Chapter 008: Setting Values I Didn’t Know About
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind felt quite chilling.
Unable to believe her own eyes, Lethe rubbed them with the back of her hand and looked at Cedric again. Fortunately, she didn’t see any glint in his golden eyes this time. Seeing him flush pink at the earlobes as if embarrassed, despite his cold exterior, confirmed it—this was the Cedric she knew so well.
‘Thank goodness. I must have been mistaken.’
As Lethe gave a small smile, Cedric mustered his courage and spoke in a low voice, catching the end of her sleeve.
“I happen to have a fair bit of talent in swordsmanship myself. It’s more than enough to teach Lethe the basics.”
“Then, Cedric. May I ask you to do so?”
“It would be my honor.”
Cedric smiled so widely his eyes curved into crescents as he gently took Lethe’s hand.
Lethe knew Cedric was being excessively humble. He didn’t just have a “fair bit” of talent; he was a natural. While his immense talent was undoubtedly backed by immense effort, Cedric was a man portrayed in the game as being exceptionally capable in everything he touched.
“Fritz. I’m sorry, since I was the one who made the request to you first.”
“Not at all. If anything, I was about to burn to death just now, and my disciple saved me.”
Lethe apologized to Fritz. Even though she hadn’t actually made the request, she felt the need to smooth things over since the game settings insisted she had. Fritz gave a nonchalant shrug and stole a glance at his lord.
“Burn to death? Are you sensitive to the heat?”
“I’m not particularly sensitive to heat, but the sun is quite scorching today.”
Fritz’s lips twitched as he fought back a laugh. Meanwhile, Cedric—having effectively nudged Fritz aside to stand by Lethe—lightly grasped her wrist as she held the wooden sword.
“Now. Like this.”
Ah. Lethe immediately understood why physical conditioning usually came before swordsmanship. No sooner had Cedric adjusted her basic stance than her thighs began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Ugh, even just maintaining the posture is hard.”
“Once you build up strength, this stance will start to feel stable.”
Listening to Cedric’s voice, which was as soft as a spring breeze, made the pain feel almost bearable… No, that was a lie. This was going to be a guaranteed case of muscle fever once she got home.
“Next is this. Swordsmanship consists largely of parrying, cutting, and thrusting. In truth, for parrying, it’s better to think of letting the force slide past you rather than clashing with it head-on.”
“Oh.”
After about two hours of training, sweat was pouring down like rain. Still, the feeling of actually learning something was quite nice. Lethe looked at the tip of her trembling sword and let out a hollow laugh.
“I really lack muscle strength, don’t I?”
“You may lack strength, but your flexibility is excellent. If you use that as your strength, you can grow plenty.”
Realizing Lethe’s stamina had hit rock bottom, Cedric handed her a towel. Just then, a notification window popped up on Lethe’s screen, signaling the end of the training.
> [System] Quest ‘Martial Arts Training’ Complete!
> [System] Reward: 1 Gold Coin and 1 Key obtained!
> Tip! Gold coins can be used at the Rose Shop on Berna Street.
> Tip! Keys are used to provide hints during dialogue choices.
>
‘One gold coin? One siiiingle gold cooooin?’
A look of utter desolation crossed Lethe’s eyes. Did the game really need to be this realistic? In Lethe’s memory, Cedric’s outfits cost 600 gold, and her own dresses were 400 gold. Even buying gifts to raise affection levels cost an average of 50 gold.
Having finished the math, Lethe hung her head low.
“Cedric. Can I ask you one thing?”
“Yes. Anything.”
“What can I buy with one gold coin?”
“One gold coin is about the weekly wage for a maid.”
“Ahaha…… Ha.”
Should I be happy about this? If she were just a character trying to make a living in this world, she might have been thrilled to earn a maid’s weekly wage for a single day of training. But Lethe couldn’t be happy. Like all games, this one required a heavy “grind.” And most importantly, she needed 700 gold to unlock Cedric’s “Dressing Gown” outfit and the hidden episode.
“Lethe? Are you alright?”
“Yes. But seeing Cedric’s face makes—Gasp!”
Lethe, who had been smiling dopily while looking at Cedric, suddenly inhaled sharply. She had just caught a glimpse of her own reflection in Cedric’s eyes. She was a mess of sweat and dirt, and her hair was a bird’s nest.
In front of my bias! Of all people, I’m showing my sweat-soaked self to my favorite character! This was the worst.
