Sniff, sniff…
“Master has the scent of another woman on her!!”
In the morning, Luwei grabbed a certain beast-girl’s ear and lifted her off herself…
Luwei rubbed her temples, feeling a bit groggy.
It was likely due to her “academic sessions” with Monet yesterday…
She glanced at the clock nearby; it was only 10:00 AM.
Her plan to sleep in was interrupted. Luwei curled her lip and habitually pinched the culprit’s face —
“Guh…”
For the past few days, Shuangna would come to Luwei’s room after finishing her night shift.
She called it reporting for work, but for some reason, Luwei felt she was there to urge her to get out of bed… and she always managed to beat Floxi to it.
“You’ve got quite a sharp nose, little one…”
Hearing this, Shuangna blinked and asked curiously, “Master, what is your relationship with that woman?”
“I saw her in the Alchemy Laboratory… she’s a mature lady.”
As she spoke, she seemed strangely dejected…?
“Just a standard employer-employee relationship,” Luwei replied casually. “I pay, she works. It’s that simple.”
“But why is her scent all over you?”
Shuangna pressed on, unwilling to let it go.
“Master and I are also in an employer-employee relationship… I want to cover Master in my scent, too!”
” — ?”
Luwei arched an eyebrow.
Why did that sound so strange?
“It’s because that woman took liberties and kept rubbing against me — I couldn’t even stop her,” Luwei explained with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“Oh… so Master likes the proactive type…”
Shuangna nodded seriously, as if committing this information to memory.
“…Proactive what?”
Luwei felt the conversation was heading in a bad direction…
It was Shuangna’s own fault for being too clever.
Coupled with her [Negotiation Expert] trait, Luwei felt like her pace was being controlled every time they spoke.
However, the best way to deal with a conversation spiraling out of control was to change the subject —
“Shuangna, how was your haul last night?”
As she asked, Luwei called up the panel.
[Status Window]
Name: Shuangna
Position: Treasure Hunter
Status: Resting
Average Daily Output: 21 gold coins (95%)
Average Daily Working Hours: 6 hours
Special: None
Recommendation: Balance work content to fully utilize this unit’s value.
“Reporting! I followed your orders and tried to gather some Tier 4 Magic Materials…”
“And?”
Luwei asked nonchalantly.
“Do you feel like it’s a bit too much for you?”
“Yes…”
Shuangna nodded, looking a bit downcast.
Luwei had already anticipated this.
Although her Treasure Hunter trait allowed her to pinpoint those elusive magic materials, the difficulty of gathering them increased exponentially as the quality of the target materials rose.
“I’ll find a magic teacher for you. For now, your goal is to improve yourself.”
“As for gathering low-tier materials, the amount you’ve collected these past few days is enough…”
“Keep your work to three hours a day. Use the rest of the time to get into a good state and prepare for your daytime magic lessons.”
As Luwei gave her instructions, she noticed that Shuangna seemed to have frozen.
“Study magic?”
“Me??”
Shuangna could hardly believe her ears…
“That’s right,” Luwei explained flatly.
“Your combat ability is too weak. If you encounter high-tier materials, never mind gathering them — you might even lose your life.”
“That’s why I want to invest in you…”
“Once you’re capable enough, you’ll go looking for true legendary treasures… and gather the high-tier materials that can’t be bought even with gold coins.”
Luwei’s explanation sounded logical, but Shuangna sensed something was off.
If it was just because she lacked the power to handle high-tier materials, Luwei could simply hire a powerful Magician to accompany her.
She would sniff out the locations, and the Magician would do the work.
Why spend so much more to help a Demi-human slave with mediocre talent improve her magic?
“Is it… really okay…?”
Shuangna knew very well that the cost of a private magic tutor was astronomical.
Even the gold coins she had earned from gathering low-tier magic materials these past few days wouldn’t be enough to cover it.
But her master still looked indifferent, as if she were just ordering something as trivial as a meal.
“Is there a problem?”
Seeing Luwei’s questioning gaze, Shuangna couldn’t help but lower her head.
“No. Thank you, Master.”
Although she said that, the wolf ears on her head drooped…
“Don’t be so timid… Remember, you are my property,” Luwei said with a frown.
“If I choose to invest in you, that’s my business.”
“So, don’t get the wrong idea. I just want to make my tool more useful…”
Hearing this, Shuangna looked up slightly.
A strange light flickered in her sapphire-blue eyes.
‘Master is always like this. She says such harsh things, but with just a little thought, you can see the care and tenderness behind them…’
“…I understand.”
Shuangna suddenly grabbed Luwei’s hand.
The latter looked clearly surprised, but just as Shuangna expected, she didn’t pull away.
“She really… does like it when someone is proactive…”
“…What… did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Shuangna flashed a smile.
“I’m going to get some rest now~~”
Luwei pursed her lips and didn’t reply.
She felt like something was off…
With the sound of the door closing behind her, she was left alone in the luxurious bedroom.
She got out of bed, walked to the window, and looked out into the morning sunlight…
The Karis Family Manor was a scene of prosperity today, as always.
Yet for some reason, a faint sense of trepidation rose in Luwei’s heart…
She pressed a hand to her chest, focusing on the feeling.
She didn’t know how to describe it.
Everything was getting better, yet her heart couldn’t find peace…
Luwei pondered for a long time.
She could only think of one possible cause — Plot Correction.
“I can’t let things continue like this…”
Luwei murmured.
As a Villainess Noble, none of the beautiful girls around her were afraid of her.
Even with the Game Panel, she felt no sense of control when trying to win over the other characters.
Was everything… spinning out of control?
Clang!
Suddenly, the bedroom door was flung open.
Before Luwei could react, a blonde-haired girl darted inside with a lively smile on her face.
“Lady Luwei! I’m here to help you get dressed~~”
“Floxi…?”
Floxi familiarly sat Luwei down in front of the vanity mirror and took her usual dress out of the wardrobe.
“Your Highness, a teacher from the Alchemy Academy said yesterday that I can take the Junior Professional Evaluation!”
“Come, please raise your arms~~”
“Oh, I heard from Shuangna that you’re in a great mood today. Did something good happen?”
She looked quite excited; who knows what Shuangna had told her…
“Is it… because of that mature lady in the laboratory?”
Floxi winked her emerald-green eyes, her tone playful.
Beside her, Luwei watched Floxi’s casual behavior from the moment she walked in.
The corner of her eye twitched… Something was definitely wrong!
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”
Luwei steeled herself and reached out to pinch Floxi’s cheek.
“You dare to be so presumptuous in front of me? Have I been too kind to you lately??”
“…!”
Seeing Floxi’s face turn from excitement to pale in an instant, Luwei finally nodded in satisfaction.
“Your… Your Highness… I’m sorry…”
Floxi was on the verge of tears.
Didn’t Shuangna say Lady Luwei was in a good mood today?
Why… why was she always the one being singled out?