episode_0213

“So, do we have a plan to lure MacHeart out? Any strategies in place?”

After the five of us gathered to participate in the MacHeart subjugation operation, we delved into a meeting to plan our attack on him.

And in preparation for the subjugation, there were two main things we needed to do, one of which was, of course, to create traps for him as Geumyeojo’s suggestion just mentioned.

For a hunter to start hunting, the most essential thing needed was not a bow or a spear, but the prey itself.

“Prince MacHeart probably won’t fall for just any trap. Since he has already targeted me once and failed, he must be aware of my identity as well as prepared for it.”

“…That’s true. If he was someone who would recklessly attack, he would have approached Lillis at least once or twice recently. Seeing as he hasn’t attacked while Blaze and I have been with you frequently, he seems to be more cautious than expected.”

“So, it’s important to make MacHeart think that he is alone. More precisely, we need to create a situation where Ethan or Agnes, or anyone else, won’t interfere. Since I purposely created fake discord with Agnes, I believe she won’t intervene to some extent.”

“What about me and Cerista? If he’s that cautious, wouldn’t he try to restrain us when we’re nearby?”

“Naturally, the Knight and the Saintess will be cautious, but they probably don’t see us as threatening as Ethan. The Knight hasn’t had much interaction with me or Ethan outside, and Cerista, aside from seeing me inside the church, hasn’t had any official meetings with us.”

The most annoying thing for MacHeart was Ethan and Agnes. Anyway, in the current situation, they were the two people who were publicly closest to me.

“Even though both the Knight and the Saintess have never met Lillis, if they are nearby, wouldn’t they be somewhat suspicious?”

“Generally, if a Viscount claims that the Fourth Prince of the Empire is a demon’s puppet, it’s usually considered believable unless there’s a strong reason to dismiss it. Especially if I insult MacHeart, it might seem like a blind lower noble’s revenge due to jealousy.”

“T-That’s true…”

Still, it was truly fortunate that there were four people who believed in such nonsensical words like mine. Excluding Geumyeojo and the Knight, Cerista, who was my ally, and Ethan, completely covered and believed in my claims.

If I had asked Ethan or Agnes to protect me alone, they would have likely taken advantage of the opportunity at least once during the semester. If that had happened, I would have had to face MacHeart unprepared for battle, and entering a battle in that state would have surely resulted in defeat.

Once awakened, there was no need for me to engage in a one-on-one battle with the fourth stage boss. Raid bosses should be defeated in a proper raid manner.

“To lure MacHeart Prince out, we plan to use the summer vacation noble social event held at the palace. As it is a gathering where MacHeart Prince will interact with unsuspecting noble figures… Ahem, noble figures, it is expected that he will attend without a doubt.”

“I do receive regular invitations, but I always decline those gatherings. Typically, these aimless noble social gatherings often have impure interactions between men and women as their purpose.”

In reality, MacHeart was indeed using it for that purpose, so Ethan’s speculation was not entirely wrong.

Meanwhile, Agnes, upon seeing the invitation that Ethan had brought for reference, sent a puzzled look after reading the letter.

“I’ve never received anything like that before.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, those noble social gatherings, I’ve never heard of them.”

“Of course not, Blaze. Didn’t I just mention the purpose of the nobles gathering at this party earlier? Blaze, you see… um, that is…”

“…What. Speak clearly.”

“It seems like Ethan Young Master feels a bit embarrassed to talk about it, so let me explain instead. As Ethan Young Master mentioned earlier, this party is where naive noble sons and daughters gather for ‘impure’ interactions. Agnes, if she wants to engage in impure interactions, might lack the qualifications, so…”

“…Wasn’t the undercover operation over already? Can we trust what you’re saying now, Relis?”

“I apologize. I only wanted to explain why you didn’t receive the invitation…”

In this world, where people addicted to various lewd media have their preferences, a figure like Agnes would naturally be in demand, but in this world, men engaging in impure interactions with Agnes were often suspected of lacking refinement.

“For your information, I’ve received invitations as well. Since I started actively working as a hero, I’ve been invited to these gatherings once in a while. I’ve been too busy to attend, so I’ve always declined.”

