Chapter 66: The Night the Lilies Bloomed

A few moments earlier—Inn Hallway.

In the dimly lit hallway outside Eve’s room, a lone figure emerged from the shadows.

Sua.

A mischievous smile played on her lips as she approached the door.

Just as her fingertips were about to tap against the wooden surface.

“Sua.”

A quiet voice echoed through the hallway.

Startled, Sua turned her head.

Standing there was Harp.

And right beside her, Liel silently stepped into view.

“Huh?”

Sua smirked as she glanced at the two.

“So, you guys came too?”

Harp crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Sua.

Liel, on the other hand, hesitated. She averted her gaze slightly, but the tips of her ears had turned faintly red.

For a moment, the three of them simply stared at each other, wordlessly.

Yet, no one asked.

Why are you here?

There was no need to.

They already knew.

And then.

Nod.

In perfect sync, the three of them nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Sua, her grin widening, reached into her coat and pulled out a book.

She tapped her fingers playfully against its rich leather cover.

“The Day the Lilies Bloomed.”

A teasing smile lingered on her lips, but her eyes remained serious.

Harp, still with her arms crossed, studied her silently.

She didn’t say a word.

But Sua knew exactly what she was thinking.

“You’re about to do something reckless again, aren’t you?”

She could almost hear it.

In response, Sua simply shrugged playfully.

Instead of answering, she pointed to the book.

Harp’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then, with a small sigh, she gave a brief nod.

At that moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Liel quietly observed the two before hesitantly stepping forward.

Sua glanced at her but didn’t ask anything aloud.

“You think the same, don’t you?”

As if answering, Liel slowly nodded.

Her cheeks had taken on a faint pink hue, but her gaze was filled with determination.

No more words were needed.

The three of them were already aligned in their goal.

Tapping her fingers once more against the book’s leather cover, Sua glanced toward the door.

Eve’s room.

It was time to go inside and drag her into this.

They exchanged glances once more.

And without a word, they nodded in perfect sync.

As if this had all been decided long ago.

Back to the present.

I sat on the bed, staring in bewilderment at the three girls still holding down my arms and legs.

In their hands.

“The Day the Lilies Bloomed.”

And then, Sua’s final words echoed ominously in my ears.

“Tonight, Teacher, you’re joining us for something bad.”

…Something bad?

My eyes widened.

“Wait—what do you mean by bad?”

Harp, still gripping my wrist, gave a sidelong glance at Sua.

Liel, her face noticeably red, didn’t avert her gaze this time.

“B-Bad? What do you mean by bad?”

I asked again, my voice slightly unsteady.

Sua, taking her time, simply stared at me.

Then, her lips curled into a mischievous grin.

“…And that is—!”

Sua dramatically dragged out her words, heightening the tension, before her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Staying up late, eating midnight snacks, and reading a novel together!”

I stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

“…What?”

Harp let out a small sigh and muttered.

“Still too early for the real show.”

Liel giggled softly and added.

“Yes, we’re just reading a book together for fun.”

I blinked.

“…You called that ‘something bad’?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Seeing my reaction, Sua burst into laughter, looking even more thrilled.

“So? Doesn’t it sound fun? Staying up late and reading together!”

“Fine, fine… If you really want to, let’s just do it.”

Not like I had much of a choice, considering I was still restrained.

The moment I gave in, the girls cheered.

“Yay! Teacher’s in!”

“Alright, let’s begin!”

Harp held up the book, “The Day the Lilies Bloomed.”

I stared at the cover, feeling a strange sense of unease.

The design was oddly elegant—wrapped in intricate gold detailing, with delicate rose vines twining around the title.

As Harp flipped through the pages, she remarked.

“This isn’t just an ordinary novel. It’s actually a really unique story.”

Liel clutched the book to her chest, her cheeks tinged pink.

“It’s a bit… romantic. But I thought it would be nice to read together with Teacher.”

At that moment, a faint sense of danger crept over me.

“…Wait a second. Don’t tell me this is—”

But before I could even finish, Sua had already flipped to the first page and started reading aloud.

“Alright, everyone, focus! We’re starting from the very first chapter!”

I had no time to stop them.

