NOVEL NEXT Chapter 271
“Did you seduce him?”
Are you saying you won’t let me escape?
Shione still had a firm grip on my collar and wouldn’t let go.
At our aligned heights, sounds faintly reached us from outside the door. A peculiar atmosphere rose, creeping up like smoke.
‘…Seems like it has started.’
The pure Shione, who always panicked and brushed off situations, had vanished, replaced by someone unfamiliar standing before me.
I didn’t expect her to react this strongly to just picking a flower.
Was it the unexpected reaction and situation that caught me off guard? Or was it the sharp gaze of women in this world—a possessive look that didn’t suit Shione? In that moment, I felt my body freeze as my thoughts couldn’t keep up.
‘Even if she’s mentioning the integrity and purity of the men here—’
That had nothing to do with me. My identity was the complete opposite from the start.
Emotionally, as my bond with Shione deepened, my powers grew stronger. It was not a bad situation overall.
Unfortunately, the timing was terrible in various ways.
‘With soundproofing, cleanliness, and time all lacking, what can I do?’
The thin walls couldn’t entirely block out the noises from outside, and the washing amenities were dismal. They spoke of rest but were busy with maintenance for the next deployment, and people intermittently sought Shione.
Well, I might be able to silence their complaints through my position as a Count’s child, but if we were caught in this war to aid the Marquis family from their unprecedented disaster, my honor would surely be in shambles.
The problem was that, unlike my chilled thoughts, Shione showed no intention of escaping this atmosphere.
“Princess Shione—”
I called her name and tried to push her hand away from my collar.
However, instead of releasing me, she stifled my excuses.
“Ray, what you told me at the Royal Castle. It’s a misconception to think I’d forget just because I was intoxicated back then.”
“Ah.”
If we were speaking of the time when Shione was tipsy at the castle…
I recalled when she locked the door and jumped on me the moment I entered. When she tossed me onto the bed to express her affection, I had said something in desperation.
—I was hoping for you to take my first experience, but you don’t believe that?
I didn’t expect her to bring up that card here.
They say a gentleman’s revenge takes ten years. I could barely imagine that the seeds I had sown would come back to me through Shione.
It seemed my master was hiding a fox-like nature behind her puppy-like impression all this time.
“Seems like you remembered.”
“……”
“Ray is the one in the wrong. Teasing me by calling me your pillar husband. Touching my thigh openly while saying you’ll teach me archery, and practically hugging me too.”
“That’s—”
“Our clever Ray couldn’t possibly be unaware of what those actions indicate. How long has it been since we’ve spent time together in this world? Am I right?”
I had no retort.
The Shione, who always had cookies stuffed in her pockets, was no longer here. It was the first time I felt utterly speechless against her words.
“I’ve been holding back because I thought you were cute… But now you bring a flower, and I can’t help it.”
I had forgotten about Shione’s past.
Just how straightforward my master was when it came to this sort of thing. And how her actions might trigger the women in this world.
“You seduced me first, Ray. Right?”
Her hand that had left my collar grabbed my arm and yanked it.
A force I couldn’t resist. Her actions, faster than I could perceive, left me vulnerable.
Fortunately, I landed on the bed, a rather soft spot despite the poor facilities, so I wouldn’t end up in pain.
“Up until now, I was considerate of what you liked… But it’s over now.”
“Shione…?”
“Shut up, be quiet. I’m not going to listen to you. You say you like me but always stick to your old ways, backing away.”
No, what on earth is your method…?
It was when she was drunk at the castle, and now she was completely sober. How was she being so forward despite that?
Shione had approached so close, poking my cheek with her index finger.
“You said you wanted to have a nice first experience, right?”
I clenched my mouth shut and nodded.
“I feel the same. We can’t do it in a place like this.”
Shione smirked and glanced around the room. Her gaze eventually landed on me.
Shione was a ferocious predator. She skillfully assessed her space and pressured me.
