Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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As before, Sonya beckoned me from a spot a little ways from the school.
There was a carriage waiting where she called me over.
A four-seater carriage painted black with gold trim stood there.
Even from afar, Sonya looked radiant in her stunning dress.
If the dress she'd worn last time balanced practicality and elegance, this one was purely extravagant, with no thought given to comfort whatsoever.
The moment I arrived, Sonya gave me a quick once-over, closed her eyes, and shook her head.
"This won't do. Let's go buy you some clothes first."
"...Is it that bad?"
"I tried to buy you some before, but you ended up seducing me and I couldn't."
"Huh? Wasn't it the other way around?"
"Oh my! Hehe..."
After boarding the carriage and bantering back and forth with Sonya, we arrived at a place with ornate architecture.
It was a three-story stone building entirely dedicated to a clothing store.
The kind of place that felt like it would never have anything to do with me in my lifetime.
From Sonya's behavior, it was obvious she planned to buy me a gift again.
'This place looks seriously expensive.'
Being an adjunct professor probably didn't pay all that well.
But if it was at Schutra Magic School, that was a different story.
Just being affiliated with that school was practically equivalent to immense prestige.
Her salary was surely substantial, and on top of that, her husband was already a wealthy merchant.
She probably never felt any financial shortcomings.
Sonya naturally led the way into the store, patted my shoulder, and said,
"Alright, let's head up to the third floor first."
"Um... Professor, even so, this place is a bit..."
"Ugh!"
"Ow!"
Suddenly, Sonya grabbed my nose and twisted it this way and that.
There was no real force in her fingers, but the tickling was unavoidable.
After twirling my nose around, she let go and gently stroked it as she said,
"When you're a student, act like one. Being a bit immature is part of your charm. Got it?"
"Ugh... Yes."
Sonya gently touched my nose again, then grabbed my arm and dragged me up to the third floor.
The outfits there were incomparably more lavish than those on the lower floors, neatly displayed.
After agonizing for dozens of minutes and dressing me in dozens of outfits like I was her dress-up doll, she finally settled on one.
The top was a white shirt paired with a white neckerchief patterned like sheet music, topped with a brown silk coat.
The coat, reminiscent of an unbuttoned tuxedo, was flashy enough to draw every eye in the room.
It really didn't suit me at all.
"Since we have a lunch appointment today, I'll buy you just this one set. We'll come back later for more."
"Um..."
I tried to pretend it was fine, but Sonya hooked her arm in mine, forced a menacing glare, and stared me down.
"Hmm!?"
"Yes..."
It wasn't intimidating at all.
Just adorable.
After buying the clothes, Sonya took me to the next stop.
This time, it was a salon.
'...I'm already exhausted.'
It felt overly extravagant just to show off one student.
For the first time in my life, I got a slicked-back hairstyle.
I'd always just gone to the neighborhood barber for a trim and a side part...
As I sat there staring blankly into the mirror, I caught sight of Sonya standing behind me, gazing in a daze.
"...From now on, come to school with this hairstyle."
"Does it suit me?"
"It looks amazing."
It'd probably revert to normal after a day anyway, so I didn't argue.
Sonya wore a satisfied expression as she inspected my new hairstyle.
Only after leaving the salon could we finally head to the appointment spot.
"Don't be too nervous. My husband has admired Schutra for ages. He'll probably like you, Suho."
"...You think it'll be okay?"
"Hehe, don't worry. If I'd sensed anything off, I wouldn't have arranged this meeting."
I trusted Sonya, but I couldn't help feeling anxious.
If we got caught, I could face total social annihilation.
And the mission to seduce Luna would fail.
Less than a month in, ten million Enel would vanish into thin air.
And at last, we arrived at the appointed place.
It was on another level from the restaurant Sonya had taken me to before.
If that one was moderately upscale, this was a genuinely luxurious restaurant.
The building evoked a small palace, so opulent that just looking at it wrong might cost you money.
Definitely not a place to show up in the clothes I'd had on earlier.
'Damn, this is intimidating.'
'Not from this world? I'm not dead...'
Treating me like a wandering ghost all of a sudden.
The moment Sonya and I reached the wrought-iron gate away from the main building, a middle-aged man who looked like the manager in his forties approached gracefully, flanked by two men in their thirties.
The manager bowed to Sonya and greeted her in a deep, resonant voice.
"Thank you for visiting, Madam Sonya Friedrich."
"Thank you for the warm welcome. Please show us in."
"Certainly. This way, please."
As the manager turned, the two men moved behind us and followed like attendants.
We walked down a long corridor toward the entrance.
