༺ Secret of the Affection System ༻
“What’s wrong? Why are you making that face?”
Isolet’s expression, looking down at me, began to sour.
“Don’t tell me you’re upset? Really?”
“……”
“Or… did I hit a nerve?”
I stuck close to her, trying my best to mimic the actions Aishi had done to me inside the chilly cafe.
“Right? I’m right, aren’t I? Silly Sister Isolet.”
For instance, I looked up at her with a playful smirk and playfully poked her side with my finger.
“You always huff and puff when you call me, how do you plan on training with all that wheezing?”
I walked around her in circles with my hands behind my back.
“Why don’t you just go and look for a husband?”
Then, I stood in front of her and whispered with a mocking smile.
“…Ugh.”
Observing my antics, Isolet, who had been scowling continuously, began to grit her teeth silently.
It seemed like my actions were having the desired effect.
According to the records in the prophecy, even when the end approached after facing countless challenges, the relationship between Isolet and Aishi would never improve.
Isolet, with her upright and righteous personality, could never accept such a fickle and ill-mannered personality.
Like water and oil, perhaps?
Anyway, I took advantage of that relationship.
Since I had continuously disappointed her with my various misdeeds, if my usual behavior became solidified this way, she’ll undoubtedly detest even just looking at me.
Now she was glaring at me, breathing heavily. Was I about to get hit? No, I actually wished she would.
At least that would guarantee a drop in her affection for me.
– Swoosh…
While I was lost in thought, Isolet, who had been coldly staring at me, began to reach out with her trembling hand toward my neck.
“What’s this? Are you going to hit me?”
I steeled myself, thinking she might genuinely hit me.
“Ah, hello…!”
“I’m coming in!”
Suddenly, Lulu and Irina rushed into the mansion and grabbed my arms.
Due to that, I was dragged away without understanding what was happening, and I kept looking at Isolet, who had her hand in the air while quietly looking at me.
“………”
She stared back at me with a grim look in her eyes, her hand still outstretched in the air, even as the front door closed.
“Uh, where are we going?”
“”……..””
While internally celebrating my successful tactic, the two girls were silently leading me somewhere strange.
“Why are we heading to the bathroom?”
They were taking me to the mansion’s bathroom.
– Clank…!
– Shush…
As I entered the bathroom with puzzled expressions, Irina quickly locked the bathroom door and even cast a spell.
“Master, why did you do that?”
Lulu looked at me with a startled look and asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you suddenly try to seduce Professor Isolet? Is there a reason for doing so?”
“…..?”
Standing beside her, Irina quietly nodded with an agreeing expression.
– Did a sudden quest appear? You said you wouldn’t do that. Why did you do that?
Soon after, receiving such a message from Irina, I began to quietly recall my plan.
“…Sigh.”
When I shared my plan, she scoffed.
– I’m going crazy, do you think that will work…
‘You know it too, right? Professor Isolet hates Aishi. You saw it in the previous regression, right?’
– But…
‘The affection level didn’t even increase. If it seemed like I was seducing her, the affection level would have gone up instantly. It even increases on its own when left alone.’
However, as I logically explained, her expression began to distort.
“What, what is it…? What are you two talking about ignoring me?”
‘If the affection level rises even a little, I’ll immediately stop the operation. That should be acceptable, right?’
“Sigh… But still…”
I continued speaking cautiously, and just as Irina was about to interject, we were interrupted.
– Knock, knock, knock…!
“Is anyone there?”
“I’ll go out. You two come out a bit later.”
When a paladin knocked from outside the door, Irina opened it and quietly spoke to the birds perched on her shoulder.
“Be ready to intervene anytime.”
With that, the door closed, leaving just me and Lulu.
“Master…”
Lulu, wearing a somehow sullen expression, nuzzled her cheek against my chest.
Looking at her, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
‘…Can I revert a heroine, who has already been won over, back to before?’
If I won over Isolet and she became worried about me, reverting it might be the solution to everything, right?
“Lulu, how would you feel if I abandoned you?”
Therefore, I decided to conduct a little experiment.
“What?”
“Let’s say, I’m no longer interested in you and want to abandon you. How would you feel?”
I contemplated the possibility of distancing myself from Lulu, who was already completely won over.
“…………”
“Ah, Lulu?”
However, there was a problem. For the first time in a while, Lulu’s eyes lost their spark.
“…Then, I don’t think I’ll find any meaning in life.”
“What?”
