Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Helen's Temptation
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"......."
Helen clamped her mouth shut as she stared intently at Max's face, his head pillowed on her thigh.
His hair was slicked back neatly with oil, and he wore the glasses frame she'd gifted him, his exhausted face resting against her thigh.
The moment she'd first seen him in that suit, her heart had raced—his look hit every one of her tastes dead-on.
It was like the professor Max from her illusions had stepped out into reality, standing right in front of her.
That alone wouldn't have distracted her this much.
It was the dark circles etched under his eyes, visible through the glasses.
Something all too familiar to her.
Every professor at the academy had them, not to mention the students during exam season.
It looked so hollow it made her worry about his health.
But on Max, it was different.
It gave him an air of fragile beauty, even decadence.
His perfectly tailored look had her so worked up that she felt heat pooling in her lower belly.
Her body reacting this strongly, Helen stared at him for a moment.
She gazed at his face, peacefully asleep with his head on her lap.
Their first meeting hadn't gone well at all.
She'd gone to his shop to uncover Yuris's weakness.
The nonchalant shop owner there.
He'd refused to spill a customer's secrets, standing firm without budging an inch.
Then he'd shown her an illusion, and that was the start of things with Max.
It should've been a disaster, but she'd been drawn in by the experiences from that illusion, leading her here.
To the point of giving him gifts and coming alone to his shop with him.
Helen looked up.
The area with the staff was curtained off, and beyond the terrace stretched the imperial skyline—no one could see her.
Meaning no one would know what Helen did.
'Even if I do something, no one will find out.'
Not even Max himself.
Gulp.
Helen swallowed hard.
Then she looked back at him.
With trembling hands, she stroked his hair.
The oiled strands shifted under her touch.
The slick texture felt unfamiliar.
'Weird.'
It wasn't her first time touching oiled hair.
She'd combed her brother Veron's hair a few times to style it for him.
-I want my little sister's cheer for victory?
He'd begged with that excuse, and she couldn't say no.
Back then, she'd hated the slimy feel.
'Feels okay now.'
Now it was fine.
No, it felt good.
She stroked his hair and looked at him.
She bit her lip watching his chest rise and fall slowly in sleep.
She wiped the oil from her hands with a handkerchief, then caressed his face.
Unlike her own soft, plump cheeks, his felt a bit firmer—new and intriguing.
She stroked his cheek, touched his cheekbone, then his solid forehead.
Her fingers, starting with light taps, grew bolder.
"The ears are the same."
She fiddled with his earlobe, kneading it gently.
"Hee hee hee."
A smile crept onto her face; it just felt good.
Helen's faint smile led her hands to venture further.
"...Here too?"
She prodded his lips with her finger.
Just brushing his lips with her finger.
Thump thump.
Her heart pounded like she'd kissed him.
Helen's eyes locked onto Max's lips.
Once fixed, her gaze wouldn't budge.
She stared at his closed mouth.
At his red lips, drawing breath in and out.
'We've kissed so many times...'
In the illusion, Helen had been forcibly kissed by Max, and she'd kissed him of her own accord too.
Memories of all those illusion experiences flooded back, her face burning.
'Am I crazy?'
Why was that her first thought?
Helen covered her flushed face with both hands and let out a deep breath.
"Hoo, I'm burning up."
Fanning her face with her hand, she glanced at the soundly sleeping Max.
"......."
As she watched, desire stirred.
What started as wanting to touch his lips with her fingers grew.
"Ahem."
She glanced around, checking for anyone watching.
She knew her spot guaranteed anonymity, but guilt made her double-check.
Then.
"Just for a second, it'll be fine."
She swept her hair back and leaned down toward Max.
Eyes squeezed shut, she bent at the waist, bringing her face close to his, pillowed on her thigh.
Their faces were about to overlap.
"What are you doing?"
Max's voice rang out.
At the voice that shouldn't have, Helen's eyes flew open.
