likely toote¡­. I didn¡¯t know exactly how old Cat¡¯s grandmother was, but given Cat¡¯s age, she was likely in her fifties at least. In this world, a woman in her fifties was considered elderly. Even if she wasn¡¯t elderly, being bitten by a wolf and dragged away would have caused severe injuries. After two days, she likely would have sumbed to those injuries, even if the wolves hadn¡¯t eaten her. One way or another, Cat¡¯s grandmother was no longer of this world¡ªunless some miracle had urred. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have promised to help her¡­. I had assumed she was just a child who had gotten separated from her parents in the market. I hadn¡¯t anticipated that she¡¯d have such a tragic backstory. I nced at Ethan, who was deep in thought, his head bowed. He seemed to be struggling with the idea of having to tell this child about her grandmother¡¯s likely fate. Given his own experience of losing his mother at a young age, he might have been empathizing with Cat. "¡­Lead us to your house," Ethan finally said. "What?" "If we¡¯re going to find any trace of your grandmother, we need to start by checking the ce where she wasst seen. If we go there, we might be able to track where the wolf went." "Ethan, are you really¡­." "Even if we can¡¯t save her, we should at least retrieve her body, or something that belonged to her, so we can give her a proper burial. That might help Cat understand her grandmother¡¯s death." Ethan spoke quietly, so Cat couldn¡¯t hear. He knew that saving Cat¡¯s grandmother was unlikely, so he was focused on at least finding some trace of her to honor her memory. I agreed with Ethan¡¯s approach, so I nodded. "Cat, can you lead us to the house where you lived with your grandmother?" "Will you really find my grandmother, miss?" "¡­I¡¯ll do my best." This was the best answer I could give at the moment. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything harsher to a child who was still so innocent. ? ? ? "This way! This way~!" As soon as we agreed to help find her grandmother, Cat eagerly led us to a house on the outskirts of the capital. It was an old brick house that had clearly seen better days, but it seemed to be the home where Cat and her grandmother lived alone. The house was small, suitable for two or three people, but a bit cramped for four. Standing in front of the house, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of confusion. ¡­The house looks more intact than I expected. I had imagined that the house would be somewhat damaged after hearing about a wolf breaking in. Even though wolves are rtively intelligent for animals, it was unlikely they would open the door and walk in through the front entrance when attacking a home. I had expected to see broken doors or windows, or maybe arge hole in the wall, but the house¡¯s exterior was surprisingly intact. I really hope a wolf doesn¡¯t jump out as soon as we open the door. It would be like something out of a detective novel if the culprit had never left the crime scene and was hiding inside. I wasn¡¯t constantly prepared for battle, and if a wolf did suddenly appear from behind the door, it could be dangerous. "I¡¯ll go in first, Lily." "¡­Alright, Ed." Ethan, sensing the same unease, stepped forward cautiously, opening the door while keeping his guard up. "¡­No one¡¯s here?" "¡­It seems that way." "I considered the possibility that a wild animal might have stayed inside, but it looks like we¡¯re in the clear. You can¡¯t always trust a child¡¯s ount to be perfectly urate." ¡­Well, if a wolf had stayed inside the house, we wouldn¡¯t have needed toe here in the first ce. If the wolf had taken Cat¡¯s grandmother the night beforest and stayed in the house, then Cat would have been its victimst night. In a house this small, it would have been hard for the wolf to slip out unnoticed. Even if she was a child, Cat wouldn¡¯t have mistaken the wolf leaving with her grandmother. "Are you sure the wolf took your grandmother outside, Cat?" "Huh? No?" "No?" "No." Is she ying with me? Reminding myself that I was dealing with a child, I tried asking Cat again about the whereabouts of the wolf. "Is there a chance the wolf is still inside the house?" "No." "Then what was that reaction just now, Cat? You looked at me like I didn¡¯t understand what you were saying." "That¡¯s because the bad wolf didn¡¯t take my grandmother outside." "¡­What?" I was sure she had said earlier that a big wolf had taken her grandmother away. If I was going to figure out where Cat¡¯s grandmother had gone, I needed to clear up any misunderstandings between us first. Chapter 258 Despite Cat¡¯s earlier im that the wolf didn¡¯t take her grandmother outside, she also insisted that the wolf wasn¡¯t still in the house. Watching her contradictory statements unfold, I couldn¡¯t help but feel utterly bewildered. Was this not Little Red Riding Hood, but rather the boy who cried wolf? For a moment, I wondered if this whole thing was just a wild goose chase¡ªif there had never been a wolf at all. Just as I was about to dismiss the idea entirely, Ethan stepped in, asking a question that made me pause. ¡°If the wolf didn¡¯t take her out by mouth, did it carry her on its back or in its arms?¡± "¡­¡­!" Of course! A werewolf! I had momentarily forgotten that we were in a medieval fantasy world, where creatures like werebeasts¡ªhybrids of humans and animals¡ªexisted. If it had been a werewolf, which looked more like a wolf than a human, it would be easy for a child like Cat to mistake it for just arge wolf. If a werewolf had taken her grandmother, there was a chance she might still be alive. "No."@@novelbin@@ "¡­Are you sure? Absolutely sure?" "Yes, I¡¯m sure." "¡­¡­." So much for that theory¡­ I had genuinely thought a werewolf was the most likely exnation. But if Cat was so certain it wasn¡¯t, then I couldn¡¯t press the issue any further. She was looking at us with those wide, innocent eyes, and there was no way I could use her of lying. With the possibility of a werewolf set aside, I tried to clear up the misunderstanding between us. "Did the wolf and your grandmother leave the house holding hands?" "No." "Then did the wolf put your grandmother on its back and carry her out?" "Um, no." "¡­Did the wolf maybe wrap its tail around your grandmother and take her that way?" "¡­What does that even mean?" "¡­Never mind." I had offered every conceivable option for how a wolf could take someone away, but Cat continued to answer with a firm "no" to each. It was almost as if she was ying a game of twenty questions, and I was starting to wonder if she was teasing me. If the wolf didn¡¯t carry her out in its mouth, arms, or tail, then what other options were there? A fleeting thought crossed my mind¡ªmaybe Cat¡¯s grandmother had never existed at all and was just a figment of her imagination. But before I could dwell on that idea, Ethan asked Cat a new question. "¡­So why do you think the wolf kidnapped your grandmother? Couldn¡¯t it be that the wolf just happened toe into the house when your grandmother wasn¡¯t there?" "But¡­ the wolf said so." "¡­Said so?" "Yes. It told me, ¡®I¡¯ve taken your grandmother, so if you want her back, just sleep quietly for two nights and wait.¡¯ But it¡¯s been two nights, and my grandmother hasn¡¯te back yet¡­." "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." So, it really was a werewolf, I thought. Cat¡¯s words also provided another piece of crucial information: she hadn¡¯t actually seen her grandmother being taken away. She had simply believed what the wolf¡ªor rather, the werewolf¡ªhad told her. There was a chance that her grandmother hadn¡¯t been kidnapped at all and had simply stayed away for some other reason. Maybe there¡¯s still hope of finding her grandmother. It was far better to go through the trouble of searching than to tell a child that herst remaining rtive was gone. With that in mind, I entered one of the two rooms in the house, where the werewolf had supposedly been. "Is this your grandmother¡¯s room, Cat?" "Yes!" "And this is where you saw the talking wolf?" "Yes!" Finally, something that makes sense. For a while, Cat had only been saying "no," which had been incredibly frustrating. But now that she was confirming things, I felt like I was finally getting somewhere. As I looked around the slightly messy room, I noticed a suspicious piece of string on the floor, mixed in with some of the scattered clothing. ¡­What is this thin piece of fabric? At first, I thought it might be part of a ne, but it didn¡¯t seem to be. It had ties on both ends, but they didn¡¯t seem intended to be worn around the neck. The fabric was too small to be a piece of clothing, or at least, it didn¡¯t seem functional as one. As I examined the thin ck strip of cloth shaped like an "H," trying to figure out its purpose, Cat hesitantly asked me a question. "Um, miss?" "Yes?" "Why are you holding my grandmother¡¯s underwear?" "Underwear? ¡­This?" "Yes, the thing you¡¯re holding. That¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s panties¡­." "¡­Aaaah!" Startled by the realization that the thin strip of fabric was indeed underwear, I quickly threw it aside. This is underwear?! This flimsy piece of fabric that doesn¡¯t cover anything?! The thought of wearing something that could so easily expose everything at the slightest gust of wind was mind-boggling. I couldn¡¯t believe anyone would actually consider this "panties," let alone wear it. Thank goodness I hadn¡¯t met Cat¡¯s grandmother yet¡ªif I had, I might have pictured her in these¡­ "underwear." "¡­Lily, is that your taste?" "N-no, Ed!" "¡­Alright. If you ever need something like that, just ask the head maid. She¡¯ll probably get you whatever you want." "I said no!" Who does he think I am, some kind of exhibitionist? I felt my face grow hot at Ethan¡¯s ridiculous suspicion that I had some strange fetish just because I¡¯d been examining a piece of clothing. ¡­Now that I think about it, the other clothes on the floor seem to belong to the same person. Setting aside the thin piece of fabric that had been mistaken for underwear, I noticed that the other clothes on the floor all had something inmon: they were torn, especially around the back and waist areas. If that H-shaped strip of fabric really was Cat¡¯s grandmother¡¯s underwear, then it seemed likely that the torn pajamas and nightgown with frayed seams also belonged to her. Considering the circumstances, these were probably the clothes she had been wearing the night she disappeared. If the werewolf was going to kidnap her, it would¡¯ve been quicker just to take her as she was. Why tear all her clothes off like this? A troubling thought crossed my mind¡ªwhat if the werewolf had some sort of perverse interest in Cat¡¯s grandmother? What if, in the middle of the night, it had tried to assault her, only to flee when Cat appeared? ¡­No, that can¡¯t be right. The developers of Luminor Academy may not have created a pure heroine route for Lilith, but they were still skilled at crafting a "marketable" game. They knew what would appeal to the audience, which is why a game from a small country in Asia had made it onto Steam and been tranted into multiplenguages. There was no way they¡¯d create an episode featuring something as distasteful as a "grandmother-loving werewolf." They knew that kind of content would anger a significant portion of the fanbase. If I ruled out that possibility, I needed to think of a more reasonable exnation for why the werewolf would tear off Cat¡¯s grandmother¡¯s clothes. Was it trying to "unwrap" its meal before eating? I meant this in the most literal sense, not as a sexual metaphor. But in this world, werewolves were generally treated as beastfolk and had no reason to engage in cannibalism. If the werewolf had really done something like that, there should have been signs of a struggle or bloodstains somewhere in the house. But there were no such traces. Even the torn clothes didn¡¯t show signs of resistance. If the werewolf had forcibly done something, the clothes wouldn¡¯t have been ripped so neatly. Wait, these clothes¡­. Looking closely at the tears on both the top and bottom garments, I noticed amonality: the fabric had torn along the seams. If the clothes had been torn by an external force, they wouldn¡¯t have ripped so neatly along the seams. Usually, the fabric itself would have torn in irregr patterns, or the clothes would have been shredded into pieces. This kind of tearing only happens when the fabric is uniformly stretched from the inside with equal force. Like if a balloon were inside the clothes and it suddenly expanded until it burst¡­. "¡­Ah! I get it now!!" "Eek?! M-miss?" "Lilith?" Cat¡¯s testimony, the talking wolf, and the clothes torn from the inside¡ªit all made sense now. The mystery was solved. The truth was, as always, only one! Chapter 259 I had confidently dered that I had solved the mystery, but to be honest, I wasn¡¯t the only one who figured it out. Frankly speaking, the circumstantial evidence was just too obvious. When I turned to Ethan with a triumphant expression, as if I had uncovered the truth, he already wore a face that said he had reached the same conclusion long ago. ¡°Ed, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I think the girl¡¯s grandmother might be a werewolf. There are some werewolves who can switch between human and wolf forms. She must have been hiding it until she was exposed the night beforest.¡± ¡°¡­You knew already?¡± ¡°The torn clothes were probably caused by her transformation into a werewolf, causing her body to expand. She told Cat she would return in two days, but the fact that she hasn¡¯te back yet means something must have happened to her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the reason she disappeared once a month must have been to avoid the full moon. Even if a werewolf can take on human form, they are forced to transform on the night of the full moon. The timing fits, as she disappeared around a full moon about two weeks ago.¡± ¡°¡­That makes sense.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about the full moon cycle at all. In fact, just two nights ago was the new moon, so it made sense that two weeks prior would have been a full moon. I admired Ethan¡¯s insight, but honestly, anyone else could have figured it out as well. It wasn¡¯t exactly a hard mystery, even I had been able to solve it. In my previous life, the way I yed Luminor Academy was less about brilliance and more about brute-forcing through the game. So it¡¯s not like my mind was particrly sharp in unraveling mysteries of this level. As I quietly dealt with the feeling of emptiness creeping over me, Cat looked up at me, her wide eyes gleaming. ¡°Did you figure it out, big sister?! Can you find my grandmother now?!¡± ¡°¡­Probably.¡± ¡°Where is she?! Where¡¯s my grandmother?!¡± ¡°Well, we still need to investigate a bit more¡­¡± One thing I was sure of was that Cat¡¯s grandmother, her only living rtive, was alive. That alone was a relief. Although, given that she was a werewolf, I did wonder if Cat was truly her biological rtive. Since it wasn¡¯t the wolf that took her grandmother, but rather the grandmother was the wolf, she was actually in no real danger. Even if a real wolf appeared, a werewolf, being a superior species, could easily take care of it. However, there was still the heavy truth that I had to tell Cat. ¡®It¡¯s definitely easier than telling her her grandmother was eaten by a wolf¡­¡¯@@novelbin@@ But even so, it was still difficult to say. If I wasn¡¯t careful, it could lead to issues like hidden parentage or something of the sort. Besides, there was probably a reason her grandmother hadn¡¯t told Cat the truth about being a werewolf. Ethan and I blurting out ¡°Your grandmother is a werewolf¡± felt inappropriate. In the end, I couldn¡¯te to a clear conclusion, so I decided to dy answering her. ¡°Your grandmother will probably return tomorrow morning. If you wait patiently at home, Cat.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯te back?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m sure she will. At least, I¡¯m certain she wasn¡¯t killed by a wolf¡­¡± ¡°How do you know that, big sister? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Big sister, how do you know my grandmother wille back tomorrow? What did you figure out? Tell me!¡± ¡­Sigh, how am I supposed to answer that? This is why dealing with kids was exhausting. They¡¯re full of curiosity, and you can¡¯t always give them straightforward answers without getting into trouble. While I was struggling to find the right words, Ethan stepped in, unable to watch me flounder any longer. ¡°If your grandmother doesn¡¯t return by tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll have the ckwood family conduct a thorough search for her.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wait, Ed. Is that really okay¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Probably.¡± ¡­Probably? It was the first time I¡¯d seen Ethan hesitate like this when making a decision. Maybe it was because the issue involved family, and his emotions were getting the better of him. But I wasn¡¯t sure if Cat even understood what he meant by having the ckwood family conduct a search. Her ability toprehend such things might not be up to the task¡­ ¡°¡­Okay, big brother.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If grandmother doesn¡¯te back tomorrow morning, you¡¯ll find her for me, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait patiently because a handsome big brother said so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­This girl. When I spoke, she kept pestering me with questions, but now that Ethan says something, she just believes it because he¡¯s ¡°handsome?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit concerned about Cat¡¯s future. She was already learning how to flirt with nobles at such a young age. It¡¯s true that Ethan was handsome, even from a child¡¯s perspective, so I couldn¡¯t deny that part. Still, it left me feeling a bit sour. ¡°Well then, trust us and wait patiently, littledy.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± In order to keep Ethan from getting too entangled with this girl, it was clear we needed to find Cat¡¯s grandmother soon. It wasn¡¯t jealousy or anything. I mean, she was just a little girl, barely ten years old. ? ? ? ¡°Lily, are you sure this is the right path?¡± ¡°¡­I found it using the Saintess¡¯s power, so I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± About 30 minutes after leaving Cat and her grandmother¡¯s cabin, Ethan and I were hiking up a mountain on the outskirts of the capital, searching for traces of the werewolf. Using the Saintess¡¯s power, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find someone who was missing. One of the abilities granted to a Saintess is the power to find the owner of a lost item. This ability allowed me to track the owner of any lost object, as long as it held deep sentimental value to the owner. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be used on just any object; it had to be something precious to the owner. The power was designed to reunite people with things they cherished. Among the grandmother¡¯s belongings, there was only one item that had enough emotional attachment to use the ability. So, we were simply following where that item was leading us. ¡°But, hey, Lily.¡± ¡°Yes, Ed?¡± ¡°Do you always have to hold the item in your hand for the Saintess¡¯s power to work?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well, I guess there¡¯s no other choice, haha¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At least it doesn¡¯t really look like anything obvious. You can¡¯t even tell what it is from the side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re out in the mountains. If we were in the city, people might get the wrong idea about you carrying ¡®that¡¯ around¡­¡± ¡°Ed.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth. I¡¯m already stressed enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my irritation this time, and I snapped. But how could I not? I was walking around holding what looked like a random strip of cloth¡ªactually, it was part of the grandmother¡¯s undergarment¡ªwhile trying to track down its owner, and here he was, making snide remarks. Feeling like I was doing some kind of dowsing ritual, I trudged forward, holding the torn cloth that was pointing us in the direction of Cat¡¯s grandmother. After about ten minutes of hiking deeper into the forest with Ethan, we finally reached a spot where the cloth started changing direction. Soon enough, we came across a small cabin that looked like it had signs of recent human activity. ¡°That must be the ce.¡± ¡°¡­Seems like it.¡± It was surprisingly close for a hideout. If we looked down from the mountain, we could probably see Cat¡¯s house. It was hidden well by the trees and bushes, making it the perfect spot for someone who wanted to stay close while remaining out of sight. ¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing too strange.¡± ¡°Well, if she¡¯s the kind of person who hides her werewolf nature from her granddaughter, she¡¯s probably quite thoughtful.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± The fact that a woman of grandmotherly age was still wearing ¡°this kind of underwear¡± was a little questionable, but honestly, it was a personal matter. Considering that she had hidden in a ce where she could still keep an eye on her granddaughter, it seemed that, despite her odd preferences, she wasn¡¯t a bad person. With that thought, I knocked on the cabin door a couple of times. -Knock, knock. ¡°Yes! Just a moment~!¡± ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ What was that cheerful voice? It was a much younger-sounding voice than I expected from a grandmother. Could it be someone else¡¯s house? Or was there someone else living here? But the cloth I was holding was still pointing directly at this cabin. Maybe she had a roommate. After all, Cat¡¯s grandmother couldn¡¯t be the only woman hiding her werewolf identity from her family. And judging by the size of the cabin, it seemed a bit too big for one person. As I was pondering these possibilities, the door finally opened, revealing the owner of the voice. To my surprise, a woman in a tight, form-fitting dress¡ªthe kind you¡¯d call a ¡°bodycon dress¡±¡ªstood in the doorway, and I couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. ¡°Wee~!¡± ¡°Hello¡­?¡± ¡­Wee? ¡°The door was open, you could¡¯ve juste in! Are you looking for something?¡± ¡°Looking for¡­ something?¡± ¡°¡­Is this your first time visiting our shop?¡± ¡°¡­S-shop?¡± I had thought it was just a small cabin in the mountains, but¡­ a shop? ncing at the sign next to the door, I realized a beat toote that it wasn¡¯t just a namete; it was a shop sign. The Wolf¡¯s Scent ¡­I could only hope this wasn¡¯t some kind of shady business. Chapter 260 ¡°As I understand, you¡¯re not here for my shop, but for Cat¡­ How embarrassing¡­¡± Upon realizing that Ethan and I were here because of Cat¡¯s request, the woman carefully ushered us inside. She quickly grabbed the piece of cloth¡ªno, calling it ¡°clothing¡± was too generous¡ªthat I had been holding and, with a slightly flushed face, invited us into her home. ¡®Since the cloth¡¯s magical power disappeared when she took it, this must mean she¡¯s definitely Cat¡¯s grandmother¡­¡¯ ¡­But her appearance was quite different from what I had imagined. When I heard ¡°big bad wolf,¡± I thought she¡¯d look more like a wolf than a human¡ªmaybe about 80% wolf if we divided the transformation into 10 stages. But the woman in front of me was far closer to human. If I had to assign her to a stage, she¡¯d be around a 4 or 5. She had ears poking out from her head and fur on her face, but her overall body shape was far more human than wolf. The tight dress she wore emphasized her figure, making it hard to imagine her as a wolf at all. Even someone who had never seen a werewolf before wouldn¡¯t mistake this woman for a wolf. ¡®Maybe Cat, being so young, doesn¡¯t understand the difference between a wolf and a werewolf?¡¯ One thing was clear, though: she had a physique that might be a bit inappropriate for a child¡¯s guardian. If someone kept staring at her, they might develop strange inclinations. Not that it affected me, being a fellow woman, but still¡­ ¡°¡­Ed.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Stop staring at her like that.¡± ¡°¡­Suddenly?¡± It wasn¡¯t out of jealousy. I was just worried that Ethan¡¯s tastes might drift into odd territory. After all, I wasn¡¯t a species purist, but it would be strange for the next heir to the ckwood family to take an interest in a werewolf hybrid. Plus, Cat¡¯s grandmother was married, after all. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t be good for Ethan to show too much interest. ¡°So, Cat¡¯s been waiting for her grandmother to return, right?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Yes¡­ Cat¡¯s grandmother.¡± ¡°Call me Cashimilly, or just Cashi.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Introducing herself as Cashimilly, Cat¡¯s grandmother gently waved her tail behind her, looking troubled. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what to do. I¡¯d like to go back to Cat immediately, but as you can see, I¡¯m in this¡­ state.¡± ¡°So, does that mean¡­ you don¡¯t n on revealing the truth about being a werewolf to Cat?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought I¡¯d tell her someday, but only when she¡¯s older. If she realized too early that I¡¯m not the same species, she might also find out that I¡¯m not her real grandmother, and that could cause her to act out.¡± ¡°¡­So you¡¯re not biologically rted to Cat?¡± ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m a half-breed myself, but I still have many noticeable traits like these ears and this tail. Have you ever seen Cat with features like mine¡ªwolf ears, a tail, or even thick gray fur on her hands?¡± ¡°¡­No, I haven¡¯t seen anything like that on Cat.¡± Realizing that Cashimilly wasn¡¯t actually Cat¡¯s blood rtive, she began exining how their rtionship hade to be. ¡°Three years ago, the caravan led by Cat¡¯s parents was attacked by wild wolves. That night also happened to be a full moon, so I rushed in to save them, but by the time I arrived, the wounds Cat¡¯s parents had sustained were beyond healing. That¡¯s when I found three-year-old Cat inside the wagon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I never told Cat I¡¯m a werewolf. If she found out, it would inevitably lead to her realizing that I¡¯m not her real grandmother. On top of that, seeing me as a werewolf might trigger traumatic memories from the incident three years ago. So, during the full moon, I always came up to this shop to stay the night. But two nights ago, without understanding why, I reverted to my true form and had to run back up here.¡± ¡°I see. I suspected something like that when you mentioned you left the house once a month.¡± ¡°So, the story about the wolf kidnapping her grandmother¡­ was that just to buy time?¡± ¡°Yes. Normally, I¡¯d revert to my human form within a day, two at most. So I figured I¡¯d be back in time and told her that.¡± Cashimilly let out a shallow sigh, a rueful smile ying on her lips. ¡°But I do have one question,¡± I interjected. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You mentioned that Cat saw real wolves when she was younger, but looking at you now, you don¡¯t seem like the kind of ¡®big bad wolf¡¯ Cat described¡­¡± ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± Ethan added, ¡°you look much more human than a wolf, so you don¡¯t really fit the image of the ¡®big bad wolf¡¯ she was talking about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m currently halfway back to my human form. Right after the transformation, I look almost indistinguishable from a wild wolf. It takes about a night to gradually revert to my human appearance. This time, it¡¯s just taking much longer than usual.¡± ¡­That made sense. If a woman like this appeared in the house, even a child like Cat wouldn¡¯t think a ¡°wolf¡± had broken in¡ªshe¡¯d just assume a stranger had entered her home. ¡°Do you have any idea why you transformed into a wolf so suddenly?¡± I asked. ¡°Well¡­ that night, I was putting Cat to bed and nced at the clock tower in the pce garden to check the time.¡± ¡°¡­You can see the pce clock tower from here?¡± ¡°My species has sharp night vision since we¡¯re half-wolf. Oh, now that I think about it, I remember seeing a brief sh of light from the direction of the pce that night.¡± ¡°A sh of light?¡± ¡°Yes. It seemed toe from the back garden of the pce. I think the transformation happened right after I saw that light¡­¡± Two nights ago? The pce garden? The night she was talking about¡ªthat was the night of the noble¡¯s gathering! The night I had that confrontation with Mechart in the pce¡¯s back garden and finally defeated him with an execution. And to prove that Mechart had been using dark magic tied to demons, I had used the Saintess¡¯s power, the Mirror of Truth. A power that reveals hidden forms and shows people¡¯s true nature¡­@@novelbin@@ ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ Could that sh of light Cashimilly saw have been the Mirror of Truth? -Bang! ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!!!¡± ¡°Lily?!¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on, Miss Lilith?!¡± In that moment, everything made sense. The reason Cashimilly transformed into a wolf wasn¡¯t because of the full moon or any natural cycle. ¡­it was my fault. ? ? ? ¡°So that sh of light¡­ it was the Saintess¡¯s power, the Mirror of Truth, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Cashimilly! I never imagined the Mirror of Truth would reach this far, let alone disrupt your rtionship with your granddaughter!¡± ¡°Please, Miss Lilith, you don¡¯t need to apologize like this. Or should I call you Lady Saintess?¡± ¡°¡­Just call me Miss Lilith. The fact that I¡¯m the Saintess isn¡¯t widely known yet¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. The current Saintess everyone knows about is Celesta, right?¡± To my surprise, Cashimilly epted my apology with a calm demeanor, much more forgiving than I deserved. Although I had inadvertently revealed my identity as the true Saintess, she promised to keep it a secret. Still, I felt guilty for potentially ruining the rtionship between Cashimilly and Cat. ¡®I¡¯m so d I was determined to fix this mess¡­¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t realized what I had done, I would¡¯ve left for the Witch¡¯s Forest, unaware of the trouble I had caused. Next time I use the Mirror of Truth, I¡¯ll make sure to angle it at the ground or something¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll exin everything to Cat. You¡¯re not in a position to return just yet, but we¡¯ll make sure she understands the situation¡­¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t ask you to go through that trouble, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not trouble; I need to fix my mistake¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve made up my mind. I always knew I¡¯d have to tell Cat the truth someday. I guess it¡¯s time I did it now.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± With a resolved look, Cashimilly stood up and asked me, her eyes full of determination. ¡°It¡¯s a bit scary to reveal a truth I¡¯ve hidden for three years all by myself. Could youe with me, Miss Lilith?¡± At least it seemed like we wouldn¡¯t need the ckwood family¡¯s search squad to find Cat¡¯s grandmother after all. Chapter 261 The reunion between Cat and Cashimilly wasn¡¯t as dramatic as I had imagined. It turned out that Cat had already suspected her grandmother was a werewolf to some extent. After all, if you enter your grandmother''s room and find no one but a wolf, that¡¯s the most logical conclusion to reach. Especially when her grandmother had disappeared, leaving behind only her clothes¡ªit was practically a hint for Cat to suspect something. When I asked why she hadn¡¯t said anything and had exined things to Ethan and me as if she hadn¡¯t thought of it, her response was simple: ¡°¡­If Grandma didn¡¯t tell me, I figured she had a reason. So, I just pretended like I hadn¡¯t thought about her being a werewolf¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry for tricking you, big sister¡­ and handsome big brother¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t exactly me a child for trying to avoid confronting the truth if she thought her grandmother was hiding something on purpose. So, I let it slide. In the end, everything worked out, and if you think about it, the misunderstanding had started because of my mistake, which had forced Cashimilly to transform into a wolf in the first ce. Both Cashimilly and Cat had been trying to be considerate of each other. I had briefly imagined a rebellious granddaughter and a troubled werewolf grandmother, but thankfully, it didn¡¯te to that. And so, after their reunion, the next day, Ethan and I found ourselves heading back to Cashimilly¡¯s mountain shop, The Wolf¡¯s Scent, early in the morning. It wasn¡¯t exactly a date. Cashimilly had mentioned yesterday that she wanted to give us a token of appreciation, and I also learned that her shop sold something I needed. -Creek. ¡°Wee~ Miss Lilith, Mister Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Hello, Miss Cashimilly.¡± ¡°You look better than you did yesterday.¡± Indeed, as Ethan observed, she seemed in better spirits today. Most likely, it was because she no longer had to hide anything from Cat. While she hadn¡¯tpletely returned to her human form¡ªthere were still traces of her werewolf self, like the ears on her head and the tail behind her¡ªthe gray fur on her face and hands had mostly faded. ¡°You¡¯re not fully back to your human form yet?¡± ¡°I returned to my human form this morning, but now that I don¡¯t need to hide it from Cat, I reverted a little. Most of my customers prefer me this way, anyway.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I decided to let thatment go without further thought. It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to delve into. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s big sister and the handsome big brother!¡± ¡°¡­Cat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, Cat, who had been sitting at a table, spotted us and ran straight into Ethan¡¯s arms without hesitation. Watching her shamelessly cling to him, I felt a bit odd. She¡¯s only nine, and already so¡­ forward? ¡°So, you brought Cat to the shop with you?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hide the fact that I¡¯m a werewolf from her anymore, so there¡¯s no need to leave her home alone. I¡¯d always felt guilty about making her stay by herself, and now I regret not telling her the truth sooner.¡± ¡°So this shop wasn¡¯t just a hideout¡ªyou actually run it regrly?¡± ¡°Yes. If it were just me, I wouldn¡¯t need to run a shop to survive, but with two mouths to feed, I needed an ie.¡± ¡°But do customers reallye all the way to a shop out in the mountains?¡± ¡°I have more regrs than you might think. As I mentioned earlier, many of them prefer me in this form, so after the full moon, it gets quite busy.¡± Again, I decided not to dwell on that. This subject was definitely outside myfort zone. ¡­And why hasn¡¯t that kid let go of Ethan yet? ¡°Cat,e here. Stop bothering our guests.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandma~!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡± Before I could say anything, Cat obediently let go of Ethan and walked back to Cashimilly. Maybe she had just been craving attention. It made sense¡ªshe¡¯d lost her parents young and lived with her grandmother for three years, so she must have been starved for affection. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed for thinking I had been jealous of a child. It wasn¡¯t jealousy, but still¡­ it was awkward. To distract myself, I nced around the shop. Shelves lined with potion bottles and colorful liquids caught my eye. I¡¯d heard on the way down the mountain yesterday that Cashimilly¡¯s shop specialized in perfumes, and now I could see it for myself. ¡®With a name like The Wolf¡¯s Scent, I thought it was something shady.¡¯ But it turned out that she used her keen wolf senses to create and sell custom perfumes. In modern terms, she was like a perfumer. Given the shop¡¯s location, it probably catered to a niche clientele. Still, in a medieval fantasy world like this one, perfume was considered a luxury. She could likely support herself just by selling ten bottles a month. Now that she no longer needed to hide her werewolf nature, her business might even grow. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have had any reason to visit such a specialty shop, but this time was different. Tomorrow, we were leaving for the Witch¡¯s Forest, and the only thing I hadn¡¯t yet secured was bug repellent perfume. It was something I absolutely needed to bring with me, and Cashimilly¡¯s shop seemed the perfect ce to find it. Bug repellent perfume was hard to find, even inrge shops and potion stores, so this was a lucky break. ¡°Here you go, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This is a gift from Cat and me. No matter how it happened, thanks to your help, I was able to finally be honest with Cat.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you¡­¡± I thought about declining the gift, buting back to the shop only to refuse a present felt a bit transparent. Besides, it seemed rude to reject a gift from someone older, especially when they were giving it in good faith. ¡°It¡¯s a special tea blend. You should drink it when you¡¯re alone with your lover.¡± ¡°¡­W-we¡¯re not lovers or anything like that¡­¡± ¡°But you call each other by pet names. Doesn¡¯t that make you lovers? Or are you engaged?¡± ¡°N-no, we¡¯re definitely not engaged¡­¡± ¡°I never said your ¡®handsome young man¡¯ was your lover, but you brought him up immediately, didn¡¯t you? Seems like you have feelings for him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Take it. It¡¯ll help bring you two closer together.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± To be fair, our rtionship didn¡¯t need much ¡°improving.¡± If anything, I worried that getting any closer might be a bit too much. I wasn¡¯t sure I could handle anything beyond what we already had. Still, I epted the gift. Whether or not I¡¯d actually drink the tea with Ethan was another matter entirely. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this tea?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it helps lovers be a little more honest with each other.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And just so you know, it doesn¡¯t work well with people you don¡¯t have feelings for, so I wouldn¡¯t rmend using it for¡­ unfaithful purposes.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not unfaithful!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were, Miss Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I nced over at Ethan to see if he had overheard the conversation. Sure enough, he was looking at me, his face slightly flushed as our eyes met. I hadn¡¯t meant to imply that I waspletely devoted to Ethan or anything. He was just the exception to the rule¡ªI wasn¡¯t interested in dating anyone else, so I reacted strongly to the idea of cheating. Not that exining all that to Ethan would have made any difference. It was probably better to let him misunderstand for now. ¡­Anyway, I should wrap things up quickly and leave. We didn¡¯te here to ept gifts and chat. I had a specific purpose. ¡°¡­By any chance, do you sell bug repellent perfume?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a perfume shop, after all. How many would you like, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Two¡­ no, three bottles, if you have them.¡± With the bug repellent perfume, the final item we needed for our journey to the Witch¡¯s Forest, I quickly made my way out of the shop. ¡®Make sure to drink the tea alone with your lover.¡¯ ¡­Holding the gift from Cashimilly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight of her meaningful words. Chapter 262 Upon returning to the pce, Ethan and I immediately set about packing for our journey to the Witch¡¯s Forest tomorrow. Since it was a long trip, we needed to leave at dawn, so packing ahead was necessary to avoid any dys that could mess up our schedule. If something went wrong, we might even arriveter than nned. Thankfully, Seraphine had already arranged the carriage and driver before leaving, so we had no worries there. I¡¯d heard the driver was someone trustworthy, so there was nothing more to do but trust her judgment. As for Dietmeier, who had stayed behind in the capital, he was set to return to the ckwood estate tomorrow in the ckwood carriage. He¡¯d also be informing Harold that Ethan and I would be dyed in returning, so everything was well-prepared.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Clothes packed, food packed, camping gear packed¡­¡± ¡°Did you pack the bug repellent, Lilith?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°I put it in my backpack instead of the main luggage. We¡¯ll probably need to use it constantly once we enter the Witch¡¯s Forest, so it¡¯ll be easier to ess there. You should keep some on hand too, Ethan, and spray it regrly. I¡¯ve heard some of the insects in the forest are venomous.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± We spent the next few hours packing our travel bags together, and afterward, we washed up, had dinner, and rxed. Soon, it was the night before our departure. ¡°So much has happened in just a few days¡­¡± We¡¯d dealt with Mechart, the fourth major boss, and the demon Ivelin. I¡¯d revealed to Seraphine that I was the true Saintess, nned the summer event, gone on a ¡°date¡± with Ethan, and helped solve the mystery with Cat¡¯s grandmother. It was hard to believe all of this had happened within a single week, and the main summer event of Luminor Academy hadn¡¯t even started yet. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something¡­ Ah.¡± Right, I still hadn¡¯t asked Ethan about his wish. I¡¯d promised to grant him a wish once we resolved the situation with Mechart, but since he hadn¡¯t brought it up, I figured it might be easier if I asked first. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll ask him in the carriage tomorrow? But Agnes will be with us, so that might be a bit awkward¡­¡± Knowing Ethan, he¡¯d probably ask for something inappropriate, and I couldn¡¯t have that kind of conversation in front of Agnes. Of course, Ethan had the freedom to ask for his wish whenever he wanted, but I didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving it unresolved for too long. It was a matter of pride, especially after all he¡¯d done to help me. ¡°But if I ask him now, it might feel like I¡¯m rushing him to decide¡­¡± I wished for a casual opportunity to bring it up, but it was already toote for dinner, and I didn¡¯t have a good excuse to call him over. I couldn¡¯t exactly invite him for a ss of wine right before we had to leave early in the morning. ¡®Make sure to drink it alone with your lover.¡¯ ¡°Oh.¡± Of course, there was that. I reached into my bag and pulled out the gift from Cashimilly that I hadn¡¯t known when to use. Opening it, I found the tea inside and decided it would be a suitable excuse. ¡°Tea is fine, right? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s wine.¡± Even though we were leaving in the morning, we had enough time for a quick cup of tea. It would be less taxing on the body than alcohol, after all. The dried tea leaves had a slight pink hue, almost as if they¡¯d been dyed, and there was even a little note exining how to brew it properly. ¡°One serving. Use 6-7 leaves with 500 mL of boiling water, steep for three minutes, and be sure to savor the aroma while looking into your partner¡¯s eyes¡­¡± As expected from a gift intended for couples, there was only enough for two or three cups. Wait, does that mean people without a partner can¡¯t drink this tea? The instructions seemed to poke at a past-life wound. Well, the gift had been clearly meant for Ethan and me, so I couldn¡¯t avoid it. -Sniff, sniff. ¡°There¡¯s a faint scent, but it¡¯s not too strong¡­¡± The tea leaves didn¡¯t have an overwhelming fragrance, so it was likely that the aroma would bloom once steeped in hot water. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t have time to drink it in the Witch¡¯s Forest, right?¡± It didn¡¯t seem likely that we¡¯d find a peaceful moment to drink tea during our travels, especially not under the condition that we be ¡°alone together.¡± This was probably our only chance before the trip, and waiting until after we returned would feel toote. These things usually had a shelf life, so it was best to drink it while it was still fresh. Plus, I had the perfect reason to talk to Ethan tonight. Deciding to seize the moment, I grabbed the tea leaves and knocked on the door to the room next to mine. -Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Ed, are you free right now?¡± I hoped he wasn¡¯t already asleep. Given our early departure, it was possible he had turned in for the night, but fortunately, his voice came through the door not long after I knocked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m free. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to talk. Can Ie in for a bit?¡± ¡°¡­Sure,e on in.¡± -Creak. When I stepped inside, I saw Ethan sitting at a table, writing something. So, he wasn¡¯t in bed yet. I remembered seeing him writing something earlier in the day, and now he was still at it. He really was diligent, even when we were so close to leaving. Judging by his formal clothes, he hadn¡¯t even changed into his pajamas yet, so he must have been quite busy. ¡°What¡¯s up, Lily? Bad dream?¡± ¡°¡­I already told you, that¡¯s over. Do you think I¡¯m a little kid who can¡¯t sleep without someone next to them?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, then. But even if it¡¯s not a nightmare, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you wanted to sleep together¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°N-nothing.¡± Joking around, Ethan joined me at the small table in the center of the room, sitting down across from me. ¡°If it¡¯s not a nightmare, what¡¯s the reason for this visit?¡± ¡°Nothing serious. I just thought we could have a cup of this.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the tea Cashimilly gave us from her shop earlier.¡± ¡°Ah, that.¡± Ethan nced at the paper bag with the tea leaves inside as I exined. ¡°I figured we won¡¯t have another chance to drink it together. Once we head to the Witch¡¯s Forest, we won¡¯t have much time to rx alone, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°And Cashimilly did say it should be shared with a lover, so I thought we could drink it now. I mean, it¡¯s not like I can drink it alone.¡± ¡°¡­L-lover¡­¡± ¡°I mean, we¡¯re not really lovers, but we¡¯re pretending to be for now. And since Cashimilly gave it to us, it makes sense for us to drink it together, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that makes sense.¡± Understanding my reasoning, Ethan rang the servant bell to request some hot water, and soon enough, a teapot filled with boiling water was brought to the room. I opened the teapot¡¯s lid, ced all seven tea leaves inside, and quietly closed it again, letting the aroma of the tea slowly waft out from the spout. -Click. ¡°It¡¯ll be ready in three minutes, Ed.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°So, why don¡¯t we talk while we wait? I actually came by to talk about something.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ethan tilted his head slightly, seemingly curious about what I wanted to discuss, but then nodded as if he¡¯d figured it out. ¡°Sure, I like talking with you. What did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s about the situation with Prince Mechart a few days ago.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you bringing up that dead bastard?¡± The moment I mentioned Mechart, Ethan¡¯s expression hardened. I realized I¡¯d brought up the wrong subject and quickly corrected myself. ¡°No, wait, I didn¡¯t mean it like that! What I wanted to talk about was how, after the Mechart situation, we didn¡¯t get around to discussing your ¡®wish.¡¯¡± ¡°My¡­ wish?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you? I promised I¡¯d grant you one wish once the Mechart ordeal was over.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ed?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but worry¡ªhad I been the only one holding onto that promise? Maybe Ethan didn¡¯t care about the wish after all, and I¡¯d just overestimated its importance. Did he not need anything from me, and I was the one clinging to it unnecessarily? Just as doubts began to swirl in my head, Ethan nodded calmly, reassuring me. ¡°Ed¡­? You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I remember.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good¡­ I was worried you might have forgotten to ask for your wish.¡± ¡°How could I forget? It¡¯s a precious wish you promised me, Lily. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d forget.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ do I have to use that wish right now, Lily?¡± ¡°...Ed?¡± Ethan¡¯s tone suddenly shifted, and he leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking onto mine. I found myself averting my eyes, feeling a bit flustered. What¡¯s with this atmosphere? Something about Ethan felt different from his usual self¡­ Chapter 263 Something about Ethan¡¯s change in demeanor gave me an unsettling feeling. ¡®Was he always like this? I remember him being a bit more awkward before.¡¯ At least, when it was just the two of us, even the slightest contact in bed would make him jump. That was the Ethan I knew. ¡­Lately, though, we¡¯ve been sharing the same bed more often, so his reactions have toned down a bit. Sometimes, when I¡¯m in danger, he saves me with unreal skill, which is kind of cool, but when it¡¯s just us, he¡¯s like an innocent boy with no experience with women. I mean, this is the same guy who hadn¡¯t even... until just before I almost died at Mechart¡¯s hands. Wait, why am I thinking about this now? My thoughts had naturally drifted elsewhere, and I quickly corrected myself, returning to the question Ethan had just asked. ¡°The wish¡­ you can use it whenever you want, Ed.¡± ¡°Right? Don¡¯t worry. Since it¡¯s a precious wish you¡¯re giving me, I¡¯ll only use it for something truly important.¡± ¡°¡­The tea, it seems to have brewed perfectly, Ed.¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡ªPouring sound. Where exactly is he nning to use that wish? I can¡¯t help but feel uneasy. And why does he keep staring at me like that? He¡¯s never been this intense before. The real problem was that I couldn¡¯t seem to look away from Ed¡¯s gaze. We were locked in eye contact, and even though my face felt like it was burning, I didn¡¯t want to be the first to break away. I wasn¡¯t guilty of anything, so looking away first felt like losing. I didn¡¯t know why he was acting this way, but I wasn¡¯t about to back down. It was a matter of pride. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡ªSwoosh. ¡­It¡¯s not like I turned away first. I just nced down to make sure I didn¡¯t spill the tea. It was a precious gift, after all. After splitting the suspicious tea that Cashimilly had gifted us into two cups, Ethan and I both raised our cups and took a sip. ¡ªGulp. ¡®¡­What is this taste?¡¯ It kind of tastes like makeup. Is this how it''s supposed to taste? The pinkish color of the tea was suspicious enough. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have drunk it. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s poison in it, though.¡¯ Hmm, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s probably just a unique tea that she gave us for the experience. Plus, if the taste is weird, it makes for good small talk. Maybe it¡¯s a subtle way to ease the awkwardness in conversations between couples. Yeah, I should just casually ask Ed how the tea tastes and ease into the topic of what wish he might want. I could start with indirect questions to figure it out¡­ ¡°What kind of wish are you nning to make, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wait, hold on. I was supposed to ease into the conversation by talking about the tea, but why did I blurt out the question directly? ¡®Well, whatever.¡¯ What¡¯s done is done. I might as well follow through. It¡¯s not like I asked anything unreasonable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. I¡¯m not going to ask for anything that would trouble you.¡± ¡®Honestly, I don¡¯t care what kind of wish you make, Ed.¡¯ ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re not going to ask for something ridiculous like a thousand gold coins to pay back a debt once I be a top adventurer, right?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡­Wait, what¡¯s going on? Why do I keep saying things that have nothing to do with what I intended to say? I mean, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never thought about it, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t nning on actually asking. Really, I swear. ¡°Come on, Lil. Did you really think I¡¯d ask for something like that?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because you won¡¯t tell me what the wish is. I can¡¯t help but imagine it¡¯s something I can¡¯t grant right away.¡± ¡°Hmm, I doubt you¡¯ll ever be a top adventurer.¡± ¡°Are you underestimating my skills, Ed?¡± ¡°No, not at all. But adventuring isn¡¯t for you.¡± ¡®That¡¯s not really your decision to make, is it?¡¯ ¡°¡­Fine. If you say I can¡¯t, then I guess I can¡¯t.¡± ¡­What is this? Why is he so adamant about it? And why does my mouth keep answering his ridiculous ims on its own? I don¡¯t know. My mind feels clear, but it¡¯s like my body is acting on its own, saying things I don¡¯t mean to. ¡®Could it be¡­ the tea Cashimilly gave us?¡¯ Could this be some sort of truth serum? Is that why I keep blurting out what¡¯s really on my mind? No, no way. It can¡¯t be. If that¡¯s true, then everything I¡¯ve said to Ethan just now was how I really felt, which doesn¡¯t make any sense. And Ethan¡¯s behavior doesn¡¯t add up either. He¡¯s way too calm. He should be at least a little flustered. Sure, he¡¯s acting a bit more assertive than usual, but still. Does this mean he¡¯s always been this transparent with me? That can¡¯t be right. No one can be that honest all the time. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh, damn. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in this tea, but one thing is clear. Drinking more of it would be dangerous. It won¡¯t harm me physically, but I can tell it¡¯s risky. If I drink any more, I mightpletely lose control of my words and actions. I need to set the cup down on the saucer before I¡ª ¡ªSip. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­It seems my body¡¯s not listening to me anymore. I give up. All I can do now is hope this time passes without any more incidents. ¡°So, Lil, what do you think I¡¯ll wish for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lil?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan asked me again, but I avoided his gaze, staring off to the side. Instinctively, I knew. If I answered him now, I¡¯d blurt out somethingpletely different from what I intended. So, what can I do? The only thing I could do was stay silent. If I don¡¯t speak, I can¡¯t say something I¡¯ll regret. That¡¯s the perfect solution. ¡°Lil, why the sudden silence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You were the one who called me over because you had something to say. What happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Ethan shed me a smile, clearly amused by myck of response. Honestly, that smile was infuriating enough to make me want to punch him. But knowing my body was acting on its own, I held back. Something told me I might end up doing something entirely different if I tried. ¡°Then, how about this? If I ask a question and you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take it as a yes.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start simple.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Were you expecting me to make some lewd request with my wish?¡± What nonsense is he talking about? Why would I expect something like that? I wanted to shout a firm denial, but my mouth betrayed me again. ¡®What are you saying?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I was.¡± ¡®¡­¡­¡­What?¡¯ Wait, what did I just say? ¡°So, that¡¯s it. You were hoping I¡¯d ask for something lewd.¡± ¡°A-Ah, ah, ah.¡± I wanted to say ¡°no,¡± but the word wouldn¡¯te out. It was as if something inside me was preventing me from voicing my denial. Ethan, on the other hand, seemed to interpret my silence as confirmation. With a sly grin, he leaned in closer. ¡ªSmooch. ¡°Mm? Huh?!¡± Ethan¡¯s sudden kiss caught me off guard. I hadn¡¯t expected him to just lean in and press his lips against mine so suddenly. But no matter how much I wanted to pull away, I couldn¡¯t. My stiffened neck refused to let me move away from his lips. Taking myck of resistance as encouragement, Ethan deepened the kiss, his lips parting as his tongue brushed against mine. And I¡­ ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± ¡ªLick. ¡­I found myself tilting my head and opening my lips, letting my tongue meet his. I give up. Let whatever happens, happen. ¡®It¡¯s not like this is the first time we¡¯ve kissed.¡¯ We¡¯ve kissed at least half a dozen times, and we¡¯ve even had French kisses before. Honestly, we¡¯ve done things far beyond just kissing, so this doesn¡¯t even count as something intimate anymore. Yeah, this is nothing. There¡¯s no reason to attach any special meaning to it. A kiss is just a kiss. ¡ªSmooch, slurp. ¡°Hah, ha¡­ mmm¡­¡± After a few minutes of kissing, with our saliva mixing, Ethan finally pulled away slowly. ¡ªSmooch. ¡°¡­Lil.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If a lewd request was what you were hoping for, should I grant it?¡± ¡°As a wish?¡± ¡°No, not as a wish. Just because.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because this is what you want, Lil.¡± He thinks I want him to ask for something lewd? What a joke. Just because I did that for him once before doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m some kind of wanton woman. This is about what he wants, not me. It¡¯s obvious, especially with how tight his pants are. The bulge is practically staring me in the face. But of course, he¡¯s trying to put it on me. Typical. ¡°¡­Alright, Ed.¡± ¡­But, well, I don¡¯t really mind. After all, Ethan is the one who risked his life to save me. He took down my biggest worry, and when I wasat my lowest, he was the first to believe in me. And besides, I owe him a lot, so even if it¡¯s not technically a wish, I don¡¯t really have a reason to refuse him. ¡°Just one thing, though. And¡­.¡± ¡°I know, no going all the way, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± For a moment, I almost blurted out, "I don¡¯t mind if you do." No, not that I wanted to say it¡ªit was more like my body nearly said it on its own. I had to really focus to stop myself from saying something reckless, or else I might¡¯ve lost my im to the title of Saintess, which I had to pass down to Celesta. ¡­If it weren¡¯t for this damn restriction of the pure Saintess, I would¡¯ve just gone through with it and ended things right here. After pondering for a moment, Ethan carefully made his request. ¡°Then, I want to¡­ use my mouth.¡± ¡°Oh. With your mouth?¡± ¡­Well, sure. That¡¯s fine, I guess. I¡¯ve already done that for him once before, so doing it again isn¡¯t a big deal. To be honest, I thought he might try to push things further, given how far we¡¯ve already gone, but his request was surprisingly modest. For a guy who just kissed me so intensely, it¡¯s a rather timid demand. Guess he¡¯s still a bit of a kid. I had considered the possibility of him asking for something more extreme, but it turned out to be far less than I anticipated. It¡¯s probably just that he really enjoyed what I did for himst time. That thought calmed me down a bit. ¡°Alright, Ed. Then go sit on the bed. If it¡¯s just that¡­ I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°No, not that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I want to do it¡­ to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡­That¡¯s something I never even considered. Chapter 264 ¡­What am I even doing right now? I came to Ethan¡¯s room in the middle of the night, supposedly to ask him about his wish. How did I end up agreeing to let him¡­ do cunnilingus? To let him lick my¡­ you know? ¡®It¡¯s all because of that damned tea¡­.¡¯ The entire problem definitely stemmed from that suspicious tea. Ever since I drank it, strange words kept slipping out of my mouth, and even my body wasn¡¯t always doing what I wanted. I can¡¯t say it enough¡ªthere¡¯s no way I wanted to give Ethan permission to do this. I mean, what sane person would calmly undress and prepare themselves to receive cunnilingus? Especially when I don¡¯t actually want it. I really don¡¯t. ¡®¡­But still, it¡¯s a hundred times better than if he had asked for something involving my backside.¡¯ This is humiliating, sure, but at least if he¡¯s going to see something, the front is better than the back, right? I stripped off my top as if by habit, just like when he touches my chest, then took off my camisole. Since I was already in my nightclothes, there was no bra underneath. Then I removed my bottoms, and finally my underwear, standingpletely naked. The overwhelming embarrassment nearly made it impossible to stand upright. ¡®Am I really standing naked behind Ethan right now?¡¯ I¡¯d only ever let him touch my chest, so this was the second time I¡¯d shown Ethan my body entirely. The first time, in the bath, I had made sure he only saw my front, and even then, I didn¡¯t let him see much of my lower half. So, in a way, this was the first time I was fully exposing everything to him. ¡­At this point, there was no option to hide. Telling him to wear a blindfold because I was too embarrassed would be even more humiliating. If I was going to cover up, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this at all. Not that I agreed of my own free will, but still, it¡¯s the same principle. ¡°Lily, are you ready yet?¡± ¡°Just¡­ just a minute! I need to prepare myself mentally¡­. Could you maybe turn around after counting to ten?¡± ¡°One, two, three¡­.¡± As Ethan began counting aloud, I quicklyy down on the bed, sped my hands over my stomach, and did my best to keep a neutral expression, pretending nothing was wrong. ¡°¡­Eight, nine, ten.¡± I was worried he might suddenly turn around before I was ready, but Ethan patiently counted to ten before slowly turning his head. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, sorry, Lily.¡± Ethan, who had been silently staring at my naked body for a while, snapped out of it when I called his name. I guess the sight of a woman¡¯s genitals is quite fascinating to someone seeing them for the first time. ¡­It is his first time, right? Please tell me this isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s seeing my body, but not the first time he¡¯s seen a woman¡¯s body. That would be even worse. I didn¡¯t want to ask because it would just make me feel more embarrassed, so I decided to focus on what was happening. I wasn¡¯t about to be that insecure boyfriend who asks his girlfriend, ¡°Am I your first?¡± ¡°You can go ahead, Ed. I¡¯m ready now.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, okay.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d use your mouth, so I won¡¯t be petty and tell you to only touch with your mouth. You can touch and look however you want, as long as you respect my ¡®purity¡¯¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± ¡­I said everything I needed to. Now I just had to lie here quietly and wait for Ethan to¡­ start. If I just focused on counting the patterns on the ceiling, eventually it would be over, and so would tonight. I just had to endure the time left, while keeping my emotions in check as much as possible¡­. ¡°Lily, I was wondering about something.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Ed?¡± ¡°Was there really a need to undress your upper half too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh, shit. I¡¯m so used to him touching my chest that I stripped out of habit. ¡°¡­Do you not like it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I like it.¡± ¡°¡­Then why bring it up? It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Sorry, Lily. I was just genuinely curious.¡± ¡°I just took it off out of habit. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it. Sorry for asking.¡± ¡­He¡¯s so annoying. His casual attitude is infuriating, and it¡¯s frustrating that he¡¯s taking so long, making me wait even after I mentally prepared myself. And apologizing twice in an effort to be considerate is also annoying. Even his handsome face is annoying right now. Why can¡¯t he just get on with it? Why is he making me so anxious? ¡°I¡¯m going to touch you now, Lily.¡± ¡ªRub. ¡°Ah, hngh.¡± Just when my head was about to explode with irritation, Ethan¡¯s soft words were followed by something thin slipping between my thighs. His finger brushed between my inner thighs and touched me. My body flinched, and an involuntary moan escaped from my lips as I felt his touch on such an intimate spot for the first time. ¡ªRub. ¡°Hnn, ngh!¡± ¡ªRub, rub. ¡°Ngh, ha¡­.¡± ¡ª¡­Press. ¡°Ah, ahnn!¡± The wet sounding from between my thighs snapped me back to reality. The sticky noise wasing from the fluids leaking from inside me. I lifted my head, embarrassed, and found Ethan looking at me, just as surprised. His fingers were still glistening with the sticky fluid that had stretched between my thighs. Feeling defensive under his silent gaze, Ished out to cover my embarrassment. ¡°W-What?! It¡¯s just¡­ a bodily reaction, okay?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, Lily.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like I was thinking about you touching me or anything and got turned on! It¡¯s just a natural reaction! I definitely didn¡¯t get wet just from imagining you touching me before you even started!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Ah!¡±@@novelbin@@ Oh, fuck. My stupid mouth again. That damn tea must still be in my system, making me say ridiculous things. Sure, what I said was true, but I hadn¡¯t intended to admit it so bluntly in front of Ethan. Realizing that the more I talked, the worse it would get, I mped my hands over my mouth and signaled to Ethan that I wouldn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lily? Could you repeat what you just said?¡± ¡ªShake shake. ¡°Come on, I think I misheard you.¡± ¡ªShake shake. ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to stay silent from now on? Really?¡± ¡ªNod nod. ¡°¡­Alright, fine. You don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s okay.¡± There was an unsettling tone in Ethan¡¯s voice as he ced his hands on my thighs, spreading them apart gently. The sensation of my legs being spread wide sent a wave of humiliation crashing through me. ¡ªSlide, slide. ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± Stay calm. He¡¯s just looking. That¡¯s all. This is just part of the process. There¡¯s no way Ethan could do what he wants unless I spread my legs for him. Forcing his tongue between tightly closed thighs would be weird even for me. ¡­The only thing bothering me was the slick sound from earlier. That liquid pooling between my legs is not going to help. I was doing my best to squeeze my thighs together to stop the flow of fluids, but I could feel it leaking out, likely forming a wet spot on the bed beneath me. It was utterly humiliating to be showing him everything like this, not even trying to cover up. This was, without a doubt, the most embarrassing thing I¡¯d ever shown Ethan. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan, however, simply stared in silence at the sight between my legs. His silence wasn¡¯t helping my rising shame, as the heat continued to build in my face. What was he waiting for? If he was going to do it, why wasn¡¯t he starting? ¡®One minute¡­ no, three minutes. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll give him.¡¯ If he kept staring beyond that, I¡¯d have to use my thighs to trap his head or something. I¡¯d crush his skull between my legs if I had to. I was being lenient because I understood how overwhelming this situation could be for a guy. Being a virgin myself in my past life, I could empathize. ¡­Of course, unlike me in my past life, Ethan was a virgin by choice, which wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. Ethan stared silently for about a minute, doing nothing but observing me. I could feel the fluids between my thighs spreading, but I tried to ignore it. Once I¡¯d shown him everything, it didn¡¯t matter how wet I got. The humiliation was alreadyplete. After a minute of silence, Ethan finally moved. Not to begin the cunnilingus, but¡­. ¡ªStretch. ¡°Ahh, hnngh?!¡± I didn¡¯t realize how humiliating it would be to have that area spread apart by someone else¡¯s hand. I thought the sight of me leaking fluids like a female in heat was embarrassing enough, but apparently, there was always a new low to sink to. And, of course, Ethan had to make it even worse by saying somethingpletely out of line. ¡°It¡¯s cute, Lilith.¡± ¡°Hngh?!¡± ¡°Even this part of you is adorable¡­ and honestly, beautiful.¡± ¡°Hgnn¡­ hgnnngh¡­!!¡± His absurd deration of love made my head feel like it was about to explode. The fact that he could say something like that without a hint of shame made me feel a strange kind of resentment toward Ethan. He had no idea how much it hurt my pride to be showing him something this embarrassing. I had nned to endure it until the end, but I couldn¡¯t let this one go. So, I cautiously removed my hands from my face and spoke up. ¡°Pfft, Ed¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Do you feel like talking again?¡± ¡°Can you see it clearly? My¡­ hymen¡­.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you can clearly see the proof of my purity¡­.¡± ¡ªStretch. ¡°¡­Yeah, I can see it. That thin membrane in the middle, that¡¯s your ¡®proof of purity,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. You¡¯re the first one to ever see it¡­ Isn¡¯t it beautiful? It¡¯s the undeniable proof of a woman¡¯s untainted purity¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t see it myself, obviously¡­ I¡¯ve taken baths with Isabel and Katarina before, but we never showed each other that¡­ So, really, you¡¯re the first person to ever see it, Ed¡­.¡± ¡°Lily¡­.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll never show it to anyone else, Ed. Not to a man, not to a woman¡­ no one else. That¡¯s the beauty of a pure maiden, isn¡¯t it? Heh¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No, that wasn¡¯t what I meant to say. I don¡¯t know why my old thoughts about virginity from my past life came spilling out, but the words were already out there. I guess I¡¯ll just have to forget about everything that happened tonight by the time tomorrow morninges. ¡­Because at this point, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to look Ethan in the eyes again. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Once again, the two of us were left in awkward silence, unable to speak. ¡ªLick. ¡°Hnngyaaah?!¡± Suddenly, Ethan buried his face between my legs and started licking my inner thighs. Chapter 265 Ethan brought his mouth closer and quietly started using his tongue to lick my vulva. The slow, sticky sensation from him started to invade the lower half of my body. ¡ªLick, lick. ¡°Ahh, ngh, kyaah?!¡± I could feel the unfamiliar sensation of a foreign membrane invading a ce no one had ever touched before. The tip of Ethan¡¯s tongue pushed past the entrance of my vagina, and I could distinctly feel it sliding inside. That soft tongue was now moving freely inside my vagina, a ce no one had ever entered before, and it was exploring with no hesitation. ¡ªLick. ¡°W-Wait, Ed¡­ ngh¡­¡± ¡ªLick, lick. ¡°D-Don¡¯t go too deep, it¡¯s¡ªahhh, ngh!¡± Ethan was moving his tongue wildly, like a fox licking up soup from a bowl, with his face buried between my legs. Already slick with my own fluids, my vagina was now filled with the mix of Ethan¡¯s saliva and mine, creating a sticky exchange inside me. ¡ªSlurp.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Ahh, nnngh?!¡± W-What was that? What the hell was that sound just now?! Why does it sound like he''s slurping soup while licking my¡­?! I was overwhelmed by the bizarre sensationsing from Ethan¡¯s cunnilingus, and my mind was filled with a whirlwind of absurd thoughts. But the real issue wasn¡¯t how strange it was¡ªit was how much pleasure it was bringing me. ¡ªLick, lick. ¡°Hnn, ngh, s-stop, Ed¡­!! Don¡¯t lick so wildly¡ªah, ahhh!¡± ¡ªSlurp, slurp. ¡°N-No, you can¡¯t suck on it! Not like that, n-not so roughly¡­!!¡± Ethan¡¯s tongue was scraping the inside of me in every direction, and the intense pleasure shooting through my body made it impossible for me to form aplete sentence. Is he really a first-timer? Why is he so good at this¡­? ¡°Nghh, ngh, aaah!!¡± ¡ªThunk! Suddenly, the pleasure surged from below, making my hips jerk, and Ethan¡¯s head was bumped up and away from my waist. Feeling slightly guilty seeing him holding his nose after getting hit, I quickly apologized. ¡°S-Sorry, Ed. I just¡­ ngh, it was hard to hold back¡­.¡± ¡°Was it because it felt good?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. You¡¯re¡­ really good at it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re enjoying it.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­.¡± ¡­What kind of conversation is this? Is ¡°your pussy-licking skills are amazing¡± really what I¡¯m supposed to be saying right now? But as I was starting to feel relieved that the worst was over, Ethan¡¯s head moved back between my legs for another round. ¡ªSwirl. ¡°Ahh, nghh?! Nghhh?!¡± Just when I thought it was over, Ethan suddenly started again, his tongue swirling over my clitoris without any warning, making me arch my back in surprise. ¡ªSwirl, swirl. ¡°W-Wait, Ed¡­!!¡± ¡°What is it, Lily?¡± ¡°I-I just came! It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡± ¡°Did we decide on that?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°As far as I remember, you told me I could touch and lick as much as I wanted. We didn¡¯t agree on any other rules.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Well, I couldn¡¯t argue with that¡­. But¡­ weren¡¯t we supposed to stop after I came once? Wasn¡¯t that how things usually ended between us, either with me orgasming or getting Ethan off? But now that I think about it, we never really set a firm rule like that, did we? When I first let him touch my chest, we tried setting a time limit, but it never really stuck. And before I knew it, the unspoken rule between us became ¡°it¡¯s over when Ie.¡± However, today, Ethan seemed intent on not stopping after just one orgasm. Even after bringing me to climax once, he buried his face between my legs again. ¡°Do you not like it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You look like you still want to go a bit more, Lily.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Oh,e on, Ethan. Why is he being so sly today? I seriously want to punch him right now. I knew I should say something to stop him, but I hesitated. Ever since drinking that tea, I hadn¡¯t managed to say anything without embarrassing myself, and I was scared that if I opened my mouth, I¡¯d blurt out something worse than silence. ¡°You¡¯re okay with it, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say no, so I¡¯ll keep going.¡± ¡­I never said he could. Ethan just went ahead and did it without asking for my permission. Trying to rationalize the situation in my head, I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt his tongue touch my clit again. The moment his tongue brushed against it, my clitoris felt like it was burning. A strange heat mixed with an intense tingling sensation. This was nothing like the times I¡¯d touched myself, wondering what a woman¡¯s body feels like. The pleasure shot up my spine and exploded in my brain. ¡ªSwirl. ¡°Hnnng, nghh¡­!¡± ¡ªRub, rub. ¡°Ahhh!! Nghh, haaa¡­!!¡± When Ethan¡¯s tongue was inside my vagina, it was stimting, but still something I could endure. But the pleasure I felt from his tongue on my clit was far more intense, something I couldn¡¯t handle. It was no wonder this was the most sensitive part of a woman¡¯s body. The sensation was beyond overwhelming, and with every flick of his tongue, I felt like my head was about to burst. I was focusing on the feeling of his tongue on my lower half when, once again, I felt the familiar build-up of pleasure. I could tell that the intense climax from before was about to hit me again, and before I could stop myself, I instinctively grabbed Ethan¡¯s head and pushed it down harder between my thighs. ¡ªSqueeze. ¡°Mmngh, hngh.¡± ¡ªSlurp, slurp. ¡°Ahhhh! S-Stop, ahhhh!!¡± Even with his head trapped between my legs, Ethan didn¡¯t stop. He kept licking and sucking on my clit, sending waves of pleasure crashing through my body. Unable to endure it any longer, I wrapped my legs around him, pulling his body even closer. ¡ªSqueeze! ¡°Nnngh¡­!! Nghhh, ahh, ahhhh!!¡± It was the second time today. The second time I¡¯d reached orgasm from the same person, in the same ce, using the same technique. I had always heard that a woman¡¯s body doesn¡¯t calm down as quickly as a man¡¯s after climax, but now I knew it firsthand. This was the most intense pleasure I had ever felt since reincarnating into this world. ¡ªDrip, drip¡­. ¡°Ahh, ha, haaa¡­ nghh¡­¡± ¡­Even though I was lying there panting, the wet patch on the sheets was unmistakable. I couldn¡¯t stop it. Any woman in this situation would have had the same reaction. That was my first experience with cunnilingus, and the pleasure was so overwhelming that reaching orgasm twice in a row felt unavoidable. ¡°Haa, nghh¡­ haaa¡­.¡± ¡°Lily, do you think you could let go now?¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± I suddenly realized that I was still holding Ethan¡¯s body with my legs, and I hurriedly let go, releasing him. ¡®God, how embarrassing¡­.¡¯ If I had just reached orgasm and left it at that, I could have brushed it off as a natural bodily reaction. But the fact that I grabbed Ethan¡¯s head and pushed him between my legs right before I came¡­ there¡¯s no excuse for that. In that moment, I couldn¡¯t deny that I had be just a woman chasing after pleasure. And Ethan, who had witnessed all of it firsthand, had definitely felt my desire as clearly as I had. Embarrassment flooded me, and my face flushed red. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Ed¡­ I couldn¡¯t hold back¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did the same thing to mest time, remember? Compared to what I did, this is nothing.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not denying it, huh?¡± Licking someone¡¯s clit during cunnilingus is one thing, but having your dick shoved down someone¡¯s throat is something entirely different. Suddenly, I felt better. After all, what Ethan had done before was far worse than what I just did. Yeah, it was definitely worse. ¡°¡­So, does that mean we¡¯re done now?¡± ¡°Why, do you want to keep going?¡± ¡°I-I think that¡¯s enough¡­ No, wait¡­! W-What I meant was, um¡­ one time is enough! No, I mean¡­! Not that we had to do it even once, but¡­!!¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re back to being your usual self, huh? But I have to say, I liked that honest side of you earlier.¡± ¡°Uh, what¡­?¡± Now that I think about it, I¡¯m no longer blurting out random confessions like before. At least now I won¡¯t have to worry about creating more embarrassing moments in front of Ethan. Thank God. ¡°I-It wasn¡¯t honesty. It was definitely something in that tea, making me say strange things. So, please don¡¯t take everything I said earlier seriously, Ed.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. I get it, Lily.¡± ¡­Why do I get the feeling he¡¯s just humoring me? Anyway, I¡¯d kept my promise. I¡¯d granted Ethan¡¯s wish to lick my pussy (and for the record, I hadn¡¯t wanted to), so my duty was done. I didn¡¯t hold back or say anything about only touching with his mouth, and I let him look and touch everything. So yeah, I¡¯d definitely fulfilled my end of the bargain. ¡®¡­But now that it¡¯s over, I¡¯m starting to feel a bit pissed off.¡¯ Thinking about it, wasn¡¯t this whole situation a loss for me? I mean, this wasn¡¯t even supposed to be part of the wish, right? The mood just got weird because of that strange tea, and somehow, I ended up agreeing to let him do it. But originally, there was no need for me to go this far. And on top of that, I was the only one who got naked, while Ethan hadn¡¯t even taken off a single piece of clothing. That part was particrly frustrating. Here I was, granting his request even though he didn¡¯t use his wish, and it felt like I was the only one dealing with the embarrassment. ¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯m almost always the one who ends up undressing. Every time, I¡¯m the one showing him my chest, I¡¯m the one exposing myself. And how many times has Ethan shown me anything? Two, three times at most? The thought that I was the only one facing this humiliation made me feel indignant. ¡°We¡¯re done, right? You must be tired after climaxing twice, Lily. We¡¯ve got to catch a carriage early tomorrow, so maybe it¡¯s time to get some rest¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t give me that nonsense. Take off your pants, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­Lily?¡± ¡°I said, take off your pants, Ed. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting this end like this. It¡¯s too unfair.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of going through all this embarrassment alone. At the very least, I was determined to make Ethan go through the same thing. Chapter 266 ¡­Hmm, how did things end up like this? Just a while ago, I was thinking it was time to wrap things up after having an intimate moment with the more honest version of Lily, using the so-called ¡°m soup dish¡± position. But here I was, now lying naked on the bed, just like Lily had been earlier. I hadn¡¯t been able to refuse her insistence, and somehow I ended up in the same situation as she had been in just moments before. ¡®Take off your pants, Ed. There¡¯s no way I can stand this ending here like this, it¡¯s so unfair.¡¯ Hmm. Lily¡¯s honesty earlier had been incredibly endearing, but it seemed I might have made her a bit too embarrassed with the atmosphere. I hadn¡¯t expected her to retaliate by demanding that I undress as well¡­ Honestly, I didn¡¯t see thating at all. What surprised me even more was that this request came after the effects of the tea had mostly worn off. Even without the tea¡¯s truth-revealing power, she was still saying things like this, which meant that she truly felt self-conscious about showing herself alone. Despite all the time we¡¯ve spent together, Lily still has so much mystery and charm I hadn¡¯t yet uncovered. ¡®I thought I might get in a little trouble for being too pushy¡­ Maybe I was being too cautious.¡¯ To be honest, when Lily agreed to grant me a ¡°naughty request,¡± suggesting the ¡°m soup dish licking¡± wasn¡¯t something I had nned. It just slipped out after drinking that strange tea. I pretended it was something I had intended to say all along, trying to act calm, but it seemed like even I hadn¡¯t fully escaped the effects of that ¡°honesty curse.¡± Had I not drunk the tea, I probably would¡¯ve asked for something like the ¡°wine bottle gagging¡± that she did for mest time. Lily had a tendency to be lenient about requests she¡¯d granted once before. In that sense, this new position we tried together was a significant step forward for our rtionship. And though it wasn¡¯t my primary intention, I¡¯d also learned that Lily had no experience with anyone other than me. ¡®Who would¡¯ve thought she¡¯d go so far as to show me her hymen to prove her purity¡­?¡¯ I found myself reflecting on whether my possessiveness had made her feel insecure. Maybe my earlier moments of doubt had caused her to react this way, showing me proof of her purity as a reassurance. I had rewarded her by bringing her to pleasure twice, but now Lily wanted to undress me. Women¡¯s emotions were still a mystery to me. It was at that moment that I found myself suddenly admiring the hero who effortlessly handled three women at once. Not that I ever intended to emte him. ¡°Wow¡­ I mean¡­ just wow¡­¡± What was I supposed to say in response to her awed reaction to seeing my naked body? I almost asked, ¡°Do you like it that much?¡± but quickly decided against it. I had a feeling she¡¯d blush and get mad if I did. Realistically, given our difference in social status, it was absurd that Lily, a lower noble, could demand I undress simply because she didn¡¯t like being the only one naked. Despite being a Saintess, she wasn¡¯t officially recognized by the church, and her title of junior baroness was practically meaninglesspared to mine. But here I was, indulging her whims because I cared about her. I saw it as a sign that our rtionship had surpassed the boundaries of rank. Once she bes my wife, she¡¯ll no longer be a baroness but a duchess. When she acted like this, I imagined it was practice for the future, when we would be equals. ¡°Are we good now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lily?¡± ¡°¡­You know, Ed¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like I want to do this or anything, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re struggling to sleep like this¡­ If you want, I could¡­ take care of you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Right now? Are you serious?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m saying this again, I¡¯m not doing it because I want to! It¡¯s just that I feel like it¡¯s unfair if I¡¯m the only one satisfied¡­ And you¡¯re, uh, still hard¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I knew there was some personal desire behind her offer, but I chose not to point it out. After all, if I brought it up and she got upset, this precious moment might be ruined. Despite my resolve to treasure her, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reject her when she offered moments like these. ¡°All right. Can I ask you, then?¡± ¡°¡­I guess I have no choice.¡± With that, Lily leaned in closer to my lower half. I felt her hands softly gripping my member. ¡ªRub, rub. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In silence, she gently stroked my length. For someone who had no experience with other men, her movements were surprisingly skilled. Of course, I knew from earlier that Lily hadn¡¯t been with anyone else, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about her expertiseing from elsewhere. How she knew the exact right spots to touch and the perfect pressure to apply to a part of the male body she didn¡¯t possess was beyond me. Maybe it was because I loved her so much that it felt so good. ¡®Is she¡­ not going to use her mouth?¡¯ Honestly, I would¡¯ve been lying if I said I hadn¡¯t been hoping for that. Like I said before, once Lily did something for me, she usually didn¡¯t hesitate to do it again. Maybe this new position, the ¡°m soup dish licking,¡± would be a regr part of our rtionship. ¡­Though that would probably be after I finally win a serious duel against my father. As I was silently enjoying her touch and resolving to improve myself for the future, Lily¡¯s voice suddenly broke my thoughts. ¡°U-Um, Ed?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­Would you prefer it if I used my mouth instead?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking. As long as you don¡¯t force my head down likest time, I can handle it¡­.¡± ¡­Was she offering this because she was thinking of me, or because she actually wanted to do it and was just using me as an excuse? Either way, it didn¡¯t really matter. From the moment she said those words, my mind was already focused entirely on that scenario. ¡°Please, Lily.¡± ¡°¡­Just remember, if you force my head down again, I¡¯m never doing this again. Ever.¡± ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t.¡± The mere thought that there could be a ¡°next time¡± was enough to make me feel like I had won the world. As a man, having a woman take your member into her mouth was one of the deepest expressions of affection. Even though we couldn¡¯t go all the way because of her restrictions as a Saintess, the mouth was still¡­ well, technically, it was arge opening, so it felt like a form of indirect sex. As I waited for the soft sensation of Lily¡¯s lips around my lower half, somethingpletely unexpected happened. ¡°Up we go.¡± ¡ªSlide. ¡°¡­¡­?!?!?!¡± Even though she had just promised to use her mouth, suddenly, Lily¡¯s hips were above me. At first, I thought I¡¯d misunderstood who was going to be on the receiving end, but the sensation of her lips and tongue on my member confirmed that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡ªLick, lick. ¡°Ahh, ngh¡­¡± ¡ªSuck, slurp. ¡°Nngh, hnnn¡­¡± ¡­Despite Lily having her mouth on me, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was being ignored. She had just pushed her hips over my face, and without saying a word, had started sucking and licking my length. ¡®Does she even realize what she¡¯s doing?¡¯ I know she can be a bit dense sometimes, but seriously? She was tantly showing me her most intimate part right in front of my eyes, and I wondered if she was even aware of it. Maybe she was trying to tell me that since she was now forgiving me for my earlier mistake and was going down on me, I should show her the same consideration. ¡®But if she¡¯s really not aware of it¡­¡¯ If she was doing this unknowingly, then this was one of the most absurd things yet. She was taking me into her mouth whilepletely ignoring the view she was giving me. If she wasn¡¯t aware, I would have to make her realize. Whether she was doing this deliberately or not, my next course of action was obvious. In this situation, the only thing left to do was to y along in the ssic ¡°69¡± position. ¡ªLick. ¡°Nngh?!¡± As soon as my tongue touched the crevice between her legs, I heard a startled moan from above. Judging by her surprised reaction, she hadn¡¯t expected me to lick her. That meant she really hadn¡¯t been aware of what she was doing by pushing her hips toward my face. Realizing this made me feel a little mischievous, so I slid my tongue deeper into her vagina, making sure to brush against her ¡°proof of purity¡± with the tip of my tongue. ¡ªSlurp. ¡°Ah, ahn?!¡± ¡ªSlurp, slurp. ¡°Huuh! Ngh, hnnn¡­!¡± Lily¡¯s muffled moans,ing from around my length, filled me with a sense of satisfaction. At least in this moment, everything about her belonged to me. That alone was enough to soothe any rough edges in my heart. ¡ªSuck, slurp. ¡°Haah, hnn¡­ ahh¡­¡± I expected Lily to say something out of embarrassment, but to my surprise, she continued confidently, fullymitting to the ¡°69¡± position. Maybe she had resolved to finish what she¡¯d started as quickly as possible. Or maybe she had nned to seduce me into this position fromthe beginning.@@novelbin@@ Either way, the most important thing was that, right now, Lily and I were sharing an intimate moment, both physically and emotionally. In this position, where both of us were pleasuring each other¡¯s most private parts, it felt just like sex. The only difference was the method of entry, but it was still enough to affirm our feelings for each other. For several minutes, we remained in that position, our faces buried between each other¡¯s thighs, until finally, we reached the peak together, as if our minds and bodies had be one. ¡°Hnnngh, hnnngh¡­!¡± ¡°Ahh, nghhh¡­!¡± I could feel myself climaxing from below, just as a warm stream covered my face from above. Oddly enough, it didn¡¯t feel dirty. In fact, the fact that we had both reached orgasm together brought me nothing but joy. Usually, I was the one bringing Lily to orgasm, or sometimes, she would take care of me on her own. But this time, we had both shared the experience together, reaching satisfaction at the same time. ¡­And I had a feeling this wouldn¡¯t be thest time. Chapter 267 ¡®...Ah.¡¯ The sunlight streaming in woke me up naturally. The first thing I felt as I came back from the edge of unconsciousness was the warmth of someone beside me. Given what had happenedst night, it was undoubtedly Ethan¡¯s warmth. To be honest, this wasn¡¯t the first time I had woken up beside Ethan. At the academy dormitory, there had only been one bed, so we were forced to share it. And not long ago, at ckwood Manor, Ethan had been considerate enough to stay by my side when I couldn¡¯t sleep for a few days. However, the sensation of bare skin touching mine under the nket was still something I wasn¡¯t used to, which was why, despite being fully conscious, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open my eyes. ¡®I should have at least worn something before going to bed...¡¯ Last night, the two of us had ended up naked, rolling around on the bed. It hadn¡¯t felt embarrassing then, but now that it was morning and my mind was clear, I realized how reckless the situation was. Even though Ethan and I had crossed some lines before, this was the first time we had slept togetherpletely naked. ¡®We were both so tired that we just threw the nket over ourselves, but...¡¯ Looking back, I must have been out of my mind. How was I nning to handle the awkwardness of waking up like this the next morning? I should have pushed myself a little and at least washed up and put on some underwear before bed. Now, here we were, tangled up naked under the nket from the moment we woke up. ¡®...Is Ethan still asleep?¡¯ He must have been exhausted too. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he was still sleeping past his usual wake-up time. Of course, considering what we didst night, I should be the one feeling more tired, but my years of maid work had turned me into a morning person, with my body fully attuned to waking up early. In a way, it was a small blessing. There¡¯s nothing more awkward than waking up at the same time in a situation like this. ¡®I should just grab my clothes and head back to my room to change...¡¯ As I was thinking that and trying to carefully sit up in bed, my handnded on something firm, like a handle. ¡®...Oh, right.¡¯ Yeah, Ethan was naked too. I had only been trying to sit up, but of all the ces my hand couldnd, it had to be there. Still, from what I could feel in my hand, it seemed like he was in good health this morning. ...And now that I¡¯m really holding it, I have to admit, it¡¯s absurdlyrge. How did I even manage to put this in my mouthst night... ¡°Did you sleep well, Lilith?¡± ¡°Eeeek!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that startled.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Ed. Were you awake this whole time?¡± ¡°Yeah, for quite a while now.¡± ...Then why didn¡¯t he get up and wash or at least get dressed? Why was he still lying next to me in the same state asst night? I was the only one who had gotten startled and embarrassed, making me feel even more awkward. I turned my head, trying to cool the heat rising to my face and maintain someposure. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re quite... proactive this morning, Lilith.¡± ¡°I-it was an ident! I didn¡¯t mean to grab that!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about that. I meant that you¡¯re up early and ready to get going. What did you mean by ¡®identally grabbed it,¡¯ Lilith?¡± ¡°......¡± Is this guy serious...? It felt like he had only be bolder overnight, as if he¡¯d decided not to hold back anymore after what happenedst night. If I argued, he¡¯d just twist my words and tease me more, so I quickly changed the subject. ¡°More importantly, if you¡¯ve been awake for a while, why didn¡¯t you get up and wash, Ed? We have a long journey ahead, and if you keep dawdling like this, what are you nning to do?¡± ¡°I was going to, but your sleeping face was too lovely to leave.¡± ¡°Ack... ugh... ah.¡± Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake, could he not throw these lines at me without warning? Hearing something like that first thing in the morning left mepletely at a loss for how to respond. Embarrassed by Ethan¡¯s affectionate words, I quickly threw the nket aside and got out of bed. -Slide. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go back to my room and wash up. You should get ready too, Ed. We have a long journey to the Witch¡¯s Forest today.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just wash together? This inn has a nice, spacious bathroom.¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s no time for that!¡± In truth, there probably was enough time if we only washed quickly, but I was just making excuses. I had a gut feeling that if we went into the bathroom together this morning, we¡¯d end up wasting a lot more time than we should. ¡°We really don¡¯t have time to be leisurely, Ed. If we¡¯rete to meet Lady Lara, the Hero will have something to say about it, won¡¯t he?¡± ¡°...Yeah, no need to give the Hero any more reasons toin.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be riding in the carriage for a long time over the next few days, so I¡¯ll change into something more practical than a dress. You should also wear something morefortable than your uniform...¡± ¡°But Lilith, you haven¡¯t answered my morning greeting yet.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Did you sleep well, Lilith?¡± ¡°...Yes, thanks to you, I slept well. Did you sleep well, Ed?¡± ¡°I did. Thanks to you, Lilith.¡± Ethan responded with a gentle smile, his gaze soft and warm. That look on his face... Honestly, it was unfair, especially first thing in the morning. ? ? ? One of the biggest changes that came with the world of Luminor Academy bing real was the fact that you couldn¡¯t use the ¡®skip¡¯ function anymore. In the game, you could skip all the cutscenes you had seen over and over in multiple ythroughs, the overly long skill effects during battle, and even the unnecessarily realistic travel times between regions. These were all the things that yers would skip through to save time and avoid boredom. But now that this world was real, I had to experience every bit of the journey, even if it meant a two-night, three-day carriage ride without skipping anything. ¡°Haa, yawn...¡± ¡°Lilith, are you tired?¡± ¡°No, Ed. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can lean on my shoulder.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not tired, really. Don¡¯t worry.¡± It had been about four hours since breakfast, and we had been traveling in the carriage the entire time. As excited as I was about exploring a new region in Luminor Academy, the monotonous journey was starting to dull my enthusiasm. ¡®We have to ride for twelve hours a day, for three days straight... and we¡¯ve only done this once so far...¡¯ Just imagining how much more time we had to spend traveling made my head feel dizzy. The journey to the academy, the capital, or ckwood Manor only took about a day, so I hadn¡¯t felt it before, but this two-night, three-day journey was already exhausting just to think about. Not to mention, I hadn¡¯t gotten much sleepst night because of Ethan, and the umted fatigue was starting to catch up with me. Just as I was feeling it in my bones, Agnes, sitting across from me, decided to throw out ament aimed right at me. ¡°See? This is what happens when you spend the night together before a trip. You two really are like a pair of love-struck fools.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Agnes. W-who spent the night with whom...?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point pretending. Your room is right next to mine, you know? I can hear everything through the wall, even if I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°W-w-w-what?!¡± ¡°Lilith, calm down.¡± ¡°Miss Agnes, please calm yourself too.¡± ¡°...I told you, you¡¯re not allowed to call me by name.¡± The conversation was dragging on, so Ethan, sitting next to me, and Prince Antonio quickly intervened to mediate. Incidentally, the prince hadn¡¯t been part of our original n, but he insisted on tagging along this morning after hearing that Agnes was heading to the Witch¡¯s Forest. Agnes was probably right. I might have been too loudst night. If her room was right next to mine, it¡¯s possible my voice had disturbed her sleep. Even though the walls and floors of the pce were thick enough to block most normal... sounds, Agnes¡¯s room was right next to mine, so maybe it hadn¡¯t been enough. ¡®Wait, hold on. There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve heard my voicest night.¡¯ I didn¡¯t sleep in my own roomst night. I spent the night in Ethan¡¯s room, which was two rooms away from hers. There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve heard anything from that distance, no matter how sharp her hearing. It seems she¡¯s just trying to provoke me because I look tired. There¡¯s no reason for me to confess anything out of fear. ¡°Miss Agnes. Are you aware that your statement contains a contradiction?¡± ¡°...A contradiction?¡± ¡°You imed that you heard my voicest night through the wall, but that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Miss Agnes, you wouldn¡¯t know this since you¡¯ve never been in my room at the pce, but my room and Ed¡¯s room are connected by a door. I spent the night in Ed¡¯s roomst night, so your im that you heard my voice through the wall is logically wed.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± As I made my rebuttal, I felt all three pairs of eyes in the carriage turn towards me. With my airtight logic, even Agnes was at a loss for words. ¡°So what? In the end, you¡¯re still admitting that the two of you spent the night together.¡± ¡°W-wait, what?¡± ¡°Lilith, maybe you didn¡¯t need to be so detailed about what happenedst night.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll just pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything about thedy¡¯s private matters.¡± For the next two hours, until we stopped for lunch, the carriage was filled with an awkward silence.@@novelbin@@ Agnes... That was an unfair trap. Chapter 268 The carriage, carrying four passengers and one coachman, had been traveling for about six hours before it came to a stop in a quiet meadow. The ground was t, making it a good ce to take a break outside the carriage and catch our breath. With the open surroundings, it was also a defensible location in case of any sudden attacks. It was the perfect spot to rest the horses and have lunch. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking a break here for about an hour to let the horses rest. I¡¯ll feed them and prepare the meal, so the rest of you may take this time to rx.¡± Colt Sharp, the coachwoman and a former pce knight apanying us, stepped down from the driver¡¯s seat and informed us about the break. She wore te armor on her hands and feet, but her upper body was protected by a brigandine, a choice that favored mobility over the heavier te mail. ¡°Well then, since Lady Colt has suggested we rest, let¡¯s all take a break,¡± said Antonio, the prince. Colt nced at Agnes for a moment. One member of the royal family. A duke¡¯s son. A baron¡¯s daughter. And a viscount¡¯s daughter. Being a knight of the royal family, Colt was generally treated with more authority than a viscount¡¯s daughter. Naturally, she could have asked Agnes and me to assist her in feeding the horses and preparing the meal. However, the problem was that the prince¡ªwho clearly had his eyes on Agnes, the viscount¡¯s daughter¡ªwas present, and I was, at least officially, engaged to Ethan. This meant that unless the highest-ranking person among us took the initiative to help, Colt would be stuck doing all the work herself. And knowing Antonio, it wasn¡¯t likely that he would step up...@@novelbin@@ ¡°Ethan, could you help me move the bag of feed from the storagepartment?¡± Antonio asked suddenly. ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of moving the feeding trough. Can I ask you to handle the bag of grain? And, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been acting as Ethan¡¯s personal maid at the academy. Would it be too much to ask for a taste of your cooking for lunch?¡± ¡°Of course. Since we have a long journey ahead, I¡¯ll prepare something simple that can be eaten on the go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a position to be picky, so I¡¯ll eat whatever you prepare. Oh, and Colt?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Take a break inside the carriage. We¡¯ll call you when the meal is ready.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t rest while everyone else is working, Your Highness.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re ufortable resting in the carriage, you can rx elsewhere. But either way, don¡¯t work during the break. You¡¯ve been driving for six hours straight, and you need to rest so you can continue this afternoon. Besides, you¡¯ll be driving tomorrow and the day after, so if you don¡¯t rest now, who will drive the carriage when you¡¯re too exhausted?¡± ¡°...Understood. I¡¯ll rest as you¡¯ve instructed, Your Highness.¡± ...Well, at least he had some sense. In the original story, Antonio was a supporting character who helped the protagonist, so he wasn¡¯t all bad. Even though he had unexpectedly joined the journey, at least he wasn¡¯t going to use his royal authority to cause trouble. ¡°Hmm.¡± Agnes seemed to be impressed by Antonio¡¯s willingness to help, her gaze softening slightly toward the prince. Yes, that¡¯s the way. He¡¯d made several mistakes with her so far, but if he kept this up, he might just be able to make up for it... ¡°So, what should I do?¡± Agnes asked. ¡°Oh, Lady Agnes, you can just rest,¡± Antonio replied. ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t enough work to require everyone¡¯s help. Please rest in the carriage with Lady Colt, and we¡¯ll call you when the meal is ready...¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m too weak or too ipetent to be of any use?¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± Oh, no. You should have left it at that, Antonio. ¡°No, I only meant that since the three of us can handle the tasks, there¡¯s no need for everyone to exert themselves. Since you¡¯re a mage, carrying heavy bags of grain might be too difficult...¡± ¡°Then why did you ask Lilith to prepare the meal and not me? Are you saying I¡¯m useless just because I don¡¯t know how to cook?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant at all...¡± Antonio had put his foot in it by unintentionally excluding the hot-tempered Agnes. He wanted to avoid making the woman he admired work, but in doing so, he had offended her. In a setting like this, asking her to rest while everyone else worked wasn¡¯t going to sit well with her. ¡®You should have just given her some simple task, anything at all.¡¯ Sensing the growing tension, I hurriedly intervened to smooth things over. ¡°Lady Agnes, I¡¯ll be making sandwiches for lunch. It would be great if you could help toast the bread a bit. You¡¯re good with fire magic, after all.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright with you, isn¡¯t it, Your Highness? There¡¯s no reason Lady Agnes can¡¯t help, is there?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, of course. I just didn¡¯t know what task to assign her,¡± Antonio stammered. ¡°...¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to imply that Lady Agnes had no tasks to perform...¡± ¡°...Hmph.¡± Honestly, why did he have to say thatst part? It seemed that Antonio¡¯s courtship of Agnes was going to be an uphill battle. ? ? ? And so, the first day of our journey, filled with awkward tension between Prince Antonio and Agnes, came to an end. By the second day, as night began to fall, the carriage, now carrying five people, came to a quiet stop in a field. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to camp here tonight,¡± Colt informed us. As expected. We had anticipated this. On the first night, we had stayed in a vige close enough to the capital to rest and feed the horses. But after that, there were no proper viges between us and the Witch¡¯s Forest in the southwest. If we were lucky, we might pass by a small settlement of around ten people, but even if we did, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that we had to camp. Most of these smallmunities farmed only enough for their own needs, and even if we offered them money, they had little use for it. These smaller settlements were generally less reliable than proper viges. Having traveled about two-thirds of the distance to our destination, we set up tents from the carriage¡¯s storage to prepare for our second night¡¯s stay. Thanks to Prince Antonio¡¯s reflection on the previous day¡¯s blunders, he assigned dinner duties to Agnes and me. With the ingredients we had brought, I decided to prepare the cheese fondue I had mentioned earlier. I sliced the bread, bacon, and vegetables into bite-sized pieces, while Agnes used her fire magic to melt the cheese into a thick, creamy consistency. ¡°Lady Agnes, do you like cabbage?¡± ¡°...Not really.¡± ¡°You should still eat it. Cabbage is rich in calcium and helps with growth. Don¡¯t you want to grow taller?¡± ¡°...Give me some.¡± -Slice, slice. ¡°...¡± ¡°Lady Agnes, how about carrots?¡± ¡°...Not a fan.¡± ¡°They¡¯re quite tasty when lightly cooked. Plus, they¡¯re rich in nutrients that are good for women¡¯s health... you know, like helping with... uh, chest development.¡± ¡°...Give me a lot.¡± -Chop, chop, chop. ¡°...¡± ¡°Lady Agnes, do you like broli?¡± ¡°...Yes. And I prefer eating it raw rather than cooked, especially in fondue.¡± ¡°But broli containspounds that can actually interfere with... uh, chest development. It¡¯s not very helpful in that regard.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, how much broli would you like, Lady Agnes?¡± ¡°...You eat it. You¡¯re the one with the ridiculous chest.¡± With that yful banter, we finished preparing the meal, and we all gathered to dip bread, vegetables, and dried bacon into the cheese fondue. ...Honestly, it was unlikely that eating certain foods would change her body shape at this point. But teasing Agnes had been fun, so I didn¡¯t bother to point that out. Chapter 269 After dinner, the task of washing the dishes naturally fell to me, as it had since lunch the day before. It wasn¡¯t that everyone decided to make me do it simply because of my experience as a maid. Rather, I was the only one here capable of using cleaning magic. Ethan¡¯s magic mostly focused on physical enhancement, Agnes was too upied with learningbat spells to bother with utility magic, and for a royal, using something as basic as cleaning magic would be considered disgraceful. As for Colt, being ofmoner origin, she couldn¡¯t use magic at all. Even though her status as a royal pce knight meant she was treated with more respect than a viscount¡¯s daughter, that didn¡¯t mean she inherited the noble bloodline necessary to wield magic. Thus, with myrge mana pool, I was left to take care of the dishes with cleaning magic, and before long, night fell. We set up two tents¡ªone for the men and one for the women¡ªand lit a campfire. Thest task before bed was to decide the watch schedule for the night, ensuring that one of us would stay awake to guard the camp until morning. ¡°With four of us standing watch, excluding His Highness, we could switch every two hours. Personally, I was thinking of taking the second shift,¡± I suggested. ¡°No, ensuring the safety of distinguished guests during a camp like this is also my duty. You all should sleep until morning,¡± Colt insisted. ¡°Really? But you¡¯ll be driving the carriage tomorrow as well, won¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it too much for you to do both?¡± I asked. ¡°A royal knight can go three days without sleep and still function without issue.¡± ¡°That makes me nervous. What if you fall asleep at the reins and drive us off a cliff?¡± Agnes interjected bluntly. ¡°......¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to take it to such an extreme, but I¡¯d also feel better if the driver had enough rest,¡± Ethan agreed. ¡°Understood. Lady Rosewood has imed the second shift, so I¡¯ll take the third...¡± ¡°I think it would be better if you, Colt, took the first shift,¡± I interrupted. ¡°The first orst shift will give you the longest possible rest, and as the driver, you deserve that consideration.¡± ¡°I agree with Lilith. You¡¯ve already driven us for two days straight; you should rest as much as possible. Take either the first or thest watch,¡± Ethan added. ¡°...I¡¯ll take the first watch then,¡± Colt said. ¡°Hm, but why is it that I¡¯m automatically excluded from the watch?¡± Prince Antonio chimed in. ¡°I could stand watch too. How about we adjust the schedule so that I take a one-and-a-half-hour shift?¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? Do you know the procedures for standing watch?¡± I asked. ¡°I simply need to stay awake, listen, and alert the others if something suspicious approaches, be it a person or a monster. While I may not be as skilled inbat as you all, I can certainly handle that much,¡± Antonio replied confidently. ¡°In that case, it might be best if you take thest watch, Your Highness. While monsters can attack at any time, at least we won¡¯t have to worry about bandits after dawn.¡± ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll take thest watch. But out of curiosity, Lady Agnes, which shift will you be taking?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s best if Lady ze takes the fourth watch. I¡¯ll take the third. Does anyone object?¡± Ethan proposed. As Ethan looked around for objections, Agnes raised her hand with a displeased expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll take the third shift.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the fourth and switch with Lady Agnes,¡± Antonio offered. ¡°Ethan, will you take the final shift?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course. So, Lady ze will take the third...¡± ¡°Forget it! If you¡¯re going to keep changing things around, just leave it as it was!¡± Agnes snapped. ¡°Then I¡¯ll switch with Lilith during the third shift...¡± Ethan started again. Thus, after Agnes''s annoyance and Antonio¡¯s insistence, we finally agreed on a watch schedule. The banter between the two helped create a bit of a lively atmosphere as the night set in, giving the journey a more adventurous feeling. ? ? ? About an hour had passed since everyone, except for Colt, had gone into their tents to sleep. I had been tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, and eventually, I got up from my sleeping bag about thirty minutes before the shift change. ¡®I can¡¯t sleep...¡¯@@novelbin@@ Because I had taken a nap during the day while in the carriage, it was difficult to get back to sleep. Years of maid work had trained my body to function with only the minimum amount of sleep. Forcing myself to sleep more than I needed was almost impossible now. And honestly, the pce carriage¡¯s suspension was so smooth that it had lulled me to sleep without any effort. Ethan had also insisted that I lean on him whenever I started to doze off, so I had nappedfortably against his shoulder. Since I was already awake, I decided to get up early and head outside the tent. If I offered to switch shifts early, it might be a pleasant surprise for Colt. -Slide. ¡°Lady Rosewood? Out for some fresh air?¡± Colt asked as I stepped out. Realizing she was politely inquiring whether I needed to relieve myself, I shook my head. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I thought I¡¯d relieve you early.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself, mydy. I¡¯m quite used to standing watch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really no trouble. My years as a personal maid have trained me to wake up early and sleepte. I don¡¯t need much rest.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± ¡°You should get some sleep, Colt. I¡¯ll take the watch for two hours and then switch with Ethan.¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to fulfill my duty,¡± she replied. I didn¡¯t press the issue. There are all kinds of people in the world, and some can¡¯t rest if they don¡¯t stick to their own sense of duty. For someone like Colt, who held firm to her principles, there was no need to force her to rest early. At least with someone to talk to, the time would pass more quickly. ¡°How long have you served as a knight in the royal pce?¡± I asked. ¡°Please, when it¡¯s just us, feel free to speak casually, Lady Rosewood,¡± Colt offered. ¡°I¡¯m morefortable with formal speech, honestly.¡± ¡°...Very well. I¡¯ve served as a knight for three years now. I joined the royal guard straight after graduating from the academy.¡± ¡°So, you were a fourth-year student three years ago... That makes you about five years ahead of me?¡± ¡°By that logic, perhaps, but there¡¯s no need to dwell on seniority.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t really dwelling on it. It¡¯s just that you seem to be about the same age and surname as someone I know, so it caught my attention.¡± ¡°......¡± Colt¡¯s interest was clearly piqued. I had suspected from the beginning, and now I was fairly certain¡ªshe was rted to Natalie. ¡°You¡¯re Natalie¡¯s sister, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Are you a friend of hers, Lady Rosewood?¡± ¡°Not quite a friend, more of an acquaintance. We¡¯ve met at a few social gatherings, but we¡¯ve never had a conversation just the two of us.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As soon as I mentioned Natalie, Colt¡¯s demeanor became a bit more guarded. It seemed my hunch had been correct¡ªshe was indeed Natalie¡¯s older sister. ¡°I don¡¯t know her very well, but would you like me to tell you a little about how she¡¯s doing at the academy?¡± I asked. ¡°...Please do, Lady Rosewood.¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve only seen her duringbined swordsmanship sses. Last semester, she sparred with Ethan...¡± We spent about thirty minutes talking about Natalie. Colt¡¯s expressions shifted with each story I told¡ªpride when I mentioned how often Natalie managed to win a round against the Hero, satisfaction when I told her that Natalie¡¯s group wonst year¡¯s hunting festival, and utter despair when I shared the story of Natalie getting drunk on a single cocktail and causing a scene. ¡°Haa... So she¡¯s causing trouble even outside the academy... I warned her not to drink in public...¡± The way Colt¡¯s emotions yed so clearly on her face reminded me of Natalie, just a more mature version of her. If I had to describe Colt, I¡¯d say she was Natalie but taller and slightly more responsible. In a good way, Colt was more disciplined, whereas Natalie could be impulsive¡ªwhat some might call a "muscle-brain." ¡°At least it ended well. Ever since that incident was recorded in the magic crystal, I¡¯ve heard Natalie is so terrified of repeating it that she¡¯s practically sworn off alcohol.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. When I saw herst, she didn¡¯t mention anything about making such a mistake...¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably too embarrassed to talk about it. But please, don¡¯t tell her I told you.¡± While I wasn¡¯t interested in her romantically anymore, I didn¡¯t want to get on the bad side of a character I used to like. Nodding gratefully, Colt stood up after we had chatted for about thirty minutes. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. Thank you for telling me about my sister, Lady Rosewood.¡± ¡°Of course, Colt. Get some rest.¡± ¡°If anything suspicious happens during the watch, don¡¯t hesitate to wake me. As a royal knight, I¡¯m always ready to¡ª" Jingle. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Jingle jingle jingle. The sudden sound of a bell ringing in the middle of the night cut her off. Since whoever was approaching didn¡¯t seem to be hiding their presence, it was more likely a monster than a bandit. ¡°I think that sword of yours might be needed sooner than you expected,¡± I said. ¡°...It seems so,¡± Colt agreed, drawing her sword. As she prepared, I stood up from the campfire and strapped on the dagger I had hung by my side. If this was a surprise encounter with a monster, I was more than ready to handle it. In fact, I weed it¡ªan unexpected opportunity for some experience points was never unwee. Chapter 270 ''Kreeeeek!!'' ''Grrr, kreeeeeek!!'' Suddenly, in the dead of night, a horde of goblins appeared, causing everyone sleeping in the tents to rush outside. I had considered handling it quietly without waking everyone, but the sheer number of goblins swarming us was too much for just Colt and me to handle. "Ethan, take the left! Sir Colt, the right! I''ll handle any that slip through! Don''t turn your back, no matter what!" Imanded.@@novelbin@@ "Understood!" Ethan replied, immediately taking charge. "Yes, ma''am!" Colt answered, swiftly moving to her designated position. Ethan had been the first to burst out of the men''s tent, already prepared, and Colt, who had been on watch, quickly positioned herself on the other side. They each took their posts, ready to defend against the oing horde. Though I could fight in closebat, it wasn¡¯t my strong suit. My role was to deal with any monsters that broke through and to provide support magic¡ªjust like Lilith would have done in the game. As soon as the goblins charged, I found myself acting as the de facto battlemander, giving orders. But neither Ethan nor Colt seemed to mind. "And Agnes...?" "I''ll erge Infernosilia to break their formation and set up a fiery barrier for defense." "...You know exactly what to do." Agnes was a character who, even in the original game, could perform well when left to her own devices. Large-scale fire magic was always a solid strategy in these kinds of battles, so I let her handle it. "''zing mes awaken the spirit within, and today, the young fire spirit takes on a new form!''"
  • Fwoosh!
''I''m off, Agnes~! See you soon!'' "...Just don¡¯t run into the forest." With a coordinated spell from Agnes and her fire spirit Infernosilia, now erged, the fiery elemental charged into the goblin horde, scattering the monsters in all directions. The goblins were panicking, fleeing from the enormous fireball that had suddenly entered their ranks. Of course, since it was only a lower-tier spirit maderger, its actual attacks wouldn¡¯t be more than superficial burns, but it was enough to disrupt the goblins'' formation and create confusion. "Lady Rosewood, what should I do? I¡¯m fairly confident in my swordsmanship, so perhaps I should join Ethan and Sir Colt on the front lines..." Prince Antonio began, looking flustered. "That''s nonsense! We don¡¯t need more people on the front lines. Your Highness, please stay on the opposite side and protect Lady Agnes." "Ah, understood! Of course, protecting Lady Agnes is my most important duty!" In reality, I couldn¡¯t gauge Antonio¡¯s skill level, so I assigned him to a safe position. Since he wasn¡¯t one of the main yable characters in Luminor Academy, I had limited information on his abilities or growth potential. I left him safely to the side. Even if he wasn¡¯t that strong, he could at least handle a few stray goblins. If it came to the worst, I could take care of both Agnes and the prince myself. ''Lilith~! What about us? Should we just charge in and sweep everything like she did~?!'' ''Can we grow big, too? Like, really big?'' Sally and Sey, my high- and mid-tier spirits, were eager, asking if they should mimic what Infernosilia had done. They were much smarter than lower-tier spirits, so I had different ns for them. "You two fly above unnoticed and search for any named monsters." ''Named... what''s that?'' "Look for a goblin with an oversized staff, or one ying some sort of instrument. Or maybe one that''s muchrger than the others and decked out in equipment. Report back to me as soon as you find them." I was describing the characteristics of Goblin Mages, Goblin Bards, and Goblin Lords. Naturally, those weren¡¯t the only types of named goblins, but they were the primary ones that couldmand such arge force. Finding and eliminating them would weaken the rest of the horde. ''Ohhh! You mean those weird goblins that show up sometimes, right?! So we just need to find them, yeah?'' "Exactly. Once you find them, report directly to me. I''ll take care of the rest. Be sure to tell me exactly where they are." ''Got it. We¡¯ll go look now!'' ''I''ll be back~!'' With a nod, the two spirits flew off, gliding over the goblin horde. With both a mid- and high-tier spirit searching, it wouldn¡¯t take long to find the named goblin. Even though Sey might not have fully understood the instructions, Sally had definitely grasped the task. Unlike the original game event, where we had to fight through wave after wave of goblins before reaching the boss, we could skip right to the end by targeting the named goblin. Once that one was down, the rest of the goblins would scatter, making cleanup much easier. This nighttime ambush was, after all, a recreation of an event from Luminor Academy. Whenever you camped on the way to the Witch¡¯s Forest, a monster ambush was almost guaranteed. The forest itself was a breeding ground for magical creatures, and aside from the witches¡¯ settlements, it was teeming with monsters. I¡¯d gone through this event almost fifteen times in my 25 ythroughs, so I knew how to handle it. I¡¯d even chosen to take the second watch because this kind of ambush usually urred between 1 and 2 a.m. I preferred to handle it myself rather than leave it to someone else, as it was the most reliable way to ensure sess. ''Still, I didn¡¯t expect this many...'' In Luminor Academy, the number of monsters that appeared during a nighttime ambush was proportional to the party¡¯s strength. To summon this many goblins for a five-person party, each member had to be elite. And if I considered our team¡¯s strength individually... One sword expert, wielding dual des (who could hold his own against the Hero with a win ratio of nearly 50%). One 5th-circle mage, likely the next Red Tower Master, specializing in fire magic and contracted with a fire spirit. One all-rounder with a massive mana reserve, capable of using attack magic, support magic, and dagger techniques (with the ultimate skill, Mana st). And Natalie¡¯s older sister (who¡¯s stronger than Natalie). Even without ounting for Antonio¡¯s unknown abilities, we were essentially a party of top-tier adventurers. No wonder this goblin horde was sorge. Well, in any case, the game¡¯s scaling system worked to our advantage. With a strong party like this, our fighting prowess would shine, especially in a battle like this. -sh! ''Kreeeeek!'' That was the seventh goblin I¡¯d killed as it slipped past Ethan and Sir Colt¡¯s defenses. While I couldn¡¯tpete with Ethan, who was cutting down six goblins with a single sword strike, or Colt, who was stabbing three goblins per second with her royal knight techniques, I was still contributing and earning some experience points. Plus, the Sharp de buff I had cast on both Ethan and Colt was certainly making their job easier. By the end of tonight, I¡¯d probably reach level 18, and if I was lucky, maybe even level 19. I nced over at Antonio, who was supposed to be protecting Agnes. The prince was drenched in sweat, but he had just finished off his fifth goblin. -sh! ¡°Huff... huff...¡± ...Well, he¡¯s doing better than I expected. While his swordsmanship was nowhere near Ethan¡¯s or Colt¡¯s,paring an untrained prince to academy elites was hardly fair. Considering he hadn¡¯t even entered the academy yet, he was performing admirably. At least he was stronger than in the original game. Meeting Agnes during the royal pce incident two years ago must have spurred his growth in a positive direction. ''He might actually be a good candidate for the Hero¡¯s party if I train him well enough...'' I¡¯ll have to talk to Gertter and make a suggestion. Antonio likely has high growth potential as a royal, and with Agnes by his side, his development might elerate even faster. ¡°Rise! Be a wall of me!!¡± ''Kreeeeeeeek!!!'' By this point, Agnes hadpleted her spell, and her ming fortress erupted into the sky in front of Ethan and Sir Colt. The size of the me wall was easily twice asrge as the one she had conjured during the evaluation duel. The moment it appeared, I could hear the goblins on the other side being incinerated en masse. ''That should take care of most of the weaker ones, so now it¡¯s just the boss left.'' With Agnes maintaining the fiery fortress and Ethan and Colt handling the remaining goblins within the barrier, I figured Antonio could hold the line for a while. That gave me the chance to focus on finishing off the boss. ¡°Ethan! Sir Colt! You just need to deal with the ones inside the me wall now!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Your Highness! Please protect Agnes and me for a little while longer. You can handle that, right?¡± ¡°Hah... yes...! Leave it to me, Lady Rosewood...!¡± Honestly, he wasn¡¯t as reliable as Ethan, but this was the most efficient way to end the fight quickly. At that moment, I saw Sally and Sey return from beyond the me wall. It was time to unleash my ultimate move. I began chanting the Mana st spell, preparing to fire it the moment they reported the named goblin¡¯s location. ''Lilith~!! Over here! There¡¯s a huge goblin boss~!!'' ''300 meters, about.'' With their precise briefing, I hurled my charged Mana st in the direction they indicated. Using a Mana st on a goblin lord was overkill, but when else would I get the chance to use it? Besides, it was the only spell in my arsenal powerful enough to take down a boss in one shot. ¡°Explode! Unleash the storm of magic!!¡± As my Mana st flew towards the target, Agnes skillfully dispelled the ming fortress, clearing the way. Through the dissipating mes, I caught sight of the hulking figure of the goblin lord, and my spell shot straight towards it. A momentter, a massive explosion echoed across the campsite, shaking the night sky. Chapter 271 ¡ºLilith has reached level 18!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 19!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 20!¡» ? ? ? The next morning, at the campsite near the Witch''s Forest after the Goblin Lord hunt. Feeling unusually refreshed, I got up and immediately started packing up the tent with a joyful heart. It was impossible to hide my mood, even though I tried. After all, thanks tost night¡¯s battle, I leveled up three times at once, reaching level 20. The experience points from cutting down a few goblins that hade dangerously close. The experience from providing sharp de buffs to the others, excluding Agnes, and getting a share of their experience. And, of course, the experience from defeating the boss monster, the Goblin Lord. I even chased down the remaining goblins, who scattered in panic after the boss fell, and hunted them. In the end, I gathered every bit of experience I could. It had been a long time since I leveled up, and it was my first time leveling up since summer vacation began. Boosting my level before the main event made me feel sweetly content. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood, Lily.¡± ¡°Hm? Does it show, Ed~?¡± ¡°Did something good happen?¡± ¡°Well~. If you consider traveling with you to distant ces as a good thing, then sure, many good things have happened.¡± ¡°R-Really? Well, I do enjoy traveling with you too, Lily.¡± ¡°¡­Gross.¡± Agnes, who was folding the tent next to us, made a disgusted face and stuck out her tongue, but I ignored her. I couldn¡¯t exactly use leveling up as an excuse for my good mood. It was better to be thought of as annoying thanpletely crazy. ¡®I¡¯d honestly love to just roam around hunting grounds with these two and farming experience.¡¯ Ignoring the Academy and the hero party, traveling with just these two was by far the most efficient party. Ethan was at the front, taking the lead. Agnes handled the smaller enemies, and I, the great mage Lilith, took down the final boss with a finishing blow. ¡­Well, I could only cast up to 3rd-circle spells for now, but my mana pool had already exceeded 4,000. Even though I couldn¡¯t cast true grand magic yet, my Mana st was basically a 2nd-circle spell at max output, so that was close enough. Of course, this was just wishful thinking. A three-person party like this wasn¡¯t really possible. Agnes was already part of a prestigious party, and Ethan, being the only son of the ckwood family, would hardly have time to adventure with me after he graduated from the Academy. Once we finished packing up the tent andid out a simple breakfast, Prince Antonio cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°You did well yesterday, Lord Ethan. And Lady Rosewood. I already knew about Lady Agnes''s prowess, but after watching yesterday¡¯s battle, it¡¯s clear you two are also true Academy students.¡± The Prince, who hadn¡¯t performed as well during the battle, offered this quietpliment. His expression, however, was a bit bitter. He probably wanted to show off in front of Agnes, but instead, he ended up proving that he was the least skilled of the five of us. Though he wasn¡¯tpletely useless in the fight, he didn¡¯t stand out much either. ¡°Your Highness,pared to your peers, you performed exceptionally well. There are still plenty of first-year Academy students who can¡¯t even handle sand beetles, let alone goblins.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? But I heard that two years ago, Lady Agnes was already using fire magic without hesitation against a pack ofke serpents. Comparing myself to her now, it¡¯s clear¡­¡± ¡°Two years ago, I was already a 3rd-circle fire mage. Do you know how many years it took me to reach that level? And you think you can catch up to that in just two years? Am I a joke to you?¡± ¡°N-No, Lady Agnes! That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± How does he manage to step on every one of Agnes¡¯s nerves with eachment? Then again, Agnes has a difficult personality, so perhaps Antonio is actually the more normal one here. The term "dragon''s reverse scale" refers to the one scale on a dragon that grows in the opposite direction and shouldn¡¯t be touched. But if Agnes were a dragon, half of her scales would be reversed. If you think about it, the dragon might be the one with the problem. That¡¯s probably why in the original story, Agnes only ended up with the hero. Anyone else would have ended up single, because no one but the reincarnated hero could handle her personality. Even though it must feel unfair to him, Prince Antonio really had no choice but to adjust to Agnes. After all, in love, the one who falls first is always at a disadvantage. ¡®Now that I¡¯ve leveled up, I have 10 skill points to spend. Where should I invest them for maximum efficiency?¡¯ The old me would have immediately put them all into offensive magic, buttely, I¡¯ve been thinking that investing in support magic like Lilith¡¯s standard build might not be a bad idea. With Ethan by my side until graduation, it would be enough to just buff him and stay out of danger. I¡¯d already used various skills for battles like the Kraken subjugation and the evaluation match against Agnes, and as a result, I¡¯d ended up investing more in support than offensive magic. If I started putting points back into offensive magic now, I¡¯d risk bing one of those so-called ¡°ruined characters,¡± and as a former yer of Luminor Academy, I couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡­Well, I could think about itter. If needed, I could always use all 10 points at once when the time came. ¡°Oh, Agnes?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°We¡¯re heading into the Witch¡¯s Forest soon. Did you remember to bring bug-repellent perfume?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Obviously, why would you ask?¡± ¡°I just thought I¡¯d offer you some in case you needed it. I have an extra bottle, even after ounting for mine and Ed¡¯s share.¡± ¡°Mind your own business.¡± Well, of course, she had prepared. After all, we¡¯d known for a week that we¡¯d be heading to the Witch¡¯s Forest. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Witch¡¯s Forest before. I heard the witch here brews a mana-enhancing elixir, so I came prepared this time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about ¡®Natia¡¯s Mysterious Potion,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°¡­Wait, you¡¯ve taken it too? No wonder your mana pool is so huge¡­¡± ¡°No way. That potion¡¯s too expensive, isn¡¯t it? Doesn¡¯t it cost at least ten gold coins?¡± ¡°It was five when I bought it.¡± ¡°Anyway, before I enrolled in the Academy, I was a poor noble¡¯s maid, earning a single gold coin every six months. Most of that went to paying off debts, so I never had the chance to buy something like that.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t really bother me.¡± In my case, I didn¡¯t need any special potions. I¡¯d chewed enough garlic to make even a bear jealous. If anything, I probably ate more garlic than the legendary Ungnyeo for a few days back then. ¡°Do you want me to buy it for you, Lily? I think I could afford five gold coins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve already got more than enough mana. Besides, that potion works better when taken at a younger age, and it wouldn¡¯t be very effective for me now.¡± Technically, it¡¯s more efficient to take it at lower levels, but in this world, the concept is simr enough that it didn¡¯t need further rification. ¡°Hm, I see¡­¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, after this mission, would you be interested in buying some dried mandrake root?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s particrly good for men. I thought Ed could use it to boost his¡­ stats.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In Luminor Academy, dried mandrake root was an item that boosted male characters¡¯ max health, attack power, and charm. The max health boost might not be noticeable, but even a slight increase in attack and charm stats would provide a level-up bonus. That¡¯s why I thought it would be a good idea to give Ed some at his lower level, but for some reason, Ethan was giving me a weird look. ¡°Lady Rosewood?¡± ¡°Yes? What is it, Prince Antonio?¡± ¡°To my knowledge, dried mandrake root from the Witch¡¯s Forest is used to enhance a man¡¯s performance¡­ in bed.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡­Wait. So, in the game, when it said it boosted attack and charm¡­ was that what it really meant¡­? ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant! I was referring to general male vitality¡­ I mean, vigor! I wasn¡¯t implying anything about Ethan¡¯s, um, stamina or anything like that! I just thought it¡¯d be smart to get some while we¡¯re here since we don¡¯t visit often¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I get it. If we have the chance, we¡¯ll get some. But you¡¯re going to test its effects, right, Lily?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant!!¡± ¡°Just stop embarrassing yourself, Lilith.¡± This is seriously unfair. How was I supposed to know that this item was good for¡­ that? I never raised male party members in the game! This time, I¡¯m really innocent! Chapter 272 Why is the Witch¡¯s Forest called the Witch¡¯s Forest? There¡¯s no need for a detailed exnation about the origin of the name. It¡¯s simply because the forest is inhabited entirely by witches, and only witches live here. Let¡¯s change the question then: Why do witches live together in istion? Is it because mixing and creating potions is illegal and not allowed by the Empire? Of course not. Luminor Academy, the Empire¡¯s prestigious institution, even has a full-fledged department dedicated to pharmaceuticals. The Empire encourages studying the art of potion-making, especially those that mimic the effects of magic without using actual magic. Then is it because witches use sinister ingredients that must remain hidden from the public eye, unlike other pharmacists? That¡¯s not it either. While the special environment of the Witch¡¯s Forest does make it easier to gather certain ingredients, witches don¡¯t necessarily use suspicious materials to make their potions. Sure, the way witches gather together and go about their work might seem suspicious to outsiders, but in reality, they¡¯re not plotting anything sinister. They just look that way. So, if they¡¯re not doing anything particrly suspicious, why do witches live secluded in a forest on the outskirts of the Empire? The reason is simple: all witches have what could be described as ¡®ultimatemunication disabilities.¡¯ ¡°W-W-Wee, e-everyone¡­¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Lara Medichilling. We¡¯vee at the request of Sir Gevmwagjoshekegrit.¡± ¡°T-T-Thank you¡­ I-I¡¯m Lara, Lara Medichilling¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry to trouble you by having to travel all the w-w-way here¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. We¡¯ve always wanted to visit the Witch¡¯s Forest, so we¡¯re honored to be invited.¡± Lara Medichilling struggled to make eye contact with us, stammering and fidgeting nervously. Her trembling voice, unsteady breathing, and restless movements made it clear that she had difficultymunicatingpared to the average person. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t invite anyone but the hero¡­ B-But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter as long as it helps¡­ When is that Sir Gevmwagjoshekegriting? It¡¯s hard enough to remember one face, let alone so many¡­¡± Lara muttered to herself anxiously as she stood at the forest entrance with us.@@novelbin@@ I considered waiting for her to calm down, but Agnes, who wasn¡¯t particrly patient with such situations, broke the silence with her voice from behind. ¡°¡­So, how long do you n to keep us standing here?¡± ¡°Wh-What?!¡± ¡°I heard from Sir Gevmwagjoshekegrit that you needed our help. Shouldn¡¯t you at least exin the situation while we walk, or take us to our lodgings so we can discuss things properly?¡± ¡°Ah, w-wait a moment¡­ I-I¡¯m supposed to¡­¡± As soon as Agnes voiced her frustration, Lara frantically pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and began reading it slowly from top to bottom. Holding the wrinkled sheet tightly in both hands, Lara mumbled her way through the words. Having yed through Lara¡¯s event about fifteen times, I had a pretty good idea of what that paper was. ¡®It¡¯s probably a pre-written conversation guide for unexpected situations.¡¯ It was like a script that celebrities or broadcasters read before going on air. The problem was that Lara relied on this script even in everyday situations, which showed just how severe hermunication difficulties were. It wasn¡¯t surprising¡ªmost witches had simr challenges, as I¡¯d mentioned earlier. In fact, the fact that she attended the Academy meant she was rtively better off. ¡­Well, rtively speaking, of course. Rushing her would only waste more time, so I deliberately approached the conversation with care. ¡°I-I know I had a section for responding to an angry person¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss Lara. You can take your time.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­ Um¡­ N-Name¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lilith ckwood Rosewood. You can call me Lilith or Rosewood, whichever is easier for you.¡± ¡°A-Alright¡­ R-Rosewood¡­¡± ¡°The Witch¡¯s Trial doesn¡¯t start for another day or two, right? If it¡¯s difficult to exin out loud, you can always write things down for uster. For now, could you show us where we¡¯ll be staying?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll do that¡­¡± Offering solutions for what she found most difficult and giving her something tangible to focus on¡ªthat was the best way to handle interactions with Lara, a method I learned at Luminor Academy. There was no point in rushing her like Agnes had earlier. It would only dy things and make the situation worse. That¡¯s why only the hero was able tomunicate with her in the game, and why Sir Gevmwagjoshekegrit had sent me in his ce. It was because I could handle this. ¡°P-Please f-follow me¡­ Miss Rosewood¡­ and the rest of you too¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Lara Medichilling.¡± As Lara finally started moving from the forest entrance, the rest of us¡ªAgnes, Prince Antonio, and the others¡ªfollowed behind her. ¡°Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°When dealing with someone like Lara, rushing them won¡¯t help. You need to offer natural solutions while guiding them.¡± ¡°¡­I know. I knew that, but still, that was just¡­ too much.¡± ¡°Well, I agree it¡¯s a bit extreme, but people¡¯s personalities vary, and we have to adjust to that.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± I had originally thought this would be a straightforward mission, where we¡¯d just help with the Witch¡¯s Trial and follow the storyline. But now I was beginning to wonder if there might be unexpectedplications ahead as we moved deeper into the Witch¡¯s Forest. ? ? ? As I mentioned earlier, all witches have some form of severemunication difficulty. It wasn¡¯t something that improved with age, either. After all, this entire forest was filled with people who hadmunication issues. Introducing oneself to anyone in this vige could take up to three days, and Lara, who at least managed toplete introductions on our first meeting, was, as I¡¯d mentioned, ¡®one of the better ones.¡¯ ¡°M-Mom¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°These are the f-friends I mentioned¡­ Th-Though I didn¡¯t expect so many¡­ I-Is it okay¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lara Medichilling was asking her mother for permission to let us stay, much like a child asking if they could keep a pet. Lara¡¯s mother, however, just stared at her daughter without saying a word. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two of them exchanged a long, awkward silence,municating only with their eyes. Agnes, who had been watching them uneasily, leaned in and whispered to me in a low voice, careful not to disturb the moment. ¡°¡­Are we not getting permission? She¡¯s not saying anything.¡± ¡°Well, I think she¡¯ll let us stay.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°My personal feeling is that it would be stranger if she didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that after seeing her expression? She lookspletely unweing¡­¡±
  • Nod, nod.
¡°You¡­ You cane in¡­ Rosewood¡­ and everyone else too¡­ O-Oh, and you¡¯ll need to take your shoes off¡­¡± Lara¡¯s mother beckoned us inside by tilting her palm towards herself, then headed upstairs. Lara quickly followed after delivering the final message. The others seemed confused by how a woman who had silently red at her daughter moments ago could act this way, but I knew why and had no reason to hesitate. ¡°It¡¯s fine toe in now, Prince Antonio. You too, Ed, Miss Agnes, Sir Colt.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure? You and yourpanions are invited guests, but Sir Colt and I weren¡¯t exactly expected.¡± ¡°And yet, you followed us all the way from the pce because of Agnes. Are you going to leave us here and take the carriage back?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I meant. I just didn¡¯t realize Miss Lara and her mother were like this. Miss Lara is just shy, but her mother seems rather cold¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. She only seems cold on the outside.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ If you say so¡­¡± ¡°You can trust what Lilith says, Prince Antonio. I¡¯ve never regretted following her advice so far.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want toe in, you can just stand out here. I¡¯m going in.¡± ¡°A-Agnes! W-Wait for me, I¡¯ming too!¡± Ignoring Prince Antonio¡¯s hesitation, Agnes took off her shoes and walked inside, forcing the Prince to quickly follow suit. I couldn¡¯t help but be grateful that Agnes had unknowingly helped persuade him. In the Witch¡¯s Forest, worrying about appearances was foolish. Living in this forest meant being raised by one¡¯s mother, without a father. It was obvious whom Lara had inherited hermunication difficulties from. Chapter 273 In the end, Prince Antonio¡¯s suspicions about Lara¡¯s mother were quickly put to rest. Right after she showed us to the lodgings where we would stay during our time in the Witch¡¯s Forest, her reaction towards me didn¡¯t resemble that of someone wary of strangers.
  • Grab.
¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Please¡­ take care of her.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Take care¡­ of my daughter¡­.¡± At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the woman who had suddenly grabbed my hand and murmured under her breath. Though her voice was barely louder than a whisper, it was clear and warm, showing that she viewed me favorably. And thanks to the sudden silence that had fallen over the group as they focused on Lara¡¯s mother, I could hear her clearly. The others probably understood as well, which meant the misunderstanding that Lara¡¯s mother didn¡¯t wee us had likely been cleared up. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You can leave her in our care.¡±
  • Nod.
After nodding as if she had said everything she needed to, Lara¡¯s mother turned and walked away, trembling slightly with unease. Even without looking closely, it was obvious how anxious she felt. By now, the others must have realized what kind of people lived in the Witch¡¯s Forest. ¡°Hm. Do all the witches here have simr¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we divide up the rooms, unpack, and meet up again afterward? Lara Medichilling¡¯s mother gave us two rooms, so we can split into a men¡¯s room and a women¡¯s room. How does that sound?¡± Before Prince Antonio could finish his awkward remark in front of Lara, I quickly interrupted and smoothed over the situation. ¡°Hm. Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°How about we gather in the men¡¯s room in about thirty minutes? Since Prince Antonio and I can¡¯t exactly enter the women¡¯s room.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Miss Lara, will that work for you? Will you be able to join us in thirty minutes?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ thirty minutes should be¡­ barely enough time¡­ probably¡­¡± For Lara, ¡®barely enough time¡¯ meant she needed that time to mentally prepare. Meeting five strangers all at once was a significant challenge for her. In the game, this was the kind of scene I would normally skip after the first time, but seeing it y out in person made her personality seem even more frustrating. ¡°Well then, see you all in thirty minutes.¡± After watching Ethan and Prince Antonio head to the room at the end of the hall, Agnes, Sir Colt, and I entered the room next to it. I saw Lara dash into her room at the opposite end of the hallway. Even though I had suggested we meet in thirty minutes, I had a feeling it would be hard to gather everyone on time. ? ? ? As expected, Lara didn¡¯t show up at the appointed time. It was highly likely she hadn¡¯t even realized the time had passed. Maybe she was busy preparing a new ¡®script¡¯ to face all of us. Though the star of the event hadn¡¯t appeared yet, I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to go fetch her. After all, there were things we needed to discuss without her present. ¡°Miss Agnes, you mentioned earlier that you¡¯ve visited the Witch¡¯s Forest before.¡± ¡°Yes. But don¡¯t call me Miss Agnes. Call me ze.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking just to be sure, but was the atmosphere like this during yourst visit as well?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, with Miss Lara and her mother¡­ It feels likemunicating with them is a bit challenging.¡± ¡°¡­It was simr, yeah.¡± It was like amunity made up entirely of people with extreme introversion. In such an environment, that personality trait was passed down through generations, and being raised among such people, it was inevitable that they developed the same tendencies. The witches, having evolved this way over countless generations, now avoided speaking to anyone outside their circle. It was a small miracle they couldmunicate with each other at all, thanks to their shared identity as witches. ¡°When I was younger, it was like this. Whenever I tried to ask for directions, people would run away or whisper so quietly I could barely hear them. Even when I found Natia¡¯s house, I had to visit three times before she finally let me in.¡± ¡°Hm. It seems most of the witches here are very shy.¡± ¡°That was over ten years ago. Back then, it was just me and one female guard from the Elizabeth family. I didn¡¯t expect things to be exactly the same after a decade.¡± ¡°Witches tend to live longer than most people. The ones you met ten years ago are likely still living here.¡± ¡°Still, it doesn¡¯t make sense. These witches are older than me, but they panic at the slightest conversation? And I was just a child back then.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I almost let slip that, appearance-wise, she still looked like a child. I needed to be more careful. To the witches living in this forest, the real dividing line wasn¡¯t age but whether someone had grown up here. They were like the quiet kids at school who suddenly started talking when they found someone who shared their interests. ¡°I think I¡¯m beginning to understand why Princess Sera was the only royal to visit this ce. If it weren¡¯t for her sociability, it would be impossible to have a conversation with these witches.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much, Prince Antonio. Our main reason for being here is to help Miss Lara with her Witch¡¯s Trial. As we assist her, I¡¯m sure the other witches will start to open up as well.¡± ¡°By the way, what exactly is this Witch¡¯s Trial? Isn¡¯t it typically a test to see if someone qualifies as a witch? Are we even allowed to help?¡± ¡°It should be fine. I believe we¡¯ll be assisting with the process rather than the trial itself.¡± ¡°And how do you know that, Lilith? Did Lara tell you something?¡± ¡°¡­Just a feeling. If helping would cause any problems, they wouldn¡¯t have asked for it in the first ce. And Lara¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t have weed us so easily.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose that makes sense.¡± Although I already knew what the trial involved and what we needed to do, I pretended to be guessing. After all, I hadn¡¯t revealed to Prince Antonio or Sir Colt that I was the Saintess, so I had to keep my knowledge of future events to myself. After chatting for about ten minutes, we heard hurried footstepsing down the hallway. The door to the men¡¯s room suddenly swung open, and thest guest of our meeting finally appeared.
  • Bang!
¡°S-Sorry I¡¯mte! I¡¯m so, so sorry! I¡­ I made you all wait¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Lara Medichilling. We haven¡¯t been waiting long, and we were just talking among ourselves anyway.¡± ¡°You¡­ you were talking? Then I¡­ I¡¯ll just wait outside so you can finish¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t run off again. Juste in and exin what you need to. We don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± ¡°Eek¡­! I-I¡¯m sorry¡­! I didn¡¯t mean to waste your time¡­ A-Aah¡­¡± ¡°Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± Agnes, who had unintentionally made Lara even more nervous, sighed and turned away, leaving me to approach Lara, who had copsed to the floor in a deep bow. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I-I was just so nervous about speaking in front of so many people¡­ I needed time to prepare, so I ended up beingte¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Lara. None of us are upset.¡± ¡°B-But the red-haireddy seemed upset that I waste¡­ I really need to apologize properly¡­¡± ¡°Miss Agnes wasn¡¯t actually angry. She just has a naturally sharp tone. Isn¡¯t that right, Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± If this were during a ythrough of Luminor Academy, I would¡¯ve been holding down the X button to skip the scene by now. But since I wanted to get through this event without issues, I swallowed my frustration and helped calm Lara down. Thanks to Sir Gevmwagjoshekegrit¡¯s trolling, we¡¯d ended up in the Witch¡¯s Forest. Still, as a dedicated yer of Luminor Academy, I didn¡¯t want to half-ass this event. ¡­If I remember correctly, this is how I helped Lara calm down in the game.
  • Gently.
¡°Wha-?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand, Miss Lara. Take a deep breath and calm yourself.¡± ¡°C-Calm myself?¡± ¡°Yes. Follow my lead. Breathe in¡­ and out. In¡­ and out.¡± ¡°H-Haa¡­ Huu¡­ Haa¡­ Huu¡­¡± I never imagined that Snowball''s misguided trouble with Mechart would lead to me spending my summer break taking care of a gloomy girl in the Witch¡¯s Forest. A gloomy character might seem cute in fiction, but when you actually have to deal with one in real life, you quickly realize just how exhausting they can be. Chapter 274 With her trembling hand tightly holding mine, Lara gradually calmed down and began exining the rules of the Witch¡¯s Trial. Despite the intimidating name, the trial itself wasn¡¯t actually that difficult. Any witch who had grown up in the Witch¡¯s Forest could easily pass it. ¡°You have to sit on the altar in the northern part of the forest and feel the energy of nature for exactly one month. If you do that, the witch¡¯s decision will settle into your body, and you¡¯ll officially be a witch and pharmacist.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Witch¡¯s Trial? Is there nothing else you have to do?¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s it¡­¡± ¡°So, for one month, no matter what happens¡ªrain or lightning¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to leave the altar?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ And if you do, you¡¯ll receive a punishment¡­ a horrible punishment¡­¡± The mention of a ¡®horrible punishment¡¯ caught the attention of the others. ¡°A horrible punishment?¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll lose the right to ever be a witch?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that¡­! But the punishment is really awful¡­ If you really want to know¡­ I-I could tell you, but¡­¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m not so curious that I¡¯d want to learn about ady¡¯s suffering.¡± ¡°¡­Neither am I.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the important part, so there¡¯s no need to force yourself to talk about it.¡± ¡°Exactly. If it¡¯s ufortable, you don¡¯t need to tell us, Miss Lara Medichilling.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you¡­¡± Even though they were all curious about what this punishment was, seeing how ufortable Lara looked, everyone wisely decided to drop the subject. It was a relief for Lara that they stopped asking. Personally, I didn¡¯t think they needed to hear about it either. It wasn¡¯t that the punishment was too awful to speak about, as Lara suggested, but it was definitely something that would have killed their motivation to help. ¡°So, the trial is about sitting on the northern altar for a month. I hope it¡¯s not rude to ask, but how do you handle things like food or sleep?¡± ¡°D-During the trial, the forest¡¯s energy flows through you, so you won¡¯t need to eat¡­ You can sleep while sitting up¡­ And as for¡­ um¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin that part, Miss Medichilling.¡± ¡°...Then is there any way we can help you with the trial? From what I¡¯ve heard so far, it sounds like something you need to handle on your own.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­ normally, yes, you¡¯d do it alone, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­But?¡± ¡°T-There¡¯ve been reports of dangerous monsters appearing deeper in the forest recently¡­ So I was hoping you could help protect me from them¡­¡± There it was¡ªthe experience event. One of the three rewards from the ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret¡± episode was this experience event. The other two rewards, as I mentioned before, were the ¡®Lara Scene¡¯ and the ¡®Witch¡¯s Pendant.¡¯ The Witch¡¯s Trial wasn¡¯t a personal, annual test. Every ten years, when the energy of the forest was at its most bnced, witches eligible for the trial would sit on the northern altar and undergo it together. ¡°Protect you from monsters during the trial? If it¡¯s such an important event, wouldn¡¯t it be better to hire adventurers from the forest to handle that?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m sure witches have plenty of money for that.¡± ¡°W-We usually do that, yes¡­ But this time, I¡¯m the only one taking the trial¡­¡± ¡°I see. So since there¡¯s only one participant, you couldn¡¯t afford to hire adventurers or mercenaries? From what I know, witches receive quite a bit of material and financial support from the royal family for their pharmaceutical contributions.¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not about the money¡­! The Elder Witch will cover the costs¡­! But the reason is¡­ a bit different¡­¡± ¡°So what is the reason, then?¡± ¡°T-There¡¯s no one to go out and hire the adventurers¡­ That¡¯s why I went to ask the hero for help myself¡­ Or rather, the hero offered first, and I just epted¡­¡± If there had been even three witches taking the trial, the witchmunity would have sent someone outside the forest to hire strong female adventurers to protect them. But for a single participant, sending her mother to venture outside the Witch¡¯s Forest to the rough-and-tumble adventurer¡¯s guild, search for a capable woman, and hire her was an ordeal too much for any witch to handle. It would have been a terrifying experience, especially for witches like Lara¡¯s mother. Just imagining a woman like Lara¡¯s mother going out alone was enough to make it clear that doing so was akin to banishment from the Witch¡¯s Forest. A woman like her wouldn¡¯t even be able to arrange transportation to return, leaving her stranded in some distant town. In short, Lara¡¯s decision to attend the Academy had been to find someone to help with the Witch¡¯s Trial, in ce of her mother. And that¡¯s how we ended up here. ¡°The reasoning seems a bit weak, but since we¡¯vee all this way, I suppose we¡¯ll have to help.¡± ¡°R-Really?! Th-Thank you so much¡­!¡± ¡°Ethan Richard ckwood. You can call me ckwood.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you, ckwood¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll lend my strength as well. Sir Colt, what about you?¡± ¡°I will assist to ensure the safety of the Prince and the others.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you¡­!¡± ¡°¡­It would have been nice to know about this beforeing here. My specialty is fire magic, which isn¡¯t exactly ideal in a forest.¡± ¡°O-On the eastern side of the altar, there¡¯s argeke with magical properties¡­! You can use your fire magic freely there¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Fine. It¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± ¡°And of course, I¡¯ll help too. So, Miss Medichilling, when does the Witch¡¯s Trial start?¡± ¡°In t-three days¡­! A-And I need to inform the Elders that we have people to help¡­¡± Before she could suggest dragging the whole group to meet the Elders, I quickly intervened to change the subject. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go see the Elders now? Do they have any rituals to perform at the altar before the trial?¡± ¡°H-How did you know that?! Rosewood?!¡± ¡°I had a feeling.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing¡­! Rosewood, have you ever thought of bing a witch? You¡¯re so smart, I bet you¡¯d make a great one¡­¡± ¡°I appreciate thepliment, but I¡¯ll pass.¡± Having lived in the world of Luminor Academy, I knew exactly what the Witch¡¯s Trial entailed. It wasn¡¯t something for outsiders like me to participate in. ¡®As tempting as the witches¡¯ abilities are, no sane person would ever want to go through that trial.¡¯ If Ethan had been the only man in our group, I might have considered it, but with Prince Antonio here and Gevmwagjoshekegrit on his way, it wasn¡¯t worth it. I swiftly dismissed Lara¡¯s suggestion of me joining the witches and focused on what needed to be done for the trial. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t overwhelm the Elders by all showing up at once. Why don¡¯t Miss Medichilling and I go on our own? Is that alright?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Rosewood¡­ Thank you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alright. Be careful.¡± With Ethan watching a bit suspiciously as Lara tightly held my hand, we left for the Elder¡¯s hall. I was slightly excited at the prospect of meeting the Three Elders in person, after only ever seeing them in the game. ? ? ? The hall where the Three Elders resided wasn¡¯t far from Lara¡¯s house. It was just about five houses down, a short walk. The reason the Elder¡¯s house was so close to Lara¡¯s mother¡¯s house was tied to the housing arrangement in the Witch¡¯s Forest. The vige was built in arge circr pattern around the central za, with the houses of the oldest witches starting closest to the center. Each generation lived in the next house over, in age order. This reflected the witches¡¯ desire to live close to those they were familiar with. Witches were rare, with only one being born every three to four years, so even a few neighbors apart could mean a difference of more than ten years in age. Though it was possible to close such a gap with enough effort, it was still easier tomunicate with those closer in age. So the houses formed a sequence like an arithmetic progression. A 100-year-old witch lived next to a 103-year-old, and so on. Lara¡¯s mother, being around 40 years old, lived near the youngest witches, which was why her house was close to a few empty ones as well as the Elder¡¯s home. ¡°Th-Thank you, Rosewood¡­ If you hadn¡¯t held my hand earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to speak properly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you feel calmer now. Is thatrge house over there the Elders¡¯?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ That¡¯s the one¡­¡± ¡°Do the Elders mind receiving outsiders?¡± ¡°N-No, I think it¡¯ll be okay¡­ The Elders are more used to it than most¡­ And I think, with Rosewood, you could probably talk to any of the witches¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ Well, that made sense. I had visited the Witch¡¯s Forest in my past life more than once, so I knew how to interact with witches like Lara, her mother, and the Three Elders. As we walked toward the Elders¡¯ house, I noticed something unusual¡ªa carriage I hadn¡¯t seen before in the game. ¡­What¡¯s this? A witch with a horse? I don¡¯t remember ever seeing that in the game. Chapter 275 There are no horses in the Witches¡¯ Forest. No witch raises horses, rides them, or drives carriages pulled by them. The reason was simple and clear: raising and handling horses required a certain level ofmunication skills. Horses are intelligent creatures that know how to express their emotions. They can show joy through their expressions, lower their heads in sorrow, cry to convey pain, spit when they¡¯re in a bad mood, and kick those nearby with their hind legs when they¡¯re angry. Of course, witches, with their bodies halfposed of the potions they created, wouldn¡¯t die from a single kick. But the more important issue was that horses, more than expected, expressed their emotions quite freely. "W-W-Why are there horses in front of the Elders'' house...?" The witches¡¯ timid and nervous nature applied not only to people but also to animals, and since they couldn¡¯t handle emotions well, they didn¡¯t want to bother controlling their feelings around livestock either. That¡¯s why witches were afraid of horses. And Lara, trembling beside me at the mere sight of them, was living proof of that. It wasn¡¯t because the animals could physically harm them, but rather, the witches feared upsetting the horses. In fact, witches feared all animals that expressed their emotions freely¡ªdogs, sheep, goats, pigs, deer, and so on. In truth, witches probably disliked every mammal except cats. If witches kept pets, it would likely be birds, amphibians, or reptiles. So, the fact that these well-groomed horses and a gleaming carriage were here meant that someone from outside hade to visit the house of the three Elders¡ªother than the royal carriage we had arrived in. ¡®The regr delivery from the royal family shouldn¡¯t be due for a while.¡¯ The next scheduled delivery was supposed to arrive two to three weeks after Liria¡¯s event, and it was Seraphine¡¯s turn to handle it. There was no reason for a royal carriage to arrive now. ¡®Wait, what¡¯s this¡­?¡¯ Curious, I inspected the carriage closely, and a crest that seemed familiar caught my eye. It wasn¡¯t the royal family¡¯s crest. It wasn¡¯t the Church¡¯s crest either, nor was it the ckwood crest. I tried to recall all the noble crests I knew, but none of the ones that came to mind matched this one. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t memorize every noble family¡¯s crest.¡¯ Still, if it had left an impression, I would probably recognize it once I saw the person. Thinking this, I knocked three times on the door of the Elders'' house without hesitation.
  • Knock, knock, knock.
¡°Hello~? Elders, are you home~?¡± ¡°W-Wait, Rosewood¡­! It seems like there are guests. Maybe we shoulde backter¡­! L-Let¡¯s return another time¡­!!¡± ¡°The Witch¡¯s Trial is in three days. When else would wee? The Elders need to perform a ritual before the trial, don¡¯t they? We need to tell them this as soon as possible.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s true¡­ But I-I¡¯m not ready to meet the Elders yet¡­ And if there are other guests¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll speak on your behalf. If we need to deal with the visitors, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°O-O-Okay¡­ I-If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Lara nodded while carefully hiding behind me, though her height and simr chest size meant she wasn¡¯t really concealed, but I let it slide. We waited somewhat awkwardly in front of the house for someone to answer, but even after some time, no one came out. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°M-Maybe no one¡¯s home? S-Should wee backter¡­?¡±
  • Knock, knock, knock.
¡°Excuse me, Elders~? Are you not inside~?¡± ¡°Ahhh! Rosewood! What if the Elders get startled from all that knocking?!¡± ¡°You just said no one was home, so what¡¯s with the sudden change? If they¡¯re inside but didn¡¯t hear us, knocking again makes sense. And if they aren¡¯t home, there¡¯s no one to be startled, right?¡± ¡°M-Maybe they¡¯re pretending not to hear us¡­!!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°E-Even if they are inside, maybe they¡¯re just not in the mood to meet anyone today¡­! What if that¡¯s why they¡¯re pretending not to hear¡­?!¡± Considering the witches¡¯munication issues, it was a usible exnation. Still, I didn¡¯t stop knocking. In the original story, a situation like this had never urred. The Elders never pretended to be out when someone knocked on their door. ¡°Well, then they shoulde out faster. Right now, what¡¯s urgent is Lara¡¯s Witch¡¯s Trial, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, my trial is important, but¡­ The Elders might need some time to prepare themselves¡­¡±
  • Knock, knock, knock.
¡°Ahhh! Nooo!¡± At the third knock, Lara covered her head and copsed to the ground, as if she weremitting some grave sin. Just as I was wondering whether anyone was really home, the door creaked open slowly, and someone stuck their head out. It was a familiar face¡ªone with the signature light blue hair of the Auguste family.@@novelbin@@ ¡°The Elders are currently speaking with the Spirit of the Auguste family. Could youe backter¡­?¡± ¡°Lord Karaham?¡± ¡°¡­Miss Lilith?¡± Ah, now I understood. The crest on the carriage¡ªit was the Auguste family¡¯s. No wonder it looked familiar. I¡¯d seen it often during my time with the student council, thanks to Lizzy¡¯s uniform. ? ? ? I realized that the crest on the carriage was indeed the one from the Auguste family, which I had often seen on Lizzy¡¯s uniform during student council activities. If it had been another witch visiting, Karaham probably would have politely sent them away. But since he recognized me, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse and invited us into the house of the Elders. Not that it would have mattered¡ªI had a clear purpose, and I would have forced my way in if necessary. ¡°Lord Karaham, what brings you to the Witches¡¯ Forest?¡± ¡°The Auguste family has a regr trade agreement. We conduct transactions with the witches of the forest.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± What is this? This wasn¡¯t part of the original story. As far as I knew, witches were extremely cautious about meeting new people and generally refused to deal with anyone they didn¡¯t already know well. Witches typically avoided trade rtionships that were driven by profit, not because they were particrly shrewd, but because their naturally cautious personalities made it difficult for them to engage with profit-driven groups. Usually, merchant groups would try to extract as much profit as possible from the witches of the forest by presenting contracts filled withplicated terms and hidden uses. Their hope was to trap the witches in long-term, unfavorable deals, selling potions at dirt-cheap prices. But every merchant group that had tried this had left empty-handed. Witches may havemunication issues, but they weren¡¯t foolish enough to fall for such tricks. Being a witch required intelligence. Even a novice witch would have hundreds of potion recipes memorized, and Elders like the ones here had thousands stored in their minds. Moreover, although they were wary of strangers, witches had a tightly connectedwork. If one witch rejected a deal, it meant losing out on deals with all of them. "So, the Auguste family has regr trade with the witches?¡± ¡°Yes, though it¡¯s not a fixed trade of specific goods. You could say it¡¯s more of a special arrangement that only my sister manages.¡± ¡°¡­Does Lizzy manage it in the same way Princess Seraphine does?¡± ¡°Yes, my sister said she learned a lot from the princess¡¯s methods.¡± There was only one way to maintain regr trade with the witches: bring the merchant carriage, but don¡¯t act like a merchant. Instead of trying to deal in bulk, you had to get to know each witch personally, visit them when they needed something, and offer goods one by one. It was a time-consuming and inefficient process, so most merchants gave up on it. Only someone as socially adept as Seraphine could pull it off. And standing in front of me now was someone else with a simr level of social prowess. ¡°Elders, can I take the Witch¡¯s Trial too~? I really want to be a witch~.¡± A charming voice echoed through the house as Lizzy from the Auguste family sweetly persuaded the three Elders. This was my first reunion with her since the summer break had begun. Though, I hadn¡¯t expected our meeting to happen this way. Chapter 278 It had been about a week since Lizzy, who had no idea that the Witch¡¯s Trial involved such an embarrassing disy, sat on the altar next to Lara. Unlike the chaoticmotion of the first day, by now, no one paid much attention to the naked figures of Lizzy and Lara on the altar. The sight of the two sitting there had simply be part of the dailyndscape in the forest. "Lilith, something¡¯sing from the direction of theke. Can you snipe it with magic?" "Yeah, no problem. This is easy now." -Swoosh! ¡®Screeech!¡¯ -Ssh! "You''re getting better at this, Lilith. I remember back then, you used to need triple casting just to hit something like that." "That was so long ago. It¡¯s been a year and a half since I joined the Academy. I should be able to handle this much by now." With our backs turned to the altar, we casually chatted while handling any approaching threats. I usually dealt with aerial or aquatic monsters while Ethan took care of those on the ground. When I wasn¡¯t with Ethan, we might swap roles depending on the situation. By now, the naked forms of Lizzy and Lara were just another part of the forest scenery to us. ¡®It¡¯s strange how something that felt so provocative at first now seems so normal after seeing it repeatedly.¡¯ In the game, events like this always felt a bit tititing. But Luminor Academy never actually showed the full month-long trial in real time. If it had, it would¡¯ve been more tedious than anything, rather than exciting. ¡®Lizzy seems to have moved past her embarrassment, too.¡¯ The forest¡¯s energy was slowly transforming Lizzy into a witch, and at the same time, filling her mind with the witches'' pharmacological knowledge. The magic of the Witches¡¯ Forest wasn¡¯t just about the forest¡¯s vitality¡ªit carried the knowledge of the witches who had lived and passed away here, passed down to their sessors along with some of their remaining life force. Thanks to this, neither hunger nor fatigue troubled Lizzy or Lara. Their minds were likely too busy absorbing knowledge, akin to being taught by thousands of professors for a whole month. The barrier created by the Elders kept leaves and insects from bothering them, allowing them to focus on their trial without distraction. ¡®By the end of this, Lizzy might really be a powerhouse in this world. She could even be a hidden card in the fight against the Demon King.¡¯ As I¡¯d mentioned before, one of the main problems with ¡°Witch Lara¡± in Luminor Academy was that she wasn¡¯t an official ¡°heroine.¡± In the game, a ¡°heroine¡± meant a female character you could add to your party, and Lara, despite her exceptional skills as a pharmacologist, was only a one-time fling. But if Lizzy became a fully-fledged witch and could join the hero¡¯s party, she might bring a new approach to defeating the Demon King. ¡®A witch who can act as abat support and cover Lilith¡¯s absence in battle might not be a bad idea.¡¯ At the very least, if that stubborn protagonist tried to rece me in the party again, I could use Lizzy as leverage, proving that she could substitute for Lilith. That might buy me some time. In about two weeks, that guy would probably show up here in the forest. If I could just get through this trial and deal with him, the long summer event would finallye to an end. ¡®If he keeps spouting nonsense about not wanting the Saintess¡¯s power, I¡¯ll just have to force-feed it to him myself.¡¯ I¡¯d been patient long enough, but if he kept acting like he could treat me like an NPC, I¡¯d upend the whole system if I had to. ? ? ? ¡ºLilith has reached level 21!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 22!¡» ? ? ? The leveling event in the Witches¡¯ Forest was progressing smoothly, helping me gain experience. It wasn¡¯t constant hunting, but rather defending the altar, so there weren¡¯t too many battles. Still, the monsters in the forest were high-level enough that I earned a lot of experience from each encounter.@@novelbin@@ I leveled up roughly once every ten days. Honestly, it had be routine by now, and leveling up this fast didn¡¯t excite me like it used to. In the past, every level had been a matter of life and death, but now it just felt like a steady progression. I even had unused skill points, saving them for when I really needed them. In terms of the story, I was progressing faster than the original Lilith, and my stats were significantly higher. Thanks to my early investment in ¡°maximum mana¡± and ¡°luck,¡± these stats were climbing steadily as I leveled up. The old Lilith, who could only rely on mana sts, was long gone. I had be a versatile, powerful version of Lilith. As for Lizzy, surprisingly, even after nearly three weeks, she hadn¡¯t given up on the Witch¡¯s Trial. Unlike Lara, who had known about the trial since childhood, Lizzy had only learned about it three weeks prior, and her performance was impressive considering that. In fact, given all she¡¯d already exposed of herself, there was no turning back for Lizzy. It would be a tremendous waste if she quit now, after baring everything in front of everyone. As the head of the Auguste family¡¯s tradingpany, Lizzy had too much pride to quit now. She¡¯d see this through to the end, considering the sunk cost. I had also made sure to get a firm promise from everyone here not to spread any details about Lizzy¡¯s trial. It would be cruel to ruin her prospects for marriage, especially since she¡¯d already gone through so much. ¡®Though, honestly, no one seems that interested in her or Lara¡¯s nakedness anymore.¡¯ Ethan had seen me naked in bed not too long ago, so he had no reason to look at Lara or Lizzy. While Lara had a voluptuous figure, she was taller than Ethan, which might make her intimidating. As for Lizzy, while she was around my height, I had her beat in the chest department. So, except for when I specifically asked him to look, Ethan had hardly nced at the altar. asionally, he¡¯d turn his head to deal with a monster, but otherwise, Lizzy and Lara were just part of the scenery. Prince Antonio, meanwhile, was smitten with Agnes, so he wasn¡¯t interested either. If anything, his preference for Agnes''s body type made the altar seem even less appealing to him. ...Though that preference might be a bit concerning, it wasn¡¯t my problem, so I ignored it. As for Karaham, Lizzy was his sister. His only thoughts were likely filled with concern and pity. He just wanted the trial to end safely. With the trial nearing its final week, the time passed without much incident¡ªuntil we heard voices approaching. ¡°W-We finally made it¡­ haaa¡­¡± ¡°The terrain was tricky, we must have gotten lost. If we¡¯d followed the path properly, it wouldn¡¯t have taken this long.¡± ¡°On the way back, let¡¯s stick to the path, Miss Selenna. No more talk about ¡®Elves never lose their way in the forest,¡¯ okay?¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± The second wave of reinforcements for Lara¡¯s trial had arrived. The stubborn protagonist and his hero party had finally reached the Witches¡¯ Forest. ? ? ? The hero¡¯s party consisted of four members, including the protagonist himself. The members were:
  • Hero (Gerald)
  • Saintess (Serista)
  • Archer (Selenna)
  • Princess (Seraphin)
Only three clear heroines, including the protagonist, hade to the forest this time. The others who were in more ambiguous positions in terms of story relevance had been left behind. ¡®Well, this event wasn¡¯t in the original game, so it makes sense.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure whatbination of events they¡¯d dealt with in the northern ins, but they had likely gone through their own challenges. Their journey involved handling noble power struggles, small-scale battles, and duels. They probably needed some time to recover. Only the heroines who were most deeply tied to the hero, either through love or rivalry, had followed him here. ¡°S-Seraphin? What are you doing here¡­?¡± ¡°I came for the regr trade run with the witches, of course. Also, the hero said it was important to help Miss Lara with her Witch¡¯s Trial.¡± ¡°I-I thought you were in the northern ins¡­¡± ¡°We were. It was a tough trip. But what are you doing here, Antonio?¡± ¡°I-I¡­ naturally, I followed Lady Agnes when she came to the Witches¡¯ Forest¡­¡± ¡°¡­He tagged along, despite my telling him not to.¡± ¡°Haa, Antonio. You¡¯re going to drive me crazy. And that¡¯s not how you approach women¡­¡± ¡°S-Seraphin¡­¡± ¡°¡­Princess, perhaps you could have this conversation a little farther away?¡± Seraphin wasted no time scolding Antonio, with Sir Colt pulling them away to give them some privacy. Meanwhile, Agnes exchanged a few brief greetings with the other two heroines from the hero¡¯s party, leaving the hero himself to approach me. ¡°Is the event going well? Where¡¯s Ethan?¡± ¡°The trial¡¯s in its fourth week. About one week left. Ethan¡¯s guarding the altar with Karaham.¡± ¡°¡­Karaham? You mean the Karaham from the Auguste family?¡± ¡°Do you know any other Karaham in Luminor Academy?¡± ¡°I know, I know, but why is he helping with Lara¡¯s trial¡­?¡± The hero seemed perplexed by the fact that an event was happening without his knowledge. Rather than exining everything, I figured it would be faster to just show him. Chapter 279 ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that the two people who went up to the altar are Lara and some other girl from the Auguste family, named Lizzy?¡± ¡°Yeah. By the way, Lizzy isn¡¯t in the original storyline because she gets caught up in the imperial pce attack and never appears in the main plot. But since I intervened and saved her, she¡¯s now studying in the pharmacology department¡­¡± ¡°I know who she is. Didn¡¯t I tell you I read your guide?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Anyway, Lizzy ended up tagging along with Lara for the Witch¡¯s Trial, and now it¡¯s been four weeks since they started. Honestly, she¡¯s almost at the point of bing a witch herself. I think, unlike in the original plot, we¡¯re going to have two witches. Even if Lara doesn¡¯t join the party, since she wasn¡¯t a heroine in the original, you should at least consider recruiting Lizzy if you y your cards right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to deviate too much from the original strategy.¡± ¡°The world¡¯s already off track from the original. Adding a few good twists isn¡¯t going to hurt.¡± That much was true. I muttered under my breath as we walked toward the altar. Then, out of nowhere, he raised his head and looked at me, asking: ¡°Wait. So, if what you¡¯re saying is true, Lizzy is up there on the altar naked, just like Lara?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s part of the Witch¡¯s Trial, so obviously.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll stop here. There¡¯s something I need to discuss with everyone, so go fetch Ethan for me, will you?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Why doesn¡¯t he juste along and talk? Is he really feeling guilty about seeing Lizzy naked? ¡°Hey, dummy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll even notice. They¡¯re in the middle of the trial,pletely focused. No one¡¯s going to get damaged from being seen like that. Why are you so worried?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about them noticing or not. I¡¯m more concerned that Lizzy wouldn¡¯t want me to see her like that, even if Lara¡¯s a witch.¡± ¡°I mean, yeah, but is it really that big of a deal? Ethan and Prince Antonio have already seen them. Of course, they promised not to talk about it outside, but the trial involves being protected by others, so this kind of thing is inevitable.¡± ¡°¡­Still, I¡¯d like to stick to my principles whenever possible.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Principles? What principles?¡± ¡°To never do anything in this world that I¡¯m not ready to take responsibility for.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head in confusion, and he calmly exined his personal rule. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll leave this world after defeating the Demon King, so I don¡¯t want to form deep rtionships with any of the original heroines.¡± ¡°Ohhh, so you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t be a hit-and-run type.¡± ¡°¡­Did you really have to phrase it that way?¡± ¡°You call me ¡®Little Ril¡¯ all the time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it was your gallery nickname. Anyway, yes, what you said is technically correct.¡± No wonder he¡¯s been avoiding rtionships with heroines, despite having plenty of affection points. I guess it makes sense when you¡¯re holding on to a rule like that. As I always say, Luminor Academy is an adult game, so you could collect scenes throughout the story. While the structure of the CGs stayed mostly the same, the backgrounds changed based on the setting, which made gathering them kind of fun. From my observations, the affection levels of three people¡ªSerista, Selenna, and Seraphin¡ªwere at their highest right now. If he wanted, he could take any of them to bed whenever he liked. Honestly, if I were a guy, I¡¯d probably want to at least hook up with the characters before going back. His self-control really was something else. ¡°With that prudish attitude, how did you even y the original game? Were you one of the pure love route yers?¡± ¡°¡­If I had to choose, I preferred pure love over harems, but when it¡¯s just a game, you don¡¯t really think much about it. But now that this is reality, and people like Serista and Selenna are right beside me, I can¡¯t bring myself to act irresponsibly.¡± ¡°Well, whatever. It¡¯s not like I knew you in your past life, so I don¡¯t really care about your decisions.¡± I guess I¡¯d feel the same way if I were in his position, stuck between having to go back to reality and leaving these people behind. It wouldn¡¯t sit right to leave a bunch of formerly pure girls behind after deflowering them, then suddenly disappearing back to my own world. Of course, if I¡¯d possessed the protagonist, I wouldn¡¯t have considered going back in the first ce. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d willingly leave the world of my favorite game. ¡°So, I¡¯ll just grab Ethan¡­ Wait, we might as well gather everyone for the meeting, right? Except for the ones who don¡¯t know I¡¯m the Saintess. If you¡¯re noting to the altar, go grab Sir Colt and Prince Antonio. They can help defend along with Karaham.¡± ¡°Sir Colt? You mean the orange-haired knight standing by Prince Antonio earlier?¡± ¡°Yeah. By the way, that¡¯s actually Natalie.¡± ¡°¡­How much have you twisted the storyline? Why is Natalie showing up in part two? Are you even trying to help me follow the guide?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you dragged me to the Witch¡¯s Forest! If you had gone there first like you were supposed to, I wouldn¡¯t be dealing with this mess!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Fine, I get it.¡± Why does he sound like he¡¯s doing me a favor, even though we both messed up the storyline together? ¡°Oh, right. While we¡¯re having the meeting, we also need to figure out our fighting positions as partners. You know, since we spent half of the summer in the Witch¡¯s Forest because of that excuse you came up with¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bitte to mention this, but we probably don¡¯t need to worry about that anymore.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Because Serista suddenly awakened as a Saintess. So you don¡¯t have to pass on your Saintess powers to me anymore, and there¡¯s no need for us to train as partners.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Wait, what kind of absurd plot twist is this now? ? ? ? The hero¡¯s party had returned from the northeastern grasnds, while we continued supporting the two witches in the Witch¡¯s Forest. At a table, excluding Sir Colt, Prince Antonio, and Karaham, the rest of us gathered to resume our earlier ¡°Saintess meeting.¡± ¡°So, hero, are you really saying that Miss Serista has be a Saintess?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord ckwood.¡± ¡°Are you willing to take full responsibility for that statement? While I would be happy if Serista became a Saintess, after everything you¡¯ve done to Lilith, I find it hard to believe you without reservation.¡± ¡°We clearly saw Saintess Serista use her authority, the Sanctuary of Light, during the battle for territory in the grasnds, Lord Ethan. Not only that, but she used her powers and overwhelming divine energy multiple times in the northeastern region. As a princess, I witnessed it all firsthand.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Despite Seraphin¡¯s confident deration, Ethan¡¯s face still showed a hint of doubt, as if he couldn¡¯tpletely rule out the possibility that he was tricking him. Agnes, too, though she remained silent, had a simrly skeptical expression. A clearer exnation was clearly needed for both of them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s natural to be suspicious. Up until a month ago, the real Saintess was Ril¡ªLilith. Serista, would you mind demonstrating the power you used during the territorial war again?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, hero!¡± At his request, Serista stood up to use the Sanctuary of Light. She gathered a radiant ball of divine energy in her hands, and with a graceful movement, she knelt and spread the light across the surrounding area.
  • Whoooosh!
¡°Is she¡­ really a Saintess?¡± ¡°¡­So it¡¯s true.¡± Even those who had never seen the Saintess¡¯s power before couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. Ethan and Agnes both muttered quietly as they realized that Serista had indeed earned the title of Saintess. ¡°Congrattions, Saintess Serista. It seems it¡¯s true, after all.¡± And that meant I no longer needed to hold on to the powers of the Saintess. ¡°Yes, Lilith, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because of your hard work, Saintess Serista. The Goddess Aurelia must have deemed you more suitable for the role of Saintess.¡± ¡°Still, without you, Lilith, I might never havee to ept that I could be a Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± What is she talking about now? ¡°Actually, I only started to believe I could be a Saintess because of what you said to me.¡± ¡°What did I say¡­?¡± ¡°When you offered to pass your Saintess powers to me, I was both happy and nervous. I wondered if I was truly worthy of being a Saintess, or if I might be punished by the Goddess for going against her will.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But both you and the hero reassured me that I had what it takes. I also learned that being a Saintess isn¡¯t about being worshipped by others. It¡¯s about having no doubts in yourself when you act in a way that embodies a Saintess¡¯s values.¡± ¡°¡­I see?¡± ¡°Yes. And during that meeting before we left for the grasnds, when you said you¡¯d pass your powers to me, that really solidified my resolve. I realized I didn¡¯t need to fear the fake title of Saintess I was holding on to. As long as I believed in my own abilities, my powers naturally followed.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ right¡­¡± Well, I¡¯m d she¡¯s a Saintess because of me, but why does this feel a bit weird? It was like nning to buy your niece a Nintendo Switch Lite for the holidays, only to find out she already got a regr Nintendo Switch from her parents. Chapter 280 ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no need for me and Lilith to continue our hunting partnership like we talked about before. Now that Serista has be a Saintess, there¡¯s no reason for Lilith and me to train together.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s great. At least now I don¡¯t have to worry about you stealing Lilith from me, even for a moment.¡± ¡°I told you, I never had any intention of stealing her in the first ce¡­¡± It was a rather anticlimactic resolution, but at least the n to make Serista a Saintess had seeded. Whether that really counted as a solution, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but whatever. The point was that the only reason I¡¯d held onto the powers of the Saintess was in case Serista couldn¡¯t awaken on her own. Now that she had, I no longer needed to be a backup. I was free to keep the powers if I wanted to or give them up whenever I felt like it. In fact, I had more freedom than Serista, who had to remain a Saintess as part of the hero¡¯s party. ''Honestly, it¡¯s more of a hassle to keep these powers. It¡¯d be better to get rid of them before they cause misunderstandings in the storyline.'' Keeping the powers could lead to me being mistaken for a Saintess by some high-ranking priest or targeted by demons who thought I was one. Those were events I absolutely wanted to avoid. I¡¯d already fought hard to avoid getting involved in the main story, and there was no reason to hold on to the Saintess¡¯s power and risk being dragged into trouble. After all, gaining the Saintess¡¯s title had been difficult, but giving it up could be done anytime I wanted. All I had to do was tear the symbol of purity that still marked my body¡­ ''Wait, no. That¡¯s not right.'' It might not be as simple as I thought. For someone like me, who had the soul of a unicorn in my past life, losing my purity wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. ? ? ? It wasn¡¯t that I was particrly attached to the ¡°symbol of purity¡± I still had. If anything, I¡¯d thought about getting rid of it more than once. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s something else we need to discuss. I received a revtion from the Goddess that something is going to happen in the northern forest in three days¡­¡± But when it came to how I would lose that purity, I had to be careful. How I did it would determine whether my body would remain an ¡°honored virgin¡± or just be another ¡°worn-out tramp.¡± I¡¯d already decided on the method long ago. As a unicorn in my past life, there was only one ¡°ideal¡± way to lose my purity. ¡®Yep. If I¡¯m going to do it, I¡¯ll have to ask Ethan.¡¯@@novelbin@@ Using my fingers or a tool to get rid of the mark? That waspletely uneptable to someone like me, who had been a unicorn. The loss of a heroine¡¯s purity should only happen during her first encounter with the protagonist. Even if it wasn¡¯t with another man, this principle had to be upheld. If anyone thought this made me seem like a pervert, so be it. One of my favorite parts of the rtionship between a protagonist and a heroine was when she lost her purity to him. I loved the scene where the heroine was consoled by the protagonist during her first experience, or where she didn¡¯t feel much pain because of their love, but it was still her first time with him. The important thing was that the heroine gave her purity to the protagonist, showing how fully she loved him. ¡®Though, there¡¯s a reason I¡¯m so fixated on this¡­¡¯ The reason I became a unicorn among unicorns who obsessed over purity was because of a certain heroine from a novel I read in my previous life. The novel itself was a pretty typical harem story. So typical, in fact, that I don¡¯t even remember the title anymore. The protagonist had rtionships with multiple women, but every one of them was a virgin when they got together, making it the perfect story for someone like me. There was one heroine who didn¡¯t feel pain during her first experience, and when the protagonist asked why, she said it was because she¡¯d torn it while riding a bicycle. The protagonist epted that excuse without question. Later, during a shback, it was revealed that the heroine wasn¡¯t a virgin after all, and the bicycle excuse was a lie¡ªshe¡¯d had a previous boyfriend. I almost coughed up blood when I read that part. ¡®Ugh, damn it. Just thinking about it makes me mad all over again.¡¯ After reading that scene, I went to 12 different forums and wrote bad reviews of the novel. I wanted to make sure no one else suffered the same fate I did. I even kept mentioning the novel on big forums until it was forced to go on indefinite hiatus. Maybe I went too far, but it was self-defense. The author had said there would be no non-virgin heroines, and then pulled that kind of drift on me. That incident only made my ¡°purityplex¡± as a unicorn even worse. After that, no matter how much a story imed, ¡°This heroine is pure,¡± if I didn¡¯t see the loss of her purity in a scene, I¡¯d immediately drop the story. That¡¯s how I ended up loving Luminor Academy, after discovering the virgin route. But in other cases, I¡¯d quit the story without hesitation if it didn¡¯t meet my standards. And that mindset hadn¡¯t changed just because I now had the body of a woman. A woman¡¯s first experience had to be with the protagonist. The man who took her purity had to be the same one she shared her first kiss with, and a virgin heroine should never show her body to any man except her family and the protagonist. The protagonist of this world was dummy, but that only applied to him and the members of the hero¡¯s party. If I were a heroine in a novel or game, then the protagonist had to be Ethan. That was the only way I could maintain the ¡°virgin heroine¡± qualifications I held in such high regard. ¡®I¡¯m not necessarily expecting to marry Ethan¡­¡¯ I knew that because of family and status, it was unlikely that Ethan and I could end up together. But even if we couldn¡¯t marry, I still wanted to be the kind of heroine who remained devoted to one man. That was my ideal form of purity. A heroine who, despite her status, loved only one man her entire life, gave her first kiss and experience to him, and remained chaste after they were separated, living a life of single-minded devotion. Yeah, that was pretty good. And for that dream toe true, Ethan had to be the one to take my first time. And the sooner it happened, the better. ¡°...Lilith.¡± ¡®The Witch¡¯s Forest isn¡¯t the best ce for a first experience. There are too many people, and no soundproof rooms. We should either return to the ckwood estate or go back to the academy dorms¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­Lilith? Hey¡­¡± ¡®But maybe it¡¯s better to do it sooner to avoid futureplications? In that case, we could do it while we¡¯re on watch. Lara and Lizzy won¡¯t notice anything since they¡¯re busy with their trial. But if someone overhears us, that would definitely ruin the whole ¡°virgin heroine¡± thing.¡¯ ¡°...Hey, are you done?¡± ¡®Maybe we could sneak off into the forest right after watch duty. There won¡¯t be anyone around for a while, so we won¡¯t get caught. I should carry some bug-repellent just in case¡­ But if I drag Ethan into the forest like that, he might think I¡¯m some kind of crazed pervert. How do I set this up without making him think I¡¯m a weirdo?¡¯
  • Tap.
¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Eek!?¡± Someone suddenly grabbed my shoulders, startling me out of my thoughts. Thankfully, it was just Ethan, and I rxed. ¡°Ed? What are you doing?¡± ¡°I should be the one asking that. I¡¯ve been calling you for a while, but you didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Y-you called me?¡± ¡°Yeah. The meeting¡¯s over. The hero¡¯s party and the others have already left the room, including Lady ze.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Right, the meeting. I¡¯dpletely spaced out, thinking about what to do with my purity. This was all Serista¡¯s fault for bringing up her awakening as a Saintess. ¡°Was there anything important I missed during the meeting? I kind of zoned out after hearing that Serista became a Saintess¡­¡± ¡°The hero mentioned something about a prophecy, but I listened to it all, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll exin what¡¯s relevant to youter.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Ed. I got lost in my thoughts¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s understandable. You¡¯ve got a lot on your mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wait, what? How does he know what¡¯s on my mind? Did I identally say something out loud? How could he possibly know I was thinking about how to lose my virginity¡­? ¡°You¡¯ve always acted like you didn¡¯t care about being a Saintess, but now that Serista¡¯s one, you¡¯re feeling a bit conflicted, right? You¡¯re wondering what your role as a Saintess means now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whether you¡¯re a Saintess or not, you¡¯ll always be Lilith to me. I liked you before you were a Saintess, and that won¡¯t change just because you might lose that title. So whatever you decide to do about being a Saintess, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, thank you, Ed. That means a lot.¡± Since Ethan thought I was worried about my role as a Saintess, I could only awkwardly smile and nod. It was much better for him to misunderstand me this way than for him to find out I¡¯d been obsessing over how to lose my virginity. Chapter 282 The group assigned to face the Roaring Crescent Bear, which may or may not appear from the western part of the forest, consisted of three members: me, Ethan, and Karaham. To be honest, it was a slightly risky matchup. The bear¡¯s estimated level was around 35, while my own level was only 22. I couldn¡¯t say for sure what Ethan and Karaham¡¯s levels were, but since we were in the same year at the academy, it was likely they were close to mine. Normally, that would be cause for concern, but in this case, I wasn¡¯t really afraid. As I¡¯d mentioned before, this fight was almost certainly not going to happen. The monster attacking the northern altar was almost guaranteed to be the ¡°Moonlight Wolves.¡± If this were the game, it would have a nearly 99% chance of happening. ¡®The stronger the party members, the more likely it is that the Moonlight Wolves will appear in the north.¡¯ And the party we had gathered in the Witch¡¯s Forest was exceptionally strong. There were three Sword Experts¡ªdummy, Ethan, and Sir Colt. Two Saintesses¡ªSerista and me, both having awakened through unique circumstances. A swordsman, Karaham, who was just on the verge of breaking through to Sword Expert. Princess Seraphin, also known as the ¡°Shadow of the Moon.¡± A skilled elven archer, Selenna, who was an aspiring divine marksman. And Agnes, the fire mage who would eventually be the master of the Red Tower. As for Antonio¡­ well, he was decent enough. In the game, assembling this kind of power would¡¯ve been impossible. You¡¯d need to cheat or mod the game to get this lineup. The most ridiculous part was that we had three Sword Experts and two Saintesses. In the original story, the first Sword Expert among the party members, Natalie, didn¡¯t even awaken until midway through the third arc, and both Serista and I only became Saintesses at the end of the fourth arc. The idea that the Crescent Bear would show up instead of the Moonlight Wolves wasughable. If this were a game, it would be considered a bug. Of course, this world wasn¡¯t a perfect copy of the game; it was a blend of game mechanics and reality. Still, the main events of Luminor Academy tended to follow the original storyline closely. So, it was hard not to rx a little. The monsters were almost certainly going to be the Moonlight Wolves. Even if the Crescent Bear did appear, we only needed to hold it off for a couple of minutes before dummy and the rest of the party came to help. And if no monsters appeared on our end, we¡¯d head north to assist with the wolves. It was a perfect n. ¡­At least, it was supposed to be. ¡°Ethan! Lightning strike from the left! Don¡¯t block it with your sword! Karaham, there¡¯s a sweep attacking from the left!¡± ¡°Lilith! Don¡¯t push yourself like that, it¡¯s dangerous!!¡± In the final event of the Witch¡¯s Forest, Ethan, Karaham, and I found ourselves locked in a life-or-death battle. How had things gone so wrong? ? ? ? ¡°Haha! Once again, we share the battlefield, Lord Ethan, and Lady Lilith.¡± As we moved toward the western part of the forest to defend the altar during the final episode of ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret,¡± Karaham cheerfully struck up a conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s be clear, Lord Karaham. Our goal is not to fight amongst ourselves but to eliminate the potential threat from the west.¡± ¡°I understand. If a monster appears that could disrupt my sister¡¯s trial, I cannot simply stand by.¡± Karaham, towering at least 30 to 40 centimeters taller than Ethan, carried a massive greatsword that made him look every bit like the mid-boss he was in the third arc. In terms of skill and rank, Ethan¡ªwho was the mid-boss of the second arc¡ªwas slightly better, but Karaham¡¯s sheer physical presence made him intimidating. ¡°The hero mentioned that the Crescent Bear is a giant bear-like monster! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a monsterrge enough to properly swing my sword at! I¡¯ve never been good at fighting humans, you know, haha!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll admit, your sword is far from suited for humanbat.¡± ¡°Karaham, your sword has no mercy. I heard you once split a student clean in half during a sparring match.¡± ¡°Haha! It¡¯s nothing special! As long as you can predict where your opponent will move, you can swing ordingly¡ªjust like Harold taught us! After that, it doesn¡¯t matter if there¡¯s one person or ten; the result is the same!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I was speechless, as was Ethan. We¡¯d meant to suggest he ease up a little, but his brain-muscle logic kicked in, and now we were at a loss for words. After slicing two opponents in half during sparring matches, Karaham was ranked as the ¡°least desirable opponent¡± for a duel within the fencing club. Even with protective magic in ce to prevent death, the sheer terror of facing him left asting psychological scar. Many students would rather face Ethan or the hero than spar with Karaham. I could understand how they felt. Having faced Karaham in magic swordsmanship ss several times, the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness was hard to shake. His sword was too massive to parry with my dagger-sized weapon, and his body was so tough it felt like fighting a knight in full iron armor. Though ranked fourth in the fencing club, he was first in the ¡°opponent you¡¯d least want to face¡± list¡ªa living nightmare. I was just d his mid-boss role had been erased. Even if it hadn¡¯t, it would have been the hero, not me, facing him. ¡°¡­Karaham.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°I was just thinking. Can you even swing that massive sword properly in this dense forest? You¡¯ll end up clearing the trees faster than the enemy.¡± It might have been rude toment on someone else¡¯s weapon, but the thought had crossed my mind as well. Swinging a sword that big in such a tightly packed forest would result in tree-clearing, not fighting. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry, Lord Ethan!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Look, there¡¯s a sapling over there. Let me show you!¡± With that, Karaham suddenly gripped his sword and swung it in a wide arc. It looked like he was about to chop down severalrge trees in his path, but what happened next left both Ethan and me stunned.
  • Slice!
¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Karaham¡¯s sword sliced through only a single sapling behind therger trees, leaving the others untouched. It defied thews of physics, and we couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡°How did you do that? I couldn¡¯t even see it.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a secret technique of the Auguste family. We¡¯ve trained for generations in the art of greatswordbat, so it¡¯s only natural that we¡¯d master the ability to distinguish between what to cut and what to leave untouched!¡± ¡°¡­Impressive. That¡¯s quite the technique.¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t use it often because it takes the fun out of cutting things! The best part of wielding a sword is the satisfying crunch when you slice through something, isn¡¯t it? A real swordsman needs to feel the ¡®whack!¡¯, the ¡®thud!¡¯, and the ¡®sh-sh-shing!¡¯ as monsters fall before him!¡± As Karaham happily rambled on, we finally arrived at the designated spot where the Crescent Bear was expected to appear. We were to hold this position, and within the next couple of hours, the bear would likely emerge, heading toward the altar. Our task was to stall it until help arrived. ¡°Whether this Crescent Bear shows up or not, my heart is already racing! I wonder how itpares to the brown bears of the north!¡± ¡°¡­As the hero said, our top priority is safety. We don¡¯t need to defeat it ourselves. Once help arrives, we can all deal with it together.¡± ¡°Haha! But that¡¯s only if the hero arrives in time! There¡¯s no harm in us ying it before he gets here, is there?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just hear what Lilith said, Karaham? The priority is safety. And if you act recklessly, the one who will be in the most danger is your sister.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, of course, haha!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡­That was not a very reassuring response. Predicting the actions of a muscle-headed character like Karaham was impossible. I could only hope that since his sister was involved, he¡¯d restrain himself. All I could do was pray that he wouldn¡¯t start some foolish one-on-one battle that would leave a hole in our defenses. Chapter 283 Here is the trantion of the provided text into English, staying as close to the original as possible: To summarize the result, the final day of the Witch¡¯s Trial, which we thought would pass without much crisis, ended up leading to an intense battle where the three of us had to take down a Roaring Crescent Bear. Even though more than five minutes had passed¡ªfar beyond the original estimated time of three minutes¡ªthe reinforcements from Gerald''s side showed no signs of arriving. "Ethan, it''s another lightning strike! This time it''ll fall to the right!" "Got it!" "Lord Karaham! I won¡¯t be able to block the next howling attack, so dodge it yourself!" "Understood, Miss Lilith!" The two swordsmen battled the five-meter bear, which had a horn on its head like a lightning rod. I supported them with every kind of auxiliary magic, but my mind was filled with frustration toward the hero who still showed no signs of arriving. ¡®When the hell is that guy Gerald going to get here?¡¯ He had said that if we sent a distress signal, he would fly in within three minutes, but here we were, still left fighting without any help from him, and my mind was full of curses toward him. No matter how skilled our party was¡ªwith a Sword Expert, a (True) Sword Expert, and a Saintess among us¡ªthere was no way the three of us could handle a monster over ten levels higher than us. Normally, I¡¯d hope for as little interference from others as possible during these hunting events, but this time was different. In this situation, the only spell capable of finishing off that thing was Mana st, but there was no way I could cast that in my current condition. Crackle! "Block it!" Thud! My role was to continuously block the lightning attacksing from the horn on that mutated Roaring Crescent Bear as they were aimed at Ethan and Karaham. Though the attack had a visible trajectory and enough cooldown time to react to, it was dangerous if we let our guard down. On the other hand, blocking it wasn¡¯t that hard if we stayed focused. Ethan and Karaham were already dodging the bear''s physical attacks while swinging their swords through the forest. Adding those lightning strikes to their list of things to dodge wouldn¡¯t be easy for them. I couldn¡¯t set up a pinpointed Vision Shield in advance, either, since it wouldn¡¯t provide proper defense. So, I had no choice but to forgo Mana st and concentrate on creating Vision Shields. I kept holding out, thinking that once Gerald and Serista arrived, I could switch to using Mana st or whatever else was needed. But now, the n was falling apart, and the feeling of danger was creeping in. Kaaaang! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Ethan!!¡± Ethan was hit by the remnant of a strong strike, unable to fully dodge the Roaring Crescent Bear¡¯s swing. He was knocked back. Though he managed to lessen the impact by blocking with the sword in his right hand, his posture crumbled for a moment, and the mutated Roaring Crescent Bear wasn¡¯t going to miss that opportunity. Roar! Swoosh! ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!!¡± Blocking my vision with a mere blur of light wasn¡¯t going to stop the bear¡¯s already swinging attack. Judging that I couldn¡¯t deflect its trajectory with a shockwave or energy bolt, I urgently used the spell I had deployed during the evaluation match, targeting Ethan. "Bind!" Rattle! ¡°Ugh?!¡± A chain of magic swiftly shot toward Ethan, binding his waist and pulling him toward me, preventing him from being flung any farther. I felt bad that I couldn¡¯t spread out the impact more efficiently due to the rush, but¡­ "Ugh, cough¡­." ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ethan! It was an emergency¡­¡± ¡°I know¡­ Thanks for saving me, Lilith¡­¡± Despite his pained expression, Ethan thanked me before resuming the fight. After about ten more minutes of dodging and enduring attacks, I started to grasp the situation. It was clear that the hero''s party, somewhere in the northern forest, couldn¡¯te to help. Perhaps some unforeseen event had urred, preventing them from moving west. ¡®For instance, a simultaneous urrence event or something.¡¯ If they had encountered the Moonlight Wolves at the same time we faced the Roaring Crescent Bear, it was highly likely they were caught up in battle and couldn¡¯t send reinforcements. Though I¡¯d never seen simultaneous monster spawns in the original game, this world clearly didn¡¯t follow such simple rules like ¡®If A spawns, B doesn¡¯t.¡¯ The Moonlight Wolves and the Roaring Crescent Bear were both living beings in this world. Thus, maybe the future where only one appeared never existed in the first ce. Howl! ¡®¡­Just as I thought.¡¯ I confirmed my suspicion when I heard the faint howling from a distance. Gerald¡¯s side must also be in battle, unable toe to our aid. That meant we¡¯d have to handle this on our own¡ªthree of us, against a level 35 named monster, when we were only around level 20. "Ethan! Lord Karaham! We¡¯re changing tactics!" ¡°Huh?!¡± "What¡¯s the n?!" "We¡¯re taking down the Roaring Crescent Bear ourselves! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on over there, but the hero¡¯s party seems just as busy!" Ethan and Karaham, already aware the situation wasn¡¯t going well, nodded without questioning the change in strategy. "Understood, Miss Lilith!" "Do you have a n?!" "I¡¯ve had one from the start! Not that I wanted to use it!!" There was no point in risking our lives in battle if we could avoid it, but since that wasn¡¯t an option, we had no choice left. The first step in preparing for this battle was using the skill points I had saved up to learn a new skill. Remaining skill points: 16 ¡ú 1 New skill: Awakening An auxiliary magic spell that boosts all stats by 1.5 times and increases the power of all magic and skills by 1.5 times for a set duration. I had been hesitant to use a skill that cost 15 points, but there was no time to hold back now. Saving points in this situation would only get me killed, and that wouldn¡¯t help me secure a better spot in the afterlife. "For now, I¡¯ll recast Sharp de on both of you! With your current swords, you won¡¯t be able to scratch that monster¡­!" Roar¡­!! ¡°Kyaaa?!¡± ¡°Lilith!!¡± As soon as I used Awakening and changed the flow of my magic, the Roaring Crescent Bear ignored the two and charged straight at me. Shocked by the sudden roar, I instinctively used a shockwave tounch myself into the air. I had no means of confronting that five-meter-tall beast head-on. In the past, I would have struggled tond after jumping this high, but fortunately, I now had the support of a wind spirit to cushion my descent. "Say!" ¡®¡­Got it.¡¯ Responding to my call, the mid-tier wind spirit created a small vortex below me to slow my fall. Inded softly near Ethan while pondering whether the mid-tier spirit Say might be more useful than the high-tier spirit Sally these days. ¡°Let¡¯s skip the details since we¡¯re in a rush, Ethan.¡± "Right." ¡°Once I recast the reinforcement spell, chase after the monster from behind. There should be a moment of weakness¡ªstab its eyes when the opportunity arises. That¡¯ll deal a fatal blow.¡± ¡°¡­What about you, Lilith?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I have to do.¡± I didn¡¯t bother telling him the details. If Ethan worried too much, he¡¯d ruin the n. I didn¡¯t want to gamble with a risky move, but we were out of options. ¡°Sharper, more precise¡­¡± After casting a stronger auxiliary spell on Ethan¡¯s dual swords, I used another shockwave to propel myself toward Karaham. With him, I applied a simr buff, reminding him to aim carefully for a vital spot since his sword was heavier and more substantial. ¡°If you aim for the Roaring Crescent Bear¡¯s heart in the next attack, you should be able to pierce it. But you¡¯ll only have one chance, so use it wisely.¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Miss Lilith.¡± Roar!! The bear was still thrashing about, tearing through the forest with its dangerous ws, while Ethan pursued it from behind, looking for the right moment. Karaham readied his greatsword, preparing for a critical strike as per my instructions. Everything was set. Now, we just needed one clean hit. Quickdraw sh. Vision de. Magic Infusion. Vision Shield. Sharp de. Shockwave. With all my spells stacked up, I prepared aposite magic attack, while keeping my distance from the Roaring Crescent Bear. Then, I provoked it with my best taunt. ¡°You dumb bear, you son of a¡ª!!¡± Roar?! ¡°Oh, I thought you were talking to me¡­¡± I ignored the unnecessary reaction from an unintended target. Though I had fought Moonlight Wolves more times than I could count, I had taken down a Roaring Crescent Bear at least three or four times in my previous life. Even with this subpar party, I still had enough knowledge from my past life to guide me through its attack patterns. With this distance, the bear¡¯s next attack would undoubtedly be an electric strike from the horn, just as I expected.@@novelbin@@ Roar! Crackle! The energy st tore through the space between Ethan and Karaham, heading straight toward me. This was our one and only chance. If I failed, it wouldn¡¯t just mean defeat¡ªit would mean I¡¯d probably die here. But if I seeded, the three of us would share the experience from this level 35 monster, and that was a gamble worth taking. Crackle! Encasing the Vision de in Quickdraw sh to boost its attack power, I used Magic Infusion on the Vision Shield to block the electric magic. As the shield absorbed the magic, the Sharp de enchantment reflected it back, and with a shockwave, I sent the attack flying right back at the Roaring Crescent Bear. Roar¡­? By the time the bear realized something was off, my attack had already hit, and it had no defense against the very magic it hadunched. Crackle! Roarrrr¡­!! The bear shrieked in pain as it was hit by its own electric attack. Though it was only a temporary paralysis, it was enough to seal its movements for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Ethan and Karaham, both boosted by my buffs, pierced the bear¡¯s eyes and heart, respectively. Squelch! sh! Roar¡­!! The named monster, the Roaring Crescent Bear, met its end from thebined fatal strikes while still partially paralyzed. And with that, the battle on the western altar of the Witch¡¯s Forest was finally over. Chapter 284 ¡ºLilith has reached level 23!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 24!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 25!¡» ? ? ? The battle Ethan, Karaham, and I fought somehow ended in victory for the three of us. On the surface, it might have seemed like the battle was easily won, but it was truly a fight for our lives. Dodging that agile bear¡¯s attacks while stacking spells and countering its lightning strike at the perfect moment was no easy feat. If I had swung my spells even a fraction too fast or too slow, I would have been the one hit and paralyzed by the lightning instead of the Roaring Crescent Bear. Had that happened, Ethan and Karaham would¡¯ve had to fight an already difficult opponent while carrying dead weight. ¡®That''s why I wanted to y it safe¡­.¡¯ But there was no choice but to abandon the safer approach. Fortunately, my level was decently high, and my luck stat wasn¡¯t low either. Still, as someone who likes certainty, I would prefer to avoid such battles. Unlike in games where I could reload a save or revive in a nearby town, in this world, I only had one life. After dragging the body of the Roaring Crescent Bear back to the witch''s vige from the western forest altar, the first ones to join us were Agnes and the two others (Prince Antonio and Sir Colt) who had been stationed at the easternke. In truth, Agnes and the others had been excluded from the hero¡¯s n from the start. Agnes¡¯s fire magic was deemed too unpredictable and dangerous in the Witch¡¯s Forest. As for Antonio, he was too weak, so he was excluded. Sir Colt, on the other hand, was a variable that didn¡¯t appear in the original story, and he was there to protect Antonio in case of an emergency. In other words, it was like exiling Agnes and Colt to the easternke just to protect the powerless royal, Antonio. Yet, ironically, the most injured person among the three when we reunited was none other than Prince Antonio. ¡°P-Prince Antonio?!¡± ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± ¡°Ah, you all made it back... and judging by the size of your prey, it seems you had quite the fight¡­.¡± Despite his words, Antonio was the most injured among us. It was surprising, especially since we had considered theke to be the safest area. I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by his condition.@@novelbin@@ After hearing the details, I learned that Agnes¡¯s group had also been in battle around the same time as us. They had faced a three-headed Hydra that emerged from theke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was due to my ipetence that the prince was injured! I¡¯ll take full responsibility for this with my life¡­!¡± ¡°Sir Colt! You can¡¯t be so rash!¡± ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s alright¡­ I wasn¡¯t that seriously injured¡­ It was partly my fault for being careless¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sir Colt, as a royal knight, felt responsible, while Agnes, for some reason, looked deeply troubled and couldn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t ask for more details, as it felt like prying. Instead, I simply used my powers as a Saintess to keep Prince Antonio¡¯s injuries from worsening. Luckily, we had Serista, the true Saintess, with us in the forest. She immediately used her holy powers to heal Antonio¡¯s wounds upon our return. ¡°T-This should do it, Prince Antonio¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°I rmend resting for at least three days¡­ I managed to seal the wounds with holy power, but it¡¯ll take time for them to fully heal¡­.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you, Serista, and I¡¯m sorry for the trouble my reckless brother has caused. I know you must be exhausted from the battle.¡± ¡°N-No¡­! If I run out of holy power, a single desperate prayer will replenish it¡­! Princess, on the other hand, you were fighting in the most dangerous area with the hero just moments ago, andpared to that, my abilities aren¡¯t that great¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who contributed more to the battle. Seraphin is only expressing gratitude for the trouble she caused you, Serista. Regardless, you did well.¡± ¡°T-Thank you¡­ Hero¡­.¡± Even Seraphin, the highest-ranking person here, called that guy by name without hesitation. The hero, who caused so many misunderstandings, had the nerve to say he wouldn¡¯t do anything in this world that would warrant responsibility. How ridiculous. Seeing Seraphin flinch slightly the moment he called her name only confirmed that the future he imagined wouldn¡¯te to pass. Between Seraphin, Silenna on one side, and Serista on the other, this hero was receiving adoring gazes from all the main heroines. It made me wonder if the real problem wouldn¡¯te after he defeated the Demon King. ¡®One day, I¡¯ll need to warn him. If he¡¯s going to return to his world, he should at least give these three a heads-up before he leaves.¡¯ If he disappeared without a word, a small war could break out between the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the Elves¡ªeach suspecting the others of hiding the hero. ¡°Y-You¡¯ll need to keep the splint on for three days¡­ It¡¯ll take time for the broken bone to mend¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I have to stay like this?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ It will be ufortable, but¡­.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Prince Antonio looked troubled as he pondered the inconvenience of not being able to use his right arm for three days. His right arm, which was his dominant hand, no less. It was clear that managing basic tasks like eating and going to the bathroom would be difficult. And his bodyguard, Sir Colt, was a woman, which made things even more awkward. ¡°¡­Still, trading one arm for survival is a small price to pay. Besides, the monster was sessfully defeated, so it turned out alright in the end. Sir Colt, you don¡¯t need to worry so much. It was my recklessness that led to this, and I¡¯ll bear the consequences.¡± ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry, Prince Antonio. In that case, I will take full responsibility for attending to your needs while your arm is injured.¡± ¡°Hm, would you? I was concerned about that, but if you¡¯ll take care of it, I¡¯d be grateful¡­.¡± Even though there wasn¡¯t a male knight around, it seemed that Sir Colt was ready to take on the role of tending to Antonio¡¯s needs. However¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do it.¡± Agnes''s unexpected deration interrupted Antonio¡¯s words. ¡°¡­Lady Agnes?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be the one to look after you for the next three days.¡± The atmosphere fell silent as the red-haired magician¡¯s sudden statement caught everyone off guard. No one had expected such words from Agnes, so naturally, all eyes were on her. The first to break the silence was Antonio himself. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to feel responsible for my injury, Lady Agnes. It was due to myck of skill¡­.¡± ¡°Quiet. I said I¡¯ll do it. Or do you have a problem with me?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ Of course not, but¡­¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t assign the task to someone else. I¡¯m responsible for your injury, so I¡¯ll take care of it. And it¡¯s only for three days, anyway.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I-I¡¯ll leave it to you then, Lady Agnes¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Agnes, with a somewhat troubled expression, insisted on taking responsibility for Antonio¡¯s care, and Antonio, though hesitant, nodded in agreement. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that something had transpired between the two. ? ? ? After themotion following Agnes¡¯s deration to care for Antonio, we all sat down for a meal to restore our strength after the battle. There were generally two types of meals in the Witch¡¯s Forest: traditional vegetarian dishes made from vegetables and spices that grew in the forest, and meat dishes using monsters hunted within the forest. Since we had hunted both Moonlight Wolves and a Roaring Crescent Bear that day, it was naturally a feast of meat. ¡®This feels like a Korean barbecue party.¡¯ Of course, the meat we were grilling now tasted more like hamstring or round cuts rather than pork belly. Wild monster meat tends to be lean like that. But it didn¡¯t matter. Grilling meat always created a good mood. After all, meat is always the right choice. ¡®If only we had some grilled kimchi¡­ or even some ssamjang¡­.¡¯ Once the thought crossed my mind, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the craving for Korean food. It had been so many years since I¡¯d had a proper Korean meal. It had been about seven years since I regained the memories of my previous life, so I hadn¡¯t had Korean food for that long. ¡­Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Even thinking about eating Korean food in this world felt like a luxury. As I settled for dipping the grilled meat in salt, imagining it was in sesame oil with salt, a familiar-looking dish was suddenly ced on the table in front of me and Ethan. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this feel like a Korean barbecue party with all this grilled meat?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± People really do think alike. Maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯re both Korean. Chapter 285 Quietly holding the te of sauce in front of me, I nced at Gerald and immediately scanned the area. Talking alone with him in a ce like this would easily lead to misunderstandings with Ethan or the others. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Ethan?¡± ¡°I asked Seraphin to distract him for a bit.¡± ¡°And Silenna?¡± ¡°Serista¡¯s keeping her busy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He¡¯s really thorough, isn¡¯t he? What¡¯s so important that he needs to go to all this trouble? ¡°If you¡¯re about to ask me for another favor like before¡ªsomething about another event¡ªyou can forget it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t need your help from now on.¡± ¡°¡­Then what is it?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to thank you for all your help. To be honest, when I think about it, this wasn¡¯t even your problem, and I ended up making you go through a lot.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. If I want to live a peaceful life in the future, I¡¯ll need to take down the Demon King anyway.¡± ¡°To be honest, talking to you alone like this makes Ethan and Seraphin suspicious. From now on, we won¡¯t be meeting alone like this anymore. If I have something to say, I¡¯ll pass it through Agnes or Seraphin. They¡¯re both discreet and mutual acquaintances, so it should be fine.¡± Heughed slyly, suggesting that because they¡¯re women, Ethan wouldn¡¯t have a fit or get overly defensive. Typical Gerald. ¡°Yeah, that sounds better. After all, our goals in this world have always been different. It¡¯s probably best if we go our separate ways.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s really impressive, you know? In your past life, didn¡¯t you hate Ethan the most?¡± ¡°¡­Out of all the characters in Lumia, yeah, he was my least favorite.¡± ¡°And now look at you, Lilgirlchang (Lilith Fangirl), working hard for a pure-love ending with Ethan. I¡¯ll have to report this on LuaGal when we return to reality.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t. Unless you want to die.¡± He doesn¡¯t know, but I was pretty active on the forums, and a few of the guys there even know I¡¯m a man. Especially those from the co-op gaming group chat I used to be in. If they ever found out about this, I¡¯d be so embarrassed I might actually kill myself. Not that it would matter since I¡¯ve already died once. ¡°Well, in the end, didn¡¯t you get what you wanted? You always said you wanted the Lilith pure-love ending in Luminor Academy. Sure, the target isn¡¯t the protagonist, but it looks like you¡¯re achieving your goal.¡± ¡°¡­Honestly, I¡¯ve been thinking the same recently, which is why I feel conflicted. So please, shut up.¡± ¡°Kuh, haha¡­ Oh, seriously¡­ Lilgirlchang is now Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you came here to pick a fight, just leave.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Oh, right. And this.¡± When he ced the familiar-looking sauce on the table, I stared at it in silence as the hero exined what it was. ¡°Here, ssamjang. I figured you¡¯d want it.¡± ¡°¡­Where did you get this?¡± ¡°I made it using the ¡®Cooking Recipe¡¯. You wrote down where to find the recipe in the guide, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t collect everything, just what wouldn¡¯t interfere with the story, so unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any kimchi.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m in no position to be picky about food right now.¡± Besides, grilling kimchi with meat here would just attract way too much attention toward me and Gerald, so it was a dream that could nevere true. ¡°Don¡¯t you use the ¡®Cooking Recipe¡¯? I think there were two recipes you could get from ckwood Mansion.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith can¡¯t learn them. It¡¯s probably a protagonist-exclusive perk. If I could¡¯ve learned them, that ssamjang recipe would be in my hands right now.¡± ¡°True. If I had to fight a veteran like you over recipes, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°¡­Anyway, thanks. I¡¯ve been missing Korean food. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°If you want to wrap it in something, that Mandragora leaf over there works. It¡¯s not exactly the same, but it tastes simr to peri.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± With those words, Gerald left, returning to his harem, leaving me with just a te of ssamjang. So, he really came just to give me this sauce. I felt a little bad for doubting him at first. Then again, after all the times I¡¯ve been pushed around by him, my suspicion was somewhat justified. Still, now that he said he wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore, I felt a strange mix of relief and mncholy. ¡®It really tastes like ssamjang.¡¯ After nearly seven years in this world, I was finally tasting something that resembled Korean food, and my taste buds reacted instinctively. Well, to be precise, I wasn¡¯t possessed but reincarnated, and I recovered my memories seven years ago, so it was slightly different from possession. Except for the slightly sharp garlic vor, it was almost identical to the ssamjang I used to eat in my past life. The sharpness was something Lilith¡¯s body was probably sensitive to, so I¡¯d just have to live with it. Still, the bnce of salty, sweet, and savory vors made it decently enjoyable. I was about to wrap some meat with the Mandragora leaf and eat it when Ethan, who had been chatting with Seraphin, returned to my table. ¡°Lily, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°The hero gave me some seasoning, Ed. He said it pairs well with grilled meat.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not suspicious, is it?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°He gave it to just you? It¡¯s not some weird drug that makes you feel funny if you eat too much, is it¡­?¡± ¡°It tastes simr to the special sauce my mother used to make. It¡¯s sweet and salty, which goes well with the meat. It¡¯s probably something simr to that.¡± ¡°I-I was just asking. So, it tastes like something your mother made¡­¡± In reality, it was the taste of ssamjang from the supermarket in my past life, not anything my mother in this world made. But I mentioned my mother just to shut Ethan up. If I let him keep questioning every little gesture of goodwill, the tension between him and Gerald would only grow. Ethan should know that Gerald has no lingering feelings for me now that Serista has awakened as the true Saintess, but his worries were a bit over the top. ¡®He likes me way too much. That¡¯s the real problem.¡¯ Ethan was nothing like his original counterpart, except for one thing: his obsession with Lilith. That was the only trait they shared. Still, I felt a little bad for scolding him, so I wrapped a piece of meat in a Mandragora leaf, added garlic, ssamjang, and a few vegetables, and held the makeshift peri wrap in front of him. There¡¯s nothing like food to resolve conflicts. ¡°Here, Ed. Say ¡®ahh~¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Lily?¡± ¡°I said, ¡®ahh~.¡¯ Just eat it all in one bite.¡± ¡°¡­Lily, you¡¯re joking more these days. But no matter how much you say, that¡¯s way too big to eat in one bite¡­¡± ¡°Last time, you shoved something bigger and tasteless into my mouth, didn¡¯t you? And now you¡¯re refusing something I made?¡± ¡°Aah! Mmm, mmm¡­ It¡¯s, it¡¯s delicious, Lily¡­.¡± Before I could finish speaking, Ethan hurriedly took the wrap and ate it, and I made a small one for myself, quietly eating it. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t know how to make sauces like ssamjang or soy sauce. When I lived alone in my past life, I got curious about homemade doenjang and even tried making it myself. I¡¯d seen my grandmother make meju (fermented soybean blocks) a few times while helping on her farm, so I could probably replicate it. If I added a few seasonings and adjusted the consistency, I could make ssamjang. Of course, making meju as a maid of the ckwood family was impossible, so I gave up on the idea long ago. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll try it after I be independent.¡¯ Since I¡¯m not nning to get married, no one would be able to say anything if I lived alone. I¡¯d try making not just ssamjang but also soy sauce and doenjang. As I mused over these thoughts, I noticed a couple that particrly stood out. It was obvious that the other people had intentionally given them space, and I inadvertently caught sight of them as they fed each other. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already eating, Lady Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gulp. ¡°Did you finish it? Open your mouth again.¡± ¡°¡­I can hold the fork myself, Lady Agnes. Only my right arm is injured, my left arm is still fine.¡± ¡°Quiet. If you weren¡¯t injured, you¡¯d be using your right hand to eat, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Well, yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Stop trying to be considerate. I¡¯ll take care of you for the next three days, so don¡¯t try to be polite. It¡¯ll only hurt my pride.¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Lady Agnes.¡± ¡°Then, open your mouth.¡± ¡°¡­I told you I can¡¯t eat that much at once¡­.¡± Agnes, strangely persistent in taking care of Prince Antonio, who, despite his protests, epted her care with a faintly pleased expression. Whatever had happened during their battle at theke, I¡¯d need to find out the details. And, I also needed to figure out why a monster that didn¡¯t exist in the original story had appeared there. Chapter 286 The opportunity to ask Agnes about what had happened came sooner than expected. As Prince Antonio, who had spent the whole barbecue being fed by Agnes, was the first to leave the table, she was left alone, quietly poking at her food. Since she wasn¡¯t attracting anyone¡¯s attention, it wasn¡¯t difficult for me to approach her for a conversation. As I¡¯d mentioned before, aside from Seraphin and me, Agnes had no friends. And right now, Seraphin was busy caught in a tug-of-war between Serista and Silenna over the hero, so it was only natural that Agnes would be left on her own. Fortunately, Ethan didn¡¯t stop me from going to talk to Agnes. After all, as long as I wasn¡¯t talking to the hero or another man, Ethan didn¡¯t tend to restrict me much. ¡°Lady Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith.¡± ¡°What happened earlier? It seemed like things were a bitplicated between you and Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°¡­Nothing much.¡± ¡°Did Prince Antonio get hurt because of something rted to you?¡±
  • Flinch.
Even though she didn¡¯t say anything, her reaction was as good as an answer. I had half-expected this when she volunteered to take care of Antonio, but this confirmed my suspicions. Agnes, who usually showed no interest in others, had offered to take care of Antonio¡ªsomeone she had previously found bothersome. I had already deduced what had likely happened. If Prince Antonio hadn¡¯t returned with a wounded arm, the one injured would have been Agnes. The logic was simple.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Judging by your reaction, I think I have a rough idea.¡± ¡°What exactly do you think you know?¡± ¡°Just why Prince Antonio got hurt, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, are you really not going to tell me what happened at theke?¡± Agnes¡¯s expression turned conflicted, as if she realized she¡¯d already been found out. It didn¡¯t take long for her to start speaking. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ? ? ? To cut to the point, even Agnes didn¡¯t know why a three-headed Hydra appeared at theke. She exined that she had been on guard, expecting a monster to approach theke like usual, but the Hydra had suddenly emerged without warning. It was likely a hidden monster from the Luminor Academy¡¯s Witch¡¯s Forest event, or perhaps a creature that spawned under certain conditions during battle events. Or, like how both the Roaring Crescent Bear and the Moonlight Wolves appeared together, it might have been triggered by the number of people and the average level of the group. The reasons wereplex and uncertain. But since the Witch¡¯s Forest event was nearly over, it wasn¡¯t really important anymore. What truly mattered was something else entirely. ¡®The rtionship between Prince Antonio and Agnes is what¡¯s really important here.¡¯ Just a few hours ago, Agnes had openly expressed her dislike for being in the same group as Antonio. So, why had she suddenly volunteered to take care of him? Through our conversation, I managed to piece together what had happened between them. ¡°¡­It was my mistake.¡± ¡°What kind of mistake?¡± ¡°I should have created more distance before casting my spells. If I had targeted the heads from a distance, I could have destroyed them one by one, and no one would¡¯ve gotten hurt. But I panicked and cast an attack spell the moment the Hydra appeared.¡± Agnes had expected that destroying one of the heads would incapacitate the Hydra or at least make it hesitate. However, even after two of its heads were destroyed, the Hydra continued its assault. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t anticipated that all three heads would target her simultaneously. Fortunately, Sir Colt managed to cut off one head, and Agnes¡¯s magic destroyed another before it could reach her, but there wasn¡¯t enough time to cast another spell to stop the third head. That was when Prince Antonio stepped in, sacrificing his right arm to buy Agnes the time she needed to cast her second spell. ¡°To be honest, it was a bit disappointing. I didn¡¯t expect him to struggle so much with a single Hydra head.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­But in the end, thanks to him, I wasn¡¯t hurt. So, I have to take responsibility.¡± It was clear that Agnes didn¡¯t intend to downy the fact that Prince Antonio had saved her by sacrificing his arm. Thanks to his quick action, she was able to cast her second spell and finish off the Hydra. Although Antonio¡¯s arm had been injured, the fact that he escaped with only a broken arm was a relief. Since the battle, Agnes had been feeling guilty about Antonio¡¯s injury. Her way of repaying him was to take care of him, which is how the current situation of her attending to Antonio¡¯s needs hade about. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I can repay him with money. My family¡¯s budget wouldn¡¯t cover it, and it would be inappropriate to put a price on a royal¡¯s wellbeing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, this is the only way I can repay him. After all, it was my fault he got hurt. I have at least that much of a conscience.¡± Hmm. At first, I thought their rtionship had taken a positive turn, but it seemed it wasn¡¯t exactly what I had imagined. Instead of some romantic development like ¡®I¡¯ve started to see you differently since you saved me,¡¯ it was more of an ¡®I owe you, so I have to repay the debt.¡¯ ¡®¡­Well, Agnes was always the hardest character to win over in the original game.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t the type of heroine you could make fall in love just by saving her life once or twice. To win Agnes over, you¡¯d either have to save her life five or six times, or solve a problem so significant that it would change her entire life. For now, though, I needed to help reduce the burden Agnes was feeling toward Prince Antonio. ¡°Anyway, Prince Antonio¡¯s injury isn¡¯t really your fault. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t think he got hurt because of you.¡± ¡°But if I had made a better decision, this might not have happened.¡± ¡°Reacting immediately to the appearance of a three-headed Hydra was impressive enough. And if you hadn¡¯t acted when you did, the sacrifice might have been far greater than just Prince Antonio¡¯s arm.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. Thanks, Lilith.¡± Agnes¡¯s troubled expression softened, my words having somewhat reassured her. ¡®Now, how should I guide the rtionship between Agnes and Prince Antonio¡­.¡¯ Honestly, I wasn¡¯t trying to push Agnes and Antonio together out of any personal desire to see them be a couple. If my only other close friend, Agnes, found happiness, it didn¡¯t necessarily have to be with Prince Antonio. But considering the current situation, Antonio seemed like the person most likely to bring Agnes happiness in the future. After all, in my past life, I¡¯d seen Agnes¡¯s ¡°spinster ending¡± more times than I could count. While characters like Natalina, Seraphin, and Luke had options even if they didn¡¯t end up with the hero, Agnes and Serista were the types who would remain alone if they didn¡¯t connect with the hero. Especially in Agnes¡¯s case, her difficult personality meant that no one else would approach her. And her strict family made matters worse. There simply weren¡¯t many men of high enough status who would willingly pursue someone with Agnes¡¯s difficult personality. And if amoner tried, Agnes herself, or more likely her family, would reject them outright. This left Agnes destined to grow old alone, without a suitable partner, unless something changed drastically. Even the hopeful routes where she fell for the hero were no longer an option given the current situation. In this sense, Prince Antonio was the perfect match. His family wasn¡¯t one her family would reject, and he was one of the few nobles (or royals) who could put up with her challenging personality. ¡®It would be a shame for Agnes to spend her life alone in the mage tower.¡¯ At the very least, I should give her a chance to meet someone who could appreciate her¡ªsomeone who could match her level and genuinely care for her. Considering how Antonio had thrown himself in harm¡¯s way to protect her, it was clear his intentions were genuine. He wasn¡¯t trying to get close to her with ulterior motives. Antonio had already fallen for Agnes. If I could just create a little more opportunity for them to connect, their rtionship would likely improve. ¡°So, you¡¯ll be taking care of Prince Antonio for the next three days, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, for now.¡± ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t you need my help? For example, with things like how a female servant should care for a male employer?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Surely you haven¡¯t forgotten? I¡¯m a debt maid of the ckwood family and used to be Ethan¡¯s personal maid.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not really something to brag about, is it?¡± ¡­Well, that¡¯s true. ¡°Anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to get advice from someone with experience? Since you¡¯re going to be taking care of Prince Antonio, it¡¯d be wise to learn from me. At the very least, you don¡¯t want to identally offend him while you¡¯re attending to him.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. What should I be careful about?¡±
  • Smirk.
This is my chance. My chance to be the Cupid of Agnes and Prince Antonio! Chapter 287 The Fifth Prince of the Argentia Empire, Antonio Robert Valtoria. Just moments ago, he had entered the bathroom alone, awkwardly undressing in preparation for his bath. "This is... ufortable, as expected." To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling at all. With one arm tightly secured in a splint, undressing wasn¡¯t as simple as usual, and he was experiencing firsthand how difficult it was. Of course, Antonio, being a prince of the empire, had been training in both swordsmanship and magic since childhood. There had been times in the past when he suffered even worse injuries during training, but this was the first time he had to undress by himself with one arm immobilized. ¡°Ugh¡­! Ugh, haaa¡­¡± "Prince Antonio, wouldn¡¯t it be better if I assisted you?" "I¡¯m fine, Sir Colt. If I can¡¯t even take off my own clothes, how can I walk around calling myself a prince of the empire?" "But you can¡¯t move your arm properly. Since Lady ze is still at dinner, I could at least assist you with your bath¡ª" "If Lady Agnes finds out I had you help me, she¡¯ll surely get upset. She insisted on looking after me herself. She¡¯d think I don¡¯t trust her if I let you help instead." "But¡ª" "I don¡¯t want to make her dislike me any more than she already does. Frankly, after everything that¡¯s happened, I¡¯m already on thin ice." At first, Antonio had mistaken Agnes for someone younger and treated her like a child, a mistake he thought he could recover from. However, things had taken a strange turn, and his actions only seemed to upset her more. Now, even Antonio could see it. If he made another mistake, any small chance of things working out with Agnes would disappearpletely. From the time he¡¯d almost put Lilith¡¯s life at risk, to when he¡¯d tried to spare Agnes any burden only to offend her, and when he¡¯d failed to show any real masculinity by following her into the Witch¡¯s Forest¡­ Even today, he couldn¡¯t cut down one of the Hydra¡¯s heads and ended up injured instead. Antonio felt pathetic, and it was no wonder his behavior had be more cautious. "You don¡¯t need to worry, Sir Colt. I won¡¯t be needing your help. You¡¯re here as a coachman and knight, not as a maid." "...Yes, sir." "Then go. If you stay any longer, Lady Agnes might catch us. I can manage bathing myself without assistance." "...Understood, Prince Antonio." Antonio listened to the sound of Sir Colt¡¯s footsteps fading away from the bathroom door as he finished undressing and prepared for his bath. Despite his injured arm, once his shirt was off, things became a bit easier, much to his relief. Though, he was already dreading the struggle of getting dressed again afterward. Normally, it would be Agnes, who had volunteered to care for him, handling such tasks. Helping an injured person with a bath was more about these kinds of tasks than merely serving them food. Of course, that was assuming Prince Antonio couldfortably ask Agnes for such assistance. If it had been someone like Sir Colt, there would be no issue with ordering him around, but Agnes was different. Asking her for help with such trivial matters felt wrong, especially given the feelings she harbored for him. Particrly, asking her to help with something like a bath felt impossible. It wasn¡¯t just about being a patient¡ªit was, in essence, showing his naked body to someone he cared about. He was embarrassed, and more than that, he feared she would find it repulsive. ¡ªSsh! "As expected, it¡¯s not easy to wash with just one arm¡­" Though he could dry his wet splint with magic, the fact that he couldn¡¯t use his dominant arm made washing a chore. It took him twice as long to wash his hair, and there were several ces he couldn¡¯t even reach with just one hand. Still, thinking he only had to endure for three days, Antonio was managing to soap his body with one hand when he heard a light knock on the bathroom door. ¡ªKnock, knock. "Sir Colt? As I said before, I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need your help." "¡­¡­" "If youe in to assist me, Lady Agnes might misunderstand. You¡¯d better leave before she catches you." "¡­¡­" There was no response from the other side of the door. Perhaps his voice had been drowned out by the sound of running water. Assuming it was Sir Colt, Antonio continued focusing on washing himself. After all, he didn¡¯t want Agnes to find him struggling alone in the bath. But just as he twisted his head, trying to scrub the hard-to-reach spots on his back, the door creaked open, and a woman stepped into the bathroom. ¡ªCreak. "I said I didn¡¯t need help with the¡ª" "...Really, you don¡¯t need any help?" "¡­¡­¡­What?" "I asked if you really don¡¯t need help with your bath." "L-Lady Agnes¡­?" Antonio froze the moment he saw her walking in. If she had simplye to assist with his bath, he wouldn¡¯t have been this flustered. While his biggest concern was that she might dislike seeing his body, what truly left him speechless was Agnes¡¯s attire. Or rather, theck of it. She had walked into the bathroom as naked as he was. Without even bothering to cover herself with a towel, her confident entrance left such a strong impression that Antonio¡¯s mind went nk. When he finally regained his senses, he quickly averted his gaze from the sight that made his heart race. ¡°W-What are you doing, Lady Agnes!? We¡¯re not even engaged yet! I-I mean, I appreciate the sentiment, but¡­ shouldn¡¯t we take time to get to know each other better before¡­!¡± "...What are you talking about? I came to help you with your bath." ¡°¡­What?¡± "I told you, I¡¯m going to take care of you for these three days. That includes helping you with your bath." "But, that¡­" "And when helping someone bathe, the attendant usually gets undressed too, so the patient doesn¡¯t feel embarrassed, right? That¡¯s the rule, isn¡¯t it?" "W-Wait, what?" Was there really such a rule? At least, not one Antonio had ever heard of. All the maids who had bathed him before had certainly never been naked. Which meant Agnes had misunderstood something. He had no idea who had told her this, but¡­ "Who¡­ told you that?" "...Lilith did." "L-Lilith¡­?" "Yeah. She used to be a ckwood maid, so she taught me about the differences between same-sex attendants and a woman bathing a man." "¡­¡­" What¡­ is this? Could the ckwood family¡¯s servants really have such strange customs? Antonio knew that Harold ckwood, the head of the family, was still grieving histe wife, and Ethan seemed utterly devoted to Lilith. Could it be that behind the scenes, they indulged in such licentious practices? ¡®No, that can¡¯t be it.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. He had already misunderstood Agnes once before, and that had caused enough trouble. If such things had truly been happening in the ckwood household, rumors of their debauchery would have surely spread by now. Ethan had been just as embarrassed as him when he saw the nakeddies during the altar incident. Antonio couldn¡¯t imagine him secretly indulging in maid services like this. Which meant¡­ this ¡°naked bathing rule¡± was something Lilith had concocted. Maybe she was teasing Agnes, or perhaps she was trying to help him somehow. Whatever her motive, Antonio couldn¡¯t quite figure it out. "Was this¡­ not right?" "Huh?" "I¡¯m asking if this was wrong. Should I have stayed dressed like when women bathe each other?" Agnes¡¯s voice held a slight edge, as if she were on the verge of getting upset. If Antonio answered, "Yes, you¡¯re not supposed to be naked when helping someone bathe," it was clear what would happen next. Agnes would likely get angry with Lilith for misleading her, feel embarrassed for her actions, and distance herself even further from him. So there was only one answer Antonio could give in this situation.@@novelbin@@ After all, he didn¡¯t entirely dislike the situation¡­ "You¡¯re¡­ not wrong, Lady Agnes." "¡­Really?" "Yes¡­ When a female attendant assists a male employer with a bath, they usually undress to make the employer feel morefortable¡­ Of course, you, as a noble, don¡¯t have to follow that rule, but it¡¯s not wrong either. You don¡¯t need to be embarrassed or upset." "Good. If we¡¯re going to do this, we might as well do it right." Repaying her debt to him¡ªAgnes whispered those words softly behind his back, and Antonio¡¯s heart began to race uncontrobly. "I¡¯ll just wash the parts you can¡¯t reach. That should be enough, right? You wouldn¡¯t want anything more, would you?" "O-Of course, Lady Agnes¡­" ¡®Hold it together. Hold it together. You can do this. Stay calm¡­¡¯ Pretending that this waspletely normal. That it was merely a bath, and that he wasn¡¯t thinking any improper thoughts at all. As Antonio focused on suppressing the rising heat within him, he concentrated on the gentle touch of Agnes¡¯s hands washing his back. And in his heart, he silently thanked Lilith several times for creating this opportunity. Chapter 288 Agnes having Prince Antonio bath him naked was an act carried out with a certain level of calction. It wasn¡¯t particrly meant to tease Agnes or anything. It was simply because I genuinely believed it was the most effective method. ¡®If Agnes thinks she¡¯s just strictly following the rules, she¡¯ll be easier to handle.¡¯ For starters, Agnes was the type of person who became quite lenient when it came to things she deemed ¡°necessary to do anyway.¡± Normally, a woman wouldn¡¯t naturally enjoy having her nakedness exposed to an outside man, but the condition that it was ¡°necessary for assisting with a bath¡± significantly lowered that boundary. If Agnes didn¡¯t realize for herself that this was strange, that would be the end of it. Given that Prince Antonio was deeply infatuated with her, he wouldn¡¯t refuse to engage in intimate activities with her. ¡®Prince Antonio may seem rigid, but he¡¯s also somewhat in tune with his desires for his age.¡¯ His dedication to his desires had already been proven by his actions over the past month. He had even gone as far as chasing after the Witch¡¯s Forest to create an opportunity to get closer to Agnes, who was already being criticized just by hearing her name. Therefore, even in the highly abnormal situation where he entered the bathroom naked while assisting with a bath, Prince Antonio would likely keep the truth from Agnes and remain silent. From there, everything would proceed smoothly. Not only did Prince Antonio like Agnes, but even the stubborn Agnes would inevitably have her feelings stirred by some event. Even if Prince Antonio didn¡¯t feel any emotion upon seeing Agnes¡¯s body, it didn¡¯t really matter. After today, he would pay even more attention to her. ¡®Now that Agnes has seen me naked, she must feel responsible. She¡¯s probably thinking something like that.¡¯ Just making her feel that way was already a sess. Next year, when Prince Antonio entered the academy and had more interactions with Agnes, their rtionship would gradually grow closer. After all, women are happiest when they are with men who love them. This was supported by some research I had seen online in a past life. When surveying the happiness levels of married couples, it was found that men were happier when their wives were beautiful, and women were happier when they themselves were beautiful. The research suggested that when a woman is beautiful, her husband treats her better, which naturally makes her happier. And Prince Antonio was the man I knew who could treat Agnes the best. ¡®Well, even if it doesn¡¯t work out, it¡¯s not entirely my fault.¡¯ Even if nothing worked out despite all I had done, it wouldn¡¯t be my fault¡ªit would be the prince¡¯s. I had done everything I could. I was looking forward to seeing if Agnes could achieve a different sub-couple ending from the original work. ? ? ? Three days had passed since the day we defeated thest monster in the Witch¡¯s Forest. Afterpleting all of Lara and Lizzy¡¯s witch trials, we were saying our farewells naturally as we boarded carriages heading to our respective domains at the entrance of the Witch¡¯s Forest. ¡°Th-thank you so much, R-Rosewood¡­ Thanks to you, I was able to safelyplete the trials¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Miss Maychiling. There are others who worked harder than me.¡± ¡°But still, Rosewood helped the most¡­ If it hadn¡¯t been for you, I really might not have been able to take the trials this time¡­ If that had happened, I¡ª Ugh¡­.¡± Lara held my hands tightly, expressing her gratitude after sessfullypleting the witch trials with Lizzy. She was trembling, clutching her arms as if she were imagining the penalty for failing the trials. ¡°So, what is the penalty for not passing the trial?¡± ¡°Wh-What do you mean?!¡± ¡°You can tell us now. Everyone here helped you and others with their trials.¡± ¡°Ah, th-that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°My name¡­ It¡¯s changed¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Name?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lara answered, trembling as if she didn¡¯t want to imagine what wasing, while the others listened intently. Only Geomtaejoshekigak and others who knew the nature of the penalty quietly averted their gazes. ¡°My, my name¡­ It¡¯s changed to Ryarra Maychiling¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Is that all?¡± ¡°How can you say that¡­! Changing my name is such a disgrace as a witch! It means I¡¯ve fallen a step behind in the witch ranks! If I fail to pass the trial on time, it¡¯s for that reason¡­!! And besides, the name ¡®Ryarra¡¯ is hard to even call¡­!!¡± Agnes¡¯s expression hardened unpleasantly upon hearing the nature of the penalty from Lara. I had expected her to react this way, so I deliberately prevented her from mentioning the penalty. Everyone here had been on guard near the altar for the entire month, facing life-threatening crises while dealing with monsters, so such a trivial penalty would naturally raise doubts. ¡°You, you¡¯re making us worry over something so trivial¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, ah! Come to think of it, if you fail this trial, you can only retake it ten yearster, right, Lara?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes¡­. The altar in the forest only absorbs the purest energies once every ten years¡­.¡± ¡°If you fail this time, you¡¯d have to wait ten years without being able to attempt again. It could¡¯ve been a disaster, right?!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s important, but what¡¯s more important is the name¡­.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s already over. As long as you passed the trial that only happens once every ten years, it¡¯s fine, right?¡± Geomtaejoshekigak, who had joined the conversationte, added a supplementary exnation about the witch trials. If Agnes had gotten angry for some reason, the entrance to the Witch¡¯s Forest might have turned into a fiery inferno. In reality, for witches who live for centuries, ten years doesn¡¯t feel particrly long. It¡¯s not an extremely short period either, butpared to the ten years an ordinary human would perceive, it feels much shorter. Therefore, Lara didn¡¯t seem to care much about that aspect, but Agnes was somewhat convinced by the fact that the trials were held once every ten years. ¡°¡­If the trial is that important, you should¡¯ve told us earlier.¡± Agnes, who had lived a day more diligently than others until just before entering the academy, had sacrificed her growth during her prime to focus entirely on studying magic. Hearing that the trial could only be attempted once every ten years naturally softened her resolve. After roughly exining this to Agnes, we decided to share three carriages as the eleven of us split into three groups to return. People with the same destination traveled together, and if someone was passing through on the way, they would make a quick stop to drop them off. A carriage pulled by the Auguste stable team arrived. A personal carriage brought from the northeastern great ins by Geomtaejoshekigak. And the imperial carriage we arrived in from the capital city. Actually, the simplest method would have been for each person to take their own carriage back to where they came from, but that wasn¡¯t very efficient. With the second semester of Luminoor Academy about to start in ten days, stopping by the capital or other ces and taking several days to return would have been a significant waste of time.@@novelbin@@ Therefore, the eleven people split into three groups again to travel together temporarily. Those with the same destination moved together, and if someone was passing by on the way, they made a brief stop to drop them off. ¡°Then, see you at the academy in a week, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Lizzy. Take care on your way back.¡± First were the carriages that Lizzy and Caraham boarded. Since they belonged to the Auguste stable team, the owners, the Auguste siblings, naturally had to return using this carriage. After all, it was Caraham who had brought the carriage. Additionally, there was one extra person riding this carriage. ¡°Do you remember the elective courses next semester, Lilith? Advanced Spiritology and Applied Fire Magic¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m taking them with you, so don¡¯t worry, Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­Right. Don¡¯t forget.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s family branch was on the way to the Auguste domain, so Agnes decided to return using the same carriage. Originally, Agnes was also supposed to return to her own family¡¯s domain after heading back to the imperial city, but since she had merged with Geomtaejoshekigak¡¯s group at the end, there were too many people heading to the imperial city. With only three carriages avable, they had no choice but to split up. ¡°Oh, and I secretly put Mandalorah berries in the box Miss Lizzy is taking. It¡¯s a box with a light blue X drawn on the outside¡­.¡± ¡°I know, so keep it quiet, Miss Lizzy.¡± If Ethan found out, things would getplicated. If he knew I bought something like that, it might seem like I wasn¡¯t satisfying our private time together. After all, it was something I bought as insurance and as a memento from visiting the Witch¡¯s Forest, not specifically to use it with Ethan. Meanwhile, Agnes and Prince Antonio, who weren¡¯t with me and Lizzy, were busy saying their goodbyes. ¡°Agnes! Please be careful on your way back!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send a letter to the address you gave me! And a gift too¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s unnecessary meddling.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Agnes, who seemed to be conversing morefortably than before but still clearly drawing boundaries, suddenly flicked her staff lightly on the ground before boarding her carriage. -Whoosh! A brief me rose from the ground with a short ze and then disappeared. Agnes¡¯s fire spell left scorch marks in the shape of something resembling letters in various spots. ¡°Agnes?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s the dormitory address.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t stay at my family¡¯s ce for more than a few days. If you¡¯re going to write a letter, send it here. Don¡¯t send anything else.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Thank you, Agnes!¡± From her reaction, it seemed that at least Agnes and Antonio had be somewhat friends. They were much closer than before when they used to stiffen up just by hearing each other¡¯s names. Of course, the two still had a long way to go. Chapter 289 After the carriage carrying the August siblings and Agnes departed, we divided the remaining group into two, with four people in each carriage. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t too few carriages. It just so happened that our destinations ovepped or were in simr directions. "I''ll see you at the academy, Hero. And¡­ if you get too close to Miss Selenna, she might get angry when you meet again." "...I told you, that¡¯s not going to happen. Have I ever even touched anyone up until now?" "Hmm, that¡¯s true. You haven¡¯t. And that¡¯s the problem. Being cautious is good, but I do wish you¡¯d choose someone soon." "I¡¯m not in a position to choose anyone, Seraphin." "R-right! You shouldn''t pressure the Hero into choosing someone!" "Yeah, don¡¯t do that." "My mother always told me not to fall for popr men... Sigh." With a quiet sigh, Seraphin climbed into the imperial carriage, as did Serista, who also had business in the capital. Watching from the side, I almost let the words "this is ridiculous" slip from my lips, but I held it in. Seeing a harem protagonist up close sure felt strange. "Please send my regards to Miss Agnes, Lady Lilith." "You just spoke with her, Prince Antonio." "Well, even so." With a strangely rxed smile, Prince Antonio climbed into the carriage as well. Once the carriage led by Sir Colt departed for the imperial capital, thest remaining carriage was for the rest of us. It was a rather odd mix: Gerenol, Selenna, and me, along with Ethan. "Sorry to trouble you. No matter how I look at it, walking all the way to ckwood Estate is impossible." "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. The ckwood Estate is on the way to the World Tree Forest anyway. Don¡¯t think of it as a favor, just rx." Though Ethan wasn¡¯t thrilled about having to travel with the hero, even he wasn¡¯t brazen enough toin when getting a free ride. If it weren¡¯t for Gerenol¡¯s consideration, the six of us would¡¯ve been crammed into the imperial carriage back to the capital, and from there, we¡¯d have had to ride another day to reach the ckwood Estate. By that time, summer vacation would¡¯ve been practically over, and it would¡¯ve been straight back to the academy. Anyway, after traveling for three days in this peculiar group, we returned to the ckwood Estate. Gerenol and I took turns driving the carriage. Nothing particrly eventful happened over those three days. On the first day, we encountered a pack of monsters. On the second day, we ran into bandits. We gained a good amount of experience, but it wasn¡¯t quite enough to level up. One unusual thing did happen, though. Before leaving the Witch¡¯s Forest, the ¡°Witch¡¯s Pendant¡± was given to me, not Gerenol. "Miss Maychiling? What is this?" "It¡¯s¡­ our family¡¯s pendant¡­ Since I received a lot of help from you this time¡­." "But wouldn¡¯t the Hero or someone else be more deserving?" "E-even so, I want to give it to you¡­ Please ept it¡­." "Alright. Thank you for the gift, Miss Maychiling." "Th-thank you for epting it...!!" And so, thanks to that series of events, I ended up with the ¡°Lara¡¯s Secret¡± event¡¯s final reward. Of course, I wasn¡¯t nning to keep it, so I tried to hand it over to Gerenol during the night watch on the first day. But he refused, saying it wasn¡¯t right to take someone else¡¯s gift. "If she gave it to you, how would it look if I wore it? Lara might misunderstand our rtionship. I don¡¯t need it, so just keep it for yourself." "But it¡¯s the Witch¡¯s Pendant, a final-tier item. Without it, you won¡¯t even have a suitable lower-tier item for the final boss fight." "I already have the ne I got from Liria. And honestly, the reason I asked for your help this summer wasn¡¯t to get double the rewards but because I wanted to help both Liria and Lara. I¡¯m not fixated on any rewards." "...Alright. Just don¡¯tinter." And so, I ended up with the Witch¡¯s Pendant, a final-tier item. Its stat boosts were decent, so I decided to keep it for now. essories like this worked even without being worn, simply by owning them. Thus, the events of this incredibly eventful summer vacation came to an end, and we returned to the ckwood Estate. On the first night back, as Iy in the waiting room, I seriously contemted the ns regarding Ethan and me.@@novelbin@@ "Now then¡­." How could I create a situation where I could sleep with Ethan? As I mentioned before, it¡¯s not like I want to do it with Ethan. It¡¯s just something I have to do under the circumstances. I no longer needed to maintain the title of Saintess, and now this power was just shackling me. Being a Saintess came with responsibilities and obligations, but gave nothing in return. I wasn¡¯t like Serista, who¡¯d say, ¡°As long as I¡¯m by the Hero¡¯s side, that¡¯s enough for me.¡± To get rid of the Saintess¡¯ power, I needed to discard my qualifications as soon as possible. And the only person who met the conditions for doing that was Ethan. I couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of getting rid of it through self-pleasure or by having my first experience with some random man. My pride wouldn¡¯t allow it. "The problem is the situation. I need to make it feel as natural as possible." I couldn¡¯t just barge into Ethan¡¯s bedroom without an excuse. That would be far too unbing of a virgin. I wanted to approach this like a pure love route, not like some desperate woman. I couldn¡¯t let Ethan misunderstand. "If only I still had some of that special tea from the royal vi¡­." That tea would have made it much easier to set the mood, but unfortunately, I had already used it all. If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve saved some. The closest alternative was alcohol. It was a ssic "excuse" used often in my previous life. "Maybe I should ask Dietmaier to sneak me a bottle of strong liquor." I could bring it to Ethan, suggest we share a drink, and then ¡°identally¡± get drunk and let things happen naturally. Surely Ethan wouldn¡¯t be able to resist if I let myself fall into his arms. That thought crossed my mind briefly, but I dismissed it. Seducing him with alcohol didn¡¯t feel like the right way. If we¡¯d already crossed the line, maybe, but I wasn¡¯tfortable with the idea of using alcohol for my first experience. I wanted to remember it clearly, and alcohol might cloud the memory. Besides, knowing the current Ethan, he¡¯d probably just tuck me in with a nket if I passed out drunk. That would be a blow to my pride I wouldn¡¯t recover from for a while. "Inviting my employer to drink with me is inappropriate, anyway." It would be insubordinate in several ways, so that n was scrapped. That left only one viable excuse. "Offering it as a reward after Ethan wins a duel... seems like my best option." If Ethan managed to defeat Harold in a duel, I could offer myself as a reward. It was the perfect excuse. After all, we¡¯d already done other things as rewards for Ethan¡¯s victories, like letting him touch me or other smaller favors. And since it was summer break, Harold was staying at the estate, so Ethan could duel him as often as he liked. Ethan had gained plenty of experience from our hunting trips in the Witch¡¯s Forest. He even fought McHart in a near one-on-one battle and came out victorious. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but I figured he could win one round in ten or twenty against Harold. "Even if it''s just one victory against a Sword Master, it would be a remarkable achievement for a second-year academy student." Such an aplishment would certainly be worthy of a significant reward. Ethan wouldn¡¯t find it strange if I offered my first experience as a prize for defeating his father. "There are five days left until we return to the academy¡­." I had to make sure Ethan won the duel within the next three or four days. There was no way I was going back to the academy still carrying the burdens of the Saintess¡¯ title. Chapter 290 Though I said I needed to help Ethan win the duel against Harold, in reality, there wasn¡¯t much I could do for him. It wasn¡¯t like I could fight Harold for him¡ªEthan was the one crossing swords. And since this was a pure duel without the aid of support magic or other enhancements, I had no means of intervening in their battle. At best, I could suggest, ¡°Why don¡¯t you spar with your master while you¡¯re staying at the estate?¡± But even that turned out to be unnecessary. Ethan, being his usual diligent self, had already started training with Harold the very first day we returned to the ckwood Estate, without me having to say a word.
  • ng! ng! ng!
"Hah! Hah! Haaah!!" It was a familiar scene¡ªone I had witnessed countless times both at the ckwood Estate and at the academy: Ethan and Harold sparring. Even someone like me, who wasn¡¯t particrly knowledgeable about swordsmanship, could tell that their exchange was incredibly fast. One of them had recently blossomed fully into a Sword Expert, while the other had long since been a Sword Master, so it was no surprise. ¡®No matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s unbelievable how fast they are.¡¯ Ethan¡¯s twin swords were impressive, but what was even more incredible was the speed at which Harold swung his de. The way he deflected both of Ethan¡¯s swords with a single de almost felt like cheating. Of course, wielding two swords didn¡¯t mean you could swing twice as fast, but even considering that, Ethan¡¯s speed was undeniably remarkable. But Harold, deflecting both swords without breaking a sweat, was just insane. How could this madman be only the boss of the ¡°second arc¡±? ¡®I was hoping to find some weakness I could point out, but¡­ no luck.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a gap in Harold¡¯s defense that someone at my level could exploit. Even if there was one, you¡¯d need to split a second into 20 pieces to see it, and if there were a weakness that obvious, Ethan would¡¯ve noticed it himself. Besides, Sword Masters constantly improve, even in the middle of battle. Any advice I could give would have little to no effect on the duel. Ethan had faced Harold many times, and just as Ethan knew Harold¡¯s techniques well, Harold knew Ethan¡¯s. They were father and son, after all, and they knew each other¡¯s moves intimately. In the end, all I could do was hope that Ethan would handle the duel well on his own. That was the best way to create the perfect excuse for us to sleep together. ¡®There¡¯s no way to weaken Harold¡­ so the only thing left is to motivate Ethan somehow?¡¯ As strange as it may sounding from me, there are cases of people awakening through the power of love. It was amon trope in the original game, Luminor Academy. Considering it was a harem academy eroge, it wasn¡¯t that surprising. Even during our battle with the Kraken from the Abyss or when Ethan saved me from McHart, I¡¯d seen simr things happen. So it wasn¡¯t impossible to think that love could lead to an awakening, even for someone who wasn¡¯t the main character. Since I knew Ethan loved me, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to think that a little encouragement might lead to some kind of breakthrough. ¡®And Harold does have a soft spot for Ethan.¡¯ Honestly, if Harold had been fighting at full strength, the duel wouldn¡¯t havested this long. The fact that he was going easy on Ethan showed he wanted to help his son grow by giving him just enough of a challenge. If Ethan could narrow that small gap, there was a chance he could win. After all, a victory was a victory, even if it was by the slimmest of margins. As I was thinking about this, one of Ethan¡¯s swords was knocked out of his hand by Harold¡¯s de, ending the duel with Harold¡¯splete victory.
  • ng!
¡°Haaah¡­ haaah¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. You did well, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Father.¡± While Harold only had a few beads of sweat on his forehead, Ethan copsed to his knees,pletely exhausted. ¡°Your stamina has improved. I can feel more weight behind your strikes than before. It seems you didn¡¯t spend your entire vacationzing around with your lover.¡± ¡°¡­There were some things that needed doing.¡± ¡°Still, your swordy has dulled a bit. For today, practice all four stages of the ckwood Form as your final drill.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Father.¡± As soon as he answered, Ethan stood up, brushing the dirt off his knees. His diligence was truly second to none. ¡®At this rate, he¡¯ll spend all three days getting his sense of swordsmanship back, and the summer vacation will be over.¡¯ To be honest, it wasn¡¯t as if we had to consummate our rtionship during the summer break. Once we returned to the academy, we¡¯d resume living together, like it or not. In fact, it might be easier to create natural situations at the academy than here at the ckwood Estate. After all, Ethan and I had already shared a bed countless times, and even if he didn¡¯t win a duel against Harold, we¡¯d still managed to do¡­ other things, using various excuses. ¡®Still, for a first time¡­¡¯ Things like kissing, touching my chest, or even going down on him¡ªthose were acts I could do without any particr justification. But sex¡­ For my first time as a woman, I wanted Ethan to earn it, to im me properly in the right way. It felt unsatisfying to imagine him simply giving in to desire and taking me. ...Of course, given that I had to lose my virginity as soon as possible, I wouldn¡¯t resist if he did. But, for my first time, like most women, I wanted it to be special. ¡­Not that I¡¯m obsessing over it as a woman or anything. I just wanted to make sure I had no regrets about the situation. It would be good for Ethan, too. Defeating his father in a duel and then iming me as his reward would be satisfying for him as a swordsman. If Gerenol heard my thoughts, he¡¯d probably tease me, saying, ¡°Why are you such a troublesome woman?¡± But this was myst bit of pride on the line. ¡®In the end, the only way to spur Ethan on is through desire, I suppose.¡¯ There¡¯s no better motivator than stirring up one¡¯s lower instincts. It was the method I had used the most to cultivate Ethan up to this point, after all. ? ? ? 5 PM. Therge bathhouse at the ckwood Estate.
  • Ssh.
¡°Huuuuh¡­.¡± A young man submerged his tired body into the spacious bath,rge enough to amodate ten people. Ethan Richard ckwood. The only son of the ckwood Ducal family. A month ago, he had fully awakened as a Sword Expert. Now, as he soaked in the steaming water, his thoughts drifted quietly. ¡®Even after fully awakening as a Sword Expert, am I still so far from beating Father?¡¯ Despite his recent growth, Harold¡¯s sword still felt like an insurmountable wall. It was enough to dampen his spirits, making the gap between them seem evenrger than before. Even though Ethan could feel his own growth, Harold was still a rival he couldn¡¯t catch up to. ¡®I thought I might be able to take at least one round if I just kept pressing.¡¯@@novelbin@@ Of course, there had been times in the past when he had managed to win a round. In fact, there were days when he had taken two or three rounds in a day, and on rare asions, he had even won outright in their countless sparring matches. But every time Ethan had won, Harold had been holding back with some kind of penalty: using only basic forms, not utilizing sword energy, or refraining from magic. Without any such restrictions, Ethan simply couldn¡¯t win. No matter how he tried to create an opening, Harold¡¯s swordsmanship was too perfect, too overwhelming to prate. ¡®I couldn¡¯t find any gaps. In fact, it felt like he was leading me into creating my own openings.¡¯ Ethan¡¯s father, Harold Richard ckwood, was a war hero of the empire. He had crossed des with countless swordsmen, many even stronger than Ethan, and had defeated them all. The fact that he had survived those wars meant he was a man of unparalleled strength¡ªa reality that Ethan was beginning to fullyprehend. ¡®He said that at my age, he could cut through the enchanted walls of the imperial capital.¡¯ Every time they crossed swords, Ethan could feel it: he was outssed in every way¡ªtechnique, power, even talent. He had hoped he could at least grasp his father¡¯s shadow by now, but the gap between them remained painfully wide. Ethan was starting to realize that he needed something more¡ªa deeper motivation if he was going to ovee his father. Chapter 291 ¡®...That¡¯s definitely Ethan in the bath, right?¡¯ Standing in front of the ckwood family¡¯srge bath, I double-checked the clothes left outside the bathroom before going in. From the size of the clothes, the dirt stains, and the smell, it was definitely Ethan¡¯s training outfit. And since there weren¡¯t any other clothes in the basket, it was clear he was the only one inside. After all, aside from me, the only person who could share the bath with Ethan in this mansion was Harold. ¡®And I saw Harold go into his office earlier.¡¯ It would be pretty embarrassing if I walked in naked and found someone other than Ethan in there. But knowing Harold¡¯s habit of sitting in his office for at least three hours once he goes in, I was certain he wouldn¡¯t leave until after dinner. With that thought in mind, I carefully ced my neatly folded clothes in a visible spot before entering the bathroom, just in case someone else came by and saw Ethan and my clothes, prompting them to leave.
  • Creak.
¡°...¡± As soon as I opened the door, the first thing I saw was Ethan¡¯s back. No one else was in the bath. Ethan probably noticed someoneing in from the sound of the door, though he wouldn¡¯t know exactly who it was since he had his back turned to the entrance. ¡°...Father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Oh, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± He responded normally, without any particr reaction. He probably thought I came in to help him bathe. ...Of course, my real intention was far from that. ¡°Did youe to help me bathe? Or is there something urgent you need to say?¡± ¡°No. I just came in to bathe with you, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You came to¡­ bathe with me¡­.¡± I subtly hinted that I waspletely naked, but his reaction was oddly mild. I distinctly remember him freaking out before when I came in just to scrub his back. On the one hand, it was kind of satisfying to see him react this way, but on the other hand, it left me feeling somewhat conflicted. ¡®So now he¡¯s not even fazed by me being in the bath with him?¡¯ We¡¯d done everything¡ªkissing, touching, even seeing each other naked¡ªso I guess being in the bath together was no big deal anymore. His attitude, as if this was just part of everyday life, rubbed me the wrong way. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like there was anything I could do about it. All I could do was silentlyin in my head. Besides, the whole reason I came into the bath was to get Ethan to finally cross that st line,¡± so I had to put up with it for now.
  • Scrub, scrub.
¡°...¡±
  • Slosh, slosh.
¡°...If you¡¯re ufortable, should I leave first, Lilith?¡± ¡°I told you, I came in to bathe with you, Young Master. Are you really going to leave me here alone?¡± ¡°...Sorry.¡± What kind of personal maid kicks her master out of the bath just to take it over for herself? I made a point of washing myself as audibly as possible, so Ethan could hear the sound of me scrubbing. Once I was done, I quietly approached the spot opposite Ethan in the bath and slipped into the water.
  • Ssh.
¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The slight rise in the water¡¯s surface sent a ripple over the edge of the bath, the sound of water hitting the floor breaking the silence. Ethan, sitting across from me, seemed strangely intent on avoiding my gaze. His face was flushed enough to be noticeable even from this distance. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed about being naked at this point, is there?¡± ¡°...Lilith, are you trying to seduce me right now?¡± ¡°In a way, you could say it¡¯s a kind of seduction. ...Although I didn¡¯te here with the intent of telling you to pounce on me right this second, Ethan.¡± ¡°P-pounce? I¡¯ve never forced myself on you.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. And that¡¯s why I trust you. Even if I unt my body in front of you like this, I trust that you¡¯ll have the self-control not to recklessly take me, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°...¡± Ethan nervously brought his hand to his lower half, while I deliberately averted my gaze and continued to speak as calmly as possible.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Lilith?¡± ¡°Do you remember two years ago, when I gave you your first ¡®reward¡¯?¡± ¡°...The reward, you mean...¡± ¡°When you were still young and reckless, I let you touch my breasts.¡±
  • Ssh, ssh.
¡°I remember, so you don¡¯t have to wave them in my face.¡± Ethan, averting his eyes from the ripples made by my two breasts, recalled that moment from two years ago. ¡°And do you remember the condition I set when I let you touch them back then?¡± ¡°...The condition was that if I won a round against Father in a duel, you¡¯d let me touch your breasts.¡± ¡°You remember well. I was beginning to think you¡¯d forgotten, given how freely you¡¯ve been touching metely.¡± ¡°...You were half-seducing me yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, and the other half was you giving in to your own desires and pouncing on me.¡± ¡°...¡± Ethan fell silent, as if finally realizing it. Lately, he¡¯d been crossing that line more often without fulfilling the condition of beating Harold in a duel. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like I had much right to say anything, since I¡¯d been letting him get away with it... But for the first time, the significance of the act still mattered to me. I hoped that he remembered the meaning behind the first time I allowed him to touch my breasts. ¡°Lilith said she likes strong men.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you said you¡¯d let me touch your breasts if I won a round against Father, the strongest man in the ckwood Estate. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m d you remember so well.¡± ¡°In this case, forgetting would¡¯ve been the problem. After all, the only reason I started taking dueling seriously was because of what you said.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you that I¡¯ve reached a level I never would have imagined back then. And for that, I¡¯m truly grateful.¡± Honestly, Ethan¡¯s skills weren¡¯tcking. He was only being outssed because his opponent today was Harold. In fact,pared to his peers, Ethan¡¯s skills were practically unmatched. He knew this himself¡ªamong the academy¡¯s swordsmanship club, the only person who could rival him was Gerenol. He maintained a winning record against everyone else ranked third through fifth. Since he had awakened as a Sword Expert during this summer break, the gap between him and the other students, save for Gerenol, would only grow wider. The only reason it seemed like he was being overwhelmed was because his opponent was Harold, the youngest Sword Master in the empire, who had broken countless records. Even if I brought Gerenol in here, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Harold. That¡¯s why asking Ethan to win even a single round with all restrictions removed might¡¯ve seemed like an impossible request. But if I was going to make such a difficult demand, it was only fair to offer him an equally motivating reward. ¡°The condition I gave you back then wasn¡¯t just an excuse to preserve my ¡®Saintess¡¯ status.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was genuinely attracted to seeing you grow stronger, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I truly want you to win your next duel. A duel with Master Harold¡ªone with no restrictions or handicaps. I want to see you take at least one round.¡± I¡¯d said all this, and still, his expression didn¡¯t change much. So far, all I had done was offer encouragement in the form of words. But now it was time to move on from words and discuss the real ¡°reward¡± I had in store for Ethan. ¡°If you manage to win that duel, Young Master Ethan... I¡¯ll give you everything I have, without regret.¡± ¡°E-everything...?¡± ¡°Yes, everything.¡± ¡°Everything... L-Lilith¡¯s... everything...¡± As if in a trance, Ethan muttered thest words I had spoken, repeating them over and over. I could practically feel his racing heartbeat resonating through the water, even though we were seated far apart. Or maybe it was my own heartbeat I was feeling. ¡°Of course, my ¡®everything¡¯ as a mere maid might be nothing more than a trivial amusement for you, Young Master.¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about?! L-Lilith, you¡¯re not just some maid to me...!¡± ¡°As a swordsman, you should prove it with your sword. If you truly care for me, Young Master, show me your strength and im me with it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®That should be enough motivation for him.¡¯ I had deliberately chosen the bathhouse as the ce to say this to stimte Ethan¡¯s imagination. Simply saying the words ¡°everything¡± wouldn¡¯t have been as effective as saying it while showing my body. It was like those product pages that show cross-sections of adult toys for rity... No, forget that. That¡¯s an inappropriate metaphor, even for me. Anyway, with this, Ethan would bepletely focused on winning his next duel against Harold. Of course, Harold wasn¡¯t someone who could be beaten with mere determination... but I had faith in Ethan. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, Young Master Ethan. I¡¯m counting on you to take my first experience with the full power of your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°...Yeah. You can count on me, Lilith.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I needed to. I¡¯ll be leaving first, Young Master.¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Ssh.
Leaving Ethan, who was clearly not in any state to ¡°leave the bath¡± himself, I got out of the bath first. Now...I could only pray that Ethan was as lustful a man as I thought he was. Chapter 293 After the duel with Harold, it took Ethan over an hour before he was able to get back on his feet. That meant that the fatigue had really built up in his body. Swinging his sword at nearly the same pace for almost two hours against a Sword Master¡ªit was no surprise. ¡®¡­Still, he was pretty impressive.¡¯ At the very least, just the fact that he hadn¡¯t given up, even though he was a Sword Expert facing off against a Sword Master, was enough for Ethan to get passing marks in my book. The way he persisted to the very end, managing to win a round against a Sword Master, was more than admirable. If I were a normal woman, I might have thrown myself into Ethan¡¯s arms after the duel, like some naive vige girl. Of course, I had self-control, so I didn¡¯t recklessly throw myself at him. Instead, I sat quietly beside Ethan as hey on the ground, waiting patiently for him to recover and get back up. After all, he had just finished dozens of rounds with a Sword Master, so I could afford to wait however long it took. ¡°How does it feel to finally win a round against your master, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure how I feel.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If you think about it, this wasn¡¯t really aplete victory. I only won a round because I deliberately wore down my father¡¯s stamina. I didn¡¯t actually beat his swordsmanship.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the details are that important, Young Master. What matters is the result: you won a round against Master Harold, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Or¡­ are you subtly rejecting the ¡®reward¡¯ I promised you because you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°N-no! That¡¯s not it at all¡­!¡± Fortunately, he had somehow remembered my promise to give him "everything." After all, Ethan had crossed swords with Harold all this way to fulfill that very desire. ¡°I distinctly remember what you said, Lilith¡ªthat you¡¯d give me ¡®everything¡¯ if I won even one round against my father.¡± ¡°...Yes, I¡¯m d you remember that.¡± Hearing those words from Ethan¡¯s mouth made it feel even more real. I realized that the moment I¡¯d be giving him my virginity was fast approaching. There was no running from it now, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to. Giving Ethan my first experience was something I was more than ready for. ¡°You said it yourself, Lilith. That if I won the next round against my father, you wouldn¡¯t regret giving me everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Well... they say the first time is rough for a girl, but Lilith, even if it hurts, you¡¯re okay with that, right?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s fine, Master Ethan. I¡¯ve been prepared for that ever since I first saw... your size.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± When I bluntly said that I was prepared, Ethan looked a little apologetic. Of course, I had no intention of making him feel like he owed me anything. Given everything he¡¯d put in and aplished, whatever I could offer him felt like the least I could do. It was only a temporary victory, so I couldn¡¯t call him a Sword Master just yet. But still, for a Sword Expert to win even once against a fully powered Sword Master¡ªthat was something to be proud of. ¡°So, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°When do you n to take me for real?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°With today¡¯s duel, you¡¯ve earned the right to im me. That means you can ask for your ¡®reward¡¯ anytime, anywhere.¡± ¡°Right¡­.¡± ¡°For the record, I¡¯m ready anytime. If you wanted to take me tonight, that would be fine. If you can¡¯t wait that long, we could even do it right now, in the great bath¡­.¡± ¡°Wait, Lilith. I get that you¡¯re excited, but let¡¯s slow down a bit, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really excited. I was just wondering when Master Ethan would want to im his reward...¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to rush, is there?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If this is going to be my first time with you, I think I need a little mental preparation. ...And if we did it today, honestly, I might not have the energy for it.¡± ¡°...¡± Well, I guess that makes sense. Ethan had just finished a full-power duel with Harold. So, his excuse about being a little drained was understandable.@@novelbin@@ Even Harold, the Sword Master, had needed Ditmeyer¡¯s help just to stand after the fight. Considering that Ethan, a Sword Expert, had been the one receiving those blows, it was only natural he¡¯d be exhausted. There were still two days left until sses resumed, and as long as we got it done before then, there wasn¡¯t any real problem. If Ethan got a good night¡¯s rest today, he¡¯d probably be fully recovered by tomorrow. He wouldn¡¯t need to push himself to continue training tomorrow either, since he had already won today. So by then, Ethan would have his strength fully restored and wouldn¡¯t becking in energy. And when that time came, I wouldn¡¯t even need to make the first move¡ªhe¡¯d be more than eager to take me himself. ¡®Just one more day¡­ just one day¡­.¡¯ If I could hold out for just one more day, I¡¯d be able to finally get rid of this troublesome virginity and be free from the duties of a saint. So, I decided to hold out for that one day and wait for Ethan to take me the next night. But, unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go ording to n. ¡­Instead of waiting passively for Ethan to make the first move, I realized that was far too risky, and our first time ended up happening in a rather different way. ? ? ? That evening, after Ethan won the duel against Harold, he rested for a while and then got up as if everything had returned to normal. It was as though the duel with his father, the Sword Master, was just part of his daily routine. Despite having imed a victory, it was as if he didn¡¯t even consider it a significant achievement. Watching Ethan act like nothing had happened made me feel a bit bewildered. ¡®Is he going to forget he beat Harold, just like that?¡¯ After all, it was a victory he earned, one I promised him ¡°everything¡± for. If he brushed it off so easily, it would feel like all that anticipation was for nothing. Of course, with Ethan¡¯s obsessive personality, the idea that he¡¯d forget something about me was hard to imagine. ¡®I can¡¯t just keep bringing it up, though. He might start thinking I¡¯m some kind of lewd maid.¡¯ The reason I had decided to give Ethan my body was because he had shown me his determination and dedication, and he had kept his promise to win the duel against Harold in order to im me. It wasn¡¯t because I was desperate to sleep with him or anything. So, all I could do was calmly wait for the moment when Ethan would decide to take me. After spending a day following our usual routine, Iy down quietly in the servant¡¯s quarters adjacent to Ethan¡¯s room. Thinking about Ethan taking me tomorrow, I figured I should get some good rest. ¡®Tomorrow, atst.¡¯ After tomorrow, I wouldn¡¯t be able to say I¡¯m a virgin anymore. As a former unicorn, it gave me mixed feelings. It was one of those identities that I¡¯d always carried with me, and now it was about to disappear. ¡®It¡¯s a little scary to think I won¡¯t be a virgin anymore¡­.¡¯ But as a former unicorn, offering my virginity to a man I had decided to love for the rest of my life seemed like a fitting way to lose it. There was no more beautiful way for a heroine to lose her virginity than this. A heroine¡¯s purity was ultimately about offering her one and only experience to the protagonist, making herplete. The value of chastity lies in saving it for the most precious person, for the most special moment. I didn¡¯t care what others thought about their own purity, but that was my philosophy. Now, with only one day left before that moment woulde, my heart was racing too fast for me to sleep. ¡®Tomorrow, with Ethan¡­. Tomorrow, with Ethan¡­. Tomorrow, with Ethan¡­.¡¯ Calm down, Lilith. It¡¯s just your first time. It¡¯s just a normal act of love that any adult man and woman would go through. Getting nervous or excited about such a simple andmon thing is just silly. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m some country girl experiencing her first love. I¡¯m way past the age for that. Chapter 294 When Iy in bed with my heart pounding wildly, I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them again, the view outside had shifted from the dark night sky to a bright morning one. I checked the time and saw it was around 6:30 AM. I remember having a hard time falling asleep because my heart was racing, but once I did fall asleep, it was a deep, restful sleep as usual. ¡°Finally, morning hase,¡± I thought to myself.
  • Thump, thump, thump.
My heart started pounding like crazy as I thought about what I had to do today¡ªsomething far more nerve-wracking than my usual maid duties. This would be the first time in my life¡ªno, in both my lives¡ªthat I would experience something like this, since in my previous life, I had died a virgin as well. I wondered if I would have been this nervous if I¡¯d had the chance to sleep with a woman when I was a man in my previous life. Probably not, I guessed. But there was no backing out now. After putting Ethan through all that effort, it would be too selfish to run away. So I had no choice but to ept it with as muchposure as possible. If it was going to happen, better to do it before the school semester started, so there wouldn¡¯t be any unnecessaryplications. ¡°I heard the first time... can be quite painful.¡± But it should be fine, right? After all, it¡¯s Ethan. They say tearing the hymen is painful, but that¡¯s mostly if there¡¯s no proper forey. And given that Ethan and I had engaged in plenty of forey before, I assumed it wouldn¡¯t be as bad. If I was well-prepared, maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt that much... hopefully. ¡°¡­But I¡¯m still a bit nervous.¡± No matter how prepared I was, I wondered if there was any way to make it less painful. It wasn¡¯t that I was afraid of the pain itself, but more that it was my first time, and it¡¯s only natural for every woman to want it to be as good of a memory as possible. And then there was the size of Ethan¡¯s¡­ well, it was a concern. No matter how ready I was, something that big entering me... well, it had to hurt, right? ¡°Maybe¡­ I should be the one to take the lead.¡± If I was the one doing it, instead of him, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad? At least if I was in control, it wouldn¡¯t be as bad when things started to hurt. With that thought, I quickly got out of bed and changed into my maid uniform. They say the iron is hottest when you strike it, so it was best to act quickly. Later that same morning, in Ethan¡¯s bedroom: ¡°...So, it¡¯s morning after all.¡± The only son of the ckwood family muttered to himself, still lying in bed after spending the night mostly awake. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was so worked up about my first time that I couldn¡¯t even sleep... like a little kid.¡± It was a ridiculously trivial reason for insomnia, even for him. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances: the fact that his first time was going to be with his first love, the girl he had been infatuated with since childhood, made it more understandable. But still, it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d want to admit out loud. If he¡¯d known this would happen, he might have done itst night. His n to rest up for a day and then sleep with Lilith had already fallen apart. He¡¯d even nned a small date for today, since it was going to be their first time, but in his current state, it was probably better to just rest at the mansion. If he rested now, he¡¯d recover some strength and be ready for the evening. He thought about resting a bit more, and when Lilith came to wake him, he could exin. Or maybe she¡¯d see him sleeping and decide to let him rest longer. Just as he was about to drift off, a knock on the door and a familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
  • Knock, knock, knock.
¡°Master Ethan, it¡¯s Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Come in.¡±
  • Creak.
Ethan was a little surprised to see Lilith arriving about an hour earlier than usual, but it wasn¡¯t entirely unwee. Since he¡¯d nned to stay in bed, it was better to exin the situation sooner rather thanter. ¡°You¡¯re up early, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, somehow.¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit that he¡¯d stayed up all night, as it would be like admitting how much he¡¯d been looking forward to their first time together. If it had been another maid, he might have confessed without a second thought, but not to Lilith¡ªthe one he had feelings for. ¡°Lilith...¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m really tired today, and I think I¡¯ll sleep a little longer. Can you let the kitchen know to skip my breakfast?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already taken care of that, Master Ethan, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°...You already...? Of course, Lilith¡­ wait, what?¡± He was confused by how she had anticipated his request. But before he could process it, Lilith calmly began undressing as she continued to speak. ¡°And... no one will be entering your room for the next four hours, so you don¡¯t need to worry about any interruptions.¡±
  • Slip.
¡°W-wait, Lilith?!¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°What... what are you doing? Why are you undressing?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± ¡°...¡± The reason was obvious. Too obvious for him to pretend otherwise. He knew exactly why she was undressing. It was the same reason he had pushed himself so hard during the duel with his father. ¡°You know what young men and women do when they¡¯re alone in a room together, don¡¯t you, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°But... it¡¯s morning, Lilith. Isn¡¯t this kind of thing usually done at night...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the morning after you¡¯ve had a good rest, Master Ethan. I¡¯m sure the fatigue from yesterday¡¯s duel has been fully relieved by now.¡± ¡°...¡± It hadn¡¯t. Not even close. In fact, his muscles were aching more than before. Fatigue tends to catch up with you hours after intense exertion. But whether she knew this or not, Lilith continued to undress until she was left standing in only her underwear. ¡°What do you think, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, what do you think of my outfit? It¡¯s a little different from usual, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...¡± She was right. Her underwear was different from the usual. She was wearing ck, matching her stockings, but it wasn¡¯t the in ck underwear maids usually wore. This set hadce patterns, making it look more... luxurious, almost sensual. ¡°You¡­ when did you get this?¡± ¡°I made it myself. Turns out it wasn¡¯t that difficult.¡± ¡°You... you made this?¡± ¡°Yes. I figured there¡¯d be a time to use it, and today seems like the day, so I wore it for the asion. Consider it my ¡®special asion¡¯ underwear.¡± ¡°Special asion...?¡± Lilith smiled, looking at him yfully. The intricatece on her underwear was slightly see-through, making it even more erotic than being naked.
  • Gulp.
¡°I¡¯m d you like it, Master Ethan.¡± Ethan¡¯s heart pounded harder than ever as Lilith smiled at him. It was a moment he had fantasized about since childhood. And now, Lilith, in all her beauty and sensuality, stood in front of him, ready. His body responded on its own, despite the exhaustion weighing him down. ¡°Lilith...¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Are we... really going to do this now?¡± ¡°After teasing me this much, are you nning to run away, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t say anything, you just started undressing.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t stop me, which means, in a way, you¡¯re already agreeing, right?¡± ¡°...¡± He had been too stunned to stop her when she started undressing, but saying that out loud would only make him seem pathetic, so he kept quiet. ¡°Lilith, I hate to say this now, but...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Like I said earlier, I¡¯m really tired and want to rest a bit more. Could we maybe wait until dinner?¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, Master Ethan. You don¡¯t have to do anything. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that, it¡¯s just¡ª¡±
  • Fling!
¡°And besides, Master Ethan, it seems like your ¡®little master¡¯ doesn¡¯t quite agree with you.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilith had flung the nket off of him, revealing the very obvious reaction his body was having despite his fatigue.@@novelbin@@ Seeing that, Ethan could no longer refuse the feel of Lilith¡¯s hands on him. Chapter 295 Some time had passed since Lilith had begun to seriously take control over Ethan. By now, Ethan¡¯s lower half waspletely dominated by Lilith. ¡ªNibble, nibble. ¡°Ha, ha, ha.¡± ¡ªSlurp, slurp, slurp. ¡°Ha-eup, eup... Ha-eup...¡± Listening to the sweet yet obscene sounds from below, Ethan struggled to keep his eyes open. The feeling of Lilith, his first love, the only woman he had ever given his heart to, licking his cock like it was a giant lollipop, was so overwhelming that he felt like he could cum at any moment. Her tongue worked relentlessly on him while hey there, naked except for the clothes he¡¯d left discarded around him. The sensation of her wet tongue and soft breasts sliding up and down his length was almost unbearable. ¡®I¡¯ve lost count of how many times she¡¯s done this...¡¯ Today, the way Lilith was licking his cock felt especially hard to resist. Maybe it was because he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what wasing next. The fact that her breasts were wrapped around the underside of his cock, unlike usual, made it all the more stimting. ¡ªTsup, tsup. ¡°Lily, s...¡± ¡°...Eh?¡± ¡°How long are you going to keep licking me? A second ago, it looked like you were about to pounce on me...¡± ¡°...You want to talk while I¡¯ve got my mouth full?¡± With that, Lilith pulled his cock out of her mouth and spoke again. ¡°Master Ethan, I¡¯m going to need to finish once before I let you in, okay?¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°Did you really think you could just shove this ridiculously huge thing into me without any preparation...? Even for me, it¡¯s a bit much without some forethought...¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you were sucking so hard?¡± ¡°Exactly. Now, let¡¯s keep going.¡± Without waiting for a response, Lilith buried her face back between his legs and resumed her task. Ethan was a bit thrown by the way she was straddling the line between teasing and seriousness, but neither of them had protested up to this point. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d end up getting off twice before we even started...¡¯ Though Lilith seemed slightly tired, Ethan, being a man, couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no to her. At any other time, it would have been quite humiliating for him to show weakness like this, but with Lilith, he didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Of course, Lilith.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cum once before putting it inside like you want, but... how would you feel about swallowing whates out?¡± ¡°Inhale...?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to, but it would make me happier if you did.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡ªTsup, tsup. After hearing his request, Lilith hesitated for a moment before returning to sucking him again. Ethan wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she was agreeing or just going along with it, but for now, he let himself enjoy the feel of her mouth on him. A few quiet moments passed, filled only with the sound of her lips working on him. Then, as the first wave of his release hit, Lilith wrapped her lips around him fully, silently epting the load.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Mmmm, mmmm..., mmmm...!¡± Her lips tightened around his shaft as she moaned softly, struggling to swallow the thick liquid that continued to fill her mouth. Ethan felt a pang of guilt, but deep inside, he was pleased to see her trying to take it all in as he had asked. ¡°Hmph, hmph...¡± ¡ªGulp. ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha...¡± ¡°Are you okay, Lilith?¡± Ethan asked, concerned. Lilith responded with a frown. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s the worst.¡± ¡°Did you hate it that much...?¡± ¡°Do you even understand how unpleasant it is to have this fishy, sticky stuff shoved down your throat? And yours is so thick it feels like it¡¯s clinging to everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d hate it that much...¡± ¡°I¡¯m only doing this because it¡¯s you, Master Ethan. If you ever find yourself with another woman, never ask for this.¡± ¡°...Yes, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Not that he had any intention of asking anyone else. Ethan nodded, quietly abandoning the fantasies he had entertained about the ¡°other woman¡± Lilith referred to. Besides, her agreeing to do this meant she would grant his request again in the future, so whether the hypothetical ¡°other woman¡± liked it or not didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Think about it, Master Ethan. If I asked you to lick my... cunt and drink all of the liquid that gushes out of me when I climax, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d refuse.¡± ¡°...I¡¯d actually like it.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love anything thates from your body, Lilith. If you want, I could drink it all next time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be weird! Ugh, I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± Ethan found Lilith¡¯s embarrassed reaction absolutely adorable as she blushed and shook her head. The next time he had to go down on her or serve her in any way, he looked forward to seeing the shame on her face when he returned the favor. In the meantime, Lilith had climbed back onto the bed, still holding onto his cock, which had shrunk slightly after the first release, but not too much. She raised one leg slightly and positioned his cock in front of her entrance, letting out a small gasp. ¡ªGiggle. ¡°Ha, ha, ha...¡± She carefully lined up the tip of his cock with her opening. Just that sensation was enough to send an electric tingle through Ethan¡¯s body. It was a moment he¡¯d fantasized about since they were young... or more urately, since the day Lilith had first let him touch her breasts. The fluttering excitement of his first experience made Ethan¡¯s heart race. ¡ªGiggle. ¡°Hmph, hmph, hmph...!¡± The tightness at the tip of his cock signaled the resistance of her hymen. Ethan knew what this barrier was, thanks to Lilith¡¯s candid conversation about her virginity in the Star Pce. Thest defense against a man¡¯s intrusion. If Lilith lowered herself any further, his cock would tear through her hymen and fully enter her body. Despite his desire, Ethan didn¡¯t want to rush. He wanted Lilith to take things at her own pace. ¡°Okay, hold on a sec, Master... I¡¯ll have you in soon, just give me a minute...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, take your time, Lilith. I¡¯ll wait as long as you need.¡± ¡°Ha, yeah...¡± At this point, just the head of his cock had entered. Objectively, this was already sex, and if they stopped now, Lilith¡¯s innocence would still be considered lost. But Ethan didn¡¯t mind waiting. He knew Lilith wasn¡¯t going to pull away. Even if the full pration took longer, he had no doubt that soon his cock would be fully inside her. ¡°Ha, ha, ha...¡± Lilith, however, was growing impatient. She had positioned herself to move, but the pain was greater than she expected, and she couldn¡¯t fit the rest of him inside. Time dragged on, and Lilith¡¯s body, straddling Ethan¡¯s cock in an awkward position, began to tire. ¡ªGroan. ¡°Ugh, ha...!¡± Lilith had chosen this position so she could control the pace, but she had overlooked one crucial thing. She had been so focused on mounting Ethan that she hadn¡¯t prepared herself properly. Now, with her mind clouded by the thought of his cock, she realized toote she hadn¡¯t given her body the forey it needed. ¡®Why does it hurt so much...¡¯ Forgetting even that simplest fact, Lilith pressed forward, forcing the rest of his cock into her body, and when her strength gave out, she copsed onto Ethan¡¯s cock. Instantly, with the sensation of tearing, Ethan¡¯s cock pierced her body. ¡ªTchhhhh!!! ¡°Ughhhhhhhhhh...!¡± It was the most painful and absurd moment of losing her virginity that Lilith could have imagined. Chapter 298 ¡°To take a step toward manhood and then leave me alone and run off. Quite the feat, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Lilith, it¡¯s not...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to sneak off like that while I was asleep. Did your inner Casanova emerge as soon as you threw off the shackles of pity?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure what a ¡®Casanova temperament¡¯ is, but it¡¯s not like that, Lilith...¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m a ¡®conquered woman,¡¯ you¡¯ve lost interest? If I had known it would be like this, maybe I should have teased you a bit longer. We could¡¯ve waited until after you graduated from the Academy like we originally promised... that would¡¯ve been perfect timing.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I lost interest in you...¡± Ethan stammered, clearly bewildered by my teasing, his expression giving away his confusion. It was easy to tell what was going on in his head. One quick nce at him, and I knew he hadn¡¯t intentionally left me behind. I had figured that much while watching him mindlessly train earlier. I¡¯d seen enough of his confused face, so I decided to let the misunderstanding go. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, Master Ethan. I¡¯m sure you had a lot on your mind and needed a moment to yourself. I understand, so don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. I should have stayed with you longer.¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯d like to know why you were swinging your sword out here. I¡¯m sure you had a reason.¡± ¡°...I had a lot on my mind, and I was trying to clear my head.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have done that in your room? You could¡¯ve read or meditated or something.¡± ¡°...There was a release.¡± ¡°......?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t stay calm in the room with you, Lilith. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from... looking.¡± ...Well, I guess that makes sense. Lilith¡¯s body wasn¡¯t exactly something a young man in his prime could easily ignore. Even I found it hard to resist, being naked in the same room with him. I couldn¡¯t me him for needing some distance. ¡°So, you were swinging this wooden sword to cool off? You¡¯re drenched in sweat.¡± ¡°Yeah... I guess I overdid it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to be all sweaty... Lilith¡¯s body would smell like sweat too...¡± ¡°I can always wash it off, and sweat is the least of our worries in our rtionship.¡± ¡°...I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Besides, I was nning to wash up anyway.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh... right.¡± I nodded at Ethan¡¯s confused expression, then half-pulled him toward the great room. I wasn¡¯t about to return to my freshly cleaned bed in these sweaty clothes. ? ? ? ? ? ¡ªSsh. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa...¡± Ethan and I gave ourselves a quick wash and then sank into the hot bath together. As Iy back, the heat seeped into my body, easing the strange soreness I¡¯d felt earlier in my muscles. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah... sure.¡± ¡ªSsh. Ethan, freshly washed by my hands, slowly dipped his feet into the tub, his face still slightly shy. He tried to ignore the hardening at the bottom, probably embarrassed by it. For some reason, his bashfulness today felt oddly out of ce. ¡®It feels like we¡¯ve switched roles.¡¯ Usually, after the first time, the woman is supposed to be the shy one, while the man bes more confident. Why did it feel like Ethan and I were reversed? It wasn¡¯t as though Ethan didn¡¯t know how to be assertive. In fact, I had found his boldness attractive when he first made his move. Maybe that¡¯s why I was a little disappointed by his current hesitation. ¡®Now that I think about it, Ethan has always been a bit off when he¡¯s been overly assertive.¡¯ Whether it was after a sneaky outing with Agnes, or when he was jealous about a warrior I barely knew, or when he¡¯d drunk some questionable tea from that perfume shop... it was always during moments of raw emotion. It seemed that the more reserved Ethan was his truer self, and I was likely to see fewer outbursts of that kind now. At least I didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone else stealing my first time¡ªit had already been imed by Ethan. Not that I was suddenly developing a taste for constant physical intimacy. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t have to endure those awkward moments anymore. ¡°I wonder if Ethan will ever be as forceful as he used to be... it¡¯s kind of... a little disappointing.¡± No, stop. What the hell are you thinking? It¡¯s good that he¡¯s not overly aggressive. That¡¯s not something to regret. What a ridiculous thought. My mind had been racing ever since our first experience. ¡°Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Why are you sitting so far away from me?¡± ¡°Uh, sorry... should Ie over there?¡± ¡°How could I, a maid, call you over? I¡¯lle to you.¡± ¡°Wait, Lilith...¡± ¡ªSsh. I walked over to Ethan, who looked flustered, as if he didn¡¯t know where to look. If he was going to panic like that, why sit so far away in the first ce? His abrupt departure from the bedroom, his awkward behavior¡ªit was starting to get on my nerves. I¡¯ll have to give him some pointerster. If he kept acting like this after our first night, even after proving his fidelity, he¡¯d run out of excuses. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯ve said it before, but you really shouldn¡¯t act like a virgin after the first night. How do you think your wife would feel if she saw you so flustered?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Master Ethan. I¡¯ve always known you had a bit of a soft spot for the old-fashioned ways, but if you behave like this after you¡¯re married to someone else, it might be a problem.¡± ¡°Another woman...?¡± ¡°Marriage among nobles is about uniting families. If you don¡¯t value your wife, it¡¯ll inevitably lead to conflicts with her side of the family.¡± ¡°Conflicts with the family... Haha...¡± Ethan looked at me with a smile, as if he was amused by my concern. ¡°By the way, Ethan, you¡¯re getting older. Why haven¡¯t I heard about your engagement?¡± Of course, I was known publicly as Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, or something along those lines. After all, the dormitory we shared was meant for engaged couples. However, it wasn¡¯t umon for nobles to have a fake fianc¨¦e while secretly pursuing someone else. It was a way to fend off improper proposals from other families¡ªan unspoken message that said, ¡°I already have a fianc¨¦e, so don¡¯t get any ideas.¡± I had received ten love letters a day after Ethan¡¯s first public appearance, which was normal for a handsome, talented nobleman. Once I began posing as his fianc¨¦e, the number dropped to about one letter a day, but the attention was still there. I had wondered what Ethan¡¯s ns were, but his answer had always been elusive. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that, Lilith.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The disappointment of another woman, conflicts with the family... none of that matters, Lilith.¡± ¡°...Oh. I see.¡± Ethan clearly had his own thoughts on the matter. If he was keeping them to himself, there was probably a good reason. So, I didn¡¯t press further. Though, I couldn¡¯t help but feel myposure waver just a little at the realization that I didn¡¯t fully know his intentions. Chapter 299 It has been about a week since the start of the second semester of the second year at Luminor Academy. To cut to the chase, despite the almost ten days that passed during the break, I haven''t been able to gather any information regarding Ethan''s "hidden fianc¨¦e." The first possibility¡ªwhere someone finds their own partner and marries when the timees¡ªwas highly unlikely. Based on what I¡¯ve observed of Ethan so far, he didn¡¯t seem to be involved in any romantic endeavors. In fact, I hadn¡¯t even seen him actively going out to meet anyone. In general, he was focused on his studies within the academy. asionally, he would have conversations with a few nobles (especially professors) or influential figures, but I was always there with him, so those meetings were far from romantic in nature. ¡°There¡¯s a chance you might¡¯ve met my daughter, who is in the Luminor Academy''s swordsmanship club. She¡¯s quite famous, thanks to her looks, even though she¡¯s in a different year.¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure. Perhaps it¡¯s because I already have a fianc¨¦e, but I don¡¯t tend to take much interest in the appearance of other women.¡± ¡°Ahem, is that so? Well, there¡¯s nothing to be done about that, then.¡± Even when someone tried to casually probe about his supposed fianc¨¦e, Ethan would deflect with nomittal answers like that. If Ethan were truly in a fake engagement, it made no sense for him to avoid all such interactions. Normally, someone in a fake engagement would still pursue secret rtionships with members of powerful families, as is customary among the nobles of this world. Thus, the second possibility remained: he had already been engaged, but it couldn¡¯t be publicly disclosed. In most cases, this meant that Ethan¡¯s partner was either a member of the royal family or a foreign royal. The engagement probably happened a long time ago, before Ethan was cursed and fell into his deep sleep¡ªlikely over ten years ago. ''The most probable candidates are¡­ about three people, I guess?'' If it were the royal family, then the second princess, Lushetia, or the fourth princess, Mezlen. If it were foreign royalty, then Princess Rainy of the Nostarina Kingdom. Of course, all three were well beyond my reach. Not to mention, none of them were currently at Luminor Academy. Mezlen and Rainy were too young, and Lushetia was simply too dim-witted to have the skills necessary to enroll in the academy. In fact, the second princess, Lushetia, wasn¡¯t just foolish¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even interested in academics, which was a bigger factor. Even if she were that dim, her royal status would have guaranteed her enrollment. However, Lushetia refused to enroll in Luminor Academy, iming she was too busy enjoying her life.@@novelbin@@ ''That¡¯s one of the reasons Seraphin despises her.'' In the original story, the only true siblings Seraphin had in the royal family were Lushetia and Antonio. Above her was a foolish older sister who indulged in luxury, and below her, a younger brother who had lost all will and was disillusioned with life. It was no wonder Seraphin, with no one to rely on, became obsessed with the Hero in the original story. While Antonio had seeminglye to his senses in this world, that didn¡¯t mean Seraphin¡¯s hatred for Lushetia had lessened. ¡®Out of the other two, Lushetia is definitely a no-go.¡¯ If Lushetia truly were Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e in the original story, the downfall of the ckwood family would be guaranteed. She was a vile viin who caused stress every time she appeared at Luminor Academy. Well, there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it. Prying into the affairs of royalty or foreign royals would likely lead to me being discreetly eliminated. And so, my search for Ethan¡¯s hidden fianc¨¦e ended here. As frustrating as it was, I wasn¡¯t willing to risk my life investigating further. Even if I was acting as Ethan¡¯s temporary fianc¨¦e, I couldn¡¯t go around pretending I was the future Duchess. I was merely an employee of the ckwood family, and Ethan¡¯s personal maid, after all. ¡®If only the original story had revealed who Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e was, it wouldn¡¯t be so frustrating.¡¯ The reason Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e wasn¡¯t mentioned in the original was simple¡ªEthan¡¯s death (or disappearance) in the story. Ethan left the plot just before he entered his third year at Luminor Academy. Whoever his fianc¨¦e was must have been thrilled. In the original story, Ethan wasn¡¯t as tall as he was now and had gained an excessive amount of weight, bing a hideous figure. His fianc¨¦e was likely eagerly anticipating the dissolution of their engagement. And even after breaking off the engagement, there was no way the other party would go around boasting about it, so it made sense that even I, who yed through the original story 24.5 times, didn¡¯t know who she was. ¡®I mean, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m one of the candidates.¡¯ The only son of the Duke of ckwood marrying the daughter of a bordend semi-baron whose status was ambiguous? And if they looked into it further, they¡¯d find out I was originally amoner. Ethan might take such a risk¡ªbut it was highly unlikely, and Lord Harald definitely wouldn¡¯t approve. ¡®Well, it¡¯s just a fleeting dream anyway.¡¯ There were only two and a half years left until graduation from the academy. That¡¯s the amount of time Ethan and I had left together. ? ? ? As with most academy games, Luminor Academy also had a "student dining hall." It wasn¡¯t like the cafeteria from my original world, where food was prepared inrge quantities and served. Instead, it was more like a buffet with several dishes lined up on tes, and students took what they wanted. The food was free¡ªtechnically, it was included in the academy¡¯s exorbitant tuition fees, so not eating would be a waste. Plus, the quality of the meals wasn¡¯t bad at all. Ethan, Agnes, and I regrly used the student dining hall. Agnes and I didn¡¯t have much financial leeway, so we had no choice. As for Ethan, he was a naturally frugal person who avoided unnecessary spending. He would spend when necessary but saw no point in wasting money, especially in the overpriced dining options on Knowledge Ind. Thus, it became our daily routine to have lunch in the student dining hall attached to the student union. asionally, we¡¯d sit with others like the August siblings, Seraphin, or Cerista. During one such ordinary day, Agnes suddenlymented on my rtionship with Ethan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two spending too much time togethertely?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean, Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°Is there any reason why a personal maid can¡¯t frequently apany her master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m talking about how physically close you two are.¡± During lunchtime, Agnes, sitting across from Ethan and me, sighed and gestured towards us with her knife. ¡°You don¡¯t need to stick so closely. You¡¯ve been like that ever since the semester started.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is sticking to each other during meals really necessary? It¡¯s more like showing off. Or are you trying to tell me to go away because I¡¯m interrupting your date?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never once considered you an inconvenience, Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with having more people at the table. Here, Lilith. Say ¡®Ah.¡¯¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Mmm, it¡¯s delicious, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Ugh, what a show.¡± Agnes¡¯ dry remark came after she saw me eat a piece of steak that Ethan fed me with his fork. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t feel any embarrassment. Sticking so closely to Ethan and feeding each other every other time would be strange if it didn¡¯t embarrass me at all. But really, embarrassment wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. If I only had two and a half years left at the academy, I figured I might as well enjoy things while I could. I didn¡¯t want to look backter and regret not having done certain things. It was a bit unfortunate that the things I wanted to do with a boyfriend in my previous life, I was now doing as a girl in this one, but it was still better than not doing them at all. ¡°Master Ethan, say ¡®Ah.¡¯¡± ¡°Ah~.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh. If only Seraphin wasn¡¯t so busy, I could just have meals with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested you join the student council. There must be at least two open spots now that Master Ethan and I have left.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that. I¡¯m already busy enough with my research.¡± Well, it made sense that Agnes was busy. She was dedicated to her studies and personal research on fire magic. In the end, Agnes had no one else to eat with but me. And I would spend the next two and a half years with Ethan as much as possible. If I was going to let him go without any regrets, I needed to make sure I enjoyed our time together now. ¡°Won¡¯t Prince Antonio enroll next year? You won¡¯t have to witness us being so close once he¡¯s here, so I ask for your patience for just one semester.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about? He¡¯s just an acquaintance.¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s just an acquaintance, there¡¯s no harm in having meals together, right? Do you believe meals should only be shared with family, friends, or romantic partners?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve lost my appetite. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°All right. We¡¯ll stop, so please take your seat. You too, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing me and Ethan immediately stop and sit properly, Agnes gave us an exasperated look but eventually returned to her seat and continued eating. As I watched Agnes quietly consume more carrot-based dishes, perhaps due to my previous advice during our camping trip, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Just then, amotion erupted from one corner of the dining hall, drawing the attention of the three of us. Chapter 300 A loud crashing sound erupted from one corner of the student dining hall, and the three of us instinctively turned our heads at the same time. It seemed like someone had dropped their tray by ident. Since such idents were fairlymon in the dining hall, I was about to turn my head back when I heard a voice that I couldn¡¯t easily ignore. ¡°¡­What do you think you¡¯re doing, Panoman?¡± The voice, filled with irritation, was one I recognized. The familiarity of the voice indicated that this was a character who yed at least a supporting role in Luminor Academy. ¡°Oh, sorry. It was an ident.¡± ¡°An ident?¡± ¡°Yes, an ident.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like an ident to me.¡± ¡°Well, why did you walk in front of me? You should have been more careful.¡± In other words, it was a thinly veiledint¡ªwhy had the other person gotten in their way and annoyed them? The victim, on the other hand, was visibly radiating anger. The angry woman was easy to identify at a nce. She was tall, slender, muscr, with tanned skin, brown hair in a ponytail, and wearing an academy uniform that had been shredded so much that it barely covered the essential parts of her body. There was only one person in Luminor Academy who dressed so savagely¡ªLyria, the Barbarian. ¡®Lyria Marasendar¡­ or something like that, with her long name.¡¯ I didn¡¯t really need to remember her full name. Everyone just called her Lyria anyway. Physically, she was imposing,parable to most adult men. However, that didn¡¯t mean she was built like a macho man with a woman¡¯s face. If anything, she was more like a female bodybuilder¡ªmuscr but still maintaining a rtively slim frame. Regardless, her healthy, powerful appearance was something that no one could ignore. At that moment, she was ring at the man who had spilled her tray, her expression furious. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll forgive you. I don¡¯t make a habit of bullying the weak.¡± ¡°¡­Hah, weak?¡± ¡°Yes. So, I¡¯ll give you a chance to make up for your mistake.¡± -Swish. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Lyria stretched out her arm towards the nobleman she had been arguing with, extending her hand. The man, who couldn¡¯t figure out her intentions, stared at her hand with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing? Are you nning to hit me? As expected of a barbarian woman, your true nature is showing¡­¡± ¡°Hand over your meal ticket. I¡¯ll forgive you with that.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You interrupted my meal, but I¡¯ll let it slide. However, I haven¡¯t eaten yet, so I¡¯ll be taking your meal ticket.¡± ¡°¡­Hah, as expected, your head is filled with muscle, spouting nonsense like that. Why should I care about your meal?¡± ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°Are you a dog guarding a house, biting anyone thates near your master? You don¡¯t even know your ce, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ah, I remembered this episode. I had seen it while ying in my previous life. It was a bonus scene that followed Lyria¡¯s "Land of Lyria" summer event. After winning the territorial war and securing rightful ownership of hernd, Lyria exacted revenge on the second son of the Ludens Count, who had tormented her. ¡°So, you won¡¯t give it to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you¡¯re so desperate to eat, why don¡¯t you pick up some bread from the floor and lick it? That¡¯s what suits a stray dog like you¡­¡± That was thest thing the second son of Ludens said before Lyria¡¯s right hand grabbed his mouth and hoisted him up into the air, just as I had predicted. -Thump! ¡°Mmph, mmph!!¡± ¡°Until now, I considered you a friend and tolerated your rudeness¡­ but I see that you¡¯ve been thinking of me that way all along.¡± ¡°Mmmph, mmph!!¡± ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need for me to tolerate it any longer. I don¡¯t think my status is any lower than yours.¡± -Thud! ¡°W-What are you doing?! I¡­ I¡¯m Panoman, the second son of the Ludens Count¡­¡± ¡°Yes. But after the territorial war, the hierarchy has changed. Now, you follow my orders, Panoman. And you¡¯ll start by picking up the food you wasted from the precious ground with your mouth.¡± ¡°S-Shut up, you crazy bitch! When I return to the Northeast, I¡¯ll tear your limbs off and hang them at the entrance to the territory¡­¡± ¡°What a terrifying threat. Feel free to try if you can.¡± ¡°Mmmph! Mmmph!!¡± Themotion continued, and the other students started reacting. Some quickly left, wanting to avoid getting involved, while others simply continued their meals, unconcerned. Though some students were startled by the sight of a noble with his face pressed into the floor, the incident had little to do with us. ¡°It looks like the Hero really made a mess in the Northeast. At the beginning of the semester, their roles werepletely reversed.¡± ¡°It does seem that way. Shall we leave as well?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, sure.¡± Neither the barbarian warrior with muscles for brains nor the count¡¯s second son, who couldn¡¯t ept his defeat, were people we wanted to get involved with. ¡­If only I could avoid getting involved with such people entirely, my academy life would have been much easier. ? ? ? About four weeks had passed since the beginning of the second semester. Around the middle of the term, during the midterm exam period, I finally had a bit of free time and decided to have a leisurely coffee break with Lizzy at a caf¨¦ owned by the August Trading Company. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had time to chat like this, Lilith.¡± ¡°Indeed, Lady August.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lizzy¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, seemingly displeased with how I addressed her. ¡°Could you please change the way you address me? At the very least, can you drop the formalities? After all, I did buy you coffee.¡± ¡°No, as Ethan¡¯s servant, it¡¯s only right for me to use formal titles when addressing nobles higher in rank than myself.¡± ¡°But you called me by my name just fine back in the Witch¡¯s Forest, Lilith.¡± ¡°That was a special circumstance allowed by Master Ethan. Since we¡¯re in the academy, where many people can see us, it¡¯s appropriate to maintain decorum.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re the only ones at this table, Lilith. Is it really that difficult to just call me by my name?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not alone, Lady August. Miss Lara is here with us, after all.¡± ¡°W-What? Did you call me¡­?!¡± Startled, Lara, who had been quietly blending into the background, suddenly responded when her name was called. Lately, Lara had be noticeably attached to Lizzy, likely due to their bond as fellow ¡®witches.¡¯ It had be normal for her to tag along whenever Lizzy and I met.@@novelbin@@ ¡°See¡­! You call Lara by her name, so why not call me by mine?! I¡¯ve known you for far longer than she has!¡± ¡°Well, Miss Lara isn¡¯t a noble. While I may be a nominal baron¡¯s daughter, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to use excessive formalities with those who aren¡¯t nobility.¡± ¡°R-Right¡­ Lilith said she can¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°Gah¡­!!¡± Honestly, it wasn¡¯t that I wasn¡¯t bothered by addressing Lizzy as ¡°Lady August¡± in such casual settings. If it were up to me, I would have preferred to just call her Lizzy. After all, we had known each other for quite some time. However, maintaining some distance was the smart thing to do, just in case. While I could get away with calling Agnes by her name, addressing Lizzy, the daughter of a marquess, so casually would take more courage than I currently possessed. ¡°Speaking of which, Lady August¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What is it, Baroness Rosewood?¡± ¡°I was wondering if I could ask for your help again in preparing potions for the hunting festival at the end of this semester?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re really asking me that, now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one I know who can help me, Lady August. After all, you¡¯ve known me the longest.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I see.¡± Her expression softened as I mentioned how long we had known each other. It seemed that dealing with her wasn¡¯t so difficult after all. Well, she owed me anyway. If it weren¡¯t for me, she¡¯d still be lying in a grave with incense burning over her. Surely, she¡¯d agree to this small request out of gratitude. ¡°100 gold coins.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m pretty sure it was only five gold coinsst time¡­¡± ¡°If you start calling me ¡®Lady Lizzy,¡¯ I¡¯ll give you a 50% discount. If you call me ¡®Miss Lizzy,¡¯ it¡¯ll be an 80% discount. And if you just call me ¡®Lizzy,¡¯ like you did in the Witch¡¯s Forest, I¡¯ll knock off 95%.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Think carefully, Lilith. It¡¯s just a change in how you address me, and it won¡¯t alter our rtionship. And remember, as a merchant, I never lie¡­¡± It seemed her shrewdness as a merchant extended even to such situations, using her title as leverage in negotiations. Just as I was considering whether to bend a little, someone unexpectedly interrupted our conversation. ¡°Wh-What kind of potions do you need for the hunting festival, Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Hold on, Lara. Lilith and I are in the middle of¡­¡± ¡°I need one potion for strength enhancement, one for stamina recovery, one for mana recovery, and two emergency potions, Miss Lara.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­ As long as I have them ready by the festival, right? I-I can make those¡­ For just three gold coins¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying, Lara?! That barely covers the cost of materials! That¡¯s not a deal, that¡¯s letting yourself be taken advantage of¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ Lilith helped me out before¡­ A-And we¡¯re friends, right¡­?¡± ¡°Fr-Friends, you say¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Lara. Then I¡¯ll be counting on you for this.¡± ¡°One gold coin! I¡¯ll do it for one gold coin and 50 silver coins! But the conditions stay the same¡­¡± ¡°¡­One gold coin and 30 silver coins.¡± ¡°Lara¡­!!!¡± In the end, after a reverse auction of sorts, Lizzy agreed to make the potions for one gold coin and 30 silver coins, which didn¡¯t even cover half the cost of the materials¡ªwithout any changes to how I addressed her. I was truly moved by the disy of friendship, seeing them both so eager to help me. ¡­Still, not wanting to take advantage of thempletely, I decided to call Lizzy ¡°Miss Lizzy¡± as we left the caf¨¦. Chapter 301 "So, in the end, you managed to get the essential potions from Lizzy at half price?" "It¡¯s actually less than half price, considering it¡¯s only half of the material cost." "Huh." The incredulous expression on G as he stared at me made it clear that he found the situation ridiculous. "You¡¯re a real hustler, you know that? How did you manage to rip off the August Trading Company for half the raw material cost?" "Well, I saved her life once, so I figured this is a fair deal. Besides, I paid full price for the mandrakest time." "Yeah, that¡¯s only fair¡ªif you ripped her off for that too, you¡¯d be a real scumbag." "I didn¡¯t ask for half-price, okay? It would¡¯ve been rude to refuse her offer to give me a discount as a friend. That would¡¯ve been more of a jerk move." "¡­" Even though I might have acted like a jerk, honestly, it wasn¡¯t my fault. They ended uppeting with each other to get me a better price, so the cost just dropped on its own. And it¡¯s not like I ever said I¡¯d favor the person who made my potions. "Anyway, Lizzy¡¯s making mine, so if you need potions for the hunting festival, you should ask Lara. You¡¯re pretty close to her after her event, right?" "Not exactly. We¡¯re not unfriendly, but after the event in the original story, we aren¡¯t quite that close." "Huh?" "Sure, I was the one who ultimately dealt with the Moonlight Wolf, but for some reason, the half-price potion perk didn¡¯t apply to me." "What? Seriously?" "Yeah, after hearing you just now, it¡¯s pretty clear. The Lara event seems to have counted as your clear, not mine." "¡­" Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? It makes sense. Lara wouldn¡¯t randomly offer me half-price potions, even if we did bond during the Witch¡¯s Forest event. We got close a little too fast, didn¡¯t we? But if it¡¯s because the game registered me as having cleared "Lara¡¯s Secret" event, then it makes more sense. I mean, I even got the Witch¡¯s Pendant as a quest reward. "So, does that mean you didn¡¯t unlock the scene?" "¡­What scene?" "The Lara scene. Isn¡¯t that the reward forpleting ''Lara¡¯s Secret''? Too bad for you~." "I told you, I¡¯m not interested. I¡¯m not going to stick around and cause problems in this world." "You don¡¯t need to worry about consequences with Lara. In the original story, it was just a one-time thing. Pure fun without strings attached. You¡¯re telling me you resisted the temptation of a fiery night with a big-breasted, dark, yandere girl?" "¡­You¡¯re really getting into this, aren¡¯t you? Did sleeping with Ethan make you go into heat?" "Khuh, ack! Cough cough!!" I choked at G¡¯s shameless remark. How the hell does he know?! "W-What?! How do you even know about that?!" "How do you think? You¡¯ve been practically broadcasting it. It¡¯d be weird if I didn¡¯t notice." "Wha¡­?" "You¡¯ve been clinging to Ethan¡¯s arm every time you move around, always sticking together during ss, whether sparring or taking breaks, and the way you look at him¡­ like your eyes are dripping with honey. How could I not notice?" "I-I don¡¯t look at him like that!"@@novelbin@@ "You know, Cerista and Silena look at me the same way you look at Ethan." "¡­¡­." Damn it. I had hoped to keep it a secret, especially from him, so I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this kind of teasing. I really wanted to keep it under wraps, but of course, he had to be sharp enough to figure it out. "Besides, after you bought the mandrake from the Witch¡¯s Forest, it was kind of obvious. And now that Cerista has awakened as the Saintess, you don¡¯t even have to worry about anyone watching." "I haven¡¯t even used it yet! And Ethan¡¯s fine without it!" "Haven¡¯t used it yet, huh? So you¡¯re nning to use it eventually?" "¡­¡­." "Actually, you can kind of tell with Ethan too. He¡¯s a bit more rxed now, though not as much as you. He¡¯s definitely more at ease than he used to be." "¡­Well, that¡¯s a relief." So, taking a step forward as a man is paying off for him, huh? It wasforting to know that it wasn¡¯t just me enjoying myself. Considering I gave Ethan my first time as a "reward," it felt like it had been a sess. "Anyway, I guess you¡¯ll be paying full price with Lara, huh? With your party being sorge, you¡¯ll probably end up spending 10 to 20 gold coins. Want me to ask her for you?" "No, don¡¯t bother. I¡¯m asking Trallia from now on. She¡¯s more reasonable than Lizzy or Lara." "¡­When did you get close to her? You¡¯re busier than I thought." "I have to be busy if I want to get back to my original world." "¡­¡­." So, he still hasn¡¯t given up on returning to his original world. Honestly, I¡¯d love to ask him to stay for Cerista and Seraphin¡¯s sake. Seeing them lose their first love after devoting themselves to it would be a tragic waste, even for a reincarnated unicorn like me. The problem was that G showed no signs of abandoning his original n. I didn¡¯t want to force him, but without doing so, the heroines¡¯ futures would be too sad. Sure, I could leak his ns to Seraphin or someone else and prevent him from leaving, but I didn¡¯t want them to go through the pain of being hated by him for doing that. Havingpleted Luminor Academy 24.5 times in my past life, I still had a lingering attachment to every heroine in this world. Whether they were the main heroine or a side character, I had seen them through to their endings at least once. It was only natural for me to wish for a world where as many of them as possible could find happiness. "Anyway, I¡¯d better get going. Looks like Ethan¡¯s meeting with the professor is almost over." "Yeah." "Take care, and enjoy your time with Ethan, you ''Lewd Maid Lilith.''" "Yeah, you too¡ªwhat?! You¡¯re looking to die, aren¡¯t you?!" "For the record, I didn¡¯te up with that title. I saw it in your status window." "¡­W-What are you talking about?! Why the hell would I have such a ridiculous title¡­?" Doubting him, I reluctantly opened my status window for the first time in a while, folding my hands as if praying. And there it was. I screamed on the spot when I saw the absurd title attached to my name. ¡ºName: Lilith ckwood Rosewood Title: Lewd Maid¡» ¡°Kyaaaa?!¡± ? ? ? ¡­This is the worst. Seriously, this is the absolute worst. What in the world¡­ how did this even happen? ¡ºTitle: Lewd Maid¡» ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t ept this ridiculous title existing in this world, let alone the fact that it was attached to me. ¡®When did this even get added?¡¯ I clearly remembered that back in the Witch¡¯s Forest, my title was "Prophetic Saintess." I¡¯d opened my status window to allocate new skills when fighting the Crescent Bear, so I was certain of it. Even after leveling up, I¡¯d checked the stat bonuses, so it couldn¡¯t have changed then¡­ which meant it must¡¯ve happened afterward. ¡®I can kind of guess when it happened.¡¯ I cautiously spected that the title had changed sometime around when Ethan and I¡­ well, you know. I mean, I did seduce him by telling him to beat Harald if he wanted to im me. After he won, I snuck into his room and practically threw myself at him. And after everything was done, we didn¡¯t hold back our affection for each other, so, well¡­ maybe a title like this isn¡¯t too surprising after all. ¡®At least it¡¯s not visible to anyone else.¡¯ Only G, with his hero privileges, could see other people¡¯s status windows and titles. So, there was no chance of random people calling me "Lewd Maid." Knowing that, I didn¡¯t need to be self-conscious. Whatever. If anyone¡¯s curious about my title, they can reincarnate into this world themselves. "Lilith. Did you wait long?" Ethan returned, having finished his meeting with the professor, and I immediately set aside my worries to resume my role as his personal maid. "No, I didn¡¯t wait long at all, Master Ethan." "I thought I saw G passing by earlier. Did he say anything weird?" "We just exchanged a quick greeting, nothing unusual. You don¡¯t need to worry." "I-I see¡­ I wasn¡¯t doubting you or anything, I was just curious¡­." Even after iming me in bed, Ethan¡¯s wariness toward G was still intact. Well, at least he was more rxed than before. In the past, he would¡¯ve warned me to stay away from G if we so much as exchanged words. Since we shared our first time together, it seemed like his paranoia about losing me to G had faded¡ªfor now. "When is your meeting with the professor, Lilith?" "Next week. I believe I¡¯ll be discussing my minor for third year." "Have you decided on one yet?" "Untilst year, I was nning to focus on offensive magic centered on vision-based spells, but¡­." "Yeah?" "¡­I¡¯m considering learning magic that can support swordsmanship." At least for the time I¡¯ll still be at the academy, it would be useful for Ethan. "Th-That¡¯s a great idea, Lilith." "I¡¯m not learning it solely for Master Ethan¡¯s sake. I do use daggers as well, after all." "Y-Yeah, I know." "But part of the reason is for you, so you should be grateful, Master Ethan." "¡­I see. Thank you, Lilith." "As long as you understand. Also, regarding the potions for the hunting festival¡­." As Ethan and I discussed our ns for the near future, the next day arrived, bringing with it a new round of chaos. "Please help me, Senior Lilith." "¡­Huh?" It was Lyria, suddenly showing up at the magic department building, throwing my day into further turmoil. Chapter 302 In the past, when I said that I didn¡¯t want to get involved with the members of the hero¡¯s party anymore, I wasn¡¯t joking. What I wanted in this world was a leisurely life where I could enjoy the magic and adventures, but at a rxed pace. I aimed to be an adventurer with enough skill but who intentionally avoided climbing the ranks too quickly, living freely without stress. Naturally, even within the academy, I tried to avoid interacting with the key figures of the original story as much as possible¡ªexcept for those I was forced to deal with. Especially when it came to someone like Lyria from the Spear Club, a first-year student, I didn¡¯t have the slightest connection with her, nor did I ever intend to. "Please help me, Senior Lilith." "¡­What?" Seeing Lyria suddenly appear in front of the Magic Department building and ask for help was, of course, bewildering. "Ahem, did you just call for me, Miss Lyria Fionis?" "Yes, Senior Lilith." "¡­Do you know her, Lilith?" "No¡­ We¡¯ve never met before, right, Miss Fionis?" "That¡¯s correct, Senior Lilith." ¡­What on earth went wrong this time? Like I said before, I swear I¡¯ve never had any prior contact with Lyria. I haven¡¯t interacted with any of the first-year students, and certainly not Lyria. Lyria and Cael were in the Spear Club and Martial Arts Club, so I, being in the Magic Department, had no reason to meet them. Cedric was in the Technology Department, so he was also unrted to me. And Trallia, from the Pharmacology Department, was friends with Lizzy and Lara, so I didn¡¯t need to approach her for potions either. Lyria wasn¡¯t a senior or junior in my department, and I knew the key figures of Luminor Academy in advance specifically to avoid getting entangled in troublesome situations like this. What I didn¡¯t expect was for one of the main characters to approach me instead. With Machart, I at least made the mistake of piquing his interest, but with Lyria, this was our first time even making eye contact. "Um¡­ Miss Fionis." "Yes, Senior Lilith." "I¡¯m not sure what kind of request you¡¯re nning to make, but I doubt I¡¯ll be able to help." "¡­Why is that, Senior Lilith?" "Because I¡¯m Master Ethan¡¯s personal maid. As his maid, I¡¯m busy taking care of his school life, so I don¡¯t have the time or energy to handle any additional requests." "You¡¯re too busy holding hands and clinging to each other all day to handle anything¡­." "Be quiet, Miss Agnes." "¡­¡­." It¡¯s not like we did anything that extreme. ¡­Okay, maybe we did hold hands asionally. "Then perhaps I should ask Master Ethan directly if he could spare you enough time to assist me¡­?" "No, don¡¯t do that." As expected from a barbarian. There¡¯s no getting through with indirect answers. I was just making excuses to avoid getting involved, but now I didn¡¯t know how to respond to this direct counter. "I apologize for any confusion, Miss Fionis. While it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have the time, even if I did, I likely wouldn¡¯t be able to grant your request." "¡­Why not, Senior Lilith?" "First, we aren¡¯t familiar with each other. It¡¯s unreasonable to ask a favor of someone you¡¯ve just met. Second, when asking for help, you should at least demonstrate basic courtesy. It¡¯s unlikely anyone would say yes to a request made out of the blue. Third, I simply don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m about to get busy preparing for the hunting festival, and I won¡¯t have time for anything else." "¡­I see." "Now that you understand, could you please leave, Miss Fionis?" "Understood, Senior Lilith. My apologies." "Next time, I rmend showing a bit more courtesy when asking someone for help." "¡­I will remember that." -Tap. Tap. "¡­¡­." With a downtrodden expression, Lyria walked away slowly. For a brief moment, I felt a pang of guilt, but I quickly shut my eyes and forced myself to ignore her pitiful figure. The instant she approached me, I had a gut feeling¡ªif I got involved now, I¡¯d end up entangled with not just Lyria but other main characters from the original story throughout my entire academy life. "Are you okay, Lilith?" "What do you mean, Miss Agnes?" "You looked like you didn¡¯t enjoy that." "¡­Did I?" "Don¡¯t worry about it. People like her, who suddenly show up and demand things, onlye around when they need something. When you need their help, they¡¯re nowhere to be found." "¡­¡­." I didn¡¯t think Lyria was necessarily that kind of person. But Agnes did have a point. Maybe it was nothing, but I felt like I might have been too hasty in turning her down without even hearing what she needed. However, my desire to avoid getting involved with the main plot of Luminor Academy was stronger. If I got caught up in this, my peaceful, slow-paced life could be ruined. Especially considering Lyria¡¯s straightforward and relentless personality, it was better to distance myself early on. Characters like her tended to drag you into chaos once you got involved. ¡®Whatever event this is, blocking it in advance is the smartest move.¡¯ It was best for me to maintain my distance from Lyria. ¡­The problem was, Lyria didn¡¯t seem like the type to take ¡°no¡± for an answer. ? ? ? The next morning. Barely a few hours after waking up, I found myself starting the day in disbelief, for two reasons. "Good morning, Senior Lilith!" "¡­Ah." "Good morning! Oh, and good morning to you as well, Master Ethan!" "¡­Yes, good morning, Miss Lyria Marasendar Galenhar Soraben Fionis Barbaracus." "¡­¡­." The first reason was seeing Lyria show up the moment we stepped out of the dorm after breakfast at the dormitory dining hall. The second was seeing Ethan casually greet her and start a conversation, as if this was perfectly normal. "Thank you, Master Ethan!" "Wasn¡¯t today the joint training between the Swordsmanship Club and the Spear Club? I can¡¯t think of any other reason for you to visit so early." "Ah, while I¡¯m truly sorry to Master Ethan, I actually came today to speak with Senior Lilith, your fianc¨¦e!" "¡­Lilith?" "Yes! If it¡¯s not too much of an inconvenience, could Master Ethan allow me just a brief moment to speak with Senior Lilith?" "¡­¡­." After I had scolded her yesterday for her bluntness, she had returned the next day with far more courtesy than necessary.@@novelbin@@ Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she probably stayed up all night studying etiquette. While her intelligence might have beencking, Lyria¡¯s determination was unmatched among the characters of Luminor Academy. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what had transpired the night before. "I¡¯m not sure what this is about, butpared to how you normally act, you¡¯re certainly much more disciplined." "Yes! Senior Lilith pointed out myck of manners yesterday, so I stayed up all night to properly learn how to be respectful! Now, may I have your permission to speak with Senior Lilith?" "¡­Lilith?" "I have no idea, Master Ethan. I simply advised her yesterday that it would be polite to have basic manners when asking for favors, that¡¯s all." I had no idea where she had learned this newfound etiquette, but her formal speech was painfully awkward. I couldn¡¯t help but wish she¡¯d revert to her original tone. "What are you going to do, Lilith?" "¡­I think it would be best if you went ahead to your first ss, Master Ethan. I¡¯ll speak with Miss Fionis briefly and send her on her way." "¡­All right, Lilith. Let me know if anythinges up." "¡­Yes, Master Ethan." The current situation was already awkward, but this was a kind of awkwardness that even Ethan couldn¡¯t resolve. After reluctantly letting go of the hand I had been holding, I watched Ethan leave for his ss. Then I turned and red at Lyria, who had interrupted my peaceful morning with Ethan. "¡­¡­." "Senior Lilith¡­?" "What exactly are you doing here so early, Miss Fionis? Are you here to bother me because I refused your request yesterday?" "N-No! I only wanted to speak with you again after improving my manners, as you suggested, Senior Lilith!" "Wouldn¡¯t it have been better toe at a more reasonable time, Miss Fionis? You look quite tired as it is." "I-I¡¯m not tired at all!" "If I say I don¡¯t want to talk to you today either, will youe back again tomorrow?" "¡­¡­." "¡­Sigh." Fine, I give up. No matter how much I want to avoid getting involved, there¡¯s nothing I can do if she¡¯s this persistent. At this point, I might as well hear her out and deal with whatever this is so she¡¯ll leave me alone. "All right, I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say. I have about an hour before my next ss." "Thank you, Senior Lilith!" "I haven¡¯t agreed to help you yet. I¡¯m only going to listen." "Understood, Senior Lilith!" ¡­This is exhausting. G, you bastard. What the hell are you doing, neglecting your heroines like this? Chapter 303 Not only was my morning disrupted by an interruption while heading to school with Ethan, but I also lost the hour of free time I had before ss started. The cause of it all was a girl who had called me out for the most ridiculous request I could never have anticipated. "Please teach me how to seduce a man, Senior Lilith." "...What?" ...Hearing such a request out of the blue left me baffled in many ways. I didn¡¯t even understand why she hade to ask me this of all people when we barely knew each other. "How to seduce a man, Senior Lilith." "You didn¡¯t mishear me. I asked that because it was simply so absurd." "......" How to seduce a man? Logically speaking, there¡¯s no way I would know something like that. Well, if I really wanted to, seducing a man with Lilith''s body would probably be easier than eating chocte while lying down. A slight sway of my chest and a sweet smile could probably make most men fall right into my hands. But what I could do and what I actually do are two very different things. Ever since entering the academy, I hadn¡¯t used my body to seduce any men... except for Ethan, of course. Besides that, there¡¯s also the fact that I was a man in my previous life, so I could use my experience to understand what parts make a man like someone or sympathize with them. But that fact is a secret that even -*** doesn''t know, let alone this first-year barbarian girl who I hardly know. ¡®If I just say no and walk away now, she¡¯ll probablye back by this evening or tomorrow.¡¯ I had absolutely no intention of granting Lyria what she wanted, but I did need to give her a clear reason why I couldn¡¯t teach her. With a troublesome junior like her, a temporary solution wouldn''t be enough forsting peace. If I didn¡¯t respond properly, she might pester me for at least a week, or even a month, or possibly for the whole semester. "Well, I understand what Miss Fionis wants to ask of me." "Yes!" "But I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re asking me specifically. If you want to know how to seduce a man, I¡¯m sure there are better people to ask than me." "If not you, Senior Lilith, then who else would you suggest?" "Um... perhaps a friend from the spear club?" "...I don¡¯t have any friends." "...And, uh, none in any other clubs?" "No." "..." Ah, right. She¡¯s a barbarian. The academy was still a world where the majority of the students were nobles, and some level of racial discrimination persisted. I could understand why it might be hard for her to make friends. "What about upperssmen, then?" "That¡¯s why I came to ask you, Senior Lilith." "No, I meant someone other than me. Surely there are other seniors you¡¯re close with." "...A senior I¡¯m close with." Lyria¡¯s face flushed bright red as if she was recalling someone in her head. I hadn¡¯t asked with any particr intention, but one thing was clear. The man Lyria wanted to seduce wasn¡¯t a fellow ssmate, but rather an upperssman at the academy. ¡®If I had to guess, it''s probably -***.¡¯ Lately, I¡¯d been seeing more and more instances of heroines from the original work having romantic entanglements with characters they weren¡¯t supposed to, like Natalie and Thomas, Agnes and Prince Antonio. But regardless, Lyria was still one of the main heroines of Luminor Academy. And when you thought logically, the only upperssman she could be talking about was -***. ¡®The problem is that no matter what happens with -***, the result will ultimately be meaningless.¡¯ My mind raced with thoughts of how, even if the hero sessfullypleted the game and returned to Earth, he would abandon all the heroines and leave them behind. Loving that guy would only end in tragedy. This guy wasn¡¯t Romeo, yet he was creating multiple Juliets in this world and nning to leave them all behind. No matter how much I used to joke about being a unicorn in my past life, producing a line of lifelong virgins was something I couldn¡¯t tolerate. Virginity was something precious, meant to be shared with one¡¯s true love. Letting it wither away unused was no different from leaving a delicious apple to rot in storage. "The senior I¡¯m close with is a man, not a woman." "And do you have feelings for this ¡®close senior,¡¯ Miss Fionis?" "...Yes." "I see. Well, I¡¯m not sure if my advice will be of any help, but I¡¯ll do my best to assist you." "...Really, Senior Lilith?" "On one condition, though." "...What?" To prevent Lyria from clinging to an impossible love and to put a stop to -***''s growing harem, I had to set up some rules. "I will help you only until the moment you confess your feelings to this ¡®close senior¡¯ of yours." "Okay." "But if, despite my help, this senior rejects your confession, then you must promise to let him go and never pursue him again." "...What?" "I absolutely cannot tolerate anyone clinging to someone after being rejected. If you¡¯re serious about asking someone like me, who you barely know, for dating advice, then that¡¯s the level ofmitment I expect from you." "..."@@novelbin@@ Lyria¡¯s face showed deep contemtion. She was clearly worried about never being able to get close to -*** again if her confession failed. Just thinking of his face annoyed me even more. It made me furious to imagine that reckless hero, with beautiful girls lining up for him, abandoning them all and returning home. "Alright, Senior Lilith." "So, what will you do?" "I still want your help, Senior Lilith. If I¡¯m going to confess my feelings just once, I think it would be best to follow your advice." "...Very well. You¡¯ll keep your promise, right?" "I swear it on the honor of my tribe." Well, that was the expected answer. For someone like Lyria, who, once she started something, couldn¡¯t be stopped, I had no choice but toe up with a very special n for her. After all, I also wanted to see that hero panic, just once. Now that I had decided to help Lyria with her request, there were three key elements that had to be included in her confession. First, make -*** ufortable. Second, ensure the confession is so terrible that it guarantees rejection. Third, when rejected, make sure Lyria can cleanly let go of her feelings for -***. Teach her how to seduce a man? I never intended to do that in the first ce. The very fact that she came to me to ask for help in seducing -*** was irritating enough, and even if she seeded, that hero would abandon her and all the other heroines the moment he returned to Earth. If that happened, Lyria, with her steadfast personality, would likely follow the same path as Celestina and Selina, saying something like, ¡®Even though he¡¯s no longer in this world, I will forever be the hero¡¯spanion. I could never betray the man I¡¯ve once loved.¡¯ The damage done to those two was already so deep that it was beyond my control. But at least I could try to reduce the number of victims from here on out. If her confession failed, or if their rtionship didn¡¯t grow any deeper, perhaps Lyria might find another love in the future. "So, why did you call me here?" Agnes grumbled in a displeased voice as she arrived, having been dragged out on a weekend. It seemed she was a bit annoyed about her weekend research time being interrupted. Yet she still came when I called, which meant that she valued our rtionship over her research, didn¡¯t it? The reason I called Agnes was simple. I needed someone to back me up in formting Lyria''s ''failed confession n.'' ¡®I considered Isabelle, Rigi, and Agnes, but...¡¯ In the end, I decided that Agnes was the best fit for various reasons. After all, she was practically an expert on failed confessions, and for a n like this, there was no one better. If I had asked Isabelle, she would have said something like, ¡®That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯ve always been cheering for you two! You and the young master make such a great couple!¡¯ There was no way she would help with ruining someone¡¯s confession. As for Rigi, I worried that her outgoing personality might identally make the confession seed, even if it was doomed to fail. But Agnes? She was perfect. In the original story, she had no charm, poprity, or any positive traits as a woman. Naturally, she was an expert on failed confessions. Even without any prior discussion, I knew she would guide Lyria into a failed confession. Or, at the very least, she¡¯d agree with my oundish suggestions without a second thought. "It¡¯s a rare chance to go out with Miss Lyria on a weekend, so I thought it would be nice to have Miss Agnes join us." "...So I¡¯m just an extra, huh?" "Of course not. And, after all, friendship is about spending time together for no particr reason. You don¡¯t need a special asion to build bonds with friends." "......" "I considered you a friend, Miss Agnes. Are you saying you don¡¯t want to spend time together on the weekend to strengthen our bond?" "...No, I don¡¯t mind. I was free anyway." As expected, she couldn¡¯t resist when I mentioned the word ''friend.'' No wonder Agnes couldn¡¯t stand up to Seraphina¡¯s words in the original story. But now, Agnes was my friend, which made her all the more useful in situations like this. "Good day, Senior Lilith! And Senior Agnes! I look forward to spending the day with you both!" "...She startled me. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest." Lyria greeted us with a loud voice the moment she saw us, causing Agnes to clutch her non-existent chest in shock. The key figures for the ''failed confession n'' had now all gathered. Chapter 304 "Since we¡¯re outside the academy today, and as we¡¯ve gathered here to help Miss Fionis, I¡¯ll speak a bit more casually." "Yes, Senior Lilith! You can even call me Lyria if that¡¯s morefortable!" "Then I¡¯ll call you Miss Lyria. After all, we¡¯re not quite close enough yet to drop the formalities entirely." "Okay¡­." Since Ethan wasn¡¯t around, I naturally loosened up my speech a little, and before we dove into the n, I asked her the most important question. "Before we begin, there¡¯s one important question I need to ask, Miss Lyria." "Yes, Senior Lilith!" "Among all the other female seniors, why did youe to me to ask how to seduce a man? There are plenty of women in the academy who are more... well, maybe not more beautiful than me, but I¡¯m sure there are still some who are close." Objectively, there were only two women I considered more beautiful than myself: Seraphina and Natalie. Seraphina was the undeniable main heroine of Luminor Academy, while Natalie got bonus points for her healthy, energetic beauty, which was more of a personal preference. There were others as well¡ªlike Silena, the only elf in the academy, who had a delicate charm, or Cerestina, who had a subtle presence but an alluring femininity. Then there was Rigi, who was popr and beautiful with a maic personality. Lyria had plenty of options other than me, so she must have had a reason for choosing me as her advisor on how to seduce a man. "That¡¯s because... I heard a rumor that you¡¯re a genius when ites to seducing men, Senior Lilith!" "...A genius at seducing men?" "Pfft." I was caught off guard by the absurdity of Lyria¡¯s words, and Agnes, standing next to me, couldn¡¯t help but let out a snicker. "I don¡¯t understand how I could possibly be considered a genius at seducing men¡­?" "But didn¡¯t you get engaged to Senior Ethan?" "...Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­." "To go from being a maid to getting engaged to the noble you serve, it¡¯s nothing short of genius! You made him fall so deeply in love that he overcame the difference in your social status!" ...Is that how it works? Now that I think about it, it kind of made sense. Or maybe it was just nonsense that I happened to interpret as logical. Considering that Lyria had feelings for the hero, it wasn¡¯t so strange that she admired the love between Ethan and me, a rtionship that had ovee a difference in social status.