125. Crazy bitch, crazy bitch, crazy bitch...
125. Crazy bitch, crazy bitch, crazy bitch...
Elaine looked with delight at Ryu-o, whose face was flushed red and whose words had come to an abrupt halt.
She knew she was being a total tease herself... but it was just too damn fun to hold back!
The way his every expression gave him away moment by moment, and even how cute it was that he was trying to hide it.
The way he hesitated, wondering whether to pull his hand away or not—it was hilarious.
And yet, he kept trying to meet her eyes right up to the end.
Elaine gave the back of Ryu-o's hand a little squeeze, and Ryu-o yanked his hand away in a panic.
-whoosh!
"Keuk keuk keuk~ Hm?"
"......... Are you seducing me?"
"Am I succeeding?"
"............"
Elaine crossed her arms and burst out laughing at Ryu-o, who was gritting his teeth.
"Kakakakaka!! Just kidding, just kidding! You've got someone you've promised a future with, right?"
Ryu-o's face relaxed, and he broke into a warm smile.
"Yeah."
"Oh......"
Elaine's curiosity about Ryu-o deepened even further.
How much love does it take to make a face like that?
Elaine turned on her ability as if entranced and looked at Ryu-o.
'............'
Seeing Ryu-o shining more brightly than ever before, she nearly went blind.
"Ha... no wonder he's blooming so fully after receiving that."
Elaine felt jealous of Hilda for the first time in ages.
How many years had it been? She'd envied Hilda for strutting around confidently while she herself lay bedridden.
And now, she was insanely jealous that Hilda had snagged a sun like Ryu-o.
'Am I falling for him? Tsk... no, I can't?'
A future leader of an empire, falling for a single guy?
No way. She knew what happened to emperors who went mad with love.
Elaine immediately turned off her ability and closed her eyes.
"Ha... I'm jealous."
"Of what?"
Elaine just calmly shared her feelings.
"That Hilda has you all to herself. Hilda's gonna monopolize your love, right?"
It was just an impression, like gazing at something distant—something she couldn't have.
Even if Ryu-o said he loved her, she couldn't love him back.
That's all she'd meant, but Ryu-o's expression...?
"......Ah, uh..."
'Hm?'
Elaine opened her eyes and examined Ryu-o.
She'd thought he was just embarrassed. But...
His eyes trembling faintly, his philtrum narrowed, his head slightly bowed. And so on...
'He feels ashamed? About what? To Hilda. Why? He thought of another woman. Huh? What... is he cheating?'
Ryu-o had given her way too much information.
It was all so transparently obvious that she didn't even need her ability to read it.
With her brilliant mind, Elaine pieced it all together in the blink of an eye.
'He's cheating... but no guilt. How? One, no conscience. Two, Hilda knows. Three, there's some unpredictable secret...'
She sensed Ryu-o's situation was special.
She didn't plan to do anything about it. Was there any reason to kick him out?
She was just... curious. Insanely curious!
To Elaine, Ryu-o was insanely refreshing.
Elaine...
"Hey. By any chance, are you cheating?"
She threw out a straight fastball as if entranced.
"????!?!?!!"
The result was a perfect strike right down the middle.
Once her prediction turned to certainty, Elaine went into overdrive.
"Wow, how? Is Hilda not enough? Who with? Is there another woman on Hilda's level? Hm... a girl you met on an adventure? Playing with fire? Nah, not that! Then who? Someone really close... Selana? Nah, no way. I don't know well... who's around you... Arin? Is it Arin?? Am I wrong about something? In the east, with Master-nim... Mmph!!!"
"W-Wait a sec!!!!!"
As Ryu-o clamped his hand over the rampaging Elaine's mouth, Amber drew her dagger with a murderous glare.
"........."
-shing
Elaine raised her hand to stop Amber.
Only then did Amber return to her expressionless face.
"""........."""
The room fell into silence.
Elaine tapped the back of Ryu-o's hand, and he pulled it away.
"Puhah... So. How'd you do it?"
"...Do I have to tell you?"
"No? I don't have the right. I'm just purely curious. But I'd love it if you told me!"
How could a guy cheat so boldly and still get permission?
Ryu-o squeezed his eyes shut...
-pop up!
"Huh?"
"I'll tell you next time. See ya."
He bolted through the secret passage.
"Eeeek??!? Me!! I won't sleep! Tell me before you goooo!!!"
"P-Please, nooo! You mustn't get up, Your Highness!!!"
That night, Elaine tossed and turned sleeplessly.
Time had slipped into the mid-month before they knew it.
It was a late start for aiming at the 30th Floor end-of-month boss, but it was the schedule Hilda had set after seeing their 20th Floor record.
[Once you reach the 20th Floor, return if there's less than 14 days left. And I'll attach real knights, so use them freely. They'll serve as witnesses and dutifully act as attendants... Ah, and this time we've done thorough verification, so no worries...]
