Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Helen's Lingering Shame
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Helen, having composed her mind and body, glared at me.
"Yes, as you said, since I've become an accomplice, I can't very well tell Yuris that she saw such depraved things."
"You understand well."
"Acting all proper on the outside while witnessing something so lewd... I'm disappointed, Yuris."
Her face completely flushed red, she straightened her clothes and took a step back.
"...You didn't see it, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
......That. The illusion I saw."
"Do you want me to tell you the truth? Or would you prefer I mix in a little lie?"
......No. Don't answer. I already know what you'd say."
"Understood."
She was sharp, as expected—quick on the uptake.
She'd instantly realized that I'd indirectly experienced her illusion.
"I hope the Lady Silvesta will become a regular at our shop. As you can see, we don't get a ton of customers."
"W-Why would I ever come back to a place like this?"
"Wasn't it enjoyable?"
"D-Don't be ridiculous! It wasn't enjoyable at all!"
"For someone who says that..."
"What?"
I stopped speaking at Helen's frantic attempt to cut me off and argue.
"Nothing."
No need to provoke her further here.
I wasn't sure if it matched her tastes perfectly, but it was true that she'd enjoyed it quite a bit toward the end.
Just because she wouldn't admit it out loud didn't make the fact disappear.
But pushing her more would make her hostile toward me.
Silence was the right call now.
"In any case, come back anytime. On your second visit, we'll serve you at a 50% discount."
"I won't have any reason to. I'm not coming back."
"So our service fell short? Can't be helped, then."
There were plenty of areas for improvement.
But at the very least, Helen had been satisfied.
'Even though she wasn't into that sort of thing originally, she enjoyed the situation of crumbling itself.'
For someone who'd only ever known success, defeat was an unfamiliar sensation.
And the more unfamiliar it was, the greater the shock when it hit.
Defeat in reality could drive a person to the edge, to ruin.
'But defeat in an illusion has none of that risk.'
Just the unfamiliar thrill of crumbling.
That sensation could become addictively exhilarating for some.
Like Helen right now.
"In any case, please keep our customers' information confidential. Yuris Knight is a valued patron of ours as well."
"...Fine. But you get it, right?"
"Of course. Lady Helen was never here today."
"You do understand."
Hmph!
Snorting derisively, Helen paid up and fled the shop like her life depended on it.
I watched her retreating figure.
The process had been rough, but the result was satisfying.
I'd suppressed her threats of reporting our shop to the radical reformers in the Goddess Church, and using Yuris's weakness to blackmail her.
She seemed satisfied too, so she had no reason to try ruining the place.
'She insisted she wouldn't come back, though.'
Watching her flee, I thought to myself.
She'd definitely return.
Just like Yuris had.
"I need to prepare thoroughly for the next customer."
Honestly, it wasn't a perfect 100-point illusion video.
I'd extracted the loser from her memories—the one she hated most—but I couldn't claim it'd been implemented flawlessly.
After all.
'There's hardly any info on that loser guy.'
Just a vague family name at best.
She didn't even know his name.
Nor his personality or grades properly.
So I'd imprinted the loser's image using Professor Simond, who was firmly etched in her memories.
That's why.
She'd spouted nonsense like whether I'd forcibly manipulated her memories or if they hadn't actually liked each other.
With limited info, their relationship had to be limited too.
'I need preliminary research for this.'
I had to gather solid details on exactly who this loser was and how he was treated.
Proper historical accuracy was key for a realistic video.
"My first visit to the Imperial Academy, then."
With that thought, I began preparations for the next illusion video.
"Welcome back, miss."
Returning to the estate, Helen felt relieved at the sight of the maids and butler greeting her as the Lady Silvesta.
'I haven't been abandoned.'
Those stories from the illusion were all lies, after all.
She didn't know how tense she'd been.
What if, just maybe, the family had truly cast her out?
She wouldn't have been able to bear it.
"Butler, I missed you."
"Heh heh, for you to say that, miss—what happened at the academy today?"
"Nothing at all. Just..."
In her mind flashed the image of the loser forcibly suppressing her.
That sneering face as he pinned her down in the illusion.
"Miss?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing... Just tired."
"Shall I prepare a bath? We have new aromatics and bath salts that arrived yesterday. Nothing better for relieving stress—you'll love them, miss."
"Please do."
Baths where she could indulge in bath salts and aroma oils were one of Helen's favorite hobbies.
The soft aromatics and bubbling foam brushing her skin felt indescribably good.
Each time the fragrant scent enveloped her, it reminded her she was someone precious.
But right now, even that didn't bring an easy smile.
"I'll let you know when it's ready. Rest in your room."
"Thank you."
The butler, sensing her changed demeanor, stepped back.
"Butler."
"Yes, miss."
"What if... my spirit powers disappeared? What would happen?"
"What do you mean? Power or no, you're still you, miss. The proud daughter of House Silvesta."
"Right?"
But in the illusion...
Snap out of it.
It was just an illusion.
One that man cooked up on his own.
Why was she letting it get to her?
But still.
It was too vivid to just brush off.
