The dazzling glow from the crystal chandelier poured down like radiant sunlight, reflecting off the girl's silver hair as lustrous as the finest satin, shimmering brilliantly. Her skin, paler than frost and snow, contrasted against the glossy black stockings, combined with her breathtaking appearance that outshone all othersâa scene of unparalleled beauty.
If this was the previous life's Vanessa looking at this CG, perhaps she would've been utterly captivated.
But now? Well, this was probably what people called "beauty from a distance."
Other than that, Vanessa also noticed that near the entryway, there was a cabinet specifically for storing items. Inside, neatly stacked, were numerous disposable gloves, many towels for wiping down surfaces, disinfectant alchemical potions, and even a trash bin overflowing with used disposable gloves.
It was painfully obviousâevery time Aesphyra left the house, she'd grab a handful of disposable gloves from that cabinet, and the moment she returned home, after taking off her shoes, the first thing she'd do was swap out the gloves, toss them into the bin, disinfect herself with alchemical potions, and only then proceed to wash her hands.
One could only sayâshe was truly meticulous.
Only after seeing what was stored in that cabinet did Vanessa finally realize that when Aesphyra had casually said the other day that there were plenty of spare girlsâ uniforms at home, it wasn't a lie. She genuinely had prepared many identical sets of uniforms, all neatly folded in the cabinet. The one she wore each day wasnât the same; the one from yesterday had already been sent to the laundry.
Vanessa knew Aesphyra had cleanliness issues, but she didnât expect her obsession to be this severe.
After inviting her to dinner that day, Aesphyra had probably disinfected herself with alchemical potions the moment she got home too.
â...Wouldnât this be... bad?â Vanessa suddenly spoke.
âHmm? What is it?â Aesphyra tilted her head slightly.
âMiss Aesphyra is so particular about cleanliness, yet Iâm lying here on the sofa you so diligently maintain, still wearing my boots,â Vanessa said.
âOh? Is that so? If Miss Vanessa truly feels embarrassed, I could assist you, you knowâhelp you take off those tall boots~â Aesphyraâs smile deepened, unmistakably sincere yet with a dangerous undertone.
âYouâre not planning to mess with me, are you?â Vanessa, seeing the corners of Aesphyraâs lips curving uncontrollably upward, suddenly had a bad feeling.
âOf course not. Could it be that, in Miss Vanessaâs mind, Iâm that type of person?â Aesphyraâs lips curled into a sly smile as she walked over.
Vanessa couldnât shake the feeling that this woman had ulterior motives.
Her Armor Fortress could be removed manually or dismissed by will, but in her current state of exhaustion, Vanessa couldnât control her body enough to retract her mana. She had no choice but to accept help from others.
The mere fact that she was sprawled so gracelessly on the sofa was already intolerable for Vanessa, let alone still wearing tall boots.
In fact, Vanessa herself had obsessive tendencies regarding cleanliness. She was extremely reluctant to dirty clean spaces, which is precisely why she found this situation so unacceptable.
âThen, Miss Aesphyra, could I ask you to please behave properly and refrain from doing anything that would trouble me?â Vanessa arched a brow, still wary that Aesphyra might pull something sneaky.
âMiss Vanessa, what kind of person do you take me for~? But, since Miss Vanessa insists,â Aesphyra readily agreed, yet the smile on her face only deepened.
Vanessa seriously doubted whether she actually listened to a word she said.
Then, Aesphyra lifted Vanessaâs slender ankle and helped her remove her boots. Her movements were, indeed, proper and restrained. Those fair, delicate hands only made contact with the boots throughout the entire process.
It was clear Aesphyra had worn tall boots before and knew precisely how to remove this type of high-heeled, knee-length footwear both efficiently and effectively.
Howeverâ
Vanessa watched Aesphyraâs expression as she removed the boots and couldnât help but feel her scalp tingle.
Aesphyraâs actions were perfectly proper, yes, but her expression changed.
She was intensely focused, her previously restrained smile gradually morphing into one of undisguised delight. Even after removing the boots, the smile lingered. Finally, she licked her lips ever so slightlyâas if she'd just peeled away the husk of a sticky rice dumpling and laid eyes on the crystal-clear delicacy within, full of anticipation.
At the same time:
âVirtue +300.â
âCurrent Virtue: 4824.â
Why did her Virtue increase this much?! What on earth is this woman fantasizing about?!
