Vol 2. Chapter 49: Seriously?

“Virtue +100.”

“Current Virtue: 5004.”

What the hell is with this fated protagonist being so bad?!

Vanessa’s heart was overflowing with grievance.

Pretending to sit at the dining table, acting like she was starting the meal—that was all a trick to deceive her, wasn’t it?

Did she already know she’d react like that? How long had she been crouching there watching?! Did she see every single one of her pitiful, embarrassed, utterly undignified reactions just now?!

Vanessa’s face flushed entirely with the rosy red unique to young girls. She pressed her moist, glossy lips together, staring silently at Aesphyra, as if there were countless words she wanted to say—but not a single one would come out.

In her eyes were frustration, embarrassment, shame, and even a hint of grievance.

All of it—unspoken.

“Sorry, sorry... Miss Vanessa, your expression earlier, pouting with your eyes closed, sulking like that... it was just too adorable. I couldn’t help myself... I had to look a few more times,” Aesphyra admitted, aware that perhaps she’d bullied Vanessa a little too far, offering a half-hearted apology.

“Who was sulking? Why would I sulk? I wasn’t sulking.” Vanessa’s voice wavered with slight fluctuation, and once finished, she turned her head away, refusing to look at Aesphyra.

“Alright, alright, little Vanessa isn’t sulking. It was my misunderstanding~ But it’s dinner time now, let’s eat, okay?” Aesphyra smiled as she scooped a spoonful of beef stew and brought it toward Vanessa’s lips.

Little... little what? Who’s her little baby?!

So all her reactions earlier really were seen... every single one of them.

It was deliberate.

“Please refrain from using such frivolous terms of address toward others, Miss Aesphyra.” Vanessa’s lips tightened into a line. If not for her exceptional upbringing—and the binding restraint of Fasylis’ bloodline—she might’ve exploded already.

How could someone be this bad?!

“I said, I’m not hungry.” Even as hunger gnawed at her insides, relentlessly urging her to compromise, Vanessa stubbornly held her ground.

There’s no way she’d eat food made by this irritating woman.

“Okay, okay, Miss Vanessa isn’t hungry, I understand. But it’s dinner time~ I tried cooking a new recipe, and I’d love for Miss Vanessa to taste it, just to tell me if it’s good, alright?” Aesphyra’s tone was as if coaxing a small child into obediently eating.

“If that’s the case, Miss Aesphyra can just taste it herself,” Vanessa retorted.

“Well, I could, but you need a second opinion, don’t you? If I taste my own cooking, I’m obviously going to think it’s good—there’s always bias involved.”

Hearing that, Vanessa wavered slightly.

“True, I didn’t behave properly earlier. But it really wasn’t intentional—I couldn’t help it. You’re just too cute, Miss Vanessa~ Every little frown and smile of yours steals my attention completely,” Aesphyra added.

What a silver tongue... Who would believe such smooth-talking nonsense?

Vanessa wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Aesphyra was just using this as an excuse to coax her into eating. But since she’d offered this exit, and truthfully, Vanessa was starving...

Fine, this didn’t mean she was compromising on her principles, and it definitely didn’t mean she wanted to taste Aesphyra’s cooking. It was simply that Aesphyra looked so pitiful, learning new dishes only to have no one validate them, so out of sheer generosity and magnanimity, she’d reluctantly help her out.

However—

In her current state, she couldn’t move. She couldn’t even hold a spoon to eat by herself.

Which meant... someone had to feed her.

And that someone... was Aesphyra.

Vanessa found it difficult to accept.

“I can feed myself.” Vanessa’s voice was slightly flustered.

“Feed yourself? If Miss Vanessa could manage that, it’d be ideal. But right now, you can’t even lift a finger. How exactly do you plan to eat?” Aesphyra arched a delicate brow.

“...” Vanessa fell silent. She knew full well this demand was purely symbolic—a last shred of prideful resistance, nothing more.

“Come now, be a good little baby—open up~” Aesphyra brought the spoon closer to Vanessa’s lips.

A faint blush spread across Vanessa’s cheeks. She disliked this—truly—but she was unbearably hungry. The steaming, fragrant tomato beef stew before her constantly tempted her, overwhelming her senses.

