Finn was getting closer and closer to the girl’s lips.
The closer he got to Elena, the stronger the honeyed floral fragrance became.
The closer he got to Elena, the more his thoughts began to drift away.
The girl’s head was almost pressed against his.
All he needed was to move forward by a few millimeters, and he could complete the ritual.
This worker bee, spinning around the flower, was finally about to taste the nectar he craved.
“…”
“Snap—”
The light from the screen grew exceptionally bright.
A large “The End” hung in the center of the screen.
“Ah—”
Neither of them had anticipated this sudden change.
They stared at each other, eyes wide.
Then, the theater lights came on, gradually brightening the dim room.
“Thud, thud.”
Scattered footsteps echoed as the audience began to get up and leave one by one.
“The… movie… is… over.”
The hand pressed against Finn’s chest fell, feeling somewhat lost.
“Yeah… The audience is starting to leave.”
“So… are we continuing?”
“Huh?”
Elena felt both exasperated and amused.
“Keep going, my foot!”
She lightly pinched Finn’s nose.
“Ow—that hurts!”
“Are you an exhibitionist? Do you want to be seen by so many people right now?”
The girl pointed toward the exit, where the audience was filing out.
“Th… That’s true.”
Besides, even if they wanted to continue, the mood and atmosphere from before were gone.
They had no choice but to give up.
“So, we part ways?”
Finn withdrew his right arm from around the girl.
“Yeah.”
Elena also got up from the man’s embrace and let go of his tightly held hand.
Though she said she didn’t want to, her movements were still filled with reluctance and attachment.
Acquaintances
“…”
They silently moved an arm’s length apart and sat back down in their own seats.
“Th… Then let’s wait for them to leave first… We’ll sit here for a while?”
The girl took the initiative to suggest.
The exit was currently congested with people streaming out in a single line.
“Sure.”
Not wanting to force his way into the crowd, Finn naturally agreed.
“…”
The conversation died down.
It wasn’t surprising.
Having just extricated themselves from such an intimate position, they were both at a loss, let alone finding something to talk about.
“…”
Finn racked his brain for a topic.
“E… Elena…”
“…”
“Were you… a little unhappy earlier when you were watching the movie?”
“Huh?”
“I felt like your mood was a little strange.”
So he noticed after all…
Nothing gets past him…
“…”
“Yeah, I was thinking about some things.”
“Was it because of the plot? It seemed… a bit… similar to your experiences.”
Finn carefully chose his words.
The girl nodded lightly, not denying it.
“But with you around… it’s fine.”
She recalled the bad memories of her family and Voss, rubbing her silver hair with slight irritation.
“Huh?”
Finn checked repeatedly to make sure he hadn’t misheard.
Was that a confession?!
It definitely was, right?!
Such a direct and sudden attack caught Finn completely off guard.
“Me?”
Finn pointed at himself.
“I… I didn’t do anything, did I?”
Besides just being with Elena the whole time, had he done anything out of the ordinary?
Elena was acting way too strange today…
She was incredibly shy at the restaurant, and then at the movie theater, she was the one holding him and wanting to kiss…
He didn’t dare to think about what the girl might do next.
[Wait… who moved my save file?]
[Why is the protagonist’s affection level rising on its own?!]
“I… I didn’t mean it like that!”
Realizing she had misspoken, Elena hurriedly denied it.
“What I meant was…”
“With your help before, I was able to get through all those difficulties smoothly!”
Her hands fidgeted nervously between her knees.
“That’s nothing.”
“Friends should help each other out.”
Wow.
He hadn’t done a thing, and he’d already triggered all of Elena’s combos.
Was this the legendary, beautiful girl’s “self-conquest”?
“…”
The conversation died down again quickly.
Because they realized that whenever they talked about the movie, their minds were haunted by that “peculiar” plot, so similar to Elena’s experiences, and the topic inevitably drifted back to their intimate interaction just now.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, they both silently stared at the still-bright screen.
On the movie screen, the names of the actors, crew, and production team scrolled from bottom to top.
“Special Thanks: Script Author and Director of this Work, Ms. Kelly.”
Unlike the other tiny fonts of the production staff, several large, red letters stood out prominently on the screen.
“Mas… Master!?”
Elena was a little surprised.
Kelly? Wasn’t she a great magician?
She moonlights as a screenwriter and director too?
Finn thought he had said goodbye to Kelly for now when he left the Holy Capital, but it seemed that name would haunt him even in Novalis.
“How is it… that damn Kelly…”
“Uh… It’s Master Kelly’s movie.”
Finn quickly corrected himself.
Her mischievous, purple-haired figure in a magical hat came to mind.
No wonder, no wonder.
Only she could write such a bizarre script.
“As expected of Master’s script! The concept is very novel, and there are many clever little details in the scenes!”
