บท 210: Chapter 211: What Have I Done?
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༺ What Have I Done? ༻
After escaping from Isolet's house, I surprisingly managed to have quite a few comfortable days.
Of course, there were some hiccups.
System Updating… (Affection System Restructuring)
[You cannot use system functions until the update is complete.]
– Estimated Duration [7 days]
"What's this?"
A few hours after escaping from Isolet's house, a system update window popped up with a message about restructuring the 'Affection System'.
"Fr, Frey! What's this about how you have limited time…"
"…Call security."
While I was resting at the mansion, Roswyn knocked on the front door, shouting something.
"Are you, are you in pain today?"
"....."
"Do, does it hurt a lot? Are you really sick?"
"…Cough, cough."
"Ah, it seems like you're in pain. In that case… I'll come back later."
Since my 'curse' resistance hadn't returned yet, I continued to decline Aishi's requests, but she even paid a visit to my house.
– Frey, I know you're feigning illness. You are, right? Just admit it.
Isolet, who usually had neat handwriting, sent me a hastily written letter as if she were drugged.
For the record, I explained to Isolet that I was 'pretending to be sick' for my own benefit, even going as far as making up false evidence.
Although I had already won her over, this was an attempt to somehow lower her affection level.
If I had admitted it was real, I was afraid of how Isolet would react.
"Lord Frey! Please say something!"
"Is it true that evidence has been found regarding the violation of slave laws?"
"You dismissed claims of your limited time, but according to the information we've gathered…"
"Will you respond to the Hero Party's summons with the qualifications of an adviser?"
In addition, reporters had densely filled the mansion's yard for several days, causing a ruckus, but they eventually left.
Well, by this point, it might seem a bit far from the 'comfortable days'… but for me, they were quite alright.
Without risking my life wandering somewhere or fighting with someone and simply resting peacefully in the mansion, life felt very satisfying.
– Ding dong, ding dong!
– Knock, knock, knock…!
However, an incident this morning disrupted those peaceful days.
While I was having breakfast in the mansion's dining room with Lulu and Irina, the doorbell suddenly rang, and there were urgent knocks on the front door.
"…Huh!"
Curious about what was going on I tilted my head. Lulu, whom I was feeding with her eyes closed, abruptly opened her eyes wide and gasped.
"I can feel murderous intent…"
Simultaneously, Irina started to exude the atmosphere and expression of someone getting ready for battle, instead of her usual clumsy self.
"Wh, what's going on…"
Seeing their reaction, I nervously reached for my walking cane which I had placed next to my chair and quietly activated its surveillance feature.
"Ha."
Immediately, I was able to grasp the situation.
"The Imperial Knights, the Paladins, and the investigators. Their intentions are clear."
The entrance of the mansion was filled with two knights representing the Empire and the investigators. They stood in a serious formation, ready to charge in as soon as the door opened.
"Hmm… What should I do?"
Since there was no response to their repeated knocking, the intensity grew, causing me to grasp my head in thought and mutter.
"I wasn't prepared…"
The search order was issued sooner than expected, so I hadn't finished turning the mansion into a sinister space.
I had initially planned to disguise the succubi of the Demon Army as sex slaves and lock them in the basement. If that plan had succeeded, I would have earned a mountain of points.
'If they search the mansion now, they won't even find a speck of dust… Wait, on second thought, they might find something.'
As I pondered this, I recalled that I had hidden incriminating documents and black magic tools throughout the mansion in case of an unexpected search. This made me feel somewhat relieved.
Of course, it was just a backup, so it might be slightly lacking… but I believed it was enough since their primary intention was to label me as a criminal.
"Lord Frey, we request your cooperation."
"This is an Imperial Order."
As I calmly opened the front door, the Imperial Knights and the Deputy Commanders of the Paladins entered the mansion with fierce expressions.
"The Imperial Knights will handle the basement and we will interrogate the staff. The investigators will search the mansion."
With that, the team of investigators swiftly stormed into the mansion.
As I stood there, somewhat dazed, I exchanged a subtle nod with Lulu, her Magic Eye concealed behind her, and then turned my attention to the Deputy Commanders blocking my path.
"…I'm sorry! I can't just let this slide!"
Then, the Chief Investigator beside them cheerfully said that as he passed by me.
Thinking about it now, that guy had always been like this. I needed to throw him in jail someday.
"Excuse us."
"Please cooperate."
While I was lost in thought, the Deputy Commanders who were looking down at me grabbed my arms.
"Why aren't the Commanders here, and why are you here?"
"…We have a top-secret mission. We cannot disclose more than that."
I had hoped that the Commanders, whom I had generously bribed, would come, but unfortunately, it seems the Deputy Commanders were in charge of this search.
"By the way, you ladies are quite pretty. How old are you?"
In the empire's mixed-gender Knight Order, men become Commanders and women become Deputy Commanders by tradition.
Of course, this could change if someone as skilled as Isolet were to come along.
The fact that the Deputy Commanders were women meant I could flirt with them.
Given what the Chief Investigator had mentioned earlier, I suspected that attempting to bribe them might prove futile, especially considering the involvement of the Imperial Family and the Church.
So, I thought I might as well try to gain some points and give in to their grasp.
""...""
At that time, I should have paid closer attention to their expressions.
.
.
.
.
.
The Imperial Knights had always been the dogs of the Imperial Family while the Paladins had recently transformed into a kind of personal force for the Pope, so I had no expectations of them treating me kindly.
However, it was quite unpleasant to watch the investigators, whom I had been generously bribing for some time, shift from acting as if they were my personal soldiers to seriously investigating my mansion.
