༺ Date? ༻
In a secluded building on the outskirts of the Empire…
“Hold on a sec.”
“Why are you here?”
Two guards at the entrance stopped a woman approaching unsteadily.
“Ugh…”
But the woman they obstructed groaned softly, attempting to push her way through.
“State your purpose here… ugh.”
“What… what strength is this?”
The guards were not ones to easily let someone through, but strangely, they were being pushed back by her.
They weren’t ordinary guards but warriors stationed by Clana in her secret hideout.
“Hmm…”
When they finally drew their weapons, the woman’s eyes sharpened.
– Clatter…!
“”……!?””
Suddenly, all their weapons fell.
“I just received a message. The letter I got a few hours ago only had the location of this place.”
Isolet, clearly drunk, observed the astonished guards.
“So, I can’t explain why.”
Even in her intoxicated state, she spoke coldly and entered the building quietly.
“…Hmm.”
Once inside, she discreetly surveyed her surroundings.
‘There’s some space expansion magic at play here. Or perhaps it’s an illusion.’
The unassuming exterior of the building belied the grandeur of a palace that awaited inside.
‘Certainly… This isn’t the work of an ordinary person. An average individual couldn’t achieve this. Then, who?’
She speculated that the sender of the letter was no ordinary person. Lost in her thoughts, she chuckled.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now.”
Her expression quickly darkened.
“I’ve already lost my purpose in life. I’ve already lost everything.”
She came here hoping the anonymous letter might be related to Frey.
Otherwise, she would have stayed confined to her room.
“…This way, please.”
“Hmm.”
Isolet bowed her head quietly and followed a maid who appeared from somewhere.
“Kindly wait here.”
“……”
After silently trailing the maid for a while, Isolet reached an elegantly adorned waiting room.
“Phew.”
Following the maid’s instruction, Isolet sat on a little couch in the waiting room and sighed gently.
– Rustle, rustle…
Lost in thought for a moment, she abruptly pulled something out.
“……”
It was Frey’s picture and his shirt.
She had gotten the picture while visiting his house and hadn’t returned the shirt since the Hero’s Inauguration Ceremony.
“Ugh…”
Still a bit drunk, she fussily looked at the picture while wearing his shirt inside-out, a habit she had developed for the past week.
“I should have… I should have kept him confined then…”
In her drunken state, she sought solace in the lingering scent and Frey’s energy. Then, she gazed somberly at Frey’s photo.
“I should’ve hidden him… Somewhere, no one could find him… So that everyone would forget…”
The photo appeared worn even though it wasn’t that old. Isolet’s voice darkened, just like her expression.
“Even as a ghost… Won’t you appear just once more? Just one more time…?”
At that moment, Isolet whispered desperately.
“I’ll take good care of you… Please…”
Growing agitated, she almost lay down on the sofa.
“I can even get you plastic surgery so that you don’t get caught. If not, you could be my servant. And if that doesn’t work for you, I had plans to escape to the eastern continent and live in the quiet countryside. I even checked out houses…”
Her warm tears soaked Frey’s shirt and the photo.
“…Sob.”
After struggling on the sofa for a while, she sniffed, and suddenly her eyes widened.
‘Someone… is here.’
She couldn’t see who it was as she was draped in Frey’s shirt, but her heightened senses, even more acute since the inauguration ceremony, sensed the gaze.
‘…Is this another trap to kill me?’
Her mind settled, and she began to ponder.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter now.’
Eventually, she gave up, bowed her head, and whispered.
“Who’s there?”
“Uh…”
Then, she heard a trembling voice.
“Sister?”
That voice sounded very familiar.
“What, what are you doing…?”
Frey, clad in a patient gown with a terrified expression, gazed down at her.
“…….!”
Something inside Isolet snapped.
.
.
.
.
.
“We, We’re here…!”
“………”
Meanwhile…
“F, Frey… I’m going to see Frey… Hehe.”
Serena and Miho got out of the carriage. Serena looked around and hummed.
“Miho, is Frey going to be fine? He wasn’t seriously injured, right? He got a serious injury, and we haven’t visited him yet…”
Despite the unfamiliar countryside scenery and smell, Serena smiled, but she suddenly asked anxiously.
“…Last time I checked, he was showing significant improvement. Please, stop asking, human.”
Unlike Serena, Miho was visibly irritated, perhaps reminiscing about her hometown, and replied while looking at Serena.
“But, how did you shake off all those pursuers?”
“Huh?”
“Weren’t you being followed? By that girl, Vener? Verer?”
Upon hearing that, Serena whispered with a sly grin.
“They’re gone now.”
“…You’re terrifying, human.”
Miho shook her head at Serena’s cold smile and pointed to a rundown building.
“Over there. Frey is there…”
“FREYYYY!!”
“…Whew.”
Ignoring Miho’s words, Serena ran toward the building, calling out Frey. She entered the building, passing by the guards who recognized her and nodded quietly.
“Please follow me.”