Aesphyra, seeing this, wasn’t in any rush. She simply smiled, patiently waiting for Vanessa’s next move.

Vanessa was deeply conflicted. She hated being seen eating—let alone being hand-fed by someone else.

But seemingly realizing she had no other options and couldn’t keep hesitating, Vanessa parted her soft, petal-like lips just slightly, averting her gaze as a rosy flush tinted her delicate features.

Aesphyra’s smile deepened even more.

“Virtue +50.”

“Current Virtue: 5054.”

Getting fed increases Virtue too? Was it because it made Aesphyra happy?

Every time Vanessa interacted with Aesphyra, she truly wondered—who was actually earning all this Virtue? She was clearly the one harvesting Aesphyra’s emotional fluctuations, yet somehow, it constantly felt like she was the one being harvested.

Even in a state of extreme hunger, Vanessa maintained flawless composure. She chewed and swallowed delicately, not devouring the food without care, but conducting herself with the refined demeanor of an heiress receiving maid service.

Aesphyra’s cooking, much like the person herself, was meticulously crafted and elegantly portioned—delicious, with an underlying sophistication.

She clearly possessed a very distinct understanding of culinary arts. Even dishes learned from standard recipes had been modified by Aesphyra’s hand, yielding unique, enhanced flavors.

If Vanessa’s cooking could be described as an innate talent, then Aesphyra’s was born from passion—a genius honing her skills out of interest, crafting her own personal style.

Before long, most of the dishes on the table had been consumed.

With her stomach finally full, Vanessa felt the fire of irritation within her chest settle somewhat—likely thanks to her hunger being sated. After all, hunger always amplifies frustration.

Well... perhaps it was also Aesphyra’s diligent, attentive feeding that soothed her a little.

“My esteemed young lady, was the taste to your liking?” Aesphyra asked with teasing amusement.

“Mm, not bad... Aren’t you going to eat?” Despite finding the food delicious, Vanessa forced a casual, nonchalant tone as she inquired.

“I’m not in a rush. After all—what kind of maid would let the young lady starve while eating by herself?” Aesphyra cradled her chin in her hand, joking lightly.

She seemed to genuinely enjoy the process of feeding Vanessa.

“Oh? Is Miss Aesphyra implying she wishes to be my maid? Hmm~ Judging by your service just now... barely passable. Perhaps I’ll consider it,” Vanessa, having eaten her fill, regained some confidence. Thinking back to how thoroughly Aesphyra had dominated her earlier, Vanessa felt somewhat indignant. At the very least, she wanted to retaliate verbally, speaking with poised elegance and a trace of playful provocation.

She had, after all, utterly triumphed over Mirexia. She’d kept Mirexia completely on the defensive, bewildered and flustered. Both of them were heroines—how was it that against Aesphyra, she couldn’t even strike back properly?

Unacceptable. Vanessa felt compelled to reclaim some ground.

However—

“Virtue +200.”

“Current Virtue: 5254.”

“Eh? Miss Vanessa wants to keep me as a maid? Really? Once you say it, you can’t take it back~” Unexpectedly, Aesphyra shamelessly played along, her exquisite, stunning face inching closer, eyes brimming with emotion so thick it could drip.

“From this day forward, allow me—your most humble, most devoted maid—to attend to your every need, morning to night, never leaving your side~”

“And, of course, all your clothing—please entrust it to me entirely for laundering. Let me shoulder that burden in your stead~”

“And when you bathe, I’ll help wash your hair... scrub your back... massage your feet...”

“W-Wait a moment!” Seeing Aesphyra grow increasingly immersed in the fantasy, Vanessa couldn’t take it anymore and hastily called for a stop.

The moment her Virtue increased, she’d sensed this was going sideways.

Hold on—she was still the last descendant of the Varelis lineage of the ancient Carillian Empire, wasn’t she? How could someone say such outrageous things?!

Vanessa was thoroughly flustered by Aesphyra.

Why wasn’t she playing by the rules?