And so, the story unfolded—

—The young girl, Hawa, was always a quiet child.

—But the women around her could never leave her alone.

—Her delicate, lovely presence made everyone yearn to keep her all to themselves.

I knew this was a mistake.

The moment the story began, the girls finally let go of me.

Seizing the opportunity, I immediately sat up straight.

“…What is this?”

Harp, wearing the expression of someone analyzing an important document, studied the book seriously.

“Hm. So rather than just one, multiple people have feelings for the protagonist.”

Liel, cheeks flushed, murmured under her breath.

“…A true yuri harem…”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

“And why, exactly, are we reading this together?”

Sua, completely ignoring my distress, eagerly flipped to the next page.

“Alright, next page! This is where it gets really good!”

— “My lady, you look as radiant as ever today.”

The noblewoman, Harpel, gently took Hawa’s hand.

— “My heart will always belong to you.”

— In response, Hawa blushed and averted her gaze.

I froze.

“Okay, wait. This is really weird.”

Harp, resting her chin in her palm, mused thoughtfully.

“Hm… Maybe because the protagonist is the quiet type, it makes everyone else more aggressive.”

Liel, her face still red, looked both embarrassed and intrigued.

“…I like it…”

I stared at them in disbelief.

“You do realize that there’s absolutely no reason for me to be here, right?!”

But Sua, grinning ear to ear, continued flipping through the pages, completely unfazed.

“But isn’t it way more fun reading it together?”

…That was it.

I gave up.

Pulling my blanket over my head, I resigned myself to my fate.

However, the whispers of the book’s dialogue only grew more intense.

— “Hawa, just looking at you makes me happy.”

— Suael, her childhood friend, ran her fingers through Hawa’s hair, whispering softly—

— “Stay by my side forever.”

…This was torture.

I shouted again, pointing at the book.

“This is definitely a harem story!”

Sua, completely thrilled, nodded enthusiastically.

“Yep! A yuri harem! Isn’t it beautiful?!”

“WHY ARE WE READING THIS TOGETHER?!”

I screamed into my blanket, unable to comprehend how I got into this situation.

Sua, completely ignoring my suffering, grinned as she flipped the page.

“Oh, but this is where it really gets good, Teacher. The real part starts on this next—”

Right before she could continue, Liel suddenly snatched the book, her face bright red.

“W-Wait! Isn’t this a bit too soon?! Teacher doesn’t even know yet…!”

Harp, who had been silent, calmly crossed her arms and spoke.

“……I agree. Teacher is still too young for something like this.”

I reacted immediately.

“EXCUSE ME?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A CHILD?! I’M AN ADULT!”

My pride took a massive hit.

Without thinking, I kicked off my blanket, shot up from the bed, and snatched the book right out of Liel’s hands.

“What’s so bad that you guys have to hide it from me?!”

Ignoring their protests, I opened the book and started reading.

— Lien pulled Hawa into a secluded alleyway.

— “Hawa, why have you been avoiding me lately?”

— Hawa pressed herself against the wall, hands clutching her chest.

— “Lien… you’re too close…!”

I froze.

“…Wait. W-why is there a wall slam scene…?”

And then, as I continued reading.

—I got completely absorbed in the next part.

— Lien’s hand slowly trailed down the curve of Hawa’s waist.

— “…Hawa, you’re trembling.”

— Hawa, her face tense, averted her gaze—but Lien’s touch did not stop.

I lost all words.

— Her fingertips slowly… ever so slowly… traced downward, gliding toward Hawa’s lower.

I turned the page, my breathing subtly hitching.

“…This is seriously dangerous.”

And yet, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Just as I was completely absorbed in the novel’s contents—

—I failed to notice.

Behind me, the three culprits were exchanging glances and sneaking out of the room.

Sua, grinning, whispered under her breath.

“Mission accomplished.”

Harp, lips curled into a small smile, quietly shut the door.

“The book has successfully captured Teacher’s full attention.”

Liel hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the door with slight concern.

But in the end, she followed them out.

And just like that.

The room was left with only one person.

Me.

—Cheeks burning bright red, clutching the book tightly in my hands, completely unable to stop reading.