The accommodations at Shio-ram were typically as empty as a vacuum on most days.
Well, that’s to be expected, considering there were hardly any guests to begin with.
The students and staff utilized the dormitories, and those who stayed in Shio-ram had their own homes to live in.
Not that there was a constant stream of outside visitors either; it was commonplace to have no guests for a week, let alone a day.
“Looks like today will be just as full.”
William, who ran the inn at Shio-ram, nodded while glancing at the hologram.
On ordinary days, the rooms were as deserted as a ghost town, but today was different. It wasn’t even dinner time, yet more than half of the rooms were already booked!
Come evening, it would likely be as bustling as the day before. William shrugged at the memory of the previous day’s chaos.
“This time of year is always so busy…”
The reason was obvious: the Festival of Birth. Rarely, this closed-off Shio-ram allowed a decent influx of outsiders for the celebration.
Commonly referred to as the peak season. Essentially, Shio-ram’s accommodations were built for this very occasion.
That’s why, even on days when guests were as scarce as unicorns, Shio-ram splashed funds to maintain its facilities.
So, come this time of year, inns that usually had nothing to do found themselves sweating bullets as waves of customers rolled in.
– Wheeeng…
“Welcome!”
William straightened up and greeted the guest who walked through the door.
Honestly, he was exaggerating when he said he was busy. He wasn’t exactly tearing his hair out with stress.
With modern advancements, booking a room could be done with a smartwatch from outside, and visitor reception was handled by a hologram kiosk.
Most meals were provided by magic or the servile golems rather than the staff, including William.
The only reason he was sitting on the first floor was for basic hospitality and in case someone genuinely needed help.
“Hmm?”
William blinked as he casually greeted a guest. There was something unusual about the person who had just entered—their appearance stood out.
Long brown hair flowed down to the waist, and their voluminous figure couldn’t be concealed even with their puffy clothing. The air emitted a cozy, beautiful vibe from the woman.
She was definitely eye-catching, but even more so was what she held in her arms.
“What’s going on here?”
He couldn’t see the face of the person being cradled due to their position, yet for some reason, he was drawn to it—like staring at a gem wrapped in cloth.
“Hello!”
– Tap tap tap
The woman half-heartedly replied to William’s greeting as she hurried over to the hologram kiosk. With one hand still cradling the person, she deftly manipulated the hologram with the other.
[Registration complete]
The room check-in was done in a flash. The woman received the access key on her smartwatch and climbed the stairs without hesitation. Only then could William finally see the face of the person she was holding.
Their eyes were closed. They didn’t move much, appearing to be sound asleep at first glance.
“Were they really asleep? Well, I suppose that’s why she was carrying them. They look pretty young…”
Just as he thought that, the person being cradled stirred slightly, their eyelids fluttering as they reacted to the movement while climbing the stairs.
[Uuhh…]
With a groan, they twisted around. It seemed like they were waking up. The woman paused on the stairs.
“Yup, we’ve arrived. Just a moment~”
[Th- that…]
She gently consoled the waking child. As the woman patted the back of the person in her arms, they fell limp again.
“Ugh.”
Hum humming, she adjusted her hold on the child and soon disappeared after climbing the stairs.
“……”
William blinked at the strange scene that just passed by. A curvaceous, sophisticated beauty, cradling a relatively small, limp child and checking into a room early in the day…
“What’s for dinner?”
He firmly dismissed the thought that was about to arise and turned his attention back to the news articles on the hologram.
He was an ordinary person without any extraordinary abilities.
Yet, living closely with the superhumans who stayed in Shio-ram, he knew just how quirky and unpredictable they could be.
Because of that, he was aware that all sorts of happenings occurred in the world of superhumans.
The best way to cope with such situations was simply not to think too hard about them.
Just so you know, many of the rare visitors who sometimes appeared were typically pairs of students.
*
After safely sending Adela off to her parents, Elia immediately stopped by a nearby inn to book a room.
Naturally, she was holding Lee Ha-yul in her arms and didn’t feel the need to ask if they could accommodate him; she fully anticipated a positive response.
“Honestly, I think this is Ha-yul’s fault.”
The small inn was new to Shio-ram but was far from being subpar. On the contrary, if it were to open to the outside world, it would be rated fairly high.