@@novelbin@@ Although the gap between amoner maid and a duke¡¯s only son wasn¡¯t asrge as that between a barbarian girl and a world-saving hero, there was still a notable difference in their statuses. "A genius at seduction... Pfft, haha." "...Well, I understand why you asked me for advice, though I don¡¯t agree with the whole ¡®genius at seduction¡¯ thing." "Why not?" "Because there¡¯s someone who¡¯s truly a genius at oveing social differences through seduction... right here." "What?" "Huh? Why are you suddenly looking at me...?" Agnes, sensing something was off when all eyes shifted to her, muttered uneasily, but it was toote. I had already offered her up as the next "sacrifice" to Lyria. "Miss Agnes here managed to make a prince fall head over heels for her after just one meeting! She¡¯s a true genius at seduction, far surpassing me in oveing social barriers. How could I possibly im the title of ¡®genius at seduction¡¯ with someone like her around?" "O-oh, wow! That¡¯s amazing, Senior Agnes!" "N-no...!! Lilith¡¯s just talking nonsense...! Prince Antonio and I aren¡¯t like that at all¡­!" "But isn¡¯t it true that Prince Antonio likes you, Miss Agnes?" "Well, he does like me, but what does that have to do with me being a ¡®genius at seduction¡¯...?" "Look, Miss Lyria. In my case, I made some effort to win over Ethan, but Miss Agnes here managed to seduce Prince Antonio without even realizing it! So, doesn¡¯t ¡®genius at seduction¡¯ suit her better than me?" "Oh, you¡¯re right! Genius of seduction, Senior Agnes!" "Miss Agnes is the genius of seduction!" "S-stop it...! Don¡¯t call me that!" Agnes¡¯s face turned bright red as she vehemently rejected her newfound title, but Lyria and I didn¡¯t stop showering her with praise for her "genius." "Master of seduction!" "Expert of seduction!" "Prodigy of seduction!" "Maestro of seduction!" "Stop it, both of you¡­!!" Waving her staff around in frustration, Agnes tried to silence us, her face flushed crimson. She should¡¯ve known better than to let us tease her. With my teasing of Agnes done for the day, it was time to get serious and move on to Lyria¡¯s confession n. "Miss Lyria." "Yes, Senior Lilith!" "Actually, I already know who the ¡®close senior¡¯ you want to confess to is." "...Really?" "Yes. And I¡¯m personally acquainted with him, too. Would you like me to guess?" -Nod, nod. Lyria nodded at me, her eyes filled with doubt but also curiosity. With that, I calmly listed off traits of -***, making it obvious who I was talking about. "First of all, I¡¯d bet this senior is part of the swordsmanship club, right?" "Th-that¡¯s correct." "And he¡¯s one year ahead of you." "That¡¯s right." "He¡¯s skilled enough to be in the top five of his club, which gives him the right to choose his opponent in ranking battles." "Yes¡­." "He holds a high rank that makes it hard for you to approach him." "That¡¯s true¡­." "And finally, the most crucial thing." "......" "The person you like is a man, isn¡¯t he?" "Oh, wow! Amazing! You¡¯re right, Senior Lilith!" After I listed all the traits of -***, Lyria grabbed my hands in excitement, nodding enthusiastically. As expected of a muscle-brained character, once she set her mind on something, she wasn¡¯t too hard to handle. "It¡¯s nothing. I figured out who you liked from the start." "...Of course, it¡¯s obvious her crush would be a man." Agnes muttered, exasperated, from the side, but I ignored her. The key to these situations was maintaining the right atmosphere. After all, fortune-tellers don¡¯t rely on actual mystical powers; they seed by gathering enough prior information to make educated guesses and appear insightful. Once I gained Lyria¡¯s trust, everything else would fall into ce. She was the kind of simple-minded barbarian girl who never doubted someone she trusted. "Your confession won¡¯t be difficult, Miss Lyria. After all, you do have a pretty face." "Thank you!" "Don¡¯t misunderstand, Miss Lyria. Aside from your face, there are a lot of other things we¡¯ll need to work on before you confess." "...Okay." Lyria the barbarian. Despite her pretty face, there were many aspects of her that were a bit overwhelming. She had a slightly taller buildpared to the protagonist. Some would describe her as slender, but to be honest, she was nearly t-chested. She had six-pack abs and sun-kissed skin. Her voice was unnecessarily loud for a girl, and her brain was more muscle than anything else. While I personally liked her character for her healthy, energetic charm, it was clear that, from the perspective of most men, she had a lot of qualities that could be divisive. All the undeniably beautiful characters in Luminor Academy were already the main heroines. The only heroine with a somewhat unconventional appearance was Agnes. It was only natural for supporting heroines, especially those with smaller roles, to have traits that were more prizing. After all, the gamepany had to market the game using the main heroines, so they would prominently feature the conventional beauties on the cover. And I highly doubted -*** would have a beauty standard much different from that of the average guy. Even someone like Seraphina, whose beauty was unparalleled, failed to capture his attention, so there was no way Lyria¡¯s appearance would impress him. In other words, Lyria¡¯s confession was doomed from the start. Since it was destined to fail, my job was to ensure that she got rejected in a way that would leave her with no lingering feelings for -***. This hero, surrounded by beautiful women, wouldn¡¯t get any sympathy from me. He had to face the consequences of his actions. It was his karma, after all. "For your confession, Miss Lyria, you¡¯ll need two things: clothes and speech." "Clothes, speech¡­." "I won¡¯t ask you to change anything about your personality or other physical traits. Those are things you were born with and can¡¯t change. Besides, any man who would reject you based on those things isn¡¯t worth your time, Miss Lyria." "I understand, Senior Lilith!" "So, the only things I can help you change are two things: wearing stylish clothes that will catch any man¡¯s eye and crafting a romantic confession line that will improve your chances. If you do these two things well, the chances of your confession seeding will increase dramatically." "Th-that¡¯s true." "So let¡¯s start by getting rid of that raggedy outfit you¡¯re wearing." "Raggedy...?" -*** was probably already ustomed to seeing her in that worn-out attire. So, we¡¯d start by making a bold first impression with a change in her appearance. Chapter 305 "Lilith?" "Yes, Agnes?" "I could¡¯ve sworn I just heard you say we were going to buy her some clothes." "Yes, that¡¯s right." "...We are here to buy clothes, right?" "Yes, we are." "..." Agnes looked around with a confused and slightly uneasy expression, clearly struggling to understand my answer. Her reaction was understandable, though. After all, the ce I had brought Lyria to wasn¡¯t a clothing store or a fabric shop, but rather a weapons and armor workshop. "Oh, wow!" Meanwhile, Lyria, who had no trace of suspicion towards me, immediately began wandering around the workshop like a child in a department store at Christmas. Honestly, it was almost impressive how carefree she was. "Oh... I can feel some mysterious power from this spear. How can something this long and sturdy be so light?" "Ah, the youngdy has a good eye. That¡¯s one of the finest pieces in our workshop." "Oh! How much for it, shopkeeper? With this spear, I¡¯ll definitely win first ce in the hunting festival..." "Two gold coins." "...Excuse me?" "I said it¡¯s two gold coins. It¡¯s a masterpiece, no discounts." "..." Even Lyria, despite her muscle-brain tendencies, knew better than to argue about the price. Quietly, she returned the spear to its original ce. Two gold coins would be the equivalent of about five to six million won in the world I came from, so her reaction was pretty reasonable. Even for a spear, six million won was a bit excessive. Besides, the items avable in this ¡®early-game equipment shop¡¯ workshop were all more or less the same. The quality of the gear here couldn¡¯t evenpete with the equipment you¡¯d findter in the game from monsters or dungeons, let alone final gear. The spear Lyria had just touched would probably be reced in a year or two by something far better, so there was no need to splurge on it. The reason I brought Lyria here wasn¡¯t to outfit her with actual gear. The n was simply to get her out of that ragged outfit and into some proper te armor. It didn¡¯t need to be anything particrly high-quality¡ªjust something that would do the job for her uing confession. "Lyria, stop getting distracted ande over here." "...Yes, Senior Lilith." With a disappointed look, Lyria moved away from the spear stand and walked over to me. I then led her over to a pile of scrap metal in the corner of the workshop. "Shopkeeper, how much for these items here?" "Huh? Those are just scraps I was nning to take to the forgeter. What would you need that junk for?" "I have a use for them." "Are you nning to use them as material or something? I guess you can take any piece for thirty copper coins each!" One, two, three, four, five, six... Altogether, it¡¯d cost around two silver coins, give or take. Sure, spending a gold or two would be a bit of a burden for me, but I could definitely afford two silver coins for the sake of a junior. Besides, seeing the hero panic would be worth far more than just five thousand won. With that thought in mind, I started handing Lyria pieces of ¡®armor¡¯ from the pile of scrap metal. "Try these on, one at a time. Since it¡¯s te armor, it could be problematicter if it doesn¡¯t fit properly." "Understood!" "Actually, you don¡¯t need to take off what you¡¯re wearing. Just put the armor on over it. There¡¯s no need to undress entirely when you¡¯re already wearing rags." "Oh, right!" I quickly stopped Lyria as she began stripping off her clothes in the middle of the store and had her put the te armor on over her outfit. Piece by piece, Lyria¡¯s skimpy outfit was covered with rusted te mail. Her build was such that even just wearing the chest and leg armor gave off an impressive level of intimidation. "Wow..." "H-how is it?! Does this help with seducing a man?!" "...The direction isn¡¯t bad, but this isn¡¯t quite enough. Let¡¯s put the rest of the pieces on." "What? I¡¯m going to put on even more?" "It¡¯s full te mail, so of course you need the gloves, greaves, and boots. Just wearing the top and bottoms isn¡¯t enough." "Oh, okay!" As I handed her more pieces of rusted junk¡ªno, armor¡ªfrom the pile, Agnes looked on with a worried expression and muttered. "...Lilith, is this really okay?" "Yes?" "You said you were going to dress her in something stylish that would catch a man¡¯s eye. But this... looks like something a dead soldier would wear after bing an undead." "How could you say something so harsh, Agnes? Are you implying that Miss Lyria looks like a skeleton soldier?" "...You¡¯re the one who dressed her like this." "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll see. I didn¡¯t just throw this together without thinking."@@novelbin@@ Agnes, who knew nothing about fashion, wouldn¡¯t change my mind. After all, trying to discuss fashion with someone who only wore outfits prepared by the Elizabeth family was pointless. Once Lyria had donned thest of the rusted metal pieces, including a helmet, she now fully resembled a medieval knight (circa 200 years ago). If she went out in public like this, I¡¯d have no trouble finding her even in a crowded marketce. She¡¯d leave a trail of rust wherever she went. "This is supposed to help seduce a man...?" "...This really doesn¡¯t seem like it." "Really? Then, what would you suggest, oh ''genius of seduction,'' Miss Agnes?" "......Huh?" "Surely, you must have a better idea than this, considering how critical you¡¯re being of my choices. I doubt you¡¯d reject Lyria¡¯s outfit without having some alternative in mind, right?" "...I-I don¡¯t know. Now that I look at it again, it¡¯s not that bad. People have different tastes, after all..." Realizing she couldn¡¯te up with a better suggestion, Agnes quickly backed down, retreating with her tail between her legs. With that, I regained full control over the situation. ...Not that I didn¡¯t already have it to begin with. "I¡¯ll take everything she¡¯s wearing." The shopkeeper gave me a somewhat pitiful look as he saw Lyria in her outfit, but I chose to ignore it. Obviously, I had no intention of having Lyria confess to -*** while wearing this rusted full-body armor. While this outfit would definitely surprise the hero, it would also likely alert him to the fact that something was off, and he might flee before she even got the chance to confess. If that happened, even Lyria would start questioning why things had gone wrong. She¡¯d probably wonder why, after following my advice so diligently, the man had run off before she could even say a word. Leaving a barbarian with lingering resentment was one of the dumbest things you could do. So, the goal of Lyria¡¯s confession n was to ensure that she failed in a way that didn¡¯t leave any hard feelings while still making her ept the failure. "Lyria, could you bend down a little? My arms aren¡¯t long enough to reach your head." "Huh? Oh, sure." Although confused by my request, Lyria crouched down in front of me, obediently following my instructions. Once she was in position, I touched her helmet and immediately cast the ¡®Clean¡¯ spell, stripping away the rust and grime in an instant. "...Aha." Starting with the helmet, I proceeded to clean the chest piece, gloves, leggings, greaves, and boots one by one, revealing a gleaming full set of te mail. Even Agnes, who had been slow to catch on, finally nodded in understanding. Although Lyria¡¯s transformation was nearlyplete, I wasn¡¯t done yet. While I had removed the rust, the armor was still covered in countless tiny scratches. Now it was time to use the auxiliary spell I had learned: ¡®Sharp de.¡¯ Though the spell was typically used to sharpen weapons, its true purpose was to smooth and polish surfaces. While it was mostmonly used to enhance weapons, the essence of the spell was to make surfaces sleek and shiny. After amplifying my magic with the ¡®Vent¡¯ spell, I cast ¡®Sharp de¡¯ on Lyria¡¯s armor, polishing it to a brilliant shine. I then used ¡®Clean¡¯ once more toplete the finishing touch. By using ¡®Clean¡¯ after the armor had been polished, I ensured that the gleaming surface would remain intact even after the effects of ¡®Sharp de¡¯ wore off. "There we go, Miss Lyria. Now you look much better." "Oh... Wow! That¡¯s amazing, Senior Lilith! You turned this old armor into something so shiny and polished! I¡¯m so impressed by how skillfully you used all those spells to repair this equipment!" "This is nothing, really." "...But couldn¡¯t you have just done this inside the shop? Why did we have to sneak into a back alley to do it?" "What do you mean, Agnes? If the shopkeeper had seen me doing this, he might have raised the price from two silver coins to twenty. You know it¡¯s not ours until we¡¯ve paid for it, right?" "...I see. I thought you were bringing her out like this because you had some kind of grudge against her." "Of course not, Senior Agnes! Senior Lilith would never hold a grudge against me! Please don¡¯t doubt her pure intentions!" "...Well, now that the outfit is settled, let¡¯s move on to the confession lines. I¡¯ll prepare something that¡¯ll make sure your ¡®close senior¡¯ falls for you, Miss Lyria." "Yes!!" Lyria¡¯s overly enthusiastic and loud response made me feel a slight pang of guilt. ...Well, since the confession was going to fail anyway, there was no harm in having a little fun with it. Chapter 306 The ce I brought Lyria to review her confession lines was none other than the academy¡¯s training grounds. The appearance of a fully armored female knight¡ªor rather, based on her size and armor, one could easily mistake her for a male knight¡ªdidn¡¯t go unnoticed. As Lyria walked through the academy, a few female students nced at her with interest. With her hair hidden under the helmet and her androgynous looks, she could easily be mistaken for a male knight. ¡®If she had been born a man, she¡¯d probably break a lot of hearts,¡¯ I mused as we made our way to the training grounds. Once we arrived, I handed Lyria a spear while I held two daggers in my hands. "Here, take this, Miss Lyria." "Senior Lilith?" "Take it, and from now on, we¡¯ll be sparring." "What? But I thought you were going to teach me confession lines¡­?" "This sparring is also part of the confession. Come at me with everything you¡¯ve got, Miss Lyria." "..." Even though she tightly gripped the spear in both hands, Lyria hesitated to charge at me. Perhaps it was because she knew I was a mage and wasn¡¯t sure how to approach the fight. Usually, in closebat, a mage wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against an opponent wielding a sword or spear. "Don¡¯t worry, just go for it." "Huh?" "Lilith is way stronger than you think. If you don¡¯t give it your all, you¡¯ll be the one who gets taken down easily." "...Understood." Hearing Agnes¡¯s words of encouragement from the side, Lyria¡¯s expression hardened with determination. She let out a loud shout and charged at me, spear in hand. Thwack! "Hraaaaah!" From there, the two of us engaged in a light skirmish¡ªme with my daggers and Lyria attacking with her spear. Whenever Lyria thrust with her spear, I would dodge by spinning out of the way. When she swung it, I would block with my daggers and look for a chance to counterattack. Meanwhile, Lyria tried her best to dodge my daggers, keeping up the sparring. Since using offensive magic would¡¯ve made the sparring too serious, I limited myself to only using support spells. Still, the difference between a second-year student and a first-year was obvious.@@novelbin@@ Thud. "Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­." "Whew¡­ Whew¡­." Lyriay on the ground, panting, while I stood over her, pointing a dagger at her neck. Both of us were out of breath, but it was clear I had won. Though she was one of the heroines of Luminor Academy and fairly strong, she still wasn¡¯t at a level where she could take me down. Even though we had fought in closebat, it was only natural that I won. After all, I was the main heroine of Luminor Academy, while Lyria was a supporting heroine. Taking into ount our inherent differences in ability as well as my personal training, the oue was inevitable. "You¡¯re really strong, Senior Lilith¡­." "You were sharp too, Miss Lyria. You only lost because your opponent was me." "I see¡­." Lyria¡¯s expression showed a hint of disappointment as she looked away, frustrated by her defeat. To console her, I revealed the special confession line I had prepared, just for -***. "Miss Lyria." "Yes?" "If you suddenly challenged that ¡®close senior¡¯ to a duel, just like you did with me, what do you think would happen?" "...It would probably end up much like this. Since he specializes in swordsmanship, he¡¯s likely even stronger than you, Senior Lilith." Of course. That¡¯s exactly what would happen. After all, I had never won a swordsmanship duel against that hero. "That¡¯s right. So, if you challenged him, he¡¯d probably subdue you and ask, ¡®Why did you do this?¡¯ or, ¡®What¡¯s the reason for attacking me out of the blue?¡¯" "Yes, that¡¯s likely." "Then, your response would be to confidently say, ¡®I couldn¡¯t contain the fiery passion I have for you, Senior!¡¯" "O-oh¡­!" "...What?" Lyria, her eyes wide with realization, seemed genuinely impressed by the confession line I had suggested. Agnes, on the other hand, looked utterly dumbfounded, muttering under her breath, but I chose to ignore her. "At that point, the senior would probably be flustered. He might even get embarrassed by the sudden confession." "That¡¯s true." "So, at that moment, you need to give it your all. Draw attention to yourself with your booming voice, gathering witnesses to your confession so that everyone around acknowledges your feelings. Make it a passionate confession so intense that there¡¯s no way he can escape without responding." "Without a chance to escape¡­ I¡¯ve learned so much." "And to finish it off¡­ how about ending with something like this? ¡®I want to spend the rest of my life dueling with you until our final moments! Please ept my heart!¡¯" "W-wow¡­ W-whoa¡­." "What kind of confession line is that¡­?" Agnes muttered in disbelief, but that didn¡¯t matter. The important thing was Lyria¡¯s reaction. And, true to her muscle-brained character, she didn¡¯t notice anything odd about the line and instead blushed, her excitement palpable. "As expected, you¡¯re incredible, Senior Lilith! This is the most passionate and moving confession I¡¯ve ever heard!" "..." "So, what do you think, Miss Lyria? If you use this, I¡¯m sure it will be enough to capture his heart. And if, after all that, he still doesn¡¯t ept your confession¡­ well, you know what that means." "Y-yes¡­ If a man can reject such a heartfelt confession, then something must be wrong with him. Like, maybe¡­ he has a problem with his male function¡­." "Exactly. You understand perfectly. As the only daughter of the Barbaracus tribe¡¯s chieftain, you can¡¯t afford to choose a man who has those kinds of issues." "Wise words! Senior Lilith, you always speak the truth!" "...I give up. I don¡¯t even know anymore." Knowing the oue of this confession in advance made me feel a bit guilty, but in the end, this was the best way to help Lyria. It was a confession that would allow her to give it her all, and even if she got rejected, she wouldn¡¯t have any regrets. This was far better than letting her suffer over an unattainable love for the rest of her life. ¡®And as a bonus, it¡¯ll really mess with that hero.¡¯ Of course, that was just a bonus. The main goal was to help Lyria create the perfect confession. Satisfied with my work, I stood up, leaving Lyria lying on the ground. "...Do guys really like confessions like that? Are you serious, Lilith?" "Guys like it when a girl supports their hobbies. And if the man Lyria is in love with is the type who¡¯s obsessed with training, a confession like this, promising to spar with him for life, makes perfect sense." "Hmm¡­ I guess¡­?" "Imagine if Prince Antonio gave you ess to the Red Tower¡¯s magical library, filled with rare tomes you couldn¡¯t find anywhere else. And then he promised to fund your magic research once you became the Red Tower Lord. It¡¯s the same kind of feeling, Miss Agnes." "Ah, now I get it¡­ Wait, why did you have to bring him up again¡­?" "No reason." As I prepared Lyria¡¯s ¡®failed confession n,¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but think about ways to help Agnes deal with Prince Antonio as well. Lyria¡¯s confession took ce sooner than expected. Given her personality, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she didn¡¯t waste time. Once she decided to confess, she acted quickly. So, on the first weekday after the weekend, during lunch break, the central fountain garden of the academy was packed with people, abuzz with excitement. ng! ng! sh! "What¡¯s going on? Is it a fight?" "I heard that barbarian girl started it." "Shouldn¡¯t someone get a professor?" In this world, professors would sometimes intervene if a fight broke out. After all, the professors at Luminor Academy had the ability to keep student conflicts under control. Though, in this case, there wasn¡¯t much to worry about. This was just a light sparring session, and within a few minutes, Lyria would be overpowered and subdued, so there was no need for concern. "It looks like a fight." "It seems that way, Master Ethan." "..." As Ethan nced toward the shing sounds of sword and spear, I responded calmly, while Agnes looked up at me with a bewildered expression. Somewhere in that crowd, Lyria and -*** were likely sparring, with Lyria carrying out her "ambush confession." Though I couldn¡¯t see them through the mass of people, I could clearly hear the nging of Lyria¡¯s rusted full-te armor, so I had no trouble figuring out who was involved. "Maybe it¡¯s a lover¡¯s quarrel? Since Luminor Academy gathers students from all over the world, it¡¯s not too surprising if some of them don¡¯t see eye to eye." "Hmm, maybe." "If you¡¯re curious, we can go take a look. If it starts to get dangerous, we can fetch Professor Harold¡­" I trailed off mid-sentence, my words dying in my throat as I spotted something in the crowd. There, amidst the people watching the sparring match, I saw someone who definitely shouldn¡¯t have been there. "Lilith?" "...Oh¡­." "Lilith? What¡¯s going on?" "N-no way¡­." In the middle of the crowd, standing between Celestina and Silena, was none other than the hero¡ªthe very person who should have been in the middle of receiving Lyria¡¯s confession right now. Chapter 308 Just to rify, in Luminor Academy, there wasn¡¯t originally any festival after the hunting season. The academy¡¯s hunting festival was an intense final exam where students risked their lives to hunt monsters in the dungeon connected to the academy¡¯s forest. Students would return with their trophies, and thepetition would be about who caught the strongest monster and who captured the most. It was a test where injuries weremon, and while not every year saw fatalities, it wasn¡¯t unheard of. That¡¯s why, in the original Luminor Academy, a festival after the hunting season would have been unthinkable. After all, how could anyone enjoy a celebration when someone¡¯s friend or family member might have died during the hunt? The only time a festival could happen after the hunting season in Luminor Academy was after the second semester of the second year¡¯s hunting exam. That day, the "Hero''s Party" defeated a dangerous boss monster from the dungeon and saved other students, who were close to dying. One of the saved students was a high-ranking individual whose death could have caused diplomatic issues, making the celebration well-justified. Plus, the meat of the "Giant Owlbear" they defeated had to be consumed, serving as the excuse for the feast and drinks that followed. That was the only time in the entire story of Luminor Academy that a post-hunting festival, with meat and alcohol, ever urred. So, why was I sitting here with Ethan, with Lyria and Caham across from us at this festival? The reason was simple. They just decided to join our table of their own ord. Ethan and I hadn¡¯t invited them, yet here they were. "...And then Senior Lilith said this! She told me that if a man doesn¡¯t get moved by such a passionate confession, he¡¯s probably impotent, so I should just give up on him!" "Uh, Lyria¡­ I didn¡¯t say it that harshly¡­." "But it¡¯s such a valid point!" "That¡¯s really useful advice, Lyria!" "Indeed, Lady Rosewood must truly be a genius at seduction!" "..." By now, other athletic girls had gathered around our table, and Lyria had started spreading the gospel of my supposed "genius" in confessions. The confession that was supposed to fail had somehow be known as the most passionate and intense confession in the history of the academy, and now people were treating me like the mastermind behind it all. The dizzying atmosphere of admiration was overwhelming. Ever since Lyria and Caham had started dating, she kept bringing me up every chance she got, spreading this ridiculous image of me as some kind of confession expert. With Lyria¡¯s loud, enthusiastic nature, I couldn¡¯t stop the nickname from spreading, even if I tried. ¡­For the record, Agnes was sitting at this table not long ago, but it took less than five minutes after Lyria and Caham joined for her to flee back to the Hero''s Party table,ining about the noise. "Ah, Lady Rosewood! Would you like another drink?" "...No, I¡¯m fine." "Oh! You must be running low on snacks! I¡¯ll go get some more¡ªplease, wait here with Lord Ethan!" "No, no¡­ it¡¯s not that we need more food. As the maid, it¡¯s my job to¡ª" "I¡¯ll be back in no time!!" "...do that¡­." Since Lyria had told him I helped her with her confession, Caham had started treating me with more respect than ever before, making it even harder to escape the attention of this musclehead couple. ''Individually, they¡¯re already loud, but together¡­ it¡¯s like their noise synergizes¡­'' It wasn¡¯t all bad, though. Unexpectedly, I¡¯d grown closer to Lyria, and honestly, it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant feeling. After all, I had gone through her route once before in a past life, and even though her character was divisive, I personally liked her as a healthy and attractive beauty. "...And then, during the hunting festival yesterday, Senior Lilith also¡­." ¡­Though having her as a close friend turned out to be quite noisy and a bit much at times. But, so what? If Lyria ended up happy, then I was content with that. ''Now that it¡¯se to this, maybe I should help the other heroines find partners too.'' While I hadn¡¯t been intentionally ying matchmaker, two couples had already formed, or were on the verge of forming, because of me. One was obviously Lyria and Caham, and the other was Agnes and Prince Antonio. Of course, the second couple was still in the "something¡¯s brewing" stage, and it wasn¡¯t confirmed yet. But given Agnes¡¯s situation, if she didn¡¯t end up with Antonio, her prospects of ending up with anyone else were slim, so I didn¡¯t need to intervene much there. Natalie, on the other hand, just needed to avoid any interference, and she would naturally end up with her childhood friend, Thomas, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about her either. As for me¡­ well, things were going just fine with Ethan for now. With four of the main and side heroines paired off, I was reasonably satisfied with the oue so far. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, I believe that a woman who clings to an unattainable love for the rest of her life is like a beautiful apple left to rot in a storage shed. The three main heroines were already beyond my reach, so there wasn¡¯t much I could do about them. But the other heroines still had a chance to find a normal love with someone who would cherish only them for life. ''There¡¯s no need to do the hero any favors, anyway.'' Since the Hero¡¯s Party was already mostlyplete, pairing off a few more heroines wouldn¡¯t mess anything up. With my decision made, I quietly stood up and began walking toward the table where the Hero¡¯s Party was sitting. "Master Ethan, may I excuse myself for a moment?" "Sure. If you''re tired, we can head back soon." "I should at least say goodbye to Lord Caham since he¡¯s ended up running an errand for me. I¡¯ll be back shortly, so please wait a little longer, Master Ethan." "Alright, take your time, Lilith." Leaving Ethan behind, who didn¡¯t question where I was going, I walked toward the Hero¡¯s Party table, pretending to head for the restroom. By now, the rest of the party would probably be passed out, leaving just the hero. It was the perfect time for a quiet chat. "Hey, Hero." "Lilith, good timing." When I arrived at the Hero¡¯s Party¡¯s table, the only conscious person left was the hero, who waved at me as if he had been expecting me. I hadn¡¯t seen it directly, but I could easily guess what had happened. Natalie, who gets tipsy after just one drink, must have been the first to pass out, and Thomas would¡¯ve taken her away, as usual. Then there was Seraphina, who was always busy, so she probably left early. Agnes, who doesn¡¯t have many friends aside from Seraphina, likely followed her back to the dorms. Celestina was busy after the hunting festival, so she hadn¡¯t been able to attend at all. As for Silena¡­ "Mmm¡­ For an elf, this much alcohol is¡­ just like drinking water¡­." She was sprawled out, face down on the table next to the hero. "How much did she drink?" "About four and a half sses of fruit wine." "Then I guess we don¡¯t need to worry about being overheard." At that level of intoxication, she¡¯d be too out of it to even notice if someone carried her to bed and undressed her. So, it seemed safe to talk openly. "You¡¯ve be quite the celebritytely, haven¡¯t you? ¡®Genius of Seduction,¡¯ ¡®Confession Master.¡¯ It¡¯s all anyone talks about in the academy these days." "...Yeah, can you not remind me? I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way." "Did you really match up Lyria and Caham?"@@novelbin@@ "Well, I suppose it ended that way, but I didn¡¯t exactly n it. It just¡­ happened." "...Hmm, is that so?" The hero stroked his chin with a thoughtful expression, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of guilt. Did I mess up? "...Did I do something wrong?" "Huh? No, not at all. It¡¯s fine." "Really? That¡¯s a relief." "You said it wasn¡¯t intentional, right? So there¡¯s no reason for me to me you. Besides, it¡¯s not like I was nning to bring Lyria into the Hero¡¯s Party anyway." "..." Now, what would he say if I told him I was nning to match the other heroines with different men? One thing was clear: He wouldn¡¯t be too happy about it. Pairing the heroines off before the ending would be altering the original story of Luminor Academy. But for me, based on my beliefs, it was something I felt I had to do. Three heroines abandoned after the hero returned to Earth was already too many. "Hey, Hero." "What?" "No matter how many women fall for you and cling to an impossible love, you¡¯re still nning to go back to Earth, right?" "...Yeah." "And you said you won¡¯t get involved in anything here that you can¡¯t take responsibility for?" "Right." "Good. Then I¡¯m going to start doing things my way, and I don¡¯t want youining about it." "...Huh? What are you nning now?" "I¡¯m going to match the heroines you n to abandon with other guys." "......" "I despise the idea of someone carrying the pain of unrequited love for the rest of their life as if it¡¯s something beautiful. It¡¯s not." While my position and status might limit what I could do, I was determined to act as much as I could. Even if the hero didn¡¯t approve of my n. Chapter 309 Upon hearing Lilith¡¯s words, the expression on the warrior''s face subtly hardened. It was as if he hadn¡¯t expected what she was about to say. Lilith, sensing the tension and thinking that her words may have displeased the warrior, quickly tried to rify what she had just said. ¡°Yes, the heroines that you''re nning to abandon. To be honest, I feel attached to each and every one of them. I¡¯ve told you before, haven¡¯t I? I saw the ending 24 times in my previous life.¡± ¡°Yes, you did mention that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care much about the male characters, but the female characters? I¡¯ve seen all of them have their own endings at least once. From my perspective, they all deserve happiness. Watching them pine over you, struggle, and eventually face heartbreak... I can¡¯t bear to see that. It¡¯s just not in my nature to watch someone suffer through unrequited love, knowing they won¡¯t get anything in return.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I''ll try to make sure that I don¡¯t interfere with the main storyline too much when I help them. Your party to defeat the Demon King is pretty muchplete, anyway. No matter how much of a protagonist you are, I won¡¯t allow you to treat these heroines like garbage any longer.¡± Though Lilith spoke with resolve, after saying it, she felt a twinge of fear. She couldn¡¯t help but be cautious, worried that the warrior might see her as an obstacle to the story and take action against her. However, to her relief, the warrior¡¯s reply was reassuring. ¡°Yeah, do as you like.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°After hearing you out, I¡¯m wondering why I didn¡¯t think of this sooner. Honestly, I¡¯m kind of grateful for it.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yeah. I never intended to be with any of the heroines in this world. If they can find a way to be happy after I¡¯m gone, that would be for the best.¡± The warrior¡¯s unexpectedly indifferent and hollow reply made Lilith¡¯s tension dissipate. At the same time, she felt a strange sense of anger toward him. If it had been her, she would¡¯ve been overjoyed to receive such attention, yet here he was, brushing off the heroines'' affections as nothing more than a nuisance. ¡°Fine, do whatever you want. But I¡¯ll do things my way too.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m counting on you, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Unable to hide her dissatisfaction, Lilith stood up from her seat. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll leave the main heroines alone. If I try to pull them away from you at this point, it¡¯ll only backfire and have a negative impact on the story progression.¡± ¡°That¡¯s inevitable.¡± ¡°But from now on, I won¡¯t let any other girls fall for you. Just so you know.¡± ¡°Understood, Lilith. Do your best.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± With a curse, Lilith left, leaving the warrior alone with the drunken elf who had passed out. Watching Silena, who had boasted that elves never get drunk but had now copsed after drinking as if it were water, the warrior murmured quietly. ¡°Ugh, hero... I¡¯m an elf... Elves never lose in the forest¡­.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve never once thought of my rtionships with these women as trivial.¡¯ In fact, these women had be so precious to him that he was preparing to part with them in a way that would cause them the least amount of pain. However, that misunderstanding between them would only be resolved far in the future. ? ? ? The next morning, in the carriage of the ckwood family. About thirty minutes after boarding, Isabelle, sitting across from Ethan and me, carefully observed my expression. ¡°Lilith, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve looked a bit off since earlier¡­ Are you getting carriage sick after all this time?¡± ¡°Is that true, Lilith?¡± The conversation with the warrior the previous evening had left me in a bit of a sour mood, and it seemed I hadn¡¯t done a good job of masking my expression. Judging by Isabelle¡¯s concerned gaze, my face probably wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight. Even Ethan seemed to have noticed my mood btedly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Master Ethan. I¡¯m just a little... out of sorts because of what happenedst night.¡± ¡°Last night? Did something happen?¡± ¡°¡­I might have drunk a little too much. It¡¯s not because of anything else.¡± I couldn¡¯t exactly tell them that I¡¯d been talking to the hero about my knowledge from a previous life, so I came up with a suitable excuse. ¡°Really? Are you feeling sick? Should we stop and rest for a bit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. The distance from the Luminar Academy to ckwood is quite far, so if we stop now, we¡¯ll be dyed. Besides, there was that one time we almost had a major incident while camping.¡± ¡°An incident? Did something happen that night while I was asleep, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­The campfire went out once. We hurried to relight it.¡± ¡°Losing warmth in the early morning is dangerous. That¡¯s all I meant.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Yeah, keeping warm while camping is important¡­¡± Ethan and I had decided not to tell Isabelle about the time we fought off bandits in the middle of the night. It was all in the past now, and even if we told her, she probably wouldn¡¯t be too shocked. But I still preferred for her to remain as innocent as possible. I know it sounds odd, considering we¡¯d brought her to an academy where power struggles, violence, and even asional bloodshed ur, but still¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re tired from feeling ill, you can rest on my shoulder, Lilith.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that bad. I¡¯m not really that ufortable.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not up for my shoulder, would you like to lie down on myp?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else here today. Father¡¯s not with us, so even though the carriage is small, there¡¯s enough room for you to lie down if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a brief moment, I fought the sudden temptation to lie down and resisted. No matter how close I was to Ethan, acting on my desires so openly¡­ was still a bit embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Master Ethan. You don¡¯t have to worry that much.¡± ¡°Honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re not feeling sick. You can lie down on myp if you want.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯d actually prefer if you did. It¡¯s a long ride to ckwood, and it would be nice to pass the time this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be shy anymore, Lilith. You¡¯ve already held my hand and walked arm in arm at the academy.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± I didn¡¯t really have a counterargument to that. Over the past semester, I¡¯d indulged in many things with Ethan. Considering that I only had about two and a half years left to stay by his side, I did have a desire to experience as much as I could while I was still his lover. Even if my body had be that of a woman, the desire to enjoy a rtionship was still strong. But even though I could be bold in front of strangers, doing such things openly in front of someone specific¡ªlike Isabelle¡ªwas a bit more ufortable. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. Isabelle might feel a little ufortable if Ethan and I engage in affectionate behavior.¡± ¡°Oh, me? No, not at all! Don¡¯t worry about me. You can stay close to Master Ethan if you want!¡± ¡°See, Isabelle¡¯s fine with it, Lilith.¡± ¡°Well, still¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing to be seen, even if Isabelle doesn¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, my eyes are closed! I¡¯ll keep them shut the whole time!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°You¡¯re still bothered by it, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Honestly. I had no idea why they were both so in sync when it came to moments like these. If anyone saw this, they might think Isabelle was Ethan¡¯s personal maid. Of course, I knew that Isabelle was reacting this way out of concern for me. In the game, Isabelle was a character who would betray the ckwood family if it meant ensuring Lilith¡¯s happiness. And now, I suppose she thought my happinessy in my rtionship with Ethan, which is why she was acting like this. It was both endearing and a little embarrassing. It almost felt like I was reporting to her about my romantic interactions with Ethan. ¡°Lilith? I told you, my eyes are closed!¡± ¡°Lilith,e lie down here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the end, I couldn¡¯t resist their insistence¡ªor rather, I pretended I couldn¡¯t. Quietly, I rested my head on Ethan¡¯sp. Ap pillow between lovers. Somehow, it felt a little different from what I had imagined in my previous life, but it wasn¡¯t bad. I epted it. After all, the person I was in my past life was gone, and now, at least physically, I was a woman. ¡°Wow¡­ This is¡­ Wow, wow¡­¡± ¡°¡­Isabelle, your eyes are closed, right?¡± ¡°Oh, y-yes! Don¡¯t worry, my eyes are definitely closed, Lilith!¡± Her response, though shameless, was unmistakably the kind that suggested she was peeking at us through barely open eyes. Until we stopped for a break, I spent the whole time resting my head on Ethan¡¯sp, letting the sourness in my mood dissipate. During that time, I met Isabelle¡¯s gaze about five times. Chapter 310 Returning to the ckwood estate after several months for winter break felt more familiar to me than the home I lived in as Lilith or even the one from my past life. On the first night back, I found myself unable to fall asleep and eventually woke up a bit earlier than usual. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The faint light from the time stone showed a 4, which meant it was around 3:30 AM. Considering that we had only arrivedtest night, had a quick meal, washed up, and gone to bed, I hadn¡¯t even slept for three hours. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t sleep.¡¯ Was it because I had napped while resting on Ethan¡¯sp in the carriage? Or perhaps my body wasn¡¯t used to the unfamiliar bed after such a long time? Or maybe¡­ it was simply because the familiar warmth wasn¡¯t next to me. I hoped it wasn¡¯t thest reason. If I became too ustomed to having Ethan by my side every night, it would only make it harder when the time came for me to leave this estate. Of course, I didn¡¯t necessarily have to leave the ckwood estate, even if I didn¡¯t marry Ethan, but staying here wouldn¡¯t do me any good. After all, what would be the point of remaining as a maid only to witness Ethan and his future wife indulging in their affection? That would surely mess with my head. It would be best to follow through with the contract I made with Harold and leave once my four years at the academy were over, collecting my severance and moving far away. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Once I had woken up, there was no point in staying in bed, so I decided to start my day early. Back when I was a regr maid, waking up at 4 or 5 AM wasmon, so this was just a bit earlier than that. After brushing my hair, putting on my maid uniform, and fastening my headpiece, I quietly left the personal maid¡¯s waiting room, careful not to disturb Ethan, who was sleeping in the adjacent room. ¡®¡­Since I¡¯m already awake, maybe I¡¯ll take a walk.¡¯ As a personal maid, I couldn¡¯t wander too far, but a stroll around the estate grounds would be fine. With that thought, I descended the stairs and made my way to the first-floor lobby, where I spotted Dietmeyer bustling about early in the morning. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Good morning, Head Butler Destroy.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Dietmeyer Colin Evercroft. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard you call me that.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I just thought I¡¯d tease you a bit since it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Dietmeyer¡¯s puzzled expression briefly registered on his face before he quickly regained hisposure and said something that was neither apliment nor an insult. ¡°You¡¯ve truly be a proper youngdy, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Is that supposed to be apliment, Head Butler?¡± ¡°In another sense, it means you¡¯ve be more like a noblewoman, so I suppose it¡¯s not an insult.¡± The way Dietmeyer responded so naturally with a calm expression reminded me why he was the head butler. As I quietly reflected on the meaning behind his words about bing a ¡®proper youngdy,¡¯ Dietmeyer borated on what he had just said. ¡°Bing more like a noblewoman is a good thing, Lilith. While I greatly appreciate your dedication as a maid, in the future, it would be unsuitable for you to act like a servant forever.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°What I mean is, in a few years, you¡¯ll find yourself in a position where maid duties will no longer be your concern... Ah, ahem.¡± ¡°What exactly do you mean by that, Head Butler?¡± ¡°Never mind. Forget I said anything, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Dietmeyer coughed awkwardly and trailed off, leaving me feeling frustrated and curious. His manner of speaking was one of those infuriating styles that made you want to pry further. ¡°Head Butler? Why do you leave me hanging like that and stop mid-sentence?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Lilith.¡± ¡°You just told me I¡¯d be in a different position from maid duties in a few years. Are you implying there¡¯s some nned transfer for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy, so I¡¯ll excuse myself for now. Let¡¯s talkter, Lilith.¡± ¡°Wait, hold on¡­.¡± Before I could catch him, Dietmeyer quickly darted up the stairs, disappearing onto another floor. As a mere maid, I had no way to chase after the head butler, who, despite my noble status, still outranked me in the household. Left with nothing but questions, I pondered over the meaning behind his final words. ¡®Does he know I n to leave the estate in two years?¡¯ That was the only usible exnation. It wasn¡¯t as though I had any ns to be promoted to a higher position like head maid. The real mystery was how he had found out about my n to leave after graduation. It was something I hadn¡¯t even mentioned to Isabelle or Katarina, only something I had decided on my own.@@novelbin@@ Then again, there was no use specting. The head butler probably had a good sense of how long his staff nned to stay in the estate. The best way to clear my mind of such thoughts¡ªand the lingering drowsiness¡ªwas to go for a walk. -Whiiiing. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The cold, early-winter air wrapped around me, but since I was wearing my winter maid uniform, it wasn¡¯t too bad. Plus, with a little magic coursing through my body, I could easily withstand the chill. Moving my body to warm up, I leisurely strolled around the ckwood estate, finding the brisk air refreshing enough to wake me up. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ If I had faithfully fulfilled my original debt-maid contract, I wouldn¡¯t even be here by now. It had been about eight years since I first arrived at this estate, and seven years since I regained my memories of my past life. Of course, I could have chosen to stay and work even after paying off my debt, just as I was doing now. But if Ethan had remained the same as he was seven years ago, I would¡¯ve fled from this estate the moment my contract ended, without looking back. But the reason I stayed was because Ethan had changed so much¡ªso much so that it made me feel a strange sense of aplishment. After all, the most positive change I had made in this world was none other than Ethan himself. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for me, Ethan would be preparing to fight the warrior who would invade this estate during winter break.¡¯ If the warrior had attacked the estate as he did in the original story, would Ethan and I be able to defeat him together? In the original, Ethan could sometimes hold his own in a duel with the warrior, so it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. And if I supported Ethan with buffs and assists, we¡¯d likely be able to subdue him. But now, this was all just idle spection. As I continued walking, having circled about three-quarters of the estate, I spotted a familiar figure wielding a sword in the training yard. The silhouette belonged to the second most familiar man in my life in this world. -Swish! Swish! Swish! ¡°Hm?¡± The sharp sound of sword strikes, almost like the whistling of the winter wind, belonged to none other than Harold. As expected of a Sword Master, he immediately sensed my presence as I approached, turning to look at me. ¡°Hm, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Did you sleep well, Master?¡± ¡°You¡¯re up early. Are you here to train?¡± ¡­As if. I wasn¡¯t a swordsman. Misinterpreting my early morning stroll as a sign that I wanted to train, Harold¡ªever the Sword Master¡ªasked, but I shook my head slowly. ¡°I woke up a bit earlier than usual and thought I¡¯d take a walk, Master.¡± ¡°I see. If you hade to train, I was about to ask you to spar with me.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, but you know my skills are far below yours, Master.¡± Indeed, throughout the entirest semester, I hadn¡¯t won a single match against Harold in his swordsmanship ss. Of course, the curriculum had be much harder thanst year. The secret tricks I had used before wouldn¡¯t work twice. Besides, a longsword had significant advantages over a dagger in many aspects, so even if Harold fought with one hand, I still couldn¡¯t guarantee victory. ¡°That¡¯s true. But what if we sparred with me using only one hand?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°If you use both hands and I use one, that should make for a decent handicap. What do you think?¡± ¡°No matter what, I doubt I could win, even with you using one hand, Master¡­¡± ¡°If you manage to score even one point against my one-handed sword, I¡¯ll raise yourst semester¡¯s grade from a C+ to a B+.¡± ¡°Please prepare yourself, Master. No backing out now.¡± ¡°I must say, I admire your attitude.¡± And so, rather unexpectedly, a morning sparring session with Harold began. Starting at four in the morning, our duelsted nearly an hour. The result of my sparring with the Sword Master, in exchange for a grade increase, was¡­ ¡°Cough! Cough, cough!¡± The reason I spent the entire next day bedridden. Chapter 311 ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Ah, it¡¯s definitely a cold. As soon as I woke up, feeling feverish and dry coughing, I instantly knew that I¡¯d caught a cold. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I got sick from pushing myself for just one day...¡¯ It made sense, though. I¡¯d gone for a walk in the cold winter air while already sleep-deprived, had an hour-long sword sparring session outdoors with Harold, and worn my sweat-soaked clothes for far too long after depleting all my magic to keep myself warm. Any one of these actions in this season would¡¯ve led to a cold, so it was inevitable. Honestly, getting off with just a cold seemed like the best oue. ¡®Back when I still had my Saintess powers, I could¡¯ve handled worse than this and been fine...¡¯ I remembered times like when Aeria and Alicia made me do all the kitchen work, or when I had just be Ethan¡¯s personal maid and was constantly being called and worked to the bone. If I were going to get sick, it should¡¯ve been then, but I never caught even the smallest cold. That was probably because, as Lilith, I still had some immunity due to my Saintess status. I thought about asking one of the ckwood family priests for healing, but unfortunately, illnesses like colds and viruses couldn¡¯t be cured with holy magic. And even if they could, it wasn¡¯t like a mere maid like me could ask a priest for help anyway. ¡®I look a little flushed, but maybe if I wear a mask, it won¡¯t be too noticeable.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t just skip my duties as Ethan¡¯s personal maid over a simple cold. I¡¯d gone to work even when I was sleep-deprived and exhausted from the Mackhart incident, so I couldn¡¯t let this stop me now. With that thought, I dressed in my maid uniform, put on a mask to hide my flushed face, and made my way to Ethan¡¯s room for work about thirty minutester. ¡°You¡¯re burning up. What do you think you¡¯re doing, trying to work in this condition?¡± Ethan pulled me back to my room, where he practically forced me into my sleepwear and tucked me back into bed. ¡°But without me, who will take care of your duties as a personal maid, Master Ethan¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be leaving the estate today, anyway. Do you think I¡¯m some spoiled kid who can¡¯t survive a few days without a maid? Just focus on getting better, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Rest. I¡¯ll have Isabelle bring you breakfast.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± With that, Ethan left the room, closing the door behind him. Left alone in the servant¡¯s waiting room, I spent my time idly, alternating between groaning and coughing. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ I regretted not refusing Harold when he asked to spar. Or better yet, I regretted even going for that walk in the morning. Lying in bed, I grumbled at my own misfortune of getting sick right after returning from the academy. ¡®If this were my past life, at least I¡¯d have a smartphone to keep me entertained. There¡¯s nothing here, so it feels so empty.¡¯ But they say the best cure for a cold is rest, so I just had to focus on getting better. On the bright side, it was like getting an unexpected vacation. Well, considering my role as Ethan¡¯s maid, work was more like a vacation for me. As Iy in bed staring at the ceiling, the door opened, and a maid with vani-colored hair walked in. ¡°Lilith, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Isabelle¡­¡± ¡°I brought you breakfast. Since you¡¯re sick, I thought soup and sd would be easier to eat than bread or meat.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I reached for the spoon on the tray to start eating, but Isabelle shook her head and stopped me. ¡°Lilith, you¡¯re sick. Just stay still. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that sick¡­¡± ¡°Never mind that. Lie down. You need to conserve your energy and recover quickly.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Not in the mood to argue while sick, I nodded. Isabelle was right¡ªit was better to conserve my energy to recover faster. As Isabelle fed me spoonfuls of soup, she casually informed me about something unexpected. ¡°Master Harold said you should rest properly. He even mentioned giving you some sort of injurypensation.¡± ¡°¡­Injurypensation?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure why either. That¡¯s just what Master Harold said.¡± ¡­Was he feeling guilty about making me spar with him and indirectly causing my cold? That would be very unlike Harold. From what I knew of him, the Harold in the original story handled everything strictly by the book, especially when it didn¡¯t directly involve his son. Even considering that I was Ethan¡¯s personal maid, it didn¡¯t quite add up. In the original story, Harold hadn¡¯t cared even when Lilith had been assaulted or mistreated by Ethan. Perhaps seeing how much Ethan had grown and matured differently from the original timeline had softened Harold¡¯s heart a bit, but I wasn¡¯t going to overthink it. ¡°¡­Later, Master¡­ said he might stop by¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lilith? Are you listening¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­ I¡¯m listening¡­¡± The rest of the meal passed in a bit of a blur, with me responding sluggishly to Isabelle¡¯s questions while she fed me. Afterward, as fatigue took over, I soon drifted back to sleep. ? ? ? How many hours had passed? When I opened my eyes again, I felt slightly better. My head was clearer, though I still had a mild throbbing headache. At least the sharp, pounding pain from earlier was gone.@@novelbin@@ Noticing someone nearby, I carefully turned my head. Sitting next to my bed, watching over me, was Ethan. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ethan was staring down at me with a serious expression, deep in thought. He didn¡¯t seem to notice that I had woken up, as his gaze wasn¡¯t focused on my face. ¡®¡­What is he nning?¡¯ I was curious as to why Ethan was in the servant¡¯s waiting room, watching over me, but I decided not to reveal that I was awake just yet. The nket covering me had been slightly pulled down¡­ Was he nning something mischievous? ¡®It¡¯s been about two weeks since that night at the academy¡­¡¯ Ever since Ethan had ovee Harold that one time, he had been able to win matches against his father more frequently. And on those days, we had shared ¡°rewards¡± regardless of being at the academy. By now, we had been intimate four times, including our first experience together. ¡®It¡¯s a bit strange to be in a rtionship like this and not have sex asionally.¡¯ For couples around our age, it would be normal to engage in physical intimacy almost every day, but we didn¡¯t do it that often. The biggest reason was myck of stamina, and I didn¡¯t want to hinder Ethan¡¯s growth as a swordsman. Exerting all his energy in bed would leave him too tired to wield a sword the next day, so we maintained a healthy bnce. Kissing and touching didn¡¯t count as sex, so I allowed that to happen more often. Anyway, considering that it had been a while since Ethan and I hadst been together, it was likely that his desires had built up. And now¡­ he might be nning to use my sleeping body to relieve those pent-up urges. After all, why else would he be in my room without permission? Under normal circumstances, taking advantage of someone while they were sick would be disgusting, but thinking about Ethan doing something like that made my heart race instead. Maybe it was because I knew he still wanted me. ¡®He hasn¡¯t been as possessive recently, so this could be interesting.¡¯ In case you¡¯re wondering, I don¡¯t have a fetish for being overpowered or anything like that. I just wanted to see how much Ethan still cared for me. Now that we had crossed the line once, if he stopped showing that level of desire, I¡¯d be a little disappointed. ¡®And if I let him think I¡¯m asleep and he tries something, I can use it to tease himter.¡¯ Even Ethan would feel guilty if I called him out for trying to have his way with me while I was sick. As I mulled over these thoughts, pretending to stay asleep, I felt Ethan¡¯s hand slowly reach toward my chest. Chapter 312 In the tense silence, Ethan slowly reached his hand toward my chest. I kept my eyes tightly shut, ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t realize I was awake, waiting for his touch. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lilith¡­¡± he mumbled softly. ¡®¡­It¡¯s happening.¡¯ Apologizing under his breath while touching my chest? That could only mean one thing¡ªhe was nning to satisfy his desires using my ¡°sleeping¡± body. Just as I expected, after those words, Ethan began to unbutton my nightgown, one piece of clothing after another, slowly peeling away theyers. I kept pretending to be asleep, focusing on the sensation near my corbone. -Slide. ¡°¡­¡­¡± -Thump, thump. What¡­ is this? For some reason, my heart was racing even faster than usual. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but this felt different¡ªmuch more intense than when I¡¯d rewarded Ethan before. Maybe it was the thrill of knowing he was doing something forbidden. Of course, the one doing something wrong was Ethan, not me. I was merely pretending to be asleep to gauge his feelings and catch him in the act, to have something to tease him aboutter. -Slide. ¡®Wow, he really went for it¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe Ethan was being so bold. My heart pounded as I smiled internally, pleased that despite our recent changes, he still had this desire for me. Okay, I had confirmed enough¡ªhis feelings were still there. It was time to wake up and confront him for what he was doing¡­ But how exactly should I do that? If I suddenly opened my eyes now and called him out, wouldn¡¯t that be incredibly awkward? I mean, I had been lying there ¡°asleep¡± all this time, but if I woke up the moment he started undressing me, it would be pretty obvious that I¡¯d been pretending the whole time. And technically, he hadn¡¯t crossed any serious line yet. If I woke up now, he might just give some excuse like ¡°I was trying to make you morefortable¡± or ¡°I was helping you change out of your sweaty clothes.¡± ¡®No, I need to wait for a more definite moment.¡¯ I had to catch him in a morepromising situation¡ªlike groping my chest or even trying to kiss me. Or¡­ if he dared to do something even more extreme, like trying to slip inside me while I slept. ¡®If it gets to that point, he¡¯ll be caught red-handed.¡¯ There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let him get away with something so bold by iming it was an ¡°ident.¡± I just had to be patient and wait until the evidence was undeniable. While I waited, I suddenly felt something soft and damp touch my chest. -Squish. ¡°Mmph¡­!¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± Oh no. Out of habit, I let out a sound without thinking. I¡¯d been so tense, and when Ethan¡¯s hand touched my body, I instinctively moaned¡ªjust like I usually did when he touched me. ¡°Lilith? Are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you really asleep? Or¡­ are you pretending?¡± Oh, please, don¡¯t notice. There¡¯s nothing more embarrassing than waking up at a time like this. If he found out I¡¯d been pretending to be asleep just to catch him in the act, I¡¯d lose all leverage, and worse, I¡¯d feel humiliated. If Ethan asked, ¡°Why were you pretending to sleep?¡± I couldn¡¯t just say I was trying to catch him doing something. He might even turn the situation around and use me of being some kind of perverted maid. If I knew he was undressing me and didn¡¯t stop him, it could easily be interpreted as me wanting him to go further. As embarrassing as it was, I had to take the risk and continue the act. ¡°Mmm¡­ M-Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Not so suddenly¡­ Nngh¡­¡± I desperately tried to sell the act, making it seem like I was dreaming about something simr. If Ethan thought I was having a dream, he might get bolder, and that would work in my favor. -Thump, thump.@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just her usual sleep-talking.¡± Whew. I managed to trick him, thankfully. Ethan seemed to ept that it was just me talking in my sleep, something I apparently did often. ¡®Wait, does that mean I call out his name in my sleep regrly?¡¯ No way, that can¡¯t be true¡­ right? Ignoring that unsettling thought, I focused on what Ethan would do next. He slowly continued touching me, massaging my chest while I remained still. He got bolder, and I could feel him running his hand along my body, probably preparing for what wasing next. However, the sensation that followed wasn¡¯t what I expected at all. Instead of rough groping, I felt something soft and damp again, like a moist cloth. -Swipe. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this?¡¯ -Swipe, swipe. ¡®Wait a minute, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ The damp cloth moved across my chest, my abdomen, and my sides. Even without opening my eyes, I could tell it was a wet towel. ¡®Is he¡­ just cleaning me?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t about to assault me while I slept? I mean, of course, cleaning a patient¡¯s body to wipe away sweat was a basic part of care. But after all the buildup and strange atmosphere, was this really all he intended to do? Sure, his hands brushed against my bare skin a few times, but it was purely to hold up my chest as he wiped beneath it or to support my back as he cleaned my shoulders. Aside from that, he focused entirely on wiping away my sweat. ¡®If he was just going to do this, why didn¡¯t he wake me up?¡¯ I knew Ethan was probably trying to be considerate, letting me sleep while he took care of me. He must have thought this was the best way to ensure I got enough rest to recover. And here I was, tense and braced for something that didn¡¯t happen, only for him to adjust my clothes after he finished wiping me down. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He continued cleaning me in the same manner, moving to my legs, even pulling down my pants to clean my lower body. For a moment, I thought this might finally be it, but no, he was just wiping me down again. He didn¡¯t even touch my underwear. He must have decided there was no need to go that far. In the end, Ethan hadn¡¯t intended anything inappropriate at all. It had only been my dirty mind that was expecting something else. ¡®Seriously¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t me myself for being mistaken, though. A man undressing a sleeping patient like this? How could I not misinterpret the situation? It wasn¡¯t that I had a perverted mindset¡ªthis time, Ethan had definitely acted in a way that could be misunderstood. -Slide. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± After pulling my pants back up, Ethan let out a satisfied sigh. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it, but today, that carefree sigh really irritated me. Here I was, in this incredibly suggestive situation, and instead of taking action, he just cleaned me and called it a day. Even if his original goal was to wipe me down, he could¡¯ve at least made things a bit more¡­ intense. Why go so far to take care of me, only to leave things at that? Why did he make my body all hot and bothered with his touch, only to smile as if he had aplished something? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you awake? How are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I brought some sugarcane tea. Do you want a cup? You seemed to be sweating a lot earlier.¡± The sheer audacity of him to look me in the eye and casually offer tea after he had just been touching me sent me over the edge. Before I even realized what I was doing, I grabbed him by the cor and pulled him toward me. -Smooch. ¡°Mmph?!¡± ¡­Well, I don¡¯t even care anymore. If he¡¯s going to get me all worked up, he better take responsibility until the end. Chapter 313 Ethan¡¯s body stiffened for a moment as Lilith¡¯s lips collided with his. He couldn¡¯t understand why she was kissing him so suddenly, right after waking up. "Chup, chup." "Mmph, hmph... Uhh..." "...." Of course, Ethan wasn¡¯t the type of man to stop everything just because of a sudden kiss, so he didn¡¯t push Lilith away or react forcefully. He wasn¡¯t driven by frustration to steal her lips, but the desire to kiss the woman he loved was always there. Was it frustration? Was she mistaking the version of me from her dreams for the real me, or was she just weakened and craving affection? The question could wait until after this kiss ended. With that thought, Ethan leaned into Lilith and, for the moment, went along with her kiss. After nearly three minutes of intimate contact, Lilith¡¯s lips slowly parted from his. "Haa, haa..." "What¡¯s going on, Lilith? Why are you suddenly so forward...?" "Haa... Ethan... you started it first..." "What...?" "You were just touching my body all over¡­ How can you act so shamelessly, Ethan¡­?" ¡­I thought she was asleep, but she was awake. I had tried to be careful, not wanting to wake her, but it seems I woke her the moment I first touched her sensitive skin. At some point, she had even begun calling me by a nickname instead of my proper name. It was her silent demand that I see her as more than just my maid. She wanted me to take responsibility for touching her and arousing her while she pretended to be asleep. Wait, then what about the sleep talk...? Could she have been pretending to sleep, all while knowing I was touching her? Ethan felt embarrassed just thinking about Lilith¡¯s bold actions, but he didn¡¯t question her. If he brought it up now, she¡¯d surely hide under the covers, overwhelmed by embarrassment. Having shared several intimate moments with Lilith already, Ethan had learned how to handle her more confidently by now. "I¡¯m sorry, Lily. I was just trying to clean you up; I didn¡¯t mean to wake you." "Haa, haa¡­ Ethan, how can you be a man and not have any desires? How can you touch my body while I¡¯m asleep and still remain so calm the entire time?" "What...?" "If you didn¡¯t want to undress me or touch me, that would¡¯ve been fine¡­ but you undressed me, exposed my chest, and then just wiped me down like it was nothing... How could you do that so¡­ mechanically?" "...." Ethan wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she meant by "mechanically," but he could piece it together from the context. And he felt cautiously certain of one thing. Even though he had carefully wiped her down, trying to be as considerate as possible, Lilith had wanted him to do more¡ªtoe on top of her while she pretended to be asleep. Why Lilith had harbored such a desire became clear with her next words. "Am I not attractive enough...? Or do I no longer excite you like I used to, now that you¡¯ve already caught me...?" "Lily, what are you talking about?" "There¡¯s no way you could see me naked and not do anything about it! Even if you held back from going all the way¡­ if you had any desire at all, you¡¯d at least¡­ touch my chest, wouldn¡¯t you?" "...." She had no idea how much restraint Ethan had exercised while cleaning her. How much he had wanted to squeeze herrge breasts with both hands, suck on the delicate peaks with his lips, or even slip his hand lower while pretending to continue wiping her down. She couldn¡¯t possibly imagine how much of those dark desires he had held back. It was only because she didn¡¯t know that she could say something so ridiculous. If she could have seen into his mind for just ten seconds, she would¡¯ve never misunderstood him like this. "The heart of a woman is truly mysterious¡­" I thought it was ungentlemanly to touch someone who was sick, so I restrained myself. But apparently, I was supposed to give in to my desires. Ethan suddenly felt a begrudging admiration for that brave knight who could juggle the hearts of three women at once. Even if he still didn¡¯t think they¡¯d ever get along. Of course, in reality, Lilith was just a particrly troublesome woman in his life, but unfortunately, Ethan had never loved anyone else, so he didn¡¯t know how to handle it any other way. "No excitement? That¡¯s ridiculous." "......." "I¡¯m still thrilled by everything about you, Lily. Ever since that first night we were together, I¡¯ve been excited." "Stop lying." "I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯ll prove it to you. Ever since we first shared a bed, I¡¯ve felt more excitement every day. Sleeping and waking up beside you, sometimes bathing together, kissing you and touching you¡­ and even when you reward me after I win my duels with my father, I feel it even more. And each day, it only grows stronger." "Uh, uh¡­ what¡­?" Lilith¡¯s voice trembled, caught off guard by Ethan¡¯s sudden and passionate deration of love. Her face, already flushed, turned an even deeper shade of crimson. Seeing her reaction, Ethan pushed even further. "Even now, you don¡¯t seem to fully understand my feelings." "Uh... Ethan?" "If you want it so badly, Lily, I¡¯ll give you what you want." And with that, he grabbed her arm. "Kyaa?!" Startled by his sudden grip, Lilith let out a surprised gasp. Her voice only excited Ethan further, and he pulled her body back onto the bed. "Lily, you brought this on yourself." "E-Ethan?" "You doubted my desire, so I have no choice but to prove it to you." With that, Ethan¡¯s hand reached out and squeezed one of Lilith¡¯s breasts roughly. "Ah?!" "You said you were disappointed I didn¡¯t take things further, right?" "I-I didn¡¯t mean¡­ I just thought maybe you had no desire..." "It doesn¡¯t matter. You started this, Lily." He continued to knead her chest roughly, using both hands this time. Lilith¡¯s moans grew louder as he pulled her clothing apart, exposing her bare chest once again. "Hmph, hmph... Ah!" Ethan¡¯s rough hands grabbed her breasts firmly, and Lilith gasped at the intense sensation. He wasn¡¯t gentle this time¡ªhe waspletely lost in his desire, abandoning all restraint as he massaged her with force. "You wanted to know what happens when I stop holding back, didn¡¯t you?" "N-No, wait, Ethan...!" Ethan ignored her protests, his hands roaming freely over her body. He pinched her nipples, pulling them roughly, eliciting more cries from her.@@novelbin@@ "You liked it when I pulled them like this before, didn¡¯t you?" "Ah, no... not so hard...!" "Too bad. You wanted to see what I was holding back, and now you¡¯re going to feel it." Ethan¡¯s hands moved all over her, squeezing her breasts, pulling at her nipples, and rubbing her body with an intensity Lilith had never experienced before. At that moment, Lilith realized just how much restraint Ethan had been practicing all along. Now that he had let go of that restraint, the raw intensity of his touch overwhelmed her. Chapter 314 Ethan¡¯s movements, now unrestrained by any inhibition, were unlike anything Lilith had experienced before. His hands were no longer gentle, kneading her breasts as if they were dough, his mouth greedily sucking on both nipples at once, with all semnce of sophistication gone, driven solely by raw desire. ¡­It might sound funny, but I¡¯ve seen this version of Ethan before, in my past life. It was just like the ¡°recall scene¡± between Lilith and Ethan in the original story¡ªmore specifically, the sex with ¡°disgusting Ethan¡± that happened in the game. ¡­Come to think of it, it makes sense. No matter how much his appearance had changed, Ethan¡¯s core nature was still the same. Strip away theyer of politeness he used to cover himself, and this was what was left¡ªhis raw, unfiltered self. It was only natural. In the game, I always skipped these scenes because they were so disgusting¡ªthe fat pig of an Ethan molesting Lilith¡¯s body¡ªbut now, with his appearance changed, the whole experience felt entirely different. This Ethan was much taller, had no excess fat, and was much more handsome than the original Ethan from the game. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just his appearance that mattered. What really made the difference was that he had worked hard to change his value. As someone who had witnessed him grow and change from close by, I couldn¡¯t help but be moved by his passion. And the biggest difference from the original was that, instead of forcefully taking Lilith, Ethan had properly confessed to me and waited for my feelings. Now, as he indulged his desires with me like this, it felt strangely romantic. This was the moment I realized that he had been holding back all these desires for my sake until now. ¡­How did I not notice until now? The fact that I was only now realizing this made me feel like I had failed not only as a maid but also as his temporary lover. I should have been giving him the kind of sex he truly wanted when I gave him his ¡°rewards,¡± but I hadn¡¯t been doing that. Now that things hade to this, I needed to let him do whatever he wanted with my body from now on. I only had two years left to be with Ethan, and for that time, I could y whatever role he desired. "Mmph, mmph, mmph!" "Ahh¡­ Ethan¡­!" "What¡¯s the matter, Lily? Are you backing out now?" "N-no¡­ that¡¯s not it¡­" "Then what is it?" "I just¡­ I wanted to tell you that if this is what you want, you can do whatever you want with me¡­." "¡­¡­." Ethan paused, his hands that had been roughly kneading my breasts still for a moment, as if he couldn¡¯tprehend my words. Looking him straight in the eye, I said something I wouldn¡¯t have dared to say if I¡¯d been in my right mind. "Do whatever you want¡­ I know you¡¯ve been holding back for so long¡­ I know you¡¯ve always wanted this kind of rough, uninhibited sex." "¡­¡­." "In bed¡­ you don¡¯t have to think of me as your maid or your temporary lover¡­ You can think of me as¡­ a sex maid if that¡¯s what you want¡­ someone you can do whatever you like with." "Lily¡­?" "It¡¯s okay, because I already know how much you love me¡­ more than enough."@@novelbin@@ "¡­¡­." God, damn it. As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I wanted to run away from the spot right then and there. I never thought there¡¯d be a day when I¡¯d say something like that to Ethan with my own mouth. ¡­But it¡¯s only for two years. This whole lover¡¯s game would end in two years, so I might as well give Ethan whatever he wanted during that time. He¡¯s always been so considerate of me during the day, after all. So at the very least, at night¡­ I could let him have his way. "Lily." "¡­Yes, Ethan." "You know you could be called a genius at seduction, right?" Suddenly, with those words, Ethan¡¯s hand slipped inside my pants and yanked off my pajama bottoms and underwear in one swift motion. My legs instinctively tensed from the sudden movement, but it didn¡¯tst long. Ethan¡¯s rough hands moved between my thighs, forcing them apart. "Squelch!" "Ahh, ah¡­!" "You¡¯re soaking wet down here, Lily. Were you getting turned on this whole time while I was touching you?" "Do you want me to be honest¡­ or should I lie like usual?" "What does being honest mean?" "I¡­ I started getting excited from the moment you started apologizing to me and undressing me earlier¡­" "¡­¡­." Ethan stared at me with an expression so sweet, it was as if honey were dripping from his eyes. Ah, so that¡¯s the look he gives me. It¡¯s the same look mypanions said I give him. ¡­Well, what man wouldn¡¯t like hearing something like that? And since I¡¯d already told him to treat me like a sex maid, I might as well follow through, even if it¡¯s embarrassing. "Chup!" "Mmph, mmph¡­" "Squelch, squelch!" "Agh¡­ Ethan¡­!" With that same expression, Ethan brought his lips to mine, kissing me roughly as he thrust his fingers into me, scraping my G-spot repeatedly. His thumb, which usually caressed my clit gently in this position, was now pressing down roughly, with none of the tenderness he usually showed. This wasn¡¯t about making me feel good¡ªit was about him satisfying his own desires. Logically, I should have felt less pleasure than usual, but somehow, it felt even more fulfilling than his usual considerate sex. It was as if my body had always wanted to be used like this, as his sex maid. I don¡¯t even know anymore. Whether it was Lilith¡¯s body from the original or just my own suppressed desires¡­ I didn¡¯t care anymore. I decided to stop thinking about it and focus on the sensations. Ethan was enjoying himself, losing himself in his desires, so there was no need for me to overthink things. "Squelch, squelch!" "Mmph, mmph¡­!" Even the rough fingering inside me while he kissed me felt good in its own way. "Suck, Lily." "Ha, ah¡­ ah¡­" After a while, Ethan pulled out his erect cock and held it in front of my face, demanding I prepare it for him. "Squelch!" "Agh, ahh!" Without any of the usual gentleness, Ethan thrust his cock into me, filling mepletely in one stroke. Everything¡ªfrom the rough way he entered me to the dirty talk¡ªwas making me feel better than usual. I didn¡¯t care why it felt so good. I only wanted to focus on this moment. "Squelch, squelch, squelch!" "Ahh, ahh, ahh!" "You¡¯re moaning more lewdly than usual. Were you always secretly hoping I¡¯d be this rough with you?" "Ha¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­." "Don¡¯t lie. Your body is telling me the truth, you lewd maid." "Squelch, squelch!" "Ahh, ahh¡­!" "Come on, admit it. You¡¯ve always wanted me to fuck you like this, haven¡¯t you? Even while you pretended to be so calm andposed." "Pinch!" "Ahh¡­ Ethan!" Ethan pinched my nipple hard, as if it were a switch to force me to confess. Normally, this would¡¯ve hurt and brought down my arousal, but at this moment, even the pain felt like pleasure. Why was my body reacting like this? Getting more turned on by rough, inconsiderate sex? If I epted that truth, then I really would be nothing more than a lewd maid. After about ten minutes of rough thrusting, Ethan finally looked at me and asked the inevitable question. "Can Ie inside?" "Do whatever you want¡­." "I was going to anyway, even if you said no." "I¡­ I figured¡­." Thank god I know a cleaning spell. As Ethan¡¯s pace grew even rougher, I prepared myself to receive his climax. After about twenty more thrusts, Ethan buried himself deeply inside me and released his hot, thick load, filling mepletely. "Ahh¡­ so hot¡­ I can feel it all¡­." Ethan¡¯s semen poured into me, overflowing from inside, proving just how much he enjoyed this rougher, more passionate sex. Even after he finished, we remained entwined for several minutes, still riding the waves of orgasm. Eventually, Ethan pulled out and held his cock in front of my face again. "Haah, ugh¡­." "Lily." "¡­Yes?" "Clean it for me." "...What?" "You said you wanted me to treat you like a sex maid. Well, isn¡¯t cleaning me up after sex part of your job, Lily?" "¡­¡­." To be honest, I didn¡¯t really want to. Semen tasted awful. It was sticky and unpleasant. And on top of that, it had juste out of my body, so the thought of doing it really disgusted me. ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± But then again¡­ I was the one who told him to treat me like this. It¡¯s only for two years, so I could at least go this far for him. I mean, I was the one who told him to treat me like a sex maid. It would be cowardly of me to back out now. Better to suck it up and clean Ethan¡¯s semen-covered cock than go back on my word. ¡­Not that I actually wanted to suck his cock. "Chup, chup." "Mmph, mmph..." His thick cock, which was still long and hard even after cumming once, slipped into my mouth, filling it as if it were iming my throat. ¡­Honestly, it wasn¡¯t as revolting as I thought it would be. Chapter 315 The morning after I caught a cold and had beast-like sex with Ethan in my room. As soon as I opened my eyes at five in the morning, I threw off the nkets and sat up, gripping my head in shame and shaking it. "......!!! .........!!!!!" I wanted to scream, but I couldn¡¯t. I simply opened my mouth wide, my face contorting as I remembered every embarrassing thing I had saidst night, all of it shing before me like a terrible history. ¡®From the moment Ethan started apologizing to me while taking off my clothes, I was kind of expecting it.¡¯ ¡®In bed, you don¡¯t have to think of me as your maid or temporary lover; you can treat me like a sex maid.¡¯ ¡®I already know how much Ethan loves me, more than enough.¡¯ "......!! .........!!!" Bang! Bang! I kicked the bed in frustration as those ridiculous things I said as a ¡°lewd maid¡± reyed over and over in my head, and I couldn¡¯t find any outlet for my emotions. I must have been out of my mind. What? I told him he could treat me like a sex maid? Seriously, what was I thinking? But no matter how much I cursed my past self, I couldn¡¯t undo what had already been said or change the fact that it had happened. Kuuung! "Hah, hah, hah..." ¡®Well... it¡¯s only two years¡­¡¯ We¡¯ve already crossed that line. It¡¯s not like changing the way we have sex is going to make a huge difference. After all, once the two remaining years at the Academy are over, it¡¯ll all be finished. Yeah, this much is still within eptable boundaries. And the deal we made, that I¡¯d give him ¡°rewards,¡± was still valid. I only told him he could treat me like a sex maid during those rewards, not that he could demand it whenever he wanted. So, it should be fine. ¡®And besides...¡¯ To be honest, I actually liked it better that way. I felt sorry for Ethan, who had always been so considerate while holding me, but I discovered that I preferred the rough, desire-filled kind of sex more than the gentle, considerate type. I had learned that when two people¡¯s bodiese together, sharing emotions is far more important than physical pleasure. So, in a way, I guess it was a decent realization. ¡®At this rate, I really can¡¯t deny the title of ¡°lewd maid,¡± can I?¡¯ Even during the act, Ethan had called me a ¡°lewd maid.¡± If even he thought so, then it must have been true. There was no more fitting title for me than this. And it¡¯s not like anyone else can see it except for me and Ethan. As long as people like Isabelle or Agnes don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t really care. Having sorted my thoughts out to some degree, I got ready for the day. No matter how awkward it felt, I had to see Ethan, so I made up my mind and knocked on his door around six in the morning. Knock, knock, knock. "Are you awake, Young Master Ethan?" "......." "Young Master Ethan?" "Cough, uh, Lily... I¡¯m awake..." ...His voice sounded a little hoarse. As soon as I heard his voice, a bad feeling washed over me, so I opened the door without waiting for his permission and checked on him. Creak. "What¡¯s wrong, Young Master Ethan?" "Cough, uh... No, nothing, Lily..." "......." "It¡¯s morning, right? I¡¯ll get up soon, just wait a little..." "Stop talking nonsense and get back into bed, Young Master." "...Is it that obvious?" "Yes." The moment I stepped into the room and saw Ethan¡¯s flushed, red face, I knew immediately that he had caught my cold. ...I had a feeling this might happen. "Say ¡®ah,¡¯ Young Master." "I can hold a spoon myself, Lily." "I know, but there¡¯s no harm in conserving your energy, right? Besides, didn¡¯t I feed you even when you weren¡¯t sick at the Academy?" "That¡¯s true." With that, Ethan, looking a bit confused, epted the spoonful of soup I offered him. It was almost absurd. His personal maid and the young master she served had both caught the same cold within a day of each other. It made sense, though, given how we had been all over each other yesterday, kissing each other nonstop. ¡®And on top of that, I was the one who started it.¡¯ If Ethan had been the one to initiate the kiss or the sex, I wouldn¡¯t have felt as bad. But the fact that I was the one who initiated everythingst night made me realize that it was entirely my fault that Ethan had caught this cold. I didn¡¯t have any right toin, so I had to take care of him from start to finish as his personal maid. Luckily, despite having a cold, Ethan still had enough energy to gulp down the soup I spoon-fed him. Seeing how quickly he finished his breakfast, I guessed he would probably recover in about a day, just like I did. "Huu..." "If you need more, I¡¯ll bring you another bowl, Young Master." "No, I¡¯m fine. Eating too much will make it harder to sleep." "Should I prepare some warm water? Or would you like me to heat your nkets?" "Heat the nkets?" "I can use my magic to raise the temperature by circting it through the fabric. Or we could just ask Sally to do it." "Ah, I see... That¡¯s what you meant..." "......?" I tilted my head, confused as to why Ethan was suddenly blushing and avoiding my gaze. Seeing my confusion, Ethan hesitated for a moment before shyly exining what he had just imagined. "I thought... I thought you meant you were going toe into my bed to warm me up with your body..." "Who do you think I am, some kind of lewd maid?" "......." "This is where you¡¯re supposed to deny it, Young Master Ethan." "Sorry, but I can¡¯t. It kind of suits you, Lily..." "......." I let it slide because he was sick. If he weren¡¯t suffering from a cold, I might have said something. Then again, I was the one who gave him the cold in the first ce. So if Ethan wanted that, I couldn¡¯t really refuse. "If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll do it, Young Master." "No, Lily. I don¡¯t want to get too close and risk you catching the cold again." "Colds are caused by viruses, and once you¡¯ve had it, your body develops antibodies, so you can¡¯t catch the same one twice. Of course, there are different strains of the virus, so you could catch a different coldter. But since you¡¯ve got the cold I had, there¡¯s no need to worry about it..." "Uh... Sorry, Lily, but I didn¡¯t understand half of what you just said. Could you exin it more simply?" "I¡¯m saying there¡¯s no risk of me catching your cold if I get into bed with you." "...Are you saying you want to get in bed with me?" "No. I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯ll do it if that¡¯s what you want, Young Master." "In that case, I¡¯m fine. The nket is warm enough already." With that, Ethany back down in bed. I guess his body was too tired to deal with me getting under the covers. Considering what had happened yesterday, that was understandable. After all, even though I had been on the receiving end of things, Ethan had done most of the heavy lifting. "I¡¯ll return the dishes and be right back. Please rest, Young Master." "I¡¯ll just stay in bed, so you can rest until lunch too, Lily..." "What if something happens while you¡¯re in bed alone? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a nurse call button. I¡¯ll be right back after returning the dishes, so please just rest." "Okay... I don¡¯t know what a nurse call button is, but okay..." With those words, Ethan snuggled back into the nkets, drifting off to sleep. Feeling oddly guilty, I quietly left his room to take care of the dishes. About two hourster. "Um, Lily..." "Yes, Young Master?" "I feel weird saying this as a man, but... aren¡¯t you touching me a bit too much?" "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Young Master. I¡¯m merely wiping the sweat from your body with a towel." Even though I calmly denied Ethan¡¯s suspicions, he didn¡¯t seem ready to drop his strange im. "But you¡¯re spending too much time on one spot..." "You¡¯re being too talkative, Young Master. A patient should just lie still in bed." "You¡¯re the one who isn¡¯t leaving me alone. And anyway, you¡¯ve already dropped the towel..." "Are you saying you want me to clean you with my mouth again, like yesterday?" "That¡¯s not what I meant... Are you upset because I didn¡¯t ask you to get into bed with me earlier?" "Don¡¯t treat me like a petty maid, Young Master. I¡¯m simply trying to lower your fever." "But it feels like it¡¯s going up..." Yesterday, Ethan had thoroughly teased me while I was half-asleep with a fever. So today, it was my turn. As I pretended to be wiping him down, I subtly yed with him, using this chance to get back at him. And the next night, after returning from his duel with Harold, where he had fought tooth and nail to win, Ethan was expecting his "reward." Naturally, I had to pay him back for the teasing I had done earlier, and the cost was twice as much as the prank I had pulled on him during his recovery.@@novelbin@@ Chapter 316 Early morning. Ethan¡¯s room. I woke up, staring at the now all-too-familiar ceiling of this room, and, as usual, I got up from the bed to prepare for work. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t even bother to sleep in my room at ckwood Manor anymore.¡¯ At the Academy dorms, it was unavoidable that we shared the same bed. But here at ckwood Manor, there¡¯s a separate room for me and another one for Isabelle, and it¡¯s an unspoken rule that we use separate rooms. ¡­Well, it¡¯s not really a ¡°rule¡± per se. A maid sleeping in the same bed as her master either means she¡¯s the master¡¯s secret lover or being used as a sex maid for more intimate purposes. ¡®¡­Am I both?¡¯ Luckily, in my case, I¡¯m not officially his lover¡ªonly a temporary one¡ªand I¡¯m only treated as a sex maid when I¡¯m giving him his "rewards." So, it¡¯s kind of a half-and-half rtionship. The reason I¡¯ve been waking up in Ethan¡¯s room recently is simple: I¡¯ve just gotten too used to it. After returning from the Academy, I tried sleeping in my room a few times, but I had trouble sleeping most nights, often waking up early in the morning. I¡¯ve just be too ustomed to dorm life, and now I¡¯ve picked up a bad habit. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll have to fix this eventually, after I leave the manor.¡¯ But for now, there¡¯s no need to rush. Besides, Ethan didn¡¯t just allow it¡ªhe practically weed it with open arms. So, for the past month, Ethan¡¯s room has effectively turned into a double room for the two of us. Of course, all my belongings as a maid are still in my personal room, so I¡¯ll need to head over there to get ready for the day. Snore, puuuu¡­ ¡®I guess he¡¯s gotten used to it too. He sleeps so soundly even with me next to him.¡¯ Deciding to wake Ethan after I¡¯ve officially started my workday, I slipped out of the bed in my pajamas and quietly left Ethan¡¯s room to head to my own. I should hurry up and get back to my room before Harold sees me. If he sees me leaving Ethan¡¯s room in the morning, who knows what he¡¯ll think of me¡­ Creak. ¡®¡­He¡¯s not here.¡¯ The door to Harold¡¯s room was firmly shut, as I confirmed through the crack in the door. Feeling safe, I quickly tried to make my way back to my room, but the n fell apart just as I took my first step. ¡®I need to get back before Harold sees me¡­¡¯ "Good morning, Lilith." "¡­¡­?!!" Suddenly, Harold¡¯s voice came from behind me, sending a chill through my body. I froze momentarily but quickly tried to regain myposure, greeting him as naturally as I could. "Good morning, Master." "I saw you leaving Ethan¡¯s room. Did you sleep therest night?" Harold went straight to the point, asking bluntly. I tried to stay calm and answer as nonchntly as possible, knowing that revealing the truth about my rtionship with Ethan could be dangerous. If Harold¡ªwho would do anything for his son, even pretend to be dead¡ªfound out that Ethan was infatuated with me, it would leave a bad taste in everyone¡¯s mouth. "We shared a bed, but nothing happened that would cause you concern, Master." It wasn¡¯t a lie. Last night we only slept together, nothing more. That¡¯s the truth. "Concern? Why would I be concerned about anything between you and Ethan?" "Because someone of Ethan¡¯s noble blood shouldn¡¯t be involved with someone as lowly as me, amoner maid. Isn¡¯t that a natural concern for a noble father with a grown son?" "You¡¯re quite hard on yourself, Lilith. I¡¯ve never thought of your rtionship with Ethan in that way." "You haven¡¯t?" ¡­Maybe this was a trap. Perhaps Harold was trying to lull me into a false sense of security, only to turn on meter and use me of having an inappropriate rtionship with his son. After all, Harold was a man whose true intentions were hard to read, so I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. "So, are you saying, Master, that you wouldn¡¯t mind if Ethan were involved with a prostitute from the back alleys?" "Hmm, I wasn¡¯t implying that at all. But are you equating yourself with a prostitute, Lilith?" "I¡¯m not, but as an unknownmoner woman, I¡¯m not much different. You¡¯re well aware that my bar status is just a fake title created so I could attend the Academy, aren¡¯t you, Master?" "Yes, I am." Harold nodded slightly, almost as if to refute my earlier statement. "In other words, now that I, the head of the ckwood family, have vouched for your status, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue anymore, should it?" "But that doesn¡¯t mean you know everything about me. You have no idea how I lived before being sold to the ckwood family." "How could I know the past of every single servant in this household? Are you saying you really did work as a prostitute before losing your maidenhood?" "No, that¡¯s not the case." "Good. Then there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Even if you had such a past, it¡¯s not something I¡¯d be concerned with. What matters is Ethan¡¯s opinion, not mine." "......" "Even if your rtionship with Ethan were purely physical, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a bad experience for him. But if Ethan wanted something more from you, I wouldn¡¯t oppose that either." "No, Master. As I said, nothing inappropriate happened with the Young Masterst night..." I tried to deny it, knowing that nothing good coulde from revealing too much. But Harold cut me off and suddenly started talking about his own past. "The first time I met Tanacia was at the Luminor Academy. As a member of the swordsmanship department, I had no reason to cross paths with a student from the magic department, but somehow, we kept getting involved in various incidents." "¡­¡­What?" "Just listen. It¡¯s just a story."@@novelbin@@ This felt like a story far too long to be sharing with a maid in her nightclothes, but Harold didn¡¯t seem to care. He leaned against the window in the hallway, reminiscing. As a mere maid, I had no choice but to listen quietly to the head of the ckwood family. "I first met her in our second year, in the alley between the dormitories for the swordsmanship and spearmanship departments. Tanacia was standing there, wand in hand, defending a girl behind her from some seniors in the swordsmanship department." "......." "Later, I found out that one of the new girls in the swordsmanship department came from a family with a long-standing grudge against the upperssmen¡¯s families, and they were bullying her. Tanacia, with her strong sense of justice, couldn¡¯t just walk away when she saw that." "......." "Of course, I don¡¯t deny that Tanacia was an outstanding mage, but magic is at a disadvantage in closebat with swords. The seniors were much greater in number. I could see she had taken down a few thugs, but the ringleader, the one orchestrating the bullying, stood there smirking at her." "......." "What do you think I did when I saw that smirk?" Even though the story of Harold and Tanacia¡¯s past wasn¡¯t covered much in Luminor Academy, I could already guess what Harold had done. Considering that Tanacia became Harold¡¯s wife, the answer was practically half-given already. "Did you step in to defend her and take on the seniors of the swordsmanship department?" "Why would you think that? I¡¯m not the kind of person who goes out of his way to interfere with other people¡¯s business." "If you hadn¡¯t stepped in, Tanacia wouldn¡¯t be your wife today." "Hmm. Aristocratic marriages aren¡¯t usually based on things like that. Is that your only reason?" "Also¡­ if you had run away from that situation, I doubt you¡¯d be telling me this story now." "Hmm?" "Men are embarrassed to reveal their weaknesses in front of women, so if you were ashamed of what happened back then, you wouldn¡¯t be sharing this story with me¡­ oops." I immediately realized how audacious my words were and mped my mouth shut, quickly bowing my head. "S-sorry! I spoke out of line, being just a maid, how dare I¡­" "It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re right. If it were an embarrassing story, I wouldn¡¯t be telling you about it." "......" "As you said, instead of ignoring the situation, I chose to step in and save Tanacia. At the time, I didn¡¯t really know why I did it. I was just acting on instinct." "I see¡­" "It wasn¡¯t until muchter that I realized why I did it. I simply wanted to make a good impression on her." "I¡­ I understand¡­" "Yes. On her, a mere bar¡¯s daughter from a remote, undeveloped region, not some marquess or duke¡¯s daughter." "......" "I¡¯ve never thought that just because I¡¯m the son of a duke, I should marry someone of a simr rank, Lilith. I still don¡¯t think that way." "Ah, I see..." Suddenly, after sharing his past, Harold casually made his way downstairs. Left alone in the hallway outside Ethan¡¯s room, I could only stare nkly at his retreating figure. ¡®So what am I supposed to do with this¡­?¡¯ It was such a bizarre experience, having Harold appear out of nowhere, say what he wanted, and leave. ¡­At least it seemed like the fact that I had been in Ethan¡¯s roomst night had blown over. Chapter 317 After safely spending the winter break of the second year¡ªan event where Ethan and Harold were originally supposed to die¡ªEthan and I sessfully advanced to the third year without incident. To be honest, I was a bit uneasy even up until thest day we stayed at the ckwood estate. I kept imagining a scenario where there might be some kind of force in this world thatpelled events to follow the original storyline, and that viin would suddenly show up to kill Ethan. I had simr dreams probably a dozen times while staying at the ckwood estate. In these dreams, as per the original story, the hero¡¯s party attacks the ckwood estate during the second-year winter break, and Ethan and I team up to fight against the invader. Luckily, neither Ethan nor I ever lost to that cursed hero in my dreams. After all, no matter how strong that hero is, there¡¯s no way he could take on Ethan, especially when enhanced by my support magic buffs. Of course, it was all just in my dreams, so whether we won or lost didn¡¯t really matter. But still, winning feels a lot better, doesn¡¯t it? After spending about a month and a half at the ckwood estate, Ethan and I returned to the academy dorms two weeks before the new semester started. We immediately started drafting our schedules for the uing third year, nning which sses to take together. "Are you going to take your father¡¯s ss again this semester?" "I think I should. If I don''t attend the Sword Master¡¯s ss this semester, he would probably find it strange." "You don¡¯t need to feel pressured. If the swordsmanship ss is too difficult, you can take a break this semester. I¡¯ll exin it to Father." "No, it''s fine. Even students in the Swordsmanship Club who are less skilled than me are taking the ss, aren¡¯t they? As a non-major, I¡¯m still keeping up, so I think I¡¯ll gain more from it than they will." Thanks to the constant swordsmanship training from Harold, I had already benefited greatly. The sword techniques I¡¯d learned had been invaluable during encounters with bandits, monster hunts, and even the battle at MacHart. So, I have no regrets about the sses I¡¯ve taken so far. And now that I¡¯ve started down the path of swordsmanship, I want to push myself to my limits, if possible. Even if I can¡¯t reach the level of Sword Master, I¡¯d at least like to achieve Sword Expert. After all, the opportunity to take on such a challenge is limited to my time at Luminar Academy. Once outside the academy, finding a teacher better than Harold would probably be more difficult than plucking a star from the sky. So, just like the past two years, Ethan and I will take the magic swordsmanship ss again this year. But the rest of the sses are where things really shift. The new curriculum for the third year marks a significant departure from the first and second years at Luminar Academy. "What subjects are you going to take for the third-year field studies, Lilith? I heard we can take up to five." "What sses are you nning to take, Ethan?" "Don¡¯t ask for my opinion. First, tell me what you want to take. I¡¯ll consider it." The "field study subjects" Ethan was talking about might sound like general education courses at first nce, but in reality, they were practical training sses designed to apply what we¡¯d learned so far. Starting from the third year, there are fewer theory sses and more practical training sessions. Unlike the first and second years, where theoretical lectures took up more than half of the curriculum, the third year¡¯s focus is entirely different. Luminar Academy doesn¡¯t just raise pretty flowers in a greenhouse to sell to the outside world. Once the students have learned enough, the academy¡¯s policy is to throw them into real-world scenarios where they have to y monsters and bandits while gaining as much practical experience as possible, without losing their lives in the process. This applies to the Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Archery, Martial Arts, and Magic Departments, as well as even the Theology Department. Priests of the Aurelia faith must go through a mandatory apprentice priest training period, during which they gain practical experience before they are eligible to be assigned to a church. Of course, the Engineering and Pharmacology Departments are excluded, as they don¡¯t possessbat abilities. If you y as the protagonist, you could force yourself to participate in the practical training from these departments, but for Ethan and me, it doesn¡¯t really matter. "As the protagonist, by this point, you usuallyplete your Hero Party, don¡¯t you?" There are still some yable characters among the first-year students, but since you can¡¯t participate in the joint third- and fourth-year event with them, it¡¯s rare to bring them into the Hero Party. Even though Lyria is a heroine, in the original story, she¡¯s still less useful than Thomas because of these events. The two-year period ys a significant role in preparing for the Demon Lord''s subjugation. At least with someone like Lyria, who is one year below us, there¡¯s still a chance to train her for a year. But for the heroines who are two years younger, there¡¯s really no hope. By the time they start their practical training, the protagonist is already in their graduation year, so there¡¯s no option but to force them into external activities. But since the original game¡¯s growth system doesn¡¯t concern me, all I have to worry about is what sses Ethan and I will take. "What about ''Natural Studies,'' ''Geology Studies,'' and ''Humanities Studies''?" Tranted, those are basically ''Monster Hunting in the Forest,'' ''Monster Hunting in the Underground Dungeon,'' and ''Bandit Hunting.'' "Humanities? Are you sure, Lilith?" "It¡¯s not like I¡¯mpletely inexperienced, is it? Have you forgotten when we took down those bandits together, Young Master Ethan?" "That was a bit dangerous, wasn¡¯t it, Lilith?" "I was simply careful not to wake Isabelle. It wasn¡¯t particrly dangerous. Andpared to then, I¡¯m much stronger now. The same goes for you, doesn¡¯t it, Young Master Ethan?" "Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­" To be honest, there¡¯s some danger involved in "Humanities Studies." It¡¯smon sense that fighting against humans is more dangerous than fighting monsters. But the reason I suggested "Humanities Studies" to Ethan was simple. It was one of the sses that provided the most experience points. If I were the protagonist, I could wander around hunting monsters as I pleased. But my way of gaining experience was to faithfully attend the academy¡¯s sses. So, it was my personal desire to take all three of these sses if possible. "So? Are those the only three sses you¡¯ll take? What about the other two?" "I was hoping to hear your opinion on the remaining two, Young Master Ethan. Why don¡¯t you decide on the other two sses?" "I think it¡¯d be fine if you chose all of them, Lilith." "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s necessary for you to learn how to select sses as well, Young Master?" "Alright, fine. Hmm..." The reason I gave Ethan the choice of the remaining two sses was simple. The rest of the field study subjects didn¡¯t offer that much more experience. Since I had already secured the three most rewarding sses, I didn¡¯t really care what Ethan chose for the other two. No matter what sses he picked, I was prepared to follow his lead. "How about this for one of them?" "Necromancy Studies?" "Yeah. It seems a bit less dangerous." Necromancy Studies. In other words, ''Hunting Ghost- and Undead-Type Monsters.'' Taking this ss would mean facing banshees or zombies, and the practical training would take ce in cemeteries or abandoned buildings... "¡­" "What? You don¡¯t like it?" "No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a really great choice, Young Master Ethan." Well, even though I¡¯m a bit weak when ites to those sorts of things, I didn¡¯t want to dismiss a ss Ethan had picked out himself. I suppose I could think of it as an opportunity to ovee my difort. After all, when I eventually be an adventurer, I¡¯ll have to face ghost- or undead-type monsters at some point. If I¡¯m going to get vinated, it¡¯s better to do it during an academy ss when Ethan is around to help. "If you really don¡¯t like it, we can pick something else. I just happened to notice it and thought it might be a good choice." "No, I won¡¯t go back on my decision to let you choose, Young Master Ethan. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m scared of ghosts or zombies." "I didn¡¯t ask if you were scared. Are you perhaps weak against ghost-type monsters?" "I am not. There¡¯s no reason to be afraid of ghost-type monsters who can¡¯t even physically intervene¡ª" "Lilith, what¡¯s that in the mirror?" "¡­Huh?" "Over there¡­ there¡¯s something in the mirror¡­" What¡¯s he going on about now? Did he eat something strange? Given the flow of our conversation, it¡¯s likely Ethan was doing this just to tease me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d fall for such a cheap trick, saying there¡¯s something in the mirror or whatever. "Please don¡¯t joke around, Young Master Ethan." "I¡¯m not joking. Look, Lilith, just take a nce." "¡­" Despite knowing better, I pretended to fall for Ethan¡¯s prank and humored him, just to y along with his ridiculous antics. "Flip! Flip!" "Ah, there¡¯s nothing there, Young Master Ethan." "You moved your head too quickly. Of course, you couldn¡¯t see anything, Lilith." "Enough with the jokes, Young Master Ethan. This is really not funny at all." "No, really, just look again. There¡¯s something dark in the mirror¡­" "¡­" Sliding my gaze back toward the mirror, I muttered. "Ah, there¡¯s nothing there, Young Master Ethan. Where exactly is this ''dark'' thing you mentioned?" "It¡¯s right there. The most beautiful maid with jet-ck hair in the world." ¡­Huh? "What? The most beautiful maid in the world? Is there such a ghost?"@@novelbin@@ "I didn¡¯t say there was a ghost in the mirror. I just happened to notice how lovely you look, and it startled me." "¡­" With that remark, Ethan smiled brightly as our eyes met. That ridiculous grin made my blood boil, and I stood up from the table, schedule in hand. "On second thought, I think I¡¯ll need to redo my schedule entirely. It seems like I should focus more on magic department courses this semester." "Lilith, please! I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t do that!" "The advanced magic courses are looking quite appealing. Since you¡¯re unable to use magic yet, Young Master Ethan, it seems I¡¯ll have to take these sses with Miss Agnes." "I¡¯m sorry, Lilith! Please forgive me!" -Squeeze. "If you think this will make me forgive you, then you¡¯re gravely mistaken, Young Master Ethan!" -Smooch. Smooch, smooch. "Uh¡­ Uh¡­ Argh¡­" Unable to bear the absurdity any longer, I just pretended to forgive him while Ethan continued nting kisses on my cheek, clinging onto me. It wasn¡¯t because I¡¯d forgiven him out of my heart. I was simply letting this one slide for now. Chapter 318 After themotion with Ethan over the Necromancy Studies subject, which ultimately ended with us deciding to take it for the sake of oveing my weakness, Ethan carefully selected the final course, his hand settling on a ss titled "Marine Studies." "This will be thest one," he said. "Marine Studies?" I asked. "Yeah. There was that time when you almost got into trouble fighting the Kraken. I thought this would be a good chance for you to work on that." "I think that¡¯s a reasonable choice," I agreed. Swimming was still a weak point for me, but I could learn during this course. Besides, there was another name for Marine Studies, and having caught on to Ethan¡¯s real intentions, I naturally had no choice but to ept his suggestion. ¡®It¡¯s called ¡°Marine Studies,¡± but it¡¯s practically just a ¡°Beach Vacation,¡±¡¯ I thought to myself. I never imagined Ethan would ask me out on a date in such a way. I¡¯ll have to buy a swimsuit soon. Since there aren¡¯t many swimsuits thate in sizes matching Lilith¡¯s chest, I¡¯ll just get something simple in ck and maybe modify it with some maid frills. Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d say he wanted to see me in a swimsuit? It seems Ethan has a sneaky side after all. "We¡¯ll be taking all the same sses this semester, won¡¯t we, Young Master Ethan?" I noted. "Yeah¡­ I guess we will. I¡¯m counting on you, Lilith," he said. And with that, we finalized the schedule for the second semester. I should ask Agnester to see how many of our sses ovep. Her schedule would likely match that of the Hero¡¯s party, so I could find out which events the viin might participate in this semester. ____________ The day after Ethan and I finished registering for our sses, I sat on a bench in the central square with Agnes, casually discussing some of our uing courses. "Natural Studies? We¡¯re not taking that," Agnes said. "Oh? Then what course will you be taking during that time?" I asked. "Not sure. The Hero mentioned something about heading to the desert." "Ah, the Sr Studies course," I mused. "Yeah, I think that¡¯s what it was. He insisted on nning the entire schedule himself, so he took all of our registration forms and filled them out." "I see." It seemed like the Hero was sticking to the original n of raising the Hero¡¯s party properly. Though some might find it strange that a character as proud as Agnes would let someone else dictate her schedule, this actually aligned quite well with her personality in the original story. Agnes was the type who would take action without hesitation if she thought it would benefit her. Specifically, she acted in ways that furthered her position in the sessionpetition. Her behavior in the Spirit Studies ss, where she¡¯d swallowed her pride to follow my instructions, and her initial eptance of her courtship with Prince Antonio were both results of this pragmatic mindset. As for the Hero, he had already secured Agnes¡¯s trust by helping her win the hunting festival twice. Following his advice was clearly the best way for her to build her own aplishments in the session race. This, in turn, worked out well for me, as I could now get a glimpse into the Hero¡¯s ss schedule. ¡®Sr Studies, huh? A solid choice,¡¯ I thought. The only reason I had picked Natural Studies was to gain experience, but in the main story, Sr Studies was the more orthodox choice. By taking that ss, one could farm ancient relics in desert temples and even receive divine revtions from the Sun God, which granted new skills. Of course, none of that applied to me. If I picked up any ancient relics, it might interfere with the Hero¡¯s progress, and the new skill event was exclusive to the Hero. After confirming the first course, I moved on to ask about the others. "Are you taking Geology Studies?" "Yeah, I¡¯m signed up for that one." "Good. I¡¯ll be taking Geology Studies as well." "Great. What about the third-week course? Are you taking Humanities Studies?" "Yep, I am. You too?" "Yes. I decided that fighting only predetermined monsters wouldn¡¯t make me stronger, so I enrolled." Since both our schedules matched up with Geology and Humanities, there was no need for further concern. As for the fourth week, while I had chosen Necromancy Studies, the Hero and Agnes had opted for Demonology Studies. The fourth week¡¯s courses weren¡¯t particrly important, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about it too much. ¡®For the fifth week, Marine Studies¡­ they probably won¡¯t take that.¡¯ Given the Hero¡¯s inclination to avoid unnecessary distractions, I doubted he would sign up for the swimsuit event. The fifth week¡¯s course was essentially a beach trip, and whether one chose the forest or the ocean didn¡¯t make much difference. "So, for the fifth week, you¡¯re taking Forest Studies, right? Got it, Agnes." "Huh? No, I¡¯m taking Marine Studies in the fifth week." "¡­Really?" "What, are you taking Forest Studies, Lilith?" "No, I¡¯m also taking Marine Studies." "Great! We¡¯re in the same ss again." ¡­Marine Studies? Really? I was perplexed by the Hero¡¯s decision, but I merely nodded in acknowledgment of the information Agnes had shared with me. ¡®Well¡­ I guess no one can resist the allure of swimsuits,¡¯ I thought. As long as it was just for viewing pleasure, I suppose there was no harm in indulging in some harmless fun. Even though Agnes and Luke were more on the in side, I couldn¡¯t deny that I was curious about how Seraphine, Natalie, and Silena would look in swimsuits. In a way, this might turn out to be a good thing. I¡¯d always wondered what it would be like to see the swimsuit cutscenes from the original story in real life. "Oh, and by the way, do you know if the Hero arranged anyone else¡¯s schedule besides yours?" I asked. "Yeah, I think he did it for Natalie, Thomas, Silena, and Cerista too. Not sure about Seraphine, though." "Thanks for letting me know." "By the way, why does my schedule matter so much to you?" Agnes asked, a bit suspicious. "Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s important if it¡¯s important, but not if it¡¯s not. Either way, you¡¯ve been helpful, Agnes." "Hmm, if you say so."@@novelbin@@ Seraphine¡¯s schedule was likely the same as the Hero¡¯s, and since Luke was practically her shadow, they would probably spend the entire semester glued together. Counting the Hero, Seraphine, and Luke, there were eight people in total. If we exclude Cerista, who was more of a bonus character, and add Orion (who had already graduated), we¡¯d have a full eight-member Hero party plus one. ¡®Good bnce, all main characters, and apart from Seraphine, Silena, and Cerista, none of them have romantic feelings for the Hero,¡¯ I thought. With the Hero havingid the groundwork for a serious attempt at subjugating the Demon King, it was now my turn. There were still four heroines at Luminar Academy who didn¡¯t have a set partner. First, there was Kael from the Martial Arts Club, who was now in her second year. Then there were three new characters arriving at the academy this year. One of them was Ang, a newly appointed professor. The second was Mezlena, the Fourth Imperial Princess, a freshman royal whom I had previously spected might be a candidate for Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Lastly, there was Princess Rainey from the Kingdom of Defrin, another potential fianc¨¦e for Ethan. Naturally, the further down the list, the harder it would be for me to intervene. I could befriend Kael since I was her senior, but it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to approach a professor or royalty with questionable motives. So, even though starting with Kael seemed like the obvious choice, there was something I needed to do first to establish a connection with Mezlena. That task was to make a solid impression on the Fourth Imperial Princess as soon as she arrived at the academy. As I stood waiting at the academy¡¯s front gate, a grand imperial carriage quietly pulled up, and two members of the imperial family gracefully stepped out. "Let me take that. I¡¯ll carry it from here," said Antonio, the Fifth Imperial Prince, who looked slightly more dependable than in the original story. And following behind him, descending from the carriage with striking crimson twin-tails, was the Fourth Imperial Princess, Mezlena. Chapter 319 The Fourth Imperial Princess, Mezlena. One of the heroines of Luminar Academy, and the youngest of the emperor¡¯s direct descendants. While she was born in the same year as Antonio, the Fifth Imperial Prince, their birthdays are almost ten months apart, so the practical age difference between them is simr to that of siblings born a year apart. ¡®In the game, Mezlena naturally treated Antonio like an older brother too.¡¯ Among the emperor¡¯s direct royal family, the older they were, the worse their rtionships tended to be, whereas the younger ones generally got along better. This was mainly because the older ones were significantpetitors in the imperial session. The younger ones, being less established, were not seen as threats and thus weren¡¯t worth expending energy on. It was more practical to focus on keeping an eye on the Second Prince, Third Prince, or the First Princess, who were serious contenders. For instance, Seraphine wasn¡¯t particrly hostile toward Antonio. From her perspective, Antonio wasn¡¯t a rival in the imperial session. And in reality, he wasn¡¯t. Regardless, making a good first impression with Mezlena during her introductory event was crucial. While other characters might be more manageable, Mezlena was like a ticking time bomb in many ways. She had been raised like a ¡°flower in a greenhouse,¡± shielded from the political machinations of her older siblings¡¯ power struggles. She was the perfect example of someone oblivious to the harsh realities of the world. Because of this, it was imperative to stick close to her as soon as possible and prevent the troublesome events she might stir up. "Excuse me..." "Ah, yes?" she said, her voice soft but hesitant as she spoke to a passing male student. Even though Antonio seemed to be heading in a slightly different direction from his portrayal in the original story, the ¡°Imperial Carriage Day¡± at the academy hadn¡¯t changed, and right after entering through the academy¡¯s front gate, I observed the young princess, Mezlena, seemingly on the verge of causing trouble. I silently watched for now, curious to see if she, like Antonio, had diverged from the character I knew. "You there, sir... Didn¡¯t you just make eye contact with me?" Mezlena said, her tone dripping with an oddbination of arrogance and innocence. "Huh? What do you mean..." the student began, confused. "You definitely made eye contact with me... I know you did, so there¡¯s no need to feel shy..." "¡­" "I can¡¯t help it if my appearance catches the eye ofmoners like you... I suppose it¡¯s understandable that a in, ordinary man like yourself would be entranced by someone as beautiful as me..." she continued with brazen audacity. Her pure expression contrasted sharply with the venomous words she spoke, and the male student¡¯s face twisted in frustration. "What kind of nonsense is this?" he retorted, his face darkening. "Even so, you mustn¡¯t fall for me... Marriage betweenmoners and royalty is not recognized under imperialw, so as an imperial princess, I can¡¯t fulfill your expectations..." Mezlena added, unbothered. "Y-You''re royalty?! I¡¯m so sorry for my rudeness!" the male student quickly dropped to the ground, bowing deeply in panic. As soon as Mezlena had introduced herself as a princess, the male student had no choice but to act ordingly. Whether she was truly royalty or just someone pretending to be, bowing in such a situation was the safest course of action. Bowing to an impostor might result in some embarrassment, but failing to bow to a real member of the imperial family could result in losing your head.@@novelbin@@ Even though Luminar Academy imed to be a ce where social status didn¡¯t matter, no one wanted to build up bad karma that mighte back to bite themter in life. ¡®Every time I see this event, I can¡¯t help but sympathize with the guy,¡¯ I thought. Honestly, the male student hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Mezlena had been the one to initiate the conversation, spouting nonsense right from the start and dragging him into a ridiculous situation. Yet the clueless princess continued,pletely unaware of her own delusions, twisting the knife into the poor student¡¯s heart as hey prostrate before her. "It¡¯s fine... It¡¯s my royal duty to bear the burden ofmoners who are spellbound by my beauty..." "T-Thank you..." "But I don¡¯t want to be too harsh in cutting off your first love. Why don¡¯t you start working hard to build up achievements and be a noble? Then, maybe, just maybe..." Mezlena said, her voiceced with false sympathy. "Enough. Let¡¯s go, Mezlena. Lady Seraphine is waiting for us at the dormitory," Antonio interjected. "Oh, yes, Brother..." she replied, her tone suddenly obedient. At least she still treated Antonio as her older brother, as in the original story. Antonio, looking much more reliable than before, gave the appearance of a responsible older brother as he led his younger sister. In the original storyline, Antonio would have been sighing in frustration and dragging himself around like a zombie by now, having left Mezlena to fend for herself. ¡®In the original game, this is where Mezlena got lost on her first day at the academy, and the protagonist came to help her. That was her introductory episode.¡¯ I had positioned myself at the front gate specifically for this part, waiting for the imperial carriage to arrive. But with Antonio taking such good care of his sister, it didn¡¯t seem like Mezlena would end up lost this time around. "Stand up now. My sister may have been a bit rude to you," Antonio said kindly to the male student. "N-No, it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s an honor just to have spoken with the princess!" the student stammered, grateful for Antonio¡¯s intervention. "See, Brother? He even says it was an honor to talk to someone as beautiful as me..." Mezlena said smugly. "You really need some proper lessons from Seraphine," Antonio sighed, clearly exasperated by his sister¡¯s attitude. Watching Mezlena, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my enthusiasm dete. The thought of ying matchmaker for her was bing less appealing by the second. Then again, characters like her were often the most loyal once they fell in love. While her personality was grating now, she could be endearing when she truly cared for someone. In my past life, I had actually enjoyed the Mezlena route in the game. Watching her fall head over heels for the protagonist, willing to give him everything, had been part of the fun. ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll tolerate this because of our connection in my past life,¡¯ I told myself. After all, I had taken this character all the way to the ending once. It wouldn¡¯t be too strange to wish her a good love life this time around as well. Plus, the most important thing was that she was a candidate to be Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Despite her incurable princessplex, she wasn¡¯t a bad person. As a mage, she was on par with Agnes and me, and once she fell in love, no one could match her loyalty. If Mezlena were truly Ethan¡¯s hidden fianc¨¦e, I could rest easy knowing she would take good care of him after I left. "¡­" The thought of Mezlena potentially being Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e left a strange, tight feeling in my chest. Even if Ethan ended up marrying someone else, it wouldn¡¯t happen until after I had left the academy, so I wouldn¡¯t have to witness it with my own eyes. There was no need to worry about it now. "Mezlena, don¡¯t leave everything to Kate. Carry something yourself. You have two empty hands and shouldn¡¯t make your maid do all the work." "Oh, no, Your Highness! I can carry everything myself!" Kate, the maid, quickly interjected, clearly trying to avoid a confrontation. "Kate says it¡¯s fine, Brother. Even if I¡¯m such a threat in the imperial session due to my beauty, breaking my delicate wrists to prevent me from casting magic won¡¯t work on me..." Mezlena said, feigning distress. "You never dared to call yourself beautiful in front of Seraphine before. Now that she¡¯s not around, your mouth has gotten a lot braver," Antonio retorted, unimpressed. "T-That¡¯s not true... Oh, Brother, you used to be so much kinder... What could the throne possibly offer that would make you treat your adorable sister so coldly?" Mezlena whined, continuing her melodramatic act. "I think I understand how Seraphine felt about me now," Antonio sighed. Antonio had be a much more reliable character, and byparison, Mezlena seemed even more of a headache than usual. Still, seeing how Antonio managed to get Mezlena to carry a light bag at least showed that their sibling rtionship was in good shape. I could still hope that Agnes and Antonio¡¯s partnership would work out well. "Oh, this is so heavy, Brother... I feel like my arm is going to fall off... I¡¯ve never carried anything heavier than my wand in my life..." "Stopining, Mezlena. I¡¯ve seen you lug heavier stacks of books around the imperial library on a regr basis." "Ah, Brother... How could you nder me like this... You¡¯re so heartless..." "Prince Antonio, perhaps it would be better if I carried it instead? I don¡¯t want Princess Mezlena to push herself too hard..." Kate suggested. "You need to stop indulging her, Kate. If Mezlena bespletely useless one day, are you going to take responsibility for that? Just because she¡¯s a princess doesn¡¯t mean she shouldn¡¯t face discipline once in a while." "Discipline...?" Mezlena pouted. "But Brother, even though we have different mothers, we share the same father, so we can¡¯t be together like that..." "Save your nonsense for when you¡¯re asleep, Mezlena." Hmm, what should I do? Antonio didn¡¯t seem likely to abandon Mezlena at the dormitory any time soon. If anything, he looked ready to drag her along by force if she tried to get lost on purpose. That was the downside to Antonio bing a more responsible character. ¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to force my way in. "Oh, I can¡¯t walk any farther... Kate, carry me..." "Enough of this, Mezl¡ª" "Greetings, Prince Antonio. I trust you¡¯ve been well," I said, stepping forward. "Lilith?!" Antonio eximed, surprised. When the situation didn¡¯t present itself naturally, sometimes you had to push your way in. If I didn¡¯t get Mezlena¡¯s attention today, there might not be another chance. Chapter 320 "How have you been, Prince Antonio?" I greeted smoothly, inserting myself into the conversation between Mezlena and Antonio. "Lilith?" Antonio blinked in surprise. "It¡¯s been a while since we met in the Witch''s Forest. Congrattions on your entrance to the academy, albeit btedly," I said with a polite smile. "Ah, thank you," Antonio replied, nodding at my courteous words. Ordinarily, someone of my status¡ªa mere maid of a junior baron¡ªwould not dare to speak so casually to a prince. But I had a solid reason for doing so: I was one of Agnes¡¯s closest friends. Given that anything Antonio did toward me would directly affect his standing with Agnes, he had little choice but to respond. Although, considering the current version of Antonio, he probably wouldn¡¯t have ignored me even without that connection. "Is this the Fourth Imperial Princess, Mezlena Emilia Valtoria?" I asked, shifting the focus to the red-haired princess beside him. "You know Mezlena as well?" Antonio asked, somewhat puzzled. "No, not personally. I¡¯ve only heard rumors. They say that the youngest daughter of the emperor, a beautiful and charming girl with striking red hair, resides in the imperial pce." "¡­What?" Antonio¡¯s face twisted in disbelief at my transparent ttery, and it seemed he was about to say something more when Mezlena leaned forward, her eyes lighting up. "Wait¡­! So, it¡¯s true! The people of Luminar Academy are truly enlightened! To meet someone with such clear, discerning eyes the moment I pass through the academy¡¯s gates¡­!" "Mezlena, anyone can tell she¡¯s just ttering you. Don¡¯t get so excited¡­" "No¡­! Brother Antonio, it¡¯s time you opened your eyes! I am the most beautiful, lovely, and noble younger sister in the entire world, with the purest imperial blood!" As if she had been waiting to burst, Mezlena proudly proimed her self-praise in a confident voice, while her older brother sighed deeply, clearly exasperated by her antics. To be fair, there was a reason the Fourth Princess had developed such a personality. Mezlena was indeed a very pretty girl¡ªat least enough to not be embarrassed by her appearance. This was purely in terms of facial features, though, not necessarily her body or personality. Normally, she would have grown up basking inpliments for being a beautiful child. But her life had beenplicated by the unfortunate fact that her older sister, Seraphine, was only two years ahead of her. While Mezlena¡¯s looks could be described as "cute and pretty," Seraphine¡¯s beauty was unparalleled in the Luminar Academy universe¡ªso much so that it was almost beyond dispute. Not only did Seraphine have an outstanding face, but her personality and character were also more highly regarded. On top of that, as a martial artist, Seraphine¡¯s slender waist made her appear even more well-endowed than Mezlena, who was constantly beingpared to her. In short, no matter how cute or pretty Mezlena was, she could never surpass the sheer radiance of Seraphine¡¯s natural beauty. Even Mezlena¡¯s admirers would often shift their attention to Seraphine the moment she appeared at social gatherings, which slowly turned Mezlena¡¯s personality toward inted self-esteem. Her constant need to affirm "I¡¯m the prettiest" became an ingrained habit, not only forced upon others but also repeated to herself. Oveing this mindset was the key to navigating Mezlena¡¯s character in the game. "Oh, I¡¯m so d I enrolled at the academy. To think I would meet someone so insightful on the first day..." Mezlena sighed contentedly. "The honor is mine, Princess Mezlena Emilia Valtoria," I replied smoothly. "I¡¯ll allow you to call me Princess Mezlena... What¡¯s your name?" she asked. "Lilith ckwood Rosewood, Princess Mezlena." "Lilith¡­ I¡¯ll remember that¡­ You should consider it an honor that I¡¯ll remember your name, Iris." "It¡¯s Lilith." "Yes, yes, that¡¯s what I meant to say¡­" Well, I hadn¡¯t expected much to begin with. Mezlena rarely paid attention to anyone besides herself. Antonio, however, seemed to be growing increasingly suspicious of me. He clearly wasn¡¯t used to people gaining Mezlena¡¯s favor so quickly. "Lilith," Antonio said cautiously, "I hope you don¡¯t harbor any ill intentions in approaching my sister." "You need not worry, Prince Antonio. I merely wished to greet the beautiful princess once and perhaps speak to her, for her renowned beauty precedes her," I replied calmly. "Brother Antonio¡­ Why are you always so defensive of me? How childish of you, for someone of royal blood¡­" Mezlena sighed dramatically. "¡­Enough. Let¡¯s go to the guest quarters; we¡¯re taking too long," Antonio said, his voice carrying an air of exasperation. Antonio, seemingly fed up with our conversation, frowned and began walking toward the guest quarters, but he didn¡¯t get far before Mezlena stopped him. "Kate, my legs hurt. Carry me," she whined. "Of course, Princess Mezlena. I¡¯ll drop off the luggage first and return for you¡­"@@novelbin@@ "Stop whining, Mezlena. You won¡¯t be able to bring your maid into ss, and you can¡¯t expect her to carry you everywhere." "But sses haven¡¯t even started yet. Why are you always worrying about things that haven¡¯t happened?" Mezlena huffed, sitting down heavily on a nearby bench in protest. It wasn¡¯t that she was genuinely tired. She was simply sulking because Antonio had scolded her. To her, Antonio had gone from being a "beloved older brother" to an "annoying one" in just a few minutes. ¡®At this point, this is probably where the original story would¡¯ve led to her getting lost,¡¯ I thought. In the original event, Mezlena would have wandered off while Kate delivered the luggage to the guest quarters. She would have thrown a fit about being bored and vanished by the time Kate returned. It was the ssic "princess gets lost" trope. Though she barely yed a role in the main story, Mezlena¡¯s personality was likely the most troublesome among the heroines. Her childish antics made her a headache to deal with. However, dealing with Mezlena was surprisingly simple. At her core, she just wanted attention and love, and her actions were always motivated by that desire. She didn¡¯t throw tantrums to cause trouble¡ªshe did it to feel adored. The easiest way to handle her was to show her that her current behavior wouldn¡¯t get her what she wanted. "Since Princess Mezlena¡¯s maid is upied, would it be alright if I carried you instead?" I asked, stepping forward with a calm smile. "¡­What?" "Does the idea displease you? As the personal maid to Ethan, the heir of the ckwood family, I assure you that I am fully qualified." "Personal maid of the ckwood heir¡­ Is the ckwood family famous, Brother?" Mezlena asked, tilting her head toward Antonio. "They¡¯re one of the few families in the empire with a Sword Master as the head. You should remember that much, Mezlena." "¡­Hmm." Mezlena paused, clearly weighing her options. She could either let me carry her or sit alone on the bench until Kate returned. After a brief moment of hesitation, she finally made her decision. "Very well¡­ I shall allow you, Lilith of the ck-something family, to carry me," Mezlena said with a regal wave. "Lilith ckwood, at your service," I corrected gently. "Yes, that¡¯s what I said¡­" Of course, she had gotten it wrong again. Rather than simply lifting her onto my back, which would only encourage her spoiled behavior, I slid my arm under her knees and around her back, lifting her in a "princess carry." "¡­W-What?!" "Please, make yourselffortable, Princess Mezlena," I said, carrying her steadily. "You¡­ You¡¯re quite strong, La¡­Lara?" Mezlena stammered, clearly flustered by the sudden shift. "Princess Mezlena, you¡¯re just very light," I replied smoothly. "Ah, of course¡­ You and I seem to be getting along rather well, Lil¡­Li?" Matching her was exhausting, but at least she wasn¡¯t fighting it. With Mezlena in my arms, Antonio, Kate, and I made our way to the guest quarters, a strange entourage of royalty, maids, and misunderstandings. Chapter 321 After making a strong first impression on the day of Mezlena¡¯s arrival at the academy, about a week has passed since the start of the new semester, and I could say that Mezlena and I have be somewhat friendly. ¡­At least, in her mind, I was now someone ¡°worth remembering by name.¡± ¡°So, you know, Antonio was nagging me again today¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I told him I had no intention of participating in the royal power struggle, but he kept bringing it up¡­ Of course, I can¡¯t me him for being aware of the charisma my beautiful appearance naturally brings¡­ And then Seraphine, my sister, also¡­.¡± ¡°You always have it so tough, Princess Mezlena.¡± It was a conversation where I was half-heartedly agreeing with her, just going along with what she was saying. There wasn¡¯t much point in taking her ridiculousints seriously. Besides, what she really needed wasn¡¯t someone to earnestly listen to her, but just a person to echo back that she was right. That way, Mezlena could restore her self-esteem. Of course, such a rtionship wouldn¡¯tst long in the future, but I didn¡¯t care much. My role, after all, was just to help Mezlena meet someone she could genuinely fall for, and once I fulfilled that role, I nned to quietly step back. Even if I remained in her memory as just the ¡°maid who said what she wanted to hear,¡± it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡®It¡¯s best not to get too entangled with royalty anyway.¡¯ After graduation, I intended to draw clear lines not only with Ethan but also with Seraphine. The same went for Lize or anyone else with enough power to restrict my freedom.@@novelbin@@ Isabelle and Katarina belonged to the ckwood family, so naturally, they would distance themselves once I created some space between myself and Ethan. The only people I might stay in touch with after graduation would be Agnes and that reckless guy. Of course, both of them would be busy with the Hero¡¯s Party after graduation, so it¡¯s unlikely I¡¯d see them often. In essence, I was destined to be alone after graduation. ¡°¡­So I decided to forgive Antonio this time, just this once¡­ Because unlike him, I¡¯m a forgiving person¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly remarkable, Princess Mezlena. Commoners like me would have long since lost our temper in such a situation. But to show such graciousness¡­ it¡¯s inspiring.¡± ¡°Hmm, I like that¡­ Praise me more.¡± ¡®¡­So easy.¡¯ Building shallow rapport was progressing smoothly, so it was time to start considering Mezlena¡¯s ¡®match.¡¯ From what I remembered, Mezlena¡¯s fianc¨¦ wasn¡¯t revealed in Luminor Academy. Not just during the main storyline, but even after the endings. Given her personality, it was likely that she either didn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦, or the engagement had been annulled, perhaps due to the fianc¨¦¡¯s death. As I mentioned before, if that were the case, one of the most likely candidates was Ethan. He met two important conditions: being from a family high enough to marry into royalty and dying in the original story. Up until about half a year ago, Karahem was also a candidate, but after he casually epted Lyria¡¯s confession, I naturally excluded him from consideration. If he were engaged to Mezlena, epting Lyria¡¯s confession would have been impossible. ¡°Princess Mezlena, if I may, could I ask you something?¡± ¡°It is indeed presumptuous for you, a mere bar¡¯s daughter, to ask a question of me, but¡­ With my magnanimous nature, I shall overlook your impertinence just this once¡­.¡± ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse my impudence, I have a simple question out of curiosity. Do you, by any chance, have a fianc¨¦ that is not widely known?¡± ¡°Hmm, no? No¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I see. Thank you for answering.¡± Her response came as a smooth, natural shake of her head. Such a natural reaction could onlye from someone who truly didn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦. Especially given Mezlena¡¯s inability to lie well, it was even more convincing. Although I was slightly disappointed that Mezlena wasn¡¯t engaged to Ethan, I also felt a sense of relief¡­ At least, it meant I wouldn¡¯t have to go through the ordeal of making Mezlena fall for Ethan. ¡®Looks like I bought myself some time.¡¯ If Mezlena had been Ethan¡¯s secret fianc¨¦, I would have had to start toning down my rtionship with Ethan. But since that wasn¡¯t the case, I could maintain the status quo for a while longer. ¡­Well, it wasn¡¯t like we could sleep in separate rooms now, anyway, since we were using the marriage-engagement dorm this semester. But at least I didn¡¯t have to restrain our disys of affection on the off chance that Mezlena was watching. ¡®I still don¡¯t know what Princess Rainie¡¯s rtionship with Ethan is, but¡­ that can wait forter.¡¯ There were still many things I hadn¡¯t been able to do with Ethan yet, and now, I didn¡¯t have to stop those things prematurely. There was even a beach trip (Marine Studies) nned for the end of this semester. I worked to calm my slightly flushed face, trying to maintain a poker face. Smiling too much might cause Mezlena to misunderstand and start to view me with suspicion. ¡°Oh, time¡¯s already¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time for the next ss. I enjoyed our time today, Princess Mezlena.¡± ¡°I did as well¡­ Oh, and tomorrow I have my fifth period ss, so how about we meet an hourter than today¡­?¡± ¡°¡­As much as I¡¯d love to meet your expectations, unfortunately, starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll be away from the academy for a week due to my ¡®Natural Studies Exploration¡¯ course.¡± The exploration courses for third-year studentssted a week, making it harder for underssmen and upperssmen to interact. ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Now that you mention it, you¡¯re in your third year, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Princess Mezlena.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, there¡¯s nothing to be done¡­ I¡¯m not particrly disappointed or anything, so don¡¯t worry¡­ I have plenty of other friends besides you, after all¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sincerely grateful that you¡¯ve taken time out of your busy schedule to talk with a lowly bar¡¯s daughter like me instead of spending it with other distinguished figures.¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­ Lilith, you always know just what to say¡­.¡± Her im of having many other friends didn¡¯t fool me in the slightest, considering what I knew about the original Mezlena, but I pretended to be convinced. Regardless of whether Mezlena was Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e or not, I still needed to maintain a good rtionship with her. ? ? ? From the third year onward, Luminor Academy shifted from the internal events of the academy seen in the second part to more external activities. Unlike the second part, which focused on daily life and events within the academy, the third part mainly dealt with external episodes and activities. From the third year¡¯s timetable, except for the first day of each week, all other sses involved outdoor activities. Or, asionally, the sses were simply canceled. For example, the ¡®Natural Studies Exploration¡¯ course that Ethan and I had enrolled in took ce during the second week of the semester, starting on the second day andsting until the weekend¡ªa total of six days. During that time, we would move to the ¡®Hobgoblin Forest,¡¯ the course¡¯s location, where we would hunt monsters, learn how to camp in the wild, and survive through self-sufficiency. You might think this course was too harsh for students, but this was a medieval fantasy world. After graduation, students had to be capable of surviving such challenges to proudly disy the ¡®Academy Graduate¡¯ title in society. Unless they were from the engineering or pharmaceutical departments, allbat department students were expected to be proficient in surviving monster battles. ¡°The resources provided to students will be a single meal¡¯s worth of rations and a bottle of water each. The rest must be sourced from the forest over the next five days, or, alternatively, you mayplete the course early by gathering the necessary resources before running out of food and water.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Five days in the forest? You expect us to survive for four nights and five days?!¡± ¡°No. You need to survive for 120 hours. That¡¯s five nights and six days.¡± ¡°What¡­ how is that¡­?¡± The students who hadn¡¯t realized the true nature of the course started grumbling. Those who remained quiet must have been aware of what kind of course it was through senior students or other sources. While some exploration courses changed their assignments annually, the ¡®Natural Studies Exploration¡¯ followed the same format every year. Since its primary goal was to develop each student¡¯s survival skills, there was no need to change the curriculum. Ethan and I were already aware of this, so we didn¡¯t react. We were simply assessing how we would spend the next five days and deciding where in the forest to settle. ¡°What do you mean by a single meal¡¯s worth of rations? How are we supposed to get the other 14 meals?!¡± ¡°You will gather them yourselves. The forest contains fruit, mushrooms, fish, and wildlife. You¡¯ll need to ¡®figure it out¡¯ by foraging or hunting for your meals. Didn¡¯t I tell you to bring your personal weapons?¡± ¡°But what if we eat poisonous mushrooms or something?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. If you can¡¯t distinguish them, don¡¯t touch them in the first ce.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°And where do we get water?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a river somewhere deeper in the forest. You can either gather water from there, find ake, filter the water, dig for groundwater, or collect moisture from nts. There are many options.¡± ¡°But what if we get dehydrated¡­?¡± ¡°That would also be unfortunate. If you¡¯re worried about that, I suggest locating a water source before your rationed water runs out.¡± ¡°What about where we sleep¡­?¡± ¡°You should have figured that out by now, shouldn¡¯t you? Sort it out yourselves.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The professor with the green hair dismissed the students¡¯ questions one by one, and the atmosphere grew even more somber. About a third of the students had nned ahead and were already forming teams, discussing how they would survive. Another third, though displeased, scrambled to gather people ande up with ns. The remaining third sat helplessly, sighing in despair. However, there was one variable even the well-prepared students hadn¡¯t anticipated: all of the students would be forcibly separated upon entering the forest. ¡°Before you enter the forest, look over here. I need everyone to make eye contact with me¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll set up camp near the river. Hopefully, we¡¯ll meet in the forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find you somehow. See youter, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. Take care, Lilith.¡± Snap! ¡°Wha¡ªwhat the?!¡± ¡°Aaaah! Te-teleportation magic¡­!!¡± The moment the professor snapped his fingers, a ¡®random teleportation¡¯ spell was cast on the 100 or so students. After a sh of white light passed before my eyes, I found myself deep within the forest. Chapter 322 ¡®Has it started?¡¯ I found myself isted in a section of the forest, with no other people around. Thankfully, due to my prior preparation, I didn''t fall or stumble as I teleported. I quickly drew the ckwood dagger I had hidden under my skirt and held it in my right hand. ¡®Unfortunately, it doesn''t look like I¡¯m near the river¡­¡¯ Although this was a random teleportation spell, the locations for the teleportation were actually pre-designated by the professor of the Natural Studies course. After all, dropping students right in the middle of a Hobgoblin nest under the guise of a survival lesson would vite basic educational ethics. The initial teleportation locations wouldn¡¯t be directly dangerous, but neither would they be entirely safe¡ªjust risky enough to prevent students from idling. The idea was to teleport each student randomly to one of the 100 pre-selected spots, all of which met those conditions. ¡®If I¡¯m ever in real danger or on the verge of something bad happening, the professor will probablye to rescue me.¡¯ The fact that the professor could teleport a hundred students at once meant that he could also move to any of these locations himself, essentially allowing him to roam the forest as if it were his own backyard. Still, that didn¡¯t mean I could let my guard down. If, by some stroke of bad luck, another student and I encountered danger at the same time, the professor would have to choose whom to save. Of course, I had no intention of rxing. The experience points I would gain bypleting this course properly made it worth avoiding a forced rescue and not finishing the ss. ¡®I need to find Ethan as quickly as possible.¡¯ The real challenge was whether I could find Ethan in this vast forest. But we had prepared a signal for just this scenario. The most crucial element for survival in the forest is securing a campsite and a water source. In other words, setting up camp near a river would greatly improve our chances of surviving. Two main rivers flow through the Hobgoblin Forest: arge, wide river on the east side and a slightly narrower river to the west. While the wide river might seem advantageous for water supply, it also carries higher risks of flooding and encounters with dangerous river-dwelling monsters. So, Ethan and I had agreed to meet near the narrower river in the west. It was more than sufficient to supply water for two people. ¡®If I follow the sun, I should be able to get my bearings.¡¯ It was about two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and the sun, like in my world, rose in the east and set in the west. So, the direction where the sun was setting was west. With that in mind, I began walking in the direction of the setting sun. As I moved, I secretly harbored the wish that during these five nights and six days of camping in the forest, I¡¯d be able to spend a little more time with Ethan. ? ? ? About two hours had passed since the start of the Natural Studies exploration course. I had arrived at the upstream area of the western river, where Ethan and I had agreed to meet. After gathering some firewood and starting a fire, I sat and waited for Ethan to arrive. Maintaining the fire was the most important thing for survival in the forest. It was essential not only for staying warm and cooking food but also for defense at night. Although I had Sally, a high-level fire spirit, it was still necessary to maintain a campfire. High-level spirits can produce strong mes in an instant, but they consume the contractor¡¯s magic power just as quickly. Moreover, since Sally and I were only temporarily contracted, relying on her power every time I needed fire would quickly deplete my magic. ¡®In the academy, that wouldn¡¯t have been a problem, but we have to survive here for five nights and six days.¡¯ If I depended on Sally¡¯s fire magic for the entire six days, even my magic capacity of over 4,000 wouldn¡¯tst more than three days. Managing my magic was essential for survival and daily life in this forest. Even though I had arge reserve, I couldn¡¯t afford to waste it recklessly, especially since it wouldn¡¯t regenerate as well while camping. Additionally, keeping the fire lit would make it easier for Ethan to find me. This was perhaps the most important reason. ¡®The downside is that the smoke might also attract monsters.¡¯ ¡®Grurrr, grrk.¡¯ ¡®Kerrrr, krrk!¡¯ Even though I had already taken care of a group of goblins earlier, more monsters continued to approach, seemingly unbothered by the fate of their fallenrades. Of course, goblins were no threat to me now, so I simply cast multiple magic arrows to eliminate them instantly. Pshoo! ¡®Kerrgh?!¡¯ ¡®Krhhhk!¡¯ Low-level monsters that could be defeated by a single magic arrow were no longer a challenge for me. At this point, if I wanted a real opponent, it would have to be at least a named Hobgoblin... ¡®Graaahhhh!!¡¯ ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡­That wasn¡¯t meant to be a literal invitation to fight. Well, it didn¡¯t matter. A named Hobgoblin would make for a decent experience-boosting event before Ethan arrived. It should give me about ten times the experience of a regr goblin, so it was a good way to pass the time. ¡®Judging by itsrge build and the sword it¡¯s carrying¡­ it¡¯s probably a Hobgoblin Swordsman.¡¯ A named Hobgoblin doesn¡¯t differ much from the regr species. They just pick up weapons left behind by adventurers or mercenaries, and if the weapon suits them, they be a named type. If the hobgoblin finds a sword and it suits them, they be a Swordsman. If they pick up a spear and it fits, they be a Spearman. asionally, some hobgoblins would pick up a mage¡¯s staff or a bard¡¯s flute, bing a Magician or Bard, respectively. Those types could lead hordes, making them more dangerous when encountered alone. But for a Hobgoblin Swordsman... I could handle this one in a one-on-one fight. Shrrk. ¡°Come at me, you bastard.¡± ¡®Graaaahhh!!¡¯ The Hobgoblin Swordsman, wielding a sword that fit its short, stout figure, charged at me. I countered its sword with my ckwood dagger, which was enhanced with the ¡®Sharp de¡¯ buff. ng! ¡°¡­Phew.¡± ¡®Grrraaghh!!¡¯ This was manageable. At this level, I could parry its sword with my dagger. Having faced Sword Experts and Sword Masters before, I was confident in my ability. While using magic and keeping my distance would be more in line with my usualbat style, I didn¡¯t want to ruin the fun this time. It¡¯s not every day that I find an opponent who can match me in pure swordsmanship, and it was an opportunity to train, knowing I could always finish them off if necessary. ng, ng, ng! ¡®Grrahh!! Geh!! Graah!!¡¯ ng, ng! ¡°Huu, huu¡­. Haah!¡± The Hobgoblin Swordsman swung its sword more erratically as its strikes were repeatedly blocked by my dagger, growing frustrated. Its attacks were simple and unrefined, but that made it a good opportunity for me to practice my reaction speed and defense. After all, the swordsmanship a mage needs is defensive rather than offensive. In that sense, this goblin was the perfect training opponent for me. ng, ng, ng! ¡®Grrgh! Gyahh!!¡¯ ng, ng, ng! ¡®Grurrgh!! Gyaaah!!¡¯ As time passed, the Hobgoblin¡¯s attacks grew faster but also more erratic. I took advantage of the gaps in its swordsmanship, gradually reducing the time I needed to counter and simplifying its movements. Monsters, with their limited intelligence, could only memorize a few attack patterns. By blocking certain movements, I forced it into a narrower range of strikes. Once I had it down to one or two predictable moves, the rest was easy. Knowing what wasing next made deflecting its attacks much easier. ¡®Graaaahhhh!!¡¯ Ching! ¡®Grahhhh!?¡¯ Timing my response to its next swing, I let its attack slide off my de with ease, utilizing a technique Harold had taught me called ¡®Sword Deflection¡¯ to regain my stance. In a battle between a long sword and a dagger, the dagger¡¯s only advantage is speed. That also applies to recovering from a broken stance. The dagger is much faster. ¡®This is the end!!¡¯@@novelbin@@ Though it was just a monster, I was confident in my victory through pure swordsmanship. Just as I prepared to finish it off by driving my dagger into its exposed heart, my n was thwarted by a familiar sword de that appeared from behind the creature. ¡°Die, you damn gobli¡ª¡± Slice! ¡°Lilith, are you okay?!¡± ¡°¡­You bastard¡­¡± ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m reallyte! I ended up at the far eastern edge of the forest¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just as I was about to finish off the Hobgoblin Swordsman, Ethan¡¯s sword effortlessly sliced through the named monster¡¯s neck, decapitating it. I stood there, my dagger still in hand, feeling a sense of emptiness as I stared at Ethan. ¡°Are you hurt?! I saw a bunch of goblin corpses earlier¡­ Did you take them all down?¡± ¡°¡­My¡­¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°My final blow!!!¡± ¡°Li-Lilith?! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡­Thus, my long-awaited reunion with Ethan turned out to be a disaster in more ways than one. Chapter 324 After spending the entire night in a cramped tree, pressed up against Ethan, we finally got up the next morning, moving slowly like zombies who had just risen from their graves. As you might expect, neither Ethan nor I had slept a wink during the night, and now, as we stretched and stood, every part of our bodies ached. ¡°Ugh, my whole body is stiff¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, mine too¡­ I didn¡¯t think it would rain all night¡­¡± Even though it was morning, the chilly air crept under our skin, as if trying to pierce through us. It was no surprise that the temperature had dropped, given how it had rained throughout the night. At least the rain had stopped now, so we needed to adapt quickly and start working on our shelter. While it was unlikely that another downpour event would ur right away, having proper shelter was still essential for survival. Thankfully, since there were two of us, we had managed to retain some body heat by staying close to each other in that tight space. Otherwise, we might have been in more trouble. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, there had been some moments of idental, inappropriate contact during the night, which made things a bit awkward between us. But even though things could have escted between Ethan and me, we didn¡¯t cross the line. After all, we were still in the middle of a ss, and doing something like that would¡¯ve been highly inappropriate. There may not have been direct supervision, but we were still participating in the ¡®Natural Studies Exploration¡¯ course. Giving in to our desires would¡¯ve led to umted fatigue, hypothermia, and muscle pain¡ªan unnecessary trio of debuffs. There were many tasks toplete for survival, so I suppressed any awkward feelings and called Ethan¡¯s attention to the work we had to do today. ¡°Now that it¡¯s morning, we have a lot to do, Ethan. We have a water source, but we need to gather food tost us the next few days, and first, we need to start another fire to keep warm. However, all the wood around us is probably wet from the rain, so finding dry firewood won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s only the second morning, right?¡± ¡°If we look around rocks and under trees, we might be able to find some materials that didn¡¯t get wet. Or we could strip bark from the trees and leave it to dry in the sunlight. The area near the river should be a good ce to dry things since the sun reaches there and the ground doesn¡¯t get as wet.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re so reliable, Lilith. You sure you haven¡¯t taken this course in secret before?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that could be the case.¡± After ying through this game 25 times, I¡¯d naturally learned survival skills to endure even the worst-case scenarios. The ¡®Natural Studies Exploration¡¯ course was one of those events where even a single wrong decision could dramatically drop yourpletion rate. But the experience reward was attractive enough that I couldn¡¯t easily give up on it after one attempt. ¡°Let¡¯s move quickly, Ethan. Once we gather dry firewood, Sally can help us start the fire. I suggest we focus on building a shelter today instead of spending time elsewhere.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll follow your lead for this course, so just tell me what to do.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡± His words of trust, saying he would rely on me, gave me an unexpected burst of happiness. ? ? ? It had been about a full day since Ethan and I entered the Hobgoblin Forest. We were now resting in the temporary shelter we had managed to build, trying to make up for the sleep we didn¡¯t get the previous night. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been in a house like this. When you said you were going to build a house out of wood, I thought you meant a log cabin or something.¡± ¡°I apologize. I¡¯m not very skilled in construction, so I didn¡¯t n that far ahead.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I was just surprised to see that you¡¯re capable of something like this.¡± Ethan shared his thoughts as he looked at the small shelter we had spent half a day building. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t much of a house. It was barely the size of one square meter. I had set up wooden supports in the shape of a fence, then woven soft branches between them to form walls. The roof was made byyeringrge leaves from the bottom up so the rain would flow off, much like the wild survival videos I used to watch on YouTube in my previous life. The shelter was crude, allowing the wind to pass through, with gaps big enough to see outside. It was hardly more than a roof to protect us. If we had more time, I could¡¯ve reinforced the walls by smearing them with mud, but the ¡®Natural Studies Exploration¡¯ coursested only five days, so there was no point. If I had tried to build something more borate, the course would¡¯ve ended by the time I finished. It wasn¡¯t like Ethan and I were nning to live in this forest forever. ¡°Please be careful when managing the fire inside the shelter, Ethan. There¡¯s enough venttion since the wind can pass through the gaps in the walls, but if the fire gets too strong, the whole shelter could go up in mes.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll definitely be careful.¡± Anyway, with that, we had secured a temporary shelter for the remaining 100 hours or so. For lunch, we had supplemented our meal with tree nuts that we gathered while collecting firewood and materials for building. But for more efficient protein intake, we would need to gather food through ¡®hunting.¡¯ The problem was that we couldn¡¯t afford to spend too much time on food gathering, as we still had other tasks rted to the course toplete during the five-day period. ¡®¡­I really don¡¯t want to resort to this, but it seems like I don¡¯t have much choice.¡¯ If I wanted to secure enough food in one go, there was only one method that would work. I had already made enough wooden skewers for grilling fish, so I called over Ethan, who was taking a short break after finishing the work. ¡°Ethan, we¡¯ll be gathering food ingredients now. Please follow me.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. We¡¯re supposed to leave the green berries and only pick the red ones, right?¡± ¡°No, today we¡¯re not going into the forest. We¡¯ll be gathering food for dinner by fishing.¡± ¡°¡­Fishing?¡± ¡°Yes, fishing.¡± ¡°Do we have a fishing rod or a? You¡¯re not nning to catch them barehanded, are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll use the most effective method to catch everything, so all you need to do is gather the fish I pull out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan followed me to the riverbank with a puzzled expression. After ensuring that he was standing a safe distance away, I raised my arms and formed a massive sphere of magic above my head. ¡­It had been a long time since I¡¯d felt this cold, heavy sensation. ¡°L-Lilith? Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Let the source of all mana whirl in a storm! Mana st!!!¡± BOOOM!!! A gigantic shockwave of magic echoed through the forest. The enormous sphere of magic above my head mmed into the upper part of the river, creating a massive whirlpool, and the water from the western river was lifted up from the riverbed. Plop, plop, plop! The river water rained down from the sky, along with fish and freshwater shrimp. With just one st of magic, I had harvested an entire load of food without any physicalbor. I quickly gave orders to Ethan, who was standing there staring at me in disbelief. ¡°Please skewer all the fish and ce them next to the campfire, and put the freshwater shrimp in the water bucket for storage, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t fishing, Lilith.¡± ¡°Anyints should be directed to the fish. Besides, this is the most efficient way to gather ingredients.¡± ¡°I mean, looking at the situation, I can¡¯t really argue with that¡­¡± Still a bit shocked by the sight of fish falling from the sky, Ethan let out a small sigh and began skewering the fish one by one. I, too, hurried to skewer the fish and set them by the campfire, creating something like a smoked dish. ¡°With this, we should have enough protein for the next five days, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± While he seemed a little surprised by my unorthodox fishing method, Ethan eventually acknowledged its efficiency and nodded. Honestly, this method was far more effective than spending an entire day setting traps and then getting up early every morning to check them. Since the campfire was already burning, I didn¡¯t need to use any more magic today. As long as we had enough food and a ce to sleep, everything would recover on its own. I wasn¡¯t too worried. And even if a dangerous monster showed up that required me to use magic, I had Ethan, a Sword Expert, by my side. However, there was one downside to using this method of fishing¡ªsomething I hadn¡¯t considered until it was toote. With a sigh, I quietly began taking off my soaked clothes. Slip. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking off my clothes, Ethan.¡± ¡°Wait, why are you¡­? Oh, did they get wet from earlier?¡± ¡°Yes. Since I used magic to lift the river water, a strong spray of water sshed around the mana sphere, and I ended up getting soaked.¡± ¡°But that wasn¡¯t fishing¡­¡± I ignored Ethan¡¯s pointless grumbling and continued undressing. There was no way I could keep wearing these wet clothes, especially in the wild where preserving body heat was essential. Chapter 325 An improvised drying rack, made from the leftover wood during the process of building a temporary shelter. It was a simple drying rack, hastily assembled by tying five wooden sticks together with nt vines. But it was good enough to hang my soaking wet clothes to dry. ¡°Are you really going to undress...?¡± ¡°Would you rather I stay in wet clothes and catch a cold?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that, but¡­¡± I took off my academy uniform jacket, drenched by the river, and hung it up. I also ced my water-soaked shirt and skirt on the rack, one by one. ¡°How far are you nning to undress...?¡± ¡°I''ll have to remove all the clothes that cover most of my body. If I keep them on, they''ll just steal away my body heat even faster.¡± After taking off my gloves and knee socks and hanging them as well, I slightly tilted my shoes near the campfire to dry. Then, hugging my arms around myself, I sat by the fire, trying to dry my wet body. ¡°¡­Lilith. Are you really going to stay like that?¡± ¡°Are you disappointed? It sounds like you were hoping I¡¯d take off my underwear as well.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°I apologize, but no matter what, even I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to be shameless enough to be naked in such an open space. Just because I allowed you to call me a ¡®lewd maid¡¯ in bed doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d be performing indecent acts in everyday life, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°¡­But you don¡¯t exactly seem to be in a modest state right now, Lilith.¡± ¡­For once, I agreed with Ethan¡¯s opinion, but I couldn¡¯t just keep wearing wet clothes. The only way to avoid getting wet in the first ce would¡¯ve been to undresspletely before using the mana st. In the end, it was just a matter of whether I took the clothes off before or after. As I sat by the fire, drying myself, I noticed that Ethan¡¯s face, sitting across from me, had turned red. ¡®Still getting embarrassed over something like this¡­ It¡¯s kind of cute.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t so bad, confirming, albeit unintentionally, that Ethan¡¯s heart still leaned towards me. After all, we were temporary lovers. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing for lovers to get excited just by looking at each other. ¡®In a way, sitting like this makes me feel like I¡¯m really Lilith.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that my body had turned into Lilith, but rather that the situation felt simr. In the original story, Lilith was treated poorly enough that there were more CG scenes of her being stripped than there were of her fully clothed. There were plenty of scenes where she was made to crawl on all fours outside, dressed only in underwear, or sometimes even less, with nothing but a cor and tail as she was ''taken on a walk.'' It¡¯s not like they could describe every scene in detail, so some parts were inevitably skipped in the shback scenes. Thinking that such a future might have awaited me, drying myself in just my underwear didn¡¯t feel all that shameful. Besides, the only person watching was Ethan, and he had already seen even beyond what¡¯s under my underwear. ¡®If it were the Ethan from the original story instead¡­ would he have pounced on me by now?¡¯ That guy, whocked self-control and lived off lust, would surely have done so. There¡¯s no way he would have stayed still with Lilith in her underwear right in front of him. No, not just stayed still ¡ª he would have ordered her to strip. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t take advantage of being alone with his maid in the woods like this. Instead of underwear, Lilith would have been left with nothing to wear except a cor, headband, or perhaps a tail attached in some weird way. Instead of clothing, the only things covering her body would¡¯ve been humiliating items, while Ethan dragged her by the leash, making her crawl on the ground to satisfy his perverted desires. ¡®If today¡¯s Ethan did that to me... I¡¯d end up in the same situation, wouldn¡¯t I¡­?¡¯ ¡°¡­Heuh.¡± ¡­What? What¡¯s happening? For a moment, a strange thrill coursed through my body from below, causing an involuntary shudder. The sensation caught me off guard, and before I knew it, a soft moan slipped out. ¡®¡­Wait, no way.¡¯ Was I actually feeling aroused just from imagining Ethan training me like a pet? ¡­No, that can¡¯t be. That¡¯s ridiculous, even thinking about it logically. Sure, Lilith in Luminar Academy was a maid used by Ethan to satisfy his lust, but that was the original Lilith. Aside from appearance, I was an entirely different character. Even the original Lilith didn¡¯t enjoy Ethan¡¯s lewd acts. It made no sense for me, who had the memories of being a man in a past life, to be turned on by such a thing. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be excited by the idea of being treated as a naked pet and crawling around in such a risky situation where any student or professor could catch me. ¡°¡­Ugh, ahh?!¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?!¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong all of a sudden? Did you step on something?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡­This is dangerous. I¡¯d better not dwell on this kind of imagination. If I keep thinking about it in denial, my mind might actually break. ¡®At least it''s a good thing my underwear is already wet from the river.¡¯ ¡­At least Ethan wouldn¡¯t notice that only certain parts of my underwear had gotten wet. As I adjusted my posture, sitting with my legs close together to hide my underwear as much as possible while warming myself by the fire, I saw Ethan nce at me with a strange expression before standing up without hesitation and walking towards me. ¡®¡­Could it be?¡¯ Was he really going to pounce on me? Now? During the ss? And when I¡¯ve just used a mana st and can¡¯t resist?@@novelbin@@
  • Thump. Thump. Thump.
No, calm down, calm down. I can¡¯t let this happen. What if we get caught? Failing the course and being expelled wasn¡¯t worth it. Even if it¡¯s unlikely to be caught, with the professor not intervening unless life was in danger, I couldn¡¯t take the chance. Especially since I had just exhausted all my mana with the mana st, and my only weapon, a dagger, was hanging with my clothes on the drying rack. ¡­So if Ethan really did pounce on me right now, I¡¯d have no way to resist.
  • Swoosh, swish.
¡°¡­¡­.¡± Just as my thoughts were getting too chaotic to think straight, I heard the sound of fabric brushing behind me. I closed my eyes tightly, bracing myself for what wasing. But then, I felt the warmth of clothing being draped over my shoulders.
  • Slip.
¡°For now, just wear this, Lilith. You¡¯ll get cold like that.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You looked like you were shivering. You¡¯ve been making pained noises since earlier, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yeah, it was still too cold to walk around in just underwear. It had rainedst night, after all. I hadn¡¯t noticed due to the heating from my body earlier, but Ethan¡¯s words made me realize the chill of the wind brushing against me.
  • Whoosh.
¡°Ugh¡­¡± As the cold wind prated my body, it naturally caused a moan to escape again. ¡­Yeah, I must have misunderstood. It wasn¡¯t that I had gotten excited from dirty thoughts or anything. I had just let out a moan at the same time as the cold wind hit me. It was just a coincidence that I had those strange thoughts at that exact moment, causing me to link the two together. At least I hadn¡¯t truly turned into a lewd maid. ¡°¡­Thank you, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°If you get any colder, just tell me. I can give you my pants if necessary.¡± ¡°¡­No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± With a grateful smile, I clutched the cor of the coat Ethan had draped over my shoulders a little tighter. The clothes had been worn all day, so his scent lingered heavily on them. If I had any mana left, I would have used a clean spell to freshen them up, but I had drained nearly all my over 4,000 mana points with the mana st earlier. ¡®In this environment, my mana will recover slower than usual¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t afford to waste my hard-earned mana, gathered through food and rest, on a mere clean spell. Chapter 326 It had been a few minutes since I started drying myself by the campfire, wearing Ethan''s clothes. As the smoke from the fire rose into the sky and the smell of grilled fish spread, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something important¡­.¡¯ We had secured shelter, food, and now I was drying my clothes to wear again. As I was pondering what I might have forgotten, I suddenly heard a familiar monster cry from deep within the forest on the opposite side of the river, one I had heard just yesterday. ¡®Kerrr!¡¯ ¡®Krreeek, keeeek!¡¯ Ah, right. In my rush to dry my wet clothes, I hadpletely forgotten. Starting a fire in the forest, especially in a ce like this, was bound to attract wild monsters. After all, this forest was called the "Hobgoblin''s Forest," so it was only natural that continuous battles were inevitable. And a campfire with its smoke and the smell of grilled food was an especially effective lure for monsters. ¡®Well, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as if any named monsters had appeared¡ªjust a group of goblins and a couple of hobgoblins. I was a bit tired, with only a little mana left, but I could handle them alone. Besides, there was also a Sword Expert here, a third-year from the swordsmanship club. And to me, he was far more reliable than any warrior. ¡°Lilith, you can rest. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll fight as well.¡± ¡°¡­In that state?¡± ¡°Why even ask something so obvious?¡± I wasn¡¯t about to miss out on this valuable experience event just because I was a little underdressed. Anyway, once we entered this forest, every moment had the potential to turn into a battle. And my current state wasn¡¯t exactly a problem for fighting. I put my arms into the sleeves of the academy jacket Ethan had lent me, fastened the buttons over my chest, and¡­
  • Pop.
¡°¡­¡­¡±
  • Snap!
¡®Oh, for crying out loud¡­.¡¯ I gave up on the buttons and wore the jacket loosely, then retrieved two daggers from the clothes hanging on the drying rack and equipped one in each hand. The monsters were already approaching us, so I didn¡¯t have time to waste on such trivial things. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the lesser monsters below goblins. Ethan Dojonnim, please take care of the two hobgoblins.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith.¡± At my suggestion, Ethan took his stance, gripping a sword in each hand. And so, the second day of our Natural Studies Exploration came to an end. ? ? ? Two full days had passed since I used my mana st to secure food. Ethan and I had now reached the fourth day of our survival¡ªno, Natural Studies Exploration. Though it wasn¡¯t much different from being stranded, we had reached the afternoon of the fourth day. After yet another goblin hunt, which had almost be a regr event, we were now engaged in the "collecting hunting trophies" task. ¡®¡­By now, a few students must havepleted the course early.¡¯ There were two main ways toplete Luminar Academy''s Natural Studies Exploration course. One was the "earlypletion" method, where you hunted monsters in the Hobgoblin''s Forest and submitted their remains to the professor. The other was the "survivalpletion" method, where you endured the full five nights and six days in harsh conditions. There was no real difference in grades between the two methods. The course was evaluated on a pass/fail basis. As long as you didn¡¯t experience a life-threatening crisis and get rescued by the green-haired professor, quit and leave the forest, or get expelled for inappropriate behavior (like sexual acts, arson, or violence between students), surviving for the full six days guaranteed a passing grade. And after spending about 70 hours in this forest, Ethan and I had already collected more than enough points for earlypletion.
  • Thud!
¡°Lilith, I¡¯ve finished dealing with the ones on my side.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of all of mine as well, Ethan Dojonnim. Thank you for your hard work.¡± We had more than enough materials to submit for earlypletion, even if webined both of our portions. ¡®Ourbination is just too good.¡¯ With Ethan, the Sword Expert, and me, the survival expert, hunting in this forest was as easy as eating soup. As long as we kept the fire going, the monsters would keeping. ¡°This concludes the Natural Studies Exploration, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it seems so.¡± In other words, the official course schedule was over. All we had to do now was gather the monster materials we had collected and submit them to the green-haired professor at the forest¡¯s entrance. Then we could leave without having to spend the next two days here. Of course, the term "suffering" was rtive, and by now I was so used to the forest life that it didn¡¯t feel like a hardship at all. In fact, I had a much better idea than just leaving the forest after submitting the materials. I nned to spend the remaining two days hunting in this favorable environment and milk as much experience as I could, thenplete the course through "survivalpletion." ¡®Though it might only be good for me, Ethan might not feel the same.¡¯ Unlike me, who was limited in mobility due to my status, Ethan could travel and gather experience whenever and wherever he wanted. He wasn¡¯t as desperate for the experience from monster hunting as I was. And given his position, he didn¡¯t need to level up so urgently either. Sure, reaching Sword Master level early would bring many benefits, but given the age when Harold reached Sword Master level, Ethan still had a few years ahead of him. And bing a Sword Master wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved just by leveling up; hunting a few more goblins wouldn¡¯t elerate that process. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, did you call me, Ethan Dojonnim?¡± ¡°You suddenly seem deep in thought. Are you worried about something?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Rather, now that we¡¯ve secured the conditions for earlypletion, let¡¯s submit the materials andplete the course early, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°¡­Hmmm.¡± Ethan sighed lightly and looked at me, as if something didn¡¯t sit well with him. Then, as if he had figured something out, he cautiously asked me a question. ¡°Lilith, it seems like you¡¯re not too keen on earlypletion, are you?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that when you mentioned earlypletion, your expression didn¡¯t seem happy at all. Do you still have something you want to do in the forest?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that, I just¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying again. You always give yourself away when you lie, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, are you going to tell me now, or do I have to ¡®make¡¯ you tell me even here?¡± ¡­This arrogant brat. Seeing him openly make such remarks, it was clear he had grown quite bold, likely because I had let him win a few times at night recently. He knew I only yed along when he defeated Harold and was giving him his reward. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But if Ethan really did decide to pounce on me, I had no means of resisting. For now, I had no choice but to confess the real reason I didn¡¯t want to leave the forest yet. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really want to leave the forest right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, this ce offers opportunities for ¡®realbat training¡¯ that I can¡¯t get anywhere else. No matter how much I spar with the swordsmanship club students at the academy or with the master or you at the ckwood estate, there¡¯s always hesitation because we can¡¯t use lethal force. Here, I can use killing moves against the monsters, and in return, I can learn defensive techniques from monsters who only use such moves. I want to stay a bit longer to continue training.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So you weren¡¯t too fond of the idea of leaving early, huh?¡± ¡°And also¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not every day I get to spend time alone with you, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As my cautious confession hung in the air, Ethan¡¯s face slowly turned red. The heat rising to my face after speaking those words made me think I must have turned bright red as well.@@novelbin@@ But, well, he told me to be honest, so I was. The second reason was just as important as the first. Even though we shared arge room in the academy dormitory, with Isabel using the small room next to ours, we didn¡¯t have many chances to be truly alone. There might be other opportunities to be alone together during future exploration courses, but since we already had a stable base here, I didn¡¯t want to waste this chance. ¡°If¡­ if that¡¯s the case, then I guess we have no choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll stay for two more days until the course ends, then we¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure, Ethan Dojonnim?¡± ¡°If you want to, I don¡¯t mind. Besides¡­ I¡¯m happy as long as I¡¯m with you, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your consideration, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± We had reached an agreement¡ªEthan and I would remain in the forest for the remaining 50 hours until the course officially ended. Chapter 327 Just to be clear, it wasn¡¯t like I stayed in the forest solely because I wanted to be alone with Ethan. That was merely a side benefit of the choice to remain in the forest. The real reason was for training and gaining experience. If I was going to do it anyway, it was better to do it with Ethan than alone, and having no other distractions around was a plus. But that didn¡¯t mean I stayed in the forest just because I was overjoyed at the thought of being alone with Ethan. Incidentally, after Ethan and I voluntarily extended our Natural Studies Exploration, a few unwee guests visited our camp. And I don¡¯t mean the usual goblins or hobgoblins that showed up every day, but actual students participating in the course. ¡°What reason do you have for trespassing in my and Lilith¡¯s camp? Choose your words wisely.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lord ckwood¡­ One of our party members injured their ankle deep in the forest¡­ C-could we borrow your fire for a moment to disinfect the wound?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, Ted. W-we¡¯re only causing trouble for Lord ckwood by staying here¡­¡± ¡°But Lin¡­¡± ¡°Wait, that wound shouldn¡¯t be disinfected with fire. Using poor knowledge could make it worse. I¡¯ll clean it with a Clean spell and apply a splint.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°When ites to surviving in this forest, Lilith is more of an expert than I am. Do as she says. By the way, how much monster material have you collected so far?¡± ¡°¡­The two of us together have gathered a little more than what one person would normally gather.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the remaining materials for another person. Use that to apply for earlypletion with the Natural Studies professor. Judging by her condition, it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯ll be able to stay in the forest much longer.¡± ¡°Y-yes, but we can¡¯t possibly¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re already in our debt. I suggest you disappear from this forest and stop intruding on my and Lilith¡¯s private time. Understood?¡± ¡°S-so sorry¡­!!¡± And so, after sending off one group of students after another from our camp, Ethan and I sessfullypleted our five-night, six-day camp. The experience points I earned weren¡¯t bad either. I managed to level up twice from the previously stagnant level I had been stuck at. ¡ºLilith has reached level 28!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 29!¡» I had just reached level 27 afterst year¡¯s hunting festival, and now I had climbed to level 29, almost reaching the 30s. This Natural Studies Exploration had certainly been worth it. And, on top of that, I had a few enjoyable moments with Ethan while we were alone. For instance, when he stood guard as I bathed in the river, asionally catching glimpses of my body. Or when the temperature dropped unexpectedly at night, and we held each other for warmth without saying a word. Aside from the asional monster fight during the day, it was overall a pleasant and fulfilling exploration. ¡®¡­Though, in the end, nothing indecent ever happened.¡¯ Not that I was hoping for anything indecent. After all, it was still during a ss, and of course, such things should be avoided. I just thought that maybe, at some point, Ethan wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back, but he did, and that was a little surprising. I mean, not that I¡¯m disappointed or anything, really. Now that the nearly week-long exploration was over, we had a scheduled week of rest. After attending Harold¡¯s ss on the first day of the week, I would essentially have the next six days off, which was practically a mid-term break during the semester. Well, the following week, I¡¯d be dealing with the underground dungeon exploration, but that was a problem for future me to worry about, not present me. ¡°Haaaahp¡­!!¡± ¡°Breathe deeper and swing harder, Ethan. I¡¯m sure the skill you honed during the past week isn¡¯t this weak.¡± ¡°Huuuuh, haaaahp¡­!!¡± Watching the duel between Ethan and Harold during Harold¡¯s swordsmanship ss, I observed absentmindedly. Harold giving advice to Ethan mid-duel meant he had enough leisure to critique while swinging his sword. In other words, it wasn¡¯t a good situation for Ethan.@@novelbin@@ Of course, Ethan had only just returned yesterday from our six-day exploration course, so his condition probably hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Considering Ethan needed to be fully prepared to have any chance of beating Harold, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he seemed weak in today¡¯s duel. ¡®¡­Maybe we should have opted for earlypletion after all.¡¯ If Ethan had had a couple of days to rest, he might have been able to win a round against Harold. That would¡¯ve given me a reason to reward him, and then tonight¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Alright, if I¡¯m being honest, I was just hoping Ethan would win because I wanted to reward him. What¡¯s the point in hiding it now? There¡¯s less than two years left. I¡¯d like to create as many memories with Ethan as possible while I can. However, that didn¡¯t mean I could just carelessly give in to desire. Not because I minded giving my body to Ethan, but because it was all for him. The right to handle me however he pleased for one night was the ¡°reward¡± I gave him. If I broke that rule and indulged my own desires by pouncing on him, it could lead to all sorts of problems. The first time Ethan and I were together, it might feel great. We could lose ourselves in the pleasure without a care in the world.
  • Smack!
¡°Huuuup, haaaaahp¡­!!¡± But if that kept happening, Ethan might grow indifferent to the ¡°reward¡± he earned from beating Harold, and I might never see this determined Ethan fighting with all his might to win a duel with Harold again. If things went wrong, Ethan could be like thezy, spoiled pig from the original story who lost all sense of effort. Even though the current Ethan was different, at his core, he was still the same person as that original Ethan. ¡­I couldn¡¯t allow that future to happen. I couldn¡¯t afford to tempt his willpower. After all, I wanted the strong, admirable Ethan I had raised to be happy until the very end.
  • Smack!
¡°Haaaaaah¡­!!¡± ¡­As expected, Ethan, who had been barely managing to block with one sword, finally lost his grip on the second one under Harold¡¯s relentless attack. Realizing there would be no ¡°reward¡± for Ethan this week, I quietly sighed to myself. ¡°This is the end, Ethan. Good job.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, sir.¡± With a frustrated expression, biting his lip, Ethan picked up his fallen sword and walked over to stand by me. I hoped that the lingering disappointment and frustration would continue to drive him to improve. As I thought this, I pushed aside my impure desires and kept them hidden deep within my heart. ? ? ? The day after Ethan¡¯splete defeat in his duel against Harold, Ethan and I found ourselves back in the swordsmanship training grounds early the next morning, swords in hand, sparring against each other. Even though it was technically a day off with no scheduled sses.
  • ng, ng, ng!
¡°Huuuuh, haaaaahp¡­!!¡± Ethan blocked my rapid dagger strikes with ease, repeatedly finding openings in my defenses and attempting counterattacks. No matter how hard I tried to parry and strike again, Ethan continuously thwarted my efforts. His swordsmanship left me feeling increasingly frustrated. As someone not as deeply versed in swordsmanship as Ethan, merely defending against his attacks was my limit. It was clear to me that there was an undeniable gap between our levels.
  • ng!
¡®Ugh, damn it.¡¯
  • Smack!
¡°Aaaah¡­!!¡± Ethan noticed a dy in my reaction and swung his sword at my right hand, his de connecting with my left-hand dagger. A sharp vibration traveled up my arm the moment our des met.
  • tter!
