Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Doubts and an Awkward Welcome
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‘……I hope I made the right choice.’
After teleporting back to Aurora’s mansion via the magic circle, I quickened my pace due to the nagging unease bubbling up inside me. I just wasn’t confident that I’d chosen correctly.
Instead of helping me acquire the next weapon after my bloodstained sword, she’d offered to reveal the location of the dungeon holding the Crystal Scroll. That was the deal I’d proposed to Minerva.
Of course, I hadn’t pulled out the Crystal Scroll as my opening move. I’d first suggested options I thought might pique her interest, but she rejected them all.
In the end, my only cards left were the Crystal Scroll or an ancient scroll of equal value. Among the ancient scrolls, the Crystal Scroll was the easiest to obtain, so that’s what I chose.
I’d expected a positive reaction, but not to this extent.
The moment I mentioned revealing the dungeon’s location, Minerva’s eyes changed. She shot up from her seat, pulled me into her bosom, and hugged me so tightly it felt like she’d crush me.
She even whined about leaving right then and there, abandoning all dignity as a grand archmage. It must have really struck a chord with her.
The original NPC only showed emotion when the player brought her an ancient scroll, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected……but Minerva’s reaction was far more intense than in the original.
Just the proposal alone visibly skyrocketed her trust in me. Imagining her response if the Crystal Scroll was actually there wasn’t hard at all.
I could already see the future unfolding.
‘No helping it.’
Without teleportation, it’d take years in reality—no exaggeration. I couldn’t commit to that madness. Besides, success wasn’t guaranteed.
I’d considered asking the popes, but according to Minerva, divine teleportation worked differently and wouldn’t yield the results I wanted.
In the end, I had only one choice.
‘The confusion’s cleared up already. Well, if it hadn’t, that’d be a problem too.’
I glanced down at the garden through the corridor window. After Minerva dragged me away, the battle nuns who’d been wandering aimlessly had all vanished.
They’d probably returned to the Holy Kingdom. Their purpose here had been to guard Aurora in place of the Silver Dawn Knights, but now that we were back, there was no need for them to stay.
“Please wait a moment, Delta.”
As I reached the parlor door and moved to open it, someone blocked my path. It was the head maid who’d greeted us at the mansion’s front gate.
“What is it?”
“Until permission is granted to enter, I’ve been ordered not to let you into the parlor. It’s the lord’s instruction, so I kindly ask for your understanding.”
“The lord said that?”
“Yes. I’ll inform you the moment permission comes, so if you’d follow me for now, I’d appreciate it.”
I stared blankly beyond the parlor door before turning to follow the head maid.
I had no idea what the reason was, but since it was an order from Aurora herself, there must be a good one.
“Um…… Miss Head Maid……?”
“Call me Rana. What is it?”
I fumbled over how to address the maid before me, and she introduced herself as Rana first.
Now that I thought about it, quite some time had passed since Aurora took over as lord, and this maid had been the first to greet us every time—yet I’d never even learned her name.
“Yes, Miss Rana. Are the knight captains in there with the lord too?”
“Indeed. The lord is currently in talks with the Silver Dawn Knights’ captains. Is there something you’re curious about?”
“I was wondering what they’re discussing that she’d order me not to enter.”
Rana stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing me. She slowly turned her head to meet my eyes.
Her face was as expressionless as ever, devoid of any emotion, but somehow the vibe felt different. It was hard to put into words, but it did.
“The lord didn’t order me to keep the conversation’s contents secret, so if you truly wish to know, I can share what I’ve heard. However, in my personal opinion, I recommend you don’t.”
“……May I ask why?”
“They’re discussing you, Delta. Specifically—”
“That’s enough. I get it.”
I cut Rana off. Hearing that much was plenty to figure out what was going on inside. Just as she said—it was a topic I shouldn’t hear.
We climbed another flight of stairs to a room right next to them. It was as luxurious as the parlor. I sat on the sofa as Rana indicated.
Soon, the clink of tea service followed. Unlike my expectation that she’d stand rigidly behind me like always—making me feel choked—Rana returned to the sofa with her own cup.
Plop. Her body sank into the cushions.
“What’s wrong?”
Stunned by the sight, I stared wide-eyed, and Rana tilted her head from across me as if wondering what the issue was.
“You always refused when I suggested sitting because it made even me uncomfortable watching, so seeing you sit so casually now is surprising.”
“I am a maid. A maid cannot share a table with the master she serves or the master’s guest.”
“Then right now……?”
“The lord ordered me to keep you company. More precisely, to keep you from being bored—whether as a conversation partner or whatever—until you’re allowed back into the parlor. That’s why.”
Conversation partner? I sneakily eyed Rana as she sat primly with knees together, elegantly sipping her tea.
It was something I absolutely couldn’t say aloud, but honestly, having her here or not wouldn’t make much difference. If Iris and Erika evolved one more step, they’d probably give off this vibe.
“Yes. As you can see, I’m not particularly gifted with words, so fulfilling the lord’s command as your conversation partner is quite a challenge for me.”
I flinched reflexively at her words. At this point, maybe I needed to practice keeping my inner thoughts off my face.
“But there are ways for a man and woman to spend time together besides verbal conversation.”
“Pardon?”
Before I could ask what she meant, Rana began unfastening her collar. I froze in shock, watching as she undid her clothes.
Only after her buttons came undone one by one, revealing pale collarbones and black shoulder straps, did I snap out of it and hurriedly stop her. It was a razor-close call.
“Wait. What on earth are you doing? Why are you undressing all of a sudden?”
“Since I lack the skill for conversation with words, I thought we’d converse with our bodies instead. Ah, since I’m a woman, some might call this verbal conversation too. Though it’d be with the lower mouth, of course, not the upper one.”
Her words left me utterly dumbfounded. Even setting everything else aside, her vocabulary alone was enough to steal my soul. I barely managed to squeeze out a response.
“……I have zero intention of doing that, so stop.”
“Understood.”
Rana swiftly refastened her collar and primly crossed her knees. The shift was so quick it made her earlier boldness seem like a lie. In that brief moment, every button up to her neck was secured.
“If I may say so personally, that was an excellent response.”
Rana’s lips curved into the faintest smile. To anyone else, it’d be imperceptible, but for her, it was revolutionary.
“If you’d decided to take me there, it would’ve been a betrayal of my lord. Of course, I would’ve gone along with a bodily conversation as you wished.”
“You’d permit it even then?”
“What meaning does the virginity of a mere maid hold? In exchange, my lord would have been furious. If the one who took me didn’t take responsibility, I’d meet a gruesome end, no doubt.”
“…….”
“That was a joke.”
“…….”
That was supposed to be a joke? Really?
I had no clue how, where, or whether to laugh. My expression must’ve been a mess, as Rana’s slightly upturned lips returned to normal.
“It’s nothing. Please forget it.”
The atmosphere turned excruciatingly awkward in an instant.
I quietly sipped my tea, while Rana didn’t touch her own cup, merely refilling mine the moment it emptied.
How long had we sat in stifling silence, holding our breath? The door opened quietly. Another maid peeked in.
“The lord has granted permission to enter.”
“Got it. Tell her I’ll head there immediately.”
Rana finished clearing her tea and the treats at blinding speed. I set down my cup, and even that vanished in a flash.
With cleanup done in seconds, Rana stood demurely beside the door with hands clasped at her waist, ready to guide me.
“I’ll escort you.”
I followed meekly behind. She seemed composed on the outside, but probably embarrassed inside. It must’ve been her idea of a killer joke, ruined by my reaction.
Better to stay quiet than try to lighten the mood with forced chatter.
“Shall we go in?”
At the parlor door, Rana gripped the handle. She hesitated before opening it, muttering to herself.
“Please forget the disgraceful display I put on.”
Before I could reply, the door swung open. For a split second, her ears seemed flushed, but it passed too quickly to confirm.
I stepped inside. Click. The door shut behind me. An eerily quiet atmosphere greeted me—no, it had been quiet until I entered, then grew noisy again.
Aurora grinned at me, and Claudia waved with a similar smirk.
Erika and Iris averted their gazes. Them dodging my eyes meant they definitely had something to hide.
Finally, Lize’s face was beet red to the tips of her hair, her body trembling.
Guessing what they’d discussed inside wasn’t hard.
I’d been through this before: Claudia smirking, Iris and Erika glancing away while stealing peeks at me.
Aurora, still grinning, spoke up.
“Impressive, Delta. Looks like the saying about tall guys being big elsewhere is true? Makes me want to take a fresh look.”
“Have you ever considered how it feels to walk in and hear that right away, my lord?”
“What’s wrong with it? You like praise about your length, don’t you? We’ve got witnesses. Brightened your mood the second you came in, right?”
Aurora’s finger pointed at Lize, who’d buried her scarlet face. She cackled at my baffled expression before continuing.
“Kidding, kidding. The captains looked so stiff, so I joked to loosen things up. Relax and sit.”
Somehow, I had a feeling I knew who taught Rana that ‘joke.’
I settled into an empty spot on the sofa. With everyone gathered, Aurora instantly reverted to lord mode, smiling.
“First off, good work going to the Holy Kingdom. Must’ve been exhausting bickering with those zealots, so I’ll assign city patrols to our people for a while—rest up. And……”
Aurora rambled on with various matters afterward. Most concerned the knight captains, not me. Iris especially had quite a few tasks.
“Oh, right, Delta—you’ve got a lot to discuss with me? The info I went through hell to get, so you’d better use it well.”
Suddenly, her golden eyes turned to me. I nodded obediently.
“I know. Thank you, my lord.”
“Yeah, yeah. Pay me back with your body later. Last thing: Delta, you stay no matter what. The rest of you, do as you like—stay or head back to the castle.”
Permission to leave was given, but no one budged. Predictable. Even Aurora eyed us knowingly as she began her explanation.
I listened in relief, finally able to advance the main story.
Just two days later, I was struck by the thunderbolt known as the emperor’s edict.