Chapter: 174
The Third Prince, Sledo Crown, was studying at the Academy, but he rarely showed up for classes or events. This was because his purpose for enrollment wasn’t growth or learning.
What he desired was survival. Caught between the First Princess, who wreaked havoc on her enemies, and the Second Prince, who increased his connections in the shadows, he simply wanted to stay alive.
So, he ran away. However, running away wasn’t enough.
Fearing that the First Princess or the Second Prince might send assassins after him, he teamed up with the Black Mage forces that approached him.
They needed Sledo’s name recognition, and he needed the power to protect himself… It was a mutually beneficial deal.
Of course, a voice in his mind occasionally pricked at him, questioning whether it was wise to team up with Black Mages.
Yet, he naively believed that nothing too significant would come from this deal. What could he possibly achieve with a name completely overshadowed in the imperial throne contention?
“Sledo, sir. There’s a new professor at the Academy. It’s—”
And in the end, his judgment was correct.
“I knew it… I knew something like this would happen.”
The Second Prince had inserted a Tower Master Mage into the Academy using his power. He seemed to be exterminating Black Mages en masse and teaching students with groundbreaking methods that no one dared to try.
But was that all there was to it? Maybe he had been given orders by the Second Prince to erase the Third Prince at the first opportunity—
Had he not allied with the Black Mages, he would have been killed without anyone noticing. Rumor had it that the students were being lured into a tentacled labyrinth where they’d be tortured for a while before being killed.
So, it was indeed wise to form that alliance. He had no choice for survival. Ah, if only he hadn’t been born with this bloodline. If he could have simply been born to a common family, plowing fields instead.
Sledo Crown curled up under his blanket. He hated being awake. Living in reality only led to a series of painful thoughts. It felt as if all his other senses had completely dulled, leaving only fear.
He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to slip back into the world of dreams, but since he had already had enough sleep, his body showed no signs of dozing off.
No matter how many times he knocked on the door to the dream world, the lock was firmly shut and wouldn’t budge.
Thus, he pretended to be asleep.
He pulled the blanket over his head and tightly closed his eyes, repeating to himself that the darkness of his eyelids was the entirety of the world. In this way, his fears seemed to decrease a little.
“… … …”
But perhaps today wasn’t the day for that.
Sounds came from outside. There were voices drifting in from beyond the window. In that direction, someone was talking to the guards at the main gate. Who could it be so early in the morning? And why?
Even trying not to pay attention, his mind was drawn to it. Dark and scary thoughts kept creeping in. Then… he decided to confirm it visually. Then, he could return to sleep.
Sledo Crown crawled over and peeked through the curtain. He looked down the narrow opening.
There were three beautiful women.
Two out of the three were familiar faces—Succubi who regularly visited the mansion where Sledo resided.
They were the ones who, whenever he had difficulty sleeping, kindly provided him with “sleep therapy” to help fulfill his wish of falling into a deeper slumber without waking up.
It was tiresome when he finally woke up, but perhaps that was a good thing. Being even more deeply submerged in sleep.
Then, the remaining one in their group must also be a Succubus. She was a bit too far away to see clearly, but it seemed she had long black hair that reached her waist and red eyes.
The guard, talking to her, let out a loud laugh, “Wahaha!”
It was the first time he’d seen such a reaction from him. The guard was usually very stern and brusque, with a demeanor that intimidated others, but could he actually laugh?
What could they possibly be talking about?
Sledo’s curiosity sparked, and he opened the curtain a little more. At that moment, the mysterious woman looked up and met his gaze with her eerie red eyes.
With a soft smile, she slowly winked.
“… … …!!”
Sledo hastily pulled the curtain shut and hid.
His heart raced. Why? He had only received a wink. He had only made eye contact, so why was his heart sinking like this?
Creeeak. He heard the sound of the main gate opening.
The fact that a Succubus had arrived meant she was now coming in close. He was about to meet her…
Panicking, Sledo hurried to the mirror to fix his hair. He could hardly understand why he felt the need to act this way, but it felt necessary.
The young man looking back at him in the mirror had a flushed face.
===============================================================
With ease, we melted the guard and slipped inside the mansion.
The Third Prince’s residence was hidden away in a secluded place, not easily seen. If one didn’t know its location, they’d never notice it while living at the Academy.
It didn’t seem like many people came and went through the mansion. The maintenance was tidied enough to be deemed “adequate,” neither overly clean nor excessively dirty, with most of the rooms unused.
After casually engaging the guard in idle chatter, we learned that the Third Prince seemed to be on the second floor.