¡°Haaah, huuuh, g-grr¡­¡± ¡°Lilith?! I-I¡¯m sorry! I lost control for a moment¡­¡± ¡°Haaah, damn it¡­ We agreed¡­ haaah, no apologies during sparring, remember?¡± ¡°Y-yes, but still¡­¡± Being overly cautious with your sparring partner? You¡¯d never improve your skills that way. This applied not only to Ethan, but also to me. If I became too reliant on his consideration, I¡¯d never grow. ¡°I-I think we should rest for a bit, Lilith. Thatst strike seemed to have quite the impact.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I think that would be best, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± Just one strike, and my arm felt as if I¡¯d slept on it wrong for three hours. Every time I sparred with Ethan, I felt it¡ªhis strength was still a little overwhelming for me to fully counter. Chapter 328 About two hours had passed since Ethan and I entered the training ground. After spending the morning sparring with Ethan, I massaged my aching arms, taking a short break. Just to rify, sparring with Ethan was entirely my choice. He wasn¡¯t forcing me into it. During the weekday mornings, the academy¡¯s training ground was usually empty. If you weren¡¯t a student on ¡°exploration leave¡± like Ethan and me, most would be in ss. Even those with free time rarely bothered to walk all the way to the training ground for just an hour or two. asionally, students like us, seeking a sparring partner, would appear, but narrowing that down to someone who could evenst a round or two with Ethan, a Sword Expert, meant the numbers dwindled significantly. That¡¯s why I was the one sparring with Ethan from the morning. It wasn¡¯t because he was taking out his frustrations on me after hisplete defeat against Harold the day before. ¡®It¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯d get tired after taking blows from him by myself.¡¯ Even with breaks, two hours of sparring was enough to make me feel exhausted. Watching Ethan swing his sword weekly against evenly matched opponents, or seeing Harold fight multiple students a day, made me realize how impressive they were. ¡­Well, I¡¯d have to work harder to keep up as Ethan¡¯s personal maid. ¡°I¡¯ve rested enough. Let¡¯s resume the sparring, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°¡­I think you should rest more, Lilith.¡± ¡°No. Resting too much will only make my muscles rx and my mind go dull. It¡¯s time to get back into it, Ethan Dojonnim.¡± ¡°If you say so, I guess there¡¯s no helping it¡­¡± With a somewhat reluctant expression, Ethan lifted his sword again, preparing to continue sparring with me. I, too, braced myself and stood before him, but before we could start, I heard two loud, familiar voicesing from the entrance of the training ground. ¡°Let¡¯s have another great session today, Senior Karaham!¡± ¡°You know it! You¡¯ve got to work up a good sweat before breakfast! Thanks for joining me again, Lyria!¡± Ah. Those two again. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to spar with you, Senior Karaham! I could ask a hundred, a thousand times for this opportunity!!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m the one who¡¯s grateful! Even if I have only the strength for one sword, I¡¯ll stand until the very end in a duel with you, Lyria!!¡± ¡°Senior Karaham!!¡± ¡°Lyria!!¡±
  • Squuueeeze!!
¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It had been a while since I¡¯d seen that dumb couple. Separately, they were noisy enough, but now that they¡¯d started sticking together like glue, theirbined noise was on the level of a walking steam engine. The two muscle-brained lovers exchanged endless, nonsensical dialogue before suddenly embracing each other tightly, sharing a deep, emotional hug. I had no idea what they were so moved by or what they were empathizing with, but it didn¡¯t matter. I had already been feeling the strain from sparring with Ethan alone. It¡¯d be better for Karaham to spar with Ethan since they were on a more even level. And Lyria could spar with me¡ªit¡¯d be more beneficial for her improvement. ¡°Did youe here to spar, Lord Karaham?¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Lilith! What a coincidence to see you here!¡± ¡°Lady Lilith! How was your winter break? Did you enjoy your holiday?!¡± ¡­If only they could tone down the exmation marks. Both of them. Just being near them made my ears feel like they were being pierced, but I had to endure it for now. ¡°Lord Karaham, Lady Lyria, if you don¡¯t mind, would you join me and Ethan Dojonnim for some sparring practice?¡± Their help was essential for us to find the right sparring partners. ? ? ? An hour passed after Karaham and Lyria joined Ethan and me in our sparring practice. Having just finished sparring with Lyria, I sat by the wall of the training ground, resting while watching Ethan and Karaham¡¯s duel. ¡°Lady Lilith! Here¡¯s some cold water!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for it, though¡­¡± ¡°Did I offend you?!¡± ¡°No, thank you. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s grateful, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡­Ever since I helped push her onto the romance path with Karaham, Lyria wasn¡¯t quite my servant, but she certainly admired me deeply. She was always a bit loud, but today she seemed even more energetic than usual. It was easy to guess that something good had happened to her over winter break. ¡°Did something nice happen over break, Lady Lyria?¡± ¡°Oh, w-was it that obvious?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that obvious, but you do seem more excitable than usual.¡± ¡°R-right¡­ Well, actually, you¡¯re the first person to notice besides my future sister-inw¡­ I mean, Senior Ligi!¡± ¡­Oh? It looked like Lyria had visited the August household over winter break. Or maybe Karaham had visited the northern ins. Either way, it seemed some sort of preliminary engagement or introduction had taken ce. No, wait. Knowing Karaham and Lyria¡¯s personalities, they¡¯d probably already¡­ ¡°Are you and Lord Karaham using the engagement dormitory, Lady Lyria?¡± ¡°H-how did you know?! You¡¯re a genius at seduction, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with being a genius at seduction.¡± It was just a wild guess, but it turned out they really were living in semi-cohabitation at the academy¡¯s engagement dormitory. For a barbarian, not even a lower noble, to be epted by a border marquis family¡­ It seemed like Karaham and his family were really fond of Lyria. ¡°Actually, I visited Karaham¡¯s estate over the winter break!¡± ¡°I had a feeling.¡± ¡°I was amazed! I couldn¡¯t believe the estate was as big as our whole Barbaracus vige! And there were so many people like you, Lady Lilith! Like, what were they called? Memmards?¡± ¡°Mammoths? No, you mean maids.¡± ¡°Right! And there were upside-down huts all over the ce! The biggest one was huge¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Here I was, stressing about how I had to part ways with Ethan in two years, while she was overjoyed and babbling about her experiences. From her reaction, it seemed like she¡¯d had a great winter break, but there was always the possibility that only Lyria thought she had been epted, and the August family might not have been as weing as she believed. The August family was an ancient and noble marquis family. I couldn¡¯t imagine them easily epting a barbarian from the northern ins as their son¡¯s marriage partner. Lyria was dense enough that she probably hadn¡¯t picked up on any subtle hints, mistaking her time at the estate as a sign of full approval. ¡°What did Lord Karaham¡¯s family say to you?¡± ¡°Oh, his mother said she could rest easy knowing she had a daughter-inw fit to be a general!¡± ¡­Well, it looked like she passed the mother¡¯s test. ¡°And what about his father?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say much to me directly, but whenever he went on expeditions to the western monster border, he made sure to call for me and Senior Karaham!¡± ¡­If Lyria¡¯s ount was urate, then his father must have approved as well. ¡°What did your future sister-inw, Lady Ligi, have to say?¡± ¡°She pointed at Senior Karaham and said, ¡®That muscle-brained fool is a handful that only someone like you can handle, so don¡¯t ever let him go.¡¯¡± ¡­That sounded just like Ligi. And honestly, Ipletely agreed with her assessment. In the original story, Lyria didn¡¯t end up with the protagonist and eventually married someone within her tribe, but it was more of an obligatory marriage due to her status as the Barbaracus chieftain¡¯s daughter. The way things were going, Karaham and Lyria were perfect for each other. They genuinely loved one another and were a great match. In the original, both had be sub-characters or antagonists, so a union between them was impossible. But now, looking at them together, they really did suit each other. ¡®Here I was hoping things wouldn¡¯t work out for them¡­ I feel ridiculous.¡¯ What¡¯s wrong with characters from the game I dedicated my life to getting their happy endings? If they were a good match and lived happily ever after, that¡¯s all that mattered. For a moment, I felt stupid for secretly hoping things wouldn¡¯t work out between Karaham and Lyria. Well, I¡¯d just have to do the same for the other sub-heroines and help them find their happy endings too. ¡°Anyway, Senior Karaham is truly incredible! After all the intensityst night, and even this morning, he¡¯s still moving so vigorously!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°He suddenly pounced on mest night¡­ And even though he was lifting and tossing me around with those thick arms, he¡¯s still standing strong! Truly an impressive stamina¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Get up, Lyria! We¡¯re sparring right now!¡± ¡°L-Lady Lilith? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°No more talking! Grab your spear, now!¡± Ovee by a sudden wave of irritation, I challenged Lyria to onest sparring match, which somehow brought an end to our day of sword practice. ¡­Perhaps because I was still unsettled and exhausted from back-to-back duels with Ethan, I ended up losing that match. Chapter 330 "Thank you for your efforts, Lord Ethan." "...Good job, Hero." While I was chatting with Natalie, it seemed the sparring between Gethmojoshegikgat and Ethan had concluded. They sheathed their swords and exchanged a brief greeting. As expected, Ethan won, but judging by his expression, he didn¡¯t seem too satisfied. It was likely because he won against a Hero who wasn¡¯t in the best condition. After the brief exchange of greetings, they parted ways without another word, as if there was no reason to linger. ¡®You¡¯d think after sparring every week, they¡¯d start to get closer.¡¯ But it seemed like Ethan''s principle of not trusting a guy who surrounds himself with so many women would make it impossible for them to ever be friends. Once Gethmojoshegikgat defeats the Demon King and returns to his world, Ethan¡¯s misunderstanding will likely clear up. But by then, there¡¯d be no chance for the two to grow closer anyway. If Ethan and Gethmojoshegikgat did manage to get along, I wouldn¡¯t have to tread so carefully around him when talking about my "past life." But it didn¡¯t seem like that was going to happen. ¡®Well, in two years, I won¡¯t have to worry about Ethan¡¯s opinion anymore.¡¯ Talking about past lives or anything else could wait until after graduation. I had the events of the fourth part of the story in my head, and running into him again after graduation wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. After all, I nned to change my identity and live as an "adventurer," a profession that wouldn¡¯t raise eyebrows no matter where I traveled. That was one of the few benefits I¡¯d gain after parting ways with Ethan. "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Ethan. Your swordsmanship was outstanding as always." "Yeah, thanks, Lilith. I saw you sparring with Natalie earlier. You handled it quite calmly." "After a break, you have a duel with Professor Harold, right?" "Right. I didn¡¯t use up all my strength sparring with the Hero, so... I think I can win."
  • Thump.
"...Is that so? I¡¯ll cheer for you with all my might, Lord Ethan." ...This is ridiculous. The mere fact that Ethan thinks he might beat Harold is enough to make my heart race. The thought of having an opportunity with Ethan crossed my mind, but the idea that my heart was pounding over something like this was absurd, even to me. Of course, from a maiden¡¯s perspective, the idea that a woman only has one man in her life to share intimate moments with makes the thought of enjoying as much as possible with Ethan before we part ways not entirely bad. After the students'' sparring, there was a brief rest, followed by individual duels with Harold.
  • ng!
"...Well done, Ethan." "Hah, huff, huff..." And just as expected, Ethan stood tall, winning a round against Harold right in front of me. It was impressive that Ethan could now take a round from Harold, even when Harold was at full strength, as long as he was in good condition. "Good job, Ethan. You didn¡¯t hesitate at all when you wielded your sword today." "...Thank you." That¡¯s because, over the past week, Ethan had been sparring with Karaham¡¯s steady sword, my quick de, and Lyria¡¯s unconventional attacks, and he had grown a lot. Not to mention, Ethan had thoroughly prepared for his duel with Harold, taking care of his condition ahead of time. So, today¡¯s victory was essentially a given. That also meant today was the day I¡¯d reward Ethan. Just thinking about how Ethan might approach me tonight made my heart race in a strange way. ¡®Last time... he forced his head between my legs.¡¯ I think it was called "m soup" or something. That¡¯s what they call the position in this world when a man uses his mouth. His lips and tongue had been relentless, making mee once before he even started, and then he proved his earlier words by drinking down all the clear liquid that came out of me... Just remembering it makes me feel hot. ¡®...No, forget it.¡¯ It¡¯s probably best to let that memory go. There¡¯s something oddly embarrassing about recalling it. Besides, my preferences lean more toward something else. Rather than Ethan serving me from below, I prefer it when he treats me like a maid for dealing with his urges, handling me roughly. It feels more sincere, like seeing Ethan¡¯s true self in those moments of raw physical connection. ...What am I even thinking about right now? ¡®Lately, my thoughts have been drifting in this direction too much.¡¯ Is it because I¡¯ve finally admitted my feelings for Ethan in my heart?@@novelbin@@ Before, I at least pretended to deny it, but now I¡¯ve been thinking about how I can create more memories with Ethan. Even though it feels like my thoughts have been a bit too focused on the sensual side... well, anyway. It¡¯s not like intimacy is the only enjoyable thing. Just spending time together and creating memories is what makes me happy. In fact, the Natural Studies Exploration ss we had recently was quite fun. Even though we didn¡¯t do anything intimate, those five days and six nights of surviving, eating, and sleeping together felt like a really enjoyable vacation. ¡®You can''t stay in wet clothes, so let¡¯s take them off and dry them.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to take a bath now, so please stand guard, Lord Ethan. Of course, I don¡¯t mind if you peek.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s cold tonight, so it would be good to stay close and share body heat, Lord Ethan.¡¯ ...Well, as long as we don¡¯t actually do anything, it¡¯s not really considered intimate, right? Anyway, tonight will be the first night since the start of the new term where I get to sleep with Ethan again, and my heart is full of anticipation. ? ? ? That afternoon, after Ethan had won a round against Harold in the morning¡¯s magical swordsmanship ss. Ethan and I spent the rest of the day acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, waiting for the night. Thest time we¡¯d been intimate was about a week before leaving the ckwood estate, so by now, Ethan must be overflowing with desire for me. There were no signs that he¡¯d handled it on his own either. Since I took care of all hisundry, I would have noticed the scent of any lingering traces in his underwear. It was pretty impressive that a young man in his prime hadn¡¯t released his desires at least five times in a week. But that was probably because I spent almost 20 hours a day by his side. In our second year, we had different sses and spent more time apart during the day, but now in our third year, aside from one major ss, our schedulespletely ovepped. ¡®After holding back for so long, his desires must be even stronger.¡¯ Still, it¡¯s better to wait patiently. I don¡¯t want to be the one to bring it up first¡ªthat would make it seem like I¡¯ve been anticipating it more than he has. No matter howfortable I am with the idea of being intimate with Ethan, there¡¯s no way my desires are stronger than a young man¡¯s in his prime. If I just stay still, Ethan will probably bring it up himself. Or maybe, this time, he¡¯ll start things off suddenly, without warning. I had already told him a few rounds ago that he didn¡¯t need to ask me about rewarding him for his dueling victories anymore. With that thought in mind, I casually tested the waters during dinner at the dormitory dining hall, wondering what kind of y he¡¯d want tonight. "Lord Ethan." "Yes, Lilith?" "Between the academy uniform, the maid outfit, and nothing at all, which attire do you prefer?" "......" At my straightforward question, Ethan blushed and quickly averted his gaze. He must have realized the hidden meaning behind my words. After all, those were the three outfits I usually wore during our intimate moments. "Wh-why are you asking that all of a sudden, Lilith?" "It¡¯s just a simple question, Lord Ethan." "...Well, honestly, I like all three..." "If you say you like all three, then I¡¯ll assume your favorite attire is no attire at all." "...Why does it have to be that?" "Because saying you like all three means you don¡¯t really care about the outfit, which means you just like the woman¡¯s body itself." "......" Well, if he had really answered that way, I would¡¯ve been willing toply. As much as I enjoyed the nervous excitement of having Ethan undress me piece by piece, starting off naked would save time, after all. I was waiting for Ethan to choose an outfit, but the answer that came from his lips was something I hadn¡¯t expected at all. "...Lilith, I¡¯m sorry to say this so suddenly." "Oh, if you¡¯d prefer a different outfit, I have a few more dresses in my dorm room..." "Could we... just sleep without doing anything tonight?" "...Why?" Chapter 331 It was a moment where I was surprised by my own words, as if I hadpletely forgotten the basic etiquette between a master and a maid. My tone had strayed beyond what was appropriate for my status. Fortunately, I quickly calmed down right after blurting it out, and I hurriedly bowed my head, apologizing to Ethan for my rude words. "I''m sorry. I misspoke to you in the heat of the moment, my lord..." "...It''s alright, Lilith. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a big mistake." There I was, bowing my head low enough to nearly touch the dining table, while Ethan, as usual, epted my apology with a kind smile. The overwhelming emotion I felt was the urge to dig a hole and bury myself out of sheer embarrassment. What I had just said was utterly ridiculous, even in my own mind. Not only had I spoken disrespectfully to Ethan, but the reason for it was because he wasn¡¯t interested in sharing a bed with me... If there had been a sturdy rope nearby, I might have considered hanging myself out of shame. ¡®Of course, the reward is for Ethan, so whether he epts it or not is his decision.¡¯ And if you think about it, the whole reason for these intimate moments is to make Ethan feel good and improve his skills as a reward.@@novelbin@@ So, if he could win against Harold without needing such physical acts, then that was definitely a good thing for Ethan, but... ¡®...Still, I feel a little sad about it.¡¯ Does this mean my body has be so used to him that I don¡¯t even care whether it happens or not? Or was it that I¡¯d already grown tired of it, and Ethan was just being considerate, pretending not to mind? While I was lost in these negative thoughts, Ethan hurriedly offered an exnation that wasn¡¯t really an excuse. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Lilith. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m giving up on receiving my reward for defeating my father.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°You see, starting tomorrow, we have the Geology Exploration ss for a whole week, right? I don¡¯t know how long that ss willst, so I thought it might be risky to exhaust myself too much tonight. I want to manage my condition carefully.¡± ¡°Oh... That was the reason...?¡± ¡°Yes, and once the Geology Exploration ss ends, we¡¯ll have another week off, so I thought we could take our time then. I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°......¡± Oh, how embarrassing. I sincerely wanted to die. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As your personal maid, I should have understood your intentions better, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lilith. In fact, I¡¯m relieved. I¡¯ve learned that you¡¯ve been looking forward to the ¡®reward¡¯ as much as I have.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°I look forward to after the Geology Exploration, Lilith.¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± At that moment, I had just added another mortifying memory to my history with Ethan, all because of my baseless assumptions. ? ? ? The next day, after the night where nothing happened, despite Ethan¡¯s victory over Harold in swordsmanship. While Ethan¡¯s additional exnation had quickly cleared up the misunderstanding that he didn¡¯t want a reward from me, the embarrassment and shame I felt during the process hadn¡¯t disappeared. Moreover, the awkward tension that had arisen between me and Ethan during the misunderstanding still lingered the next day. The atmosphere inside the carriage, as we traveled to the Geology Exploration ss, was particrly ufortable. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± In the quiet, I avoided looking at Ethan, keeping my gaze fixed on the opposite window, while Ethan asionally nced in my direction. Since the Geology Exploration ss would have us stuck together for anywhere between three to six days, if this awkward mood continued the whole time, one of us would probably suffocate before it ended. ¡°Ahem, L-Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°...Y-Yes, Lilith?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to briefly exin the information I know about the Geology Exploration ss. Is now a good time?¡± ¡°...Yes, now is fine. Please go ahead.¡± I deliberately shifted the conversation to the ss, opening up a natural topic. After all, we¡¯d be spending most of the ss together, just like during the Natural Studies Exploration. And as I¡¯d mentioned before, Ethan and I didn¡¯t have much time left together. There was no point in letting minor misunderstandings ruin our precious time. ¡°To begin with, I think the professor will be evaluating three main things in this Geology Exploration ss: the speed of the dungeon conquest, the stability of the dungeon conquest, and the appropriate distribution of roles within the party...¡± As we chatted about various things, the carriage carrying us soon entered the ¡®Dungeon City,¡¯ where the Geology Exploration ss would take ce. Hopefully, this exploration would go as smoothly as thest one. ? ? ? The Geology Exploration ss, also known as dungeon exploration, included the preparation process as part of the lesson itself. The ss took ce in a location called ¡®Dungeon City¡¯ in the southeastern part of the empire. It wasn¡¯t called Dungeon City because it had dungeons, but simply because that was its name. Usually, a region would have one, maybe two, underground dungeons. But this city had four, each with its own level of difficulty and characteristics. It was also a popr tourist destination for adventurers, attracting visitors due to the unique nature of these dungeons. ¡°Alright, let me exin the grading criteria for this Geology Exploration ss.¡± The muscr professor, who looked like he belonged in the athletics department, addressed the students, who were all tense as they listened. Since nearly half the ss consisted of students frombat-oriented departments, I scanned the crowd of familiar faces. The Hero¡¯s party was fully present, and among other familiar faces were Gwyn, the vice president of the student council, and Karaham, who, for once, was walking around without Lyria. When my eyes identally met Karaham¡¯s, I deliberately looked away. This was a rare opportunity to tackle the dungeon alone with Ethan, and I didn¡¯t want him to interfere. ¡®Well, given his muscle-brained nature, he¡¯ll probably dive into a solo dungeon and just hack his way through.¡¯ As I mentioned before, Dungeon City had four dungeons, each with different difficulty levels and rmended party sizes. The easiest was a single-yer dungeon that could be cleared in half a day if you were motivated enough. Next was a two-yer dungeon, which, with some effort, could bepleted within a day, but usually took two days. The four-yer dungeon, when approached methodically, would take about three days to clear, and the final, most challenging dungeon, required a full eight-person party and took nearly five days to explore. Naturally, the final dungeon was the one the Hero¡¯s party would tackle. Without their physical prowess and abilities, no one could clear it, so that¡¯s where they would spend the ss. As for Ethan and me, we¡¯d be tackling the two-yer dungeon over the course of two days, following the standard approach. You might wonder how it¡¯s possible for all the academy students to explore the dungeons over the course of a week when each dungeon takes several days to clear. But assuming all the students are skilled at dungeon conquest would be a huge mistake. It¡¯s not umon to see students enter a two-day dungeon ande running out within half a day, or for a four-person party to enter a three-day dungeon only to be wiped out in a day. ¡°The moment the ne we¡¯ve given you is destroyed, the exam ends. Think of this ne as your life, and make sure you don¡¯t lose it inside the dungeon.¡± The ne in question was a ''Return Ne,'' a specialty of Dungeon City. If someone died inside one of the city¡¯s dungeons, the ne would break, and the wearer¡¯s body would be teleported to a nearby church. It was a pricey artifact and one of the city¡¯s major sources of ie. Of course, part of the reason for the academy¡¯s expensive tuition was so they could use such items for ss. ¡°The Geology Exploration ss, unlike the Natural Studies or Sr Studies sses, is graded on a curve. The fastest party to conquer each dungeon, based on the rmended number of participants, gets an A+. The next fastest gets an A, then a B+, and so on. As long as youplete the dungeon, you¡¯ll at least get a C, so do your best to finish. However, if you leave the dungeon because you weren¡¯t prepared or if your ne breaks, you¡¯ll get an F. If one or more of your party members¡¯ nes break but the rest of the party finishes the dungeon, we¡¯ll evaluate whether the sacrifice was reasonable and decide whether to waive the F. Even if some members are lost, do your best toplete the task.¡± ¡°Professor, how is the dungeon order determined?¡± ¡°Firste, first served. By the way, I won¡¯t eptints if you fail the exam because someone else took too long inside the dungeon. Entering the dungeon is part of the exam too.¡± ¡°Uh, uh! We¡¯re going in first!¡± ¡°The four-yer dungeon is ours! Get out of the way!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push, you bastard!¡± As soon as the professor finished speaking, students rushed to the dungeon entrance, jostling for the chance to go in first. Ethan and I, however, stayed back, walking toward the city¡¯smercial district while thinking about the remaining six days of the exam. After all, the most important thing about the Geology Exploration ss wasn¡¯t whether we could enter the dungeon or not. Chapter 332 Hearing that entry to the dungeon was on a firste, first-served basis, the students formed a long line at the entrance, all moring to get in first. After observing a few quick-witted teams manage to get inside early, I casually left the entrance with Ethan. I hadn¡¯t expected we¡¯d be able to enter the dungeon on the first day of the Geology Exploration ss anyway. ¡°At this rate, the line won¡¯t die down for at least two days. Let¡¯s secure a ce to stay first, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡± Entering a dungeon in this city required thorough preparation. Even aside from the return ne the academy provided, we had to gather various items tost the two days inside the dungeon.@@novelbin@@ A rough map of the dungeon, which shifted itsyout every time someone entered, was essential, as was recent information about what monsters had appeared. We also needed to restock preserved food for three days, and recharge the magical light tool just before heading inside. Without these basic preparations, rushing into the dungeon would only result in... well, what we were seeing now. ¡°Ahhhh! Ahhh! It¡¯s hot!!¡± ¡°Kyaaa! S-Someone, save me¡­!¡± Barely five minutes after entering, we could hear the screams of a man and woman echoing from inside the dungeon. They had likely rushed in without properly scouting the entrance and triggered one of the trap rooms near the front. Judging by their screams, they must have been caught in a fire chamber. Poor souls. ¡°They got in first, and they didn¡¯t evenst five minutes. The next group can enter.¡± ¡°......¡± Seeing that the dungeon wasn¡¯t to be taken lightly, the next party hesitated, discussing whether they should go in right away or prepare a bit more. As they debated, a party of tworge men pushed through and headed for the entrance. ¡°As students of the academy, how can you all be so scared! I, the eldest son of the Marquis of Auguste, will enter first!¡± ¡°Lord Karaham, please lower your voice. You¡¯ll attract monsters, especially inside the dungeon.¡± ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t worry, Lord Gwyn!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, I¡¯m not a noble.¡± Karaham, the mostmon-sounding noble, and Gwyn, the most noble-soundingmoner. It was an unusualbination, one I had never seen in the original story. After all, at this point in the original, Karaham was supposed to be preparing to overthrow the empire in collusion with demons to avenge his sister Lizzy. He should have been on a leave of absence from the academy, so I had expected him to tackle the dungeon solo. Seeing him buddy up with Gwyn was quite unexpected. ¡®Well, Lizzy is now the treasurer of the Seraphina student council, and Gwyn is the vice president. I guess it makes sense.¡¯ For some reason, they seemed to have foundmon ground and decided to team up for this exploration. Normally, entering a dungeon unprepared would lead to death within a few hours, but something told me this duo would somehow scrape through. Aside from them, the Hero¡¯s party stood out as well. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s prepare for the dungeon and meet back here. Cerista, gather as much holy water as you can from the church. Seraphina, get enough food and water for eight people for a week.¡± ¡°Yes, Hero!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Natalie, can you handle the weapons? Sharpen your sword, Thomas¡¯s spear, and Luke¡¯s dagger. Thomas, prepare camping gear for eight people. We¡¯ll need about three tents.¡± ¡°Got it, Hero!¡± ¡°Three tents, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. And Agnes, buy as many fully-charged magical light tools as you can. If possible, also get some emergency magic scrolls. Luke, collect thetest monster information from the dungeons.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°¡­So, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°I have something else to prepare. I¡¯ll let you know when we meet back here at the dungeon.¡± It seemed Gethmojoshegikgat¡¯s Hero party was also preparing to enter the dungeon. Therge dungeon they were aiming for was so challenging that no other group would dare attempt it. They¡¯d likely finish their preparations and enter by this evening. In the original story, I would have joined that party, taking the ce of Thomas or Luke, but now my ce was at Ethan¡¯s side, so that was no longer relevant. ¡°Hero, what should I do?¡± ¡°Uh, Selena... well...¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°If it looks like another party is about to enter before us¡­¡± ¡°Should I stop them? With arrows?¡± ¡°No, no! Don¡¯t do that... Um...¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°¡­Just stay here and wait quietly until we¡¯re ready to go in, alright?¡± ¡°...Am I useless?¡± ¡°No, no, no! You¡¯re our strongest member, so I want you to save your strength for the dungeon...¡± ¡­He¡¯s really trying hard. Still, Gethmojoshegikgat looked like he was starting to grow into his role as the leader of the Hero party. ncing at them, Ethan and I made our way toward the dungeon city. Most of what the Hero had just mentioned were things Ethan and I also needed to prepare, so with only two of us, we had to move even faster. ? ? ? After securing a ce to stay, Ethan and I divided up the tasks for preparing to enter the dungeon. Ethan would handle weapon maintenance and camping gear, while I would gather magical tools and a map of the dungeon. There was no need to gather information, thanks to my knowledge from my past life, and we agreed to buy the food and holy water on the morning of the day we entered the dungeon, as it would be fresher. ¡°What if the line is still long after three days, Lilith?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to enter on the following day. But with thorough preparation, we should be able to clear the dungeon in a single day, so there¡¯s no need to worry, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Well, if that happens, it just means I get to spend another day with you at the inn.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Honestly, spending another day at the inn wasn¡¯t a bad thing for me. It would just be an extra day to rx with Ethan, and it felt like a nice little extension of our time together. The fact that it might dy the day I¡¯d give Ethan his promised reward didn¡¯t bother me at all. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go get the magical tools and the dungeon map. Don¡¯t forget your tasks, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± To prepare efficiently, Ethan and I parted ways for a while. After splitting up at the entrance to the inn, the first ce I headed was the adventurers¡¯ guild in this ''Dungeon City.'' ¡®Mapmaker Max appears at the adventurers¡¯ guild on the first day, and then moves to the information guild on the second day.¡¯ I had to buy a map from Max on the first day at the adventurers¡¯ guild. If I waited until the second day, when he moved to the information guild, the price would no longer be negotiable. The information guild knew that the academy students were in the city for their exploration ss, and they¡¯d be looking to make a hefty profit by selling maps and information at inted prices. Especially since the noble students from the academy were willing to pay a hefty sum for reliable information, this was a golden opportunity for the information guild. ¡®But to avoid overpricing, they sell the maps a little cheaper on the first day at the adventurers¡¯ guild to draw attention.¡¯ Once word spread that the maps were urate, the prices would soar afterward, making it a worthwhile investment for the information guild. Of course, you could also buy maps from general stores in the dungeon city. They were much cheaper than what Max sold. But those maps were from nearly 100 years ago and practically useless. The general store maps didn¡¯t ount for the expansions and discoveries made over the past century, meaning you couldn¡¯t find hidden rewards or safe resting spots. As soon as I entered the adventurers¡¯ guild, I saw mostly adventurers who made their living off the dungeons in this city. Among them, I spotted a few academy students, the smarter ones, who hade to gather information rather than rushing into the dungeon. Since I wasn¡¯t here to gather information, I headed straight toward a small table in the corner, where a man in shabby clothes was sitting alone. Mapmaker Max. He was the person I absolutely needed to meet if I wanted to pass the Geology Exploration ss withoutplications. And of course, if I needed to meet him for the dungeon conquest, that meant... ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to buy a dungeon map.¡± ¡°Could you sell me the map of thergest dungeon?¡± ...That Gethmojoshegikgat, reading my strategy guide, would inevitably be here to meet him as well. Chapter 333 Almost simultaneously, the Hero, Garcwoajosegiwat, approached Max to buy a map. The scruffy-bearded man, who met our gaze briefly, chuckled with a wheezingugh and nodded. ¡°Cluck, so you¡¯vee to buy a map?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Since the Hero is well-known across the country, your identity is guaranteed¡­ and this youngdy here seems quite famous as well¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°With that academy uniform and frills...? Ah, you must be the renowned maid of Lord ckwood, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Cluck, I was nning to dangle a line for some decent customers, but to think two special guests woulde at once. With how quickly the rumors are spreading, it looks like business will be good this year¡­¡± Seeing how quickly he figured out information about both the Hero and me, it was clear that Max was indeed affiliated with the Information Guild. Of course, given my status as a member of the ckwood family and the vice president of the academy''s magic department, it was expected I would be somewhat known. ¡°Are you going to sell me the map?¡± ¡°Cluck, yes, yes. Since the Hero will be bringing his entire party, you¡¯ll probably need the map for thergest dungeon, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And the maid will need a map for a smaller dungeon that she can enter with just her master.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Cluck, what luck! I just happened to have one of each left. One for the Hero and one for the ckwood family''s maid, so it should bring in quite a bit of publicity.¡± With that, Max pulled out two maps of different sizes from his pocket and handed one to me and one to Garcwoajosegiwat. I worried that he might try to incite a pricepetition between us, but thankfully, it seemed he had no intention of engaging in a pointless argument since we were entering different dungeons. ¡°That¡¯ll be one gold coin for thedy.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± ¡°And for the Hero, I¡¯ll need ten gold coins for that map.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t sell it. The demand forrge dungeon maps isn¡¯t high, and I didn¡¯t make many, cluck.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll pay ten gold coins.¡± ¡°Good choice. Cluck.¡± The Hero Garcwoajosegiwat wisely paid the ten gold coins without attempting to negotiate. If he had tried to haggle, I¡¯m sure Max would have doubled the price right then and there, so this was the right decision. Max, as a mapmaker, had a personality that wouldn¡¯t allow him to be disrespected. Even though he could exploit high prices at the Information Guild without repercussions, he chose toe to the Adventurers'' Guild to sell maps at a rtively lower price out of personal interest. No matter how much he could profit from selling dungeon maps at the highest prices once a year, he still valued being a mapmaker. He hoped that his maps would be used meaningfully by a few students from the academy. ¡°Don¡¯t frown too much. It¡¯s worth at least ten gold coins.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­I know.¡± ¡°Cluck, I wish you both good luck. I hope I don¡¯t see you fumbling around inside the dungeon after buying my map.¡± With those words, Max waved his hand toward us, signaling us to leave quickly. Following his gesture, we stood up from the mapmaker¡¯s station and exchanged nces before walking together to another part of the Adventurers'' Guild. ¡°Do you have time to talk?¡± ¡°¡­About 30 minutes.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ethan?¡± ¡°He went to handle weapon maintenance and buy camping gear.¡± ¡°Did that Ethan let youe to the Adventurers'' Guild to buy a map? I thought he¡¯d stop you because it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? He has no idea. He thinks I went to buy a cheap map at the general store.¡± ¡°¡­Wow. You really are getting bolder by the day.¡± I wasn¡¯t outright lying. It was just that Ethan hadn¡¯t bothered to confirm where I had gone to buy the map. I had dropped hints about the general store selling maps and that there was a general store near the magic tool shop, but I hadn¡¯t specifically said I would buy a map there. I had only said I would go buy a map. ¡°If you end up marryingter, aren¡¯t you going to be locked up somewhere in the mansion by Ethan? You know his character from the original story best.¡± ¡°¡­Well, Ethan is stubborn and suspicious, true. But since entering the academy, he hasn¡¯t been overly stubborn or suspicious of me, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That guy always seems to push you behind him and give me hostile res whenever we meet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a problem that you¡¯ve been hanging around with two or three harem members from the start.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really have a reason to be close with Ethan, but it¡¯s a bit hard to have to watch him every time I talk to someone from our hometown.¡± ¡°You only have to watch Ethan, but I have to keep an eye on three people.¡± If this somewhat ndestine scene were to be discovered by Seraphim, I¡¯d be facing covert pressure wielded by the power of a princess. And she would do it in such a thorough manner that there would be no evidence left of her involvement. ¡°Since Serista is a bonus member from the fourth part, one spot will open up¡­ So who will fill thest spot in the Hero Party?¡± ¡°Hmm. Bringing someone from the first or second year would likely slow down our growth too much. The only one who could be useful is probably you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mess with me, please.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to join, and most importantly, I don¡¯t want to have a life-or-death duel with Ethan, so I gave up. Thest spot will probably go to Orion.¡± ¡°¡­Well, Orion is a decent choice.¡± Orion was indeed a valuable addition. He was a wizard capable of support magic and had somebat skills, making him a suitable alternative for Lilith. However, as a fellow male, I hesitated to bring him along because of his prizing behavior and speech. His overtly androgynous appearance and oddly flirtatious expressions towards the protagonist resembled characters that were once popr in Japanese subculture, often referred to as ¡°bhi¡± characters. ¡®Even though the domestic version doesn¡¯t have it, the overseas version has dedicated H-scenes.¡¯ Of course, as someone who had only yed the domestic version, I had no interest in that and didn¡¯t want to know. I had never participated in the discussions about the ¡°Orion is possible¡± bait that asionally popped up in the Lua Gallery. But, since I wasn¡¯t nning to bring Lilith along, Orion was practically the only viable substitute, so he didn¡¯t have many options. ¡°In fact, Karaham was also a candidate, but I don¡¯t think I can bring him along. He¡¯s supposedly getting ready for marriage with Lyria right after graduation.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Lyria is someone I can¡¯t take responsibility for, so it¡¯s okay for her to find happiness that way. I told you, if it¡¯s to make others happy, I¡¯d rather ask for help.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, how¡¯s the matchmaking going for the remaining heroines? How many are left?¡± ¡°Kael, Ang, Princess Mezelren, and Princess Rainy¡ªfour in total.¡± ¡°What about Luke? He still doesn¡¯t have someone he¡¯s seeing.¡± ¡°If you leave him be, he¡¯ll end up with Gwyn, so there¡¯s no need to worry about him.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll try with Professor Ang. Since she¡¯s the swordsmanship professor, it should be easier for me to approach her than you, who is from the magic department. You know the captain of the imperial knights that appears in the fourth part event? I¡¯ve developed some connections with him, so if all goes well, I think I can set them up.¡± Surprised by Garcwoajosegiwat''s unexpected supportivement, I expressed my gratitude for him offering to lighten my burden. ¡°In fact, out of the four, Ang was the most difficult¡­ But if you¡¯re willing to help, then fine. But don¡¯t mess around and identally charm her.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. If I were going to do something like that, would I have put Thomas in the Hero Party?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°By the way, why is Ang the most difficult among your group? The princess and the queen should be the toughest ones to deal with.¡± ¡°I got quite close to Princess Mezelren early on through some events. And Princess Rainy¡­ I think she might have found a hidden fianc¨¦ that isn¡¯t in the original story.¡± ¡°Oh, really? That was a thing? Who is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­How could I say that? I didn¡¯t want to be the one to reveal the strong possibility that Ethan was Princess Rainy¡¯s hidden fianc¨¦. This ufortable truth was something I wanted to keep hidden until the very end, preferably until right before graduating from the academy and leaving the ckwood mansion. So, I decided to change the subject and pretended not to know. ¡°I heard from Nataliest time that you and Serista passed thepatibility puzzle. But you know that requires mutual feelings of love to pass, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to return to your original world after defeating the Demon King? What does it mean that you have romantic feelings for Serista? Have you decided to give up returning since you¡¯ve gotten attached to her after spending so long together? But then what about the other two¡­?¡± ¡°Hah, what?! What kind of whiny brat is making noise in the guild?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As I was about to ask a little about the rtionship between him and Serista, a loud voice suddenly came from the direction of Garcwoajosegiwat and me. It was clear that thement was aimed directly at us, and when I turned my head, I saw a drunken man stumbling towards us, pointing his finger. ¡°Hey, what the hell?! Coming in all together like this and treating the dungeon entrance like it¡¯s yournd, and now you¡¯re invading the guild too? Why do these damn academy brats go crazy every year at this time?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why are you bothering a humble adventurer like me, who barely makes a living day by day? Those whiny brats should just stick to their knife fights in the academy¡­¡± ¡°¡­What kind of idiot is trying to start a fight when he barely has a handful of hair left on his head?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°A bald guy with fewer hairs than a newborn is picking a fight with me? Do you want to die?¡± ¡­My mood was already ruined thinking about Ethan''s fianc¨¦, and now this jerk. Chapter 335 Lately, I''ve grown too ustomed to this "academy" life, and in doing so, I''ve forgotten one key fact: the world of Luminor Academy, the one I¡¯ve been reincarnated into, isn¡¯t just an ordinary academy setting. It¡¯s actually a dating sim¡­ and an adult one at that. Why bring this up now, you ask? Well, that realization hit me hard when Ethan and I casually wandered into this "Dungeon Reward Market" without thinking. "Wee~! Is there anything specific you''re looking for?" "...Ah, no. We¡¯re just¡­ browsing." "...We¡¯re just looking around, so don¡¯t mind us." "Of course! Let me know if you need any help~." The cheerful shopkeeper¡¯s response, out of ce in this kind of shop, only made the situation more awkward for Ethan and me. The moment we stepped inside, shelves filled with numerous things immediately caught my eye¡ªshapes that, despite their form being quite clear, were obviously intended for women. My face heated up just at the sight. ¡®Right¡­ now that I think about it, dungeon rewards included stuff like this.¡¯ The "dungeons" in Luminor Academy worked simrly to those in most games. You explore floors, find hidden rooms, gather loot, and defeat the boss at the end to im the final reward. Sure, thinking of it in a real-world context was strange, but this was a world based on a game. Resetting the dungeon''s environment for each new person and awarding random loot was "normal" here. Typically, the mostmon random rewards from fantasy dungeons were weapons, armor, money, and potions. But since Luminor Academy was an adult game, some of those rewards were, well¡­ less conventional. One such reward was currently disyed in front of me: a toy modeled after a man¡¯s¡­ well, you know. In my previous life, we called it a dildo.@@novelbin@@ ¡®Great, of all the ces to walk into, it had to be this one¡­¡¯ In hindsight, it made sense. Adventurers who explored dungeons saw their bodies as their greatest resource. So if they got a weapon or armor, their first thought would be to equip it. Money could be spent, and potions were usually kept or sold to specialty shops. Which left the toys. They had no real value outside of certain uses, so of course this market would sell such items. ¡°So, they even hand out rewards like these in dungeons¡­¡± ¡°¡­It seems that way.¡± ¡°Do you think you''re interested in something like this, Lilith?¡± ¡°Wh-what? N-no, of course not! What kind of question is that, young master Ethan?! Do you see me as some lewd maid who¡¯d use such vulgar things?!¡± ¡°¡­No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Ethan''s dyed response made me want to pry further, but something told me I didn¡¯t want to hear the answer. We¡¯d just look around briefly and leave¡ªit was too awkward to walk out immediately. "¡­¡­." Though, now that I was looking, weren¡¯t these¡­ a bit small? In the adult videos I watched in my previous life, these kinds of things always seemed bigger than the real thing. But now, as a woman, they didn¡¯t look asrge. Maybe it was because I was used to Ethan''s size. Compared to him, most of the items here seemed smaller¡­ ¡°¡­Are you thinking about buying one?¡± ¡°No. Compared to young master Ethan¡¯s¡­ these aren¡¯t that big. Even if I used one, it wouldn¡¯t feel¡­¡± "¡­¡­." ¡°No! I wasn¡¯tparing your size to these toys!¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything, Lilith.¡± Still, the way he suddenly avoided eye contact and slipped a hand into his pocket made me think he was imagining something inappropriate. ¡°For the record, I¡¯m not interested in any man other than young master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I mean, even the thought of using something like this repulses me. Even if it¡¯s not real, I refuse to let anything other than your¡­ uh, real thing enter my body.¡± ¡°¡­I-I see¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Lilith. We¡¯re not buying anything.¡± No matter how much these toys mimicked the real thing, they were against my beliefs as a former unicorn. The thought of a heroine climaxing with a toy shaped like another man¡¯s¡­ you-know-what disgusted me. And I definitely didn¡¯t want to be that heroine. Realizing that lingering in this shop could lead Ethan to think I was strange, I quickly tugged him toward another disy, hoping to find something a bit more¡­ normal. ¡ªWhirrrrr. Whirrrrrr. "¡­¡­." A vibrating massager powered by magic. Pass. ¡®What the hell¡­ How could something this long even¡­ is there really someone who could fit this inside them?!¡¯ A ridiculously long string of beads. Definite pass. ¡ªVrrrrr! Vrrrrrrrr!!! ¡°Wahhh?! Hyahhh!!¡± ¡°Lilith?! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I was just startled.¡± A seemingly harmless wand turned out to be a high-speed vibrating¡­ thing the moment I touched it. Definite pass. Seriously, what kind of world has stuff like this?! ¡®Now that I think about it, Ethan used simr things to train Lilith in the original game¡­¡¯ Some of thoserger, more dangerous toys were used for punishment. The original Ethan was a vile character, beyondparison to the current one. Even if I had Lilith¡¯s body now, I had no intention of indulging in Ethan¡¯s more twisted preferences. Lilith certainly didn¡¯t want that either in the original game. I mean, unless it didn¡¯t vite my personal beliefs, I might consider a little¡­promise. But still. Realizing there wasn¡¯t much else to see other than sex toys, I decided it was time to leave. This entire trip had been a waste of time. ¡°Young master Ethan, I think we¡¯vee to the wrong shop. How about we visit somewhere else?¡± ¡°¡­Wait, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡­Why was he making me nervous all of a sudden? Don¡¯t tell me this is the moment where Ethan suddenly awakens to his dark tendencies like in the original game?! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to throw away my position at the academy, my generous sry, and my feelings for Ethan and just run for my life. The original Ethan was so depraved, he forced Lilith to submit to other men¡ªand even animals¡ªas punishment. The idea of engaging in any physical acts with anyone other than one man was utterly uneptable to me as a former unicorn. ¡ªSwoosh. ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t this look like it would suit you, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°This headpiece with the ears. You always wear the same one, don¡¯t you?¡± "¡­¡­." Well, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t the same one. I had several headpieces that were identical, so he¡¯d never noticed when I changed them. The headpiece was just a symbol of my position as Ethan¡¯s maid, so I never bothered with anything fancy. Unless I was in the bath or going to bed, I didn¡¯t take it off. I hadn¡¯t thought much about it, but it seemed like Ethan had noticed and wanted a change. ¡®And to think I was worrying about Ethan awakening some dark tendencies¡­¡¯ Thank goodness I only thought it to myself. I felt so stupid for jumping to such wild conclusions. The headpiece Ethan picked out for me was a maid¡¯s headband with ck cat ears attached to the top. The design was simple, but cute. ¡­It looked like something you¡¯d see on an untrustworthy cat-human character, but still, Ethan picked it out for me, so I might as well try it on. I took off my regr headpiece and ced the new one on my head. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t feel bad. Looking in the mirror, it actually matched my hair tone pretty well. ¡°It looks good, young master Ethan.¡± ¡°Does it? Then I¡¯ll buy it for you as a gift.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, young master Ethan.¡± He offered to buy it as a gift, and as his maid, I couldn¡¯t exactly refuse. I nodded in appreciation. ¡°Oh, just a moment! That item is part of a set, so you¡¯ll need to purchase the rest as well~!¡± ¡°The rest?¡± As the shopkeeper exined, we waited at the counter for the "rest" of the set. When she returned, she was holding a white leather cor¡­ and¡­ ¡°¡­The set includes the cor and this ¡®tail¡¯!¡± It was a certain type of ck tail that could only be worn¡­ in certain ways. ¡°I-I don¡¯t need it!!¡± ¡­In the end, we did buy it. The shopkeeper wouldn¡¯t sell them separately, so we had no choice. Chapter 336 Three days after arriving in Dungeon City for the Geology Exploration ss. Ethan and I confirmed that the line had diminished enough to finally wait for our turn to enter the dungeon, so we decided to head in tonight.
  • Swoosh.
¡°Hmmm...¡± Since I received it as a gift, maybe it¡¯s better to wear it when I go out? I think Ethan would like it if I wore the one I gave him. But if others see me wearing cat ears at the dungeon entrance, it might stand out a bit. ¡®...Well, for now, I''ll go with this today.¡¯@@novelbin@@ After contemting between the white head dress and the cat ear head dress, I ultimately decided to stick with the one I usually wear. Since there are people I know among the academy students gathered here, it wouldn''t be good to draw attention for wearing something unusual in front of them. Besides, I had worn the gift quite a bit over the past few days, so missing it for today wouldn¡¯t disappoint Ethan. ¡°Master Ethan, it''s time to wake up. Today is the day we enter the dungeon.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.... I¡¯ll get up....¡± Ethan woke up with slightly messy hair and sleepy eyes. As I watched him wake up, he suddenly turned to me and smiled. ¡°Did you sleep well, Lilith?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± His bright smile in the morning was, honestly, unfair. Of course, I had been somewhat expecting this reaction, so having achieved that, I tried to keep my surprise under wraps with a brief response. ¡°Time flies, huh? It''s already been three days since we got here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I had fun being with Lilith, but this really isn¡¯t a good ce for a rxing date.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Considering that most of the people gathering in Dungeon City were adventurers or merchants, the atmosphere was pretty predictable. It was noisy, chaotic, and filled with self-serving individuals. Naturally, the townspeople dealing with such adventurers resembled them, and the city¡¯s safety was not great. Over the three days of dating Ethan, I had already encountered five attempts at pickpocketing and faced two muggings at night. ...But really, the petty criminals here weren¡¯t worth worrying about. ¡°Next time I travel with Lilith, I think we should go to a city with better security. I¡¯ve heard that cities with cathedrals tend to be quite safe.¡± ¡°That sounds good. When would be a good time to travel?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to find time to go far while attending the academy.... Maybe we could go in the spring after graduation?¡± ¡°...After graduation, huh.¡± ¡°Yeah. I doubt my father will demand I take over the territory immediately. I should have a few years of freedom after graduating.¡± ¡°......¡± By then, I probably wouldn¡¯t be at ckwood territory. ¡°Understood, Master Ethan. I will remember that.¡± I tucked away the promise that probably wouldn¡¯te true in my heart. ¡°The inside is cleaner than I expected.¡± ¡°That''s likely because the environment resets every time someone exits the dungeon, Master Ethan.¡± After finishing the preparations for food and potions in the morning, Ethan and I finally entered the dungeon. I had thought we would get in by this evening, but we ended up entering the dungeon nearly at midnight. ¡®It seems like we got pushed back in line because of how long Karaham and Gwyn took to clear it.¡¯ The reckless duo who boldly entered the dungeon unprepared on the first day. To be honest, I thought that no matter how strong those two were at the academy, they wouldn¡¯t clear it easily. Butter, I heard that Karaham and Gwyn cleared the dungeon that very night they entered. ¡®Of course, they probably bulldozed through all the traps and monsters.¡¯ The reason dungeons take a long time to clear is that you have to avoid traps and dangerous monsters while navigating the maze-like interior. Conversely, if you charge straight through without avoiding the traps and monsters, you can progress quickly. Naturally, most people can¡¯t withstand the traps that spring from all sides or the fire spells in hidden rooms, but since those two were physically strong, they likely ignored those hazards and just pressed on. As a result, their record became an outrageous time attack score that even I never achieved in my past life. ¡®Better to give up on that A+.¡¯ They grade based on the quickest clearing times for each dungeon, so even if there¡¯s no other team between Gwyn & Karaham¡¯s party and my party with Ethan, an A would be the limit. Of course, just because there¡¯s a 0.5-point difference doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll fail to graduate. After all, the Geology Exploration ss is known for most students not even getting a D, so simply passing would be a win. It would be rational to spend a day leisurely exploring the dungeon, rather than risk getting torn apart by goblins or ogres. ¡°Here¡¯s the first fork in the road... What does the map say, Lilith?¡± ¡°Either way is fine. If we turn right, there¡¯s a trap with a few monsters, but we can get some small rewards, and if we go straight, we can move to the next fork without a fight.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Given how long we¡¯ve been together, I think you know what answer woulde from me, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± With those words, we turned right into a slightlyrger chamber. As soon as we entered, the door to the first trap room closed behind us, revealing the hidden monsters. ¡°ck Slimes.¡± ¡°Shall I take care of them?¡± ¡°No. Slime-type monsters are resistant to physical attacks... So, I¡¯ll handle this. Please conserve your strength, Master Ethan.¡± After finishing thatst statement, I used a triple casting of magic arrows, creating aposite spell that added shockwaves to each arrow, targeting each of the ck slimes that appeared. Thud! Thud! With abined attack of magical and physical damage, three ck slimes burst apart at once. At that moment, the familiar level-up notification appeared briefly in my mind before disappearing. ¡°Lilith has reached level 30!¡± ...It seems I barely had enough experience points to reach the next level. Starting off with a clean level-up from the first hunt felt pretty good. ¡®Still, the reward is just ten silver coins. That''s really a small reward.¡¯ Still, engaging inbat was more beneficial. For me, who had plenty of magic left, earning ten silver coins through a few spells was a decent deal. ¡°So this is how dungeons work. It¡¯s fascinating.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, Master Ethan, is this your first time in a dungeon?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it your first time too?¡± ¡°...Of course, it is, but ording to the materials I read in the magic department library, this is how they operate. The principles of dungeonse from a power not belonging to the current Aurelia Church, but rather another god''s authority.¡± ¡°Indeed, Lilith, you¡¯re quite smart.¡± I brushed it off with a suitable excuse, collecting the silver coins that appeared in the treasure chest and moving with Ethan to the next room. I thought that we needed to clear at least up to the third floor before sleeping tonight to ensure we could effectively navigate the dungeon tomorrow. ¡°Ethan Richard ckwood, Lilith Rosewood ckwood. 1 day, 2 hours, 13 minutes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the ranking?¡± ¡°ording to this two-person dungeon, it¡¯s second ce. Although it still means ¡®not yet¡¯ second ce.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The professor said we were still in second ce, but that record likely wouldn¡¯t be broken. The Geology ss generally ends with most students failing, except for the main character¡¯s party and a few notable names. Despite this, the reason so many students enroll is the high credit unit for the Geology Exploration ss itself, as well as the ability to double-dip by gathering rewards inside the dungeon. ¡°Although, technically, if you prepare properly for the dungeon exploration, it bnces out.¡± Many students mistakenly think, ¡®As long as we clear the dungeon, we¡¯ll earn credits and rewards, right?¡¯ However, to clear a dungeon properly, you need to prepare ordingly, which costs money. Just Ethan and I alone spent at least ten gold coins on maps, supplies, lodging, camping gear, and magical tools to enter this dungeon. Whilebining the rewards we got inside might allow us to recoup the ten gold coins, in the end, the Geology Exploration ss isn¡¯t a course you take to ¡®profit¡¯. ...Except for one thing. There is one sure way to gain benefits from this Geology Exploration ss. I casually approached the couple at the front of the line outside the dungeon we just exited. ¡°Hey, you couple there, are you waiting to enter the small dungeon?¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°...That''s correct.¡± ¡°I just wanted to ask if you got a map of the dungeon interior. It might be difficult to explore without one.¡± ¡°Ah, we got one! They were selling it at the general store in Dungeon City!¡± ¡°...That map, huh?¡± I deliberately trailed off, casting a slight look of uncertainty at the couple, who now wore worried expressions as they nced at me. I quickly shed the dungeon map we had just used to them, making sure to show the inside slightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this map a lot more detailed?¡± ¡°U, uh?!¡± ¡°What is this...? Did we get scammed...?¡± ¡°Rather than a scam... it¡¯s just that the map is outdated. An old map wouldn¡¯t detail areas of the dungeon we haven¡¯t visited yet, and it wouldn¡¯t include secret rooms that can only be opened with special methods.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We just finished navigating the dungeon, so I¡¯ll sell you this map for just five gold coins.¡± ¡°......Huh?¡± ¡°Five gold coins...?¡± The couple looked at me with four eyes filled with doubt at the prospect of buying something that had already been used once. It seemed the price of five gold coins was a bit shocking, and they cautiously nced at me for approval. ¡°Honestly, if you collect all the rewards from the hidden rooms shown on this map, you should be able to easily gather eight gold coins. It¡¯s definitely worth buying.¡± ¡°Uh, uh, but... five gold coins seems a bit...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit expensive? Plus, it¡¯s already been used once...¡± ¡°A map isn¡¯t a consumable, right? Just because it¡¯s been used once doesn¡¯t diminish its value.¡± ¡°W-well, that¡¯s true...¡± ¡°Just so you know, this is the same map the information guild sells for ten gold coins. I¡¯m offering it to you at half price since I¡¯ve just used it.¡± ¡°Half price...¡± ¡°And think about it. If you use this map to clear the dungeon quickly and get back out, you can sell it to the next person for the same five gold coins, right? So it¡¯s practically free, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...Is that so!¡± ¡°Really! Then we¡¯ll buy it!¡± ...Well, I didn¡¯t lie. Even though I got the map for one gold coin, it was currently being sold for ten gold coins by the information guild. Flipping it quickly and selling it to the next person wasn¡¯t out of the realm of possibility. Anyway, with that, Ethan and I made a total of five gold coins from our dungeon exploration. Make money, get credit. It''s sex. Chapter 339 Gevmojoshegwat, Agnes, Serista, Silena... and the rest of the hero¡¯s party. Aside from the quiet Luke, I could tell just from hearing their voices that Gevmojoshegwat had chosen this ce as the gathering spot for their post-Geology Exploration ss party. ¡®Well, even a hero can¡¯t resist the lure of chicken and beer.¡¯ They had entered the dungeon two days earlier than us and came out eventer, so they must have been even more exhausted. I could understand why Gevmojoshegwat would feel like rxing with some chicken and beer. The problem was that Ethan and I had already arrived and settled here first. ¡®This is probably going to put Ethan in a bad mood again.¡¯ To be honest, I wasn¡¯t too thrilled about being involved with them either. Other than Gevmojoshegwat and Agnes, I couldn¡¯t exactly say I was on friendly terms with the rest of the party. While I silently continued eating, hoping to avoid any entanglement, Agnes, the one person in the party I was most familiar with, came over to our table. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you two on a date?¡± ¡°¡­Something like that,¡± I replied, keeping my voice calm. ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t interrupt us, Lady ze,¡± Ethan added, his tone a little sharper. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to interrupt or anything¡­.¡± While the three of us usually hung out together, today was different. Ethan and I had our reasons for wanting to spend time alone, and even though Agnes was a mutual acquaintance, neither of us was in the mood to involve her today. ¡°Agnes? What are you doing over there?¡± ¡°Well, I just¡ª¡± ¡°Is there someone you kno¡ªoh.¡± Gevmojoshegwat,ing to retrieve Agnes from our table, naturally spotted Ethan and me on our date. And just as Ethan¡¯s expression started to stiffen, Gevmojoshegwat quickly grabbed Agnes¡¯s arm and pulled her away. ¡°Sorry for interrupting your date. We¡¯ll stay at the table in the back, so don¡¯t mind us and enjoy yourselves.¡± ¡°¡­If you do that, I¡¯d appreciate it,¡± Ethan said, his voice softening slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Agnes. Don¡¯t disturb them.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to disturb¡­.¡± With a frustrated look on her face, Agnes allowed herself to be led to the back of the restaurant by Gevmojoshegwat. Thanks to his quick intervention, the situation that could have turned into a storm was easily defused. ¡°¡­Maybe the hero isn¡¯t such a bad guy after all,¡± Ethan muttered.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, Lilith. Just talking to myself.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Could it be that Ethan¡¯s opinion of Gevmojoshegwat had improved just because he pulled Agnes away? He had always been annoyed by the hero¡¯s presence, and now, suddenly, he was warming up to him over something so trivial? So, as long as Gevmojoshegwat didn¡¯t interfere with our time together, Ethan didn¡¯t care how many women the hero attracted? ¡®If that¡¯s all it takes to change Ethan¡¯s opinion of someone, I guess I should be relieved.¡¯ Well, whatever. As long as things didn¡¯t get chaotic, it was fine ._________ After finishing our chicken and beer¡ªnot sex¡ªwith Ethan, we left the restaurant and decided to take a walk along thekeside of the Ind of Knowledge to digest our dinner. The sun had almost set, and the moonlight was beginning to shine brighter than the fading sunlight. The night was growing deeper, and with it came a certain sense of sentimentality. As we walked along thekeside, the atmosphere between us grew quieter and a little awkward. Step, step, step. ¡°¡­The moon is beautiful,¡± Ethan remarked. ¡°¡­Theke is clear,¡± I responded. Step, step, step. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t take this anymore. By now, I had expected Ethan to bring up the reward I owed him, but he kept staying quiet, lost in his thoughts. It was dragging on too long. What was he hesitating about? For the record, I didn¡¯t think we had to do anything. It¡¯s not like I would die if we didn¡¯t have sex. If anyone would be disappointed, it would be Ethan, not me. I wasn¡¯t going to bring it up first, though. Not until Ethan mentioned the reward he was supposed to receive. ¡°Um, Lilith,¡± Ethan finally spoke up. ¡°Yes, young master?¡± ¡°¡­Since we¡¯re already out in themercial district tonight¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I was thinking, if you don¡¯t mind¡­ how about we stay at an inn tonight instead of going back to the dormitory?¡± ¡­It was finally here. He hadn¡¯t forgotten after all. Of course, Ethan wasn¡¯t the type to forget about the reward. There¡¯s no way he could forget, considering he practically couldn¡¯t live without me. He was probably still hung up on the time we spent alone in the forest and was now looking for a chance to make up for that missed opportunity. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what about Isabel?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already told her. I mentioned we might stay out tonight, so she could go to sleep after midnight if we weren¡¯t back.¡± ¡°So, you had already nned to stay out before I even agreed, young master? Was my consent just a formality?¡± ¡°About¡­ 80 percent of the way, yeah. I was pretty sure you¡¯d agree.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You like it too, right? You¡¯re not going to pretend otherwise after everything that¡¯s happened, are you?¡± ¡­He was getting awfully cocky after grabbing hold of one little weak spot. Yeah, I liked it. Not as much as Ethan did, obviously. But I wasn¡¯t going to deny that I enjoyed our time together, especially now that I had control over the situation. ¡°I agree to your suggestion, young master. However, I¡¯d like to make it clear that I¡¯m not agreeing because I¡¯m looking forward to sleeping with you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°As your exclusive maid, I only engage in such activities with you as a token of appreciation for your achievements.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t enjoy sleeping with me?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Where was thising from all of a sudden? I thought we were just naturally going to head to the inn. But now Ethan was suddenly asking these weird, loaded questions. Sure, at first, when I let him touch me, it was a bit awkward, but by now, I had gotten used to it. Besides, as his temporary girlfriend, I couldn¡¯t deny that I also enjoyed it to some extent. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, young master. Do you really think I would sleep with you if I didn¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Sometimes I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re thinking, Lilith. Maybe you¡¯ve just been pretending to enjoy it for my sake.¡± ¡°Young master, you don¡¯t need to ask for a definite answer regarding how I feel. Just make the judgment you think is right.¡± ¡°One of my firmest beliefs is that I shouldn¡¯t force someone to sleep with me if they don¡¯t want to, especially if that person is someone I care about.¡± ¡­Why was he being so annoying today? I hade to think that it was just natural for us to sleep together after something like his victory over Harold, but now Ethan was suddenly acting strange, like he wanted to confirm something with me. It was frustrating. Eventually, my patience ran out. ¡°You really are dense, you know that?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°If I really didn¡¯t want to, how do you think I would¡¯ve reacted when you asked me to sleep with you before? You¡¯ve known me since childhood, young master. You know exactly how I act when I¡¯m truly angry.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I do.¡± Of course, he couldn¡¯t deny that. After all, he had seen me at my angriest. By now, Ethan should know that when I didn¡¯t like something, I made it very clear. If I didn¡¯t say anything, that meant I was okay with it. ¡°One thing I¡¯d like you to remember, young master: no matter who I¡¯m dealing with, I always say no when I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. That¡¯s enough for me to hear for today.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide for now, but next time, I hope you¡¯ll be more honest.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°The inn is down this way, right? Let¡¯s pick a nicer one this time. The ce we stayed during the entrance exams was a bit cramped.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± For some reason, after our conversation, Ethan seemed more confident. His attitude toward me was more rxed than usual. He no longer had that tense, uneasy expression he often wore around me. I wasn¡¯t sure what he had figured out from our talk, but it seemed to put him at ease. ¡®Well, in the end, I won this little psychological game.¡¯ I had admitted that I didn¡¯t dislike sleeping with Ethan, but I hadn¡¯t fully confessed my true feelings. That meant I still held the reins when it came to controlling when¡ªor if¡ªwe would sleep together. When ites to rtionships, the one who loves more is the one who loses. And by that measure, I still hadn¡¯t lost to Ethan. Chapter 340 In most fantasy worlds, the higher you go in an inn, the more expensive the rooms be. Unlike modern times, where technology allows for towering buildings with reinforced concrete, construction in this world is limited. Each additional floor on a building costs considerably more due to theck of advanced building techniques. Of course, in a world with magic, wealthy nobles can hire earth mages to build tall estates or grand castles, but in regrmercial districts like this one, buildings max out at three stories. Ethan and I found ourselves in one such three-story inn, staying on the top floor. Not only that, but we had rented thergest room avable. ¡°This ce is spacious,¡± Ethanmented. ¡°¡­Yes, young master,¡± I replied. The room was almost asrge as the private suite Ethan had back in the ckwood mansion or his guest room in the royal vi. Seeing such a spacious room on the top floor of an inn made me wonder just how much they had invested into this ce. One thing was certain: it would be impossible to find a better room on the Ind of Knowledge. The only rooms that couldpare were probably the ¡°VIP suites¡± in the royal dormitories of the academy. ¡®A single night here costs one gold coin.¡¯ Even for most nobles, staying here daily would be quite a burden. I¡¯d heard that these rooms were typically reserved for visiting high-ranking nobles or parents of academy students during busy periods like the entrance season. The fact that Ethan and I had rented one of these rooms just to spend a single night felt like a luxury beyond belief. ¡®It¡¯s not like I asked toe here, though. Ethan¡¯s the one who paid, so I guess I can¡¯t really say anything about it.¡¯ Still, considering we¡¯d likely be spending most of our time in bed, was it really necessary to rent such a spacious room? It was almostrge enough to take a stroll inside. The room felt even bigger because it had fewer pieces of furniture than Ethan¡¯s usual rooms. Well, since Ethan had brought me here instead of just staying at the dorm, it was clear he had something on his mind. He probably wanted to do something special and was trying to set the mood by getting a nice room like this. ¡®This just proves that I still hold the reins in this rtionship.¡¯ With that thought in mind, I sat down on the sofa to rest for a bit. Ethan, meanwhile, set down his sword and bag, then began undressing.@@novelbin@@ I was debating whether I should start taking my clothes off too or wait for him to undress me when¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up first, Lilith,¡± Ethan said unexpectedly. His statement caught me off guard. I had expected him to rush into things as usual, but instead, he was headed for the bathroom to bathe first. ¡°Would you like me to join you, young master?¡± I offered. ¡°¡­I enjoy that too, but since we¡¯re out tonight, I¡¯d like to do things a little differently for a change.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Well, I couldn¡¯t argue with that. If we started getting handsy in the bath right away, it might lessen the excitementter in bed. Ethan¡¯s reasoning made sense, so I nodded internally and replied. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll be ready to wash up right after you finish.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal about it. Just rx and wait.¡± ¡°But I should at least heat the water for you¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s a magical device in the bath that controls the hot water. No need for fire magic this time,¡± Ethan said calmly as he finished undressing and headed into the bathroom. Watching hisposed yet slightly hurried movements gave me a strange feeling. ¡®Why does Ethan seem so off tonight?¡¯ It was as if he was in a rush, trying to hide something from me. Of course, it could just be my imagination, but something about him tonight felt different from his usual behavior. That odd question he asked before we entered the inn¡­ Hmm¡­. ¡®Has sleeping with me be so routine that he no longer feels excited about it?¡¯ After all, ever since Ethan¡¯s victory over Harold, we¡¯d spent quite a few nights together. Not to mention, there were a couple of times, like during the cold incident, when Ethan wanted to be with me regardless of any duel. If our intimacy had be nothing more than a habit to him, and he no longer felt the same excitement, that would be¡­ ¡®It would be a bit depressing if that were the case¡­.¡¯ Could it be that Ethan now saw me as just a convenient woman he could sleep with? Was I no longer a challenge or something worth pursuing? Had I be the equivalent of a backyard hill he had already conquered? ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve held onto my ¡°Saint¡± title a little longer.¡¯ Leaving onest goal or motivation for Ethan might have kept his interest alive. If I had done that, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have lost his desire for me so quickly. At the very least, he would¡¯ve kept fighting for my affection until thest moment. Perhaps, on the final day of the academy, I could¡¯ve gifted him my ¡°first time¡± as a parting gift and disappeared from his life, leaving him with nothing but the memory of a fleeting summer night¡¯s dream¡­. ¡®Wow, I¡¯m starting to sound like one of those overly dramatic women.¡¯ Honestly, even if holding onto his interest a bit longer made a difference, what would it matter? It¡¯s not like the intensity of our rtionship was everything. Spending more time together made things more meaningful. And well¡­ the truth was, I did enjoy being with Ethan, so it wasn¡¯t all bad. If I¡¯d only discovered this kind of happiness two yearster, I probably would¡¯ve regretted it more. Everything has its pros and cons, I suppose. With those thoughts in mind, I waited for about ten minutes, listening to the sound of watering from the bathroom. I sat on the bed, absentmindedly looking around the room, when something caught my eye: Ethan¡¯s bag, casually ced on the table. ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t really a reason for him to have brought a bag tonight, was there? If we were just out for dinner and a night away, he¡¯d normally only need his wallet. Carrying a bag was unusual for Ethan, who usually just wore his sword on his hip. What could he possibly have packed in that bag? ¡®What¡¯s in there?¡¯ As a maid, I knew better than to poke around my master¡¯s personal belongings. But after seeing Ethan¡¯s strange behavior tonight, my curiosity was piqued. Maybe there was something in that bag that exined his shift in attitude. ¡®Don¡¯t even think about it. You¡¯re a maid, Lilith. You can¡¯t just rummage through your master¡¯s things.¡¯ Even if I was nning to quit being a maid in two years, I still took pride in my eight years of service. I¡¯d spent over six of those years as Ethan¡¯s exclusive maid. Breaking such a basic rule now felt wrong. Besides, there was no guarantee that whatever was in the bag would exin Ethan¡¯s behavior. What if I opened the bag only to find something mundane, like a swordsmanship manual or a grip strength trainer? Given how obsessed Ethan was with sword training, that was a more likely possibility. I shook off the thought of the bag and tried to focus on waiting for Ethan to finish his bath. ¡®But wait, isn¡¯t that even worse?¡¯ If I found out that Ethan had brought along a swordsmanship manual to read during our date, wouldn¡¯t that be incredibly rude? Sure, I wasn¡¯t his real girlfriend or fianc¨¦e, but that would still be an insult. I had spent the entire day focused on him, only speaking to Agnes briefly. If Ethan had been thinking about swordsmanship training instead of me during our date, that would really hurt. ¡®Of course, the bag might not contain a manual or a grip trainer¡­.¡¯ But now that the thought had entered my mind, it was all I could think about. I couldn¡¯t get rid of the image of him sneaking in sword training materials during our date. The suspicion kept growing. I couldn¡¯t help it anymore. My hands moved toward Ethan¡¯s bag. ¡®I¡¯ll just take a quick peek to see what¡¯s inside and put it back right away.¡¯ It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t trust Ethan. On the contrary, I was confident in him. I just wanted to confirm it. With that thought, I cautiously untied the straps of the bag and reached inside. What I pulled out was¡­ ¡°¡­A headband?¡± More specifically, it was a cat maid headband. Thest thing I expected to find in Ethan¡¯s bag. Chapter 341 The first thought I had when I found the cat maid headband inside Ethan¡¯s bag was: Why is this here? After all, the items we bought from the dungeon rewards market that day should have been in my personal luggage, meaning Ethan must have gone through my things without my knowledge. When did he even do that? Honestly, the cat ear headband itself wasn¡¯t a problem. I personally thought it was quite cute, and most importantly, it was a gift from Ethan. However, the other two parts¡­ the cor and the tail, were a bit too suggestive, which was why I had purposely stuffed them deep into my luggage. Even though they were that kind of item, they were still gifts from Ethan, so it wouldn¡¯t feel right to just throw them away. ¡­Not that I¡¯m saying I want Ethan to catch me using them or anything. Before putting the cat maid headband back in Ethan¡¯s bag, I paused and focused on the soundsing from inside the bathroom. Ssh, ssh. ¡­Hmm¡­. It seemed like he¡¯d still be in there for a while longer. Ethan was still a noble after all, and it tended to take him quite a long time to wash up. Since I had found the cat maid headband anyway, I decided to try it on instead of putting it back immediately. I stood in front of the full-length mirror with it on my head. Two ck cat ears, almost the same color as my hair, poked out from the headpiece adorned with maidce. It wasn¡¯t just any cat ears, but cat ears with maidce. If this item were a piece of equipment from Luminor Academy, it would definitely be one of Lilith''s exclusive items. In any case, to cut to the chase, it actually suited me pretty well. Frankly, which female character in Luminor Academy wouldn¡¯t look good with cat ears? Even so, this essory matched Lilith particrly well, so I could guess what might have gone through Ethan¡¯s mind when he saw me wearing it. ¡­Oh, could it be that¡­? Did Ethan bring this because he wanted me to dress up as a cat maid today? Was his strange urgency earlier because he wanted to see me in this cat maid outfit as soon as possible? Maybe renting this nice room was also part of his n to get me to wear it? And those odd questions he kept asking me¡­ Was he worried I wouldn¡¯t like wearing it? Now that I thought about it, everything started to make sense. Ethan¡¯s awkwardness today had been because of this headband. When you think about it like that¡­ it¡¯s kind of cute. Really, he didn¡¯t need to be so nervous. If he just asked me, I¡¯d wear it without anyints. It¡¯s not like changing the design of a hair essory would make any real difference. If Ethan got a little more excited than usual because of it, then it was definitely worth it for me. Ah, I feel so much better. I was overthinking everything. A cat maid, huh? Turns out he has the typical tastes of a young man. I guess even noblemen from a fantasy world can¡¯t resist cosy. Since he was a guy in his previous life, I can totally understand. ¡­If I¡¯m going to do it anyway, maybe I should go all out? Like,ter in front of Ethan¡­. ¡°M-Master, meow¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°L-Lilith is a maid, meow¡­ T-to think Master would ask me to wear something like this, y-you¡¯re such a pervert, meow¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°B-but it¡¯s my duty as a maid to respond to my Master¡¯s dark desires, so I¡¯ll have no choice but to do my best, meow¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Gyaaah?!¡± As I was practicing in front of the full-length mirror, suddenly Ethan¡¯s voice came from behind. Startled, I quickly turned around and saw Ethan standing there, wearing nothing but a loosely tied bathrobe. ¡°E-E-E-Ethan?¡± ¡°Lilith? What were you just doing?¡± ¡°N-Nothing! I wasn¡¯t doing anything! Really, I wasn¡¯t!¡± ¡°¡­You weren¡¯t doing anything? Just now, you were speaking in a really cat-like way¡­¡± ¡°No! No! No! I wasn¡¯t! I don¡¯t remember anything! Do you have proof? Proof that I was mimicking a cat and calling your name, Ethan?!¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t go into that much detail, Lilith.¡± Even though it was obvious that Ethan had caught me doing something ridiculous, I had to act as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything. Admitting to what I did would destroy my pride and dignity. A maid standing in front of a mirror with cat ears, meowing? That¡¯s crazy, even if I hadn¡¯t been a guy in my previous life. ¡°¡­Alright. I didn¡¯t see anything, so it¡¯s fine, Lilith.¡± Ethan blinked quietly and reluctantly nodded, deciding to let the situation slide. ¡­It was pretty clear he just didn¡¯t want to watch me lose it any further, but as long as he didn¡¯t bring it up again, I¡¯d happily act like nothing had happened. ¡°But, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That thing you¡¯re wearing on your head¡ªwhere did you get it?¡± ¡­Oh, damn. I had forgotten that it originally came from Ethan¡¯s bag. ¡°¡­Did you take it out of my bag?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I should have just checked what it was and put it back immediately. Instead, I¡¯d gotten curious, tried it on, and now Ethan had caught me in the act. It would be more embarrassing to make excuses at this point. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Ethan. I was just a little curious about why you brought a different bag than usual¡­¡± ¡°Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I guess I never told you not to touch my bag.¡± Ethan, clearly softening as I stood there looking guilty, decided to let it go. Even so, I couldn¡¯t just ept his kindness without hesitation. It felt wrong to dodge punishment for what I had done. After all, I had betrayed the trust between a master and maid. The thought of Ethan¡¯s possible disappointment in me was more terrifying than any immediate punishment. Especially since I didn¡¯t want to be disliked by him. I had to bow my head and face the consequences. ¡°P-Please punish me¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I-I touched your personal belongings without permission, so I deserve to be punished¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re not at the point where we¡¯d need to hand out punishments for something like this, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­No, I broke the trust between a maid and her master. Passing over this without punishment would mean I¡¯m no longer worthy of being a maid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ethan listened to my words and hesitated, a thoughtful expression on his face. He was probably trying to figure out what kind of punishment would be appropriate. I assumed he didn¡¯t want to be too harsh, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t outright refuse my insistence on being punished. ¡°¡­Then.¡± After pondering for a moment, Ethan pointed at the headband I was wearing and his bag, proposing the ¡°punishment¡± he hade up with. ¡°Then today¡¯s punishment for Lilith will be¡­ spending the night with me while wearing the items I brought.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You already looked inside the bag, so you know what¡¯s in there, right? I think that should be enough of a punishment for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s¡­ a punishment? Simply wearing the cat headband and spending the night with Ethan? That was a punishment? Doesn¡¯t that seem more like a reward than a punishment? It seemed like such an easy task that I couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious, but Ethan¡¯s expression suggested that, to him, this was quite a significant punishment. And as the guilty maid, I wasn¡¯t really in a position to argue with the punishment my master had chosen. ¡°I understand, Ethan. I will ept your punishment.¡± ¡°Alright then. Take your time getting ready. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ethan.¡± With those words, I quietly walked toward the bathroom where Ethan had just finished washing. Submerged up to my neck in the warm water, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the punishment Ethan had just mentioned. ¡­Is wearing a cat ear headband really enough? I had broken the trust between a maid and her master, yet this was all it would take to be forgiven? I finished washing up and left the bathroom, only to realize that Ethan¡¯s ¡°punishment¡± was far more than just the cat ear headband. ¡°I¡¯m finished bathing, Ethan¡­¡± Click. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, I heard the sound of something clicking into ce. A long, red cor had just been fastened around my neck.@@novelbin@@ Chapter 342 Just before Lilith entered the bathroom for her bath: ¡°Well, I¡¯ll return after I¡¯m done bathing.¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡± Click. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thump. ¡°¡­Whew.¡± As he sent her off into the bathroom, Ethan finally let go of the tension he had been holding, copsing onto the bed with a slightly fatigued expression. When he suggested using the items in his bag as part of her punishment, Lilith had made a strange,plicated expression. Ethan wondered if he had misspoken again, worried that Lilith might actually start resenting him this time. After all, given the nature of the "toys" he had brought in his bag, he figured it would be entirely reasonable for Lilith to despise him. ¡°¡­I should probably consider myself lucky that she let it go without saying anything.¡± The cat maid headband¡ªhe could understand. After all, when he first gave it to her as a gift, she had been delighted. The problem was with the other two items. Bundled as a "set" with the cat maid headband and half-forced upon him were a ¡°cor¡± and a ¡°tail.¡± One was a restraining tool moremonly used on animals than on people¡ªa pet cor. In other words, putting this on someone was a way of treating them as an animal. And the other item, a rtively cute-looking animal tail, had a method of use that was anything but cute. To attach it to the body, it should ideally have been designed to be worn as a belt or by some adhesive material. But the one in his bag had a rounded, smooth end, meaning it was meant to be inserted into a certain hole in the body. Even though it was his first time seeing such an object, it hadn¡¯t taken Ethan long to figure out how the toy was meant to be used. Even if she did something wrong, I didn¡¯t expect her to agree to this so easily. Maybe Lilith actually wanted to try using this toy, Ethan thought. The cat headband and the rest of the items had been purchased at the dungeon reward market. Since they had no ce to store them before returning to the dormitory, Lilith had been keeping them for him. Ethan had initially told her that she could just throw away the extra items, as his only real intention was to give her the headband. However, Lilith had refused, saying that they were gifts from him, and had kept them all. Her slightly awkward reaction at the time made Ethan wonder whether Lilith might want to use those items in bed with him. That was why Ethan had tried probing her feelings during their conversation today, deliberately leaving his bag where it was easy for her to notice, and heading to the bathroom first. Lilith told me that no matter who it is, if she doesn¡¯t like something, she¡¯ll say it outright, even if it¡¯s me. ording to that logic, Lilith¡¯s silence on this matter was as good as admitting she didn¡¯t dislike the idea of using those toys. Lilith had firmly stated that she didn¡¯t like the idea of inserting objects shaped like a man¡¯s private parts, but the tail had a simple round ball at the end, so it was probably something she could ept. More importantly, her expression in front of the mirror, grinning with the cat ear headband on, was the clearest sign. Anyone who saw that would think Lilith was looking forward to ying this kind of role. Ethan had started suspecting this a while ago. Every time they were intimate, he noticed that Lilith seemed to respond more strongly when he was a little rougher with her. I¡¯ve heard that some women like being dominated by their partners.@@novelbin@@ Maybe Lilith was one of those women. Wearing a cat ear headband, a cor around her neck, and a tail at her rear while being treated like a pet¡ªmaybe she secretly wanted that. Of course, Ethan was slightly nervous about the possibility of misjudging her preferences and being despised for it. But cautiously exploring these ideas might bring him and Lilith even closer. With that thought, Ethan quietly touched the cor he had taken out of his bag, waiting for his personal maid to finish her bath and return. Click. The sound of atch closing, followed by the feeling of something leather tightening around her neck. Wondering if it was something familiar she had recently touched, Lilith lowered her gaze and, sure enough, there was the cor they had bought from the dungeon reward market. ¡°Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­What is this?¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to get started a little early.¡± ¡°What does wanting to start early have to do with this cor around my neck¡­?¡± Feeling that their conversation was bing increasingly strange, Lilith noticed Ethan¡¯s half-opened bag lying on the bed. Seeing that, she finally understood the meaning behind Ethan¡¯s ¡°punishment.¡± ¡­Well, of course. Changing into just the headband wouldn¡¯t really count as a punishment. Instead, he intended to use the cor to control her body. Now that she understood everything, she could finally ept why Ethan thought using the items from his bag was a ¡°punishment.¡± Though, to be honest, it¡¯s still a bit surprising¡­. But at least this seemed like an appropriate punishment for a maid who had messed with her master¡¯s personal belongings without permission. Besides, Lilith had already agreed to the punishment. It would go against her pride as a maid to take back her words now. So, she forced herself to act as naturally as possible. ¡°Do you think the cor¡¯s too much for you?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine. I just didn¡¯t expect you to be so eager as to fasten it on me right after I came out of the bathroom, but this isn¡¯t a problem.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not a problem, doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s not much of a punishment?¡± ¡°¡­I meant that it¡¯s not a problem in terms of the punishment itself, Ethan.¡± In truth, this kind of y wasn¡¯t something Lilith was entirely against. Wearing a cor as part of a pet y scenario was something most men probably fantasized about at least once. Besides, the cor hade as part of the set with the cat maid headband. While being restrained wasn¡¯t necessarily a good experience, Lilith trusted Ethan enough to be okay with it. ¡°Well, since Lilith says it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m going to give it a little tug.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pull! ¡°Ah, ngh¡­?¡± ¡°Is it too much?¡± ¡°N-no¡­. It¡¯s, it¡¯s just the right amount of pressure¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­I-I mean, it¡¯s the perfect amount of pain for a punishment.¡± ¡­This is a bit dangerous. While wearing the cor itself didn¡¯t evoke any particr feelings, the moment Ethan pulled on it, a strange thrill shot through her. On top of that, she started remembering the fantasies she had during their Natural Sciences exploration in the forest, and things began to feel a little odd. ¡­No way. Could it be that she really had a submissive streak when it came to Ethan? That was an ufortable thought. Feeling pleasure just from having sex with a man was something Lilith could dismiss as a natural reaction for a woman. But adding elements like this into the mix was a little worrying. A woman who enjoys being choked by a cor is hardly different from a masochist, right? Lilith shuddered at the thought, her ck cat ears bouncing slightly as she shifted her head, the headband now sitting snugly on top of her hair. Swoosh. ¡°Here you go, Lilith. Your favorite cat ear headband.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that I like it. I¡¯m just using it because of your kindness, Ethan.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t meow in front of the mirror earlier?¡± ¡°I, I already told you that never happened¡­¡± ¡°With the cat ears and the cor on, you really do look like a pet cat now. So, when are you going to stop speaking like a human, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sigh, honestly¡­ I should¡¯ve known he wouldn¡¯t let it go so easily. From the beginning, he nned to make me do this. Well, I¡¯d already been thinking about speaking like a cat for him anyway. If this is what Ethan wants, then I suppose I can indulge him with some embarrassing cat-girl cosy. ¡­But, only because he wants it. It¡¯s not like I want to be doing this ridiculous thing. ¡°Nya, nyaaaang¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°To think you have fantasies about doing this kind of perverted thing¡­ E-Ethan, you¡¯re definitely a bit of a pervert, nyaaang¡­¡± ¡°There you go, good job. You¡¯re cute, Lilith.¡± ¡°T-thank you, nyaaaang¡­.¡± ¡­This is humiliating. This is way more embarrassing than I expected. Even though I started this myself, now that I¡¯m meowing and pretending to be a cat-girl, my face is burning just from the sheer awkwardness of it all. Still, it probably won¡¯t get more embarrassing than this¡­. Resigned to spending the day acting like a cat-girl maid with cat ears and a cor, Lilith steeled herself mentally. ¡­Huh? It was then that she noticed Ethan rummaging through his bag on the bed. Wait, is there more? I thought I only saw the headband earlier, but it seems there¡¯s something else in there besides the cor. As the thought crossed my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but remember thest part of the ¡°Cat Maid Set¡± we had seen at the dungeon reward market. Sssssk. Wait, hold on¡­. And just as I feared, the object I had expected emerged from the bag, sending a chill down my spine and making the hair on my body stand on end. It was the tail¡­ or rather, the way it was meant to be worn was nothing short of obscene. Ethan was holding it as he approached me, and instinctively, I started backing away in fear. This¡­ No matter how much it¡¯s Ethan, this feels like it''s crossing a line¡­?! Chapter 344 I had now be aplete ¡®Cat Maid¡¯ from top to bottom, with a tail forcibly inserted into my rear by Ethan. The only things I was wearing were the headband, the cor, and the tail. I was crawling on all fours on the floor of the inn¡¯s room,pletely at Ethan¡¯s mercy, continuing in this humiliating y. Step, step. ¡°Enjoying your walk, Lilith?¡± ¡°Haa... ha... Not at all, nya... Forcing this kind of behavior on a woman, Ethan, you¡¯re nothing short of a beast, nya...¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who said you¡¯d ept the punishment, Lilith. If you¡¯re aplete cat from head to tail, you should act like a proper cat from start to finish.¡± ¡°C-Cats don¡¯t go on walks with a cor, nya...¡± Following Ethan¡¯s leash, I moved my body as I crawled on all fours across the floor of the inn room. In some ways, this y was more humiliating than actual sex. Ethan looked down at me with a satisfied smile, while I, half-exasperated, had no choice but to go along with the walk. After all, it was true that I had wronged Ethan. This humiliating act was just part of the ¡®punishment¡¯ he had decided on. Did he pick the biggest room just to do this? Even so, seeing Ethan immediately think of walking me on a leash as soon as he saw the cor reminded me that no matter how much things had changed, Ethan was still Ethan. It seemed that the part of him who, in the original story, trained his maid as his personal pet ve still existed deep down. At least he''s more restrained than the original Ethan, since he¡¯s only making me walk around inside the room rather than outside. Perhaps this was due to a mix of his possessiveness and confidence in my love for him. In the original story, Ethan had never managed to win over Lilith¡¯s heart. That twisted desire to break her, since he couldn¡¯t have her, had manifested in the original. But now, this Ethan had seeded in capturing my heart. Since he had me as his, he had no reason to break me or share me with anyone else. Still, the fact that Ethan found pleasure in humiliating me remained. That beastly inclination of his was undoubtedly still there.@@novelbin@@ ¡­Poor Princess Rainy. I wonder if she¡¯ll be able to handle Ethan¡¯s sexual preferencester. She¡¯s a princess after all. I doubted anyone but me could ept these twisted tendencies of his. Well, it wasn¡¯t my problem. I wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, so it would be the future princess¡¯s duty to handle that. So for now... For now, I just had to endure Ethan¡¯s depraved games. As I crawled naked around the room, I could feel wetness building between my thighs¡­ It couldn¡¯t possibly be from the act of crawling around naked like this. If anything, it was more likely because I was getting turned on from seeing Ethan enjoying himself. ¡­Yeah, that had to be it. Definitely. Step, step. ¡°Haaa... huff... haaa...¡± Who knew how many times I¡¯d crawled around the room under Ethan¡¯s leash before I noticed the wet marks forming beneath me. Only then did Ethan finally decide to stop this humiliating walk. ¡°That¡¯s enough, for now.¡± ¡°Haaa... huff... haa...¡± ¡°We should stop here. Seeing how you¡¯re dripping so much between your legs, Lilith, it doesn¡¯t seem like you can keep going.¡± ¡°I-I understand¡­ nya...¡± I was beginning to slow down from the excitement, so it was a good thing Ethan stopped when he did. Honestly, if this had gone on much longer, I might have identally climaxed just from the crawling. As humiliating as it would have been to orgasm just from a naked catwalk, I barely managed to hold myself back. If I had climaxed without him even touching me, Ethan would¡¯ve teased me relentlessly, and I wasn¡¯t about to give him that satisfaction. Squish! ¡°Nyaaaaah?!¡± ¡°You got this worked up just from crawling around naked? You really are a perverted maid, Lilith.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true¡­ nya...¡± ¡°Really? Then what¡¯s this naughty juice I feel on my fingers every time I push inside you? Care to exin that, Lilith?¡± Squish, squish, squish! ¡°Nghh! Ha... huff...!! Hyaaaaah¡­?!¡± Having been so close to orgasm already, my body epted Ethan¡¯s fingers far too easily, and the pleasure I had been holding back while crawling around spilled over into a swift climax. How could I resist when Ethan was so mercilessly thrusting his fingers inside me? After all the times we¡¯d been intimate, Ethan had quickly be incredibly skilled at teasing me. Maybe it was the influence of Harold¡¯s techniques and Tanasia¡¯s memories. Even before our first time, Ethan had gotten good at handling my breasts. It was no wonder he could now send me to the brink of climax with even weaker erogenous zones. Squish! ¡°Ahhh... N-No more¡­ please¡­ no more, nya...¡± Ssh! ¡°Haaa... ha... Nghh...¡± Finally satisfied after making me squirt, Ethan stopped his fingers with a smug smile. Every time he brought me to orgasm before we even started having sex, Ethan would give me that arrogant look. And today, it was more annoying than ever. ¡­Just because I was ¡°being punished¡± didn¡¯t mean I had to lose every time. ¡°Is it okay for a maid to climax without her master¡¯s permission, Lilith?¡± ¡°M-My apologies, nya¡­ As a sign of my repentance, I¡¯ll serve you as well, nya¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll serve you with my mouth¡­ Please allow me to make it up to you, nya¡­¡± Caught off guard by my offer, Ethan hesitated for a moment as I guided him to sit on the bed. I slipped between his legs and pulled aside his bathrobe. As expected, Ethan¡¯s cock was already standing firm beneath it, precum leaking from the tip. For all the usations of me being a perverted maid, it was clear he¡¯d been just as aroused by the sight of me. That unfairness made me want tough. ¡°E-Ethan, your cock has gotten this hard, nya¡­ And you¡¯re even leaking precum, nya. You must have been excited too, nya¡­¡± Lick. ¡°¡­Ugh, ngh.¡± ¡°Treating your maid like a beast and getting turned on from it¡­ You¡¯re the real beast here, Ethan, not me¡­ haah¡­¡± Teasing him just a bit more with my words, I then took his cock fully into my mouth. I had lost track of how many times I had climaxed, but I figured that after I¡¯de this much, it was only fair that Ethan get off at least once or twice. He always made sure to get me off first, but it left me in such an overstimted state during sex that I couldn¡¯t help but lose. This time, I wanted to even the score. Suck, suck. ¡°Mmmm, ngh¡­.¡± Lick, lick. ¡°Nnnngh¡­ haah¡­¡± I wrapped my lips around his shaft, my tongue darting out to tease the most sensitive underside of his cock. Driven solely by the desire to make Ethan climax, I licked and sucked as if my life depended on it. His heat and the musky smell filled my mouth. The dizziness I felt from the beer we had with dinner only added to the strange, floating sensation. Without thinking, I swallowed his entire length down to my throat. Slurp! ¡°Nghh¡­ gulp¡­!!¡± God, this is hard work. Thest time Ethan had forced it in, I had thought it was manageable, but now that I was trying to do it of my own will, it was way more difficult. But I couldn¡¯t rely solely on my tongue for fear that the dizziness would overwhelm me, so I opted to keep massaging him with my throat until he came. Thankfully, once I got used to it, it wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought. Within a few minutes, Ethan couldn¡¯t hold back and reached his climax. Spurt, spurt! ¡°Nghh¡­ gulp¡­! Gulp¡­!!¡± I felt the thick, sticky sensation of his release traveling down my throat. After letting it all out, I slowly pulled away from Ethan¡¯s now softening cock, meeting his eyes with a satisfied grin. ¡°¡­So, do you now understand the difference in our strength, nya?¡± ¡°¡­Hah, haa¡­¡± ¡°If I actually use my full strength, making you climax is a piece of cake, Ethan. A man whoes this easily from my techniques has no right to call me a perverted maid, nya¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alright. You started this, Lilith.¡± Grab. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ethan, having just caught his breath, suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the bed. It seemed my little act had bruised his pride. His expression was full of anger and desire as he roughly threw me onto the bed and positioned himself between my legs, thrusting his still-wet cock inside me. Squish! ¡°Nyaaaaah?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s the weak one here, Lilith. I¡¯ll show you who your master really is tonight.¡± Squish, squish! ¡°N-Nyaaah?! E-Ethan¡­?! D-Don¡¯t be so rough, nya¡­!!¡± ¡°Quiet, Lilith. Lately, you¡¯ve been getting more and more cheeky, and tonight I¡¯m not stopping until you beg for forgiveness.¡± Yank! ¡°Ngh¡­ hng¡­?! Ngh¡­?!¡± Not satisfied with simply taking me roughly, Ethan yanked on the leash around my neck, pulling me closer to him as he relentlessly pounded into me from behind. Using the cor I¡¯d so kindly allowed him to attach to me as if it were a handle, Ethan showed no hesitation in his actions, and I waspletely overwhelmed by his aggressiveness. Damn it¡­ This is too much... I had pretended to be like the maid from the original story who gave herself over as a sexual servant, and now Ethan was treating me as if I were nothing more than that. Sigh¡­ If he develops this kind of sadistic fetish, how¡¯s he going to handle his future fianc¨¦e? Honestly, getting hooked on these kinds of rough and dominant fetishes might lead to future problems for him. In fact, I could already picture the day when Ethan would realize that his first night with Princess Rainy didn¡¯t go the way he expected, and he would start longing for me¡ªthe one who had catered to his every fantasy. But by then, I would be long gone, havingpleted my time as the ckwood family''s maid and living a carefree life as an adventurer somewhere far away. Squish, squish!! ¡°Nghh¡­ hah, ahh!!¡± ¡°Who was it that called me weak, Lilith? Who¡¯s the one soaking wet, squirming underneath me, huh?¡± Smack! ¡°Nyaaah?!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the perverted one who tightens up every time I spank her and pull her leash, Lilith?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ me¡­! I¡¯m the perverted maid¡­!! Ethan¡­ master¡­!!¡± Smack!! ¡°Nyaaah!! Meow! Nyaaah!!¡± I¡¯ll just y along for now. Becauseter, when no one else is willing to indulge in Ethan¡¯s beastly sexual preferences, and he¡¯s left frustrated and unsatisfied, that will be the best revenge I could ever hope for. Squish! ¡°Nyaaah?! Hngh, nyaaaah?!¡± For what seemed like countless minutes, Ethan¡¯s cock continued to scrape against the inside of my belly, sending waves of hot pressure through me as it reached deep inside, brushing against the entrance of my womb. And then, finally, with onest deep thrust, I felt the familiar sensation of his hot, sticky release filling me up. In the midst of this chaotic, dazed pleasure, my mind simply shut down. Chapter 345 I had lost consciousness during my time with Ethan, and when I woke up, it was already nearing dawn. The first thing I felt upon waking was the intense pressure weighing down on my body. The familiar warmth I felt through my skin made it easy to guess that what was pressing down on me was none other than Ethan¡¯s body. Did Ethan really fall asleep like this¡­ while still holding me? It seemed that just as I lost consciousness, Ethan had also run out of energy and copsed, falling asleep while tightly embracing me. My upper body was draped over the bed, but from the waist down, Ethan and I were still connected. It took quite a bit of effort to carefully extract myself from this position. ¡°Ugh¡­ haaa¡­!¡± Because I had been stuck under Ethan for so long, my entire body ached from the pressure. But somehow, I managed to free myself and crawl out. Looking back at Ethan, who was lying there half-naked, still fast asleep, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. He¡¯s really just sleeping like that, huh. Well, I guess it made sense for him to be tired. We¡¯d only returned from the geology exploration ss the day before.@@novelbin@@ Between the nonstop battles, the ufortable nights, and the long journey back to the academy from the dungeon city, it was no wonder he was exhausted. Of course, I was just as tired, but under the circumstances, I guess I ended up doing more. No, no, this was technically my ¡®penalty y,¡¯ wasn¡¯t it? Unlike Ethan, I had to wear a cor and a tail, and I crawled around on the inn floor like a cat, which took a lot more out of me. And yet, we both copsed in exhaustion after it was over, and I woke up before Ethan? In the end, I¡¯d have to consider this a victory, even though I might have been the one to ¡°go¡± more during our time together. I guess it¡¯s true¡ªI¡¯m not going to lose to Ethan in bed. When ites to knowing what men like, I¡¯ve got plenty of expertise from my previous life. ¡°Snore¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh, for crying out loud.¡± But really, what¡¯s the point of feeling like I¡¯ve won if I still have to clean everything up? I couldn¡¯t leave Ethan sprawled out in that ridiculous position, so I mustered up my strength and managed to pull him up onto the bed properly, covering his peacefully sleeping body with the nket. I couldn¡¯t let him catch a cold lying there like that. He¡¯d probably wake up with sore muscles anyway. ¡­Not that I¡¯m in any position to be worrying about Ethan¡¯s muscle aches. After all, I¡¯d spent hours passed out beneath him. Every muscle in my body ached, especially after crawling around the room on all fours during the cat y. I¡¯ll deal with the muscle painter. First, I need to clean up. There were a lot of things I needed to do, but the first was using Cleanse. I couldn¡¯t afford any unexpected consequences, like an unnned pregnancy, after all. ¡°Ugh¡­ haaa¡­ Cleanse¡­¡± Next, I needed to get rid of all the essories attached to my body. The headband wasn¡¯t as much of a priority, since it was just a headpiece. But the cor and tail were incredibly ufortable, and I wanted them off as soon as possible. The key for the cor¡­ Oh, there it is. Of course, it was inside Ethan¡¯s bag. If he hadn¡¯t packed the key, I would have had to walk all the way back to the academy wearing this ridiculous cor, but luckily, Ethan had thought ahead and brought everything. I inserted the key into the small lock on the red cor around my neck and unfastened it. Click. ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± Finally, I could breathe a little easier after taking off the cor, which had been feeling tight around my throat the whole time. Alright, time to take a bath and get some sleep¡­ My entire body was sticky with sweat and other fluids, and I just felt cold all over. I desperately wanted to soak in some hot water. While Cleanse was convenient for things like contraception and enemas, this world didn¡¯t have any magical way to actually clean your body without using water and soap. That¡¯s just how it was in this game world. Using eleration magic and heat magic, I quickly filled the tub with hot water. I marveled at how useful money was as I slipped into the bath without a second thought. Smack! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!!!!!¡± The moment my backside hit the bottom of the tub, I felt a sharp pain shoot up from my tailbone, causing me to twist and turn inside the water. Oh, crap. I still had the tail on¡­ ? ? ? The next morning after spending the night ying cat maid with Ethan, I woke up with a bright red mark on my neck from the cor. When Ethan woke up and saw the mark, he immediately started apologizing profusely. ¡°Thank you so much, Ethan. Thanks to you, I now have a reason to wear a scarf in the middle of summer.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Lilith.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Ethan. If anything, thanks to the vibrant red mark you left, people will just assume it¡¯s part of my fashion. From a distance, they might think I¡¯m just wearing a red choker.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No matter how many times I checked in the mirror, the red mark from the leash was still there, looking like I¡¯d been strangled or something. Sigh, it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to disappear for at least a week. The only saving grace was that there weren¡¯t any sses this week aside from magical swordsmanship. Still, it wasn¡¯t like I could walk around with this obvious mark on my neck, so I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to exin it to people like Mezzlen, Agnes, or Lizzie when they inevitably asked. There was no way I could just tell them it was from ying with Ethan. That would be way too embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Lilith. How about we go buy you a ne or something from the market district? At least that way you can cover it up.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine, Ethan. I still have my maid uniform back at the dorm, so I¡¯ll just wear the choker necktie with my uniform until the mark disappears.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That works.¡± I¡¯d always carried my maid uniform around, just in case, so it was good that it woulde in handy. If anyone like Mezzlen or Agnes asked about the strange neck essory, I¡¯d just have to use the excuse that I¡¯m a maid and get through it that way. It was the kind of y that left a lot of lingering consequences, so I decided to warn Ethan about it onest time. ¡°Let¡¯s limit the cor y while we¡¯re staying at the academy dorms. If you want to put a leash on me again, please wait until we¡¯re back at the ckwood estate, Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, you¡¯re saying we can do it again?¡± ¡°I never said I disliked it, did I?¡± I just wanted to rify¡ªI¡¯m not doing this because I like the y. It¡¯s only because Ethan enjoys it, that¡¯s all. Really. ? ? ? ¡°Lilith, you seem a little different today¡­¡± ¡°¡­Do I?¡± It was Mezzlen, the princess, whom I hadn¡¯t seen since the geology exploration ss. I tried my best to ignore her sharp eyes and answered as nonchntly as I could. ¡°Oh, now that I¡¯m looking closer, I see a ribbon on your neck that I hadn¡¯t noticed before¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ve decided to rmit myself to my duties as a maid¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, you really have no sense of fashion, do you? A cor tie with the academy uniform? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a worsebination.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The next time we meet, I¡¯m going to have to give you some clothes. If people find out I¡¯m associating with someone with your fashion sense, I might not be able to show my face in the academy again.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, thank you for your concern, Princess Mezzlen.¡± Does she think just because she can talk, everything she says is appropriate? I swear, I want to p her so hard. All I did was wear a choker to hide the leash marks, and now she¡¯s talking about me ruining her reputation or whatever. Mezzlen could dish out the most absurd insults without even realizing it, and the only responses I could give were ¡°thank you,¡± ¡°yes,¡± and ¡°I understand.¡± Saying anything harsher to royalty would only make my life harder. Why did I ever think befriending Mezzlen was a good idea? I had tried to approach her naturally to create a happy ending, but there was no one to set her up with. If she had just been engaged to Ethan, everything would have worked out perfectly. After all, Mezzlen was the type to give her all once she fell in love, and Ethan needed someone who could handle his somewhat sadistic and perverted tendencies. The more I thought about it, the more they seemed like a perfect match. It was a shame that it hadn¡¯t worked out. ¡­It¡¯s a shame, right? Of course, maintaining this ¡°temporary rtionship¡± with Ethan since the start of the school term wasn¡¯t the worst oue either. ¡°Has anything special happened to you over the past week, Princess?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you¡­!¡± ¡°Something special, Princess Mezzlen?¡± I assumed it would just be some inted story about her so-called achievements or a lecture on why she¡¯s better than Seraphine, so I braced myself to tune her out. But what she said was something I could not ignore. ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m in love!¡± ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Chapter 346 Princess Mezzlen had just confessed to me that she had fallen in love over the past week, and I couldn¡¯t help but be bewildered. How could she develop feelings for someone in just a week? Whoever this person was, they had to be far from ordinary. If she managed to fall in love in such a short time, he must be someone quite special. Of course, if there¡¯s a hero involved, with a strong storyline and background, falling in love in a single day wouldn¡¯t be impossible. In fact, Mezzlen originally became interested in the hero on the first day she encountered him at the academy. But the problem was that the hero had been with us for the geology exploration ss all week. I had made sure to warn him not to flirt with other women, so I was confident that he wouldn¡¯t have made a move on Mezzlen. So, the hero is out of the question. That leaves one of the remaining male characters who somehow caught her eye¡­ To be honest, I couldn¡¯t figure out who it could be. Most of the named male characters had also been participating in the geology exploration ss. There was the hero and Ethan, of course, but also Thomas, Karaham, and Gwyn from the hero¡¯s party. The only notable male student who hadn¡¯t joined us on the trip was Cedric from the second-year engineering department, but¡­ Wasn¡¯t Cedric supposed to end up with Kaelter? He was already meant to be part of another heroine¡¯s pairing, so there was no way he could be the one Mezzlen was interested in. If she had fallen for Cedric, I¡¯d actually have to sabotage it rather than support her, just to avoid messing up the storylines. Besides, Mezzlen didn¡¯t seem like the type to be drawn to someone as easygoing as Cedric, so I ruled him out. I guess I¡¯ll just have to ask her directly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Princess Mezzlen, truly. My heartfelt congrattions.¡± ¡°T-Thank you, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°Would you mind telling me the name of the man who has captured your heart?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t actually know his name.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I mean, how could someone like me remember the names of every person at the academy? When someone of my stature talks to others, it¡¯s always proper for them to introduce themselves first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Right¡­ what was I expecting? Of course, this princess with her inted sense of self wouldn¡¯t even know his name. But in a way, this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. The key to making Mezzlen happy was for her to fall deeply in love with someone, rather than simply finding the right partner. Mezzlen was the kind of girl who could only truly be happy if she was passionately in love. The problem is that the guy she¡¯s fallen for could be some nobody, for all I know. If it turned out that the man was a nameless background character, there wouldn¡¯t be much to worry about. Most men of the empire would leap at the chance to be with a princess if they learned she was interested. Even if he were a bit unrefined, he could be educated to meet Mezzlen¡¯s standards, and if he were amoner, he could be given a suitable title. After all, Mezzlen had the kind of beauty that made her a desirable partner, and her personality could be managed as long as she genuinely loved the person. The real issue would be if the man had some reason he couldn¡¯t marry Mezzlen. If she¡¯s fallen for someone who¡¯s already engaged or married¡­ That would be a real headache. It could lead to all kinds of trouble between the imperial family, the man¡¯s family, and his betrothed¡¯s family. In such cases, Mezzlen should back off, but knowing her, she wouldn¡¯t let go easily. ¡°If you don¡¯t know his name, could you at least describe what he looks like, Princess?¡± ¡°Hmm, well¡­ he had a very elegant and refined aura about him.¡± ¡°An aura of refinement¡­ He must be a noble, then.¡± ¡°And his gaze was so intense¡­ He wielded a sword with such skill, defeating bad men effortlessly, yet without killing them¡ªonly knocking them unconscious.¡± ¡°An intense gaze¡­ and excellent swordsmanship¡­¡± An intense gaze¡­ does that mean he had a strong impression? In a setting like Luminor Academy, an intense gaze usually meant a named character, someone I would probably recognize if I heard the name. And given that he fought with a sword, he was likely in the swordsmanship department. While it wasn¡¯t impossible for others to use swords, like me, those with real skill usually came from the swordsmanship department. Not to mention that if he¡¯s a noble, there¡¯s a high chance he¡¯s already engaged¡­ The problem is that most of the main male characters in the swordsmanship department are already involved with someone else. The hero was out of the question, and Karaham had already paired up with Lyria, forming a perfect couple. Ethan was practically engaged to Princess Rainy, and Mackhart was dead, being the antagonist. Antonio, a first-year student, was currently involved with Agnes¡­ and even if he weren¡¯t, Mezzlen would certainly know his name, and besides, they were cousins, so that would be ridiculous. So, who¡¯s left in the swordsmanship department? Maybe when Mezzlen said ¡°intense gaze,¡± it wasn¡¯t about the person¡¯s appearance, but rather how she felt due to her attraction. When people fall for someone, they tend to see them in a more idealized light. With eight departments in Luminor Academy, each with its own set of main and supporting characters, it was easy to overlook some of the lesser-known figures. Right now, it seemed like most of the notable male characters in the swordsmanship department were already taken. But I needed to get more details, so I pressed her further. ¡°It seems like this man is from the swordsmanship department. Do you remember any other distinguishing features, like his height or hair color?¡± ¡°He was quite tall¡­ and his hair color was¡­ oh.¡± Suddenly, Mezzlen gasped, as if something had urred to her, and she stopped speaking. I tilted my head in confusion, locking eyes with her as she hurriedly covered her mouth, looking flustered. ¡°I-I can¡¯t tell you! I just realized I can¡¯t say!¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m unaware of your true intentions, Lilith? You¡¯re just asking about him so you can seduce him before I have the chance! You think you can fool me?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not what I¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother denying it! The whole academy knows you¡¯re a genius when ites to seducing men! You¡¯re nning to use your¡­ your vulgar body to lure him away from me, aren¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She quickly nced up and down my figure, before spitting out thosest words. A vulgar body? Really? Sure, Lilith¡¯s body was pretty well-endowedpared to other characters in Luminor Academy, but using me of trying to seduce her crush just because of that? Ridiculous. And why would I even want another man when I was already in a temporary rtionship with Ethan? There was no one better than him in the academy, anyway. Not to mention, I was practically a unicorn in my past life¡ªI wasn¡¯t interested in that kind of romance. ¡°Princess Mezzlen, I swear on my honor, I have no intention of stealing the man you¡¯ve fallen for¡ª¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll handle this on my own! I don¡¯t need your help, Lilith!¡± Tap tap tap! ¡°Wait, Princess Mezzlen¡­!¡± Before I could finish exining, she bolted, running away as if I were about to steal her prince. I was left standing there, dumbfounded. ¡­Whatever. If she wants to handle it on her own, let her. And if shees asking for helpter, I¡¯m definitely not lifting a finger. Chapter 347 As the identity of the boy Mezzlen had fallen for remained unclear, my life continued as usual, including my magic swordsmanship sses with Ethan. After a week of rest following our return from the dungeon, I was feeling in good shape. Unfortunately, so was my sparring opponent. The only issue: my opponent was in just as good shape as I was. The moment the bell rang, Natalie, one of the Four Elite of the swordsmanship division, came at me with rapid, precise thrusts of her rapier. She might not have been able to use magic like I could, but her swordsmanship was on an entirely different level. ¡°-Whoosh! Whizz! Whoosh!¡± "Aaah! Agh! Ugh!!" I was barely managing to dodge Natalie¡¯s relentless strikes, each one aiming for a fatal blow. She was clearly still frustrated by the one victory I had eked out against her two weeks ago, when she wasn¡¯t at her best. Now, both of us were at full strength, but even then, I knew there was no way I could match her skill head-on. ¡°Where¡¯s the fighting spirit you showed two weeks ago, Lilith?! Are you just going to keep dodging forever?!¡± Is she seriously still bitter about losing that one match? Her eyes were full of fierce determination, far more than usual. Natalie was clearly taking our sparring session very personally. I couldn''t help but think that maybe I should have gone easier on herst time. I mean, after losing 99 out of 100 matches, isn¡¯t it fair that I got to enjoy at least one win? As her strikes came closer and closer, it finally hit me¡ªthis was getting really annoying. Here I was, putting in the effort to keep up with Ethan in swordsmanship sses, and I had to deal with Natalie¡¯s over-the-toppetitiveness on top of it all. Why is this even happening? I''m in the magic department, not the swordsmanship division!@@novelbin@@ While I was pondering how unfair my situation was, I suddenly saw something strange¡ªa clear trajectory of Natalie¡¯s next attack, as if drawn in the air right in front of me. What¡¯s this...? It was a perfectly aimed strike heading for my right shoulder. My eyes had never been able to keep up with Natalie¡¯s movements before, but now, in this one fleeting moment, I could see it clearly. I have to deflect it! Without thinking, I raised my left-hand dagger to block the trajectory I saw. My de met hers just before it would have skewered me. ¡°ng!¡± ¡°...!!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She clearly hadn¡¯t expected me to block such a precise strike. I didn¡¯t understand how I¡¯d done it, but I knew one thing: this was my chance. I followed through,unching my right-hand dagger directly at her, aiming for her chest. It wasn¡¯t a tactic I used often, but this situation called for something different. Natalie was too fast and skilled for me to win by normal means, so I had to force an opening. ¡°Ching!¡± ¡°Ah, damn...!¡± Natalie blocked my first attack, but my left-hand dagger was already making its way toward her side, the real target. She didn¡¯t have time to react. ¡°ng! tter!¡± Her training shield shattered, signaling the end of our match. ¡°Hah... hah... hah...¡± I had won. Against Natalie, the main heroine of the swordsmanship division, I, a student of the magic department, had imed a victory. It was a clean win. ¡°Well fought.¡± ¡°Hah... y-yes, well... fought...¡± Natalie, looking displeased, offered her hand, which I shook while still catching my breath. I may have been victorious, but I was definitely more exhausted than she was. Still, a win was a win. Ouch! "Ah! Ngh?!" ¡°I won¡¯t lose again in our next match.¡± "Y-Yes...¡± Natalie squeezed my hand painfully hard before walking away. Her normally cheerful demeanor was reced by a cold, steely gaze. Losing to me twice¡ªonce during our spar two weeks ago, and now again¡ªclearly didn¡¯t sit well with her. Great... she¡¯s going toe at me even harder next time. Still, despite the impending doom of a future rematch, I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. Winning against Natalie twice in a row wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. If I had a recording of this moment, I¡¯d probably save it as my greatest aplishment. ¡°Lilith, you.¡± "...Yes?¡± My brief moment of celebration was abruptly interrupted. ¡°Meet me in the training grounds after dinner tonight. We need to have a private conversation.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let Ethan know. Make sure you¡¯re there.¡± "....." Wait, why me? After dinner, I found myself standing in the swordsmanship training grounds, confused and already tired from my earlier match. I had no idea why Harold had summoned me here. What could he possibly want to discuss? I approached cautiously, spotting Harold waiting with his sword in hand, just like during ss. ¡°You¡¯vee, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes... Harold... Professor...¡± It was hard to decide what to call him in this context. Should I address him as ¡°Professor¡± since we were at the academy, or ¡°Master¡± because of my other rtionship with him? It didn¡¯t seem like Harold cared either way. ¡°You showed good form in your duel with Natalie today.¡± "...Thank you?¡± ¡°Draw your sword. Show me the same spirit you disyed in that match.¡± "...Excuse me??¡± ¡°Pick up your weapon. Now.¡± Wait, what? I hesitated, trying to figure out what was going on. Was he really asking me to spar with him without any exnation? The situation seemedpletely absurd. ¡°Professor Harold, I don¡¯t understand why¡ª¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t pick up your sword, I¡¯lle to you. If you want to live, stop talking and start fighting.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± Before I could process what he said, Harold dashed toward me with terrifying speed, covering the 20-meter distance in an instant. I had no choice but to instinctively grab my daggers from beneath my skirt. ng! ¡°Kyah!!¡± I barely managed to block his strike. If I hadn¡¯t reacted in time, I would¡¯ve been cleaved in half. My heart pounded in my chest as the realization of how serious Harold was set in. "Professor?! If I¡¯ve done something wrong, please tell m¡ª!" "...Talk with your sword, Lilith. Isn¡¯t that how swordmastersmunicate?¡± Whoosh! ¡°Uwaaah!!¡± What is wrong with him?! Harold wasing at me with full intent to kill, even though I wasn¡¯t even a swordsmanship student. I couldn¡¯t do anything but dodge as he swung his sword with deadly precision. Without thinking, I unleashed a shockwave spell at the ground beneath us, using the rebound tounch myself out of his reach. Boom! ¡°Ugh... haah... haah...¡± Harold continued to advance,pletely unfazed by my desperate attempt to keep distance. I could feel my anger rising. He had summoned me out here for some cryptic reason, and now he was attacking me without any exnation. Fine. If that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be... I wasn¡¯t going to sit back and take this. If Harold wanted a fight, I¡¯d give him one. No matter who it was¡ªwhether it was Harold or anyone else¡ªI wasn¡¯t going to let someone push me around for no reason. If Harold wanted me to fight, I¡¯d fight, and I¡¯d make sure he regretted it. Chapter 348 Even though the ss was over, it wasn''t enough that Harold called me to the swordsmanship training ground during personal time¡ªhe even started swinging his sword before I was ready. Anger slowly boiled within me at his shameless behavior, and my thoughts began to focus solely on how I was going to beat this professor standing in front of me. ¡®I mustn''t block that bastard''s sword with my body. Somehow, I need to dodge continuously and move even half a beat faster¡­.¡¯ In a duel between swordsmen, not being able to block a sword with your own was a critical weakness. It was generally much faster and less tiring to move your sword than to move your body. Luckily, Lilith wasn''t a particrly slow character in Luminor Academy. With the proper use of buffs, shockwaves, and support from the spirits, there was a chance I couldnd a strike on Harold. "Magic, envelop my body!" ¡ªWhoosh! "Vision, sharpen that de!" ¡ªZing! First, I enhanced my basic stats with Reinforcement, then strengthened my weapon using Sharp de. Neither of these buffssted long, but it didn¡¯t matter. Against an opponent like him, I had to end this quickly or there wouldn¡¯t be any chance at all. If this bastard intended to send me straight to the church, I''d have to turn the tables and send him there first. Second boss, Sword Master, Emperor''s Three Swords¡ªwhatever his impressive background was, I wasn''t going to cower in fear. ¡®Sally, whenever I use a shockwave, enhance its power with a me explosion. Sei, help me with movement using a tailwind.¡¯ ¡®Leave it to me!¡¯ ¡®¡­Understood.¡¯ There was no point in using mediocre attack magic against Harold. He¡¯d just counter everything. The only way to win was to take him down with my sword. Everything else¡ªmagic and support¡ªwas focused solely on delivering one decisive strike. ¡ªWhoosh! "¡­¡­!!!" Startled, I stepped back as Harold¡¯s sword came flying straight at my ankle. I could¡¯ve used Sei¡¯s help to jump into the air, but I didn¡¯t. That monster would just follow me into the air and slice me down. When fighting against a superhuman, you should never leave yourself vulnerable. One of the worst things you can do is recklessly take to the air. If an attack is aimed at your lower body, the best and most reliable evasive maneuver is to step back. "¡­¡­Hmm." What''s with the damn ¡®hmm¡¯? This bastard¡­@@novelbin@@ That sword demon kept swinging his longsword with an intensity that made it seem like he was ready to slice me to pieces. I was barely keeping up, dodging his attacks and using shockwaves to regain my bnce, desperately dealing with the imminent threat. ¡®My spellcasting is slightly faster than Harold¡¯s sword swings, but¡­.¡¯ The problem was that I couldn¡¯t predict-cast while dodging his sword. Trying to preemptively cast magic while checking if the opponent''s feet had lifted off the ground was like telling him exactly where I nned to move next. If only I could predict exactly how Harold would swing his sword, I might be able to dodge continuously and create an opening to stab him in the side. But if I could do that, I¡¯d be the Sword Master, not him. The next best option was waiting for Harold to make a mistake. But, unlike in the game where Harold was out of his mind because of Ethan''s death, the Harold in this world wasn¡¯t such an easy opponent. ¡®In the game, Harold was out of control because of Ethan¡¯s death.¡¯ But in this world, Harold was a sword demon with no weaknesses to exploit. I was getting more and more exhausted trying to find an opening in his wless defense. ¡®Damn it¡­ Just once, please, just once¡­.¡¯ Let mend a hit on this bastard¡¯s side. I don¡¯t care if it leaves me bedridden for days; just give me one chance to hit this damn bastard. Fueled by that desire, I kept dodging Harold¡¯s attacks with the help of all my support spells. ¡®¡­Wait?¡¯ Suddenly, as if time had stopped, I noticed a few golden traces in front of me, giving me a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from my fight with Natalie a few hours ago. ¡®No way¡­.¡¯ I remembered that when I shed in sync with those traces during the fight with Natalie, her sword was deflected, even though I couldn¡¯t see it. If these traces were, like before, showing Harold¡¯s sword path¡­ ¡®I need to cast a triple shockwave to explode along the predicted trajectory, but I mustn¡¯t give Harold any reason to suspect. Sally and Sei will cover any small errors orck of power.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t be sure if these traces really predicted Harold¡¯s sword path. It could¡¯ve been a hallucination, just like with Natalie. But since there was no victory without risk, I decided to gamble on the option that gave me the best chance of winning. ¡ªWhoosh! ¡®First one.¡¯ One of Harold¡¯s shes followed one of the three traces. Normally, I¡¯d be scrambling to cast a shockwave and move my body at this point, but I had already pre-set the shockwave in Harold¡¯s sword path. I dodged his sword effortlessly and moved half a step closer to him. "¡­Hmm!" ¡ªWhoosh! With that unnerving hum, Harold swung his sword along the second trace. Once again, Harold moved his sword along one of the remaining two traces, and my pre-set shockwave did its job, giving me much more room to dodge and even allowing me time to swing my own sword. ¡ªSmirk. ¡®¡­Is he smiling?¡¯ Harold¡¯s unsettling grin appeared as he swung his sword along the final trace. One trace left, one sword path left. There was no need to even check with my eyes. I knew I could dodge it, so I didn¡¯t hesitate. From now on, my only focus wasnding a hit. "Your movement is impressive. This should be suffici¡ª" "Die, you bastard!!!" "¡­¡­Hmm?" Harold suddenly started to say something as he withdrew his sword, but my head was already burning with rage, and my dagger had no intention of stopping. It was possibly a once-in-a-lifetime chance to wound Harold, and my left-hand dagger was aiming directly for his side. ¡ªng! ¡°Argh¡­!! Damn it!!¡± "¡­Calm down, Lilith. I swung my sword without warning to help you grow¡­" ¡°Die, you insane son of a bitch!!¡± "¡­Wait a moment¡­." I heard Harold¡¯s confused voice, but my dagger in my right hand was already plunging toward his side. Even Harold, who had blocked my first attack, couldn¡¯t defend against the second. ¡ªThud! "Urgh¡­?!" My dagger pierced his side with a sharp, satisfying sensation. The symbol of the ckwood family was engraved on the dagger, and it struck the body of the head of the ckwood family squarely. The moment my attack finally hit him filled my head with an overwhelming sense of triumph. ¡ªGrip! "Ugh, grrk¡­. Heh, heh¡­." But even after being wounded once, a Sword Master is still a Sword Master. The strength of someone at that level far surpasses that of a regr human, and both my wrists were effortlessly subdued by Harold¡¯s grip. ¡°Huff, huff¡­.¡± ¡°...You got too worked up. Maybe you should cool off for a moment¡­¡± ¡°Harold, you bastard!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you hated me that much for getting close to Ethan, you could¡¯ve just said so, you son of a bitch! Were you trying to kill me?!¡± ¡°...I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you. This was all for your training¡­.¡± "Training?! Are you kidding me?! You didn¡¯t even give me a training barrier! You really couldn¡¯t stand that I was close to your son, could you?! ANSWER ME, YOU BASTARD!!" "¡­Sorry. I apologize for that." "You''re sorry¡­ wait, what? Apologize?" ¡­Did Harold just apologize? At that moment, I felt something had gone horribly wrong, and my head, which had been burning with rage, began to cool instantly. Harold, still holding my wrists, began exining the training session. ¡°I thought sparring without warning would be a more efficient way to help you grow, but clearly, it wasn¡¯t the best method.¡± "¡­Training, you say?" "Yes, it was all part of your training." ¡­This was¡­ training? You mean he wasn¡¯t actually trying to kill me? Even though I could feel his intent to kill? I thought Harold was pissed because I got close to Ethan, but it turns out this was just¡­ regr swordsmanship training? "So, have you cooled down a bit?" "¡­Master, about what I said earlier, it wasn¡¯t from the heart, it¡¯s just¡­." ¡°You¡¯re quite the actress. I hadn¡¯t noticed before.¡± "¡­¡­." The more I listened to Harold¡¯s rxed voice, the more I felt the blood drain from my body. As my head cleared, only one thought filled my mind: ...Oh, I think this is fucked. Chapter 350 "You were quite sharp with your words earlier. Telling me to die, calling me a damn son-obsessed fool, and I think there were other things as well." "¡­¡­." "There was also something about being a blockhead or a puppet¡ªsome strange words that I couldn''t quite understand. But I assume those were insults too, unless you have a habit of mixingpliments into your curses." "¡­Those weren''t that bad as far as curses go, Professor Harold." "Even leaving aside the words I didn¡¯t understand, I remember hearing some pretty harsh things. So, when exactly did you start thinking of me as a lunatic, son-obsessed fool?" "¡­¡­." When did I start thinking of Harold as a crazed, son-obsessed maniac? The answer was obvious. Of course, it was ever since my "previous life." From the moment I yed Luminor Academy, Harold had always been an insufferable character. Especially when I tried to clear Lilith¡¯s route¡ªthinking back on all the frustrating things I had to do back then, it made even more sense. Clearing Lilith¡¯s solo ending, getting her solo ending again in consecutive ythroughs, starting the second arc by rescuing Lilith, saving her right before the second arc ended, and then charging into the ckwood estate near the end of the third arc. Breaking into the ckwood estate before the second arc even started. Watching the harem ending, then the solo ending, and then trying everything possible to prevent Lilith from being ruined by Ethan. And in every one of those routes, aside from Ethan, the most infuriating character rted to Lilith was Harold. He ruthlessly eliminated any threats to Ethan, while enabling Ethan¡¯s every whim, allowing him to continue to degrade Lilith. He never stood up for her, never did anything to stop it, which left a terrible impression. So, naturally, from the moment I first met Harold in this world, he was nothing more than a "crazy, son-obsessed, stone-hearted sword demon" to me. ''Honestly, I still feel pretty much the same way nowadays.'' It wasn¡¯t Harold who had changed from his original character¡ªit was Ethan. Sure, because Ethan had changed, Harold no longer yed the viin, but looking deeper, he was still someone who could be a viin again, depending on Ethan''s actions. To me, who had seen Harold in the original game, he would always be the fool who doted on his son and would do anything for him, no matter what. ''¡­Of course, I can¡¯t tell Harold that directly, so I¡¯ll have toe up with a usible excuse.'' If I were seeing Harold for the first time in this world, what would make me think he was a "son-obsessed fool"? When he punished Eiria, who had stolen Ethan¡¯s belongings and the relics of Tanathia? When he attached me to Ethan as his personal maid, using some strange excuse about being the only one who could see Ethan properly? Or when he turned a blind eye, even after witnessing Ethan harassing me several times? ¡­No, none of that would be enough to think of him as particrly unique. Nobles tend to behave like that in any family. Calling him a "son-obsessed fool" based on that would be absurd. No, there had to be something only Harold would do¡ªsomething no other noble parent would. Reflecting on the events of the past few years, I carefully started speaking, crafting my response. "Over the past few years¡­." "¡­¡­." "Since the day young master Ethan began learning swordsmanship until the day he entered the academy, I noticed that you, Professor Harold, personally oversaw his rigorous training nearly every day. That¡¯s when I started to think that way." "¡­Hmm?" Harold furrowed his brow, directing his gaze toward me as if my answer didn¡¯t make much sense. I expected this reaction. On the surface, harshly training one¡¯s son doesn¡¯t seem like an act of love. It could easily be seen as a matter of preserving family honor or personal pride. But having yed the original game, I knew Harold was someone who couldn¡¯t live without his son, and I understood why his actions could be seen as stemming from love. "Your response is a bit strange. Most people wouldn¡¯t interpret harsh treatment of their son as an expression of love. Usually, it¡¯s understood as something done for the family¡¯s honor or reputation, isn¡¯t it?" "¡­If you, Professor Harold, cared more about the family¡¯s honor or reputation than Ethan¡¯s happiness, then Ethan would have been learning swordsmanship long before I joined the ckwood household." "¡­¡­." "But young master Ethan didn¡¯t seem particrly interested in swordsmanship or magic. He ate when he wanted, slept when he felt like it, and there were even times when he came to the kitchen at night, demanding food because he was hungry. At that time, Ethan lived entirely on his own terms." "¡­Go on." Harold''s face tightened a bit at my slight criticism of Ethan¡¯s younger days. Realizing it wasn¡¯t wise to dwell on this point, I quickly moved on. "Ethan only began learning the sword in earnest about six months after I became his personal maid. And there was no intervention from you, Professor Harold. Ethan decided on his own to learn swordsmanship, and you supported him because of that, did you not?" "¡­You remember things well." "Waiting patiently for young master Ethan to make up his mind without forcing him, and then supporting him with all your strength once he was ready to grow¡ªfew parents would be able to do that, Professor Harold. Having watched you support Ethan so closely for years, how could I not think of you as a son-obsessed father?" "Heh, heh." ¡­Did I manage to talk my way out of it? Seeing Harold let out a slight chuckle, I felt that my excuse had worked, at least to some extent. I started to think maybe I could ride the momentum and move past this whole situation, but then Harold met my gaze with an inscrutable smile. "It seems you¡¯re the only one who truly understands me and Ethan. Looking back, I believe it was a wise decision to make you Ethan¡¯s personal maid all those years ago."@@novelbin@@ "¡­I see." "To be honest, I never intended to fire you as Ethan¡¯s personal maid, even if you did think I was some kind of crazed, son-obsessed fool. Ethan still needs you by his side." "Th-Thank you." "And besides, as you said, I¡¯ve done things that could make me seem like a fool for Ethan. What other noble parent would be a professor just to follow their child to the academy?" ¡­Well, that¡¯s a relief. It seems Harold is aware that he¡¯s a bit crazy when ites to his son. I wasn¡¯t sure which part of my answer he liked exactly, but at least it seemed I wouldn¡¯t be losing my job as Ethan¡¯s personal maid anytime soon. At least Harold wasn¡¯t one of those sneaky characters who says one thing but thinks another. "A strong personality, someone who says whatever they¡¯re thinking, and eyes that seem to see straight through people. You remind me so much of¡­ someone I knew when I was younger." "Excuse me?" "¡­Never mind. Just take good care of Ethan from now on, Lilith." "Ah, yes. Thank you¡­." I wasn¡¯t sure what Harold meant with his final remark, but it seemed like the situation had resolved safely. I mentally patted myself on the back for my quick thinking as I sighed in relief. ¡ªTap. "Now, you should head back. I¡¯ve kept my son¡¯s girlfriend with me for too long." "G-Girlfriend¡­? I-I¡¯m not in that kind of rtionship with young master Ethan¡­." "There¡¯s no need to hide it from me. I¡¯ve been certain ever since I saw the two of you at the estatest time. Have I ever interfered with you two meeting since then?" "N-No, I don¡¯t think so¡­." "Well, Ethan doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e or anything official, so there¡¯s no issue with you acting as his girlfriend. It wouldn¡¯t be wise for me to meddle too much in my son¡¯s personal affairs." "¡­I understand." ¡­What just happened? It seems Harold just officially approved my temporary rtionship with Ethan. I wasn¡¯t sure how the conversation had turned out like this, but I was satisfied with the fact that I¡¯d managed to keep my position as Ethan¡¯s personal maid. As I was about to say my final goodbyes and part ways with Harold¡­ "Thank you very much for today¡¯s lesson, Professor Harold. I¡¯ll see you in the next ss¡­." "Get away from him this instant¡­! You, you thieving cat¡­!" "¡­¡­?" "¡­¡­?" Both Harold and I turned in the direction of the familiar voice calling out from a distance. Chapter 351 A familiar voiceing from a distance. Not just the voice, but the tone and the expression in the words left no doubt about who it was. The red twin-tailed princess hurriedly ran between Harold and me, positioning herself to block the space between us with her body. ¡ªTadadak! ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Princess Meslen?¡± ¡°Haa, haa¡­ I-I knew it would be like this¡­ Haa, haa¡­.¡± ¡°Princess Meslen, are you all right? You usually don¡¯t even run, but now you¡¯re rushing over here in such a hurry¡­.¡± ¡°Haa, I-I¡­ that th-thieving, haa, cat¡­ haa, like, haa¡­ huff¡­¡± Princess Meslen, who seemed to be demonstrating an extremeck of physical endurance, stood between Harold and me, panting heavily. While I wondered why she had suddenly shown up, Harold turned to me, clearly curious about her identity and asking for an introduction. ¡°Hmm, who is this youngdy? Do you know her, Lilith?¡± ¡°This is Princess Meslen Emilia Balthoria, a first-year in the Magic Department who enrolled this year at the academy, Professor Harold. She¡¯s also the younger sister of Prince Antonio Robert Balthoria from the Swordsmanship Department, who enrolled alongside her.¡± ¡°Ah, so she¡¯s the sister of that clear-eyed prince. Now that you mention it, I think I heard that he has a twin sister.¡± Since Harold rarely remembered information about others, it was safe to assume he recalled Antonio more than Meslen. Harold tended to remember those involved in swordsmanship more clearly, even though he usually paid little attention to others. ¡°I-I¡¯m d you remember me¡­ Haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps you should catch your breath first. You don¡¯t seem to be in a state to continue talking just yet.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Yes, yes¡­.¡± Princess Meslen, her face somewhat flushed, had appeared, and the moment she positioned herself between us, she sent a rather hostile nce in my direction. There was something familiar about that look. ¡®It¡¯s like how Seraphine used to look at Cerista or Silena in the game.¡¯ A sharp, protective gaze, as if guarding something she believed belonged to her. Given that Meslen was of imperial blood, it was no surprise that she resembled Seraphine in that way. But why was this princess suddenly appearing and throwing me such hostile looks? ¡°It¡¯s understandable that, as a professor, I wouldn¡¯t need to use formalnguage with you within the academy. But what brings you here all of a sudden?¡± ¡°W-What? Ah, no¡­ I, well¡­¡± ¡®Wait a second¡­ Could it be¡­?¡¯@@novelbin@@ Now that I thought about it, didn¡¯t Meslen mention something recently about falling in love with someone at the academy? A character who was skilled with a sword, had an intense gaze, and was likely a noble. Back then, I had assumed she was talking about a fellow student in the Swordsmanship Department. But now that I reconsidered, she hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about the person being a student. If it wasn¡¯t a student but rather someone skilled in swordsmanship, a noble, and a named character at Luminor Academy¡­ ¡®Could it really be¡­?¡¯ The idea seemed ridiculous, but it was the only possibility that made sense right now. Fortunately, Princess Meslen¡¯s response soon confirmed that my spection wasn¡¯t just a wild guess. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading back. It¡¯s gettingte, and it is already night.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry for holding you up¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Meslen, apologizing? The princess, who always looked down on others and considered herself the most noble person in the world, was apologizing after seeing Harold act like that? ¡®This is practically a 100% confirmation.¡¯ As unbelievable as it was, I couldn¡¯t deny what was happening before my eyes. Even in the modern world, there were people who married with age differences of 20 or 30 years, so in a medieval fantasy setting, such things were even less surprising. After all, even the current emperor married hisst empress despite a nearly 30-year age gap. If I considered the age difference between Meslen and Harold¡­ ¡®Meslen is 19 this year since she just entered the academy. Ethan, though his body is 21 years old, didn¡¯t age for five years, so he should be around 26 now. Tanathia gave birth to Ethan about three years after graduating from the academy, and Harold is the same age as Tanathia¡­.¡¯ ¡­Is this for real? That¡¯s nearly a two-and-a-half, almost three-generation gap! Sure, Harold had slowed aging due to his mastery of energy, but wasn¡¯t this going too far? And we¡¯re not talking about just any woman¡ªPrincess Meslen, of all people, as a potential second wife? Even for one of the empire¡¯s three swordsmen, this seemed a bit too shameless. ¡°It¡¯ste, and I¡¯m a little concerned about whether Princess Meslen will be able to get back safely. Where¡¯s your escort?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ Kate, my escort, has a habit of disappearing sometimes¡­! It¡¯s quite inconvenient, you know¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Is it eptable for an escort to vanish while on duty? That seems different from the imperial protocols I¡¯m familiar with.¡± That¡¯s because Meslen just made that excuse up on the spot. More likely, Kate had been sent off on some errand by Meslen, who, not wanting any interference, ordered her away the moment she saw Harold. It was typical of Meslen¡¯s personality. In other words, Harold¡¯sment was an unfair usation as far as Kate was concerned. But then again, it was Kate¡¯s fault for choosing to serve a master like Meslen in the first ce. ¡°Well, since it¡¯se to this, could you¡­ um, escort me back for a bit?¡± ¡°Lilith, could you apany Princess Meslen back safely?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯ste, and it wouldn¡¯t be safe to send her off alone. But you should be able to handle at least one person, right?¡± "¡­¡­." This was clearly Harold¡¯s way of blocking Meslen¡¯s advances toward him. Well, of course, there was no way Harold would ever end up with Meslen. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of the age gap¡ªit was never going to happen from the start. Harold¡¯s heart still belonged to Tanathia, and he had left the position of his wife permanently open for her. No matter how much Meslen might try, she wouldn¡¯t be able to find her way into Harold¡¯s heart, which had only ever loved one woman. Besides, if Harold had wanted to remarry, he¡¯d had plenty of opportunities to do so over the past 15 years since Tanathia¡¯s passing. He hadn¡¯t remarried simply because he didn¡¯t want to. ¡®¡­Well, that¡¯s that.¡¯ Still, I could at least help Meslen by giving her a chance toe to terms with reality and move on. Honestly, this princess needed a harsh dose of unrequited love to understand that not everything in the world goes her way. Maybe it would finally calm her down a bit. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if Professor Harold escorted her himself?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°The thing is, I used a lot of magic during the duel earlier, and I¡¯m feeling a bit fatigued. I could probably handle a couple of thugs with just my sword, but if there¡¯s a serious threat to Princess Meslen, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to protect her properly.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I see. That¡¯s understandable. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for some ill-intentioned person to target a princess.¡± Since Harold was the reason I¡¯d spent so much magic during the duel, he had no choice but to agree with my excuse, even if it was a poor one. Of course, my mana reserves were still more than half full, but the real goal was to leave Harold and Meslen alone together so she could face reality faster. There was no point in telling Meslen to give up on an impossible love if she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. It was better for her to quickly confess and get rejected¡ªit would be the best medicine for her. ¡°What department are you in?¡± ¡°The Magic Department¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to the entrance of the girls¡¯ dormitory. Unless there¡¯s somewhere else you need to stop by first?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I¡¯d appreciate that¡­.¡± "¡­¡­." Watching them walk away, it felt more like a father walking his youngest daughter home than a romantic couple. I just hoped that Meslen¡¯s heartbreak wouldn¡¯t end up being too painful. With that thought in mind, I turned and headed back toward the dormitory for the Swordsmanship Department. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t have to deal with Meslen for a while.¡¯ Getting involved inplicated rtionships like this was exactly the kind of thing I hated most. Chapter 352 The day after I discovered that the person Princess Meslen had fallen for was none other than Harold. At first, I thought about how I could help Meslen with her newfound love, but in the end, I didn¡¯t get involved as she might have wished. Or rather, to be precise, I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. After giving Meslen some alone time with Harold, the next day, I had to leave the academy again for the ''Humanities Exploration'' ss. ¡®Lately, it feels like I¡¯m leaving the academy every two weeks.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be helped, though, since the curriculum of Luminor Academy was designed this way. Honestly, it was probably a necessary decision from the game developers¡¯ perspective too. No matter how well-made Luminor Academy was as an academy game, there were limits to what could be done within the academy. They couldn¡¯t fill four years¡¯ worth of events solely within the academy, so in the third act, the students were sent outside to experience various kinds of events. While this expanded the game¡¯s scope, it slightly diluted the academy''s feel, which was a bit disappointing. ¡®But going on trips with Ethan every two weeks isn¡¯t so bad either.¡¯ Having these external events meant I could go on various dates with Ethan outside the academy every two weeks. Nature Exploration meant a forest date, Geology Exploration involved a dungeon date, and this time, Humanities Exploration was going to be a volunteer work date. We were tasked with rebuilding a vige destroyed by bandits,forting those who had lost family members, and creating facilities for orphans. It really felt like a volunteer date. On top of that, we would get to hunt down the bandits, clean up the environment, and gain some experience. In terms of difficulty, it was the easiest of the exploration sses so far. It¡¯s not that the bandits were weak, butpared to the preparations needed for other exploration sses, there was much less to do. The focus of Humanities Exploration wasn¡¯t survival orbat, but rather investigating who within the vige was secretly coborating with the bandits. It was more of a mystery event, and as for the mystery, well, that guy you-know-who would handle it, so I didn¡¯t need to do much. ¡®That¡¯s why I made sure to confirm that you-know-who was attending the Humanities Exploration ss.¡¯ As the daughter of a mere bar and essentially Ethan¡¯s personal maid, there was no way I could steal the spotlight with lines like, ¡®The culprit is among us!¡¯ In both the original game and here, it was the protagonist¡¯s role to shine in events like this. All I had to do was sit back and let him handle the investigation, then charge forward during the final bandit extermination event, gathering experience and real-world battle practice along the way. ¡®I¡¯ll get to test out the basics of the Sword Expert training that Harold mentioned.¡¯ Being able to predict the path of an opponent¡¯s weapon is the first step toward bing a Sword Expert. And since most bandits wield swords or daggers, there would be plenty of practice opponents. Thinking about how I could have multiple duels simr to my fight with the Hobgoblin Swordsman got my heart racing. ¡°You look like you¡¯re having fun, Lilith.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did something good happen? Oh, by the way, what did my father say to you yesterday? I think he called you over for training.¡± ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± ¡­It¡¯s not like I need to hide it from Ethan. After all, even if I don¡¯t tell him, Harold probably will. ¡°Actually, Master Harold told me that I¡¯m showing the potential to be a Sword Expert.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve only just begun. I¡¯m still a long way from matching your skill with the sword, young master Ethan. It¡¯s impossible for me to reach your level of swordsmanship, and right now, I can only asionally predict the path of an opponent¡¯s de.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive in itself. After all, you¡¯re not even in the Swordsmanship Department, yet you¡¯re showing potential to be a Sword Expert.¡± ¡°¡­Still, I can¡¯t be certain until I¡¯ve tried it out in realbat.¡± ¡°Even for me, it took about a year to fully reach the level of Sword Expert after starting the basics. So it might take you until after you graduate from the academy to fully master it.¡± ¡°Well, not necessarily¡­ but in any case, congrattions on entering the path of Sword Experts, Lilith.¡± ¡°Thank you, young master Ethan.¡± With that conversation, we spent about ten hours traveling by carriage from morning to the site of the Humanities Exploration ss. Aside from a brief stop to rest the horses and have ate lunch, we had been traveling for nearly half a day. Eventually, night fell, and Ethan and I decided to camp out for the night. ¡°Lilith, have you tied the ropes on your side?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already tied them, young master Ethan. Now all that¡¯s left is for you to pull the stakes on your side and secure the tent.¡± ¡°Got it, Lilith.¡± Following my instructions, Ethan pulled the ropes tight and fixed the tent in ce. ¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯ve really gotten used to camping out like this. For me, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to get ustomed to this, since I nned to be an adventurer in the future. But for Ethan, a noble heir, it was impressive how much he¡¯d adapted to life outdoors. It was probably because he had followed me on so many of these exploration events, including those essential ones like ¡®Lara¡¯s Secret.¡¯ Exploration sses offered flexibility in how much you could choose to participate in outdoor activities. There were options for sses that required less travel or stayed close to the academy. However, those sses didn¡¯t offer great rewards or much experience, so I avoided them. I wanted to maximize the resources avable in Luminor Academy, just as I had in the original game. To avoid future regrets, I had to grab as many resources as I could while I had the chance. Once you missed an event, the lost experience couldn¡¯t be regained. Starting a new life as an adventurer at level 20 versus starting at level 40 made a significant difference, so it was worth paying attention to. ¡°For dinner, I n to make chicken risotto using chicken broth and rice. Does that sound okay to you?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re cooking it, Lilith, anything is fine.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll start preparing dinner right away, young master Ethan.¡± Since we¡¯d been camping a lot recently, cooking for outdoor meals had naturally be my responsibility. Of course, if I asked Ethan for help, he would assist, but when it came to cooking, it was important to maintain a smooth flow. So I usually took charge of the cooking, while Ethan handled other tasks like guarding against monsters or gathering firewood if it looked like we¡¯d run out. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had the chance to prepare a proper meal with all the ingredients.¡¯ Recently, we¡¯d been camping in ces where proper cooking was difficult. In the Hobgoblin Forest, we had to rely on foraging for food and water, so most of our meals consisted of grilled fish and wild vegetables. And in the dungeon, we couldn¡¯t light a fire due to the risk of suffocation, so we¡¯d just eaten dry rations the whole time. But today, I had all the ingredients ready and even a dish I had been craving, so I was determined to cook something special. The weather was getting warmer, which made it the perfect time for chicken stew. While this world didn¡¯t have ingredients like ginseng, dried jujube, or angelica, I could still make a decent chicken stew with just garlic and potatoes. For a meal in the wilderness, that was more than good enough. ¡ªBubble bubble bubble¡­ The chicken would need about an hour of simmering, so now it was time to think about the rice. But that¡¯s where things got tricky. I wasn¡¯t sure how much rice to add to the chicken broth to get a porridge-like consistency. ¡®I think I remember hearing that the ratio for cooking rice to water is supposed to be 1:1.¡¯ The pot was about two-thirds full of broth, so if I added that much rice, the pot would overflow. ¡®Maybe I should wait for the broth to reduce by half, and then I can add enough rice to fill the remaining space. That way, the ratio will still be 1:1.¡¯ It seemed like a simple solution. So I waited until the broth had reduced by half, deboned the chicken, and then added rice until the pot was nearly full again. About 20 minutester¡­ ¡ªBubble bubble bubble¡­ "¡­¡­." I stared at the contents of the pot, which had stopped reducing, and it slowly dawned on me that something had gone wrong.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Lilith?¡± "¡­Yes, young master Ethan?" ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to eat all of that?¡± "¡­¡­." ¡­Where did I go wrong? I thought I had the rice-to-water ratio correct. Chapter 353 While absentmindedly preparing dinner, the quantity of food grew far beyond what I had imagined. Looking at the amount of chicken porridge, which seemed enough for at least 10 servings, I felt dizzy, wondering how we would handle all of it. ''Though Ethan eats slightly more than me, he¡¯s not really a big eater either¡­'' Even if the two of us ate as much as we could, we¡¯d probably only manage to clear about a quarter of the deep pot. The disaster likely began with the decision to use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. ''Come to think of it, the ratio was 1:1, not a recipe for two servings.'' Considering the amount of broth thates from one chicken, we ended up with enough for at least six meals, and adding all that rice just doubled the volume. If I¡¯d only considered feeding Ethan and myself, I should¡¯ve used half the broth to make a slightly runny risotto, and saved the rest of the broth to drink lightly in the morning before we set off. ¡­Instead of making a whole pot of porridge with the carb ratio maxed out like this. ¡°Well, for now, let¡¯s just eat as much as we can tonight and have the rest for breakfast before we leave. If we cover it properly overnight, it shouldn¡¯t spoil in just one night.¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°And if there¡¯s still too much left¡­ as much as it¡¯s a waste, we¡¯ll have no choice but to throw it out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It had been a while since Ist failed at cooking while camping, so I had built up some confidence. Fortunately, the dish itself wasn¡¯t a failure. The rice, soaked in rich chicken broth, spread smoothly in my mouth, reminding me of the chicken porridge I had in my previous life. The only issue was that I¡¯d made too much. At least the dinner itself wasn¡¯t ruined, which was a smallfort. ¡°I understand. Well, let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡± -Clip clop, clip clop, clip clop. Just as I was about to give up and prepare dinner as Ethan suggested, I suddenly heard the sound of a carriage approaching from a distance. I wondered if it might be others looking to camp nearby like us. When I looked over, I saw two familiar-looking carriages approaching, and people with familiar faces, including the drivers, were dismounting one after the other. ¡°It¡¯s lucky we made it to the grasnd in time to set up the tent.¡± ¡°We could¡¯ve arrived two hours earlier if one of the drivers hadn¡¯t insisted on taking a shortcut through the forest.¡± ¡°It was a shortcut. The carriage was just too big to pass through.¡± ¡°No one calls a path that¡¯s impassable by carriage a shortcut, Silena.¡± ¡°Shut up. You didn¡¯t even drive. Stop telling me what to do when you just hitched a ride.¡± ¡°This carriage belongs to the royal family! And you¡¯re the one who insisted on driving it with the hero!¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t fight, Princess Seraphine¡­ S-Silena¡­¡± The hero¡¯s party was just as lively as ever. At first nce, the sight of the three main heroines bickering might seem like a problem, but in fact, it was proof that the hero was managing their affection levels incredibly well. If he were to show any clear favor to one of them, it wouldn¡¯t just be verbal quarreling¡ªthey¡¯d get into a serious, brutal catfight. As it was now, they were all aware that they had feelings for the hero, and while each wanted to monopolize his love, they didn¡¯t want to sacrifice their friendship with the others. If the situation stayed like this, it could very well lead to a harem ending. ¡®¡­Although, if he wasn¡¯t aiming for a harem ending, there wouldn¡¯t be any need to manage their affection levels like this.¡¯ Listening to the ambiguous behavior of the hero¡¯s party with one ear while continuing to eat with Ethan, I soon overheard a conversation that piqued both our interests. ¡°¡­I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Thanks to someone, dinner¡¯s dyed, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. We should set up the tent before dark, so I guess we¡¯ll have to skip dinner.¡± ¡°¡­What? That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± ¡°Miss Agnes, if you¡¯re really hungry, would you like some raw carrots? I carry them for when I get hungry during sword practice¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather starve than eat that kind of thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ethan and I exchanged silent nces. ¡­A perfect excuse had just presented itself to deal with all this excess chicken porridge. ? ? ? ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s alright for us to intrude on your dinner like this. I feel like we¡¯re disturbing your meal, Young Master Ethan, Lady Lilith.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s plenty of food, so please help yourselves, Princess Seraphine.¡± ¡°Indeed. Lilith made so much dinner that it¡¯s been a bit troublesome. If we have more people to eat, it¡¯s actually a relief for us.¡± Given that Ethan and I had made far too much food to handle, the appearance of the hero¡¯s party was an incredibly wee surprise. And with eight members in the hero¡¯s group, it was the perfect opportunity to finish off the ten servings of food we had ended up with. ¡°This, did Lilith make it?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Agnes.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a taste I¡¯ve never experienced before, but it¡¯s edible enough.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Agnes.¡± Well, in this world, chicken broth dishes would likely be something like chicken stew or chicken risotto, so it was probably their first time trying a proper Korean-style chicken porridge. And considering that Agnes was someone who hardly ever gavepliments, this result was actually pretty good. Even though the dish had a generous amount of garlic, which was characteristic of Korean food, everyone was eating it quite well. In fact,ter on, there wasn¡¯t enough left, and Silena and Agnes even began topete for what remained. ¡°For an elf, you¡¯re eating too much meat, don¡¯t you think? You should stop taking so much.¡± ¡°Only the old elders in the elven forest are vegetarians. And since I¡¯m still in my growth phase by elven standards, I need to eat a lot. Unlike you, who¡¯s fully grown already.¡± ¡°¡­No matter how much you elves grow, your chest will always stay as t as a board.¡± ¡°Your chest is smaller, human.¡± ¡°No, yours is smaller.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still growing, but you¡¯ve already stopped.¡± ¡°Being born an elf means you won¡¯t grow any more. This has already been proven in multiple studies on racial characteristics¡­¡± ¡°Is it really necessary to discuss chest sizes at the dinner table? After all, 80% of human physical development is determined by gics, so it¡¯s a pointless conversation¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, you big-breasted human.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so bad, I suppose.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± When small, yapping dogs get too noisy, sometimes the best way to quiet them is to bring a tiger into the room. Since the two who werest and secondst in terms of chest size at Lumina Academy were involved, the moment I stepped into the conversation, they quickly shut their mouths and focused on eating. It was the spearman Thomas who took the initiative to change the embarrassing subject of conversation for the men. ¡°Ahem. Well, now that we¡¯ve eaten so much, I feel terribly guilty for epting such hospitality from Lady Lilith and Young Master Ethan. Is there any way we can repay you?¡± ¡°Yes, we do feel bad just receiving a meal like this. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way!¡± ¡°Well¡­? As I said earlier, there really was just too much food left over, so we shared it. It wasn¡¯t done with the expectation of anything in return, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it, Thomas.¡± ¡°Well, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, as repayment, I could offer Lady Lilith a sparring session¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just something you want to do, isn¡¯t it, Natalie? ¡­You can ignore what Natalie just said, Lady Lilith.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just ept the thought, Miss Natalie.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡­She must be quite irritated from losing to me twice already. If this were a sparring match within the academy, where there are some safety measures in ce, I might have epted. But out here, having a match with Natalie could lead to a real disaster, so I politely declined. Incidentally, Natalie¡¯s growth rate was slightly slowerpared to the original story. My sudden leap to the entry level of Sword Expert was part of what caused the gap, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason. In my case, the experience farming I did in the Witch¡¯s Forest, the pendant I received from Lara, and the week-long survival training in Natural Studies all contributed to me leveling up at an intensity that the original Lilith couldn¡¯t have imagined. Byparison, Natalie¡­ ¡®Natalie¡¯s best opportunities for leveling up were during the Lilith Rescue Mission in Part 2 or the Secret of August¡¯s Mansion event in Part 3¡­¡¯ Both of those events featured enemies who used swords as mid-bosses or final bosses, making them ideal battles to use Natalie as the main tank. ¡­The problem was that neither of those events existed in this world. With Ethan¡¯s redemption and Lige¡¯s survival¡­ Just as there are benefits, there are also drawbacks. In a world where Ethan and Karaham hadn¡¯t fallen into darkness, Natalie had missed out on her major growth events, which dyed her entry into Sword Expert and Sword Master. ¡®If only I could find a way to help Natalie grow significantly on her own.¡¯ I wonder if that fool Yongjaekis even knows about Natalie¡¯s current growth status.@@novelbin@@ All I could do was slowly get lost in more useless thoughts as the day wore on. Chapter 356 The next sensation Ethan felt after taking his first hit from Okam was the searing pain in his right shoulder and the burning warmth of his blood pouring out. It had been a heavy axe, much too difficult to block with a sword, and its path was utterly unpredictable. Ethan had been using every bit of his strength to block each attack, but ultimately, the first strike he failed to stop had torn away nearly half of his right shoulder, leaving him with a critical injury. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re pretty tough. I swung with the intent of slicing that right arm you¡¯re holding clean off.¡± ¡°Haa, ha¡­ haaa¡­¡± ¡°¡­I like that cocky look in your eyes. Boys like you, who act like they¡¯re the best in the world without knowing their ce, are the most fun to break. Girls cry too quickly; they¡¯re no fun at all.¡± Ethan looked up at the towering figure in front of him, holding his wound with his remaining arm. Okam sneered down at him, spouting disgusting words with that sickening expression. For a brief moment, Ethan understood, if only a little, how Lilith must have felt whenever she was harassed by sleazy men who ogled her body. ¡°Haa, huu, huu¡­¡± -tter. ¡°What¡¯s this? Giving up already? Why¡¯d you drop the sword you were gripping so tightly?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± Ignoring Okam¡¯s taunts, Ethan retrieved a small vial from inside his clothes and quickly gulped it down. It wasn¡¯t a healing potion or holy water. Healing potions could only mend minor cuts and scrapes, and holy water lost its effectiveness if not used immediately after being consecrated, so it wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d carry around for emergencies. Instead, it was a more straightforward, improvised solution¡ªa potion that served as both a painkiller and a coagnt. After downing it in one go, Ethan switched the sword to his left hand and brought it down on his own shoulder. -Thud! ¡°Hnnngh¡­!! Haa¡­ haaa¡­¡± Ethan, realizing that a paralyzed arm would only be a hindrance in battle, made the decision to sever his own right arm. He figured that, as long as the saintess was still alive, he could get treated after the battle ended. That was, of course, only if they won and the saintess remained safe. But for that to happen, Ethan needed to hold out and buy as much time as possible. -Slice! ¡°Aaaaaargh¡­!!¡± Even though the painkiller dulled the pain, it couldn¡¯tpletely eliminate it. Ethan felt every bit of the searing pain as his de cut through his own shoulder. Yet, in the end, he seeded in severing his right arm. Now, with only his left hand gripping the sword, the young lord of ckwood faced Okam once more. Watching Ethan¡¯s self-inflicted injury, Okam mocked him. ¡°What, did you really cut off your own arm because it was in the way? You¡¯re as stupid as I thought.¡± ¡°¡­Not as stupid as your parents, who put the same name on both you and your brother¡¯s birth certificates.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, fine. I was going to take it slow and toy with you, but now I think I¡¯ll crush your other arm too.¡± -Whoosh! Now lighter by the weight of one arm, Ethan faced Okam, who was swinging his axe even more ferociously.@@novelbin@@ The situation was growing increasingly favorable for the axe-wielding man, but Ethan focused all his efforts on buying as much time as he could. ? ? ? Fuck. No, fuck. No matter how I looked at it, this wasn¡¯t right. Seeing Ethan suffer a serious injury from Okam¡¯s attack, a growing sense of resentment toward this absurd situation crept up inside me. ¡®This makes no sense. None of this.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t Yongjaekis and his party supposed to deal with these guys? Why were Ethan and I, who weren¡¯t even part of the hero¡¯s party, the ones facing them, and why did we have to suffer such injuries? How were we supposed to take on enemies designed for an eight-person hero party with just the two of us? ¡®Goddamn it. This is bullshit.¡¯ This shitty, damn game. Something must have gone wrong. Maybe a glitch or bug appeared when the game became reality. Why did this keep happening¡ªlike before¡ªwhere danger suddenly appeared out of nowhere, forcing us into life-threatening situations? The unfairness of it all, and the fact that Ethan had been injured, made my anger rise uncontrobly within me. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re fighting me right now! Where the hell are you looking¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Fuck. Just what I needed¡ªthis bastardunching a surprise attack while I was already pissed off. Focusing on the sword path that Okam had suddenly revealed, I deflected his strike with my dagger, which I¡¯d coated in Shockwave. -Bang! ¡°Oh!¡± Fighting a one-on-one duel against a longsword with a dagger was generally a bad idea¡ªunless, of course, you could read the opponent¡¯s sword path perfectly. If I could predict where his sword wasing from, I could knock it aside with all my strength, even with just a dagger. ¡­For some reason, I could see his attacks as clearly as if they were drawn out in front of me. -ng! Bang! ¡°Wow, what kind of technique is this? Have you been hiding your strength this whole time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± -ng! Bang! ng! ¡°If you knew how to swing your sword like this, why didn¡¯t you do it from the start? It would¡¯ve been more fun!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Every time my dagger met Okam¡¯s de, I released a Shockwave to force his sword back. It wasn¡¯t enough to overpower him, but it did allow me to hold my ground. We were on equal footing now, but that didn¡¯t mean I had the upper hand. To defeat Okam, I needed a more decisive strike¡ªsomething that could pierce his defenses in one blow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! Where¡¯d all that energy go?! Try blocking again with your dual daggers, like before!¡± ¡°Hnnngh¡­ aaaaargh!!¡± I had to end this. And quickly. I needed to finish this as fast as possible¡­ to save Ethan, who was fighting with a severe injury. ¡®Dim Light and Shockwave for the leap.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s this petty trickery? Do you think some visual obstruction matters in a fight between Sword Experts?!¡± ¡®Arcane Arrow, Triple Casting. And Arcane Chains, with a dyed activation.¡¯ -ng! ¡°I¡¯m telling you! This cheap magic won¡¯t work on me!¡± ¡®Sharpened de, dagger throw. Sharpened de, dagger throw.¡¯ -ng! ng! ¡°What the hell?! Are you getting desperate?! Have you gotten so worked up that you¡¯re throwing your weapons away?!¡± ¡®Shockwave leap again, aided by the wind. Target: Okam¡¯s neck.¡¯ Even though I¡¯d used up all my daggers, magic wasn¡¯t going to win this fight either. So, the only option left was to get in close and finish him off. The only way to kill this pig of a man, with all that fat protecting his body, was tond a clean strike to the neck. With that thought, I aimed for Okam¡¯s neck as I descended toward him, just as Dim Light was ending, my final dagger poised to strike. -ng! But, as if expecting my move all along, Okam casually swung his sword, deflecting my final dagger. -Thud! ¡°Hnnngh¡­!!¡± -tter¡­ ¡°Was that yourst hidden weapon?! You should¡¯ve held onto it until the very end!¡± Having knocked my final weapon away, Okam grabbed me by the neck and mmed me into the ground. He sneered down at me, his face filled with that disgusting, lecherous grin as he mounted me. ¡°A feisty girl, huh? Yeah, that¡¯s what makes this fun.¡± ¡°Hnnngh¡­ hkk¡­¡± ¡°You put in a lot of effort to try andnd a blow on me, but I¡¯m not the kind of guy who lets his guard down that easily!¡± ¡°Hrrrgh¡­ Aaaaaagh!!¡± ¡°Yeah, keep struggling till the end. It¡¯s no fun if you cry too quickly¡­¡± ¡®Arcane de, Iai sh.¡¯ -Thud! ¡°¡­What?¡± Rxed and thinking he had already won, Okam hadn¡¯t expected the Arcane de I conjured to pierce his throat. Blood sprayed from his thick neck, and his head rolled to the ground as his lifeless body copsed on top of me. I kicked his corpse off me, sending it tumbling to the ground. ¡°You say you don¡¯t let your guard down, huh? Bullshit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not targeting a mage¡¯s throat from the start¡ªthat¡¯s what it means to let your guard down, you piece of shit.¡± As much as I wanted to stomp on his body until it was nothing but pulp, I didn¡¯t have time for that. Right now, my priority was helping Ethan, who was still struggling through his battle. As his personal maid, that was my duty. Chapter 357 Lilith, witnessing Ethan''s injury, awakened in rage and continued her battle against the younger Okam, a Sword Expert. Meanwhile, Ethan, despite his injuries, was also continuing his fight against the elder Okam, an Axe Expert. ...Though calling it a battle might be a bit of a stretch, as it was more akin to a one-sided massacre. A more urate description would be a chase rather than a fight.
  • Tap, tap-tap!
¡°Haah, haah, haah...¡± ¡°You look like a girl, but all you¡¯re good for is running away quickly! What a waste!¡± They were on an empty in with no trees, rocks, or buildings to provide cover. The battle between Ethan and Okam, though between two Experts, was bing more and more one-sided as time passed, and the situation was gradually turning unfavorable for Ethan. ¡®Damn it. If it weren¡¯t for this damn injury...¡¯ Had he not lost his arm trying to block the axe with his sword, there was a good chance he could¡¯ve won. He should¡¯ve used his faster footwork to gradually widen the distance from the start, instead of recklessly charging into the range of Okam''s axe. Ethan hadn¡¯t gauged his opponent¡¯s skill correctly at first, but he had also avoided using hit-and-run tactics because of the potential problems that could arise from it. He and Lilith had to face the enemy alone, without any help from others. If he had chosen to retreat, the strength of an Expert would have beenpletely redirected toward Lilith, so he had intentionally stood his ground. However, it was only after losing his arm that he realized his judgment had been wrong.
  • Thud! Thud! Thud!
¡°Hahaha! Let¡¯s see how long you can keep running like a rabbit!¡± ¡°...Damn it.¡± At least the eyes of the man chasing him seemed to have no interest in Lilith, only in him. Ethan had heard of nobles with perverse tendencies, some of whom had an excessive fondness for young men. However, he hadn¡¯t imagined that a bandit living near this remote vige would share such tastes. ...Had he known earlier, he would have used the same retreating tactics that Lilith employed. But it was far toote for regrets now.