“Showing me this kind of appearance? This is basically Ha-yul intending it!”
She placed the cognitive dissonance magic tool on the table. As the magic covering her body was removed, her brown hair turned a bright blonde.
Seating herself on the massive bed, Elia buried her face in the crown of Ha-yul’s head.
The sweet scent was intoxicating, and she gently closed her eyes to savor it.
“Wow… Hmm… This is clearly Ha-yul’s seductive scheme.”
[Ticklish]
[That sounds dangerous…]
“Ahaha, I suppose so.”
Elia chuckled softly. Even to herself, the current situation felt, well, a bit much.
Shrugging, Elia rubbed her nose against the snow-white hair. The silky touch intertwined with the fluffy texture was enough to make her nose tickle.
“But this time, it really is Ha-yul’s fault. Sniff… Haa, how could you seduce me like this…”
[Hiiik]
As she brought her nose close, she felt the ear twitch slightly in surprise. Elia’s eyes opened in delight at that fun reaction.
Between the strands of white hair, she could see the same color ears twitching in response.
“What is this? It’s not a headband… is it?”
No matter how she touched the surrounding hair, there was no sign of a headband. When she cautiously stroked the ears, they felt alive and warm, like a real creature.
[Um… I mixed magic with my unique abilities. You could think of it like the horn from that time.]
“Ah, right. That did happen too.”
Elia nodded. There had indeed been a similar situation back then. Acknowledging this, she returned her nose to the top of Ha-yul’s head.
That fragrant and sweet scent was something she could never tire of. Who could possibly dislike such a smell?
“Hehe…”
Moreover, a shy child like Ha-yul was showing such cuteness…
And judging by Ha-yul’s response, it was clear they had never tried such a seduction before. Just that alone filled Elia with immense satisfaction.
And it was right up her alley.
[…Are you calmer now?]
As Elia was lost in the delightful scent, Ha-yul, who had been quietly cradled, tilted their head and asked.
Ha-yul’s face peeked out from between her arms. With a look filled with anxiety and hesitation, Elia wore a gentle smile.
“I wasn’t angry from the start. I was just a tiny bit miffed and being a little huffy… Don’t give me that face. I’ve already calmed down thanks to you being right next to me, all cute. Plus, with this incredible seduction, I couldn’t be mad even if I tried.”
Ha-yul’s expression brightened upon hearing Elia’s response. At the same time, she reflected on her earlier feelings toward Adela.
She realized she hadn’t had enough trust in that child. Elia promised herself she would buy Ha-yul a present to give to Adela later.
“Look at your face brighten up.”
Ha-yul held a sunny expression that matched Elia’s imagination. Elia chuckled as she hugged Ha-yul tighter, burying them deeper into her embrace.
“Still, can I be a bit selfish?”
[Selfish?]
As Elia enjoyed the sensation of being filled with warmth, Ha-yul tilted their head in confusion at Elia’s words.
Peeking out from her arms, she gently brushed Ha-yul’s bangs aside with a soft smile.
“You have very few people you can talk to, right? Now it’s just three people, isn’t it? Yeon-hwa, Professor Atra, and Professor Riana.”
Elia spoke carefully, ensuring that she avoided any words that could cause any mishaps.
[Yes.]
Ha-yul carefully nodded. Although they had caught a whiff of Ariel’s scent in the Tower of Knowledge, it was said that it was due to the tower’s abilities and magic tricks.
So far, the only ones who had legitimately bypassed the curse were those three.
“I have an inkling of what to expect, but I don’t know the exact conditions, right? How about we investigate that this time?”
[Investigate?]
Ha-yul looked puzzled, and Elia simply shrugged her shoulders and dropped her head.
– Kiss
[Hek]
Ha-yul flinched as their body reacted instinctively to the moist feeling against their forehead, drawing them closer to Elia.
“Now, open your eyes.”
As her hand, which had moved from behind, gave a gentle pat to the rear, the tension in Ha-yul’s body eased. The tightly closed eyes slowly opened.
“Hmmm… not here.”
Elia mumbled as she looked into Ha-yul’s vacant eyes. Nothing reflected in there, and Ha-yul couldn’t see either.
“Then it’s your turn next, Ha-yul.”
Elia lifted Ha-yul slightly in her arms. Suddenly, their height increased, and the soft hair brushed against her nose.