If I had probed further into specifics, I worried it might raise suspicion, so I refrained. Luckily, I caught his eye through a window.
Alright, time to go up and seize him as easily as snatching candy from a child.
As I ascended with my heels clicking, Pinkvalez asked, “… How did you do that?”
“What do you mean?”
“The man I saw on the second floor. With that golden hair, that must be the Third Prince, right? That wink from the crazy wizard nearly sent him to his doom… Did you use magic?”
“It wasn’t magic, it’s all skill…”
As I hesitated, Black Lez wriggled her body with curiosity. It seemed she was just as intrigued.
I elegantly flipped my hair aside and began the lecture on “How to Charm People.”
“What do you think gives you grace?”
“Isn’t it from noble blood?”
“There’s certainly a genetic component. If you have an aristocratic look, it’s a bonus. But no matter how aristocratic one appears, if they act like a commoner, they’ll seem lowly.”
“Oh, I see…”
In the end, it’s all about information.
If your movements exude ‘I’m superior,’ ‘I command everyone else,’ you’ll come off as noble.
Conversely, if you radiate ‘I’m super excited,’ ‘I want to do something with you,’ that will appear lewd.
So, conversely, if I can embed the desired information into nonverbal expressions… I can create any atmosphere I want.
And I am a master of information.
“From the paleness of his skin, it seems he doesn’t spend much time outdoors. His facial expressions reflect insecurity, and peeking through the curtain like that indicates a defensive attitude.”
In short, he gave off a reclusive vibe.
The incident at the Pagoda Palace, the assassination of the First Prince. That incident likely inflicted severe emotional trauma on this generation of imperial heirs. It must have left its mark.
Two Succubi—Pinkvalez and Black Lez—were disguised as the ones we had captured to ensure our cover. The Third Prince seemed to relax upon seeing them.
That meant, the Succubi regularly visited this mansion…
“A young man at the height of his youth, regularly visited by a demon? He must be enjoying a lifestyle where he’s not getting any sleep at all. He would be quite desensitized to sexual stimuli. Based on this evidence…”
Let’s perceive our target as a neurotic brat of a noble.
I needed to ooze warmth and harmlessness. He should feel that if he asks for help, it will be readily offered. This part I borrowed from the pre-dark Niolle.
I infused it with familial love and warmth. It should feel like a hug with a twirl, reminiscent of the First Princess Elaine.
Layering it over, I’d build up the oppressive pride of a noble. He should feel the weight of ‘be careful how you treat me.’ This was Roderus’s influence.
Finally, I would layer on the most intense gaze I had ever experienced. The hunger I glimpsed in Pinkvalez’s eyes earlier would be refined and delicately placed.
And then I would aim.
Thus, I would become “a warm and gentle woman who seems dependable but can be somewhat difficult to approach, occasionally resulting in intense awareness of her femininity.”
The accumulated information would unfold in a “speaking through the eyes” manner.
This was the secret formula for success in “Heart.”
“… … …”
“Why do you look like that, Black Lez?”
“… … I feel a bit uncomfortable. Having a man desperately trying to charm another man is…”
“The character is separate from the player! It’s not me who’s the Succubus ‘Rize,’ it’s the character!”
Black Lez looked even more perplexed. It felt like she thought it was all the same.
It’s different. Clearly different!
Thinking like that would mean I was actually Sentra who is dating the Second Prince or that I was Namgung Seung-ah with feelings for Namgung Cheong-hwi, or that I was Oh Hye-in, who was best friends with Roderus.
But that simply wasn’t the case. I created a character and let them out, I didn’t become that character myself.
“Ah, yeah.”
“Tsk…!”
Right, how could a sparrow ever comprehend the intentions of a great eagle? But Pinkvalez would understand. I sent her a look, hoping for support.
However, what came out of Pinkvalez’s mouth wasn’t a cover but a deal.
“Was my look the most intense?”
“… Don’t deliberately check that after putting it out there!”
I turned my head away, grumbling. Seriously, she just couldn’t contain her playful spirit.
Pinkvalez watched me with a hint of adorableness, then suddenly slipped her arm through mine. Although she was cloaked in a fantasy spell, it was as if the caster emerged. I could see her clearly.
It felt like an ordinary act of affection; however, it was slightly different.
Yuna Lanster grasped my hand with hers. With her other hand, she gently stroked the back of my hand with her fingers.
My attention shifted from her pressing chest to her fingers as they played. I felt a ticklish sensation and, pretending to be indifferent, I asked, “… What are you doing?”
“I thought I’d try acting as well.”
