Chapter 148
Chapter 148
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Responding to Patricia's words with a hint of doubt, I said,
"...Really?"
"Yes... Shall I tell you who it is?"
"Yeah, tell me."
Leaning in to catch Patricia's whisper, I asked Armonia,
'Armonia.'
[Yes.]
'Who's Berius?'
[...The prince who stayed in the room next to Lena's.]
'Ah, that little brat.'
Wasn't it Aronia Beri or something?
I'm not the type to clutter my head with names of extras who have nothing to do with me originally, so I'd forgotten it.
But the kid himself? Impossible to forget.
'That damn punk hugging Viola and what he did to Lena—how could I forget?'
[But you forgot his name.]
'When you're gaming, you don't memorize every extra's name.'
I didn't even want to waste the calories remembering names like that.
Patricia whispered in my ear while pointing with her eyes.
"It's the kid sleeping in the corner of that bed."
"Ho..."
I immediately checked her traits.
It felt like the kind of pity that leads to casually looking after someone.
'Ah... It's not love, just giving her some casual attention.'
[And among the women here, she seems the weakest in presence.]
I'd noticed it earlier during sex—the others actively tried to seduce me, but she felt more passive.
Still, with "Selfish" listed in her traits, she wasn't really different from the rest here.
She was just putting up with Berius because he was pitiful.
But that pity itself was a red flag for me.
'Can't just let this slide.'
[...?]
'Right now it's just one, but if it spreads to two or three, the others might hesitate to mess with the kid, watching each other's emotions. Feelings are contagious.'
When people's hearts are all rotten, that's virtue in itself, but real kindness makes them aware of the line between good and evil.
They start holding back their evil deeds, minding the goodness inside themselves.
'I don't have to worry about people like Patricia, but if the other five were to be infected by sympathy, the brat would eventually have the upper hand.'
[If today really is the last day, we should nip it in the bud for sure.]
'Hmm... What to do...'
I stroked the Yin Mark engraved on the lower abdomen of Patricia, who was shaking her head gently as if asking for praise while looking up at me..
"Hngh..."
"Okay."
"...?"
Before leaving this place, here's my parting gift, Berry Berry.
After putting Patricia to sleep, I headed to the humans' lodging in stealth mode.
And one thing I noticed while sneaking around...
"Wh-who's there! Ah... S-sorry!"
"You there loitering! Right now! Ah... S-sorry!"
"Die! Ah... S-sorry!"
Everywhere I went, I got caught.
And using stealth just made them misunderstand me even more...
'Thinking about it, this is the Demon King's castle. Trying to sneak around with level 8 stealth was the problem.'
[Even at minimum, you'd need over 20 to slip past this tight security. And even that's with luck.]
'Lucky I tested it here—going to the embassy like this would've been instant game over.'
The Demon King's castle and the embassy differed in scale, but as bases for key figures, they weren't that different.
Deciding sneaky misunderstandings weren't worth it, I dropped stealth and walked openly to the humans' lodging.
Just as I arrived and was about to slip into the building,
"Ah, gotta pee..."
"..."
Sensing someone coming out, I pressed against the wall and activated stealth.
As I hid sloppily, a man rubbed his sleepy eyes and stumbled out the entrance.
"Fuck... Having to drag myself to that shitter every damn time I need to piss..."
"..."
He should've seen me, but he didn't notice a thing and headed to the outhouse.
I followed him openly to the outhouse, chuckling inwardly.
'Kya, level this up and it'd be killer. Wasn't that guy just gritting his teeth and pretending not to see me?'
[Definitely great for survival. I'd recommend prioritizing it over attack skills if you have the spare points.]
'Got it. Later for that...'
The outhouse wasn't far.
About twenty seconds' walk from the building.
'Ugh... No way I'd ever set foot in a place like that.'
[It does look terribly unsanitary.]
Not just the looks—the stench hit immediately as I approached.
The nobleman arrived, then started banging on the hut next to the outhouse.
"Hey! Open up!"
"Ah, fuck..."
After pounding hard, someone opened the door irritably.
His appearance had changed a lot, but I recognized him instantly.
'Holy shit... He lives here? Ugh...'
[Doubt he's here by choice.]
No one would choose a life like this.
They probably shoved him into a shack to handle the humans' cleanup.
The kid grumbled as he followed the nobleman into the outhouse for some cozy(?) time, then came out together.
Diligently unlocking the chastity belt.
Still working hard, probably threatened with Lena.
To test stealth, I stood right next to them openly and eavesdropped.
Neither noticed me despite me being there.
"Haa... Fuck, bothering me every night, what the hell..."
"That's my line."
"Bullshit... I'm off. Prince of the Piss Pot."
The kid frowned at the nobleman's snide remark, then quietly spoke.
"...Where'd the girls go today?"
"Why? Gonna jerk off to their crotches?"
"N-not that!! J-just... no one came today, weird."
"Dunno. Said something important came up, called elsewhere—no girls at the lodging tonight."
"..."
The nobleman ignored the kid's reply and headed back.
The kid stood watching him leave, then muttered to himself as he entered the hut.
