Chapter 99

Nina’s ability to quickly finish an S-Grade Bellac was also surprising.

S-Graded Bellacs takes at least one month of subjugation.

“The regular lency steel wouldn’t work well, it couldn’t be physically confined, and the fog was a wide area technique.”

Even if she split its head, it didn’t die. Physical attacks don’t work unless you time the right window for the bellac to attack the opponent.

“If it weren’t for the spirits, it would’ve taken us quite a while to defeat it completely.”

It was also easier because of the sage steel, and it would have been harder if lency steel was used with their swords as normal knights do.

“How was the Shadow Spirit?”

“It’s hard to access because of the faint fog.”

“Oh, because of the light. But wouldn’t it have been enough to just make it swallow it?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I think the enemy must have been surprised because we caught it so easily.”

She thought it would be a hard mode, but the opponent turned out to be a *stagnant water.

(MA. Notes: A Korean slang for people who have been obsessed with a game for so long they’ve been stuck with it without anything good happening to them, they were compared to stagnant water pooling in one place and eventually rots. In here, Nina implies that the opponent just looks hard to beat but in reality it’s the opposite.)

“There’s no way that it’s going to be reported that you caught it that easily.”

Adrian smiled sarcastically, and Nina said, “Thank God.” Then they laughed facing each other.

After eating until she was full, drowsiness came.

“Shall I go to bed first?”

“Yes.”

“Come. Sit here.”

Taktak. Nina beat her bedside asking for a knee pillow. Adrian laughed and moved to her place.

Nina exhales while comforting herself in his thighs.

“There are so many stars.”

“Yeah.”

Adrian carefully arranged her hair.

Nina took out the bracelet and handed it to Adrian as if she just remembered.

“I’ll give it back to you now.”

“I also have one. You might need it again next time.”

“Can I?”

“Of course.”

Adrian held her hand and put on the bracelet. However, he didn’t press the jewel, and Nina’s hair remained silver. The blanket glowed softly over the campfire together with her disheveled silver hair.

Adrian stopped working on her bracelet, and Nina reached out and tickled his bangs.

“Hey, I don’t care what color Adrian has, but I like your black hair.”

“I’ll keep it.”

“What about Adrian?”

“Nina is Nina no matter what hair color she has.”

“If you say that, I’ll feel like a snob.”

“A snob that is my style?”

Nina laughed and closed her eyes at Adrian’s words.

“Hand, hand.”

She reached out her hand and Adrian held it together. She soon fell asleep with a satisfied smile. Soon after, her facial expressions softly relaxed, and only healthy breathing sounds could be heard regularly.

Adrian glanced at her white face.

Nina’s silver eyelashes were neat, long, and beautiful.

Knowing what color of eyes was inside the closed eyelids, he felt like he was looking at a hidden treasure box.

His hands slowly swept her smooth cheeks. Then the lowered hand touched her neck.

At the same time as the hot body temperature, he felt the beating of the blood vessels vigorously.

It was strangely reassuring.

Then his mouth suddenly felt dry, so he bit his lips lightly and let go. The weight of her round head on his thighs feels somehow cute.

Adrian leaned slightly and pulled up the blanket to cover Nina.

The hand that gently stroked Nina’s hair slowly dug into her hair.

Caressing her, he thought absent-mindedly.

What do I want to do?

Her cool hair wraps comfortably, and her skin is warm with a clingy texture. He couldn’t get enough of looking at her face, even if he stared endlessly.

He wants to be closer to her, touch her.

“Un······.”

Making a loud voice, she turned around and Adrian took his hands off.

However, the hand held by her was pulled and his body almost leaned over her.

“······.”

Should he pull it or not?

Then, Nina opened her eyes. Their eyes met too closely in the dark. Adrian didn’t mean to, but he suddenly felt ashamed.

Nina blinked three or four times, smiled, and reached out her other hand.

Wrapped around his neck, Nina lifted her upper body slightly and kissed him on the cheek.

