The scrutiny from the three men was too intense. It seemed inappropriate to escape for a while, so I decided to change my plans.

“Master, you can read this book. Now, we’re going to start Chapter 2 today.”

Instead of wasting time idly, I decided to learn from Seth.

It was strange that the author of this novel was learning about the history of the Empire, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Diet, what brings you here today?”

“Vacation.”

The day after our time together ended, Dietrich continued to wander around the Mage Tower.

Seth, who remained in the tower during his term, looked displeased at Dietrich’s mere presence, but the commander of the knights didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.

“Why don’t you just get lost? I don’t want to see you.”

“This is a neutral space. It’s none of your business.”

Unlike Yuno, who thoroughly concealed himself when others were spending time with me, Dietrich seemed determined to make his presence known.

Seth, who had been sitting next to me in the library and teaching me something, chuckled at Dietrich’s attitude.

“Ah, Seth. Seth, wait a minute.”

He slipped his hand under my clothing, and my breathing grew heavier.

Seeing this, Dietrich paced back and forth, unable to touch me. Eventually, even though he knew today wasn’t his day, he seemed to decide to satisfy his desires and brought his hand down to his pants.

“Are you going to blow it up if you take it out, you beast?”

Noticing this, Seth gritted his teeth and said, causing even Dietrich to flinch. Then he pulled out a sky-blue potion from his pocket and drank it.

It was an improved version of the initial yellowish potion.

After a moment, surprisingly, the front of his pants settled down.

“You! You have such a good potion, why do you always-!”

You kept me up all night!

There were good times, but he left those out. Honestly, Dietrich had such incredible stamina that handling him was quite challenging.

As I jumped up to protest, Dietrich flushed and turned his head to the side.

“You beast, you just wanted to satisfy your own desires.”

Seth, now slipping his hand under my skirt, spoke as if 1 plus 1 equals 2, and Dietrich’s face looked like it would explode.

After brushing away the hand climbing up my thigh, I asked Dietrich.

“What’s Yuno doing?”

“He said he had an experiment to do.”

Is it making a potion to improve Dietrich’s condition?

Dietrich and Yuno generally got along well, but they were no different from Seth in that they both tried to monopolize me.

“Then go help him with that.”

I didn’t want to have a pointless rivalry with Seth here; it was giving me a headache.

“Are you saying it’s annoying?”

His blue eyes and broad shoulders drooped.

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t me who answered.

“Get lost, you idiot.”

Seth was smiling brightly, which was even scarier. Since today was Seth’s day, I couldn’t side with Dietrich, even if I felt sorry for him.

Still, it was giving me a headache being stuck between the two, so I decided to distance myself.

I hid between the stacked bookshelves under the pretense of looking for a book, trying to get as far away as possible.

“Hmm, this one. This one.”

I picked a book that looked interesting.

“Damn it, commander, I knew you were worse than a dog, but this is beyond imagination.”

Seth seemed genuinely angry.

“Should I tell the knights that you’re a raving lunatic?”

“Pfft, who would believe you?”

“Here, I have a crystal orb that recorded your pathetic state.”

A moment of silence passed, and I shrank back in fear.

Sure enough, I heard Dietrich’s furious shout. It sounded like he had drawn his sword.

“Seth Milan!”

“Stop right there.”

I perked up my ears.

“Do you really think I brought this without any countermeasures?”

I could hear Dietrich’s grinding teeth from here.

“If you’re curious, try killing me. If you want to know when this will be played.”

“You bastard!”

It seemed Dietrich couldn’t contain his anger, and I heard the sound of his sword hitting the ground.

Sorry, Dietrich, but you’ll never be able to defeat Seth.

***

Eventually, Dietrich left.

Seth continued the lesson, and about three hours later, I found myself in a crisis.

“You don’t know much, Master.”

Uh-oh.

I shouldn’t let them find out I’m full of holes. I can’t let them realize I’m not useful!

But since we were in the Mage Tower, they probably wouldn’t kill me recklessly, right?

“Why are you clinging to me like that?”

“…….”

“Are you afraid I’ll do something to you?”

Yes.

But surprisingly, there was no warning sound.

“Oh dear, I see you don’t trust me.”

Seth stretched his red lips into a long smile, but it looked more like he was pouting than smiling.

“There’s no way I’d do anything bad to you, Master.”

“Why not?”

“Why, you ask…?”

Seth’s lips curled up slightly, looking deflated.

“I like you, Master. How could I do something you dislike?”

“You like me?”

“Yeah. I like you.”

“Why?”

I remembered I had asked the same question before.

“I told you, it’s cute when you roll your eyes in fear. And I like how you manage to look me in the eye instead of running away.”

“…….”

“I also like the expression on your face when you’re desperate to sleep with me but refuse to.”

…Did I get caught?

“Then why do you say you won’t sleep with me? Is it really because you only want to be with your future spouse?”

“Uh, uh? Yes! That’s right!”

I nodded hurriedly, and Seth chuckled.

It seemed I had been caught for making up an excuse.

Seth reached out, grabbed a handful of my hair, and lightly pressed his lips against mine.

“Being with you is peaceful.”

The corners of Seth’s eyes relaxed lazily.

“Isn’t it strange? Peaceful things are boring and dull… but I don’t dislike it.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m fascinating?”

After a brief hesitation, I added, “Because I’m the author. I’m a being that’s hard to see again in this world. So everything about me might seem fascinating?”

“Maybe that was it at first.”

Seth readily agreed.

Suddenly, an alarm went off.

Why? Because Seth Milan was doing something he usually wouldn’t.

When I asked him to stop lying and tell me why he liked me, he didn’t lie.

But he also didn’t reveal all his reasons honestly. That was just part of Seth Milan’s nature, and I accepted it.

But now, he was speaking honestly? Especially in front of someone he wanted to impress?

That behavior didn’t suit the thoroughly artificial Seth at all.

“Do you know how everyone reacts when they see my scars or hear about my past?”

Yeah.

“They pity me.”

The one thing Seth hates the most: is being pitied.

“The next reaction is even funnier. They pretend to understand, even though they’ve never experienced anything like it.”

And then they act like they know me.

“They think they’ve gained leverage over me or that they’ve gotten closer just by hearing my story.”

“…….”

“I was just curious about how someone I could kill would react, so I mentioned it casually.”

Seth’s large hand cupped my cheek. His crimson eyes drew closer.

“The expression you made was one I’d never seen before.”

His soft voice gradually lowered.

“Do you know that for the first time, I saw a crack in the face you always looked at me with like I was a doll?”

I was completely caught.