đ Christmas Special! đ
To celebrate Christmas, enjoy 30% off monthly subscriptions from December 25th to 31st đâš
The adjusted price is available on the Patreon page.
Chapter 211. Confidence
"Ahem. Hoo..."
Elise sprayed perfume on her body several times while waiting for Lee Hoyeon.
It wasn't the first time she had let him into her house, but since it had been a while, her nervousness was worse than ever.
'Why am I so nervous about this...'
Elise clutched her pounding heart and took a deep breath.
Hoo. Haa. Hoo.
What was making her so excited?
Was it the anticipation that her congenital mana disorder would be treated?
Was it that she would be alone with Lee Hoyeon for the first time in a while?
Was it the massage from Lee Hoyeon she had been waiting for?
Elise didn't know.
Ding-dong, ding-dongâ
At that moment, she heard the doorbell, and Elise looked at the CCTV screen.
Lee Hoyeon was standing at the front gate.
"...He's here."
Elise activated the device to open the mansion's front gate and quickly headed downstairs as she watched him enter.
Her pounding heart was a bonus.
Elise timed it perfectly to open the door just as Lee Hoyeon passed the yard and reached the house.
"Hey. Sorry I'm late. Did you wait long?"
"...No. I just finished work myself. Come in."
Sure enough, Lee Hoyeon looked different at home than he did in the classroom.
More than just handsome, just seeing his face made her lower belly tingle.
Elise, holding her fluttering heart, guided Lee Hoyeon to the room.
Lee Hoyeon followed her, looking around the house.
'Damn, this place really is huge.'
What would it feel like to live in a place like this?
"Can I disable the perception-reduction barrier in your room?"
"No, it's fine. I already told my assistant you'd be coming."
"...Is that okay?"
Shouldn't it not be?
Everyone knows her dad's totally obsessed with her.
"Yeah. I told him a while ago. I can't hide it forever."
"That's true, but..."
Damn. Guess it was impossible to keep it hidden till the end.
She looks way too calm for things to be normalâso maybe it's really okay?
'Nah, he's not the type to just let things go.'
Hope this doesn't cause any annoying trouble.
When they reached Elise's room, Lee Hoyeon naturally took a seat on a chair.
He remembered being here last time.
'Back then, this wasn't here... She really prepared properly this time.'
In the middle of the pink-pink room was a massage table.
It looked sturdy and luxuriousâdefinitely expensive.
"...How's your body?"
Elise spoke as she looked at Lee Hoyeon.
Her belly was aching, and she wanted to get started right away, but that felt too obvious.
There was no point in having taken her time replying if she rushed now.
Really, since the massage was part of the treatment, it shouldn't feel awkward at all.
The fact that she felt this way meant her feelings weren't entirely innocent, but Elise hadn't realized that yet.
Lee Hoyeon replied, looking at Elise who was perched on the massage table.
"Yeah. As you can see. Healthy as ever."
'Guess she's trying to ease into it with small talk instead of jumping right into the massage.'
That worked out fine.
He had a lot he wanted to ask.
"Good to hear. Hmm..."
"Oh right, I stopped by the student council earlier, and the seniors were talking about you."
"The student council? We haven't done much with the PR team lately."
"Honestly, we only got in because we gave up our publicity rights... It's not a big deal."
"Same here. I prefer having less work."
He was trying to ease the mood with student council talk before bringing up the real issue, but Elise didn't look pleased.
There was a stuffy, uncomfortable air.
Lee Hoyeon decided to get straight to the point.
"Uh... Come to think of it, there's been a lot of noise about France lately. Are you guys okay?"
"...No. Even the Iris Guild has taken a big hit."
"Is there anything I can do to help? I really want to."
Could he use Elise to get to France? That'd make things easier.
"It's fine. We can handle that much."
"Oh, but still..."
"The Iris Guild handles Iris Guild matters. That's the rule. Sorry."
"Got it. Sorry."
Elise made her refusal clear.
Well, it is an intelligence guild... They must be strict with rules like that.
And honestly, it's not like he could be much help anyway.
He wasn't upset.
'Would've been nice if I could tag along though. Too bad.'
He wanted to uncover the connection between the centaurs, hell, and Liliana.
With the government involved, he'd definitely need connections.
How should he approach this?
While Lee Hoyeon was briefly lost in thought, Elise clenched a fist out of sight.
'...Can't we just start the massage already?'
If I'd known it'd drag on like this, I would've just said let's begin...!
Why'd I even bother with the small talk?
Now it's awkward to suddenly say, "Okay, let's do the massage."
Her mouth was parched with impatience.
"So, the research I'm doing with Professor Im Sol got delayed a bit."
"I see."
"...Yeah."
Elise was clearly bored.
Even though she'd started the conversation herself.
Anyway, from the sound of it, using Elise to get to France wasn't going to work.
The Iris Guild had its own rules, and she wasn't going to break them for him.
â Heroine Status Window
[Elise]
- [ Affection: 69 ]
- [ Lust: 70 ]
- [ Appetite: 40 ]
- [ Fatigue: 55 ]
Current Status: How long is this conversation going to go on�
It looked like Elise had hit her limit, so it was time to move things along.
"Hmm... Shall we start the massage now? Are you ready?"
"Oh, yeah. All set. I even showered."
"...Nice."
You even showered, huh.
She's seriously committed to getting this massage.
"Then... I'll step outside for a bit, want to get ready?"
"Yeah. I'll call you when I'm done."
I picked up the bag I brought and stepped out of the room.
After closing the door, I opened my bag while listening to the rustling sounds from inside.
"...Maybe I brought too much."
The bag was full of massage supplies.
I packed mana stone powder and oils to make it look like I was working hard... but who knows if it'll set the right mood.