What Is This Now?

"Lick, lick."

"Pfft... I told you to stop, didn't I?"

Lulu kept licking my face relentlessly, so I burst out laughing and tried to stop her.

"Hah."

"...Eek."

Ignoring my words entirely, she pulled her tongue away from my face only to chomp down on my ear moments later.

"Nom nom..."

She stuffed my ear into her mouth and chewed on it with deliberate, grinding motions.

"Ow, ouch..."

Lulu usually knew exactly how hard to chew on my ear without hurting me too much, but for some reason, today she was being unusually clumsy about it.

"Lulu? That kinda hurts."

So I gently scolded her in a soft voice, and the hand she'd been resting on my shoulder pulled back her teeth, switching to just her tongue.

"...You're being extra persistent today, huh?"

"Puh-heh."

That let me speak in a slightly troubled tone, and she slowly released my ear from her mouth.

"...W-Woof."

"Pfft."

She let out a tiny dog-like whimper. Forgetting what I'd been about to scold her for, I let out a sigh and muttered under my breath.

"You've only been making dog sounds for the past few days... Have you actually turned into a real dog now?"

"Woof."

"Heh heh..."

Just as I'd said, for the last few days, Lulu had been smiling up at me with crinkled eyes, letting out dog-like noises, and throwing herself into my arms whenever she saw me.

Her behavior was so adorable that I'd let it slide, but considering today's incident where she bit the knights and her attempt to overuse her Demon Eyes, it seemed she'd become excessively loyal to me ever since that day.

Well, having an ally who didn't trigger penalties was a good thing, mood-wise... but there was still something that worried me.

What if she gets hurt because she's too loyal...?

The thought made my heart suddenly tremble.

"Hah... ha..."

"Woof...?"

I was breathing raggedly because of it, and Lulu—perhaps sensing my distress—started stroking my face.

"Hwah... I-I'm fine, Lulu. I was just feeling anxious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for a second..."

Though that's what I told her, my heart still felt squeezed tight, like someone was gripping it in their fist.

"...Ugh."

I chewed on my lip and lowered my head, lost in thought.

I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me... anyone at all...

Things I'd thought were distant impossibilities were becoming reality.

Just today, the imperial family and the Church had stormed the mansion, leaving me in this state. Not only that—Lulu, Irina, even Aris and Ariane had been interrogated by the investigators.

Serena went without saying, and it might only be a matter of time before Kania, Clana, and Perloché were known as my allies.

And once that happened, they'd all become targets for the Demon King.

"...Grk."

It wasn't for nothing that higher penalties meant lower success rates. If even one main heroine died, it was game over—and if a sub-heroine fell...

Plus, Perloché had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mentioned a clear "limit." Even my last resort, Retry, wasn't something I could rely on anymore.

Calm down, calm down...

Just as the growing weight of responsibility and burden from all these people I had to protect was about to crush me, I recalled the note Serena had given me as a gift—the one marked with the DLC symbol—and began deep breathing to steady myself.

At the same time, my mind eased into calm.

Of course, it was my high Mental Strength automatically restoring my mentality, but oddly, my heart kept pounding uncomfortably regardless of my mood.

"Lick."

As I wore a complicated expression because of it, Lulu licked right across my face.

"........"

I'd always felt some inexplicable sense of stability and comfort from her licking, so unlike usual, I closed my eyes tightly and accepted it.

"...Hey."

After a long while, I pushed aside my heavy heart and whispered softly to her, who had been diligently licking my face all that time.

"Thanks for saving me. And..."

I needed to firmly warn her not to throw her life away recklessly from now on.

"...I love you."

To tell her that I'd come to cherish her so deeply as well.

"So, don't get hurt. Don't act on your own. From now on, follow my orders."

If she—or anyone—got hurt because of me, it would make me so incredibly sad.

"Please."

I whispered it with a heartfelt expression.

"Hng?"

As soon as I finished, she stopped licking.

