Chapter 354: Side Story — Luce's Case (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 354: Side Story — Luce's Case (1)
Ever since returning from her trip, Dorothy often felt a gnawing emptiness deep within her.
Just the thought of Isaac made her blood run hot, and she found herself longing for him every waking moment. It felt as though her self-restraint had withered away entirely.
In the past, Dorothy would warmly greet Isaac whenever he dropped by while she was working, but now, she was far too impatient to simply wait for him.
As she sat reading, her legs crossed and uncrossed restlessly until she let out a sharp, frustrated huff.
“This won’t do…!”
She needed to hold Isaac right now.
It was an emergency. She had become well and truly addicted to him.
Dorothy bolted from her room and marched straight to Isaac’s office, throwing the door open with a bang.
“President!”
“Senior?”
Dorothy beamed, her arms stretched wide.
“I’m hungry for the President!”
Isaac’s eyes widened in surprise. He was momentarily taken aback by her bluntness, but the meaning clicked instantly.
A grin spread across his face as he scrambled to his feet. He closed the distance and pulled Dorothy into a crushing hug.
The two clung to each other, showering kisses on each other’s cheeks and necks.
Since their return, their displays of affection had grown significantly more intense. A simple embrace was enough to fill them with a surge of energy and overwhelming excitement, making their mutual adoration feel almost unbearable.
Isaac and Dorothy basked in their shared happiness, whispering sweet nothings to one another.
*
Luce often spent her days holed up in her magic laboratory.
Her current level of knowledge was still far from enough to achieve her ultimate goals. While the ability to memorize anything at a glance was a basic requirement for a Tower Master, what she truly needed now was a staggering amount of research and practical application.
Having already secured her diploma from Märchen Academy, all that remained was to pave her path to success with raw knowledge.
It’s murky…
During an experiment, Luce flung the window open as acrid smoke began to rise from a beaker.
And there, she was met with a deeply unpleasant sight.
“Sweetie~”
“I’m still not quite used to that nickname…”
“Darling, then?”
“Ahem.”
On the garden path below stood a woman with light purple hair, clinging tightly to Isaac’s arm, followed by a trail of attendants.
She was cooing at Isaac in a flirtatious, sugar-sweet tone, while Isaac covered his mouth, his face flushing a deep red.
A leech… A filthy parasite from the phylum Annelida, class Hirudinea…
Watching her latch onto Isaac while spewing such cringeworthy nonsense, Luce could only see a leech.
Yes, a giant purple leech.
The attendants trailing behind them looked like mindless fish drifting through the air.
In Luce’s eyes, only Isaac retained a human form.
The atmosphere has changed.
Recently, Isaac and that leech—no, Dorothy—had gone on a trip together. Since then, Dorothy’s entire demeanor had shifted.
She used to seem like a carefree, innocent child, but now she had become a leech exuding a subtle, lingering sensuality.
Perhaps it was more accurate to say she had become more "womanly."
It wasn’t just Dorothy, either. Isaac was the same.
While his physical appearance hadn't changed, he now radiated an aura that stirred a woman’s primal instincts, accompanied by an inexplicable sense of relaxed confidence.
It wasn't just because Luce was in love with him; her senses were naturally sharp.
There was only one logical conclusion.
“They did it…”
A dark haze clouded Luce’s eyes. Her lifeless gaze remained fixed on Isaac.
She had no concrete evidence, but she was certain. The two of them had undoubtedly shared passionate nights during their trip.
She had expected her worst fears to come true eventually. Even though she had accepted the reality of the harem, she couldn't stop her heart from aching or her stomach from churning.
“…”
Luce glared at the leech.
Her heart felt as cold as a winter blizzard.
The once-pitiful thought of at least securing "second place" now burned like a stubborn ember in her soul.
*
Slurp.
While working in my office, I found myself drifting into thought.
During the trip, I had shared countless intimate moments with Dorothy.
So many, in fact, that "countless" hardly did the experience justice.
Now, every time I saw her, my body heated up and desire surged through me like a Pavlovian response.
I’ve learned something new about myself.
I realized it only after we intentionally indulged in so much physical intimacy.
My body… has insane stamina.
When I was with Dorothy, I felt like an unleashed hound. I was confident I could easily handle all five of my wives.
For now, I have to hold back. There’s too much to do today…
Though the urge to go find Dorothy was strong, I knew I had to resist.
Even with Grand Regent Richard managing the bulk of the administration, there were tasks only I could handle, and today was shaping up to be a long one.
I need to start preparing to meet my in-laws soon.
