Chapter: 462
Lina, the fox who masters smoke and owner of the forest, was led by Erin to find the bathroom.
Ugh. That Lucy is just too picky with the main girl.
I had offered my goodwill to help that kid, but all I get back is the nasty stench of some disgusting man.
Ugh.
Suppressing the nausea rising in her, she frowned and lightly tapped Erin’s wrist.
“Quickly make some water. I want to get rid of that awful smell ASAP.”
“Please wait a moment.”
As soon as Erin filled the bathtub with water, Lina jumped in, skillfully washing her fur.
Who knows what a mess she was when she was closer to a beast in the past, but she was very sensitive about her cleanliness now that she had brought a quarter of her power!
Being endlessly picky about others’ beauty, Lina wouldn’t be lenient on her own beauty either.
So all Erin could do while accompanying Lina was to serve her.
After washing her fur and using fire magic to dry it, Lina let Erin handle the grooming.
Though she usually insisted on doing everything herself, Erin was an exception.
Determined to become worthy of Lucy, Erin had honed skills that could surpass Lina’s picky standards.
“Hm. Your touch is good. I thought you were capable before, but after the Goddess blessed you, you’ve improved even more.”
As Lina wagged her tail from the pleasant grooming and let out a melting voice, Erin’s comb paused momentarily.
“…Goddess?”
“Yeah. The Goddess of Beauty and Art. She must have been watching you continuously since the last time you visited the Arts Church, right?”
As Lina spoke slowly due to habit, she sensed Erin’s bewilderment and slowly stopped her tail.
“Really, you didn’t hear anything?”
“Yes. No.”
“She should not be someone shy.”
Thinking deeply, Lina soon realized what the Goddess’s intent was.
She probably doesn’t want to reveal her presence to Lucy just yet.
I mean, if it’s discovered that she’s been following her, she’d be despised just like the main girl.
Still lacking, huh? How thrilling is it that Lucy looks at you with disdain?
Recalling past memories, Lina rose from her position and offered Erin some advice.
“When you have time someday, try saying a prayer. If you seek advice from the Goddess, she’ll gladly respond, at least as long as you remain Lucy’s maid.”
Stretching, she turned around, and with the smoke, Lina transformed into a human form.
The expression “bewitchingly beautiful” fit her perfectly as she glanced outside the door and smirked, opening it.
Outside the door, Lucy’s friends were gathered, whispering among themselves.
“If you came to see Lucy, go back. She hasn’t returned yet.”
The one who replied on behalf of the group was Arthur, standing at the front.
“No, Lina-sama. We’re…”
But Lina didn’t spare a glance toward Arthur. As if he never existed in the first place.
“…Uh. Lina-sama?”
As Arthur blinked in confusion, Joy quietly spoke, causing Lina to raise the corners of her mouth.
“I said we didn’t come to meet Lucy, right?”
“…Yes. That’s correct.”
Arthur answered again to Lina’s statement, but once more, Lina ignored him.
Her attitude clearly spoke volumes.
To Lina, who valued beauty above all, Arthur wasn’t even worth conversing with.
Biting his lips at such an overt rejection, Arthur took a step back and gestured to Joy.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Then who did you come to meet?”
“It’s Lina-sama. We want to ask for your help.”
“Hmm. You want to ask the main girl directly for help? How interesting. Well then, come inside.”
As the powerful ones, who could be treated well anywhere, entered the room, Erin immediately prepared to welcome the guests.
While Erin set the table and brewed tea and snacks, Joy explained the current situation to Lina.
“I see. Now I understand why you’re here. Creating new magic is too much for you at this point.”
The forest’s owner, who had lived for a long time, easily understood the predicament Lucy’s friends were in.
“However, what does that have to do with the main girl?”
“…Huh?”
“The main girl is merely a fool bewitched by Lucy’s beauty. Why should I care if you are in trouble?”
To put it simply, Lina had no interest in anyone other than Lucy.
It’s true that Lucy’s friends had their own charms, but they were still merely human.
Despite having developed in various ways since they first met.
Human shapes that could be easily replaced with others couldn’t evoke any thrill in Lina.
Especially that guy who was no different than before when she saw him in the forest.
“If Lucy asked me for help, I would gladly assist you all. But if not, I have no desire to lend a hand to your troubles.”
Joy and the others blinked at Lina’s blunt words.
They hadn’t expected her to be welcoming, but to treat them so coldly was beyond their imagination.
Arthur, who stood a step behind, realized once again that Lina was a being entirely different from them.
The owner of the forest. A being that prioritized the stability of the forest over her own life.
To her, humans were not something to fuss over.
“Lina-sama.”
Amid the bewildering atmosphere, Arthur raised his voice again, but Lina didn’t look at him.
How long has it been since I faced such blatant disregard?
It was like when rumors spread that I’d die shortly after my mother did.
Hah. I was already heated since I’d been facing old grudges, but receiving treatment reminiscent of those days only ignited my spirit.
Fine. Let’s see if you can ignore this remark too.
“Of course, we didn’t come here to just ask for your help. How could we be so rude as to beg for the wisdom of the forest’s owner?”
“…”
“If you help us, we’ll bring you what you desire.”
“…”
“For example, something like Lucy Allen’s drooled-on notebook while she was sleeping.”
“…What!?”
Before Arthur’s words could finish, Lina abruptly lifted her head.
For the first time, she glared at Arthur, her eyes filled with intense desire.
“Don’t be surprised by this. We have plenty more to offer.”
“How. How could. Such a precious thing.”
“You haven’t forgotten that we are Lucy Allen’s friends, right? We can easily bring you whatever you desire since we share life with her.”
Lina’s eyes trembled.
As a forest owner, she had long-standing beliefs she’d built up over time.
There were standards she had to maintain when judging and testing others.
Yet, would she really fall before such desire and shatter all of that?
She wasn’t in a state where her mind was melting down to the point of having no coherent thoughts! Was she truly about to commit such madness!?
As Lina scolded herself and tried to halt her actions, contrary to her thoughts, her body was honest.
Before she knew it, Lina reached Arthur, looking at him with veins bulging in her eyes, and spoke with a trembling voice.
“What do I need to do?”
“No, Lina-sama. What you need to say right now is something different.”
“…Are you telling me to say what I could do now?”
“We could ask someone else for help if we wanted, but wouldn’t it be quite difficult for you without us?”
Her lips closed tight as she pondered if there was anyone else close to Lucy whom she could trust.
It was frustrating, but that fool was right.
If it weren’t for these guys, there was no one else to bring her what the main girl desired.
Excluding these guys, those near Lucy wouldn’t dare trouble her even at the cost of their lives, nor were there people that close to her.
Damn. Damn. Damn. I really hate that I have to bow to such a person, but there’s no other way.
“…I will keep my promise. If not, the forest owner’s wrath will fall upon you.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
The moment Arthur and Lina reached a dramatic compromise, everyone else’s expressions turned cold.
Erin, who brought in the tea, seriously contemplated whether to inform Lucy.
Joy, forgetting to manage her expression, displayed genuine disgust on her face.
Phoebe was left in a daze, grappling with sacrilegious statements.
“Hey. Hey. Prince.”
“…What is it, Frey.”
“Just now, you sounded totally like a pervert.”
Frey bluntly expressed her thoughts.
Realizing the atmosphere around him, Arthur turned bright red and raised his voice.
“I had already discussed this beforehand! Why am I the only one being treated like the weird one when everyone else agrees to it!”
“…But Prince. Honestly, what you just said was… a bit. Well…”
“I should have anticipated this when you made the Young Lady cry.”
“Do you think the Prince could also end up in a cage? I’m curious.”
“You bastards! Why am I the only one getting chewed out here?!”
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