""............""

Silence hung in the room.

"Ha, haaah..."

".....?"

A dazed moan echoed through the room moments later.

. . . . . .

"Lulu?"

"Hah... haaah..."

To soothe Frey, who had suddenly started looking anxious, Isolet—who had been licking him without thinking—began breathing heavily.

C-Control yourself. I have to control it...

Though her eyes were covered by the blindfold, she'd heard Frey's pure smile and whisper of "I love you" right in front of her.

She'd witnessed that pure side of Frey she'd longed to see again.

Hot energy surged from her heart and lower belly without her realizing it.

H-It's hot...

Even though she knew she absolutely couldn't let it show, Isolet was already breathing hot breaths in front of him.

Why? Why does this always happen whenever I see Frey...?

She didn't know it, but it was because the Affection System had acknowledged her as conquered.

So, her heart heating up during recent training or whenever she wanted to protect Frey was a sign of her latent potential awakening.

"Hah..."

The heat rising from her lower belly signaled that the true nature she'd recently awakened was surging forth again.

"Slurp..."

Unable to contain herself, Isolet slowly licked down Frey's face.

Not imitating Lulu's licks to show submission, loyalty, or domination.

Her entire body dominated by the hot energy surging from her lower belly, driven purely by raw desire and lust.

She began licking Frey in a sticky, viscous manner.

".....?"

Frey, sensing something different from usual, tilted his head.

"Hey, Lulu? How about stopping now and letting me go? I can't untie this myself—I'm too weak."

"Lick..."

But Isolet's tongue, her eyes already rolled back, didn't stop.

"L-Lulu...?"

Her tongue, obsessively sticky, moved from his face down to his neck.

"Wha? Wh-what..."

"Hah..."

After licking his neck thoroughly, it went lower.

Even lower.

"...W-Wait!"

As Frey raised his voice in that situation, Isolet—licking him with glazed eyes—snapped back to her senses.

"Wh-what!?"

She stared blankly at Frey, who was asking in a flustered expression.

"...Gulp."

Frey couldn't move right now.

Bound tightly with ropes in his securely locked room, blindfolded, and seated in a chair.

His allies were outside being interrogated, and even the animals were under investigation for being illegal creatures.

That meant she alone controlled Frey in this sealed space.

The fantasies she'd had while lying in her bed, trying to calm her excitement, were unfolding before her eyes as reality.

"Lulu? Why are you like this today?"

And he thought she was "Lulu" right now.

His cherished lover? Slave? Pet?

Whatever it was, he wasn't someone with high walls for acts of affection.

- Squeeze...!

Feeling a shiver run through her entire body, Isolet began rationalizing again.

I-I did save him, right? I rescued Frey from that awful situation. So, in a way, the one who heard "I love you" is me.

Just as she'd said, she'd rushed to the mansion with eyes rolled back upon hearing the vice-captains were trying to fabricate evidence of Frey raping them during the investigation.

And she'd stopped it right before it happened.

The two vice-captains were now sprawled unconscious in the room from her single strike.

A-And... this can't be helped. I have to make Frey family... my family...

And what Isolet had seen wasn't just the rape plan.

The contingency operations planned for if it failed were too horrific to even speak of.

I-In a way, I'm saving Frey's life. So... h-he should be grateful.

With her rationalization nearly complete in her mind, Isolet...

"Hey?"

"Ah."

"C-Can't you untie me now? If you keep this up, I'll get mad? It's getting stuffy."

...froze as Frey, sweating coldly while bound to the chair, asked timidly.

I don't know, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠don't know, I don't know!

In the end, she stopped thinking.

I don't need any of that anymore.

She only wanted to dye the frail boy before her in her own colors.

- Swish...

So, straddling his left knee...

"...Slurp."

".....!?"

...she kissed him for the first time in her life.

Back in her knight trainee days, when her peers mocked her, saying she'd die a virgin if she'd never even kissed anyone...