As a mere prey, I was overwhelmed by her atmosphere and could only look up at her pitifully.
“Instead—”
Her eyes fixed onto my lips.
“While signing a marriage vow is important… we can seal it with a kiss whenever, right?”
“…If you kiss now, there’s no returning it for a lifetime.”
“It’s fine; I won’t return it. Just you acting as my pillar husband is enough.”
“They say you should thoroughly inspect goods when trading in the marketplace. Shione, you should be a bit cautious—”
“Look at you, Ray. Always trying to back off during crucial moments. Acting cold and indifferent. That’s why this isn’t working.”
“……”
“There’s no defect. Give up. I don’t care how you look at me. Besides, I am the owner of the goods here.”
Shione ambushed my lips.
It wasn’t a childish kiss, but an adult one. A deeper and sweeter kiss followed.
As our breaths intertwined, my cheeks flushed with warmth and I felt her smile break away.
“Hehe, I’ve sealed it, haven’t I?”
With a mischievous smile, she wrapped her arms around me tightly.
“Just being a pillar husband is enough for you, Ray.”
Eventually, I couldn’t resist Shione and hugged her back.
*
Shione and I sat facing each other across a table.
She wore an innocent smile and was humming a familiar tune she must have heard somewhere. The rhythm of the song was bright and had a delightful charm that made the listener happy.
I could only reach out awkwardly, fiddling with my lips.
“Princess Shione.”
“What is it?”
“It seems my lips are chapped. Could you get me some ointment or something?”
“There’s free stuff here; why go through the trouble?”
Shione innocently pointed to her own lips.
I thought I’d be devoured. After sharing that kiss, she still seemed to have not fully let go of her thirst. Shione had transformed from a shy girl into a bold lover.
I could only chuckle softly while pouring tea into the cup.
“Just be quiet and drink your tea.”
“Oh, is this black tea? Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”
Shione, with a refreshing smile that erased all her worries and concerns, savored the black tea.
I crossed my arms, and when she set down her cup, I slipped in a comment.
“Still, biting down on my lips a bit hard isn’t really appropriate. I’ve got a taste of blood lingering inside me.”
“Did you dislike it, Ray?”
“……”
“See, Ray didn’t dislike it at all.”
Unable to come up with anything more to say to Shione, I closed my mouth.
I never expected it to take so long for our lips to collide.
While appreciating the good and acknowledging the exhaustion, I thought they should be observed separately.
Amidst my thoughts, Shione, staring intently at the red hibiscus positioned in the center of the table, rested her chin on her hand, alternating between looking at her hair and me with the flower.
“Ray, I’m so happy you brought me a hibiscus.”
“Really?”
“I didn’t think you’d remember to bookmark the pages of my favorite flowers. It’s been a while since I had a proper look at flowers. So, I’m even more grateful.”
“I wandered around a lot just to find it—”
I couldn’t help but flash a smile at her gratitude.
“It’s a relief to hear that. It was worth all the trouble.”
As her eyes widened in surprise, I added one more thing.
“And you should be on alert.”
“…What about?”
“You said I’ve always been backing away from you, haven’t you?”
A blow to my pride.
But considering everything I had done until now, I could neither argue nor could I respond to the attack.
I’m not the type to simply endure.
“When we return to the Count’s house, it’s my turn.”
That thought mixed with a smirk that came to mind because I had to get back at her.
“Eep, eep…!”
Shione’s confident demeanor vanished in an instant.
*
“Finally, everything is ready. I can’t tell you how annoying it was to prepare while running away… But now, everything is over.”
Allen Kalia sighed heavily and suddenly twisted his expression into a bright smile.
“Now, it’s finally time for the ceremony.”
His face was full of the joy of achieving a long-desired ambition.
“Everyone—”
He looked down at the demons and dark sorcerers gathered around him.
His ferocious eyes and madness were vast and murky, rivaling the demons. He was more than capable of commanding them.
“Let’s go kill the head of the Marquis family.”