Ch.218Side Story: Share the Chocolate

“Have you returned, my lord.”

Right after Christine had fled into the forest, blasting a huge hole in the mansion wall, Serena appeared from around the corner of the hallway. She looked at the destroyed wall and immediately clicked her tongue in disapproval.

‘What’s going on? Did they coordinate this or something?’

If not, the timing couldn’t possibly be this perfect. What were they all doing that made three people appear one after another without their paths crossing even once?

“Yes. I’m back, Serena. What were you doing that made you appear here?”

“Nothing in particular, my lord. Were you safe?”

“As you can see. Though I suppose I can’t always say that anymore.”

“Then I am relieved.”

Despite seeing the wall Christine had smashed, Serena merely frowned and clicked her tongue, showing no particular reaction. Well, what’s a hole in a wall to these children? They’re capable of tearing holes not just in walls but in space itself.

Thinking that I should make Christine perform a miracle or whatever to repair the destroyed mansion later, I opened the door and entered my room.

Serena followed me into the room.

“…?”

“…?”

When I looked at her, Serena tilted her head and met my gaze.

“Is there a problem, my lord?”

“Um… not particularly?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Serena said that and closed the door. Somehow, we ended up alone in the room. The whole sequence flowed so naturally it seemed as if she had practiced it.

The old inflexible and rigid Serena could never have dreamed of acting this way.

“Well then… since you’re here, take this at least.”

Since she had already come in, it seemed a bit harsh to send her away, so I opened my bag and handed her a box of chocolates from inside. I tossed the now-emptied bag onto the bed.

“My lord, what is this?”

“Chocolate. You like sweet things, don’t you?”

Serena slowly nodded her head up and down. Perhaps feeling embarrassed by the action, her cheeks and ears turned bright red. I’m not sure why liking sweet things would be something to be embarrassed about.

“I bought these to give to all of you. This one is your share, so take it.”

“Th-thank you, my lord.”

Serena hurriedly approached me and received the chocolate box as if it were a sacred treasure. Unlike the other two who had received it earlier, she carefully unwrapped and opened the box as soon as it was in her hands.

Olivia had immediately placed her box into a subspace composed of black mana, and Christine had likewise used her holy power to perform an eternal miracle to preserve hers forever.

Unless I gave them a hint to eat it, those boxes would probably remain in that state for hundreds or thousands of years.

Unlike those two, Serena had a personality that allowed her to enjoy my gift as a gift itself. She knew that even if she consumed my gift here, there would be opportunities to receive other gifts.

It wasn’t that Olivia and Christine’s actions were wrong, and I had no intention of scolding them, but if you give food as a gift, isn’t it better if it’s eaten right away?

After opening the box, Serena picked up one of the chocolates arranged in five rows of two with trembling hands. It was a round chocolate wrapped in white packaging.

Of the ten chocolates, half were wrapped in white and the other half in black. The white packaging was for white chocolate and the black for dark chocolate, if I remembered correctly.

The knot binding the chocolate and the rest of the outer packaging were cut into invisible pieces by her mana-infused fingernails. Instantly, the pure white chocolate was revealed.

Her slender fingers carefully picked up the white chocolate and slipped it between her slightly parted cherry-colored lips. Her lips closed, and her fingers withdrew.

“Is it good?”

“Yes, my lord. It’s delic— *cough* *ahem*. Yes, it is, my lord.”

Serena’s eyes sparkled as she tried to nod, but she seemed to barely regain her composure, her face turning bright red.

“Don’t just stand there, sit down and eat.”

I patted the spot next to me. Serena, holding the chocolate box in her hands, quietly approached and sat down on the bed beside me.

In the past, she would have refused, saying how could she dare do such a thing as a knight.

I wasn’t sure if her judgment was clouded by the sweet chocolate or if Serena had become a bit more relaxed in character. I hoped it was the latter.

“My lord.”

“What?”

“…Thank you for the gift.”

I was about to wave off her thanks and tell her to just eat more, when I suddenly realized that the voice offering thanks sounded different from Serena’s usual tone, so I turned my head.

My judgment was correct.

