Chapter 402: The 4th Floor
Chapter 402: The 4th Floor
The system for breaking the curse was the same as the one for leveling up.
Specifically, it was identical to how Matilda herself leveled up.
Therefore, not only did I need to ejaculate multiple times, but I had to be the one feeling good, not Matilda.
So, I did whatever I pleased, focusing on maximizing my own satisfaction.
Since all that mattered was my pleasure, I briefly considered that using my Weakling Stance might be more efficient, but after some thought, I realized it wouldn't be.
Weakling Stance is a skill that, true to its name, makes the system register my level as lower in all aspects.
While my sensitivity during sex would be judged as if my level were lower, there was no convenient feature where the experience points gained would be calculated based on my original level.
Well, that was only natural.
If that were possible, it would be way too OP.
I could use Weakling Stance, sleep with a low-level woman, and probably boost her level by more than 10 with a single shot.
In short, if I used Weakling Stance to lower my level to around 90 and had sex, my partner would only gain the experience equivalent to having sex with a level 90.
Since the curse-breaking system was identical to leveling up, the same logic would surely apply.
In that case, it was better to just do it as I was rather than bother with Weakling Stance.
My level was already lower than Matilda’s, so I could finish quickly if I wanted to. There was no need to lower my level even further and reduce the efficiency.
While my pleasure would be amplified by the lower level, the fact that my level was lower would act as a greater drawback when it came to gaining experience.
And so, without using Weakling Stance or anything of the sort, I simply enjoyed myself with Matilda, doing as I pleased.
The results were nothing short of spectacular.
“Whoa. Matilda, look at this. The curse marks have shrunk a ton.”
I grabbed Matilda’s left arm and held it up for her to see.
When we first met, the black marks reached her wrist, but now they only came halfway up her forearm.
I glanced at her left leg, which was draped over my shoulder. It was the same there; the scar that had reached her ankle was now only halfway up her shin.
Did I manage to shrink the scars on her arms and legs by about five centimeters each today alone?
It just goes to show, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.
I’m sure Matilda will be happy, too.
“Uhehe… heh… ngh… heuung…”
…Well, she didn’t seem to be in the right state of mind to be happy right now, but she would be later, once she came to her senses.
Did I go a little too hard?
Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d done it purely for the sake of breaking the curse, without thinking about verifying the system or anything else.
I was so focused on pursuing my own pleasure that I might have gotten a little carried away.
But thanks to that, we achieved such brilliant results.
I wasn’t wrong.
Still, seeing Matilda in this state, it seemed impossible to continue today.
I summoned a water spirit to wash both of our bodies, then covered the prone Matilda with a blanket before leaving the room.
Alright, what now?
The time was around 3 p.m.
I’d been at it since after breakfast, even skipping lunch, so I’d certainly done a lot. Even so, there was still plenty of time left before the day was over.
Of course, my dinner with Rachel was still tomorrow, and for today, I didn’t really have anything to… oh, wait a minute.
The dinner. The one I’d arranged to show my gratitude.
I’d been thinking I could just go casually without any special preparations since it wasn’t really a date, but now I realized there was a critical problem.
Since I’m the one treating her, shouldn’t I be the one to pick a restaurant and escort her there?
I don’t know any decent restaurants.
Of course, I’ve been in this world for a while now, so it’s not like I don’t know where any restaurants are.
I just don’t know any suitable ones.
All the restaurants I know are too extreme.
Most are rowdy pubs that double as eateries where adventurers gather, and there was no way I could take Rachel to a place like that.
In my old world’s terms, it’d be like treating someone to a nice meal and taking them to a cheap snack bar.
So, should I go to the restaurant I went to with Diana?
But that place was the opposite—a ridiculously high-end, fancy restaurant.
Imagine a guy you’re not even dating suddenly taking you to a place like that. Any normal woman would feel pressured.
She’d probably start wondering if I had ulterior motives.
There’s no middle ground. None at all.
I hurriedly opened my map, but as expected, no such places were marked on it.
Well, the map only records places I’ve actually entered, so I wasn’t holding my breath.
What should I do, then? Should I wander around outside and look for one now?
Time is a little tight, but if I use my physical abilities to run around like a madman, I might be able to find one decent place, right?
No. On second thought, there’s no need for that.
There’s a much more reliable method.
I can just ask someone.
Of course, I would absolutely not ask Sara, Diana, or Leia.
“Hey, I’m treating another woman to dinner, know any good places?”
Yeah. That’s not just stepping on a landmine, it’s voluntarily charging into a minefield.
Not that treating Rachel to dinner is something I should feel guilty about.
It’s not like I’m cheating on anyone, and Diana was the cause of it all in the first place.
Still, the girls wouldn’t be too happy about it.
That meant I’d have to ask subtly, but that wouldn’t be easy either.
All three of them are incredibly perceptive.
Sara and Diana, obviously, but even Leia has been showing a tendency to become sharper when it comes to things involving me.
In that case, the only one left is…
Right. That’s the only option left.
It should be easy to get the information out of her without being too obvious.
Alright. Let’s go.
I headed straight for Silvia’s room.
“Kekeke! Silvia! I have arri—oh, she’s not here.”
I’d thrown the door open, planning to surprise her, but Silvia was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, there was only a maid, startled in the middle of cleaning the room.
Honestly, it was incredibly embarrassing.
“Um… do you know where Silvia is?”
“Yes. Lady Silvia is…”
The maid replied with a gentle smile, acting as if nothing had happened.