Nonetheless, there were some entertaining moments.
"In the basement, there's only cheese and wine?"
"…He's already taken them out."
The Imperial Knights, mistakenly thinking that the complex ancient magic protecting the Hero's Armament concealed mechanisms for hiding illicit activities, spent an entire day searching the basement, emerging covered in dust.
"Grrr…"
"It's strange. There's no trace of mind manipulation… Ow!"
Lulu, who had sworn an Oath of Death to me a few days prior and had since become obsessively loyal, bit the Paladin investigator who had mistaken her for a mind-controlled sex slave.
"You are… Frey's 'sex slave'?"
"Yes."
"And you're saying that's clearly your own will? It's not forced?"
"…Yes, I find happiness in serving Master Frey."
"Uh, what do we do?"
Alice, who possessed the hidden 'Curse of Subordination,' went unnoticed by the investigators. In an uncharacteristic move, she began to utter lewd words with a rather embarrassed expression, which garnered strange looks from the investigators.
"Excuse me, this one. Since you're not going to report it, can you give it to me? I really wanted it…"
"Sigh."
The Chief Investigator, who was tasked with finding some corruption, quietly whispered to me after discovering a piece of dark magic that was conveniently hidden.
I couldn't distinguish whether I was under investigation or if I had stumbled into a comedy play.
However, such amusement didn't last long.
"…Hoo."
The investigators continued their search, making their way into the room once occupied by my parents. They handled their portraits carelessly and rifled through their personal belongings, disturbing the meticulously arranged furniture that had been looked after by the mansion's dedicated servants, with whom I had formed a close bond since my youth.
Seeing all this made me feel a heavy weight in my chest.
I wondered if it was officially starting now.
The flare had been shot, marking the moment when the entire Empire, and indeed the world, turned against me, save for the five main heroines, Lulu, and Isolet. It had been a long while since I'd felt so stifled and frustrated. My chronic anxiety had returned, and I was struggling to keep my composure.
"Please follow us."
"…It won't take long."
"Huh?"
It was precisely at this moment that 'that incident' occurred.
"What's going on? Where are you taking me?"
The Deputy Commanders, who had been standing like statues holding my arms in the living room, suddenly began moving in unison.
"Why? Have I caught your interest? Or do you intend to lock me up somewhere?"
I had been consistently flirting and provoking them, so I felt this might be the consequence and obediently followed.
"…Ugh."
Up until the two female knights roughly seated me in my room, I was prepared to get beaten up.
– Swoosh…
"Huh?"
But then, they suddenly took out a blindfold and rope from their belongings?
"What, what's going on?"
I stared at them in confusion.
In a flash, a blindfold was placed over my eyes, and ropes were tied around my body.
"...?"
In a matter of moments, I found myself firmly bound to the chair.
"…Do we really have to go this far?"
"It's, it's an order. We have no choice."
"We are getting promoted for this, right? They're not going to take it back later, right?"
"…Gulp."
I then heard them whispering.
"What's going on? What are you planning!"
'Are they trying to torture me?'
Of course, I could easily break free from these restraints, so I decided to play along, feigning immobility while keeping a keen eye on the situation.
"Stay still, Frey."
"Just think of it as stepping in shit."
'Looking at it… this might be an opportunity?'
As the situation took an unexpected turn, I sat there, quietly hoping for a chance to turn the tables and negotiate with the Knight Order.
– Swoosh…
Then, they started to undress me.
"…..!?"
I was momentarily stunned by their actions.
– Swish…!
"Do not resist."
The female knight, brandishing a knife near my throat, issued a chilling command, and I tensed up in response.
– Rustle…!
"…What's this?"
"Seems like there's someone outside. We need to check."
Suddenly hearing a noise from somewhere, the knights left the room. I stopped tensing up and began to listen intently.
"......"
Then, a rather long silence ensued.
'What's going on?'
It was an exceptionally cold day, and as I shivered, I contemplated whether I should attempt to free myself.
– Creeaak…
Someone entered the room.
– Thud, thud.
Soon after, an unidentified person approached and since I sensed no immediate threat, I relaxed and observed the situation in silence.
– Thud…
Moments later, the person stood directly in front of me.
– Tap.
The person grabbed my shoulder.
"Uh…"
And then, they suddenly started trembling and let out a moan.
'Firstly, it's a woman…'
Judging by the moaning sound, it was definitely a female.
Could it be that the Deputy Commander who had been threatening me earlier has returned?
– Rustle, rustle…
As I thought this, she slowly pressed her body against my side.
– Slide…
Soon after, she started untying the ropes that bound me with her trembling hands.
"What the…"
I couldn't help but mutter with a wry smile.
"Lulu, is that you?"
The only one who would press her body against me and rescue me simultaneously had to be Lulu.
– Lick.
After a moment, she cautiously licked my face, confirming my suspicions.
'It's Lulu.'
As expected, it was surely Lulu.
.
.
.
.
.
"Lulu, it's ticklish. Stop licking."
Frey said with a playful smile.
"...…"
She looked at Frey's smile.
'Uh, ugh…'
Isolet had quickly rushed to Frey's house, faster than lightning, after obtaining information about the Imperial Family and the Church's operation against Frey.
This was possible given her status as the commanding officer of the Hero Party.
'What have I done…'
She had inadvertently licked Frey's face when he called her Lulu.
"Did you use your Magic Eye? You weren't hurt, right?"
Swallowing hard, she quietly looked down at Frey, who was still tied to the chair and smiling brightly.
"…Gulp."
Soon, her gaze began to waver immensely.
You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02
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