"Melia's not coming today, huh..."
Confirming the kid inside, I dropped stealth and headed to my room.
'Man, no Lena and he immediately looks elsewhere?'
[Maybe he sees her separately from Lena.]
Armonia figured if Lena was his protector, Melia was just a temporary pillar to lean on.
I didn't like it, evil intent or kind.
'Now then... shall we go construct a Sexual Trait!'
I hummed along with light footsteps to the room.
The six noble ladies only woke when the sun hung high and bright, chattering noisily.
"Ah! Waking up in daylight feels amazing!"
"For real... How long's it been...?"
"Anything else is fine, but if only sleep could always be this deep..."
They chatted happily, all glancing at me.
Eyes pleading please take us with you.
I smiled casually and said,
"I'm hungry first. Since we're up, let's eat together."
"Yay!!"
At my words, they changed clothes in perfect sync, humming as they rushed out for food.
Once they left, the room fell dead silent.
'By the way, what’s Beatrice up to?'
[Probably saying final goodbyes to her comrades.]
'...'
Bet tomorrow there'll be fireworks at the Demon King's castle.
Beatrice was kinda pitiful, actually.
The Demon King's vassals were all hulking powerhouses.
Compared to them, she'd just popped into the hero's dreams once and snagged a vassal spot—must burn their eyes.
Ultimately, since she had no one to laugh and chat with, she ended up hanging with her underlings.
The problem was that, perhaps because she had lived without friends, she didn't hesitate to play pranks that should never be played.
Now that Beatrice is part of our family, such problems won't occur here.
Though it would be awkward if she ever wanted to go back....
'I'll check on Beatrice later tonight.'
Lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, I messaged,
'Armonia, tell Viola and Lena I'll be late.'
[Already did.]
I grinned at the ceiling hearing that.
Hehe... the Sexual Trait... I wonder how effective it will be?'
In the dark Demon King's castle corridor, Patricia's voice echoed softly with her heels.
"Haa... He'll take me next time, right?"
Patricia muttered weakly, heading to the lodging.
She'd begged Seong Su-ho tearfully not to leave after today, but he only said sorry and that he'd come back.
But that promise was her and the other noble ladies' hope.
Clutching it, they could endure.
The bold Patricia from first meeting Seong Su-ho was gone.
To her, he was a savior.
The belief he would save her bloomed endlessly in her heart.
And every time that feeling bloomed, she felt her lower abdomen grow hot..
"Haa... Since last night... something's weird. Feels too good..."
Unable to see the inscription, Patricia mistook it for her love.
As she walked, smiling foolishly and stroking her lower abdomen, the urge to urinate finally hit her.
"Haa... The guest room was so nice... Gotta use that filthy place again..."
Near the lodging, Patricia grumbled toward the outhouse.
Berius was just finishing cleaning as she arrived.
"Hey, gotta pee—unlock my panties."
"For fuck's sake...."
"...Why don't you try speaking more politely?"
Patricia, who would usually have let it slide, felt something boiling up inside her..
'Haa... What's this... Feels weird.'
She couldn't pinpoint it.
Like always, she entered, lifted her maid skirt.
As the skirt rose, the chastity belt she wore was clearly revealed, glistening under the moonlight despite the dead of night.
Berius, while irritated internally, felt a surge of excitement as he removed her chastity belt.
As he did, Patricia's heart raced.
'Haa... haa... what, what is this... I feel like my heart is going to explode....'
It was merely the act of removing the belt to relieve herself, as it had always been.
But seeing Berius holding her underwear, Patricia felt a burning heat rise, and a hot current of blood began to spread throughout her entire body.
'This... This... Haa... Haa... I can't take it anymore!!'
With her underwear still lowered, Patricia thrust her private area right in front of Berius's eyes.
Shocked by the unusual move, Berius stared at her groin and said,
"Wh-what! Hurry up and finish!"
"You're... so damn arrogant..."
"Wh-what? Aaagh!!"
Patricia dropped her skirt, grabbed the nearby mop, and swung at him.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
"Aaaagh!! Wh-what the hell!!! It hurts!!"
"Haa!! You need a lesson!!"
Madness gleamed in her eyes, instilling terror in Berius.
She'd snapped at him or flicked him before, but never like this.
Berius couldn't block in the baffling assault.
Hands bound by the belt, crushed by her aura, no spirit left to defend.
After wailing on him with the mop awhile, she panted satisfied and said,
"Haa, haa... Cocky again, haa, haa... I'll beg Master to turn Lena into a retard! Got it!?"
"Kgh..."
Berius's face was bruised black and blue; he couldn't speak.
Patricia breathed heavily as she urinated, put her chastity belt back on, and left the latrine.
'Weird... Why's it feel so good? Heh...'
Heading to lodging, a sinister smile played on her lips.
From behind the outhouse, pinching my nose and watching her go, I muttered,
"Damn, effective stuff."
I checked Patricia's fortress with excited steps.
*Patricia (Subjugation Stage 1)*
Sexual Trait:
When in the latrine with Berius, a sadistic fetish toward him is activated.