I’d rather you just laugh at me. Laugh and ask what the hell I was trying to do with that “Kekeke.”
Your kindness hurts more.
After getting her location from the nameless maid, I arrived at a wide, open space in the garden.
Apparently, Silvia was practicing her swordsmanship there.
I never knew, since she was always just stalking me. So this is what she does when I’m not around.
I guess her rising to the Royal Guard at her age wasn’t just thanks to the rapid leveling from her condition.
As I approached the clearing, I saw Silvia sitting on the ground, staring blankly up at the sky.
She wore a listless, expressionless face that reminded me of when we first met.
This was probably Silvia’s true personality, but since I’d only ever seen her bright red and trembling, this side of her felt incredibly fresh.
Asking for a restaurant location would be quick, so maybe I’ll just watch her for a little while.
I’m a bit curious about what she does when I’m not around.
“……”
No, seriously. How long is she going to stay like that?
Is she sleeping with her eyes open?
No, her eyes are definitely open.
Thirty minutes had already passed, and Silvia was still just staring blankly at the sky.
She looked cute, like a doll, but at this rate, it would be dinnertime before I knew it.
I have a goal today, so I should probably make my move.
“Guwon-nim…”
Just as I decided to reveal myself, I heard Silvia mutter my name.
“You called?”
“Hyaaaaaak!”
I popped out as I answered, but as expected, the moment Silvia heard my voice, she shot up like a released spring and let out a scream.
It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.
“Gu, Gu, Gu, Gu!”
Are you a pigeon?
“Guwon-nim, what brings you here?!”
“Well, I came to talk. Are you busy?”
“N-No, I’m not busy!” Silvia exclaimed, hastily hiding the wooden sword she was holding behind her back.
You don’t have to hide it; I know you’re not busy. I saw you spacing out.
“I have something to ask you…”
As I spoke, I glanced at the clock in the corner of my vision.
Come to think of it, I skipped lunch, and there’s still some time until dinner.
Good. This is fine. This way will seem more natural, too.
Coming up with a new plan on the spot, I stopped myself from asking about the restaurant.
“If you’re free, let’s go out for a bit.”
“Y-Yes? Go where, sir?”
“Nowhere in particular. I was just thinking of giving you some training.”
“T-T-Training, sir? If-if it’s that, I’m already working hard…”
Perhaps guessing what my idea of “training” was, Silvia immediately showed me the sword behind her back as she spoke.
No, if you’re going to hide it, hide it all the way. Besides, it’s not like you hate it.
The problem is that you like it too much.
“That’s right. It’s time for another fun session of getting used to being with me.”
“Uuuut!”
Silvia’s face showed she’d known it all along as her body began to tremble.
“Why, you don’t like it?”
“I love it!”
“Good. I love it, too.”
“Hyaeung…”
Hey. Don’t start melting before I even touch you.
“No need to tremble like that, Silvia. Through our past training, I’ve come to the conclusion that simply sticking close to you isn’t the only way.”
“Yes? Th-Then…”
“Right. I’ve given it some thought. First, let’s find out how far away you need to be to feel at ease. Now, back away until you stop trembling.”
“H-Here, sir?”
“Hm? Yeah. This is our garden. Why?”
“It’s… it’s too small.”
“…What? Hey. Then what about when you’re trailing me from a distance?”
“I-I’m trembling then, too!”
Oh, are you now?
This is much more severe than I thought.
At this rate, the training method of gradually getting used to me by closing the distance was completely useless.
Can’t be helped. Today, I’ll just have to do it the usual way.
The training method I just suggested was something I’d already thought of, so it came out easily, but coming up with something better on the spot was impossible.
I still need to find out about a restaurant, so let’s just give up for today.
“Well, can’t be helped then.”
“Hwaaaaaa…”
“Let’s just do it the usual way today. Alright, let’s go!”
“Ah, wai—at least let me change… I-I was just swinging my sword, so I’m… I’m sweaty…”
“It’s fine. I’ll have a water spirit wash you. There, all clean. Let’s go.”
“U-Uuuuh…”
In the end, Silvia clung tightly to my arm with a look of complete resignation and began to tremble.
To think she’d take this position without me even saying anything.
See? No matter what she says, she’s enjoying this, too.
Once we were out on the street, we decided to just walk for a bit.
Suggesting we go eat right away would be too obvious.
I’ll just pretend to browse around for a bit and then…
Growl.
“G-Guwon-nim. Are you hungry?”
Even as she trembled, Silvia looked at me with a worried expression, as if my well-being was her top priority.
“Yeah, well…”
I did skip lunch and spent all that time and energy on Matilda.
“C-Come to think of it, you didn’t have lunch today, did you? Th-Then, rather than special training for someone like me, how about we stop somewhere for a simple meal?”
Silvia… how do you manage to do only the sweetest things?
Not only did you stop trembling to worry about me when I seemed to be having a hard time, but you even suggested going to a restaurant yourself.
Well, I could see a slight ulterior motive of wanting to escape this crisis called “special training” by sticking close to me, but it was cute enough that I could let it slide.
And so, I placed my hand on Silvia’s head and stroked it.
“Uwaaaaaa…”
It seemed she really had been holding back her trembling out of concern for me, as she immediately started shaking violently again.
She really is a cute one.
“Alright, let’s do that. I’m not too familiar with the area, so do you know any good restaurants?”
If I’d just said we were getting a simple bite, she might have taken me to a dessert shop or something.
That’s why I specifically used the word “restaurant” when I asked her.