The time when the butler served tea.
Waiting for Penchev in the room felt endless. She had no idea how to act. Unlike Ashites, who had no emotional progress, Penchev already had feelings for her.
Accepting his feelings would complicate the remaining conquests, and she would eventually leave. The emotions she received were overwhelmingly heavy.
Rubbing her head and shaking her leg in frustration, she heard the door open and quickly let go of her hair, smiling as if nothing was wrong.
“You’re here?”
“Yes.”
‘What kind of greeting is that? You’re here?’
Scolding herself internally for the awkward greeting, Lysith watched Penchev as he served tea, but his usual expressionless face revealed nothing. It was hard to believe he was the same man who was breathless last night.
Unsure whether to speak first or of what to say, Penchev, having finished preparing, spoke first.
“Miss.”
“Y-yes?”
“I don’t seek your love. I’m content as things are. You don’t need to try to accept my feelings.”
“……”
“Just occasionally, if you could look at me and smile…”
“……”
“That would be enough for me.”
Lysith was speechless. How was this different from before she possessed Lysith? Falling in love quickly, wanting to be by her side, trying for her…
As she bit her lip in thought, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips, as if to stop her.
After the light kiss, he placed her hand on his cheek, smiling faintly.
“Unfortunately, I’m very aware of reality. This is just a compromise with my desires.”
“It’s not enough.”
“Yes, of course. If I acted solely on my desires, you’d be hurt, and I wouldn’t be able to look you in the eye. So… this is enough for me. Just being under the same roof as you.”
Unsure how to respond, she felt like she was floating alone in the vast ocean. Was it okay to accept such affection? Being content just to be near her without seeking her love…
But Lysith couldn’t reciprocate his feelings. As a player of a reverse harem game and as an outsider.
Unable to find the words, she looked down, and he, sensing the heavy atmosphere, filled her empty teacup with graceful movements.
Taking the teacup he offered, she sipped the warm, fragrant tea, but couldn’t manage her expression.
“Miss.”
“…Yes.”
“Please act as usual. If not… do you want me to act forcefully like last night?”
“Ugh.”
So he knew he had been forceful… She drank more tea. He wanted her to act normally, so feeling guilty and apologetic wouldn’t help.
Seeing her blush, Penchev continued speaking with affectionate eyes.
“That’s my true nature. The perfect, upright butler is all an act…”
“No, no. Let’s not do that.”
“Understood.”
Blinking rapidly, Lysith finally whispered.
“…When we’re alone, you can act comfortably.”
“……”
His usually calm eyes widened in surprise. Seeing his reaction, she felt embarrassed and glanced at him, but he smiled, seemingly pleased.
The man, enveloped in her gentleness, suppressed all his dark desires for exclusivity and possession.
* * *
As the sun set and the moon rose in the sky, Lysith lay in bed, groaning from her waist that felt like it had been beaten.
While having tea during the day, she casually mentioned to Penchev that her waist was still killing her. He apologized but said he couldn’t promise not to do it again next time, which was absurd.
She thought only Ashites was shameless, but it turned out there was another one. However, unlike with Ashites, she didn’t feel annoyed.
Regardless, her waist hurt too much, and she had to do something about it. This wouldn’t be the first or last time…
Lying down, she tilted her head and wiggled her fingers, calling up the system.
“Honestly, don’t you think this is too much? If it’s a game, make it so my waist doesn’t hurt. You made the male leads’ lower bodies so big, but you’re wrecking my waist.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a system window silently appeared before her eyes.
[Reviewing Lysith Groneveldt’s opinion…….]
[…….]
The system window flickered, as if contemplating, before it brightened and gave a positive reply.
[Opinion accepted.]
[A permanent passive is provided.]
[Permanent Passive: Strong Waist]
[Detailed Description]
[A permanent passive provided at the request of Lysith Groneveldt.]
[A strong waist is essential for s*x!]
[ON/OFF is not possible.]
For now, she couldn’t be sure. The current pain remained, suggesting it couldn’t fix what was already hurting. Still, it was reassuring to know she wouldn’t have to worry about it in the future.
Two days later, with her waist finally recovered, Lysith went out with Eve, visiting a boutique she frequented.
After ordering several dresses and gifting clothes to Eve, Lysith remembered that this place also sold men’s accessories like cufflinks.
“I’d like to see some cufflinks.”
“Oh my, the rumors must be true! Hey, bring out the samples.”
Normally, no one would dare make such probing remarks, but Madame Rouarte, the boutique owner, had known Lysith for a long time and could afford to be cheeky.
“What rumors?”
“Well, you know, about the Master of the Magic Tower.”
Lysith chuckled at the mention of Ashites, waving her hand dismissively.
“Well, who knows if it’s true or not. How do you know I’m not buying these cufflinks for myself?”
“Oh, right. But please, tell me the truth!”
The madame had agreed to answer in this roundabout way if anyone asked about the rumors, but she was clearly curious about their truthfulness.
Lysith didn’t intend for these rumors to spread, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. While some might spread unsavory gossip, such talk wouldn’t gain much traction.
The reason was simple. The Master of the Magic Tower, who usually left the empire after a day or two, was still around. If the rumors about him doting on a ducal lady were true, and such nasty talk reached his ears…
It wasn’t his power that was frightening. What was scarier than violence was…
‘Money.’
Even Lysith was intimidated by his wealth. The Magic Tower’s magical tools were used not just in the empire but across the continent. The imperial mages couldn’t produce such tools, so they relied entirely on the Magic Tower’s products.
And the head of the Magic Tower was Ashites Dinev.
“Well, think it over carefully.”
“You’re so mean, Lady.”
Madame pouted but laid out the samples brought by her staff. The cufflinks, adorned with various gemstones, sparkled under the boutique’s lights.
Typically, one would gift accessories that matched the recipient’s eye color, so Lysith narrowed her eyes, searching for suitable gifts for two men.
Today, she was wearing the chrysoberyl necklace he had returned to her, insisting she always wear it. She thought he might like a gift adorned with chrysoberyl as well.
After selecting a diamond-studded piece for show, as she had mentioned to the madame, she pondered. She wasn’t well-versed in gemstones…
Just as Lysith was about to ask Madame for help, she heard a commotion at the entrance.
She had rented the boutique entirely for this time, so anyone else should have been stopped. Usually, after hearing her name, people would leave, understanding they couldn’t enter. Yet, someone was pushing through, causing the staff to panic.
“What’s going on? Shall I go out and…”
“No, I’ll go. If they’re causing a fuss despite hearing my name, it means they’re not someone the madame can handle.”
Could it be Ashites? She hadn’t pressed the necklace, so how did he know she was here? The other possibility was the Grand Duke, but he had no reason to force his way in.
Leaving Eve behind, Lysith stepped out of the VIP room and immediately held her breath upon seeing the man in the hallway. His deep blue eyes wavered anxiously as they met her bright blue ones.
“……”
“……”
The boutique fell into a heavy silence centered around the pair.
<to be continued in volume two>
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ErieOra
Im sorry but it seems that there’s a bit of a problem with the next chapter? The release date is on 2025 instead of 2024? If that’s intentional please dont mind me 🙌🙌❤️