Serena’s face was as red as a ripe tomato about to burst, and she was struggling to contain her embarrassment as she thanked me. It was a completely different appearance from her usual self.

In the past, she would have delivered such thanks with an expressionless face and curt tone. Why feel embarrassment when conveying the truth?

But the current Serena was different. She was desperately trying to suppress her embarrassment while making an effort to convey her feelings to me. Seeing that made me think that Serena had finally grown up.

She had finally developed emotions befitting a young woman of twenty-four.

‘…Wait, is twenty-four still considered young?’

I briefly wondered about that, but soon dismissed it from my mind. My own age was already in the four digits, so twenty-four was definitely young.

Filled with fondness and pride, I vigorously ruffled Serena’s hair.

Serena accepted my touch without minding that her hair was becoming a complete mess—no, rather, she seemed to enjoy it even more. Her eyebrows trembled with joy.

“My lord.”

“I’m listening.”

“Um… if… if you don’t mind…”

With trembling hands, Serena picked up another chocolate and began unwrapping it. This time, instead of cutting it finely with mana, she delicately peeled off the wrapper one fold at a time.

Then, holding it gently between her thumb and middle finger, she extended it toward me.

“Would you… eat this with me…?”

Now it was my turn to be dumbfounded.

Whatever change of heart had occurred while I was away, Serena was now offering to share food with me while being extremely embarrassed.

Yes, embarrassment was the key.

Serena had always offered to share whenever I bought desserts, but this was the first time she had extended something while being so shy.

Until now, she had always offered things mechanically, as if it were simply the natural thing to do.

‘What exactly happened?’

Olivia was almost the same as usual, but Christine had suddenly started masturbating with my finger, and now Serena was experiencing the emotion of embarrassment.

Something clearly happened while I was gone, but I couldn’t begin to guess what kind of dramatic change could have caused this.

“My lord…?”

As I was lost in thought, Serena called out to me in a voice that seemed to tremble with anxiety. Her voice brought my consciousness back to reality. I needed to focus on Serena right now.

I opened my mouth and took the chocolate placed between her thumb and middle finger entirely into my mouth. Serena’s fingers were also drawn into my mouth, but I didn’t mind. Serena probably wouldn’t mind either.

If anything, she might even like it. It was somewhat intentional on my part.

As I placed the chocolate on my tongue and pulled my face back, a transparent liquid coated Serena’s fingers. Serena stared at that transparent liquid with eyes full of excitement.

“It’s delicious. Thank you, Serena.”

“This is my lord’s… ah, it’s… nothing.”

Serena stared at her fingers covered in my saliva with the same dreamy eyes as Christine, then at my words, she let out a gasp, came to her senses, blushed, and averted her gaze.

“W-well then, my lord! I’ll be going now!”

“Alright, take care.”

Serena slammed the door shut as she ran out. Even in that moment, she somehow managed to control her strength. If she had closed it with all her might, it wouldn’t have ended with just a loud noise.

I flopped down on the bed. For some reason, I had been meeting all four of them in sequence. The only one left was Charlotte. I took out the last remaining box from the bag I had thrown on the bed and placed it on the bed.

I had my doubts, but sometimes the unlikely does happen.

“Haah, haaah…”

Serena flew back to her room in the mansion, buried her face in her pillow, and pounded the bed. She controlled her strength, of course. Otherwise, it wouldn’t end with just destroying the mansion.

“My lord, my lord, my lord, my lord…”

At the thought of soon being able to share a bed with her lord, she had become unreasonably excited and done something ridiculous. She felt like her head might explode from embarrassment right now.

While most of the emotions dominating her mind were embarrassment, a small portion of another feeling remained.

Happiness.

When her lord gave her a gift, when her lord took the chocolate she offered with his mouth, when she saw her lord’s saliva remaining on her finger—she felt an indescribable happiness.

It was a satisfaction of a completely different dimension from any joy she had felt before. She didn’t understand why she felt this emotion, but one thing was certain:

Surely, the emotion she would feel next would be far more incredible.

“…”

Serena silently got up and stood in front of her wardrobe. She opened it. Inside was an outfit she had chosen with careful consideration to seduce her lord.

“…This should do it.”

There was a rustle as fabric came undone.