Chapter 52: Lactose Intolerance

Before leaving, Kennisi gave Sevitis a deep look—one that made her scalp tingle.

‘Damn it, could they still be investigating me for the cave incident?’ Sevitis muttered internally.

But if she truly thought I was the culprit, she’d have arrested me already instead of stepping up to testify on my behalf.

Once the matter was settled, the examinees gradually dispersed. In a corner where no one was watching, Su Ling reluctantly waved goodbye to Sevitis.

After sending away that clingy, stubborn cow, Sevitis let out a helpless sigh. She turned around, but before she could take a step, thump—she collided face-first with a “wall.”

Then, a familiar scent of fresh grass hit her.

“My, my, Sevitis really is a pervert, isn’t she? But for someone like you, thinking about doing that sort of thing is still way too early.”

A teasing, gentle voice came from above. Sevitis didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.

She recoiled reflexively, covering her nose, and shouted in shame and anger:

“Early my ass! Don’t treat me like a kid just because you’re taller! I’m twenty years old—long since an adult!”

Eulalia nodded thoughtfully, then broke into a ridiculous grin.

“Oh my? So you didn’t deny the first half? Looks like Sevitis has finally wised up~”

“You—!”

Sevitis’s expression froze, and the blush spread from her cheeks to her ears.

“Don’t flatter yourself! Who would ever be interested in those two lumps of yours! You can’t even compare to half of that stupid cow’s!”

Desperate to save face, Sevitis started speaking without thinking. She didn’t notice the smile on the golden-haired girl’s face falter, turning somewhat sinister.

“Oh? Is that so?” Eulalia stepped forward, her voice turning eerie. “Sevitis seems awfully familiar with that… Could it be… you’ve experienced it firsthand?”

“What’s it to you?” Sensing the subtle shift in tone, Sevitis rolled her eyes.

‘Ha, looks like this one actually cares about not measuring up to others in that department! Since I’ve found her weak spot, don’t blame me for getting my revenge!’

Thinking she had grasped her opponent’s weak point, Sevitis straightened up and doubled down on the mockery.

“But if you can’t compete, you just can’t! I suggest you drink more milk—you might still have a chance to surpass her. Of course, I mean in terms of weight~”

“Oh my, the noble Saint Candidate is so quiet now? Could it be I hit a nerve? No way, no way? What a small fry~”

Since she couldn’t beat this woman in a fight, at least she’d win with words.

Even if she got scolded, venting her mouth was better than being suppressed by her all the time!

Sevitis got more and more into it, completely letting loose.

She didn’t notice that the other’s easygoing smile had vanished, replaced by a hollow glare deep in her eyes.

“Mm—!”

Sevitis’s smug face twisted instantly. Before she could even finish her sentence, a small hand clamped onto the back of her head, yanking her forward.

This time, it wasn’t just a simple forehead bump.

Sevitis’s cheek was pressed flush against the middle. She could feel the soft touch even more clearly, and her mouth was directly blocked, unable to speak.

Eulalia even deliberately pulled her collar down, letting her experience more directly and intimately the two big, white “weapons” she had just mocked.

The tip of her nose pressed against the smooth, warm skin.

The sweet scent of grass and milk rushed into her head, completely cutting off all her sounds.

A searing heat burned from the base of her ears to their tips.

When Eulalia’s warm breath gently brushed against the shell of Sevitis’s ear, that faint airflow actually felt cool to her.

“So now, please feel carefully… which one is better?”

The early autumn weather was already a bit hot.

Though Sevitis’s body temperature was low, the two of them were clinging together without any gap.

The trapped heat built up between them, and their bodies began to secrete sweat.

Drops of water slid down Eulalia’s pale neck, across her delicate collarbone, along the exposed cleavage, and finally dripped straight onto the tip of Sevitis’s nose.

The cold, wet touch made Sevitis’s delicate body tremble involuntarily.

“Mmm—!”

Her scrambled brain finally rebooted. Sevitis started struggling frantically.

But the difference in rank and her natural physical disadvantage made her like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web—unable to escape from the other’s embrace by even an inch.

The bigger her movements, the more rapid her breathing.

And with every exhalation, that dizzying fragrance surged into her nose, crazily assaulting her sanity.

Even though her breathing wasn’t obstructed, Sevitis’s eyes were already spinning.

For her little brain, this was simply too strong a shock.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

“So, what’s your answer?”

The warm breath came again. Eulalia even kindly took care of the other ear.

Answer? What answer?

“Say it quickly. If your answer doesn’t satisfy me, you won’t be getting away today.”

Say it? Say what? My mouth is blocked—how can I say anything?

“So… which one is better?”

The warm airflow slipped in through the collar of her neck, tracing down Sevitis’s cool, smooth spine.

As if all the bones had been pulled out of her body, Sevitis’s hands went limp, her legs gave way, and the last bit of resistance was carried away by that airflow.

Her delicate body went completely slack, collapsing obediently into the other’s embrace.

“Hehe… It seems this is your answer~”

A satisfied chuckle sounded by her ear. Only then did Sevitis feel the grip around her waist and head finally loosen.

Then, darkness swam before her eyes. Without support, her body fell straight backward.

Luckily, an arm caught her around the waist, preventing her head from making intimate contact with the ground.

