Chapter 250

The Morning After the Execution of MacHart and the Discussion about My Saintess Qualifications

The next morning, after executing MacHart and concluding the meeting about my Saintess qualifications, I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time. Despite sleeping alone, I had no nightmares, and I slowly sat up in bed with a light heart.

“It’s been ages since I’ve slept this well on my own.”

The cause of my nightmares had been almost entirely due to MacHart, so with him gone, I could finally enjoy a peaceful sleep. I had briefly worried that I might not be able to sleep without Ethan beside me after the battle, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case. Even at the Academy, I had to share a bed with him out of necessity.

“It would’ve been so embarrassing if I had to share a bed with Ethan even here.”

I couldn’t help but worry about what Seraphine and Agnes would think of me if they found out. Even if I insisted that we only shared a bed and nothing more, they probably wouldn’t believe me.

“Ah, right…”

I realized that I had fallen asleep last night without changing my clothes. I hadn’t even removed the corset that squeezed my waist—no wonder I felt a bit constricted when I woke up. I must have been exhausted to sleep like that. In this regard, the maid uniform was much more comfortable, without any annoying accessories like a corset. Although garter belts were a hassle to put on and take off, they didn’t interfere with daily life. The maid uniform, designed for practical work, was naturally easy to move in.

“I’d better wash up and change into something else.”

While cleaning my clothes with a "clean" spell was an option, the thought of putting the same clothes back on felt uncomfortable. With that in mind, I began to undress, using the spell to clean each piece before neatly folding them on one side of the bed. Since I was staying in the palace, I knew I’d have to wear them again when I returned home. After all, these clothes belonged to the Blackwood family, not me.

The warm water flowed over my head as I stepped into the bathroom attached to my room, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the modern plumbing and heating system—something rare in a medieval setting. As I let the water wash over me, I started to plan for the day ahead.

“I’ll probably stay in the palace for about four days.”

The Hero would likely take us to one of the events that occur during the second-year summer break. Since that time was approaching, there were two major events left in this period, and both would start in about four days, making it a likely timeframe for our departure.

One event was “Lara’s Secret,” which involved resolving a problem related to the alchemist witch Lara in the Witch’s Forest in the southwest of the Empire. Completing this event would reward you with a powerful bound item and increase Lara’s affection.

The other event, “Lyria’s Land,” took place in the northeastern plains, where the player intervened in a territorial dispute between barbarians and nobles, ultimately defending the barbarian tribe and earning Lyria’s affection.

In the game, these events happened simultaneously, so you had to choose between them. The general consensus was that “Lara’s Secret” was the better choice for Luminoir Academy.

“After all, Lara’s event offered more rewards.”

It wasn’t that Lyria lacked charm as a heroine—her wild and athletic nature had a certain appeal. However, the rewards for finishing her event paled in comparison to those of Lara’s. Even fans of Lyria typically chose “Lara’s Secret” because it was simply the smarter choice.

Lara’s event gave you the “Witch’s Pendant” as a reward, a broken item that granted immunity to mental attacks—an invaluable asset in the later stages of the game. Additionally, raising Lara’s affection would allow you to purchase items from her at half price, which was an absurdly beneficial perk. Perhaps the most significant reward, though, was the fact that completing the event led directly to Lara’s “scene”—a moment that left a lasting impact.

Lara, who fit the archetype of a gloomy, mentally unstable girl, would fall deeply in love with the protagonist after resolving her issue, to the point of sneaking into his bed that very night. Despite her intense feelings, she wasn’t the type to give her body easily. In the in-game scenes, Lara was portrayed as someone who had kept her purity intact.

“If she were a true heroine, she would have easily outshone most others.”

Lara’s biggest flaw was that she wasn’t a full-fledged heroine, despite having a devoted fan base. The real issue was that she only had this one event in Luminoir Academy, with no other personal events tied to her. In the end, she lived her life as a witch, completely independent of the protagonist, making her an unromanceable character.

