Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-You didn't mishear me. Take off your skirt, and the stockings you're wearing underneath it too.
A very shocking line came from beyond the tightly shut laboratory door.
I froze like a stone in place, my hand stopping midair just as it was about to grab the doorknob.
'Damn, if I'd opened the door, I'd have been screwed.'
No, what the hell am I hearing right now?
I should be the only one to feel this indecent, sticky atmosphere.
If anyone happened to pass by and overhear this, there'd be some terrible rumor spreading through the academy for sure.
I quickly checked both ends of the hall and blocked off the entrance so no one could come near.
But then, another voice came from inside the room.
-Hurry. We don't have time.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Maybe there was a soundproofing spell or something, because most of the conversation was muffled into a mumble.
So why were only those blatant words ringing in my eardrums so clearly, like someone had turned on a speaker?
This really gives a person a strange feeling.
'Shit, could it be yuri?'
A perfectly reasonable, and terrifying, hypothesis formed in my head.
The other party was that Viscountess Müller.
A rich, capable woman with a tough, sexy vibe, even with dirt smeared over her.
That makes sense.
If it was that woman, she'd probably be really good at devouring women too.
Hadn't I almost been devoured whole on that laboratory sofa just a little while ago?
'Ah, that was really fucking scary.'
I'd always firmly believed my type was the pale, pure kind.
But in front of that healthy, provocative older woman with her bronzed skin, my rock-solid ideal type had almost collapsed in an instant.
'She was a character who had zero sex appeal in the original, so I never could have imagined this.'
A healthy charm that practically oozed testosterone.
A perfect grown woman, with a coolly capitalist way of thinking on top of that.
That really was the essence of Viscountess Müller as described in the original.
'I'm going crazy.'
The sultry expression Viscountess Müller had given me just a moment ago, staring up at me, came back far too vividly.
Just then,
Hic!
A startled squeak from Lily came from beyond the door, as if she'd jumped straight up.
Instinctively, I pressed my ear close to the door.
No, what the hell is that woman doing, eating the girl alive or what?
-P-Professor...?
-Hold still. It'll be over soon.
W-what's going to be over soon?
-B-but your eyes are so scary, Professor...
Hah.
This is insane.
It had to be because Viscountess Müller saw the blue bruise on Lily's thigh and made a frightening face in anger.
But my rotten brain was already letting my imagination run wild.
A dark laboratory.
Lily laid out on the sofa.
Viscountess Müller in her leather apron, casting a shadow over her.
'N-no, stop, Cassian. Teacher and student. That's a crime.'
I desperately shook my head to clear away the delusion.
Then the muffled sounds from inside the room started up again.
A faint rustling sound, as if cloth were brushing against cloth, or perhaps something being stroked.
-Are you okay?
-...Yeah.
What do you mean, what's okay?
By now, I was seriously starting to wonder if I should storm in and check.
Of course, I admit it was because every ounce of my filthy imagination was being put to use.
Bang!
-Holy shit, you scared me!
The door flew open without warning, and I nearly fell backward on my ass.
Viscountess Müller stood there with her arms crossed, looking down at me with a relaxed expression.
"I checked everything. It was absolutely dreadful. You were right."
"...I see."
I cleared my throat and straightened my clothes, and Viscountess Müller narrowed her eyes.
"I have something to ask you."
"Yes, go ahead."
"I think we'll need to ask the Count Palatine to help resolve this matter."
"...Huh?"
My dad?
Why is my father suddenly coming up here?
Is there really any reason we have to do that?
"If this had only been the hasty potion incident, I would have quietly handled it myself with bribes and connections."
She glanced at the closed door and lowered her voice.
"If we want to make the abuse of the saintess a public issue, state power is essential. And in the empire's current situation, the highest authority suited to asking the Church for cooperation is the Count Palatine."
"Ah."
I immediately understood why.
If we brought this to the imperial family, there were too many variables, since Crown Prince Louis had designs on Lily.
On the other hand, our Farné family.
The emperor's hounds and the Empire's intelligence arm.
When it came to digging up the Church's corruption and prying into its back channels, there was no sharper blade than our family.
Of course, my dad was a straight-arrow kind of man, so he wouldn't use that power for private vendettas instead of for the country.
Hmm. Still, I figured he'd probably agree to using it for this, at least.
"In theory, yes."
Viscountess Müller continued carefully, watching my reaction.
"In any case, he's Cassian's father, and Cassian is directly involved in this potion incident."
"So what you're saying is..."
"We’ll only go to the Count Palatine if Cassian agrees. If not, we’ll think of another way. We can always spend a bit more money."