With plaster columns lining both sides and a red carpet underfoot, the hallway exuded an even greater sense of hospitality.
We finally reached the front of the building, greeted by a grand white door.
The large white doors were carved with peacocks in mid-flight.
As they swung outward, it looked like the peacocks were soaring to life.
Stepping inside didn't lead straight to the dining area; instead, a waiting room with green carpet appeared.
The interior, which I'd expected to be quiet, erupted in noise the moment the doors opened.
A young man who seemed to be a guide rushed up to the manager and whispered urgently.
The manager frowned slightly, whispered back, then turned to apologize to us.
"Sorry for the commotion. We'll escort you right away."
"It's fine."
As I followed, I turned to see the source of the noise.
"...Huh?"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Sonya asked, looking at me.
In my eyes...
I saw two people in lavish attire.
Louis and Luna.
This place, adorned in a flashy mix of gold and red, was a private room.
Only five people sat in a space that looked at least 200 pyeong.
Five of us were seated at a rectangular dining table topped with pristine white tablecloths that wouldn't tolerate a speck of dust.
At the head sat a dignified, handsome man in his forties.
To his left: Sonya and me. To his right: Louis and Luna.
How had we ended up sitting across from each other like this?
The day before, Luna hadn't been able to respond to my offer right away because of her plans with Louis.
She'd thought it was just a simple outing for a meal.
Louis had brought Luna here, and dining wasn't an issue.
The problem was that the private room Louis wanted was fully booked.
He'd thrown a tantrum demanding they make room for him on the day of.
Probably because it was a rare date with Luna, he'd done something out of character.
And somehow, I'd caught their eye, leading to us facing off like this.
Sonya's husband was delighted at the chance to meet her students, and Louis and Luna had reluctantly agreed.
Louis had been fidgeting nervously ever since.
'He's as much on pins and needles as I am. Getting caught means we're both done for.'
As Armonia said.
Sonya was only in her late twenties, but her husband looked early forties.
People might think it an odd match, but seeing him in person would change their minds—I was sure of it.
Sonya's husband had brown hair and a mature, imposing presence.
His attire was refined without being showy.
For a merchant, he was incredibly stylish.
'Man, I want to age like that.'
He overflowed with elegance.
The husband broke the silence first, looking at me as he spoke.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation today."
"No, thank you for inviting me to such an occasion."
In his calm voice, he addressed Luna and Louis as well.
"And thank you both for joining us."
"No, we're grateful for the invitation."
"..."
Luna, sitting across from me, hesitated without responding.
Seeing this, Louis spoke to her.
"Luna?"
"Uh, yeah? What?"
Luna looked at Louis in confusion, and he gave her a pointed glance.
Sonya's husband smiled courteously at Luna.
"Thank you for accepting the invitation."
"No, I'm truly grateful to you for inviting me."
Luna quickly straightened up and replied in a composed tone.
After the greetings, the private room's door opened carefully, and five waiters filed in single file.
They carried silver trays in their left hands, towels draped over their right arms.
Each placed appetizers before their assigned guests and stood waiting behind them.
Conversation flowed lively throughout the meal.
Sonya's husband led most of it.
'...He's a genuinely good guy.'
'Yeah, show me.'
Karl Friedrich.
Sonya's husband was a merchant dealing in musical instruments.
He'd originally been a violinist but had taken over his father's instrument business, now producing and selling various ones.
It was famous enough that even Louis and Luna knew of it.
They even custom-made for the Levin royal palace in their homeland.
'Damn, he must rake in the cash.'
Sonya's home definitely wasn't your average mansion.
And using private rooms in palace-like restaurants meant he wasn't just rich—he had status.
Come to think of it, Louis seemed loaded enough to frequent places like this.
'Guess I'm the only broke one here.'
'...Not much of it.'
Sometimes I wish you'd argue back!
Louis kept glancing at Sonya at first but soon joined the conversation naturally.
Sonya, not wanting to make things awkward here, chatted with him casually as if nothing had happened.
Luna was the only one sitting quietly without a word.
She wasn't much of a talker to begin with, but she was especially subdued today.
She didn't look eager to join in, either.
She just kept avoiding my gaze.
Sonya looked at Luna and Louis and said,
"By the way, are you two out on an outing today?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Even outside school, their responses were crisp and proper.
Totally different from me.
Sonya turned to me and said,
"Suho, you're out on an overnight pass today, right?"
"...? Yes."
She knew that—why ask?
Sonya glanced at Luna with a smile and said,
"In that case... how about staying over at our house tonight, Suho?"
With those words, I could feel cracks forming on Luna's face.
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