The girl’s voice, completely out of place, echoed in his ear.
[Uh…]
Looks like Elena has a unique taste.
Like master, like disciple…
“Most people have left… Should we head out now?”
The seats in the front row were all empty.
Realizing the theater was empty, Finn stood up first.
“Voss… Let’s go now?”
Huh? There were still audience members who hadn’t left?
Wait, why did that voice sound so familiar?
Looking towards the first row, where the sounds of a man and women laughing came from, Finn saw four very familiar figures: three women and one man.
Who could it be?
His “good colleague,” Voss, along with Talia, Nora, and Lila.
They were sitting in the first row, messing around.
Even though he could only see their backs, Finn swore he would never mistake them.
[Why is everyone I know here!?]
[When… When did they all come to Novalis!?]
Before he could react, the blonde man sitting between the three women made a move to stand up.
Shit!
Finn’s heart sank.
He had come to Novalis on a secret mission.
If Voss turned around now, he would definitely be discovered!
“Oof—”
A force caused him to lose his balance, and he fell backward onto the floor.
“Elena.”
Finn immediately understood the situation—the girl had pushed him to the ground.
The silver-haired girl had pounced on him, seizing the opportunity to straddle his thighs.
At the same time, she hunched over, supporting herself with her hands on the floor, using the back row of seats to conceal their bodies.
She looked down, meeting the eyes of Finn, who was staring up from the floor.
Her long, flowing hair fell naturally.
Most of it landed on the tip of Finn’s nose and cheeks.
“Shh… We still have a mission here in Novalis.”
“You don’t want… to be discovered, do you?”
Right now, Elena didn’t show a shred of shyness or embarrassment.
Her face held only the meticulousness and serious focus of a warrior on a mission.
But this was exactly why Finn liked Elena more than the others.
[Still… this position…]
He snuck a glance at the girl’s chest.
Yeah… I can vaguely see a cleavage.
Due to her posture and the angle, the pair of mounds were practically bursting out.
[This is really unfriendly…]
Even though thinking about such lewd things in such a tense situation made him feel a bit pathetic, Finn honestly felt it was getting hard to control himself.
“Talia…”
“You said you mother and daughter wanted to see a movie, so I specially came with you…”
The blonde man stood up first, turned his head, and smiled at the three women.
“How are you going to repay me…?”
In private, Voss’s greasiness was impossible to hide.
“Honey… We’ve already said it so many times in private—”
Talia caught on and immediately stood up.
“Our bodies and hearts are yours…”
She naturally leaned in and wrapped her arm around Voss’s right arm.
“Of course, you can do whatever you want~”
The green-haired woman teased the man in front of her with a flippant tone.
[Why are you so skilled at this!]
Her reaction was completely smooth, as if she had flirted with the blonde countless times before.
“Hehe, then shall we go back to the hotel now?”
His hand was already on Talia’s chest.
Even from the back row, Elena and Finn could see it clearly—Voss’s movements were large and obvious.
“After all, you were a widow for so many years.”
“Cuddling and kissing in the movie theater… probably isn’t enough to satisfy you, right?”
The blonde man’s words seemed to hint at something.
“But… we can’t forget the important stuff.”
He turned sideways, fixing his hunter-like gaze on the seated Lila.
“Lila, you’re going to be the Saint soon.”
“I need to introduce you to some local wealthy merchants and politicians these days.”
“Honey… Of course, I’ll listen to everything you say.”
Lila was very cooperative.
“But, honey…”
A weak voice sounded from the side.
“We…”
The blue-haired and red-haired women beside him stood up, seeming reluctant and hesitant.
“Because of the scene in the movie just now… our bodies are feeling a bit…”
“So… tonight… we want some rewards too…”
They squeezed their legs together and twisted their bodies.
[This is way too obscene to watch…]
This is what the heroines look like after being corrupted in a hentai game.
The contrast is huge; they’re almost completely different people.
“Ah! Of course, I haven’t forgotten about you two…”
“After all, you’re all my wives—”
Hearing this, Finn shuddered with disgust.
‘All my wives’ my ass.
Listen to yourself; is that something a human being says?
Before his transmigration, if he hadn’t thought of the characters as real people, Finn might have found this twisted plot exciting.
But now, he only felt nauseous.
The women of the Valrsil family had willingly submitted themselves to a man of such poor character.
Now he could fully understand how Elian felt.
“Hahaha—”
“That movie scene really got me in the mood.”
Voss laughed even more happily, pulling the two women who had thrown themselves into his arms.
“You two better be ready tonight—”
His voice grew softer and softer until it faded away entirely.
The four of them left.
Almost at the same time, Finn felt the pressure on his body lessen.
As if resigned, Elena sighed and collapsed to the side, exhausted.
