Elsi had been waiting for I-an for a few days.
During that time, it had been a forced march. The look in Elsi’s eyes, recalling the past days, naturally turned weary.
She had never been interested in decoration, but over the past few days, she had been dragged around to various places by Lupin.
These were shops she had never seen before.
In any case, due to the academy’s regulations, dressing in anything other than the uniform was impossible. So Lupin had poured efforts into a slightly different direction.
Cosmetics, perfumes, hair.
To be honest, even Elsi couldn’t tell how much she had changed over those few days. So she absentmindedly brought her hair to her nose and sniffed.
It had a refreshing scent.
That was the only clear change that Elsi could perceive. She hoped that this change would only have a positive impact.
Her master should like it, Elsi thought, feeling a bit dejected without realizing it.
She had known it since childhood.
Compared to her peers, Elsi had an exceptionally petite build. This had continued until now, as her growth had stopped, and her body had shown no signs of growing since her girlhood.
This was also why Elsi had been particularly bullied in the Rainelle Clan, which had robust physiques.
However, what mattered to a mage wasn’t the physique but the magical power. So it had been a problem she hadn’t cared much about since entering the academy.
She thought that if she punished those who looked down on her as “the little one,” that would be enough. Whether tall or short, Elsi Rainelle was still Elsi Rainelle.
But first love changes everything. The same goes for a girl’s worldview.
For the first time in a long while, Elsi resented her petite figure.
As a woman, she had curves in her body. In fact, her curves were quite developed compared to her petite frame.
Compared to her frame, that is.
In reality, she couldn’t have curves similar to those of the Virgin Saint or Delphine, who stayed by I-an’s side. Such figures would raise suspicions of genetic manipulation regardless of body shape.
Thinking of this made Elsi unnecessarily anxious. Chewing her lip, she kicked at the innocent ground, but her heart wouldn’t settle down.
After a while, she was startled by the presence she sensed and lifted her head.
I-an was walking over from afar.
It was the same path he always took. Around this time, he often trained in the clearing of a forest where people were scarce. That was information Lupin had managed to gather.
It had only been a few days since she had seen his face. But Elsi couldn’t hide her joy as if she were a puppy meeting her master after several years.
It took just a few seconds for her excited heart to fade.
A woman came up to I-an, hanging onto his arm.
She was a beauty with radiant blonde hair. Her crimson eyes were alluring to the point of being mischievous.
The attractive woman with snow-white skin was now pressing I-an’s arm against her chest.
It was an incredibly natural approach. With such a fluid motion, I-an couldn’t bring himself to shake off that arm.
His surprised eyes turned towards her. Then the woman, Delphine Yuridina, smiled lightly and greeted him.
“Master, shall we talk for a moment, just the two of us?”
It seemed she had something important to say. I-an, momentarily frozen, sighed and scratched his head.
He wore a face that said he had no choice.
However, Elsi did not like the sight of the two of them together at all.
As was well known, the relationship between Elsi and Delphine was particularly poor.
They were recognized by everyone as the academy’s quintessential rivals.
This was a fact that both Elsi and Delphine acknowledged.
But now, right before her, Elsi was on the verge of losing her precious master to her nemesis. It would be strange if she didn’t feel a surge of emotion.
“Wh- who are you clinging to right now?! That slut, seriously…!”
The immediate response to Elsi’s shout was quick.
First, I-an looked at Elsi with a surprised expression. It seemed he had not expected her to be waiting here.
Delphine initially showed a slightly surprised expression. But her eyes narrowed, and soon a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
Elsi glared at Delphine with a fierce expression.
It was as if a low growl could be heard echoing in the air, indicating how angry she was.
“Hey, are you not letting go?! Master is feeling uncomfortable right now!”
It was a blatant excuse, but there was no more effective justification than that.
I-an looked as perplexed as usual, and that expression proved Elsi’s words to be true.
Then Delphine willingly let go of I-an’s arm.
It was an uncharacteristic attitude for her. It didn’t make sense that the embodiment of competitiveness would back down just because Elsi had fired a shot.
Naturally, Elsi’s wary gaze persisted. Regardless, Delphine simply waved her hands as if to signal surrender.
“You’re right, I was too rude. A slave should maintain the proper decorum before the master…”
At the moment Elsi saw Delphine’s smirk, she felt her hair stand on end.
Anyone could see that this was a woman harboring a scheme.
But before Elsi could say anything, Delphine had already taken action.
Without hesitation, she knelt down and bowed her head. Kissing the dirt-covered toe of I-an’s shoe, she spoke in a submissive voice.
“Master, please punish this sinful slave…”
At Delphine’s unexpected preemptive strike, Elsi’s eyes went wide.
Furthermore, while bowing her head, Delphine subtly squeezed her thighs together. The slight curve of her raised behind was accentuated beyond the uniform skirt.
Elsi instinctively compared her frail body to Delphine’s curvy femininity, which possessed a honey-like allure.
Initially, she had promised Lupin to be a bit bolder today. The plan was to be cute while subtly giving I-an some leeway.
But from the moment Delphine intervened, Elsi’s mind had turned completely blank.
She didn’t want to lose, especially not to Delphine. More than that, she didn’t want to be abandoned by her master.
That desperate feeling compelled Elsi to issue a command to herself to cling to I-an.