“What kind of acting?”
“I really like you, setting-wise.”
Her tone was laden with jest. This felt different from the usual lighthearted banter. It felt more serious, more aggressive.
I looked at her as if to say it crossed the line.
Yet within her eyes, there was mischief and regret sparkling. As if to say it was fine since she would be leaving soon.
Instead of pursuing that thought, I redirected the conversation.
“… You only explained verbally, but you learned well. Speaking through the eyes.”
“Won’t you retaliate?”
“… … …”
Yuna Lanster pressed herself closer once again. It was a provocation. My heart raced at her gesture, yet… it also felt somewhat melancholic.
Could it be that she wanted to play a little longer…?
Since she would soon embark on a journey for revenge against the Succubus Queen? Even if I were to help and join her party, priorities would surely shift from then on.
In the blank hours, instead of simply playing jokes with each other, she would then have to devote her time to planning her revenge.
It felt like saying goodbye on the last day of school, wanting to play as much as possible before parting. It seemed she wanted that too.
Well then…
It’s a showdown, Pinkvalez.
Today, I won’t hold back. Just like when we met for the first time, and during our carriage ride after that. This time, no holding back at all.
I lifted our entwined hands and pressed my lips against the back of Yuna’s hand, saying, “You said acting, didn’t you? What’s the setting?”
“We are in a forbidden love. Succubi suck energy from the opposite gender, so love between the same gender is a ‘loss’. Because they don’t gain any energy. Yet I still like you.”
It’s a euphemistic analogy.
All the time we spent playing around at the Academy was a loss for her. It didn’t contribute to her goal of revenge. Yet still, she declared that all that time was enjoyable.
I reciprocate.
“I may be a very skilled Succubus who can steal the hearts of many, but the truth is I don’t know what real love is. All the love I show others is mere acting and pretense. But when I see you… I feel a little different. I’ve started to be aware of it.”
It’s a simple task to evoke emotions in NPCs. I’ve created them, I’ve inhabited their worlds. Yet they always remained an arm’s length away from my emotions.
As I mentioned earlier, even if my mind came up with Sentra’s love for Eirid, I had no feelings for the Second Prince.
But my feelings towards Yuna and Yuna Lanster, while perhaps not as intense as hers for me, were surely genuine. They were emotions I felt myself.
We brought our faces close.
“The role has been set, my lady.”
“Then let’s see how this goes. The scene closes when we leave this mansion. Is that okay?”
“Sure. When we meet again later, let’s act with so much shame you want to run away. If you don’t flee first…”
“Until now, I’ve been on the losing side, but today will be different…”
Our faces drew closer. Slowly. Coming within breath’s reach, our noses nearly touching.
Memories flashed through my mind. What had happened in the carriage?
I didn’t want to lose. I didn’t want to be defeated in this battle of wills against the wicked Pinkvalez, who aimed to snatch Yuna from me. It had all felt like a thrill, filled with tension.
Then, how about now?
I found my self tinged with anticipation. With just a few seconds left…
“… … …”
“… … …”
This wasn’t just a joke. Yuna conveyed this with her eyes.
Surely, right? That’s what I said with my own eyes.
Right before our lips brushed past each other, we both suddenly withdrew, and lightly entwined arms as we walked onward. The destination was the Third Prince’s room.
Black Lez silently followed behind us.
Unlike before, she didn’t complain about staying away from her senpai or admonish us to not get too close. She understood now. Once this little game was over, Yuna Lanster would return to the extermination squad.
That knowledge stoked my competitive spirit. How could she be so relaxed? If I could enchant the Third Prince so thoroughly that Pinkvalez’s little act crumbles, what then?
“… … … Eek!”
No, it seemed she wasn’t relaxed; more like just unprepared for the situation.
Alright. It’s time to begin. I’ll charm the Third Prince for information while also having a competition with Pinkvalez. The criteria to win… well, I’m not entirely sure. It doesn’t matter much.
I changed my tone. A gentle smile appeared on Pinkvalez’s expressionless face. My heart raced at the sight of this unexpected charm. She spoke demurely.
“Let’s go in together, my lady.”
Did she really know how to sound like that?
I applied a little more strength to our linked hands and whispered, “Yes. Please hold my hand tightly so I don’t stumble and disappear like the wind, Yuna.”
“Of course. I will be right here, like intertwined roots.”
I chuckled softly.
Thus, the masquerade of Yuna Lanster and me had officially commenced.
===============================================================
In three hours, the Third Prince, Sledo Crown, will become an ardent supporter of yuri.
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