“Lalala~♪”
Serena hummed as she followed the maid who had guided Isolet moments before. Soon, she became lost in deep thought.
‘I should… only nurse him for a while.’
She intended to tenderly look after the injured Frey, wiping his sweat and serving him tasty porridge.
She aimed to etch in his mind that she alone stood by him during his tough times, hoping to rekindle his love.
She had analyzed it countless times with her genius intellect; it was a perfect plan with no room for failure.
‘Once he fully recovers… I’ll ask him for a date.’
Unlike an ordinary genius who might have stopped there, Serena’s mind was already on the next steps.
‘The date will be on a secluded island. We’ll swim on the beach… and share a hot spring… And when night falls… I’ll set that kind of mood…’
If there was an issue, it was that her plans seemed more like fantasies.
‘I need to prepare. What’s the budget? Is there an island with a hot spring? I should create a perfume full of pheromones.’
Yet, her extraordinary intellect could turn these fantasies into reality.
‘I wonder if a storm could strand us for three or four days. If I threaten the Tower Master, it might be possible…’
While happily planning her time with Frey and grinning widely, Serena suddenly had another thought.
‘How, how do I prepare for the baby?’
She pondered a challenging question that crossed her mind.
‘Baby clothes… Ah, I already bought them. A name? Nightsky, combining stars and the moon? No, too long. What about… Night? That’s okay too…’
– Thump!
“Eek!”
Lost in thought, Serena bumped into the back of the maid, who had stopped suddenly.
“Ouch… Huh?”
Wiping away a tear and rubbing her forehead, Serena tilted her head in confusion.
“…Huh?”
Her expression quickly turned cold.
“Sister… I… can’t breathe…”
“You can’t leave, you can’t go anywhere now… Frey.”
Behind the doors of the waiting room, a distressing scene unfolded.
“I won’t… let go of you again…”
“Ugh…”
Her delicate fiancé was cradled in another woman’s arms.
Though Frey was frail, the incident wouldn’t have happened if the woman hadn’t been Isolet.
“Frey, I’ll look after you. Let’s live happily in the countryside.”
“Wait…”
“If you don’t want that, I can shelter you at my place. Or you can stay hidden in my clothes like last time. I’ll fetch the scroll.”
“Ugh…”
“Do you want to rebel? If you wish, try it. Please, just don’t disappear…”
Serena silently adjusted her fan while watching her soon-to-be-husband Frey, nestled in Isolet’s embrace, blushing and unsure.
“…Snap.”
Soon after, Isolet stood up with Frey in her arms, surveying the room like a goblin who had stolen a treasure.
“Gyah!!”
“…Ouch.”
At that moment, someone swiftly burst into the room and lunged at Isolet.
“You shouldn’t do this.”
Lulu had anticipated this and had been waiting nearby.
– Swoosh…
After saving Frey from Isolet’s embrace, Lulu politely seated him on a chair and rested at his feet.
“Grrr…”
“Hmm…”
She threatened the drunk Isolet, who wasn’t thinking clearly, while she still clung to Frey’s feet.
“If that’s how it is, I’ll let it go because she’s like a protective house dog.”
Seeing Lulu like that, Serena smiled, happy that Lulu had followed her advice from their previous conversation.
– Jump…!
“……?”
As Isolet sat on the chair dazedly, Lulu hopped onto Frey’s lap, looking confused.
“Grrrrr…”
On Frey’s lap, Lulu snuggled into his embrace, rubbing her cheek and head against his stomach.
“What is this? It feels rough…”
Feeling a scratchy sensation whenever Lulu’s head brushed against him, Frey naturally slid his hand inside her clothes, gently stroking her belly.
“….Woof♥”
Seeing the joyful Lulu making intentional puppy sounds at Frey, Serena’s expression turned cold again.
Hidden Quest
Quest Content: Remove Serena’s Curse of Familial Subordination
Mission: Go on a date with Serena today
Progress: 20%
“Hmm?”
At that moment, a mission popped up for Frey.
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at the Hero Party’s temporary meeting spot…
“Thank you all for coming.”
The members of the Hero Party gathered in the tent instead of their destroyed headquarters, focusing on Vener giving a briefing.
“I’ll explain why you’re all here today.”
Startled by the sudden summons, everyone paid attention to Vener’s serious words.
“Frey is alive.”
Vener dropped a bombshell.
“I need your help.”
Still in shock, Vener continued in a hushed voice.
“It’s a risky task, so I’ll take volunteers.”
She looked at Arianne and Alice, who were already eager.
“Anyone willing to join the operation to attack Frey, raise your hand…”
“Ahhh!!!!”
Surprisingly, the first hand raised belonged to an unexpected figure.
“You’re amazing!!!”
“Saintess?”
Ferloche burst in as the tent flap swung open, her body covered in bandages, and she raised her hand enthusiastically.
“I’ll take the lead!!”
Her eyes sparkled, just like they did a week ago.
“Annoying Vener!!”
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