[Hilda. Thanks for worrying. But this is the fifth explanation...]
"Uuuung... honeyyy♥ Ack! M-My back..."
I gently laid Master-nim back down as she tried to get up from on top of me and covered her with the blanket.
"You don't need to see me off. I'll be back."
Even so, Master-nim grunted and struggled to sit up...
"Urgh..."
-crackle!
"Aaaah... chu♥ I love you. Come back safe♥"
............
Right there, I put Master-nim into a back-friendly position.
-squeeze!
"H-Honey!! It's breaking! After all that last night..."
-squish!!♥
"Stooop!! Hiiiiiik??!?!♥"
♥♥♥
I straightened out Master-nim's body from the cat pose and covered her with the blanket.
The day to head to the 30th Floor had finally arrived.
At this rate, they'd be a bit late, so I even used skills to dash there.
'Hm... knights, huh...'
Attaching knights wasn't great, but it was procedure, so what could I do?
Of course, if I asked Hilda, she probably wouldn't. But no need to stir up unnecessary gossip.
They had to reach the 20th Floor within a week from today. That would give them leeway for departing to the 30th Floor.
Of course, with portals, it'd be a snap...
Still, they said no more knights after the 30th Floor.
Newbie graduation, basically.
'Yeah... just tough it out this one more time.'
Getting ultra-luxury manpower from the Duchy felt more like a hassle, honestly.
Even I had to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded.
'My abilities are kinda OP... Ah, here we are.'
I opened the door and headed to Silvia's room, where my companions were waiting.
"O! You're ear~ly~"
I scooped up the charging Selana...
-poof~
"?!?!?!?!"
And plopped her on the sofa.
With her Charm, hugs were off-limits, right?
"Hee... huiiing... for real?"
"Yeah, for real."
"..."
"Tsk... Selana... you get it?"
"Hing... okay..."
Still, petting her head should be fine.
-pat pat pat pat pat
"Hehe~ Hot!! H-Hiiing..."
So cute. Reminds me of little sisters.
I vigorously petted the sulking Selana and greeted the others.
"Long time no see, everyone. Ready?"
"Yes... of course..."
"Ha... indeed."
"????"
Wait, why does everyone look so down?
"What's up? Why's everyone so listless?"
Zenin Hardin looked like he was about to die of regret, gnawing on his handkerchief.
"Kruuugh! Sorry! I shouldn't be like this..."
"The miracle of manhood. Can't use it? ......Just disappointing."
Ah, probably bummed about skipping the Labyrinth.
"It'd be rude to the knights we prepared. Hang in there just this once, and next time you can go wild. Cheer up."
Everyone's eyes lit up at my words.
"Yeah, you guys! See how hard our knights prepared!"
"Y-You're joking, right Gongnyeo-nim~"
"Just disappointing. No complaints."
Love how straightforward they all are.
As we chatted about recent updates, Silvia entered after knocking.
-knock knock
Silvia saw me and her mouth slackened a bit...
"...♥♥♥ Ahem! Ahem... Welcome, Raid Members. I'll brief you on this operation."
She pulled herself together perfectly and started the briefing.
After the short mission overview and grabbing supplies, we headed to the Labyrinth with the knights.
In the secret space of the Labyrinth's 30th Floor.
Ananta looked up and muttered blankly.
"......... How the hell is this possible."
Ananta thought to herself.
Thank god she'd somehow followed that bitch here.
Ananta's gaze fell on Riner, who was smacking the cheek of the 30th Floor boss Ogre and giving it orders.
-slap slap!
"Come on! You... sit over there and wait!"
"...... Grrr."
The massive Ogre with Riner on its shoulder nodded, drooling like crazy.
Then it took its position just as ordered and waited obediently.
That vicious, ultra-vicious Ogre acting like a drugged mutt?
And there were 12 of them.
No clue how she'd dragged them from the boss area.
With that kind of power, all it does is...
"Ha... seeing these ugly mugs is killing my vibe. When's Jang Ryu-o coming..."
Chasing after some dude's ass like a loser.
Ananta was so baffled she couldn't hold back the question.
"What the hell... for an apology, why do you need Ogres?"
Riner tilted her head like she genuinely didn't get it.
"Huh? Otherwise, he won't accept my apology?"
Was her whole concept of apologies wrong?
That's not an apology, that's a threat?
"So... if he accepts the apology...?"
"That means... our hearts connected♥!!♥"
Ananta watched Riner spinning in circles and thought.
'She's lost it.'
Her head.
"If our hearts connect, then what..."
Riner's answer...
"Means he gets my feelings, which means let's get married? Hwaa~♥"
"......?"
"Haah~ Once we marry, I'll take him to Master-nim and brag like crazy..."
Ananta turned her head away right there.
She no longer trusted herself to keep looking at 'that thing.'
That day, in Ananta's mind, Riner was demoted to sub-animal language level.