Chapter 24

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Vivian gasped due to the pleasure in her lower abdomen. Tears that she couldn’t wipe fell down her cheeks.

Today’s peak came faster than usual. It was a result of the quick excitement due to his persistence right from the start.

Vivian groaned over his body, which had fallen on her stomach. Perhaps if viewed from the ceiling, she’ll be covered by his body and nothing would be seen but Vivian’s head. She could feel his heavy weight and sturdiness at the same time.

Vivian raised her hand and caressed his sweaty body.

“What’s wrong with you today?… Was the foreplay too long?”

When Vivian asked, Roger turned around and lay next to her. He then grabbed her waist and turned her to face him. His eyes, which were filled with heat, relaxed a little.

He raised his eyebrows making eye contact.

“Have a good dream.”

Vivian blinked at the tactile response.

I hope you have sweet dreams tonight.

That’s definitely what Roger, who she met tonight, whispered to her. Vivian stared at him blankly for a long time. He asked, ‘Why?’. There was a smile in his eyes so she wondered if her reaction was strange.

Vivian straightened her face and shook her head. Her head was quite complicated, contrary to her expression. She couldn’t tell whether he said that on purpose or if it was a mere coincidence.

When he looked at her hands and said, ‘It’s really small.’, she thought it wasn’t him because it seemed like it was the first time he saw it. But when she saw this side, she was confused. Whether Roger remembers this dream or not, Vivian had no way of knowing.

Except if she asks him directly.

[TN/N: Ask it girl.]

Vivian’s eyelids got heavier after she finished thinking that. Though it wasn’t her intention, her consciousness gradually faded. It was a sign of waking up from the dream. Vivian fell asleep and woke up, unable to resolve her inner doubts.

It was the morning they were leaving for the West.

***

They decided to use teleportation to get to the Marquisate of Ozent in the West.

Teleportation connecting the capital and territories of the East, West, South, and North were organized by the Imperial Court. Their fees were also very high. However, in this instance, teleporting was free of charge because it was a mission under direct orders from the Emperor.

Vivian, who wondered how big it would be, opened her mouth wide at the teleportation entrance that was almost the size of the palace’s gate. Perhaps that size will swallow the carriage without difficulty.

As she guessed, the whole carriage was teleported, not a person at a time. Hamel, who eventually followed Vivian due to the concerns of the Count couple, looked blankly at the teleportation entrance. Vivian, who had never experienced magic before, gulped, her mouth full of tension.

Before they could relax, a white wave of light swallowed their carriage.

Soon after a slight vibration, a loud thud was heard.

Vivian opened the carriage door, feeling nauseous, her stomach somehow turning 360 degrees. Then, an overflowing gentle energy penetrated the air. Vivian’s expression, which was frowning, soon relaxed.

“This is…….”

She had heard countless times that the West was a fertile land for business, but Vivian was only able to realize it today after stepping on the West’s land properly.

Unlike the capital city where it is still cold, green crops were already prevalent here and beautiful flowers were blooming everywhere.

Vivian, who was turning her head, soon caught sight of a quiet mansion that looked like a portrait. Perhaps that is the Marquis’ mansion.

“Come on!”

The coachman managed to run a dizzy horse and started the carriage.

Trot. Trot. Trot. Trot.

The antique mansion grew closer and closer. While looking at the mansion through the window, Vivian found a wall that existed like a landscape.

Perhaps that was the wall built by the Emperor Sun to prevent the invasion of Masu.

Without that wall, the mansion would have touched the horizon to create a better picture. It was very unfortunate that it could not.

“Lady, are you feeling well?”

“Yes, Hamel, are you okay?”

Hamel nodded with a face that said it doesn’t look like that at all. He couldn’t seem to deny it because she jokingly asked if he was also okay. He quietly handed Vivian warm water.

The iron bars at the mansion’s gate were quite old. Dust was also piled so high up that you could see where someone had touched it. The weak guards standing out front saluted with nervous faces.

The gate, which had been firmly locked, began to open. The carriage with the emblem of the Knights of Eckhart passed first, followed by Vivian’s carriage.

Several carriages passed through the main gate and stopped in front of the garden that looked bright in the afternoon sun.

Vivian, who got off the wagon, turned to the presence she felt next to her.

“Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Chen, the Wall Guard soldier!”

Black ash was running across his chin like a beard over a youthful white face. He had just come down from the wall.

Roger, who was looking around the mansion, approached Chen and stood in front of him. Chen had a fairly small figure for a soldier, and perhaps because of that, Roger looked just like a giant.

“Roger Orpheus, the Commander of the Knights of Eckhart.”