“Maybe I should have learned from Fritz after all.”
“Was my teaching perhaps lacking, or—”
“No! It’s not that. It’s just… I didn’t want to show you this side of me, Cedric. I’m all sweaty and my hair is ruined.”
Lethe waved her hands frantically in explanation. In truth, Lethe was the one losing her mind over being with Cedric, feeling the warmth of his touch every time he adjusted her form.
Cedric’s eyes drooped sadly at first, but upon realizing the meaning behind her words, he broke into a radiant smile.
“On the contrary, I am happy that Lethe shows me this side of herself.”
Holding the towel, his hand lightly wiped the sweat trailing down her forehead. Cedric watched Lethe closely; she was blushing at his touch yet stayed still, waiting for him to keep wiping. He tilted his head slightly. What was this feeling?
“Compared to how I looked at the banquet, this is quite terrible.”
“I have never once felt that things were ‘terrible’ when I was with you, Lethe.”
His gaze remained fixed on her as his gentle hands brushed away the dust and dirt. He was still contemplating. He felt an obligation to feel a specific emotion right now, yet the sensation rising in his chest didn’t feel like that predetermined emotion at all.
“You’re so kind. Being this kind is a crime, a total crime.”
“I am not particularly a kind person, Lethe. You just happen to see me in a good light.”
“Oh?”
Lethe’s eyes weren’t on Cedric, but on the shimmering screen behind him.
> [System] Affection level of the capture target has increased!
> Current Affection: 28/100
>
‘What did I even do?’
The affection level went up again. She didn’t remember this game being so generous with affection points. She began to think she might hit the Happy Ending much sooner than expected.
“Lethe? Is there something there?”
“Yes. There is.”
Noticing her gaze wasn’t on him, Cedric turned around, but there was nothing there. Lethe took her eyes off the screen and looked at Cedric for a moment before leaning her head against his chest.
Will he push me away since the affection isn’t that high yet?
She closed her eyes and waited. Soon, a large, warm hand was placed carefully on her shoulder.
“Lethe. It seems today’s training was very tiring.”
“You’re not pushing me away?”
“Why would I push you away?”
“I leaned on you without permission.”
“I am about to commit a discourtesy myself, so let us call it even.”
As Cedric picked Lethe up, a startled Lethe reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I’m heavy!”
“You are light.”
“B-but still!”
Their bodies were so close she could hear the rhythmic thumping of his heart. Lethe was in a state of total panic.
Okay, close your eyes and imagine. Everyone probably had that one ‘ultimate bias’ from behind the screen when they were younger—the one who could never cross the dimensional wall. If that bias suddenly appeared in front of you, picked you up, and you could feel their firm-yet-soft skin, their heartbeat, and their body heat?
‘This is crazy. This is insane. I’m going to faint. My eyes are tearing up, my head is spinning, and my vision is going white. Am I actually losing consciousness?’
“Please give me the honor of escorting you to your carriage.”
“…I can’t believe I’m making Cedric’s arm muscles work like this. I deserve to have my fan license revoked.”
Lethe blinked slowly, fighting her fading consciousness. Ah. They weren’t the same species. Of course, since Cedric was a game character, calling him a “human” was a bit of a stretch anyway. Regardless, for a Duke of the North, he was uncharacteristically soft and sweet. Perhaps that was why she loved him so much.
“Fan?”
“There’s… such a thing.”
Ultimately, Lethe couldn’t endure the overwhelming sleep—read: fainting—and closed her eyes.
‘…Ha. At this rate, I have no choice but to marry you. I can already see our grandkids.’
A devious smile played on the corners of the unconscious Lethe’s mouth. Ah, I want to see Cedric in that dressing gown as soon as possible.
“My Lord, doesn’t the Lady’s smile look a bit… wicked?”
Fritz poked his head in from the side to examine Lethe.
“You must be going blind, Fritz.”
“Ahem.”
Cedric spoke with a smile so bright his eyes crinkled, gently admonishing him. Fritz, reading a faint murderous intent in those golden eyes, quickly backed away.
“If anyone is wicked, it would be me. Not Lethe.”
With a faint smile, Cedric carefully tucked a stray lock of hair behind the ear of the woman resting defencelessly in his arms. Even though this was only their second meeting, it was absurd how looking at her brought up a sense of longing.
“You are truly strange.”
Every time he looked at Lethe, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his heart was no longer his own. A very, very peculiar emotion where discomfort and longing coexisted.