“Oh my, looks like I went a little too far.”

In the last second before her consciousness sank into darkness, the only thought that flashed through Sevitis’s mind was:

‘I’m doomed… Am I going to be the first vampire on this continent to be suffocated to death by a breast pillow?’

…

After an unknown amount of time.

In a daze, Sevitis slowly opened her eyes. The right side of her vision could vaguely see glaring sunlight, while the left side… was entirely blocked by two soft objects.

Eulalia’s smiling face suddenly leaned in from the right, backlit, looking at her:

“Good morning, my little kitty.”

“Where… am I?” Sevitis was still groggy.

“Don’t be scared. The surgery was a success. Congratulations, you’re a girl now.”

“Huh?!”

Sevitis sat up abruptly, ignoring the soft bump on her head, and frantically reached under her skirt to check.

Wait, that’s not right! Didn’t I already become a girl long ago?!

Scared me to death… Good, good… Hahaha… Damn!

With that, Sevitis finally recalled the horrific incident that had happened before.

Humiliated and furious, she slapped Eulalia’s hand away and crawled off her lap.

“What are you so smug about! Worry about yourself first! If you don’t hand in enough magic cores, you’ll fail the exam!”

She remembered clearly: all the magic cores they’d gathered as a trio were with her and Su Ling.

This one had spent all of yesterday looking for her, with no time to collect cores.

She definitely didn’t have enough to pass.

“Ah, you mean this?” Eulalia smiled nonchalantly. “Don’t worry. Thanks to you, it’s fine.”

Sevitis was baffled. Thanks to me?

“But, you know…” Eulalia suddenly leaned closer, her tone turning a bit pitiful. “I told you to wait for me, but you just ran off.”

“You left me all alone in the forest. I almost got eaten by those little dogs… I mean, the Fourth Order Magic Wolves. Don’t you think you should make it up to me?”

As she spoke, Eulalia raised both hands and made a “grabbing” motion in the air at Sevitis.

That familiar gesture instantly awakened Sevitis’s shameful memories from the night before.

“I get it! I get it! Don’t come any closer! I’ll make it up to you!” She stumbled backward, covering her chest in fear.

“Really? Anything goes?”

“Of course n—” Seeing her advancing again, Sevitis, afraid of suffering another “dimensional strike,” gritted her teeth and changed her answer: “Fine, anything goes! But first, absolutely no physical contact!”

She thought that adding this condition would stop the other from having any dangerous ideas.

Unexpectedly, Eulalia immediately withdrew her hand, revealing a satisfied smile as if she’d gotten exactly what she wanted:

“It’s a deal, then.”

“…Okay.”

Sevitis answered blankly. ‘How do I feel like I’ve been tricked by this woman again? Can I still back out now?’

“My request is very simple.” Eulalia raised one finger, grinning. “From now on, Sevitis is not allowed to call me ‘Lady Saint’ anymore. You have to use a different title.”

“…!”

Sevitis had already rehearsed a hundred ways to resist some harsh punishment in her mind, but… that’s it? So simple?!

She couldn’t help but laugh and waved her hand generously:

“Tch, what’s the big deal. Who says I don’t keep my word? I’ll graciously grant your wish.”

“Listen up. From now on, I’ll call you—Miss Saint.”

Poke.

“Eep—!”

A soft spot on her waist was suddenly attacked. Sevitis let out a strange yelp, clutching her waist and stumbling backward.

“What are you doing! Don’t poke! If you don’t like it, I’ll change it!”

“Let’s see… How about ‘Miss Olivia’? Will that do?”

Poke.

“Eeee—! You damn woman, cut it out!”

…

“Hah… hah…”

Sevitis braced herself on the grass, panting heavily, with tears still hanging from the corners of her eyes.

“Well then, without further ado, say that long-lost title for me, just like before.” Eulalia clasped her hands behind her back, bent down, and brought her ear close to Sevitis’s flushed cheek.

Sevitis bit her lower lip hard, her face full of reluctance.

Damn it, this battle had ultimately ended in her defeat.

“Hurry up, I can’t wait to hear it~” Eulalia urged.

“Eu…” Sevitis closed her eyes, about to humiliatingly call out that title.

“Before that, why not hear what your subordinate has to say first?”

A cold voice suddenly sounded behind Eulalia.

The smile on her face instantly froze. She turned around stiffly.

The guard who had been “separated” for three days was now standing behind Eulalia, her face dark enough to drip ink.

“Um… My dear knight, you’ll let me explain, right?” Eulalia tried to smooth things over with a dry laugh.

“Of course, my dear Highness.”

A smile returned to Angelina’s face, her pretty eyes curving—but lacking any warmth.

“Once we go back, I will certainly lend an ear. I’ll listen carefully to your explanation of why you insisted on playing this childish game of ‘hide and seek’ with me in this dangerous forest.”

“After all, once the exam is fully over, we’ll have quite a lot of time. Your subordinate and you have endless sweet nothings to say to each other.”

“W-Wait! Angelina, listen to me…”

The noble Saint Candidate was dragged away by her own knight without any dignity.

A cold wind blew past.

Leaving only the disheveled, black-haired girl sitting alone on the grass.

“So… what the hell did she come here for?”