On the plus side, this meant that players didn’t have to worry about her demanding a commitment after sleeping with her. It was a rare event where you could enjoy the benefits without the complications.

Even the Hero, who insisted on maintaining his chastity, would find it hard to pass up this event. Who could resist a “no-strings-attached gloomy big-breasted mentally unstable virgin witch”?

On the other hand, Lyria’s event offered mediocre rewards and an unsatisfying conclusion. While you did receive the “Barbarian Necklace” as a reward, its stats were inferior to those of the Witch’s Pendant. Moreover, raising Lyria’s affection didn’t come with any practical benefits like discounted items, and since she wasn’t mentally unstable, there were no “scenes” to collect.

In terms of both efficiency and “scenes,” Lara’s event was the clear winner. So, I expected that in about four days, we’d be heading to the Witch’s Forest in the southwest.

“I should pick up some insect repellent perfume when I get the chance.”

Having worked as a maid for so long, I wasn’t particularly bothered by bugs anymore, but that didn’t mean I wanted to get bitten by mosquitos or ticks while trekking through a summer forest.

After finishing my shower, I rummaged through the wardrobe, looking for something to wear. Seraphine had given me permission to use anything in the room, so I figured I could wear whatever I found.

“Maid uniform, maid uniform…”

However, as I searched through the wardrobe, I realized there was no maid uniform—no aprons or headdresses, either. All I found were noble dresses.

What? Why aren’t there any maid uniforms? I thought, feeling puzzled. I had expected at least one to be available.

It seemed they hadn’t anticipated the need for a maid to stay in this guest room. It made sense; in a place like this, maids usually stayed in the servants’ quarters on the first floor, sharing accommodations with other staff.

“It’s too much of a hassle to go down to the servants’ quarters just to change…”

But I couldn’t walk around in my current state, wearing only underwear and garter belts.

As I pondered what to do, I noticed a door leading to the next room beside the wardrobe.

“Could this be the servants’ quarters?”

I wondered if there might be a maid uniform in there. Without thinking much, I opened the door and stepped inside, only to find that the room was another large bedroom, not a servants’ quarters.

“Huh?”

Was the palace’s servants’ quarters really this luxurious? Could it be that even the servants in the Imperial Palace lived in such comfort? But then again, I didn’t remember seeing anything like this in the main palace.

Despite having played through the game 25 times, I had never seen a servants’ quarters this luxurious. This room felt more like another guest room than anything else.

As I stood there, trying to figure out the purpose of this room, the door on the opposite side opened, revealing someone familiar.@@novelbin@@

Click.

“Phew…” The man who stepped out was none other than Ethan, completely naked, fresh from a bath. My mind went blank as I stared at him, my thoughts frozen. Ethan, who was drying his hair with a towel, noticed me standing there in nothing but my underwear.

“…”

“…Lilith?!” he exclaimed, clearly shocked.

“Y-Yes?” I stammered, snapping out of my daze.

“Why are you in there, and why are you only in your underwear?!” he asked, his voice rising in panic.

“What about you, Lord Ethan? Why are you here… naked?” I countered, equally flustered.

“Well, I just finished bathing, so…”

“I was just curious about the door leading to the next room, wondering if it was the servants’ quarters, so I opened it and… oh.”

As I spoke, realization dawned on me. The door I had opened wasn’t leading to the servants’ quarters—it was simply a door connecting the two guest rooms.

“I-I’m sorry, Lord Ethan!” I cried, quickly slamming the door shut.

Oh, for the love of… I thought, my heart pounding. Why didn’t anyone warn me about this kind of room layout?!

Who would have thought that the palace rooms would have connecting doors like this? Was this standard for the palace?

Now that I think about it, this palace was used by MacHart during the noble exchanges in the original story…

It didn’t take much to guess how those doors had been used before. Knowing the debauchery of the nobles, they hadn’t been put there for anything innocent.

“Haa, haa, haa…”

Not only had I just shown Ethan my underwear, but I’d also ended up seeing him naked. My emotions, already heightened from the morning’s events, would take some time to calm down.