It was definitely someone I’ve never seen before.
I could only see their back, but between the appearance and the vibe, it really felt like Lady Lily.
What should I say…
“An aura? A vibe?”
I’m not sure about the details, but it felt that way.
What was in front of me was surely Lily.
“Ah.”
However, as if our meeting was just for this moment, Lily disappeared while I was momentarily dazed.
Lily vanished into the apartment.
Yena knew she shouldn’t do this, but she moved her steps anyway.
Before I knew it, she had walked into the apartment.
It felt like my home, yet somehow not my home at all.
I calmly looked around.
An empty apartment hallway. There were no traces of anyone passing by.
Yena shook her head.
This can’t go on any longer.
As Yena squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head,
“Excuse me.”
“!!! Hiiiiiik!”
Thud! The sudden appearance of someone made her fall on her butt.
While I couldn’t see their eyes, I could clearly feel a chill through the sunglasses.
I had somewhat sensed it from afar, but up close it was unmistakable.
‘It’s Lady Lily.’
A cold voice echoed through the apartment hallway.
“I was going to let it go, but I feel like I have to say something.”
“Y-yes?”
“Do you even know what you’re doing?”
Lily leaned down, and our faces were suddenly right in front of each other.
Her completely covered face and the flustered look on my bare face.
A brief yet intense staring contest ensued, and Lily’s snow-white hand removed her sunglasses.
Her sea-like blue eyes, which I had always seen in Deoen, were mesmerizing.
Calm yet icy, those eyes felt like they were binding me.
“What’s with your confidence?”
“Uh? Uh, th-the Real Lily…”
“Right or wrong aside, do you even know what you’ve done?”
“Uh…”
My head turned blank.
Throughout my streaming life, I’d met all sorts of people, and I’d encountered many in reality, but this was completely different.
Just standing in front of her felt like being a prey in front of a predator, my body trembling.
Above all…
‘…Her eyes are so pretty.’
How can a person be like this?
“Excuse me?”
“…Ah! I-I’m sorry!!”
“What are you sorry for?”
“Um… I followed Lady Lily without permission─”
“Hah…”
Lily stood up. Even though more than half of her face was covered, her beauty was undeniable.
Though I had done some streaming myself, facing her like this made me feel like a pathetic octopus kneeling before her.
It was no different.
“Wake up. There are a lot of eyes here.”
■
Chirp chirp chirp.
Flap flap!
“The landscaping is pretty.”
“Um… yeah…”
Yena fidgeted, unable to steady herself. Did she realize what she did wrong?
“If I knew, I wouldn’t have done something like this.”
Not only did she give away the location of her house to someone she didn’t even know, but she also followed that person.
What a foolish act.
Of course, Yena might have her excuses.
Maybe Lily had become publicly famous, or since it was a wealthy neighborhood, she felt safe and thought she wouldn’t be threatened.
If not that, maybe she just looked like someone who wouldn’t do such things.
“This should be good enough.”
But that didn’t justify her actions.
In the outskirts of the rarely visited apartment’s greenery, there was a wooden chair and a semi-transparent wall blocking the view, making it perfect for a private conversation.
When I sat down first, Yena followed suit.
In the bright light, the reality of Yena was very similar to the Yena from Deoen.
Did reality seem slightly upgraded in looks and physique?
It was just a small downgrade in reality, not enough to fall short of the Yena in Deoen.
Yena couldn’t hide her admiration when she saw only my eyes.
Looks like lasers are gonna shoot out of those eyes.
“Um…”
Yena spoke first.
“I’m sorry. Miss Lily has never had her real identity revealed, but I intruded without permission.”
Yena lowered her head.
“……”
“Um, now that we’re neighbors, I thought it would be okay to think without walls… so, I thought getting familiar with your face would be alright, but thinking back now, that was really a foolish act. I’m sorry.”
“That’s not the problem.”
“…?”
My face being revealed doesn’t bother me at all.
It’s been over 30 years since I started showing my face, and not revealing it just draws unwanted attention and misunderstandings.
In reality, I’ve revealed my face for decades, healing and protecting countless people, wandering around practically every livable place, including cities.
Many people have targeted me to kill me, and there were times entire countries sought me out.
Some even tried to worship me like a god.
