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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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“Se-Senior.”
I’m scared.
Livia shuddered at the chilling sensation.
How long had it been since she had tasted such fear?
“You thought about other men even for a moment. That’s what’s wrong, isn’t it?”
Large tears welled up in Livia’s water-colored eyes behind her dense eyelashes.
Livia tightly clenched her hands beneath her restrained arms pitifully.
The tears gathered so heavily that she couldn’t see anything before her, so Livia closed her eyes.
Plop, plop, transparent tears flowed abundantly down her cheeks, which were so pale they could be immediately recognized as feverishly hot.
“No. I didn’t do that. I only thought of you, Senior, only you. Really. Because I like you, for your sake…”
“No, Livia. That’s not it.”
Leonhart gently kissed Livia’s cheek, damp with tears.
“That’s not just thinking about me.”
When his soft, warm lips touched her tear-stained cheek, Livia felt joy and, simultaneously, an overwhelming fear.
Leonhart stroked Livia’s pitifully trembling neck.
Then he moved his hand along her stiffened arm, finally reaching Livia’s hand tightly clenched into a fist.
“Open your hand.”
Livia kept her hand tightly clenched even at those words. As if hiding a treasure inside.
Leonhart gradually applied pressure to the hand gripping Livia’s neck.
As her breath was cut off, tears flowed again from Livia’s eyes without acting.
Even then, Leonhart was staring at Livia with indifferent, cold eyes.
“Livia?”
Though he only called her name softly, that voice was sufficiently scary.
Livia breathed anxiously, gasping, and finally succumbed to Leonhart’s words, slowly opening her hand.
“So I’m going to punish you.”
Leonhart smiled sweetly, placing his hand on Livia’s open palm and tickling it playfully.
Livia, not even feeling the tickling sensation, asked frantically.
“Punishment…? Punishment?”
“Yes. Because you talked to men. You smiled at them. And you tried to kill a man other than me. That’s… cheating.”
Livia hunched her shoulders tensely as if she had heard something absurd.
Cheating…?
When had she and Senior ever been in a relationship that could be described as cheating?
Although she had wished for it…
This was Senior’s one-sided, distorted mind.
Livia was frightened by that.
What kind of mask do I need now?
Livia searched for a mask inside herself again.
The ‘cute girl’ mask was somewhat counterproductive.
The ‘cold-blooded assassin’ mask?
Would it help to calmly resolve the situation?
The ‘perfect negotiator’?
My negotiation doesn’t actually become perfect!
There wasn’t one.
There wasn’t.
No matter how much she looked, there didn’t seem to be a mask to use in this situation.
Livia suddenly felt a chilling coldness, terrified that she didn’t know what to do.
‘What should I do?’
For the first time in her life, Livia felt like she was being stripped bare.
In this space, none of her masks were of any use.
He seemed to be trying to peel off her masks individually to reveal Livia herself.
“You’re going to become a good child here.”
Leonhart gripped Livia’s hand, which he had been tickling, so strongly it felt like he might break it.
He whispered into Livia’s ear as she let out a thin moan of pain.
“This is a room that will make you like that.”
His voice was so low that it felt like all the blood in her body was turning cold.
“Senior…”
Livia whimpered pleadingly.
Leonhart just smiled at Livia with infinite affection.
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“This is difficult.”
I scratched my head and closed the door, coming outside for now.
I had tried to imitate what I had seen in novels long ago…
But acting was quite tricky.
“I’m not sure if I did well.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
Maybe I should have scared her more.
But Livia’s face had turned so pale and looked sickly as if she might faint.
Whether it was acting or not, I wasn’t sure.
I slowly lowered my gaze and stared quietly at my damp hand where Livia’s cheek had touched, then clenched it slightly.
I had to steel myself against my softening heart.
I plan to thoroughly strip away Livia’s masks and make her a ‘good child.’
If mirror therapy worked, Livia would also realize well what kind of mistakes she had been making.
‘If I’m lucky, I might be able to make her avoid me out of fear.’
For lasting peace.
I didn’t forget that purpose.
For now, I was thinking of confining her for about a week lightly.
I looked back at the Room for Good Children, where sobbing sounds were leaking out, and turned my heavy footsteps away.
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The next day, I quietly conversed with Caiden, the two of us.
In Caiden’s quiet room, there was only me and her.
“…I can hide you under various pretexts in the student council for about a week, but no more than that. It will be difficult.”
Caiden said with her head bowed deeply.
Her tense shoulders were trembling finely, looking quite pitiful.
I gently stroked Caiden’s back as I opened my mouth.
“It’s not possible?”
Curious, I had just asked, but Caiden looked at me with startled, confused eyes.
Even though I hadn’t done anything, tears were already welling up in Caiden’s eyes.
I thought she was really a crybaby.
It seemed to be about the same level as Nias…
“No, no. It’s not like that…”
Caiden’s voice was mixed with moisture.
Regretting that I had scared her too much, I gave Caiden the kindest smile I could.
“Sob. I’m sorry.”
“No, why are you crying? Don’t cry, just tell me.”
I gently wiped Caiden’s eyes with a handkerchief, comforting her as she dropped tears one by one.
When I softly rubbed Caiden’s eyes with pale eyelids, Caiden tightly grasped the hem of my clothes.
It seemed that my continuous comforting had an effect. Caiden tried to calm herself, taking short, shallow breaths.
Her face was full of heat, as if she was highly embarrassed.
