Chapter 7: What the Heck is That Noise?
Roy’s door quietly creaked open, and a head peeked out.
Confirming that the night was silent and that the other two girls were undisturbed, Roy tiptoed out, cradling the little red cat that had curled up and started to doze off.
He had definitely overdone it this time.
Next time, he at least needed to leave her enough strength to walk.
Reflecting on that, it was impossible to say he wasn’t happy.
Two people was one thing, but who could he be afraid of in a one-on-one showdown? Even as a fellow Sequence 4, with the dual boost of “Steel and Iron” and dragon blood, he was certainly no match for “Lionheart”!
The sight of Princess Charlotte, biting her blanket and not daring to make a sound, was just too cute, earning him some beautiful memories.
Although there were a few times when Charlotte’s soft whimpers were quite scary.
Fortunately, she didn’t wake up Nia.
The elven girl’s hearing was exceptionally sharp; particularly after Nia had upgraded to Sequence 5, even a needle dropping could not escape her ears.
Though she knew that she and Charlotte had crossed that line, to actually do such a thing right next to her would definitely anger Nia, and she would demand to join in.
Roy wanted to, but his body said no, so now was not the time.
In any case, tonight’s mission had been successfully completed—
That’s how it should have been.
As Roy stepped out of Charlotte’s room and opened his own door, he looked up to see a pair of glowing blue candle flames in the darkness, which nearly made him jump out of his skin.
Those weren’t candle flames; they were Alice’s eyes.
In her pure white nightgown, the blonde girl wore a look found when a golden retriever discovers its owner sneaking treats, her gaze glowing with resentment.
“A-Alice? You didn’t sleepwalk into the wrong room, did you?”
The girl shook her head. “No.”
“Alice is here to come to her master’s room.”
As she spoke, she had already shut the door and locked it behind her.
Then, she strolled over leisurely.
“Master, have you done it?”
“…What are you referring to?”
He had been careful to clean up any evidence. After getting a bit intimate, Charlotte fell asleep, and he just took her back; that seemed perfectly reasonable, right?
Thinking that, Roy struck a bold pose to face her scrutiny.
Unexpectedly, the little maid wasn’t using her eyes to inspect him; she was using her nose.
She leaned in, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed, and in an instant, she came to a conclusion, displaying the expression of a detective.
“Master, you really went ahead and did it.”
“!”
“Not just once, but three, four, five… seven times. One of those times, you even got it on yourself.”
“?!!!”
No, I understand the logic, but how do you determine so much from just smell?! Even a true canine beastman wouldn’t have such ridiculous abilities, right?!
Alice’s gaze turned both cold and hurt, like a lemon that had been left out too long.
“Master, big liar.”
“You clearly said that for Nia’s sake we’d keep things in check and abstain for a few days, yet you went behind Alice’s back to do such things… big liar.”
Roy could hardly hold his head up under Alice’s words.
After all, he had indeed broken the agreement they made at the start, so Alice would naturally be hurt.
But perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing.
Now Alice wouldn’t bottle up all her grievances anymore; she could express her feelings openly like she was now.
Given that, he just needed to make amends.
“Sorry, Alice, I was wrong.”
“Why does Master have to apologize?”
“Huh?”
“Master hasn’t done anything wrong, and Alice isn’t angry at all.”
It didn’t seem like she was putting on a brave face; Alice calmly laid out the facts, making Roy feel a bit moved and even a little ashamed.
No doubt my little maid, my cotton-padded jacket, my angel! Only you are the most forgiving of me!
Alice said gently, “Master has only made a mistake that everyone makes.”
“Summer is a hot season, and it’s only natural to lose to fleeting desires; it’s only reasonable to go against our earlier agreement when one can’t control themselves.”
“So, so, so…”
Alice’s voice grew quieter until it was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, though her breathing intensified until it became heavy.
The girl’s delicate bare foot stepped forward, but Roy instinctively took a step back, falling onto the bed.
Alice pressed against him like soft cotton and fell down with him.
Her usually calm eyes were no longer clear, instead swirling with ripples of desire.
The hem of her nightgown was lifted by her small hand.
The pure white flowers bloomed flawlessly under the night, showcasing their most beautiful and vibrant colors.
It was beautiful yet pure, muddy yet enchanting, ticking down as it flowed.
“So if Alice can’t help it, that’s only natural too, right?❤~”
Roy’s breath hitched.
After struggling for what felt like forever, he finally managed to squeeze out four words.
“That’s certainly true.”
Not long after, the once quiet room was filled again with the sound of rustling.
————————
What the heck was that noise?!
It felt like some thread had been severed suddenly, and Nia jolted awake in the dark.
Sometimes, having overly sharp senses wasn’t a blessing.
Having just upgraded to Sequence 5, Nia wasn’t quite familiar with controlling her bloodline powers; she couldn’t switch them on and off at will, so she maintained excellent hearing, often waking up from the slightest sounds.
After listening for a while, Nia couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Tsk, the last one out tonight must be that flat-chested one, huh? Why is she so noisy this time…”
Nia mumbled, closing her eyes again, trying to drift back to sleep.
However, the intermittent sounds became louder, like ethereal flames dancing in the dark, rising higher until they completely exploded.
As she continued to listen, impatience finally got the best of her, and she opened her eyes once more.
“Come on, enough is enough! You’re not like Leanna, screaming her head off for no reason, who exactly are you trying to impress?!”
Nia jumped out of bed angrily, deciding to teach her disruptive roommate a lesson.
And maybe enjoy the sight of the embarrassed chaos on the other side.
But when she reached the door and overheard more details coming from the room, her anger dissipated.
Her hand froze in mid-air, her pointed elven ears turning bright red as if they had been scalded.
“Meow~… Meow, meow… I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I-I’m the one who’s in heat… Meow~!”
Holy Light above! What in the world is going on here?!
Nia couldn’t fathom that the princess, who would usually stand firm no matter what, could go soft like this!
No, when did they even get to this level?! With the kingdom in crisis, how could they have time for love amidst the flames of war?!
No matter how quirky she usually was, deep down, Nia was still an elf.
Her knowledge about that subject only ever existed in theory, and just the thought of what was happening inside the room, something no book could accurately describe, drained her of her usual courage.
After some contemplation, she obediently retreated to her room, diving under the covers and pretending she hadn’t heard anything at all.