So, now being scared or worried about that is quite funny.
“What’s important is you, Yena. Didn’t I say? ‘What do you think you know about me to share anything?'”
“Do you even know who I am to tell you anything?”
“Ah…”
“About the house and following you… don’t you have any awareness of danger?”
Yena, silenced.
I hope she realizes a bit of her ignorance, whatever she’s thinking.
All those foolish young ladies and noble kids always regret it only after something goes wrong.
They trust the countless shields protecting them,
but there are plenty of spears that can pierce through those shields.
“…Do you usually worry more about the stalker than the victim?”
The victim and the stalker.
But at least she’s aware of her own situation.
“If that victim is a heinous murderer, then things change, right?”
Not heinous, but…
Yena scratched her head and defensively said, “I honestly thought there wouldn’t be a problem with safety. I judged that Miss Lily’s personality and social image wouldn’t lead to anything like that, and I didn’t just thoughtlessly share information. Besides, this neighborhood is way too expensive to be a target for crime—”
“Then it seems like something will happen in that expensive neighborhood.”
Before Yena could even respond with a “Huh?” her line of sight flipped upside down.
Just one second ago, Lily was strutting around like a waist fairy giving double thumbs up, and now she was doing a handstand.
No, wait.
The world was upside down.
Yena was hanging upside down from Lily’s hands.
“W-what?!”
“What were you trying to achieve like this?”
“The world is upside down!”
Yena flailed her arms and legs, but it was all in vain; she just couldn’t shake off Lily’s grip.
With a sigh, Lily set Yena back down on her feet.
Yena stood there, dazed and confused about what just happened.
“…Have you taken up judo or something?”
“Something like that.”
Just having superior physical ability without knowing how to use it makes you nothing more than a strong young child.
That’s why I learned various weapon techniques, including swordsmanship, spear techniques, and blunt weapon techniques, along with martial arts using the body.
These aren’t just the effects of enhancement; they are actual skills I learned.
By the way, my mana has almost dwindled, but perhaps due to the blood of the Celestial Race, my physical abilities are on par with a consistently training adult man.
“If you’re going to take something, you might as well take it all.”
What the heck is up with leaving just a little bit behind?
“Anyway, even if I’m not around, Miss Yena could find herself in danger if her information is misused.”
“If Miss Yena’s information is misused, it can certainly lead to danger.”
“…Not that there are so many antis.”
“Even if they’re not antis.”
I look at Yena seriously.
This is no joke.
It’s not like I’ve only seen this kind of situation once or twice; it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.
And I really hope she doesn’t come back later asking for help.
‘Am I a free health center or something?’
Of course, if she comes, I’ll help her.
I’m not the type to just watch someone sick and injured.
‘It’s a curse that isn’t a curse.’
A bitter smile spread across my lips.
“Yep. I won’t do it next time. For real.”
Yena quickly nods her head up and down.
Her puppy-like appearance strangely brings out a laugh from me.
Alright. I get up from my seat.
Disheveled Yena looks up at me.
“Then see you on Monday. You can go in now.”
“What?! You’re just leaving like this?”
Yena jumps up from her seat.
What more do you need after you’ve seen it?
“Then do we have anything to do here?”
“Uh… housewarming?”
Housewarming?
“Yes. You can go in now.”
“Oh.”
■
“I’m so out of it since morning.”
Having finished moving, I planned to start the broadcast right away, but I got delayed a bit due to the Yena incident.
“Did I treat her too harshly?”
Honestly, I didn’t intend to be this extreme.
I just wanted to say it lightly, but it seemed like she didn’t understand, so I just flipped everything upside down.
I thought her mindset would have changed now that we’re in this modern age.
But when the situation arose, my hands acted before I could think.
‘Didn’t I flip the duke’s daughter like this too?’
There was a princess who ran out of the castle without a guard because she didn’t want a political marriage.
That princess fell for a man with magic at first sight and was ready to sell her insides and guts.
I thought I should fix the princess’s thinking by flipping her over once.
The duke’s knights charging at me, saying they would kill me back then, was quite a sight.
If you look at the situation, it was extremely dangerous, but thinking back, it’s a bit funny.
“Let’s… broadcast a major event today.”
It’s about time to step out of the Platinum rank.
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