Chapter 71
The elf with navy blue hair was diligently writing something beside me, seemingly oblivious to my self-reproach.
“If you don’t have anything to say to me, could you do your work outside, Lumiere?” Even if I’m on death’s door, I still have a few days’ worth of human rights.
“I’m sorry, but I do.”
Oh really? And here I thought my bedside while I wrestled with my pillow was the optimal work environment.
I grumbled under my breath and asked what he had to say. Lumiere took my hand.
“I need to be certain, so let me check your condition first.”
Lumiere closed his eyes and furrowed his brow slightly, as if concentrating. A soft light emanated from where our hands touched, and my palm felt cool, like after a herbal massage.
“Hmm… Hmm. Mm.”
After a while, Lumiere let out a groan like an ailing old man. It was an ominous sound.
“What? Has my lifespan shortened?” A chill ran down my spine, and I sat up abruptly.
This can’t be. Was it because I drank too much? What if I die today or tomorrow? Considering how drunk I was, my physical condition doesn’t seem that bad, though.
If I’m about to die, I should stop by the Grand Temple and say my last goodbyes…
“Well, you see. You said you bit the Crown Prince and scratched two paladins, correct?”
Just how far has news of my disgraceful behavior spread?
“Y-yes.”
“It’s generally accepted that filling someone’s core is possible through intercourse or blessings.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t understand why biting and scratching untangled the mess inside you.”
For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend Lumiere’s words.
“Lumiere, that’s… that is…”
Lumiere tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand either, then looked at me with his deep, ocean-blue eyes. “Your body has improved significantly. It’s as if you’ve… engaged in intercourse several times with the men you’ve previously been with.”
I blinked stupidly.
Wait, so if that’s what Lumiere means…
“Did you do anything else besides scratching and biting? Tell me everything.”
“Uh, well… I, I undressed them and touched them a bit… No! Don’t look at me like that! There was no s3xual intent whatsoever!”
“You’re saying you intentionally undressed them and touched them without any s3xual intent?”
Is the problem that there’s too much of me inside me? I really didn’t have any s3xual intentions.
Ignoring my protests, Lumiere scratched his forehead with the tip of his pen and scribbled something else on the paper.
“My most plausible theory is that you ingested blood while biting the Crown Prince.”
No… that makes me sound like some kind of cannibalistic monster.
“I was drunk, so I don’t remember clearly…”
“Since filling a core involves the exchange of bodily fluids, blood, sweat, and even flesh might be included.”
That statement suddenly shifted the genre to gore.
“Physical contact seems to have an effect, but it’s minimal… So, Adelina, how do you feel?”
“Huh? About what?”
Confused by the direction of the conversation, I looked at Lumiere. He set down what he was holding and leaned towards me.
“Didn’t you say you’d rather die than be forced to sleep with them against your will?”
“Well… yes?”
“But now, although it’s not certain yet, we’ve discovered another way that might prevent your death?”
Huh?
Lumiere’s words left me stunned. Then, I couldn’t help but let out a small, surprised laugh.
So, I’m supposed to say, “I’d rather die than sleep with you, so to live, I must consume your flesh and blood. Please hand them over”?
That seems even more unrealistic to me.
***
My death sentence suddenly changed from D-6 to about D-20.
I checked the clock after Lumiere left, saying he would investigate further.
The delicate clock, with a golden cuckoo that popped out to announce the time every hour, showed it was well past noon.
“Marquess Rain’s charity party…”
Aristocratic charity parties, unlike evening banquets, are usually held during the day and end before nightfall.
It seems I’m already too late to attend.
“What a shame.”
There were probably quite a few usable items in Marquess Rain’s collection of insecurities.
I smacked my lips, recalling the items she’d bought, fueled by her rivalry with Hestia. However, my disappointment was soon compensated for in a different way.
“Hestia insisted I go because you had such a commendable thought. I’m on my way back from Marquess Rain’s charity party.”
“I went with Mother and swept up everything you might have had your eye on.”
Hestia, returning from the charity party with the Empress, pointed at the items the servants were carrying, her eyes sparkling.
“You said you would donate to the knights heading west. How admirable, both Marquess Rain for readily donating precious items to the charity party and you for using your personal wealth for a righteous cause. You’re both such commendable people.”
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