Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Clever Dungeon Conquest (6)
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“Ugh… my slave… you look kinda hot today…”
Even with her limbs pinned down, Laura grinned as if she wasn’t feeling any pain.
I appreciated the compliment on my looks, but it would’ve been nice if she’d said it on a normal day.
Now that I knew she was under the influence of an aphrodisiac spell, her praise didn’t bring me much joy.
“Lady Laura, try to snap out of it.”
With her restrained, I first shook her shoulders.
An aphrodisiac spell wouldn’t wear off from a little shoulder shake, but who knows?
Maybe like in the movies, a good shake would bring her back to her senses.
“Huh…? I’m totally fine, though?”
I’ve never seen someone who claims they’re fine actually be fine.
Unfortunately, it didn’t play out like the movies. No sudden return to sanity from a shoulder shake.
“Anyone can see you’re not normal.”
“Hehe, honestly, I kinda think so too…”
Whether due to the aphrodisiac spell, her tongue was slurring as she tried to lean in toward me again.
The usually venomous Laura smiling dreamily like this was undeniably alluring.
But I gritted my teeth and pushed her away once more.
Pushed back, Laura’s eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at me with a pitiful expression.
“Waa… My slave, you hate me, don’t you…?”
I finally understood why they say a woman’s tears are the most powerful weapon.
Seeing those big teardrops made guilt swell up inside me for pushing her away so firmly—I even felt like hugging her without thinking.
But for both her sake and mine, I had to draw a firm line here.
First reason: I didn’t want my first time to be forced by someone else’s magic instead of my own free will.
Second: I had no confidence in handling the fallout if word reached the duke that I’d touched her.
Third: With the succubi’s malicious intent clearly at play, I didn’t want to dance to their tune.
I put on a resolute expression and said,
“I absolutely don’t hate you, Lady Laura. If anything, I think I like you. It’s just that some lines need to be respected.”
My words about not hating Laura weren’t empty flattery to soothe her.
Even though she was prickly, I’d never once thought I disliked her.
Sure, when her actions pissed me off, I got petty revenge by feeding her a diet of nothing but vegetables.
But that was anger at her behavior, never at her as a person.
If I’d truly hated her, I wouldn’t have cared about the 5,000 gold and would’ve ignored her completely until she left five years later.
Saying I liked her was also true.
Why, isn’t there that saying about love’s tough side?
Handing her piles of raw veggies without dressing.
Threatening her with meals to make her exercise.
All of it came from love for her.
Of course, I couldn’t deny the 5,000 gold stake played a part.
Mostly, it was like hoping a tomboy little sister would turn out okay.
“Then why reject me…? Am I not pretty?”
“Of course you’re pretty, Lady Laura.”
“And I don’t hate you either, so let’s just…”
I clamped my hand over Laura’s mouth as she started to say something dangerous.
Then I gently admonished her.
“You’re still too young, Lady Laura. At least wait until you’re nineteen.”
Eighteen years old.
By this world’s standards, a full adult who could marry, but to me, she still looked so young.
As I blocked her mouth and rejected her advances, Laura seemed to sense my strong resolve. She nodded with a gloomy expression.
Only then did I remove my hand from her mouth.
“Pah…”
She’d been holding her breath with her mouth covered, so as soon as I let go, she gasped in sharply.
“Th-then… I won’t cross the line, so can I borrow your shoulder?”
“Yes, that much is fine.”
She cautiously asked to lean on my shoulder.
I worried she might suddenly pounce, but thankfully, she kept her promise and just rested there quietly.
After a brief silence, Laura suddenly lifted her head and met my eyes.
“You into older ladies or something?”
“No…”
“Then why say I’m too young? All my academy friends are already married.”
Her claim that all her academy friends were married was surprising, but what shocked me most was that she had friends at all.
Friends for this venomous villainess lady?
I couldn’t believe it.
“Wow, you actually have friends, Lady Laura?”
At my question laced with surprise, Laura punched my shoulder lightly with her cute little fist.
“Wanna die?”
The Laura who’d been slurring just moments ago was starting to regain her senses as we talked—her pronunciation clearing up, focus returning to her eyes.
She was still trying to cling to me, so the aphrodisiac spell in the room hadn’t fully worn off.
But somehow she was overcoming it, her condition improving bit by bit.
“You’re coming back to your senses a little? Any idea why?”
As she leaned blankly on my shoulder, I swatted away her hand creeping up my thigh and asked.
Laura pouted and withdrew her hand, tilting her head.
“Hmm… Being close to you makes my head feel a bit clearer?”
Her symptoms easing while pressed against me…
I wasn’t some human antidote that detoxes poison on contact, so the most plausible guess was that the divine power circulating through my body was affecting her.
“Come here for a sec.”
To test my theory, I pushed away Laura’s head from my shoulder.
“Nooo… don’t toss me away…”
Thinking I was abandoning her, she shook her head with a teary face.
But the difference in our strength was absolute.
I successfully pulled her head away.
“Sniff… Liar. You said I could lean on your shoulder!”
Instead of answering, I tightly gripped her hand.
To escape this room without sex, we needed to move and find a solution.
For now, holding hands seemed the most effective way to stay in contact while active.
“So, how is it?”
I asked about her condition while holding her hand.
Laura gripped back without resistance and spoke.
“Ugh… my head’s still fuzzy… but I can move.”
The Laura who’d normally grumble at every question was honestly describing her state.
The aphrodisiac must’ve muddled her mind enough to make her a bit more straightforward.
“Good to hear.”
“Mm…”
She slyly tried to link arms, but I decided to let that much slide.
Even with my divine power running, my head felt hazy—this was powerful stuff. Without divine power, Laura needed some leeway to calm her urges.
‘She’s sweaty.’
Her hand in mine was slick with sweat.
As an ice mage always keeping her body cool, the sudden heat had her sweat glands working overtime to regulate her temperature.
Once Laura’s excitement somewhat subsided, the first place we approached was the firmly shut door.
It seemed made of solid stone—we pushed with all our might, but it didn’t budge an inch.
Instead, every time we touched it, the sex counter above flashed, like a warning not to cheat and to follow the proper path.
I broke out in cold sweat after pounding and shoving the immovable door.
Distracted by the aphrodisiac, I’d momentarily forgotten, but my biggest worry had always been starving or dying of thirst.
At this rate, my feared scenario was unfolding.
‘Can’t let that happen.’
Dying fighting a monster? At least that’d be cool.
Starving or dehydrating to death? Utterly pathetic.
I wanted to avoid such an uncool end.
Pondering the situation, I could sense the succubi’s intent in trapping us in this sex-proof room.
They planned to let us wither away.
They’d probably open the path to the boss room after 100 times, as claimed—this was likely succubus magic, after all.
But sex is intense exercise that burns a ton of calories.
Doing that 100 times?
In our unfed state, we’d die before half.
Some claim death by overpleasure is the best way to go, but not me.
What if we just endure without sex?
Also stupid.
No rescue in sight—sitting tight would still lead to dehydration and starvation.
We had to find another way out.
Trying to ignore Laura’s hand squeezing mine almost painfully, I examined the sex-proof room’s door.
The dark gray door looked thick and sturdy at a glance—daunting even to attempt breaking.
Still, to survive, we had to try something. I let go of her hand and gripped my sword.
Laura pouted again at the release, but this time, she didn’t protest much. Thank goodness.
Vmmm.
Mana gathered at the sword tip, emitting a sharp blue glow.
I swung the mana-charged blade at the door with full force.
Bam!
It didn’t cut deep—just bounced off.
I could cleave normal stone with mana-infused strikes, but this door had some magical reinforcement. Only a tiny scratch.
Easier to starve than chop through.
I forced a smile to reassure Laura, but with no solution in sight, my spirits sank.
‘How do I break this tough stone?’
Staring blankly at the faint scratch, a sudden idea hit me.
It’d require Laura’s help.
I approached her—she was breathing roughly after I’d let go.
“Lady Laura?”
“Haa… mm…”
Her eyes were scary.
Like a predator eyeing prey.
Before she could do something rash, I hurriedly grabbed her hand and said,
“At the timing I call, can you hit it with ice magic?”
Her bloodshot red eyes stared intently at me.
Intimidating, but I swallowed and held her gaze.
After a moment of eye contact, she murmured lowly.
“One wish.”
“Huh?”
“Give me one wish…”
“No, you want to escape too, right? This isn’t the time to negotiate.”
Laura’s red lips moved.
“One. Wish.”
Her firm expression showed no give.
What could she possibly want from a mere baron like me?
Ridiculous, but desperate times—I nodded.
There wasn’t much she could squeeze from a lowly baron anyway.
At most, extra meat and bread at meals.
No big deal.
Having secured her wish, Laura’s tense face relaxed into a dreamy smile.
Under the aphrodisiac’s sway, her slightly twisted joy made me uneasy.
She wouldn’t wish for something weird, right…?