“So, I’ll just die. So as not to damage your reputation, I’d go to a remote place and quietly…”
“Ah…”
I had momentarily forgotten, as I’d grown accustomed to her cheerful and cute demeanor, that Lulu was a being who relied entirely on love.
“Are you growing tired of me, Master?”
After saying that, she buried her face in my chest and asked with a trembling voice.
“If, if that’s the case, please feel free to tell me anytime. I don’t want to be a burden to you…”
Soon after, I looked at Lulu who spoke with a terrified expression on her face.
– Flick…!
After a long pause, I took out a brooch and quietly infused it with mana.
– Ssshhh…
Then, black smoke began to rise from the brooch.
“Do you know what this is? Lulu?”
“This, this is…”
The Oath of Death was indeed forbidden, but it was so well-known that it seemed Lulu was familiar with it.
“I’ll keep you by my side until I die.”
“…..!”
Thinking that this would make things easier, I whispered to Lulu, who was clinging closely to me, causing her to freeze.
“Until I die, you’re my pet.”
As I said this, her face turned crimson, and she stammered out words.
“I, I am… I am…”
“It’s okay, Lulu.”
– Buzz…!
“Ah? Wha?”
I ended the oath while covering her mouth.
“I…I didn’t set any conditions! Why only you…!”
“You just need to accept it. You don’t need to do anything.”
I stroked her head.
“…Just stay by my side until I die.”
Saying that, I pinned the brooch back on my chest.
“Master…..”
Lulu, nestled in my embrace, stared at me with a blank expression.
“…Uh.”
However, all of a sudden, her gaze darkened.
“Until, until you die… until death… No. I’m scared. No…”
“Lulu?”
“Ma, Master…”
Moments later, she snuggled into my embrace, choking back tears.
“If you die, Master, I’ll die with you. A life without you is meaningless anyway.”
“…….”
“No, I’ll somehow extend your life. I’ll find a way, somehow…”
She murmured as she buried her face in my neck.
“Let’s go, Lulu.”
“…Huh.”
Having been in the bathroom for quite some time, I took her hand as she licked my face with a whimper, resembling a puppy’s cry, and headed outside.
“”…….””
I was met by the cold gaze of my younger sister and a paladin.
“I sensed an evil and dark aura from the bathroom.”
“Me too.”
“What on earth did you do to Miss Lulu inside there?”
Under their cold interrogation…
“You don’t know anything…”
Lulu quietly showed her teeth.
“We might need to look into this.”
“…….”
The two approached me with a cold expression.
“Hey, you two.”
But thanks to Isolet, who suddenly appeared beside us, the situation I feared didn’t occur.
“It’s mealtime.”
Isolet spoke with a flick of her fingers, calling for us.
“Come to the dining room.”
.
.
.
.
.
“Yawn…”
“”………””
All eyes were focused on Frey at the dining table.
“Who made this dish?”
Frey, who was sifting through his food, crossed his legs as he asked.
“I did. Do you have any complaints?”
“Huff, I figured. It tastes bland, typical of an old virgin?”
Frey responded as such to Isolet.
“You really are pathetic. If you have nothing else going for you, you should at least be good at cooking.”
Everyone at the table flinched at his words, but inwardly, they seemed to agree with him.
In fact, Isolet was terrible at cooking. The paladin thought eating such bland food was a part of his training, which spoke volumes.
“Frey.”
“Should I cook instead?”
“Don’t test my patience…”
“I’m pretty good at cooking, don’t you want to see me wear an apron?”
In this peculiar atmosphere, Frey continued to taunt the stoic Isolet.
“…I was just joking.”
Soon, Frey chuckled and delivered the final blow.
“I have absolutely no intentions of marrying an old virgin like you.”
After that, there was a moment of silence.
“…Frey, come with me.”
“Huh?”
“Mealtime is over. We’ll proceed directly to one-on-one training.”
Isolet, breaking the silence, rose and left the dining room after making her announcement.
‘See, I told you she’d take the bait.’
– No, it might actually work!
‘Her affection level hasn’t increased, and my mind reading skill is entirely filled with hatred and disappointment. So, there’s no problem.’
Frey, whose eyes sparkled for a moment, winked at Irina, who had a disgusted expression, and then followed Isolet.
– Step, step…
The two of them, who had been silently walking out of the mansion for a while, stopped simultaneously as soon as they reached the training ground.
“For our training, we’ll use wooden training swords. Frey, choose one from the storage cabinet over there,” Isolet instructed, pointing to a distant cabinet.