“So, why isn’t it possible?”
I asked quietly, looking at Caiden, who seemed to have calmed down somewhat.
Caiden answered while still pitifully clutching the hem of my clothes.
“Well… there’s an entrance assessment a week later. It evaluates the students’ levels. So, all new students have to participate then. Otherwise, it’s forced expulsion.”
Hmm, was there such a setting?
Ah, come to think of it, no characters missed the entrance assessment in the novel, so there was no way such a setting would come up.
After thinking for a moment, I comforted Caiden again as she watched my expression.
For some reason, Caiden brought her cheek to my arm.
It seems this makes her feel more at ease.
I let Caiden do as she pleased while I sank into thought.
‘I’ll have to thoroughly tame Livia within a week.’
What a heavy burden.
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About two days had passed since I kidnapped Livia.
“Young Master, have you been busy lately?”
Nias asked as she watched me preparing to go out again at night.
I was about to tell Nias not to worry about it, but I turned my eyes to look at her.
Perhaps she seemed bored because I had been busy these past few days.
Somehow, I felt sorry for Nias like that.
“Come here.”
When I said that with my arms open, Nias trotted over.
Then she naturally fell into my arms, gently resting her chin on my chest and looking up at me.
Nias stared at me, blinking her large eyes slowly like a rabbit.
I hugged Nias tightly.
“Young Master…?”
Nias looked at me curiously and tilted her head.
Smelling Nias’s sweet and familiar scent, I somehow felt like I was in my room at the castle back home, with everything finished.
‘Damn it.’
At that peaceful sensation, I gently lowered my head and buried my face in Nias’ hair.
Surprised, Nias laughed softly, ticklish, then tightly gripped the hem of my clothes with her tiny hand.
“Nias.”
“Yes!”
I smiled slightly at Nias, who answered energetically.
Strangely, even though I knew Nias was the behind-the-scenes mastermind involved in many future events, being with her felt the most comfortable.
Feeling it was a curious thing, I lightly played with Nias’ hair.
“Pig, what have you been doing here?”
At my words, Nias made a sulky expression.
However, seeming pleased to be in my arms, she answered quietly without arguing.
“I’ve been washing Young Master’s clothes, preparing lunch boxes, and chatting with Lady Elena and Lady Elin. I’ve also made a friend…”
“A friend?”
Strangely, something twisted inside me when I thought of Nias forming relationships I didn’t know about.
Wait, no. I’m just worried that Nias might be planning something terrible.
Not knowing the intent behind my question, Nias answered with a pure, bright smile.
“Yes. It’s the puppy the dorm supervisor is raising…”
“Ah.”
Hearing Nias’ words, I let out a small sigh of relief.
What kind of suspicion had I harbored?
“Would you like to go see it with me, Young Master? We’re really close! It even lets me rub its belly now, it’s so cute. Hehe.”
“Do I look like I have time for that?”
“…You don’t?”
Nias opened her eyes wide, fidgeting with her fingers anxiously.
From the nervous movement of her hand lightly around my waist, I fully understood Nias’s desire to be with me.
I thought deeply for a moment.
Yes. It might be good to heal by watching puppies sometimes.
I’ve been too stressed lately anyway.
“Just once.”
“…Only once?”
“Maybe twice if you’re good.”
Nias smiled silently and rubbed her face against my chest.
Isn’t she the puppy here?
I leaned down slightly to embrace this story’s hidden mastermind in my arms.
Nias seemed to have trouble breathing, repeatedly poking her head out to try to breathe in.
I lightly pinched Nias’ nose, teasing her momentarily while controlling her breath.
“Yo-Young Master…”
Only when Nias’ face had turned red, her soft-looking lips gasping for breath, did I release her.
“I’ll be back.”
I said, gently rubbing Nias’ soft ear through her hair.
Nias nodded and replied.
“Come back safely, Young Master.”
After releasing Nias, I put on my robe and opened the door leading to the corridor.
Then, suddenly remembering something, I turned my head to Nias in the room.
“By the way, aren’t you going to ask what I’m going out for?”
At my question, Nias gently tilted her head.
“I trust you. Whatever you’re doing.”
Even I thought it was a somewhat foolish question.
Feeling the heat rise, I closed the door and went outside.
A little while later, I was descending a dark staircase.
Arriving in front of the room labeled ‘Room for Good Children,’ I unlocked the complex locking mechanism on the door.
Clank.
With a heavy sound, the door pushed inward.
“Livia.”
I smiled at Livia, who made a thin whimpering sound at my arrival.
“Shall we see how much of a good child you’ve become today?”
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Yuria was sitting in the student council room, her long legs wrapped in white knee-high stockings crossed, lost in thought.
For the past three days, Caiden had been acting strange.
The boy who always used to cling to her, chattering and adoring her, had often been absent, rushing off somewhere in a hurry.
Although she thought it could be natural for a boy going through puberty, it felt extremely unnatural.
Moreover, there was even evidence of subtle manipulation of schedules.
It was probably done to hide someone’s traces.
‘It’s strange.’
Although it might not be something to worry about, Yuria trusted her intuition.
Something strange was happening at the academy.
And that strange thing was happening to Caiden, too.
He might even be the first person affected.
Yuria grabbed the ends of her long golden hair and twirled it around her finger.
Finally, Yuria decided.
‘I need to investigate.’
To find out who was trying to crack the kingdom she ruled over.
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i think he will make livia even more crazy over him