Chapter 212: What Is This?

༺ What Is This? ༻

“Lick, lick.”

“Hehe... Didn’t I tell you to stop?”

I chuckled as Lulu continued to shower my face with licks, trying to stop her.

“Haah.”

“...Heh.”

Ignoring my request, she withdrew her tongue from my face only to gently bite my ear.

“Nibble, nibble...”

She gnawed it lightly.

“Ow, ow...”

Usually, she knew the perfect pressure for her nibbles since she had often indulged in it, but for some reason, she seemed clumsy today.

“Lulu? It kind of hurts?”

Her hand was resting on my shoulder when I gently reminded her and she stopped using her teeth, opting for tongue instead.

“...You’re especially persistent today?”

“Hehe.”

Thanks to that, I spoke with a slightly troubled tone while she slowly released my ear.

“...Wo, woof.”

“Haha.”

Lulu emitted a soft puppy-like whimper. Consequently, it melted my resolve to scold her and I responded with a gentle murmur.

“For days now, you’ve been making these puppy sounds... Have you become a real dog?”

“Woof.”

“Hahaha...”

Indeed, over the past few days, whenever Lulu caught sight of me she would snuggle up, wearing a mischievous grin, and emitted puppy noises.

Such behavior was quite adorable, so I just let her be. But considering today’s incident with the Imperial Knights and her overuse of the Magic Eye...

It seemed like she had become excessively loyal to me since then.

Well, I couldn’t deny the comfort of having an ally without any drawbacks... Still, there was a part that worried me.

‘If she becomes too loyal... what if Lulu gets hurt?’

That notion sent my heart racing abruptly.

“Haah... ha...”

“Woof...?”

I breathed heavily and Lulu, possibly startled, began to caress my face.

“Haa... It’s okay, Lulu. I just felt a bit uneasy for a moment...”

Even though I reassured Lulu, a tight grip seemed to clutch my heart.

“...Ugh.”

Biting my lip, I lowered my head deep in thought.

‘I don’t want anyone... to get hurt because of me...’

Things that seemed distant and unlikely were becoming reality. Just today, the Imperial Family and the Church raided the mansion, putting me in this current state.

Moreover, Lulu and Irina, and even Alice and Arianne, were interrogated by the investigators.

There was no need to mention Serena, but it was only a matter of time before Kania, Clana, and Ferloche’s association with me came to light.

And if that happens, all of them would become targets of the Demon King.

“...Ugh.”

It was not without reason that the higher the number of Penalties, the lower the chances of success.

Should any of the main heroines meet their demise, it was an instant game over. And if any of the sub-heroines were to suffer the same fate...

Moreover, Ferloche distinctly mentioned a “limit”.

Even the last resort, “Retry,” seemed to be an option we couldn’t rely on.

‘Calm down, just relax...’

As the number of people to shield grew, so did the immense weight of responsibility and pressure. Just when I was on the verge of being overwhelmed, I remembered the DLC-marked note that Serena had gifted me.

I began to take deep breaths.

– Shhh...

At the same time, a sense of calm washed over me.

Of course, thanks to my high mental strength, my mental state was automatically restored. Yet, for some reason, despite feeling better, my heart continued to race uncomfortably.

“Lick.”

While I was in deep thought with a complicated expression, Lulu licked my face.

“........”

Feeling an unexpected sense of stability and comfort from her action, unlike usual, I merely closed my eyes and allowed her to continue.

“...Hey.”

After what felt like a long time, I pushed my heavy feelings aside and whispered softly to her, who had been carefully licking my face.

“Thank you for saving me. And...”

I believed it was crucial to emphasize it to prevent her from heedlessly endangering herself in the future.

“...I love you.”

It dawned on me just how deep my affection for her had grown.

“So, don’t get hurt. Don’t act impulsively. From now on, follow my commands.”

I thought about how devastating it would be if she, or anyone else got hurt because of me.

“Please.”

I whispered with sincerity.

“Hmm?”

At that, she suddenly stopped licking.

“”............””

Silence enveloped the room.

“Ha, haa...”

A moan, heavy with emotion, echoed in the room a moment later.

.

.

.

.

.

“Lulu?”

“Hah... Haa...”

Seeing Frey with an inexplicably anxious expression, Isolet, without even realizing it, began licking him in an attempt to comfort him.