Elsi decided to follow that instinct immediately.
“W- what are you saying, you bitch! You’re subtly squeezing your thighs together and pushing your butt out?! You’re just a big-assed slut… Master! Please, don’t abandon me for that pervert… okay?”
Of course, the look in I-an’s eyes as he watched this was nothing short of bewilderment.
Regardless, the verbal battle between Delphine and Elsi intensified.
“What’s wrong, Rainelle? Just as you said, I’m waiting for punishment for disrespecting the master… You still lack awareness that you’re the master’s possession?”
“…W- what?!”
Delphine’s taunt, said while keeping her head bowed, immediately reached Elsi’s ears.
Immediately, Elsi jumped up as if caught off guard.
In truth, the feelings Elsi harbored for I-an were affection and admiration, along with love, not the same feelings as Delphine’s.
However, with Delphine intruding on Elsi’s position, that feeling became distorted. Elsi naturally began to recognize I-an as “master.”
That was necessary to win in the competition against Delphine.
Though the yardstick for that “victory” was peculiar, it was a contest that mattered more to Elsi than anything else. Flames sparked in her eyes, which resembled blue sapphires.
“Well, I’m also the master’s possession! Do you think I’m unaware of your intention to just stick your ass out? You want to fill your own desires using the master…!”
“If you don’t like it, then you can do the same.”
However, Delphine’s voice in response to Elsi was incredibly calm.
Delphine’s blood-red eyes, once bowed, briefly glanced at Elsi.
A smirk was forming at the corners of her mouth.
“I have a certain confidence in my body. Especially my backside feels good, so I’m sure the master is satisfied too. Ah, just like last time…”
“…L-last time?!”
Delphine’s dreamy breaths gradually became moist. Upon hearing that, Elsi exclaimed in shock, swallowing dryly.
Soon, Elsi’s pitiful gaze turned towards I-an.
Her pleading eyes seemed to implore him to deny the truth; I-an turned his head away without saying a word.
He seemed momentarily lost in thought, his fingers twitching.
When Elsi didn’t receive the expected answer, her face fell into despair. She even looked as if she was about to cry.
Delphine chuckled as if enjoying the moment and continued her taunts. As she spoke, she occasionally flinched and squeezed her thighs together.
“…It was really enjoyable. If the master desires, you can punish me as much as you want. Or maybe step on my head?”
At her teasing, sultry voice, Elsi trembled.
The heir of the Yuridina Clan turned out to be such a lascivious woman with such perverted proclivities.
This was an act of treachery against the Imperial Court.
Until recently, Elsi had used derogatory terms like “that woman” for the princess for merely touching I-an, but at this moment, she felt as though she were an unparalleled loyal subject of the empire.
Moreover, driven by the primal instinct of a woman to protect her beloved man from that hussy, she resolved herself.
With her trembling lashes, Elsi finally seemed to have made up her mind and opened her eyes.
“Master! If you want to punish me, you can do it to me…!”
“Master, if you’re going to hit me, wouldn’t it be better to hit where it hurts? Please have mercy on this slave…”
After watching Delphine and Elsi silently for a while, I-an finally let out a deep sigh.
That was a sign that his deliberation had concluded.
Elsi and Delphine were clearly not unaware of this.
As both women waited with tense expressions, hoping for I-an’s judgment.
I-an’s hand suddenly shot out, pulling out a hand axe like lightning.
Before Delphine and Elsi could even react,
The glowing hand axe plunged into the ground, releasing its pent-up magical power.
With a loud bang, clouds of dust erupted. The shockwave wasn’t substantial but was enough to trigger fear in both Delphine and Elsi.
“Ah, Aaaahhh!!!”
“Ugh, Ah, Aaaahhh!!!”
Despite their mutual loathing, the screams they let out were remarkably similar.
The two who hated each other fell to the ground alike, clutching their heads tightly as they began to tremble. Their shivering eyes testified that their hearts had not healed from their scars.
“I-I’m sorry… I-I hate the axe… Please… not with the knife… I’ll give you everything… H- hee…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’ll, I’ll wet myself… please don’t abandon me! Save me…”
Only after seeing that sight did I-an let out a weary sigh.
He placed a hand on his forehead, shaking his head, and then promptly asked Delphine.
“What were you trying to say, Senior Delphine?”
Delphine, trembling with a quivering voice, hesitated as she tried to articulate her thoughts.
“Well, um… I heard you were looking for a ‘cave’ the other day, so I wanted to talk about that… P- please forgive me…”
I-an nodded as if that made sense. His gaze then turned toward Elsi.
“And what about you, Senior Elsi?”
“I’m, I’m not seeing the master nowadays… I-I don’t want to be abandoned… H-heee…”
Upon hearing that, I-an’s expression slightly soured. His golden eyes, filled with sympathy, looked down at Elsi.
Of course, that was only for a moment.
As he finally heard both their matters, a satisfied smile crossed I-an’s face.
He raised his hand, and the axe returned to his grasp with a clattering sound. To the two women who were still trembling from fear, he said,
“Since it has come to this, let’s talk together. I also have things I’d like to share… Let’s discuss ‘rewards’ and ‘punishments’ later.”
With that said, I-an thought inwardly.
He should have pulled out the hand axe sooner.
It seemed that for when the two women fought excessively, a drastic measure would be required.