“Yes, I heard about you! Feel free to tell me if you need anything.”

Chen sweated in a tight posture. He also seemed to have heard of Roger’s notoriety that was widespread in the capital.

Vivian speculated that Roger would introduce the Knights of Eckhart to Chen first. He was part of the Knights Order and his Knights were already lined up next to him so it was obvious.

But contrary to her expectations, Roger looked straight at Vivian.

Vivian, who was fiddling with her hood, paused at his gaze.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but this is Lady Lector.”

“Yes! I’ve also heard about Lady Lector!”

Chen’s face brightened when he saw Vivian. It was more of a pleasure to conclude the uncomfortable conversation with Roger than to actually welcome Vivian.

Vivian took off her hood and reached out to Chen.

“I’m Vivian Lector. Please take care of me while I’m here.”

Vivian’s face was completely revealed when the hood, which was quite large compared to her head, was pulled off. Chen, who held Vivian’s hand, became a stone.

After passing the difficulty of joining the team, Chen’s main job was to scout the territory outside the capital. This was common for ordinary soldiers who did not belong to an official Knights Order.

In addition, he lived outside the capital in the county’s territory until he took the entrance examination. Then, he left the capital right after he became a soldier so he was not used to the people from the capital. Especially a Lady, a nobleman as bright as Vivian.

When Vivian smiled a little, he felt the West, which was dying of magic, brighten up. The skin on her hand was so soft that it felt like he was touching expensive silk. It was still a barren wasteland, but a beautiful scent seemed to come from somewhere.

The sun, which was shining all over the land, turned red as if it was its only chance to shine.

Vivian held his hand then tilted her head at Chen’s behavior because he was not letting go.

“Soldier Chen?”

“Oh, yes! I look forward to your kind cooperation! And you can talk comfortably!”

Chen, who came to his senses with a thin smile, replied with a surprise. He was so distracted by her face that he forgot to let go.

“Yes, of course.”

Vivian smiled, speaking more comfortably than before.

At that moment, a hand stretched out between the two. The owner of the large hand, which seemed to have great grip, was Roger. The hand gripped Chen’s forearm that was shaking Vivian’s hand.

“Ugh!”

Despite trying not to, Chen screamed and let go of his grip. Surprised, Vivian opened her eyes wide, but Roger opened his mouth a step ahead of her.

“Have the servants of the mansion arrived?”

“Oh, yes.”

Chen replied, wiping the tears in his eyes.

“They arrived last night and finished cleaning and organizing.”

“Then let’s go, Lady.”

Roger quickly changed the subject and spoke to Vivian.

Vivian asked as she entered the mansion alongside Roger.

“What servant?”

“As you know, this mansion has been vacant for quite a while, right? So, His Majesty said he would send servants to clean and take care of it in advance.”

Vivian nodded and stopped at the foreground.

Frankly, it has been abandoned for decades, so she had no high expectations because it is a mansion in such a place. However, the interior of the mansion was very neat, as if the servants who arrived yesterday had already finished cleaning. It was quiet and elegant just like how they saw it outside. It wouldn’t be too hard to hold a big banquet right now.

“But it is in good shape.”

Vivian stood in the hall and swept the stair railing that ran to the second floor. There wasn’t any dust as it had been cleaned up neatly. Roger, who was looking at the drivers moving their luggage one by one, quietly raised the corners of his mouth.

“I’m glad My Lady seems to like it.”

“Me?”

Vivian opened her eyes wide and pointed to herself with her finger. Roger took one step closer to her and nodded.

“It’s a place where we are supposed to stay for a while, so I hope you like it.”

“…I’m not the only one staying.”

“Wherever we sleep, we just need a place to stretch our legs. My lady is very important.”

It sounded like all this preparation was only for Vivian.

Just for Vivian alone, not for the Knights that had more than a few dozen heads.

Reflecting on what he said, Vivian’s face grew feverish. It felt like she was a very precious person to him.

“It’s a little hot, it’s hot.”

Vivian took one step up the stairs, fanning her hands. It was also to hide the heart rate that started pumping as if it was hammering something.

“Isn’t it because you’re wearing a thick robe?”

But it was a mistake. Roger reached out to the button on her robe as if he thought she was really hot.

Tuck.

His greasy fingers unbuttoned it very easily. Without a chance to hold onto it, the robe opened on both sides. Even though she was dressed inside, Vivian’s heart dropped as if she were naked.

Roger’s eyebrows wriggled as he looked at Vivian’s face. His hands gradually approached her shoulders, trying to peel them off completely. To Vivian, it looked like it was in slow motion. A red warning went off in Vivian’s head telling her to avoid it.