Chapter 389

“...Haa.”

The next morning, I woke up with a curious feeling of emptiness in my lower half. Though I vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night, I actually felt unusually refreshed, as if my mind was clearer than usual.

‘Could it be that last night’s activities affected me too?’

Maybe I, like Ethan, had accumulated a bit of pent-up desire. Of course, compared to a young man’s drive, mine was modest, but I had to admit that last night’s events had alleviated some of that.

And then, with Ethan’s rather twisted way of going about things—focused on both pleasing me and proving his love for me—it’s no wonder I felt both aroused and satisfied.

-Stab.

“Nngh…”

As soon as I shifted, I felt Ethan’s hand lingering between my thighs. The sensations from last night’s mutual relief still lingered, a reminder of how we had ended things, even after we had both climaxed. Too tired for a second round, we had simply agreed to satisfy each other with light touches.

‘I didn’t quite notice in my sleep, but he went pretty deep...’

What a pervert. I could still feel something sticky on my right hand—likely evidence that Ethan had found release again, courtesy of my hand. While he had changed in many ways from the original story, his drive remained as intense as ever.

“......”

-Stroke, stroke.

…Is it getting hard again?

With curiosity about Ethan’s vitality, I felt him growing stiff again under my fingers. Just then, Ethan’s voice startled me out of my thoughts.

“Lilith, are you awake?”

“Hyaaah?!”

Surprised by his voice, I quickly pulled my hand away from him. Ethan, seeming particularly relaxed after last night’s activities, simply smiled as he sat up.

“You’re eager this morning, Lilith. Are you wanting more already?”

“I was merely checking to ensure your… vital parts were intact.”

“Well, of course they are. We confirmed that last night, didn’t we?”

Avoiding his knowing gaze, I sat up in bed as well.

“If you were already awake, you might have prepared yourself. Today is the day we’re returning to the academy, after all.”

“...Hmm.”

Ethan let out a slight hum, as if displeased with my response, and resumed lightly teasing me with the hand still between my legs.

-Stab!

“Ngh, hyaah?!”

“Do we really have to leave today? We stayed up late. Couldn’t we rest one more day?”

“If I felt too tired, I would consider it. But since I feel fine, I think we should head back today. Besides, I wouldn’t want to impose any longer on Professor Mamari or Dina.”

“Hmm, you sure you’re well-rested?”

-Stab, stab.

“Yes! I’m well-rested, so could you please stop?”@@novelbin@@

Ethan finally withdrew his hand after I forced him to stop. He met my gaze, then nodded.

“Alright, if that’s what you want, Lilith.”

“Besides, if we delay another day, Professor Mamari might extend another offer for us to become his students.”

“That’s something we should avoid. Let’s get ready quickly.”

With that, Ethan tossed aside the covers, and we both rose from the bed. As a result of our earlier activities, the sheets were damp once more.

“We should change into fresh clothes—or maybe take a bath first, so Dina doesn’t find it suspicious if she sees the bed linens.”

“Yes, let’s do that. And don’t forget to cast a cleansing spell on the sheets.”

“Of course, Master Ethan.”

While Dina had assured us we could use the villa freely, there was no need to expose her to the traces of our intimacy.

-Knock, knock, knock.

“When would you like breakfast prepared, Master Ethan, Miss Lilith?”

“In about an hour… no, on second thought, let’s say half an hour. We’d like to take a bath first… we, uh, worked up quite a sweat last night…”

‘Understood. I’ll have the bathroom prepared in thirty minutes.’

...From the knowing tone of her voice, it seemed she might already suspect something.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“We are grateful for all your assistance, Dina.”

“We truly appreciate it. Thanks to you, we were able to rest comfortably.”

‘I’m glad I could be of help, Master Ethan, Miss Lilith.’

Having cleaned up the traces of last night’s activities and finished bathing and breakfast, Ethan and I were ready to depart. We said a quick goodbye to Dina before heading to Professor Mamari’s fourth villa.

‘I wish I could accompany you further, but as I am bound to this villa, I must bid you farewell here. Please understand.’

“No need to worry, Dina. We are the ones who should be grateful for everything.”

“Indeed. You’ve helped both of us enjoy our stay. I hope we can return the favor someday.”

‘If you truly wish to repay me, you could consider advancing your studies in necromancy under my master, Professor Mamari…’

“No, thank you. That’s quite unnecessary, Dina.”

Though we had indeed been comfortable these past three days, it wasn’t worth committing years of study to repay. At least Dina seemed to understand, seeing us off with a light smile.

‘I was only joking. I hope we meet again someday.’

“Yes, Dina. Perhaps we’ll visit again if we’re in the area.”

With those parting words, she slipped back into the villa. By now, after three days, I’d grown accustomed to her ghostly form.

‘Perhaps meeting Dina helped me get over my fear of ghost monsters more than the necromancy classes did.’

Undead monsters still unsettled me, but thanks to this time at the villa, I was no longer paralyzed with fear. Now, even the ghostly ones barely bothered me.

“Let’s go, Master Ethan.”

“Yes, Lilith.”

-Click!

‘Wait, Miss Lilith, Master Ethan.’

Just as we were about to set off, Dina came rushing out the door, a surprising move for her. Curious, we paused and watched her approach.

“Dina?”

“Is something wrong? Did you forget something?”

‘While tidying up your rooms, I found these under the covers and thought I should return them.’

“What could it be that—”

She held out our underwear, neatly folded in her hands. As the memories of last night flooded back, both Ethan and I flushed red.

“......”

“......”

‘Please don’t worry. I’ll keep your private affairs strictly confidential. Your activities in your private quarters won’t affect your class evaluations…’

“We didn’t do anything!” I blurted out.

“Well, maybe we didn’t go all the way, but still…” Ethan muttered.

‘Yes, I’m simply returning your lost items. I assure you that these items bear no relation to whatever events may or may not have transpired last night.’

I quickly snatched the underwear from her hands, shoving them into my pocket before she could say anything further. No matter how much we denied it, I knew she’d never believe us, so the sooner we left, the better.

‘I bid you farewell now.’

With a final nod, Dina slipped back into the villa.

With reddened cheeks, Ethan and I steered the carriage toward the academy, eager to leave behind the lingering embarrassment.