She'd blushed and sworn she'd never do such shameless things.

But deep down, like any girl, she'd wondered what a kiss felt like.

"Mmm..."

Her first kiss was sweet.

"Hah-mmph..."

Addicted to the sweetness, she gripped Frey's hand tightly and devoured his tongue endlessly, not even breathing.

"Hmph, mmph... Can't breathe... hng..."

Only after Frey started making a pained expression from lack of air did she pull away.

"...Gulp."

She rolled his precious saliva around in her mouth before swallowing it.

"Hah... haa..."

"Lick."

She even licked up the saliva dangling from Frey's gasping lips.

- Swish, swiiiish...

Then she slowly twisted her body, rubbing against his knee.

"...Ngh."

Frey, who'd been dazed for a moment, realized what it meant and flushed red.

"Hoo... hoooh..."

Unable to contain her excitement as she kept writhing, Isolet gripped Frey's hand so tightly blood couldn't flow.

- Slide...

And buried her face in his chest.

"".........""

Silence fell.

"Hoo..."

In that silence, the only sound in the room for a while was Isolet's slow, deep inhales as she imprinted his scent, her face buried in Frey's chest.

"......."

In that situation, Frey wore a troubled expression.

"Lulu, is this because of that?"

He asked cautiously.

"When you made the Death Oath, I didn't grant your wish?"

"......!?"

Isolet, pretending to be Lulu with her weary eyes buried in his chest, flinched at the words.

"You don't need to feel guilty. It was my choice."

Death Oath...? What does that...

As "Death Oath" came up again, she trembled, lost in thought.

"I'm not going to die. I'll do everything to avoid it."

".....!"

Frey spoke in a sad voice, and she gaped at him.

"I'm looking for ways to extend my lifespan. Haven't found it yet, but don't worry. I'll definitely find it in the end. It's destined that way."

But you told me it was a lie...

Isolet stared blankly at Frey, who was forcing a smile to comfort the "Lulu" he believed was before him.

"So promise me. I'll try not to die, so you don't act rashly either."

He said it softly.

"Promise me quick..."

F-Frey.

She hugged him without realizing.

Are you really terminal? For real?

Her once-again-calm mind began running through scenarios.

Then why lie to me? Why tell the press that?

"Hey..."

Frey, what are you...?

As she gazed at him in her arms, deep in thought...

"...Who the hell are you?"

".....?"

Frey suddenly asked in a chilling voice, and she tilted her head.

"Lulu doesn't have breasts this big...?"

"...Ah."

His words made her go blank.

"And Lulu has short hair."

As Frey fiddled with her hair and spoke again, her face paled.

"...Think that's enough? Time to breach."

"Man, even the vice-captains know how to jerk off."

"Camera ready? Start prepping for distribution."

At the same time, signals from the investigators under imperial and Church orders came from outside.

"One... two..."

"Can't wait."

The investigators prepared to breach, Frey was slipping free from the loose ropes in a do-or-die moment.

"........"

Silent Isolet made a quick decision.

. . . . . .

"What class are you?"

"F-Fourth... 456th class..."

"I'm 455th..."

"Rookies."

Isolet glared murderously at the vice-captains kneeling against the wall, hands raised.

"What you just did is blatant evidence fabrication."

"C-Can we talk separately...?"

"Ahem... This wasn't something we wanted to..."

"Shut up. I could use my authority to dismiss you right now."

"...That's abuse of power!"

According to her, the imperial family and Church had done this to ruin me.

In other words, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ones who'd been licking me and acting affectionate were these vice-captains.

"This is unfair! I passed out here..."

"Shut up. I don't want authority clashes, so leave for today."

But there were a few questions.

"You can't do this!"

"Shut up!"

First, why was Isolet's face so red?

Second, why had the newly updated Affection System notified me of her event unlock right now?

Third, if Isolet's event was lower priority...

What was the top-priority event right now?

And finally...

What is this now?