“Heh, they’re all old and worn out. Just like someone I know…”
Ignoring Frey’s cheeky comment, Isolet lifted her own wooden sword and issued the command, “If you’ve chosen, place your hand on the scroll next to it.”
“What? What’s this for…”
Frey tilted his head in curiosity and he placed his hand on the scroll, then light began to spread around him.
“…Huh?”
A moment later, a powerful protective barrier formed around him.
“Why is there a barrier during training…?”
– SWISH!!
“…Huuk!!”
In that very instant, Isolet charged at Frey with astonishing speed and struck him with her sword.
“…Ugh!”
As a result, he was sent several meters back and crashed into a wall. Though the protective barrier had kept him perfectly safe, he wore a stunned expression.
“You brat…”
Isolet was looking at him while breathing heavily.
“…Today, I’ll teach you a lesson.”
She whispered in a chilling voice.
– BOOM!!!
Shortly after, an overwhelming sound began to echo throughout the training ground.
.
.
.
.
.
“Crack…! Crunch…!”
“Ugh…”
Frey, who was crouching and panting, looked up in surprise at Isolet who was standing in front of him.
– Sizzle…!
“Listen carefully, Frey.”
Isolet began speaking with a stern voice after thrusting her sword toward Frey.
“First, I am not pathetic.”
“…Ugh.”
As she said this, Isolet stepped on the fallen Frey, causing him to let out a small groan.
“Second, I am your teacher. You are not in a position to disrespect me.”
Once again, she struck with her sword, causing the protective barrier around Frey to tremble on the verge of shattering.
“Third, if anyone’s pathetic, it’s you.”
– CRASH…!!!
Isolet delivered the final blow and the barrier shattered into pieces.
“Huff…”
Then, she straddled on top of the fallen Frey, pressing him down.
“Surrender.”
She whispered softly into Frey’s ear.
“You’ve been defeated by me. The power over your life and death is in my hands. No one here will say a word, no matter what I do to you.”
Isolet spoke in a chilly voice as she wrapped her hand around Frey’s throat.
“This is reality, Frey. So, wake up. Wake up from your dream and face reality…”
Initially, Isolet had the expression of a strict educator as she lectured Frey beneath her, but…
“……..”
“Ah, anyway… Take today’s defeat… as a lesson… and strive harder…”
Frey’s once cheeky demeanor was nowhere to be seen, and he was knocked down to the ground due to her attack.
He had his pristine white clothes dirtied by the dust of the training ground she had spent her entire life on. Then suddenly, Isolet began to stutter.
“Oh, my body feels hot… Why is this happening……”
Then, as she tightly gripped Frey’s neck, she bowed her head deeply.
“…Sister?”
Frey, who up to that moment thought the operation had failed due to the unchanging affection level, posed a question to her in a soft voice.
“What’s going on?”
The unexpected term “Sister” combined with the genuine curiosity triggered Isolet to start trembling.
“… When the barrier broke, I couldn’t attack you.”
Isolet spoke with a shaky voice.
“I wanted to punish you, beat some sense into you… but I couldn’t bring myself to attack you.”
“Oh, there…”
“Was it fun to continuously seduce me, Frey?”
“What?”
By this point, her grip had loosened, and her gaze had softened.
“…Forget everything I said earlier, Frey.”
“Huh?”
“All the scolding, all of it. I have no right to say those things to you.”
She continued speaking with a trembling voice.
“I feel like I’m not worthy of being a knight.”
“Um…”
“Nor am I qualified to be a teacher. Not as your master, nor as a noble lady.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“Uh…”
Seeing Frey’s frightened expression, Isolet almost lost her composure for a moment.
“Ugh…”
She bit her tongue and squeezed her eyes shut, using her incredible mental strength to regain control of herself.
‘It doesn’t matter anymore.’
She looked down at him with trembling eyes, as he lay beneath her with an expression of utter confusion.
‘If I can just make this vulnerable child my family… I don’t care what happens.’
She swallowed hard, murmuring to herself quietly.
‘That has been my wish since I was young.’
– Ding!
At that moment, a system window popped up in front of Frey.
Isolet Arham Bywalker
[Conquest Complete]
Frey stared blankly at the system window,
“Huh…?”
His eyes widened.
That was what the system window displayed in front of him.
“Err…”
“I knew it, let’s go in.”
“Wasn’t Dark Tale Fantasy 2…”
In the meantime, Irina dragged Lulu, who had her Magic Eyes shimmering, and hurried into the training ground.
“…Age-restricted as 15 years old and above?”
Frey muttered in a desolate voice.
Before long, the sun was already high up in the sky.
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