She met Max's gaze as he looked up at her.
Max stared back with the dazed look of someone just woken.
"Eek?!!"
A shrill squeak escaped her.
Embarrassment turned her face a deeper crimson than before.
"Helen?"
"A- uh, th-that's, you see? Just now..."
Flustered, she couldn't string words together. She jerked her head up, scrambling for an excuse.
"Uh, there seemed to be some hair on your face, so I was just checking to pick it off."
"......."
He clearly wasn't buying it.
Max, lying on her thigh, stared up piercingly before speaking.
"Hair on my face?"
"Y-Yeah!"
"Then pick it off."
"Huh?"
"You said there's hair on my face. So take it off."
"Oh, well..."
What if he calls my bluff?
Unaware of her panic, Max closed his eyes.
"Ah, ahaha! M-My bad. It wasn't hair after all. Haha!"
"Is that so?"
Only then did Max open his eyes again.
He sat up.
The weight on her thigh vanished, leaving an empty ache. Helen let out a wistful sigh.
"Why not sleep more?"
"I'm fine. This was enough. Can't impose further."
"Oh."
It was fine.
He could've stayed longer.
His weight on her thigh hadn't bothered her at all.
"Have some snacks while enjoying the view."
"Shall I?"
An awkward silence followed.
But Helen thought even that silence was nice.
Peaceful.
She gazed at the capital's skyline with Max.
No—her eyes lingered more on something else than the view.
'What do I do?'
I'd felt everything.
That Helen had been staring at me intently.
Exhausted enough to forget my face was on a woman's thigh, but her soft thigh against my cheek snapped me awake.
To avoid embarrassing her if I sat up right away, I pretended to stay asleep, eyes closed.
Then I felt her piercing gaze on me, her hands on my cheek and hair.
Her breathing grew ragged, and she started leaning down toward me.
'Wait, no way.'
I sensed the mood shift.
The vibe of Helen about to kiss me.
Just as her breath brushed me.
I snapped my eyes open, stopping her.
'Can't cross this line.'
Helen was the eldest daughter of the Silvesta family.
Heir to the top noble house. Once she graduated the academy, proposals would flood in from all sorts of families.
Matchmaking talks sidelined because she was a student, marriages for family alliances, or unions to bolster her future—she was that kind of woman.
No mere commoner illusion mage could dream of her.
'I'm just an outlet for noble ladies to vent their desires.'
A facilitator helping them face themselves more honestly.
Sure, I'd taken her virginity in the process, but nothing beyond that.
'Helen's looking at me like that because of the process of taking her virginity and the lust-fueled emotions shaking her up.'
Like a summer fever.
A fleeting feeling that comes and goes.
'Bringing me here might be to indulge that desire.'
Regret shadowed her surprised face.
I had plenty of customers.
I'd opened this shop to showcase the best illusions to others, but also to rake in funds for the Illusion Magic School.
To make money, I needed steady customers.
'If I cross a line with Helen here.'
Something I couldn't handle would follow.
'Better stop here.'
So I forcibly changed the subject.
Suggested viewing the skyline.
We spent the time quietly.
Sensing the odd tension in the air.
"...Teacher."
"Yes, Miss Helen."
She called me but hesitated a long while before responding.
After prolonged silence and wavering.
Her sparkling eyes on me, Helen slowly spoke.
"...You opening the shop today?"
"The shop, you mean?"
"Yeah. If no customers, I'd like to buy a bit more of your time."
"......."
I'd planned not to open.
I'd pulled an all-nighter on work and hadn't shaken off the fatigue yet.
But looking into Helen's pleading eyes now, I couldn't say it easily.
"No plans to, but if an urgent customer shows, I suppose I should."
"Really?"
Helen paused, then took my hand from the table and asked.
"Then can we head to the shop now? I want to see your illusions."
"Sure."
Amid the soft music from the bakery's band, I accepted Helen's request.
And so our date ended, and we returned to the shop together.