As the servant stood frozen in disbelief, I walked straight into Senior Delphine’s room.
It was late at night. The moonlight poured in through the vast window.
Bathed in that light, there was a woman with brilliant golden hair.
Her hair boasted a dazzling hue, as if woven from golden threads. And her eyes resembled red jade, the color akin to the symbol of the Yuridina Clan.
She sat silently on the window sill, admiring the night scenery. The dim lighting accentuated her white, smooth skin.
She was dressed exactly as I had seen her before.
A thin gown that concealed her pure white body, revealing the enticing curves of her figure without reservation.
Even upon seeing her again, it was an outfit too provocative for a man in his prime.
So, I cleared my throat awkwardly and greeted Senior Delphine.
“…Senior Delphine.”
Her gaze slowly turned towards me. And as our eyes met, there was a brief moment of silence.
It felt as if time had stopped.
In that moment, Senior Delphine’s pupils gradually expanded, and her lips repeatedly parted and closed.
Then, eventually, a feminine scream erupted.
“Ah, aaaaah! H-how did you get in here?!”
Senior Delphine said this while hastily adjusting her clothing. The terror in her eyes, which she could not hide, showed as she took a few steps back.
Oh dear, I shrugged my shoulders and replied to her.
“I broke the door down. I mentioned I was coming in, did I not?”
“You said you wanted to be alone!”
“I said I was coming in; I didn’t say I needed permission, did I?”
It was indeed a bold statement.
Senior Delphine opened her mouth as if to protest, but my actions were faster.
My eyes caught sight of the table. It was the same spot where I had once sat across from Senior Delphine.
I strode forward, pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite her.
There was a wine glass on the table. It seemed to be something Senior Delphine had prepared.
I casually picked up the glass and examined it.
It was high quality. Truly a cup suitable for the heir of the Yuridina Clan.
And, giving a foolish look to the staring Senior Delphine, I smiled slightly and asked.
“…Shall we have a drink?”
Upon hearing my suggestion, Senior Delphine wore the same expression as the servant I had seen just before entering the room.
A gaze I had seen somewhere before.
I decided not to read too much into that intent.
Delphine Yuridina was afraid of Ian Fercurus.
He was the man who had inscribed countless scars and humiliations on her body.
Whenever she stood before him, her knees trembled, and on the days he wielded his axe, terror glimmered in her once-proud eyes.
The fact that she feared Ian was glaringly apparent.
Nonetheless, Delphine still held onto a sliver of pride.
While she knew she could never defeat Ian, she had confidence that she could at least be of help.
Even when bickering with Elsi, Delphine firmly believed she would be more useful than Elsi.
Regardless of her previous defeat, she was the rightful heir of the Yuridina Clan, the golden lion that guarded the North.
Though she had shown a somewhat ridiculous sight of being the maid or pet during that process, she didn’t mind.
Now, that was all that remained of Delphine’s pride. It was something she had to cling to no matter how unseemly.
However, the battle at the orphanage was more than enough to rob Delphine of her last handful of self-respect.
At first, she thought she could be quite helpful.
During the extermination of the monkey monsters, Delphine’s performance stood out. She constituted the core of the party alongside Ian.
But once they entered the cave, the situation began to change.
For example, during the first battle against the Flesh Seed.
When Ian decided to face the Flesh Seed alone, the anxious party turned back the way they had come after some time.
And there, they saw him.
A man with burning golden eyes.
After that, the effortless way he dealt with the approaching Flesh Seeds was overwhelming.
As each Flesh Seed approached him, blood and brain matter splattered into the void. The violence, without hesitation, dominated the blood-stained scenery.
It took mere minutes for six of the most difficult monsters to perish like flies.
Watching Ian madly swing his axe at the last one, Delphine recalled the deep-rooted fear etched in her mind once more.
Her legs trembled. She felt like collapsing and screaming at any moment. The sensation of nausea, as if her brains and flesh would splatter into a mushy mix, confirmed her fears.
She couldn’t resist.
This man had no sense of moderation. She thought that should she attempt to oppose Ian again, she might end up in that spot, where blood and flesh became a congealed soup.
Struggling to right her wobbling body, Delphine fixed her terrified gaze firmly on Ian’s brutality.
She would never, ever, resist.
