The Imperial Party

Hmm, today's panties are in pretty good shape. Not too flashy, but with just the right amount of luxury—the kind that wouldn't polarize opinions. Satisfied, I moved to take those off as well.

"W-wait a second!" If Alissa hadn't stopped me in a hurry, I would have.

"Why?"

"Why?! How can you even ask that? How could you just agree to strip like it's nothing? You pervert!"

"Then what do you want me to do? Weren't you the one complaining it was unfair that only you got to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠show everything?"

"Ugh... well, that's true, but..."

"Or are you planning to kill me instead?"

Given her usual behavior, eliminating the witness to pretend it never happened seemed entirely possible.

"There's no way I'd do that!"

"No?"

"Of course not! Does it make any sense to kill your lifesaver just because he saw your breasts? What exactly do you take me for?"

"...A violent woman?"

"Why would you think that? I've never shown that side to Hyun!"

Alissa's eyes drooped with clear disappointment. The surprisingly docile look made me marvel quietly as I pulled my pants back up.

"If it was a misunderstanding, I apologize. Looks like I was carrying some strange preconceptions."

"...I'll let it slide just this once."

"Thank you."

With my gratitude, I picked up the rapier from the floor and handed it over. She accepted it, then asked again.

"By the way, why did you take your pants off so casually? Don't tell me you have exhibitionist tendencies?"

"I don't."

"Then why?"

Her eyes brimmed with pure curiosity.

Why? The answer was obvious. After already committing rape, showing my cock wasn't exactly groundbreaking. But I couldn't say that outright, so I kept it vague.

"No special reason. I simply figured it wouldn't matter if I showed you."

"...It wouldn't matter if it was me?"

"That's right."

"What does that mean?"

Alissa wore a complicated expression. It was oddly fascinating—partly excited, partly afraid.

What kind of answer was she hoping for? I didn't know what she wanted, but unfortunately the only response I could give was limited.

"It's exactly what it sounds like. I judged that showing you wouldn't be a problem."

"...Because you don't see me as a woman?"

"What?"

"You showed me because you don't think of me that way, right? No one feels shame baring themselves in front of an animal."

Alissa's eyes grew moist in an instant. The way she pressed her lips together looked dangerously close to breaking into tears.

Only then did I realize.

No way...

I'd suspected the possibility earlier but kept denying it. It seemed pointless to deny any longer.

Alissa was in love with me—more precisely, with Hyun. Of all people, why did it have to be me? What kind of cruel joke was fate playing?

This relationship was doomed from the start.

I smiled bitterly.

What should I do?

Normally, the correct choice would be to firmly push her away. But was that truly best? Rejecting her outright might only provoke her further. If that led to Alissa becoming even more obsessed, things could turn serious.

The smartest approach would be to slowly create distance and let her forget naturally.

The problem was determining whether this reasoning came from rational thought or emotional impulse. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Even I couldn't tell.

My deliberations ultimately tipped toward the latter.

Anyway, we won't see each other often.

If I stopped sticking my nose in unnecessarily, I'd probably face Alissa fewer than five times before the ending. And even those encounters wouldn't allow for leisurely conversation.

The decision was made.

"I have no idea what you're thinking. Are you saying I see you as a man?"

"...That's not what I meant."

"Then what?"

"Well..."

Alissa started to speak but faltered. She was probably afraid of revealing her feelings. After being so blatantly interested until now, this sudden hesitation was almost comical.

She fidgeted, gauging my reaction, then asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"How did my breasts look?"

"...Sorry?"

"I asked how my breasts looked! Don't pretend you didn't hear me."

When I tried to dodge the question, Alissa raised her voice in anger. On the surface she seemed bold and confident, but her trembling eyes and rigidly tensed shoulders revealed just how nervous she truly was.

I couldn't possibly say anything negative in front of her.

"They were beautiful."

"...Beautiful?"

"Yes."

"Then... did they excite you?"

"......"

Alissa's breasts were magnificent. Given her slim frame, it felt like she'd concentrated every bit of fat she could spare into that one area. They were bouncy, perfectly teardrop-shaped, and flawless by any aesthetic standard.

Realizing my silence was confirmation, Alissa's face gradually brightened.

"I see... You got excited. Hehe!"

Understanding that I saw her as a woman, a shy smile bloomed on her lips and her eyes curved into crescent moons. The fresh, girlish charm nearly made me smile with satisfaction despite myself.

I took a step back.

"Then I'll be going now."

"What? Right now?"

"The sparring was supposed to last five minutes, wasn't it? We've gone well beyond that. ...See you later."

Leaving behind a promise that would never happen, I turned without hesitation and left. Fortunately, Alissa didn't try to stop me.

As I crossed the garden and enough distance grew between us, I removed my mask. I retraced my steps, climbed back onto the balcony, put on my accessories and coat once more, and returned to the party hall.

When I scanned the room for Isis, my eyes met Scadia's. She was seated at a table; the moment she saw me, her face crumpled into a frown and she downed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wine a man was offering her in one long gulp. Her gaze never left me even as she drank.

At that sharp intensity, I turned my head away.

Finally, I spotted Isis in a corner, conversing with Princess Regina. As I approached, Isis noticed me.

"Luan! There you are. Where were you? I was worried."

"I was on the balcony for a while. I got lost stargazing and time slipped away."

"Really? I'm glad nothing happened. Anyway, let me introduce you. This is Princess Regina."

Isis gestured behind her. I'd seen the princess earlier when presenting the gift to the emperor, but we'd exchanged no words, so this was our first proper meeting.

"It's been a while, Your Highness. Thank you for your help last time."

