Chapter 103

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“…”

Lucy took a deep breath and closed the book.

It was late at night.

She couldn’t sleep again today because she was reading.

The book was just that interesting.

She wanted to talk about the contents with Godwin as soon as possible.

“Heuung… Lucy…”

Finn tossed and turned in her sleep.

Lucy pulled the small blanket Finn was covered with up to her neck and hid the book securely under her pillow.

Only then did she lie down in bed.

Her body was tired, but she didn’t think she could easily fall asleep because of the book’s contents.

‘It’s an amazing work… in many ways…’

Eventually, Lucy tossed and turned for hours, mulling over the book’s contents, before finally managing to fall asleep.

◈

The next day, Lucy woke up, quickly washed up, and headed to the Norchell mansion.

She left Finn behind.

She needed to have an in-depth conversation with Godwin about the book.

“It’s you again. Come in.”

The servant opened the door at the entrance of the mansion.

“Godwin said you would come.”

“I can go to the drawing-room, right?”

“Yes. Godwin has gone out for a while, but he will be back soon. Wait for a moment.”

“Yes.”

She moved towards the drawing-room.

Opening the door,

“…?”

She saw a little boy sitting in an armchair.

He was a handsome blond boy.

The boy narrowed his eyes and scanned Lucy up and down.

“Who are you?”

A presumptuous tone.

“Who enters the drawing-room?”

“I am…”

Lucy hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Godwin’s friend.”

“Godwin’s friend? But I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before?”

“Because I’m a secret friend.”

Lucy plopped down on the sofa.

The boy said.

“I am Alex, the second son of the Norchell family. A nobleman.”

A boastful expression.

On the other hand, Lucy showed no change in expression.

To Lucy, who was unfazed even in front of the heir to a grand duchy, a boast from the second son of a small family, who was even young, was just cute.

Alex wiggled his legs in the armchair and asked.

“By the way, what’s that book?”

He seemed curious about the book in Lucy’s hand.

“Kids don’t need to know.”

“…What? You’re a kid too.”

“I’m not.”

“Then I’m not either. I’m a nobleman.”

Alex stood up and approached Lucy.

“You’ve been acting presumptuous since earlier, are you perhaps a noble?”

“No, a commoner.”

“Then why are you so rude? If you’re a commoner, you should be respectful in front of a noble.”

It was then.

Godwin opened the door to the drawing-room and entered.

Alex said to Godwin.

“Godwin, this girl is too impolite despite being a commoner. I think she needs to be taught a lesson.”

“…”

Godwin looked back and forth between Alex and Lucy, then said to Alex with a serious face.

“Young master, this person is not a commoner.”

“Then?”

“She is a princess from a distant kingdom.”

“A-A princess?”

Alex’s gaze returned to Lucy.

“Ah, that’s why…”

Alex seemed to understand immediately.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I was rude…”

Alex bowed his head.

Godwin smiled and said.

“Young master, I need to have an important conversation with the princess now, so would you please go have a meal? There happens to be a tart that you like prepared in the dining hall.”

“Umm… I understand.”

Alex glanced at Lucy furtively and left the drawing-room.

Lucy looked at Godwin.

A slightly bewildered look.

Godwin said as if making an excuse.

“…The princess part is a lie, but the tart is true.”

“Still, an adult deceiving a child.”

“Adults don’t always tell the truth. Knowing when to tell the truth is what makes a true adult. Young master is still at an age where he can dream. Have you read the book?”

“Yes.”

Lucy leaned back on the sofa and crossed her short legs.

“Honestly, the intensity is lower than the previous installment.”

“Were you disappointed?”

“No. The inner descriptions are much deeper, so I was more immersed. Especially the scene where the protagonist tries not to unbutton, and the passage where she finally realizes ‘who’ unbuttoned it… I liked it.”

“Indeed. The core of this work is ‘the illusion of voluntariness’. Who unbuttoned it… that exquisite moment of finally accepting that it was oneself…!”

“In the end, it’s not about taking off the buttons, but making them unbutton themselves. Are there more sequels?”

“Fortunately, there are.”

Godwin brought a book from the study.

『No One Buttoned It Up』

A smile spread across Lucy’s lips.

“The title alone makes me excited.”

“It’s a work filled with great philosophy. It’s rare to see a book that portrays the theme of corruption so elegantly.”

“In the end, everything can collapse because of one button.”

