I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

33 – As Wished

After Arielle left, I stared blankly into the void.

“…”

An uncomfortable feeling lingered. The taste of discomfort continued to swirl in my mouth.

I lay still on the bed, lost in thoughtlessness.

Then someone knocked on my bedroom door.

“Who is it….”

“It’s me.”

It was Cerise. As always, she gracefully climbed onto my bed and pulled me into her embrace.

“…Are you okay?”

I heard her words and closed my mouth. Normally, in response to her concern, I would have said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

But this time, I couldn’t bring myself to say such words. My lips wouldn’t move.

After deliberation, the words that popped out of my mouth, far removed from saying everything was fine, were, “Well, I don’t know.”

Yeah, I really didn’t know.

Feelings for Ariel, the emotions I was experiencing right now, were just indistinct forms in the turbulent flow of complex emotions.

Am I okay?

Can I casually brush off today’s events and smile later?

…Well, I don’t know. Maybe, or maybe not. If so, I wouldn’t be feeling so uncertain.

Cerise heard my words and hugged me tighter. With the soft sensation in her embrace and the scent of her, it felt comforting.

…Wait a moment. Let’s step back for now.

I slightly distanced myself from her. Not that it made much difference since we were still on the bed.

Cerise looked at me, puzzled.

“Why are you doing that?”

Why? Well, even though things turned out this way, I’m still a man in the prime of my life. It’s not like I’d be indifferent when a young and beautiful Cerise clings to me without reason.

…Um, this kind of contact might have an inappropriate implication, right? What if an unmarried maiden like you behaves so boldly with a man?

Cerise, not understanding my words, spoke with a puzzled expression.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“…What?”

What is she saying right now? I looked at her momentarily, not comprehending. Cerise, sticking to me, said with a sticky voice.

“I told you before, didn’t I? In this place, you can do anything you like. Whether it’s the things in this place… or the room… even my body.”

Wait a minute. Does that mean, that’s what she meant by that?

While I was still unable to regain my composure, Seris brought her lips close to my ear and whispered, “If you desire my body, I can do anything you wish.”

No, wait. So, if I understood correctly…

“…Do you mean we should do it? Right now?”

Seris said with a smile, “If that’s what you want.”

Having said that, she gently stroked my back with her hand.

“Besides, you’ve been tired lately, and there’s been a lot on your mind… As long as I can help you forget those things, anything is fine.”

Seris pressed her body even closer. The sweet scent became more intense.

“…If I can make you happy, there’s nothing I won’t do.”

I tried to get out of this situation by getting up from the bed. Somehow, I ended up with my body covering hers.

Seris looked at my pants, which had become tight, and opened her mouth.

“Oh my.”

…Should I really go through with this? Is this how it’s supposed to be? Is it normal to be caught up impulsively in excitement and passion like this?

A sense of reason was becoming increasingly blurry. In proportion to that, instinct was filling my mind more and more.

Seris looked at me on top of her.

There was a faint blush on her face, and an inexplicable, mysterious smile hung on her lips.

I tried to move my body but hesitated in contemplation.

…Is it really okay to go through with this?

Somehow, I felt like giving in to impulses and experiencing things recklessly like this might not be the right choice.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and made an effort to calm myself.

“…Not today, it’s enough.”

I lay back down beside Seris. In response, she widened her eyes and said, “Oh, are you not doing it?”

I nodded.

“Although it might sound a bit strange… Could you hug me for a moment? It feels like my mind will quiet down then.”

Seris listened to my words and, smiling, pulled me into an embrace.

“As much as you want.”

She gently patted my back. Feeling my mind quieting down a bit, I drifted into sleep.

Seris didn’t leave my side until I was completely asleep.

…

Seris, seeing Idun fully asleep, emerged from his room.

Then, he sighed.

“It was my attempt at a thoughtful perfume.”

He bought it because it was supposed to create a sensual atmosphere, but it seems the effect was lacking. Seris sighed in disappointment, shoulders slumping.

“…Well, if you don’t want to, there’s nothing I can do.”

It wasn’t an easy task to force the lord to indulge in his company. If just being by his side was enough, it was a story that didn’t really matter.

“Well, there’s plenty of time.”

After all, he continued to stay in his mansion. So, there would be plenty of opportunities to advance the relationship beyond that of a lord and servant.

Seris thought to himself with a smile. Seeing Idun wounded because of that damn woman, Arielle Cielene, was unpleasant, but –

…If there was one good thing, it was probably that Idun stayed by his side.

In his heart, he hoped for her to stay only by his side, regardless of the academy or anything else, and Seris ‘allowed’ Idun to work at the academy.

‘Respecting the lord’s wishes is also the virtue of a servant.’

Of course, there was concern about whether Idun would get involved with another woman, but she made an effort not to worry about it.

‘Whether getting close to someone or overlapping with someone else’s life, it doesn’t matter.’

Just as long as she didn’t leave him. Reflecting on the past when Arielle, that damn woman, tried to leave him forever by getting engaged, it was more than acceptable.

‘…Well, it would be nice if you could tell me what you want a little more.’

Seris intended to cater to his lord’s tastes, whatever they may be.

Would he like a more proactive seduction? Or perhaps, would he prefer to approach and conquer first? Did he have any peculiar tastes? Would he enjoy dealing with multiple people?

…Well, even if Seris tried to find out what Idun wanted, he had to endure and couldn’t know anything.

“Still, wouldn’t it be better to keep it this way?”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t resolve the matter, but I did achieve some results in my own way. After all, I had gone right up to the brink.

So, perhaps it’s a virtue as a good servant not to act recklessly until her heart is fully open.

She swept her marigold-colored hair aside. Swish, along with the scent of perfume, there was a hint of Eden’s fragrance.

Seris, smelling his scent engraved on her body, smiled with satisfaction.

With that contented smile, Seris returned to her room and sat at the desk where the light was on.

“As for the matter of Viscountess Cielline, how should we handle it?”

When the maid asked, Seris spoke with a cold gaze.

“Tell her to leave. Don’t let her in until I change my mind.”

The maid bowed her head. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke.

“Um, is it really okay? She is from one of the Empire’s four major noble families. Won’t the Viscount be displeased… I’m worried.”

Seris patted the maid’s shoulder lightly and smiled.

“Thanks for your concern, but there’s no need to worry so much. Our family is also of the Viscount rank. If we bother with a family of our class that hasn’t even integrated into the nobility properly, what trouble could arise? Even if it doesn’t sit well with you, a girl of our status has calculated that much.”

With those words, Seris, in an instant, turned cold and said.

“…And if she has a conscience, she won’t dare to touch our family. Does she really want to interfere with our family when Eden’s family is in trouble, knowing she did nothing when it was ruined?”

Seris clenched her fist.

“…If that happens, I’ll just kill her without hesitation. Even if I have to sacrifice everything.”

The maid lowered her head after hearing Seris’s words.

She knew what kind of person her master, Viscount Seris Darin, was. Usually very kind and courteous, but to those who caused her resentment, she could be colder than anyone.

So, if she decided to do so, the maid thought, it must be for a reason. The maid didn’t ask any more questions and didn’t inquire further.

Seris looked at the maid’s satisfied expression and smiled.

“Well then, I should get to work. Oh, right. Tell the chef tomorrow morning to prepare something sweet. Eden seems a bit upset, so I think we need to lighten his mood a bit.”

And so, the night gradually deepened.