The aftermath of my harem confession was finally catching up to me.
Meetings with King Carlos and the Duke of Astrea had already been scheduled.
I was set to meet King Carlos next week. The King had sent me a letter brimming with affection, even going so far as to call me "my dear son-in-law."
King Carlos feels like a friendly neighbor, but the other in-laws are the real challenge.
What truly worried me was the meeting with the Duke of Astrea.
Gerald Astrea and Historia Astrea.
The former possessed a suffocatingly heavy presence, and the latter was a complete wild card, as I had never formally met her.
It was bound to be an uncomfortable encounter.
But I’m not going to back down.
Ultimately, I am the one standing at the apex of this world.
There was no reason to be intimidated. There was nothing to feel inferior about, but…
…My heart still hammered against my ribs, and the tension was unavoidable.
Slurp.
I kept hearing that slurping sound.
I tried to ignore it, but I finally hit my limit. I set my pen down and looked up.
“Luce, if you have something to say, just say it.”
Over on the reception sofa, Luce was sipping tea and leafing through a book.
She had told me not to mind her, claiming she just wanted to be in the same room as me.
But I had [Psychological Insight]. Did she really think I wouldn't realize she came here with a purpose? So, I had waited for her to speak up.
An hour had passed.
Luce was currently finishing her fourth cup of tea.
“…”
Luce looked at me with a blank expression, then calmly set her teacup on the table.
A gentle, innocent smile played on her lips.
“Today, I am Air Luce.”
“What?”
“Just ignore me.”
Luce turned her head back to her book and resumed drinking her tea.
…I don’t get her.
I squinted at her, realizing she fully intended to stay by my side all day.
This was a habit of hers I’d seen often since our academy days. While Luce had learned to be more considerate of others, I still worried she might unexpectedly cross a line.
Does it really matter, though?
I didn't dislike it. In fact, I actually enjoyed her company.
It had been a while since I’d spent quality time with Luce. Back at the academy, she was the one who spent the most time with me. After graduation, that time had plummeted. I was busy with my duties, and she was busy with hers.
Maybe I’ll just spend the day with her.
It wasn't a bad idea. She looked quite cute sitting there.
A few hours later.
“Hoo…”
I leaned back in my chair and let out a long, weary breath.
Luce silently appeared behind me and began massaging my shoulders.
“Oh. You don’t have to do that.”
“I am doing it. Just accept the effort.”
“Well then, I’ll gratefully accept.”
Her firm fingers kneading my muscles felt wonderful. It was clear she just wanted to be close to me.
“Come to think of it, Isaac, what kind of underwear do you like?”
“White… huh?”
I answered the casual question before my brain could process it.
Underwear? All of a sudden?
What kind of question is that…?
I whipped my head around to look at Luce.
She let out a soft “Hmm,” as if deep in thought.
“White, is it…?”
“No, wait—why are you asking that out of nowhere?”
I tried to play it cool, but Luce’s blue eyes were blatantly fixed on my lower body.
Then, she met my gaze and gave a subtle, knowing smile.
“Isaac, would you like it if I wore white underwear?”
“Uh…?”
Well, I mean…
I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself. Since Luce was going to be one of my wives anyway, there was no point in hiding my preferences.
I asked with a smirk, “Would you wear it for me?”
“You’re far too honest, Isaac.”
Luce let out a small, airy laugh.
“Pervert.”
With that, she strolled back to the sofa.
Wasn’t she the one trying to seduce me…?
Watching how my wives acted had recently become one of my small joys in life. I had hoped Luce would try to tempt me like she used to back at the academy, but it seemed she felt the timing wasn't quite right yet.
A few minutes later.
I headed to the bathroom to relieve myself.
“…?”
Luce was standing there, staring intently at me.
Startled, I looked up.
“Luce, this is the bathroom.”
“Keep doing your business. I don’t mind.”
“No, the one who minds is me…”
“I was curious if you were urinating properly, so I came to check. Don’t worry about it.”
How could I not worry?
Luce’s gaze remained locked on my lower body. Unfortunately, since I was already mid-stream, I couldn't exactly cover myself.
“I see… about this much…”
“What are you measuring?!”
Luce muttered to herself, using her fingers to estimate a certain length.
When she held that measurement against her own lower abdomen, her intentions became shamelessly clear.
Hearing my frantic question, Luce tilted her head slightly and answered with a perfectly blank expression.
“Nothing.”
Then, she turned on her heel and walked away.
For a long time, I could only stare silently at the spot where she had been standing.