  • Thwack!
¡°Guh, haah¡­¡± ¡°Damn, for someone so pretty, you sure are good at running away. Hah, haha¡­¡±
  • ng.
¡°Haah, haah, guh¡­¡± Ethan, who had lost his right arm, had been focusing solely on buying time, running a twisted game of cat and mouse for as long as he could. But even in perfect condition, he had been allowing Okam tond hits. In his severely injured state, there was no way he could stand against him. Eventually, the chase ended with Okam''s axe de burying itself into Ethan''s remaining arm.
  • Thud!
¡°Aaaaaargh¡­!!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can cut and run again like a lizard. Though I doubt it this time.¡± ¡°Guh, hng¡­¡±
  • Plop.
The excruciating pain, heightened by the fading effects of the painkillers, and the excessive blood loss clouded Ethan''s consciousness. With legs too fatigued to move, Ethan slumped down where he stood, quietly thinking of a woman in his mind. ¡®What happened to Lilith...?¡¯ If the twin brother was as strong as this one, even Lilith might not make it through unharmed. Ethan wished she had escaped, thinking it was better for one of them to live than for both to die namelessly in this forsaken in. And, of course, the person more precious to Ethan was Lilith. He silently hoped that, at the very least, she had made it out safely. ¡®If I had known it would end like this, I should have set up camp closer to the hero''s party.¡¯ At least then, neither he nor Lilith would have had to face these dangerous enemies. Because of his difort around the hero, he had put Lilith in danger, and now he couldn¡¯t help but resent his own decision.
  • Grab!
¡°Guh, gah!¡± ¡°Haha, if you stay still, it¡¯ll hurt less. I prefer doing it to the living rather than the dead, you see.¡± ¡°Guh, guh, gah¡­!!¡± ...Damn it. If only he could at least die a proper death, it would¡¯ve been some smallfort. But to suffer such a disgrace at the hands of a bandit with such vile tastes¡ªthis was a fate worse than death for Ethan. ¡®Really, nothing ever goes right for me...¡¯ Still, as he closed his eyes and braced for the inevitable, hoping Lilith had run far enough during the time he had stalled¡ª
  • Clink! Clink!
¡°Guh, gah?!¡±
  • Swoosh...
The sound of chains wrapping around something, followed by agonized groans, reached Ethan¡¯s ears. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize those groans belonged to Okam, the man who had just been choking him.
  • Clink!
¡°Y-you...!! Guh¡­!!¡±
  • Clink, clink!
¡°Guhhhh...!! Ka-haaa¡­!!!¡± ¡°...¡± Okam, who had been strangling Ethan moments ago, was now the one being choked by magical chains. Writhing in agony, the massive man¡¯s eyes rolled back as he copsed to the ground. Standing behind his fallen body was a maid Ethan knew all too well. ¡°...¡± ¡°...Lilith?¡±
  • Swoosh.
Lilith¡¯s eyes, glowing with madness like those of a werewolf staring at the moon, gazed down at Okam¡¯s body. With both hands, she lifted the massive axe that Okam had wielded earlier and, without hesitation, swung it down at the back of Okam¡¯s neck...
  • Thud!
¡°...¡±
  • Thud! Thud! Thud!
¡°...¡± She struck him over and over. Even though Okam was already dead, Lilith continued to bring the axe down on his corpse.
  • Thud!
¡°...Hah, hah, hah¡­¡± Finally, after severing Okam¡¯s thick neckpletely, Lilith dropped the axe, and Ethan could only stare at her in stunned silence, unable to utter a word. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not in good shape, Ethan.¡± ¡°...Sorry, Lilith.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. I should havee to help you sooner.¡± ¡°...¡± It was more than enough. Lilith had faced an Expert on her own and hade to his aid after her victory. Unlike him, she had won. Though he had served as a decoy, Lilith had practically taken down two Experts by herself¡ªa feat worthy of a hero. ¡°...Still.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just d you¡¯re alive.¡±
  • Hug.
¡°...¡± ¡°Hngh, huh¡­ Huuu¡­¡± As Lilith hugged him tightly, pouring out her pent-up emotions, Ethan quietly reflected. When he had rescued Lilith from Mechart, had she felt something simr to what he was feeling now? Having saved each other''s lives, they were bound to each other more than ever. Ethan realized that they had now be truly inseparable. ? ? ? Lilith has leveled up to 31! Lilith has leveled up to 32! ? ? ? 3 A.M. After all the battles had ended. The troublesome group that had disturbed their sleep had been thoroughly wiped out, but the wounds left behind by the battle ran far too deep. Some had their fingers cut off, others had their knees shattered, and some had even severed their own arms in the desperate fight. However, to the hero¡¯s party, even those injuries could be considered a blessing, thanks to the presence of their ally, the Saintess Ceresta. "...O all-powerful Goddess Aurelia, please bestow upon this person the miracle of healing and blessing!"
  • Whoosh!
As soon as the Saintess finished her prayer, a mystical light enveloped the right shoulder of Lord ckwood. Ethan bit down hard on his lower lip, trying to stifle his groans as the divine power painfully forced his body to regenerate. ¡°Grr, hngh...! Haaa...!!¡± Standing beside him, holding his severed arm with a worried expression, was a maid watching him silently. ¡°Please endure just a little longer, Young Master Ethan.¡± She had used Clean Magic to purify his arm, but Lilith''s maid uniform, still covered in the blood of a dozen men, remained unclean. Holding Ethan¡¯s arm as still as possible, she waited quietly for the Saintess¡¯s recovery spell to take effect. ...A few minutes passed as Ceresta¡¯s divine power seeped into the wound. ¡°Haah, haah, haah¡­¡± Through excruciating pain, as if his bones were being ground down, Ethan finally recovered his arm and exhaled the breath he had been holding. Chapter 358 ¡°For now¡­ it seems¡­ it¡¯s safely reattached, Lord ckwood.¡± ¡°Haa, haa¡­ Thank you, Saintess Ceresta.¡± Ethan had somehow managed to retrieve and reattach his lost arm. Lilith had feared that Ethan¡¯s injury might get worse or that they wouldn¡¯t be able to reattach his arm, but thankfully, things hadn¡¯t turned out so direly. It was a relief, to say the least. ¡°Are you in your right mind, Young Master Ethan? How could a Sword Expert, especially a dual-wielding one, even consider sacrificing an arm?¡± ¡°¡­Maybe because I¡¯m a dual-wielding Sword Expert, Lilith. After all, having a sword in each hand means that even if I lose one arm, I can still fight with the other.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°¡­That was a joke. Wasn¡¯t it funny?¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved. If you had been serious, I was considering breaking your other arm as well.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s a joke too, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I knew that¡­¡± Really, she knew how to make someone¡¯s heart skip a beat. When Lilith had hurried to assist him after finishing off the younger Okam, seeing Ethan with his shoulderpletely severed had made her feel as if all the blood in her body had drained out. ¡®Thank goodness Ethan¡¯s arm wasn¡¯t far away. If it had been damaged by a stray sword or stepped on during the battle¡­¡¯ If his arm had been injured beyond the point of reattachment, the recklessness of his actions would have been unforgivable. Even though he had been sessfully treated, it wasn¡¯t an injury one could simply brush off as ¡°lucky.¡± ¡°Haa, please make sure to rest your right armpletely for a while, Lord ckwood. Lifting a spoon is fine, but you¡¯re not allowed to swing a sword or axe for the time being, understood¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I understand, Saintess Ceresta.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly shocked. What did you do to end up more injured than the hero?¡± ¡°¡­I was just weaker, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°A bandit who introduced himself as Okam, part of a twin duo, attacked both me and the young master, Miss Agnes. Both were at Expert level, so it was inevitable that Young Master Ethan would be injured during the fight.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to sugarcoat it so much, Lilith. I just faced an Expert one-on-one and lost.¡± ¡°...¡± It seemed losing a battle between two Experts was weighing heavily on his mind. Of course, it didn¡¯t make sense topare Ethan, who had barely been an Expert for a year, to the Okam twins, who had likely been Experts for at least four or five years. The Okam twins were clearly seasoned Experts, with far more experience in realbat and taking down opponentspared to Ethan. ¡­The issue, however, was that I had beaten both Okam brothers in my one-on-one fights.@@novelbin@@ Even though I had used my knowledge from my previous life to catch them off guard and used Ethan as bait to ambush them, it didn¡¯t change the fact that I had won, and Ethan had lost. In practice duels, Ethan had always overwhelmed me, but in real battle, he had ended up losing miserably, so today¡¯s oue had to feel especially bitter for him. ¡°Ugh, hngh¡­!! Haaa¡­!!¡± After treating the most severe injury¡ªthe severed right arm¡ªEthan moved on to treating the wound on his left arm, which had been cut into by Okam¡¯s axe. Fortunately, the de hadn¡¯t gone too deep into his left arm, so treating it wasn¡¯t too difficult. Although it was still painful, judging by the way Ethan bit down on his lower lip, trying to suppress his groans. Next in line for Ceresta¡¯s healing was the knight with thepletely shattered knee, Thomas, who had been impaled by a spear, and Natalie, who had lost four fingers on her left hand. It was clear that even the hero¡¯s party had suffered just as much as we did, as Seraphin and Luke also bore minor injuries on their legs and hands. Though the rear support team had been unharmed, none of the front-line fighters had escaped without injuries, which indicated just how intense the battle had been. There was no point inining about the fact that they hadn¡¯te to assist us. ¡®If anything, Ethan and I being here might have been a stroke of luck.¡¯ If Ethan and I hadn¡¯t been here, the hero¡¯s party would have had to face not only Huma but also the Okam twins on their own. In the worst-case scenario, they might have been wiped out. For my sake, and for the sake of my peaceful life in this world, the hero¡¯s party absolutely cannot die. I need them to defeat the Demon King, so I don¡¯t get dragged into that event. ¡®I still need to figure out how realitypares to the game, but¡­¡¯ For now, the only thing to focus on is helping Ethan recover from his injuries. What I initially thought would be just a light-hearted academic exploration has turned into a battle for survival, and all I can hope for now is to get through this week without further incident. ? ? ? As I¡¯ve mentioned once before, Lilith was positioned as an all-around support character in Luminor Academy. Her primary role was buff magic, but she could also be equipped with daggers to serve as a secondarybatant. While her low Luck stat made her attack magic inefficient, she could contract with spirits and act as a spirit summoner. And most importantly, even though she had lost her qualifications, she had once been deemed worthy of bing a Saintess. As a result, Lilith possessed recovery magic that ordinary mages couldn¡¯t learn. ¡®I really didn¡¯t want to invest more points into support magic.¡¯ As a solo adventurer, offensive magic was obviously more advantageous, so I had intended to focus on that. After all, support magic wouldn¡¯t be of much use once I graduated from the Academy. But since Ethan hade so close to death and needed to recover quickly before the Humanities Exploration Event was over, I had no choice but to learn the Tier 3 support magic, Aura of Healing, and use it on Ethan. And to maximize the effectiveness of this healing aura, there was one critical requirement: physical contact with the person receiving the spell. ¡°I clearly told you to take off your clothes, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡­Just to rify, this is absolutely not an act to fulfill some selfish desire. The Aura of Healing skill that I possess increases its effectiveness the closer the physical contact between the caster and the person receiving the spell. Aura of Healing: Recovers injuries of surrounding characters within range of the caster. The closer the physical distance between the caster and the target, the more the healing effect increases exponentially. The aura¡¯s effect increases not just proportionally but exponentially with proximity. Even something as thin as a piece of cloth between the caster and the target would significantly reduce its effectiveness. Naturally, the design of this skill was meant for Luminor Academy''s service scenes. The premise of maximizing physical contact was an easy excuse to justify the protagonist and Lilith being naked together for healing. Additionally, if I wanted to heal the other female characters¡¯ injuries at the same time, it would provide a convenient reason to embrace multiple women naked. It might seem like an absurd and embarrassing scene, but the effect was undeniable, and for Ethan''s recovery, I needed to use Aura of Healing to its fullest potential. ¡°Uh, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit inappropriate to undress out here, Lilith? Even though we¡¯re in a tent, this is still outside, and the hero and the others are in the next tent.¡± ¡°What kind of misunderstanding are you having, Young Master Ethan? I¡¯ve exined several times that this is purely a healing spell.¡± ¡°I-I get that. I don¡¯t doubt what you¡¯re saying, Lilith, but still, doing this here¡­¡± After losing the battle, it seemed the maiden side of Ethan¡¯s heart had awakened. Despite my persuasion, he hesitated to undress, showing a strangely bashful attitude. ¡°If you¡¯re going to act all shy and unmanly, then I¡¯ll go first.¡±
  • Swoosh.
¡°Lilith¡­?¡± Thinking that if I got naked first, Ethan might be less embarrassed, I began taking off my clothes, one piece at a time, in front of him. Chapter 359 Late at night. After the intense battle with the bandit group, the time when everyone had gone back to sleep. With the exception of Agnes, who was currently standing watch for the hero''s party, everyone had returned to their respective tents. This meant that now, no one would notice anything that Ethan and I did inside this tent. ¡°Are you really going to take it off?¡± ¡°If you raise your voice, the hero''s party in the tent next door might notice.¡± ¡°¡­Can''t we just be in close contact with our clothes on, Lilith?¡± ¡°As I mentioned earlier, Aura of Healing works best when we are skin-to-skin, Young Master Ethan. And I¡¯m merely using the most efficient method by pressing the parts of my body with the most skin to yours.¡± Lilith¡¯s body had been designed to be sensual and visually captivating from the start. If I had a more androgynous body like Agnes or Luke, it might have been different, but to maximize the effect, especially by pressing my chest against him, undressing was the most effective option. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve been naked outdoors, is it? Have you forgotten the six days we spent during the Natural Science Exploration ss, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, I haven¡¯t forgotten. I couldn¡¯t forget even if I tried.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to overthink it. After all, this tent and our sleeping bags will hide all our secrets, so there¡¯s no reason to worry.¡± Ethan had already experienced six days of living with nothing but a rock for shade and a river for bathing, in a home that allowed light to seep through gaps in the branches with no walls to cover his body. But now, they weren¡¯t fully outside; they were in a tent, and within that tent, they were only going to undress inside the sleeping bag, so the psychological resistance should be much less. Since the bandit attack had already happened, there was no reason to move the tent again, and it was still positioned about fifty meters away from the tents of the hero¡¯s party. ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The Humanities Exploration ss hasn¡¯t even started yet, Young Master. You need to recover quickly if you want to help the others and protect the vige of Bridget.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Ethan also didn¡¯t want to be a burden during the ss. He wanted to contribute, and the best way to do that was to ept the fastest possible recovery method. As I began undressing down to my undergarments, Ethan, after some persuasion, resolved himself and quietly began removing his jacket, now missing one sleeve.
  • Swoosh.
¡°¡­We¡¯re just going to lie close, right?¡± ¡°I have more self-control than you do, Young Master, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s probably not true, but fine. I got it.¡± There were only about three or four hours left before they¡¯d be setting off again by carriage in the morning. It wasn¡¯t enough time to fully benefit from the Aura of Healing, but it was certainly better than doing nothing. As Ethan undressed piece by piece, I also removed the remaining clothing from my body, and I pressed myself as close as possible to him inside the sleeping bag, slowly pulling the zipper from the bottom to the top.
  • Squish.
¡°Hnngh.¡±
  • Rub, rub.
¡°Haa¡­ ha¡­¡± We had sessfully gotten into the same sleeping bag, pressing our bodies together and zipping it up. Of course, with both of us naked, pressing this close inevitably meant that several awkward body parts were touching, and a certain healthy, manly part of Ethan¡¯s body had begun to react beneath me. ¡°No matter how much your body insists otherwise, Young Master, I n to sleep, regardless of your desires.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t help it, Lilith. Even if we weren¡¯t naked, being this close to you would make me react.¡± Well, that was understandable. It wasn¡¯t something he could control physically. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t just Ethan. Even I was feeling a little reaction from pressing this close. ¡­But since my body''s response wasn¡¯t as obvious or tactile as a man¡¯s, Ethan didn¡¯t notice. Of course, the reason we were in this situation was purely for healing, and I had no intention of doing anything inappropriate. Making noise in the middle of the night would be embarrassing if it reached the hero¡¯s party, and it wouldn¡¯t help Ethan¡¯s recovery either. ¡®Besides, the sleeping bag is too tight to allow for any movement.¡¯ So, for now, this would be enough. I would have to control myself until Ethan was fully healed. Thinking that, I wrapped my arms around Ethan¡¯s back and pressed my chest as closely as possible to his upper body.
  • Thump, thump thump, thump¡­
Our heartbeats were so close that it was hard to tell whose was whose.@@novelbin@@ The next morning. ¡°Both Lady Rosewood and Lord ckwood look exhausted.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The next morning, after spending the night pressed closely together for healing, we both felt sluggish and worn out. When that person from the hero¡¯s party made thatment, neither Ethan nor I could respond. The tension of spending the night with our bodies pressed together had kept us both awake, and neither of us had slept well. ¡°You look like a couple of idiots. Did you stay up all night doing who-knows-what?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding, Miss Agnes. It¡¯s true that Young Master Ethan and I were together all night, but it was purely for his treatment. There were no inappropriate intentions.¡± Though I reflexively denied the baseless usation from Agnes, Ethan seemed even more embarrassed by my words than by hers. ¡°Lilith, maybe we didn¡¯t need to exin that ourselves.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Ahem, I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t overexert yourself before you¡¯re fully healed, Lord ckwood¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Saintess Ceresta. Nothing inappropriate happened.¡± Thomas, who had always been awkward with these kinds of situations, avoided eye contact, while Ceresta, the most reserved of the women, blushed as she added a priestly reminder. The other women reacted ording to their personalities: some blushed slightly, while others showed little interest or just listened half-heartedly. The only exception was Natalie, who seemedpletely oblivious. ¡°So, Lady Lilith stayed by Lord Ethan¡¯s side all night to heal him? You¡¯re a model maid, Lady Lilith! You should be proud!¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­ Thank you, Miss Natalie¡­¡± Her cluelessness was truly impressive. Natalie was almost twenty-two by now, and yet... Feeling a bit ufortable, Ethan and I finished our breakfast in silence, concerned for Thomas, who would have to deal with her in the future. ¡°Are you two leaving soon? You¡¯re heading to Bridget Vige, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you follow behind our carriages? It would be safer to travel together in case we run into any more bandits.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not a bad idea. Thank you for the consideration, Hero.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. After all, we owe you forst night. And Lilith even took care of the breakfast cleanup.¡± That person naturally suggested we travel together, and Ethan epted without much objection. Perhaps fighting amon enemy the night before had forged some kind of bond, as the previous tension between them seemed to have dissipated. In fact, it almost felt like the opposite. ¡°Ahem. Since you¡¯re also taking the Humanities Exploration ss, why don¡¯t we work together for this session? What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking me?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re the leader of your party, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± The hero looked surprised at Ethan¡¯s gesture of friendship, as if he hadn¡¯t expected Ethan to extend the offer first. I, too, was a bit puzzled by Ethan¡¯s sudden change of heart. ¡®He used to get irritated just hearing about the hero.¡¯ It seemed like the hero¡¯s actions over thest few encounters had left a good impression on him. And considering Ethan needed to recover for a while, it was a practical decision to join forces with the hero¡¯s party for the time being. ¡°If you¡¯re suggesting it, then I¡¯m fine with it. We could use the extra help.¡± ¡°Good. Thank you.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you, Lord ckwood.¡± ¡°¡­You can call me Ethan.¡± ¡°Alright then, Ethan. And Lady Lilith, too.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could call Lilith by her first name, Hero.¡± ¡°¡­Right. Ethan and Lady Rosewood, then.¡± After correcting him on how to address me, Ethan finally shook hands with the hero. Really, Ethan liked me far too much for his own good. Chapter 361 Three Days in Bridget Vige with the Hero¡¯s Party As expected, until the third night before the final battle with the bandits, we had to diligentlyplete the tasks assigned for the Humanities Exploration ss. If I started telling the vigers things like, "The bandits will attack again on the night of the third day, so we need to prepare," and neglected the basic ss assignments, it would inevitably reflect poorly on my grades. Even though finding the spy and subjugating the bandits made up half of our total grade, we couldn¡¯t just abandon the other tasks while waiting for thest day. ¡°Hey, Bart! Could you move this wood over here?¡± ¡°Yes! Please wait a moment!¡± ¡°Mas! I think we need more bricks over here!¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I¡¯m bringing them right away!¡± ¡°Seri? It¡¯s almost dinnertime, and we¡¯re short on hands. Could you help prepare the meal at the orphanage?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­! I-I¡¯ve prepared meals at the church before, so leave it to me¡­!¡± ¡°Huh? The church?¡± ¡°Ah, w-well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Seri, like me, grew up in the same orphanage. She¡¯s always had a good heart, so she listened well to the adults there.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why Seri and Sera¡¯s names are so simr¡­ because you¡¯re both from the same orphanage.¡± In reality, Serista and Seraphine were frompletely different backgrounds, but the vige residents didn¡¯t seem to find that odd. Since we were all pretending to bemoner students, everyone participating in this ss was using aliases, just like that. Aside from the ones just mentioned, Silena went by Lena, Luke became Kru, Agnes used Nes, and Natalie went by Ria¡ªeveryone shortened or slightly altered their original names. It was hard to guess anyone¡¯s real name just from their alias, but the names were simple enough for everyone to recognize themselves. As for me, my alias wasn¡¯t Lily, but ''Ris.'' Originally, I intended to keep using the alias ''Lily,'' but Ethan didn¡¯t seem too fond of that idea. Lily had be a sort of pet name between us, something we only called each other when we were on equal terms. He probably didn¡¯t like the idea of someone else calling me that. ¡®Honestly, if he gets jealous over something so trivial, I wonder how he¡¯ll manageter.¡¯ So, I made Ethan¡¯s alias ''Dan'' instead of ''Ed.'' Give and take, right? Anyway, from the moment we arrived at the vige, we didn¡¯t have time to rest as we all worked on restoring the vige. My task in the vige restoration effort was to help strengthen the townspeople¡¯s defense capabilities in case of an emergency. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s practice the moves we¡¯ve learned so far. One, draw the dagger hidden in your skirt with your right hand. Two, bring the dagger behind your back and stab your opponent from behind.¡± ng! ¡°Ah, I dropped it again¡­¡± ¡°Me too. It looked so easy when you did it, Ris¡­¡± It was a simple move¡ªjust drawing the dagger hidden in your clothes and stabbing in one swift motion¡ªbut even this caused many to struggle during the training. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Women from a rural vige like this had probably held kitchen knives or axes more often than daggers. It would take more than one night to get used to the feel of a short de like this. ¡°Do we really have to go this far? What if we make a mistake and something terrible happens?¡± ¡°If you try to resist carelessly, it could be even more dangerous. That¡¯s why you need to learn how to defend yourselves properly.¡± ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just stay still if we¡¯re taken hostage?¡± ¡°You must remember that the bandits are after more than just money or food. Those scum will take anything of value, and in an isted vige like this, the most valuable thing they can easily get their hands on is ¡®women¡¯ like us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t prepare to defend yourselves, you¡¯ll be the ones who end up suffering. And if you get taken hostage, others won¡¯t be able to act because they¡¯ll be worried about your safety. To save your life, dozens of people might be sacrificed, and in the end, you¡¯ll be dragged off by some filthy men, your honor and dignity destroyed, only to be sold off for the price of a few cows to live the rest of your life as someone¡¯s ything. If that¡¯s what you want, feel free to stop now.¡± ¡°N-no¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The woman, who had initially been reluctant to handle any de other than a kitchen knife, now gripped the dagger firmly once more. You might think I went too far with my scare tactics, but it was necessary. I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch as innocent vigers got ughtered because one woman was taken hostage. The fewer sacrifices we made while subjugating the bandits, the better our grades would be for the Humanities Exploration ss, and we¡¯d also gain more experience points as a result. ...Though, of course, the primary goal is to save as many lives as possible, since human life is precious. Swish! Swish! Swish! ¡°¡­¡± And among the group of women learning self-defense from me, there was one person whose eyes burned with unusual intensity. A woman with brown hair braided on both sides, gripping a sword in one hand, asked me a question. ¡°¡­May I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes, miss?¡± ¡°Instead of this weak technique of stabbing from behind, how do I slice my opponent¡¯s throat from the front?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to just defend myself. I want to learn swordsmanship that I can use in directbat. Pretending to be weak and killing them might work once or twice, but after that, they¡¯ll be on guard. I want to learn how to kill them for good¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I can¡¯t teach you that kind of swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m teaching self-defense to help you avoid the worst-case scenario. If you manage to save your life once with self-defense, you should consider that yourst chance and focus solely on escaping. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t teach you anything other than defensive techniques. If I taught you how to fight, you might try something dangerous against a strong man and end up getting hurt.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡­Now that I think about it, that woman I just talked to¡ªshe was definitely one of the ¡®cooperation candidates¡¯ from the original game. I¡¯ll have to remember that. This was only the first day in Bridget Vige. To figure out which of the three candidates was the spy, I¡¯d need to gather more evidence. The rest of the day passed, and that night, we all gathered in the vige hall for an exchange of information we had gathered on the first day. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m exhausted. All day it was moving wood, bricks, and heavy loads.¡± ¡°My body is sore too. Tomorrow, we¡¯re supposed to start repairing the buildings, but I wonder if my shoulders can handle it¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t help as much as you did.¡± Among the men who had been sent to do heavy lifting, Ethan seemed to have done the least work. Ethan, looking a bit apologetic, was quietly reassured by Geffma and Thomas, who shook their heads in understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Ethan¡ªI mean, Dan. You¡¯re still recovering from your injury fromst night.¡± ¡°Honestly, if it hadn¡¯t been for what you and Ris didst night, we would¡¯ve been in danger, so there¡¯s no need to feel bad.¡± Ethan was still healing from his injury, so his right arm was out ofmission. He could handle a fork and knife, but wielding a log or sword was impossible for now. ording to Serista, his arm would probably be fully healed by the final day, just in time for the bandit subjugation. Until then, Ethan needed to save his strength. ¡­Of course, for him to heal faster, I¡¯d have to use the Aura of Healing.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Dan,e over here.¡± ¡°Ris?¡± Squish. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I pulled Ethan¡¯s right arm close to my body, cradling it between my breasts on purpose. Though there weren¡¯t enough rooms to sleep fully naked, I could at least help heal his injury like this. Serista and Thomas, startled by the sight, quickly looked away, while Agnes grimaced as if disgusted, but I didn¡¯t care to stop. Chapter 362 "Anyway, how was your day? Did anyone notice anything strange or suspicious?" Gepmajo Segiquat, as the leader of the party, naturally shifted the conversation to the reason we had gathered together. I hesitated, wondering if I should be the first to speak, but Serista, who had just returned from volunteering at the orphanage, spoke up first. ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t really notice anything unusual at the orphanage.¡± Serista had spent the entire afternoon at the orphanage with Seraphine, but honestly, her answer wasn¡¯t the most reliable. Serista was naturally very trusting of others, and her personality was somewhat weak, so she wasn¡¯t the type to be suspicious of people. It was better to take her opinion with a grain of salt and instead listen to what Seraphine, who had been with her all day, had to say. ¡°Well, the orphanage director, Mr. Hancurton, seemed a bit suspicious.¡± ¡°¡­W-What?! But he¡¯s such a kind man, running an orphanage in this small vige¡­ How could you say he¡¯s suspicious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why he¡¯s suspicious, Seri. Why would he run an orphanage in a remote vige with so few people? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Running an orphanage is a costly endeavor, Seri. You can¡¯t support dozens of people, especially those who can¡¯t work, on your own. You¡¯d need either a wealthy noble, a merchant, or some other powerful backer. And those kinds of people usually set up orphanages in ces with more people, so they can show off their charity and attract more donations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But setting up an orphanage in a remote vige with barely any people? There are only two reasons for that. Either he¡¯s an obsessive do-gooder who doesn¡¯t want his good deeds known, or he¡¯s up to something shady that he doesn¡¯t want anyone to see.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not right to suspect someone based only on circumstantial evidence¡­! What if Mr. Hancurton really is just a kind man running the orphanage out of the goodness of his heart¡­?¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s who he¡¯ll turn out to be. But we can¡¯t afford to dismiss suspicion. It¡¯s better to suspect someone and be wrong than to ignore a strong suspect and let the whole vige fall to the bandits.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Serista fell silent, unable to argue with Seraphine¡¯s sound reasoning. To break the ufortable silence, Gepmajo Segiquat quickly followed up with his own thoughts. ¡°I have someone I suspect as well. The person I¡¯m most suspicious of is the vige chief, old man Rombel.¡± ¡°Old man Rombel? But he was the one who gave us the letter from the professor¡­! If he were working with the bandits, why would he have handed over such important information?¡± ¡°It could¡¯ve been a way to deflect suspicion. Maybe he really can¡¯t read, as he ims.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s also the one who let us stay in the vige hall while we¡¯re here¡­ Would someone really do that if they were working with bandits?¡± ¡°Well, considering how remote this vige is, the vige hall often serves as an inn for any travelers. And maybe the bandits¡¯ goal isn¡¯t just to take over Bridget Vige.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Remember, we were attacked by bandits the night before we arrived in this vige. Not only our party but also Dan and Ris, who were supposed to be traveling separately, were attacked. With the strength they showed in that ambush, why didn¡¯t the bandits just take over Bridget Vige directly? I think their goal is bigger than just this vige.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what could it be? What other goal do the bandits have?¡± Even in the original game, the bandits¡¯ goal wasn¡¯t simply to take over Bridget Vige. Of course, if the hero''s party were to lose, the humanities professor who¡¯s been quietly observing the situation would likely step in and resolve things. But still, it didn¡¯t hurt to keep everyone on high alert. ¡°Bart¡¯s party has some stunningly beautiful women, even by noble standards. Girls like us fetch a high price anywhere.¡± ¡°P-Please don¡¯t talk like that¡­ I mean, calling yourself amodity¡­¡± ¡°Ris, you shouldn¡¯t refer to yourself as a product like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not untrue. If I tried to sugarcoat it, Seri might not fully grasp the situation. And since I¡¯ve experienced being sold for money before, I think it¡¯s best for everyone to take this seriously.¡± ¡°¡­Ahem, anyway, I think it¡¯s still too early to fully clear our suspicions about vige chief Rombel. We need to observe the situation a bit longer.¡± Gepmajo Segiquat, looking slightly flustered, quickly wrapped up the discussion. As the meeting drew to a close, Agnes turned to me with a curious look. ¡°You? You spent all day with the vige women. Did you notice anything?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Was there anyone suspicious among them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say for sure. There was someone who acted a little strange during my swordsmanship ss, though. It¡¯s been bothering me.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Could I wait until tomorrow to give you a clearer answer? I want to observe the situation a bit more.¡± Since the hero knew I was a possessor and that I¡¯d yed through the original game 25 times, he probably understood what I meant. Gepmajo Segiquat nodded slightly at my request to dy my judgment on the final suspect. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sure you have your reasons, Ris.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Come on, Dan, don¡¯t re at me just because I used her alias.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± Ugh, how childish his jealousy was. Not that I minded it, really. After the short meeting, everyone dispersed back to their rooms. Despite there being four women in the room, it wasn¡¯t as noisy as I had expected. Instead, it was surprisingly quiet, with each of us focused on our own tasks. Scratch, scratch. Scrape, scrape. Flip, flip. Tug, tug. Luke was sharpening his daggers, which he hadn¡¯t had time to maintain after the bandit fight the night before. Seraphine was writing in her diary, as she did every night, to distinguish between the memories she saw through her future vision and what had actually happened.@@novelbin@@ Agnes, perched on her bed, was reading a magic book she had pulled out of her bag, unwilling to waste even a minute of time. And then there was me, mending Ethan¡¯s torn clothes with the sewing skills I had learned while working at ckwood Manor. Despite there being four women in the room, it was even more silent than the men¡¯s room. ¡®Well, with Serista and Natalie in the other room, I guess it¡¯s no surprise.¡¯ If either of them had been in this room, they would¡¯ve at least forced some conversation, so it wouldn¡¯t have been so quiet. But Luke and Agnes were never the type to start a conversation, and Seraphine was always too focused on her diary when writing to initiate anything. As for me, I was too busy mending Ethan¡¯s clothes to say much. After all, we hadn¡¯te to Bridget Vige to chat andugh together. I focused on sewing, figuring the silence wouldst until Seraphine finished writing. But surprisingly, it was Agnes who broke the silence first. ¡°Lil¡­ I mean, Ris.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That thing in your hands, is that Dan¡¯s clothing?¡± ¡°Yes. It got pretty torn up during the bandit attackst night. I¡¯m no professional tailor, but I need to at least get it in wearable condition for him.¡± ¡°¡­Where did you get the needle and thread?¡± ¡°I always carry some with me, just in case. As a maid, you never know when you might need it.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°When I travel, I try to bring anything I think might be useful. Bandages and potions in case of an emergency, snacks for when Dan gets hungry, and even a schedule I¡¯ve written down to keep track of his appointments¡ªI always keep those on me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Since I carry these things around, theye in handy every now and then. I thought it was a pretty normal response for a maid, but at some point, everyone in the room had started staring at me. Chapter 363 I had only mentioned the minimum supplies I carried as Ethan¡¯s maid, but I could feel the three pairs of eyes on me shining for different reasons. ¡°You go that far? Seriously, you two are such a hopeless couple.¡± ¡°Indeed. It seems that to maintain the basic dignity of a maid, one must go to that extent. Thank you for the insight, Ris.¡± ¡°¡­So the rumors at the academy about you being a ¡®genius of seduction¡¯ weren¡¯t just empty words after all. Hmm¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure why everyone is looking at me like that, but as Kru said, what I do is simply the bare minimum expected of a maid. It¡¯s not because Dan is special or anything.¡± ¡°If that was the bare minimum, then over 90% of the imperial maids would be fired, Ris.¡± ¡°Leave her be. They¡¯re just a hopeless couple. When you''re head over heels, there¡¯s nothing you wouldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Are there any other minimum duties? As Seraphine¡¯s maid, I¡¯d love to learn from you, Ris.¡± Despite my im that there was nothing special about it, no one seemed to believe me. Only Luke appeared to understand what I was saying, so I limited my exnations to her, describing the preparations I usually made as Ethan¡¯s personal maid. ¡°If you¡¯re the personal maid of a noble or royalty, you should of course have the necessarybat skills. I¡¯m not saying Kru is weak, but you should always be ready to draw your sword at a moment¡¯s notice if there¡¯s a threat. And while this doesn¡¯t apply to Seraphine, you also need to be prepared for situations where young men¡¯s desires might re up, so in my case¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting further and further away from being a normal personal maid, Ris. What kind of maid are you? A personal bodyguard-sh-maid-sh¡­ whatever else you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Since I had no real retort, I simply avoided their gazes. I mean, it¡¯s not like bodyguarding or helping with¡­ certain urges was my main duty. It just came with the job.@@novelbin@@ Thinking such thoughts, I neatly folded Ethan¡¯s shirt, which I had just finished mending, and began working on his academy uniform jacket. ¡°Ahem, Ris.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to win Dan¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°¡­Dan and me?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s purely for reference. There aren¡¯t many couples at the academy as close as you and Dan. I thought maybe you had some secret to improving rtionships.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± So she wanted advice on how to get closer to Gepmajo? Honestly, it was a request I had no desire to grant. Knowing what I did about the hero¡¯s true intentions and future ns, I certainly didn¡¯t want Seraphine and him to get closer. ¡®A harem, fine, I could begrudgingly ept that. But abandoning three women after saving them? That¡¯s just too much.¡¯ I had no intention of helping that guy in any way, but since Seraphine had worked up the courage to ask, I couldn¡¯t just outright reject her. ¡­Well, what could I do? I¡¯d just share a little story about me and Ethan. And maybe make sure it would make things a bit more difficult for Gepmajo. ¡°Would you believe me if I said I seduced him with my body, Seraphine?¡± ¡°¡­W-What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. I used my body to seduce Dan and close the distance between us. It all started with letting him touch my chest.¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±¡± As soon as I mentioned seduction, the three pairs of eyes zeroed in on me. It seems that no matter the world, sexual stories are a topic that draws universal interest. I then went on to exin in more detail how I had seduced Ethan, recalling the memories. ¡°It started with just letting him touch my chest. At the time, I had a favor to ask of Dan, and all I had to offer was my body, including myrge breasts.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Thanks to using my body as leverage, I achieved my goal. But the problem came afterward. After giving a man in his prime a taste, Dan became obsessed, thinking of my chest 24/7.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I do recall hearing from my mother that men are quite weak when ites to women¡¯s breasts¡­¡± Agnes and Luke, who had less to show in the chest department, seemed to lose interest, but Seraphine only grew more curious, eager to learn about the things that had happened between Ethan and me. Thinking about how flustered Gepmajo would be if Seraphine tried a simr approach made me smile as I continued recounting my story. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a bit vulgar to just sh your breasts with no context. That¡¯s why, at the time, I added a condition when I let Dan touch them.¡± ¡°A condition¡­?¡± ¡°Dan had tond a single valid strike in his sword duel against his father. If he seeded, he¡¯d earn the right to touch my chest for one minute.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ you mean Dan¡¯s father, as in the current head of the academy¡¯s swordsmanship department?¡± ¡°Yes, the very same professor you¡¯re thinking of.¡± Setting a condition like thatnd a hit on a Swordmaster just to touch a woman¡¯s chest¡ªmight seem extreme, but young men¡¯s desires can be overwhelming. ¡­Of course, at the time, I thought it would be impossible for him to achieve, which is why I set the condition. ¡°Thanks to that challenge, Dan pushed himself to the limit, improving his swordsmanship significantly. Now, he¡¯s one of the top swordsmen at the academy. And of course, I¡¯ve never once failed to reward him as promised.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Gulp. ¡°Of course, given your status, Seraphine, this might not be the easiest method for you to use. But I can assure you, men are all weak for breasts. If you use this well, you might find it helpful in seducing Bart.¡± ¡°¡­Have I ever mentioned Bart to you before, Ris?¡± ¡°Well, you can just tell by watching from the sidelines. Besides, Nes and Kru probably noticed as well, right?¡± ¡°As Seraphine¡¯s maid, it¡¯s only natural that I would know.¡± ¡°Seraphine sometimes acts like you do in front of Bart, so it¡¯s not hard to figure out.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure what you mean by ¡®acting like me,¡¯ Nes.¡± ¡°Really? Then maybe you should think back on how you¡¯ve behaved around Dan. Just a while ago, you were pressing your chest against him and getting all lovey-dovey.¡± ¡­That wasn¡¯t affection. It was treatment. But knowing Agnes wouldn¡¯t ept that exnation, I decided to ignore her and move on. ¡°If you can use your chest well, you can seduce the hero¡­¡± ¡­Well, with that thought nted in Seraphine¡¯s head, Gepmajo is going to have a rough time. If he recklessly goes around seducing multiple women, he deserves the consequences. On the second day of our volunteer work in Bridget Vige, nothing changed in our tasks from the first day. I was once again busy teaching the vige women self-defense with daggers. Swish! Swish! Swish! ¡°Great! That was awesome just now! Keep swinging smoothly, like water!¡± On the first day, no one could follow along, but after a full day of practice, some of the women were starting to get the hang of it. Of course, they weren¡¯t perfect yet, and in a real situation, they¡¯d likely struggle. Repeated training was crucial for improvement. ¡®If they can practice for one more day, they should be able to defend themselves, at least to some extent.¡¯ As I watched over the women¡¯s dagger drills, a sharp, exasperated voice reached my ears. ng! ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t do this anymore! What¡¯s the point of all this?!¡± A woman with light green hair, who had dropped her dagger to the ground, beganining irritably. She had been the same one who protested on the first day, saying she didn¡¯t want to do this. ¡°Why should we prepare for another bandit attack? They¡¯ve already retreated! There¡¯s no reason for them toe back to this vige! If they had any sense, they wouldn¡¯t return to a ce like this!¡± Her words, filled with frustration, seemed to unsettle the other women, causing them to lose focus. Before I could intervene, someone else stepped in, approaching her faster than I could. Before I had a chance to react, the sound of a loud p echoed through the air. Smack! ¡°Ahhh?!¡± ¡®¡­That woman.¡¯ She was the one who had asked me on the first day if I could teach herbat techniques instead of just self-defense. ¡°Shut up. If you don¡¯t want to do it, then leave quietly and stop disrupting the others. As for me, I¡¯ll kill those bastards no matter what it takes.¡± The moment when one of the bandits'' coborators hiding among the vige women started to make her move. Chapter 364 A woman with light green hair, who had copsed to the ground, whining about how pointless the self-defense ss was. And another woman with brown hair who had pped her across the face, disrupting the ss. Watching the coborator finally start making moves, I quietly confirmed my suspicions. ¡®I had a feeling something was off from the first day, and seeing her cause this kind of disturbance makes me almost certain now.¡¯ At first nce, it seemed like she was participating in the dagger training, but her real goal was to create a bad atmosphere and prevent the women from learning any self-defense skills. This was a ssic sabotage event carried out by a bandit coborator in the Luminar Academy''s Humanities Exploration ss. At this point, it was almost certain that she was the coborator, caught in the act. ¡®I¡¯d love to kick both of them out of the self-defense ss right now.¡¯ But if I did that, it would likely cause others to leave as well. I had a feeling that about half of the women here shared the same doubts as the green-haired woman. If I kicked her out, it would create an atmosphere where people thought, ¡®If I don¡¯t want to do it, I don¡¯t have to,¡¯ and the other women who had some interest in learning self-defense would start dropping out. "Teaching self-defense to the vige women" was part of our graded assignments, and if I didn¡¯tplete it properly, the bandit fight would result in many casualties. That¡¯s exactly what the coborator wanted, and I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. ¡®On the other hand, siding with the brown-haired woman and scolding the green-haired one wouldn¡¯t work either.¡¯ Roughly half the women here probably agreed with the brown-haired woman¡¯s aggressive stance. If I backed her up, it might encourage them to adopt her harsh attitude¡ªcriticizing the women who were slower to learn or giving a hard time to anyone who struggled. That would also ruin the ss atmosphere and stop me from achieving my goal. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?! And what did I say that was so wrong?! Why do we need to waste time learning how to swing a pointless dagger?!¡± ¡°And what happens if the bandits attack again? Are we all going to get captured and killed together? Didn¡¯t you hear what Ris said yesterday? You want to be taken and live the rest of your life as some filthy bandits'' ything?¡± ¡°Still, you didn¡¯t have to hit me! What am I supposed to do? It¡¯s exhausting as it is with all the vige restoration work! Why waste our strength on something unnecessary?!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°You¡¯ll have to learn this eventually. Isn¡¯t it better to learn while the academy instructors are still here? Once they leave, if the banditse again, our vige won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°But did you really have to hit Mel?! There¡¯s no need to make things this hostile¡­¡± ¡°I think Lisa did the right thing. Those bastards killed my father, trying to protect me. If I¡¯d known how to defend myself, that wouldn¡¯t have happened¡­¡± The women were already starting to divide into two camps, each siding with either Lisa or Mel. No matter which side I supported, the ss would fall apart. The best course of action in this case was to punish both Lisa and Mel. ¡°Enough! Stop this pointless argument, both of you.¡± ¡°But she used violence first¡­!¡± ¡°She ruined the ss atmosphere first¡­¡± ¡°The self-defense ss will continue. But right now, both of you are preventing it from moving forward. So, I¡¯m asking you to stop.¡± ¡°She started it¡­!¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one¡­!¡± Grab, grab. ¡°¡­Ugh, you bitches. Can you just shut up already?¡± I couldn¡¯t let this argument go on forever, so I grabbed both of them by the neck in front of everyone. Sometimes you have to take a hard stance to restore order in a chaotic situation. Choke, choke. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°You dumb bitches. Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying unless I spell it out for you? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you just did what I told you before it came to this?¡± Choke. ¡°How many times do I have to say it? You want to die when the banditse back? Then go ahead and die on your own! Why drag others down with you? Should I just kill you here and now so you don¡¯t have to sit through this damn ss anymore, huh?¡± Vigorous head shakes. ¡°And you, damn it. I get that you want revenge, but what does that have to do with my ss? I¡¯m here to teach you how to survive when the timees, not train you like some academy swordsmanship professor.¡± Choke. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident with a sword, you should¡¯ve enrolled at the academy. If you¡¯ve lived your whole life in this vige, you should act your part. You think you can suddenly get stronger just because you¡¯re mad? If you¡¯re that confident, why don¡¯t you fight me right now? I¡¯ll take you on without using any of my energy or magic. Let¡¯s see if you can kill me.¡± Vigorous head shakes. ¡°¡­¡± Thud! Coughing, gagging. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Cough¡­!¡± After choking both women and unleashing my harsh words, the atmosphere in the self-defense ss chilled instantly. The two women I had grabbed were obviously in no condition to speak, and the rest of the ss was too stunned by the tension to make any noise. If I showed any signs of wavering now, I risked losing control of not only today¡¯s ss but tomorrow¡¯s as well. I had to make it clear to everyone what the consequences were for disrupting my ss. ¡°Both of you, get down on the ground.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Slight hesitation. ¡°...Get down on the ground? Here?¡± Thud! ¡°Kyaa?!¡± ¡°When I tell you to get down, you get down. See? It¡¯s easy when you listen right away.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, ma¡¯am¡­!¡± The brown-haired woman immediately dropped to all fours, and only after I kicked her did the green-haired woman scramble to follow suit. Now that I had dealt with the troublemakers¡ªone of whom was clearly a coborator¡ªit was time to refocus on the self-defense ss. ¡°There was a bit ofmotion, but we¡¯ll continue the self-defense ss. Does anyone else have anything they¡¯d like to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silent head shakes. ¡°If you don¡¯t like something about the ss, feel free to speak up. I¡¯m happy to offer special one-on-one training. If you can beat me in a duel, I¡¯ll listen to whatever you have to say.¡± ¡°N-No, nothing¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± With the ss atmosphere finally restored, I continued the ¡°Teach Self-Defense to the Vige Women¡± assignment. The events of today¡¯s ss had confirmed it¡ªthere was almost a 99% chance that a bandit spy was hiding among the vige women. The pattern fit perfectly with one of the three coborator scenarios I had encountered while ying Luminar Academy. Based on the ¡°Vige Women¡± pattern, the green-haired woman was almost certainly the coborator. But even knowing that, I couldn¡¯t just kill her on the spot. If I did, without definitive proof that she was working with the bandits, I¡¯d be branded a murderer. So, all I could do was share my suspicions during tonight¡¯s meeting. As everyone gathered in the men¡¯s room after dinner, and I prepared to reveal the identity of the coborator¡­ ¡°It seems we¡¯ve found someone who¡¯s working with the bandits.¡± Before I could say anything, Seraphine spoke up first about the search for the coborator, forcing me to hold back my own revtion. Chapter 365 "...What?" "...Really?" "Yes, I¡¯m almost certain." Seraphine¡¯s confident assertion about the search for a coborator left both me and Gepmajo Segiquat shocked, causing us to ask in near unison. Despite our immediate questioning, Seraphine nodded confidently and began exining what she had uncovered about the coborator. "As I mentioned yesterday, the person I suspect most of being a coborator is the orphanage director, Mr. Hankerton." "W-Well, I think Mr. Hankerton being a coborator with the bandits seems a bit far-fetched¡­." "I did some investigating while pretending to volunteer at the orphanage today. I gathered rumors from the children about the orphanage, and even looked into how many kidse and go each month. I also took the liberty of reading through the ledgers in the director¡¯s office." Serista¡¯s hesitant opinion was easily ignored as Seraphine confidently ryed the information she had gathered. Naturally, given that Seraphine''s information was more reliable, both Gepmajo and I couldn¡¯t help but listen closely. "So? What do you think?" I asked. "No matter how you look at it, the orphanage seems suspicious. Despite being in such a remote vige, it somehow continues to operate. The list of ¡®noble donors¡¯ also struck me as strange. None of the names matched any prominent nobles I know. I suspect they¡¯re using fake names to avoid detection by any sharp-eyed investigators." "I see¡­ anything else?" "What¡¯s most suspicious are the children¡¯s testimonies. ording to them, one or two children are adopted from the orphanage each month, but none of the kids have ever seen the parents adopting them. Normally, even for nobles, when adopting a child from an orphanage, they¡¯d at least want to see the child once before deciding. Even if they¡¯re training them as a servant or knight, they would want to meet them at least once." "But ording to the kids, no one ever meets the children before adopting them. It¡¯s all done through paperwork, which makes no sense. Especially for parentsing to such a remote vige, you¡¯d expect more involvement." "True, that¡¯s very odd." "It¡¯s clear that something shady is happening at the orphanage. Even if he¡¯s not directly involved with the bandits, Hankerton is definitely running some sort of illegal operation. The odds of him being tied to a criminal organization seem high." If what Seraphine was saying was true, then there was a strong chance that Hankerton was the bandit coborator in the game as well. And given that Seraphine wasn¡¯t the type to make baseless ims like Serista or Silena, her words carried weight. ¡®The problem is, I¡¯ve also found someone I suspect as the coborator¡­¡¯ In Luminar Academy, there were three possible suspects for being a bandit coborator, and during each ythrough, you had to gather evidence to identify which one it was for the Humanities Exploration ss. Sometimes, the orphanage director Hankerton, who sincerely ran the orphanage, turned out to be a human trafficker selling the orphans into very. Other times, vige chief Rombel, who cooperated with the Academy students to protect the vige, betrayed them to ensure the vige¡¯s safety. ¡®And the vige woman I suspect has stories where she is both a coborator and not.¡¯ ¡®But what if...¡¯ As the suspicious evidence piled up, a theory began forming in my head, when suddenly, Gepmajo Segiquat also imed to have found the coborator. "After hearing Seraphine, this may sound strange, but I still think the vige chief, Rombel, is suspicious." "...What?" "Based on the circumstances, he¡¯s the most suspicious. From the bandits'' ambush on our way to the vige to how they seemed to know we wereing. It was like they had advance knowledge of our visit." "That¡¯s true. The only people who could have known the timing and route of our visit were our professor and Chief Rombel." "If someone leaked that information, it would most likely be the chief. And thinking back, the way he so readily gave us the vige hall to stay in also seems suspicious." "What do you mean?" "As students of the Academy, we¡¯re the only ones in the vige capable of putting up a fight against the bandits. If the bandits were to attack again, it would be easier to deal with us all in one ce, rather than having us scattered across different homes." "But assuming that is too reckless. You¡¯re saying we should suspect everyone who¡¯s been kind to us..." "It¡¯s unfortunate, Serista, but we can¡¯t ignore the most likely possibility. Besides, my suspicions go beyond that. Yesterday, and today as well, Chief Rombel has been assigning the more physically demanding tasks only to the men." Gepmajo Segiquat continued listing reasons why Chief Rombel was suspicious, and as his evidence umted, even Serista reluctantly nodded in agreement. Listening to Gepmajo¡¯s reasoning, I could recognize many of the behaviors that marked Rombel as the coborator in the original game. With this amount of evidence, the game would usually consider the search over and progress the story, assuming Rombel was the traitor. Seraphine¡¯s findings about Hankerton¡¯s corruption, Gepmajo¡¯s suspicion of Chief Rombel¡­ "And actually, if I may add something from my self-defense ss with the vige women earlier today¡­" And now, the key traitor I had discovered. At that moment, I was sure the theory forming in my head could turn out to be true. ? ? ? The Humanities Exploration ss at Luminar Academy spanned 3 nights and 4 days in Bridget Vige. The vige was far enough from the Academy that it took 1 night and 2 days just to get there, so the duration of the ss was naturally extended. That meant if the bandits were nning something, it had to happen by the third night at thetest. As I mentioned before, the bandits¡¯ goal wasn¡¯t just to ransack this small vige¡ªthey were after something much bigger. They wanted ves¡ªyoung, attractive ones at that. Given their failure on the first night, the most likely attack woulde when we least expected it¡ªon the final night. And so, on the third night, we were patrolling the vige in groups. We weren¡¯t aimlessly wandering; Gepmajo Segiquat had assigned each group a specific area to patrol. Gepmajo and his harem trio were patrolling the main road near the orphanage. Natalie, Thomas, and Luke were patrolling near the chief¡¯s house and the vige hall. And I was patrolling the residential area and the smaller path on the outskirts with Ethan and Agnes. The groups were divided based on familiarity andbat ability, with Hankerton''s orphanage being the most dangerous, and Chief Rombel¡¯s side being the easiest. ¡®Up until now, we¡¯ve always assumed there would only be one boss among the three routes, and that¡¯s how we divided the teams¡­¡¯ But by now, both I and Gepmajo had started to realize that in Luminar Academy, all the branch bosses could appear at the same time if the story progressed without contradictions. There were no contradictions that would prevent three different traitors from existing in this remote vige: an orphanage director who sells children into very, a vige chief who betrays outsiders to protect his own, and a woman filled with vengeful rage after barely escaping the bandits, all in the same story. ¡®Of course, ideally, nothing happens¡­¡¯ But based on the pattern so far, it was inevitable that something would. "Hrk, gasp...!" "...!" Just as I was solidifying my expectations, the sound of someone struggling to breathe echoed from a nearby alley, and the three of us instinctively moved toward the sound.@@novelbin@@ Chapter 366 As soon as we heard the woman¡¯s voiceing from the alley, Ethan, Agnes, and I moved without hesitation. What we found was a brown-haired woman, Lisa, leaning against the alley wall with her head down, while a green-haired woman, Mel,y on the ground, coughing violently. "Hrk, cough, gasp! Hrkk..." "......" "Wait, stop! Both of you, stop fighting!" ...Damn, are we toote? Even though I shouted for them to stop, it was clear the situation had already escted. Lisa stood silently leaning against the wall, while Mely on the ground with red bloodstains spreading from her side. The bitter feeling that I could have saved at least one of them sooner lingered in my mind. ¡®If I had acted a little faster, I might have been able to save one more¡­¡¯ But regretting it now wouldn¡¯t bring back the dead. Preparing for the uing battle in Bridget Vige, I quietly pulled a dagger from under my skirt. Mel, who was lying on the ground bleeding, recognized us and began to slowly rise. "Ssshh..." "Help me! That woman! She... she attacked me!" "Thud, thud!" "Don''t run! If you move like that with those wounds..." "She called me out here in the middle of the night and then suddenly pulled a knife on me!" "Thud, thud!!" "I''m telling you, you can''t run! You need to stop the bleeding and head to the vige hall! You need to rest there!" "No, I can''t! That woman... she just tried to¡ª!" "sh!!" "I can''t hold back any longer! I¡¯m going to make her pay for stabbing me like this!!!" Mel, gripping her thigh, suddenly charged toward us, revealing a hidden dagger in her hand. As she thrust it toward me, I had already anticipated this pattern. With a swift movement, I deflected her dagger with my sword and, with my free hand, struck her wrist, causing her hand to fall to the ground. "Thud!" "...What?" Mel hadn¡¯t expected her attack to be countered so easily. Clutching her severed wrist, she staggered backward in shock. I stared at her coldly, gripping my daggers tightly, fully prepared for the fight. "I told you not to run, you bitch." "..." "If you didn¡¯t want your wrist cut off, you should¡¯ve stayed down. How can someone who was just stabbed be running around so energetically?" Despite theck of blood flowing from her severed wrist, Mel kept backing away as Ethan and Agnes also prepared forbat. Before long, dozens of thin tendrils began sprouting from Mel''s severed wrist, gathering and forming into a new hand. "Impressive, isn¡¯t it, self-defense instructor? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have the guts to cut off my wrist without hesitation." "From the moment you started openly talking like a bandit sympathizer on the first day of ss, I didn¡¯t trust you. How could I believe someone who practically offered the vige maidens to the bandits?" "I was only pretending to be weak and disrupting the ss on purpose. I didn¡¯t expect you to start disciplining me during ss. Do you know how exhausting it was to keep up the act of being helpless, unlike that other woman?" With that, Lisa, who had been leaning against the wall, copsed with a thud. A brief wave of regret washed over me, but I pushed it aside. Even if I had tried to save her, there was no guarantee of sess, and if it wasn¡¯t Lisa, another vige woman would¡¯ve been sacrificed instead. The important thing now was stopping Mel from causing any more harm. And, of course, Mel wasn¡¯t the only enemy we had to deal with. "Rustle." "What the hell? You said there¡¯d be fun, but there are only two women here?" "You idiot, the fact that there are only two makes it fun. Imagine how much fun it¡¯ll be when they¡¯re skewered like pigs and begging for mercy." "First to kill the guy wins. I¡¯m taking the busty one, so hands off her." "..." Crack. Ethan clenched his teeth as the group of bandits appeared, leering at Agnes and me. Judging by the look on his face, he wasn¡¯t nning on putting his sword down until he¡¯d killed everyst one of them. I just hoped his shoulder would hold out until then. "What? Only two? That redhead¡¯s a woman too?" Snap. "Do your eyes seriously think that¡¯s a woman?! I¡¯d rather fuck a goat¡¯s ass than that t-chested brat! Anyone who¡¯d want to hold her must have some sick fetish..." Boom! "Aaagh! Fire! Put it out, damn it!!" One of the bandits, who dared toment on Agnes¡¯s figure, was now screaming as his head caught fire. I could use fire magic too, but from the power of the mes, it was obvious who had cast it. "Agnes, conserve your magic. We¡¯ll be fighting demons soon, so don¡¯t waste it on these guys." "Am I supposed to just stand there and listen to that?" "I¡¯m not saying that. I¡¯m saying you should be more efficient. Men find their groins burning much more painful than their heads, after all." "...What?" Flinch. "......" Ethan nced at me out of the corner of his eye, but I ignored him and continued exining to Agnes the "efficient" way to use fire magic. "Burning an entire head takes a lot of magic, but setting fire to someone¡¯s groin uses less than 10% of that. The pain men feel is a hundred times worse than a burning head. If your goal is to kill them, sure, go for the head. But if you¡¯re just venting, like you were a moment ago, this should be enough." "..."@@novelbin@@ "Hey! Watch out for that crazy redhead! I bet it was that t-chested bitch who used the fire magic¡­!!" Boom! "Grrr¡­ ugh¡­!!" Agnes took my advice to heart and immediately incinerated the groin of another bandit, silencing him instantly. Fear began spreading through the remaining bandits, and fewer of them dared to focus their attention on me and Agnes. "See? Much more efficient." "Yeah, that was a good tip." "...I don¡¯t mind you using it on scum like this, but you might want to avoid using it on people you¡¯ll have to see again." "I¡¯m aware of that." Even Ethan, normallyposed, couldn¡¯t help but offer advice after witnessing Agnes¡¯s devastating fire magic. A few of the bandits tried to flee, but the tentacle-woman blocking our path quickly put a stop to that. "Damn it! No one told me there¡¯d be a damn mage! How the hell are we supposed to fight a crazy woman like that..." Stab! "Guh...! Khhh..." "Don¡¯t run away. It¡¯s rude to leave the yground I created just for you." Sharp tendrils shot out from Mel¡¯s hand, impaling one of the bandits trying to escape. Thud. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. The sight sent a ripple of fear through the remaining bandits, but any thoughts of fleeing were quickly abandoned. "I made this yground for you. Your job is to rape these women until they cry and beg¡­!!" "Screw it! If I¡¯m gonna die, I¡¯m taking that bitch down with me! Kill the guy first!" "Kill him! We¡¯ve got the numbers, let¡¯s just swarm them!!" The bandits, driven by desperation, rushed toward us in a frenzy. None of them seemed particrly skilled, so any one of us could probably handle them alone. Since Ethan had a bad matchup against Mel, it was obvious who should deal with the bandit mob. "Dan, your attacks won¡¯t work on that woman. You won¡¯t be able to keep up with the regeneration speed of a demon like her if you¡¯re just shing at her." "Yeah." "While Agnes and I deal with her, I need you to keep the rest of them off us. There¡¯s a lot of them, but I don¡¯t think any of them are Sword Experts." "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure every one of those bastards who insulted you has their tongue cut out." Excessive anger can lead to recklessness, but for Ethan, it didn¡¯t seem to matter. After all, the reason Ethan became so strong as a child was closely tied to his¡­ desires. In his case, a certain level of anger would probably serve as a kind of emotional doping. "Vision, sharpen the de." Zzzap. "Take care, Dan." "You too, Lis. Don¡¯t get hurt." With our final words exchanged, Ethan charged into the bandit mob with his sword drawn. The final battle for the defense of Bridget Vige had begun. Chapter 369 Mel, who had attempted one final, hate-fueled attack against me, copsed after being hit by Agnes'' storm of fireballs. As one of the final bosses in this investigation into the bandits, I wanted to confirm her death if possible, but unfortunately, my body was no longer listening to me. Physically and mentally, I was in no state to move. My left leg, pierced earlier, hurt so much that it felt like it was about to tear off. I was learning the true meaning of ''pain so bad it feels like it''ll break.'' I carefully avoided looking at my left calf, afraid that seeing the wound would only make the pain worse. After all, unlike Ethan, I didn¡¯t have the nerve to cut off my own injured limb. ¡ºLilith has reached level 33!¡» ¡­Looks like I don''t need to check the body after all. Seeing the level-up message in my head likely meant that Agnes''st strike had finished Mel off. Considering it hadn''t been long since myst level-up, it was clear the experience I¡¯d gained from definitively ending Mel had caused my level to rise again. ¡®At least the boss fight is over for now¡­.¡¯ Now, we just had to deal with the ¡®mobs¡¯ still surrounding us. Fortunately, while my leg was broken, I still had some mana left. From behind Ethan, who was holding off the bandits, I provided magical support. ¡°Haa, n-no one''s getting past this point¡­¡± -Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! ¡°Grr¡­!!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Gahh!!¡± The bandits, locked inbat with Ethan, fell to the ground after three Arcane Arrows struck them from behind. Ethan must have realized by now that the battle on our side was over. It wasn¡¯t just Ethan, though¡ªthe bandits he and Sally had been fighting must have noticed too. ¡°What the hell?! Where did that magice from all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°Shit! Mel¡¯s down! We¡¯re screwed, dammit!¡± ¡°Damn it, run! How are we supposed to beat them without that crazy woman?!¡± In their growing panic, the bandits dropped their weapons and fled. However, not all of them were foolish. Some took a cool look at the situation, noting that I wasn¡¯t in the best shape either. ¡°No, you idiots! Look at that girl on the ground! Her leg¡¯s all messed up! She¡¯s already half-dead!!¡± ¡°The guy¡¯s almost dead too! We just need to deal with that kid and¡ª¡± -Boom! ¡°Gaaah¡­!!!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Shit, she¡¯s still fine! Who was the idiot who said that?!¡± ¡°Who cares! Let¡¯s just get the hell out of here!¡± But even those who were still trying to fight had no choice but to flee in terror when Agnes unleashed another devastating explosion, causing the rest of the bandits to scatter. As much as I wanted to ughter them all, we weren¡¯t in great condition. That included Agnes, who had used thest of her mana to cast that explosion. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± -Thud. Agnes copsed to the ground after confirming that all the enemies had vanished. It seemed that her firestorm had been herst bit of energy. If anyone had noticed how weakened we all were, we could have been in trouble, so I gave her a smallpliment for handling the situation well. ¡°You did well, Miss Ness. If it weren¡¯t for your magic just now, I would¡¯ve had to fight off those bandits again with this body.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± ¡°And you too, Dan. You worked hard. With both me and Miss Ness focused on that woman, you ended up fighting alone the whole time.¡± ¡°¡­You did well too, Lilith. At least it¡¯s over. We should rest a bit and check on the hero and the others¡­.¡± Ethan¡¯s words trailed off awkwardly as he approached me after sheathing his swords. He must have noticed my leg injury, much like I had reacted when I saw his wounds before. ¡°L-Lilith?! What happened to your leg?!¡± ¡°It''s Lilith here, not Lilith. Good thing no one else is around to hear you¡­.¡± ¡°That''s not the point right now! What happened to your leg?! What pierced through your calf and twisted it backward like¡ª¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t describe it in detail. I¡¯m already scared to look at it myself.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Ethan¡¯s face twisted with emotion before he let out a deep sigh. I could understand his feelings. Just a few days ago, I had gone through something simr when I saw Ethan¡¯s arm nearly severed. ¡°You know how I felt when I saw your right arm missing the other day, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°If you do, then don¡¯t get hurt next time. It hurts me too when you¡¯re injured.¡± ¡°¡­But you¡¯re the one who¡¯s hurt now.¡± ¡°And it hurts, obviously. It¡¯s not like I wanted to get injured either.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Agnes lowered her head, seemingly troubled by myst remark. I hadn¡¯t meant to make her feel guilty. In any case, all three of us who had participated in the battle against Mel were effectively out ofmission. Agnes had exhausted her mana, Ethan was beyond fatigued, and I had a broken leg. At this point, even if webined our strength, it was questionable whether we could muster the strength of one person. It would be best to stay put and rest until Gepmajo Segiquat¡¯s battle was over. ¡°Let¡¯s wait here until Bolt finishes their fight. The bandits have already retreated, so they won¡¯te back. Besides, we¡¯re in no condition to fight anyone else right now.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± ¡°Got it, Lilith.¡± ¡°Miss Ness, Dan, why don¡¯t you bothe closer to me for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though confused, Agnes crawled over to my side, while Ethan came and sat down on my other side. I pulled both of them close, wrapping my arms around their waists, andid us all down on the ground together. -Thud. ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stay like this until the others finish their battle. I was a saint once, so being close like this should help you both recover faster.¡± ¡°¡­You should worry about yourself.¡± ¡°Lilith, you should be more concerned about your own condition.¡± Listening to their concerns on either side of me, I rxed and looked up at the night sky. The hero¡¯s party finished their fight with Hankerton and arrived at our location about an hourter. ? ? ? ¡°Guhh¡­!! Gahh¡­!! Ugh, ack!!¡± ¡°P-please hold still, Miss Lilith! Don¡¯t move your leg¡­!!¡± ¡°Gahhh! Agh! Aaaah!! Gyaaahhhh¡­!!¡± My screams echoed through Bridget Vige in the middle of the night. If anyone was asleep, my voice would¡¯ve woken them up immediately. I was aware of the disturbance I was causing, but I couldn¡¯t stop the soundsing out of my mouth. I wasn¡¯t being dragged off by bandits for torture or anything like that. The reason I was screaming was entirely because of this pink-haired saint. ¡°Guhh, ack, aaaah¡­!!!¡± My leg had been pierced by a sharp tentacle, twisted backward by Say¡¯s gust, and left untreated for an hour. The more difficult the wound, the longer it took for Celestia¡¯s holy power to heal it, which meant the pain I endured was equally extended. ¡°Gyaaahhh!! Aaaah!! Gyaaahhh!!!¡± ¡°M-Miss Lilith! P-please calm down! We¡¯re almost done! Really, just a little more!!¡± ¡®You said that five minutes ago, you damn hack of a saint!¡¯ It took all my strength not to curse her out loud, which would¡¯ve been sphemy. Instead, I just kept screaming like I was Guan Yu ying a game of Go during surgery. At least in the church, there would have been a priest specializing in anesthesia, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much. But here? There was nothing like that. Out in the open, with nothing but Celestia¡¯s holy power burning the wound like fire, I couldn¡¯t help but keep screaming my head off. ¡®At least Ethan isn¡¯t here to see this¡­.¡¯ For the record, Ethan had left with Gepmajo and Thomas as soon as my treatment began. Considering where my injury was, I had to hike up my skirt and remove my stockings and garter belt. It wasn¡¯t exactly a sight I wanted to show other men. Of course, what they would have seen was less something to inspire lewd thoughts and more the image of me being held down by Seraphine, Natalie, and Luke while being tortured. Honestly, it was a blessing that Ethan wasn¡¯t around. If he saw my face right now, his feelings for me might have cooled off a bit. ¡°Hang in there a little longer, Miss Lilith! You just need to endure it!¡± ¡°Gyaaahhh!! Guhhh!! Gyaaahhh!!!¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, I-I can¡¯t watch this anymore.¡± And so, the only sounds that echoed through the temporary treatment center in Bridget Vige were my screams. I was finally freed from the pink-haired devil in sheep¡¯s clothing about five minutester. Chapter 370 Afterpleting three days of humanities research sses, we boarded the carriages we had arrived in and headed back to the academy. This task had been at least two to three times harder than the game¡¯s original difficulty. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the eight members of the hero party would have managed without Ethan and me. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t picture them defeating Hankerton and Mel on their own. ¡®From what I heardter, the vige chief Rombel¡¯s side was at least spared a boss battle.¡¯ The twin bandit bosses Ockam and King of Bandits Huma had already died during the bandit raid event, so it made sense that they didn¡¯t reappear as bosses. Unless Rombel suddenly turned out to be a necromancer, there was no way someone who had died could pop back up as a boss. Still, the narrative didn¡¯t change much: Rombel was ultimately betrayed and killed by the remaining bandits. In the end, none of the three coborators in Bridget Vige met a pleasant end. ¡®I¡¯m so exhausted.¡¯ But at least no one died this time. That was a relief. As for the grade reports and bandit bounties, we found them outside the inn door when we woke up. The professor hadn¡¯t shown his face once, even at the very end. ¡¸ss Results ¨C Everyone: A+¡¹ ¡¸Reason for Grade: Difficulty adjustment error¡¹ ¡¸Upon review, I, the professor, have determined that this ss suffered from an error in difficulty adjustment, making it impossible for the current academy students toplete. As such, all students whopleted the primary task and survived will receive this grade. ss dismissed.¡¹ ¡¸Bandit Bounty¡¹ ¡¸King of Bandits Huma ¨C 100 gold coins¡¹ ¡¸Ockam Twins ¨C 50 gold coins¡¹ ¡¸Human Hunter Berry (alias Hankerton) ¨C 80 gold coins¡¹ ¡¸ck Vixen Ranathel (alias Mel) ¨C 50 gold coins¡¹ ¡¸Other bandit bounties ¨C 20 gold coins¡¹ ¡¸The bounty will be distributed among the party members based on individual contributions. The professor will not intervene in the distribution.¡¹ ¡­I was momentarily furious that the professor didn¡¯t even show his face after nearly getting us all killed, but the heavy pouch of 300 gold coins in my hands was enough to calm my anger. Money always has a way of making things right. Plus, normally, we¡¯d have had to go through the hassle of identifying which bandits had bounties, bringing their heads to the guild, and collecting the rewards. The professor had saved us that trouble. I almost felt like bowing to the professor in gratitude. Though, with my injured calf, I couldn¡¯t physically manage it even if I tried. ¡°So, it was Lil¡­ Lady Rosewood and Ethan who took down the Ockam twins, right? That means 50 gold coins for you two¡­ And Mel was defeated by Lady Rosewood and Agnes¡­¡± ¡°Do we really need to split it that precisely? There are 300 gold coins total, and there are ten of us. I think it¡¯s fair to just divide it evenly, 30 coins each.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure? Lil¡­ Lady Rosewood, you took down the Ockam twins and Mel, so you could easily im 50 coins yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I did enough to im that much for myself. When we were fighting the Ockam twins, the hero¡¯s party was handling Huma, which allowed Ethan and me to focus on our battle. The same goes for Mel. If we calcted everything like that, we¡¯d have to give all of our share to Saintess Celestia, who practically saved our lives.¡± ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t do that much¡­! I was only praying while you were all fighting for your lives, and I only helped heal you afterward¡­ I-I don¡¯t need any of the reward¡­¡± ¡°Looks like Lady Rosewood is right. We¡¯ll split it evenly, 30 gold coins each. Anyone object?¡± ¡°No objections here!¡± And that¡¯s how I ended up with 30 gold coins¡ªessentially the equivalent of a year¡¯s sry in one go. A pierced calf for 30 gold coins. It had been rough, but all things considered, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal. Though, it wasn¡¯t something I ever wanted to experience again. ¡®Adding this to what I¡¯ve saved so far, that makes about 120 gold coins. That¡¯s probably enough to buy a decent-sized building in arge town, though the capital¡¯s out of reach.¡¯ If I wanted, I could probably buy a two-story building and use my knowledge from my previous life to start a business. Or, I could buy a spacious house and use it as a base while adventuring. That kind of money would certainly give me options. Though, investing in real estate in a fantasy world was far too risky. I¡¯d have to think of something else. ¡®At this rate, I should be able to save up about 200 gold coins by the time I graduate.¡¯ With pleasant thoughts in mind, I drove the carriage, though the sight of the slightly red ins caught my eye. It was the ce where Ethan, the hero¡¯s party, and I had camped before the bandit attack. I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy looking at it. It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one with those thoughts, as the others decided to continue past the open in that would¡¯ve been ideal for camping. After traveling a bit further, we stopped in a suitable meadow and began preparations for an overnight stay. ¡°Where are Ethan and Lady Rosewood setting up their tent?¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯d like to set up a little closer to you this time. Last time, we camped farther away and nearly ran into trouble.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good idea. We usually set up in a circle around the campfire with three tents. You can set up yours in thest spot. And Ethan, you¡¯ll be helping with the watch tonight.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Just days ago, this kind of offer to camp together would have been unthinkable, but now Ethan dly epted the invitation to join the hero party¡¯s camp. It seemed nearly dying had given him a lot to think about. ¡®It almost feels like Ethan and I are part of the hero¡¯s party now.¡¯ Honestly, based on our actions in the past few days, there wasn¡¯t much difference between us and the actual members of the hero party. The men and women had separated into different tents, shared information and held strategy meetings, cooperated in battle, and received healing together from Celestia afterward. In the original game, the hero¡¯s party was limited to eight members for bnce reasons, but now that we were in the real world, there was no such restriction. ¡®Not to mention, in a world where multiple bosses appear at once, how are eight people supposed to handle it?¡¯ At least there weren¡¯t any more multi-boss scenarios after the fourth act, but the problem was this third act, with its multiple story branches and boss fights every semester.@@novelbin@@ We had barely survived this time, with two bosses at once. Next time, we¡¯d have to be even more prepared. ¡®Maybe I should shadow Gepmajo¡¯s movements more closely, even if it¡¯s a bit reckless.¡¯ But if I made it too obvious that I was following the hero¡¯s courses, Ethan might get suspicious. Still, leaving the hero party to face simr dangers without any help wasn¡¯t an option either. ¡®Well, there¡¯s still time before the next semester. I¡¯ll figure it out then.¡¯ With that thought, I began unpacking supplies from the carriage to prepare for dinner, when the pink-haired devil¡­ I mean, Saintess Celestia, quietly approached me. ¡°L-Lady Lilith¡­ I-I mean, Lady Rosewood, I found you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Saintess Celestia?¡± ¡°I-I was wondering if you could help with dinner tonight? Lady Agnes and Miss Silena mentioned they really wanted to try the meal you madest time¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but do we have the ingredients? I¡¯ll need chicken and garlic to make the same dish as before¡­¡± ¡°We w-we got some supplies before we left Bridget Vige¡­ A-and we have plenty of rice as well¡­¡± ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll prepare the same meal as before, and while I¡¯m at it, I can teach you how to make it. It mighte in handy if you ever need to cook for the hero.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes, please! Thank you so much¡­¡± For now, I¡¯d be content with the peace we had earned without anyone dying. No point in worrying about problems that hadn¡¯t happened yet. All that would do is waste time. Chapter 371 After finishing the two-day carriage trip, we finally returned to the grounds of Luminor Academy. As usual, Princess Mezzlen had no apparent appointments with anyone else today. She sat on a bench in front of the magic department building, talking to me about various things. ¡°L-Lady Lilith, I think I misunderstood somethingst week¡­ Haha¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I-I had no idea that person was overseeing your swordsmanship lessons¡­ I mean, Lady Lilith, you''re a student in the magic department, but you also take swordsmanship sses¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°A-And to think, you¡¯ve already served him for over eight years at ckwood Mansion¡­ The world truly is full of surprises, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± ¡°S-So, Lady Lilith, could you perhaps tell me what Sir Harold is interested in¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Something urgent hase up, so I must excuse myself, Princess Mezzlen.¡± -Grab! ¡°W-Wait! Don¡¯t go, Lady Lilith¡­!!¡± As soon as we met again at the academy, Mezzlen began with her usual pointless chatter, following it up with an absurd question. I had no desire to get involved in her romantic pursuits, so I hurried to leave, but she quickly grabbed my arm, clinging to me. ¡°P-Please, give me some advice at least¡­! You¡¯ve served Sir Harold for a long time, so you must know something about him¡­!¡± ¡°The only advice I can offer you, out of consideration, is to give up on your feelings for Professor Harold as soon as possible.¡± ¡°W-Why would you say that?! D-Do you secretly harbor feelings for him as well¡­?¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re a princess doesn¡¯t mean you can say whatever you like, Princess Mezzlen. I have already given my body and heart to Master Ethan. How could you use me of harboring feelings for another man? Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­O-Okay, I understand. I-I know that¡¯s not the case, so could you please stop ring at me¡­?¡± Mezzlen, spouting nonsense about me looking at another man despite being with Ethan, finally closed her mouth. I proceeded to exin in a way that even a fool could understand why things would never work out between her and Harold. ¡°First of all, Professor Harold has not had a single woman by his side since losing his wife over 20 years ago.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s just because he hasn¡¯t met a woman that¡¯s captured his interest¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s highly unlikely. While Professor Harold may be older, he is a Sword Master and one of the empire¡¯s three greatest swordsmen. To this day, marriage proposals and invitations to social events continue to pour into ckwood Mansion. ording to the head maid who¡¯s served there for a long time, these letters have been arriving ever since Duchess Tanasia passed away 20 years ago, without interruption.¡± ¡°B-But I¡¯m a princess! Surely, I have more appeal than some nobledies sending proposals¡­¡± ¡°Proposals to Professor Harold have not onlye from nobledies within the empire. Women of high status, whose names even you, Princess Mezzlen, would recognize, have sent him letters. Even a foreign princess once proposed marriage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Besides, Duchess Tanasia wasn¡¯t from a particrly prestigious family. She was the daughter of a minor viscount from a remote region. If Professor Harold cared about family or bloodlines, he wouldn¡¯t have married her in the first ce. So, your noble blood won¡¯t help you attract Professor Harold. He hasn¡¯t shown interest in another woman in over 20 years, not even hiring a personal maid.¡± Mezzlen clearly wanted to argue but had nothing to say. I felt a little sorry for her, but it was better to cut this short now. Letting her waste time on a love that would never materialize was in no one¡¯s best interest. I had emphasized the 20-year gap to make it clear she should give up, but instead, shetched onto that detail in the most bizarre way. ¡°W-Well, 20 years is a long time¡­ He might have changed by now¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I-I mean, Sir Harold must have had strong feelings for histe wife, so it¡¯s understandable he hasn¡¯t been with anyone else for 20 years¡­ But he¡¯s still a healthy man, right? Surely, his desires must still burn within him¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°T-They say men think about women even while holding a fork and knife. Sir Harold is still in such good shape, swinging around that heavy sword every day¡ªmaybe he¡¯s actually looking for someone to handle all that energy¡­!¡± ¡­You should just call yourself the lewd princess. Maybe then I can shed my title of the "lewd maid." Despite her innocent appearance, much like Saintess Celestia, Mezzlen was here spewing nonsense about lust and vitality. I could hardly believe what I was hearing, but she continued, oblivious to the absurdity of her thoughts. ¡°Princess Mezzlen, if Professor Harold heard you saying these things¡­¡± ¡°M-Maybe the reason Sir Harold hasn¡¯t been with anyone for 20 years is that his physical connection with Duchess Tanasia was too strong¡­ Perhaps she was the only one who could handle his desires¡­¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute! You can¡¯t just say that¡ª¡± ¡°A-And after she passed, he must have thought no one else could ever satisfy him like she did! Maybe Duchess Tanasia was secretly as lustful as amoner?!¡± -p! Before this insane princess could spout any more nonsense, I mped my hand over her mouth and quickly looked around. There¡¯s a saying that speaking of the devil brings them near, but thankfully, just because we were talking about Harold didn¡¯t mean he had suddenly appeared nearby. If Harold had overheard, Mezzlen and I both would have been in serious trouble. Insulting the honor of Tanasia, and by extension allowing it to happen, would have drawn his wrath upon both of us. ¡°Princess Mezzlen, if you don¡¯t want to avoid Professor Harold¡¯s gaze for the rest of your life, you must never say anything like that in his presence.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Let me tell you a story from my first year working at ckwood Mansion¡­¡± I proceeded to exin to Mezzlen how dangerous it was to insult Harold¡¯s family by recounting the story of "Aeria" and "Alicia." Those two maids were caught stealing a keepsake from Duchess Tanasia, and as punishment, Harold had broken nearly every bone in their bodies. ¡®For all I know, they¡¯re still serving as sex ves for the soldiers at the northern front of Silverwood Estate.¡¯ Even though the keepsake was valuable enough that three years of service should have repaid the debt, the emotional value attached to Tanasia¡¯s memento was incalcble. Harold¡¯s rage had been factored into their punishment. I didn¡¯t mention the part about them being sent off as sex ves, to avoid making things even more ufortable, but Mezzlen seemed to understand the seriousness of what I was telling her. ¡°I-I see¡­ So, no talking about his family in front of him¡­¡± ¡°More precisely, don¡¯t insult his family or tarnish their honor. That applies not only to thete Duchess Tanasia but also to Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­ I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡­¡± Whether this lewd princess would actually listen to my advice was unclear, but saying something was better than nothing. If she went around spreading nonsense like "Tanasia was secretly lewd and Harold can¡¯t forget her," it might provoke Harold into doing something rash. And while he was Duke of ckwood, attacking a royal was a serious crime. I didn¡¯t want any of thising back to bite Ethan or me. ¡°Is there any other advice, Lady Lilith¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, advice on how to behave around Sir Harold, or perhaps things he enjoys¡­ The story you just told me was quite helpful¡­¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t offering rtionship advice, but¡­¡± ¡°B-But still¡­! Oh, do you happen to know any stories about Duchess Tanasia? M-Maybe they would help¡­¡± ¡°Like I said, stop mentioning Duchess Tanasia¡¯s name so carelessly¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ As I was about to warn Mezzlen again about casually mentioning Tanasia, a familiar voice interrupted from behind us. ¡°Are you two talking about Tanasia? Or did I mishear?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?!?!¡± At the sound of the familiar voice, I frozepletely, my body turning to stone. Chapter 372 The moment I heard the voice that should never be heard while speaking of Tanasia from behind me, my entire body stiffened as if turned to stone. Carefully, I twisted my head to see the owner of that chilling voice. ¡°I believe I just heard Tanasia¡¯s nameing from your mouths. Could it be that the Tanasia you''re talking about is the one I know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ''Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.'' A flood of panic circuits lit up in my mind, sounding the rm for my life. One thing was crystal clear¡ªI could not let Harold find out about the conversation that had just transpired between Mezzlen and me. If he discovered that we had spected, with no basis whatsoever, that histe wife might have had a deviant side and enjoyed such activities with Harold, there were only two possible oues for me: One: Harold, enraged at the insult to his wife, would personally educate me in his "way." Two: Harold, furious at Mezzlen for the insult, would "educate" her, and as a result, the entire ckwood family would be implicated for royal assault, dragging me into the mess as well. Either way, standing at this crossroads, both paths led to ruin. I was desperately trying to figure out what to say when the reckless, lewd princess decided to speak first. ¡°A-Ah, Sir Harold¡­! H-How have you been¡­?¡± As if this were some kind of opportunity, she spread the sides of her short uniform skirt and greeted him. It wasn¡¯t even a noble gown, yet here she was, lifting it like it was, and as ridiculous as that was, her audacity to still call him "Sir Harold" at a time like this was¡­ impressive, in a way. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you again. I thought I asked youst time to address me as Professor Harold. This is the academy, after all. No matter that you¡¯re royalty, to me, you¡¯re just another student.¡± ¡°Oh, d-did you say that¡­? I¡¯m so sorry, P-Professor Harold¡­¡± ¡°It''s fine. Just don¡¯t make the same mistake next time.¡± ¡­He¡¯s actually pretty sweet when ites to anything unrted to his family. If only he didn¡¯t lose his mind at the mere mention of them, he''d be a great guy. In fact, even with that w, he''s still one of the more upstanding heads of noble families. It would be great if I could shift the conversation toward Mezzlen and away from the topic we were just discussing, but unfortunately, Harold seemed determined not to let Tanasia''s name go unaddressed. ¡°So, I¡¯d like to hear the rest of the conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain I heard ¡®Tanasia¡¯e from your mouths. Were you referring to my wife, ¡®Tanasia¡¯?¡± ¡°W-Well, you see¡­¡± ¡°Yes, P-Professor Harold¡­ We were talking about yourte wife, Duchess Tanasia¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?!?!¡± This madwoman¡­ How could she spit that out so recklessly right after I warned her not to? Just as I was about to let out the words, "If you want to die, do it alone," Harold''s hands suddenly gripped Mezzlen''s shoulders with rming force. Grab! ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®wife.¡¯ Not te wife.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Clench. ¡°Tanasia, my wife. She will never be my te wife.¡¯¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Harold was now exuding a palpable killing intent, and poor Mezzlen, overwhelmed by it, stammered out a cautious apology. The suffocating tension in the air made me long for one thing¡ªto escape this nightmare as quickly as possible. ¡®I didn¡¯t even say anything¡­!¡¯ Why on earth was I caught up in this, just because Mezzlen had dragged me into a conversation about Tanasia? As regret over not forcefully shaking her off earlier swirled in my head, Harold¡¯s murderous aura finally eased, and his grip on Mezzlen¡¯s shoulders loosened. ¡°¡­Apologies. Whenever my wife is mentioned, I find it hard to control myself.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s alright¡­ She must have been very important to you, right? Y-Your wife, I mean¡­¡± ¡°She is important, not was. She remains important to me.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯ve misspoken again¡­¡± ¡°So, could you let me know what exactly you two were talking about? I can¡¯t help but be curious.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡± Given the current atmosphere, if we told the truth about our conversation, Mezzlen would die, I would die, and everyone would die. The only way out was to hide the truth as best as possible and only say things that wouldn¡¯t offend Harold. ¡°W-We were talking about what qualities of Duchess Tanasia might have caught your attention, P-Professor Harold.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, and why?¡± ¡°Well, you still love her dearly, even after all these years. After losing her, you¡¯ve kept her as your only wife in your heart, and for over 20 years, you haven¡¯t been with anyone else. We were wondering what special charm Duchess Tanasia had that moved you so deeply.¡± ¡°Haha, is that so? Well, Tanasia certainly was a remarkable woman. She did have a special charm that no other woman couldpare to.¡± ¡­Phew. It seems like we¡¯re safe for now. As I cautiously gauged Harold¡¯s reaction, he suddenlyunched into a boastful tale about histe wife. ¡°The first time I took notice of her was during the student council president election in our first year at the academy. Until then, I had thought of her as just another top student from the magic department, someone unrted to me. But when she ran for student council president, her campaign tform caught my eye. You see, her proposal was¡­¡± Oh no. I knew this pattern all too well¡ªthe one where someone suddenly starts telling a long story about their past that no one asked for, and you end up listening all the way to the end because you can¡¯t cut them off. I had been caught in this before, and now that Harold had started, there was no stopping him. ¡®And to make matters worse, I was the one who brought this up, so it¡¯d be rude to just ignore it now¡­¡¯ As usual, whenever I got involved with this princess, things became unnecessarilyplicated. Even worse, Mezzlen, who had never been subjected to Harold¡¯s infamous ¡°too much talking,¡± was listening with wide, eager eyes, making it harder to break the flow of conversation. ¡°When Tanasia was elected president, the first thing she did was solidify the internal cohesion of the student council. At the time, the natural next step after the election was¡­¡± ¡®At least he didn¡¯t get charged with royal assault¡­¡¯ Resigned to my fate, I had no choice but to endure Harold¡¯s endless monologue about Tanasia. It wasn¡¯t until two hourster that his mouth finally stopped moving. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s why I confessed my feelings to Tanasia that day. Even on the battlefield, she remained steadfast, even in the face of countless dangers¡­ Ah, look at the time.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I hadpletely forgotten about the professors'' dinner tonight. I was actually on my way to meet with one of the professors from the magic department. I got so wrapped up in our conversation that I lost track of time.¡± ¡°¡­Two hours is hardly a short time, Professor Harold.¡± ¡°Ah, well, what¡¯s the harm? I¡¯m sure the dinner isn¡¯t over yet. I should at least go show my face. You both take care.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Have a good evening, Professor Harold¡­¡± ¡°¡­Please take care, Professor Harold.¡± Finally, Harold released us at the sight of the setting sun. I breathed a deep sigh of relief, grateful that the devil¡¯s mouth had finally stopped, even though it had taken the better part of the day. At least now, after seeing Harold¡¯s raw nature, I thought Princess Mezzlen would finally lose interest in him. ¡°Do you understand now, Princess Mezzlen?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve avoided saying this until now, out of respect for my master, but Professor Harold is always like this. His love for his wife is so overwhelming that there¡¯s no room for anyone else in his heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, if you¡¯re looking for love, Princess Mezzlen, I¡¯d rmend you find someone who can return your affections¡­¡± ¡°No, it must be Sir Harold.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°To still hold such passionate love in his heart even 20 years after his wife passed away¡­ If that¡¯s not love, then what is? I-If I could win over Sir Harold¡¯s heart, I would be the one to receive that enormous love! I will never give up! I¡¯ll find a way to make Sir Harold fall in love with me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t care anymore. Do whatever you want¡ªlove him, leave him, it¡¯s your choice. Chapter 373 A few days passed since the absurd day when I had to face Princess Mezzlen¡¯s ridiculous infatuation. Life at the academy returned to its usual pace, without any particrly notable events. To get straight to the point, I decided not to interfere in the rtionship between Harold and Mezzlen any further. There was no guarantee that my involvement would improve the situation anyway. The fact that he hasn¡¯t forgotten his wife, who passed away 20 years ago, means that Harold carries a deep wound in his heart, one that can¡¯t be easily touched by others. No matter how special Princess Mezzlen¡¯s feelings for Harold might be, to Harold, it¡¯s probably just another instance of the same flirtations he''s endured from countless nobledies over the years. If I foolishly tried to meddle and bring the two together, I could end up making things worse. So, I decided to pull back early. I would only answer questions about Harold as long as it didn¡¯t vite my sense of duty as a maid, but I refrained from sharing any personal or subjective advice. She had already dered that she would challenge this difficult love, so in the end, she would have to face the pain and endure the heartbreak on her own. ¡®She probably won¡¯t give up until she¡¯s gone through that pain.¡¯ No matter how much I wanted Mezzlen to find someone who could truly love her, if it meant interfering with another person¡¯s love, things would getplicated. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to find new love after losing a spouse, but forcing someone to remarry when they don¡¯t want to isn¡¯t my idea of an ideal romance. ¡®She¡¯ll have to experience it herself. She¡¯ll realize that not everything in the world can be solved with beauty and power.¡¯ Even that foolish, shameless, and lustful princess will improve a little once she gains some life experience. For now, I¡¯ll put any involvement with her on hold. With that, I decided to put Princess Mezzlen on the back burner for my n to pair up the heroines. Now, there were only three left. Cael from the back alley, the new professor Ang, and Princess Rainy. Since I figured Cael was the easiest of the remaining three, I nned to set him up with Cedric from the Engineering Department. But this situation didn¡¯t seem to require much interference from me either. ¡°Cael, you¡¯re hurt again? Didn¡¯t I tell youst time to always wear the enchanted protective gloves I made for you?¡± ¡°Sh-shut up! Do you really expect me to wear those ridiculous gloves?!¡± ¡°Ridiculous? They have a cute design, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not another idiot in the world who would put a cat embroidery on protective gloves, you idiot!¡± ¡°Really? But isn¡¯t it great since it looks like you? I made them while thinking of you, Cael.¡± ¡°Y-you! Who said I look like a cat?!¡± A little while ago, I went near the Combat Department¡¯s building to see Cael and stumbled upon this scene. Seeing Cael, who fits the perfect mold of a tsundere heroine, paired with the refreshing yet straightforward Cedric, filled me with a strange sense of satisfaction. I didn¡¯t know what had happened between them while I left them alone, but it was easy to imagine their story as a well-written, wholesome couple. ¡®Come to think of it, in the original, they would¡¯ve gotten together even if the protagonist hadn¡¯t interfered.¡¯@@novelbin@@ From the start, there was no need for me to get involved in Cael and Cedric¡¯s story. Now, only two heroines remained without a match. The new professor, Ang, had already been handled by the troublemaker. So, that left me with just one final pairing to set up¡­ ¡°Haa¡­¡± Yes, I knew it. I should be preparing myself for this. Princess Rainy. If I could just match her, who was likely Ethan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, my mission would beplete. ¡®Seriously, it¡¯s soplicated.¡¯ Even just this morning, waking up in the same bed as Ethan, the thought of cheering him on with another woman was absurd. But since I¡¯d alreadymitted to this, I had no choice but to see it through. Princess Rainy was a character I¡¯d grown attached to during my time ying Luminor Academy in my previous life, and I genuinely hoped she would get a happy ending. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilith? Why are you sighing?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, Young Master Ethan.¡± The one responsible for my worries, speaking to me as he sat next to me in the carriage¡¯s driver seat. Lately, we¡¯ve had a lot of outdoor exploration lessons, and whenever I drove the ckwood carriage, Ethan insisted on sitting beside me, even though there was plenty of room inside the carriage. ¡®I don¡¯t even know why we bother with the carriage if it¡¯s like this.¡¯ Sometimes, I think it might be better to ride a horse together, rather than take the carriage. At least that way, we¡¯d be traveling more efficiently. But then again, if Ethan and I rode on the same horse, with our bodies pressed together for hours, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to handle it. No matter how used I¡¯d be to sharing a bed with him, moving for hours while being pressed up against him, swaying back and forth, would definitely make things feel¡­ inappropriate. ¡°Are you worried about today¡¯s lesson?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean the exploration ss. Are you worried because it¡¯s necromancy today?¡± ¡­Ah, right. I had almost forgotten that today¡¯s ss was necromancy. Ethan just had to remind me of it. As he said, the ckwood carriage we were riding in was currently headed toward the training site for this semester¡¯s fourth exploration ss¡ªnecromancy. Yes, the one filled with ghosts, spirits, and zombies. That ss. ¡®If this were the modern world, I wouldn¡¯t mind as much, but of course, this is a fantasy world.¡¯ In the real world, I could easily prove that ghosts or spirits don¡¯t exist. Gravity and physics alone would disprove their ability to interact with the physical ne. But in this world, undead creatures are an actual ssification. Any logical argument would just lead to someone saying, ¡°It¡¯s a game world, so what?¡± leaving me speechless. In this world, ghosts and spirits actually exist. Which means I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid encountering ghost-type monsters during today¡¯s ss. And judging by Ethan¡¯s smirk, he could tell how uneasy I was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lilith. If any ghosts or spirits appear, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Against ghost-type monsters, my magic is far more effective than your swordsmanship. I just need to keep myposure and focus during the battle.¡± ¡°For someone saying that, you seem pretty tense. Your shoulders are all stiff.¡± ¡°Driving a carriage requires constant attention. You never know when the horses might act unpredictably.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard from one of the senior students in our department that about three years ago, a whole team went missing during a necromancy ss, and the academy caused a big uproar¡­¡± ¡°Is that one of those baseless rumors meant to scare students? I¡¯m not interested, so you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Ethan answered with a mischievous grin, but I could already guess what was going through his head. He was probably imagining me screaming like a little girl and clinging to him during the necromancy ss. Even though I tried to act nonchnt, Ethan knew better than anyone that I wasn¡¯t fond of fighting ghost-type or undead monsters. ¡°Well, that was just a joke, so don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Lilith. I¡¯ll protect you no matter what happens. I even learned sword techniques from my fatherst week that are specifically for dealing with ghost-type monsters.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even if you can¡¯t do anything, I¡¯ll take care of it, so rx.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your kind words, Young Master Ethan.¡± His reassurances somehow made me feel a bit better. With Ethan around, at least I wouldn¡¯t fail miserably due to fear during the ss. All I had to do was focus on oveing my weaknesses. ¡­Wait a minute. Doesn¡¯t something feel a little off? ¡°Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying all this, but wasn¡¯t it you who signed up for this necromancy exploration ss in the first ce?¡± ¡°¡­It would be nice if we could arrive before it gets toote, Lilith.¡± Ethan deliberately turned his head and changed the subject, ignoring my reasonable question. Whoever he inherited that shameless attitude from, I could only marvel at his boldness as I steered the carriage toward the necromancy ss site. Chapter 374 ¡°Ah, h-hello, everyone¡­ T-thank you all foring such a long way to attend my lecture today¡­.¡± The professor of the necromancy exploration ss, Mamari, had messy purple hair cascading down her back. Her unbnced figure¡ªa small stature butrge chest¡ªstood out, and her voice was as eerie as a ghost¡¯s. She began exining the structure of the necromancy exploration ss to the students gathered in front of her. ¡°From t-today, you will all be joining me for five days in this area to learn about undead monsters¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are many ces around here where various types of undead monsters live, making it a perfect spot to c-collect¡ªuh, I mean, exorcise them. Hehehe, heh¡­ heh¡­¡± ¡­Did she just say ¡®collect¡¯? I had a bad feeling creeping up my spine, and I was pretty sure I hadn¡¯t misheard her. But to properly participate in this ss, I had to focus, so I turned my attention back to Professor Mamari. ¡°There are three main types of undead monsters: ghost-types, skeleton-types, and zombie-types. The closer a monster is to the ghost category, the more effective magic or spiritual attacks are, while physical attacks work better on zombie-types. However, keep in mind that zombie-type monsters sometimes exhibit unimaginable strength, as they¡¯re no longer bound by physical limitations¡­.¡± Up until now, I usually skipped out on listening to detailed exnations in these exploration sses. But this time, I had no choice but to listen closely to Professor Mamari¡¯s lecture. It wasn¡¯t because I suddenly realized the importance of paying attention in ss. It was just that I¡¯d never really yed this part of the game much before, so I didn¡¯t know anything. I had only once yed this ss in the past, and that was just to gather some information for the Lilith maiden conquest. In other words, this was essentially my first real necromancy exploration ss. Like I said earlier in the carriage ride with Ethan, I was going to have to rely heavily on him during this lesson. ¡°So, after weakening the undead monster¡¯s health based on the exnation I just gave, you will use this ¡®Undead Sealing Magic Stone¡¯ to c-collect the monsters and submit them¡­.¡± ¡®¡­What?¡¯ ¡°You need to collect one ghost-type, one skeleton-type, and one zombie-type monster. Your grade will be based on the danger and preservation status of each type of monster¡­.¡± ¡®Oh, no, please.¡¯ Not only did we have to defeat the monsters, but we had to capture them alive by sealing them? The moment the professor¡¯s final words sank in, I felt my head spinning at the increasingly difficult assignment. ? ? ? The assistant for the necromancy exploration ss handed each of us three Undead Sealing Magic Stones. Each stone was meant for capturing one ghost-type, one skeleton-type, and one zombie-type monster. ¡®Sigh, at this point, I¡¯d rather just be an undead myself.¡¯ It¡¯s hard enough to defeat them with my eyes closed, but now I had to whittle down their health slowly and then trap them in a magic stone? That¡¯s just ridiculous. As much as I wanted to give up on this ss, I couldn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t just my ss¡ªI was taking it with Ethan. Since Ethan personally signed up for this ss, I couldn¡¯t afford to ck off. If I didn¡¯t do my best, he¡¯d surely feel disappointed or let down. ¡°Are you going to be okay, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be fine. I signed up for this ss to ovee my weaknesses, so this is the perfect opportunity to build my tolerance.¡± ¡°If it gets too difficult, I can handle your assignment for you.¡± ¡°Submitting an assignment like that would be meaningless, Young Master Ethan. I enrolled in Luminor Academy to learn and grow, not to get good grades by cheating.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind offer nheless, Young Master Ethan.¡± Yeah. Now that the exploration ss had started, there was no avoiding it. Since I couldn¡¯t dodge this ss, my best option was to attend it properly and farm as much experience as I could while I was at it. ¡°First, we should n the route for capturing the undead monsters. The nearby areas where undead monsters can be found include an abandoned church, the Grave of the Departed, and the old battlefield.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°ording to Professor Mamari, even visiting one ce per day would be tight, so we¡¯ll need to decide where to go tonight. What do you think, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to leave the decision up to you. Where do you think we should start?¡± ¡°¡­Give me a moment to think.¡± The abandoned church housed ghost-type monsters, the Grave of the Departed had zombie-types, and the old battlefield was home to skeleton-type monsters. I hated all three, but among them, I could at least rank them in terms of my least to most hated. So, making a choice wasn¡¯t that hard. ¡®It¡¯s probably best to start with the least horrible of the three.¡¯ If I started by facing skeleton-type monsters, I might be able to raise my tolerance for undead creatures a bit. And if I recalled correctly from the one time I yed through this necromancy exploration, the named boss wouldn¡¯t appear until the veryst area we visited. Since we would eventually have to fight a boss monster, and the most troublesome named one was the ¡®Giant Skeleton,¡¯ it made sense to start with the skeletons first. ¡°How about we visit the old battlefield, where the skeleton-type monsters reside, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go there first.¡± ¡°Skeleton-type monsters use magic to enhance their physical attacks, so while you face the monsters head-on, I¡¯ll provide magical support from the back.¡± ¡°Got it, Lilith. I¡¯ll handle the front lines, so I¡¯ll count on you for backup.¡± Let¡¯s try to finish this quickly. We¡¯ll capture two moderately strong monsters from the old battlefield and call it a day. I didn¡¯t want to deal with a long, exhausting battle after a full day of driving the carriage. ? ? ? About five minutes had passed since Ethan and I entered the old battlefield. As we carefully walked over the crimson ground, following behind Ethan, the first monster attack camepletely unexpectedly. -Crack! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± -Grab! ¡°Gyaaahhhh!!¡± Suddenly, something grabbed my ankle from below. A cold, bony hand dragged me down toward the ground. I panicked instantly and yanked my foot away, jumping back,pletely ignoring Ethan¡¯s attempt to help me. -Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! ¡°Hyaaahhh¡­!!! Let go! Let go, you damn skeleton¡­!!!¡± I furiously shook the skeleton swordsman off my leg, sending it flying. Thanks to its weak grip, it let go of my ankle and flew off into the distance. But even after it flew away, the sight that followed was beyond disgusting, and I couldn¡¯t help but scream again. -tter, tter¡­. ¡°Eeeek!! A skeleton! A skeleton!!!¡± The monster, which had seemed to break apart after hitting the ground, quickly began reassembling itself, its bones snapping back into ce until it fully regained its form. I was so shocked by the grotesque sight that I nearly copsed, but Ethan¡¯s voice calling to me snapped me out of it just in time. ¡°Lilith, over here!¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­!!¡± Ethan drew his sword, ready to face the skeleton swordsman as it slowly approached me again. Hiding behind Ethan, I buried my face in my hands, but I could still hear the satisfying sound of his sword slicing through the air. -Swish. -tter¡­. The monster copsed immediately, defeated with a single strike from Ethan¡¯s sword. Compared to the scene I had just made, the skeleton went down so easily that I felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Oh no, I misjudged my strength.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The professor said we need to collect the monsters with the magic stones, but I think I killed it for real.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, is that what you meant.¡± Professor Mamari had made it clear that we needed to bring back one of each type of undead monster to pass the ss.@@novelbin@@ Even though the skeleton had gone down easily with one strike, it was still an undead monster, so I understood why Ethan seemed a bit worried. Since I¡¯d been trembling like a leaf as soon as we entered the skeleton¡¯sir, it was only natural that Ethan would want to end this quickly for my sake. He probably wanted to get me out of here as soon as possible. While I appreciated Ethan¡¯s concern, I had my own reasons for not wanting to take the easy way out in this ss. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, Young Master Ethan, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to catch weak monsters just to get out of here quickly.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Objectively speaking, the skeleton swordsman is an incredibly weak monster. If I¡¯d been in the right mindset, I could¡¯ve easily handled it with just this dagger. Professor Mamari said our grades would be based on the quality of the monsters we collect, so we need to bring back the strongest monsters we can capture.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awfully bold now that the undead is gone, Lilith. Just a moment ago, you were running behind me to hide.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize for my embarrassing behavior earlier, but I still stand by what I said. I enrolled in this ss to ovee my fear of undead monsters, so I refuse to use tricks or shortcuts in battle.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. If that¡¯s how you feel, we¡¯ll press on.¡± Ethan agreed to continue deeper into their, following my lead as we cautiously made our way to the center of the battlefield. In truth, the thing I hated most about undead monsters wasn¡¯t their grotesque appearance. Of course, the unsettling humanoid features of these creatures were part of it, but the real reason I despised them was¡­ -Crack!! ¡°Gyaaahhh¡­!!¡± ¡­This. Yes, this. Please, for the love of everything, get rid of the jump scares. I beg you. Chapter 376 Even though I mentioned n C as if I had some grand strategy, the truth was that neither Ethan nor I had a surefire way to escape our current predicament. In fact, the details of n C weren¡¯t all that borate. The n was simple: I¡¯d buy time while Ethan dealt a decisive blow to the enemy. That was it. The reverse would be n B. How I bought time and how Ethan delivered the effective strike were things we¡¯d each have to figure out for ourselves. To be honest, it was more like solo y than party y, but since Ethan had already confirmed his understanding, the n was set in motion.@@novelbin@@ ¡®Sally, Sei. Use the me fireworks to attract the golem¡¯s attention towards me.¡¯ ¡®Got it! Let¡¯s go, Sei!¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Sei! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡¯ ¡®¡­Alright.¡¯ After a slight rebellious streak following the battle in Bridget Vige, Sally dragged Sei along, preparing the me fireworks in the air. As I briefly thought about doing something to cheer Sei up soon, small yet bright fireworks exploded above me, drawing the bone golem¡¯s attention. -Bang!! ¡®tter, tter¡­.¡¯ -Thud! Thud! Thud! At the loud sound of the fireworks, the Giant Skeleton turned its gaze away from Ethan and started lumbering toward me. At least now Ethan had time to focus, and I had to deal with this bone golem one-on-one. -Whoosh! ¡°Hyaaaah!¡± The bone golem swung its massive sword at me with terrifying speed, clearly aiming to crush me entirely. The most troublesome aspect of the Giant Skeleton was its incredible speed. Unlike otherrge monsters, it was just a skeleton, which meant it could swing its light, skeletal arms swiftly. And the sword itself was made from the sharpest, most jagged parts of its bones, so if I took even one hit, I¡¯d probably die, unable to even collect my remains. ¡®If I even think about taking a hit, it¡¯s over. I need to dodge as far away as possible, every time.¡¯ Until when? Until Ethan was ready to strike. He had learned sword techniques from Harold that were specifically for undead monsters, so he had to have at least learned Ghost yer or something simr. From what I remembered in my past life, Ghost yer required a fusion of internal energy and magic, a process that took about 2 or 3 turns in game mechanics. Once someone was experienced, it could be done in a single turn, but since Ethan had never used Ghost yer before, he would probably need a good three turns. Assuming it took three turns, I needed to buy about five minutes on my own. ¡®Sally, I¡¯m giving you magic, so transform into the me giant right now.¡¯ ¡®Alright! How much are you giving me?!¡¯ ¡®Half.¡¯ ¡®Sweet!¡¯ Sally looked ecstatic at the unusually generous amount of magic I was offering and quickly absorbed half of my power. A brief sensation of emptiness hit me as the energy drained from my body, but luckily, the result soon appeared before my eyes. -Fwoooosh. Fwoooosh. ¡®Lilith! I¡¯ve transformed! What should I do now?!¡¯ ¡®Attack the Giant Skeleton from head to toe. Hit every part of it!¡¯ ¡®Got it, Lilith!¡¯ With that, Sally¡ªnow a towering me giant¡ªthrew her ming fist directly at the bone golem without hesitation. As I watched her punchnd on the golem, I started calcting the skeleton¡¯s regeneration time in my mind. ¡®Fire punch!¡¯ -Boom! ¡®First strike, left shoulder.¡¯ I started counting the seconds in my head as Sally''s first attacknded. After about two seconds, I saw her follow-up attack hit the golem¡¯s right leg. ¡®Burn, baby, burn!!!¡¯ -Bang!! ¡®Second hit on the right calf. The left shoulder began regenerating after two seconds, and the third strikended on the head a secondter¡­.¡¯ Sally did as instructed, targeting various parts of the massive monster¡¯s body. Naturally, there was no way Sally could take down the Giant Skeleton by herself. Even with half of my magic fueling her, the monster''s regeneration was far too fast. But what I was observing was the subtle differences in the regeneration times of the various body parts. When dealing with an undead monster, the key was locating its core. The core usually wasn¡¯t located in the head or heart like one might expect, but elsewhere in the body. The easiest solution would be to st away the entire body at once, core and all, but as I mentioned earlier, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of using Mana st right now. Ethan would only have one chance to strike, so I had to make sure I found the core¡¯s location beforehand. By calcting the regeneration speeds of each body part, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to deduce the core¡¯s location. ¡®The core¡¯s closer to the head than the right calf, but the left shoulder regenerates even faster, so it¡¯s probably around the stomach or waist¡­.¡¯ ¡®Take this!!¡¯ -Boom!! Amid the chaos, I kept piecing together a mental map of the Giant Skeleton¡¯s body and roughly calcted where the core might be. Just then, the golem swung its massive sword toward me again, and for a split second, I was too slow to react¡ªsomething wrapped around me, lifting me out of harm''s way. -Whoosh! ¡®Ah, I was toote¡­!!¡¯ -Whoosh! ¡®¡­Lilith, that was dangerous.¡¯ ¡®Th-thank you, Sei¡­.¡¯ ¡®¡­Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fine. I trusted you, Sei.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ After briefly thanking Sei for saving me, I refocused on the battle. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t really a battle¡ªI was more like a circus performer dodging attacks using my agility¡ªbut that was a minor detail. -Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! ¡°¡­! ¡­! ¡­¡­!!!¡± I kept twisting and dodging, even holding back my gasps of relief to avoid distracting Ethan while he concentrated. Using wind magic, shockwaves, and Sei¡¯s help with air magic, I managed to buy Ethan enough time to finish his preparations. -ng! ¡°¡­¡­!!!!!¡± Oh, for crying out loud, this skeleton. Why did its skull have to be stuck on the de like that? That nearly gave me a heart attack. After narrowly avoiding several more close calls and holding my breath for about five minutes¡ª ¡°Lilith! I¡¯m ready!¡± Finally, Ethan called out, signaling that he had finished preparing his sword technique. I wasted no time rying the information I had gathered. ¡°Hold on, Lilith! I¡¯m going to cut off the skeleton¡¯s head in one strike!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the head, Young Master Ethan!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the left side of its torso! The core is inside the left side of its torso!¡± ¡°¡­Got it! I¡¯ll slice through its left torso, then!¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± Before Ethan could waste his strike on the wrong part of the monster, I sessfully passed along the crucial information. He immediately adjusted his stance and redirected his sword¡¯s trajectory toward the skeleton¡¯s left side. With a powerful swing, Ethan poured all his energy and magic into a single strike, and his de cut deep into the Giant Skeleton¡¯s left side. -Crack! Crack-crack-crack!! ¡®tter, tter¡­. tter¡­.¡¯ The bones, once held together by the core¡¯s magic, began to crumble. The hundreds of bone fragments that had been held together by the core¡¯s power lost cohesion and copsed to the ground. If we left it like that, it would regenerate in a matter of minutes, so we had to seal it quickly. ¡°Young Master Ethan! Use the Undead Sealing Magic Stone!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Following my instructions, Ethan moved quickly, bringing the magic stone to the purple core that had emerged from the skeleton¡¯s body. I, too, ced my magic stone on the Giant Skeleton¡¯s copsed remains to make sure we could collect the evidence of our victory and prevent the skeleton from reassembling itself. -Fwoooosh¡­. Thanks to the strange sealing technique devised by Professor Mamari, the Giant Skeleton¡¯s core was absorbed into Ethan¡¯s magic stone, and its body was sealed into mine. When the sealing wasplete, Ethan¡¯s stone held the Giant Skeleton¡¯s core, while mine contained its massive body. ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯re finally done¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems so, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Phew. I¡¯m d the sword technique I learned from my father worked. And thanks to you, Lilith, for pinpointing the monster¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your hard work as well, Young Master Ethan.¡± While Ethan sighed in relief, I couldn¡¯t shake an uneasy feeling. ¡®This is only the first boss we¡¯ve faced¡ªthere are still more toe. If this is how things are going¡­.¡¯ The thought of having to deal with another boss tomorrow and the day after was already giving me a headache. Chapter 377 After finishing our battle with the Giant Skeleton, Ethan and I returned to the safe zone from the old battlefield. As soon as we handed over the magic stones, which contained the core and body of the Giant Skeleton, to Professor Mamari, she looked at us with a surprised expression while carefully examining the stones. ¡°W-Wow... Is this really...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the core and body of the Giant Skeleton, Professor Mamari.¡± ¡°Because the spirit was sorge, we had to split the seal into two magic stones. I hope you understand.¡± ¡°W-Wow... Hohoho...¡± Professor Mamari held the magic stones in her hands, staring at them as if they were precious jewels. Then she carefully looked at us, clearly curious about the fate of the other party members. ¡°H-How did you... D-Did the two of you take it down? W-What about the other party members...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the monster Lilith and I took down.¡± ¡°Since there wasn¡¯t anyone I was particrly close to among the other students, Ethan and I had no choice but to take on the hunt together.¡± ¡°......¡± It was clear from the way Professor Mamari alternated her gaze between the sealed magic stones in her hands and our faces that she found it hard to believe Ethan and I had taken down the monster by ourselves. She muttered to herself in a strange, almost entranced manner. ¡°With materials like this... I might be able to create a high-level cursed potion in my next research... And the Giant Skeleton¡¯s body could be used as material for a bone golem...¡± ¡°Professor Mamari?¡± ¡°Ah, hah...! Oh, I-I''m sorry... I must have held you up too long. You must be tired after traveling a long way today and taking down such arge monster.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Professor.¡± ¡°The assessment for the ss will be given after you submit your assignment on the third day... But I must say, with materials like this, I think I can give you both the highest score for skeleton-type monster materials.¡± Well, of course. After all, we had just submitted the material from a boss monster that wasn¡¯t supposed to appear until the third day. Ethan and I were about to leave Professor Mamari¡¯s vi after submitting our results when she suddenly called us back in a somewhat urgent manner. ¡°All right then, we¡¯ll be heading ba¡ª¡± ¡°W-Wait, you two...!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where... Where are you nning to rest tonight? I know there aren¡¯t any proper buildings around here besides my vi.¡± ¡°For the next three days, we¡¯re nning to set up tents near the carriage. As you mentioned, there aren¡¯t any viges around here.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s... I can¡¯t let such talents like you... Ah, ah, wait a moment...¡±@@novelbin@@ Suddenly, Professor Mamari started rummaging through her drawers. Before I knew it, she handed me a key, hurriedly exining its purpose. ¡°This... This is the key to my fourth vi... It¡¯s a ce I don¡¯t use often, but while you''re taking the necromancy ss, you¡¯re wee to use it...¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the professor¡¯s job to support talented students... There¡¯s a bed in my vi, so please restfortably and bring me more great materi¡ªah, I mean, assignments tomorrow. Hehe.¡± ...That eerieugh of hers is something I¡¯ll have to get used to. But, still, from what she was saying, it seemed like she was offering us a ce to stay while we took the ss. Considering we had brought her materials from a monster as big as the Giant Skeleton, she was probably hoping we¡¯d bring her more top-tier materials over the next few days. It was obvious what her intentions were, but there was no reason to refuse. It was much better to stay in a vi with a roof and a bed than to sleep in a tent on the hard ground. ¡°Thank you, Professor Mamari.¡± ¡°Yes... I look forward to seeing your work in tomorrow¡¯s ss. Hehe.¡± Leaving Professor Mamari¡¯s vi, Ethan and I made our way to the fourth vi she mentioned. ? ? ? Screech. ¡°The inside is cleaner than I expected.¡± ¡°I agree. Given that she said it¡¯s not used often, I wasn¡¯t expecting much, but it¡¯s actually well-maintained.¡± The vi Professor Mamari gave us wasn¡¯t as dusty or filled with insects as I thought it would be for a ce that had been left unattended for so long. I had expected to have to clean the ce with a spell right away, but fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem necessary. As I stepped further inside, I got the eerie feeling that there was a maid stationed here to maintain the vi. That was when an ominous voice whispered into Ethan¡¯s and my ears. ¡®Wee, are you guests of Professor Mamari?¡¯ ¡°Hiiiii?!¡± ¡°L-Lilith?!¡± The moment a translucent maid appeared without warning, I instinctively screamed. At the same time, Ethan had prepared to draw his sword, thinking the ghost was a threat. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I just assumed that, as guests of Professor Mamari, you¡¯d be ustomed to such presences...¡¯ ¡°...Who are you?¡± ¡®I am the manager of Professor Mamari¡¯s fourth vi. I handle the cleaning, maintain the facilities, ward off intruders, and guide any asional guests, such as yourselves.¡¯ ¡°...A manager?¡± From the looks of her, anyone would think she was a ghost-type monster. I couldn¡¯t quite grasp the idea of a ghost being able to physically manage a vi, but the translucent maid calmly exined, as if expecting my confusion. ¡®To rify any misunderstandings, I am not a monster. I am an ¡®intelligent spirit¡¯ created by Professor Mamari. I currently oversee the management of this fourth vi.¡¯ ¡°Created by Professor Mamari?¡± ¡®Yes. As an authority in necromancy, Professor Mamari has created several inventions using materials from undead monsters. I am one such invention, made to manage this vi.¡¯ ...Now that I think about it, this reminds me of an episode from Luminor Academy. It wasn¡¯t from a necromancy ss, but rather an episode in the fourth story arc called ¡®The Haunted Mansion,¡¯ where the mansion¡¯s manager exined that she was created to manage the property, just like this translucent maid in front of me. If this maid was made in the same way as that haunted mansion¡¯s manager, her existence made perfect sense. ¡°Is there anyone else like you in other ces? I mean, other than this fourth vi.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know about those made after me, but I am aware of those made before me. However, I cannot disclose any of Professor Mamari¡¯s private information. The only answer I can give is that such entities do exist.¡¯ ¡°...That¡¯s enough of an answer.¡± If there was only one person in this world capable of creating intelligent spirits, then the manager from the haunted mansion episode was probably another one of Professor Mamari¡¯s creations, just like this maid. Since her exnation didn¡¯t seem like a lie, there was no reason to be overly cautious. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine, Young Master Ethan. She¡¯s not a ghost or a monster; she¡¯s simply the vi¡¯s manager.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Considering how clean the vi is, I¡¯d say it¡¯s thanks to her. If there was no manager here, it would be much stranger for the ce to be so spotless, don¡¯t you think, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡®Thank you for thepliment, Miss. You truly have the insight of a skilled maid.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure what insight had to do with being a maid, but at least it didn¡¯t seem like she had any intention of harming us. And well, even though she was artificially created, her appearance as a maid made me feel a bit of camaraderie. After all, I had been a maid for the ckwood family for almost ten years now. ¡®May I ask for your names while you stay here? If you¡¯re ufortable giving your real names, you may use an alias or any title that suits you.¡¯ ¡°...Ethan.¡± ¡°Lilith, Manager.¡± ¡®Very well. I will serve you both as Young Master Ethan and Miss Lilith during your stay.¡¯ ...Young Master Ethan? ¡°Excuse me, could you refer to Young Master Ethan as ¡®Lord Ethan¡¯ instead of ¡®Young Master Ethan¡¯?¡± ¡®...Oh, my apologies. I will serve you as Lord Ethan and Miss Lilith from now on.¡¯ ¡°Thank you, Manager.¡± The manager quickly grasped the meaning behind my words, bowing her head like a proper maid would. ...Even if it¡¯s just for three days, I couldn¡¯t let anyone take the position of Ethan¡¯s personal maid away from me. Chapter 378 Before the vi''s manager guided Ethan and me to our room, she suddenly asked a rather unexpected question. ¡®Are Lord Ethan and Miss Lilith in a romantic rtionship? Or are you simply a noble young lord and his personal maid?¡¯ ¡°Well, um...¡± ¡°We''re in a romantic rtionship. Why does that matter?¡± ¡°...Yes, we are in a romantic rtionship.¡± While I was contemting how to exin our temporary rtionship, Ethan confidently dered that we were a couple. I suppose it would be strange to exin something like a ¡°temporary rtionship¡± to someone we just met. So, I didn¡¯t bother to deny his words and simply nodded in agreement. ¡®I apologize if my question was inappropriate. I asked because I needed to know whether to prepare one bedroom or two for the two of you.¡¯ ¡°One room will be fine.¡± ¡°One room, please.¡± ¡®Understood.¡¯ ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Our simultaneous responses left us both feeling a bit awkward. After all, we¡¯d been sharing the same room, the same bed, and even the same tent for quite a while now. There was no need to suddenly use separate rooms just because there was extra space. We¡¯d already seen everything there was to see between a man and a woman, so there was nothing to hide. Screech. ¡®Please use this room as your bedroom and resting area, Lord Ethan and Miss Lilith.¡¯ I was slightly surprised when the manager, despite being a spirit, opened the door naturally and guided us inside. But I suppose that, too, was part of the magic that Professor Mamari had created. Thinking back to the manager from the haunted mansion episode, I remembered that they were capable of simr actions. Cautiously, Ethan and I stepped into the room. ¡®...It''s better than I expected.¡¯ There was arge bed big enough for the both of us, a small table for two, a spacious desk for working, and even a wardrobe. It was definitely too nice a vi to have been left unused for years. Since Professor Mamari referred to this as her ¡°fourth vi,¡± I assumed her other vis were just as well-equipped. I still didn¡¯t fully understand what kind of research she conducted, but I guessed it was somewhat akin to robotics, at least in this world¡¯s terms. ¡®During your stay in this vi, I will not interfere or pry into your activities in this room. Please feel free to use the space as you see fit. I also assure you that I will not intrude or eavesdrop without permission, so you can rest easy.¡¯ ¡°...Thank you.¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t need to worry; nothing like that will happen.¡± ¡®Understood. As per Lord Ethan¡¯s instructions, I will consider that nothing happened, regardless of what takes ce. The bed sheets and nkets will be changed daily, but this is simply my duty as the vi¡¯s manager, so please don¡¯t concern yourselves with it.¡¯ ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Her polite yet roundabout phrasing was quite clear. In essence, she was saying that no matter what we did, it wouldn¡¯t matter to her. If we were in the middle of any other ss and did something improper, we¡¯d probably fail without being able to protest. But this vi was essentially a gift from Professor Mamari, the instructor of the necromancy ss. So, even if something were to happen, it likely wouldn¡¯t affect our grades. ¡®Not that I intend for anything to happen. Nothing will happen.¡¯ I had already decided that any intimate moments with Ethan would only take ce when he scored a point against Harold, as part of his reward. Since that humiliating pet y sessionst time, Ethan hadn¡¯t earned any points, so it was better for both of us to keep things restrained. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to rest now. Can you leave us? Lilith seems a little ufortable.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine, Lord Ethan. I know now that the manager isn¡¯t a ghost.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± ¡®Thank you for your consideration, Miss Lilith. I was nning to prepare dinner and a bath for the guests who arrivedte tonight. Would you like either of those services?¡¯ ¡°Dinner? At this hour?¡± ¡°...A bath?¡± Ethan and I both questioned thete-hour offer of dinner and a bath, but the manager remained unphased as she replied. ¡®It¡¯s quitemon for guests of Professor Mamari to visit at this time. Most visitors to this undead-infested region tend to live with their days and nights reversed.¡¯ ¡°Well, I suppose it makes sense. There¡¯s not much else to see around here besides undead monsters.¡± Dinner thiste would only cause me to gain weight, so that was out of the question, but a bath... That was starting to sound more appealing. It seemed like Ethan was thinking along the same lines, as he carefully asked me about the manager¡¯s offer. ¡°What do you think, Lilith? We did sweat quite a bit today. Plus, you drove the carriage, so you must be more tired.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I think it would be best to ept the bath offer. If you¡¯re hungry, feel free to have dinner without me, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not that hungry either. So, if you don¡¯t mind, could you please prepare just the bath for us?¡± ¡®Understood. I will ready the bath for the two of you.¡¯ ¡®...The two of us?¡¯ It seemed the manager had assumed that, since we were sharing the same room, we¡¯d be using the bath together as well. I considered correcting her but missed the opportunity as she slipped away into the floor before I could speak. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like Ethan and I haven¡¯t bathed together before.¡¯ We¡¯d bathed together a few times before we even had sex, so there was no need to feel embarrassed about something as simple as sharing a bath. Although Ethan¡¯s face seemed to flush slightly, I decided not to make a big deal out of it. ¡°While the manager prepares the bath, you should rest a bit, Lord Ethan. I¡¯ll take care of organizing our belongings, and I¡¯ll wake you once the bath is ready.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that unnecessary? We could do it faster if we worked together.¡± ¡°This is part of my duties as your personal maid, Lord Ethan. Even though we¡¯re in a different location, I have no intention of neglecting my responsibilities as your personal maid while we¡¯re here for the academy¡¯s ss.¡± ¡°...All right, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t argue further and stepped back, allowing me to organize our belongings. I began hanging our sleepwear and everyday clothes neatly in the wardrobe. ¡®We probably won¡¯t need to unpack the sleeping bags or the tent.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for Professor Mamari¡¯s hospitality, we¡¯d likely be setting up the tent right now, and after all that, we wouldn¡¯t even have had a proper bath before going to bed. Sleeping outdoors was fun once or twice, but having to do it for nearly every ss this semester was getting a bit old. I felt a small wave of happiness wash over me just knowing that tonight, we wouldn¡¯t have to pitch a tent or light a campfire. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you go through this ss.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you disliked undead monsters this much. I knew ghosts scared you, but I didn¡¯t expect you to react like that to skeleton monsters, too.¡± ¡°Everyone has their weaknesses, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re always so bold, Lilith. Just the other day, during the humanities ss, you fought off bandits without even flinching.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between the living, the dead, and the undead that should have stayed dead, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°...I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Besides, you asked for my opinion several times when you were nning to take this necromancy ss. I agreed to it, so you don¡¯t need to feel responsible for my difort.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right, Lilith.¡± ...Honestly, for a duke¡¯s son, Ethan sure is considerate of his personal maid¡¯s feelings. Of course, our rtionship isn¡¯t the typical one between a young lord and his maid. That¡¯s one of the things I like about Ethan, though¡ªhe always goes out of his way to consider me, even over trivial matters. ¡°......¡± Even though I told him I was fine, seeing Ethan look a bit down made me feel a little heavy-hearted as well. Since I had finished organizing the clothes, I quietly approached Ethan, who was sitting on the bed, and made a small suggestion to lift his mood while we waited for the bath to be ready. Swoosh. ¡°Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°...Yes?¡± ¡°Would you like to... touch my chest?¡± ¡°Cough...! Wh-What?!¡± ...Was that really something to be that surprised about? Chapter 379 Wanting to help ease Ethan¡¯s gloomy mood, I made a suggestion for some physical contact, hoping it might cheer him up a little. Considering how many times he¡¯d touched my chest before, I didn¡¯t think this would be such a big deal. But apparently, Ethan had a different perspective. ¡°L-Lilith, don¡¯t tease me...¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I wasn¡¯t teasing, Lord Ethan. I was being sincere. Don¡¯t men usually feel better when they touch a woman¡¯s chest when they¡¯re down?¡± ¡°W-What kind of idea is that...?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± ¡°Well... if you put it that way, it¡¯s not exactly wrong...¡± Ethan cautiously acknowledged it, as if remembering the past times he¡¯d touched my chest. ¡°I only suggested it because you seemed down, Lord Ethan. As your personal maid, it¡¯s my duty to help you feel better. I assure you, there¡¯s no ulterior motive.¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought, but it¡¯s okay. We agreed that such things were only for when I earned points against my father.¡± ¡°Given everything we¡¯ve done up to now, I don¡¯t think something like touching my chest really counts as anything indecent anymore.¡± ¡°...No, touching your chest is definitely indecent. What are you talking about, Lilith?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, yeah?¡± ...Was it? I mean, objectively speaking, touching someone¡¯s chest is generally considered indecent. Even by my standards as a unicorn, letting a man who isn¡¯t my romantic partner touch my chest would normally be uneptable. But after all the intimate contact Ethan and I had shared, it didn¡¯t seem like such a big deal anymore. It¡¯s not like I was offering to let him touch anywhere lower, or do anything beyond that¡ªit was just my chest. Maybe it was Ethan who was being a bit overly sensitive about this, not me. ¡°So, Lord Ethan, are you saying you don¡¯t want to touch my chest?¡± ¡°Well... If you put it like that, of course I want to. But I¡¯m just saying you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to cheer me up like this.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°And besides, technically, we¡¯re still in the middle of the necromancy ss. Even though the vi¡¯s manager said she wouldn¡¯t interfere, we still shouldn¡¯t break the rules about improper rtionships during ss hours.¡± ...Using the ss as an excuse, huh? Ethan made such a valid point that I had no way to argue against it. No matter how much I didn¡¯t think it was indecent, if the professor deemed it improper, it would still count as breaking the rules. If I wanted to get Ethan to go along with this, I needed a different approach. It wasn¡¯t about me wanting to be touched; I really just wanted to help him feel better. After all, touching my chest at this point didn¡¯t do that much for me anymore. ¡°...It¡¯s therapy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not improper physical contact. It¡¯s therapy.¡± ¡°...Lilith?¡± ¡°Physical injuries aren¡¯t the only kind of wounds, Lord Ethan. I was once gifted with the powers of a saint, and I believe that emotional wounds are a kind of injury as well.¡± ¡°Lilith, this isn¡¯t exactly an emotional wound...¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t believe emotional wounds were injuries, Lord Ethan, you wouldn¡¯t have gone out of your way to protect me during the necromancy ss today. My fear of undead monsters is a matter of the heart, not the body. Yet you did your best to keep me safe throughout the ss, didn¡¯t you? Doesn¡¯t that mean you see my fear as a kind of injury?¡± ¡°...I guess that¡¯s one way to put it.¡± ¡°So, by that logic, the guilt you feel over my fear of the undead is also a kind of injury, one of the heart. And since that injury came from the events of today¡¯s ss, it¡¯s essentially an injury you sustained during ss. As your personal maid and a former saint, it¡¯s my duty to heal that wound in the most efficient way possible.¡± ¡°......¡± Ethan fell silent, seemingly unable toe up with a rebuttal. At this point, even he had to admit that my argument made sense. ¡°...All right. If you insist, Lilith.¡± ¡°Now you understand what I¡¯ve been saying, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I fully understand your reasoning, but I do get what you¡¯re feeling. Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize.¡± Ethan added some strangement, but in the end, he reached out his hand toward my chest, which meant my logic had won out over his. ¡°This isn¡¯t an indecent act but a therapeutic one, so I won¡¯t be taking off my uniform, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not sure what difference that makes, but all right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re free to touch me however you like, Lord Ethan. Until you feel better.¡± ¡°......¡± Ethan hesitated for a moment, looking thoughtful before carefully cing his hand over my chest. Hisrge, masculine hand grasped at the soft mound through my uniform. Squeeze. ¡°Hnn... Hmph.¡± Squeeze, squeeze. ¡°Haah... Hah...¡± The sensation of Ethan¡¯s familiar touch pressed against my chest, even through the threeyers of clothing, stirred faint memories in my body. ¡®Still, it¡¯s a lot easier to handlepared to when he touches me directly.¡¯ When he had touched my bare skin before, the sensation had been far more overwhelming. Even now, I couldn¡¯t say that I felt nothing, but it was bearablepared to before. With threeyers of clothing between us, how much could I really enjoy it, anyway¡ª Squeeze! ¡°Hngh?!¡± ...I made a mistake. My undergarments shifted, and the sudden pressure against a sensitive spot caused an involuntary gasp to escape my lips. It was a brief reaction, but the problem was Ethan¡¯s response. Knowing Ethan¡¯s slightly sadistic tendencies, I could already guess how he¡¯d react. ¡°What¡¯s this, Lilith? Are you really feeling it from something like this?¡± ¡°...I was just surprised, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Surprised? You¡¯re wearing threeyers of clothing, and you¡¯re still feeling it?¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re such a perverted maid.¡± Even though the reaction had been purely idental, Ethan started groping my chest more eagerly, all while calling me a perverted maid. I could¡¯ve objected, but I chose not to. After all, this was meant to cheer Ethan up, so there was no point in ruining the mood now. Squeeze! ¡°Hngh?!¡± ...Again?! Once more, my undergarments shifted, brushing against a particrly sensitive spot. It was the same kind of stimtion as before, and I couldn¡¯t help but let out another soft sound. At this point, I couldn¡¯t chalk it up to coincidence. Ethan had to be doing it on purpose. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilith?¡± ¡°...Nothing.¡± ¡°Then why are you making those lewd sounds, like you¡¯re really enjoying it?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Come on, admit it. This was your n all along, wasn¡¯t it? You said you wanted to make me feel better, but really, you just wanted me to touch your chest, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s not true.¡± I genuinely wanted to help Ethan feel better. Based on my past experience as a man, I knew this was one of the easiest ways to improve his mood. I wasn¡¯t trying to satisfy any personal desires. Sure, I was benefiting slightly from this, but my primary goal was pure¡ªhelping Ethan. Rub, rub. ¡°Hnn... Nngh...!¡± Press! ¡°Hnnnngh, hyaaah...!¡± Ethan¡¯s hands grew more varied in their motions as time went on. He deliberately pressed on areas left uncovered by my undergarments, or jabbed at the most sensitive spots with his fingers. I could feel his subtle malice, his intention to make me react even more intensely. But I couldn¡¯t let him win. I had to prove that I wasn¡¯t enjoying this. Squeeze! ¡°Hnnnnngh?! H-Haah, hyaaaah...!!!¡± As Ethan¡¯s grip tightened, my body instinctively stiffened in response. I couldn¡¯t stay seated on the bed anymore, and I ended up half-lying down, with Ethan¡¯s body looming over mine, his hand still firmly on my chest. Thump. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Wey there, bodies pressed together, his hand still on my chest, and my breath slightly ragged. The tension between us was palpable, as if something could happen at any moment. Ethan¡¯s face drew closer to mine, and I didn¡¯t avoid it. I closed my eyes slightly, feeling the warmth of his breath nearing¡ª Knock, knock, knock. ¡®Lord Ethan, Miss Lilith, the bath is ready.¡¯ ¡°......!¡± ¡°......!¡± The vi manager¡¯s voice snapped both of us out of the moment. Ethan and I hurriedly sat up from the bed, our breathing still heavy. ¡°Haa... Haa... Haa...¡± ¡°Huuh... Huuh...¡± Ethan looked at me with flushed cheeks, his breathing in short gasps. I was in a simr state, trying to catch my breath as our eyes met. After a brief, silent exchange of nods, we made our way toward the door. We couldn¡¯t keep the manager waiting any longer. ...Not without making it seem like something had happened. Screech. ¡®Lord Ethan, Miss Lilith, the bath is ready. You may use it now.¡¯ ¡°Ahem... The bath is ready? Thank you for your efforts.¡± ¡°Y-Yes... We¡¯ll be right there. Where should we go?¡± ¡® Chapter 380 Ethan and I hurriedlyposed ourselves after nearly crossing the line on the bed, and we made our way downstairs. Both of our faces were still flushed from the earlier tension as we entered the changing room. The vi¡¯s manager, seemingly oblivious or purposefully ignoring the awkward atmosphere, calmly ushered us into the same changing room. ¡®Please ce your clothes in this basket. I will have them washed, dried, and returned to your room by tomorrow morning.¡¯ ¡°Oh, is there only one bath...?¡± ¡®Enjoy your time, Lord Ethan and Miss Lilith.¡¯ Screech. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± It would be ridiculous to ask for two separate baths just because the mood felt awkward, especially after epting their hospitality. So, in this odd atmosphere, Ethan and I slowly began undressing to prepare for our bath. Thump. ¡®Calm down, it¡¯s not like this is the first time you¡¯ve shared a bath with Ethan.¡¯ Thump, thump. ¡®Besides, it¡¯s not like anything ever happened in the bath before, aside from a few innocent moments of washing each other...¡¯ As I tried to steady my racing heart, I took off my clothesyer byyer. It was somewhatforting to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling overly self-conscious¡ªEthan was clearly dealing with simr feelings. Once we ced our clothes in the basket and stepped into the bath, we simply sat across from each other, asionally pouring warm water from the tub over our bodies. Ssh. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Ssh, ssh. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± The tension between us was thick enough to cut. Though we were fully exposed to each other, neither of us had any intention of doing anything indecent. I had already fulfilled my goal of lifting Ethan¡¯s spirits earlier, and as Ethan had pointed out, we were technically still in the middle of the necromancy ss. Despite the vi manager guiding us into the same bath, it wasn¡¯t as if either of us hade here with impure intentions. nce. ¡°......¡± Peek, peek. ¡°......¡± Still, no matter how much we tried, we couldn¡¯t entirely suppress our curiosity. I found myself sneaking nces at Ethan¡¯s body, and I could feel his eyes asionally drifting toward me as well. It was natural to be curious, wasn¡¯t it? After all, we¡¯d seen each other¡¯s bodies many times before, but this atmosphere made everything feel different. Every now and then, when our eyes identally met, we both quickly looked away, startled. ¡®It¡¯s almost like Ethan is two different people¡ªone when we¡¯re doing indecent things, and another when we¡¯re not.¡¯ It was hard to say whether he was more innocent or more sly. I didn¡¯t mind either side of him, though. After hastily finishing the bath, trying to avoid prolonged eye contact, we slipped into the tub together briefly, mostly to soak in the warmth, before getting out. By the time we returned to our room, the vi¡¯s manager had alreadyid out fresh bedding for us. ¡®As I mentioned earlier, I will be changing the bed sheets and nkets daily, even if they remain clean. Please feel free to use them without worry, Lord Ethan and Miss Lilith.¡¯ ¡°...Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°You can stop emphasizing that point now.¡± The more the manager said not to worry about it, the more we couldn¡¯t help but focus on it. It urred to me that I should probably ask for the manager¡¯s name. It felt odd to keep referring to her as just "manager." ¡°By the way, do you have a name, Miss Manager?¡± ¡®I was created by Professor Mamari to manage this vi, so I was not given a proper name.¡¯ ¡°Then is there a title or name we could call you by? It feels a bit strange to keep calling you ¡®manager.¡¯¡± ¡®My official designation is ¡®Intellectual Spirit Vi Manager, Model 4.¡¯¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s a bit long for a name, don¡¯t you think...?¡± ¡®You may call me Dina if you prefer.¡¯ ¡°Alright, Miss Dina.¡± ¡®Yes, Miss Lilith.¡¯ Though the name had nothing to do with the original designation, I chose not to question it. ? ? ? ¡°Lilith, it¡¯sing from above!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Lord Ethan!¡± The next day of our necromancy ss battle. Ethan and I were once again in the thick of a fierce battle with another undead boss monster. This time, it was a ¡°Toxic Blood Ghoul,¡± a zombie-like creature with a body as hard as ice. Its tough body resisted most magic, and it had the added ability to use poisonous attacks, making it a difficult opponent without proper preparation. But despite the danger, Ethan and I were handling it with rtive ease, attacking it from both sides. ¡®As long as you¡¯re prepared, it¡¯s not too hard.¡¯ The ghoul¡¯s body was so hard because of the poisonous blood flowing through it. By purifying the blood even temporarily, its tough body became soft enough for a sword to pierce through. Thunk! ¡®Grahhh!¡¯ The ghoul let out a pained cry as my third dagger struck it. Coated in a healing aura and blessed with a ¡®Cleanse¡¯ spell, the dagger was effective enough to slow it down. I couldn¡¯t kill it outright, but my role was more about supporting Ethan than delivering the final blow. ¡°This is your chance, Lord Ethan!¡± ¡°Haaaaaah...!!¡± With my signal, Ethan charged at the ghoul, his sword brimming with energy as he delivered the final blow. His de cleaved the ghoul cleanly in two, severing it at the waist. sh!@@novelbin@@ ¡®Graahhh...!!¡¯ ¡°Now, Lord Ethan!¡± As soon as the ghoul¡¯s upper and lower halves separated, Ethan and I tossed our sealing magic stones. Just before it could regenerate, the ghoul was sealed away, with half of it trapped in each stone¡ªjust like with the Giant Skeleton the day before. ¡®Toxic Blood Ghoul, you¡¯re mine!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit triumphant, holding the magic stone in my hand. Sealing monsters in stones like this reminded me of those anime I watched in my previous life. It was funny how the game Luminor Academy had so many little references like this. With the second taskpleted, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. The battle had been tough, but we had seeded. ¡ºLilith has reached Level 34!¡» It was nice that fighting bosses like this made leveling up so much faster. The Toxic Blood Ghoul was tricky to fight without someone like Lilith or Ceresta in the party, but with the rightbination, the difficulty plummeted. Of course, it had still been tough with just the two of us, when it normally required eight. Even so, thanks to my support with the daggers, Ethan had been able to take full advantage and deliver the finishing blow. ¡°Phew, today went faster than I expected, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, we didn¡¯t struggle nearly as much as yesterday, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°We should be able to rest more tonight. Even though we¡¯re working at night because of the ss, I don¡¯t think sleeping during the day is good for our condition.¡± ¡°I agree, Lord Ethan.¡± It definitely felt better to get more rest after sundown. Ethan was managing, but after so many years as a morning person in my maid duties, I wasn¡¯t used to sleeping during the day. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Dina to prepare a meal for us when we get back. We can eat quickly, have a nice bath, and then sleep untilte afternoon tomorrow...¡± ¡°Lord Ethan?!¡± Mid-sentence, Ethan suddenly winced in pain and clutched his arm. I rushed over to him, concerned, cing my hand on his left shoulder where he seemed to be in pain. ¡°Lord Ethan, are you all right?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lilith. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t sound like nothing, Lord Ethan. Please, be honest with me.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s just a slight ache in my left shoulder. Maybe from gripping my sword in a different way than usual...¡± ¡°......¡± Usually, Ethan wielded a sword in each hand, but in the battles these past two days, he had used both hands to deliver the final blow. Now it seemed he had strained his shoulder¡ªa critical part of a swordsman¡¯s body. Seeing him injured made me feel a deep unease. ¡®If only Ceresta were here, she could heal him right away...¡¯ Unfortunately, Ceresta had gone off with another group for a different research ss. There were no churches or healing facilities nearby either, leaving us with limited options for treatment. ¡®A healing potion can¡¯t fix internal muscle damage, and wrapping it with bandages would take too long to heal...¡¯ With the final assignment looming tomorrow, we needed Ethan to recover by the end of the day. But I wasn¡¯t sure how we could manage that. With those worries in mind, I hurried back to the vi with Ethan, determined to find a way to help him. Chapter 381 Upon returning to the fourth vi after handing over today¡¯s boss monster materials¡ªor rather, the sealing stone that had sealed the boss monster¡ªto Professor Mamari. Dina, who greeted Ethan and me, immediately noticed Ethan¡¯s injury as soon as we entered the vi and saw him rubbing his shoulder. "Your left shoulder seems to be bothering you, Lord Ethan. Did you happen to get injured during the battle?" ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just asking, but is there any church or ce where a priest lives nearby?¡± ¡°The nearest church is eight hours away by carriage. However, since horses are not nocturnal animals, I wouldn¡¯t rmend traveling by carriage in the dark.¡± ¡°¡­Right. As expected.¡± ¡°I apologize for not being able to help. However, if you need a muscle rxant potion to treat the injury, I can provide one from the storage.¡± "Then, please bring me one, Dina. All I have right now are healing potions for wounds." ¡°Understood, Lady Lilith.¡± So, I received a muscle rxant potion from Dina, and Ethan and I tried to soothe the injury, though it was clear that a few potions weren¡¯t enough to heal himpletely. If that were the case, churches in this world wouldn¡¯t have thrived in the first ce. For now, I wrapped Ethan¡¯s arm with apression bandage, but I wasn¡¯t too hopeful about its effectiveness. ¡°Dinner is ready, Lord Ethan, Lady Lilith.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Dina.¡± ¡°I have also prepared the bath for both of you to use as soon as you finish your meal.¡± With those words, Dina led Ethan and me to the dining room, then quickly excused herself. And there I was, sitting next to Ethan, feeding him his meal with a fork. ¡°Lord Ethan, please say ¡®ah.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­I can eat on my own, Lilith. It¡¯s only my left arm that¡¯s injured.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you also use your right arm with the unfamiliar dual-wielding technique? You might be on the verge of making it worse if you move too much. Lord Ethan, you need to conserve your strength before tomorrow¡¯s final battle, and as your personal maid, it¡¯s my duty to assist you in that process.¡± ¡°¡­I doubt eating would cause me to get injured, Lilith.¡± ¡°People can break their noses even when they fall backward if they''re unlucky. Does the idea of me feeding you make you ufortable?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but¡­¡± We briefly bickered over whether or not Ethan would allow me to feed him, but in the end, he opened his mouth and quietly epted the food I was giving him. ¡°If you need anything else during the meal, please feel free to¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I apologize for the intrusion.¡± There was a brief moment when Dina entered to check on us, only to witness what must have looked like a lover¡¯s exchange between Ethan and me. She hurriedly left the dining room, leaving Ethan and me to finish our meal, with me feeding him bite by bite. Afterward, naturally, the next step was to wash our bodies after today¡¯s messy battle. Just like the previous day, Ethan and I ended up in the same dressing room again. ¡°I can undress myself, Lilith.¡± ¡°But I can help you undress as well. If it¡¯s something only you can do, I won¡¯t interfere, but at least let me take care of what I can.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re being overly protective¡­¡± It didn¡¯t matter if I was overprotective. It was much better than watching Ethan get hurt any further. Especially since the next boss monster, which was suspected to be the Harlequin Queen, would be difficult to handle without Ethan being in top condition. I had to do everything I could to make sure his body was in the best shape possible. ¡­That¡¯s not to say I was sticking close to him during the meal or excited to help him undress because I wanted to engage in romantic antics with him. ¡°Phew, Lord Ethan, you¡¯ve sweated quite a lot¡­¡± ¡°Well, I spent the whole day running around. What¡¯s with all those active corpses in the Tomb of the Dead?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve sweated so much, you¡¯ll need a thorough wash today, Lord Ethan. I really wonder how you would¡¯ve managed if I weren¡¯t here¡­¡± ¡°I told you, I can still take a bath by myself in this condition¡­¡±
  • Sssss.
¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Hmph! Ha?!¡± No, this was a misunderstanding. I just happened to grab Ethan¡¯s freshly removed shirt, and I instinctively felt the urge to smell it. It wasn¡¯t that I particrly liked Ethan¡¯s scent or anything like that¡ªit was simply pure curiosity. ¡°Lilith? Why are you suddenly¡­?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t misunderstand, Lord Ethan! I was just curious about what your clothes might smell like!¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird on its own. There¡¯s no misunderstanding needed¡­¡± ¡°N-No! What I meant to say was¡­ I was checking your scent to assess your health¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Y-You see, theposition and concentration of a person¡¯s sweat and bodily secretions can differ depending on whether their organs are functioning properly. For instance, a healthy person¡¯s sweat smells different from someone who¡¯s unhealthy, and¡­¡± ¡­Even I didn¡¯t know what I was talking about anymore. I was just desperately making up excuses to shake off the embarrassment flooding my mind, but honestly, I didn¡¯t feel like I was doing a very convincing job. ¡°So, sniffing my clothes is part of your duties as my personal maid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I was just curious about the scent lingering on your clothes.¡± ¡­When deception fails, a quick apology is the best course of action. I thought it was better than creating an irreparable situation by telling an odd lie, so I quickly changed my approach. ¡°You¡¯re apologizing for that now¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It was an unconscious action, but I worried you might find it repulsive.¡± ¡°Why would I be repulsed by something like this? We¡¯ve already shown each other things far more embarrassing.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°By the way, Lilith. Do you do this every time you do myundry, smelling my clothes?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I never get the urge to do so unless they¡¯re freshly removed. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a perfectly reasonable question¡­¡± Ignoring Ethan¡¯s unreasonable suspicion, I continued undressing him and then took off my own clothes, preparing for the bath. Just as I was about to enter the bathroom to help wash Ethan due to his injured arm, I noticed him staring nkly at theundry basket. ¡°Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­¡±
  • Sssst.
¡°What are you¡­¡±
  • Sniff, sniff.