Adrian completely hardened. He was caught off guard.

She dropped her head on his thigh again and muttered.

“Good night, Adrian.”

‘Oh, God.’

Breathless, he pressed his cheek with the back of his hand.

He felt hot.

Now he knows what he wants.

They are not a family.

Not even a couple.

But they have the closest relationship with each other.

He thought it was such a simple relationship. But it was not like that anymore······.

He wants to be the only one she wraps her arms around the neck and kisses like that.

The most special person.

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Nina burst into admiration.

“Wow, nothing has changed.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But maybe it’s because the point of view has changed, it gives a different feeling.”

When they were young, she thought that it was such a grand and oppressive house, but now that she’s gotten older, she could see a lot of old things everywhere.

She must say that it looks difficult to maintain a house this size.

A sunken wooden roof, an unmanaged garden, or a statue wrapped in a vine.

Nina and Adrian arrived about three days earlier than originally scheduled so the castle was bustling with the arrival of its owner.

Still, perhaps because Sir Louis had taken care of it once, the servants were somewhat ready, and their rooms were neatly cleaned.

Nina threw her luggage, and as soon as she took off her uniform, she dressed lightly and stepped out the back door of the silver lake castle. As the name implies, the back door is connected directly to the lake.

A large garden-strongly supported by stone pillars-floats on the lake, and there is a dock where you can board a boat to go further. However, the wooden dock was likely to fall into the lake because it showed black rotting areas.

The terrace above the water, made of a rectangle, showed places to be repaired, but it could be considered sturdy since it was made of stone.

There are holes where the marble railing has fallen out all over the place, so you have to be careful not to let your feet slip out, but that’s all.

She leaned on the edge of the terrace and looked into the water.

‘It’s really clear.’

The lake was clear and chilling to the point where the floor was almost visible.

She could see a flock of fish moving quickly between the stone pillars.

‘We really need to make a lot of money.’

The extensive remodeling of the manor would definitely cost a huge amount.

‘We need to expand our business in various ways.’

I’ll have to teach Lorocomo about *PPL.

(MA. Note: Product Placement or PPL – A Korean Marketing Strategy also known as Embedded Marketing or Indirect Advertising. The aim is to place a product, brand, or idea strategically in media so it does not seem like blatant advertising.)

The Royals.

So, although the products used by the imperial family are the largest PPL in a class-based society, it is not that there are no other advertising methods.

We can also stimulate people’s aesthetic needs.

‘Give the bards some money and tell them to nimbly add milky white teeth to the lyrics of the songs.’

When describing the hero’s robust appearance, he has a hard jaw, a curt nose, red lips, and pearl-white teeth.

Don’t we just have to say something at the end?

‘It’s good to have a strong tooth, and it’s a symbol of handsomeness.’

We only need to put the image of ‘white teeth’ in there.

‘And then we sell whitening products. I’ll make your teeth white, like a warrior’s.’

We should not forget to stigmatize villains or bad guys with ‘yellow teeth.’

‘I should tell them to add mint scent to the toothpaste.’

His kiss smelled like a gentleman’s.

Let’s tell them to put this phrase in the bard’s song.

Originally, toothpaste didn’t sell well, but isn’t it because of the cool peppermint scent?

Nina looked into the water with such a plan, then fell completely on the floor, rolled up her sleeves, and put her arms in the water.

‘Cool.’

It feels good.

While enjoying it, she suddenly heard footsteps coming closer.

“What are you doing?”

“Playing in the water.”

Nina stood up and smiled at Adrian.

At Nina’s words, Adrian looked up at the wide lake.

As the name goes “Silver Lake,” the entire surface of the lake was shining like silver, creating countless waves.

“When we have time······.”

“Let’s play in the water together. Secretly.”

As she raised her palm, Adrian put their hands together and locked their fingers.

He turned his hand around and kissed the back of her hand.

“Yes.”

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