Almost real...
They said illusion magic tricked the senses—no pain even if you pinched yourself.
But his was different.
'I felt everything.'
Even the pleasure she hadn't wanted to feel, crystal clear.
That's why.
It clung to her mind, refusing to fade.
"What if I lost my powers and the family head—no, Father—abandoned me?"
"Why say such things... You know he wouldn't."
The butler's confident tone snapped her back.
"Right. Father wouldn't do that."
It was just an illusion.
Just an illusion...
'Forget it. I'll forget.'
Resting in her room, she closed her eyes and called the spirits.
-Free Wind and Land of Discipline, come forth and fulfill the contract.
The wind and earth spirits appeared.
-Shaaah~.
-Puuu.
A lynx-shaped greater wind spirit and a muscular ape-like greater earth spirit stood before her.
Unlike in the illusion, she could wield their power properly now.
Her spirit affinity was still there.
The spirits she'd contracted with in the spirit realm responded instantly to her call, and Helen sighed in relief.
Her affinity remained.
It really had been just an illusion.
In her relief, she bit her lip.
"You lot—why didn't you answer earlier?"
-Shaa?
-Pu?
The greater spirits tilted their heads, baffled.
"...Never mind. Go back. I just called to check."
At her words, they vanished back to the spirit realm without protest.
"Miss, the bath is ready. The maids will assist you."
Entering the bathroom, now fully prepared, she let the maids help her undress.
The mirror reflected her flawless nude form.
Normally, she'd admire her perfect beauty and reaffirm House Silvesta's greatness.
But with the illusion's memories lingering like scars, Helen recalled the vision of herself being defiled the moment she saw the mirror.
Her legs splayed like a crab, masturbating shamefully.
"Hup!"
"Miss, is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing..."
The maids asked in alarm.
It wasn't their fault.
It was her own issue—she still hadn't escaped the illusion.
Feeling her body heat up, Helen bit her lip and hurriedly slipped into the tub.
Any later, and the maids would've noticed the bitch's fluids leaking from her pussy.
Separate from the shameful thoughts, the bath salts and aromatics were fragrantly soft.
'At least this shakes off that sticky illusion for a bit.'
Helen let out a soft sigh.
"This is nice. Really nice."
Warm bathwater, fragrant bath salts creating soft bubbles, and the aroma oil applied to her body afterward.
Savoring the maids' attentive care, she thought.
'Something's missing.'
Having endured a horrific day, Helen headed to the academy again today.
'Now I'll forget. That day's memory was just bad luck.'
Helen chalked it up to trying to find Yuris's weakness and ending up with pointless worries.
Sighing as she entered the school, she spotted a familiar man in the classroom.
Someone who shouldn't be familiar at all, but etched in her memory from yesterday.
The loner. The loser.
And the punks surrounding him.
For some reason, the punks were bullying the loser.
"D-Don't..."
"We are doing it~. Hey, you think we'd listen to a loser like you?"
"Th-That's my week's allowance..."
"Don't care. If you wanna keep attending, pay protection money. We protect you so well you go to the academy without issues, got it?"
"B-But..."
"Take a beating from us or hand over the cash."
"I..."
The punks were all familiar faces.
The ones from the illusion who'd mocked her for losing her family and slapped her.
Just thinking about it made her blood boil.
"Cut it out."
Normally, she'd never intervene.
Was it because of that illusion where they'd sneered at her and slapped her?
She glared at the punks and spoke.
"Lady Silvesta?"
"I said cut it out. Aren't you ashamed as Imperial Academy students?"
"......"
"Nobles should act with dignity."
Recognizing her, the punks clicked their tongues and backed off.
"Tch, fine."
Few nobles dared defy House Silvesta.
As the punks retreated to their seats, the loser hesitantly looked at her.
"Th-Thanks."
"Ah."
Meeting his eyes as he looked up, Helen flinched involuntarily.
A reflexive reaction from yesterday's experience.
Her body briefly feared that loser.
But he seemed oblivious to it.
"I-I'll repay you someday, for sure."
Seeing him express gratitude in that cowering voice, her momentary fluster cooled quickly.
Ah, right.
This is reality.
"What do you mean, repay?"
"H-Huh?"
"Forgot who I am? I'm Helen of House Silvesta. Not someone a lowborn like you can do anything for."
"S-Sorry..."
"Losers should stay quiet and cower like losers. Don't you dare speak to me."
Her words came out sharper than usual.
He shrank back at her thorny tone.
Yes.
This was right.
This was their positions.
She gave orders, he groveled.
She'd almost been fooled by that brief illusion moment.
Thinking she was on the same level as a loser like him.
"Don't mistake this for me helping you. Never speak to me first again."
"Y-Yeah..."
Ignoring him, she headed to her seat.
'As expected, different.'
He couldn't be the same as the illusion loser.
'What was I expecting?'
She shook her head, pushing away the intrusive delusion.
Class was starting soon.
Gotta prepare quick.
As she got ready for class, she saw him.
"Why is that guy...?"
The familiar man entering through the Imperial Academy's main gate.
The illusion mage.