Seriously!
âM-Miss Aesphyra!â Vanessaâs tone held both embarrassment and frustration.
âEh? What is it?â Aesphyra tilted her head with innocent confusion. âI followed Miss Vanessaâs instructions, didnât I? Properly removed your boots, no unnecessary movements at all.â
â...â Vanessa couldnât refute that. She had indeed only requested that Aesphyraâs movements be proper. She hadnât specified anything about facial expressions. But to regulate even her expression? Thatâd be asking too much.
Looking at it this way... wasnât her own reaction kind of excessive??
No, this was clearly Aesphyraâs facial expression that was the issue, okay?! Plus, that ridiculous Virtue increase had completely exposed her thought process, hadnât it??
âBut, speaking of which, Miss Vanessa, you seem particularly fond of this outfit. When I encountered you in the ruins last time, you were dressed exactly like this. Is it your battle attire?â Aesphyra placed Vanessaâs tall boots by the entrance, then returned to her side.
â...You could say that. Why?â Vanessa couldnât shake the feeling that Aesphyra had lingered by the entryway a bit longer than necessary, but she didnât dwell on those small details.
âItâs nothing, just curiousâdoes Miss Vanessa have many identical white dresses like this in her dormitory?â Aesphyraâs eyes glanced at Vanessaâs wing-shaped hairpin. âI must say, this style suits Miss Vanessa. Did you commission it custom-made and have multiple sets produced?â
âNo.â Vanessa scoffed inwardly. Where would she get the money for custom-made combat attire? Maybe Saintess Selina would do something so extravagant, but certainly not her.
âThen, if thereâs only this one set, Miss Vanessa mustâve been wearing this outfit for quite a while now? Tall boots and white stockingsâwouldnât that be stifling? Isnât that a bit improper?â Aesphyra sat down beside her, casting a thoughtful glance toward Vanessaâs boots at the entrance.
What the hell does this impolite woman mean by that??
Is she insinuating that Vanessa lacks personal hygiene? That she doesnât care about cleanliness??
Vanessa inhaled deeply, feeling her blood pressure spike once again thanks to Aesphyra.
âMiss Aesphyra, what exactly are you implying? Isnât it rather inappropriate to ask such things of a lady?â Vanessa tried to maintain a calm, composed tone despite her simmering frustration.
âEh? But I was simply curious, Miss Vanessa. This outfit looks stunning on you and suits your style. But wearing it constantlyâwouldnât you get tired of it? Youâve never thought of switching up your style?â Aesphyra blinked with a look of innocent bewilderment. Vanessa felt even her forced, polite smile starting to crack.
âNo. I havenât.â Vanessa emphasized her tone, then turned her head away, refusing to engage further.
After resting for a while, at least her neck could move again.
âPfftââ Seeing Vanessaâs reaction, Aesphyra finally failed to hold back her laughter.
âVirtue +80.â
âCurrent Virtue: 4904.â
She even laughed. It was clearly intentional.
The Virtue gain proved beyond doubt that Aesphyra was thoroughly enjoying teasing her.
Obvious enoughâthe protagonist blessed by fate just wanted to mess with her.
âSpeaking of which, has Miss Vanessaâs life been decent recently?â Aesphyra asked suddenly, for reasons unknown.
âQuite decent. And, Miss Aesphyra, had you not been so insufferable, I imagine my mood today would be rather good,â Vanessa responded, her tone carrying subtle irritation, though her inherent decorum remained.
âIs that so? Thatâs good to hear. I figured as much, considering I havenât seen Miss Vanessa at that maid cafĂ© in quite a while. Your life must be back on track, hmm?â Aesphyra rested her chin on her hand, smiling brightly.
This damned little white-haired bread rollâalways knowing how to poke the sore spot.
She deliberately brought up the one black mark in Vanessaâs past she desperately wanted forgotten, erased from public memory entirely.
She had thought that incident was merely an unfortunate fluke, something that could be swept under the rug without anyone ever knowing.
But then Aesphyra showed upâthe unpredictable variable.
If not for Aesphyra, no one wouldâve known about that incident.
Vanessa turned her head away, not wanting to acknowledge Aesphyra any longer.