“Elena… Don’t take it to heart…”
“Your mother, sisters…”
Finn wanted to say something to comfort her, to reassure her, but he didn’t know what to say.
What could he say?
After Elian disappeared, her family only made a symbolic search for a few days…
Then they probably forgot all about him, right?
How else could they explain coming to Novalis to watch a movie?
They didn’t show any concern for their family member at all!
No wonder the rumors in the Holy Capital were true!
The women of the Valrsil family… were really just trophies!!!
[Uh… Except for Little Elena…]
Realizing there was still someone else with the surname Valrsil beside him, Finn quickly added in his mind.
“Don’t worry about me, Finn.”
“I know.”
The silver-haired girl’s tone carried infinite weight.
“They are trophies.”
“Huh!?”
Finn thought Elena might not be able to handle it, that she might break down like she did the first time she saw it.
And hearing a word as insulting as “trophies” come from the normally gentle and refined paladin, used to describe her own family…
How much resolve did Elena have to muster for that?
“I should have known.”
“If I was still naive the first time, hoping they were being blackmailed by Voss or something…”
“Ha—”
The girl suddenly let out a cold laugh.
“Then this time, it’s confirmed.”
“In this past month, did they seriously try to make amends… or look for me at all?”
Her words were filled with confusion, accusation, and grievance.
“Thinking about it now… How much of their affection for me when I was a child was real?”
“Was I just a tool raised by the Valrsil family to restore their glory?”
Little Elena had even started to come up with some conspiracy theories.
[That’s not true… They did love you back then…]
Finn wanted to say this but held back.
After all, she was still furious; it was better to let her vent.
“From now on… Between me and them… I think only blood ties will remain.”
Her stern face now held only finality and determination.
“Whether they are happy with Voss or not… What does it have to do with me?”
The silver-haired girl stood up and waved her hand magnanimously.
“I’m glad you can see it that way…”
[Allow Little Elena to escape her original family…]
[But come to think of it… Why did the four of them come to Novalis?]
Even after racking his brain, Finn still couldn’t quite understand.
On the surface, it sounded like they were here to get to know Novalis’s high-ranking officials.
But why now, of all times?
They chose the worst time, when the case was at its most intense.
Not to mention that Voss still had his position in the Knight Order…
Could he have taken leave too?
Wait…
A very unpleasant thought crossed Finn’s mind.
The Pope said there must be a traitor in the Knight Order…
And Voss just happens to be here to stir the pot right now.
Could he be the traitor?
If that’s the case…
Finn followed the logic through.
If he is the traitor, do Lila and the others know?
Are Lila and the others involved too?
After all, the original story didn’t cover what happened later, what the female lead did next. Anything was possible.
This would mean Elena might have to stand against her own family…
But this was just the worst-case scenario.
Staring at the Elena in front of him, he still couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“What’s wrong?”
The man in front of her clearly hesitated.
“You seem distracted.”
A fair-skinned hand waved in front of Finn’s eyes.
“Oh, it’s nothing—just my back hurts a little.”
Finn rubbed his lower back, choosing to protest.
“You’ve been a paladin for years, and you’re still afraid of a little pain?”
The silver-haired girl rolled her eyes at him.
“Aren’t you ashamed?”
“It’s all your fault for pressing down too hard earlier! You made my back hurt!”
He even wiggled his butt a little towards the girl.
Finn often diverted Elena’s attention by joking around—it always worked.
This way, it should lighten the heavy atmosphere from before.
“…”
Finn succeeded.
Watching the man being a clown in front of her, Elena’s mind was pulled away from the previous topic.
Sure enough, the girl angrily kicked his butt.
“I… I give…”
The sudden attack made Finn jolt.
“What, you don’t agree?”
“If I hadn’t reacted fast, our mission in Novalis would have been exposed!”
The atmosphere between them finally returned to normal.
“I… I’m sorry—”
“Ouch—”
As if still not satisfied, the silver-haired girl stood on her tiptoes and flicked Finn on the forehead.
[This is good…]
[Elena was living too tired a life before…]
Finn hoped that now, she could be a little happier, a little freer.
Even as he tried his best to hold on to their friendship in his heart, he knew that after Elena became a girl, their friendship was bound to change sooner or later.
But he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.
Today…
They had both lost their heads and done so many strange things.
This kind of behavior couldn’t just be explained away as “just friends” or “just bros” anymore.
No matter how much he ran from it, no matter how much he numbed himself, Finn understood:
This was a love confession.
This was liking someone.
This was how couples acted.
But whether or not to respond, how to respond, and how to handle the relationship between him and Elena—Finn had absolutely no idea.
[Whatever…]
[I’ll just take it one step at a time…]
Comforting himself in his heart, Finn and Elena walked out of the theater door.