¡°Kyaaaaaah?!¡± Suddenly, Ethan picked up my underwear and started sniffing it. Completely taken aback by the outrageous act, I let out a high-pitched, girlish scream. ¡°Wh-Wh-What are you doing, Lord Ethan?! H-How could you do something so shameless as to¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­I got curious after hearing what you said earlier.¡± ¡°N-No matter how curious you are, how could you¡­! P-Put it down this instant!¡± ¡°Well, technically speaking, you started this, didn¡¯t you?¡± With a look of absurdity, Ethan put my underwear back down. ? ? ? After a briefmotion in the dressing room over satisfying each other''s curiosity about scents, Ethan and I finally entered the bathroom and began washing ourselves side by side. ¡°I can wash myself, Lilith.¡± ¡°But I can wash you too, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. Do as you will.¡± Realizing there was no point in resisting, Ethan quietly allowed me to wash him. I started by washing his hair, then moved on to his neck, shoulders, and arms. After that, I cleaned his back and waist, then shifted my attention to his well-developed chest and abs, being extra cautious around sensitive areas like his groin and thighs. If I wasn¡¯t careful, I could cause injury, and thoseplex areas needed to be thoroughly, carefully¡­ ¡°L-Lilith¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Yes, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you touching me too much? It feels like your hand is lingering in one spot for too long¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just being careful since it¡¯s a vital area, Lord Ethan. If I were to identally apply too much pressure, it could cause serious harm.¡± ¡°Honestly, what you¡¯re doing right now feels dangerous enough¡­¡± Ignoring Ethan¡¯s inappropriatements, I continued focusing solely on washing his body. As the time I spentthering increased, I could feel Ethan¡¯s body reacting to my touch, his manhood swelling in my hand, but I firmly suppressed any inappropriate thoughts. Just to rify¡ªI wasn¡¯t thinking anything strange at all. Chapter 382 Both of them felt their heads heating up slightly, but without crossing any significant lines, they finished washing up. Returning to the bedroom with Lilith, Ethan was lightly predicting what she would do next. ¡®We can¡¯t go to the church, and we don¡¯t have someone like Cerista, a capable priest. Even though the muscle rxant potion has eased and stabilized the injury, it won¡¯t be enough for it to heal by tomorrow night.¡¯ ording to Lilith, the final battle on thest day would be just as tough as the previous ones, which meant he would have to wield his sword again tomorrow. Ethan, who usually wielded a sword in each hand, knew that holding a sword in only one hand would throw off his bnce, making it difficult to utilize even half of his usual strength. ¡®At least the good thing is that Lilith can use a little bit of healing magic.¡¯ Ethan was sincerely thankful that Lilith had once been a saint. The only problem was that the saintly powers Lilith retained were minimalpared to the typical capabilities of a saint, which limited the ways in which she could heal him. And because Ethan knew what this healing method entailed, his heart couldn¡¯t help but race as soon as they entered the bedroom.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I''m not sure if it¡¯s really necessary to strip off all our clothes and be so close¡­¡¯ Since it was Lilith who said it, he trusted it to be true without question. Even if it turned out not to be necessary, Ethan always wanted to do what Lilith desired. The reason he allowed her to feed him during the meal, even though his right arm was uninjured, and let her undress him and wash him with body wash in the bath, was simply because Lilith seemed to want to do it. After all, in a rtionship, the side that loves more tends to make morepromises. ¡°Lord Ethan, I think just resting for a night won¡¯t be enough for your injury to heal, so I will use healing aura during your sleep to boost your recovery.¡± ¡°¡­In the end, we¡¯re doing this again.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the only way to heal your arm, Lord Ethan.¡± Ethan agreed with Lilith¡¯s final words. In the humanities ss before, they had the benefit of Cerista, an undeniably skilled healer, but here, the only person he could rely on was Lilith, who could use healing aura. More importantly, Ethan couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being a burden to Lilith during the necromancy ss, so his arm absolutely had to heal by tomorrow night. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no other choice. Even if the other things we did today were a bit excessive, the healing aura was definitely effective.¡± ¡°It sounds like you''re implying the other things I made you do were because of my stubbornness, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I meant, Lilith.¡± Ethan dismissed the suspicion of his sharp-witted personal maid with a single sentence and began to undress, though, once again, the lustful maid wouldn''t let him do even that on his own. ¡°I will undress you, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I figured you¡¯d say that.¡± At this point, Ethan no longer cared and simply waited calmly for Lilith¡¯s hands to touch his body. -Sssrrrk. Since the academy uniform he wore during the battle was different from his sleepwear, it didn¡¯t take long for him to be naked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Their faces turned red again, just like in the bathroom, as Ethan stood there undressed and Lilith, who had undressed him, faced him. ¡°Lord Ethan, you might feel embarrassed if you¡¯re the only one naked, so I will undress as well.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith.¡± Technically, since his arm was practically immobilized, she could have turned off the lights before undressing, but Ethan didn¡¯t point that out. After all, he was still a man in his prime, and no matter how many times he saw the naked body of the one he loved, it always excited him. -Sssrrrk. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± -Sff, sff¡­ In the silence, Lilith quietly removed her clothesyer byyer, while Ethan watched without saying a word. Their breathing quickened, soft swallowing sounds echoed, and though no loud noises were made, the tension between their gazes¡ªquickly scanning each other¡¯s bodies and then averting¡ªwas unmistakable. One might say their behavior was like that of newlyweds seeing each other¡¯s bodies for the first time, even though they had already engaged in much more intimate and lewd activities. ¡°I¡¯ll turn off the lights now.¡± ¡°Ah, o-okay.¡± ¡°Please lie down on the bed first, Lord Ethan. I¡¯ll join you after turning off the lights.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Feeling both lustful and slightly embarrassed, Ethan obediently slipped under the bedcovers at Lilith¡¯smand. Before long, there was a quiet click, and the magicmps were turned off, leaving only the faint starlight from outside the window to dimly illuminate the room. -Sssss. Ethan clearly heard the sound of the nket being lifted as someone slipped into the bed beside him. Soon after, he felt the unmistakable sensation of someone quietly embracing him from behind. ¡°Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Lilith.¡± ¡°If you lie facing away from me like that, we can¡¯t achieve ¡®maximum physical contact.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± Blushing, Ethan shifted his body to face Lilith, and when their naked bodies met under the covers, even though the faint starlight made it hard to see, he could tell that Lilith¡¯s face was flushed red. And he was sure that his own face was just as red as hers. ¡°You¡¯ve experienced this before, so you know, but this is purely a ¡®healing act,¡¯ Lord Ethan. So, even if your body reacts and¡­ erm¡­ ahem, certain changes ur, I will not fulfill the duties of a¡­ s-sexual release maid.¡± ¡°I understand. Besides, your role was never about taking care of my sexual urges in the first ce.¡± ¡°¡­Please intertwine your legs with mine, Lord Ethan.¡± Since Lilith always changed the topic when things got ufortable for her, Ethanplied without arguing. His right leg intertwined with Lilith¡¯s left leg. Her left leg intertwined with his left leg. Then her right leg ovepped his left leg again. Sitting face to face, their naked legs entwined, the two of them quietly pulled each other closer, pressing their lower bodies together without exchanging any further words. --sp! ¡°Hmph¡­!¡± ¡°Huff, haah¡­!¡± Holding back their rising lust as much as possible, the two struggled to remainposed while pressing their lower halves together. Since they were each pressing their left leg against the other¡¯s groin, it was impossible not to feel the state of the other¡¯s arousal. ¡°How much bigger are you nning to get, Lord Ethan? Keep your third leg under control.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, Lilith. Did you forget to dry yourself properly after the bath?¡± ¡°Making such crude jokes to ady¡ªhow vulgar, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­You started the teasing, Lilith.¡± Ethan was slightly taken aback by Lilith¡¯s unreasonableints, but he wasn¡¯t really upset. He knew that such absurd protests were just her way of expressing affection out of embarrassment. And so, he pulled her a little closer. Though it seemed sexual and indecent, they were careful never to cross the line. After all, they had both agreed on the rule¡ªno rewards until after achieving results. -Squish. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Huff, haa¡­.¡± Even as her soft upper body pressed against his chest, tempting him with its alluring sensation¡­ -Rub. ¡°Nngh¡­ hyaah?!¡± ¡°S-Sorry, Lilith. I moved a little by ident.¡± ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not bothered by it, Lord Ethan.¡± Though Lilith let out an involuntary moan when Ethan¡¯s leg identally shifted between her thighs, and though his body responded by swelling even more, Ethan focused on suppressing his desire. Trying to contain his rising lust without acting inappropriately, Ethan carefully asked Lilith a question. ¡°Um, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°The healing aura¡­ the more physical contact, the stronger its effect, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°However, no matter how effective it may be, I will not allow any¡­ insertion. That would no longer be a healing act, but rather a lewd act¡­¡± ¡°¡­I was just asking if a ¡®kiss¡¯ would help.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­A k-kiss, you say. It¡­ it¡¯s not entirely without effect, yes.¡± Deliberately skipping over the part she misunderstood, Lilith answered nonchntly. Her face was so lovable that Ethan¡¯s lips quietly moved toward hers. ¡°A ¡®kiss¡¯ isn¡¯t considered lewd, is it?¡± ¡°¡­No. A ¡®kiss¡¯ is permissible.¡± -Chuup. ¡°Mmm, huff¡­.¡± ¡°Hmph, haah¡­.¡± In the bedroom, softly lit by starlight, the lips of the two individuals gently met. With physical contact even inside their mouths, the two focusedpletely on the ¡®healing act.¡¯ Chapter 383 After using the healing aura to treat Ethan''s injury, we spent the night together and woke up the next morning. Though we woke up tangled in a slightly indecent position in bed, Ethan and I managed to greet the morning without crossing the line. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if I should say we crossed the line or not...¡¯ My lower body felt a bit sticky when I woke up, but... at least there hadn¡¯t been any ¡®pration.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an action done with intent, so I could still consider it a healing act. ¡°¡­Good morning, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, good morning.¡± Of course, despite that, Ethan and I couldn¡¯t help but exchange awkward nces at each other from the start of the day. Even though we had bathed before going to bed, our bodies were messy again by the time we woke up. Fortunately, Dina had anticipated this and prepared the bath again, allowing us to get sufficient rest and recovery before rising in the afternoon. ¡­Though just because Ethan¡¯s body had recovered didn¡¯t mean I was expecting the final battle to be easy. ¡®¡­It seems like I¡¯ve almostpletely used up my mana afterst night.¡¯ The n to heal Ethan¡¯s body while weakening mine had gone smoothly. It was time to face thest opponent, the ghost-type boss monster. ? ? ? The battle against the Giant Skeleton on the first day wasn¡¯t nned, so we couldn¡¯t avoid it, but the fight against the Toxic Blood Ghoul on the second day was somewhat intentional. That way, on the third day, when my condition would be at its worst, I would face the ghost-type boss monster, the Harlequin Queen. It might seem ridiculous to purposely exhaust myself when facing such a difficult boss, but this Harlequin Queen was an exception. Since she was a ghost-type monster, the moment she and Ethan encountered each other, she was certain to possess my body and try to assault him. The Harlequin Queen was the ghost of a woman who had no rtionships with men in her lifetime, and she had grown powerful by devouring other evil spirits. From the description alone, you could probably guess what kind of "service-type monster" she was. The Harlequin Queen¡¯s ability, ¡®The Desire of a Virgin Ghost,¡¯ allowed her to possess the body of any woman with the slightest sexual desire and use that body to seduce the man they desired. This was the main theme of the Harlequin Queen''s subjugation storyline. Of course, if you weren¡¯t into that, there was a more traditional way to defeat her, but typically, the popr method was to give in once and then subdue her. Weakening the ghost¡¯s desire made her easier to defeat, and aside from that, collecting HCG for the service events was an important part of the game. ¡®Of course, I won¡¯t let her do as she pleases.¡¯ Even if she was using my body to seduce Ethan, it was still another soul trying to have rtions with him.@@novelbin@@ I might tolerate it if I wasn¡¯t there, but I absolutely couldn¡¯t allow such a thing to happen right before my eyes. ¡°Do you remember the n I mentioned, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. If you suddenly start trying to attack me in the church, I¡¯m supposed to resist with all my strength, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m d you remember. Though if you end up being unable to resist and sumb to my sudden lustful behavior, I can¡¯t me you. But I would appreciate it if you could hold out as long as possible so I can take care of the situation.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I doubt I¡¯d suddenly be lustful just because the Harlequin Queen possesses you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your confidence in me, but once the possession happens, I won¡¯t be able to control my body with my willpower.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really what I meant.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind, Lilith.¡± Feeling slightly off bnce, Ethan avoided the question. With the final n shared, we entered the abandoned church, thest area, and proceeded while dealing with ghost-type monsters. To conserve Ethan¡¯s strength for the final battle, I did my best to drain my own mana down to the limit. After all the preparations, Ethan and I entered the church¡¯s grand hall. In the eerie atmosphere of the church, the possession came without warning. ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­ different¡­ Lilith¡­¡± In the tense atmosphere, Ethan¡¯s voice gradually faded into the distance. In the darkness that resembled a void, I found myself facing a woman dressed in a ck nun¡¯s habit¡ªthe soul of the Harlequin Queen. ¡®So, this is how it works.¡¯ Being temporarily possessed by a ghost-type monster felt strange. Memories of being captured by Mekhart briefly shed through my mind, but this time felt much more manageablepared to back then. There was no sensation of being forcibly bound, unlike thest time, and the fact that the creature in the space with me was a woman, not a man, made it slightly more bearable. ¡­Of course, only slightly better¡ªthis still wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling. ¡°How are you feeling, sister?¡± ¡°Like hell. You¡¯re dead today.¡± If I wanted to reim control over my body, I needed to win this battle as quickly as possible. Especially for Ethan¡¯s sake, who was probably out there fighting with all his might against my body. ? ? ? Ethan, who had entered the abandoned church¡¯s grand hall with Lilith, was gripping his sword tightly, feeling tense due to herst warning. But the sense of danger he had anticipated didn¡¯t seem to be there. ¡°Something feels off, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it does.¡± ¡°I was expecting that monster, the Harlequin Queen, to possess you the moment we stepped inside, but I don¡¯t feel any sign of a ghost-type monster.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps we were mistaken. Our predictions aren¡¯t always urate.¡± ¡°Still, most of your predictions are usually right. Though, I¡¯m not ming you if this one is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Though it wasn¡¯t a long conversation, Ethan sensed something off. There was something unusual about Lilith¡¯s tone. It didn¡¯t feel like her usual self, which made Ethan cautiously observe her expression. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just that you¡¯re so beautiful, Lilith.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment. You¡¯re always handsome, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Something¡¯s different. Something¡¯s definitely different. Ethan realized that although she was acting like Lilith, this wasn¡¯t Lilith anymore. ¡®Once the Harlequin Queen possesses someone, she will pretend to be the original person for a while to avoid suspicion, so be careful, Lord Ethan.¡¯ ¡®Is there a way to tell if Lilith has been possessed?¡¯ ¡®The Harlequin Queen¡¯s primary goal is to use the body she possesses to engage with the man they desire. Eventually, her impatience will show, and her actions will be more obvious. She might lean on you or start making excuses to act more lustfully.¡¯ ¡®That might be hard to distinguish. Is there any other way?¡¯ ¡®You can sometimes notice differences in speech or behavior, but unless you¡¯re very familiar with my mannerisms, it might be hard to spot. I wouldn¡¯t rmend relying on this method.¡¯ Despite Lilith¡¯s concern, Ethan had managed to spot the differences between her and the Harlequin Queen. Now that he knew she had been possessed, he had to proceed carefully. After all, Lilith had only asked him to ¡®buy as much time as possible,¡¯ not to overpower the spirit right from the start. ¡®Once you realize that the Harlequin Queen has possessed me, try to act as if you haven¡¯t noticed. Stall for as long as possible. Eventually, the monster will get impatient and try to force rtions. That¡¯s when you use your strength to stop her. I¡¯ll do my best to drive the spirit out from within. However, if an hour passes and I haven¡¯t broken free, then you have my permission to ¡°exorcise¡± the woman.¡¯ ¡®You mean I¡¯d have to do it with your body possessed by another woman¡¯s soul?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not fond of the idea either. That¡¯s why I want it to be thest resort.¡¯ ¡­An hour. That was the maximum time Ethan would have to endure this awkward date with the woman possessing Lilith¡¯s body. If Lilith lost the battle within, it meant Ethan would have no choice but to engage with the woman who had taken over her body. He hoped that Lilith would win her battle against the Harlequin Queen. Just as Lilith had sworn she wouldn¡¯t take another man into her arms, Ethan had promised himself that he would not be with any woman other than Lilith. Chapter 384 ¡®The Harlequin Queen¡¯sir is in the grand hall of the abandoned church. If you try to leave, she¡¯ll likely do whatever she can to drag you back inside, so at first, it¡¯s best to just go along with what the monster says.¡¯ ¡°Since no monsters are appearing, should we head back?¡± ¡°W-Why don¡¯t we wait just a little longer? It¡¯s barely been 10 minutes since we came in, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wait a bit longer then.¡± Recalling his conversation with Lilith before entering the abandoned church, Ethan pretended to listen to the monster''s words obediently. Meanwhile, inside Lilith¡¯s body, the Harlequin Queen was watching Ethan¡¯s reactions closely while battling the still-conscious Lilith internally. ¡®You wretched bitch, trying to steal my body without a second thought? Do you want to die?¡¯ ¡®What is this person? Why is her consciousness so strong? Normally, women pass out the moment I possess them...¡¯ The grand hall of the abandoned church was herir, a ce where adventurers regrly came to try and defeat her. Whenever a pair of a man and a woman entered, she would possess the woman¡¯s body and use it to engage with the man. This had been her favorite pastime ever since her death. ¡®I¡¯m merely helping continue the rtionships of couples who are too shy to admit their feelings. It¡¯s a miracle that I can still perform after death.¡¯ Of course, the Harlequin Queen also enjoyed this activity herself, though only "a little." One of her personal rules was that she would only possess women who were attracted to the men she was engaging with. This was herst remaining bit of conscience, having lived her entire life as a nun. ¡®I could tell as soon as they entered that this Lilith woman is attracted to the man called Ethan. And from her outfit, she¡¯s clearly a maid, calling him "Young Master," which means this Ethan must be a noble. A forbidden love between a noble young master and his personal maid... how beautiful and destined! This is the kind of love I¡¯m here to help with.¡¯ When the Harlequin Queen seduced men, she often read the memories of the body she possessed to guide the conversation in the best way possible. She would recall insignificant things women often overlooked and use them to understand the man''s interests or even hidden desires, seducing him with that knowledge. ¡®Give me back my body! You filthy, wretched hag! Get away from Ethan, you piece of trash!!¡¯ ¡®Your resistance is quite intense. I didn¡¯t expect this...¡¯ In cases where the original host¡¯s mental strength remained intact, the Harlequin Queen couldn¡¯t ess their memories. This left her relying on visible information alone to assess her rtionship with the man before her. ¡®It¡¯s obvious this Ethan man is attracted to her too. The affection in his gaze is clear for anyone to see.¡¯ With this realization, she thought it might be easy to make Ethan initiate physical contact first. Given the difference in their statuses¡ªhim being a young master and her a maid¡ªit seemed likely he would be hesitant but susceptible to seduction. She carefully initiated physical contact with him. -Grasp. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Mmh.¡± The first step was a sudden hand-hold. The Harlequin Queen couldn¡¯t be sure of the depth of the rtionship between Lilith and Ethan, but she assumed it probably hadn¡¯t progressed much further than hand-holding. After all, the status difference between a noble young master and his personal maid would normally prevent them from engaging in physical rtions. Plus, from the way they had looked at each other before she possessed Lilith, it seemed like the innocent feelings of a first love were in the air. Even though she wasn¡¯t sure about Lilith, the purity in Ethan¡¯s gaze indicated he was likely a virgin who had barely had any physical contact with the opposite sex. ¡®Men without experience tend to get flustered even with such small gestures.¡¯ Expecting a flustered reaction, she gave him a coy smile as she held his hand, but Ethan¡¯s response was calmer than she had anticipated. The Harlequin Queen quickly deduced that they had held hands before and shifted her tactics. -Stumble. ¡°Ow, ow!¡± Pretending to trip and twist her ankle, she let out a small cry. Reacting to her voice, Ethan quickly caught her before she fell. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°S-Sorry... I think I twisted my ankle for a moment...¡± ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself badly?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not too bad. I just slightly sprained it...¡± -Thud. Without hesitation, Ethan sat down on the floor and turned his back to her, offering to carry her. The Harlequin Queen smiled inwardly at his chivalrous, considerate behavior¡ªso typical of an academy student and noble young master, unlike the rough adventurers she had often encountered. ¡®What a pure soul he has. If only I could move freely, I¡¯d love to visit the academy and help even more couples like him.¡¯ Though she longed to lean into his broad back, she knew that if she did, he would likely carry her straight out of the church. As a spirit tied to this ce for centuries, she couldn¡¯t leave the abandoned church, so she had no choice but to hold back her tears and decline his offer. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting on?¡± ¡°N-No, it would be too much of a burden on you, Lord Ethan...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m strong enough to carry you.¡± ¡°But... there are still many monsters outside the grand hall. It could be dangerous if your arms are upied carrying me. Why don¡¯t we rest over there for a bit? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll feel better after a short break, Lord Ethan.¡± Pointing to a bench in the grand hall, the Harlequin Queen subtly lured him into resting. Ethan hesitated for a moment but decided to follow Lilith¡¯s advice to y along with her act a little longer. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°C-Could you help me over there, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Lean on me.¡± The Harlequin Queen leaned into him, attempting to increase their physical contact as much as possible. She made sure to use Lilith¡¯s body¡¯s natural assets, brushing her chest against him, and she quickly noticed Ethan¡¯s face reddening. ¡®His reaction is promising. I was worried they might be in some sort of improper rtionship, like a noble and his personal maid performing... indecent duties, but if that were the case, he wouldn¡¯t blush over something as simple as this.¡¯ Misinterpreting the rtionship between Lilith and Ethan, the Harlequin Queen had no way of realizing her error. The only way to correct it would be by reading Lilith¡¯s memories, but Lilith¡¯s mental resistance was still too strong, fiercely fighting against her. ¡®Give me back my body, you bitch!! Get away from Ethan, you slut!!!¡¯@@novelbin@@ ¡®For someone with such a gentle appearance, yournguage is truly vile.¡¯ The Harlequin Queen assumed that Lilith was simply flustered, worried that she might ruin their pure rtionship. In her mind, Lilith would surely be grateful once she and Ethan confessed their feelings to each other. Even with such misunderstandings, the Harlequin Queen didn¡¯t stop, increasing her efforts to seduce Ethan. ¡°Here, sit down.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your ankle? Do you think it will get better if you rest a bit?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. It still hurts a little. Could you take a look at it, Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± The Harlequin Queen was slightly surprised by Ethan¡¯s calm reaction. She had expected him to be a little more embarrassed, but it seemed his concern for Lilith outweighed his difort, making him appear even more pure-hearted in her eyes. ¡®She¡¯s wearing stockings with a garter belt¡­ I could use this to seduce him in a different way.¡¯ With that thought in mind, she began to lift her skirt slightly, catching Ethan¡¯s gaze. Then, feigning embarrassment, she quickly lowered her skirt again, ying up her bashfulness. ¡°Wh-Why are you staring at me like that, Lord Ethan? I feel a little shy when you look at me so intently¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, I¡¯ll look away.¡± Having fallen for the Harlequin Queen¡¯s act, Ethan quickly turned his gaze away. She found it slightly strange that he had been staring so intently as she tried to remove her stockings, but the fact that he had averted his gaze btedly suggested that he had simply been too flustered to control himself. Perhaps this was the first time he had seen a girl undress in front of him. ¡®With this kind of pure reaction, he¡¯s probably never had sex. He might not have even seen a woman¡¯s chest before.¡¯ And yet, he had such a beautiful, voluptuous maid by his side. How pure and respectful must he be to have never crossed the line with her? ¡®I have no choice. For the sake of this young master who loves her so much, I¡¯ll have to teach him what it means to be with a woman.¡¯ The Harlequin Queen didn¡¯t have a particr preference for experienced men or women, but if she had to choose, she much preferred the innocence of a virgin. Watching Ethan¡¯s pure reactions only excited her further. ¡­Though Ethan had already experienced everything there was to experience with Lilith, including intimate acts far more lewd than anything the Harlequin Queen could imagine, she remained blissfully unaware of that fact. Chapter 385 ¡°Damn you, you wretched harlot¡­!!¡± It had been about thirty minutes since the Harlequin Queen had possessed my body. Now, I found myself trapped within her mental space, desperately struggling to regain control of my own body, fighting back against her. ¡°Why won¡¯t you just pass out? I told you, if you take a little nap, I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­!! Get your filthy head off Ethan¡¯sp right now, you vile woman¡­!!¡± I withstood the continuous onught of her mental attacks, barely keeping my spirit intact against the flood of her wicked thoughts. Each time I felt close to losing consciousness, the thought of that filthy harlot defiling my Ethan jolted me awake, renewing my resolve. ¡°No matter if I use Ethan¡¯sp, it¡¯s still your body. So he¡¯ll remember it as a moment shared with you. In the end, I¡¯m helping deepen your bond. Why are you getting in my way?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call him Ethan with that disgusting mouth of yours, you vile creature¡­!!¡± In the darkness, I tried punching at her sneering face, but all I hit was thin air as she evaded effortlessly. The Harlequin Queen reappeared behind me, her translucent form flickering into view. ¡°Trying to hit a ghost with your fists? Brave, but foolish. Now that I¡¯ve taken over your body, there¡¯s only one way to get it back. I¡¯ll indulge in my desires, using Ethan to satisfy myself¡­ Oops, my mistake. I meant, I¡¯ll help you and Ethan grow closer. No need to worry.¡± ¡°You crazy, depraved wretch¡­¡± There was no forgiving someone who would use another¡¯s body to satisfy their own twisted pleasures with a man. And the fact that she intended to do this using my body with Ethan only made it worse. ¡°Harlot? That¡¯s uncalled for. I lived my entire life keeping my chastity, not even sharing a kiss with a man. In death, any rtions I have aren¡¯t with my own body, so I remain a pure virgin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what being a virgin means¡­!!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Even if your physical body is ¡®pure,¡¯ you whisper love and have sex with other men in your mind, which makes your ¡®mind¡¯ impure! And if you¡¯re willing to sleep with any man just for the thrill, that means your ¡®spirit¡¯ is impure too! ording to the philosophy of mind, body, and spirit purity, you vite two out of three. So you¡¯re nothing more than a wretched slut¡­!!¡± ¡°Mind, body, and spirit purity? I¡¯ve never heard of such a concept. How peculiar.¡± ¡°Ugh!!¡± The second worst type of woman, in my opinion, are those who im to be virgins while obviously not being one. And the fact that these women genuinely believe they¡¯re pure makes me even angrier. They¡¯re no different from those who im oral or anal doesn¡¯t count. Of course, the absolute worst are those who sleep around with any man they please. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch Ethan with your filthy spirit! He¡¯s not someone to be defiled by a wretch like you¡­!!¡± ¡°Your words only make me more eager to¡­ oh, I misspoke, to deepen your bond with him.¡± ¡°Get lost! Ethan and I are already close enough without your interference!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just your selfish assumption. Men naturally desire to express love through physical intimacy. I¡¯m sure this young lord has been waiting for a day like today.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Wait, what was she implying? It¡¯s as if she didn¡¯t know that Ethan and I had already¡­ ¡°I fulfill men¡¯s unspoken desires by borrowing a woman¡¯s body and giving them the courage theyck¡­¡± ¡°No, hold on. What are you even talking about?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking as if Ethan and I have never done anything together, but we¡¯ve already crossed that line more than once.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± The look of utter confusion on the dark-haired nun¡¯s face was priceless. Maybe this was my chance to drive her out. ¡°Oh, perhaps you shared something as trivial as a kiss. But I mean real, intimate connection¡­¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m talking about sex. Who exins kissing by saying we¡¯ve ¡®crossed that line¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­Really? You¡¯re not lying?¡± ¡°I can even describe exactly how big Ethan is when he¡¯s¡­ aroused.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Harlequin Queen¡¯s expression changed as the realization sank in. She seemed to understand that Ethan and I weren¡¯t inexperienced. Yet she still tried to justify why she needed to take over my body. ¡°Even ordinary men have fetishes, you know? Some men have preferences for things like¡­ oral.¡± ¡°Oh, oral? Or ¡®wrapping around the wine bottle,¡¯ as we called it? Yeah, I¡¯ve done that a few times.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But Ethan¡¯s a bit big, so it takes more than just my mouth. I have to use my throat, too.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, he might prefer giving more than receiving. It¡¯s something regr women might be too embarrassed to do¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you mean cunnilingus? Or ¡®m soup,¡¯ right? I felt embarrassed about it, but Ethan wanted to so badly, so I let him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve even done both at the same time. In technical terms, that¡¯s called ¡®tail-biting the snake,¡¯ I believe?¡± ¡°Even I haven¡¯t tried that yet¡­? Wait, what¡­?¡± Sure, she might have possessed countless women to be with numerous men, but no matter how many bodies she used, she couldn¡¯t possibly experience everything in one night. No matter how much control she exerted over her hosts, there was no way she could try something like 69 in an abandoned church. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve also helped him out with my hands. And we¡¯ve even bathed together, totally naked.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly sexual, but there were times when we hugged naked for the sake of healing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And not too long ago, we even tried pet y. This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but with a cat tail and a cor¡­¡± ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t want to hear anymore! Please, stop¡­!!¡± As I listed the various intimate moments Ethan and I had shared, the Harlequin Queen¡¯s face twisted with horror and disbelief. Atst, she gave up and threw in the towel, clutching her head and shaking it as if trying to rid herself of the images I had nted there. ¡°Do you have no shame?! Even if you¡¯re in love, how could you be so crude?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Weren¡¯t you the one who said some men can¡¯t be satisfied with ¡®normal¡¯ sex? I was just meeting Ethan¡¯s desires.¡± ¡°There are limits! I may indulge, but I don¡¯t pursue obscene acts randomly like that!¡± ¡°Oh, but isn¡¯t that just admitting you can¡¯t handle Ethan? Why not give up now?¡± ¡°I was nning to anyway! Unlike you degenerates, I¡¯m a pure spirit who died a virgin!¡± iming virginity after seducing who knows how many men as a spirit? That made my blood boil. The Harlequin Queen looked utterly defeated, her expression one ofplete disgust as she hurried to flee from my body. ¡°I¡¯m done with you perverts! You can have your twisted sex lives together! You depraved maid!¡± ¡°This wretched nun dares call me a depraved maid? Disgusting harlot.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s calling who a harlot?! I have a far purer soul than you¡­!!¡± With a final snarl, something seemed to slip out of my body, and my vision turned ck. When I opened my eyes, I found Ethan¡¯s concerned face peering down at me.@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡­I was back. The worry in Ethan¡¯s eyes and the feel of hisp under my head told me I had somehow managed to regain control. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Ethan.¡± ¡°From the way you¡¯re speaking, you must be Lilith. I¡¯m d you¡¯re back safely.¡± ¡­Oh, that Harlequin Queen. ¡°Ethan, did you see something like a translucent spirit leaving my body?¡± ¡°You mean this?¡± ¡®Ahhh! What is this?! Let me go!¡¯ ¡°I thought it was a monster, so I quickly sealed it in a stone. Is this the Harlequin Queen?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s her.¡± Looks like I managed to capture her in the end. If she¡¯d escaped, it would have been annoying. ¡®No! I refuse to be vited by a perverted couple! I was only cheering on pure love between an innocent maid and her lord! I had no interest in her sordid sex life¡­¡¯ ¡°Lilith, what exactly happened in there for the monster to react this way?¡± ¡°¡­Give her to me, Ethan. I¡¯ll exin everythingter.¡± It may have felt a bit anticlimactic, but at least I¡¯d finished off the Harlequin Queen, the boss monster of this abandoned church. And with that, the necromancy research ss boss raid hade to an end. Chapter 386 "This... this can''t be. Could it be the same monster that had been left dormant in the abandoned church for decades...?" "It is the magic sealing stone containing the undead monster, Harlequin Queen, Professor Mamari." "Incredible... Just as I thought, my eyes didn¡¯t deceive me...!" ¡®Let me out immediately...! What do you n to do with me, sealing me in here like this...!¡¯ Even after we returned from the abandoned church to Professor Mamari''s vi, the Harlequin Queen wouldn¡¯t stop her noisyints. Trapped in the sealing stone, she seemed no more dangerous than an ordinary nun¡¯s spirit. However, despite appearances, she was actually a depraved monster who had possessed countless women and imed to be a virgin herself. Unlike other boss monsters, the Harlequin Queen was safely contained within a single sealing stone, so I handed over my portion of the sealing stones to capture a moderate-level ghost-type monster with Ethan. Since it was already certain that Ethan and I would take the first and second ces in this necromancy research ss, if there was no difference in scores, it made sense to let Ethan have the top spot. ¡®W-wait a moment! Are you seriously nning to use or sell a creature like me as just an academy assignment?! Are you both out of your minds?!¡¯ ¡°With a soul this strong, I might finally seed in creating the intelligent golem I¡¯ve always dreamed of... Such a powerful spirit could withstand the physio-magic conversion autonomously. Yes, this time, the spirit golem...¡± ¡®H-how terrifying...! Please, I¡¯ll even put up with your filthy habits, but don¡¯t hand me over to this dangerous human!¡¯ Watching Professor Mamari''s unsettling grin as he gazed at the Harlequin Queen¡¯s soul, she seemed to realize her predicament, pleading with Ethan and me. But it was toote; she was already submitted as a project for the necromancy ss. I had no sympathy for a wretch like her. What Professor Mamari would do with her was none of my concern. "Then we¡¯ll be heading in, Professor Mamari." "Good work, both of you... You¡¯re wee to use the vi until the day after tomorrow. Get plenty of rest and leave by the morning." "Thank you for your hospitality, Professor." "By the way, have you considered pursuing advanced studies in necromancy under my tutge?" "I sincerely appreciate the offer, but as the sole heir of the ckwood family, I must focus on swordsmanship." "I, too, would like to explore broader knowledge. It is quitete, so if you¡¯ll excuse us." "Yes, yes... Rest well, both of you..." Professor Mamari¡¯s disappointment was almost pitiful, but I had no intention of extending my studies here any longer than necessary. ¡°Such a strong spirit capable of possessing women over decades... Perhaps I should start by testing how much it can endure...¡± ¡®Wait, please! Don¡¯t leave me with this creepy woman! I¡¯m going to be killed! I¡¯ll be dissected piece by piece!¡¯ What Professor Mamari chose to do with the Harlequin Queen was of no concern to me. She would pay for the many lives she had sullied. ? ? ? It was the third night since we¡¯d begun staying at Professor Mamari''s vi. After clearing all the final assignments of the necromancy research ss, today felt unusually rxed. With no meetings to discuss tomorrow¡¯s boss monster, I could enjoy the evening without any responsibilities. ¡®Wee back, Master Ethan, Lady Lilith. Shall I prepare dinner or a bath?¡¯ "Dinner first, followed by a bath, please." ¡®Shall I prepare the bath so you two can share it again?¡¯ "..." "..." ¡®Forgive me for asking. I¡¯ll return in thirty minutes.¡¯ Dina took her leave, having picked up on our response with a knowing look. Though Ethan and I hadn¡¯t done anything overt in front of her, Dina seemed fully aware of what we¡¯d been up to during our stay here. "Thest night at the vi, isn¡¯t it?" "Yes, Master Ethan." "Thank you for your hard work during the necromancy research ss. I know it was a difficult course for you, but you saw it through to the end." "Your swordsmanship was truly exceptional, Master Ethan. Especially your handling of the Toxic Blood Ghoul. I believe you have no weaknesses left when ites to fighting undead." "I had to protect you. Last time, I was the one being protected, and it weighed on my mind." "At the end of thest ss, I was the one being protected, wasn¡¯t I? I think it¡¯s enough that we can rely on each other, Master Ethan." "..." "...." An awkward silence lingered between us, and the atmosphere grew slightly embarrassing. When I thought back on our time at the vi, it felt like I was left with nothing but strange memories. The first night, I had tried to cheer up Ethan and half-jokingly offered to let him touch my chest, only for Dina to catch on and make the situation even more embarrassing. In the bathroom, I was too flustered to say anything after that. On the second night, after Ethan got hurt, I had to feed and bathe him myself, and at night, I used my healing aura, pressing close to him. ¡®It wasn¡¯t like I joined the necromancy research ss just to fool around¡­¡¯ In strict terms, I had simply fulfilled my maid duties on the first night and tended to Ethan¡¯s wounds on the second. Though they weren¡¯t intended as indecent acts, they might have appeared so from an outside perspective. Starting tomorrow, there would be no more necromancy research ss, and the only thing left was to return to the academy. I had no reason to indulge in any carnal thoughts. ¡®What am I thinking? This is absurd.¡¯ I¡¯d promised only to engage in ¡®those¡¯ acts when Ethan beat Harold. I wasn¡¯t about to break my own rule. Besides, even if I felt a certain way, there was no guarantee Ethan did too. Not that I was currently feeling that way; just hypothetically. ¡®Damn that incident this morning for stirring up these thoughts.¡¯ When I woke up, finding Ethan¡¯s... discharge on my thigh nearly made me lose myposure. We¡¯d fallen asleep wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, so as a man, he was bound to be stimted. ¡®Master Ethan, Lady Lilith, your meal is ready.¡¯ "Oh, yes, thank you." "Thank you, Dina."@@novelbin@@ Despite not having done anything indecent, an awkwardness had settled between Ethan and me. We could sense what the other was thinking without needing to say it. ? ? ? "I¡¯ll turn off the lights, Master Ethan." "Yes, Lilith." -Click. That night, we went to bed with a lingering awkwardness, both of us unable to say what was on our minds during dinner and in the bath. ¡®So we¡¯re just going to sleep quietly, huh?¡¯ If Ethan had said even one word, I might have gone along with it. With Dina in the vi, any loud activities were out of the question. But intimacy didn¡¯t always have to be noisy. Yet Ethan chose to keep hisposure and went to bed quietly. So, I did the same, setting aside any impure thoughts and lying down beside him. I had my own rules as his maid, and running to him impulsively would be embarrassing. -Slide. ¡°Good night, Lilith.¡± ¡°Good night, Master Ethan.¡± We fell asleep holding hands under the covers, basking in each other¡¯s warmth. The day¡¯s fatigue quickly pulled me into a deep sleep, and I was out in no timepared to the first two nights. -Soft breathing. ¡°¡­.¡± A few hours passed. -Rustle. ¡°¡­.¡± -Rustle, rustle. ¡°...?¡± In the dim light of the moonlit room, I stirred, awakened by the sound of rustling nkets and the faint sound of Ethan¡¯s quickened breathing. Chapter 387 -Rustle. "......" "Haah, haah..."@@novelbin@@ "......" In the darkness, I could clearly feel the subtle movements of the nket. And hearing Ethan''s increasingly excited breathing, which I''d heard countless times before, made my heart begin to race with tension. ''...Could it be?'' Was Ethan... pleasuring himself right next to me? When did he let go of my hand? I could have sworn we fell asleep holding hands¡ªmy right hand sped with his left. -Grip. ¡°Huh?!¡± -Jolt. "......" ...Wait, we were still holding hands. Well, I guess as long as one hand is free, that¡¯s enough to get the job done. Ethan is ambidextrous, after all, so it wouldn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s his right or left hand. What mattered more was how he had reacted just now. As soon as I gripped his hand a little tighter, he quickly took a sharp breath, stopping whatever he was doing. ¡®So, he really was doing it...?¡¯ Not that I have any problem with Ethan indulging himself; I¡¯d been a man once too. A young man''s urges can¡¯t always be controlled. I had even noticed traces of his habits in the bathroom or the toilet, which I¡¯d quietly ignored. But this situation... it didn¡¯t sit well with me. Here he was, lying beside me, holding my hand, yet taking care of things himself. I had no idea how to handle this. ¡®If it¡¯s that bad, he could have just asked...¡¯ We didn¡¯t have any monster hunts lined up tomorrow, and with necromancy ss over, we had a few days of freedom. Even Professor Mamari had said we could stay at the vi another day. If Ethan had just asked, I wouldn¡¯t have turned him down. ¡®He¡¯s so frustratingly disciplined...¡¯ In truth, I found it rather admirable. He respected our arrangement as temporary lovers and didn¡¯t want to risk bringing up anything that might make me ufortable. I felt a surge of affection toward him, drawn more to these qualities now that we were more than just a master and maid. "...Lilith?" "......" "Are you awake?" It seemed either my change in breathing or my firmer grip on his hand had tipped him off, so Ethan was cautiously asking if I was awake. I decided to keep up the pretense of sleeping, for his sake. "Zzz, zz..." "......" ...Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if my fake sleeping was convincing. It¡¯s not like I knew how I sounded when I slept. Ethan probably knew my sleeping habits better than I did. This was my way of giving him a final chance¡ªto wrap things up while I pretended to sleep. "......" -Slide. "......?" But instead of continuing, Ethan shifted, lifting the nket and lying back to face the ceiling, as if he had suddenly lost interest. "..." "..." ...What? Was that it? He¡¯d been so absorbed just moments ago, and now he was suddenly done? He hadn¡¯t even seemed close to finishing. Despite my surprise, it looked like Ethan had no intention of resuming his activity and was simply lying there, settling back into bed. It wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d expected. ¡®Not going to lie... I was curious.¡¯ It may seem odd to wonder how a man handles himself, but in Ethan¡¯s case, I couldn¡¯t help but be curious. Now that I¡¯d given him the opportunity, he¡¯d stopped, leaving me feeling somewhat disappointed. Of course, I understood the embarrassment of being caught, but knowing the dissatisfaction of a man interrupted mid-act, I felt a bit guilty as if I¡¯d intruded on his private time. ¡®Then again, maybe I¡¯m just imagining things...¡¯ Given the manyments about being a ¡®lewd maid¡¯tely, maybe my thoughts had strayed. To check, I turned onto my side and lightly ced my hand on his lower body. -Shift. "......" -Pat. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ethan tensed slightly as my hand brushed against him. There was some firmness, but it wasn¡¯t enough to tell if he¡¯d been... indulging. I squeezed gently. ¡°Hah?!¡± -Knead. ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ...Hmm? Was I mistaken? As I felt his not entirely stiff member, it seemed less likely that he¡¯d just been pleasuring himself. But since he was calling my name, it was clear he was awake. Still, why had he stopped so abruptly? ¡®Maybe he just got too nervous once he realized I was awake...¡¯ That could be it. I couldn¡¯t confirm whether or not he¡¯d been indulging himself. So I slid my hand into his underwear, curious to find out the truth. -Slide. "Lilith?" Ignoring his voice, I reached further inside, seeking the evidence I needed. -Knead. "Lili... th?" Half-hard. Not fully erect, but definitely not soft. -Rub. ¡°W-what are you doing¡­?¡± A faint warmth remained, perhaps from friction or arousal. And to confirm my suspicions, I moved my fingers to the tip, where I felt a familiar slickness. -Sticky. ¡°Hah!¡± ¡®...Just as I thought.¡¯ The stickiness at my fingertips confirmed it. Ethan had been doing it, with me right beside him. Otherwise, there was no way this sticky fluid, unmistakably pre-cum, would be here. -Slide. ¡°Ahh?!¡± As that thought settled, I felt his hand slide into my underwear, too. Looking at him, I saw Ethan had turned to face me. "Master Ethan...?" "...What are you doing, Lilith? Didn¡¯t we agree that I¡¯d have to beat my father for us to do something like this?" "I¡¯m not sure what you mean, Master Ethan. I haven¡¯t done anything inappropriate." "How about removing your hand from my underwear and saying that, Lilith." "...It may look like something inappropriate, but this is a misunderstanding, Master Ethan." "Oh? Then what kind of misunderstanding would that be?" "I was only checking if you had been pleasuring yourself, not indulging in any lewd thoughts about you..." "From where I stand, reaching into my underwear to check looks like a lewd act, don¡¯t you think?" "......" Well, he had a point. If I¡¯d confirmed he hadn¡¯t been doing anything, I would have left him alone. But now that it was clear he was indulging, it seemed his desires had reached their limit... so... Thinking it over, I had to admit it. What I was doing was indeed rather lewd. "My apologies. I was so curious about whether or not you¡¯d been pleasuring yourself that I lost control." "Well, it¡¯s been difficult for me, too, Lilith. With everything that¡¯s happened, I¡¯ve got a lot of pent-up feelings. And lying next to you... it¡¯s hard to resist." "I apologize for not noticing sooner, Master Ethan." "So, what are you going to do now? Now that you know, are you going to deny me any satisfaction and scold me?" "...No, of course not. As your maid, it¡¯s not my job to control your personal affairs." ...If anything, it would be more my duty as a maid to help him relieve himself now and then. "Then?" "...As your personal maid, I believe it¡¯s my duty to help you manage your needs." "Weren¡¯t you going to save any rewards for when I finally bested my father?" "I don¡¯t n on any actual pration, so this isn¡¯t a reward. I¡¯ll only be using my hands to help you." I knew how absurd my words sounded. But with all the external activities this semester, he and Harold had barely had time to duel. If I held back now, who knew when we¡¯d get a chance to share any intimacy? I just wanted to help relieve his stress without crossing any major lines. "So, as long as it¡¯s only with your hands, it¡¯s not lewd?" "...Well, it is, but it doesn¡¯t count as a reward." "Then does that apply to you, too?" "...What?" "Like this." -Press. ¡°Hah?!¡± Ethan¡¯s hand slid further between my thighs, teasing me at the entrance. His gentle touch and sly smile as he matched my words with his own lewd proposal left me breathless. "How about we both help each other, then?" "...What?" "You¡¯re probably just as pent-up as I am. So, while you help relieve my needs, I¡¯ll do the same for you. Fair enough?" "Understood, Master Ethan." To be honest, I had no reason to refuse. Chapter 388 -Rub, rub. "Suck, hoo, huh..."@@novelbin@@ -squeak, squeak. "Uhhhhh, uhhhhh.... Hyaat...." Two people lying opposite each other by a moonlit window. At first nce it looks like just a man and a woman lying face to face in the same bed, but the reality ispletely different, as Ethan and I are lying on top of each other, our hands are in each other''s underwear and we''re busy moving around. When we''re doing it for each other, I still have a slight advantage.... It''s nothing to brag about, but in my previous life I lived the life of a mosda, where age = number of suns without a lover. Having never been with a woman, I know more about male masturbation than anyone else, so I must have had a huge advantage over Ethan when it came to hand jobs.... -Giggles! "...Uhhhhh." Ethan suddenly plunged his longest finger into my vagina and let out a small chuckle at my reaction. My hand gripping his cock tightens even more at my slightly pissed off reaction. -Chew. "Breathe, Lee, let go.... It hurts if you squeeze too hard...." "I''m sorry." ...Well, that was tricky. Yeah, to be honest, it''s harder to touch other people''s thingspared to what I used to do in my previous life. Also, Ethan''s penis was about one and a half times the size of my penis in the past, and my hand had gotten a little smaller as a woman, so it was a little hard to do anything with one hand. "Hmph, hmph.... Eh, Master Ethan...." "What, are you giving up already?" "Well, I don''t mean that... .... It''s just that I think this rule is a bit unfair...." "What do you mean, unfair?" "Er, because Master Ethan''s dick is too big for me to give you forey with one hand.... So I''m at a disadvantage in a one-handed duel." "Is this a contest, Lilith?" Ethan''s question was a bit of a sarcastic retort, but if we were going to do it that way, he didn''t want to lose, at least not without getting her off first. It would have been too embarrassing, to say the least, to be the one to go first when I''d been the one to touch him and offer to take care of his libido. "So what do you think we should do to make it fair?" "Well, I''ll let my body speak for itself." Instead of giving a concrete answer to Ethan''s words, I crawl a little further into the futon. Once inside the futon, I turn myself upside down and change my position so that my face is in front of his lower half and my lower half is in front of his face. "Well, in this position Master Ethan and I can both use our hands, so I think it''s fair." "Are you sure you''ll be alright, won''t you choke?" "This is fine." If I had to choke at all, having Ethan''s cock right in front of my nose would be more suffocating than the stuffiness of the futon. But at least this way I''d have two hands to fondle Ethan''s dick, so I''d have the upper hand. -Rubbing, rubbing. "Hmph, hmph..." -Rub, rub, rub. "Hmph, hmph.... Huh...." Open the space between your clenched fists to form a circle with your thumb and the rest of your fingers, and then ce Ethan''s cock inside, bobbing up and down in a tight, stroking motion. This position allowed me to stroke Ethan''s entire ns at once, which helped me reach pleasure more quickly. Unlike women who fondled and rubbed the shaft or the base of his cock, where there were few erogenous zones, I wanted to concentrate on the base of his ns, where there was a cluster of erogenous zones. -Giggles. "Mmm, hmm..." -Giggle, giggle. "Hmph, hmph.... Hmph...." The sensation of Ethan''s finger stirring inside her vagina made her shiver a little, but it was enough to keep her going. I''d already taken something much thicker than Ethan''s finger, and I''d learned from two lives that men were much more likely toe than women, given the universal male-female climax. At this rate, I might just manage to get Ethan toe before me, even if it is only by the slimmest of margins.... -Bingle. "Hiiiiiit?!" I felt the centre of my body spin at the sudden touch of a second hand. The sensation of Ethan''s hand on my clit, just above the opening, just out of its shell. My body was being stimted in two ces at once, including inside my vagina, so of course the resulting pleasure was bound to be more than doubled. "Ethan, master.... That, that''s dirty... ...." "Why, she''s using two hands to caress herself, and I''m using two hands to make her feel good, just like she is." "Ha, touching two erogenous zones at once, that''s foul...." "Well, maybe Lilith should do that too, if she can, of course." "...Ha, ha.... Oh, I see, I see...." ...He really won''t say a word. I had a feeling that I would lose if I said more, so I just kept my mouth shut and concentrated on stroking Ethan''s cock. Even if I came before he did, at least I''d done my maid''s job of satisfying my master''s libido. -Giggle, giggle. "Mmmmm, hhh..." Ethan''s finger inside her vagina, pressing against her sensitive G-spot. -Ring, ring, ring. "Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph...!" Rubbing her tiny clit back and forth, like rolling a pea on your finger. -Hiss, hiss, hiss. "Hmph, hmph, hmph...!" Ethan''s hand curls three fingers together and pushes them inside, stroking with the regrity of a man having sex. Compared to me, who just wrapped my hand around the ns and rubbed it, Ethan was targeting my vital parts in a much more varied way, and the sensation of something heating up inside my body quickly increased ordingly. ''Cowardly.... It''s cheating to put your fingers together and poke like you''re having real sex....'' A woman''s body had so many weaknesses when it came to using her hands to caress her partner''s genitals. Ethan''s cock, on the other hand, had a lot of erogenous zones in one ce, but there was only one way to caress it. "Besides, this space, this constant presence, makes it hard to breathe... He didn''t meanck of oxygen or anything like that. It was the heat boiling off Ethan''s lower half and the thick masculine scent emanating from the centre of the man''s body. As time went on, the small space in the duvet became more and more filled with the heat and scent of Ethan''s body, and with each inhale and exhale, it felt like my mouth was taking in his cock. "At this rate, this is really dangerous... I had a sense of urgency that I wasn''t going to be able to make him cum, that I was going to be the one to end it, so I had no choice but to use myst resort to resolve the situation. -Heh. "Uh, Lee, Lilith?!" ...Unless she''s down there, which isn''t really a ''reward'' anyway. And it was cowardly of Ethan to put his fingers together like a dick in the first ce. So this was revenge for his cowardly way of torturing my body. They made me feel like they were fucking me first, so I''d give Ethan a simr feeling with my mouth. ...although of course I can predict Ethan''s next move somewhat. -Giggles. "Hmph, suck...! Hmph...!" -Chirp, chirp. "Hooooooo...!! Ugh, suck...!! Hooooooo...!!" Ethan sticks his tongue into my vagina and starts to flick it around as I bite down on his cock. At first we were just caressing each other''s bodies with our hands, and then it turned into a "snake tail biting" position, but at least our genitals weren''t directly touching. I think a blow job when Ethan''s libido gets too much for him is just within the realm of tolerance... maybe. Just a little more....'' Just a little more, a deeper swallow. Not that I particrly liked having Ethan''s cock in my mouth, but I didn''t think I could make him cum at this rate. It was the only thing I could do to release Ethan''s libido without pration, so I boldly opened my throat to take his cock further inside me, feeling the thick, hot flesh fill the back of my throat. -Gulp. "Ugh, that breath..." ...and Ethan''s thighs squeezing my head a little tighter as he can''t hold back the pleasure any longer. "Yeah, well, my perverted nature can''t go anywhere. The perverted nature that fetishises the idea of a woman swallowing a cock down her throat was going nowhere. After all, the pleasure he derived from sexual acts was bound to be influenced by his fetishes. Desperately, she stroked thest of Ethan''s cock down her throat, knowing it wouldn''t be long before he ejacted. -Gulp, gulp. "Uhhh, hhhh.... Hmm...." -Gulp, gulp. The caresses became bolder and bolder, the breathing faster and faster. The caresses between me and Ethan havee to an end, only the thought of bringing each other to climax first remains. As I feel myselfing, I feel Ethan''s cock throbbing in my throat, spraying something hot down the back of my throat. -shootaaaaaah.... Ethan''s cum shoots down the inside of my throat, a climactic fountain that finally spurts out as I can''t hold back my orgasm. My urethral sphincter, once loosened, failed to tighten, spewing pleasure-filled fluid from my body, but what puzzled me more than anything was the unidentifiable sounding from my lower half. -Gooh, gooh. "Guhhhhh?! Swallow, urgently?!" Oh, you crazy bastard... again! Drinking Ethan''s cum after Pgio was an unavoidable act of God, but there was no need for him to put his mouth on my lower half and drink the gushing liquid. I could hear him drinking from my climax fountain again, as if to prove how much he loved me, and I felt like I was going to lose my mind with shame. -Crack, crack.... Ha, really.... I shouldn''t feel this way....'' No matter how much I love her, I can''t think of another man who would drink the shiofuki of another woman without hesitation. -Chirrrrrrrrr.... "Ugh, uhhh, suck...." -Gulp, gulp. "Hooh, hooh, hooh...! Hooh...." Ethan didn''t take his mouth off the water until the veryst moment, when the stream was weakening, and he even licked it with his tongue, as if he wanted to drink everyst drop. My heart was pounding madly, inexorably, at such shameless and devoted worship. Chapter 389 ¡°...Haa.¡± The next morning, I woke up with a curious feeling of emptiness in my lower half. Though I vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night, I actually felt unusually refreshed, as if my mind was clearer than usual. ¡®Could it be thatst night¡¯s activities affected me too?¡¯ Maybe I, like Ethan, had umted a bit of pent-up desire. Of course,pared to a young man¡¯s drive, mine was modest, but I had to admit thatst night¡¯s events had alleviated some of that. And then, with Ethan¡¯s rather twisted way of going about things¡ªfocused on both pleasing me and proving his love for me¡ªit¡¯s no wonder I felt both aroused and satisfied. -Stab. ¡°Nngh¡­¡± As soon as I shifted, I felt Ethan¡¯s hand lingering between my thighs. The sensations fromst night¡¯s mutual relief still lingered, a reminder of how we had ended things, even after we had both climaxed. Too tired for a second round, we had simply agreed to satisfy each other with light touches. ¡®I didn¡¯t quite notice in my sleep, but he went pretty deep...¡¯ What a pervert. I could still feel something sticky on my right hand¡ªlikely evidence that Ethan had found release again, courtesy of my hand. While he had changed in many ways from the original story, his drive remained as intense as ever. ¡°......¡± -Stroke, stroke. ¡­Is it getting hard again? With curiosity about Ethan¡¯s vitality, I felt him growing stiff again under my fingers. Just then, Ethan¡¯s voice startled me out of my thoughts. ¡°Lilith, are you awake?¡± ¡°Hyaaah?!¡± Surprised by his voice, I quickly pulled my hand away from him. Ethan, seeming particrly rxed afterst night¡¯s activities, simply smiled as he sat up. ¡°You¡¯re eager this morning, Lilith. Are you wanting more already?¡± ¡°I was merely checking to ensure your¡­ vital parts were intact.¡± ¡°Well, of course they are. We confirmed thatst night, didn¡¯t we?¡± Avoiding his knowing gaze, I sat up in bed as well. ¡°If you were already awake, you might have prepared yourself. Today is the day we¡¯re returning to the academy, after all.¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± Ethan let out a slight hum, as if displeased with my response, and resumed lightly teasing me with the hand still between my legs. -Stab! ¡°Ngh, hyaah?!¡± ¡°Do we really have to leave today? We stayed upte. Couldn¡¯t we rest one more day?¡± ¡°If I felt too tired, I would consider it. But since I feel fine, I think we should head back today. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t want to impose any longer on Professor Mamari or Dina.¡± ¡°Hmm, you sure you¡¯re well-rested?¡± -Stab, stab. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m well-rested, so could you please stop?¡± Ethan finally withdrew his hand after I forced him to stop. He met my gaze, then nodded. ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want, Lilith.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Besides, if we dy another day, Professor Mamari might extend another offer for us to be his students.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we should avoid. Let¡¯s get ready quickly.¡± With that, Ethan tossed aside the covers, and we both rose from the bed. As a result of our earlier activities, the sheets were damp once more. ¡°We should change into fresh clothes¡ªor maybe take a bath first, so Dina doesn¡¯t find it suspicious if she sees the bed linens.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. And don¡¯t forget to cast a cleansing spell on the sheets.¡± ¡°Of course, Master Ethan.¡± While Dina had assured us we could use the vi freely, there was no need to expose her to the traces of our intimacy. -Knock, knock, knock. ¡°When would you like breakfast prepared, Master Ethan, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°In about an hour¡­ no, on second thought, let¡¯s say half an hour. We¡¯d like to take a bath first¡­ we, uh, worked up quite a sweatst night¡­¡± ¡®Understood. I¡¯ll have the bathroom prepared in thirty minutes.¡¯ ...From the knowing tone of her voice, it seemed she might already suspect something. ? ? ? ¡°We are grateful for all your assistance, Dina.¡± ¡°We truly appreciate it. Thanks to you, we were able to restfortably.¡± ¡®I¡¯m d I could be of help, Master Ethan, Miss Lilith.¡¯ Having cleaned up the traces ofst night¡¯s activities and finished bathing and breakfast, Ethan and I were ready to depart. We said a quick goodbye to Dina before heading to Professor Mamari¡¯s fourth vi. ¡®I wish I could apany you further, but as I am bound to this vi, I must bid you farewell here. Please understand.¡¯ ¡°No need to worry, Dina. We are the ones who should be grateful for everything.¡± ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ve helped both of us enjoy our stay. I hope we can return the favor someday.¡± ¡®If you truly wish to repay me, you could consider advancing your studies in necromancy under my master, Professor Mamari¡­¡¯ ¡°No, thank you. That¡¯s quite unnecessary, Dina.¡± Though we had indeed beenfortable these past three days, it wasn¡¯t worthmitting years of study to repay. At least Dina seemed to understand, seeing us off with a light smile. ¡®I was only joking. I hope we meet again someday.¡¯ ¡°Yes, Dina. Perhaps we¡¯ll visit again if we¡¯re in the area.¡± With those parting words, she slipped back into the vi. By now, after three days, I¡¯d grown ustomed to her ghostly form. ¡®Perhaps meeting Dina helped me get over my fear of ghost monsters more than the necromancy sses did.¡¯ Undead monsters still unsettled me, but thanks to this time at the vi, I was no longer paralyzed with fear. Now, even the ghostly ones barely bothered me. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡± -Click! ¡®Wait, Miss Lilith, Master Ethan.¡¯ Just as we were about to set off, Dina came rushing out the door, a surprising move for her. Curious, we paused and watched her approach. ¡°Dina?¡± ¡°Is something wrong? Did you forget something?¡± ¡®While tidying up your rooms, I found these under the covers and thought I should return them.¡¯ ¡°What could it be that¡ª¡± She held out our underwear, neatly folded in her hands. As the memories ofst night flooded back, both Ethan and I flushed red. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± ¡®Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep your private affairs strictly confidential. Your activities in your private quarters won¡¯t affect your ss evaluations¡­¡¯ ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything!¡± I blurted out. ¡°Well, maybe we didn¡¯t go all the way, but still¡­¡± Ethan muttered. ¡®Yes, I¡¯m simply returning your lost items. I assure you that these items bear no rtion to whatever events may or may not have transpiredst night.¡¯ I quickly snatched the underwear from her hands, shoving them into my pocket before she could say anything further. No matter how much we denied it, I knew she¡¯d never believe us, so the sooner we left, the better. ¡®I bid you farewell now.¡¯ With a final nod, Dina slipped back into the vi. With reddened cheeks, Ethan and I steered the carriage toward the academy, eager to leave behind the lingering embarrassment. Chapter 390 One of the easiest ways forpanies that make otaku-targeted games to make money is, of course, by undressing their female characters. Showing off navels, thighs, and armpits is standard fare. But sometimes, they take it a step further, exposing sideboob, underboob, or even risky areas around the groin. At least in the Korea I grew up in, this wasmon knowledge. Of course, stripping down female characters can sometimes backfire, so they couldn¡¯t just randomly undress them. The key was always to strike the right bnce, making the otaku open their wallets without pushing away most of the yer base. And the most standard approach to undressing characters? Swimsuits. Every summer, games roll out swimsuit costume events or limited swimsuit gacha. Even in Luminor Academy, a full-fledged otaku adult game with an academy setting, there¡¯s a swimsuit costume, along with the entire ¡°Marine Biology Exploration¡± event just to showcase the swimsuits. ¡®And this semester, Ethan and I, along with the whole Hero Party, are taking Marine Biology Exploration.¡¯ In other words, swimsuit shopping was mandatory. Rather than sweating under a thick maid outfit or school uniform and settling for an uninspired, in swimsuit from a beachside shop, it was better to pick one beforehand. Ideally, one that would catch Ethan¡¯s eye. ¡®If I have to wear a swimsuit anyway, it¡¯s only natural to hope Ethan wouldpliment it.¡¯ Of course, there was a good chance that other guys in the Hero Party would see me in my swimsuit too, so picking a racy one was out of the question. It would go against my personal code to show my bare body to anyone but Ethan. Therefore, I had to choose a swimsuit that was enticing but not too revealing¡ªa bnce that required careful nning. That¡¯s why I was heading to the Academy shopping district today, with a slightly unusualpanion lineup. Since the swimsuit was for Ethan, he wouldn¡¯te along. And no other guys should see it first either, so the rest of the Hero Party¡¯s men were automatically excluded. I had to call upon one of my female connections who wouldn¡¯t minding along. I could only think of two who would be willing toe if I asked. And among them, there was only one other girl who was taking Marine Biology Exploration with me. ¡°We¡¯re going to look at swimsuits today, Lady Agnes.¡± ¡°Swimsuits?¡± ¡°Yes. The Marine Biology ss starts in a week, so we should pick out swimsuits. I think it¡¯s better to have someone else¡¯s opinion rather than choosing one alone.¡± ¡°You should just go with that idiot ckwood. Why bother dragging me along?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Lady Agnes? It wouldn¡¯t make sense for me to buy a swimsuit with Master Ethan when it¡¯s supposed to be a surprise. It¡¯s more impactful if a woman prepares these things separately to surprise the manter.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying half the time.¡± Though I was just exining the basics of being a heroine, Agnes looked at me with a bewildered expression, as if I had said something truly iprehensible. So, I provided an example she might find easier to rte to. ¡°It¡¯s like when you go underwear shopping. You wouldn¡¯t go with Prince Antonio, would you? It¡¯s the same idea.¡± ¡°Why bring him up? And I don¡¯t really care about underwear¡ªI just wear what the Elizabeth family sends.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Underwear isn¡¯t something you show off. Are you saying you specifically buy underwear to show ckwood?¡± ¡°Of course! Though, in my case, I weave thece myself rather than buy it¡­.¡± ¡°Right, you two really are a lost cause of a couple.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What? Isn¡¯t she and Antonio doing well? With Agnes¡¯s personality, I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d have taken it to that level, but I thought mentioning his name might at least fluster her a little. Yet Agnes didn¡¯t react at all, which caught me off guard. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re here, I guess I could help you pick out underwear.¡± ¡°Not underwear, swimsuits, Lady Agnes.¡± ¡°Same difference. You¡¯re still covering the same parts.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re picking out your swimsuit too, Lady Agnes. That¡¯s why I asked you to join me today.¡± ¡°...Mine too?¡± Did she think we were only picking out my swimsuit and parting ways? Tilting her head in slight confusion, Agnes pointed to herself, and I nodded. ¡°What, were you nning to attend Marine Biology ss naked? While your body may not exactly tempt men¡¯s lust, that would still be embarrassing.¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯d be naked? Don¡¯t lump me in with perverts like you. Wait, what was that about tempting men?¡± ¡°Well, look at it this way. How many men do you think would get turned on just from looking at your body? With a chest smaller than your nose and hips tter than the back of your head, I imagine only men with rather particr fetishes would¡­.¡± -Squeeze! ¡°Gaaah!¡± In the middle of my words, Agnes suddenly reached out and grabbed my chest. She squeezed hard with all her strength, and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a pained groan. ¡°Who cares if you¡¯ve got a big chest!?¡± ¡°W-Wait, Lady Agnes! It hurts! You wouldn¡¯t know, but it really hurts when you grab it like that!¡± ¡°Die, you shamelessly buxom trollop!¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± If I didn¡¯t apologize quickly, she seemed ready to rip my chest right off. ...Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure why she was so angry when I was just stating the facts. -Thud! ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Augh... Lady Agnes, that really hurt¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was going for!¡± ¡°What I meant is, your body is so boring by men¡¯s standards that, by wearing a nice swimsuit, you could prevent people from underestimating you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Seeing Agnes tilt her head as if she couldn¡¯t understand a word I was saying, I decided it was time to exin the significance of a woman¡¯s swimsuit. ¡°You see, a swimsuit is a form-fitting garment, right?¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± ¡°So, with your underdeveloped body, which is usually hidden under thick uniforms and skirts, it¡¯s almost like a weakness.¡± -Slide. ¡°Or rather, with your... slight physique, a swimsuit could expose you. So it would be best for you to pick one that conceals more rather than...¡± -Squeeze! ¡°Aaah! Why again? I just corrected myself!¡± ¡°Not correcting would have been better! Slight?! Underdeveloped?! Are you just looking for a fight?!¡± ¡°Please, stop grabbing me! We¡¯ll never get anywhere!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who keeps pissing me off!¡± Every word out of my mouth seemed to fuel Agnes¡¯s temper as sheshed out in frustration. I had thought that,pared to her original character, she had mellowed out a bit, but this fiery temper appeared to be an unchangeable trait. Chapter 391 "Ah, well, anyway... T-Today, we''re going to buy a swimsuit for Miss Agnes... along with mine and someone else¡¯s too..." "...Fine. Just don¡¯t go on about my body right in front of me. If you bring it up one more time, I¡¯m leaving." "...Understood, Miss Agnes." Well, she certainly had a lot of hysteria. When ites to talking about what swimsuits would suit her, there¡¯s no avoiding the topic of body types, but Agnes had all sorts of unreasonable demands. Guess I¡¯ll have to avoid mentioning Agnes¡¯s height and figure as much as possible or find ways to skirt around it. "So, this ''someone else''?" "Ah, today''s outing is not just me and Miss Agnes. It¡¯ll be the two of us plus one other person going swimsuit shopping." "...I thought it was just going to be the two of us." "Originally, that was the n, but somehow I ended up getting a request from someone else." Honestly, Agnes is pretty much the only person I could call a friend here at the Academy, so naturally, I¡¯d only thought of going out with her. Seraphina is a bit too high-ranking to be considered a friend, Cerista and I are still a bit awkward, and girls like Ligeia and Lara, well, they¡¯re just into me for their own reasons. Agnes was the only one I feltfortable enough with to have this kind of outing. But thanks to a ''coincidental'' encounter with Seraphina recently, we ended up adding one more person to our swimsuit shopping adventure. "I¡¯m notfortable around the other magic club girls. I¡¯m not going."@@novelbin@@ "I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s not in the magic club, and she¡¯s someone you know." "...I know her too?" "Hello, Lady Lilith! And Lady Agnes!" "...Natalie?" Agnes turned around, calling her name as a girl with bright orange hair suddenly appeared. Natalie, with her usual confident fashion that showed off her abs, bounced over to us with a spirited ponytail swing. She was practically drenched in sweat, as if she¡¯d been doing something quite intense. "Hello, Miss Natalie." "...So the other person was Natalie?" "Sorry to keep you waiting! I was just having a grueling workout session with Thomas..." "...So you were sparring with him until you got exhausted?" "Yes, Lady Lilith." If Thomas heard her, he¡¯d probably deny it right off the bat. "Swimsuit shopping with her? All she cares about is swords and sparring." "Huh? Swimsuit shopping? What do you mean? All I heard from Princess Seraphina was that I should meet up with you two today..." Seraphina had asked me to bring Natalie along, but it seems she hadn¡¯t been given the full story. Or maybe Seraphina tried exining, but Natalie didn¡¯t really listen. I suppose Seraphina had her reasons. Some people prefer to secretly pick out swimsuits to surprise everyone at the beach, while others treat it as a date excuse. For someone like Seraphina, who has two significant rivals for the hero¡¯s attention, she can¡¯t afford any risks. She likely roped Natalie into our group to prevent anyone from suggesting they all go swimsuit shopping together. "Princess Seraphina asked me to bring Natalie along. She suggested I help her pick out a swimsuit too." "My swimsuit?" "Yes. You¡¯ll be taking the marine exploration course with the hero as well, right? Choosing a suitable swimsuit is part of ady¡¯s basic preparation, and it helps to have another opinion." "Oh, I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ve had my swimsuit since I was a kid, so there¡¯s no need for a new one." "And just how long ago was that, Miss Natalie?" "Let¡¯s see...about seven years ago. I was around fourteen at the time!" "Isn¡¯t it about time you bought a new one, then? Surely you¡¯ve grown since you were fourteen?" "..." As soon as I mentioned height and bust, I felt Agnes¡¯s gaze boring into me, but there was no getting around it. In Luminor Academy, swimsuit designs change drastically depending on whether the protagonist is involved. If someone else picks for them, these two end up in pity-worthy swimsuits. If I want to avoid seeing Natalie or Agnes in unttering swimsuits that seem tailored for niche tastes, I have to step in. "Anyway, neither of you will be leaving today without at least one new swimsuit. I¡¯ll make sure each of you gets something that suits you perfectly." "...Fine." "Understood! Please guide us, Lady Lilith!" And so began our journey to find swimsuits for two girls who seemed entirely disinterested in attracting any male attention. ? ? ? There are two main stores in the Luminor Academy shopping district where you can buy swimsuits. The first one is close to the academy but has a limited selection. Most items there are reasonably priced, but the quality isn¡¯t great. The other one is a bit farther away and sells a wider range of high-quality clothing, though it¡¯s pricier. Of course, there are other clothing stores around, but these two are the only ones that sell swimsuits with water-resistant enchantments. "Lady Lilith? I think I see some swimsuits in that store! Let¡¯s grab one quickly and head back!" "No, we¡¯re not buying there. We¡¯ll be going to Amourange Boutique in the center of the district." "What? Isn¡¯t that ce incredibly expensive?! I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t afford clothes from a ce like that..." "...Are we really buying something so expensive for a swimsuit we¡¯ll wear for only a week? It¡¯d be easier to just buy something from the first store and be done with it." "If you¡¯re that worried about money, I¡¯ll buy them. Is it so difficult to invest in yourself?" "...That¡¯s not what I meant." "S-Sorry!" How am I supposed to shop with these two? It¡¯s understandable that Natalie, being amoner, would worry about money, but I didn¡¯t expect this from Agnes. It¡¯s clear they¡¯re bothpletely uninterested in spending on themselves, at least from a friend¡¯s point of view. "...I was nning to use the money Princess Seraphina gave me for Natalie¡¯s swimsuit anyway. She asked me to look after Natalie and handed me some gold coins." "Is that so...? B-But I can¡¯t ept such charity from the princess..." "Take it up with the princess if you have anyints." Of course, Natalie, being amoner, could never actuallyin to the princess, so basically, it meant ''shut up and follow along.'' With their reluctant attitudes, we made our way to Amourange Boutique. As we entered, a well-dressed saleswoman approached us. "Wee. Can I help you find something today?" "Ah, um, I, uh..." "..." As soon as we stepped in, we were greeted by a disy of swimsuits. Natalie stammered, clearly flustered, while Agnes, ufortable with the attention, looked away. "I¡¯m here to look at swimsuits for the uing summer course. Would you mind just showing us where they are? We¡¯d like to browse on our own." "Of course. We have summer outfits on discount, including swimsuits. Feel free to browse this way." After subtly limiting the staff member¡¯s involvement to just pointing us to the swimsuits, I led Agnes and Natalie to the swimsuit section. Now the real battle begins. I have to make sure they try on as many different swimsuits as possible and find the ones that suit them best. "Miss Natalie, why don¡¯t you try these ones? And Miss Agnes, these will suit you... Oh, and this one too." "...What?" "You can try on each one I give you. While you¡¯re at it, I¡¯ll look for others that might suit you." "..." "..." Agnes, my best friend here, and Natalie, my favorite character from my previous life¡ªI couldn¡¯t just let their swimsuit choices go unchecked. Chapter 392 ¡°How is it, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°Hm, not bad at all. It highlights the bust just enough, and the ck color keeps it from feeling too provocative.¡± ¡°I was just thinking the same! So, this swimsuit then¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I picked out a few more while you were changing. This time, I chose some bikinis, so how about trying a few of those on?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? B-but didn¡¯t you just say to only try on this one¡­?¡± ¡°That was just for the one-piece swimsuits. Since you have a nice figure, I thought a bikini might suit you better.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, understood.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, I¡¯m done changing.¡± ¡°The color and style aren¡¯t bad, but it¡¯s still a bitcking in¡­ uh, it doesn¡¯t quite¡­ hmm. Well, anyway, let¡¯s try something with a bit more coverage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. You¡¯ve tried on almost all the bikinis, so how about going back to one-pieces for now, Miss Agnes?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ve changed clothes more than ten times already, and now you¡¯re saying bikinis aren¡¯t the right choice?¡± ¡°With so many options, there¡¯s bound to be at least one thatplements your body. But I still think a ssic one-piece suits you best. Although, there were a few bikinis that looked quite nice.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Oh, please! Just try on thisst set! I really want to help you find the swimsuit that suits you best.¡± ¡°Alright, but only thesest few.¡± ¡°Ah, wait a moment! If these are thest ones, then try these¡­ Oh, and do you have this swimsuit in pink?¡± I asked the shop attendant. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll try them all, but don¡¯t shove so many at once; it¡¯s confusing.¡± ¡°Lady Lilith, this is thest one.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ This one suits you perfectly, Miss Natalie! The white color matches your vibe, entuates your bust just enough, and gives you that stylish, sexy look without being too revealing. It¡¯s almost like this swimsuit was made just for you.¡± ¡°I-I was thinking the same! So, shall we go with this one¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s buy that one, but I also found a few more. Would you mind trying these as well?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°We never said we¡¯d only buy one. With the money from Princess Seraphina, we can get at least three swimsuits, and still have change left over. And I think something with a sporty look might suit your lively personality.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith.¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Agnes! This is it! This is exactly what I was looking for!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°This red color suits your cute image so well! The simple yet thoughtful design really brings out your charm. This is the swimsuit for you!¡± ¡°How is this different from thest one?¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Thest one had a halter neck and no frills. This one has shoulder straps and those delicate frills at the neck and thigh!¡± ¡°Fine, fine. We¡¯ve tried enough, right? How many outfits do we have to go through to find one?¡± ¡°Oh, wait a moment, Miss Agnes. Before you head back, take these to try on too!¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t we buying this one?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re buying it. But I think you¡¯d look great in this other style too.¡± ¡°¡­I thought I tried all the bikinis.¡± ¡°A bikini with a skirt is apletely different type of swimsuit!¡± ¡°¡­Alright, alright.¡± This is fun. Really, it¡¯s so much fun. Watching Natalie and Agnes keep changing swimsuits, at mymand, is exhrating. I mean, how could I resist? My favorite character from my previous life is doing a swimsuit fashion show, following my every suggestion. Of course, I¡¯m more into Ethan now, so it¡¯s not like I have any romantic feelings for Natalie. Still, the reasons I admired her in my past life¡ªher lively, healthy beauty¡ªare just as valid in this world. With her good looks, she can pull off pretty much anything, and a few of the swimsuits were exactly to my taste. As a gamer, I couldn¡¯t help but want to see her in as many styles as possible. Not to mention, I didn¡¯t just have Natalie to enjoy, but Agnes as well. While she might have been designed to appeal to a specific niche, Agnes is undeniably cute. With the right outfit, her cuteness is guaranteed, even if she¡¯s a bitcking in certain areas by adult standards. As long as I chose something that suited her, she could stille across as a beauty. Sure, baring her belly or bust might highlight her more delicate frame, but one-piece swimsuits, skirted bottoms, and frilled swimsuits fit her perfectly. Besides, she¡¯s the only friend I have at the Academy, so of course, I want her to look her best. After going through about ten bikinis, ten one-pieces, and another ten of various other styles, we finally passed the two-hour mark. ¡°L-Lady Lilith¡­ Surely there can¡¯t be any more left to try on¡­?¡± ¡°¡­More? Are you seriously enjoying making us try on all these outfits¡­?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re down to the two you¡¯re both wearing now, plus two more I¡¯ve set aside. So, four in total.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thank you both for your patience! You both look good in practically anything, but these four are definitely the best. So let¡¯s go with these.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± They looked at me with a somewhat bewildered expression, as if there was still something they wanted to say. Maybe I¡¯d been a bit too focused on my own preferences. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I realize I might have been pushing my own opinions too much and making you try on all these outfits¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no! We really appreciate your thoughtfulness, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that¡­ Well, it was a bit tiring, but since you picked it out¡­¡± ¡°In that case, how about you two pick thest one yourselves? After all, no one knows what suits you better than you do. Or, you could choose for each other¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go change back into my regr clothes now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m changing. I¡¯m not trying on another one.¡± tter! ¡°¡­¡± Even though I¡¯d given them the chance to choose for themselves, they hurried into the changing rooms and left me alone by the disy. So I handed the swimsuits they¡¯d selected over to the shop assistant and went to find one for myself. Of course, finding a swimsuit that fit my size on the regr racks was impossible, so I had to ask for a bit of help. ¡°Do you have swimsuits in a size 105, or rather, 110?¡± ¡°¡­A size 110¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The shop assistant looked at me, slightly bewildered, before nodding in understanding. Her reaction was understandable. Living as Lilith in this world meant I was ustomed to this kind of attention. ¡°One moment, please. We have some in the storage room.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She hurried off to the back, but I could hear voicesing from inside shortly after. ¡®What are you doing? Why are you taking those out?¡¯ ¡®The customer asked for a size 110 swimsuit¡­¡¯ ¡®I must not have made myself clear. These swimsuits are reserved as gifts for my dear friend, so they shouldn¡¯t be touched.¡¯ ¡®But we need to show the customer something. Our shop¡¯s reputation is on the line¡­¡¯ ¡®Very well. I¡¯ll handle it. I can¡¯t imagine anyone else at this academy would be looking for a 110 swimsuit, so there¡¯s likely some mistake.¡¯ ¡­Hm?@@novelbin@@ That voice¡­ It sounds awfully familiar. Chapter 393 The familiar voice from the storage area got me thinking of a certain nobledy with sky-blue hair who manages a tradingpany, but it was too soon to jump to conclusions. After all, there wasn¡¯t just one noble family in charge of a tradingpany, and it could simply be someone with a simr voice... ¡°Are you here to buy a swimsuit in a size 110? I¡¯ll need to measure you properly to confirm your exact size¡­¡± ¡°Miss Ligeia?¡± ¡°¡­Lady Lilith?¡± ...So I wasn¡¯t mistaken after all. I hadn¡¯t realized that this shop was actually affiliated with the Auguste Trading Company. It made sense, though; I wouldn¡¯t have known since the original game didn¡¯t disclose that detail. The Auguste family¡¯s downfall doesn¡¯t ur until the second semester of the fourth year in the third part of the story, and by then, there¡¯s no reason to visit this boutique again. Considering the Auguste family is involved in various businesses, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Ligeia would be connected to this shop. ¡°So, it was you looking for a swimsuit in size 110, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Miss Ligeia.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°H-Hm¡­ I see. Well, it would have been nice if you¡¯d given me a heads-up beforeing. I could have prepared better.¡± ¡°I only just found out that Amourange Boutique is affiliated with the Auguste Trading Company, Miss Ligeia.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s understandable you wouldn¡¯t know. Our tradingpany operates over thirty shops on this ind of knowledge alone.¡± ...But why is she even here? The marine exploration course is practically abat ss, so I doubt she enrolled in it. She mentioned selecting swimsuits as gifts for a friend. Was she talking about me? Feeling a bit too awkward to ask if she¡¯d been preparing a gift for me, I was relieved when she offered an exnation. ¡°I¡¯m helping out here because we get many customers looking for swimsuits around this time. With my knowledge of dyes from the Witch¡¯s Forest, I can change the fabric colors to whatever I like, or apply a thin coating that prevents water absorption and fading.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± ...So that¡¯s why there were more swimsuit styles and colors than in the original game. It seems my assistance in the Witch¡¯s Forest hase back to help me, indirectly allowing me to enjoy this extensive swimsuit shopping experience with Natalie and Agnes. As our conversation dragged on, a store attendant cautiously approached Ligeia. ¡°Miss Auguste, what about the customer¡­?¡± ¡°Please ensure no one elsees up to the swimsuit floor for the next two hours.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just make an excuse, like restocking or reorganizing. It shouldn¡¯t be too busy until after evening anyway.¡± ¡°¡­Understood!¡± As the attendant hurried downstairs, I watched Ligeia draw closer, her presence suddenly seeming heavier. ¡°Ahem. It¡¯s nice running into you outside the academy, Lady Lilith. You seem to be keeping yourself quite busy with new friendstely.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed seeing you around. After all, we¡¯ve known each other since before our academy days, haven¡¯t we? Though, of course, I don¡¯t me you for being close to someone like the princess.¡± ¡°¡­I mean, we¡¯ve known each other, but¡­.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°N-Nothing. We are indeed friends¡­¡± Even after all this time, Ligeia was as overwhelming as ever. It was a different kind of overwhelmingpared to Seraphina or Lara, though. Despite our rocky start, she¡¯d helped me out several times at the academy, so it felt difficult to dismiss her. ¡°Did you make good use of the dried mandrake root you purchasedst time?¡± ¡°Oh, not yet¡­ I only bought it as a precaution, not because I needed it immediately.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s best to avoid using it if you don¡¯t have to. So, I take it you¡¯re here for a swimsuit today, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I set aside a few swimsuits in your size. A woman with your build can¡¯t just wear anything. I can¡¯t believe how coincidental it is that you¡¯vee here, of all ces. After the Witch¡¯s Forest, it¡¯s as if we¡¯re bound by some strange fate!¡± ¡°Haha¡­ ha¡­¡± ...Strange fate, indeed. In the original game, Ligeia was supposed to die, but I saved her. I guess that vacant role in the storyline left her more attached to me. ¡®At least she¡¯s a fellow woman, so it¡¯s not too dangerous.¡¯ If it were someone like Karaham, I¡¯d be on edge, but with Ligeia, I could handle a bit of unicorn-like harmlessness. As long as she wasn¡¯t a guy, I could tolerate a little clinginess. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, how about we try a few on and see what suits you best? As the Auguste family¡¯sdy, I¡¯ll make sure we find the perfect one for you!¡± ¡°Huh? Th-That¡¯s a bit much¡­¡± ¡°Shall we start by measuring your body again? urate sizing is essential, so if you could just undress¡­¡± ¡°No, no! I-I know my measurements well enough. There¡¯s no need to undress¡­¡± ...Okay, maybe this is a bit dangerous. Despite her being a woman, I felt a disconcerting vibe as she approached with an intense gaze. Just then, the changing room curtains opened, saving me from the situation. ¡°Quickly now, Lady Lilith. Measuring your size is just¡­.¡± Swish! ¡°¡­Lilith, I¡¯m done changing.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m finished as well, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­Oh?¡± Appearing out of the changing rooms, Agnes and Natalie interrupted the awkwardness, causing Ligeia¡¯s determined expression to fade as she turned to the two neers. ¡°You weren¡¯t here alone, were you, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°No¡­ I came out today to buy swimsuits for the marine exploration ss with them¡­¡± ¡°So, you invited them but didn¡¯t think to invite me? We¡¯re supposed to be close friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°W-Well, since we¡¯re in the same ss, it made sense¡­ You¡¯re in the pharmacy department, so you couldn¡¯t join¡­¡± ¡°Right. You can¡¯t buy friendships with money, can you? I knew it, but still¡­ I hoped for at least a bit of consideration from you, but I¡¯m just a convenient acquaintance, I suppose¡­¡± Ugh, seriously? Why did this shop have to be connected to the Auguste Trading Company? And why did she have to be here, of all days? As I floundered, Agnes and Natalie, now fully dressed, slowly approached with wary expressions. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lilith? Did you invite her swimsuit shopping too?¡± ¡°No, not at all. She just happened to be here since this store is part of the Auguste Trading Company.¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Miss Ligeia Auguste from the Witch¡¯s Forest? What brings you here?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing¡­ Just realizing how disposable my friendship with Lady Lilith is, that¡¯s all¡­¡± Seeing her dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, I noticed that Agnes and Natalie were now staring at me a bit coldly. ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing! Miss Ligeia must be mistaken. I¡¯ve never thought of her friendship as disposable¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, I must have been mistaken. I thought we were close friends, but I see now that I was just convenient¡­¡± ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s true Lilith tends to be a bit rough with friends.¡± ¡°Indeed! Considering Lady Lilith¡¯s behavior towards Miss Agnes today, I suppose her definition of ¡®friendship¡¯ differs from the norm!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯m sorry if I made things difficult for you two, but this really is a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I misunderstood what our friendship meant, sniffle.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Ugh, this really does make me look like the bad guy! Chapter 394 "Sigh." How did ite to this? There was Ligeia, crying and talking about how we weren¡¯t truly friends, with Agnes and Natalie seemingly sympathizing with her. And as soon as I tried to console her by saying I¡¯d grant her a wish, I found myself being practically shoved into the changing room, as if this had all been half-nned. Now that I think about it, those tears Ligeia shed¡­ they almost seemed fake. The way her expression changed as soon as I offered to grant her a wish was suspicious. She might have started acting the moment she realized I wasn¡¯t alone. Despite her innocent exterior, Ligeia had always been shrewd. Thanks to her noblewoman skills and acting prowess, I ended up agreeing to try on her entire swimsuit collection. At least two hours of outfit changesy ahead of me, with no veto power. How does she even know my size? ¡°Lady Lilith, are you ready?¡± ¡°Huh? Y-Yes! I¡¯m ready!¡± Responding reflexively to her voice outside the changing room, I reluctantly began preparing to change into the swimsuits. Ligeia, with her sky-blue hair, was out there cheerfully sorting through her collection. ¡°Hm~. What would suit you best~? Let¡¯s start with something a little bold, shall we~?¡± ¡°If possible, I¡¯d prefer something¡­ more modest, Miss Ligeia.¡± ¡°Oh, right! I think I have that one swimsuit I made as a joke¡­ Ah, here it is!¡± With that unsettling statement, I heard her rummaging through hangers. Shortly after, she handed me something through the curtain¡ªa garment I could barely ssify as a swimsuit. Swish! ¡°Here you go, Lady Lilith. Try this one on first.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ligeia handed over a swimsuit with an absurdly small amount of fabric, a bright smile on her face. I couldn¡¯t believe it, but since I¡¯d already said yes, I took the piece from her, albeit reluctantly. ¡°¡­Do I really have to wear this?¡± ¡°Please hurry, Lady Lilith. There are still forty-nine more to go.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Ligeia closed the curtain behind her with a satisfied smirk, leaving me no choice but to try on the swimsuit she handed me. You¡­ want me to wear this?! It was a bikini so skimpy it seemed impossible to cover anything. If this were a web novel illustration, it would require so much censorship it might as well be nked out. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d wear this in front of anyone but Ethan. At least we were all women here, so I figured it was fine. I¡¯d shared baths with other girls like Isabelle and Katarina before. This was just a swimsuit¡ªnothing scandalous about that. ? ? ? ¡°L-Lady Lilith¡­?! That outfit is¡­.¡± ¡°Does it look strange, Miss Natalie?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so much strange as¡­ I feel a bit sorry saying this¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It looks a bit¡­ indecent.¡± Natalie tried to be polite, but considering the swimsuit, blunt feedback was inevitable. Agnes, on the other hand, didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. ¡°¡­Are you a pervert?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t choose this! If you have a problem, take it up with Miss Ligeia!¡± ¡°The fact that you wore it without protest kind of makes you one. I wouldn¡¯t wear that skimpy rag even if I were dying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just keeping a promise to Miss Ligeia! I wouldn¡¯t normally wear something this revealing!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to roll around in something like that, you might as well be naked.¡± Agnes shot back with a vengeance, clearly relishing the opportunity to get back at me for earlier. Natalie, meanwhile, was trying her best topliment me. ¡°It does suit you very well, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Miss Natalie.¡± It didn¡¯t sound like apliment at all, though. Being told this revealing outfit suited me only made me feel worse. It wasn¡¯t something for the beach; it was more suited for the bedroom. Meanwhile, Ligeia had been silent. I nced at her, and she was just watching, a satisfied grin on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any thoughts, Miss Ligeia? You¡¯re the one who gave me this in the first ce¡­¡± Drip. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°M-Miss Ligeia?! Y-Your nose is bleeding¡­.¡± ¡°P-Pay no mind, Miss Natalie. I¡¯ve just been workingte recently, that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡­Yeah, she¡¯s the most dangerous one here. Wiping away her nosebleed as casually as if she were brushing lint off her sleeve, Ligeia pulled a crystal-like device from her pocket. I recognized it as a magic device that could record video. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful¡­ Lady Lilith¡¯s body truly is a gift from the gods. I must save this image in the record crystal and frame it¡­¡± ¡°If you actually record this, you won¡¯t see my face again, Miss Ligeia Auguste.¡± ¡°It was just a joke, of course! Lady Lilith¡¯s beauty overwhelmed me, that¡¯s all!¡± Quickly stowing the crystal back into her pocket, Ligeia handed me the next swimsuit. ¡°Here you go, Lady Lilith! Why don¡¯t you try this one next?¡± ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t look like it has much more coverage than thest one, Miss Ligeia.¡± ¡°Swimsuits vary, you know! Some cover more, some cover less. And I assure you, not all fifty are like this!¡± ¡°Are you seriously nning to make me try all fifty?¡± ¡°What? You made us try that many earlier. Is it only fun when you¡¯re making others change?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I agree with Miss Agnes to some extent, Lady Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll try it on.¡± ¡­Seems like I¡¯m alone here. Out of everyone, I should be closest to these three. Yet, somehow, I was left with a profound sense of loneliness among the crowd. ? ? ? ¡°Here¡¯s the final swimsuit!¡± ¡°Ah, finally¡­ thest one¡­¡± Ligeia handed over thest swimsuit with a grin. At the thought of finally wrapping up this fashion show, I exhaled in relief. ¡°¡­Huh? Oh, no, I wasn¡¯t asleep!¡± ¡°¡­Zzz¡­¡± By now, Natalie and Agnes, who had been making remarks earlier, were slumped in their seats, looking utterly drained. After all, they had tried on thirty swimsuits before I¡¯d even started, so their reactions were understandable. My own arms and shoulders felt like they were about to snap from all the strap-tying. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity. If only I¡¯d prepared more, I could have found fifty more swimsuits that suited you!¡± ¡°¡­You wouldn¡¯t have gotten through them all anyway, Miss Ligeia.¡± Despite watching me change through fifty swimsuits, Ligeia was still lively as ever. She handed over the final outfit, brimming with enthusiasm.@@novelbin@@ Whether she was naturally this outgoing or genuinely enjoyed watching me try on swimsuits was anyone¡¯s guess. I took the swimsuit and held it up to the mirror, immediately recognizing its motif. ¡°¡­What?¡± The swimsuit was mainly ck, with frills running along the top and bottom, and even a white choker around the neck. It was unmistakably modeled after a maid outfit¡ªa somewhat special and unique choice for a swimsuit. Chapter 395 The ck fabric with white frills and the maid-like choker made for an intriguing design. I found myself admiring it, even though it was an outfit I¡¯d never seen in the original game. Was there ever a swimsuit like this in the game¡­? After ying through Luminor Academy twenty-five times, I was confident I¡¯d tried on every possible swimsuit. None of them had this kind of unique fabric or this maid-inspired design. Still, I think this is the one I like the most so far¡­ None of the previous swimsuits had really grabbed my attention, though a few were decent. But this one had a certain charm, even if it wasn¡¯t intended for traditional swimming. It feelsfortable, and it even matches with a headband¡­ Swish. ¡°Is this thest one, Miss Ligeia?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Lilith! Doesn¡¯t this suit you perfectly? It¡¯s truly a ¡®maid-inspired¡¯ swimsuit, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d say so.¡± ¡°So, Lady Lilith, out of all the swimsuits you¡¯ve tried on today, which one did you like the most?¡± I could feel Ligeia¡¯s eyes lingering on the swimsuit I was wearing. She must have known I¡¯d prefer this one. She was well aware of my dedication as Ethan¡¯s personal maid over the past two and a half years, so she¡¯d likely anticipated my choice. ¡°This swimsuit¡­ the one I¡¯m wearing now¡­ is my favorite.¡± ¡°I knew it~! I thought you¡¯d say that, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I intended this as a gift for you from the start. I thought it suited your image best.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I had a feeling that might be the case.¡± ¡°I dyed some ck fabric specifically for you, added the frills, and treated it with a waterproof potion~!¡± ¡°So, this swimsuit¡­ you made it yourself, Miss Ligeia?¡± ¡°Exactly! I paid special attention to it, so feel free to show your gratitude!¡± No wonder the design felt so unique. While I knew Ligeia had positive feelings toward me, I hadn¡¯t expected her to go so far as to craft a custom swimsuit. Even if I had saved her life, this was beyond what I¡¯d anticipated. She puts so much effort into our friendship. Maybe I should make time to see her more often. When someone treats you kindly, it¡¯s natural to reciprocate, even if that person can be overwhelming. And to be fair, Ligeia¡¯s affection never caused me any harm. She hadn¡¯t tried to sabotage my rtionship with Ethan or anything underhanded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll gift this swimsuit to you, Lady Lilith. Consider it a token of my gratitude!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Miss Ligeia.¡± She was so straightforward in her kindness that I felt a slight warmth toward her. As they say, kindness begets kindness. I decided to raise her priority in my mind by half a step. ¡°Thank you, Miss Ligeia. I¡¯ll wear it well.¡± ¡°Your happiness brings me happiness, Lady Lilith.¡± Not quite a friend, but not just an acquaintance either. I feltfortable enough to let down my guard and drop the overly formal tone with her. ¡°Would you like me to wrap it up for you, or would you rather wear it out?¡± ¡°Oh,e on! I¡¯m not leaving here in a swimsuit!¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll wrap it up nicely for you¡ªjust hand it over.¡± Ligeia extended her hand with an innocent smile, but something about it set off an rm in my mind. I quickly retreated into the changing room to avoid her. ¡°J-Just a moment! I¡¯ll change in here, so please stay back!¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Lady Lilith~. We¡¯re both women; it¡¯s no big deal!¡± ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean I have to show you anytime, anywhere!¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny to hear you say that, considering you¡¯ve seen me before!¡± ¡°T-That was for the Witch¡¯s Trial! Anyway, please back off¡­!!¡± Okay, correction. Ligeia might be dangerous after all. Better to avoid getting too close for now.@@novelbin@@ ? ? ? ¡°Here you go, Lady Lilith.¡± Ligeia handed me a small box, smiling innocently. After what just happened, her smile felt a bit unsettling, and I couldn¡¯t help but be a little suspicious of the gift. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t do anything weird, did you?¡± ¡°Weird? How so?¡± ¡°For instance, swapping the swimsuit for something strange¡­¡± ¡°As if! I made that swimsuit with you in mind. Seeing you wear it is reward enough.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± It didn¡¯t make sense to keep questioning a free gift, even if Ligeia¡¯s antics had left me wary. I took the box, about to leave the shop, when a thought struck me about one of the swimsuits I¡¯d tried on earlier. There was no way I¡¯d wear it for marine exploration, but it mighte in handy for¡­ other purposes. ¡°Miss Ligeia.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Lilith?¡± ¡°There was one swimsuit I tried earlier that I¡¯d like to buy separately. I¡¯m willing to pay.¡± Ligeia¡¯s face brightened at my request, clearly pleased by my interest. ¡°Oh, absolutely! Which one was it? A bikini? A one-piece? Or¡­¡± ¡°The first one you made me try¡­ is that one for sale?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You know¡­ the one with, um, minimal coverage. The one you said you made as a joke¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I lowered my head, embarrassed by the admission. Ligeia¡¯s expression grew sly, but it was a necessary request. I¡¯d never wear that in public, but¡­ it mighte in handy for¡­ private time with Ethan. It wasn¡¯t a swimsuit I¡¯d ever find elsewhere, so I wanted to seize the opportunity to buy it now. ¡°Are you referring to that barely-there bikini?¡± ¡°K-Keep it down, Miss Ligeia! Someone will hear!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it something we¡¯re not supposed to hear?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, Miss Agnes. Lady Lilith just wants to buy the micro-bikini she tried on earlier¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t tell her that! Why would you tell Miss Agnes?!¡± I red at Ligeia, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. Meanwhile, Agnes looked at me as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she¡¯d heard. ¡°You¡¯re buying that one? I thought you¡¯d never wear it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for the beach! I just thought¡­ you know¡­¡± ¡°Well, I think it suits you, Lady Lilith! You have the grace to pull it off, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about!¡± ¡°N-No! I¡¯m not wearing it for marine exploration! Anyway, this doesn¡¯t concern you two!¡± Though the conversation was a bit embarrassing, I ultimately bought the swimsuit. After all, I¡¯d shown it to Natalie and Agnes but not to Ethan. For some reason, that felt a bit unfair. Chapter 396 ck, ck, ck. ¡°The weather¡¯s nice today, isn¡¯t it, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± It had been a week since I¡¯d bought the swimsuits at Ligeia¡¯s shop. Ethan and I were on our way south for the final exploratory ss of the term¡ªMarine Studies¡ªtraveling by carriage as usual. The only difference was that our carriage was packed with a bit more luggage and had one more passenger than usual. ¡°¡­If I had known it would turn out like this, I¡¯d have learned to drive a carriage myself. I never thought I¡¯d end up alone on the front seat¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Isabel. I¡¯m only sitting with Lilith because I prefer being by her side.¡± ¡°Perhaps it would be better if you rejoined Isabel inside, Master Ethan. She seems rather ufortable being left on her own.¡± ¡°I¡¯d feel bad about leaving Lilith to drive the carriage all by herself. Besides, I¡¯ve already relied on her a lot during this Marine Studies ss.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± Ethan, ignoring Isabel¡¯s obvious difort, remained seated next to me. Though both of us were his maids, I¡¯d spent far more time with him, so it was only natural that Ethan might unconsciously treat us differently. I kind of expected this when we decided to travel with three in the carriage. The reason Isabel was apanying us, even though it was a Marine Studies ss, was because it was the final session of the term. After this, we nned to return directly to ckwood Manor rather than going back to the academy, which meant I didn¡¯t want to leave Isabel alone at the dormitory for months. Of course, she could have traveled back with Harold instead, but¡­ Listening to him prattle on about his war hero days or his wife would be much worse than this. Since she¡¯d mentioned she¡¯d never seen the ocean before, I thought this might be a good opportunity. I even considered getting her a swimsuit, though she¡¯d vehemently refused. She didn¡¯t want to disrupt our trip, insisting on focusing solely on her maid duties. There would be plenty of nearby amodations for her, and since she¡¯d stayed in a separate room at the academy dormitory, having her with us wouldn¡¯t make things awkward or ufortable for Ethan or me. ¡°You know, I think this is my first time seeing the ocean too. Being from ind, I¡¯ve never really had the chance.¡± ¡°Is this also your first time seeing the ocean, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°What about you, Lilith? Have you ever been to the sea?¡± ¡°¡­I have, once or twice.¡± ¡­It wasn¡¯t this life but a past one, but it still counted, I suppose. I¡¯d experienced the Marine Studies events many times while ying Luminor Academy, so technically, I¡¯d visited this world¡¯s ocean at least a dozen times. ¡°Really? Could you tell us what it¡¯s like?¡± ¡°Well, the southern seas are known for their strong sunlight and high temperatures. The soil is dry, and waves often crash ashore. Salt in the seawater helps even those who can¡¯t swim to float more easily¡­¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds fascinating. So, Lilith, at the beach¡­¡± Ethan listened eagerly to my exnation, his eyes full of excitement, while Isabel chimed in now and then from the carriage. With that, the ckwood carriage, carrying one master and two maids, continued southward toward the beaches of Plyana. ? ? ? We arrived at the beachside amodations with plenty of time to spare, having left earlier than necessary. It seemed like the hero and his party hadn¡¯t arrived yet, which allowed us to secure a ce with a view of the ocean at our leisure. The seaside vi will probably be used by that bunch, so it¡¯s better for us to settle at a nearby inn. The vi was ideal for boosting party camaraderie, but I preferred a quieter ce. Though we¡¯d have to cooperate for the final boss fight of Marine Studies, there was no reason to share sleeping arrangements with them. ¡°Is there a three-person suite avable for a week? We¡¯ll also need a stable for the carriage and feed for the horses.¡± Though the course would onlyst five days, we¡¯d booked a week to extend our stay. While the Necromancy ss had given us a brief respite, it was far from a true vacation. Plyana Beach was a map designed explicitly for the game¡¯s swimsuit events¡ªa perfect getaway. ¡°The hero¡¯s party hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°The hero¡­ Oh, you mean the hero and his team?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yeah. He mentioned he¡¯d be taking the Marine Studies ss with his party members.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± When did they get close enough to discuss personal matters? It must have been during theirst Humanities ss, fighting side by side and sharing amodations. Given that they were in the same year, department, and both main characters of Luminor Academy, it was more surprising that they hadn¡¯t gotten closer sooner. With that, the three of us finished unpacking, making quick work of settling in with our luggage. This wasn¡¯t just a few days¡¯ worth of supplies, but all the belongings we¡¯d be bringing back to ckwood Manor. ¡°Phew, I think that¡¯s everything.¡± ¡°Thank you for your help, Master Ethan. I apologize for making you carry what Isabel and I should have taken care of.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Lilith. I wanted to help. The sooner we¡¯re done, the sooner we can rx together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I still appreciate your hard work. Thank you, Master Ethan.¡± As we sorted our belongings and considered going downstairs for a meal, we heard the sound of an approaching carriage. A royal carriage and a holy empire carriage both arrived shortly after, unmistakably the hero¡¯s party. ck, ck, ck¡­ They¡¯re destined to stand out no matter where they go. The fourth part of the story wouldn¡¯t allow for public disys like this, but we were still in the middle of the third part. With Seraphine and Celista, both prominent figures, they had little choice but to travel with royal fanfare. ¡°Huff¡­ We¡¯re finally here, Hero! Is this where we¡¯re staying for the ss?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll be here for the next five days, so remember this ce. Especially you, Silena¡ªdon¡¯t wander off and walk into random ces.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child! Don¡¯t underestimate an elf¡¯s memory.¡± ¡°Just¡­ get inside already. You can chatter all you want in there¡­¡± It seemed the hero¡¯s party was unchanged from thest Humanities ss, with all eight members in tow. As I watched, lost in thought, another royal carriage arrived, pulling up behind them. ck, ck¡­ Hmm? A bitter than the others, another royal carriage rolled up. Who could that be? Is it just a supply carriage? Other than Seraphine, the only other royalty at the academy are Mezzlen and¡­ ¡°Lilith, let¡¯s go eat. We can unpack and bathe afterward.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± At Ethan¡¯s call to go for a meal, I turned away from the new arrival without investigating further. I could only assume Seraphine had brought her own luggage, just as Ethan and I had. Chapter 397 The next day, during the Marine Studies ss, began in full swing. It was as if they wanted to reveal who owned the carriage that had quietly tagged along yesterday. This time, an unexpected guest was included in the ss. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s also Lord ckwood and Lady Rosewood. It¡¯s been a while, both of you.¡± ¡°...Prince Antonio?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s been a while, Your Highness.¡± Approaching the hero¡¯s party, there he was¡ªPrince Antonio, the fifth prince¡ªlingering as though he had been a part of the group all along, casually greeting them. Out of curiosity, I quietly asked Agnes why the prince had shown up. ¡°Did you invite him, Agnes?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Do you think I¡¯m you?¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°He followed us on his own. I only mentioned that I¡¯d be going to Plyana Beach for the Marine Studies ss.¡± ¡°So, you did mention it, huh?¡± ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t invite him.¡± ...Alright, fine, so Agnes didn¡¯t specifically ask him toe. But realistically, if she even mentioned it to Antonio, it wasn¡¯t that surprising for him to tag along. Considering the Marine Studies ss takes ce in thest week of the semester, many lectures are either finished or wrapping up, so students have more free time. Even so, it was odd for him to follow us all the way to Plyana Beach, which takes an entire day¡¯s travel from the academy. ¡°I only found outst night. I noticed a royal carriage behind us and assumed it was Seraphine¡¯s. But then he stepped out and casually wandered into our lodging.¡± And so, the hero¡¯s party at the beachside vi had gained an unexpected guest, Prince Antonio. If Ethan and I had stayed there, the house would have felt cramped, so securing a room at a nearby inn had been a wise choice. ¡®While having an extra hand for the boss fight in Marine Studies ss isn¡¯t exactly bad news...¡¯ The biggest variable would be Antonio¡¯s abilities. If he performed at the level I saw in the Witch¡¯s Forest, he¡¯d be more of a hindrance than help. But ording to Harold¡¯s recent report, he¡¯d been deemed somewhat capable. I could only hope he wouldn¡¯t hold us back too much. ¡°Everyone~. I need to exin the ss, so please gather over here~.¡± Before I knew it, the blonde, busty professor had appeared in the middle of the beach. She was dressed in a revealing sling-shot swimsuit, and several male students, seemingly entranced, stared at her. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Lilith?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s nothing.¡± Well, it¡¯s not like Ethan would suddenly start gawking at other women¡¯s bodies. I just nced to make sure¡ªjust in case. Thomas, who was head over heels for Natalie, and Antonio, who seemed to only care about Agnes, were simrly uninterested. However, Geitma, who was momentarily entranced by the professor¡¯s revealing outfit, quickly regained hisposure and suppressed his instincts. ¡®As expected of a popr ss, there are quite a few students here.¡¯ If I remember correctly, Marine Studies was the most popr elective of the semester. Though it was technicallybeled as an exploratory ss, it was pretty much an excuse to goof off. Even the orientation went something like, ¡°Have fun near the sea for five days, and if any monsters show up, take them down as a team~.¡± Nothing more needed to be said. If no monsters appeared, students would just hang out in their swimsuits, enjoy thepany of the opposite sex, and get credits by the end of it¡ªno wonder it was so popr. ¡°You can spend the ss however you like~, but if you get caught doing anything naughty under the rocks or in the shade, you¡¯ll be punished, okay~?¡± ¡°Yes!!!¡± For reference, the ¡°punishment¡± meant getting a failing grade. Some students, mesmerized by her appearance, often ignored the warning and ended up failing the ss. ¡°Everyone brought their swimsuits, right~? I¡¯ll be watching to make sure you¡¯re all having fun~. Since it¡¯s thest ss of the semester, let¡¯s make it exciting¡­.¡± After enduring the professor¡¯s shy but otherwise content-light orientation, Ethan and I headed to our respective changing rooms. In front of the crowdeddies¡¯ changing room, I spotted Natalie and Agnes waiting, so I quickly joined them. ¡°Natalie, Agnes, here to change into your swimsuits too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°What kind did you bring? I hope you didn¡¯t choose anything other than the one I picked out for you?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I have the white bikini that Lady Lilith chose for me!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here just to check?¡± ¡°Well, after we all picked out swimsuits together, it would be a waste not to wear the ones we chose together, right? Or did you bring a different one, Agnes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wearing the one you chose, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Of course, that¡¯s how it should be. We spent two hours trying on different ones, finally picking the best¡ªno way was it going unworn. Plus, this was a good chance for Natalie to impress Thomas, and for Agnes to, well, showcase herself to Antonio, whether she nned to or not. ¡°So what about you? Are you really going to wear that swimsuit?¡± ¡°Huh? Obviously. We picked it out together, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Are you serious, Lady Lilith?! Although¡­ the one you chose seemed a bit bold¡­.¡± ¡°Might as well be naked instead. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°What do you two mean¡­?¡± It took a moment for me to realize they were talking about the first swimsuit I tried on. While it was an unusual design, I thought it was fine, especially considering the setting. ¡°It¡¯s not that one! You two must¡¯ve missed it while dozing off¡ªI picked out a perfectly suitable swimsuit for the beach!¡± ¡°Ah, I see! Well, I did think that swimsuit was a bit¡­ daring.¡± ¡°¡­Like any other swimsuit you¡¯d pick would be any different. Pervert.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not anything weird, alright?¡± ? ? ? After a brief squabble, we all went inside to change. I emerged in the maid-style swimsuit Ligeia had chosen, and sure enough, Natalie and Agnes were sporting the ones I picked for them¡ªa simple white string bikini for Natalie, perfectlyplementing her fit physique, and a cute pink frilled one-piece for petite Agnes. Natalie, you look great in your swimsuit.¡± ¡°Ah, Lady Lilith! You look wonderful too!¡± ¡°Agnes, you look nice as well. It must¡¯ve been tiring picking them out, but you have to admit they suit you, right?¡± ¡°¡­Whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I only wore it because you insisted, so don¡¯t read into it.¡± Agnes¡¯s usual defiant tone was surprisingly endearing when paired with her swimsuit. Clothes really do make a difference. She eyed my maid-themed bikini with mild disdain, and I could see her recalling her initial impressions back at the shop. ¡°Still wearing maid outfits? Don¡¯t you ever get tired of them?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°This isn¡¯t a maid outfit, Agnes. It¡¯s a maid-style bikini.¡± ¡°Same difference. And the headdress?¡± ¡°Of course! You still have your hair tied back, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Agnes gave me a skeptical look, as if to say, ¡°Why bother?¡± but had no retort. Meanwhile, Natalie was swinging a stick she¡¯d picked up somewhere, seemingly practicing her swordsmanship. ¡°...Lady Natalie? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Sword training, Lady Lilith! Even without my sword, I can¡¯t ck off!¡± ¡°¡­Please stop. Moving around like that is a bit risky in that outfit.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, but I¡¯m always careful¡ª¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the kind of ¡®risky¡¯ I meant.¡± The strings on her white bikini had begun to loosen, and with every swing, the situation became increasingly precarious. Luckily, the men¡¯s changing room was far away, or else this could turn into a disaster. ¡°Your swimsuit¡¯sing loose. Let me tighten it before something happens.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± ¡°Also, let¡¯s find something other than swinging sticks for fun. Since we¡¯re at the beach, why not try a sport you can only do here?¡± ¡°Swimming, perhaps?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but¡­¡± Since we¡¯re at the beach, we might as well y something iconic. Especially with these beauties from Luminar Academy¡ªit¡¯s the perfect setting. ¡°How about beach volleyball instead?¡± Chapter 400 ¡°Ahaha! Take this, Sillena!¡± -Paaang!- ¡°...You muscle-brained human...!¡± ¡°Wait, Miss Sillena! I¡¯ll catch it, so please don¡¯t go for the spike¡ª!¡± -Smack!- ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°A-are you alright, Princess Seraphina, Miss Sillena¡­?!¡± The beach volleyball match on Plyana Beach had begun, albeit more as an impromptu game where the girls paired up and tossed a rubber ball around. With so many of them involved, it had almost turned into a tournament by ident. Given the sheer number of cute girls ying, it felt more like watching a picturesque scene than just a casual game of volleyball on the sand. Ethan and I werefortably enjoying some downtime under the shade of our tent, something we hadn¡¯t experienced in a while. ¡®This is fun.¡¯ Seeing Natalie and Seraphina ying beach volleyball in real life was a rare treat. They weren¡¯t as well-endowed as me, but their busts still moved quite provocatively, especially Natalie¡¯s. Every now and then, Thomas would sheepishly caution her about the intensity of her movements. ¡°N-Natalie¡­! Maybe you shouldn¡¯t jump so high¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Why? To spike the ball, I have to jump as high as possible and m it down, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°N-no, I mean¡­ never mind¡­.¡± Thomas blushed and trailed off under Natalie¡¯s innocent questioning. Meanwhile, Geitma, who was watching the girls intently, seemed embarrassed but didn¡¯t take his eyes off the game. He knew that if he looked away, Seraphina or Sillena might lose interest, and that would harm the party¡¯s camaraderie. ¡®This is definitely one advantage of being a girl.¡¯ At least I could enjoy this tant fanservice without feeling self-conscious. I had paired up with Luke, but we had already lost in the first round to Natalie and Celesta. With my overlyrge chest, it was difficult to jump and return the ball properly. ¡°Master Ethan, would you like some watermelon?¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, Lilith.¡± ¡°Would you care for some as well, Hero and Thomas? I¡¯ve kept it chilled, so it should taste great.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Rosewood.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine, but I appreciate it.¡± Watching Thomas struggling to even look at the other girls was amusing. He had the aura of a naive country boy, which was endearing in its own way. Back in the previous life, he¡¯d been perpetually downcast, having lost his childhood friend, his beloved, to the Hero. ¡°Miss Luke, would you like some fruit?¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m here to serve and protect Princess Seraphina.¡± ¡°Oh, alright then.¡± Since she declined, I simply sat next to Ethan, eating watermelon and enjoying the beach volleyball game. -Crunch.- ¡°Catch, Miss Sillena!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± -Smash!- ¡°...Miss Sillena! I told you to catch it!¡± ¡°Catching the ball is boring. You keep hitting it on your own anyway. I want to spike it too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve given you plenty of chances, but you keep spiking it into our own side!¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t remember.¡± They say that quarreling is a sign of a good rtionship, but Seraphina and Sillena¡¯s teamwork was awful. ¡°I-I¡¯ll get it!¡± -Pop!- ¡°Nice one, Lady Celesta! Here ites¡­!!¡± -Paaang!- On the other side, Celesta¡¯s supportbined with Natalie¡¯s powerful spikes made for a formidable team. Unsurprisingly, the winning duo was Natalie and Celesta. It was all just for fun, so there weren¡¯t any prizes, but they were clearly enjoying themselves. ? ? ? ¡°Everyone~! Are you enjoying the ss by the sea~?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yes~!!!!!¡± It was the second day of the Marine Studies ss, and the male students enthusiastically responded to the professor¡¯s question. She was wearing the same barely-there slingshot bikini, drawing eager responses from the guys, seemingly fueled by their baser instincts. ¡°Ugh, do men really like such vulgar outfits? I just don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Honestly, if she¡¯s got a big chest and butt, they¡¯re all drooling like perverts.¡± Some of the girls weren¡¯t pleased, grumbling as they side-eyed the boys. I had to admit, the professor¡¯s outfit was a bit over the top¡ªeven for an adult game like Luminar Academy, it felt a little much to see a swimsuit that barely covered anything. At least those with partners were trying to avoid staring at the professor or cheering too loudly. I was watching her without much thought, though. Even if I had been a guy in my previous life, now I was a girl, so it didn¡¯t feel strange to observe another woman. ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve gone with a slingshot bikini too.¡¯ If it was all just for fun, maybe the slingshot would have been better than a micro bikini. It would¡¯ve been a bit of a surprise for Ethan, and judging by the guys¡¯ reactions here, he probably wouldn¡¯t have minded¡­. ¡®Alright, stop with those thoughts.¡¯ I shook off my stray thoughts and refocused on the professor, who was now borately exining today¡¯s activities from her perch on the beach stage. ¡°Today¡¯s ss will be a little special~!¡± From where, I had no idea, but she pulled out a small box from her swimsuit, holding it up for everyone to see. Inside, there was a single orb that looked like it had been magically treated, which she then used to exin today¡¯s task. ¡°Did everyone have fun yesterday? I¡¯m sure some of you used it as a chance to bond with old friends, and maybe others found new connections here at Plyana Beach, right?¡± ¡°Yes~!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s always easier to open up by the sea, so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no one here who hasn¡¯t made at least one new friend or special connection~!¡± ¡°Hahaha!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± While some students responded eagerly, others were noticeably ufortable, ncing around cautiously. The professor¡¯sment had no mercy for the introverts, and then she added something even more dreadful. ¡°Yesterday¡¯s task was to bond with others, so today¡¯s activity will be a treasure hunt with your new friends~!¡± ¡°Treasure hunt¡­?¡± ¡°New friends?¡± ¡°Just digging around alone is no fun, right? So instead of diving or digging on your own, we¡¯ll be teaming up to collect as many magic orbs as possible!¡± ¡°W-who wants to team up with me¡­?¡± The students quickly scattered, rushing to form teams. Those who had bonded yesterday were calling out to each other, while some introverts seemed desperate to find a group. ¡°Weren¡¯t we nning to meet up with the hero party again today, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s join them. Better to team up with familiar faces than random strangers.¡± ¡°I agree, Master Ethan.¡± Breaking away from the chaotic crowd, Ethan and I hurried to regroup with the hero party. The beach adventure was shaping up to be quite the event, with treasure hunts and newfound friendships all part of the experience. Chapter 401 As soon as the blond professor announced the beach treasure hunt, Ethan and I joined the hero party. With the exception of Prince Antonio, who wasn¡¯t a participant in the ss, the rules required a group size of at least three and no more than five. Given that the hero party was made up of ten members, they naturally split into two groups. And, of course, the way they split up ended up like this. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll team up with Saintess Seraphina, Miss Sillena, and Luke, and we¡¯ll go with the hero. Is everyone else alright with teaming up, excluding Antonio?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Seraphina.¡± One team consisted of the hero plus the hero¡¯s harem, including Luke as Seraphina''s bodyguard. And then there was my group, with Ethan, Natalie, and Thomas, plus Antonio who joined us without regard for the headcount. Since this arrangement seemed more or less inevitable, I had no objections. Although our group was mostly male, everyone was more or less paired off, so it wasn¡¯t really an issue. ¡°We¡¯ll check the east coast. I have a feeling there might be a lot of treasure there.¡± Trantion: ¡®I¡¯ll be searching the main points in the east, so don¡¯t ovep with us and go somewhere else.¡¯ ¡°Understood, hero. In that case, we¡¯ll search for treasure on the west coast.¡± Trantion: ¡®I have no intention of going there, so don¡¯te to the western points either.¡¯ With that exchange, which only the hero and I could fully understand, we split up. As soon as the hero¡¯s party was out of sight, Ethan, as usual, sought my opinion first. ¡°Lilith, where do you think the treasure is hidden?¡± ¡°I have a few spots in mind, but perhaps we should ask for Prince Antonio¡¯s opinion first?¡± ¡°¡­You mean me, Miss Rosewood?¡± ¡°Yes, Prince Antonio.¡± If it were just Ethan, Agnes, and me, I could freely offer my opinion, but right now, Antonio was the highest-ranking person present. Naturally, it made sense to hear Antonio¡¯s suggestion first, followed by Ethan¡¯s, then Agnes¡¯s, and finally mine. Besides, the real focus of this ¡®treasure hunt¡¯ was not just finding the treasure but also building camaraderie among the party members. Rather than dragging everyone around to all the hidden points I knew, it would be better to listen to everyone¡¯s ideas and enjoy the search together, fostering closeness. Although Ethan and I weren¡¯t members of the hero party, the other three were. Building rapport with them could prove useful for the future demon lord subjugation. ¡°Uh, in my opinion¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡± Antonio seemed a bit hesitant to share his thoughts, possibly feeling nervous with Agnes watching him. Maybe he was afraid of giving a ¡°wrong answer¡± in front of the person he liked. So, he cautiously suggested a fairly safe idea. ¡°Well, since it¡¯s the ocean, perhaps the treasure could be hidden underwater¡­? Haha¡­¡± ¡°Underwater, you say?¡± ¡°Underwater¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Oh dear.¡± Natalie and Thomas looked at him with a bit of skepticism, while Agnes let out a small, disappointed sigh. Seeing Antonio¡¯s face harden at their reactions made me feel somewhat sorry for him. ¡°Underwater? Really? If you hide treasure underwater, it¡¯d obviously get swept away by the tide. Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°Is that so? But I think the ocean would be an easy ce to hide treasure on such arge beach¡­¡± ¡°I actually think Prince Antonio¡¯s idea has merit. Hiding treasure only on the beach would be too predictable. And considering the 200-meter radius the professor mentioned, it¡¯s possible some are hidden in the ocean.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I was saying, Miss Rosewood!¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Although it didn¡¯t seem like he proposed it with any grand significance in mind, Antonio was quick totch onto my support to restore his honor. Agnes still regarded him with disapproval, but helping him was the only option here. It wasn¡¯t because I had any particr feelings for Antonio, but because he was probably the one who could make Agnes the happiest right now. ¡°Now that it¡¯se up, how about searching underwater? The orbs the professor showed us were magically treated, so they might be secured against being swept away.¡± ¡°I think searching underwater might be worth a try. We still have plenty of time before sunset.¡± ¡°Yes, understood!¡± ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Antonio looked flustered by Agnes¡¯s cold attitude, but in the end, the group agreed to search the ocean. I quietly checked several points where there had been orbs in the original game, and found one near a patch of seaweed. ¡°Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Rosewood?¡± ¡°Have you found any magical orbs yet?¡± ¡°I apologize. I feel terrible for leading you all to struggle because of my suggestion. I¡¯m also sorry to have troubled you, Miss Rosewood¡­¡± ¡°Have you checked the area with a lot of seaweed over there?¡± ¡°Oh, not yet¡­¡± ¡°I apologize for asking, but would you mind searching there? I wasn¡¯t confident about the deeper water and couldn¡¯t check it myself.¡± ¡°Miss Rosewood?¡± ¡°If you find the treasure there, it will be considered as something Prince Antonio discovered. I¡¯ll look in the shallower areas.¡± ¡°Miss Rosewood? What do you mean¡­?¡± Even though he was somewhat oblivious, I thought he¡¯d catch on to my hint. I quickly left, and soon enough, I heard his voice from the seaweed area. ¡°I found it!¡± ¡°Pardon?!¡± ¡°Did you really find it?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­?¡± The others quickly gathered around Antonio as he held up a glowing magical orb. ¡°Impressive, Prince Antonio!¡± ¡°So, your hunch about the underwater treasure was correct, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Well done, Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ve identified the treasure the professor hid, we should search for more orbs like this one.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ Thank you, Miss Rosewood¡­¡± ¡°I only agreed with your idea, Prince Antonio. Finding the orb was your achievement, so there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I suppose¡­¡± Seeing him nervously carry the orb, it was clear that his conscience was bothering him about taking credit for something I¡¯d found. ¡°Actually, about that orb I found¡­¡± Before Antonio could confess, I cut him off. ¡°Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Rosewood? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Are you hungry? It¡¯s about time for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh, has it already gotten sote¡­?¡± ¡°I heard of a restaurant nearby. If everyone¡¯s agreeable, perhaps we could go there for dinner?¡± ¡°Yes, that sounds good. We only had a light lunch because of the treasure hunt.¡± ¡°I also agree with Miss Rosewood!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with any ce that serves food.¡± I managed to change the subject and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡­Helping others with their love lives is tougher than it seems. Chapter 402 Relieving Antonio¡¯s guilt over holding the treasure I¡¯d found was surprisingly simple: just let him help me find treasure as I had helped him. I roughly remembered the hidden points where treasures were buried on Plyana Beach, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult to create a situation where it seemed like I found a treasure thanks to Antonio¡¯s assistance. ¡°Did this restaurant really exist around here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the ces the professor mentioned on the first day of ss. She said it would be nice to have a meal here if we were visiting Plyana Beach.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t remember hearing that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you were too hot and out of it, Natalie. Miss Lilith is correct.¡± ¡°For a restaurant rmended by the professor, it doesn¡¯t seem to be very crowded. Everyone must still be out searching for treasure.¡± ¡­That would make sense. They¡¯re probably all trying to find at least one more treasure during mealtime to boost their grades. ¡°Since there are many options on the menu, how about everyone orders what they want, and we can sample a bit of everything?¡± ¡°Oh, I think that¡¯s a great idea! It¡¯s rare that we get to visit a beachside restaurant like this.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead. I¡¯ll cover the meal today, so don¡¯t worry about the price.¡± ¡°Thank you, Prince Antonio!¡± The professor of this marine studies ss wanted us to use the treasure hunt to build camaraderie among teammates, not to get so caught up in grades that we lost sight of the vacation¡¯s true purpose. ¡°Are you students from Luminar Academy?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Indeed, we are.¡± ¡°Here, this item is on the house.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± So it was also part of the professor¡¯s n to give out magical orbs to students who ordered from this restaurant she rmended. ¡°Professor Lucietta asked me to give this to any student who orders the ¡®Plyana Beach Shrimp Curry.¡¯ You¡¯re the second group toe here today.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I took the magical orb from the server with a puzzled expression. It seemed the hero¡¯s group had already been here. He¡¯d likely read my guide and followed my route. ¡­And even without that, Seraphina was with the hero¡¯s group, so she probably figured out the hint from Professor Lucietta on her own. ¡°This was the menu item Lilith suggested, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then this magical orb should count as one Lilith found. She chose this restaurant, and she ordered the professor¡¯s rmended menu item.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± ¡°I agree as well!¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s fair too.¡± The rest of the party quickly agreed with Ethan, relieved to be rid of the notion that I hadn¡¯t found any treasure. And, of course, Prince Antonio, who had felt uneasy about holding onto a treasure I¡¯d found. ¡°Yes, it seems Miss Rosewood did indeed find this orb.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Prince Antonio? You¡¯re covering the meal, so doesn¡¯t this count as your treasure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten it if Miss Rosewood hadn¡¯t ordered the shrimp curry. Besides, I¡¯m not officially part of this ss. I¡¯m just¡­ following Lady Agnes on her vacation.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, we gratefully ept your generosity, Prince Antonio.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I appreciate it.¡± And so, with everyone having found a treasure, the second day of our marine studies ss wrapped up. Spending the entire day chasing amon goal made the day feel even more enjoyable. ? On the third and fourth days, the marine studies ss was still more of a vacation than an actual ss. Since it was designed by Professor Lucietta for rxation rather than survival training or monster subjugation, it remained leisurely. While other sses wrung everyst bit of energy from the students, this one was a reprieve, enjoyed by everyone except perhaps Agnes. ¡°¡­How many hours are left until this ss ends?¡± ¡°The official end time for the marine studies ss is tomorrow at 6 p.m., so about 30 hours.¡± ¡°I want to go back. Why are we wasting time here?¡± ¡°Think of it as an early summer break. We¡¯d have a hard time gathering everyone like this during vacation, so we should be grateful for the chance to rx together.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. Next time, I¡¯ll just bring a spellbook.¡± Being from apetitive branch family of the Elizabeth family, she found it hard to ept any time for y. Of course, thest day wouldn¡¯t end without incident. It was a known fact in a fantasy world like this that monsters often appeared during summer vacations. Meanwhile, Natalie was excitedly calling Agnes and me over from where she¡¯d been building sandcastles with Thomas on the beach. ¡°Look at this, Miss Lilith, Miss Agnes! Don¡¯t you think our group will be first with this?¡± ¡°¡­You did well, Miss Natalie. Is that a giant squid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a whale, Miss Lilith!¡± ¡°Oh, a whale¡­ Now that you mention it, the tail fin does look like a whale¡¯s.¡± ¡°These are the flippers, Miss Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­Indeed. The flippers look so realistic I almost mistook them for a tail fin.¡± I admired Natalie¡¯s unique sand art and offered some light-hearted praise. This was actually the fourth day¡¯s assignment: to create a sand sculpture on the beach, record it with a video magic tool, and submit it. All the tasks in marine studies were like this. They didn¡¯t disrupt our rxation but still gave us something to focus on. On the second day, a group that got too engrossed collected nearly 20 orbs, but they received the same score as our group, where each member only found one. It was the professor¡¯s way of saying that while focusing on tasks was good, getting too absorbed was unnecessary. By the third day, everyone was doing only as much as she asked, enjoying a truly vacation-like ss. Thomas and Natalie were so engrossed in each other¡¯spany that Agnes and I decided to leave them alone and rest in the shade instead. ¡°Thomas, it¡¯s copsing! Hold it up, quick!¡± ¡°Where? Honestly, isn¡¯t everything about to fall?¡± ¡°Here, right here! Hold it tight!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, okay, I got it, Natalie¡­¡± ¡®Ah, young love.¡¯ Thinking back, Ethan and I had those moments too. Just holding hands used to make us blush with excitement. ¡­Or did we? Now that I think about it, maybe we skipped over some steps. Instead of holding hands, I think we might¡¯ve jumped straight to touching other things¡­ Was it a kiss next? Or¡­ hand-holding? It¡¯s all a bit hazy. ¡®What a jumbled order of events. How did we end up like this?¡¯ Maybe skipping the steps is what lets us still feel that thrill even now when we look at each other. While I was lost in thought, I noticed something cold touch my left cheek. ¡°Here, Lilith.¡± ¡°T-thank you?¡± It was Ethan, handing me a cool, slightly damp wooden cup. When I turned, I saw him holding what looked like a slushie. ¡°Refreshing, isn¡¯t it? I saw them selling these on the way back and got one.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°This ss ends tomorrow, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve actually enjoyed it quite a bit.¡± ¡°Well, we still have two days left of vacation after that, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But tomorrow¡¯s thest time I¡¯ll be spending it with them.¡± He nced over at Thomas and Natalie, who were still busy with their copsing whale, and then at the hero¡¯s harem building a rather impressive sandcastle nearby. His once-guarded demeanor from the first semester had rxed considerably over the term. ¡°We still have next semester, and next year too, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Had Ethan not harbored such strong suspicion toward the hero back in the first year, perhaps there¡¯d be a ce for us in the hero¡¯s party now. Thinking that, I watched as the sunset cast its orange hues across the fourth day. ¡°Thomas! It¡¯s copsing¡ªhold it up!¡± ¡°I only have two hands! How am I supposed to hold up more?¡± ¡­and with it, Natalie¡¯s sand creation¡ªour group¡¯s assignment. I¡¯d taken a picture before it copsed, just in case. With howid-back this ss has been, it should suffice. Chapter 403 "Natalie, head to the right fin and slice through the Leviathan''s fin!" "Understood, hero!" "Thomas, follow her and provide support! You know what to do, right?" "Yeah, got it!" A giant sea creature, a deep-sea Leviathan, appeared on the beach. The hero¡¯s party stood ready to face it, with barnacles covering its monstrous, anglerfish-like body. Naturally, Ethan and I were among them. "Ethan, could you take on the left fin?" "I should be able to buy some time. If I have Lilith¡¯s support, we might even be able to cut through a bit." "Then I¡¯m counting on you! Head to the left fin with Miss Rosewood and handle it together!" "Understood." "I¡¯m on it!" "The Leviathan¡¯s weak against fire, so Agnes, start preparing your strongest fire spell! Prince Antonio, you¡­."@@novelbin@@ There was the hero,manding his party from the front lines. Though I had known him for a long time, it was my first time seeing him lead a battle like this. Then again, this was also the first time I was formally involved in a fight as part of the hero''s party. ''There¡¯s no time for distractions right now.'' The hero knew his stuff, and I trusted him to handle the deployment without my interference. He had already managed the hero party without me, so including me, Ethan, and even Antonio in the strategy showed his adaptability as a leader. "Lilith, give me a sharp de!" "Yes, Master Ethan!" Just as usual, I infused his weapon with a sharp de enhancement after replenishing his mana, then immediately prepared a barrier and arcane arrows to fend off any iing attacks. Though this Leviathan might be the toughest opponent I¡¯d faced since arriving in this world, I felt no fear. Ethan and I were merely handling one of the creature''s fins, while the main body would be dealt with by the hero party, with Agnes providing fire support. "Sire, duck your head!" -Whoosh!- Even in this battle, all that was required of us was to fulfill our assigned roles. ¡ºLilith has reached level 35!¡» ¡ºLilith has reached level 36!¡» After about thirty minutes of intense fighting, with thebined efforts of Ethan and the hero party, we finally defeated the deep-sea Leviathan. With that, our marine studies ss¡ªthe final ss of the first semester¡ªalso came to an end. ''Just how many boss monsters have we defeated this semester alone?'' No matter the destination, whether it was alongside the hero or a separate path, it always seemed to lead to a boss battle. If every location we visited was going to throw a boss at us, perhaps sticking with the hero''s party next semester wouldn''t be a bad idea. ? Afterpleting Luminar Academy¡¯s marine studies ss, one of the semester¡¯s exploration courses, the students left Plyana Beach. A lone, blond-haired woman stood on the now-quiet shore, gazing at the setting sun. "I was worried things might go south at some point, but everything turned out fine in the end~!" It was Professor Lucietta, the marine studies instructor, in a daring sling-shot swimsuit. She breathed a sigh of relief, reflecting on the minor mishaps and dangerous monster encounters that had fortunately been resolved. "That hero really is something~! Taking down that Leviathan without hesitation¡­." "Why do you look so pleased with yourself?" "..." Before she could rx, she was approached by Seraphina, the Third Princess of the Empire, who seemed to have something to say. "Oh my, to what do I owe the pleasure~? It¡¯s not every day that a noble princesses all this way to see me¡­." "Why are you even pretending? I saw through you from the first day. There¡¯s a limit to how shameless one can be." "¡­" "Just what are you plotting, Lucietta? Why is someone who should have no connection to the Academy suddenly taking on the role of a marine studies professor?" The princess''s blonde hair gleamed, a color synonymous with the Argantia Imperial family. While others dismissed Lucietta''s hair as mere dye, Seraphina recognized her as Lucietta Maria Valtoria, the Second Princess of Argantia and her own older sister. "Weren¡¯t you done with me, little sister? Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t care anymore whether I lived or died?" "That was before you reappeared in front of me! Where is the original professor of this ss?" "Oh, he was very gentlemanly about it~. He quickly stepped aside when I, well, persuaded him with a little¡­ charm." "You¡ªyou¡¯re unbelievable¡­!" Seraphina had always driven herself to embody the virtues of a royal, preparing herself to lead the Empire. Her sister¡¯s carefree, irresponsible attitude was something she could never tolerate. Lucietta¡¯s freedom always seemed to bring trouble to Seraphina. "Was squandering Mother¡¯s fortune and running away not enough? Now you¡¯re here to disgrace our family by corrupting the Academy¡¯s students?!" "Corrupting them~? I was simply filling in for the professor and carrying out his curriculum." "Why don¡¯t you take off that vulgar swimsuit and say that again?!" "If I undress here, I¡¯d be naked. My, how scandalous~." "I¡¯d prefer that over that pathetic excuse for clothing!" Seraphina threw a bag of clothes at Lucietta, which spilled onto the sand, revealing a modest set of attire: a shirt, skirt, and underwear. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing you were throughout this entire course? If you must disgrace yourself, do it alone! How much lower will you drag our family¡¯s name?" "What are you talking about? I went to great lengths to keep a low profile by using an alias and avoiding anything that might indicate I¡¯m royalty. Who would guess that a woman wearing this swimsuit and speaking like this is royalty?" "The hero saw right through you! And even if no one else did, at least have the decency not to be ashamed as a human!" "That again, Seraphina? Like I¡¯ve always said, I didn¡¯t choose to be born royal. I just live how I want to~." "Then live that way somewhere out of my sight! Why are you meddling in Academy affairs¡­?" "Because it¡¯s fun~?" Seraphina was rendered speechless by Lucietta¡¯s carefree response. Lucietta continued, unfazed, exining why she¡¯d taken on the role of a substitute professor. "You saw it, didn¡¯t you? Those male students gawking and drooling just because their pretty professor wore a slightly revealing swimsuit. How cute they were, so obsessed with sex that they¡¯d do anything to get my attention. Collecting dozens of treasure orbs, building sandcastles that wouldn¡¯tst a day¡­ Men are most easily motivated by their lust, you know~?" "You wore that ridiculous outfit for a whole week just to watch that?" "Don¡¯t underestimate it~. Men¡¯s lust, when properly directed, can be a powerful motivator for self-improvement." "All you did was indulge in a little y." "Who knows? Maybe one of them will take today¡¯s memory and work even harder, driven by the hope that one day, they might be with a beautiful, sexy woman like me~." "¡­" "Why don¡¯t you try it, Seraphina? Maybe the hero could use some ¡®motivational assistance¡¯ too~?" "T-The hero isn¡¯t like that!" "Hmm~? Didn¡¯t seem entirely that way to me. Perhaps you just haven¡¯t tried?" Seraphina couldn¡¯t entirely dismiss her sister¡¯s words. A simr suggestion had oncee from someone else as well. ¡®Sir Dan ckwood improved his swordsmanship tremendously in his quest to best his father, bing a top talent in the Academy¡¯s fencing club. Of course, I ensured he was rewarded for his efforts every step of the way.¡¯ Sir Dan, a highly skilled noble of the ckwood family, was a prime example of channeling desires toward constructive pursuits. Seraphina had once heard of him, and Lucietta, as her older sister, had picked up on her reaction. "Want to borrow my swimsuit if you¡¯re nning to seduce someone? It¡¯s second-hand, but¡­" "N-No! Just change into the clothes I gave you and disappear somewhere! And please, stop parading around like this in front of the hero!" "Alright, Seraphina, I wish you the best in your love endeavors~. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll turn out, but good luck~." Lucietta picked up the bag, showing no intention of changing as she nonchntly strolled away. Seraphina turned away, vowing never to see her again. Chapter 404 "¡­Phew." As soon as I woke up in the morning, I was greeted by the open sea view right from my bed. A vast sandy beach. A clear sky. And a quieter shore now that the once bustling Academy students had mostly left. After seeing off the hero¡¯s party, Prince Antonio, and the others as they headed back to their respective locations, Ethan and I remained at Plyana Beach to enjoy thest two days of our vacation. We had even moved into the beach vi that the hero¡¯s party had been using up until the day before. ¡®By the way, where are Lord Ethan and Miss Rosewood staying now?¡¯ ¡®Not far from here, on the second floor of an inn. The room is spacious enough for Ethan, myself, and one maid to stayfortably.¡¯ ¡®Is that so? I heard you¡¯re staying a couple more days, right?¡¯ ¡®Yes. We don¡¯t get many chances to visit the beach, so we decided to take this opportunity to rx before heading back to ckwood estate.¡¯ ¡®Then why don¡¯t you two use the vi from tomorrow? Seraphina made sure to book it for a few extra days, so it¡¯s avable until the morning three days from now. We¡¯re all leaving by carriage tomorrow morning anyway.¡¯ ¡®Hmm, would that be alright? I¡¯d need to hear from Princess Seraphina first.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s already agreed to it, Lord Ethan. I hope you and Miss Lilith enjoy your time together.¡¯ ¡®Very well. Thank you for your generosity.¡¯ ¡­Thanks to the offer from the hero and Seraphina over dinner after we defeated the deep-sea Leviathan, Ethan and I were able to enjoy the rest of our vacation in the beach vi. It was a lovely ce, and the view was definitely worth it. ¡®Staying in a ce like this really does bring people closer together.¡¯@@novelbin@@ It was no wonder this beach vi was rated as the top lodging option for the marine studies ss. With that thought, I headed down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast with the ingredients we bought yesterday, only to find Isabel already there, making stew and frying sunny-side-up eggs. ¡°Ah, good morning, Lilith!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it still early? Why are you up so soon, Isabel?¡± ¡°I need to get up early to prepare breakfast for you and Lord Ethan, of course.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to wake up before me. You just need to wake up earlier than Ethan.¡± ¡°Well, to me, there¡¯s not much difference between you and him now, is there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean by that, but since I¡¯m up, I¡¯ll help. You¡¯ve boiled these potatoes to mash, right?¡± ¡°Yes! But you can rest if you want¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll help. I can¡¯t always assist with dorm chores at the Academy, so I¡¯d rather not leave you to do it all here. Both of us are here to serve Lord Ethan, after all.¡± Isabel looked at me with an expression that suggested she was thinking deeply about something. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d given me that look, so I simply ignored it and focused on mashing the potatoes. Every time I asked what was on her mind, she would just brush it off with a vague answer. ¡°By the way, Lilith, is there anything you want to do after you graduate from the Academy?¡± ¡°Something I want to do?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve been at the Academy for two and a half years now. At first, I thought you joined just to serve Lord Ethan, but sometimes it seems like you¡¯re even more dedicated to your studies than he is. Do you have a specific goal for after graduation? Or are you just learning all of this to continue being with Lord Ethan?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not entirely wrong to say I¡¯m learning to stay by his side¡­¡± The knowledge I¡¯d gained at the Academy had helped me survive numerous dangers, and it certainly yed a part in getting through this semester¡¯s exploration sses, full of boss monsters as they were. But if I thought back to my original reasons for being here, that wasn¡¯t all there was to it. From the moment I realized I was in a fantasy world, I¡¯d harbored a certain dream. ¡°After graduation, it might be fun to travel the world for a while with no set ns.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Isabel, you¡¯d never seen the ocean before, right? But once you saw it, it was thrilling. New experiences are always exciting, so while I¡¯m alive, I want to see as many ces and have as many adventures as I can.¡± ¡°¡­Lilith, you sound like a grandma saying things like that, you know?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Lord Ethan would let you do that, though. No matter how much you asked, I doubt he¡¯d let you wander around without a n¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡­Why did she bring up Ethan all of a sudden? Once I graduate, I wouldn¡¯t be his personal maid anymore, so what was Isabel going on about? ¡®¡­I guess I never mentioned to Isabel that I n to stop being a personal maid.¡¯ Maybe she thought I¡¯d continue working for the ckwood family even after graduation, just like she was nning to do. It would be sad to disappoint her, but I didn¡¯t think I could handle staying. I couldn¡¯t imagine seeing another woman by Ethan¡¯s side someday. ¡°I suppose Lord Ethan wouldn¡¯t let me. But don¡¯t worry, it was just a thought. It¡¯s not a serious n.¡± Though the day woulde when I¡¯d have to say goodbye, there was no need to tell Isabel just yet. She would understand when the time came, and I let her question slide for now. ? The once lively Plyana Beach was now quiet, the crowd from the day before mostly gone. Though the marine studies ss was over, Ethan and I were still walking along the beach in our swimsuits, enjoying our final day of vacation. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet. I suppose this is how it usually is here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all busy people. The hero party and the other students from the Academy too. It¡¯s a shame that they can¡¯t afford even a day or two to rx.¡± ¡°Well, I only managed to get this break after a lot of effort. When I go back, I¡¯ll have to learn estate management and governance from my father and Dietmeyer. There¡¯s a lot to be done.¡± He¡¯d had some free time until now, but as a third-year, it was time for Ethan to start learning about ckwood¡¯s estate management. It was inevitable for a future heir. He¡¯d probably be even busier in the second semester. Other students had already returned for simr reasons, especially those frommoner backgrounds who were always busy. ¡°Thank you so much for spending this precious time with me, Lord Ethan.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why I mentioned it. I wanted to spend time alone with you, so there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± ¡°Even so, I know that the time of Lord Ethan, heir of the ckwood family, is much more valuable than mine, a mere maid. So I¡¯m simply expressing my gratitude.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a loss. Besides, in a few years, the difference in the value of our time won¡¯t be that significant.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Hand in hand, Ethan and I strolled leisurely along the beach. We moved closer to the water, letting the wavesp at our feet, and traced each other¡¯s names in the sand with our toes. With no hero party to keep an eye on us, we were finally free to enjoy the beach as a couple would. I held his hand tightly, leading him quietly toward the seaside cave I¡¯d set my sights on. ¡°Lord Ethan, it looks like there¡¯s a cave over there.¡± ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, shall we take a look?¡± Ethan had graciously given up two days of his time to stay here, so I was determined to make sure he didn¡¯t regret it. Chapter 405 As we walk to a secret spot where no one else can see us, Ethan and I find ourselves at a seaside cave. Since it¡¯s close to the water rather than a sandy beach, we have to use water-walking to get closer. Once inside, the cave opens up into a spacious area. ¡°This ce is part of Plyana Beach? You really found a hidden gem, Lilith.¡± ¡°I spotted it while we were treasure hunting on the second day. I didn¡¯t have time to explore because of everything else going on, so I kept it in mind.¡± ¡°With a ce like this, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to find real treasure, not just what the professor hid.¡± ... Good guess. Or maybe he was just joking. In reality, this coastal cave is a mini-dungeon where secret items can be found. It¡¯s designed to be hard to reach, making it inessible to characters other than the protagonist. While the dungeon itself isn¡¯t difficult, the reward doesn¡¯t quite justify the time investment, so it¡¯s not essential to the storyline. The hero, busy maximizing events for experience and fortune, wouldn¡¯t linger at Plyana Beach for two extra days just to grab resources here. While you could find it by searching the western point during the treasure hunt on the second day¡­ ¡®We¡¯ll take a look at the east coast. I have a feeling there¡¯ll be a lot over there.¡¯ Him saying that in front of me was essentially his way of conceding this opportunity to me. He probably thought it was a luck-rted item. I¡¯d worked hard to raise my luck to an average level, but Lilith¡¯s base luck was notoriously low. ¡°Since there might actually be treasure here, would you like to search for it?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d like to, but it¡¯s dark. Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡®Sally, could you make a small light we can carry?¡¯ ¡®Sure, got it!¡¯ With Sally¡¯s response, a small me appeared in my left hand, glowing and flickering gently. It was the perfect size to light the way for both Ethan and me. ¡®Thanks, Sally. Want some mana?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, give me a lot, so I can share it with Say.¡¯ ¡®Of course. I have plenty since I rested yesterday.¡¯ Ethan couldn¡¯t hear our spirit conversation as I exchanged my mana for the me light with Sally. I turned back to Ethan, showing him the fireball in my hand with a smile. ¡°Does this brightness suffice, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes, this should be enough.¡± With a small me in hand, Ethan and I ventured further into the cave. Suddenly, a fluttering noise! ¡®Screech! Screeek!¡¯ A few monsters appeared, but they weren¡¯t much of a threat. They were so weak that my dagger, which isn¡¯t coated with a sharp edge, could still slice through them. I had brought Ethan here today, not to level up, so weak monsters were hardly disappointing. -Swish! After about ten minutes of clearing out visible bat monsters and cave slimes, we reached the inner part of the cave. There, we found a giant m, muchrger than a typical shellfish. ¡°¡­A monster?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like one, but it might be a trap or a mimic, so we should be cautious.¡± Well, I knew it wasn¡¯t a trap, but staying vignt never hurt anyone. I tested for traps by shooting a vision arrow to check for life responses and throwing a small ember from Sally¡¯s light. Once I confirmed it was just an ordinary m, I reassured Ethan. ¡°It seems this m has been here for ages, Young Master Ethan. Judging by the salt line, I¡¯d say it only survives during low tide.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, looks that way.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Would you like to open it?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense for you to open it, Lilith? Since you¡¯re the one who found the cave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s open it together. I¡¯ll wedge my dagger into the left side, and you lift from the right.¡± ¡°Alright. One, two¡­¡± With a pop, the m shell slowly opened, revealing arge pearl nestled inside, resting atop the m flesh. ¡°A pearl?¡± ¡°It appears there really was treasure, just as you said.¡± This was the mini-dungeon¡¯s reward: the Radiant Pearl. It boosts the owner¡¯s charm and slightly raises luck. While it didn¡¯t mean much to me since my charm was over 400, it would be quite useful for Ethan. In the original game, his charm stat was notoriously low. ¡®I suppose he¡¯s more charming than in the game, given how popr he seems to be with the girls¡­¡¯ I handed the pearl to Ethan, thinking he could make good use of it. ¡°This pearl suits you well, Young Master Ethan, especially with your noble bearing.¡± ¡°¡­Wouldn¡¯t it suit you better, Lilith? Jewelry tends to look better on women.¡± ¡°But it suits a noble better than amoner, so it belongs with you.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, aren¡¯t you a noble too, Lilith? You may not be a true noble yet, but in a few years, that could change.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a baron¡¯s daughter for now, whereas you are the heir to the ckwood Duchy¡­¡± ¡°Still, we¡¯re here because you wanted to be. You should keep the treasure.¡± If he insists so much, he might as well just take it¡­ As Ethan and I briefly argued over who should keep the dungeon¡¯s prize, we were interrupted by the sound of water. -Ssh. ¡°Huh?¡± The cave was slowly filling up with high tide. ¡°We should get out of here quickly, Lilith. If we dive a little at the entrance, we can still get out before the water rises¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°The pearl will lose its value if it touches seawater. Letting such a fine gem be discolored isn¡¯t a good idea.¡± Though it¡¯s not impossible to escape now if we abandon the pearl, leaving the dungeon¡¯s reward behind would make the whole trip pointless. I wasn¡¯t about to let that happen. ¡°There¡¯s a higher ledge deeper inside. Let¡¯s wait until the tide goes down there. It won¡¯t rise above the salt line, so we¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith. Let¡¯s do that then.¡± Reluctantly, Ethan followed me further inside, not wanting to risk the pearl¡¯s value. We climbed up to a small chamber. ¡°The ceiling is low, Young Master Ethan. Be careful.¡± ¡°You too, Lilith.¡± We crouched to avoid bumping our heads, squeezing into the small space. Fortunately, it was above the waterline, so we wouldn¡¯t get soaked unexpectedly. ¡°How long do you think until the water recedes?¡± ¡°If we wait for it to drop just enough for us to exit, two hours should be sufficient. It¡¯s high tide now, so¡­¡± ¡°Two hours isn¡¯t too long. Besides, I have yourpany, Lilith, so I won¡¯t be lonely.¡± Ethan smiled at me as he settled in, bathed in the red glow of the me. My face grew hot at the sight. I took the pearl and ced it further inside, where it wouldn¡¯t get scratched. ¡®I¡¯d hate for it to get scuffed by leaving it on the ground.¡¯ I wished I had something soft to ce under it, but the only fabric avable was my swimsuit. I could remove it, but doing so in front of Ethan wasn¡¯t an option. ¡®I can¡¯t take off my swimsuit¡­ or I¡¯ll end up showing him that.'' The thought crossed my mind. Today, I had a little surprise hidden beneath my swimsuit, just in case. And now, I stood at a crossroads, debating whether I could bear to reveal it to Ethan or not. Chapter 406 The swimsuit Agnes hadmented on was so embarrassing that being naked might be less shameful. I felt the same, but it seemed a waste toe all the way to the beach and not wear it even once.@@novelbin@@ ¡®¡­Well, I was nning on showing him at some point.¡¯ If that moment happened to be now, so be it. Besides, it was just the two of us here, and I needed some fabric to wrap the pearl, which would get damaged just by holding it. ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Oh, yes?¡± ¡°Could you please turn around and face away until I say you can look?¡± ¡°Huh? Why all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t ask why, Young Master Ethan.¡± I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to let him see me change into this scandalous swimsuit. Thankfully, Ethan didn¡¯t question me further, simply turning his head without protest. -Swish. The sound of fabric sliding against fabric, and then skin. I carefully removed my top, wrapping the pearl with its inner lining, before moving on to my bottom. If I was going to show him, it¡¯d be better to show it all. Wearing mismatched pieces would only make it feel even more embarrassing. As I slipped out of the swimsuit I had worn all week, I was left with little more than a few scraps of cloth on my body. I sighed and cautiously called Ethan. ¡°You may turn around now, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± He must¡¯ve realized that I¡¯d removed my swimsuit from the sound of the fabric, but I doubt he expected whaty underneath to be more revealing than bare skin. It was no surprise that his eyes widened the moment he turned around. ¡°...Gasp!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Li-Lilith? Wh-what is that you¡¯re wearing¡­?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a swimsuit, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°A swimsuit¡­?¡± He looked utterly shocked at the minimal coverage, and as I exined, he fixed me with an incredulous stare. ¡°You¡¯re not nning to swim in that scrap of fabric, are you, Lilith?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t be ridiculous, Young Master Ethan. I would never show myself to anyone but you.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just like you, Lilith.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only because I wanted to show you. There¡¯s no other reason.¡± ¡°¡­You wanted to show me?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I¡¯d bought it just for him, so there was no point hiding it. Yet, admitting it made my face burn. Still, I felt slightly reassured by Ethan¡¯s flushed cheeks; at least I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling embarrassed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t serve much purpose as clothing, but I thought you¡¯d like it, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°What kind of person do you think I am that you thought I¡¯d like something like that?¡± ¡°Do you¡­ dislike it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t dislike it, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Seeing you in something so provocative, and knowing you wore it just for me, makes me happier than I expected.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Of course, I understood. I used to be a man, after all. There¡¯s something deeply satisfying about a woman doing something embarrassing just for you. It ys into that primal feeling of conquest. Ethan¡¯s feelings weren¡¯t lost on me. ¡°May I¡­ may I take a closer look, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Ethan. It¡¯s for you to see, so feel free to look as much as you want.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then, pardon me.¡± With that, he leaned closer, his face moving toward the dark fabric. Although I had dressed this way specifically for him and told him he could look closer, the thought of him catching a glimpse of the bits that the flimsy fabric didn¡¯t cover made me feel strangely exposed. The mere idea of him seeing the parts beneath the small triangle of cloth, barely concealing anything, filled me with an unfamiliar embarrassment. -Swish. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He must¡¯ve noticed that the swimsuit was riding up a bitpared to before. It might have been less noticeable if I had been naked, but wearing a swimsuit that left so little to the imagination only made things more obvious. ¡°¡­Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Haa¡­¡± The cave echoed with our quiet breathing, breaking the silence between us. My voice finally broke the tension. -Tap. ¡°Hngh?!¡± It happened so suddenly. The feeling of something brushing the edge of my swimsuit unleashed a flood of emotions I¡¯d been holding back. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± ¡°¡­!!!¡± ¡°Y-Young Master Ethan? Wh-what just¡­?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lilith! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡­Honestly, I understood. If I were a man, I¡¯d have struggled to resist, too. It¡¯s only natural to feel the urge to touch when a woman¡¯s body responds visibly, as mine had. I could empathize with his curiosity. If he hadn¡¯t acted this way, I might¡¯ve questioned his masculinity. ¡°Sorry, Lilith! I was just looking, but I couldn¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°Were you perhaps curious about the texture of the swimsuit, Young Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s for you to see as much as you wish. If you¡¯re curious, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Lilith.¡± He nodded, blushing as he absorbed my words. I took a deep breath to steady myself, adjusting the disheveled swimsuit before moving closer. ¡°So, would you like to check just one side?¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see if the texture on the other side is different? There¡¯s a chance the fabric isn¡¯t uniform, after all.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like, you may touch and feel both sides for yourself, Young Master Ethan.¡± They say that if someone strikes your right cheek, you should offer them the left. If he wanted to indulge, it was only fair to let him explore a little more. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, Lilith, may I¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. As long as it¡¯s within the boundaries of the ¡®swimsuit,¡¯ please feel free, Young Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith.¡± Ethan reached out, his fingers brushing over the fabric on my right side this time. Just like before, an electric sensation traveled up my body, and I couldn¡¯t help but react. -Tap. ¡°Hngh¡­ Ah¡­!¡± This was intense, far more than I anticipated. It wasn¡¯t even direct contact; he was only pressing through the fabric, but it felt so potent. I couldn¡¯t help but respond more strongly than usual, the risqu¨¦ nature of the outfit heightening my sensitivity. As he touched both sides, I finally steadied my breathing enough to speak. ¡°Haa¡­ Was that enough, Young Master Ethan? Did you confirm whether the fabrics match¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure, honestly.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It was hard to tell, switching back and forth like that.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Lilith, would it be alright if I checked both sides at once?¡± ¡­Goodness, he truly is a shameless one. If there¡¯s an opportunity, all he thinks about is indulging, filled with lewd thoughts. ¡°¡­If you wish, Young Master Ethan, then by all means, go ahead.¡± ¡­Although, I may be just as shameless for letting him do as he pleases. Chapter 408 In a bold move, Ethan whispered in my ear, suggesting I use a clean spell on my backside. He didn¡¯t even try to hide it¡ªit was practically a deration that he was going to put his fingers there. ¡®Should I allow this¡­ or not?¡¯ I had no real excuse to stop him at this point. We¡¯d already brushed off the idea of fingers as an ¡°ident.¡± Still, this didn¡¯t mean I intended to let him touch me there, but Ethan was clearly using that as his excuse now. ¡®Something felt off since that cat maid y¡­¡¯ Back then, he had insisted on using an anal plug to make a tail. I should have realized sooner. Given that the original Ethan wasn¡¯t shy about exploring every inch of Lilith, it wasn¡¯t surprising he would be interested in that area too. ¡®Still, the back¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel right somehow.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the same as regr intercourse, which I was morefortable with, even if I didn¡¯t entirely dislike it. The idea of him going for my back end felt like I¡¯d be losing something personal, something I couldn¡¯t just give away. ¡°Lilith, aren¡¯t you going to use the clean spell?¡± ¡°¡­Young Master Ethan, while I have strong feelings for you, I believe there are boundaries. Such actions are hardly appropriate for¡ª¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Lilith? I just said it might be an ¡®ident¡¯ if my finger slipped, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m suggesting anything improper, is it?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, if you really don¡¯t want to, you don¡¯t have to. I wouldn¡¯t think any less of you. I was only concerned you might feel embarrassed if I didn¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°Wait¡ªplease, Young Master Ethan! I¡¯ll do it, just¡­ don¡¯t proceed further!¡± Is he insane?! To think he¡¯d put his finger in there without even asking! I couldn¡¯t allow that kind of indignity, so I quickly blocked his hand and reached back myself. I had no way to escape for at least another two hours until the tide receded, and with Ethan so determined, I had no choice but toply. ¡°Young Master Ethan, could you please look away while I¡­¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything to hide, is there?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to watch, Lilith. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about when you¡¯re just casting a spell, right?¡± The nerve¡­ He knew exactly what he was asking. He knew I had to use my fingers to cast the spell for safety, and yet here he was, insisting on seeing me do it. ¡°If you¡¯d rather not show me, I won¡¯t insist. As I said, it doesn¡¯t matter to me if you use it or not.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± He knew he had the upper hand, and he wasn¡¯t afraid to use it. So, knowing the alternative was more embarrassing, I resigned myself to doing it while he watched. -Slip. ¡°Hngh¡­¡± -Slip, slip. ¡°Ahh¡­ ngh¡­¡± This is so humiliating¡­ I had no idea why I had to do something this shameful, but I knew this was the lesser evil. So I spread myself open in front of him and cast the clean spell, making sure I was prepared. ¡°Hngh¡­ Clean¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ done, Young Master Ethan. You may proceed with your ¡®ident¡¯ now.¡± ¡°Good job, Lilith.¡± ¡­Why does this make me feel so warm inside? The thought crossed my mind as Ethan, without any pretense this time, slipped his finger directly into me. -Squelch! ¡°Ngh¡ªah!¡± ¡°Sorry, Lilith. I was just checking the fabric in the back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s alright. I prepared for this with the spell, after all.¡± ¡°I used my right hand, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt. It¡¯s a little slick from earlier.¡± A considerate move, I supposed, though it was clear he just wanted to satisfy his curiosity. Yet, despite the bizarre turn of events, I was oddly relieved that I felt no difort. -Squelch, squelch. ¡°Nngh¡­!¡± ¡®And why is my body even responding to this¡­?¡¯ I¡¯d suspected it before, back when he used the plug, but now it was confirmed. This body was sensitive in ways I hadn¡¯t expected. Even in the most shameful ces, I couldn¡¯t help but feel it. I tried to control myself, but as he moved, my body began reacting with pleasure. -Squelch! ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°Excuse me a moment. I¡¯ll need topare this with the front.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Yes¡­ If you think it¡¯s necessary, Young Master Ethan¡­¡± He positioned himself, inserting a finger into my backside and another into the front, stimting both ces at once. The sensations overwhelmed me, and I could no longer control my reactions. -Push, push. ¡°Nngh¡­ Ahh¡­!¡± -Squelch, squelch. ¡°Ahn¡­ ngh¡­!¡± For a first-timer, Ethan sure seemed to know how to find every sensitive spot. My body reacted on its own, caught between confusion and frustration. ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Starting with the excuse of checking the swimsuit, he had taken advantage of every opportunity to touch me. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and let it continue one-sidedly. I had every right to respond. -Grasp. ¡°Hnngh?!¡± ¡°Haa¡­ you¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ So he was excited after all¡­ Well, it would¡¯ve been stranger if he wasn¡¯t, given the situation. But I wasn¡¯t going to let him have all the fun. -Rub. ¡°Haa¡­ may I¡­¡± -Rub, rub. ¡°May I check the texture of your¡­ swimsuit as well?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re already touching me, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll take that as permission, Young Master Ethan.¡± I slipped my hand inside, grasping him directly. Even through the swimsuit, I could feel how firm he¡¯d be, and I began stroking him, letting my body enjoy the moment as much as he had. -Rub, rub. ¡°Haa¡­ ngh¡­¡± -Squelch, squelch. ¡°Nngh¡­! Ahn¡­!¡± Before I knew it, my body couldn¡¯t resist the waves of pleasure that came, and I found myself climaxing under his hands. ¡°Ahh¡­ ngh¡­¡± The release came fast and without warning, even as he continued his ministrations, pushing me to the brink over and over. ¡­And so it went, until the tide outside the cave finally began to recede. Chapter 409 From the day I lost something precious to Ethan in the secret cave along Plyana Beach, a week has passed. Back at ckwood Estate, a subtle tension lingered between Ethan and me. ¡°Lilith, have you heard any news about Father¡¯s return?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The academy term has ended, so he should be back soon¡­¡± ¡°Right. Knowing him, it¡¯s probably nothing serious, but I can¡¯t help but worry a little.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll likely return soon. Being a professor at the academy, I imagine he¡¯s upied with many responsibilities.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s probably it.¡± ¡°¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡± Despite returning to ckwood Estate, Harold had yet toe back. Both Ethan and I wished for his swift return, but not because ckwood needed his charisma to function. Instead, our reasons for wanting him back were a bit more personal. ¡°Father needs toe back soon so I can begin my ckwood heir training.¡± ¡°Indeed, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I also need to continue my sword practice with him. We barely got a chance this term.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± At Professor Mamari¡¯s vi and even the coastal caves along Plyana Beach, things heated up without any real conclusion. Both Ethan and I were growing increasingly impatient. This term¡¯s sses mostly involved explorations outside the academy, which left little opportunity for Ethan to spar with Harold, which also meant fewer chances for him to im his ¡®rewards¡¯ from winning. Though we found¡­ alternative ways to handle each other¡¯s needs, they could never fully satisfy the fundamental desires between men and women. Ethan had to win a match against Harold, by any means, for us to have a proper excuse to be together. We agreed to refrain from anything else until then,mitting ourselves to some semnce of restraint. ¡®But seriously, where is Harold¡­?¡¯ I knew that professors usually stayed longer at the academy than students, but it had been ten days since our sses ended, and still, no sign of him. This was unusual. Considering we lived in a fantasy world, it wasn¡¯t impossible that something urgent had dyed him without time to send word. As we waited anxiously, a letter from the academy arrived, bearing the ckwood family seal. It could only have been from Harold. ¡°Master Ethan, you have a letter from your father.¡± ¡°A letter?¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the letter. It was no surprise; after all, receiving a letter instead of him personally showing up likely meant he was exining his absence. Sure enough, as Ethan read through the letter, his expression quickly hardened, even from my angle. I could easily guess the contents without asking. ¡°Is he saying his return will be dyed?¡± ¡°Not just dyed¡ªhe won¡¯t being back to ckwood Estate at all this summer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He mentioned something about business in the northwestern mountains, so he won¡¯t have time to return here. He¡¯ll spend the entire summer there and then head straight back to the academy.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Wait, what? Then what about Ethan¡¯s sparring with Harold? What about the ¡®rewards¡¯ thate with winning? ¡°Did he mention anything about inviting you to join him there? Perhaps he¡¯s arranged some intense training for you in that environment¡­¡± ¡°No, quite the opposite. He wants me to stay here and handle estate matters as his proxy. I¡¯m supposed to manage correspondence from the branch families and ask Dietmar, the head butler, or Melissa, the head maid, for guidance if I have any questions.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to spar with Father this summer, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Oh no. Oh, no, no, no! Ahhhhh¡­!! ? ? ? With Harold abruptly gone on some assignment, there would be no sparring, and the apanying ¡®rewards¡¯ that should follow were left dangling in uncertainty. I couldn¡¯t even express the disappointment in words. ¡®I was just looking forward to summer vacation this term¡­¡¯ This term, Ethan barely got a chance to spar with Harold, mainly due to Harold not going easy on him and the many external sses that disrupted Ethan¡¯s conditioning. The curriculum changed in our third year, so even creating opportunities for Ethan to im a reward became challenging. But with summer break, I¡¯d assumed they¡¯d spar daily, and Ethan¡¯s victories would pile up naturally. Harold¡¯s sudden departure felt like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. ¡®We¡¯re both reaching our limits just with teasing¡­¡¯ If I were a man, it might be enough to just rub and leave it at that, but for someone like me, there¡¯s something inherentlycking without that deeper, more fulfilling connection. And as a unicorn in a past life, I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of allowing anything but Ethan into my body. Fingers might help, but theyck the necessary depth and thickness. ¡®Not that myining will change anything¡­¡¯ There was no way I could chase after Harold to the northwestern hignds, nor could I leave ckwood without Ethan, who was expected to stay behind and manage the estate. ¡°Master Ethan, would you like some refreshments while you work?¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, Lilith.¡± Helping Ethan in the study like this was the most I could do. I didn¡¯t dislike fulfilling my duties as his personal maid, but the feeling was akin to a child whose Christmas present had been snatched away. ¡°Lilith, could you draft a reply to the Pinewood family? Just something along the lines of, ¡®We acknowledge your request, but we won¡¯t be able to offer support this year.¡¯¡± ¡°Are you sure I should be the one to do it? Isn¡¯t this a task your father assigned to you?¡± ¡°Your handwriting is so much better, Lilith. Father won¡¯t mind if it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°¡­Understood. I¡¯ll draft it, but I¡¯ll still need you to review it before finalizing, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± I began writing the reply, feeling slightly unsure about my hand in ckwood affairs, but following Ethan¡¯s instructions. Sitting here, working side-by-side with Ethan, gave me a fleeting sense of being thedy of the estate. ¡­Though it was unlikely I¡¯d actually be his wife, given that Lady Rainey, the princess, would most likely take that position. ¡®I haven¡¯t seen Lady Rainey at all this term.¡¯ Though we were in different departments, I thought I¡¯d bump into her at least once. Among the other heroines, the one I encountered most was the alchemist Mezlen, since we were both in the same department. Reflecting on all this, I finished the correspondence with Ethan, realizing it was already evening. He seemed unaware of the time, engrossed in his work like Harold often was. I gently approached him to let him know. ¡°Master Ethan, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Is it thatte already?¡± ¡°Yes. While it¡¯s admirable to be so dedicated, you should take a break. With plenty of summer break left, it¡¯s important to bnce work and rest.¡± ¡°Understood, Lilith. Oh, about the letters¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave them on your desk for you to review tomorrow. If they look good, you can seal them.¡± ¡°Alright. Could you let them know I¡¯ll have dinner in about an hour? There¡¯s something I need to finish first.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll inform the kitchen.¡± Ethan hurried out of the study, leaving me to tidy up before heading to the kitchen to ry his instructions. ¡®But where could he have gone in such a hurry?¡¯ If he needed assistance with bathing, he would¡¯ve called for me. I had seen him head downstairs, so he hadn¡¯t gone back to his room. ¡®His remaining task for the day¡­ must be¡­¡¯ With only one item left on his to-do list, I followed him out to the training grounds, hoping my personal dagger mighte in handy. Chapter 410 Swish! Swish! Swish! ¡­ As I arrived at the private training ground in the courtyard where I guessed Ethan would be, I saw him silently practicing his sword swings. He was wielding the familiar twin swords engraved with the ckwood crest, working up a sweat before dinner. Although he had no sparring partner and was slicing through empty air, his stance remained steady. Ethan had been at the level of a Sword Expert for quite some time, so this level of discipline was only to be expected. ¡°Master Ethan,¡± I called out. ¡°¡­Oh, Lilith.¡± ¡°So, this is where you were. As I suspected, you¡¯re practicing your swordsmanship. Was this what you meant by your unfinished business for today?¡± ¡°¡­Something like that. I can¡¯t just put down my sword, even if Father isn¡¯t here.¡± With a slightly embarrassed smile, he lowered his sword for a moment. Even without any immediate reward from me, it was clear he had no intention of neglecting his training. Considering he was the second-best in the academy¡¯s fencing club, that was to be expected. If Ethan and Harold had sparred as nned, he would have won at least once every three days. Of course, I couldn¡¯t just say, ¡°You would¡¯ve won against Harold roughly once every three days, so let¡¯s just pretend you did and I¡¯ll give you the reward.¡± That would not only ruin the delicate bnce of our rtionship but also undermine his pride. The only remaining option was to find another sparring partner for Ethan, someone he could beat and still earn his reward. But that was easier said than done. The problem is that Harold is one of the Three Swords of the Empire, an opponent of absurd skill. In the original story, it had taken the entire hero¡¯s party to bring him down, even when he was already weakened. Finding someone who could stand in for him and spar with Ethan daily was next to impossible. The alternative was to find someone who was a bit below Ethan¡¯s skill level. While I mainly used a dagger, I had sparred with Ethan before, and I was well aware of the gap between our skills. ¡­Though by choosing someone below him, I¡¯d be reversing the roles of who does the challenging. ¡°Master Ethan, I have a proposal. Would you be willing to hear me out?¡± ¡°What is it, Lilith?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a suggestion regarding the reward you usually receive after sparring with Master Harold.¡± Ethan¡¯s attention shifted to me at the mention of a ¡°reward,¡± his quiet gaze indicating that he already had some thoughts on the matter. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lilith. There¡¯s no need to go that far.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°While it¡¯s true that I enjoy the rewards you give me after sparring with Father, that¡¯s not the only reason I train. You don¡¯t need to lower the bar for my sake.¡± ¡°What kind of misunderstanding are you having, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Lowering the bar? As if I would even think of that. If anything, the conditions for the reward would be stricter. Up until now, I¡¯d never managed to win a single match against Ethan. ¡°What I¡¯m suggesting is that if I win against you, then I should be the one to receive a reward.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit strange? When you win against Master Harold, I reward you, but you¡¯ve never offered me any reward when I win against you. Isn¡¯t that a little unfair?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Were you interested in receiving a reward as well, Lilith?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of wanting it; it¡¯s a matter of fairness. You¡¯ve won against Master Harold dozens of times and received rewards from me. So, doesn¡¯t it seem fair that I¡¯d have the right to demand a reward if I manage to defeat you?¡± Ethan stared at me thoughtfully, processing my logic. Covering his mouth with one hand, he seemed to be deliberating before slowly nodding. ¡°¡­You know, now that I think about it, you¡¯re right, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± ¡°So, from now on, if you beat Father, you¡¯re going to ask me for a reward? If there¡¯s something specific you want, you know you could just ask¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not after anything material. And I wasn¡¯t talking about sparring with Master Harold.¡± ¡°Not something material? And not Father as your sparring partner¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly. Since Master Harold can¡¯t return to ckwood Estate, I propose a sparring match with you. If I win even a single match, I¡¯d like to request a reward from you¡ªthe same kind of reward I usually give you.¡± This was my proposition for Ethan. With Harold absent, we needed an excuse to exchange rewards, and I saw no reason why sparring with Ethan couldn¡¯t provide that. ¡°You¡­ against me? And if you win, you want¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like the right to take the lead for one night.¡± For a moment, Ethan seemed taken aback by my request, left speechless. I knew it was a bold suggestion¡ªsomething one wouldn¡¯t normally propose to their master. However, given the nature of our rtionship, which blurred the lines between maid and lover, I felt I had the right to make such a request. Besides,tely, it had been bothering me how often Ethan took the lead, especially considering what had happened at Professor Mamari¡¯s vi and in the beach cave. I wanted a chance to set the pace. ¡°That kind of proposal sounds pretty favorable for me, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ethan replied. ¡°What do you mean?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re the one initiating. If I were to throw the match just because I wanted to be with you, that wouldn¡¯t really count as a genuine win, would it?¡± This pervert, I thought, trying to hold back a sigh. He was predictable, to say the least. ¡°Obviously, if you intentionally lose just to satisfy your desires, that would be uneptable. The idea that you¡¯d even consider such a thing is disappointing, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­I was just pointing out a potential loophole, not that I¡¯d actually do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sparred with you often enough to know whether you¡¯re giving your all or throwing the match. Especially this term, you¡¯ve had plenty of one-on-one training with me during the frequent breaks. I know your style well enough to tell.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I suppose you do.¡± ¡°If I think you¡¯re not putting in a real effort, or if I feel you¡¯re not at your best due to any other factors, I¡¯ll forfeit the reward myself.¡± No holding back, no pretending. If he didn¡¯t take it seriously, I¡¯d refuse the reward, even if I won. The terms were clearly in my favor, but I knew Ethan wouldn¡¯t object. After all, we both wanted a reason to be together, and he understood the thrill of earning his rewards through true effort. Ethan looked at me, a faint smile forming. ¡°So, you¡¯re serious about improving your sword skills, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­What? No, that¡¯s not what I¡ªwell, I mean, I just think we should be bnced in these things¡­¡± ¡°Alright, Lilith. If you¡¯re this serious about it, I won¡¯t go easy on you. I¡¯ll give it my all in our sparring matches, and you can try your best to beat me. If you do manage to win, I¡¯ll grant you whatever you ask.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Ethan.¡± I hadn¡¯t expected him to take this quite so seriously. Still, with this agreement, Ethan and I had established an excuse to exchange rewards even during the summer weeks when Harold was away. ¡­Now, all that¡¯s left is for me to figure out how to win a match against him. Chapter 411 Ethan and I reached apromise: instead of him earning rewards by defeating Harold in sparring, I would earn them by managing to defeat Ethan. But, of course, this agreement alone didn¡¯t solve our¡­ reward situation. Ethan would only reward me if I could genuinely win against him in a sparring match. ¡­That won¡¯t be easy. I knew Ethan¡¯s swordsmanship better than anyone, and that knowledge only heightened my doubts. Unlike my bouts with Harold, where I sometimes managed to pull off a victory through luck or trickery, I had never once imed a proper win against Ethan. There was always the chance that Ethan might hold back just to give me the reward, but I had my pride. I would refuse any victory that came too easily. It was my idea, after all. If anything, I¡¯d rather Ethan put his all into it and treat me like a serious opponent. As far as timing went, this wasn¡¯t so bad. Around this term, I¡¯d found myself wanting to close the gap in skill between us. With all the free time from the extended breaks, I¡¯d sparred enough with Ethan to clearly recognize the difference in our abilities, which only fueled my desire to improve. Even though my primary talenty in magic, it was crucial to be adept with a sword, especially in emergencies. It would definitely help to be proficient in swordsmanship for self-defense when I pursue a life as an adventurer. The day after I proposed this idea to Ethan, we both entered the training ground once more. An hourter, I was sitting on the ground, exhausted, my hand struggling to maintain a grip on the sword. ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, do you want to take a break? You¡¯ve been at it for nearly an hour without stopping,¡± Ethan suggested. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Thirty seconds is all I need, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°You should rest longer. Last time, you almost hurt yourself when you got up too soon.¡± ¡°¡­Fine, then. I¡¯ll take a minute.¡± Though Ethan¡¯s expression suggested he thought even a minute was too short, I wasn¡¯t willing to extend it any longer. It was nearly time for lunch, and considering the afternoon¡¯s tasks, I wouldn¡¯t have many more chances to spar in the morning. Today isn¡¯t the only day, but I can¡¯t help feeling anxious. If I¡¯m this exhausted, Ethan must be feeling it, too. With that thought in mind, I stood back up, pushing through the fatigue that was starting to weigh me down. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Alright, Lilith. But make sure to hold your sword tightly.¡± Even though my body craved more rest, my determination drove me to start again. ng! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± But ourst sparring session ended almost as soon as it started. I lost my grip and the sword slipped from my hand. ¡°Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, this is how it would turn out. No matter how much we trusted each other as allies, the fact remained that Ethan was a swordsman and I was primarily a mage. It was obvious who would win in a match of pure swordsmanship. All I could rely on were basic spells for physical eleration and sharper reflexes, facing Ethan head-on without any real magical attacks. It was natural that he would overwhelm me in the fundamentals. Given that I¡¯d never beaten him before, there was no reason to believe a reward hanging in the bnce would change that now. ¡°Let¡¯s call it for the morning, Lilith. Even if we keep going, the result will probably be the same.¡± ¡°¡­If we could go one more round¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already asked for ¡®just one more¡¯ three times now. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe in you, but it¡¯s important not to overexert yourself. I think you know that as well as I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We still have tasks to tackle in the afternoon. If you tire yourself out now, it¡¯ll only push everything back. Why not rest after lunch, so you¡¯ll be fresh for sparringter?¡± ¡°¡­Understood. We¡¯ll stop here for now.¡± Despite my growing fatigue and the diminishing returns of each round, I reluctantly agreed to end the morning session. Ethan¡¯s concern was appreciated, even if it stung a little to admit I couldn¡¯t continue. ? ? ? Since the day we agreed to exchange rewards for sparring victories, a week had flown by. Naturally, there hadn¡¯t been any miraculous breakthroughs on my end¡ªI was still nowhere nearnding a single win against Ethan. After all, Ethan had spent about a third of his life devoted to swordsmanship. There was no way I¡¯d catch up in a few days, barring some magical protagonist buff or an intervention by a hidden master. ng, ng, ng! ¡°Lilith, your grip on the left sword is slipping again! Hold it tightly!¡± ¡°Nngh, aaagh¡­!¡± In all fairness, Ethan had proven to be a pretty earnest instructor, perhaps owing to Harold¡¯s influence. Having watched my sparring with Ethan over the years, he was well aware of my habits and ws, and he took the time to point them out. The fact that he could offer advice so freely during our match also meant he was still holding back. I was reminded of just how far I still had to go. Several times, I fell for openings he left ¡°on purpose.¡± It was frustratingly clear that he could predict my moves well before I made them. Whoosh! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough, Lilith.¡± Thud! Thinking I¡¯d spotted a w, I threw myself into an attack. But Ethan twisted away as if he knew exactly what I¡¯d do, knocking me down with a tap of his sword hilt. I tumbled forward, my body off-bnce from the ovemitment. St! ¡°Haah¡­ haah¡­¡± Ethan gave me a guilty look as Iy sprawled on the ground, covered in dirt. He had shown concern the first couple of times I¡¯d fallen during training, but after I¡¯d scolded him for it, he simply watched me in silence when it happened now. I¡¯d told him once that if he kept worrying about me during sparring, neither of us would be able to fight seriously. The look on his face was empathetic, but his form remained guarded, offering no gaps¡ªif anything, he was even more difficult to read than Harold. It¡¯s like he knows exactly what I¡¯m going to do. It wasn¡¯t just a difference in the use of magic or physical prowess. I had barely managed to trick Harold, a true master, with magical feints, but Ethan seemed to anticipate my every move. While Harold might have had an edge in pure skill, Ethan¡¯s familiarity with my technique made him a more formidable opponent in some ways. Tap, tap. ¡°Let¡¯s go again, Master Ethan.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith. I¡¯m always ready.¡± Ethan¡¯s face remained calm andposed, as if he could easily handle me, no matter how hard I tried. At this point, I didn¡¯t care so much about the reward anymore¡ªI just wanted to wipe that look off his face. ng, ng, ng! ¡°Keep at it, Lilith! Hold firm with your left hand! Remember, block with your right!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep repeating it! I know¡­!¡± Ethan continued to offer advice, his tone casual yet encouraging, while I threw myself at him with all my might. After five more rounds, each ending in defeat, our sparring session finally came to an end. Chapter 412 After the afternoon training session, I found myself in the ckwood family¡¯s grand bath. Thanks to Ethan¡¯s consideration, I was able to rx in this luxurious tub instead of the small showers typically reserved for the servants. But despite the fine bath, my mood remained gloomy. A week of bitter defeat wasn¡¯t something a warm bath could easily wash away. Ssh, ssh. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± ¡­This is exhausting. For a week now, I¡¯d been sparring with Ethan, and yet I hadn¡¯t found a single weakness. Even though we both used dual swords, Ethan seemed to see and react to so much more than I did. While my dagger had the disadvantage of a shorter reach, it also offered advantages in speed and endurance that should have helped. But as I pondered how I might finally win a round against Ethan, I felt Isabel¡¯s hands massaging my shoulders from behind. ¡°Still thinking about Master Ethan, Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ though specifically about our sparring sessions.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been working hard with himtely. Did you two make some kind of bet?¡± ¡°¡­Not quite a bet. Just a reward of sorts if I do well.¡± ¡°Must be some reward if it has you working so hard you¡¯re worn out every day.¡± I couldn¡¯t exactly exin the nature of my reward to my innocent friend, so I simply nodded in response. Isabel, fortunately, didn¡¯t press for details. She just kept massaging my shoulders in silence. Recently, after every sparring session, Isabel had been helping me with my bath. Apparently, Ethan had instructed her and Catarina to assist me, given that I oftencked the energy to wash up myself. While being attended to by a fellow maid didn¡¯t stir any inappropriate thoughts, it was definitely morefortable to be washed than to wash myself. ¡°I feel bad for making you help with my bath every day.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t mind at all! I¡¯d dly do this for you, even without Master Ethan¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°If you say it like that, it makes me feel a bit guilty. It¡¯s a little strange for us maids to be bathing each other, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not exactly the same. And besides, I¡¯ll probably keep doing this for you anyway.¡± ¡­ By ¡°keep doing this,¡± she probably meant I¡¯d continue training with Ethan until I was exhausted and needed help. I felt a bit mischievous, so I turned and started to massage her shoulders in return. Squeeze! ¡°Ah, hey!¡± ¡°You need a massage too, Isabel. Let¡¯s see how you like it.¡± Squeeze, squeeze! ¡°Heehee! Stop it! It tickles, Lilith¡­!¡± After some yful sshing in the tub, I stood up, feeling a bit lighter. With Isabel¡¯s devoted care, washing even my body, I almost felt like thedy of ckwood Estate. Not that I ever would be, of course. ¡°I remember when Master Ethan used to train intensely like you¡¯re doing now.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, you mean right before he joined the academy?¡± ¡°He was dedicated then, but I meanst summer. He was just as driven as you are now.¡± ¡°Last summer¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It was the first time I know of that Master Ethan won a round against his father without a handicap.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I remember now.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡­That brought back memories. Ethan had been dealing with the issues surrounding MacHart, and finally, he had time to¡­ spend with me. I remember how I¡¯d tried to entice him by getting into the same bath, hoping to spur on his desires a little. Whatever effect that little seduction had had, it must have worked; not long after, Ethan had won his first match against Harold. Wait, so Isabel sees me as acting like Ethan when he was raring to go¡­? Does Isabel think I¡¯m desperate to be with Ethan? Well, I couldn¡¯t deny feeling frustrated over theck of¡­ intimacytely, but did I really seem that eager? ¡­Surely not to that extent. Our goals might be simr, but I wasn¡¯t that desperate. Still, hearing Isabel¡¯s thoughts helped ground me. It was like she¡¯d given me a sense of rity on how to focus my resolve. ¡°Thank you, Isabel. I needed that insight.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Insight? I¡¯m d I helped, but I don¡¯t recall saying anything special.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t realize it; thanks to her offhand remarks, I felt my determination solidify. ? ? ? ng, ng, ng! ¡°Lilith, focus! Watch where my sword is going!¡± ¡°I¡­ am watching!¡± A week and a day after our sparring arrangement had begun, and Ethan was still offering me sincere advice as we shed swords. He seemed genuinely invested in helping me im a victory, entirely on my own terms. ng! ¡°Yes! Defend from the inside out! You¡¯re getting there!¡± ¡°Ungh¡­ ahhh!¡± Watching Lilith throw herself into every attack, Ethan found himself reminded of his own past. He wasn¡¯t imagining it. He knew exactly how she felt, given he had once trained just as hard to earn a night of¡­ reward. Though he still cherished those moments with Lilith as a driving force behind his training, it made him happy to see her fighting so hard for the same reward. It was a shared desire, not just his alone. ng, ng, ng! ¡°Ahhh! Ngh¡­!¡± Of course, no amount of willpower or desire alone could bridge the gap between them. Ethan knew Lilith¡¯s swordy better than anyone, having sparred countless times and watched her every move. He was certain that she wouldn¡¯t be able to im a victory before summer ended. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The speed¡¯s impressive, but she¡¯s too impatient, as if she¡¯s being chased. ¡°Haah!¡± At least she¡¯s better at masking her movements, but it¡¯s not enough tond a decisive blow. Ethan genuinely wanted her to win, but that didn¡¯t mean he would hold back. If he did, it would only insult her pride, and she had made it clear that she didn¡¯t want him to go easy on her. So, when he spotted an opening, he didn¡¯t hesitate. He struck at her protective barrier. Crash! ¡°Ah! Argh!¡± With the sound of her barrier shattering, Lilith¡¯s struggle came to an end for the day. Another afternoon spent shing swords with no victories to show for it. He could only imagine her frustration, but he kept his voice steady and calm. ¡°You did well, Lilith.¡± ¡°Th-thank you, Master Ethan¡­¡± Breathing heavily, she took his hand and rose to her feet for the final exchange of the session. Though she had been trying her hardest, she had yet to win even a single match. After their final bow, Ethan headed to the ckwood grand bath to rx, though today he was apanied by another maid who followed silently behind him. Chapter 413 In order to solidify my resolve toward Ethan, I followed him into the ckwood Estate¡¯s grand bath after our training session. He only noticed I¡¯de along once we reached the changing room, and as he saw me ready to enter the bath with him, he tilted his head curiously. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Did you want to bathe first? You look pretty tired¡ªI can wait.¡± ¡°No, thank you. As your personal maid, I could never bathe before you at ckwood Estate.¡± No matter how exhausted I was, I had my pride as a maid. I¡¯d never let myself act improperly by entering the bath before my master. ¡°Then¡­ is there another reason you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to assist with your bath, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s been a while. I thought I might attend to your bath, as I used to¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s face turned a shade of red, mirroring my own. The act of bathing together meant seeing each otherpletely bare¡ªa sight that would surely bring a flush to anyone¡¯s cheeks. Despite everything we¡¯d been through, the sight of each other¡¯s bare bodies still felt too¡­ intimate. ¡°Lilith, if you can¡¯t hold back, it¡¯s okay to just say so.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re implying, Master Ethan. I simply wish to help you with your bath, nothing more.¡± ¡°Then why is your face red?¡± ¡°Well, yours is red too, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°My face being red isn¡¯t the point. The question is why you¡¯ve suddenly decided to help with my bath.¡± For once, Ethan wasn¡¯t letting this go as easily as he usually did. I figured he was mindful of my statement about not expecting rewards until I could win a sparring match. If he indulged my impulses here, it would be as if I was giving up on the training, breaking our agreed-upon boundaries. If he genuinely wanted me to improve in swordsmanship, I knew he wouldn¡¯tply even if I insisted. And honestly, I wasn¡¯t here to abandon my goals for a fleeting indulgence. ¡­No, I just wanted to renew my motivation. If I could objectively confirm just how much I wanted to¡­ be rewarded by Ethan, maybe it would give me the drive I needed to persevere through our arduous training sessions. Just like that day a year ago when I motivated him in the bath to take down Harold. ¡°It¡¯s my way of showing gratitude, Master Ethan. You¡¯ve taken time out of your busy schedule to spar with me, so I want to do something in return.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure this isn¡¯t just something you want to do?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want me to attend to you?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason to refuse, is there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only concerned that it might affect your motivation. You¡¯re working so hard to earn a reward, and I wouldn¡¯t want you to lose your drive because of this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As embarrassing as it is to admit, I¡¯ve always been motivated by the idea of receiving a ¡®reward¡¯ from you, Lilith.¡± ¡­It made sense that he would think that way, given he¡¯d been in my position before. Training that uses primal desire as a motivator tends to lose its effectiveness once that desire is satisfied. But even so, my physical needs had been simmering for nearly two months, and we¡¯d done all sorts of things together during that time. We¡¯d shared baths, fallen asleep in each other¡¯s arms, touched each other¡¯s bodies, even¡­ exchanged other pleasures. But the fact that I still felt this desire meant that it would only be relieved through the actual act itself. Attending to his bath wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°I swear on my honor as a maid that I won¡¯t expect any rewards without earning them first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I only wish to assist with your bath, to remind myself how much I desire that ¡®reward.¡¯ If you feel at any point that I¡¯m crossing a line, you can send me away.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith. If you insist, then I suppose I have no choice.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Ethan.¡± With his permission granted, I entered the changing room beside him. As I helped him out of his clothes, he gave me onest cautious nce. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re not nning anything inappropriate?¡± ¡°Yes. I intend to be as professional as I was when we bathed together at Professor Mamari¡¯s vi. There will be no inappropriate actions whatsoever.¡± ¡°¡­So that kind of thing doesn¡¯t count as inappropriate for you anymore?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Nothing. Never mind.¡± With that, Ethan shot me a strange, almost pitying look. ? ? ? Unable to refuse Lilith¡¯s request, Ethan found himself in the bath with her. This wasn¡¯t their first time sharing a bath, but it was always a heart-thumping experience to be in such close quarters with her, especially with nothing between them. *¡­This feeling never gets any less intense.* Even when he tried to avert his eyes, his gaze would inevitably drift back to her curves. Her ample chest, which seemed even fuller than it had been a few years ago, and her soft, toned figure were hard to ignore. Her body was practically designed to tempt him, and despite his efforts, he couldn¡¯t help but take in the sight. *It¡¯s almost as if¡­ her chest has grown over the years.* There was a rumor among the academy students that a woman¡¯s chest could grow if a man regrly¡­ appreciated them. If that were true, then maybe he was to me. Feeling a surge of heat, Ethan struggled to think of anything else to distract himself. *Calm down. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen her like this. Even though she looks so¡­ well, I have to keep it together.* Lilith had assured him that she wasn¡¯t nning anything inappropriate, so he did his best to control himself. While her standards for what constituted as ¡°appropriate¡± were perhaps a bit looser than his, the two of them had made it clear that anything more intimate was to be saved for the rewards they earned. No matter how much she tempted him, Ethan had resolved to resist. She¡¯d told him to kick her out if she did anything improper, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. He couldn¡¯t possibly send her away once they¡¯d started. ¡°I¡¯ll begin by washing your hair,¡± she said. ¡°Alright, Lilith.¡± Though he could manage on his own, Ethan let her take the lead. He sat down on a low stool, facing away from her. Just when he thought he might be able to rx, his calm was shattered. *Soft¡­* ¡°Urk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He felt the unmistakable sensation of something soft pressing against the back of his neck as she leaned in to wash his hair. Chapter 414 Ethan felt an initial wave of embarrassment as he noticed the soft sensation of Lilith''s chest against his neck. Though this wasn''t an unfamiliar situation¡ªhe had experienced simr moments during their past shared baths¡ªthis time, it felt different. It wasn¡¯t just the physical contact; Ethan was also aware of his pent-up desires, which made everything feel more intense. For a long time now, his rtionship with this lewd maid had grown deeper, to the point where he often relied on her to relieve his urges. Over time, he had be ustomed to receiving her attention, and it had dulled the effectiveness of any other form of relief. Lilith¡¯s touch had be something he craved beyond the simplicity of self-satisfaction. Moreover, it had been two weeks since that day at Plyana Beach, where Lilith had given him a ¡°hand¡± with his urges. Since then, he hadn¡¯t even indulged in self-relief, so the return of Lilith¡¯s touch was like an electric shock. Under ordinary circumstances, he might have brushed it off with a smirk, but his sensitivity today left him no room for that. ¡°S-sorry, Master Ethan. I was just reaching for the soap¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t intentional, then it¡¯s fine, Lilith.¡± He could have used this as a reason to send her out of the bath, but that wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s style. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to kick her out¡ªnot when she was offering to attend to him like this. Besides, he¡¯d built up enough resistance to most of her advances that he figured he could handle it. *Yeah, this is manageable. After all, we¡¯ve done far more than this in our exploratory sessions for Spirit Arts and Necromancy.* As he tried to settle himself, Lilith began washing his hair, pouring warm water over his scalp. Her fingers massaged his head,thering up the soap, but he couldn¡¯t enjoy it. It wasn¡¯t just her fingers that he felt; he could also feel the unmistakable softness pressing against his back. *Squeeze, squeeze.* The sensation of her hands massaging his scalp was joined by the feeling of something soft rubbing against his back¡ªthe same parts that had embraced his neck moments ago. He chose to ignore it, though he couldn¡¯t dismiss the sensation entirely. It was impossible to ignore the way the firm centers of those soft mounds brushed against him. *For someone who said this wouldn¡¯t be lewd¡­* Her body¡¯s reactions seemed to betray her own statements, but he knew it would be risky to confront her about it. Acknowledging her physical reactions meant that he, too, was paying close attention to her body, which could backfire if she turned it around on him. ¡°Is thisfortable for you, Master Ethan?¡± she asked, her tone carefully neutral. ¡°Yes, it feels nice to have you help me like this.¡± ¡°Is there anywhere else you¡¯d like me to¡­ rub?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ no, just do whatever you think is best.¡± His thoughts betrayed him, briefly imagining her rubbing something other than his shoulders. Lilith, meanwhile, seemed to be fulfilling her own purpose by touching him like this. *So his back is broader from all the training. I thought so when we were at Professor Mamari¡¯s vi¡­* She was reinforcing her motivation, reminding herself of why she wanted him so badly. It wasn¡¯t just about the reward¡ªit was about the attraction she felt toward him. Her past identity as a man had faded away after their first time together, and now, she was merely a woman with a lingering male memory. *Maybe next time, I¡¯ll ask him to take me from the top position¡­* Her thoughts drifted to their potential future encounters, even though only her chest was pressing against him.@@novelbin@@ ¡°I¡¯m going to rinse now.¡± *Ssh!* They continued, each indulging in their own thoughts as Lilith washed Ethan¡¯s back, shoulders, and arms. Every touch was an opportunity for her to rekindle her desires, confirming to herself just how much she wanted him. *Scrub, scrub.* ¡°Is this alright for you, Master Ethan?¡± she asked while washing his lower back. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect.¡± As she reached his arms, she admired the strength in them, remembering how he had lifted her so effortlessly before. His body was hard and toned from years of training. ¡°Your arms are quite strong, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Well, daily training does that.¡± Lilith let her hands linger a bit longer on his chest and abdomen, reminding herself of how firm his muscles were. Each touch seemed to fuel her more, but she held herself back. She was using this bath to reaffirm her motivation, reminding herself of why she was so determined to earn a victory over him. *God, I want him so badly right now¡­* Her desires boiled over, but she steeled herself, mentally preparing to face another grueling round of sparring, now with even more determination. Meanwhile, Ethan was silently enduring one of the most torturous baths of his life. Her hands roamed over his chest and shoulders, and her soft body continued to brush against him, making it hard to think straight. Even his father wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist under these circumstances, he thought. He clenched his fists, trying to focus, but the moment her hands wandered further south, he nearly lost it. *Grip.* ¡°Hnn¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilith¡¯s hand had reached a part of him that no bath attendant would typically wash, causing him to let out an involuntary gasp. She didn¡¯t seem to react, though; she merely continued, as if attending to his ¡°essential¡± areas was just another part of her job. *She¡¯s¡­ thorough, I¡¯ll give her that.* Instead of calling her out, Ethan chose to let her proceed. He had half-expected her to do something this audacious, after all. He took in a shaky breath as she continued, feeling his body react against his will. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lilith pressed on without asking if he wasfortable, both of them silent but fully aware of what was happening. The tension built with each passing moment, and it wasn¡¯t long before Ethan¡¯s body couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He reached his limit within minutes. ¡°Hah¡­ ah¡­!¡± ¡°!!!¡± Lilith¡¯s hand stilled as Ethan¡¯s release escaped, both of them catching their breath in the aftermath. She chose not to acknowledge what had just happened, instead offering a flimsy excuse. ¡°I apologize, Master Ethan. Some of the soap seems to have sshed further than I intended.¡± ¡°Y-yes, be more careful next time¡­¡± They both pretended nothing had happened, avoiding any further acknowledgment. They knew that to speak of it would undermine all the work they¡¯d put into their training. After all, the ¡°reward¡± was supposed to be reserved for when Lilith won a round against him. Until then, no matter how strong the temptation, they couldn¡¯t allow themselves to cross that line. This rule was one they both knew well and one they would never break. ¡°I¡¯ve finished washing you, Master Ethan. Please, feel free to enter the bath now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lilith. Make sure to join me once you¡¯ve rinsed off.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, of course.¡± They hadn¡¯t fully relieved their desires, but this bath had only strengthened their resolve. *I¡¯m going to win no matter what. I¡¯ll make him mine next time.* *I hope she manages to win soon. For both our sakes.* The bath may have been intense, but they both came away from it with their resolve clearer than ever. Chapter 415 In the deste, windswept mountains of Myene, two figures trudged forward, both d in heavy winter gear to guard against the biting chill. The bleakness of thendscape around them was only emphasized by the absence of any other travelers.@@novelbin@@ *Step, step.* ¡°Hah¡­ huff¡­ hah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± *Step, step.* ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ haah¡­¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s take a break. You seem quite worn out.¡± The tall man leading the way through the rugged terrain nced back, offering a calm suggestion to the woman following him. Exhausted, she immediately dropped to the ground, too out of breath to respond. *Thud.* ¡°Huff¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I keep holding us back¡­¡± ¡°No need to apologize. Had it not been for your suggestion, I wouldn¡¯t have thought to visit this ce in the first ce.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry to bring this up, but¡­ perhaps if you¡¯d carry me, we could make better time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t amodate that. I made a vow to never hold another woman apart from Tanacia. Even though you¡¯re a princess, I won¡¯t break that promise.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­ I was just joking. Just in case we can¡¯t make it back before the end of summer vacation¡­¡± With a slightly embarrassed smile, she looked away. As she adjusted her scarf and removed her hat to rest, her golden hair¡ªmarked with the emblem of royalty¡ªtumbled out, revealing the face of Mezlenn Emilia Valtoria, the fourth princess of the Argantia Empire. Here she was, taking what she considered a ¡°date¡± with her beloved Harold. Even though their ¡°date¡± involved a grueling hike up a remote mountain, and Harold seemed to think it was anything but romantic, she couldn¡¯t have been happier. *Gulp, gulp.* ¡°Ahh¡­¡± After quenching her parched throat with a quick sip from her canteen, Mezlenn offered it to Harold, who watched her with a neutral expression. ¡°Professor Harold, would you like some water? It might help to keep hydrated¡­¡± ¡°No need. Back when I was a soldier, I went a week without water and managed fine.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not a battlefield anymore¡­ and staying hydrated is essential¡­¡± ¡°True, but that canteen barely holds enough for one person. Didn¡¯t you say the next water source is still two days away?¡± ¡°I can manage two days without water.¡± Mezlenn wasn¡¯t fooling anyone¡ªnot Harold, at least. He knew very well that she wouldn¡¯tst half a day without it. Still, sensing that the journey would only be further dyed by her stubbornness, Harold took the canteen from her outstretched hand and took a drink. ¡°Very well, thank you.¡± *Gulp, gulp.* ¡°Ah¡­¡± As he drank, Mezlenn blushed, watching him with dreamy eyes. To Harold, it was a simple act of sharing water, but for Mezlenn, it felt like an indirect kiss. It was the closest she hade to intimate contact with him, and her heart raced at the thought. *I never imagined my first kiss would happen like this, but¡­ I¡¯m notining. Harold, you have no choice now but to marry me¡­* She endured the harsh climb and the weariness of her body by envisioning a rosy future with Harold. Each time her strength gged, she renewed her resolve by conjuring fantasies of them together. Her mind drifted to the reason they were on this trek in the first ce: a quest to find the rare Aprian Flower. This journey, though grueling, was one she had nned for weeks. During her research, she¡¯d discovered that this elusive flower could be used to create a treatment for the disease that had imed Harold¡¯ste wife, Tanacia Brycewell ckwood. Her objective was twofold: she wanted to find the Aprian Flower to prove her dedication to Harold and possibly bring closure to the man she loved by offering him a way to fight the illness that had taken Tanacia from him. *If I can convince him to protect me while I search¡­ maybe he¡¯ll start to see me differently.* At first, Harold had been reluctant, citing his responsibilities as the head of the ckwood Estate, even during the summer break. However, when she mentioned her intentions to research the flower¡¯s medicinal properties, his attitude changed. *shback.* *¡°I¡¯d like to explore the northern mountains over the summer, and I¡¯d be honored if you would apany me as my escort.¡±* *¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯tmit to that, Princess. My duties at the ckwood Estate can¡¯t be neglected, even during the break.¡±* *¡°I see¡­ well, I suppose I¡¯ll find someone else to apany me, then.¡±* *¡°What business do you have in the mountains?¡±* *¡°I¡¯d like to gather Aprian Flowers and study their cultivation¡­ I¡¯m interested in developing a treatment for magic-induced blood sclerosis¡­¡±* *¡°Aprian Flowers? You mean the flowers used to treat magic-induced blood sclerosis?¡±* *¡°Yes¡­ I came across some research recently, and it piqued my interest¡­¡±* *¡°Very well. If that¡¯s your purpose, I¡¯ll join you.¡±* And so, their expedition began. ¡°Ah, here¡¯s another one!¡± Mezlenn called out as she spotted a cluster of pale blooms nestled among the rocks. ¡°You certainly have a talent for finding them. Must be a royal¡¯s unique magic,¡± Harold replied with a hint of admiration. ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m royalty; it¡¯s because I¡¯m talented.¡± ¡°So, which direction are we headed next?¡± ¡°North¡­ it¡¯ll take a day, or maybe two if we have to go around.¡± ¡°Why such a difference? Are you getting tired?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ there¡¯s a twenty-meter cliff in the way. We could take a longer path, but it¡¯ll add another day¡­¡± Scaling a cliff was hardly an issue for a man of Harold¡¯s experience, especially not with his military background. Carrying someone else, though? ¡°I¡¯ll carry you down when we get there. We¡¯ll head north.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯ll carry me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to waste any more time than necessary. The more Aprian Flowers we gather, the more likely you¡¯ll be able to cultivate them sessfully.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, Professor Harold! Then let¡¯s go north!¡± As she practically skipped ahead, Harold couldn¡¯t help but notice her enthusiasm. He might have been oblivious to emotions in general, but after observing his son¡¯s rtionship with Lilith, he had learned a thing or two about romantic feelings. Although he could never reciprocate Mezlenn¡¯s affections, he had no intention of rejecting her help. Her assistance was invaluable in finding a cure for the disease that had taken Tanacia¡¯s life, and he could not simply dismiss her feelings. *I wonder how Ethan and Lilith are getting on. They should have received my letter by now.* He had a sense that the two of them were engaged in some kind of sparring and that Lilith might be rewarding Ethan for each victory. Although he felt a bit guilty about interrupting their routine, he hoped they wouldn¡¯t lose focus in his absence. *I do worry they might let their guard down without me around, especially given their age and tendencies¡­* Contrary to Harold¡¯s concerns, Ethan and Lilith were managing to control themselves¡ªat least for the time being. Though they had found other ways to channel some of their restrained desires, they were continuing to uphold the structure and discipline that he valued so deeply. Chapter 416 The day after my brief excursion with Ethan in the bath for a little extra motivation, we returned to the training ground as if nothing had happened. Today, however, something had changed¡ªwhile Ethan may not have noticed yet, I certainly had. The floundering swordswoman Lilith ckwood Rosewood of yesterday was gone. Today, I stood as a warrior, focused solely on victory. With each swing of my twin des, I felt an unusual rity, a heightened sense of purpose. The paths of Ethan¡¯s sword moves were almost visible, as if guiding my own attacks. *ng! ng! ng!* ¡°L-Lilith?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan, taken aback by my new intensity, struggled to keep up, and for once, he had no time to offer his usual advice on my form. His surprise told me all I needed to know: I was giving him a run for his money. *Whoosh!* *This direction¡­!* *ng!* ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± ¡°Pant¡­ pant¡­¡± In the midst of our shing swords, I found myself anticipating his moves and intercepting them with my own. We both realized the significance of the moment, locking eyes as our swords collided once more. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to catch that, Lilith.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t either. I just¡­ felt like that was where I needed to be.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve improved drastically overnight. Did you train while I wasn¡¯t looking?¡± ¡°¡­No, nothing like that.¡± In a way, I had, but my ¡°training¡± hadn¡¯t been of the typical sort. After all, I couldn¡¯t very well admit that handling Ethan¡¯s body the previous evening had fueled my desire to win. I just gave a vague response and left it at that. ¡°Maybe we should rest a bit. We¡¯ve been at it for ten minutes straight.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, Ethan.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worn out? You sound more exhausted than I do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, but I can still go on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to take a break than push ourselves to the limit and pass out in this heat.¡± ¡°¡­Understood, Ethan.¡± Though I could have continued, I knew the importance of preserving my strength. I wanted a clean, well-earned victory, one that left no room for doubt. *I¡¯m twice as strong today.* I could barely stand after just a few rounds yesterday, but today I had withstood Ethan¡¯s attacks and had only been forced down twice. It was a vast improvement, no matter how I looked at it. *Say, can you cool down the canteen with a wind spell?* *¡­Sure.* Handing Ethan the freshly chilled water, I gestured for him to drink. ¡°Ethan, you should hydrate during the break.¡± ¡°You look thirstier than I do. Go ahead and drink first.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s proper that you go first.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± Though I was thirsty, etiquette demanded that Ethan go first. Watching him drink from the canteen, I had a fleeting thought. *Wait, is this¡­ an indirect kiss?* I shouldn¡¯t be concerned about something so trivial now, right? After everything we¡¯ve been through, including actual kisses and far more intimate moments, an indirect kiss was hardly worth dwelling on. After Ethan quenched his thirst, he passed the canteen back to me. ¡°Your turn, Lilith.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yes, Ethan.¡± Despite my minor revtion, I raised the canteen to my lips without a second thought. Indirect kisses were nothing; it was direct ones I was craving. When was thest time we even kissed? The beach, maybe? No¡­ that was¡­ other things. *Wait, has it really been this long since we kissed? Could we be¡­ in a sort of rut?* Physical intimacy was one thing, but real affection required more. Though I didn¡¯t doubt Ethan¡¯s love for me, the idea that we hadn¡¯t shared a meaningful kiss in ages was a bit of a wake-up call. *Maybe I should ask for a kiss if I win this time. It¡¯s hardly a scandalous request.* ¡°Lilith, aren¡¯t you going to drink?¡± ¡°Uh¡ªyes?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve just been holding the canteen. Worried about the indirect kiss?¡± ¡°Wha¡ª?! You can¡¯t be serious, Ethan! I¡¯m certainly not the sort to fret over something as trivial as an indirect kiss with you, given that I¡ªuh, well, never mind!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not the indirect kiss part that bothers me, but maybe thatst bit was more than you needed to say.¡± In an attempt to brush it off, I drank from the canteen without hesitation. I had nothing to prove here¡ªour rtionship had already surpassed such trivialities. *Gulp, gulp.* ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve rested enough! Shall we resume our match, Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Sure, Lilith.¡± My resolve was now solidified; there was no turning back. ? ? ? After a brief break, we resumed, and an hour passed by in a blur. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± ¡°Pant¡­ pant¡­¡± By now, we had spent most of the afternoon sparring. We were both worn down, but in a way, we were evenly matched. I had managed to keep pace with Ethan, even targeting his vulnerable spots. *I can almost feel it¡ªone more strike and I might actually win a round.* Sword Expert¡¯s ¡°Sword Path¡± became increasingly clear to me. My anticipation grew, and I knew this could be thest round of the day. The clock was approaching 7 PM; this would be our final match. I was determined to secure my reward today. *I can¡¯t let this chance slip by.* With both hands gripping my daggers, I readied myself for Ethan¡¯s approach. *Thud, thud.* *It¡¯s visible.* His first move¡ªa swift downward strike to unbnce me. I evaded it by twisting my body to the side, throwing Ethan off slightly. *Whoosh!* ¡°Gah¡­!¡± He stumbled, and for a split second, I saw the opening I¡¯d been waiting for. I lunged forward, aiming at his left side. *ng!* ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± I had misjudged it, but only slightly. I thought I had him, but Ethan managed a quick recovery, deflecting my dagger. Yet, the momentum was mine now. I forced him into a defensive position, pressing my advantage. If I could just exploit one more opening, I would have him. *ng! ng!* *There!* This was it¡ªEthan¡¯s feigned vulnerability, the same bait he always dangled. But this time, I could see through it. As he prepared to sidestep, I anticipated his move and twisted to counter. *Whoosh!* ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± *Now!* While he tried to regain his stance, I threw my dagger, aiming directly at his exposed side. *ng!* The sound of his mana barrier shattering filled the air as my de found its mark. I had done it¡ªI had won a round. For the first time in ten days of intense sparring, I had finally scored a victory. Chapter 417 Victory over Ethan. My first win. After ten days of hard work, the moment of triumph wrapped me in an overwhelming sense of joy. "Yes! Finally!!" In the past ten days, Ethan and I crossed swords over a hundred times. Counting every single session, even before we discussed any rewards, we must have dueled almost a thousand times. So, the euphoria that filled my mind was undeniable as I imed this hard-won victory. ¡°Yes! I did it! I finally won¡­!¡± ¡°Are you that happy, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡­Caught up in the moment, I screamed like a madwoman, and now Ethan was staring at me with a slightly bemused expression. It finally dawned on me that I was still in front of him, and I hurriedly tried to pull myself together. ¡°...My apologies, Master Ethan. That outburst was simply an unconscious reaction to my happiness and was in no way intended to insult you¡­¡± ¡°I know. I can tell you¡¯re genuinely happy about your victory, and I also know you tend to restrain your emotions most of the time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I never imagined you¡¯d capitalize on my first mistake and take the match with a final strike. This sparring session was truly remarkable.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for the high praise.¡± With both of us exhausted, it was a final blow that I barely managed, but Ethan acknowledged my victory. Looking at his cheerful expression, it even seemed like he had been hoping for me to win. It reminded me of the way Harold had taught Ethan swordsmanship¡ªEthan was likely enjoying teaching me as well, with the heart of a mentor watching their student grow. ¡°Seeing you so thrilled makes me a bit shy. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so eager for your reward.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Right, that was the reason I had been focusing so intensely until the end. I was so caught up in the victory itself that I forgot why I had been sparring with Ethan daily in the first ce. And what my triumphant disy must have looked like to him. ¡®He probably thinks I look like some crazed woman, desperate for sex.¡¯ An absurd misunderstanding, but it was already toote to correct it. Besides, making excuses would only make me look even more pathetic and fake. ¡­And honestly, I still wanted that reward, so there was no need toplicate things by saying too much. The real issue was figuring out how to make the most of the ¡®one night¡¯ I¡¯d earned from Ethan. ¡°How do you want your reward, Lilith? I¡¯m fine with tonight, if you are.¡± ¡°¡­How much work is left for you here on the ckwood estate, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Not sure why you¡¯re asking, but I¡¯d say there¡¯s at least another three days of work. The urgent matters should be handled within that time frame, and once I¡¯ve sent out the necessary letters, I¡¯ll have to wait for replies, so I should be free for a while.¡± ¡°Then, would it be eptable if I received my reward after you¡¯ve taken care of all your business?¡± ¡°Hm?¡±@@novelbin@@ Ethan tilted his head slightly, looking puzzled, but I was serious. Since I¡¯d earned this reward, I wanted to be thorough with my preparations. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if that¡¯s what you want¡­ Are you sure?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°You were so happy just now¡ªdo you think you can wait three more days?¡± ¡°¡­The joy I showed was purely from winning our sparring match, not from the thought of receiving my reward immediately. Just because I didn¡¯t protest thest time in bed, does that mean you see me as some kind of lewd maid, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, no, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Ethan shook his head, a strange silence settling between us. ¡°Either way, I¡¯d prefer to receive my reward when you have a clear mind, without any pressing matters hanging over you. I think it would be better to wait until all your tasks areplete so you can enjoy it freely.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then that¡¯s fine by me. I think it¡¯s a good idea too.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then I would like to schedule my reward for four days from now¡ªafter all matters are settled.¡± ¡°¡­Four days from now?¡± ¡°Yes, four days.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Ethan nodded, though he seemed to sense something odd about it. And so, the timing of the reward I earned after a thousand rounds of sparring was set. The day after I secured my victory over Ethan and scheduled my reward, we both sat in Harold¡¯s office, attending to the various tasks that hade up for the ckwood family. Scheduling the reward for four dayster was for two main reasons. One, as I mentioned, I wanted to receive my reward from an Ethan who was free from pressing duties and had a rxed mind. Two, if I imed my reward on the third night, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fully enjoy it. Having earned this hard-won victory, I wanted to take a whole day to savor it properly. ¡­Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I nned to spend the entire day in bed with Ethan, tangled up with him non-stop. Realistically, I¡¯d probably tire out before he would, given the difference in stamina. Instead, I wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to go on a date around the ckwood estate and spend some quality time together. Then, we could enjoy afortable, intimate moment as the day ended. Since he¡¯d indulged my whim thest time with the cat ears and tail, he¡¯d probably agree to a few more requests this time around. ¡­With these thoughts, I felt more at ease about waiting for the reward. But not even a day had passed before I started to regret this decision. Knowing that I could finally im the reward seemed to ignite a fire inside me that refused to be ignored. ¡®Damn it¡­ I really want him¡­¡¯ Just yesterday, I hadn¡¯t felt anything unusual, but only a dayter, the longing red up inside me again. Up until now, I¡¯d had the self-control to hold back because I knew there would be no reward until I won. But now that I¡¯d finally won a round, my restraint was slipping away. It was as if my body was demanding, ¡®You won, so why aren¡¯t you getting what you want?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t helping that we were both confined in the office, with me acting as his maid and unable to leave his side. The longer we stayed in this small space, the stronger his scent seemed to be, or so it felt to me. ¡°Lilith, could youe here for a moment and help with this?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Master Ethan.¡± He called me over to assist with a letter, so I stood up from the table and moved to Ethan¡¯s desk (which was really Harold¡¯s desk) a short distance away. ¡°What can I help you with, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°This letter is from Silverwood, and this one is from Greenwood. For the Silverwood letter, I want you to respond positively. For Greenwood¡­¡± -Plop. ¡°Huh? Aaah!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Suddenly, our fingers brushed against each other, and I instinctively let out a yelp. Ethan, startled by my reaction, dropped the paper he had been holding. -Flip, flip. ¡°¡­S-Sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do you want to take a break? You don¡¯t have to help if you¡¯re too tired¡­¡± ¡°N-No, I¡¯m fine. Helping you means we can finish faster.¡± Quickly gathering the scattered letters from the floor, I felt relieved that there weren¡¯t too many. As I picked up thest one, I found myself almost at eye level with Ethan¡¯s waist. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lilith?¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡­I must have lost my mind for a moment. I was able to snap back when I heard his voice and hurriedly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll draft replies for these letters as you instructed, Master Ethan. You said a positive response for Silverwood?¡± ¡°Yes. For Greenwood, just ask for more time. But if it¡¯s too much for you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine! I¡¯ll get started on them at the other table now!¡± ¡°¡­All right, Lilith.¡± Three more days. Just three more days until I could finally im my reward from Ethan. ¡­What am I, a beast? I can hold out for three days, no problem. Chapter 418 Two days had passed since my victory over Ethan in our sword duel. And now, there were just two days left before I could im my reward. However, the desire that had initially consumed me on the first day had only grown stronger on the second, making it even harder to resist. -Scratch, scratch. ¡°...¡± -Scratch, scratch, scratch. ¡°...¡± As I waited in Ethan''s office, with no tasks to upy me, my gaze was fixed on him as he worked. He seemed oblivious, engrossed in his duties, but I¡¯d been watching his hands move across the desk for over an hour now. ...Just watching them stirred something indecent within me. ¡®Considering everything we¡¯ve done together, it¡¯s not surprising...¡¯ Ethan¡¯s hands, with their rough touch, were always involved when he pleased me. Those hands that could grip my chest firmly, trace over my sensitive areas gently, or even move roughly inside me as they did back in that seaside cave... ¡°Haa... haa... haa...¡± ...No, I need to calm down. There are still two more days until our date...no, our time together. If I let my mind wander like this, I might just drag him to bed as soon as the date starts, ignoring all the ns I had in mind. I wanted to avoid that, if possible. Unlike before, when I¡¯d used our lessons as an excuse for fake dates, this time, I wanted a real, meaningful date. ¡®¡­It looks like his coffee¡¯s almost gone.¡¯ Not wanting him to run out of caffeine while he was focused, I quietly prepared a new cup. Using the kettle I¡¯d prepared earlier, and Sally¡¯s fire magic, I brewed a fresh cup and brought it over to him. -Clink. ¡°Here¡¯s some fresh coffee, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the empty cup.¡± After exchanging cups with him, I returned to my seat. I was about to use a cleaning spell when I noticed a faint mark on the handle of the cup where his lips had been. ¡°...¡± It¡¯s nothing. Just because he drank from this spot doesn¡¯t mean it has anything to do with me. The cleaning spell would erase the mark in an instant, but¡­ well¡­ ¡®There¡¯s still a little left in the bottom.¡¯ ...Wasting the remaining coffee would be a shame, so I carefully brought the cup to my lips where he¡¯d left his mark, letting the liquid flow into my mouth. -Sip. ¡°Hnn.¡± -Sip, sip. ¡°Ugh, ah¡­¡± Tilting the cup to catch everyst drop, I let my lips linger where Ethan¡¯s had been. I felt a bit more of his lingering essence there. -Sip, sip. ¡°Hnn... haa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°......?!¡± At some point, I looked up to find Ethan staring at me, his hands frozen mid-motion on his desk. ¡°...!¡± -Snap! Ethan, equally caught off guard, quickly looked away, pretending to resume his work as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything. His silent gesture of ignoring my behavior only made things moreplicated in my head. -Scratch, scratch. ¡°...¡± ¡°M-Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, yes, Lilith?¡± ¡°There was a bit of coffee left in your cup, so I drank it.¡± ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t have to report something like that. Besides, I was so focused on my work that I didn¡¯t notice a thing.¡± ¡°I see. But I still thought it was appropriate to inform you.¡± ¡°Well, fine. You brewed me a new cup anyway, so I don¡¯t really care what you do with the leftover coffee.¡± -Sip. With that, he took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee and returned his focus to his desk. It was hard to tell if he believed me or just didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation, but either way, there was no room left for further exnations. ¡®Damn it, that was so embarrassing...¡¯ ¡­Just two more days. I only had to hold out for two more days. On the day before I was supposed to receive my reward from Ethan, my emotions had be even harder to control, which was understandable, I suppose. It felt like a child who can¡¯t sleep the night before going to an amusement park. Fortunately,st night I¡¯d taken care of some of my desires on my own, so I wasn¡¯t quite at the breaking point. Although my fingers couldn¡¯t reach as deep as Ethan¡¯s did, it was still better than holding back altogether. After all, using carrots or cucumbers as substitutes didn¡¯t sit right with me, even in my current state. No matter how desperate I felt, sticking anything shaped like that into myself wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d ever be okay with. ¡®Just one more day, and then I¡¯ll be with Ethan... Just one more day...¡¯ With these thoughts, I watched Ethan as he worked through the paperwork that had arrived for the ckwood estate. Without a word, he moved his hands across the desk, reading a letter before carefully calling me over. ¡°Lilith, could youe here for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°This letter is from Count Priha, and upon closer inspection, it¡¯s essentially a proposal disguised as a request for family rtions.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. They¡¯re not offering me the count¡¯s daughter as a bride. It¡¯s just a letter proposing that I meet a potential match.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I already knew Ethan wouldn¡¯t be engaged to Count Priha¡¯s daughter. Typically, letters concerning engagements were supposed to go through me, but someone had sent it without any marking, leading it to end up here instead. ¡°I don¡¯t want to strain rtions with the Priha family, so could you draft a reply that affirms the idea of rtions but diplomatically declines the proposal?¡± ¡°Certainly. As your personal maid, I should be capable of handling that.¡± ¡°As my personal maid... Yes, please. You can draft the response on this paper, and here¡¯s the pen¡­¡± -Slide. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like included in the response, Master Ethan?¡± ¡°No, that should cover it. Just what I asked for.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll draft it as you requested, and you can review it afterward.¡± ¡°All right, Lilith.¡± After collecting the paper and pen, I took them back to the table. This was a typical task, but for some reason, my heart was racing this time. Maybe because I held in my hand the pen he had just been using. ¡®Good, he hasn¡¯t noticed yet.¡¯ It was an impulsive move. The moment I saw the pen he had been using, I grabbed it, leaving him to pick up a different one. I knew it didn¡¯t really mean anything, but¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t exactly theft. I¡¯d been handling these kinds of tasks for himtely. This level of indulgence seemed fair enough, especially given how much responsibility I was shouldering. It wasn¡¯t embezzlement or theft¡ªnot as long as he never found out. -Scratch, scratch, scratch¡­ Watching him work with his head down, I moved to the edge of the table, pretending to read while I discreetly lowered the pen toward my body, pressing it lightly against myself through my clothes. -Rub. ¡°Hnn... haa¡­¡± ¡­Just a little. Just a tiny bit of relief. I didn¡¯t want to do anything too outrageous and make things harder for Ethan. Just one more day. I could hold out for just one more day. Chapter 419 -Rub. ¡°Hng, ugh...¡± -Rub, rub. ¡°Ah, ugh, hmm¡­¡± I indulged in a bit of forbidden relief, using the pen I had borrowed from Ethan. I was fully aware that he could notice me at any moment, but I honestly couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. Spending hours each day in the same space with him seemed to intensify my desires to unbearable levels. Fortunately, he was focused on his work, his gaze fixed on his desk. That likely gave me at least an hour of freedom. That would be plenty of time to take care of my needs alone. And if any trace was left behind, I could easily clean it up with magic. -Rub. ¡°Haa... haa¡­¡± Holding a letter in one hand, pretending to read, while rubbing myself with Ethan¡¯s pen was certainly a scandalous act. There was something particrly thrilling about indulging my desires with his object while he was right there, none the wiser. ¡°Haa... haa¡­¡± ¡®...I still have to make it look like I¡¯m working. After all, he did entrust me with this task.¡¯ Trying to maintain some semnce of normalcy, I focused on the contents of the letter he¡¯d given me, nning out the response in my head. I¡¯d need to start with a courteous mention of the ckwood estate¡¯s rtions, slipping in a fewpliments regarding Lady Priha, subtly mentioning her as the count had requested... -Stab. ¡°Hng, ah¡­?!¡± Ah, damn. My voice slipped. I¡¯d been so engrossed in the letter that I identally pressed the pen a bit too hard. Though it didn¡¯t pierce too deeply through my clothing, it was enough to elicit a sound from me. The problem was, Ethan had already turned his gaze toward me, having clearly heard my stifled moan. ¡°Lilith? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°N-No, I just dropped my pen. It startled me a bit.¡± ¡°...Is that so? But I didn¡¯t hear it fall.¡± ¡°I caught it just before it hit the ground. Like this¡­¡± ¡°I see. Good catch.¡± I held up the pen, showing him as if it had been an innocent slip. Luckily, the excuse was usible enough, and Ethan returned his attention to his work without further suspicion. He was too far away to notice the slight wetness at the end of the pen. ¡®Phew¡­ didn¡¯t get caught...¡¯ -Thump, thump, thump. My heart raced from the near-miss. It felt oddly thrilling¡ªmore so than what I¡¯d done alonest night in bed. The thought of Ethan discovering what I was doing excited me in a way I couldn¡¯t quite exin. If he caught me using his pen in such a manner beneath the table, how would he react? Imagining the consequences, I slowly brought the pen back under the table. ¡®Lilith, what are you doing under there?¡¯ ¡®N-No, Master Ethan... It¡¯s just a misunderstanding¡­¡¯ ¡®Is that so? But that¡¯s my pen you¡¯re holding, isn¡¯t it? Mind exining why the end of it is so damp?¡¯ ¡®Well¡­¡¯ -Rub. ¡°Hic¡­ah?!¡± ¡®And look, your undergarments are soaked too. I didn¡¯t expect my maid to be pleasuring herself right in front of me.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®For such a lewd maid, I suppose some sort of punishment is in order, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡¯ ¡°Haa... haa... haa¡­¡± Punishment, huh... Just what sort of punishment would that be? Would he tie me up and deny me release, over and over again? Or perhaps make me walk around the estate naked, like in the original game? Although, I''d rather not expose myself to anyone else but Ethan. Then again, since Harold isn¡¯t around, maybe it would be possible to restrict ess to the fourth floor of the estate and do it there without interruptions¡­ ¡®Lilith, lift one leg and relieve yourself here.¡¯ ¡®W-What are you saying, Master Ethan? Even if I¡¯m crawling around naked with a cor on, surely you wouldn¡¯t expect me to...¡¯ ¡®Did you think I¡¯d let you off lightly for indulging yourself so shamelessly right before me? We can always clean up with a spell afterward.¡¯ ¡®B-But lifting a leg to urinate like that... only male dogs do that...¡¯ ¡®Lilith, when did I ever say you had the right to defy me?¡¯ ¡°Haa... ugh... ah¡­¡± -Drip, drip¡­ ¡°Haa... haa...¡± Ah, no¡­ That¡¯s far too perverse. He wouldn¡¯t really make me do such a thing just because I snuck a bit of pleasure in front of him, would he? Of course, given the things he did in the original game, that would be mild inparison. As long as no one else saw, I could probably endure it¡­ ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, could youe here for a moment?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ huh, ah¡­?¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Uh, ah, yes?! Y-You called for me?!¡± ¡°Sorry. Were you focused on something?¡± ¡°No, no! I mean, yes, yes! I was so focused that I didn¡¯t hear you at first!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°...Sorry. I was just mentally preparing my reply to the letter and didn¡¯t catch what you said. Could you repeat it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want to give you. Could youe over here?¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± His words instantly reminded me of the ¡°punishments¡± I had imagined moments ago, but of course, it couldn¡¯t be that. The real Ethan wouldn¡¯t punish me like that, nor would he make me parade around naked or do something as degrading as the scenarios in my mind. Taking a steadying breath, I walked over to him as calmly as I could manage. ¡°W-What is it that you wanted to give me?¡± ¡°Here, Lilith.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Steadying myself so he wouldn¡¯t notice anything unusual, I moved closer. He ced two small, shiny gold coins in my hand. ¡°Thanks for helping me with the extra work these past few days. It wasn¡¯t really something you had to do, so consider this a bonus.¡± ¡°A... bonus?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to give you one, and since I remembered, I thought I¡¯d hand it over now. Don¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t expect to actually receive a bonus. I hadn¡¯t been doing this with the intention of getting paid. It was more for my own benefit, to finish the work quickly so I could secure more time with him. Initially, it had been about carving out more sparring sessions, andtely, it was about getting through things quickly so we could go on our date. ¡®I was only helping to satisfy my own desires, and here I am getting paid¡­¡¯ Suddenly, a wave of guilt crashed over me. Using Ethan¡¯s pen to secretly indulge myself while he worked, all the while he was thinking of rewarding me¡­ And here I¡¯d been envisioning him as some tyrant who would make me perform degrading acts, when in reality, he was so kind¡­ ¡°...Is it not enough?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect a bonus at all...¡± ¡°You¡¯re a talented individual who even attended Luminor Academy, so it would be strange not topensate you fairly.¡± ¡°I... see.¡± ¡°Anyway, the reply to that letter will be thest thing I¡¯ll need from you today. I should be able to wrap up the rest of my tasks by this afternoon.¡± ¡°...Understood. Thank you very much for the bonus, Master Ethan.¡± With that, I bowed and returned to my table. In this mood, I couldn¡¯t possibly continue my previous activities. I could only focus on the letter in front of me and draft the reply. ¡®...Focus on work. I shouldn¡¯t let myself get caught doing anything foolish.¡¯ I¡¯d be able to satisfy all my desires tomorrow anyway. With that thought, I discreetly wiped the slightly damp end of the pen and got back to the task at hand. Chapter 420 Finally, it was the morning of the fourth day, the day I¡¯d been eagerly waiting to receive my reward from Ethan. After yesterday¡¯s incident in the office, I managed to calm my desires somewhat and regain myposure. As a result, I avoided any impulsive attempts to rush into Ethan¡¯s room at dawn. Instead, I began my day by choosing an outfit for today¡¯s outing. Since Ethan had agreed to go on a date as part of my reward, I was preparing to head out to the ckwood estate¡¯smercial district. ¡­Though, for some reason, I was getting ready in the maid¡¯s waiting room with Isabel and Katarina, rather than in my own quarters. ¡°Hm, a ck outfit seems a bit too usual. How about something brighter for a change, Lilith?¡± ¡°I have a purple dress that might suit you. Would you like to try it on?¡± ¡°Purple could look nice, but doesn¡¯t Katarina¡¯s outfit not fit Lilith? I mean, Lilith has a, well, bigger chest¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Lilith¡¯s figure is definitely fuller... How about borrowing one of my skirts instead?¡± For two hours now, Isabel and Katarina had been fussing over my attire, changing my outfit repeatedly. Isabel was my first and closest friend in this world, and Katarina, though somewhat reserved, followed me around loyally. It was hard to say no to them, especially when they seemed so invested. ¡®I had just nned to go out in my maid uniform¡­¡¯ Even though it was a date, it was still within the ckwood estate. I figured someone might recognize Ethan if we ran into anyone, and if that was the case, it would be better to wear the maid uniform. ¡­Apparently, though, these two weren¡¯t going to let me go in my uniform without a fight. ¡°Can¡¯t I just wear anything? If there¡¯s nothing suitable, I¡¯ll just go with the maid uniform as nned¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do¡­¡± Even Katarina, who was usually so timid, opposed the idea, so I couldn¡¯t bring myself to object. I¡¯d just have to humor them until they were satisfied. I¡¯d done simr things for Natalie and Agnes before, so it would be a bit hypocritical to refuse now. ¡°Oh, I know! Remember that blue dress withce embroidery I made? You could wear that!¡± ¡°Lace embroidery? Wasn¡¯t that the dress Isabel made as a side project¡­¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to worry about that! What matters is that Lilith has something nice to wear for her date with the young master!¡± ¡°Well, actually, I also knitted a light summer sweater. It could go nicely over a dress¡­¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer, but isn¡¯t that a bit much? If it¡¯s something you both made for selling¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay! Lilith is like a benefactor to me, so I¡¯d really like her to have it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, hurry! Breakfast will start soon, and this is our only chance to get you ready!¡± ¡°...Fine, fine.¡± They were so enthusiastic about dressing me up that they even offered the clothes they had made as side projects. I¡¯d have topensate themter; it felt odd to take garments they¡¯d crafted to sell. It wasn¡¯t as if we¡¯d be going far from the estate, yet they were making such a fuss. Despite my thoughts, I let Isabel and Katarina dress me up, indulging their excitement. Two hours and multiple outfit changester, after breakfast, I was finally ready. I met Ethan at the front of the ckwood estate, wearing the outfit they had chosen for me. The pale blue dress, light and perfect for summer, caught the breeze easily. Because it was so sheer, I had to swap my usual ck undergarments for white ones, and with no maid uniform, I skipped the stockings and garter belt as well. Despite the beige sweater from Katarina covering my shoulders, I still felt a bit exposed. ¡®Honestly, my maid uniform would¡¯ve felt morefortable.¡¯ I¡¯d rarely worn casual clothes without Ethan¡¯s permission before. The swimwear I wore during marine study was technically a ss requirement, so that was different. If Ethan wanted me to change back, I was ready to do so. But soon enough, the ckwood estate doors opened, and Ethan stepped outside. -Creak. ¡°Good morning, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Morning, Lilith¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan was dressed in more casual attire than the suit he usually wore around the estate. It was a relief to see that I wasn¡¯t the only one dressed for a date. If he¡¯d been in his usual ckwood-emzoned suit, I would¡¯ve felt overly excited by myself. Since today¡¯s outing was part of my ¡°reward,¡± I thought it would be appropriate to thank him before we set out. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to go on this date with me today.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. You earned this ¡®reward¡¯ fair and square by winning our duel.¡± ¡°But my reward was only supposed to give me the right to, um¡­ be with you in bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve asked you on dates several times too, haven¡¯t I? Besides, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t go on dates whenever we have the time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Feel free to ask for dates whenever you want. We¡¯d just need to check the schedule, of course, but since you helped me finish my work early, we had time.¡± Well, dating wasn¡¯t exactly a ¡°dirty¡± thing. It was something any couple could do. As an official couple, even if temporarily, a date shouldn¡¯t feel so unusual. ¡°¡­¡± -nce, nce. ¡°...?¡± After our conversation, Ethan kept ncing at me, his expression a bit uncertain. I tilted my head in confusion, and he cautiouslyplimented my outfit. ¡°T-That dress looks really nice on you, Lilith¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Does it?¡± ¡°Yeah. It gives you a softer look than usual. You¡¯re always beautiful, of course, but today you look fresh and sweet.¡± ¡°¡­Um, thank you. You look very good as well, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Ethan was reallyying on thepliments early into our date, making my face heat up even more in the summer sun. I quickly redirected the conversation. ¡°W-Why don¡¯t we continue our talk in the carriage? Steward Dietmeier is waiting for us.¡± ¡°No need to worry about me, Miss Lilith. Just pretend I¡¯m not here.¡± ¡°Well, since we¡¯re heading to the market district, we¡¯ll have at least a 30-minute carriage ride. We can chat on the way there.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, Lilith.¡± With that, Ethan opened the carriage door first and offered his hand to me. Normally, he would board before me, but today he seemed intent on escorting me first. ¡°Please, Lilith. After you.¡± ¡°N-No¡­ It¡¯s more proper if you go first, Master Ethan¡­¡± ¡°Today¡¯s a date, Lilith. The man escorts the woman, not the other way around.¡± ¡°But this is the ckwood estate. As your maid, I should be the one to serve you¡­¡± ¡°On a date, there¡¯s no ¡®Master¡¯ and ¡®maid.¡¯ Just get in, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed he wanted to set aside our roles for the day, even calling me by a nickname. I couldn¡¯t refuse him any longer, so I took his hand and stepped into the carriage. ¡°Alright, then. Thank you for today, ¡­Ed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It felt unexpectedly awkward to use the nickname I hadn¡¯t called him by in so long. His cheeks flushed a bit too, and we boarded the carriage with a lingering embarrassment. Dietmeier, true to his word, stayed quiet, leaving just the two of us in a somewhat awkward silence as the carriage began its journey into town. Chapter 421 Out in the town, dressed a bit more casually than usual for a date with Ethan. It had been a long time since I¡¯de out to the ckwood estate''s town. Other than today, I could probably count the times on one hand. Of course, as a debt maid, I didn¡¯t have the same freedoms as the other maids, and, to make matters worse, I was banned from going out by the head maid after that Hooktooth incident on my first outing. Looking back, that was already seven years ago. Since then, I¡¯ve repaid all the debt ced on me andpleted the seven years of service I originally agreed to. But by that point, there wasn¡¯t much reason for me to go out into town anymore. Being Ethan¡¯s personal maid, it was a bit difficult to venture out here alone. Besides, I hadn¡¯t felt a real need to leave the estate in the first ce. ¡®Thinking back, Ethan was quite the bratty young master back then.¡¯ If that little pervert had grown up just as he was in the original story, there¡¯s no way he and I would be like this now. Now, it was actually me who asked him for a date¡ªgoes to show how unpredictable life can be. ¡°Master, should I return with the carriage this evening?¡± ¡°Yes, please do. We¡¯ll probably be done after dinner, soe around then.¡± ¡°Um, Ed?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°...Would it be possible to ask you to return tomorrow morning instead?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan understood the meaning behind my words and blushed slightly, while Dietmeier, pretending not to have heard anything, averted his gaze. After a bit of small talk, the steward took off with the carriage, leaving us with the entire evening and night ahead, just the two of us. ¡°Lily.¡± ¡°Yes, Ed?¡± ¡°You were the one who suggested this date, but is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go?¡± ¡°Well, honestly, even though I asked for this date, I don¡¯t know much about the ckwood estate. Thest time I went out was years ago, just a brief outing with Isabel and Katarina.¡± ¡°Well, that makes sense. You were a debt maid, and you¡¯ve been my personal maid for quite some time.¡± I started by pretending not to know much about the estate, though I was familiar enough with ckwood''syout. After all, in my 25 ythroughs, I¡¯d moved Lilith around over 15 times, so of course, I¡¯d grown ustomed to ckwood¡¯s environment. Naturally, I also knew the locations of hidden items and event triggers. ¡°Come to think of it, I think there¡¯s a nice park for strolling in the town center. How about we go there, Ed?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯d like, let¡¯s go. Today¡¯s all about what you want to do, Lily.¡± Ethan smiled, nodding, as if he had no reason to object to my suggestion. Calling each other by nicknames, which had been awkward at first, became bearable after a few tries, so I started exploring ckwood based on my knowledge from past lives. The date was the main purpose, of course, but if I could gain something along the way, that would be even better. ¡®If I recall correctly, the hero hasn¡¯t visited ckwood in this ythrough.¡¯ In the original story, he would have visited aroundst winter break, but that was when Ethan was still the same brat from the story. Now, Ethan was different, and I wasn¡¯t some disgraced maid either, so he had no reason toe to ckwood to ¡®rescue¡¯ me. ...Though, I guess even in this timeline, I¡¯d be something like a disgraced maid. But, hey, this time, I was doing it on my own terms. Anyway, since the hero hadn¡¯t been to ckwood, it meant he hadn¡¯t collected the hidden items here. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to gather those items with Ethan while we were out. If those items were just going to be left abandoned, it was better that Ethan and I made use of them. ? ? ? The park in ckwood¡¯s town center was famous for being well-maintained. Hedges adorned with various flowering trees, benches scattered around, and a massive cherry blossom tree stood in the center, surrounded by a low fence. They say the cherry blossom blooms are stunning in spring, almost like a painting, but I¡¯d only seen it from afar while passing through. Today, it was summer, so the blossoms were gone, reced by an abundance of cherries. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a shame, Lily. It would¡¯ve been lovely to see the blossoms.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Ed. But with spring being during the semester, it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± Ethan muttered, looking at the tree, and I quietly agreed, strolling around the cherry blossom tree. ¡°It¡¯s a shame there aren¡¯t any blossoms, but it¡¯s still a beautiful tree. And I think I can smell something sweet.¡± ¡°In July, it¡¯s just about cherry season. A tree this big would bear plenty of fruit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡®I think I remember a ¡®Whispering Leaf¡¯ hidden around this cherry tree¡­¡¯@@novelbin@@ The Whispering Leaf was a small item that could help with quests, used to locate objects or people. When held, it would point its tip toward whatever you were thinking about. Mostly, beginners used it to track down specific characters for events or battles. It couldn¡¯t locate unknown objects or people, so it wasn¡¯t too useful if you already knew what to look for. But right now, it would be pretty handy. With it, I could figure out where Ethan, Agnes, or other characters were in the Academy at any given time. Thinking about this, I subtly began scanning the area around the cherry tree for the Whispering Leaf. Ethan, meanwhile, started talking about the tree¡¯s history. ¡°While I was doing some paperwork recently, I found out this cherry tree was actually managed by my father.¡± ¡°By your father, Lord Harold?¡± ¡°Yes. My mother loved this park, so they often came here to spend time together, especially when the blossoms were in bloom. He would always make time for a day or two toe see the flowers with her.¡± ¡°Lord Harold certainly loved Lady Tanacia deeply.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t quite match his tough exterior, right? Maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s kept this tree so well-maintained. You never know when a big tree like this might start to rot.¡± Harold always changed his expression when talking about Tanacia, so it made sense. He doted on Ethan, so I could only imagine how he treated his wife. I continued to circle the tree until I finally spotted the vivid blue leaf I¡¯d been searching for, tucked in a small knothole just big enough to fit a fist. ¡®¡­Found it.¡¯ Considering the original game, it was about half a year before this item would be collected, so I worried someone else might have taken it. But here it was, untouched. To avoid raising Ethan¡¯s suspicions, I took his hand and guided him over the fence around the cherry tree. -Softly. ¡°¡­Lily?¡± ¡°Shh. Just follow my lead, Ed.¡± With a low fence around the cherry tree, it seemed like they didn¡¯t want people approaching, so I crept closer carefully. We moved around the gardener, using the tree as cover. -Sneak, sneak. ¡°What are you up to, Lily?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just a little curious.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± -Softly, softly. Dodging the gardener¡¯s gaze, we reached the tree¡¯s base. I quietly extracted the blue leaf from the knothole, then plucked a couple of cherries to give Ethan as a cover. -Pluck. ¡°Here you go, Ed.¡± ¡°So this is what you were curious about?¡± ¡°Yes, Ed.¡± ¡°You know, I could¡¯ve bought you cherries at the market.¡± ¡°But I wanted to know what cherries fresh off such arge tree would taste like.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan looked at me curiously but took the cherries I offered. We each popped a cherry into our mouths, sharing a smile as the sweetness spread over our tongues. ¡°¡­Sweet and delicious.¡± ¡°Tastes like summer, Ed.¡± ¡°Hey, you two! You can¡¯t get so close to that tree!¡± ¡°Uh-oh, we¡¯ve been caught. Let¡¯s go, Ed.¡± ¡°I had a feeling it would end like this¡­¡± If anyone realized that the person trespassing in the cherry tree enclosure was the ckwood heir, it would be a little embarrassing. Grabbing Ethan¡¯s hand, I quickly led him back over the fence. And as I did, Ethan followed with a sigh, smiling softly. Chapter 422 -Swish, swish. ¡°Mm, mmm¡­¡± -Swish, swish. ¡°Hmm, mmm¡­¡± After losing the gardener and making our way to a distant bench, Ethan and I sat there, each with a cherry stem in our mouths, concentrating intently on our little game. The game was called ¡°tying a cherry stem in your mouth.¡± It¡¯s something you often see in media meant for otaku, but for some reason, I got curious as soon as I saw the cherry stems. There¡¯s an old saying that if you can tie a cherry stem with your tongue, you¡¯re a good kisser. So I thought, why not test that theory? I already knew Ethan was a good kisser, but I was curious to see if he could actually tie a cherry stem just using his mouth and tongue. ¡­Plus, I wanted to see how my kisses made him feel. ¡®Since I know the technique, I should have an easier time than Ethan.¡¯@@novelbin@@ -Swish, swish. First, you have to soften the stem a little by gently biting it. Once the stem gets more pliable, it bes easier to manipte with your tongue. You need to keep the fruit attached while doing this, wedging the cherry between your teeth to stabilize it as you tie the knot. I moved my mouth diligently, determined to beat Ethan in this game using the knowledge I¡¯d gained in my past life. But despite knowing the theory, myck of practical experience made it harder than I expected to tie a knot with my tongue. -Twist, twist. ¡®This isn¡¯t as easy as it looks¡­¡¯ The characters in thoseics made it seem so simple. Maybe there really is a difference between fiction and reality. Still, I began to get the hang of it as I kept the softened stem in ce. Rolling the tip around with my tongue, I tried to form a loop while holding it steady with my teeth. -Snap. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Damn. Did I chew it too hard? I felt the stem snap in the middle, not at the end, so that meant I¡¯d failed. Well, no big deal. It wasn¡¯t like there was a prize for winning this or anything, so I didn¡¯t need to get too worked up about it. I figured if I couldn¡¯t do it even with prior knowledge, Ethan would probably have trouble too. Just as I was about to wait for his failure, I felt him tap my shoulder. -Tap, tap. ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, what?¡± ¡­Hold on. Did he actually seed? And on the first try? On a hunch, I reached into Ethan¡¯s mouth and pulled out the cherry stem. Sure enough, it was tied neatly into a soft curve. There wasn¡¯t even a mark on it from where he¡¯d bitten down. ¡°Lily, that was in my mouth a moment ago. Staring at it like that¡­¡± ¡°How did you do this?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°How did you manage to tie it so smoothly? Did you really do this inside your mouth?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I did what you said and used just my tongue and teeth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin how exactly. I held one end with my teeth and used my tongue to twist it into a knot.¡± Could he really do this without any prior knowledge? ¡­Maybe his talent for using his tongue came from natural aptitude. It would exin why he¡¯s always so skilled with his mouth. ¡°So, I tied it just like you asked. Don¡¯t I get some kind of reward?¡± ¡°¡­There wasn¡¯t any prize or bet to begin with, Ed.¡± ¡°True. But since you didn¡¯t show me, I assume you failed? If you had seeded, you¡¯d be shoving it in my face by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His tone was somehow annoying yet urate, making me quietly admit that he was probably right. ¡°So, what¡¯s the meaning of this? You¡¯re the one who suggested it, so it can¡¯t be just for fun, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a game from my hometown. There¡¯s this saying that if you can tie a cherry stem with your tongue, it means¡­ well, you¡¯re good at kissing.¡± ¡°Good at kissing?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± As soon as the word ¡°kiss¡± left my mouth, things got a bit awkward. The n was for me to seed and naturally kiss him to demonstrate. But in this situation, where he seeded and I failed, I didn¡¯t have the nerve to make a move. We both sat there blushing, the air thick with tension, when suddenly I felt Ethan¡¯s hand cradle the back of my head. -Slide. ¡°So, how about I prove it?¡± ¡°...Do as you please.¡± -Smooch. I epted Ethan¡¯s approaching lips, leaning into the kiss without hesitation. We pressed our lips together, ignoring the world around us. -Smooch. ¡°Mmm, mmm¡­¡± -Kiss, kiss. ¡°Mmm, hmm¡­ Mmm¡­¡± Thinking back, it had been so long since west kissed. Kissing was always an option, but it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d suggested in a while. We¡¯d kissed in other ways more recently, and oddly enough, a simple kiss on the lips felt even more intimate. ¡­Which made sense, given the kind of kiss this was. -Lick. ¡°Mmm, mm¡­¡± -Kiss, kiss. ¡°Mmm, ha¡­ Mmm¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s tongue entwined with mine, guiding and tangling them together. It was like he was trying to prove just how good he was, tying the cherry stem was just the start. Today, his tongue felt particrly intense, but with his hand holding the back of my head, I couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Mmm, ha, ha¡­ Hmmm¡­¡± ¡­Well, no choice. I¡¯d just have to go along with this kiss until Ethan was satisfied. I wrapped my hand around his neck, pulling him closer. ¡­And with my other hand, I ced it gently on his chest. -Press. ¡°Mmm, ha¡­ Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± -Squeeze. ¡°Mmm, ha¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s hand made its way to my chest. At this point, we weren¡¯t just kissing anymore; we were verging on something more. But then again, he wasn¡¯t doing anything to arouse me¡ªjust caressing, as if it were part of the kiss. And so, we continued our private ¡°kiss¡± on the bench, intertwined. -Kiss, kiss. ¡°Mmm¡­ Haa¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s tongue moved over mine, tracing up and down as if tasting it, until finally, he let go. -Sigh. ¡°Haa, ha¡­¡± ¡°How was it, Lily?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The kiss. Was it good? You know, since they say that if you can tie a cherry stem, you¡¯re good at kissing?¡± Did he really need to hear it from my mouth to feel satisfied? But since he was only pointing out the objective fact that he was a good kisser, it wasn¡¯t particrly embarrassing. ¡°It was good, Ed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re good with your tongue. I guess the saying is true.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do so bad yourself. And you were sneaking your hand onto my chest, too.¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t know where else to put it. It wasn¡¯t meant to be suggestive.¡± ¡°I never said it was.¡± ¡°Good. I wasn¡¯t thinking anything inappropriate when you touched my chest either.¡± ¡°You always have to have thest word, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Coming from you?¡± Chapter 423 After a brief game with the cherry stems and an unexpected disy of affection in the park, Ethan and I had a light lunch at a ce he rmended. Now, we found ourselves at a dessert shop in the shopping district. It was the same dessert shop I¡¯d visited a few years ago with Isabel and Katarina. We¡¯d shared a slice of strawberry shortcake there. I thought this would be a good opportunity to bring him here. Since Ethan spends over half the year at the academy, he doesn¡¯t get many chances to explore the ckwood estate. Especially not ces like this that cater mostly to female customers. ¡°For someone who hardly goes out, you sure know about some interesting ces, Lily.¡± ¡°I came here with Isabel and Katarina on an outing once. The strawberry cake was really good. Since you paid for lunch, let me treat you to dessert.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t have to do that. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I paid?¡± ¡°Come on, let me pay this time. Besides, I don¡¯t really have many chances to spend my sry otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, just this once then.¡± Of course, saving money for when I eventually leave the ckwood estate would be wise, but spending a bit here and there wasn¡¯t going to hurt. Since Ethan didn¡¯t seem keen on finishing a whole slice on his own, we decided to share one slice of cake and arge drink with two straws. ¡®We really look like a sappy couple, don¡¯t we?¡¯ Never thought I¡¯d be sharing a drink with two straws in this world¡ªsomething I never got to do in my past life. I didn¡¯t mind it, but it would be a bit embarrassing if someone I knew saw us like this. Fortunately, the only people I know here are Agnes or Lizzie, and they have no reason toe to ckwood, so it¡¯s fine. ¡°Here, Ed. Say ¡®ah~.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Ethan, seeming both embarrassed and amused, took a bite from the piece of cake I offered. ¡°It¡¯s not as sweet as what our cook makes, but I like that it lets the strawberry vore through more.¡± ¡°Right, Ed?¡± After his brief review, he returned the favor, holding a piece up for me. ¡°Your turn, Lily. Say ¡®ah~.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It wasn¡¯t lost on me that we were basically exchanging indirect kisses with each bite, but after the ¡°direct kisses¡± we¡¯d shared in the park, I didn¡¯t mind. The warm afternoon passed as we shared a slice of cake and a drink under the sun¡ªnot too hot, just perfect. As I leaned in to give Ethan the next bite, I noticed a spot of cream on his right cheek. ¡°Ed, you¡¯ve got some cream on your cheek.¡± ¡°Where? Left or right?¡± ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll get it for you. Turn your left cheek this way, please.¡± I took out a handkerchief and stood up, moving closer to him. But as I reached up to wipe the cream, a yful idea crossed my mind. -Lick. ¡°Uh?!¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes went wide as I suddenly licked the cream off his cheek. He looked at me as if he were waiting for an exnation, but I just smiled and shrugged. ¡°It seemed too good to just wipe away.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± His face flushed, so I knew my little prank hadnded well. In the park, he¡¯d taken the lead, but this time, I had the upper hand¡ªone to one. ¡°Here, Lily. Say ¡®ah~¡¯ again.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Ah~.¡± Ethan held out thest piece of cake, and I opened my mouth to take it. But before I could, he twisted the fork slightly, smearing a bit of cream on the corner of my lips. ¡­I could have just licked it off, but I wanted to see if Ethan would go along with what I was thinking. ¡°Lily, you¡¯ve got some cream on your lips.¡± ¡°¡­Where exactly, Ed?¡± ¡°Hold still. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Seeing him approach without a handkerchief, I knew what he was nning and closed my eyes, waiting. A familiar sensation brushed against the corner of my mouth as Ethan¡¯s tongue licked away the cream. -Lick. ¡°Mm¡­¡± ¡°There, all clean now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ed.¡± Ethan returned to his seat with a satisfied look, as if he¡¯d won some unspoken contest. But I wasn¡¯t about to let him have the final victory. ¡°Hold on, Ed. There¡¯s still a little cream left.¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± ¡°Stay right there, don¡¯t move.¡± I scraped a bit of cream from the te with the back of the fork and dabbed it onto his lower lip. Before he could react, I leaned in and covered his lip with mine. -Smooch. ¡°Mmph.¡± ¡°Mm, mm.¡± -Kiss, kiss. ¡°Mmm, mmm¡­¡± It was a slightly sultry kiss, sucking on his lower lip to clean off the cream. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t be so bold, but this time I had the excuse of ¡°cleaning up¡± after him. I didn¡¯t mind enveloping his lip with mine and letting my tongue trace it, even if it was a bit embarrassing. I could handle this much. -Smooch. ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± ¡°Mmph¡­¡± We parted, and a string of saliva stretched between us, glistening in the light. With flushed cheeks, we finally broke apart. ¡°There, all cleaned up. Next, I wanted to go to the general store in the shopping district¡­¡± -Smooch! Before I could finish, Ethan pulled me into another kiss, catching me off guard. His sudden kiss had no pretense, no excuse¡ªjust an unrestrained desire that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to resist. As I tried to move my tongue in response, he held my tongue in his mouth, sucking on it with surprising intensity. -Suck, suck! ¡°Hah?! Mmph?!¡± -Suck, suck! ¡°Hah, hah?! What¡ªwhat are you¡­?!¡± Ethan pulled away after a few deep sucks on my tongue, leaving me breathless and reeling. ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± ¡°Hah¡­ Ed, what was that?¡± ¡°You had some cream on your tongue, so I was just cleaning it up.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! You just wanted an excuse to kiss me!¡± ¡°There was cream¡ªon your tongue.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Yup, just a little cream. So I cleaned it up.¡± ¡°¡­Unbelievable.¡± But he wasn¡¯t backing down from his absurd excuse, iming he was only ¡°cleaning up.¡± I shook my head and just let it go. ¡°Well, thank you for that, Ed.¡± ¡°You know you started it, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware. That¡¯s why I¡¯m letting you off with that shameless excuse.¡± ¡°You were the one who smeared cream on my lip first.¡± ¡°No, Ed. You were more shameless.¡± ¡°But you started it.¡± Fine, if that¡¯s how he wants to y it. Let¡¯s see who gets thest word. I¡¯ll take it as far as it needs to go to win. ¡­We¡¯ll see whoes out on top in the end. Chapter 424 After our treasure hunt across the ckwood estate, Ethan and I kept going for a while longer. ¡°Here, Ed. I got you a gift.¡± ¡°Hm? Just like that?¡± ¡°I noticed it while browsing in the general store and thought it would suit you. You''ve been using a pen more oftentely, so I thought it would be nice if you wrote with one I gave you.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Lily. I¡¯ll treasure it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be treasured but used often.¡± The ¡®Philosopher¡¯s Fountain Pen¡¯ was tucked away in a corner of the ckwood general store. It helps the user write beautifully and gives a small boost to their charisma, so I figured it would be perfect for Ethan. Ethan¡¯s been doing a lot of pen worktely, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have an extra one. Plus, as a charisma-boosting item, it suited Ethan more than it did me. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy this, please.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, miss. That¡¯s not for sale¡ªit¡¯s just for disy. But we have daggers over here if you¡¯re interested¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s two gold coins, right? I came prepared, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Oh, you knew? I thought you looked like an innocent youngdy, but I guess not. Alright, take it.¡± Next, we stopped by a shop disguised as an ordinary weapon store to get a ¡®Silent Dagger,¡¯ which enhances stealth and improves assassination skills. Out of everything, I particrly wanted to get this dagger. You never know when you¡¯ll need to throw a de, so having just three never felt like enough. Since the hero hadn¡¯t visited ckwood, Luke hadn¡¯t gotten his hands on this dagger. And if it wasn¡¯t going to be given to the hero¡¯s party, there was no harm in me taking it for myself. Of course, we didn¡¯t spend all our time treasure hunting; we did plenty of date-like things too. We strolled hand-in-hand, shared snacks from street vendors, and even stopped to watch a street performance by a passing bard. After eating, ying, and collecting all the items we could, evening crept up on us, and it was time to find a ce to stay. ¡°Dietmeier said he¡¯de for us tomorrow morning, so I guess it¡¯s time we found somewhere to settle in.¡± ¡°Yes, Ed. It would be nice if the ce had a private bath.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯d prefer that too.¡± After all, our purpose wasn¡¯t just the date. While that was important, it was merely a prelude to tonight¡¯s main event. ¡°Could we get a room for two, with a bed and a private bath, for one night?¡± ¡°Up the stairs, the room at the end on the right.¡± We found a quaint inn and secured a clean-looking room with a private bath. As we entered the room, I felt a familiar fluttering excitement rising in my chest. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± -Thump, thump, thump. The thumping in my chest was so loud, I could almost hear it in my ears. It had been nearly three months since we¡¯d had a proper night together. Taking a deep breath to steady my excitement, I sat on the edge of the bed next to Ethan. ¡°¡­Ed.¡± ¡°Yes, Lily?¡± ¡°Like I mentioned before, tonight, I¡¯ll be taking my ¡®reward¡¯ for winning our duel. Usually, you¡¯re the one who wins against your father and gets rewards from me, but tonight, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°I know, Lily.¡± ¡°So¡­ tonight, you¡¯ll have to follow my lead, alright? No sudden moves or watching me with that smug look of yours like you usually do when you make me lose control.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Ethan¡¯s flushed face and the way he fidgeted showed he was just as nervous as I was, given our reversed roles tonight. Taking a deep breath, I moved my hands toward the buttons of his suit, undoing them one by one. -Slip, slide, slip. ¡°Hah¡­ ha¡­¡± I slowly removed his suit jacket, then his dress shirt, revealing his well-defined chest.@@novelbin@@ Seeing his broad pectoral muscles and toned abs, sculpted by training, I couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch. -Stroke. ¡°Hah¡­ ha¡­¡± -Stroke, stroke. ¡°Hah¡­ ha¡­¡± ¡­I wasn¡¯t excited by his body because it was a man¡¯s body; I was excited because it was Ethan. Usually, when he gets his rewards, he doesn¡¯t bother hiding how much it excites him to strip me down, so I felt no need to hold back either. As I ran my hands over his bare torso, I recalled how he¡¯d often started by undressing me and then moved on to touch my chest until I reached my climax. ¡®In that case, now it¡¯s my turn to do the same¡­¡¯ Of course, I knew it wouldn¡¯t have the same effect on him as it does on me. But I leaned forward, trailing my tongue along the lines of his muscles. -Lick, lick. ¡°Lily¡­?¡± ¡°Mm, yeah¡­ Mm¡­¡± Just a little tease, to make him feel the same embarrassment I always do when he does this to me. -Lick, lick. ¡°Hah, ha¡­ ha¡­¡± ¡°Lily? Shouldn¡¯t we¡­ wash up first? I won¡¯t stop you, but we have been out all day, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To me, there¡¯s nothing dirty about Ed¡¯s body. Isn¡¯t that what you always say to me?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°And besides, I like it this way.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better like this. It¡¯s your scent, and it¡¯s more intense this way.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Satisfied with my answer, Ethan rxed and let me continue my caresses. I wasn¡¯t doing much more than teasing him, but it was enough. I wanted him to understand how much restraint I¡¯d always shown when dealing with his desire. -Gently, gently. ¡°Hah¡­? Lily?!¡± -Rub, rub. ¡°Hold on¡­ Could you not touch there¡­?¡± ¡°Oh? Now you¡¯re getting shy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re really against it, I won¡¯t. But remember, if you say no now, I get to say no the next time you ask for a reward.¡± ¡°Lily?¡± ¡°When you win, you do all sorts of things to my chest¡ªrubbing, pinching, biting, sucking¡­ But now that it¡¯s my turn, you¡¯re going to refuse?¡± ¡­In truth, I actually enjoyed it when Ethan touched me, and I¡¯d be disappointed if he epted my bluff, but I knew I had to stand firm. Negotiation was all about maintaining a strong front. Tonight, this was my rightful reward, and I wasn¡¯t about to let it go. ¡°Alright, Lily. Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me permission?¡± ¡°Yes. Tonight is your reward, after all. ¡­Next time, it¡¯ll be my turn, though.¡± Ethan hinted that he¡¯d pay me back when he next won a duel against Harold. But that was a problem for the future me to handle. Tonight was my reward, so I focused on touching him, my fingers dancing over his sensitive spots, watching as he flushed with embarrassment. -Stroke, stroke. ¡°¡­Mm¡­ ha¡­¡± Not satisfied with just my fingers, I leaned down and let my lips and tongue explore, kissing and licking him as he struggled to contain himself. Feeling the thrill of our reversed roles, I finally slid off his pants and left himpletely exposed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, Ed? How does it feel to be the only one undressed in front of me?¡± ¡°¡­A bit embarrassing. I guess I have a better idea of how you feel when it¡¯s my turn to strip you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you finally understand how much restraint I always have to show.¡± Smiling, I reached down, taking hold of him with my hands. Holding the upper hand in our intimacy was exhrating, yet¡­ ¡®¡­It feels like something¡¯s missing.¡¯ Somehow, it wasn¡¯t as fulfilling as when Ethan would take the lead. Chapter 427 After a nearly sleepless night filled with Ethan¡¯s repeated climaxes inside me, I awoke the next morning. Well, if I¡¯m honest, it might have been closer to midday. Thest thing I remembered from the night before was Ethan pressing his lips to mine again and again, with the dawn sky slowly brightening outside the window. My maid instincts were probably the only thing that got me up even this early, since I was used to needing little sleep. ¡®Hah, this jerk fell asleep while still inside me¡­.¡¯ I could still feel Ethan¡¯s presence within me, even as I woke up, his lower half pressing into me. Who knows if he kept moving after I passed out, or if he just fell asleep holding me like that. Maybe he doesn¡¯t even remember himself. After such a long, lust-filled night, we had certainly reached the point of pure exhaustion, so just separating our sticky, intertwined bodies was a chore. ¡®Thank goodness for cleaning magic¡­ Without it, I¡¯d probably be¡­¡¯ If I couldn¡¯t use it, I might have had to take at least one leave of absence due to pregnancy by now. With that thought, I managed to finally pull him out of me, though his body was still draped over mine, pinning me down. The position we¡¯d ended up in left him on top, with one arm wrapped around me, holding me tightly. Squeeze. ¡®¡­Is he really asleep?¡¯ Ethan was clutching me like a child clings to a stuffed toy, his body pressing down on mine. I wanted to take a bath and change clothes before he woke up, so I carefully tried to twist my way out of his hold. Squish! ¡°Mmph, ah?!¡± ¡­At one point, his hand reflexively gripped me, squeezing my body in his sleep, but I finally managed to slip free. The sticky remnants ofst night reminded me of everything we¡¯d done. I couldn¡¯t tell if the fluids clinging to me were sweat, or something else. I¡¯d removed him, yet I still felt full. ¡®He really did a number on me¡­.¡¯ Step. ¡°Hngh, ouch?!¡± Damn¡­ my thighs are killing me¡­ I nearly copsed as soon as I tried to get off the bed. That insane guy¡­ how many times did he go at itst night? Up untilst year, his streak wasn¡¯t so relentless that I¡¯d need to handle so much at once. Dealing with months¡¯ worth of pent-up desire all at once? Never again. I should hope next semester sees Ethan beating Harold more often. Or maybe I¡¯ll just have to make sure I beat Ethan again myself soon enough. Snore, exhale¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Leaving Ethan passed out in bed, I quietly made my way to the bathroom. I let the cool water run over me, washing away the sticky remains ofst night¡¯s escapade. The hassle of not being able to use cleaning magic on myself except for contraception and personal hygiene really hits me sometimes. It¡¯s a setting straight out of a porn game, where heroines can¡¯t skip bath scenes, so I was left to handle it manually. ¡°Hah, just how much did he¡­¡± As I contemted using cleaning magic to finish up, the bathroom door opened, and Ethan walked in. His hair was a mess, and he looked even dumber than usual. Reflexively, I hugged myself, sensing danger as memories ofst night came flooding back. Clunk. ¡°Ah?!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, Lily. You¡¯re bathing.¡± Still half-asleep or maybe just utterly drained fromst night, Ethan had entered the bathroom. He saw me, but still walked in,pletely unfazed. ¡°¡­Ed, I¡¯m still in here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then why are you¡­ no, wait. Why are youing closer?!¡± He approached me, nude, unting the effects of his morning energy. I was too startled to resist as he pulled me close, his sticky body pressing against mine. Squeeze. ¡°Ed?!¡± ¡°Seeing you like this first thing¡­ I couldn¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°¡­We already finished my rewardst night, didn¡¯t we? I thought we agreed to save intercourse outside of rewards forter¡­¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not done yet.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over until you say ¡®stop.¡¯ You didn¡¯t say thatst night, so it¡¯s not finished.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­How does he evene up with this?@@novelbin@@ Even though his reasoning seemed ridiculous, I found myself strangely swayed by it. ¡°I thought it would be over after a whole night¡­¡± ¡°Then say ¡®stop,¡¯ Lily. You can say it right now, without interruptions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t say it now, we¡¯ll start again. And I won¡¯t stop kissing you, likest night.¡± ¡­Where does this endless stamina evene from? As much as I wanted to deny it, my lips refused to tell him to stop. ¡°Lily?¡± ¡°¡­What, Ed?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, just say so. I¡¯m waiting.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything, did I?¡± ¡°Then can I?¡± ¡°¡­You said you¡¯d keep going until I tell you to stop, right? This time, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re the one to give up first.¡± ¡­Not that I particrly wanted to be intimate with Ethan again this morning. But that smug look, like he¡¯d already won, irritated me. I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of backing down here. Besides¡­ once we started, I knew I¡¯d need to release again, so I¡¯d better let it all out now. Not because I¡¯m a lewd maid who couldn¡¯t bring herself to say stop. That¡¯s not it at all. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that, Lily.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®you¡¯d say that¡¯¡­? Mmph.¡± Not waiting for me to finish, he kissed me deeply in the bathroom. ¡­It would be another hour before I finally got to use cleaning magic for contraception. After spending nearly two days enduring Ethan¡¯s desires, I spent almost a full day bedridden. I was utterly exhausted, my body sore, and my legs ached with every step. By then, my rtionship with Ethan was pretty much an open secret within the ckwood estate. Considering that the young master and his maid had gone to town for a full day and returned with me bedridden, the servants were bound to assume things. Isabel, Katarina, and Dietmeier already knew about us, but now our rtionship had quietly be more public. Incidentally, Dietmeier had waited for us at the vige entrance for about six hours. We¡¯d told him toe in the ¡®morning,¡¯ yet we only made it out by ¡®afternoon,¡¯ leaving him to wait and worry. The rest of the summer vacation passed quietly as Ethan, Isabel, and I took care of estate affairs, then boarded a carriage back to the academy. ¡°Lord Harold doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll return anytime soon.¡± ¡°He said he¡¯d be back for the next semester, so he might already be at the academy.¡± ¡­With Harold away, I got to experience both victory over Ethan and some unique bonding moments. After what felt like a hectic summer break, it was time to return to routine. Stumble, stumble¡­. ¡°L-Lady Lilith¡­ Y-you should take these too¡­.¡± ¡°Wait, Katarina! That¡¯s too much to carry at once¡­.¡± Slip. ¡°Ahh?!¡± Carrying a pile of bags precariously, Katarina began to tip over. I tried to catch her, but someone else beat me to it. ¡°You need to be careful, Katarina. I always tell you to watch your step.¡± ¡°S-sorry, Dietmeier¡­ T-thank you for catching me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Katarina and Dietmeier¡¯s interaction drew wide eyes from everyone. Quickly realizing our stares, they awkwardly separated and reverted to their usual personas. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright, Miss Katarina.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much, Head Steward Dietmeier¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though they tried to act like nothing happened, it was clear they weren¡¯t just colleagues. And so, the main topic of conversation during our carriage ride back to the academy became the budding romance between Katarina and Dietmeier. Chapter 428 ¡°So, this summer break, I spent the entire month with Harold searching for the Aphrian Flower in the high mountains of the northwest. We¡¯re currently trying various methods to cultivate the Aphrian Flower we collected to see if it can be artificially grown¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And let me tell you, watching him carry me down a cliff with those strong arms was just so impressive. Truly, Harold is a model noble. If every man in the world were even a tenth like him, there would be no more wars¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re listening to me, right, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m listening.¡± I was listening to what Princess Mezzlen was saying, but I wasn¡¯t entirely processing it. The flood of information threatening to halt my brain was overwhelming, but I managed to regain myposure just in time. It seemed I was finally grasping the unexpected connection between Mezzlen and Harold. ¡®I never thought Mezzlen would get close to Harold this quickly¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t surprising, given Mezzlen¡¯s intensely passionate nature. But it shocked me that Harold had been so easily caught up in her intentions. For a man who had always stayed true to histe wife, Tanacia, and avoided any situations that might lead to gossip, Harold had actedpletely out of character. He must have agreed to Mezzlen¡¯s n because of her promise to research a cure for the disease that took Tanacia¡¯s life. Harold had always been driven by his love for her in the original story, and anything rted to Tanacia would undoubtedly move him to action. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s only Mezzlen who could have exploited that so effectively.¡¯ Mezzlen had a sharp mind when pursuing her interests, and she wasn¡¯t above bending her morals to get what she wanted. Thanks to that, she¡¯d essentially enjoyed a full month of dates with Harold over summer break. Though it¡¯s likely she was the only one who saw it that way. Just in case, I thought I¡¯d ask her a bit more directly about her rtionship with Harold, to see if Ethan might end up with a stepmother younger than himself. ¡°How did things go between you and Professor Harold, Princess Mezzlen?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ too embarrassing to talk about¡­¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one to gossip about my private life with others, you know. What do you think I am? Do you think I¡¯d indulge in crude conversation like an unrefinedmoner?¡± ¡°Lover¡­ crude¡­ Wait, what?!¡± Hold on, what? Are they already that close? This didn¡¯t make sense. They¡¯d only met six months ago. How could Mezzlen have charmed that emotionally cold man so quickly? ¡°Princess Mezzlen, could you at least give me some idea of how far you¡¯ve gotten with Professor Harold¡­?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s all I can share with you for now, Lilith! Since your advice helped me win his affection, I felt it was only right to tell you this much¡­¡± ¡°No, wait. You can¡¯t just drop something like that and leave¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you not pry into my rtionship with Harold anymore, Lilith. He¡¯s alreadypletely fallen for me, and we¡¯re bothmitted to each other¡¯s future¡­¡± Jumping up! ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see youter, Lilith!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± And with that, Princess Mezzlen hurriedly left me alone on the bench, fleeing toward the academic building. Once again, I was left to puzzle over the unexpected developments in the rtionships around me. To be realistic, it seemed highly unlikely that Harold would actually be in a serious rtionship with Mezzlen. Her story about the northwestern mountains and her experiences were probably true, but that¡¯s about as far as it went. Things like sharing water from a single sk or carrying her down a cliff could easily happen between friends without any romantic connection. The notion of them being involved romantically or even hinting at intimacy was likely a result of Mezzlen¡¯s imagination or exaggeration. Having concluded that much, I decided not to worry about it anymore. Honestly, their rtionship didn¡¯t matter much to me. In the original storyline, Harold remained unattached until the end, and Mezzlen was just one of the hero¡¯s many admirers. So, whether their rtionship worked out or not wasn¡¯t really an issue. ¡®What¡¯s more pressing now is the uing Luminor Festival.¡¯ Being set in an academy, Luminor Academy naturally had its festival. The festival wasn¡¯t held in the first or second year because Luminor Academy only hosted it once every four years. As a training facility focused on producing capable fighters and researchers, Luminor Academy couldn¡¯t afford topromise academic rigor with annual celebrations. The festival served as a break for students, an event designed to ease the pressure from their intense studies. It allowed everyone to participate in something special once in their time at the academy, assuming they didn¡¯t take a leave or drop out. ¡®In reality, it¡¯s just a feature the developers wanted to include to give the game that ssic academy festival vibe.¡¯ Putting a festival event every year would have made the game too expansive, but skipping it entirely would have been a waste. Participation in the festival was mandatory for all students, as each student had to take part in at least one activity. Students could form groups to run stalls, put on musical or theatrical performances, or engage in mock duels showcasing shy battle techniques. There were no restrictions on coboration across departments, so working with Ethan was an option. The real challenge was choosing what activity to undertake. Since this would be our only chance to attend the festival, I wanted it to be memorable for both Ethan and me. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m all set for ss registration, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°How are you nning to prepare for the festival? Got any ideas?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m considering it now. Do you have anything in mind for this opportunity?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you decide, as usual. But you seem a bit more contemtive than usual this time.¡± ¡°This is the only festival I¡¯ll experience as an academy student, so I want to create an unforgettable memory with you, Master Ethan.¡± ¡°¡­Ahem, yes, of course.¡± There were quite a few events to choose from when ying as the protagonist. If you were on the student council, you could manage student activities and explore the festival freely, interacting with heroines in various booths and maximizing affection points. For a romance route, you could stage a y with the hero, creating an intimate one-on-one performance that boosted affection significantly, although it might lower some jealous heroines¡¯ approval. Or you could gather the heroines and open a maid caf¨¦, raising affection across the board and enjoying the chance to see characters like Seraphine in maid outfits or Natalie in bunny costumes. ¡®Honestly, doing a y with just Ethan would be ideal.¡¯ But as a mere maid, I had no way of rounding up extras for a private date.@@novelbin@@ At best, I could call on Reggie and Lilia, maybe Reggie¡¯s brother and Lilia¡¯s lover, Caraham. Agnes, being part of the hero¡¯s party, might not be avable, but if their party didn¡¯t have any specific ns, I might convince Natalie to join too, with Thomas naturally tagging along. And if I could get Antonio, he¡¯d likely bring Agnes with him. ¡®Turns out, I have more connections than I thought.¡¯ Even with just five or six people, it would be enough to put on a y, so I¡¯d have to meet with that guy and see if he nned anything with Agnes or Natalie. I needed to find out if they had other events nned before I could move forward. Chapter 429 To meet a hero as a mere maid, one had to be quite cautious throughout the process. First of all, the situation where Lilith and I meet alone could easily appear awkward under normal circumstances. If others saw us, it could be troublesome. The most problematic people, if we were caught, would be Ethan on my side, and Seraphine, Luke, and Silena on the hero''s side. At the very least, it was better not to let those four see us talking alone. While I could brush it off with others, it wouldn''t be easy to convince them with words. If I had been a part of the hero¡¯s party, I could have avoided suspicion by iming to be another party member. However, the only connection between the hero and me was the secret that we came from the same ce in a previous life. Still, sneaking a meeting with the hero wasn¡¯t too difficult. The recent items I obtained were quite helpful in that regard. Using the ¡°Whispering Leaf,¡± which reveals the target¡¯s location, I pinpointed where the hero was, and the stealth ability of the ¡°Silent Dagger¡± helped me wait for the moment when he was alone. ¡°So, during this festival, we¡¯ll all...¡± I saw the hero talking alone with Agnes about the festival. Holding the Silent Dagger in my hand, I hid in the shade of a tree, waiting for their conversation to end. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let them knowter.¡± ¡°Thanks, Agnes.¡± ¡°Remember your promise though, the research ss next semester has to be the me Studies Research.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I know, I know.¡± It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if Agnes caught me talking to the hero, but it would still be difficult to converse as freely with her around. Once the two parted ways, I quietly approached the hero from behind. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to Agnes, now I just need to convince Natalie and Thomas...¡± ¡°What are you nning? What are you doing for the festival?¡± ¡°Wow, damn. You scared the hell out of me! I thought you were Luke sneaking up on me like that.¡± Well, Luke was a character specialized in stealth and infiltration in the original story. The fact that the hero mistook me for him, even for a second, meant the Silent Dagger was working perfectly. ¡°This thing works great, huh? I retrieved it over the summer break.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Silent Dagger,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Originally, you were supposed to get this when you visited ckwood Estate, but since it didn¡¯t seem like you had ns to visit, I just grabbed it. Better than it falling into the hands of some dangerous character.¡± In the original story, it was supposed to go to Luke to increase his favorability, so I figured I should report this. If the hero went to ckwood Estate only to find it missing, it would slow his growth. It¡¯s a shame, but if it bes necessary for the story¡¯s progress, I might have to hand it over. ¡°Do you need it? I¡¯ll sell it to you for 200 gold coins.¡± ¡°Nah. Luke¡¯s going to get a new dagger during the festival event anyway. And that thing¡¯s only worth two gold coins in the original story...¡± ¡°I figured you¡¯d say you didn¡¯t need it. It was just a joke. If you¡¯d really needed it, you¡¯d have retrieved it during winter break, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. If you need it, go ahead and use it. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Sweet! Don¡¯t backtrack on thister.¡± With that, I tucked the fourth dagger I now fully owned back under my skirt and walked toward a quiet bench in a corner of the deserted park. The hero probably knew that when I came like this, it always meant I had something important to talk about, so the conversation was bound to be lengthy. ¡°So, what is it this time? Is there something I need to watch out for during the Luminor Festival?¡± ¡°Not really. I didn¡¯t interfere much with the festival in the original story, so it should go as expected. Well, except for the Seraphine kidnapping incident near the end, which probably won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Ligeia isn¡¯t dead in this world, and Caraham hasn¡¯t fallen either. And it seems like Auguste Trading Company is still running fine.¡± In the original, Seraphine and Mechart went missing one after the other, causing a chain ofplex events in the middle of the third arc. But those two incidents likely won¡¯t happen in this world. This might be the first timeline in the Luminor Academy world where we have a festival with no incidents at all. ¡°I was just curious about what you were nning to do for the festival. I saw you talking with Agnes earlier. Is the hero¡¯s party doing something as a group?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...?¡± Seeing him hesitate to answer, I focused on the hero, who then cautiously began exining the party¡¯s festival ns. ¡°Well, we decided that the hero¡¯s party would run a maid caf¨¦. It¡¯s a safe way to build camaraderie among the party members and doesn¡¯t interfere with the main story too much.¡± ¡°Wow. Pretending you don¡¯t care on the outside, but you¡¯re really giving in to your desires, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who wrote the guide suggesting the maid caf¨¦ route. There weren¡¯t any other clear options. The y route you mentioned drops favorability with Seraphine and Silena, so we can¡¯t do that, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t do it, it¡¯s just not rmended. It¡¯s hard to maintain their favorability.¡± ¡°Same thing. There might not be a second ythrough, so I don¡¯t want to risk making a difficult choice. I can¡¯t keep bothering you during the festival, constantly checking how Seraphine and Ethan are reacting.¡± I understand. His goal is to clear the game safely and return to Earth using the wish granted by the goddess. If this were just a game, it¡¯d be different, but now that the game has be reality, his caution makes sense. He hadn¡¯t gone through the Luminor Festival event 25 times like I had. ¡®But if the hero¡¯s party is doing a maid caf¨¦, it¡¯ll be a bit hard to pull Agnes and Natalie away.¡¯ Agnes aside, Natalie was a key character in contributing to the caf¨¦¡¯s revenue. If I took her away, it could mess up the hero¡¯s ns. Agnes also helped by using fire magic forrge-scale cooking, which was useful for handling many customers at once... though her charm as a maid was somewhatcking. ¡®Guess I¡¯ll have to prepare something else for Ethan and me to join.¡¯ As I thought about it and was about to stand up, the hero suddenly added more to the conversation. ¡°I already talked to Agnes about it, but in hindsight, I could¡¯ve juste to you directly.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°When I mentioned doing the maid caf¨¦ at the festival, Luke suggested your name. He said if we¡¯re going to engrain the maid spirit in a short time, it¡¯d be best to ask you for advice.¡± ¡°...What? Luke said that?¡± ¡°Yeah, he said you were the model maid. So, I figured you must be enjoying your life as Ethan¡¯s maid if Luke is saying stuff like that.¡± ¡°...I haven¡¯t really talked about maid life in front of him... oh.¡± ...Now that I think about it, there was that one time. During a humanities research ss, we shared a room. It must have left quite an impression. ¡°Anyway, the idea came up to bring you along if we¡¯re doing a maid caf¨¦. Seraphine and Agnes are fine with it, and the others don¡¯t mind either.¡± ¡°If I join you, what about Ethan...?¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯de along. Since having another guy would make the numbers a bit uneven, we thought about changing it up a bit from the original maid caf¨¦ setup.¡± ¡°Changing it up how?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯d be boring with just maids, the guys would wear butler uniforms, while the girls stay in maid outfits. We¡¯d run it simrly to the original maid caf¨¦.¡± ...Now that I think about it, there was an option in the original game to run a maid & butler caf¨¦ if there were too many guys in the party. Though I never really tried it, since my party was almost always all-female. ¡°You want to see Ethan in a butler uniform, don¡¯t you? Of course, it depends on whether he¡¯ll wear it or not, but it¡¯s a festival, so he¡¯ll probably go along with it.¡± ¡°Ethan in a butler uniform...¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, you were curious about what we were doing for the festival, so does that mean you were nning to join us? If you don¡¯t have any other ns, we could all do it together. With ten people, we could even rent a bigger activity room.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Listening to the hero¡¯s suggestion, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea. As a maid, I couldn¡¯t ask Ethan directly to wear a butler uniform, so maybe this would be better than the y. Either way, making unforgettable memories at the Luminor Festival wouldn¡¯t change. Chapter 430 After hearing the n from the hero (??), I tentatively decided on the event we¡¯d participate in at the festival: a caf¨¦. Since the hero had suggested that Ethan should join as well, I headed to tell him about the maid caf¨¦ n. Of course, I didn¡¯t go straight to Ethan after parting with the hero. I ¡®identally¡¯ ran into Agnes and had a short chat with her. After all, if Ethan found out I had spoken alone with the hero, he might get upset. It was essential to secure a perfect alibi. ¡°A caf¨¦?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°To be more precise, a maid caf¨¦, Master Ethan. Luke, as well as Her Highness Princess Seraphine and Lady Celesta, will be wearing maid uniforms,¡± I exined. ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s going to be quite an ufortable caf¨¦. Even if Lady Celesta is fine, I can¡¯t imagine anyone daring to order something from the princess.¡± ¡°The princess will mostly be promoting the caf¨¦ in her maid outfit. Since Her Highness Seraphine is part of the student council, she didn¡¯t really need to participate in the event. I think she just wants to do something with the hero,¡± I replied. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t see a problem. There are enough familiar faces in the hero¡¯s party that it shouldn¡¯t feel too awkward.¡± Ethan wasn¡¯t particrly ufortable around them, especially since he was acquainted with Agnes through me and Natalie, who was in the same swordsmanship club. Moreover, he had taken humanities and marine studies sses with them, so by now, the hero¡¯s party was a somewhat familiar group for him. ¡°Oh, and this part isn¡¯t mandatory, but...¡± I hesitated. ¡°Hmm?¡± he responded. ¡°They discussed having the men wear butler uniforms and promote the caf¨¦ to the female guests, alongside the maids,¡± I said cautiously. ¡°Butler uniforms? Me too?¡± Ethan asked, pointing to himself in disbelief. ¡°Yes...¡± I nodded carefully. For Ethan, who had only ever lived as a noble of the ckwood family, the idea of wearing a butler uniform might have been a bit shocking. On top of that, wearing it in front of many people could feel burdensome. I had braced myself for the possibility of him rejecting the idea, but to my surprise, Ethan took it quite calmly. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s not too bad. After all, it¡¯s a bit unfair if only the women have to wear maid outfits.¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay with it?¡± I asked, slightly astonished. ¡°If even the princess and the saintess are doing it, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for me to refuse just because I don¡¯t want to. Besides, isn¡¯t the hero wearing one too?¡± Ethan said, shrugging. ¡°Yes, he is,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. It sounds like most of the details are already settled, and it¡¯s better to go with what¡¯s already nned rather than prepare something else at this point,¡± Ethan concluded. ¡°Thank you for understanding, Master Ethan.¡± ...Ethan in a butler uniform, huh? I have to admit, I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it. Since our festival ns were settled smoothly, it was now time to start preparing for the operation of the maid and butler caf¨¦. ? ? ? Three dayster... To kick off preparations for the maid and butler caf¨¦, the hero¡¯s party, Ethan, and I gathered for a luncheon in the VIP room. Originally, the gathering was meant for the ten of us, but by the time we arrived, there were two unexpected guests who had invited themselves. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Agnes. You¡¯ve be even more beautiful since Ist saw you,¡± said Prince Antonio, predictably sticking close to Agnes at any hero party event. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s you again? Stop clinging to me. It¡¯s annoying,¡± Agnes sighed. ¡°Gentlemen, please, don¡¯t stare too much... I know my beauty is overwhelming, but I¡¯m already spoken for, so I cannot return your affections,¡± announced Princess Mezzlen, who, for some reason, was also present and unting her delusions of grandeur. I had somewhat expected Prince Antonio¡¯s attendance, but I was genuinely caught off guard by Mezzlen¡¯s appearance. ¡®Why did she tag along to this?¡¯ There was no connection between the maid and butler caf¨¦ and Harold¡¯s quest, so why was she here? Even Thomas and Natalie, who were meeting her for the first time, looked shocked by her over-the-top personality. But then again, this wasn¡¯t the type of personality you¡¯d get used to, no matter how often you encountered it. ¡®Knowing Mezzlen, it¡¯s probably because she couldn¡¯t find anyone else to hang out with.¡¯ Despite being a princess, her personality made it difficult for her to make friends. In the original story, she had a few blind followers thanks to her status, but in this world, due to Harold and me, it seemed she hadn¡¯t managed to gather any. She spent most of the first semester talking to me and had been with Harold during the summer break. ¡°Well, more people for the caf¨¦ can¡¯t hurt. We¡¯re counting on you, Prince Antonio and Princess Mezzlen,¡± the hero said, extending an olive branch to the lone princess and the prince who had attached himself to her. However, Prince Antonio, who had just heard the hero¡¯s words, looked at him with wide eyes and hurriedly asked for rification.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Wait, Hero. I must have misheard something,¡± Antonio said, looking confused. ¡°Yes?¡± the hero responded. ¡°A maid caf¨¦...? Surely, you¡¯re not nning to make Lady Agnes work in such a lowly establishment?¡± Agnes visibly cringed at Antonio¡¯s words and gagged, while Antonio himself remained serious. ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± the hero asked. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a problem! Maids are supposed to serve their masters with utmost loyalty! Are you saying you intend to degrade our Lady Agnes by making her take orders frommoners in such a dishonorable role?¡± Antonio eximed. ¡°Uh... what?¡± the hero muttered in confusion. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for it! I refuse to let our precious Lady Agnes be reduced to such a lowly status, performing lewd acts! You must be nning to make her bathe someone, or worse!¡± Antonio¡¯s imagination ran wild. ¡°What exactly do you think a maid is, Prince Antonio?¡± the hero asked incredulously. It seemed Antonio was equating the word ¡°maid¡± with the pce maids who were forced to obey anymand, no matter how demeaning. In the royal pce, maids indeed had to serve without question, no matter what the orders were. However, in most noble houses, maids weren¡¯t treated poorly, except in rare cases like Lilith''s situation in the corrupted version of the ckwood family¡¯s timeline. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere if you all want to run a lewd maid caf¨¦ among yourselves, but I absolutely refuse to let Lady Agnes be part of it!¡± Antonio dered. -THUD!- ¡°It¡¯s just a caf¨¦ where we wear maid outfits and pretend to be maids. What kind of strange ce are you imagining?¡± Agnes said, smacking him on the head. ¡°I-I was just worried for you, Lady Agnes...¡± Antonio stammered, rubbing his head. ¡°And stop calling me ¡®our Agnes.¡¯ It¡¯s disgusting,¡± she added, ring at him. ¡°I-I apologize...¡± Antonio mumbled. Thanks to his ridiculous misunderstanding, the mood had be awkward, but Agnes quickly set him straight. Afterward, with an exnation from the hero and Seraphine, Antonio finally understood what the maid caf¨¦ was actually about. Wearing maid uniforms wouldn¡¯t damage anyone¡¯s noble status, and since everyone was just pretending to be maids and butlers, no customer would dare treat them disrespectfully. ¡°Maids aren¡¯t just subservient beings who obey everymand, Prince Antonio,¡± Seraphine said. ¡°But, Lord Mechart... I recall the maids I¡¯ve seen tending to men, even during the night,¡± Antonio replied, confused. ¡°That¡¯s just because that particr master was... unscrupulous. Don¡¯t confuse that with the general rtionship between nobles and maids,¡± Mechart exined. ¡°Indeed. Most maids do not serve their masters at night, nor do they bathe them,¡± Seraphine added. ¡°I-I see...¡± Antonio finally seemed to grasp it. ¡°Right, Antonio. It¡¯s not as though maids would just follow any request because of their position. Sure, there are exceptions, but that only applies to unusual rtionships,¡± Seraphine continued, her gaze subtly shifting toward Ethan and me. Feeling the weight of her stare, Ethan and I avoided eye contact, trying to remain unnoticed. Chapter 431 "A maid outfit...? Are you seriously telling me that I need to wear something so...moner-like?" Mezzlen protested. "Mezzlen, Lilith and Luke are right here, and you''re talking like that?" Seraphine scolded. "B-but it''s strange, Sister Seraphine... Someone as noble as me, a princess, wearing a maid outfit just doesn''t suit me. People will feel awkward because of the radiant aura I exude," Mezzlen continued, clearly grasping at straws. "So, you''re saying that you''re not going to wear what everyone else has agreed to, using these excuses, Mezzlen?" Seraphine pressed. "E-excuses? I was just stating the facts..." Mezzlen muttered, clearly not happy. Right after finishing her lecture to Antonio, Seraphine turned to chastise her half-sister, Mezzlen. Although the personalities of Antonio and Mezzlen had slightly changed from the original, the fact that they were still troublesome siblings for Seraphine remained the same. The easiest way to handle someone like Mezzlen was to mention the person she was currently most infatuated with. "Now that I think about it, if Master Ethan is participating, Professor Harold might stop by the maid caf¨¦ as well," I said, casually dropping the hint. "...Lilith?" Mezzlen perked up. "Harold... wille?" she stammered, her tone suddenly shifting. "Originally, it would have been ideal for you to greet him, but since you don''t want to wear the maid outfit, I suppose I¡¯ll handle it when Professor Harold visits," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "N-now that I think about it, perhaps experiencing life as amoner isn''t so bad! After all, it''s a festival! I¡¯ll wear the maid outfit, just like everyone else!" Mezzlen dered with newfound enthusiasm. "...Sigh."@@novelbin@@ Her change of heart was obvious to everyone, but at least we had convinced the stubborn princess to go along with the n. With that settled, we agreed that the men¡ªEthan, the hero, Thomas, and even Prince Antonio¡ªwould wear butler uniforms and assist with the guests. Fortunately, Antonio wasn¡¯t vain enough to refuse wearing a butler¡¯s outfit. "From tomorrow onward, Lilith will be responsible for training the women in their maid duties. She¡¯s the most experienced maid among us, and everyone knows how diligently she serves Master Ethan," Seraphine announced. "...Well, that¡¯s true," Ethan agreed. "I think that''s a perfect idea!" said the hero. "I-I think so too..." Mezzlen added, trying to regain herposure. It seemed no one had any objections to me taking charge of the maid training. However, the question of who would train the men in their butler duties remained. This, too, was easily resolved under Seraphine¡¯s guidance. "As for the butler training, how about having Luke teach them?" Seraphine suggested. "Luke? But Luke is a maid, not a butler," someone pointed out. "Before he entered the academy, he served as both my butler and bodyguard. I¡¯m sure he can handle basic guest service training. Of course, some may have issues with the fact that Luke isn¡¯t a noble, but..." Seraphine trailed off. "I don¡¯t mind. Besides, if Lilith is training the princesses, I¡¯m not going to nitpick about something like that," Ethan said casually. "I agree. I''d rather have someone familiar like Luke teaching us than some stranger," the hero added. "Thank you, Lord ckwood and Hero," Luke said, bowing slightly. "We¡¯ll have the uniforms tailored to fit everyone. Please make sure to have your measurements taken before you leave," Seraphine instructed. With that, the meeting came to an end, and we had a solid n for the festival¡¯s activities. As we were about to leave, Agnes, who had been watching me with a strange expression throughout the meeting, called out to me. "Lilith," Agnes said. "Yes, Lady Agnes?" "...Can we talk after this?" she asked quietly. "Of course," I replied, a bit surprised by the request. After the meeting, I followed Agnes to a secluded spot where no one else could overhear us. Her gaze was sharp as she looked up at me. "Lilith," she began, "was what you said in the meeting... true?" "What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "The part where you said that normal maids don¡¯t attend to baths naked. Is that true?" Agnes pressed. "...Well, usually, yes," I answered, wondering where this was going. Suddenly, a heavy pressure hit my chest, like an invisible force tightening around me. -THUD!- "Ugh! What...?!" I gasped, feeling the tightness increase. "Y-you tricked me?! I believed everything you said, Lilith!" Agnes shouted, her face flushed with anger. "W-what are you talking about...?" I stammered, confused. "You told me back then that as a maid, it was normal to attend to a bath naked when Prince Antonio injured his arm! You said that¡¯s what a maid is supposed to do!" Agnes used, ring at me. "...Oh." It suddenly dawned on me. That incident had happened so long ago that I hadpletely forgotten. At the time, I had made up the rule to bring Agnes and Antonio closer together. It had worked, too, since their rtionship had grown more intimate since then. However, I could understand why Agnes was upset now. ...I felt a little guilty for misleading her, but now was not the time for apologies. I had to find a way to smooth this over. "That was a misunderstanding, Lady Agnes..." I began. "...What?" she replied, her voice stillced with suspicion. "In a normal employer-maid rtionship, it''s true that such things don¡¯t happen... But your rtionship with Prince Antonio wasn¡¯t exactly ''normal'' at the time, was it?" I pointed out carefully. "...Go on," Agnes said, her eyes narrowing. "You remember, right? The reason Prince Antonio hurt his arm in the first ce was because of you. You felt guilty, so you took on the role of a maid temporarily. In that situation, a maid¡¯s role is to amodate the master¡¯s feelings as much as possible, which is why... it wasn¡¯t strange to attend the bath like that." "...Really?" she asked, her expression softening a bit. "Yes. If it had been under normal circumstances, I¡¯m sure Prince Antonio wouldn¡¯t have minded if you had worn clothes while attending to him. But given the special nature of the situation, it made sense for you to do what you did," I continued, hoping to convince her. "...I see." The pressure on my chest finally lifted as Agnes lowered her staff, a sign that she was calming down. "Lady Agnes, you know I wouldn¡¯t lie to you. Even if I had misled you back then, it was only to help you," I added, looking her in the eye. "Do you remember how I helped you contract with the fire spirit during our first semester? Back then, I didn¡¯t tell you everything, but that was for your own good, too. Are you going to hold that against me as well?" I teased lightly, hoping to ease the tension. "...Fine. I get it. I overreacted. Sorry," Agnes muttered, a bit embarrassed. Even though she had a temper, Agnes was someone who softened quickly once she realized she had been too harsh. Despite everything, she was a friend I could easily understand and handle. Chapter 432 The maid caf¨¦, which would be run by the hero¡¯s party and a few others, wasing together quite smoothly despite the initial resistance from Prince Antonio and Princess Mezzlen. Neither of them brought up any more objections as the preparations continued. Since it seemed like we were short on male participants, Luke decided to dress as a butler and help teach the others proper etiquette. Given his androgynous appearance and the fact that he had enrolled in the academy dressed as a boy during the first semester, it suited him well enough. Three days after our initial meeting, we gathered again to try on the outfits we¡¯d be wearing during the festival. Everyone had custom-fitted uniforms, and we needed to ensure there were no issues with sizing¡ªtoo loose, too tight¡ªbefore anyst-minute alterations could be made. ¡°Lilith, how do you put this on?¡± one of the girls asked. ¡°Just a moment. Let me help Celesta with her outfit, and then I¡¯ll be right with you,¡± I replied. ¡°Lilith, could you help me too, please?¡± asked Agnes. ¡°Of course, Agnes. I¡¯ll check Princess Seraphine¡¯s outfit right after,¡± I added. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, but could you assist me as well, Lilith?¡± Mezzlen chimed in nervously. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you all in order,¡± I said with a sigh. Since everyone was unfamiliar with maid uniforms, they naturally turned to me for help. Seraphine, of course, had ordered royal maid uniforms, which were moreplicated to put on than regr ones, with plenty of zippers and buttons. It would have been difficult for me to exin how to wear them if not for my memories from my past life. Fortunately, I was familiar with these types of uniforms, so I managed to help everyone dress without much trouble. ¡®They all look surprisingly good in these outfits,¡¯ I thought to myself, smiling. Maid uniforms had always been a bit of a cheat in both worlds, often used as special event attire by girlfriends to surprise their boyfriends. They had a universal appeal, and the hero¡¯s party members certainly proved that point¡ªeveryone looked fantastic. ¡®I¡¯ve seen this kind of thing before, but it¡¯s different seeing it in real life,¡¯ I mused. With the women¡¯s outfits sorted out, we nned to spend the next few days teaching them how to wear the uniforms and the basic etiquette required. By then, they should be able to dress themselves without assistance. I returned to the meeting room, where the men were already waiting in their butler uniforms. Ethan and the hero looked particrly striking. ¡°You¡¯re here! Wow, the maid uniforms suit everyone so well,¡± the hero said with his signature harem protagonist smile. The girls, clearly enchanted by hispliment, drifted toward him as if drawn by a maic force. ¡°Hero, you look great as well. Let me check the fit of your uniform to make sure everything¡¯s in order,¡± one of the girls said,pletely captivated. ¡®They¡¯re so infatuated, it¡¯s almost funny,¡¯ I thought, watching them fuss over him. Even though his romance arcs with most of the heroines hadn¡¯t progressed, the connection between him and those three was undeniably stronger than before. As I observed this, Ethan, now dressed in a butler uniform, approached me. ¡°Lilith,¡± he called. ¡°¡­Ah, Master Ethan,¡± I replied, a bit flustered. ¡°Don¡¯t look over there. How do I look?¡± he asked, gesturing to his uniform. ¡°¡­You look very handsome, Master Ethan,¡± I said honestly. ¡°You look lovely as well, Lilith. It¡¯s a bit different from the usual maid outfit you wear,¡± he added, his eyes scanning me. ¡°Well, this is a royal maid uniform, so it¡¯s bound to feel different from what I normally wear in the ckwood Estate.¡± Ethan¡¯s usual noble air had shifted slightly. There was something more confident, almost yful, in the way he carried himself in the butler uniform. He looked like someone who could effortlessly whisper ¡°goodnight¡± to ady lying in bed¡ªa mischievous, yet suave, charm radiating from him. ¡­It wasn¡¯t an unwee feeling, just an overwhelming one. I found it difficult to maintain eye contact with him in that outfit. ¡°Why are you avoiding my gaze, Lilith? Does it not suit me?¡± he asked, his voice teasing. ¡°N-no¡­ You look wonderful, Master Ethan¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°Good. Then look me in the eyes. Don¡¯t keep avoiding me,¡± he said, leaning in slightly. ¡°¡­Ugh,¡± I muttered under my breath, feeling my heart race. I couldn¡¯t take it. Being around Ethan in his butler uniform made me feel so embarrassed, and yet, I wanted tomit the image to memory. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking. That night, his image lingered in my mind so vividly that I even dreamt of him standing by my bedside in that uniform, whispering sweet nothings. ? ? ? With the maid and butler uniforms settled, we began meeting daily to finalize our festival preparations. The most important task remaining was the staff training. Though it felt strange to be teaching etiquette to two princesses and a saintess, I remembered that in the original story, Lilith had been responsible for training everyone during the maid caf¨¦ events as well. By this point in the story, Lilith would normally have joined the hero¡¯s party, so it wasn¡¯t entirely out of ce. ¡°You don¡¯t need to change your hairstyle, but it¡¯s important to keep your nails trimmed. You wouldn¡¯t want to get injured while handling things during busy times. And remember to keep your posture straight, with your hands sped in front of you¡­¡± I instructed. ¡°Like this, Lilith?¡± asked Princess Seraphine, trying her best to follow my guidance. ¡°Yes, just like that, Princess Seraphine. That¡¯s the proper stance,¡± I replied, encouraging her. Despite some initial awkwardness, the women of the hero¡¯s party began to master the basics of maid etiquette. Seraphine¡¯s willingness to learn set an example for the others, making it easier for me to teach them. After all, if the princess herself was diligently following instructions, no one else could afford to ck off. What I was teaching them wasn¡¯t the full etiquette of a personal maid, but rather the basics for interacting with guests from outside the estate. Given that people like Seraphine and Mezzlen were royalty, it would be awkward for them to refer to customers as "masters," so I had them practice simpler greetings. Besides, I had no desire to call anyone else ¡°Master.¡± Harold was my true master, and Ethan... well, I wasn¡¯t about to use such a title for anyone else. ¡°Let¡¯s start with greetings. When a guest arrives, how should you wee them?¡± I prompted.@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡®Wee, honored guest,¡¯¡± the group responded in unison. After a week of daily training, the women had improved significantly. They had a decent grasp of the basics, enough to handle their roles during the festival. However, there were a few outliers who still struggled with the idea. ¡°¡­Silena?¡± I called, noticing her standing off to the side. ¡°¡­What?¡± she responded curtly. ¡°You didn¡¯t respond just now, did you?¡± ¡°¡­I did.¡± ¡°I saw you just moving your lips,¡± I pointed out. ¡°¡­.¡± I could understand why Silena was acting this way. As an elf who had fled the stifling rules of the World Tree¡¯s Forest, she probably found the rigid etiquette and uniforms to be suffocating. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if I could exclude her from the event. Letting someone sit out would only encourage others to ck off. ¡°Silena, you don¡¯t have to be perfect, but could you at least try? Just give me a simple greeting,¡± I asked, trying to coax her gently. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Silena?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to the bathroom,¡± she muttered before slipping away. Sighing, I let her go. Pushing her too hard would only make things worse. If she wasn¡¯t motivated by the time of the festival, I¡¯d probably move her to the kitchen... though, considering Silena¡¯s cooking skills, that might be an even bigger disaster. As I pondered how best to handle our more rebellious maid, the Luminor Festival was already fast approaching. Chapter 433 Time passed, and the first day of the festival arrived. Although there had been a few hups along the way, the preparations for the Maid & Butler Caf¨¦ wereplete, and its first official day of operation began. ¡°Wee, sir. Could you please let me know if you are apanied by anyone today?¡± ¡°¡­Two people.¡± ¡°Understood. In that case, I¡¯ll escort you both to the ¡®reception room¡¯ where you can rx.¡± ¡°The reception room? Isn¡¯t this just a caf¨¦...?¡± ¡°It is the ¡®reception room,¡¯ sir. Tea and refreshments are prepared, so please make yourselffortable here.¡± ¡°Ah, yes...¡± Though there were still some minor concerns, the Maid & Butler Caf¨¦ of the Luminor Festival had kicked off smoothly. The theme of the caf¨¦ was that the guests were being hosted by the maids and butlers in the reception room of a mansion. At first, some guests were confused, not expecting a typical caf¨¦ experience. However, once the staff confidently insisted it was the reception room, most guests began to enjoy the unique concept. ¡°Yes! Two coffees, correct? I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s delivered right away!¡±
  • Tap-tap-tap!
¡°¡­Wow, who¡¯s that? I didn¡¯t know we had someone like her in the academy.¡± ¡°The girl who just took the order? That¡¯s Natalie from the swordsmanship club. She¡¯s pretty well-known in the club for being quite the looker.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like a noble, does she? Maybe I¡¯ll try my luck with herter.¡± ¡°Suit yourself. Personally, I¡¯m more into Saintess Cerista. Doesn¡¯t she seem... a little easygoing? Like she wouldn¡¯t say no to a naughty request or something?¡± With the caf¨¦ gathering some of the most attractive and well-known girls from the academy, it wasn¡¯t surprising that a few male customers were discussing the maids in such a way. However, we had a contingency n for this sort of behavior. ¡°Honestly, yeah, Saintess Cerista does seem a bit... amodating. Like, if you begged her, she might reluctantly...¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me, gentlemen. May I have a word?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I would appreciate it if you refrained frommenting on the appearances of our estate''s servants, gentlemen. While I may not be able to do anything to you, being ¡®just a butler,¡¯ I ask that you show some decorum.¡± ¡°A-Antonio, the Prince...!¡± ¡°¡­W-We¡¯re sorry!¡± The men, who had been whispering among themselves, quickly apologized after exchanging a few words with Prince Antonio and left before their drinks even arrived. Prince Antonio was adept at subtly threatening others through polite conversation. Though his physical prowess might not rival other men¡¯s, his royal status and right to the throne were enough to intimidate. I had witnessed him calmly reprimanding male students at the Pliana Coast before, and he was performing his role perfectly today as well. Elsewhere, the caf¨¦¡¯s team had been distributed efficiently: the hero, skilled in cooking, and Agnes, a fire mage, were managing the kitchen. Thomas, who had some crafting skills, and I were assisting them. The serving staff included Natalie, Cerista, and Ethan, maintaining a bnced male-to-female ratio. Antonio, as seen earlier, was patrolling the caf¨¦, ensuring the overall safety and atmosphere, while Mezzlen, not quite suited for serving, was assigned to the cashier role. After all, no matter how much of a maid caf¨¦ this was, it would be unthinkable to casuallymand a princess to serve guests. Seraphine and Luke were busy promoting the caf¨¦ around the festival grounds as part of their student council duties, while Silena, who had struggled the most with the maid role, was...
  • Clink, nk.
¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, Silena! We¡¯re running low on coffee cups, so could you please wash some more?¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± She had been relegated to the endless task of dishwashing. There was no other option. Silena had been unable to keep up with the maid training, not grasping the concept of interacting with strangers. Until she worked on that part of herself, she couldn¡¯t be trusted to serve or handle the cashier role. Not even as a signboard at the entrance, with that demeanor. Entrusting cooking to someone like Silena, who had lived in istion in the World Tree¡¯s Forest, was equally concerning. This role was the only way to make use of her without allowing her to freeload in the group project. It was a necessary role, after all. While I could have used Clean Magic to speed up the dishwashing, casting Clean Magic for five days straight would have drained my mana by the third day. ¡®Maybe by assigning her this tedious task, she¡¯ll develop some initiative.¡¯ Even if she disliked dealing with people, she might prefer something other than just doing dishes all day. In truth, it was a waste to use someone as valuable as Silena for such a mundane task. She was the only elf in the academy, with her striking and mysterious appearance, so it felt like a missed opportunity not to have her at the forefront. ¡®Perhaps by tomorrow, she¡¯ll be asking me to let her try serving.¡¯ Despite the others rotating between serving, cashiering, and kitchen duties, Silena spent the entire day in front of the sink, stubbornly washing dishes. But her resolve was much stronger than I had anticipated. ? ? ? Maid & Butler Caf¨¦, Day Two. As with most festivals, the busiest days were usually the first andst. This left a bit more breathing room on the intermediate days, where not everyone needed to be fully dedicated to the event. However, word had spread about the extravagant staff of the Maid & Butler Caf¨¦, and on the second day, even more customers showed up. ¡°Ah, hello... Se-Serista... maid...¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, here, I¡¯m not a saintess, just a maid, so no need to be formal...¡± ¡°Antonio Butler! Please, look over here!¡± ¡°Is there something you need?¡± ¡°Kyaa~! So handsome!¡± While many of the first-day visitors had been curious about what the caf¨¦ was about, by the second day, there were many more ¡®regrs,¡¯ing specifically to see certain people. It wasn¡¯t often that someone like Antonio or Cerista could be seen dressed as servants, so people were clearly enjoying the novelty. The titles of ¡°Maid¡± and ¡°Butler¡± were nicknames the guests had started using amongst themselves. While the caf¨¦ followed the concept of maids and butlers serving guests, the customers were addressing high-ranking individuals with a yful sense of respect. Though these titles had initially been reserved for those like Cerista, Antonio, and Ethan, by the afternoon, evenmoners like Natalie and Thomas were being addressed as ¡°Maid¡± and ¡°Butler.¡± It was fortunate that everyone was respectful, maintaining the bnce without crossing lines. Thanks to Antonio¡¯s efforts the previous day, there had been no incidents of harassment, and the caf¨¦ was running smoothly. ¡­Even though the caf¨¦ staff, myself included, were now overwhelmed due to the reduced number of people working. ¡°Agnes! Seven coffees and three teas! As fast as possible, please!¡± ¡°¡­Is that seven with the previous order, or...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an additional order! So in total, it¡¯s ten coffees and five teas!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Silena, please wash more coffee cups! I¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Though we had ten staff members on the first day, we were now down to seven. Natalie, Thomas, and Mezzlen were all taking the day off. It was the Luminor Festival, after all, so we had nned for everyone to take turns resting and exploring other events. Today just happened to be their turn. With an ace missing from both the dining hall and kitchen, and Mezzlen absent from the cashier, the workload naturally increased for those remaining. Agnes was using her fire magic to boil kettles in batches of ten, while Ethan skillfully sliced ingredients with his swordsmanship, all while managing five or six tables¡¯ worth of orders in his head. I was racing back and forth between the kitchen and the hall, using Clean Magic to handle the dishes, feeling the absence of Natalie and Thomas acutely. ¡®It¡¯s the right decision in terms of the story, but...¡¯ If today is this busy, I can only imagine how chaotic the next two days will be. As I moved the freshly made tea and coffee out of the kitchen, I suddenly heard a sharp scream. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Startled, I nearly dropped the tray I was holding. Relieved that the scream hadn¡¯te from one of the staff, I headed towards the sound. But when I saw who it was, my heart began to race for a different reason. ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ Standing there, with a stain of tea on her dress, was a young woman with a troubled expression, and in front of her, looking equally apologetic, was Ethan. The stain was something I could easily remove with Clean Magic. The problem was that the one it had spilled on was a character I knew all too well. ¡®...Princess Rainey.¡¯ It was my first meeting with Princess Rainey, the royal exchange student from the Kingdom of Dephrin. Chapter 434 A woman with short blue hair sat silently, her dress stained with spilled tea. In front of her stood Ethan, looking visibly troubled. It was easy to deduce what had happened. With Thomas absent, Ethan had been almost exclusively handling the female customers, and it seemed that he had identally spilled tea on Princess Rainey. And the tall woman sitting beside Princess Rainey was most likely... ¡°Ahh! P-Princess! Are you okay?!¡± The loud, panicked voice belonged to the maid, Lydia, who was attending to Princess Rainey. ¡°Oh no! Your dress is stained, Princess! And what if you¡¯ve been burned...?¡± Lydia frantically gave orders, her voice filled with urgency. ¡°You there! Clean this up immediately! And call for the nearest priest! Hurry!¡± This maid was exactly as I remembered her from the game. Loud and frantic in her professionalism, much like Melissa. She seemed to be in a state of panic, overwhelmed by the situation, while Princess Rainey herself had beenpletely silent since the tea spilled on her dress. ¡°I apologize, Lady Rainey...! This was my mistake...¡± Ethan stood before her, his head bowed in shame. Although Ethan had caused the spill, it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault. Knowing Princess Rainey¡¯s temperament, anyone could have made the same mistake in that situation.@@novelbin@@ Princess Rainey, often referred to as the "Unlucky Princess," was known for attracting misfortune wherever she went. Her life was a constant series of unfortunate incidents. Her shoes, fine in the morning, might break while climbing stairs; a bird¡¯s droppings might hit her head while on a pleasant walk; or she might stub her toe on a chair in her room while walking barefoot. From minor inconveniences to severe injuries, Princess Rainey had an extraordinary ability to attract bad luck. So, naturally, even now, with hot tea spilled on her dress, she sat silently, not reacting at all. For someone like her, such small misfortunes had be a routine part of life. ¡°Hurry! We must bring a priest! What will happen if the Princess is left with severe burns?!¡± Meanwhile, Lydia continued to fuss loudly, her voice rising to match the seriousness of the situation in her mind. Of course, no one was going to suffer full-body burns from a bit of spilled tea, but... ¡®I can''t just stand here thinking about this.¡¯ Regardless of Princess Rainey¡¯s unfortunate tendencies, it was Ethan who made the mistake, so it was my responsibility to clean up the situation. ¡°I deeply apologize for the discourtesy caused by our butler, Lady Rainey. Please allow us to escort you to another room for treatment.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°W-Wait! Are you asking our Princess to walk in her current condition?! She''s just suffered severe burns!¡± ¡°We are simply moving her to another room for treatment. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to have a male servant attend to the Princess¡¯s bare skin, would it?¡± ¡°O-Oh! If that¡¯s the case, we should take her right away! Actually, I¡¯ll carry her myself!¡± With that, Lydia, showing her impressive strength, lifted Princess Rainey out of her chair with ease. Considering how light the Princess was for an adult woman, it wasn¡¯t a surprise. ¡°W-Where should I take her?!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just take her behind the kitchen...¡± Before I could finish, Lydia hurriedly carried Princess Rainey off to the back of the kitchen. I followed them, mentally preparing to handle the aftermath. ? ? ? After moving Princess Rainey, who had spilled hot tea on her dress, to the kitchen, I had our cook temporarily step out. Fortunately, Cerista was not on break today, so I called her to help with the treatment. ¡®¡­Though in truth, it¡¯s barely a burn. It would heal on its own if left alone.¡¯ Still, I couldn¡¯t risk leaving it untreated. Lydia would keep making a scene, and with Rainey¡¯s bad luck, who knew what could happen if we ignored it? For instance, another cup of tea might spill on the same spot, turning a minor burn into something serious. It might sound ridiculous, but with Princess Rainey¡¯s luck, anything was possible. She was known as the "Unlucky Princess" for a reason. Her misfortune wasn¡¯t just about unlucky circumstances. It was like she was destined to experience a certain amount of bad luck each day, no matter what she did.
  • Saaa¡­
¡°Y-You¡¯re healed, Lady Rainey¡­ Or should I say Princess?¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Shake shake.
Without a word, Princess Rainey shook her head, indicating that it wasn¡¯t necessary to correct the title. In the game, conversations with her were always like this¡ªnods, shakes of the head, and silence. I could barely remember her voice because she rarely spoke. Instead, Lydia¡¯s loud voice had left a much moresting impression. After Cerista finished treating the minor burn, I used Clean Magic to clean Rainey¡¯s dress. Soon, both the Princess and her dress were back to how they were before Ethan spilled the tea. ¡°My deepest apologies, Princess Rainey. We willpensate for the incident today.¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Shake shake.
¡°Pardon? Are you saying it¡¯s alright?¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Nod nod.
¡°Thank you for your graciousness, Princess Rainey.¡± ¡­I had expected her to respond this way, but still, it was a courtesy I had to extend after the incident. For someone like Princess Rainey, who was used to constant misfortune, something like spilled tea was hardly enough to upset her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess! Next time, I¡¯ll throw myself in harm¡¯s way to make sure not a single drop of tea touches you!¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Shake shake.
¡°Ah, such kindness, even with such beauty of heart...¡± As I sighed in relief at having resolved the situation, Princess Rainey silently stood and began to walk toward the exit of the caf¨¦. I followed, intending to see her off properly, but instead of leaving, she returned to her seat. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Princess?¡± Everyone, including Lydia, looked puzzled, not knowing what the Princess wanted. I, however, remembered the pattern from my past experience with her in the game and quickly grabbed a menu from nearby, handing it to her. ¡°Wee once again, mydy. While you wait for your host, may I offer you some tea or refreshments?¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Nod nod.
Without speaking, Princess Rainey silently nodded and pointed at the menu, ordering coffee and a croissant. As I had anticipated, her actions were part of a ritual to ¡°overwrite¡± the previous memory. To forget the misfortune, she would repeat the activity, recing the bad memory with a normal one. This was a recurring event in the game when dating Princess Rainey, and I was relieved that I still remembered the pattern. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare that for you right away, mydy.¡± ¡°...¡± As the Princess sat quietly, Lydia cautiously took her seat beside her once more. ¡°Everyone, return to your duties. We have many guests to serve, so what are you all standing around for as if something happened?¡± ¡°Ah, s-sorry...¡± ¡°Apologies!¡± ¡°...¡± With that, the hall and kitchen returned to their usual rhythm, and the caf¨¦ resumed its operations. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Ethan, who was standing off to the side, watching me and breathing a sigh of relief. Chapter 435 After Princess Rainey began her ¡°memory overwriting,¡± I took over serving her, as Lydia would never allow Ethan, who had already made a mistake (though it wasn¡¯t really his fault), to serve her again. Since I had been the first to respond to the situation, I had to see it through to the end. Memory overwriting was more effective when small details were altered rather than repeating the exact same scenario. For instance, instead of ordering the tea and cookies she had initially mentioned, Rainey ordered coffee and croissants. I knew a lot about her, but that didn¡¯t mean I could do anything about her tendency for bad luck, so I had to be extra careful to avoid mistakes.
  • Thud.
¡°¡­Ah.¡± As I moved toward Rainey with the coffee, I bumped into a guest who was getting up from their seat, causing me to lose my bnce for a moment. Luckily, I had been on high alert, knowing I was dealing with the "Unlucky Princess," and I was able to recover quickly. I stepped forward to regain my bnce and steadied the tray in my hands. With the help of the wind spirit, Sei, the shock was absorbed, and I avoided spilling the coffee onto Rainey. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Please don¡¯t worry about me. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°N-No, I¡¯m fine as well.¡± After exchanging a few brief words with the guest, I made my way back toward Rainey with the tray, now more stable. I quickly used Clean Magic to wipe away a few stray drops of coffee that had spilled on the tray, then ced it carefully in front of her. ¡°Your coffee, mydy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just in case, I had kept the coffee lukewarm to avoid any unfortunate idents, and I had Sally use her fire magic to warm it slightly before serving it, managing to counteract Rainey¡¯s bad luck. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring the croissants right away. Please take your time to rx.¡±
  • Nod nod.
¡°¡­Phew.¡± Facing her like this was still nerve-wracking. If I had put even one more croissant on the tray, I might have lost my bnce. Or, perhaps, the coffee would have spilled onto the croissants, and I would¡¯ve had to rece the entire order. She was definitely a troublesome guest, but as one of the main heroines of Luminor Academy, I couldn¡¯t risk offending her. Her streak of bad luck would end soon enough, and it was important not to make any enemies before then. ? ? ? ¡°Please take care as you leave, mydy.¡± ¡°¡­¡±
  • Nod nod.
¡°Princess, is there anywhere else you¡¯d like to visit?¡± After spending about 30 minutes in the caf¨¦, Princess Rainey finally finished her refreshments and prepared to leave. I had barely managed to see her off,pletely drained. Of course, I hadn¡¯t let my exhaustion show in front of her. Having focused solely on attending to Princess Rainey, I knew the caf¨¦ had gotten busier without me, but it was a sacrifice I had to make. After all, building goodwill with her was crucial in the story. It wasn¡¯t because she was engaged to Ethan, but rather because Princess Rainey would be an incredibly powerful character in the middle of the third arc. Her special ability was called ¡°Attract Bad Luck.¡± At first nce, the name might suggest she pulled bad luck from others onto herself, but that wasn¡¯t entirely true. In fact, the bad luck she attracted was not from others, but from her future self. ¡®Princess Rainey should be turning 19 around the time she enrolled at the academy, so there¡¯s not much time left.¡¯ From the moment she was born, she had absorbed all the bad luck she could possibly endure for the first 20 years of her life. In just a few months, that cycle of misfortune would end, and from then on, she would walk nothing but a path of good fortune. To avoid making an enemy of Princess Rainey when she bes blessed with such luck, it was critical to stay in her good graces for now. After the caf¨¦ closed for the day, Ethan approached me with an apologetic expression, looking downcast from the incident earlier. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. I ended up causing you so much trouble because of my mistake.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say such things, Young Master Ethan. Princess Rainey has always been prone to such incidents. It wasn¡¯t your fault that you made a mistake in her presence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In fact, I should have recognized her sooner and informed you. I never expected her to visit while I was helping in the kitchen.¡± At this point, I was the only one capable of fully understanding Princess Rainey¡¯s bad luck and serving her without issue. Despite the small mishap, I had managed to resolve it without much trouble, and tomorrow we could resume normal operations. ¡®Tomorrow, Gwa, Cerista, and Silena will be taking the day off.¡¯ With Thomas and Natalie back on duty, I figured things would run more smoothly than today, but that expectation was soon shattered. ¡°Wee, mydy. Have youe to see the master?¡± ¡°¡­¡±
  • Shake shake.
¡°¡­Pardon?¡±
  • Point.
¡°¡­¡± Princess Rainey, instead of responding to Thomas, suddenly pointed at me. Understanding her unspoken wish to be served by me, I quickly stepped forward. ¡°Wee, mydy. Thank you for visiting again today. The master is busy at the moment, but may I escort you to the reception room?¡± ¡°¡­¡±
  • Nod nod.
¡°Thomas, I¡¯ll take care of thedy. Could you please attend to the other guests?¡± ¡°O-Of course!¡± And just like that, I smoothly took over serving Princess Rainey from Thomas. As I began leading her toward the reception room, her bad luck struck again.
  • Crack.
¡°...!¡± Just as she took a step into the caf¨¦, the heel of her shoe broke, causing her to stumble. It was a sudden ident, but I was prepared. I had anticipated something like this.
  • Thud.
¡°...?¡± ¡°Are you alright, mydy?¡± ¡°¡­¡±
  • Nod nod.
¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re unharmed. Would you mind if I carried you to the reception room?¡± ¡°¡­¡±
  • Nod nod.
True to her title, Princess Rainey, like a proper royal, allowed me to lift her into my arms, nodding as I carried her to a seat in the far corner of the room. I carefully ced her down onto the chair.
  • Plop.
¡®¡­Phew.¡¯ I had been nervous that the chair legs might give out, but thankfully nothing of the sort happened. Her ankle wasn¡¯t swollen either, so it seemed like only the heel of her shoe had broken. If she had been injured, it would have been a much bigger problem, especially with Cerista on break today.@@novelbin@@ ¡°While you wait for the master, I¡¯ll attend to you with the utmost care. If you need any tea or refreshments, please let me know.¡±
  • Nod nod.
¡°¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t expected her to visit two days in a row. But there wasn¡¯t any rule against returning customers, and we already had a few regrs who had visited the caf¨¦ for three days straight. With such a beautiful staff, it was no surprise that people wanted to return multiple times. Thanks to Antonio filtering out the rude patrons on the first day, the caf¨¦ was running smoothly. ¡®Now that I think about it, maybe Princess Rainey came today because she wanted to be served by Ethan.¡¯ Though her engagement to Ethan wasn¡¯t public knowledge yet, it was clear that she had a high status as a princess. Their engagement had been kept a secret due to their difficult childhoods, but it seemed likely she hade to the caf¨¦ to learn more about her fianc¨¦. Unfortunately, due to the mishap on the first day, I couldn¡¯t hand her off to Ethan again. If he made another mistake, it would be too humiliating for him to bear. ¡°¡­¡±
  • Tap, tap.
¡°You¡¯d like Darjeeling tea and cheese cookies, correct? I¡¯ll prepare that right away.¡±
  • Nod nod.
As Princess Rainey quietly ordered what she hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy the previous day due to Ethan¡¯s mistake, I noticed her broken shoe as I bent down to collect the menu. Since Thomas was here today, I saw an opportunity. ¡°One of our staff members is quite handy. Would it be alright if I had him repair your shoe while you wait?¡± Chapter 436 The third day of serving Princess Rainey went as smoothly as the previous day. Though I had a couple of close calls where I almost tripped while serving her, and Thomas temporarily repaired her broken shoe thanks to his craftsmanship, everything else went ording to n. Any other minor idents were also handled efficiently. Having grown more ustomed to bncing Rainey¡¯s presence with the overall management of the caf¨¦, things ran much more smoothly than before. ¡°Take care, Lady Rainey.¡± ¡°...¡±
  • Nod nod.
Just like the day before, Princess Rainey spent about 30 minutes at the caf¨¦ before leaving. She probably could have stayed longer if she wanted, but it seemed she was leaving out of consideration. The longer she stayed in one ce, the more her bad luck tended to affect those around her. Perhaps that was the very reason she had chosen to study abroad in the Argenthia Empire aftering of age in her home kingdom of Dephrin. ¡®Well, that will be over soon enough.¡¯ In just a few months, Rainey¡¯s bad luck woulde to an end, and she would finally have a future filled with happiness. There was no need for me to feel sorry for her. Of course, whether that future would be safely reached depended on that guy¡¯s abilities.@@novelbin@@ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 438 After leaving Rizy''s shop, with her dubious fortune readings still on my mind, Ethan and I resumed wandering around the academy festival, enjoying the festivities. It seemed that the astrology demonstration had been the main reason Ethan wanted to take the lead earlier. After that, he told me I could decide where to go next, allowing me to freely explore magic scroll crafting demonstrations and magical circle workshops for enchanted tools, which personally satisfied my curiosity. ¡®Who knows, if I end up out on my own one day, I might be able to make a living doing something like this. Learning a bit now coulde in handyter.¡¯ There was no way I was going to base my future ns on some unbelievable fortune about wealth being right in front of me. If I learned how to use scrolls for magic, it would help conceal my true identity, and if I pretended to use scrolls while secretly casting spells, I could avoid being discovered as a magician while working as an adventurer. As I spent the afternoon visiting the ces I was personally interested in and asionally wandering into ces that caught my eye, I suddenly remembered one of the main events of the academy festival. ¡®Now that I think about it, what¡¯s going on with the y?¡¯ In the original route, the y was just as important as the maid caf¨¦. Even though the protagonist wasn¡¯t involved, the scheduled performances always went ahead, with other academy students taking the stage in ce of the protagonist and heroine. ¡®We¡¯ve already seen most of what we wanted to today, so maybe we should just wrap up by watching the y together.¡¯ "Ethan, would you be interested in watching the Leon and Julia y that starts at five?"@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡ªTug. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 439 It all happened in an instant. The stage set copsed over the distracted girl watching Lydia and Princess Rainey, and the male student, who had been watching as well, rushed to save her. I saw him embrace her at thest moment, but after that, I wasn¡¯t sure what happened. I could only hope that both of them were safe. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°First, we need to move this set! Young master Ethan, could you bring Lady Celesta from the church... no, the maid caf¨¦ is closer¡ªplease go and fetch her!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Got it, Lilith!¡± At my words, Ethan sprinted out of the auditorium toward the maid caf¨¦ to fetch Celesta. Meanwhile, I, Lydia, and the other students preparing for the y began slowly lifting the fallen stage set. ¡ªSqueak, squeak¡­ ¡°Bo! Penelope! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Hrk, kgh¡­¡± The first to emerge from beneath the copsed set was the male student, crouched protectively over the girl. I could see strands of her hair beneath him. ¡°B-Bo!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 441 During the y, most of what I did was pretty much the same.@@novelbin@@ Backstage, I would desperately memorize the next lines while reading from the script Penelope had prepared for me. Once on stage, I tried my best to slowly deliver the lines I had memorized, immersing myself in the emotions. It was my first time ying the role of Julia, but since I had thoroughly familiarized myself with the y''s plot from Luminor Academy, it was going rtively smoothly. Ethan, who had been drawn into this y because of me, was doing surprisingly well¡ªfar better than I expected. "Oh, I''d rather throw myself off a cliff or enter a goblin-infested nest than marry Paris! Or perhaps you should bury me in a crypt filled with rotting skulls! If Leon isn''t the one who has stolen my heart, I''ll do anything to keep my honor!" "Ah, Julia, I feel the same way. I can''t let that bloated noble take you away! If your honor, more precious than all of McCoy''s wealth, were to be handed over to that scoundrel, I swear I''d tear down Paris''s walls until nothing but rubble remains!" ...Honestly, he''s really good. While I had experience from my past life learning the exaggerated voice and gestures typical of theater, Ethan, though this was his first time, was already fully immersed in his role, delivering his lines wlessly. In contrast, I was cutting down nearly ten lines to half, but Ethan barely stumbled over the original script. Thanks to that, I could follow his lines without missing a beat in this breath-controlled performance. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 442 My sudden improvisation with the kiss somehow worked out, thanks to Ethan''s quick thinking.@@novelbin@@ "Lil... Julia...?" "I''m s-sorry, Leon. I just wanted to be with you until the very end." "...If that''s your wish, Julia, then drinking the poison left on your lips to die with you is a death I can be content with." "I''m sorry, Leon. I was selfish, and now you''re suffering because of me..." "It''s alright, Julia. If it''s what you wanted, my decision would have remained the same. Dying while embraced by your warm lips is a far more graceful death than I deserve." "...In our next life, let''s be together, Leon." "...Yes, Julia. In the next life, for sure." Thud. In this way, we managed to alter the final scene, where I was supposed to hand him the vial, by implying that the poison remained on my lips. The most important part of the ending was that both Leon and Julia drank the same poison and died together. Afterward, the y moved on to the epilogue with the other students performing their roles, and the y of Leon and Julia, which almost ended in disaster, was brought to a close. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 444 "Princess Mezzlen left with Professor Harold, saying she would see him off," Thomas exined. "...What?" "I did ask her to refrain since the caf¨¦ was still open, but she was quite adamant." "...Well, we were nearly done anyway, and trying to stop her would¡¯ve just caused a scene. It happened right after we served thest order." "...I see." So, she had left about an hour early. While it wasn¡¯t ideal, it wasn¡¯t exactly something to worry about. Sure, it wasn¡¯t great for her to leave early while everyone else was still working, but I could let it slide this time. After all, everyone else had probably been enjoying the festival with their partners, while Mezzlen hadn''t been able to do that, given her unrequited love. It wasn¡¯t fair to deny her the chance to spend time with the person she liked, even if only for an hour. Though I would definitely have a word with her when she returned tomorrow.@@novelbin@@ "Understood. I¡¯ll speak with her tomorrow when she returns. Thank you all for your hard work today." "Tomorrow¡¯s thest day, right? Once it¡¯s over, this festival will be behind us." "It¡¯s a little sad that it¡¯s ending already¡­" "Well, that¡¯s the nature of festivals. At least Seraphine and Luke will be helping out tomorrow, so we¡¯ll have the full crew." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 445 A pitch-ck space where not even a single beam of light could prate. Princess Mezzlen, who had been asleep for a long time since the evening before, awoke in that dark, shadowy ce. "Mmff, mm... Ugh...?!" The moment she tried to speak, a foreign object inside her mouth became painfully evident. The first sensation Princess Mezzlen noticed upon waking was the tight pressure of a thick gag, sealing her lips and crushing her tongue. "Mm... mmph... ugh..."@@novelbin@@ She tried to make any sound, but nothing escaped her throat. Instead, the pressure from the gag pressing deep into her mouth caused her to feel a wave of nausea. When she noticed the firm sensation holding the back of her neck in ce, Princess Mezzlen cautiously held her breath and assessed the situation. ''...I''ve been kidnapped, haven''t I?'' Her hands and feet were bound as she sat on a chair in a pitch-ck room, with a gag rendering her unable to speak. Even as the somewhat oblivious Fourth Princess of the Argentia Empire, she could at least understand that this situation was all too real. Though her rank in the imperial session was low, a princess was still a princess. Even if she had no chance of bing Empress, her blood alone carried value. Her sister Seraphine and her brother Antonio had always told her to keep her guards close and never let her guard down. Because of this, even after arriving at the academy, Mezzlen had diligently kept her maid, Kate, by her side for months, assigning her tasks to ensure her safety andfort. But... You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 446 A drowsy Princess Mezzlen reappeared before me, using the excuse that she had overslept. However, the ''Whispering Leaf'' remained pointed in apletely different direction, motionless. There was no way an artifact as reliable as the Whispering Leaf had malfunctioned, so the answer was clear. The Mezzlen standing in front of me, talking casually with Antonio and Seraphine, wasn¡¯t the real Princess Mezzlen that I knew. ''A doppelg?nger... I thought I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with one during this festival.'' In the original story, it was a doppelg?nger that had dyed the academy while Seraphine was being kidnapped and transported to the Auguste estate. This high-level demon could transform into anyone they had touched for up to 24 hours, even mimicking the person''sbat abilities.@@novelbin@@ ''At least it copied Mezzlen, so itsbat strength should be negligible. But the problem is, I can¡¯t reveal that it¡¯s a doppelg?nger.'' The fact that a doppelg?nger had appeared meant someone was serious about kidnapping Mezzlen. I needed to act quickly, but I was hesitating, unable to make a clear decision. I had no concrete evidence to expose the demon, and rushing in alone to rescue Princess Mezzlen would be far too dangerous, especially knowing that dark magic and demons were involved. While I was racking my brain, trying to figure out a n, Seraphine finished her conversation with the fake Mezzlen and quietly approached me. "I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. My sister has caused quite a nuisance this morning for such a ridiculous reason." "¡­It¡¯s fine, Princess Seraphine." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 448 Boom! "Huh?!" A small explosion erupted right in front of the man as he tried to strike my shoulder with the automatic knife. Though the st wasn¡¯t strong enough to disarm him or prevent the attack entirely, it bought me just enough time. Tap-tap-tap! "Damn it!" Using the moment Princess Mezzlen had created, I dodged the man¡¯s swinging de and dashed towards the rest of the party. He immediately began chasing after me, but there was no way the two men behind me would let him get far. ng! "Where do you think you''re going?" "...You won¡¯t even touch a single finger on Lilith."@@novelbin@@ With the sound of swords shing behind me and the reassuring voices of Ethan and the Hero, I carried Mezzlen over to Cerista. Her condition was clearly dire, so healing was the top priority. "Saintess! Please, start healing her immediately!" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 449 ¡°Did you say Princess Mezzlen¡¯s blood type is CS-UR?¡± A familiar voice echoed behind me, making me slowly turn my head. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief that she¡¯s still alive. Prepare the blood transfusion spell immediately.¡± ¡°¡­Professor Harold? Are you nning to use the blood transfusion spell yourself?¡± ¡°I just heard there are only two hours left. Do we have the luxury of confirming my identity right now?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll prepare things right away¡­¡± With Harold¡¯s sudden appearance, the church infirmary became bustling. While I stood there in a daze, trying to process what was happening, I felt Ethan¡¯s hand gently pulling me back. ¡°¡­Lillith, let¡¯s step out for now. They said only the person performing the transfusion should stay.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Even as we exited Princess Mezzlen¡¯s room, I couldn¡¯t help but nce back, seeing Harold quietly preparing the transfusion spell and Saintess Serista assisting him. My mind was still a whirl of confusion, unable to sort through my thoughts. I was half-dragged out of the room. ? ? ?@@novelbin@@
  • Creak -
  • Thud -
  • Thump -
  • Creak -
  • Shake shake -
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 450 ¡°Damn it! I told you not to trust that bastard!¡±
  • Bang!
In a dimly lit room without even a single window, the sound of a man angrily mming a table echoed. Among the three men seated at the table, the one with the most furious expression spoke up, though the other two were equally troubled. ¡°Hah, that idiot Potts. We should¡¯ve known better when he said he¡¯d keep her hidden until the festival was over.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­What can we do now? It¡¯s already done.¡± ¡°Damn it! Do you have any idea how many of my A-rank ghouls were lost just to kidnap that dumb princess? He kept saying we¡¯d get back tenfold once we captured her, but he ended up dying like an idiot!¡± ¡°¡­We get it. Now shut up. You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s pissed off.¡± The men continued their conversation in a room where not even a sliver of light entered. Despite the pitch-ck darkness, they could still see each other''s expressions clearly, thanks to their keen night vision. ¡°We trusted him because draining blood was what he did best, but now everything¡¯s gone to hell. In hindsight, maybe we should¡¯ve just turned her into a ghoul early on, awkward as it might have been.¡± ¡°If we¡¯d done that, Seraphine would¡¯ve given up on Mezzlen ages ago. It was a necessary choice. Our goal isn¡¯t that dim-witted princess anyway¡ªit¡¯s Seraphine.¡± ¡°Damn it! How is it that there¡¯s not a single noble family with a grudge against that woman? How many people did she have to sleep with to avoid making enemies?¡±
  • Thud!
  • Crash!
  • Swoosh.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 452 After some time had passed since Ethan had left me tied up in the dormitory, I finally took a deep breath and epted the situation.@@novelbin@@
  • Clink.
"¡­"
  • Clink, clink.
¡°¡­Damn it.¡± As soon as I confirmed that the "Chain of Obedience" connecting the table to my neck was firmly locked, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Being bound by this artifact meant that, just as Ethan had said, I couldn¡¯t take it off by myself before he returned. ¡®I never imagined I¡¯d end up tied up by Ethan in this world¡­¡¯ For the record, the Chain of Obedience was an item that appeared in the original story as well. Ironically, it was Ethan who had used it back then too, and it had been ced on Lillith, just like now. The simrities between the two situations were uncanny. The chain itself wasn¡¯t particrly durable¡ªjust like any normal iron chain¡ªbut the real issue was the special enchantment ced on it. Chain of Obedience: A special equipment that can only be worn when both the user and wearer agree. The wearer cannot remove the equipment without the user''s permission and cannot cause harm or damage to it. This restriction meant that I couldn''t break the chain on my own. The enchantment prevented the use of any skills, magic, or abilities to damage the chain. Of course, you might wonder how such a powerful item was allowed to exist. Well, the conditions for wearing it were strict. Both the user and wearer had to agree to it, and no sane person would willingly put such a thing around their neck.
  • Zap!
  • Whoosh!
  • Sizzle¡­
  • Whoosh!
