—–

Mirai slowly calmed herself as she walked beside Louis, admiring his stoic, composed demeanor, his flowing white hair, and his piercing yellow eyes. She also noticed his horns had grown by roughly fifteen percent, something no one else had spotted, not even Louis himself, but she had. While fidgeting with her hair, she stole glances at him as they left the castle and stepped into the bustling castle town surrounding the noble district.

“Um, Louis?” she murmured nervously. “Y-You hugged me… and kissed me out of nowhere… Um, is there a reason for that?”

“…No particular reason. I just felt like doing it,” Louis replied nonchalantly, leaving Mirai even more bewildered.

“E-Eh? What does that even mean…” she muttered. “Huh?”

Then she noticed Louis looking away, deliberately avoiding her gaze. Though faint, a slight reddish tint had crept across his pale face. He was embarrassed.

“Ooh…” She took his hand with a warm smile. “Um, did you do it because you love me? Or because you like me? Heheh…”

“…”

Louis fell silent. Perhaps she had teased him too far, but she was partly testing just how much he would admit or do for her, maybe out of simple curiosity.

As they reached a small plaza, Louis released her hand and turned back to her with rare sincerity. “I did it because I… I just… I’m grateful you’re here with me. I sometimes feel the urge to do things like that, but I always hold back, thinking it might be too awkward. I’m sorry—was it bad?”

“N-No, no! Not at all!” Mirai said quickly. “You can do it anytime you want! Every day, every hour! A-Ahem! I mean… if you want to…”

Louis gave a soft chuckle at her flustered response. “Despite your strength, you act so innocently, Mirai. It really makes me want to tease you.” As he leaned closer, Mirai’s heart raced wildly; she couldn’t help falling for his effortless charm.

“W-What?!” she gasped, eyes spinning as steam practically rose from her reddening ears. “L-Louis… are you trying to conquer my heart? You shouldn’t really try—you already—”

“Ah, Lord Louis, there you are.”

Before Mirai could finish, Louis turned to see Zorba approaching. He wasn’t alone: a battle-hardened Timothy—who had been training relentlessly with Tisha and Pekorine—walked beside him, along with Agustina and Anastasia.

“Zorba, and… everyone else,” Louis said. “Were you looking for me?” He remained close to Mirai, his presence steady.

“H-Hi everyone…” Mirai muttered, trying to compose herself after their sudden appearance. She swallowed hard, painfully aware of how flushed she still was.

“Huh?” Agustina stepped closer, narrowing her eyes at them. “Wait a minute—what were you two doing together? You both look embarrassed!”

“Me? No, I’m not,” Louis said calmly, resting a hand on Mirai’s shoulder. “We were going to eat something together. I suppose you could join us.”

“Eh? Is that okay? Aren’t we interrupting?” Anastasia asked with a light smile. “Mirai? Are you alright?”

“A-Ah… I’m fine!” Mirai stammered. Louis’s hand on her shoulder only made her blush deepen—he had never stood so close before. He seemed to be steadily eroding the boundaries of personal space, invading it with casual teasing.

“Are you suuuure?” Anastasia teased, poking Mirai’s belly playfully. “Really, really suuuure?”

“I-I’m fine…” Mirai sighed. “It’s fine! R-Really… right?”

“Yeah. Would you like to join us? It’s a good time to discuss what’s coming, since you and the other two girls will be joining us at the Sinners Academy,” Louis said.

“I guess so,” Timothy muttered, arms crossed. “I’m starving. Anastasia, your mom is merciless, she kept beating me nonstop! How do you train with her? She’s a monster…”

“Hahaha, you’re exaggerating! Mom has a nice, soft side too!” Anastasia laughed. “She’s just rough during training, but I can handle it. You can too, right? Don’t complain so much, Timothy—you’ve got a brand-new life here full of things most people only dream of…”

“What?” Timothy blinked, surprised. “I-I’m not complaining… I just… well, whatever. I guess you’re not wrong… Ugh.”

One trait players of Sinners Academy had always hated about Timothy was his constant whining, his annoying attitude, and his underlying cowardice and lack of drive, despite occasionally boasting about grand dreams.

Of course, Louis had been working to correct those flaws through relentless training. Progress was visible, Timothy had grown more responsible, but he still had a long way to go before becoming fully realized, something that only happened in the game at max bond level.

Louis wasn’t about to let Mirai reach that point with him, though. Jealousy had taken root. One reason he acted so close lately was his growing realization: he had once told himself he didn’t care what happened to her, that he’d be relieved if she finally left him alone and befriended the other Lords.

Now, taking things seriously, he understood he couldn’t let them claim her. Making Mirai their ally might turn her against Frostbane, but far worse, she would be stolen from him. He would never allow that.

Even without an official romantic relationship yet, Louis was fiercely possessive and dangerously protective. Any man who approached Mirai with romantic intent would quickly learn to fear his wrath.

Timothy could attest to that.

“Timothy, is something wrong?” Mirai asked, noticing his distant, unfocused stare.

“N-Nothing…” he muttered, glancing nervously at Louis.

Whenever Louis was nearby alone, Timothy felt manageable tension—but when Mirai was involved, Louis sometimes shifted into something darker. He still carried the trauma from three months earlier, when he had grown chatty with Mirai after discovering how easy she was to talk to.

“It’s so easy to talk to you, Mirai. I can tell you all my problems…” he had sighed in relief.

“Well, I’m glad, Timothy! Let’s keep working hard, alright?” Mirai had replied cheerfully.

“Yeah… Uh, I mean… we’ve been friends for a while, right? Wanna go out sometime?” Timothy had asked. “Like… a date? Eat out or something?”

“A date? Eh… well…” Mirai hadn’t been interested, but she was too polite to reject him outright—something Timothy exploited. “I… I guess. Sure.”

“Nice!” Timothy had grinned, patting her shoulder. “Let’s have fun together later.”

“Yeah!” Mirai nodded. “Ah! I have to train in the VPI right now—see you later!”

“Oh, sure, see ya!” Timothy had waved, feeling accomplished. He had finally asked out a cute girl. The rest was just playing his cards right, and he might actually get a girlfriend.

Or… so he thought.

“…Huh?”

The moment Mirai left, Louis appeared behind him like a shadow—almost as if he had always been there, only now stepping out of the darkness itself.

Like a demon.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep