Lucas lay on the bed, restless. His eyelids felt heavy, but his brain only grew wilder.
"Damn… that Liria… her ass is so damn plump…" The image of the woman's tempting body resurfaced vividly in his mind. His chest tightened.
Lucas quickly shook his head. "No! Don't go there again."
He forced his thoughts away—imagining morning dew clinging to the tip of leaves, the scent of wet soil, the fresh air of the countryside. For a moment, it worked. He felt calm… until suddenly, Liona's pale face appeared, complete with her firm chest trembling as she carried food last night.
Lucas buried his face under the pillow.
Fuck… this body's brain is completely broken, everything's about ass and breast!
He clenched his fist, forcing his eyes shut. Just sleep. Don't lose. Don't jerk off.
Slowly, his breathing steadied. At last, he drifted into sleep.
Morning came. Light pierced through the curtains.
[DING!]
[(^O^)b Good morning, Host!]
[+10 EXP, +3 Progression Point]
[Reason: Successfully resisted lust last night. Did not perform 'one-hand activity.']
Lucas rubbed his face, snorting. "So I get points just because I didn't jerk off? Shit, this system's even hornier than me."
He flopped back down, nearly dozing off again. But then a piercing thought struck: his purpose, his step-by-step plans, compounding.
Lucas sat up abruptly, fighting the drowsiness.
[DING!]
[+5 EXP]
[Reason: Resisted the urge to go back to sleep in the morning.]
"Seriously? I get EXP just for waking up…" Lucas glared. The panel displayed a smug emoticon: (¬↓¬)
He dragged his feet to the door, turned the knob, then froze.
Right outside, Silvara had dozed off sitting against the wall. Her silver hair was messy, but her face remained stern even in sleep. Her right hand still hovered near the hilt of her sword. Clearly, she had stood guard all night.
Lucas stiffened. "Did she… watch over me the whole night?"
His hand lifted slightly, almost reaching for her shoulder to wake her.
"YOUNG MASTER!!"
A sharp cry pierced the corridor.
Lucas jolted, yanking his hand back. Silvara's eyes snapped open, and in an instant, she was on her feet, hand gripping her sword, eyes stabbing into him like a predator.
"W-wait! It's not what it looks like—" Lucas panicked.
At the far end of the hallway, Liona stood pale, clutching a tray. Her hands shook, eyes wide.
"Y-your… your breakfast is ready, Young Master…" Her voice was faint, almost breaking.
The dishes on the tray rattled, a faint clinking sound filling the tense corridor.
Lucas could only stand there, dumbfounded. "…Damn, what a noisy way to start the morning."
Liona lowered her head, her lips trembling. The tray in her hands nearly tilted from the shaking.
"U-um… p-permission to enter, Young Master… I need to collect last night's dishes…"
Lucas was still unsettled by Silvara's predator-like glare. He only gave a brief nod. "Yeah, go ahead."
With hesitant steps, Liona entered. Each step was tiny, as if every tile of the floor might explode if she pressed too hard.
On the table, the dirty plates and the tray from last night remained. Liona carefully placed the breakfast tray onto a chair, then reached out to gather the dirty dishes. She bent down to pick up the old tray, meaning to swap it with the new one and place it on the table.
That's when her eyes caught something.
A small pouch of coins on the bed. Lucas had tucked it into his clothes the night before, but it had slipped out while he slept.
Her hand froze. Her fingers trembled.
If I take this… who would know? No one saw…
Her ears picked up the voices outside. Silvara was still scolding Lucas coldly, accusing him of all sorts of things.
Another whisper slithered into her mind:
He's just a foolish, filthy rich man. He trampled your dignity. Just take it—besides, you need it more than he does.
Liona bit her lip, shaking her head faintly. No… I'm not a thief…
But the whispers pierced deeper:
If you don't take it, who will help you? He doesn't care. The Baron is drowning in debts. You're just a servant… a worthless maid.
Liona closed her eyes, fighting the tremor in her body. A thin line of tears welled at the corner of her eyes. No… I work because of the Baroness… she was kind. She took me in. I only need to endure. That's all.
Her gaze slipped away from the pouch. She exhaled heavily, then hurried to place the breakfast tray on the table and carried the old one out.
I must endure… for my late mother, for the Baroness who saved me. I don't need to care about the Young Master. Even if he dies, it doesn't matter. I just have to keep working…
Liona lowered her head even further, hiding her pale face. Step by step, she walked to the door—leaving the pouch untouched.
Silvara stood rigid at the door, her gaze sharp as a blade. Her voice was low, laced with contempt.
"Don't think I don't know. Even with your little worm already broken, you still behave disgracefully."
Liona, still in the doorway, flinched instantly. Her face turned red, and she bowed deeply. "F-forgive me… I shall take my leave…" Her voice was faint, nearly stammering.
Clutching the tray of dishes, she hurried away as if desperate to escape the suffocating filth in the air.
Lucas held himself back for a moment, then snorted loudly. "Whatever. Believe whatever you want."
He went back in, shut the door, and dropped heavily into the chair. His breakfast awaited. He ate with a scowl.
I should be thinking about work, not drowning in accusations. Lucas chewed hard, then fell into thought.
A hoe… A farming hoe, of course.
I don't even know where to find one.
[DING!]
A transparent panel popped up cheerfully in front of his face.
(＾▽＾)／ [Easy solution, Host! Just check the manor's back storage.]
[Oh, and don't forget to wash your face. Morning breath + pillow-face = -1 Progression Point in real social life.]
Lucas exhaled sharply. "Problem is, I don't even know where the bathroom is, let alone the storage."
The panel bounced up and down, as if mocking:
(¬^¬) [C'mon… improvise. If you don't know, just ask—in your usual style.]
Lucas ground his teeth. Tch. Fine. If that's how it is, I'll just go full Lucian mode again.
He stepped out of the room, facing Silvara, who still stood cold in the corridor. A crooked smile crept across his face.
"Hey, Silver Knight."
Silvara frowned. "What now?"
"Take me to the bathroom." Lucas put extra arrogance into his tone.
Silvara scoffed, nearly rolling her eyes, but finally sighed. "Tch… fine." She turned, her steps heavy, but still led the way.
Lucas smirked. "Good. After that, take me to the storage too."
Silvara paused mid-step, turning back with blazing eyes. "Storage? For what?"
Lucas lifted his chin arrogantly. "That's my business. You just need to obey."
Silvara clenched her fists at her side, trembling faintly with anger. But in the end, she only exhaled through her nose. "Hhh… utterly disgusting. Fine."
Lucas held back a satisfied grin. This is kind of fun… especially since yesterday she beat the crap out of me.