In theory, saying that line to Mirexia—or even to Shikondell, whose relationship hadn’t progressed much—would have left them bashful, defenseless, allowing Vanessa to naturally close in and tease them: “It was just a little joke—why are you blushing? Did you take me seriously~?”

That way, Virtue gained, topic gracefully concluded—total victory.

But Aesphyra wasn’t like other heroines. She actually took the bait?!

Her words didn’t sound forced or exaggerated—they were genuine, overflowing with sincerity. Not a trace of performance to be found.

How exactly was Vanessa supposed to spar with this level of opponent?

“Hm? What’s wrong? Has the esteemed Miss Vanessa any instructions~?” Aesphyra was already fully immersed in the role.

“I—what I said earlier was a joke. My apologies, that was a rather improper remark,” Vanessa hastily clarified, worried Aesphyra had genuinely taken it seriously.

“Eh? It was just a joke?” Aesphyra arched a brow, disappointment clearly flashing in her eyes.

...She really took it seriously?

Of course it was a joke. Vanessa’s academy life was already chaotic enough—she wanted to spice things up with some harmless banter, add a little difficulty to her ‘playthrough.’

A personal, ever-present maid? Especially Aesphyra, who acted like she wanted to devour her whole? Absolutely not.

Otherwise... who knows what might happen?

Speaking of which, it’d been quite a while, and Vanessa still hadn’t updated Mirexia or Shikondell on her safety. What if they were worried?

Vanessa reminded herself to find Mirexia as soon as she regained mobility.

After eating, Vanessa felt notably better. That drained, hollow sensation receded as her energy gradually returned.

She could move her fingers now.

Speaking of Mirexia—what was she doing? As Student Council President, she was probably handling the aftermath. Possibly even searching for her.

Vanessa’s eyes drifted to the silver-haired girl tidying up the kitchen. As annoying as Aesphyra was, her behavior remained proper and meticulous.

Truthfully, Aesphyra owed Vanessa nothing. She’d saved her multiple times—this time included. She could’ve ignored the situation but chose to rescue Vanessa, caring for her attentively.

If only she didn’t have such twisted hobbies...

“All done~ It’s getting late. Miss Vanessa, would you prefer to sleep now? Or maybe hear a bedtime story~?”

“Sleep...?” Hearing that, Vanessa glanced out the window. It was fully dark. The streets still bustled with noise—after such chaos, the aftermath was bound to be long and complicated.

The rescued students needed thorough inspections to ensure no traces of Demon God Pillar familiars remained.

The Academy’s buildings suffered heavy damage from the familiars’ rampage. Extensive repairs were necessary.

In that regard, the Academy—and Saintess Selina—really ought to award Aesphyra something. Without her fierce defense of Saintess Selina Cathedral during the fanatic assault, even partial destruction would’ve resulted in catastrophic losses. Maybe even obliterated Selina’s resting place.

The Cathedral’s preservation was entirely thanks to Aesphyra.

At that thought, Vanessa understood one of Selina’s motives for pushing her toward Aesphyra—her tireless protection of Selina’s resting place. Without it, Vanessa would’ve been homeless.

So... sleep now?

Just like this—unbathed, fully clothed, lying on someone else’s couch all night?

That felt way too improper.

Vanessa resisted the idea entirely, yet after thinking it through... there weren’t other options.

Surely not...

“If Miss Vanessa wishes, you may sleep in my bed. That way, should anything happen during the night, I can care for you properly. Does that sound acceptable?” Aesphyra’s lips curved into a perfect, charming smile.

“No need. That would trouble you, Miss Aesphyra. I wouldn’t feel comfortable.”

“It’s no trouble~ My bed’s huge. Easily fits five people, let alone two~”

Hearing Aesphyra’s tone, Vanessa’s forehead sprouted a large metaphorical vein.

Normally, if someone’s sick or injured, isn’t the host supposed to offer their bed and take the couch themselves?

Who suggests sharing the bed with the guest?

“No need. If Miss Aesphyra lets me rough it on the couch tonight, I’ll already be more than satisfied,” Vanessa declined firmly.

“Eh? Is that so? Well... how about I sleep on the couch too, so I can look after you more easily~?” Aesphyra tilted her head playfully.