“Or… one can find their true self because of one button.”

Lucy smiled and received the book Godwin handed her.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I think tonight will be enjoyable too.”

Godwin also nodded with a gentle smile.

“It will be a very meaningful night. Ah, and about young master Billy…”

“How is he?”

“He’s still holed up in his room, but he ate well today and didn’t cry.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But he’s still looking for that demon from yesterday. He’s asking the people in the mansion about the newly arrived maid. Of course, the maids are saying they don’t know. It seems like this part needs to be wrapped up…”

“I understand. I’ll call Lilith one more time. So that it can be finished.”

◈

“What is it… why doesn’t anyone know? She was definitely a newly hired maid…”

Billy paced anxiously in his room.

He asked the people in the mansion about the maid he saw yesterday, but no one knew.

It was as if she was a phantom woman who passed by in a dream.

“Could it be that I won’t be able to see her again…?”

Billy bit his lip tightly.

If she was just a phantom…

How should he resolve this surging heart?

Although the conversation he had with her was short, that short moment was deeply engraved in Billy’s heart.

A soft smile, provocative eyes, and a sweet voice…

She kept lingering in his mind.

Until now, it had been filled with Ian, but the moment he met her, something broke deep within his heart.

“I want to see her again… I want to see her again…!”

An emotion he had never felt even for Ian.

If he could see her again, no, if he could just hold her…

He felt like he wouldn’t regret it even if he threw away everything he had.

It was then.

The sound of knocking on the door.

Knock knock.

“Young master~ It’s time to eat~”

“!!”

Billy hurriedly ran to open the door.

“You, you…!”

“Oh my, did you miss me~?”

“I missed you so much… so much! Heueuk.”

Billy hugged Lilith without realizing it.

Lilith warmly embraced Billy.

“You’ve become a spoiled child in just one day~ Of course, I love this side of you too~ But should we go inside first?”

“Y-Yes…!”

Billy took Lilith’s hand and walked to the bed in the room.

It felt like he was being dragged by her.

Lilith sat on the bed and lightly tapped her thigh.

“Would you like to rest your head here?”

“…Is it okay?”

“Of course. You can lean on me as much as you want.”

Billy carefully lay down on the bed and rested his head on Lilith’s thigh.

He felt a subtle warmth and smelled a sweet fragrance.

Lilith’s fingertips gently stroked Billy’s hair.

“So… what were you thinking about last night?”

“…I kept thinking about you.”

“Oh my, have you fallen in love?”

“…I don’t know. But I keep having strange feelings without realizing it. A much bigger… feeling… than what I felt for Ian…”

“That could be love, it could be longing… or it could be both. There’s no need to deny any emotion. Because no matter how much you deny it, it will eventually explode.”

“Then… about what I said yesterday…”

Billy looked up at Lilith.

“That you seem like you could… what do you think about that…?”

Lilith smiled quietly.

She had read the desire that had surfaced in Billy’s eyes.

“Do you want to get closer to me?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you want to become mine?”

“Wa-Want to become…”

“Haa…”

Lilith’s hand caressed Billy’s cheek.

“But we can’t.”

“Why-Why…?”

Billy raised his upper body and faced Lilith.

“I like you. I want you.”

“I want you too, young master. But… I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Lilith slowly kissed Billy.

Then she stood up.

“This is the last time we’ll meet. I won’t come anymore. For the sake of the young master.”

“Wh-What do you mean for my sake. No… I told you. I want you. Let me stay by your side. If I could, I’d throw away everything I have…!”

Lilith, who was moving her feet, stopped abruptly at the door.

“…Ha.”

A low sigh escaped from her lips,

“I really can’t stand it…”

Horns appeared on her head, wings on her back, and a tail slowly emerged from her buttocks.

Her clothes had also changed into red leather attire.

Lilith turns around and approaches Billy again.

The sound of clacking heels.

A provocative walk.

“…Do you really want to be by my side?”

Lilith asked, leaning seductively.

With her fingertips lifting Billy’s chin.

Billy nodded.

“I-I want to be by your side…!”

“Are you sure? You’ll lose everything you have?”

“I-I don’t care…!”

“Good, then, I’ll make you my familiar as a special favor.”

“Thank you…!”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Retirement… I wanted to smoke again, but I fell asleep!

I hope you have a good day too!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
The perverted old man who stopped being human is giving human advice.

World is doomed, let’s just kill all living beings after all~