She steadfastly reinforced her determination, repeating it over and over.
The same was true in the following battles.
While Delphine contained the monkey monsters, Ian single-handedly decapitated the mage.
When they went to repel the last Flesh Nest, she had even become a burden.
Having carelessly gotten her ankle bitten, she had prevented Ian from receiving Elsi’s fire support.
Above all, the sight of him moving forward undeterred despite being in tatters was striking.
He was formidable. A jolt of electricity surged down her spine.
No matter how strong Delphine’s competitive spirit was, she could not continue fighting with a critical injury. However, the man devised winning strategies until the last moment, staring death in the face.
In the end, he triumphed.
Even as his limbs were torn apart, poisoned, dripping with blood, regurgitating blood and entrails, he seized victory.
It was simply unimaginable. How could one fight against such a man?
Since that day, Delphine had secluded herself in her room, dwelling on her gloom all day.
She had become weak, she herself.
The emotions she experienced for the first time bubbled within her heart.
Inferiority and jealousy, amidst those wretched feelings, Delphine’s depression deepened.
Then, today, Ian unexpectedly visited.
After much hesitation, she had no choice but to respond to Ian’s suggestion.
She simply could not face him.
Fearful of him discovering her ugly emotions, Delphine chose to hide in her room.
And the result was now.
Delphine trembled with shame, pouring wine into Ian’s glass as if she were a servant.
Ian sniffed and savored the fragrant aroma of the wine.
“…Hmm, wonderful.”
Of course, it was wine that one couldn’t buy even if they saved a year’s allowance.
Delphine wanted to shoot back like that, but there was no way she could dare oppose Ian.
In the end, she lowered her head and sat opposite him.
She sipped wine weakly.
It was pitiful to be unable to move in front of a younger man. While she did so, she sneakily glanced at Ian, adjusting her clothing.
In response to her watchful eyes, Ian chuckled as if to express disbelief.
“You were so bold before, but why are you like this now?”
At his words, Delphine’s body trembled.
Back then, she had confidence that she could overpower him no matter what he did, but now, Delphine had no confidence to win against Ian.
Rather, if he were to pull out an axe and threaten her, she would have to comply with his demands.
Even now, look at her, unable to say a word at his one command, pouring wine into his glass.
If Ian ordered her to strip, she might actually do it.
No, if he commanded her while wielding an axe, it was assured.
Delphine would strip. Even if he demanded something beyond that, she would have no power to resist.
That was the sorrow of the weak standing before the strong.
It was the exact opposite of the situation when she had faced Ian initially.
However, the fact that she couldn’t acknowledge this before him weighed heavily on her, causing her shoulders to quiver without speech.
Regardless of her feelings, Ian merely sipped wine. He appeared to anticipate nothing from Delphine’s response.
With a matter-of-fact voice, he asked.
“I heard you’ve been holed up in your room lately…”
Whose fault was it, Delphine thought, sending a sharp glare towards Ian, only to meet the shine of those golden eyes.
She immediately withered.
Lowering her gaze, Delphine mustered the maximum rebellious spirit she could and said.
“It’s… none of your business… really.”
Then, subtly checking Ian’s reactions, she added an honorific in a pitiful attempt to convey her defiance.
As Delphine’s expression darkened further, Ian nodded as if to say, ‘That’s true.’
“Well, being curled up in your room is your freedom, Senior Delphine.”
Was he here to mock her?
That thought made Delphine’s gaze sour.
The inferiority she had harbored bubbled up within her.
He was strong and a victor, and perhaps he had come to taunt the weak and defeated Delphine.
He might even revel in the sight of her completely helpless and submissive to his every word.
Even if that were the case, Delphine no longer felt any desire to resist Ian.
Lost in frustration, she merely bowed her head.
Just then, while Delphine was secretly biting her lip in silence, Ian softly called her name.
“…Senior Delphine.”
The sound of a glass placed down on the table.
Delphine intentionally avoided Ian’s gaze. She had no courage to face him.
Mockery, disdain, and the sense of defeat she felt while facing those eyes.
She feared and loathed everything about it. She felt an overwhelming urge to just sit down.
However, the next words from Ian were different from her imagination.
“I came to thank you.”
Delphine’s eyes widened, blankly staring.