“I, I’ve received one too… Just once, during last winter break…”

“Since I enrolled in the academy, I’ve been receiving them consistently. I didn’t participate much in social activities before enrolling in the academy, so I never received any invitations before.”

“I, I was always famous… W-well, I didn’t want to, but I participated in social activities regularly… Why…”

It was inevitable. The probability of receiving an invitation to this event was primarily based on the ‘charm’ stat. With Agnes having a low charm stat, the likelihood of her receiving an invitation was close to zero.

Of course, there were hardly any items worth picking up, and instead, one’s reputation would be tarnished, so it was generally better not to participate. However, since the participants themselves were the focus this time, there was no choice but to participate.

In Agnes’s case, it was decided that she would attend as a partner for Gethmjochege. While Cerista’s expression momentarily stiffened with a hint of bitterness, she still nodded as if to say it couldn’t be helped, especially since it was related to the demons.

“I’ll try to lure Prince MacHeart somehow. I’ll create a situation where Ethan and I seem to be fighting over a relationship issue, temporarily creating distance between us. I believe that Prince MacHeart will not miss this rare opportunity.”

“…The problem is whether such a simple plan will work. Up until now, waiting without attacking Rel…is has shown a cautious nature, but for someone like Prince MacHeart, wouldn’t he see the obvious situation in front of him as a trap?”

“Would you like me to show you as a test? You can judge whether Prince MacHeart will be deceived by my acting. Ethan Young Master, please accompany my acting for a moment.”

“Wait, even if you ask me to act suddenly, you should at least tell me what to say…”

“You’ll get a rough idea once you hear it for yourself.”

Anyway, those kinds of things tend to come out on their own when the time comes, so I started acting right away, watching Ethan, who was flustered.

I was no longer the exclusive maid of the noble gentleman, but a pretentious noble lady.

“Ed, can we talk for a moment?”

“…Lilith?”

“Oh, now you don’t even want to be called by your nickname? Well then, I’ll do the same for you, Ethan Richard Blackwood.”

“Sorry, Lilith. I misspoke for a moment.”

“It doesn’t seem like you just misspoke. You were staring at that lady over there with such intensity just a moment ago. It seems like your eyes were not just making idle chatter, but rather wandering elsewhere, don’t you think?”

“Oh, Lilith! I would never look at another lady while you’re by my side!”

“Really? So, was it my eyes playing tricks on me? I apologize for the misunderstanding. I must have mistakenly thought you were lusting after me.”

“No, Lilith. That’s not what I meant…”

“Well, I found it strange from the moment you brought me to this party that clearly seems to have impure intentions. You’re not satisfied with just me on the bed anymore, are you? If you had told me in advance that you were looking for a lady to satisfy your long and hard candy stick, I would have diligently searched for ladies with big mouths and long tongues.”

“Oh, don’t say things that could be misunderstood, Lilith! I never had such intentions, and looking at another lady in the first place…”

“Right. It’s all my fault, isn’t it? If I had been a little prettier and more charming, I could have captivated your gaze and never let it go. Should I have worn a dress with a shorter hemline? Oh, no. You like breasts, so I should have worn a dress with a deeper neckline.”

“What are you saying, Lilith! You’re still beautiful and charming!”

“Enough. I’m going to get some fresh air now, so don’t follow me.”

“Lilith, wait…”

“If you take one more step towards me, it’s over between us. Consider yourself warned, Ethan Richard Blackwood.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Ethan showed quite a good performance considering he was forced into it, so I was able to present a decent scenario.

Of course, in practice, we would have to start in a more natural situation, but this was enough material to convince the three of them.

“I plan to act like this in the actual situation, but do you think this is enough?”

As soon as I finished speaking, three, no, four heads, including Ethan’s, turned left and right.

“L-Lilith.”

“It’s Lilith, Master Ethan. Thank you for accommodating my sudden request.”

“Uh, yeah… Just wondering, you’re not mad at me, right, Lilith?”

“Why would I be mad at you? I’m always grateful to Master Ethan, so you don’t have to worry.”

“R-Right. If you ever get mad or anything, just tell me without hesitation. I’ll fix it right away…”

For some reason, the answer made me feel like I was drifting away from Ethan. I had simply said it was just acting and started.