"A pleasure, Lord Luan. But what exactly do you mean by 'last time'?"

"During the election campaign. Thanks to you, I was rescued without any major issues."

"Ah, that. It was nothing, really."

On the surface our conversation seemed warm, but the looks we exchanged were anything but. The emotion in our eyes was pure dislike. We both hated each other intensely.

I wanted to escape this situation immediately, and I could tell Regina felt the same. I brought up my business to achieve my goal.

"Sister, could we speak alone for a moment?"

"Hm? Just the two of us?"

"Yes. It's a personal matter."

When I hardened my expression seriously and glanced at Regina, Isis let out a small sigh.

"Ah... I see. Then it can't be helped. Princess Regina, may I be excused for a moment?"

"...Do as you wish. I'll wait here."

"Thank you. Luan, where to?"

"Follow me."

I led Isis toward the balcony. Regina glared daggers at me as if something were terribly wrong. I couldn't understand why she was acting that way when she clearly wanted to leave the situation too.

After opening the door and stepping onto the balcony, Isis and I stood side by side at the railing.

"Haa... It's really lovely. So many stars tonight. No wonder you lost track of time staring at them, Luan."

Isis gazed up at the night sky in wonder. The sight of brilliant blue stars blanketing the heavens was truly spectacular. But my eyes never left her face. Because to me, Isis shone far brighter than those hundreds of millions of stars combined.

Looking at her, I took a small box from my pocket.

"Here."

"Oh? What's this?"

"Open it."

The box was barely larger than a palm. Isis tilted her head curiously, lifted the lid, and her eyes widened.

Inside lay a silver cross necklace that sparkled brilliantly.

"L-Luan? What is this?"

"A gift to celebrate your appointment as student council president. It ended up being rather late."

"You... really..."

Isis's voice trembled with emotion. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, a light even more brilliant than the necklace itself. In the end, a single tear traced down her cheek.

"Thank you, Luan. I'll treasure it always."

"You should. Stay still. I'll put it on for you."

"...Yes. Please do."

I moved behind her, gently swept her long straight hair to one side, and carefully fastened the necklace. I barely resisted the urge to pull her into a back hug.

Returning to face her, I smiled at the way the necklace sparkled above her ample chest.

"It suits you perfectly."

"Yes. It's so beautiful."

Her slender fingers gently touched the necklace. I could feel how much she loved it without her saying another word.

"It's an artifact called the Medallion's Blessing. It carries purifying power and will protect you from harmful effects."

In truth, the student council president excuse was just that—an excuse. I simply wanted to give her this. In the dungeon I'd enter during the dispatch a month from now, that purification would prove incredibly valuable.

"What? This is an artifact? Those are incredibly expensive. Where did you get it?"

"At the auction house. I happened to come across it."

"I see... Thank you so much. Luan really is the best!"

"It's nothing. Keep it on your body at all times. Understood?"

"Yes! I'll wear it around my neck every day."

Isis smiled brightly. There was a saying that smiling after crying would make hair grow on your butt, but her smile was so beautiful that such nonsense didn't matter in the slightest.

At that moment, I sensed a strange presence from inside the party hall. When I turned my head, a red afterimage vanished at incredible speed. It must have been Regina.

What was that about?

I tilted my head. It wasn't as if she'd been caught stealing—why run away so desperately? Peeking secretly was wrong, but we were the ones who'd openly gone out to the balcony in the first place.

After a moment of puzzlement, I decided it didn't matter and shook off the distracting thoughts.

"Shall we head back inside? Her Highness will be waiting."

"Let's. Pfft! I have to show off this necklace. I'll tell everyone it's a gift from my Luan."

Isis returned to the party hall with light, happy steps.

But when we reached our original seats...

"Huh? Where did she go?"

It seemed she'd left first because she felt awkward about being caught peeking. I handed the note to Isis.

"Ah, something came up. I won't get to brag about the necklace after all."

"You wanted to brag that badly?"

"Of course! It's the first gift you've ever given me. I'll cherish it for the rest of my life."

A fresh wave of guilt washed over me. To think I hadn't given a single present to such a kind and beautiful sister for over twenty years—I truly was the world's worst bastard.

I quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, the party's winding down. Shall we head back too?"

"Mm... let's do that. We have school tomorrow, so it's better to go home and rest early."

"Yes. Let's go."

When I offered my hand, Isis quickly took it and laced our fingers tightly together.

This really does feel like we're lovers.

What brother and sister in the world would attend a party as partners and hold hands like this? I chuckled softly and left the party hall.

Just as we reached the entrance, a maid came running from afar.

"L-Lord Luan! It's been so long!"

"You're..."

"I'm Lenny, Lady Scadia's personal maid. I'm sorry to trouble you, but is the lady inside?"

"Scadia?"

I frowned. I hadn't looked closely, but I remembered that after giving Isis the necklace and returning to the party hall, Scadia was no longer there.

"No, I don't think she was inside. Did something happen?"

"Yes! She was supposed to arrive twenty minutes ago, but I still haven't seen her. The lady isn't the type to break her promises!"

Scadia was extremely strict. Once she set a plan, deviations were rare, and if something came up she always gave advance notice. For her to vanish without any contact was no small matter.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.

Fucking bitch. Why does she always act so damn high and mighty? We sat together and she won't even let me touch her—does that make any sense?

That's what I'm saying. One dose of that and it's over. Women go crazy for it.

The two men I'd encountered on my way to the bathroom. One of their faces overlapped with the noble who had been sitting with Scadia.

So it was that bastard.

Scadia was in danger.