‘Hold on, I must hold on...’

Though his eyes were covered by a blindfold, she had just heard his pure and heartfelt voice whispering words of love right in front of her.

And then, silence ensued.

“Hoo...”

In that stillness, the only sound that resonated through the room was Isolet’s slow, deliberate breaths, as if she were trying to imprint his scent into her memory.

“.......”

Frey appeared visibly troubled in the situation.

“Lulu, is it because of that?”

He asked a question.

“Because you didn’t make your wish when you took the Oath of Death?”

“......!?”

Isolet, pretending to be Lulu and burying her head in Frey’s chest with an exhausted expression, flinched at his words.

“You don’t need to feel guilty. It was my choice.”

‘Oath of Death...? What is he talking about...’

When the term ‘Oath of Death’ was mentioned again, her eyes quivered and her thoughts spiraled.

“I won’t die. I’ll do everything in my power not to.”

“.....!”

Hearing Frey’s sorrowful words, Isolet stared at him with wide eyes.

“I’m looking for a way to extend my lifespan. I haven’t found it yet, but don’t worry. I will definitely find it in the end. That’s how it was meant to be.”

‘...Didn’t you promise not to lie to me.’

Observing Frey’s earnest efforts to console what he believed to be Lulu with a smile, Isolet found herself in a bewildered trance.

“So, promise me. I’ll try not to die, so you shouldn’t be careless either.”

He spoke in a gentle voice.

“Hurry and promise me...”

‘...Fr, Frey.’

She hugged him without realizing.

‘Really? Does he really have limited time? Truly?’

With newfound composure, she began to consider various possibilities.

‘Then, why did he lie to me? Why did he disclose such a thing to the press?’

“Umm...”

‘Frey, what on earth...?’

Thus, while she was immersed in her thoughts and looking at Frey in her embrace.

“...Who are you?”

“.....?”

As Frey suddenly posed the question in a gloomy voice, she tilted her head in confusion.

“Lulu doesn’t have such a large chest...?”

“...Oh.”

Her expression turned blank.

“Also, Lulu has short hair.”

In that situation, as Frey fiddled with her hair and commented again, her face finally began to turn pale.

“...Is this enough? Let’s go in.”

“Ha, even the Deputy Commanders are providing us with resources.”

“Is the camera ready? Start preparing for immediate distribution.”

Simultaneously, signals from the investigators outside, following orders from the Imperial Family and the Church, began.

“One... Two...”

“It’s not working.”

Investigators prepared to rush in, and whether the rope was loose or not, Frey tried to get out of his chair in a desperate situation.

“........”

Isolet, submerged in silence, made a quick judgment.

.

.

.

.

.

“Which Order are you from?”

“I’m from the 456th...”

“I’m from the 455th...”

“Rookies.”

With a menacing expression, Isolet stared at the Deputy Commanders kneeling against the wall with their hands up.

“What you did just now was a clear act of manipulation.”

“Um, can we talk separately for a moment...”

“Ahem, well... We didn’t do it because we wanted to...”

“Quiet! I can dismiss you immediately using my authority.”

“...That’s an abuse of power!”

According to her explanation, the Imperial Family and the Church plotted to bring me down.

Meaning, all the licking and affection until now were from the Deputy Commanders.

“It’s unfair! I fainted here...”

“Quiet! I don’t want to cause a conflict of authority, so retreat for today.”

However, certain things still felt amiss.

“You can’t do this!”

“Quiet!”

First, why was Isolet’s face red?

19+ Event Unlocked! [A total of 3 19+ Event Routes have been unlocked for Isolet Arham Bywalker!]

Second, why did the Affection System in the system window, which had just updated a while ago, notified me about her event unlocking?

[This event has a low-priority designation.]

Third, if Isolet’s event was of lower priority, what even was the top-priority event at this point?

Hidden Quest

Quest Content: Remove Serena’s Curse of Familial Subordination

Reward: ???, ???, ???, ???...

And lastly...

[...Serena’s 19+ Event Unlocked: Top Priority Designation]

What is this?

GIVE 5 STARS ON NU OR ISOLET WILL TIE YOU UP. LOOK AT HER. YOU DON’T WANNA MESS WITH HER. RATE/REVIEW HERE.