  • Whistle¡­
  • Creak, creak.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 453 At the moment when Lilith was figuring out the identity of the chain wrapped around her neck and having a conversation with the spirits... In front of the dormitory door, Ethan and another of his maids were talking about her. "...So that''s why Lilith ended up like this, sir."@@novelbin@@ "Yes. I don¡¯t care if others misunderstand me, but I wanted you, as Lilith¡¯s friend, to understand. You know as well as I do that Lilith has a tendency to recklessly throw herself into dangerous situations." "Lilith... certainly does have that tendency." Isabel recalled Lilith a few years ago, when she had no training in magic or swordsmanship, rushing bare-handed at the Hookfang. Even though it had been several years since that incident, it was still a terrifying experience that asionally surfaced in her dreams. So she could only nod in agreement with Ethan''s words. "It''s not that I don''t trust Lilith¡¯s abilities... but this situation is far too dangerous. Besides, it''s not even something Lilith should be handling in the first ce." "I agree with you, sir." "I''m sorry to ask you this, but if she tries to do anything strange with the chain, please do your best to stop her. Since you''re her longtime friend, she might listen to you a little more." "I-I''ll do my best!" Even though Isabel was far from Lilith''s level in terms of strength, she didn¡¯t mind. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 454 The remaining three vampires involved in Princess Mezzlen¡¯s kidnapping¡­ Among them, the man closest to being their leader quietly observed the academy church from the shadows. ¡®...She should be waking up about now.¡¯ Having lost so much blood, her mind likely wouldn¡¯t be fully clear. This moment of confusion was the perfect opportunity to lure Princess Mezzlen out again. There was likely only one more chance left.@@novelbin@@ No matter how insignificant and useless an illegitimate child she was, royalty was still royalty. And Seraphine was not the type to abandon her younger sister. If it were one of her older siblings, she might cast them aside without hesitation, but Antonio and Mezzlen served as her allies within the pce. She had absorbed enough power from below to enter the imperial session race at such a young age, so even if Mezzlen had been foolishly captured, she couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡®Jeremy, that loudmouth, will keep them distracted, and Alon is trustworthy when ites to acting discreetly. He should have already made contact with Mezzlen.¡¯ And the maid, the bait to draw out the princess, was bound beside him, barely clinging to life. It wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to end her life right then, but there was no need. If she didn¡¯t appear for the first bait, she would still be useful. Her wrists and ankles were only loosely bound, but resistance wasn¡¯t an option¡ªher thumbs and index fingers had already been cut off. The severed fingers were being used as bait to lure out the princess, and if Mezzlen fell for it, this maid would lose her value as a hostage and soon be turned into a ghoul. "...You... bastard..." "......" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 455 "Oh, Professor Harold!" "Student Geralt. As you said, when I climbed the hill, I found a suspicious vampire. He was a little farther from the location you mentioned, though." "My apologies. I was checking too many prophecies at once, so there might have been some slight discrepancies." "It''s fine. In any case, I found him and killed him. I used Serista''s blessed sword to cut him down, so I doubt he''ll be getting back up." The unexpected voice belonged to Harold, who was discussing the vampire with Geralt. In his arms, cradled like a princess, was someone familiar¡ªsomeone I''d seen a few times while meeting with Mezzlen. "This girl, I¡¯ve seen her before. If I recall correctly, she was one of Princess Mezzlen''s maids." "Yes, that¡¯s Kate! Saint Serista, please take her to the infirmary immediately!" "Y-Yes! Right this way, quickly..." With that conversation, the four of them entered the academy church.@@novelbin@@ From what I overheard, it seemed they had sessfully dealt with the leader vampire and rescued Mezzlen''s maid as well¡ªall thanks to Harold stepping in and getting involved in the story. ¡®Well, Harold is definitely reliable when ites tobat.¡¯ In the original story, Harold had been on the same side as the corrupted Ethan, making him essentially an enemy. But in this world, he was more of an ally, so it made sense that he could help when needed. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 456 Thump. "......."@@novelbin@@ Thump, thump. "......." Pitch-ck darkness. The only sound was the pounding of my heart, echoing loudly from within my chest. Clutching my chest as if to hold back my bursting heart, I prayed silently that this moment would pass safely. Creak. "...L-Lilith. I''m back." "......." I didn''t respond. From this point on, I had to act with the utmost skill. Drawing on the acting talent I had once used when I temporarily yed the lead role in the Academy Festival''s y of Leon and Julia, I slowly sat up in bed, pretending to be nonchnt. "Yaaawn... Ah, wee back, Master Ethan...?" "Lilith?" "Yaaawn, my apologies. I seem to have dozed off." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 457 ¡°No¡­why is this¡­?¡± Starting from my neck, the Chain of Obedience stretched out long. Seeing it once again secured around my neck, I felt an initial rush of confusion. ¡°Did Ethan do this¡­? To be honest, there¡¯s no one else who could¡¯ve done it besides him¡­¡± But why is it back on? Why now? The whole ordeal with Princess Mezzlen had been resolved, and my mind wasn¡¯t particrly muddled or distressed this time. Once it¡¯s fastened, only the user¡¯s permission can release it, so this isn¡¯t something that could be put back on me just because I¡¯d had a little to drink. Unless¡­I somehow wanted to have this cor ced on me by Ethan, which, of course¡­ ¡°Well, that¡¯s obviously nonsense. Let¡¯s move on.¡± Despite my various questions, there was one key matter at hand: clearing up whatever misunderstanding Ethan had and asking him to remove this cor again.@@novelbin@@ ¡­Though, wearing this cor suggests he might have discovered my recent escape attempt from the dorms. So much for misunderstandings. ¡°As far as I remember, everything went smoothly until the end of the drinking session.¡± There were a few instances where the table nearly toppled over, but I managed to prevent that. I even handled most of the cleanup myself, so there was no way I got caught. I¡¯d nned to finish reassembling the table the next morning before Ethan woke up¡­could it be that he discovered it somehow in between? You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 458 At the moment I realized the dog bowl¡ªor rather, my bowl¡ªfilled with food was ced on the floor by Ethan, I felt a wave of bewilderment. Could this really be my ¡°breakfast¡±? I nced up at him, but he just stood there, waiting in silence as if expecting me to eat. ¡°Master Ethan?¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat. There¡¯s plenty to do today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Maybe I should justply for now. Resisting further didn¡¯t seem like it would change anything, and I needed more information to understand why things had reached this point. If I wanted to recover the lost year of my memory, cooperating with him might be the better option.@@novelbin@@ ¡°All right, Master Ethan. To be honest, I still don¡¯t fully understand why you¡¯re requiring this of me, but if this is what you want, I¡¯llply for now.¡± ¡°¡­Saying things like you did when you first arrived, Lilith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I half-listened to his words and prepared to begin eating when I realized something was missing. ¡°¡­?¡± It hit me only then that he¡¯d set down the bowl without any utensils. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 459 "Scraaaatch!!"@@novelbin@@ ¡°Kyah?!¡± Ethan suddenly grinned, slipping his hand under the cor of my nightgown and tearing the fabric apart. Not just a button popping off¡ªhe ripped a piece of cloth vertically, as wide as his hand. ¡°What the hell are you doing, you bastard?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t listen, Lilith, so I¡¯m re-educating you.¡± ¡°Education?! You¡¯re insane!!¡± He tossed aside the torn piece of my sky-blue nightgown and reached for me again. His tant crossing of boundaries left me no choice but to prepare a spell. I really tried to talk things out¡­! Now that things had reached this point, I had no option but to use force. Ethan had clearly crossed the line first. Even though we were indoors somewhere in the ckwood estate, magic was my only viable way to face him. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even have his sword right now, so I¡¯ll just need to subdue him without causing too much injury.¡± With that thought, I conjured a spectral arrow in my right hand, aiming it at his thigh. -Swoosh. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Before I could release it, the arrow dissipated into fragments of mana in my hand. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 460 Clink. ¡°Lilith, hurry up.¡± ¡°W-wait a moment! I¡¯m not ready yet¡­!¡± ¡°Enough stalling. Juste out¡ªit¡¯s something you¡¯ve done countless times.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t I at least put on some underwear? Or even just¡­ just my panties?¡± ¡°Well, maybe if you¡¯d justplied earlier, you could¡¯ve avoided this. I overlooked the fact that you tried to kill me, so you should at least meet me halfway.¡± With that, Ethan turned, exposing his neck, where a faint red line marked where my de had grazed him. Though the bleeding had stopped, I shivered at the reminder of how close I¡¯de to actually hurting him.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Fine¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but follow his orders. After all, I¡¯d lost to him¡ªthis was my fate to ept. While it was humiliating enough to be stripped bare, at least he hadn¡¯t taken everything. Somehow, I felt relief in still having my headpiece. ¡°You¡¯d look better without the headpiece too.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d rather keep it on.¡± ¡°Is that more important than underwear? I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d choose that over panties.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to remove it. For some reason, it felt more significant to me than any undergarment. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 461 -Bang! ¡°Ah¡­?!¡± A chilling gust brushed against me as soon as the door leading to the rooftop on the fourth floor swung open, sending a shiver down my spine. The urge I¡¯d been trying so hard to hold in almost slipped out right then and there. ¡°Lilith, you said you needed to go to the bathroom, right?¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, Master Ethan! This isn¡¯t a bathroom¡ªthis is the mansion¡¯s rooftop¡­!¡± ¡°Why are you acting so surprised? Lilith, you''re my pet, so naturally, you need a different kind of ¡®bathroom¡¯ from a human.¡± ¡°N-no! I''d rather hold it in than use¡­this ce!¡± ¡°Holding it in is bad for your health. And since you already said you wanted to go, I¡¯m not letting you back down now.¡±@@novelbin@@ -Tug! ¡°Aahh! W-wait, Master Ethan! Ethan¡­!¡± Ignoring my desperate resistance, Ethan pulled me by the leash, dragging me toward the ckwood mansion¡¯s rooftop on the fourth floor. Even though it was technically outdoors, the tension of being in an open space was no joke. The cold stone floor added to the urgency of my already strained need. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­¡± ¡°Lilith, if you keep dragging this out, there will be real ¡®punishment.¡¯¡± ¡°...Alright, I understand.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 463 With the first snowfall on the Isle of Knowledge, the Academy''s winter break officially began. Ordinarily, I would have returned to ckwood Manor for my third-year winter break¡ªor rather, the Academy''s final winter break. However, the carriage I was in was not heading toward the ckwood estate but in a different direction entirely. ¡­To the royal pce of the Kingdom of Defrin, an ally neighboring the Argentinian Empire. "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." "¡­¡­." In the spacious carriage,rge enough to amodate at least ten people, silence reigned as Ethan, a few members of the Hero''s party, and I sat quietly, each gauging the others'' moods.@@novelbin@@ To exin this sudden journey to Defrin, we''d need to go back roughly a week. ? ? ? -Grasp. "¡­¡­." "Ah, Princess Rainy. I hope you''ve been well." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 464 The journey from Luminor Academy to the Kingdom of Defrin was a long one. Even though it was a neighboring country, traveling to Defrin''s royal pce required passing the imperial border, which alone would take at least a week. From there, another three-day journey awaited us to reach the royal estate, meaning we''d spend almost ten days living out of carriages and campsites¡ªa demanding journey already written in stone. Considering the return journey, we were looking at nearly three weeks on the road, which meant I couldn''t bring Isabel along. Regretfully, she would have to make her way back with Harold alone. We departed in the morning and spent most of the day traveling before choosing a in suitable for camping to set up our tents. "Let''s hurry up. First, we should pitch the tents while it''s still light, and then we can start preparing dinner."@@novelbin@@ "Do we really need four tents? There are only nine of us." "Yes, but Princess Rainy and Lydia need their own tent, as do Master Ethan and Lady Rosewood." "Ah, right." Agnes nced at me and Ethan briefly, seemingly understanding, and nodded. While I wasn''t sure exactly what she inferred, she didn¡¯t seem bothered by the setup, nor was anyone else. After all, everyone except for Agnes and Princess Rainy was capable of pitching a tent independently, so adding one more tent didn''t consume much extra time. "I''m aware that the journey to Defrin will be challenging for all of you¡­ I hope you can understand," Lydia said, offering an apology on behalf of the Princess. "No need to apologize twice. We understand," replied Agnes. "Yes, we were just tagging along to Defrin anyway, so we anticipated as much. And, as adventurers, sleeping outside is not exactly new to us," the Hero added with a nod. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 465 The journey with Princess Rainy continued to be fraught with hardships. It wasn¡¯t just the physical strain; attending to her needs felt like courting disaster at every turn due to the aura of bad luck that clung to her.@@novelbin@@ "Bind up all the women and kill everyst guy with a dick!" "Look at that bitch¡¯s tits! Before we sell her off, we should... kuh!" The troubles began the very first morning when a sudden raid by bandits led to a skirmish. ¡°Krurrrk, kehheheheh!¡± ¡°Eeeeek! Ghrrr, kehheheheh!¡± The second night was marked by an hours-long battle against a goblin horde led by an orc general. "Hold up. Who gave you permission to haul that carriage around here?" "This is Lord Jeremoff¡¯s domain. If you wish to pass, you need a decree from the baron." ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, we¡¯ll need to¡­uhk!¡± At times, criminals tried to impersonate nobles, leading the carriage astray with feigned authority. Even in the outskirts of the kingdom, the security was appalling, with encounters with bandits or monsters every half day. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 467 After days of travel, Princess Rainy and our group, having reached the capital, were now being redirected to the royal vi. Crammed into the narrow carriage, our close quarters naturally led to certain diforts. ¡°Master Ethan.¡± ¡°...Yes?¡± ¡°If you have something to say, please speak directly or whisper it to me. Just poking me from below doesn¡¯tmunicate anything.¡± ¡°...Sorry, Lilith. I wasn¡¯t poking you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°...The carriage is just bouncing a bit. Sorry...¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± With such minor diforts, we continued traveling by carriage for about an hour. Just as we thought we might finally rest after a week of camping, we were once again setting up camp, lighting a fire, and pitching tents. The slower pace due to the carriage change and our dyed departure from the capital had left us with no choice. -re. "How many times are we going to repeat this same day?"@@novelbin@@ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 468 ¡°These men¡­ they came to kill Princess Rainy.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Even as they listened to my words, the three men maintainedposure, suppressing any change in their expressions. They were perceptive enough, unlike Natalie or Silena, to understand my implication. More importantly, the hero himself, already familiar with the original story, was likely prepared to act even without my warning. ¡°...Understood.¡± ¡°...Right.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Each responded with a short acknowledgment, nodding in unison. As I moved back, theyunched forward like the wind. -Whoosh! -Swish! You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 469 ¡°Session conflict?¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s hear it, go on.¡± Agnes and Ethan showed interest in the discussion about Princess Rainy¡¯s session dispute. As the only nobles among them, they seemed to have a firmer understanding of the subject, while the others stayed silent, waiting for Lydia to continue, still unclear on her exact meaning. ¡°To start, Her Majesty the Queen, Princess Rainy¡¯s mother, was not originally entitled to the throne.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Considering that, she has certainly managed to act as the ruler for quite some time.¡± ¡°Yes. Queen Veronica has effectively ruled for about 15 years, which is quite a long period.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a long time indeed. And I think I can guess how she¡¯s continued to rule despite not being the rightful heir.¡±@@novelbin@@ Ethan seemed to have an inkling of how Queen Veronica had managed to hold power over the Kingdom of Defrin. Lydia nodded at his response, continuing with her anticipated exnation. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 470 Although the carriage was broken, their movement was hardly affected. With twenty knights having arrived on horseback, they now had a generous number of royal-bred steeds to utilize. Naturally, as a warrior, our hero would have been trained in horseback riding. Natalie and Thomas, both from the frontier, also knew how to handle or ride horses. I, too, had learned horsemanship from Lydia and Dietmaier, as did Lydia herself, Rainy¡¯s escort maid.@@novelbin@@ Of the group, only four couldn¡¯t ride on their own, but these sturdy horses could easily carry two riders each. ¡°Hero, Lady Natalie, Mr. Thomas, and Lady Lydia, you¡¯ve all had horseback training, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s essential when traveling long distances without a carriage.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I learned when I was young.¡± ¡°Same here, like Natalie.¡± ¡°I had to learn for Princess Rainy¡¯s protection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I can handle a horse as well, so if each of us takes a non-rider, we can proceed without issues. Naturally, Lydia should lead Princess Rainy, while...¡± Just as we did in the cramped carriage, each of us would pair with apanion. Natalie would take Agnes, the warrior would apany Silena, with whom he had a budding romance, and Ethan would ride with me. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 471 "Wa-wait, Lady Lydia! It¡¯s dangerous to go alone!" Lydia, rushing up the stairs while calling out her fellow maids'' names, was halted by the hero¡¯s warning. "There might still be enemies in the vi! Until we¡¯re sure, we should all stick together¡­." "Loraaa! Answer me, quick! Nerisss!" "Damn¡­!"@@novelbin@@ Practically shouting to announce her presence, Lydia darted up to the second floor, her voice ringing through the vi. The hero, realizing the urgency of the situation, was the first to follow, with Silena immediately behind him. "Hero¡­! I¡¯ming too¡­!" "Let use too¡­." "Wait! If too many of us move at once, Princess Rainy could be in danger! Lady Natalie, Mr. Thomas, and Lady Agnes, please stay here to protect the princess!" "Understood!" "Young Master Ethan, let¡¯s head upstairs as well!" "¡­Alright." Princess Rainy red at me, clearly displeased to be left behind, but there was no other choice. ¡­It was better for her not to witness whaty ahead. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 472 Lydia led us further down the corridor packed with royal knights, exining that it was the waiting room she and the other maids used. When she lost consciousness earlier, it was likely because she had instinctively thought first of the bedroom she shared with them. As she opened the door, praying that they were unharmed, she was greeted by the sight of one of the maids, lying naked on the floor. ¡°A-ah¡­ Lora¡­¡± Upon seeing the state of the room and the figure of her friend, Silena quickly covered her mouth, stepping out. Following her lead, the hero and Ethan exited as well, giving Lydia and the maid privacy. And then, only the four of us¡ªthree maids and I¡ªremained in the room. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s horrifying.¡¯ The foul smell, a mixture of dozens of men¡¯s sweat and the sickening stains smeared across the room, told the story. The maid lying on the floor was in the worst condition, showing clear signs of recent abuse. Her body was covered with bruises, especially around her torso, indicating how much she had suffered at the hands of those men. ¡°Lora¡­ S-sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I was toote¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ Lydia clung to the white-haired maid, weeping bitterly. Watching this heart-wrenching scene, I cast a cleaning spell, wiping away the filth left in the room. Even though this ce was now imprinted with horrific trauma for both of them, cleaning it was the least I could do. ¡°L-Lydia¡­ run¡­ Knights, they¡¯re in the vi¡­¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 475 With the emergence of Princess Rainy¡¯s unique ability, Noctis and her demon army swiftly retreated. ¡®Should I go for it? They¡¯re already fleeing.¡¯ Watching them hastily flee, I found myself wrestling with temptation. They were already showing their backs, unable to counter my magic, and even if they sensed it, Rainy¡¯s overwhelming fortune would shield me. Now that I saw them as walking experience points, letting them go felt like a tremendous loss.@@novelbin@@ The only drawback was that attacking a retreating future member of the Four Demon Kings might alter the original storyline¡­ ¡®Maybe a Mana st isn¡¯t ideal.¡¯ Noctis, bound to be one of the Four Demon Kings, wouldn¡¯t die from a Mana st. And wasting such a powerful spell on mere foot soldiers seemed like an inefficient use of mana. If I was going to do it, it would be better to ensureplete annihtion. ¡®A triple-cast incantation should do the trick.¡¯ As soon as I made up my mind, I began chanting, summoning three mana spheres above my head and in both hands. ¡°Whew, we¡¯re finally done. Lilith, let¡¯s go rest¡ª¡± ¡°Mana, arise!!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 476 With the defeat of Noctis, a member of the Demon King''s Four Heavenly Kings (True), handling the aftermath was unexpectedly straightforward. Just as Princess Rainy¡¯s overpowering fortune began to assert itself, the First Knight Order of Defrin Kingdom, led by its captain, arrived at the vi. ¡°Rescue Princess Rainy! Cut down anyone in the Fourth Knight Order who doesn¡¯t swear allegiance to the Princess!¡± The First Knight Order members arrived to support the four who had been fighting on the other side. It was essentially a civil war between Queen Veronica¡¯s faction and Princess Rainy¡¯s, and there was no need for us to intervene. Besides, we were too drained of mana to participate. ¡®While they im they came to protect Princess Rainy¡­ their true intent must be different.¡¯ If their purpose was truly to protect her, they should have arrived before midnight. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the First Knight Order captain was using this moment to align with Rainy¡¯s faction, now that her misfortune had ended, showing that his position wasn¡¯t solely earned through skill.@@novelbin@@ Watching the knights sh from a safe distance, Princess Rainy quietly murmured, ¡°It¡¯s amusing to see the knight orders split like this. I¡¯d bet the First Knight Order was at the royal pce when I went there three days ago.¡± ¡°Princess Rainy¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see more of this in the future. People¡¯s attitudes change with shifting power.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 477 Upon returning to the royal pce, Princess Rainy¡ªno, Queen Rainy¡ªspent the week moving through the pce daily, determining who would ally with her and who would not. Though only a few days had passed since her ascension, her gaze already held a regal charisma thatmanded respect. It seemed she was reacting this way out of anger over what happened to Lora and Neris at the vi. Since they had shown her unwavering loyalty, Rainy needed to bring justice to those responsible for their suffering, to honor the faith they had ced in her. With this pressing matter to address, naturally, the Queen had to prioritize those judgments, leaving our discussions with her somewhat on hold. However, pce life didn¡¯t feel particrly ufortable or awkward. During our stay in the pce, we were given everyfort,rgely due to her decree that the hero''s party, including Ethan and myself, should be treated as royal guests. In fact, the pce servants were probably more on edge, constantly ncing at us, especially when dining, resting, or spending leisure time. ¡°Haah, Sir Dous, Captain of the Order! Just one more round, please!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been nearly five hours since we started this morning, Miss Natalie. Perhaps we should pause for a meal and then continue afterward¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°T-Then, just one more match, please!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 478 "Hmm, so they''re returning to the Empire. Well, it''s about time we headed back as well," Ethan remarked. "I agree; we''ve stayed quite a while. Considering travel time, we''ve essentially been here for almost a month," I responded. "Spending the entire winter break in Defrin Kingdom wouldn¡¯t do. We''ve received ample recognition for protecting Princess Rainy¡ªno, Queen Rainy¡ªso there¡¯s no reason to stay longer." Unlike me, a mere maid, Ethan was the heir to ckwood Estate. This trip wasn¡¯t even part of his winter ns, so if he didn¡¯t return soon, things could get a bit troublesome. "Now that I think about it, don¡¯t Natalie and Thomas have to pass through ckwood Estate on their way home?" "Yes, Hero," Thomas confirmed. "In that case, we could ask Queen Rainy to lend us two carriages. We can split up: ze Estate lies on the way to the World Tree¡¯s Forest, so I¡¯ll ride with Silena and Agnes. Ethan and Lady Rosewood can go with Natalie and Thomas."@@novelbin@@ "That would be efficient. Natalie, Thomas, are you bothfortable with this?" "Yes, Lord Ethan. I think it''s a great idea," Natalie replied enthusiastically. "I- I also think it''s the best option," Thomas added, his agreement equally fervent. With that, the Defrin Kingdom expedition group settled on the travel arrangements, dividing ourselves into groups of three and four for the journey back.
  • Swish.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 479 "Lilith." "Yes, Young Master Ethan." "Just to be sure¡­ if Queen Rainy ever asks you again to join her as a maid, you wouldn¡¯t¡­?" "You don¡¯t need to worry that much. I have no intention of defecting to Defrin Kingdom, Young Master." "¡­Alright. Thank you."@@novelbin@@ On the journey back to the Argentia Empire, Ethan kept bringing up Queen Rainy¡¯s offer, clearly unsettled by her words and seeking reassurance from me over and over. ¡®Given how dependent he¡¯s be, it¡¯s clear that I¡¯ll need to go through with my n to leave by the end of this winter break.¡¯ Of course, I never had any desire to join Defrin Kingdom, but I also didn¡¯t see any reason to abandon the n I made months ago to eventually part ways with Ethan. I¡¯d spend some time back at ckwood Mansion with Isabelle and Katarina, reminiscing and chatting, and take my time with Ethan before leaving, so I¡¯d have no regrets when the time came. Suppressing the lump in my throat, I settled into the carriage alongside Ethan. ? ? ? "Wee back, Young Master." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 480 "Yes, Young Master Ethan." "Just out of curiosity¡­ if Queen Rainy were to ask you again to join her as a maid, would you¡­" "You don¡¯t need to worry. I have no ns to defect to Defrin Kingdom, Young Master." "¡­Thank you."@@novelbin@@ As we traveled back to the Argentia Empire from Defrin Kingdom, Ethan continued to bring up Queen Rainy¡¯s offer, clearly unsettled, seeking my reassurance repeatedly. ¡®Judging by how much he¡¯se to rely on me, I¡¯ll definitely need to leave by the end of winter break.¡¯ Though I never intended to defect, I had no reason to abandon the n I¡¯d made months ago to eventually part ways with him. Spending time with Isabelle and Katarina back at ckwood Mansion, reminiscing and sharing stories, and spending myst few days with Ethan as a final farewell seemed appropriate. ? ? ? A month passed since our return to ckwood Mansion. Most of that time was spent assisting Ethan with his duties, helping him in administrative tasks while he received his inheritance lessons from Harold. Though I thought he should be handling these responsibilities alone, Harold didn¡¯t stop me from assisting, perhaps assuming I¡¯d remain Ethan¡¯s personal maid indefinitely. ¡®I¡¯ll have to leave in secret, especially so Harold doesn¡¯t notice. If he decides to keep me here permanently, escape might be impossible.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 481 Ethan, who had already shared intimate moments with me numerous times, couldn¡¯t possibly miss what my suggestion for a night date implied. At thiste hour, a nighttime walk would mean nothing more than a stroll in the front yard of the mansion, and going outside on such a chilly evening was hardly an appealing choice. Ultimately, it was clear that I wanted to spend some private time with him indoors. Since the only spaces within the mansion where we could be alone were my room or Ethan¡¯s, it was inevitable that our rendezvous location would be set in his room.
  • Clink.
The light sound of two thin ss wine sses, filled with red wine, tapping together. Ethan had suggested setting the mood since it was a rare midnight date, so I brought wine from the kitchen. We apanied the wine with a few simple snacks prepared by the night-duty chef, sharing the alcohol as we sat together. Maybe it was the slightly dimmed magical lighting, but his face looked more handsome than usual, softly illuminated. "You did well this past year, Lilith." "...You did as well, Young Master Ethan." "Only one more year, and I¡¯ll be graduating from the academy, right, Lilith?" "...Yes, Young Master Ethan." For me, though, it was as if the end had alreadye a few months ago. I couldn''t say my academy life was full of only pleasant experiences¡­ but it was undeniably true that there had been more good times than hard ones.@@novelbin@@ I had made friends like Agnes, Lora, and Natalie, and realized that the guy I once thought was a problem wasn''t as troublesome as his nickname suggested.
  • Peck.
  • Smooch.
  • Drip.
  • Lick, lick.
  • Squeak.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 483 About two hours had passed since I spent that deep, lingering time with Ethan, fromte evening into the early hours. As I confirmed that he was sound asleep beside me, lying nude, I slowly rose, picking up my clothes from the floor as quietly as possible.@@novelbin@@ ¡®After all that effort he put in, he probably won¡¯t wake up until tomorrow afternoon.¡¯ Since I was in charge of waking Ethan, there was no risk of another maiding to disturb him. And, considering that Isabel and Katarina were aware of our ndestine meetings, they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to interfere with our time together. ¡®...Should I still go through with it?¡¯ To be honest, if I were to reconsider, now would be myst chance. By morning, I could return to my routine maid duties, tear up the letter I carried tucked into my dress, and remain in ckwood Mansion. I¡¯d likely be happy enough until Ethan¡¯s graduation from the academy next year¡­ ¡®...No, that won¡¯t work.¡¯ I couldn''t shake the sickening feeling that woulde from seeing Ethan whisper sweet nothings to another woman as his official partner. It wasn¡¯t that I had ever cared about men having harems or any such thing, but somehow, I didn¡¯t want to see Ethan doing it. Perhaps it was because of that ¡°unicorn-like¡± nature I seemed to have carried over from my past life. Regardless, I couldn¡¯t spend a lifetime in bitterness for the sake of a mere year of happiness. Even if Ethan truly loved only me and saw his official wife as little more than a figurehead¡­for the sake of an heir, he would have to produce at least one child. I could never ept the feeling of having ¡°what¡¯s mine¡± taken by ¡°someone else.¡± But with my status, there was no way to stop it, so I would, at the very least, avoid witnessing it. Thinking this, I ced the prepared letter on Ethan¡¯s desk, donned my maid uniform, and made my way back to my room. ¡®First, I¡¯ll change clothes and gather my things.¡¯
  • Step, step.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 486 Two days had passed since I left the ckwood Mansion.@@novelbin@@ While the days passed, nothing extraordinary had happened. Battles with bandits or monsters were no longer anything out of the ordinary. For now, I¡¯d been using nearly every moment, except for eating and sleeping, on traveling. I had no ns to wander aimlessly forever, but putting as much distance as possible between myself and the ckwood Estate seemed wise. I didn¡¯t know if Ethan had read my letter and let go of any feelings for me, but staying close to ckwood would increase the chances of eventually crossing paths. Thest thing I wanted was a chance encounter with Ethan after he¡¯d settled down with a family I¡¯d know nothing about. I needed to move to a ce so remote that neither Ethan nor anyone else could contact me. I wanted to avoid getting tangled up with anyone from the academy. Anyone in the swordsmanship division¡ªespecially the Hero, Natalie, or Karaham¡ªwas to be avoided, as well as anyone else in their circles. I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing others outside that circle eventually, but it would be best to keep a low profile until all the key people graduated. ¡®Come to think of it¡­.¡¯ After spending the night with Ethan the day before yesterday, did I remember to use Clean for contraception? I didn¡¯t think so; things were so chaotic that I must have forgotten. Obviously, there hadn¡¯t been a chance to use it after leaving the mansion, so while I could still take care of it now, part of me hesitated.
  • Step, step.
  • Gallop, gallop, gallop¡­
  • Flop.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 487 The next morning, after a day of rest at the inn and a hearty breakfast, I stepped out to explore Ironhold. An hour or so wandering around the town gave me a good impression of the ce. It felt much like Ironhold as depicted in Luminor Academy: lively, with a sense ofmunity and camaraderie among the residents. Most of the buildings were modest two-story structures, giving it a more vige-like feel than a bustling city. ¡®Seems like it¡¯s a popr town for adventurers. Prices are reasonable, and the food¡¯s decent too.¡¯ I thought this while sampling a skewer from a street vendor. The meat was a bit tough, likely from a pig¡¯s hind leg, but edible. ¡®Should I check out the adventurer¡¯s guild first? Or maybe I should hit up the cksmith guild to get some gear sorted.¡¯ As it had been a while since I¡¯d had time to myself, I didn¡¯t feel like throwing myself straight into work. Perhaps I¡¯d take it easy for today and start the grind tomorrow. ¡­No, that¡¯s a bad idea. I know myself all too well; once I getfortable, it¡¯s hard to break the habit. I may have been too tired to work yesterday, but today, I needed to at least pick up some gear and visit the adventurer¡¯s guild. At the very least, I could get my adventurer¡¯s badge or maybe even take on a simple job if things moved quickly.@@novelbin@@ With that n in mind, I headed down a narrow alley leading to the artisan district. However, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was being watched.
  • Ssssk.
  • sh!
  • Thud.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 489 As soon as I entered the guild, the receptionist greeted me with news about the promotion test to advance to the next rank. "The promotion test... No, wait, an E-rank promotion test?" "Yes, Miss Lily. Based on your recent activities at the adventurers'' guild, you''ve qualified for the promotion test." "And what¡¯s so great about ranking up?" "Well, the level and rewards of the requests the guild assigns to you will increase. Additionally, the E-rank adventurer badge can serve as proof of credibility not only within this guild but in other regions as well. You¡¯ll also gain ess to some internal facilities, like the guild library." Pretending not to know, I asked questions as if I were clueless, and the receptionist kindly exined everything about the guild''s structure, from A to Z.@@novelbin@@ I gave a nod as if I¡¯d understood and continued my usual silent assassin act. "I¡¯ll take the promotion test. How does it work?" "The E-rank promotion test is divided into two main options. You can either take an aptitude test within the guild orplete a request at the E-rank level. Since assassins often struggle with solo E-rank tasks, most opt for the internal aptitude test¡­." "I¡¯ll take the E-rank request." "...I had a feeling you¡¯d say that, Miss Lily." An internal aptitude test probably involves sparring with a guild member of moderate skill. They¡¯d likely consider me at the E-rank level and hold back to some extent. The issue is that I don¡¯t know how to gauge my opponent¡¯s strength or how much force to use. I¡¯m used to fighting with everything I have, but holding back? Honestly, that¡¯s no easy feat. Besides, who knows, maybe a B-rank adventurer might show up, and holding back won¡¯t even be an option. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 490 The voices in my head might be telling me to kill that idiot, but I don¡¯t actually intend to do it. Like I said, I¡¯d rather keep a low profile and spend my time peacefully in Ironhold. As distasteful as he is, I decided I¡¯d let it slide as long as he didn¡¯t cross a certain line¡ªlike suddenly deciding to kill me, trying to assault me, or, worst of all, attempting anything with Mirif, our other party member. As I entertained these thoughts, we arrived at the goblin nest, with that idiot Baum leading the way, followed by Mirif and me in turn. ¡°Heh heh! Ladies, just sit back and rx! I can handle a couple of goblins, no problem!¡± ¡°How reassuring, Brother Baum.¡± ¡°Haha, naturally!¡± Even Mirif, who initially seemed reserved, had started speaking sarcastically, but of course, the idiot didn¡¯t catch on and just grinned back at her.@@novelbin@@ I kept my mouth shut, finding even a minimal interaction with him unpleasant. ¡®If I hade alone, I¡¯d have been done with this half an hour ago. Damn guild regtions¡­¡¯ At this point, changing towns wouldn¡¯t guarantee avoiding this kind of hassle, so I had no choice but to tolerate it this once. And if the promotion went well, I might be able to work with Mirif in the future. I¡¯d never agree to malepanions, but a female priest, an essential party member, was another story. -Kraargh! -Kehek! ¡°They¡¯re here! All right, leave it to me¡­!¡± -Krrrk! You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 492 ¡°S-Shit¡­ what the hell is that? Damn it all!!¡±@@novelbin@@ Standing nearly four meters tall, with a hulking body, it was clearly a Goblin Kingrger even than a Hobgoblin or Goblin Lord. Physically, it was one of the most powerful monsters among goblins. Just the sheer size alone was enough to stir disgust. ¡®Why is something like that showing up in this cramped goblin nest¡­?¡¯ Was there a story like this in the original? No, Ironhold doesn¡¯t even appear until the fourth arc, after the academy graduation. If this Goblin King had truly existed in the original story, Ironhold would¡¯ve been a very different ce. Perhaps this was a butterfly effect caused by all the things I¡¯d done in the past. Regardless, one thing was certain¡ªthere was no way to avoid a fight here. ¡®Grargh¡­ Gehrr¡­¡¯ -Drip. Even if the idiot wasn¡¯t a threat, the Goblin King, drooling as it eyed me and Mirif, clearly had no intention of letting us leave the cave alive. ¡°S-Sister Lily! What should we do in a situation like this?!¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± How should I know? I¡¯d never fought a Goblin King before. Sure, I¡¯d faced stronger enemies, but back then, I had trustworthy allies by my side¡ªSeraphine, Agnes, that guy whose name I won¡¯t even try to remember¡­ or Ethan, for instance. But now, with two novice E-rank adventurers¡ªone of whom was aplete idiot¡ªI was alone against an enemy like this. ¡°First of all, don¡¯t panic. Just get into formation.¡± ¡°W-What?! Formation against that thing, you idiot?!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 493 The fool who tried to abandon Mirif and me first was crushed under the Goblin King''s foot, leaving only the two of us. ¡­No, actually, given the situation, a low-ranking priestess wouldn¡¯t be much help, so it was practically just me. ¡®Seriously, is he an idiot? Even when given a chance to live, he insists on dying like that?¡¯ If he¡¯d been up against a Goblin Lord or a Goblin General, his little trick might have worked. Those types usually prioritize capturing females over killing males. But the Goblin King doesn¡¯t distinguish between human males and females. After all, goblins seek females for breeding, but with the size difference between humans and the Goblin King, it¡¯s not possible. ¡­It¡¯s understandable why he wouldn¡¯t know that. Low-ranking adventurers often mistake a Goblin Lord for a Goblin King. ¡°B-Brother¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Now that he¡¯s dead, he¡¯s regained his manners, but I bet his ears are already smashed into a pulp under that foot. The Goblin King, having lost his underlings, advanced toward Mirif and me. I could feel her clinging to the hem of my clothes, standing right behind me. -Thud, thud, thud! ¡®Gyaaah!!¡¯ ¡°Oh, Goddess, please grant Sister Lily eternal peace and rest¡­¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 495 "Are you feeling alright?" "Oh, Sister Lily!" As soon as I heard from the church priest that Mirif had recovered, I went into the room and met her gaze as shey on the bed. She slowly sat up as I entered, but I gently ced my hands on her shoulders, easing her back onto the bed. "Stay lying down. You''re still recovering." "Most of the recovery is done, thanks to you bringing me here on time, Sister Lily." ¡°¡­I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Knowing that Mirif was safe finally lifted a heavy weight from my chest. In that narrow cave, facing the Goblin King, with our numbers down to two, the chance of both of us making it out alive was almost nonexistent. If she¡¯d left me behind to save herself, no one could have med her. But in the end, she came back.@@novelbin@@ And thanks to the moment of distraction she created, both of us survived. It wasn¡¯t as if she¡¯d nned on me using a Mana st; she¡¯d made a risky choice, and I felt more gratitude than I expected for her stubborn yet responsible decision. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 496 "And, what else do you have?"@@novelbin@@ "For the Goblin King subjugation reward¡­ we can offer ten gold coins¡­." ¡­Does this bastard have a death wish? "Do you usually put ten gold coins on a Goblin King subjugation request, or are you confusing it with a Goblin Lord?" "W-Well, without a formal subjugation order from the domain, there¡¯s no additional funding. And for the Goblin King, the parts that could be sold as materials¡­ well, you mentioned they were destroyed in the explosion." "Then you shouldn¡¯t have sent E-rank adventurers into an area where a Goblin King might appear in the first ce." "T-That part was unforeseen. We had no way of knowing¡­." ¡­Unforeseen, my ass. They sent three rookie E-rank adventurers to "clear out" a goblin nest for an obvious reason. It was because the cost of a low-ranking adventurer¡¯s life is cheaper than hiring a higher-ranking one. "So, you sent us to check the danger level because it¡¯s cheaper than using high-ranking adventurers." "N-No, that wasn¡¯t the intention¡­." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 497 The journey from Ironhold to Ermia turned out to be surprisinglyfortable. Aside from Mirif, everyone was unfamiliar to her, and she had expected things to feel awkward. Yet it wasn¡¯t as ufortable as she thought it would be. Most of her travelingpanions were priests by nature, and their presence was imbued with a natural sense of consideration.@@novelbin@@ ¡°So, Sister Lily, did you defeat the Hooked Fang right after learning assassination techniques as a child?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible. Assassins typically hesitate to facerge monsters due to the short range of their weapons, but you must be quite skilled, Sister Lily.¡± ¡°And I heard that Sister Lily can take down three goblins in one stroke!¡± ¡°If Sister Lily had devoted herself to the Aurelia Church, she might have already earned a title as a holy knight by now, haha!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Although this sort of overdone ttery was a bit overwhelming, it was still preferable to the awkwardness of letting conversations fall silent due to not knowing what to say. Corrupt or dubious priests were usually figures in high positions; these lower-ranking priests here held a basic sense of duty and service, so there was no need to worry about such issues. Normally, I would have to lead my second Jerahon, but Holy Knight Poldragon had secured another spot for it on the carriage. Inside, I rxed with treats like cookies from Senior Priestess Kiara or herbal tea from Priest Verus, chatting with Mirif about our shared experiences as adventurers. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 498 The moment Ethan read the first line of the letter, he couldn¡¯t hide the surprise that flickered in his eyes. He steadied himself, suppressing the initial shock, and continued reading, wondering if this ¡°ckwood family assassin Lily¡± might be a lead to the Lilith he was so desperately searching for. ¡°...?¡± The further he read, however, the more his thoughts spun with bewilderment and disbelief. The contents were too serious to be dismissed. ¡°E-rank adventurer... Goblin King...?¡± The letter detailed an incident in which three F-rank adventurers, including an individual named ¡°Assassin Lily,¡± had unexpectedly encountered a Goblin King during a promotion test. What followed was a lengthy apology: the Goblin King incident urred due to insufficient research by the adventurer¡¯s guild, and they assured him it would never happen again. Along with the apology, the letter included additionalpensation from the territory¡¯s goblin king reward funds, pleading for leniency. Just knowing that Lilith was active in Ironhold under the alias ¡°Assassin Lily¡± was surprising enough, but the fact that she had nearly lost her life in the process filled Ethan with a simmering anger.@@novelbin@@ ¡°These damned idiots.¡± ¡°...¡± Unable to contain his anger at the thought of the danger they¡¯d put Lilith in, Ethan seethed, while Dietmeyer, his head butler, kept a cautious silence by his side. Imagining what punishment he might extract from the Ironhold guild master, Ethan soon calmed himself. After all, he wasn¡¯t yet certain if the ¡°Assassin Lily¡± in question was truly her. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 499 ¡°Uhp?!¡± "......?" "......." ¡°...Sister Lily?¡±@@novelbin@@ In the quiet dining hall, my voice suddenly slipped out. Everyone''s gaze turned to me, as if expecting me to spit out what was in my mouth at any moment. ¡°¡­Sorry, I think I might being down with a cold. I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Please be careful during this season change, Sister Lily. Always cover yourself up to your neck with the nket.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± To Mirif, I just made an excuse about catching a cold, but that definitely wasn¡¯t the reason. I didn¡¯t feel dizzy, didn¡¯t have a fever, and there was no sore throat or coughing. The foul taste I just experienced on my tongue¡­ it wasn¡¯t like losing taste because of a cold; it was apletely different sensation. -tter. ¡°.......¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 500 After spending three days in Ironhold, Ethan had concluded that there was nothing more to gain from staying here. It was practically certain that Lilith had moved on to another town. The only thing left was to gather any remaining information on where exactly she might have gone. During those three days, Ethan uncovered a single lead: information about the ¡°priestess Mirif,¡± thest person who had been in a party with ¡°Assassin Lily.¡± ¡®Since Ironhold has no other religious institutions apart from the Aurelia Church, she¡¯s likely a priestess affiliated with them. This woman might even know Lilith¡¯sst whereabouts.¡¯ Not wanting to arouse suspicion by visiting in his full ckwood attire, Ethan disguised his upation and visited the Aurelia Church, only to receive a somewhat surprising response from the head priest.@@novelbin@@ ¡°You¡¯re saying Priestess Mirif has gone to another branch?¡± ¡°Yes. Sister Mirif was reassigned to another branch over two weeks ago.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I had hoped to thank her personally for her help¡­¡± Religious people generally find it hard to ignore the emotions of others. Their duty is to heal and care for those who are hurt or in pain, so they cannot easily leave a troubled person behind. Ethan, well aware of this due to the presence of the Aurelia Church in ckwood territory, knew what to expect. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 501 ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying she showed up at the adventurers¡¯ guild as recently as the day before yesterday?¡± ¡°Probably¡­? I mean, I¡¯m not even sure if it¡¯s really Assassin Lily. The guild staff have been talking about how more adventurers are working during the daytely, and I noticed a new woman among them, so I just assumed it was her.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good enough. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the person I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°But why¡¯re you after her all of a sudden? Did she take off with your money or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Just answer my questions.¡± Ethan flipped a silver coin toward the man, who had been turning questions back at him. Poor adventurers in Ermia, constantly short on money, were easily silenced with the right payment. ¡°Ah, yeah, I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± ¡°So, do you know anything else?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ if I had to say, I¡¯ve never seen her sleeping anywhere? Doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s camping out, so maybe she¡¯s crashing at some guy¡¯s ce?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°Whoa, easy there. It¡¯s just a guess, a guess. See, in this town, no one¡ªman or woman¡ªcan afford a decent ce to stay unless they¡¯re locals. So it was just a logical guess.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 502 ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± He saw me, he saw me, he saw me, he saw me, he saw me. I had felt a surge of relief, thinking I¡¯d almost lost him, but as soon as I looked up again, Ethan¡¯s shadow appeared in front of me. Barely holding back a scream, I turned and sprinted further into the alley as fast as I could. ¡®Damn it, I almost had a heart attack¡­.¡¯ Worrying about my fake identity as ¡°Assassin Lily¡± being exposed couldeter. For now, my priority was escape. If Ethan caught me now, there was no doubt he would question me about the child growing in my belly. Above all else, I couldn¡¯t afford to lose this child. ¡°¡­Wait! Stop¡­!!¡± Ignoring Ethan¡¯s faint voice behind me, I moved deeper into an unfamiliar alley. When it came to a short sprint, Ethan was faster than me, but with the narrow alley as my stage, I had a fair chance to get away. [Agile Movements: When holding a dagger, movement speed increases by 10%, and rapid direction changes are possible.] By making use of the Agile Movements skill from the dagger¡¯s second-tier abilities, along with an agility boost, I could manage this. -Thud! Thud-thud!@@novelbin@@ ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­!¡± After nearly thirty minutes of running through alleys, both Ethan and I were gasping for breath. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 503 Three months had passed since Lilith had gone into hiding in Strawberry Town, and Ethan had prepared thoroughly for her capture. He set up a secure means of ¡°transportation¡± to safely bring her back to his estate whenever he found her. He even sat in on academy sses to learn counterspells to counter her magic if she resisted or tried to escape. Most helpful of all, though, was the ¡°Whispering Leaf¡± he had managed to acquire, originally in the possession of the hero, that led him to Lilith¡¯s location within just a week. ¡®Exin to me why you are holding that, Hero!!¡¯@@novelbin@@ ¡®Miss Rosewood gave it to me! Would you just put down the sword and let me exin!?¡¯ ...That misunderstanding had resulted in a small skirmish, but it was a thing of the past now. Confirming that the leaf was pointing directly at a particr house, Ethan quietly knocked on the door, and it wasn¡¯t long before the one he had been waiting for¡ªLilith¡ªappeared. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lilith.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Lilith looked at him, her expression one of utter surprise, as if she hadn¡¯t expected him to find her here. Without a word, Ethan ced the ¡°Chain of Obedience¡± around her neck¡ªthe same one he had used on her before. -Click. ¡°A-ah!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As expected, it locked into ce perfectly. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 504 ¡°Whose child is it?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Ethan, who had ripped my dress open, was now staring at my rounded belly, demanding an exnation from me. His gaze was heavy, and his voice wasced with anger. Before I knew it, words of apology were slipping from my mouth. ¡°L-Lord ckwood¡­ I¡­ I havemitted an unforgivable sin¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡­I should have stopped myself. I should have remembered to use a contraceptive spell when I had the chance. Now that I¡¯d been caught trying to have a child without his permission, there would be no escaping punishment. ¡°¡­I asked whose child it is.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I asked, whose child made you like this, Lilith?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Of course, it¡¯s yours, Ethan¡­ Who else¡¯s could it be? The words rose in my throat, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say them out loud. If Ethan assumed that the child I carried wasn¡¯t his, then¡­ maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so dangerous for me after all. ¡­At least, if he thought the child wasn¡¯t his, he wouldn¡¯t think of ¡°disposing¡± of it out of concern for inheritance issues. ¡®But if I name someone randomly, Ethan will hunt them down to kill them¡­.¡¯ And as disgusting as it felt to im that my child belonged to someone else, I chose to stay silent in response to his question. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 507 Thud, thud, thud. Ethan repeatedly banged his head against the floor, apologizing so fervently that the entire room seemed to vibrate with each impact. I couldn¡¯t help but sit up on the bed, rmed by his intense behavior. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry, Lilith! I doubted you! I was so full of suspicion because I couldn¡¯t trust you! And if I had just spoken up in the first ce, none of this would have happened!¡± ¡°I-I understand, Young Lord Ethan, so please get up! I¡­ I¡¯m really fine. If anything, it was my own foolish misunderstanding that led to all this¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°No, it¡¯s entirely my fault! I¡¯m nothing but a selfish fool, only thinking of myself, and I¡¯ve wronged you in a way I can never repay! Ignorance is no excuse for what I¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°N-no¡­ If you put it that way, then I should be the one apologizing! This all happened because I didn¡¯t know you had no intentions of finding a fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m the one who should apologize¡­¡± ¡°No, Lilith, you have nothing to apologize for... This is all on me¡­¡± ¡°No, if we¡¯re assigning me, then I¡¯m at least a hundred times more at fault than you¡­¡± Each time I tried to lift him from the floor, he stubbornly lowered his head again, as if determined to continue. Even though I felt more responsible, he wouldn¡¯t allow me to apologize, insisting on taking all the me himself. ¡°No, Lilith! This is my fault! You have nothing to apologize for!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 508 Even though there hadn¡¯t been a wedding, I was already treated as Ethan¡¯s future wife in the ckwood family. We¡¯d nned to get married right after graduation, and now that I was carrying Ethan¡¯s first child, I couldn¡¯t picture a future where I wasn¡¯t his wife. I had already epted my role as the future Duchess, as refusing to do so wouldn¡¯t change how everyone else treated me. ¡°Good morning, Miss.¡± ¡°Oh, Head Butler Dietmeyer¡­¡± ¡°Just ¡®Dietmeyer¡¯ will do. The Young Master mentioned that you should feel free to set clear boundaries now.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­ Mr. Dietmeyer¡­¡± Even the way I addressed Dietmeyer, whom I¡¯d called ¡°Head Butler¡± all my life at ckwood Mansion, had changed. The other maids and servants had also started calling me ¡°Miss Lilith¡± or ¡°Lady Rosewood.¡± Just months ago, I was a fellow servant, yet it didn¡¯t feel strange to them to treat me as ady. It was as if I had always been regarded as Ethan¡¯s intended, and I was the only one who hadn¡¯t realized it.@@novelbin@@ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 509 The Morning After Harold¡¯s Return That morning¡¯s breakfast was special in many ways. It was, after all, the first time I sat at the same table with both Ethan and Harold since officially bing a member of the ckwood family. "Lilith, what are you doing?" "Pardon?" "Go and sit over there. That¡¯s where the head maid stands, not you." "Yes, dear. Do you intend to stand behind Ethan until he¡¯s finished his meal in your condition?" ¡°¡­My apologies."@@novelbin@@ I had instinctively stood behind Ethan, only to quickly take a seat across from him after hearing their remarks. Usually, when it was just Ethan and me, he allowed me to sit opposite him even when I was his personal maid. But with Harold present, I always had to stand behind Ethan, performing my duties as his maid. Anyway, Harold no longer seemed to see me as a servant. Following his words, I took my seat quietly and continued with the meal. "Having you at the table certainly brightens things up. It¡¯s hard to believe that little Ethan has grown up to the point of fathering a child." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 510 After Harold¡¯s Return: A New Normal Between Ethan and Me Since Harold¡¯s return, things between Ethan and me settled into a more typical rtionship¡ªnot as master and maid, but as though I were truly another nobledy who had married into the ckwood family. After days of addressing him by his name alone, I had grown ustomed to calling him simply "Ethan." The title "Father" for Harold was also beginning to feel less strange. ¡­It was time to start tackling the things I had put off. "Lilith, what are you up to?" "I''m writing some letters." "¡­Letters?"@@novelbin@@ Ethan looked at me with a worried expression as soon as he heard the word ¡°letters.¡± I could tell what he was thinking, so I hurried to rify to avoid any misunderstandings. "It¡¯s not for anything strange, Ethan! I just feel it¡¯s necessary to let Miss Agnes and Miss Lizzie know I¡¯m alright, given I took a leave from the academyst semester without notice¡­." "Ah, that¡¯s what it¡¯s for." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 511 "So, you¡¯re nning to return to the academy next year?" "Yes, Miss Agnes. Honestly, I''d love to go back even a semester earlier, but in this condition, attending sses or even moving around would be difficult."@@novelbin@@ "¡­I¡¯m more baffled that you were even thinking about having a child during the semester." "Well¡­ I wasn¡¯t exactly nning on going back to the academy at that time." I¡¯d intended to live a life far removed from ckwood and the characters of Luminor Academy, buting back here, I realized I felt more at ease than when I was alone. Not that I disliked the time I spent in Ermia with Mirif and the other priests, but looking back, it had been a worthwhile experience. "I thought you and I would be graduating together this year, Lilith." "I¡¯ll attend the graduation ceremony. I¡¯ll have had the baby by then¡­." "Don¡¯t feel pressured toe." "I¡¯ll need to go to Knowledge Ind for re-enrollment anyway. Think of it as just starting a week earlier." "¡­Well, do as you like." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 512 After the Visits from Agnes and Lizzie After Agnes and Lizzie¡¯s visits, quite a few more guests came and went from the ckwood estate. ¡­I couldn¡¯t quite understand why so many people were visiting. "I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re doing well, Miss Lilith. How are you feeling?" "I¡¯m alright. But, Princess Seraphin, is it really alright for you to visit like this?" "Of course. I¡¯m just stopping by on my way back to the academy. It¡¯s no trouble to take a day to check in on you." "I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe, Miss Lilith." Even with her busy schedule, Seraphin, along with her attendant Luke, had taken the time to check on me. "What¡¯s this? You¡¯re actually pregnant, Lil¡ªMiss Rosewood? Wow, I honestly didn¡¯t expect this." "¡­And why are you here, hero?" "Serista wanted to check on Lilith¡¯s condition on our way back to the academy. If she¡¯s really pregnant, she wanted to make sure the baby is doing well." "¡­Did Lilith send you a letter?" "Huh? No? I didn¡¯t get any letters from her." "Then that¡¯s all I needed to know. Here, take this back." "The Whispering Leaf? You can keep it, just in case she decides to run off again." "Say that one more time, and I¡¯ll challenge you to a life-or-death duel, hero."@@novelbin@@ "Alright, alright¡­ Jeez, can¡¯t even joke around with you." Serista hade to check on my condition, with the hero and Silena tagging along. "Miss Lilith! Are you alright?!" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 513 It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I don¡¯t remember much right after giving birth. I had focused all my energy on bringing Ethan¡¯s child into the world, so much so that the moment I heard the baby¡¯s cries, I fainted right away. When I finally regained consciousness, several hours had passed since I had copsed from exhaustion. After all, I had struggled for over ten hours just to give birth, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that I couldn¡¯t stay awake any longer. The only reason I had managed to hold on for that long was sheer willpower, refusing to copse until I¡¯d finished. When I woke up, the view outside the window showed a bright blue sky, like it was morning again. And the first thing I saw was Ethan sitting beside my bed, looking at me with a worried expression. ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Lilith, how¡¯s your body¡­?¡± ¡°O-Our baby¡­?¡± ¡°Look next to you.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± I came to my senses and turned my head to the other side. Therey our baby, wrapped carefully in a white cloth, lying beside me. Although it was the first time I¡¯d seen the baby in person since giving birth, there was no mistaking it¡ªthis child was ours. I gently held the baby bundled in the swaddle close to my chest. ¡°I¡¯m so d everything went well.¡± ¡°I was more worried about you, Lilith. I didn¡¯t think it would be so difficult for you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either. If I¡¯d known it would be this painful, I would have thought a bit more carefully about the decision¡­¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 514 ¡°How is the taste, Miss?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s good. The chef is quite skilled.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s me who should be grateful for taking on such a random request.¡± Sluuurp. ¡­I never would have thought they could recreate seaweed soup in this world. Among the ingredients Lizzy had brought, there was something simr to dried seaweed, so I asked them to make it, and it came out about 80% simr to the taste I remembered from my original world. The only downside was that they didn¡¯t have sesame oil, so they saut¨¦ed the seaweed in rapeseed oil instead. Still, it was enough to give me the feeling of eating something close to seaweed soup. ¡®Maybe I should ask them to add pasta next time.¡¯ Sluuurp. If they used thin pasta noodles, it might taste simr to the seaweed soup ramen I used to eat in my previous life. Or I could just have it with rice. Now that I was starting to regain some strength after giving birth, I couldn¡¯t help but think of foods from my past life. Grilled pork belly, kimchi fried rice, cold noodles, sushi¡­ Even though I could get something close to fried chicken at the academy, it wasn¡¯t quite the same.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Waaaah! Waaaah!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 515 My offer to drive the carriage was, of course, declined, and it was ultimately decided that Isabel would be the one to take the reins. Since she hadn¡¯t had to go to the academy during the months I¡¯d been away, Isabel had learned carriage driving from Dietmeier. While Dietmeier was far more skilled when it came to driving, Ethan preferred a female coachman for this trip. After all, if I had to turn around to nurse the baby, it would be awkward for everyone involved. Even though Dietmeier wasn¡¯t the type to make things ufortable, it didn¡¯t hurt to be cautious. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be overly tense. If we¡¯re dyed, we can stay overnight in a vige along the way. Lilith and Eris are with us, so prioritize safety above all,¡± Ethan instructed. ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°If it bes too much, I can take over halfway, so don¡¯t feel pressured.¡± ¡°T-That won¡¯t be necessary¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­Now you¡¯re making Isabel even more nervous, Lilith.¡± ¡­All I meant was to ease Isabel¡¯s burden a bit. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 517 Despite Mezzlen''s remarks about me supposedly bing Eris''s grandmother when I haven''t even reached the level of being Harold''s lover, I decided to ignore herments. After that, we simply chatted about various things that had happened over the past few months.@@novelbin@@ Seraphin, in particr, had quite a few personal questions for me. She wanted to know in detail about the pain of childbirth and what a mother¡¯s responsibilities in child-rearing are, among other things. It seemed like she was already envisioning her own married life with ?????? and was curious about various aspects. Knowing how things turn out for the two of them, I could only feel a bit sorry. ''If only that hero would give up his wish to return home, it would solve everything...'' But as someone who has heard about his wish countless times, I know better than anyone that he would never give it up. Just as I can''t let go of my life in this world, he likely can''t abandon his life in his original world. I didn¡¯t have close rtionships with my family in my past life, nor did I have a lover, but ?????? seemed to have an atmosphere quite different from mine. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to force someone like him to give up his original life and adapt to a new world. It would be the same as telling me to give up my current life and go back to the world I came from. ...Of course, it would be nice if he sorted out his feelings toward the women he''s captivated before he leaves. After chatting with the three royal members in the VIP room, I visited the academy church, where I greeted Saint Serista and, coincidentally, ran into ?????? as well. After that, I stopped by the magic, alchemy, swordsmanship, and spear departments to meet with Agnes, Lara, Natalie, and Lyria. By the time I finished my rounds, five hours had already passed since I had set out. I had spent quite a bit of time chatting here and there. ¡°Isabel, I''m so sorry! I''m reallyte, aren¡¯t I?!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 519 I mustered the courage to ask him, but Ethan''s response was unsatisfactory. Instead of answering directly, he asked back, "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" or "Can I ask why you''re curious?" As a result, the answer I got was a disappointing "Let''s talk about itter since we''re outside now." I had hoped to gauge what Ethan wanted in advance, so of course, I was dissatisfied. ''If he ns to, he should say so, so I can prepare...'' Since it had been a long time, I needed to prepare myself, too. I¡¯d have to change into different underwear and make sure Eris would sleep in Isabel''s room. And¡­ if he really does prefer doing it "that way," I¡¯d need to be ready for that, too. ''Come to think of it, it¡¯s been almost a year since Ethan and I did it properly.'' Pregnancy and childcare had prevented it, but a year was still too long. For someone Ethan¡¯s age, it must have felt even longer. Since our misunderstanding was cleared up, we had asionally engaged in things that wouldn¡¯t strain my body, but we hadn¡¯t truly shared a man-and-woman union.@@novelbin@@ Even without using his victory in sparring as an excuse, it was about time for us to return to our previous rtionship. If I couldn¡¯t fulfill my role as Ethan¡¯s wife, I wouldn¡¯t even have the right to ask him not to take other partners. ''I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll want to do it tonight, but I might as well be prepared.'' You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 521 After finishing Eris¡¯s meal and putting her to bed, the three of them sat down for a slightlyte dinner.@@novelbin@@ Tonight, the atmosphere at dinner felt a bit more awkward than usual. ¡°¡­Uh, Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan?¡± ¡°You know the question I asked during ss earlier? Do you mind if I answer itter when we¡¯re alone?¡± ¡°Sure, Ethan. Isabel is here right now.¡± ¡°¡­Shall I cover my ears for a moment, Young Master?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s something that can wait untilter.¡± It seemed he still intended to answer, though earlier, he¡¯d brushed it off with vague words, probably from embarrassment. Noticing the subtle cues between Ethan and me, Isabel quickly finished her meal and rose from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go freshen up and prepare for your bedtime now.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 522 Unexpectedly, Lilith appeared in her old maid¡¯s outfit and began treating Ethan as if he were a ten-year-old child. At first, he was taken aback by her yful act, but something about it made his heart race, and he found himself drawn toward her, as if truly bing that young boy. ¡°No matter how hard it may be to fall asleep, visiting ady¡¯s quarters at thiste hour¡­ it seems that Young Master Ethan still has the heart of a boy, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come here, Young Master. I¡¯ll stay with you and chat until you drift off to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Something felt different. There was a gentle warmth to her presence, something beyond her usual charm, almost as if she would embrace him and shield him from the world. Captivated, Ethan slowly moved toward her, drawn by her soft voice. ¡°Come now, Young Master Ethan. Would you like to rest on myp?¡± ¡°¡­On yourp?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep youpany with a little story until you fall asleep.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡±@@novelbin@@ And so, he found himself surrendering to thefort of herp, almost as if he truly were a child again. Abandoning his usual, formal tone, Ethan carefully rested his head on Lilith¡¯sp, letting the warmth and softness of her presence wrap around him. It was a feeling he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time, looking up at her face from his resting ce. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 523 After spending the night ying out the young master and maid scene with Ethan, Lilith awoke to find morning had already arrived. She had drifted off at his side after Ethan had exhausted himself, having finished four rounds. ¡®I might have miscalcted.¡¯ It had been nice to have that private time with him again, and she¡¯d anticipated a memorable night. But looking back, it felt somewhat anticlimactic. She¡¯d focused on indulging Ethan¡¯s particr tastes, which left her own needs somewhat unmet.@@novelbin@@ Sure, Ethan seemed to thoroughly enjoy being cared for in that way, experiencing a deeper satisfaction than usual. But to be honest, Lilith didn¡¯t feel like she¡¯d fully enjoyed herself. She¡¯d even prepared in case they tried something a little more adventurous, only for it to go unused. ¡®Still, it was nice to see a different side of Ethan. I don¡¯t regret it¡­¡¯ But, still¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was a way they could both enjoy it more next time. Although,st night could also be considered a reward for Ethan, given his victory over Harold, so perhaps it didn¡¯t matter as much. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 524 The voice calling her "Sister Lily" was unmistakable. ¡°¡­Mirif?¡± ¡°Ah, it really is you, Sister Lily! I was worried I might¡¯ve mistaken you for someone else!¡±@@novelbin@@ That¡¯s right¡ªMirif had mentioned entering the academy this year. Lilith had nned to visit her, only to keep postponing due to her busy schedule with Eris. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mirif. Has it been almost a year?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s been about a year since you left Eremia so suddenly. You know, the Holy Knights were really disappointed they couldn¡¯t give you a proper farewell.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I really had to leave in a hurry back then.¡± At the time, she was carrying Ethan''s child, and his pursuit was drawing dangerously close. Looking back, getting caught back then might have saved her a lot of trouble, but she¡¯d spent quite a bit of time stubbornly evading him. Of course, that journey allowed her to meet Mirif and change her fate, as well as to train with the Holy Knights inbat techniques. There were some bright spots in her struggles. ¡°Sister Lily, I think this is the first time you¡¯ve spoken to me so formally. It actually feels¡­ natural?¡± ¡°Really?¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 525 Although I got a hint about the windbird from Lyria, unfortunately, circumstances don¡¯t allow me to head to the northeastern ins immediately. Reuniting with Sei... It¡¯s certainly important. It¡¯s been roughly a year since we parted ways, and if I don¡¯t reconcile and bring her back within the next two years, I might be stuck in this half-formed contract indefinitely. However, even with that risk, what¡¯s most important right now is taking care of Eris. Sure, Sei is important, but nothing matters more than spending time with Eris, whom I haven''t been able to care for properly because of my studies. If things stay like this, Eris might even mistake Isabel for her mother instead of me. So, as I had some free time, I took Eris out in her stroller with Ethan. I figured it was a rare chance for us to spend time together as a family. ¡°Eris, how does it feel to be outside after so long?¡± ¡°Gaahee, hehe¡­¡± ¡­She¡¯s really cute. Maybe it¡¯s because she looks like Ethan.@@novelbin@@ As she approaches seven or eight months, I feel more and more each day how quickly Eris is growing. One moment, she¡¯s crawling around the cradle, and out of nowhere, she looks at me and babbles something that sounds like "Mama." Of course, unlike other overly proud mothers, I don¡¯t fuss over her vague babbling of "Mama" or "Mamma." ¡°Mama! Ma¡­ma!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Eris. Mommy is right here~.¡± Luckily, Eris¡¯s pronunciation is clear enough that I don¡¯t have any trouble understanding her.
  • Thump, thump, thump.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 526 ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Isabel.¡± ¡°Have a good trip, Lilith. You too, young master.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Right. Please take good care of Eris.¡± ¡°Eris, Mommy and Daddy are going out for a bit.¡± ¡°Okaaaay!!¡± Thest semester of my Academy life, fourth year, second semester. From the very first day of the new semester, the atmosphere in our dorm felt as harmonious as that of any ordinary household. In fact, you could easily rece us with a family¡ªparents and a child¡ªand the scene would still be perfectly believable. Isabel gave off the vibe of a responsible eldest daughter, and Eris, with a bit of an age gap, felt like the younger daughter. Maybe it¡¯s just my own perception. Still, walking out the door alongside Ethan like this genuinely made us look like a working couple. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 527 Three days had passed since Mirif received the suggestion to try making potions herself. On a quiet day at the church, she took some time to visit the pharmacology department and cautiously entered Professor Belus¡¯s office. Knock, knock. ¡°Professor Belus?¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Mirif. You came.¡± ¡°Yes. I became a bit interested in what you mentionedst time¡­¡± The offer to try making potions herself. It was a proposal that piqued her interest, and Mirif couldn¡¯t help but ept it. At the Academy church, there were still many patients suffering due to theck of potions. If she could spend some time making potions herself, she could reduce the number of people struggling. Of course, it would take some time to learn to make them well enough to be usable. ¡°First, let me rify that what I can teach you is only the basics for low-grade potions. If you were a pharmacology student, I could go further, but teaching more to a theology student could cause some issues.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡ªI think that¡¯s more than enough.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°If you were to transfer to the pharmacology department, I could teach you more, but¡­ I would never ask someone who serves the divine to do that.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 528 ¡°What¡­ what is this¡­?¡± Mirif muttered to herself in shock as she stared at the secret passage leading downstairs. She had never imagined that such a hidden space existed in theb. ¡®Could it be¡­ a storage area? But if it were, why would it be so secretive?¡¯ Something about it seemed suspicious. At the same time, a gut feeling warned her that she shouldn¡¯t go down there. Was this really leading somewhere dangerous? Or was it simply a hidden storage space? She couldn¡¯t tell from just looking. ¡®Does Professor Belus know about this¡­?¡¯ She¡¯d heard that he¡¯d been using thisb for over ten years. Still, it was possible he wasn¡¯t aware of every nook and cranny, including a secret space like this. After all, he didn¡¯t usually check the books on this shelf when giving her lessons.@@novelbin@@ But¡­ ¡®The stairs are clean. It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s been abandoned for over ten years¡­.¡¯ The well-kept stairs heightened her suspicion. Why was there a secret passage here, and why did it look recently used? If Professor Belus had been using it, what purpose did it serve? And why did he always stop her from cleaning hisb? Once she began questioning, her curiosity spiraled. ¡®He probably just didn¡¯t mention it¡­.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 529 "Mirif, a bitte, isn¡¯t she?" Central Park at the Academy, during a free period in the morning. Usually, on days when I meet with Mirif, I wait for her here, but today she hadn¡¯t shown up at all. Thinking back on all the times she¡¯d been the one waiting for me¡ªoften arriving well before I did¡ªit felt unusually out of character. Wondering if perhaps something unavoidable had dyed her, I waited for thirty minutes, but she still didn¡¯t appear at our meeting spot. Naturally, doubts began to surface in my mind. "Maybe her priestly duties are keeping her busy¡­?" She had seemed a bit tired thest few times we met. I¡¯d often heard that she spent her personal time at the church, helping treat other students, something she apparently enjoyed doing. While I hadn¡¯t tried to stop her, it did seem a bit excessive if it was starting to wear her out. And recently, I heard she was even attending pharmacology sses with Professor Bel-something. Honestly, that sounded like more work than a single person could handle.@@novelbin@@ "Hopefully, she didn¡¯t just copse on her way here." I doubted it woulde to that. Mirif had even been an adventurer before; she should be able to take care of herself. Still, I decided to head over to the Academy church to see why she hadn¡¯t shown up. If she was busy treating students, I¡¯d just take a quick look and quietly leave. With that thought in mind, I made my way to the church, only to find it more hectic than usual today. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 530 The ragtag party searching for Mirif¡¯s location, guided by the Whispering Leaf.@@novelbin@@ ¡­To be honest, despite the varied skills and backgrounds, it was an impressive lineup. After all, we had a princess, a prince, and the only son of the ckwood Duke¡¯s household. Maybe I¡¯d be too ustomed to running with the Hero¡¯s party, making my standards unnaturally high. Thinking of all the crises I¡¯d faced, ones that required the full power of the Hero¡¯s party to ovee, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit tense. "¡­It seems the Whispering Leaf is pointing us in this direction." "It¡¯s likely a basement in a nearby building. The question is, which building¡­?" We were in the center of the buildings housing the pharmacology, production, and magic research departments. Judging by the location, it could¡¯ve connected from any one of them. Considering the usual scope of ¡°incidents¡± at the Academy, splitting up to search wasn¡¯t ideal. We¡¯d have to search each suspicious area one by one. "What do you think, Lady Rosewood? Any intuitions?" "Lilith, what do you think?"
  • Creak.
  • Bang!
  • Crash!
  • Rumble!
  • nk.
  • Clink, nk!
  • Shuffle, twitch.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 531 As soon as Mirif took in the sight before her, the first feeling that struck her was more of a sense of impending danger than fear. A pressing sense of dread gripped her¡ªif she stayed here, she might end up like those other victims. And there was the anxiety that even if she escaped, the world might never know about this horrific ce. As for treating or mourning the victims¡ªthose who might once have been human¡ªunfortunately, that would have toeter. She couldn¡¯t even be sure she¡¯d survive to make it out of here. "I need to get out of these chains first." Not knowing any other way, Mirif pulled with all her might, but these chains weren¡¯t the type to break so easily¡ªthey were made to bind people. It was out of the question for her, a priestess, to break them with mere physical strength. Some of the monstrous beings nearby seemed to have escaped their bonds, but only because their bodies had either expanded, shrunk, or lost limbs¡ªnone of which was an option for her.@@novelbin@@
  • Clink, nk!
"Ugh¡­!" ¡­She might even have been willing to cut off her own wrist or ankle if it would¡¯ve allowed her to escape, knowing she could at least heal herself with her holy power. But no matter how hard she pulled, her strength wasn¡¯t enough to break free. "Hah¡­hah¡­." "Now, now, Mirif. You shouldn¡¯t treat that precious body of yours so recklessly." "¡­?!" She froze. In the middle of her desperate struggle, a voice came from somewhere. It was familiar, yet unfamiliar. Turning toward the voice, she saw a face that was all too familiar: her professor. "¡­Professor Belus." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 532 The dagger that had struck the tough skin of Belus¡¯s neck bounced off and fell to the ground. In the awkward silence that followed, everyone in the room stared at Belus in shock. "¡­You¡¯re not human, are you?" "No, I am human¡­ for now, at least."
  • Whoosh!
Ethan swung his sword toward Belus¡¯s neck, imbuing it with aura, clearly intending to silence any further words. He must¡¯ve realized, like I had, that this figure was dangerous. However, having been exposed as something other than human, Belus had no intention of letting Ethan¡¯s strikend so easily.@@novelbin@@
  • Whoosh!
Belus quickly moved backward to avoid the blow, his swift movements adding to my confusion. "How is it that someone like him never appeared in the original story?" A being of this strength should have appeared in Luminaur Academy¡ªas either a high-ranking demon general or a traitor on the human side. Furthermore, the atrocities he¡¯dmitted went beyond what any small-time viin would be capable of. Experimenting on humans to turn them into monsters wouldn¡¯t have been tolerated anywhere within the empire. "I would have liked more time for my research¡­ but I suppose it¡¯ll be difficult to procure materials within the Academy now." "That much is certain. You won¡¯t be leaving here alive." "Oh, really? I think it¡¯s you who won¡¯t be leaving here alive."
  • Thud!
"W-what¡­?! The wall is moving!" The moment he pressed a red button on a remote, a thick wall dropped down, blocking the entrance we¡¯de through.
  • Pop, pop!
  • Shatter!
  • Squirm, squirm.
  • Boom!
  • Thud, thud! Thud, thud!
  • Squirm, squirm.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 534 Professor Belus¡ªor rather, the Great General of the Demon King¡¯s Army, Bertus. A week had passed since our battle against him ended. The first thing we did immediately after the battle was go to the church to check if anyone had any abnormalities with their bodies. Mirif, who had almost fallen victim to the inhumane experiments, was our primary concern, but we wanted to make sure none of the others had been contaminated by Bertus¡¯s fluids during his transformation. While contact with his bodily fluids shouldn¡¯t have caused any issues ording to the original story, there was no harm in being cautious. Fortunately, everyone checked out fine. ''¡­Looking back, it was a miraculous victory.'' It was, in many ways, a victory that we managed to secure through sheer luck. Stopping him in the middle of his transformation, before he could reach his full form, was a huge advantage. Plus, his absurd misconception that I was a survivor of the beastman vige allowed us to secure an escape route. And, of course, the power of the Mana st temporarily reanimating the fallen victims, which helped us deliver the final blow, was nothing short of a miracle. If even one of those factors had been missing, we might have ended up crawling on theb floor like those flesh-colored monsters or using the Mana st as ast-ditch effort to take him down with us. Even in hindsight, it was a spine-chillingly close call. I was just grateful we managed to make it out safely.@@novelbin@@ ''It''s a bit unfortunate that Professor Belus was just marked as missing.'' It wasn¡¯t exactly in the academy or the empire¡¯s best interest to spread news about a professor conducting human experiments with students in the academy¡¯s basement. Not only would it tarnish their reputation, but it would also disturb the current students. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 535 Mirif hid in the furthest stall of the bathroom to avoid me. I had already wasted enough time waiting, so rather than stand around, I decided to continue the conversation with just a thin door between us. "Mirif, I have no choice but to speak to you like this." "W-what? Even here¡­?" "I wouldn¡¯t choose to have a serious conversation in this kind of ce either, but you kept running away, so I had no choice. It¡¯s not good to leave misunderstandings unresolved between us, is it?"@@novelbin@@ "¡­¡­." "I don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll be direct, Mirif." Even though I was technically on a break, Ethan might worry if I was toote, and Eris and Isabel were waiting for me, too. I decided to carefully bring up the topic of when Mirif had started avoiding me. "Do you remember how I pretended to be a survivor from the beastman vige in the professor''s undergroundb?" "Yes¡­." "Thanks to that act, we were able to escape from that demon professor, right?" "That¡¯s true¡­ You were really amazing then¡­." "Thank you. Anyway, I wanted to rify because it seems you misunderstood something from my act that day. I¡¯m not connected to the beastman vige or demons in any way¡ªI¡¯m a 100% ordinary human." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 536 For a brief moment, I could feel it.@@novelbin@@ No, not noticing something so strange would¡¯ve been even more unusual. In a room without any fans, a sudden gust of wind appeared right in front of my eyes and disappeared just as quickly. ¡­And, crucially, as Eris¡¯s body lifted slightly off the ground, I felt a small drain in my mana. ''Sei¡­'' I thought Sei hadpletely vanished, that I¡¯d never see her again, but it seems she¡¯s been here all along. Maybe she just happened to pass by and decided to help Eris when she was about to fall. But even that seemed odd, given Eris''s reaction. ¡°Mommy¡­?¡± Rather than feeling surprised by the sensation of being lifted, Eris acted as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if she had always known that Sei was by her side. ''Could it be that the reason Eris learned to walk so early and started speaking sooner than other children¡­'' You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 537 I don¡¯t recall the original story ever showing the hero turning into a barbarian just because he chose Lyria¡¯s route. Maybe it¡¯s because Karaham¡¯s personality ispletely different from the hero¡¯s, and, with his appearance, he looks more suited to being a barbarian than anyone else. His bold personality and loud voice would be just what Lyria¡¯s tribe would find appealing. It was strange to think that something was happening that I was unaware of, caused by something I had done. Well, Karaham was supposed to have exited the story around this time anyway, so even if he became an honorary barbarian, it probably wouldn¡¯t change the original storyline. "And my sister-inw is always looking out for our tribe in so many ways!" "Pardon?" "I heard that you and my husband are working to¡­ eradicate illiteracy in our vige? Anyway, since my husband said it was a good idea, our tribe is gradually epting it! When I went homest summer, I almost thought I hade to the wrong ce with all the new houses popping up! It was also my first time seeing water flowing inside houses, just like at the academy!" "..." I think I understand what¡¯s happening. Karaham bing an honorary Barbaracus was just bait, while behind the scenes, Lizzy is ¡°civilizing¡± the northeastern ins. After all, Lyria is the daughter of the Barbaracus chief, so someone like Karaham, practically her husband, would naturally have a voice among them. And since Karaham can¡¯t say no to his sister Lizzy, he must have agreed to all her ideas without question. Of course, I¡¯d need to go see things firsthand to understand properly. ''If she seeded, that means she achieved what even the original hero couldn¡¯t.'' The conflict with the nobles near the northeastern ins at the end of part two in the original story stemmedrgely from the failure to civilize the barbarians.@@novelbin@@ It¡¯s likely that rather than forcing civilization on them as in the original storyline, the protagonist tried to negotiate in a way that preserved their culture. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 539 As soon as it was his turn, Ethan began roughly kneading my chest. While he excused it as ¡°his own way of taking measurements,¡± I wasn¡¯t naive enough to be fooled by such a flimsy excuse. He just wants to touch me however he pleases. Honestly, he can be so insincere. At least I pretended to be measuring¡ªhe, on the other hand, went straight for groping. Squish, squish. ¡°Mmgh¡­ haa¡­¡± Though I tried my best to stifle any sounds, aware that Isabel and Eris were in the next room, a few inappropriate noises still slipped out. I could only hope Isabel would take her time in the bath, as she¡¯d probably guessed exactly what Ethan and I were up to. Flick, flick¡­ ¡°Mmm¡­¡± After thoroughly groping my chest, Ethan started unbuttoning my clothes, one by one, peeling them off swiftly. Just like that, under his hands, my body became as bare as his. Rustle, rustle. ¡°W-wait, Ethan. There¡¯s no need to take everything off from the start¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re just measuring, so what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? Saying that makes it sound like you were thinking something indecent while undressing me.¡± ¡°...I-I wasn¡¯t! Stop imagining weird things, Ethan.¡± ¡°Right. And you shouldn¡¯t think weird things either, Lilith.¡±@@novelbin@@ Slide. ¡°Ah, w-wait¡­¡± Slip. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 540 The next day, after wrapping up Ethan¡¯s measurements¡ªdespite some minor awkward moments¡ªI headed out to the shopping district to buy clothes based on his measurements. Of course, Ethan wasn¡¯t with me. We¡¯d nned to pick out outfits for each other, and it would ruin the surprise if he saw his clothes beforehand. I usually went on outings like this with Agnes at my side back in the academy. Thinking about how I¡¯d wasted a whole year over a silly misunderstanding with her felt like a missed opportunity. At the very least, having her around meant I¡¯d always had someone to banter with. Now, with neither Agnes nor my old ssmates like Natalie and Lizzie around, I felt a hint of loneliness. Most of the warrior party members I¡¯d bonded with had already graduated. If it weren¡¯t for Lyria and Mirif, thisst year would have been quite gloomy. Naturally, I ended up shopping with those two today. ¡°Thank you both, Lyria and Mirif, for joining me on such short notice today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty to help with anything you ask, Senior Lilith! Don¡¯t mention it!¡± Lyria responded, brimming with enthusiasm. ¡°I-I¡¯m also always ready to assist Sister Lily¡­ Please, feel free to call on me anytime¡­!¡± Mirif stammered, her nervousness evident. ¡­One was overly confident, while the other was overly tense, making them each a bit overwhelming in different ways. Lyria¡¯s high energy had been challenging to match since we first met, but recently, Mirif had been acting even more awkward around me.@@novelbin@@ In any case, they were the only friends I had left in the academy, so I didn¡¯t have many options. I¡¯d briefly considered going shopping alone, but shopping is always more fun withpany. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 541 As Lizzie calmed down, she exined that this shop had always belonged to the Auguste Trading Company, just like the swimwear shop I visited with Natalie and Agnesst time. At this point, I couldn''t help but wonder if there was a single store on Knowledge Ind that wasn''t somehow tied to the Auguste family. Still, I decided to let that thought slide. Maybe sparing Lizzie''s life had snowballed into this entire situation. If that were true, I bore some responsibility for how things had turned out. ¡°Is this store also managed by your sister-inw? I thought it seemed familiar!¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re here too, sister-inw? It¡¯s been a while.¡± ...Shouldn¡¯t she have recognized her sister-inw before me? Fortunately, Lyria didn¡¯t seem to mind Lizzie¡¯sck of attention. Given their personalities, perhaps they got along well even as inws. ¡°Anyway, you mentioned you were looking for clothes for the ckwood heir, right? Men¡¯s clothing happens to be my specialty, so leave it to me, Lilith.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you also im to be an expert when we picked out swimwearst time, Lizzie?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not umon for someone with expertise in one field to have talent in another, you know? My abilities are so versatile that they¡¯re useful just about anywhere. What can I say?¡±@@novelbin@@ ...Considering the Auguste family¡¯s discreet downfall alongside their tradingpany in the original story, she might not be entirely wrong. By now, even the depiction of the shopping district in Luminor Academy had faded from memory. Of all the changes I¡¯d made to reality by sparing someone, Lizzie and the Auguste family had probably seen the most significant shift. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 542 What Ethan pulled from the bag wasn¡¯t exactly ¡°clothing.¡± The round object in his hand didn¡¯t immediately register in my mind. For a moment, even I forgot what it was supposed to be. ¡°What¡¯s that, Ethan?¡± ¡°Take a guess. What do you think it is?¡± ¡°¡­It seems a bit strange. Is it rted to the outfit I¡¯m supposed to wear?¡± ¡°Well, technically, yes. essories are part of an outfit too.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°¡­¡± If it was an essory shaped like that, the only thing that came to mind was a piercing¡­? I wasn¡¯t too thrilled about wearing something that would require me to harm my body. Still, if it was something Ethan liked, I¡¯d at least consider it. As I debated, the round object in his hand began to hum. Bzzzzz¡­. ¡°!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a vibration device powered by the wearer¡¯s magic. Using a remote, I can control it from a distance like this.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 543 After Lyria took the seat next to me, students began filling the grand auditorium one by one. Some, like me, wore extravagant outfits, indicating their intention to attend the graduation party. Others chose modest dresses or formal uniforms, suitable enough for the asion without being too shy. Around 10-20% of the attendees stuck with their Academy uniforms, most of themmoners. ¡®Formoners, even one formal dress can be a financial burden.¡¯ Many of them likely had no room in their budgets to prepare party attire, given that they would have to return to their hometowns or find work immediately after graduation. If this were a female-oriented romance fantasy game, there would probably be a male character gifting a dress to amoner heroine. Unfortunately, Luminor Academy was a male-oriented game¡ªand an adult one at that. ...That wasn¡¯t to say there were no romantic arcs betweenmoner girls and noble boys, though.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Hey, Cedric¡­ Do I have to wear this? It¡¯s way too frilly and doesn¡¯t suit me at all¡­¡± ¡°You look stunning, Kael. I feel like showing everyone that you¡¯re my girlfriend. So don¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°W-What are you saying? Don¡¯t say stuff you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Seeing them cling to each other was endearing, even without my involvement. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 544 ¡ªBzzzzzz¡­. ¡°Damn it¡­ how long is he nning to keep this on?¡± Even though I¡¯d barely spoken a word to Karaham¡ªif that¡ªit had been enough for the magical device to activate. Despite intentionally moving away to avoid triggering Ethan¡¯s suspicions, the vibrations in my body showed no signs of stopping. It could¡¯ve been that I¡¯d moved too far for Ethan to send the deactivation signal, but honestly, I was pretty sure he just didn¡¯t want to turn it off. He was dead set on monitoring my every move. This wasn¡¯t just devotion¡ªit was borderline obsessive. ¡®Honestly¡­ it¡¯s only because it¡¯s him that I put up with this.¡¯@@novelbin@@ I should¡¯ve known when he brought that contraption along instead of a proper outfit. If he¡¯d done this to any other noblewoman, he¡¯d have been pped before the thing even went in. The only reason I let it slide was that I understood Ethan¡¯s tendencies. While his delinquent streak from the original story had been nearly erased, his enjoyment of treating women this way clearly lingered. As long as it didn¡¯t escte, I could handle it. In the past, I might have scolded him thoroughly to break this bad habit, but now I was his wife. If I could tolerate it, there wasn¡¯t much need to change him. Not that I enjoyed this childish game, of course. ¡ªBzzzzzz¡­. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 545 The man who suddenly appeared before me and started introducing himself was someone named "Finn." As I debated how best to turn down the conversation, he prattled on as if I had given him permission to speak. ¡°¡­Furthermore, my spear skills have proven effective not only inbat against monsters but also in duels against other warriors. If you were to employ me in the ckwood territory, I could assist in addressing various public safety issues¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, but now isn¡¯t a good time. Could you discuss employment matters with Ethanter?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ sure. Then I¡¯ll speak with the Young Lord ckwood next time¡­¡± ¡°No, please speak directly with Ethan about this. I really must go¡­¡± Feeling a spine-chilling sense of urgency, I hastily ended the conversation with Finn. Although Ethan was still upied with a meeting and hadn¡¯t arrived at the banquet yet, I couldn¡¯t shake the thought that he might somehow be watching me from afar. If I had to endure an unavoidable conversation that triggered the switch, I wouldn¡¯tin¡ªbut being caught in this situation with a character who isn¡¯t even a named extra felt unfair. ¡°Good evening, Lady Rosewood. I am Ben from the Swordsmanship Club. We¡¯ve met a few times during Professor Harold¡¯s magic swordsmanship lessons¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 546 "Why¡­ why are you always following me around¡­? It''s really annoying¡­."@@novelbin@@ "Does one need a reason to meet the one they love?" "I already told you, we''re not in a rtionship¡­ You''re the only one who thinks that¡­." "Even so, it doesn¡¯t matter. One day, Lady Agnes, you¡¯ll undoubtedly acknowledge me." "You¡¯re impossible to reason with¡­." Agnes spoke in a tone that suggested she was exasperated, yet her face turned red with a hint of embarrassment. Despite her words, her reaction was telling. When Antonio confessed his affection for Agnes, I initially thought his journey would be fraught with difficulty. However, seeing how far he¡¯de in just a few years, it seemed that there had been some progress behind the scenes. His passion was undeniable. Among the royals I¡¯d encountered, he had mastered the art of using his noble status to woo others better than anyone else. "Next time, please inform me in advance, Lady Agnes. It¡¯s fortunate I discovered your presence here so quickly. If I¡¯d missed the chance to see you today, I can¡¯t even imagine how much I¡¯d regret it." "We¡­ we met just recently¡­." "That was three months ago! And even then, I had to seek you out!" "Who asked you to visit?! And why would a royal like youe to the demon frontlines in the first ce?!" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 547 ¡°It looks like I should get going. The Hero is calling for me.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You mentioned attending the graduation party today as part of the Hero¡¯s Party.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Yeah. It was nice seeing you again after so long.¡± ¡°Same here, Lady Agnes.¡± After catching up with my old friend, I realized the graduation party had hit its peak. The lively atmosphere was buzzing, and soon, the Hero¡¯s Party was set to make their grand entrance as special guests. But why did they have toe with so much fanfare? If their only goal was to check on this year¡¯s graduates, wouldn¡¯t a quiet visit suffice? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what their true motives were for bringing the entire party here. ¡®Surely, it¡¯s not something like an academy raid¡­¡¯ My thoughts drifted tost year, during the second semester of what should have been my fourth year if I hadn¡¯t taken a leave of absence. Even without Ethan and me, the Hero¡¯s Party had handled the situation admirably. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 548 As the slow dance began, the atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak. I felt a flicker of anxiety¡ªwhat if Ethan suddenly pressed the switch during the dance? Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t that reckless. If he had intended to pull something like that, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered with setting rules in the first ce. ...Not that he bothered turning off the two already-active vibrating devices, of course. I¡¯d managed to endure with abination of growing ustomed to the sensation and repeatedly casting Clean Magic. ¡°Lilith, one more dance?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m too drained, both physically and emotionally, thanks to someone. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯ll grant you one wishter. Come on, just one more?¡± ¡°¡­Two.¡± ¡°Alright, two.¡± After some back-and-forth, I begrudgingly agreed, and we danced two more songs before stepping off the floor. Meanwhile, the Hero, Gepmazoshegigat, finished his dances with Seraphine and Cerista before leading Silena onto the floor. She looked both flustered and delighted, clearly questioning why she wasst but unable to hide her joy at being asked. He was managing heroine favorability like a professional, spreading attention evenly without showing undue affection to any one of them. A perfect strategy to avoid party conflicts while progressing through the narrative.@@novelbin@@ ¡®Still, the effort he¡¯s putting in screams ¡°endgame grind.¡± I wonder if his ystyle changed since Ist checked.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 549 The undead couple that appeared at the graduation party were underlings of "Lich Oberus," one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Luminor Academy. In the original story, these monsters were never meant to appear at the academy. Particrly, with Kelton''s massive build, it¡¯s impossible for him to cross the small bridge leading to the Isle of Knowledge. Let alone without anyone noticing.@@novelbin@@ This means that there¡¯s likely a Lich capable of summoning Kelton¡¯s enormous body lurking somewhere in the academy. Facing both a Heavenly King and their direct subordinates simultaneously created an unbelievably harsh battle environment. There wasn¡¯t even time to question why such a situation had arisen. ¡®Just dealing with those bastards alone is already a colossal pain in the ass¡­.¡¯ Venari and Kelton were incredibly difficult boss monsters to handle, even in the original story. Despite not being one of the Four Heavenly Kings, their difficulty was on par with fighting one. With their immunity to physical and magical attacks, tricky healing patterns if not attacked under specific conditions, and even a second-phase "low-health" pattern, they were essentially nightmares. For now, no matter the reason, these two needed to be taken down first, and then the hidden Lich in the academy had to be found. If the Lich managed to take full control of the academy, this isted ind would, in less than a month, turn into an impregnable fortress for the Lich. ¡°Agnes, Celesta, Seraphine, and Silena, take the female ghost! Natalie, Thomas, Luke, and I will handle that giant ghoul!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 550 After Venari¡¯s revtions, which left nothing but wounds for everyone involved, the battle resumed. Kelton began swinging his enormous bone greatsword, asrge as his body, signaling the start of the fight on our side. ¡°Go forth, my children¡­ Drain the vitality from their feeble bodies¡­¡± Whooooosh! ¡°They¡¯re Banshees! Everyone, protect your backs and defend properly!¡± From Venari¡¯s massive form emerged dozens of banshees, forming a spectral army. Individually, these ghostly figures, resembling young women, weren¡¯t overwhelmingly powerful. However, their strengthy in their numbers. Each one specialized in draining the life force of any living being they touched. ¡°It seems ordinary swords and arrows won¡¯t work against them! You¡¯ll need to use magic or enchanted attacks to defeat them, mydy!¡±@@novelbin@@ Thud! Screeeeech¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about others and focus on keeping yourself safe, Antonio! Miss Agnes, please take care of him!¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 551 The Undead Couple, Venari and Kelton. In his previous life, Gepmazoshegigat had thoroughly studied strategies for dealing with these notoriously challenging bosses from Little Rogue Adventures. Not only did he need to face Venari and Kelton, but also the lich Oberus, who had summoned them to the academy. While the location of the battle had changed, the bosses¡¯ behavior likely hadn¡¯t. Thus, the Hero¡¯s Party had divided into physical and magical attack squads, as per the strategy. Gepmazoshegigat had even prepared by giving Agnes a signaling device, ensuring she would join the magical attack squad when the time came. Signals were prearranged: the left arm was signal one for Agnes, and the right arm was signal one for him. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t overlooked the presence of the lich Oberus. Gepmazoshegigat had discreetly informed Delond Prime, the headmaster of Luminar Academy, of the infiltration. To minimize student panic, Delond was likely conducting a covert search. Lore indicated that Delond had connections with Harold during the war, so if luck held, they might join forces against Oberus. At the very least, Delond could buy time in case the lich appeared unexpectedly. While a magic-versus-magic fight with Oberus might endanger Delond, Gepmazoshegigat intended to finish his own battle swiftly and assist.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Kyaaah!!¡± ¡°Mydy, watch out!¡± BOOM! ¡°Ugh, I really hate this! Why am I, neither a graduate nor part of the Hero¡¯s Party, risking my life against a giant monster?!¡± ¡°Sister-inw, shall I escort you outside the frontlines¡­?¡± ¡°No need! Take this to Lord ckwood and Mr. Thomas instead! If I leave now, it¡¯ll only make things harder for everyone! Do I look like the type to abandon ship?!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 553 "Lilith has reached Level 49!"@@novelbin@@ "Lilith has reached Level 50!" Several days had passed since the chaotic events of the graduation ceremony at Luminar Academy. Originally, we had nned to leave for the northeastern great ins with Lyria immediately after the graduation party. However, given the incident¡¯s severity, moving right away wasn¡¯t an option. After all, it wasn¡¯t just any event¡ªa high-ranking subordinate of the Demon King¡¯s army had infiltrated the academy. Worse yet, he had sessfully summoned minions powerful enough to rival some of the Four Generals, depending on the opponent. In the end, Oberus, the lich, had been easily defeated, thanks to Harold and Delond remaining at the academy. But had even one of them been absent, Oberus might have seeded in taking control of the Ind of Knowledge. Naturally, the academy tightened its security. The bridges were sealed, and over the next week, the culprits who summoned Oberus were hunted down and purged. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know anything, I swear! They just paid me to move it¡ªjust paid me!! Aaaaah!!¡± Thunk. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 554 The journey from the Ind of Knowledge to the Northeastern Great ins is quite a long one. If the Imperial Capital is the center of the Empire, then the Ind of Knowledge lies slightly to the west, while the northeastern barbarian settlements and Count Dorckreif''s domain are near the Empire¡¯s very edge.@@novelbin@@ Traveling by carriage from the Ind of Knowledge to the ckwood Duchy takes an entire day. Reaching the Northeastern Great ins, farther still, would take at least two days, or three with a group of this size. Clop, clop. ¡°Agnes~! I¡¯ve lit all the fires~!¡± ¡°Thanks, Infernosilia.¡± ¡°Yaaay!!¡± Agnes, apanied by her fire spirit, returned after making rounds to light campfires across the numerous groups: the August siblings, the Hero¡¯s Party, the royals, and the mercenaries. Her fire magic and spirits proved invaluable for a group thisrge. With a fire spirit and a water spirit, 80% of camping inconveniences were easily resolved. It had already been four years since I gave Infernosilia her name, and it seemed they were still getting along well. That was a relief. ¡°Lilith, aren¡¯t you lighting a fire?¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 555 The vige chief¡¯s house, where Lyria guided them after leaving their carriage, turned out to be just as described¡ªa three-story building. And not just any three-story building; it was a substantial residence of impressive size. From the outside, it was difficult to tell how many rooms it had. ¡°Father-inw! We¡¯ve arrived!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Father! We¡¯reing in!¡± ...My ears are about to burst. Why are they shouting out of nowhere without even announcing themselves first? Karaham, who was bing more "barbarian-like" by the day, yelled just as loudly as the original Barbariandy, who clearly didn¡¯t want to lose out. ¡°...¡± ¡°...Aren¡¯t we going in?¡± ¡°It¡¯s proper etiquette to wait until Father-inw opens the door for us.¡±
  • m!
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 556 While Ethan, Eris, and I indulged in theforts of Lyria¡¯s vige¡ªtouring and resting to our hearts¡¯ content¡ªI found myself sprawled out on the warm floor, ignoring the bed entirely. Ethan, mirroring my posture, melted into the floor beside me, suddenly posed a question.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Where are we supposed to go today, Lilith?¡± ¡°If I remember what Lyria said correctly, we¡¯re going to the Frozen Desert. Apparently, the snowfields are breathtaking this time of year~.¡± ¡°Really? Now that I think about it, this might be the first time Eris sees proper snow. She was only three months old when it snowed in ckwoodst year.¡± ¡°Snow? Like this?¡± Eris pointed to a speck of lint she had picked up. ¡°That¡¯s snow too, but Daddy¡¯s talking about the kind that falls from the sky~.¡± ¡°From the sky? Scary~!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Eris~. You¡¯ll see it¡¯s not scary at all when it falls~.¡± Eris, with her pure, childlike innocence, reacted with wonder befitting a two-year-old, while Ethan and I exchanged amused smiles. As we basked in the floor¡¯s warmth, enjoying the family moment, a familiar voice echoed from beyond the door.
  • Knock, knock.
¡°Lilith, may Ie in for a moment?¡±
  • Creak.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 557 On the opposite mountain path, which seemed to lead from Count Dorclife''s territory, the Hero¡¯s Party appeared at the summit¡ªand immediately locked eyes with us. While Gepmazoshegigat, Cerista, and Seraphina looked unsurprised as if they had anticipated this meeting, Agnes and Natalie stared at me with confusion, clearly wondering what I was doing there. ¡°Haah... Lilith...? What are you doing here?¡± Agnes panted, bewildered. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask, Agnes. And seeing the Hero, the Saintess, and Princess Seraphina here... this feels like...¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°...Probably what you think it is,¡± Cerista replied calmly. ...Come to think of it, the full moon had just passed recently. Which meant Seraphina, with her future sight, had likely foreseen this encounter and told the Hero and Saintess about it. However, it seemed she hadn¡¯t shared this with everyone else, leaving Agnes and others to be startled by my presence here. ¡°Ethan,¡± I called. ¡°Yes, Lilith.¡±
  • Whoooosh!
  • BOOOM!
  • THUD!
  • Soft snore.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 558 As I descended Wind Canyon Hill, a wave of despair clung to me like a shadow. Regret for not acting sooner. Frustration at wasting time instead of securing the Windfowl Feather immediately. And seething anger toward Tetato, the Death Dragon, for robbing me of myst chance to reconcile. Days and hours painstakingly built into an opportunity, all ruined by a single dragon. Why did it have to appear at that exact moment, in that exact ce? ¡®This doesn¡¯t make any sense...¡¯ Tetato, a creature meant to emerge in the depths of the Demon Realmte in the story, showing up here, on the Northeastern ins¡ªit defied all logic. While the proximity of the Demon Realm to this region exined part of it, there was clearly some interference. Whether it was from the Hero or another character, I couldn¡¯t say. ¡°Haa...¡± But at this point, what good would it do to find out? The Windfowls were already gone, scattered or destroyed by the Death Dragon¡¯s breath. I didn¡¯t have the luxury of interrogating the Hero¡¯s Party about what happened. I had to return to ckwood to prepare for my role as the future Duchess. My schedule was already far behind, and lingering here wasn¡¯t an option.@@novelbin@@ The sunk cost of my efforts didn¡¯t matter now. I had to focus on whaty ahead. ¡°Lilith, are you okay? Want me to carry you?¡± Ethan asked gently. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks, Ethan. Really.¡± ¡°Well, when we¡¯re back at ckwood, we can look into the Windfowl Feather again. Maybe we¡¯ll find another way to get one there.¡± ¡°¡­I hope so.¡±
  • Whooooosh.
  • Swoosh.
  • Tap.
  • Whoooosh.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 559 About a month had passed since we left the Northeastern Great ins and returned to ckwood territory. The year turned, and the first month of a new calendar began. The Hero¡¯s Party had set out on their journey to eradicate the monsters of the Demon Realm. As Gepmazoshegigat and other acquaintances from the academy busied themselves with their own missions, I found a rare moment of peace during my daily evening bath¡ªperhaps the only time I could truly rx. ¡°Fuuuu¡­¡± ¡°Any itchy spots, Lilith?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Nope. It¡¯s perfect¡­ right now¡­¡± ¡°How about a massage, Miss Lilith?¡± ¡°Just like this¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Isabel and Katarina, two of the maids, attended to me with practiced care. Isabel washed my hair from behind while Katarina massaged my calves in the warm bathwater.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I really do feel like I¡¯m living the life of luxury,¡¯ I thought, a hint of guilt gnawing at the edges of my contentment.
  • Ssh!
  • Thwack!
  • Thwack!
  • Thwack!
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 560 Two months had passed since I began my bridal lessons, or more urately, the fundamental etiquette training required to be a Duchess. What was politics? What was economics? And why on earth did that damned etiquette never seem to end no matter how much I studied? Lately, I felt like I was studying more than I ever had, even back when I attended Luminor Academy. No, perhaps I was studying even harder than during my high school years in South Korea when I was a stressed-out student preparing for exams. Except for meal times, bathing, and sleep, nearly every moment was consumed by education and learning. If Luminor Academy had a stress meter, I was sure mine would be off the charts by now. The only thing keeping me from losing it and flipping the table was the vision of the final oue: my marriage to Ethan. ¡°It¡¯s toote to give up now.¡± Of course, even if I were to one day tell Melissa and Dietmeier, ¡°I can¡¯t take this nonsense anymore,¡± and run away from reality, it¡¯s not as if the wedding would be canceled. Eris was almost two years old, and during our time at the academy, Ethan and I had practically lived as a married couple. Apart from girls like Agnes and Lizzy, most other nobles already regarded us as a wedded pair.@@novelbin@@ So even if we decided to annul the marriage at this point, it wouldn¡¯t erase the obligations I had to shoulder. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 561 Lizzy¡¯s visit to the ckwood estate wasn¡¯t solely to see me. As it turned out, she came to propose establishing a branch of the August Trading Company in ckwood territory. The primary reasons were theck of an established branch in the eastern region and the proximity to the Barbaracus tribe''s territory. ¡°So, originally, I came to speak with Duke Harold, but unfortunately, it seems he¡¯s not here today.¡± ¡°He left for the academy three days ago. The new semester starts in March, after all.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Duke Harold is also a professor. Even though Ethan and you graduated, he¡¯s still continuing his teaching?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°He said he¡¯d continue for about another year. I¡¯m not entirely sure why, though.¡± I had a hunch it might be because he was preparing to pass on the title of Duke of ckwood to Ethan and was exploring other pursuits post-retirement. But Ethan didn¡¯t seem inclined to share such details with an outsider like Lizzy. Of course, passing on the headship doesn¡¯t mean the current head is suddenly exiled from their domain. Harold just seemed to be making preparations to leave on his own. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 562 After skimming through the newspaper to catch up on thetest updates about my academy friends, I spent the rest of the morning reading an economics book that Dietmeier had rmended. These days, I often found myself with a bit of free time each day. Back when I first started my duchess training, every aspect of my behavior and speech had been scrutinized relentlessly. Buttely, I had managed to appear somewhat presentable as a nobledy. Because of this, Mezlen¡¯s etiquette lectures often ended earlier than usual, leaving me with an hour or two of leisure. Lizzy¡¯s stay at the manor for a few days to discuss the August Trading Company contract had also been unexpectedly helpful, as she taught me the subtleties of ¡°noblewomen¡¯s speech.¡± Knock, knock. ¡°Lilith, can Ie in with Eris?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± Creak. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Hello, Eris. Were you ying with Isabel again today?¡±@@novelbin@@ Carefully opening the door to our bedroom, Isabel entered with Eris in tow. Though she was only two years old, Eris could navigate this vast estate and find her room with surprising ease. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 564 As the grand entrance of the ckwood ducal estate loomed closer, Alicia''s anxiety intensified with each passing moment. Her mind was awash with anxious imaginings. What if she truly became nothing more than the subject of ridicule and returned home humiliated? Yet, despite her apprehensions, the carriage she rode in moved silently past the imposing gates of the ckwood estate. All she could do was attempt to calm her pounding heart. ¡®It¡¯s... huge.¡¯ The first impression that struck her upon entering the estate grounds was the sheer size of the ckwood mansion. Alicia had never considered the Rowid Barony¡¯s manor to be particrly small, but faced with the grandeur of a true ducal residence, she was utterly overwhelmed. The mansion stood much taller than the one she had lived in her entire life, and its courtyard was so vast that she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many servants it would take to maintain a ce of this scale. And then, there was the question of the person who had invited her here¡ªMiss Rosewood. What sort of individual could she possibly be? -Gulp.@@novelbin@@ Alicia swallowed dryly in an attempt to steady her nerves as she carefully stepped out of the carriage. Fortunately, the first person she saw upon disembarking was someone she already recognized. ¡°M-Marianne?¡± ¡°¡­Alicia? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re¡­?¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 565 "Um, Fernell, when are we supposed to go inside? Could it be that Miss Rosewood is already waiting for us, and our lingering out here might be considered rude?" "..." "Fernell?" "Hm? Ah, yes, of course. Since you¡¯re not ustomed to being invited to such gatherings, it¡¯s only natural for you to have those concerns." Fernell feignedposure, her expression remaining collected despite the question catching her off guard. In truth, this was her first time being invited to such an esteemed tea party as well. While she had spoken to countesses and other high-ranking youngdies during her academy days, she had never developed close enough ties to warrant invitations to their estates. She debated internally. Was it proper to take the initiative and lead the group inside, or should they wait for Miss Rosewood, their host, to wee them? Just as her uncertainty reached its peak, the doors to the grand mansion slowly swung open, and a youngdy in a ck and red gown stepped gracefully into view. "Thank you for attending today¡¯s tea party, Miss Fernell Roux Briel, Miss Marianne Hark, and Miss Alicia Rowid. I¡¯m so pleased that you made the journey to join us." "..."@@novelbin@@ "..." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 566 The tea party continued in an atmosphere so precarious it seemed as though it might copse at any moment. "Wow, Fernell! This cake is amazing!" "I wonder what kind of cream they used. Fernell, do you happen to know?" "Ahem, well... let me see. This soft yet sticky texture feels like it might be mixed with cream cheese. Judging by the vor, perhaps mascarpone..." -Side nce. "...or it could be ricotta. Maybe even pecorino. It''s hard to rule anything out." After her earlier mistake, Fernell had shifted into a highly defensive stance, throwing out vague possibilities like fishing lines in every direction to cover herself. All I wanted was to practice my own etiquette with these youngdies, but somehow, the roles had reversed, and I was the one testing her refinement. Meanwhile, Alicia seemed to have fully settled into enjoying the tea party.@@novelbin@@ "Alicia, you¡¯ve got cream on your mouth." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 567 Enduring the sweltering summer heat, Ethan and I continued our work in the study.@@novelbin@@ Though we had started the day with a refreshing bath, it seemed futile; by midday, the oppressive warmth had returned, seeping into every fiber of my body. Why is it that women¡¯s bodies seem more prone to heat than men¡¯s? The excess body fat feels like a curse, amplifying the difort. Still, the work needed to be done, and we pressed on, managing the steady stream of documents and tasks flooding in from across the estate. "My... Father won¡¯t be visiting ckwood Manor this summer vacation," Ethan remarked. "Again? He left early during winter break as well. The academy work must be keeping him busytely." "Apparently, it¡¯s because Princess Mezlen¡¯s mana-based treatment for Hematologic Hardening Syndrome is nearingpletion. He wants to review the clinical trial results." "I see. He¡¯s as driven as ever. I understand it¡¯s out of love for your mother, but his dedication is... remarkable." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 568 "I¡¯ll drive the carriage. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going far, and bringing a coachman along for such a short trip would just be a hassle." ¡°You¡¯re about to be the Duchess soon; don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to graduate from driving carriages yourself? If you don¡¯t want anyone else involved, you could just ask Isabel to do it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ but Kilkenny¡¯s rocky terrain makes the roads a bit rough, so I¡¯m not sure Isabel would manage¡­ Oh!¡± ¡­Come to think of it, if it¡¯s just the two of us going, there¡¯s no real need to bother with a carriage. Ethan can manage riding a horse by himself now. If we¡¯re going to use two horses anyway, it¡¯d be much easier for each of us to just ride one rather than hitching up a carriage.@@novelbin@@ While it¡¯s considered a bit shameful for nobles to drive carriages, no one criticizes or finds it odd when they ride horses themselves. ¡°Then how about a horseback date? We can each ride one.¡± ¡°Why, are you nning to run away again?¡± ¡°¡­That was over two years ago. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to let it go?¡± ¡°It was a shocking experience for me. How could I forget when the person I was about to marry disappeared overnight after giving me a breakup notice?¡± ¡°Honestly, now that I think about it, you weren¡¯t entirely innocent back then either.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 569 As expected, albeit with a mix of unease and anticipation, the letter from the north was indeed from the hero¡¯s party. ¡­What came as a surprise, however, was the unexpected guest who apanied it. ¡°Miss Luke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Lilith, and Lord ckwood.¡± ¡­I¡¯d heard about the letter, but no one mentioned a guest. What¡¯s more, it was strange for her to be away from Seraphine. Normally, Luke was practically glued to Seraphine¡¯s side, like an inseparable extra character in every scene.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Are you here as a messenger?¡± ¡°Yes. At Princess Seraphine¡¯smand, I was summoned from the Abyss to act as a messenger.¡± ¡­Well, if anyone in the hero¡¯s party was suited for the role of messenger, it would be Luke. She was reliable to some extent, unassuming as a servant, and capable enough to ensure the safe delivery of a letter. But why didn¡¯t Dietmeier take her to the drawing room? Why leave her standing here? You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 570 Luke, bound by magical chains, truly slept soundly. So much so that when I entered her room the next morning to wake her, she was still fast asleep. Having fallen asleep the previous morning, she had effectively slept for nearly 24 hours straight. That just went to show how exhausted she had been.@@novelbin@@ Considering she had walked through the Abyss for a week and then ridden on horseback across about a third of the Empire for three days, it was understandable. On top of that, without anyone to share night watch duties, she¡¯d likely stayed awake many nights, unable to properly rest. ¡°I admit I fell asleep momentarily out of carelessness, but I woke up within a few hours. Since I was still bound, I had no choice but to sleep again,¡± Luke insisted. Her excuse didn¡¯t hold water, though, since the magical chains binding her had been released as soon as she fell asleep. It was just a matter of pride, so I didn¡¯t press her on it. While Luke slept, Ethan and I used the time to n our journey to the Abyss, prepare a travel carriage with Dietmeier, and spend the rest of the day ying with Eris. The next morning, after waking up with Eris nestled between us, Ethan and I filled up on the hearty meals we wouldn¡¯t taste again for the next three months while away from ckwood Manor. ¡­Though one person in particr seemed determined not to eat properly, despite the long journey ahead. ¡°Miss Luke, please sit down and eat. We¡¯re not leaving until everyone finishes their meal.¡± ¡°No, I cannot. Her Highness is waiting for me in the Abyss, enduring poor meals and harsh conditions. I cannot allow myself to eat better than Her Highness. This is more than enough for me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then I suppose we¡¯ll just have to eat your portion as well. That will make our mealst longer, dying our departure to the Abyss, which means Princess Seraphine will have to endure poor conditions for even longer¡­¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 571 There are two main routes to travel from the ckwood estate to the northern bordends infested with monsters:
  1. The established, winding travel route that passes through several viges and estates.
  2. The shortcut route that cuts directly across in a near-straight line, significantly reducing travel time but bypassing most settlements.
Naturally, Luke, eager to return to Seraphine as quickly as possible, chose the shortcut. The downside of this path was theck of viges or estates along the way, making it far less amodating. ¡°It¡¯ste, so let¡¯s set up camp here for the night.¡± After driving the carriage non-stop from morning until evening, Luke finally halted the journey after the sun hadpletely set. The first task was starting a fire, so I called on Sally to illuminate the area around us slightly. Fwoosh. ¡°Let¡¯s light the fire first and set up the tent. I¡¯ll handle the cooking; it¡¯s probably best that way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. Between the three of us, your cooking is the best, Lilith.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I can cook too,¡± Luke offered. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 572 It would have been better not to say things like how skeletons or zombies might be preferable.@@novelbin@@ tter, tter, tter¡­ ¡®Grrroooaaar¡­.¡¯ ¡®Heeheeheeheehee~!¡¯ The swarm of undead monsters approaching from all directions was enough to make my stomach churn. Skeletons, ghouls, banshees¡­ And there was plenty of variety among them, too: Skeleton Archers, Ghoul Warriors, Banshee Mages, and so on. It was evident that, being in the Abyss, even the weakest of monsters had their own means of self-preservation. Comining wouldn¡¯t make the creatures swarming us disappear, so all I could do was keep my mouth shut, chant spells, and swing my sword. Crack! ¡°Ethan, deal with the Ghoul Warriors first! I¡¯ll handle the Banshee Mages!¡± ¡°Understood, Lilith! Luke, could you prioritize that group of Skeleton Archers over there?¡± ¡°Confirmed, Lord ckwood!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 573 ¡°You mean you saw me and Lilith in your vision, Princess Seraphine?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Ethan.¡± Ethan, though momentarily taken aback by Seraphine¡¯s calm reply, met her gaze, signaling his willingness to listen. I, too, was curious about this ¡°vision of the future¡± she had seen. Seraphine¡¯s foresight had always yed a pivotal role in the original story.@@novelbin@@ Even more so now, since her power acknowledges my existence¡ªsomething that wasn¡¯t part of the original game. It¡¯s worth listening to. The story had already diverged beyond recognition from its original path. The Hero had managed to adapt the twisted narrative to reach the Demon King, but there was no telling what mighte next. Just as in the Witch¡¯s Forest or the Necromancy ss, where boss monsters that should have appeared only once showed up in multiples, anything could happen here. Even though the original game dictated that the Demon King always appeared alone regardless of difficulty, this world¡¯s distortions were unpredictable. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if we had to face the first and second phases of the fight simultaneously¡ªor if hidden bosses from the original game showed up. ¡°Please exin in detail, Princess Seraphine. What exactly did you see in your vision?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start from the point where we entered the Demon King¡¯s castle. Upon breaching the castle with the knights, we were immediately engaged in battle against the monsters pouring out. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 576 ¡®I¡¯m sorry, everyone. But I have to return to my original world.¡¯ ¡®Hero, please! Just reconsider this one time! If it¡¯s for you, I could make you Emperor¡­ no, the next Emperor outright!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Seraphine. I¡¯ve already dyed too long. If I don¡¯t go back now, I¡¯ll regret it forever.¡¯ ¡®You think that¡¯s worse than leaving behind three women? I already told you I¡¯m fine sharing you with Seraphine and Cerista¡ªup to two people!¡¯@@novelbin@@ ¡®I¡¯d love to stay with you all in this world if I could, but I have no choice. Please forgive me, Silena.¡¯ ¡®If¡­ if that¡¯s truly your decision, then we cannot stop you¡­ But please, may your path be blessed¡­ h-heuk¡­!¡¯ ¡®Thank you, Cerista. I think it¡¯s time for me to go now.¡¯ ¡®No, don¡¯t go! Hero!!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t¡­!¡± Seraphine sat bolt upright, her desperate cry from the dream spilling out as she woke. Around her, the other party members were still fast asleep, resting peacefully. It took her a long moment to remember that what she had just witnessed was not reality but another recurring nightmare. It was always the same dream, reying the same scenes she¡¯d endured countless times. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 578 Even with three of us¡ªmyself, Silena, and the Hero¡ªfacing off against Seraphine in her demonized state, the fight was anything but easy. I was already at my limit, having drained all my mana in the earlier battle with the Demon King. All I could rely on now was my physical strength. The Hero, Getmwa Joshegiquat, was clearly distracted, his swings hesitant, his focus scattered, likely shaken by the abrupt turn of events in the story right before the supposed ending. ng! ng! The only one among us fighting at full capacity was Silena. In her usual unnervingly calm state, she pressed forward, undeterred by the fact that Seraphine''s enhanced physical abilities were overwhelming both me and the Hero. Combined with her ranged attacks, Silena was managing to keep Seraphine at bay but had no capacity to offer additional support. If nothing else, this gave me an opening to address the Hero and snap him out of his daze. It was critical that his head was in the fight¡ªour lives depended on it. ¡°Hey, pull yourself together.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Shit. I know this sucks, but you¡¯re the one holding the sword. If you hesitate, Seraphine isn¡¯t going to magically turn back to normal, is she?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what the right thing to do is. The happy ending is gone now¡­ so what¡¯s the point?¡± What the hell is wrong with this guy? My blood boiled at his idiocy. We were on the verge of dying here¡ªour entire party, the empire, the continent, everything. And all he could do was wallow in existential angst? I¡¯d assumed he¡¯d take care of the Demon King and save the day, but if we¡¯d left this up to him alone, we¡¯d probably be hearing news of the Hero Party¡¯s annihtion within a month. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 580 How many years had passed since I was abruptly thrown into this world, unable to even properly finish clearing it? It must have been at least a decade. A year in this world was no different in length from a year in my original world, so over ten years must have passed back in Korea as well. By now, the people who remembered me in my original world had likely forgotten and returned to their everyday lives. ¡®¡­That¡¯s how it should be.¡¯@@novelbin@@ There was too much left behind in my original world for me to fully settle in this one. At the very least, if I had had the chance to say proper goodbyes, maybe it would¡¯ve been different. But I didn¡¯t even have the luxury to do that. That¡¯s why I had only one thought: to return to my original world as quickly as possible. I kept my rtionships here to a minimum, focusing solely on defeating the Demon King and iming the wish granted by the goddess. ¡­All while turning a blind eye to the people here who couldn¡¯t live without me. ¡°Hero, you promised before, didn¡¯t you? That you¡¯d grant me any wish once the Demon King was defeated.¡± ¡°¡­I did.¡± ¡°I want to have your child, Hero. So starting today, I¡¯ll be sleeping in the same tent as you.¡± ¡°N-no, Silena! Y-you can¡¯t¡­! U-unmarried men and women shouldn¡¯t¡­ shouldn¡¯t do such things¡­.¡± ¡°You can join us too, you know. I said two people are fine.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 583 Among a group of shirtless men running together, there was a single unidentified woman. Though she wasn¡¯t bare-chested like the others, the fact that she was running in just a bra made her attire not all that different. Short, cropped ck hair. A ruggedly muscr build and rather sizable breasts. Compared to the men around her, she appeared to be about 20-30 centimeters shorter. However, it¡¯s important to note that the Silverwood Knights are all over 2 meters tall as a standard. For a woman, she was quite tall. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was some kind of hidden character from the original story that I wasn¡¯t aware of. While I was caught up in those thoughts, Ethan, standing next to me and also looking out the window, asked:@@novelbin@@ ¡°Lilith, is that kind of man your type?¡± ¡°¡­What? What are you talking about, Ethan? My type is standing right here.¡± ¡°Hm, right. Of course.¡± ¡­A sneak attack like that is unfair. I almost stepped on andmine. I had let my guard down for a moment since the pressure from Getmwa Joshegiquat had eased recently. Right, Ethan had always been the jealous type. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 584 ¡°Is it really necessary to also work as a courtesan? Couldn¡¯t you just stick to being a knight¡­?¡± ¡°They pay me well. Especially here in the North, where there are almost no applicants for knights. I¡¯ve heard the sry for knights here is higher than elsewhere. ¡°And since I have to share the dormitories with the men anyway, whether I want to or not, I end up performing courtesan duties as well. Since I can earn more money that way, I didn¡¯t see any reason to refuse.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ does it really work that way¡­?¡± ¡°Plus, they provide room and board, so I don¡¯t have much reason to go elsewhere. I only have one year left now, but since I¡¯m still in my twenties, I n to stay about ten more years. Once I¡¯m no longer able to keep up with the courtesan work, I¡¯ll move to the central region.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When I think about it, this job seems to suit me. The circumstances of how I ended up here were unfortunate, but in the end, I found something I¡¯m good at. It¡¯s a talent I probably wouldn¡¯t have discovered if I hadn¡¯te to Silverwood.¡± ¡­Well, I¡¯m not sure if that can be called a talent. If anything, her positive mindset seems more like the real talent here. Still, it was an interesting story. I didn¡¯t expect to hear an IF story straight from the person involved. As a token of thanks for sharing such a difficult story, I pulled out five silver coins and handed them to her. Clink. ¡°Thank you for sharing. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t easy to talk about.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Thank you, Duchess!¡± ¡­Oh, right. That reminds me¡ªwhat happened to Eiria? You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 586 Antonio¡¯s hand slipped beneath Agnes¡¯s clothes in the darkness. A slightly thicker nket, prepared to endure the frigid nights of the northern territories, covered them. Her skin, untouched by the outside air for so long, flinched at the coldness of Antonio¡¯s hand. ¡°Hnn¡­ Hah¡­¡± Was it a gasp of surprise at the unfamiliar sensation? Or had it slipped out because she was genuinely aroused? Agnes had never harbored any interest in such matters to begin with. From a young age, her life had revolved around the study of fire magic, iming her position as head of her household, and earning a ce in the Crimson Tower. The touch of a man¡¯s hand,den with such intimate intent, was¡ªunderstandably¡ªoverwhelming. But Antonio, whose hand now traced along Agnes¡¯s unfamiliar body, wasn¡¯t any more ustomed to this situation than she was.@@novelbin@@ ¡ªRustle. Rustle. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though he was a prince, this was his first experience with a woman. Unlike his older brother, Mechart, who shamelessly courted women without hesitation, Antonio had always been a bit timid. Being so far down the line of session, he¡¯d worried that associating with nobledies might lead to rumors of him building political alliances. As a result, even when opportunities to meet women arose, he turned them down. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 587 The morning after spending a night at the Silverwood Estate. As soon as I woke up and stepped out, I saw Agnes and Antonio emerging from the adjacent room. It didn¡¯t take much effort to figure out what had happened. Creak, creak¡­@@novelbin@@ ¡°Agnes, wouldn¡¯t it be better if I carried you?¡± ¡°¡­Shut up. I can walk on my own.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to push yourself. I sincerely apologize ifst night¡¯s activities were a bit¡­ intense.¡± ¡°Th-that was just curiosity! I was only wondering what it would feel like¡­.¡± ¡­Right. I get the gist of it. Agnes¡¯ shaky legs, propped up by a staff, and Antonio¡¯s worried gaze said it all. I had been concerned about their strained rtionship, but it seems that was unnecessary. Apparently, just putting them in the same bed resolved the issue without further intervention. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 588 "To the esteemed First Princess Victorica, I sincerely thank you for the invitation to the tea party. However, it is with great regret that I must inform you my current circumstances do not allow me to¡­" ¡­Now how should I finish this sentence to politely decline the princess¡¯s invitation? A weak excuse wouldn¡¯t work. Victorica was a notoriously persistent character even in the original story. The fact that she insisted on proving her worth by serving as themander of the border guard knights despite being royalty said it all. Half-hearted refusals would only provoke her further.@@novelbin@@ I needed an excuse that was both convincing and tactful. ¡°Ethan, do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°Hmm. How about iming mental fatigue from the demon king¡¯s subjugation, making you unable to meet with anyone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already been using that excuse for over a week. It¡¯s wearing thin.¡± ¡°What about saying you have a dinner engagement with Prince Antonio?¡± ¡°Antonio¡¯s been locked away in the imperial library with Agnes from morning till night. That¡¯s so obviously false it¡¯ll never work.¡± ¡°¡­Then it seems like you have no choice but to attend.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 589 ¡°You¡¯re expecting. Judging by my assessment, it¡¯s been about two months.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Right. I see.¡± Ethan and I nodded cautiously at the priest¡¯s diagnosis, doing our best to appear calm. I had already suspected as much the moment I felt the nausea, but hearing the confirmation officially left me feeling unsettled. I had tried to avoid having a second child so soon, yet here we were. ¡°What¡¯s expecting mean~?¡± ¡°It means your mother is going to have a baby, Miss Eris~.¡± ¡°A baby sibling~?¡± For a two-year-old, concepts like siblings and being an older sister were probably too early to grasp.@@novelbin@@ But what was done was done. Eris was going to have a sibling. There were more immediate issues to address first, though. ¡°¡­Do you think the dress will be okay?¡± ¡°¡­It should be fine. We just had it fitted recently.¡± ¡­With only a week left, a slightly swollen belly shouldn¡¯t be too obvious, right? You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 590 Cheers erupted, and familiar faces came into view. Among them were members of the Hero¡¯s party and friends and ssmates from the academy. Of course, over half the guests were nobles associated with the ckwood ducal family¡ªpeople I didn¡¯t know. ¡®At least everyone who received an invitation seems to be here.¡¯ I had personally delivered invitations to the Hero¡¯s party, so I knew they¡¯de. I had also handed out invitations to the tea partydies about two weeks prior.@@novelbin@@ The only one I had to send via mail to the academy was Mirif, but thankfully, it had reached her in time. Natalie and Lilia were the loudest, shouting their congrattions, while Mirif stood quietly in the back, pping. ¡°Lady Lilith, congrattions on your wedding!¡± ¡°Congrattions, Senior Lilith!!¡± ¡­Still, it was a bit embarrassing being carried like this. Not that Ethan seemed to care. Once he picked me up, he had no intention of putting me down. ¡®Not that I mind it.¡¯ It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, so being a little unconventional isn¡¯t bad. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 591 Two years had passed since the Demon King¡¯s defeat and the world¡¯s return to stability. It had been a little over a year since Keh¡¯s birth. Unlike Eris, he hadn¡¯tpletely weaned yet, but he was mostly eating solid food now and didn¡¯t need to be nursed as often. ¡®Well, Eris had Sei with her from the start.¡¯ With a spirit acting as a full-time nanny, Eris had naturally developed faster than most children. Still, Keh rarely woke up crying in the middle of the night anymore, and he had stopped fussing about food, so things seemed stable for now. ¡°Keh! Keh! Do you want to y puzzle games with me~?¡± ¡°Puhwuh games!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Ahaha! So cute~!¡± Eris, who hadn¡¯t understood what it meant to have a younger sibling, now got along well with Keh. And seeing Keh follow her around so eagerly suggested we were finally moving past the most stressful stage of parenting. Of course, leaving two kids alone could lead to idents, but the ckwood estate had plenty of trustworthy maids to keep an eye on them. ¡°Ah! Miss Eris¡­! You mustn¡¯t hold the young master like that yet¡­!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 592 The news of Prince Panos¡¯s visit had barely arrived when Ethan and I were forced into action.@@novelbin@@ No matter how abrupt his arrival was, it was still an official visit. Completely ignoring protocol would give him an excuse to cause trouble. Of course, we couldn¡¯t let it look too formal either. Throwing a festival to ¡°celebrate¡± his arrival was absolutely out of the question. ¡°How should we prepare the guesthouse?¡± ¡°The finest guest room we have for visitors will suffice.¡± ¡°What about the wine for the meal? Should we serve ckwood¡¯s strawberry wine?¡± ¡°No need for anything that extravagant. Just get something decent from the Evergarden Trading Company.¡± After two years as the Duchess-to-be, I¡¯d gained plenty of experience with hosting guests¡ªeven before Harold officially stepped down. Andpared to the visitors we regrly hosted, Panos wasn¡¯t all that intimidating. Seraphine, Antonio, and even Ethan¡¯s terrifying mother-inw¡ªthe ckwood estate had seen its fair share of royals. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 593 ¡°It is truly an honor that Your Highness is concerned about the development of our territory, but I¡¯m not sure if we can ept such generosity from His Highness Panos Roen Valtoria, the Second Prince, without any particr reason.¡± ¡ªWe¡¯ve been ignoring each other just fine until now, so why are you suddenly butting in? I¡¯m not interested, so back off. ¡°I merely wish to provide opportunities to those who may have been overlooked, hidden in the shadows. The Imperial support is always open, after all.¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s only because of Seraphine that I couldn¡¯t make contact until now, and let¡¯s be honest¡ªif it¡¯s not through me, no one¡¯s getting Imperial support anyway, so just ept it quietly. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, but wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate for Marquis Pablo to receive such a great opportunity? While we are just as loyal to the Empire as the Marquis, it is his family that has served His Highness Panos Roen Valtoria for so long.¡± ¡ªJust go y with your loyalpdog. Unlike him, I¡¯m loyal to the Empire, not you, so don¡¯t get any ideas. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Business is always built on mutual cooperation. If the ckwood estate bes part of the trade route, more merchants will pass through, which ultimately benefits Marquis Pablo as well. He¡¯s a man who understands practical gains, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll approve.¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re seriously turning down free money? Pablo¡¯s got a better head on his shoulders than you.@@novelbin@@ ¡°We don¡¯t doubt that, but Marquis Pablo¡­¡± The conversation wasn¡¯t ending. It had already been two hours. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 595 It was supposed to be a casual and lighthearted free pass, but seeing Ethan¡¯s reaction made Lilith start to wonder if she¡¯d made a mistake. ¡®He won¡¯t use it for anything too weird¡­ right?¡¯ Still, her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to take back what she¡¯d said. All she could do was pray that Ethan would stick to something within reasonable limits. No matter how depraved Ethan was in the original story, the Ethan of this world had at least shown he knew how to restrain himself. He probably wouldn¡¯t make her walk around naked in broad daylight. Or force her to take drugs that magnify sensitivity hundreds of times, leaving her mind broken. Or spray her with some weird perfume that makes livestock want to mate with her. ¡­Although, considering that these were all things the original Ethan did to Lilith, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous.@@novelbin@@ ¡®Still, I get the feeling he¡¯s going to ask for something we¡¯ve never done before.¡¯ Something a little different from what they¡¯d already done as a couple, but hopefully not something that crossed the line¡ªat least by her standards. ***** You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 596 It was two days after I brought it up that Ethan finally said he wanted to use his ¡®perfect-win reward.¡¯ ¡°Lilith, can I use the perfect-win reward we talked about tonight?¡± ¡°¡­Tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah. Tonight.¡± ¡­It should be fine. Eris had stopped making a fuss about sleeping with Isabeltely, so as long as Ethan wanted it, the date didn¡¯t really matter.@@novelbin@@ ¡­Though, if he was nning something as extreme asst time, we¡¯d probably need to rent a separate room in the shopping district instead of using the dorm. Naked leash walks around the room or making cat noises¡­ Even Isabel, as close as she is, could never see that. Let alone our daughter. ¡°That sounds fine. Around this time of year, there should be plenty of rooms avable in the shopping district. Should I go ahead and reserve one?¡± ¡°No need to worry about that. I¡¯ll take care of it. But it¡¯s probably going to be a bit much to do in the dorm.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± If he¡¯s saying it¡¯s too much for the dorm, then it¡¯s probably something pretty intense¡­ Hmm. Maybe I should try to get a hint about what he¡¯s nning. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 597 -Slurp. ¡°H-Huh?!¡± Unlike usual, Ethan¡¯s touch didn¡¯t approach me from the front but started from behind. His fingers suddenly intruding in such an unexpected way left my body floundering and moving instinctively. ¡°Hnn, hngh, hnn¡­.¡± ¡­Was he nning some sort of pet y? Well, if not, there would be no reason for us toe all the way out here. It¡¯s true that doing this sort of thing in the dormitory would be a bit difficult. ¡®¡­Good thing I prepared just in case.¡¯ If he had shoved his fingers into my back entrance without warning, I might¡¯ve panicked. Fortunately, I had already ¡®cleaned up¡¯ thoroughly with Clean Magic.@@novelbin@@ Anyway, this wasn¡¯t my first time doing pet y. Well, excluding the ones in my dreams, we¡¯d done it at least once before. So Ethan¡¯s sudden actions didn¡¯t throw me off too much. Letting him put his fingers into my ass wasn¡¯t something I hadn¡¯t already permitted back in my third year at the academy¡­. -Squish! ¡°Ahh, hnnngh¡­!!¡± Just as I was feeling relieved by that thought, Ethan suddenly forced in another finger. The sensation of my back hole stretching wider made me let out an involuntary, erotic moan. ¡°Haa, hngh, E-Ethan¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a little tight. I need to loosen you up more.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 598 -Squish, squish. ¡°Haa, hnn, haaah¡­.¡± -Squish, squish, squelch. ¡°Hnnngh¡­!! Hah, hnnngh¡­!!¡± Suspended position. More precisely, Lilith was held in a suspended back-mounted position, lifted into Ethan¡¯s arms. Ethan¡¯s strong arms moved her body up and down, rubbing the thick head of his cock against the entrance of her pussy. -Squish, squish, squish¡­. ¡°Haa, hnn, haaah¡­.¡± -Squelch, squelch¡­. ¡°Hnn, hnnngh¡­! Hnnngh¡­!!¡± Without even pushing it in, Ethan continued to tease her entrance, rubbing himself against her while stimting Lilith¡¯s body relentlessly. To an outsider, it might have looked like he was simply tormenting her. But in reality, this was all for Lilith¡¯s sake. It was her first time taking him in her ass, and there was no way she¡¯d be able to handle his size without any lubrication.@@novelbin@@ So he carefully coated his cock with the obscene juices dripping from her pussy, making sure it was slick enough to slide into her back entrance without hurting her. -Squish, squish, squelch¡­!! ¡°Haa, hnnngh¡­ Hahhh¡­?!¡± ¡­Though, in the process, Lilith had alreadye twice. Her body was so heated that just having the thick head of his cock teasing her entrance was enough to push her over the edge. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 599 About two years had passed since Keh, our second child, was born, and the ckwood household had finally reached a state of stability. One day, as I found myself with a bit of free time, a fleeting thought crossed my mind. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m really craving kimchi fried rice.¡¯ It was such a trivial and insignificant thought¡ªat least, the initial spark was. But once the craving took hold, it just wouldn¡¯t leave my mind. It had been over fifteen years since Ist recalled memories from my previous life, which meant it had also been about fifteen years since I¡¯dst eaten kimchi fried rice. ¡®Now that I think about it, I craved it so badly when I was pregnant with Keh too.¡¯ Just like when I was expecting Eris, I had terrible morning sickness back then. Of course, no matter how badly I wanted something, food wasn¡¯t going to magically appear just because I whined about it, so I made do with seaweed soup as a substitute for Korean cuisine. When I was pregnant with our first child, I barely had time to worry about morning sickness and just pushed through it. But with my second pregnancy, kimchi fried rice was undeniably the thing I wanted most. ¡®The problem is that there¡¯s practically no way to get kimchi in this world.¡¯ Not that it waspletely impossible. I figured the Hero¡¯s ¡®recipe¡¯ could probably whip up some napa cabbage kimchi in no time.@@novelbin@@ However, asking him for such a favor seemed a bit much these days, considering how busy he was. I¡¯d feel guilty pestering him just to make me a little kimchi. Besides, as Ethan¡¯s wife, it would be pretty awkward to send secret letters to the Hero, who was technically the future husband of the Imperial Princess. If someone got the wrong idea and thought we were having an affair, both of our households would be in chaos. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 600 Receiving Seraphine¡¯s wedding invitation left me with two main thoughts. The first was¡ªdid she really need tobine a masquerade ball with her wedding?@@novelbin@@ The masquerade ball from Seraphine¡¯s birthday ten years ago had, in reality, been a masquerade in name only. While everyone had worn masks because Seraphine requested it, most people still recognized each other and carried on conversations. Ethan and I had been the only ones unfamiliar with the guests, so we ended up just mingling aimlessly. But for everyone else, recognizing people based on their hair, voice, or body shape had been the norm. Even Seraphine herself hadn¡¯t bothered hiding her appearance as she openly moved around chatting with others. I could understand if the idea was to makemon-born nobles like Natalina Thomas or other acquaintances feel less out of ce, but that didn¡¯t fully exin the reasoning. ¡°Apparently, this time they¡¯re actually distributing magically-enhanced masks to everyone. The masks will alter not only appearances but also voices. Plus, they¡¯re assigning individual dressing rooms, so no one can identify each other.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, that¡¯s pretty borate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural. Even grouping familiar people together could be a giveaway. For example, if the two of you were clinging to each other like lovesick newlyweds during the ball, it¡¯d be obvious right away that you¡¯re the ckwood heir and his wife.¡± It seemed unlikely we¡¯d give ourselves away that easily. Then again, Karaham and Liria would be instantly recognizable if they stuck together. No amount of voice alteration could hide their sheer volume. Still, if the goal was to create a genuine sense of equality and celebration beyond social ranks, then it made sense. It felt like Seraphine was truly determined to make this event different from thest one. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 601 Three days remained until Seraphine¡¯s wedding. As it was the Crown Princess¡¯s wedding, it was naturally a grand event drawing guests from all corners of the kingdom. Adding to the excitement was the fact that her groom was none other than the Hero who had defeated the Demon King, making it an irresistible topic of interest. For nobles, this was an unmissable social asion, so the auxiliary pce where Ethan and I were staying was packed with other guests besides us. ¡­Which meant it was inevitable that we¡¯d encounter various nobles while wandering around the auxiliary pce for meals or other reasons. ¡°Greetings, Duchess ckwood. It¡¯s been a while since I saw you back at the Academy.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ and you are¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°It¡¯s been ages, Lady Rosewood. Or should I now call you Lady ckwood? Surely you haven¡¯t forgotten your rival from the Academy, have you?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, of course not¡­?¡± It was mildly overwhelming to have a steady stream of nobles whose faces and names I couldn¡¯t recall approaching me as if we were long-lost acquaintances. Honestly, the only person who might¡¯ve qualified as my ¡°rival¡± at the Academy was Agnes. I vaguely remembered this individual from my fourth year, but as an extra, their name hadn¡¯t stuck. And so, I spent about two days fending off conversations with nobles I barely remembered while feigning familiarity. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 603 As soon as I entered the ballroom, the scene unfolded as expected. Most of the men wore masks representing wild animals like lions or wolves, while most of the women donned masks symbolizing femininity, such as rabbits or cats. Even with asional variations, the masks were generally of familiar and cute animals like dogs or sheep. Only about 4¨C5% of attendees had chosen masks as conspicuous as mine. Those with unusual masks often turned out to be major characters from the original story. For example, that person wandering around in the cow mask was probably Agnes. "Still obsessed with breasts, I see." Whether intentional or not, cow masks tended to make a woman¡¯s figure appear more voluptuous. Seeing her standing aloof in a corner of the ballroom brought a smile to my face. The green canary that had been quietly focusing on party food instead of conversing with others was likely Silena. And the monkey actively flitting about and chatting with everyone? That had to be Seraphine. Even in an event with no prior information, there was no way I¡¯d fail to recognize these characters. After all, I¡¯d cleared the original game 24.9 times... or, well, 25 times if you count defeating the Demon King years ago.@@novelbin@@ "I have no idea where Ethan is, though." Knowing Ethan, he was probably wearing an eagle mask, the symbol of his house. Eagles were a popr choice among men, which could make spotting him a bit challenging. I¡¯d have to narrow it down by chatting with likely candidates. As I pondered this, a sheep with pink fur timidly approached me. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 605 The head of the ckwood Ducal family. Once referred to as a "young master of the household" for inheriting the ducal title at an early age, Harold''s appearance now bore subtle signs of time¡¯s passage. Faint wrinkles etched near his eyes and mouth, slight signs of aging evident in his hands and feet. As one of the Empire''s three great swordsmen and a Sword Master, Harold was slowly growing older. "Time is truly fleeting." Of course, as someone who had trained his body to the pinnacle of mastery, he appeared far younger than his years. The powerful flow of mana coursing through his body helped suppress the effects of aging.@@novelbin@@ And above all, his piercing gaze, undimmed even in his mid-tote fifties, made him look at least twenty years younger. ...Though no matter how youthful he appeared, he could not truly bepared to someone genuinely young. "Today, we¡¯ll be reviewing the results of the clinical trials for the prototype. I-I hope it turns out well..." "Indeed. I hope so as well." "The symptoms seem to have improved significantly since the initial stages... Uh, uh, what was her name again...?" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 606 Harold''s intuition was spot-on. There was no way Mezlen would bring up the topic of a marriage proposal involving a foreign prince with any kind of cheerful disposition. After all, for years now, she had been unabashedly showing him her affection, which Harold could feel through her actions. He figured she must have had some ulterior motive for bringing this up and decided to probe her intentions. "Who is the suitor?" "The second prince of the Matthias Kingdom¡­ um, his, uh, name is¡­"@@novelbin@@ "His Highness Dias A Matthias, the second prince," Kate interjected. "Y-yes, that''s right, that Prince Dias¡­" At the very least, Harold could immediately discern that she had no interest in the suitor. The self-absorbed fourth princess had a tendency not to remember the names of people she wasn''t interested in. Of course, even if the suitor was royalty, something as trivial as a marriage proposal could have been stopped entirely at her discretion. It wasn''t as though the foreign prince would aggressively pursue a proposal made without her consent. However, Kate¡¯s subsequent exnation rified just how troubling the situation Mezlen was facing truly was. "His Highness, the second prince of Panos, owes a significant debt to the Matthias Kingdom. It seems he borrowed troops for the subjugation of the Abyss remnants." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 607 A week had passed since the tense dinner between Harold and Mezlen. After coldly rejecting the princess¡¯s request, Harold hadn¡¯t sought her out even once. He merely kept tabs on the progress of her research on the magic hardening disease cure from a distance. He¡¯d expected her to sumb to despair after being rejected, abandoning both her research and the ongoing clinical trials, but she didn¡¯t. Of course, it was only a matter of time before physical constraints forced the research to halt. "It¡¯s probably best not to expect anyone else to take over her research in the future." The only people who fully understood the details of the magic hardening disease cure were Mezlen and her attendant, Kate. If the princess were to marry a foreign prince as part of a state alliance, both would leave for another country. Continuing the research himself seemed unlikely, especially since he had already refused her request. Besides, Harold himself had only passively observed the research¡¯s clumsy progress without truly understanding its depth. Once Mezlen disappeared from the capital, the research into the cure woulde to an end. If someone else ever resumed studying such a rare, unprofitable disease, it would likely be centuries in the future. Still, Harold reminded himself that using his influence to keep her in the capital was out of the question. Betraying the memory of his first and only love, long gone, or exploiting a second wife who would never be loved to satisfy lingering regrets was nothing short of selfish desire. And so, determined to end things while he still had the chance, Harold had begun preparing to leave the capital days earlier. Staying too long risked rekindling unnecessary attachments.@@novelbin@@ He resolved to leave behind both the unfinished cure and the memories of the young princess who had developed feelings for him. "Perhaps I should stop by ckwood and oversee Ethan¡¯s ascension before wandering elsewhere." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 608 Though Harold had ascended to the rank of Duke at a rtively young age, it did not mean he was reckless or brash in his approach to situations. As both a Duke and a noble of the Empire, his experience was extensive. No matter how high his status as a Duke or as one of the Empire''s Three Swords, he fully understood that harming or killing a member of the royal family was a grave crime. ...And so, he struck her only in ces where it wouldn¡¯t show. Thud! ¡°Kh... ahhh¡­!¡± Mezlen¡¯s body, already battered from more than a dozen strikes, crumpled to the floor as Harold¡¯s fist delivered yet another blow to her sr plexus. The pain was so excruciating that she couldn¡¯t even scream properly, the agony radiating deep within her chest. Yet her skin bore not a single bruise. Harold, having reached the level of Sword Master, expertly controlled his energy to target her insides while leaving no external marks. He could inflict excruciating pain without causing visible injury. It was ironic to see the prowess of a Sword Master used to discipline royalty, but Mezlen had, objectively speaking, earned the punishment. ¡°Kh... cough, cough¡­!¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Feeling more grounded now?¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 609 Mezlen tossed and turned through the night, her heart fluttering with excitement over her uing date with Harold.@@novelbin@@ In stark contrast to her eager anticipation, Harold, the one who had actually initiated the date, didn¡¯t consider their evening together particrly significant. It wasn¡¯t about wooing Mezlen, as a date might typically be. Instead, his intention leaned more toward making her give up on him entirely. If she could let go of her attachment, he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with her persistence anymore. ¡­And perhaps, if he didn¡¯t handle things this way, he might find himself clinging to her just a little too much as well. Harold found Mezlen¡¯s devotion excessive¡ªshe had offered him a love that asked for nothing in return. As much as she might not be his ideal partner, outright rejecting her so coldly wasn¡¯t easy either. If, someday, she were to marry a prince from another kingdom, could he truly im he would have no regrets? He wasn¡¯t sure. After all, back in the academy, he had been uncertain about histe wife, Tanasia. It wasn¡¯t until he let her slip away that he realized his mistake. Harold was determined not to repeat the same error. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 610 As the performance began, a cacophony of deafening noise erupted, stabbing her ears and reverberating through her skull. ¡°Ahhh! Agh! Aaaaghhh!¡± Mezlen clutched her ears, screaming at the sheer auditory assault. It was a sound she could barely describe as music¡ªa chaotic mor unlike anything she had ever heard. ¡°What kind of people pay to experience something like this?!¡± She had endured the spicy meal earlier, dismissing it as a matter of taste. But this was different. Even though she had willingly followed Harold here, she couldn¡¯t imagine anyone genuinely enjoying this pandemonium.@@novelbin@@ Without seats, the crowd jostled and jumped relentlessly, their bodies colliding into her. The physical difort added to her torment as she struggled to keep her bnce. ¡°Ha-Harold¡­! Wh-what is this supposed to be¡­?¡± she gasped, her voice barely audible over the chaos. ¡°Well, Tanasia, shouldn¡¯t you already know?¡± Harold replied coldly. ¡°¡­What?¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 614 An object of unbelievable size pierces the inside of her body. Suddenly, the sensation of being pounded inside by a massive bat prompted a series of obscene moans from Mezlen''s mouth. -Tsupuk, jjipuk, tsupuk! "Ugh, h-haah¡­!! Haah, haaahh¡­!!" ...Could this really be called ''sex''? Mezlen was certain this was something entirely different from any sex she had imagined before. The act of gripping a woman like a tool and thrusting into her was not sex, but rather, it resembled a man''s masturbation. -Jjipung, jjipung, jjipuk!! "Ughhhh¡­!! Hek, hekhhhh¡­!!"@@novelbin@@ Mezlen had resolved to endure as much as she could, but this was beyond any reasonable limit. The pain was unbearable and tormented her deeply. "Hah, Haah, Haarold, d-dammit¡­!!" "Why, is it too much?" "Ah, pl-please¡­ st-stop¡­." "¡­¡­" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 615 Not long after attending Seraphine and the Hero¡¯s wedding, a certain day arrived. ckwood Manor, which had seemed like it would enjoy a period of calm after resolving various matters, was now bustling with activity. "Young Master, should this desk be moved to the office?" "Yes. Return everything to where it was in the original study. Take out the low table and store it in the warehouse as well." "My Lord, while tidying up your chamber, we found this¡­." "¡­It''s my mother''s keepsake. I''ll hold onto it. Thank you for letting me know." "We received word that the attire for the session ceremony will bepleted in three days¡­." Yes, the session ceremony. Right now, the entire ckwood Manor was busy preparing for the uing session ceremony, which was only a few days away. After lingering in the imperial capital for some time following the princess¡¯s wedding, Harold had finally sent Ethan a letter regarding his ascension as Duke. ¡®Should I call this fast or slow?¡¯@@novelbin@@ Honestly, considering Ethan''s age, it was rtively early. While he was still in his twenties, he was already nearing the end of that decade. Typically, noble families didn¡¯t pass the title of head to the eldest son unless he was at least in his forties, barring special circumstances. But when considering Ethan¡¯s experience, it was somewhatte. Including his time at the academy, Ethan had already been acting as the proxy for the ckwood household for nearly five years. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 616 I didn¡¯t open it. The lock just fell off on its own. But that was enough to change the atmosphere. After all, the contents of the box I¡¯d been curious about had revealed themselves. "¡­¡­" "¡­Lilith?" "I-I didn¡¯t break it! The lock was just old and fell off by itself!" "Hmm¡­ Yeah, I saw that too, but still¡­." "¡­¡­" I was curious. Honestly, I was really, really curious. What exactly was inside the box? And why had it been left untouched for so long? Countless questions swirled through my mind. "Are you going to open it¡­?" "Aren¡¯t you curious, Isabel?" "I am¡­ but it¡¯s not my property¡­." Creeeak. "Wait, hold on¡­! I never said I was going to look¡­!" "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take responsibility." Honestly, if it had been abandoned long enough to be in this state, that was on its owner.@@novelbin@@ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 617 That evening, Harold called for me. It wasn¡¯t particrly strange for a father-inw to request his daughter-inw¡¯s presence, but the reason he was seeking me out definitely was. "Dear daughter-inw." "¡­Yes, Father." "Ahem. There¡¯s something I wanted to ask you. Would you mind sparing me a moment?" "¡­¡­." What the hell was this suspicious reaction? No matter how I looked at him, Harold felt different from usual. Normally, when he spoke to me, he was shameless and blunt, no matter the situation. But now? He was clearly restless, as if he hadmitted some kind of wrongdoing against me.@@novelbin@@ "¡­Yes, Father." Not that I was in a position to refuse a conversation with Harold, anyway. As Ethan¡¯s father, he wasn¡¯t someone I wanted to get on the bad side of. Even with the session ceremonying up, he was still the Duke. And even after passing down his title, his status as a Sword Master and one of the Empire¡¯s Three Swords wouldn¡¯t disappear. With that in mind, I followed Harold to a table in the garden, where we sat down for a private conversation.
  • The heads or representatives of vassal houses associated with the ckwood family.
  • Representatives from neighboring territories.
  • An elderly knight, likely a warrade of Harold¡¯s.
  • An old magician, presumably with ties to Tanasia.
  • Getmwa Joshegiquat, the Hero.
  • Seraphine, the Crown Prince(ss).
  • Cerista, the Saintess.
  • Silena, the Shrine Maiden.
  • Natalie, the Swift Sword & Thomas, the Guardian.
  • Luke, the Shadow.
  • Prince Antonio.
  • Agnes, the legitimate heir of the Elizabeth family, the next Red Tower Master, and current Deputy Tower Master. (If you don¡¯t address her titles correctly in an official setting, she¡¯ll throw a fit.)
  • A Lady from the Evergarden family.
  • The next tribal chief of the Barbaracus n and his wife.
  • Holy Knights from my time in Ermia.
  • And for some reason, a certain rival-wannabe I¡¯dst seen at the Imperial Pce.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 619 One morning, we suddenly had to find recements for three key personnel in the mansion. Katarina had been halfway to being a nanny, so that was one thing, but the other two had to be reced as soon as possible. A ducal mansion without a Head Maid and Head Butler? Well, I can somehow manage the Head Maid position¡­ There were still plenty of maids in ckwood Mansion older than me. The ones I used to call ¡°senior¡± when I was still a maid myself. I could just pick one of them¡ªsomeone who didn¡¯t dump chores on me or pick fights back then¡ªand promote her. Even if it looked like tant favoritism, there was nothing I could do about it. If they didn¡¯t like it, they should¡¯ve acted better when they had the chance.@@novelbin@@ So, I¡¯ll just put someone in as an interim Head Maid¡­ The real problem was the Head Butler. That one waspletely out of my hands. Still, I¡¯ll have to pull someone up from within if possible¡­ I¡¯d have to ask Ethan for help with this. If he saw me going around having private conversations with men, he¡¯d get the wrong idea again. It would also be a hassle if rumors started that Ethan was firing servants left and right as soon as he became Duke. ¡°Isabel, is there anyone among the maids who could temporarily take over as Head Maid?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Be does her job well, but she¡¯s not very diligent. Rishe is diligent but doesn¡¯t have much sense for handling work¡­¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 620 After leaving behind the lingering sense of unease, it took us a week to travel from the ckwood estate to the holynd of Mireya. Since the Demon King subjugation, we had rarely camped outdoors, yet this journey required us to do so four times before we finally reached Mireya. "We''ve arrived, Master, Lilith." "You''ve worked hard, Isabel." "Leave the carriage and go rest. You''ve had it rough for a whole week." After sending Isabel off to finally get some well-deserved rest from driving the carriage alone for nearly a week, Ethan and I made our way to the Aurelia Church, as indicated on the invitation. The first thing that caught our eye as we entered the church grounds was a massive statue depicting the entire Hero''s party who had taken part in the Demon King subjugation. ...Well, to be precise, theposition made it ringly clear that the Hero and Cerista were given special prominence. "This really makes it sink in that we''ve arrived at the holynd."@@novelbin@@ "Well, it¡¯s only natural that they¡¯d center everything around the Saintess, given the nature of this ce." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 621 Spending some much-needed alone time with Ethan after a week felt incredibly refreshing. It was as if all the travel fatigue had melted away in an instant. After all, there were limits to what we could do with just hands and touches over clothing. We had snuck in a few daring moments during night watch while Isabel wasn¡¯t looking, but even then, we had to hold back because of the noise. "You look a bit tired, Duke ckwood. Is the bed not to your liking?"@@novelbin@@ "...No, it¡¯s nothing like that. If anything, it was toofortable." ¡­That aside, Ethan did look like he was carrying an extrayer of exhaustion on top of his travel fatigue. Well, I wouldn¡¯t say that was my fault. Neglect in a marital rtionship was considered grounds for divorce in my previous life, too. Since Ethan looked too drained to respond to Mirif, I took the initiative and asked a few questions myself. "From what I know, Saintess Cerista¡¯s wedding is in three days. Have any other members of the Hero¡¯s party arrived yet?" "Lady Natalie and Lord Thomas mentioned that they would be arrivingte. Their estates are quite far away, and they¡¯ve been busy with various matters. As for the Imperial Princess, her schedule is so packed that she¡¯ll only be able to attend on the day of the wedding itself." "Then that means Luke will also be arrivingte." "Yes. Other than the bride and groom, the ones who have already arrived are Lady Silena, Prince Antonio, and the¡­ legitimate heir of the Elizabeth family and current Vice-Tower Lord of the Red Tower¡­." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 622 A rather childish argument broke out, but in the end, the three of us still ended up having tea together. Even though we graduated in different years, we were all academy ssmates. Aside from Isabel, these two were the closest friends I had, so there was no way I could exclude either of them. ¡°You''ve been here with Prince Antonio since a week ago?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°For someone who''s the Vice-Lord of the Red Tower, you seem pretty carefree. Or is it that you have nothing to do at the tower and are just wandering around leisurely?¡± ¡°...Antonio said he''d use his royal privileges to let me ess the magic tomes in the cathedral library. Not that a spinster would understand what it feels like to have a fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°W-Who are you calling a spinster?! I''m just a career woman, thank you very much!¡± ...Well, objectively, she was a spinster. I simply chose not to say it out loud to avoid hurting Rizi''s feelings. At the moment, Rizi was the only person in my circle who hadn''t even started dating. Most of us either married right after graduating from the academy, like I did, or, if not ready for marriage, at least got engaged, like Agnes. At the very least, they were in rtionships, like Natalie and Thomas. What was more puzzling was that Rizi didn¡¯t even seem interested in dating. With her looks, who knows what she was nning to do with them, but I''d never heard any romance rumors about her.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Sure, go ahead and marry your work. I''ll be marrying a prince.¡± ¡°Y-You''re just as much a spinster as I am since you haven''t had a wedding yet!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 625 Leaving Ethan behind at the door, I stepped into the Hero¡¯s room. The sight of that guy, looking at me with a drowsy, half-awake expression as if he was exhausted, made my blood boil from within. ¡°Hah, what is it, at this hour? If you¡¯re going to show up, at least do it without causing a scene. Why the hell were you yelling your lungs out¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, you bastard.¡± ¡°Hah? What?¡± ¡°Did you call me here?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°I said, did you call me here, you bastard?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡­Look at this bastard ying dumb. It¡¯s pissing me off even more. Just being alone with this guy reignited the anger that had briefly subsided. Even more than when the Goddess told me that he was the one who dragged me to ¡®Luminor Academy.¡¯ ¡°What do you mean ¡®call you¡¯? You¡¯re the one who suddenly showed up¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. Answer me straight. I heard something from the Goddess.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 626 Holy Land of Mireya. We came here for the Saintess¡¯s wedding, and somehow, the mess just keeps piling up. First, the so-called Goddess sends a telepathic transmission into my head in the middle of the night. Then, she drops the bomb that the reason I got dragged into this world was because that bastard Hero asked for¹¥ÂÔ(walkthrough) help. And now, Ethan¡¯s the problem. Seems like something I said made him remember his childhood, and he¡¯s all rattled. ¡°Y-You didn¡¯t talk about anything¡­ weird, did you? I-I wasn¡¯t suspicious or anything! Just¡­ curious¡­¡± ¡°¡­Nothing strange. It was just a little misunderstanding between me and the Hero. We¡¯ve sorted it out now.¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­ I see. That misunderstanding¡­ I¡ªno, never mind, Lilith¡­¡± The entire way back to our room, Ethan was trailing beside me, ncing over with that awkward, uneasy look. Honestly? I hated it. The Ethan I love isn¡¯t some meek, hesitant man tiptoeing around me.@@novelbin@@ The Ethan I love is intense, possessive, andpletely fixated on me. Not that I¡¯d ever love him any less for acting like this¡­ butpared to the Ethan I know, this version of him? I don¡¯t like it. ¡®Ugh. He¡¯s acting exactly like he did back when we were kids.¡¯ Just like that time when I told him he could grope my chest if he won his duel with Harold¡ªand he stood there all flustered, too shy to make a move. Sure, it¡¯s nostalgic¡­ but if he stays like this, we¡¯re going to have problems. Thest thing I need is for the world to start seeing Ethan¡ªthe mighty Duke of ckwood¡ªas some pushover husband who¡¯s whipped by his wife. Hell, I''d rather let my reputation take the hit than have that be his image. ¡®So¡­ what now, Goddess? This mess is on you. Ethan¡¯s only acting like this because of what you said.¡¯ ¡®¡­Well, to be fair, isn¡¯t this partially your fault, Lilith? I¡¯d say your handling of the situation left¡­ something to be desired.¡¯ ¡®If you hadn¡¯t told him that the Hero called me here, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡¯ ¡®So, should I have lied to you? I figured you at least deserved to know why you ended up here.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 627 ¡®¡­At what point will it be removed?¡¯ The only thought that kept running through my mind as I wandered through the ruins was that. While I was walking around the ruins of Mireya, I couldn¡¯t help but be on edge, wondering when Ethan¡¯smand would finallye out of his mouth. I was constantly tense, expecting it. ¡®But he wouldn¡¯t do it openly in front of people¡­ right?¡¯ He¡¯d probably take me to some secluded spot and do it there, or maybe hide in the shade or the bushes and make me take a naked walk. Or perhaps he¡¯d suddenly expose himself and make some absurd request like ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to hide it, so suck it up.¡± ¡®This much is still bearable, at least¡­¡¯ As long as we don¡¯t get caught, it¡¯s just a bit of a misstep between the two of us. It wouldn¡¯t matter as long as no one else interfered. After all, if I¡¯m going to bring Ethan back to his original self¡ªpossessive and obsessive as he is¡ªthis kind of request is something I have to bear.@@novelbin@@ ...Although, it is embarrassing, to be honest. ¡®There are so many tourists, like ants...¡¯ Mireya is a city that already has many visitors, but now with the saintess¡¯s wedding going on, it¡¯s even more crowded.
  • Squish.
  • Squish.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 628 "This contract is made between the Duchess of ckwood, Lilith Rosewood ckwood (hereinafter referred to as ''the Contractee''), and the Duke of ckwood, Ethan Richard ckwood (hereinafter referred to as ''the Master''). The Contractee acknowledges, upon the formation of this contract, that for the duration of one day, she will be the Master''s exclusive ve and vows to abide by all duties and rights associated with this role. The purpose of this contract is to make it clear that the Contractee will be the Master¡¯s absolute possession for one day and to restore the Master''s obsession and possessiveness towards the Contractee. The Contractee, upon the formation of this contract, immediately epts the status of the Master''s exclusive ve and vows to act ording to the Master''s will. The Contractee may not make any decisions on their own without the Master''s permission. The Contractee will live in the manner desired by the Master and willply with all of the Master''s instructions regarding their appearance and behavior. The Master holds the right to monitor and control all of the Contractee¡¯s actions. The Master holds all rights concerning the Contractee¡¯s speech, actions, and personal matters, and may restrict or permit them as deemed necessary. ... ... ... The Contractee vows to obey all of the Master¡¯smands unconditionally.@@novelbin@@ The Contractee cannot resist the Master under any circumstances and will not act against the Master¡¯s will.
  • Creeeak.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 629 It was under bright lights, yet Ethan''s gaze seemed darker than usual. "Ethan?" Lilith muttered, her voice trembling slightly as she took an involuntary step back. His eyes, deep as the night sky just before dawn, seemed to pierce right through her. Why did she feel this way, especially when this was exactly what she had wanted? "Why such a surprised look, Lilith?" She remained silent. "It''s just us going back to our usual dynamic as a couple, right?" True, they had yed these games before. Yet, there was something about Ethan''s gaze now, a resolve that hinted at more than their usual y, stirring an unsettling feeling within her. It was as if she had be prey. With a calm smile, Ethan approached, a cat ear headband and a ck tail plug in hand. Her heart raced ¨C thump, thump.@@novelbin@@ Yes, she had prepared for this possibility. It wasn¡¯t unfamiliar; such y was a monthly ritual in their mansion. So, the pounding in her chest must be relief, knowing the old Ethan was back. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 629.2 With a click, the sp of the bra unhinged naturally. As soon as the strap loosened, the undergarment snapped off due to the tension from thepressed chest. At the same time, my chest was exposed before Ethan without any protection. "Beautiful." "¡­Th-thank you." Honestly, I felt truly embarrassed.@@novelbin@@ Despite having been seen and touched often, the situation of being the only one undressed before Ethan was distinctly mortifying. Yet, without showing my embarrassment, I quietly reached downward. -Swish. "¡­Hah." Thest piece of clothing slipped off, brushing against my skin along the waist and thighs. "Good. Now you really look like a pet." "¡­Thank you." "But I wonder when pets started walking around on two legs." "¡­" At Ethan¡¯s indirectmand, I instinctivelyid myself down on the floor. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (3 coupons) Chapter 630 Under the moonlit night, the glistening fluid dripped from Ethan''s fingertips. "Ah, ahh¡­! Ahh, ah¡­" The sticky fluid stretched like a thread from his fingers, akin to a concentration of a female''s pheromones. Listening to the panting sounds from the body beneath him, Ethan quietly continued to stimte himself. ''She''s really excited.'' Having been married to Lilith for several years, Ethan knew her preferences well. They had experimented with conventional lovemaking, him serving her in various ways, and vice versa¡ªLilith serving him, trying different positions, or even using unconventional parts for pration. Despite the various sexual methods they had tried, it always came back to one thing¡ªLilith''s favorite was being treated like a pet, a y that deprived her of her rights. ''Even as a duchess now, she still prefers being treated like a pet, interesting.''@@novelbin@@ No matter the method, the result was always simr. Ultimately, Lilith¡¯s favorite was this kind of demeaning rtionship. Ethan wasn''t sure why she preferred such things, but he certainly didn''t dislike thescivious Lilith either. In fact, he found himself more aroused than usual when they engaged in such y. Was it because he was adapting his tastes to match hers out of love, or had Lilith awakened some inherent traits within him? While the cause was unclear, the result was undeniable¡ªLilith, mimicking a pet and dripping with erotic juices, moaning beneath him. In this scenario, Ethan first inserted a finger into her back passage.
  • Slurp.
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