[Uuuh…?]
“Good… let’s get started?”
Caught off guard, Ha-yul blinked, then instinctively puckered their lips when urged by Elia’s gentle touches and soothing tone.
– Smooch…
It felt like pressing against something smooth. The soft hair obscured the forehead, and she again pressed her lips against the bare skin, which felt silky.
“Oh so good… Hmm, same goes for Ha-yul.”
Elia praised Ha-yul with another kiss upon their forehead, nodding as she confirmed the dazed expression in their eyes.
“We’ll go one by one like this.”
– Smooch
[Uuuh]
Without hesitation, tiny lips met her right cheek. Then Elia extended her own right cheek against Ha-yul.
Ha-yul blinked vacantly, then pressed their lips to the cheek she offered.
– Smooch?
This pattern continued.
Elia kissed Ha-yul’s left cheek, then Ha-yul kissed Elia’s left cheek.
Nose tip, chin, eyelids, eyebrows, earlobes, crown…
Watching Ha-yul tremble with every breath and feeling the fragrance enveloping her, Elia savored every moment, relishing the soft kisses and thrilled tremors.
She approached every spot on Ha-yul’s head with her lips like an excited traveler.
[Uwaah…]
With each affectionate kiss that flew all around, Ha-yul’s body melted in front of her.
As Elia stole a quick peck at the corners of Ha-yul’s lips, she tilted Ha-yul’s drooping head back.
“Oh my…”
Although no light reached Ha-yul’s eyes, they still felt them melting.
Ha-yul’s entire face was joyfully melting away, and particularly the slightly parted lips awakened the sultry desires within Elia.
For a moment, Elia found herself lost in a test of patience.
Just like how Hong Yeon-hwa had warned her on the final day, Elia had decided she could freely indulge from then on.
“Alright, we only have the last bit to go?”
With a beaming smile, Elia moved her hand. Rather than the gentle pats from before, she firmly held Ha-yul in her grasp.
– Ugh…!
Ha-yul’s limp body suddenly felt energized. The body that had been timidly leaning against her straightened, and Elia instinctively bowed her head.
– Whoosh
“Uuuu…”
The moan that escaped between their lips transformed. Elia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Ah, it’s working.”
The dimness in Ha-yul’s eyes started to clear up. The melted gray still bore vivid impressions of Elia’s face.
This sensation felt like leaving a perfect footprint in freshly fallen snow.
“Seriously, I feel like a fairy tale princess here, and kisses are just doing the trick. How strange.”
Elia giggled softly and licked her lips playfully.
And checking the time on the wall as her sharp eyes landed on Ha-yul’s perky fake? ears, she noticed there was still some time left before dinner.
Having confirmed that, Elia gently rubbed Ha-yul’s forehead.
“Ha-yul. Just a thought came to mind… Could you show me that horn from before again?”
“Ah, noo… don’t!”
[No, don’t!]
Ha-yul protested with their lips trembling. Elia grinned widely.
The magical affinity extension ability
Homogenization – Unicorn
– Crack!
But by then, Ha-yul’s rationality had already melted away with the kisses that had been showered.
.
.
.
“Uuu, noooo… keep holding me… mm, snug…”
“Yeees! I love the fluffiness! So warm and cozy, and the scent is divine… Hehe…”
“It’s so big, but why isn’t there any milk… This is so weird… I want to eat it… I’ll wait…”
*
[Player Affection System: Favorability]
Ha-yul → Elia Slade
●●●●●●●●○○(87/100)
“Affection” “Gratitude” “Dairy Cow?” “Chick” “Kindness” “Awareness”
▼ Dramatic Change ▼
Ha-yul → Elia Slade
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡♡(87▷89/100)
“Affection” “Possessiveness” “Gratitude” “Dairy Cow?” “Chick” “Kindness”
…
[Partial conditions for ‘Curse of Silence’ relief satisfied.]
[Curse of Silence weakened conditionally (Elia Slade).]
[Partial conditions for ‘Curse of Loneliness’ relief satisfied.]
[Curse of Loneliness weakened conditionally (Elia Slade).]
…
[Player Affection System: Exploration Level]
[Subquest “Elia Slade” Completed.]
[Massive Points Accumulated.]
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