âBy the way, itâs been quite a whileâMiss Vanessa, are you hungry?â Aesphyra glanced out the window. The dense black fog had finally dissipated, and the remaining twilight signaled the dayâs end.
Ever since the chaos caused by Bronze Blood, who knew how much time had passed. They had fought continuously for so longâany debrief or meeting would have to wait at least a day.
â...Not hungry.â Vanessa pretended to admire the view outside, answering with detached indifference.
âNot hungry? Still, you should eat a little. Iâm going to cook now~â
âNot hungry,â Vanessa repeated, expression unreadable, utterly unyielding.
Once Aesphyra entered the kitchen, Vanessa finally registered an unsettling thought.
Aesphyra... can actually cook?
Also... was she truly not hungry?
Of course, that was impossible.
First, she fought the fanatics for so long, then forcibly breached the miasma barrier, unleashed Flame of Divine Benediction, draining both mana and vitality, and after that, was possessed by her ancestor.
After all that, even an iron man wouldâve melted into liquid metal, let alone her.
Thereâs no way she wasnât starving. The measly food from the banquet wasnât going to cut it.
Her attention had been too occupied by Aesphyra earlier to notice, but now that she was remindedâthe hunger hit hard, insatiable.
Soon, the stove ignited, flames crackling softly, and in no time, the rich aroma of food wafted into the living room, teasing Vanessaâs senses, as her stomach betrayed her with an undignified growl.
Urgh...
Was she really going to sit here and watch Aesphyra eat, while pretending to be indifferent, staring out the window?
What kind of twisted torture was this?
Vanessa bit her lower lip lightly, but outwardly maintained an air of calm.
Noâabsolutely notâshe refused to lose face in front of Aesphyra. She would endure. Itâs just food. Hunger wouldnât kill her.
She was already resting at someone elseâs house; to demand more would be unreasonable.
Besides... who knew what Aesphyraâs cooking even tasted like?
It was bound to be awfulâshe didnât even need to look to know.
Vanessa told herself that firmly.
Butâbut the smellâit was so tantalizing. Could it really taste that bad?
No, impossible. It was probably one of those dishes that smelled incredible but tasted horrendous. The aroma meant nothing.
She didnât know how much time passed, but the sound of the stove extinguishing echoed faintly. Soon, one exquisite dish after another, each exuding mouth-watering fragrance, was placed onto the long, luxurious dining table in the living room.
Vanessa, as before, turned her head toward the window, steadfastly refusing to so much as glance toward the table.
But not looking didnât mean she couldnât smell the food.
In desperation, she held her breath, even shut her eyes.
And yet, no matter what she did, her ravenous mind conjured images of countless rare delicaciesâtormenting her mercilessly.
The gnawing hunger burned like a raging fire within her gut. The food was right thereâand she couldnât touch it.
Just... endure. Once she recovered her mobility, reverted to her male body, sheâd go out and gorge herself.
Nothing. She felt nothing.
...How long had it been? Was Aesphyra done eating? Had she cleared the table?
She shouldâve, right? Vanessa already said she wasnât eating.
But for some reason, Vanessaâs heart twisted faintly.
She was the one who refused to eat... right?
Vanessa inhaled deeply, yet inexplicably, the once-faint aroma grew overwhelmingly potentâas if the food had been placed right before her.
...What? What was happening??
Was she hallucinating from hunger?
Vanessa opened her eyes in confusionâand was greeted by a bowl of glistening tomato beef stew. The chandelierâs light reflected off the fatty chunks of beef and vibrant tomatoes, making her mouth water uncontrollably.
When... did this happen??
Vanessaâs gaze lifted slowly, trailing down from the pristine porcelain bowl... to the sheer, dark stockings of the girl seated before her.
At some point while her eyes were closed, the silver-haired girl had silently seated herself before Vanessa, balancing the dish on her knees.
Yesâdelicious food atop even more alluring food.
Aesphyra supported her chin with one hand, smiling brightly, saying nothing.
Was this silver-haired bread roll secretly a cat? How did she approach so quietly?
Vanessa glanced toward the dining tableâuntouched.
But... she distinctly heard the sound of utensils clinking earlier...
Realization dawnedâthe noise was a deliberate misdirection from Aesphyra, orchestrated to mislead her, to bait her reactions.
Aesphyra had stealthily crept over, sat down, observed her intently, never uttered a wordâjust watching, amusedâlikely for quite some time.