Wow.
She's more considerate than I could have imagined.
Why was she respecting my wishes to this extent?
There had to be some highly calculated reason for it.
'But maybe it's because I've been completely swept up by this older woman all day.'
I was too heart-fluttered and drained to nitpick every little thing.
"It doesn't matter. Just do whatever's most convenient for you, Professor. My father can be a bit strict, but if it's your suggestion, he'll take it in a heartbeat."
"Hehe. Thank you."
Swish.
Viscountess Müller smiled softly and reached out her hand.
Then she gently brushed the dust off my shoulder.
At that gentle touch, I inhaled sharply.
'Ah.'
It didn't seem like she was deliberately teasing me this time.
It was just a pure expression of gratitude and goodwill as a partner.
And yet, or rather because of that, it was even more maddeningly thrilling.
A faint floral scent drifted from the nape of her neck as she came closer.
But it was mixed with the smell of earth, which made it feel like a real flower garden and somehow even more appealing.
You know, like
how shampoo or fabric softener smells can feel more appealing than perfume.
It felt like I could hear my heart pounding right in my ear, and that older woman might hear it too.
Shit, this is bad.
"Anyway, keep Lily with you for now."
Viscountess Müller said, lightly patting my shoulder.
"I'm going to go see the Count Palatine right away. Strike while the iron is hot, after all."
"...Understood."
I desperately controlled my facial muscles.
Pretending to be fine, pretending nothing was wrong, pretending to keep my heart rate at sixty.
At my stiff reply, Viscountess Müller smiled with amusement.
"See you later, Cassian."
She called my name once in a low voice, then walked off down the hall with a light click of heels.
I couldn't move until her back disappeared completely around the corner.
"...Fuck."
I nearly died from how excited I was!
* * *
After finally calming down, I opened the door and went inside.
Creak.
"Lily. It's all over..."
I couldn't finish my sentence.
Lily, who had been sitting on the sofa deeper inside the laboratory, flinched in surprise and shrank back.
"C-Cassian!"
Lily's condition far exceeded anything I'd imagined.
The skirt of the school uniform she usually wore so neatly had been pulled way up above her knees.
And beneath it were bare legs, white as can be, but darkly bruised blue above the knees.
"...Uh."
I reflexively averted my gaze and whipped my head away.
"Y-you haven't put everything on yet?"
"I-I did! Ah, no, I just haven't put on my stockings yet..."
Lily's voice trembled like she was on the verge of tears.
God, I'm really sorry.
I shouted, staring fixedly at the ceiling.
"Hurry up and put them on. I won't look at you until you've got everything on."
"Y-yes, s-sorry..."
Swish, rustle.
Behind me, the sound of fabric brushing against fabric sounded loudly.
The glimpse of Lily's white legs from before kept flashing through my mind like an afterimage.
'But...'
The horrible dark-red bruises etched vividly across that white skin.
The whole thigh was covered in bruises from being crushed under a heavy stone slab, with the skin scraped raw.
"I-I’m dressed now, Cassian."
Lily's voice was so small I slowly turned my head.
She had pulled her skirt tightly down below her knees and was hanging her head.
Her ears were red clear to the tips, so she was clearly mortified.
I slowly walked over and sat on the sofa across from Lily.
"Lift your head. Did you do something wrong?"
"B-but... I showed you such an ugly sight..."
"What’s ugly about it? It’s just the leg of someone who's hurt."
At my calm words, Lily carefully raised her head.
Tears were brimming at the corners of her eyes.
"Does your leg hurt a lot?"
When I asked, Lily shook her head vigorously.
"No! Because you gave me a ton of delicious meat earlier, Cassian, it doesn't hurt at all now!"
Are you seriously an idiot?
You think eating some meat would heal bruises that horrible?
"If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. You must have been bruised to the bone."
"I-it's true. It was hurting and stinging terribly until just now, but from the moment you fed me the meat, Cassian, it stopped hurting like magic. I know it sounds weird, but it's true!"
I gave a dry laugh, at a loss for words.
Lily smiled bashfully and tilted her body slightly toward me.
Her light-green eyes sparkled with boundless trust in me.
After being with an extremely dangerous older woman (Positive), and then with an extremely harmless puppy (also Positive)...
It felt like going back and forth between a hot bath and a cold bath, or between a heated room and an ice room.
"You'll have to stay here today, but how about we go out together once before your vacation ends?"
"...Huh?"
Oh?
I thought you'd like that.
Was I wrong?
Just as I was thinking that.
"...Yes!!"
Lily gave an utterly harmless, bright smile.