episode_0030
by fnovelpia
30. Larcia’s Serpent
I was alone in the garden behind the lodging, sipping on a sweet drink.
Perhaps because spring was just around the corner, the air was pleasantly cool, yet the stars were as visible as they had been in winter.
The Milky Way stretched across the sky, while the earth was dotted with fresh blue flowers and a lake preparing for spring…
Hmm… I guess I’m just not cut out for the humanities.
But who says I have to think like a rigid science student all the time?
Even if it didn’t suit me, I indulged in a bit of literary sensibility—something I’d never experienced in my science-dominated life.
Still, Vivian kept surfacing in my mind like an unresolved knot.
“Just a one-night stand, right?”
The sex we had was probably nothing more than a fleeting dalliance for Vivian.
Why would a noblewoman from a ducal family be drawn to a commoner like me?
Sure, I was born with decent looks, but I was nowhere near the level of a peerless heartthrob.
Cecil’s half-brother, Cedric, was far more handsome, for starters.
On the way back to the lodging on horseback, there was no talk of dating, let alone marriage.
If anything, her expression was restless—like she was regretting something….
She even subtly signaled for me not to mention it in front of Erica.
“Wait, was I just used…? No, she was a virgin, and as a noble, maybe *I’m* the one who took advantage?”
I’ve never been in a relationship before—I don’t understand a woman’s heart.
Why did she seem so fearful after a night together?
Or if not that, why didn’t she establish us as a couple or engaged in front of Erica?
I must’ve just been a one-night plaything for Vivian.
It wasn’t heartbreaking enough to cry over, but my chest clenched uncomfortably.
I downed the rest of my now-bitter drink in one go.
As I admired the beautiful lake reflecting the moon and stars like a mirror…
A familiar voice called from behind.
“Moon as your companion, sharing a drink?”
Cecilia Larcia.
She had approached unnoticed and now sat beside me on the bench.
“It’s just a beverage.”
“You don’t drink?”
“Alcoh… I mean, alcohol messes with rational judgment.”
That’s why I rarely drank.
If it tasted good, maybe, but it’s bitter and unpleasant.
It’s not even addictive like smoking, so why bother?
Though, between writing papers… playing crafting games, and getting summoned by professors, I didn’t have time anyway….
Cecilia chuckled at my answer.
Her golden hair shimmered under the moonlight, more dazzling than usual.
“Perhaps your brilliant mind owes itself to abstaining from drink.”
“Maybe…?”
I merely replicated inventions from my original world—I’m no genius.
Still, back then, I wasn’t a genius either, but I *was* called a prodigy, so it’s not entirely wrong.
Smiling bitterly, I drained the last remnants of my drink.
Once finished, I stood to leave.
The blonde beauty beside me was captivating, but Erica had warned me about her.
A monster who seized her place as heir despite being illegitimate.
A schemer who manipulates with beauty and honeyed words.
A woman ruthless enough to discard anything for ambition.
And so, people called her:
{{Centered Break}}
Larcia’s Serpent
If I had Erica’s political prowess, maybe I’d challenge her…
But that’s not my field, and wallowing in gloom made thinking tedious.
Just as I tried to leave, Cecilia grabbed my sleeve.
“A truly intelligent man wouldn’t waste this conversation.”
“I’m fine.”
“What if Erica, ever the eccentric, discards talent like yours?
I might reluctantly take you in.
Impress me, and I could elevate you to great heights.”
“Then I’d retire to the countryside and farm.”
My reply left Cecilia momentarily blank.
Then, as if hearing a joke, she giggled elegantly.
“Truly a rare talent.
No interest in politics—how refreshing. No ambition—nonthreatening.
Modest yet outstanding… You’re precisely the treasure Erica calls you.”
The gilding began anew.
I bowed slightly to excuse myself, but she wouldn’t relent.
Cecilia clung to me with unsettling persistence.
“Leaving so soon?”
“I have work to return to…”
“Surely you wouldn’t lie to a marquis’s noble?”
Tch… Busted.
Power tilted scales in her favor.
Reluctantly, I sat back down as she directed.
“Your piano skill was remarkable. Any ambitious, self-aggrandizing ruler would covet it.”
“Right…”
Cecilia interlocked her fingers with mine like a lover, ensuring I wouldn’t flee.
Golden eyes gleaming, she asked:
“Could you make one for me?”
Had this been our first meeting…
Back when I was defenseless against women…
A politician gilding temptation to extract secrets…
Unaware of *Larcia’s Serpent*, I might’ve promised a piano outright.
But I was different now.
I refused to hurt Erica, and Vivian sucking me six times had left me unusually logical.
My second brain—my utterly exhausted balls—kept reason intact.
So I bowed apologetically and firmly declined.
“Please direct piano inquiries to Lady Erica.”
A refusal that practically begged for folded-hands emojis and a DM.
It could’ve been insulting, but Cecilia seemed delighted.
“Even your loyalty is remarkable.”
A misconception.
If I slipped up, Erica would drag it out during my resignation. Best to tread carefully.
But since it wasn’t a bad assumption, I let her believe it.
Left to ponder, Cecilia fell silent before extending an offer.
“What if we struck a deal?”
“A deal?”
I’d normally refuse outright.
But hearing her out shifted my stance slightly.
“Promise me a piano, and I’ll share information invaluable to your liege.”
A tempting proposal.
Helping Erica meant building merit—strong leverage for future negotiations.
Plus, pianos aren’t hard to make if you grasp the mechanics.
Needing hinges for keys and precise wire production akin to 3D printing was a hurdle…
Eventually, pianos *would* export.
Reverse-engineering was inevitable.
Might as well trade it proactively…
“Hehe… A trade borne of goodwill for dear Erica.
Though I *do* crave favor with heaven-sent talents like you.”
I eyed her skeptically.
Still, it seemed win-win for Erica and me.
Consulting Erica would’ve been ideal, but Cecilia wouldn’t let me go…
Finally, I nodded.
“Very well. I’ll make you a piano.”
“Wise choice. What I share will aid your liege greatly.”
Cecilia gripped my shoulder, leaning in.
Her nearing face overlapped with Vivian’s surprise kiss.
I reflexively shut my eyes—but she didn’t kiss me.
Instead, she whispered in my ear:
“The emperor will visit you tomorrow.”
“What?”
My mind blanked.
However young or politically sidelined…
The conqueror of a vast empire—supreme above kings—was coming for *me*?
Why?
What the *fuck*? I’m just a commoner, but the scale keeps escalating.
Stunned, I stared up at Cecilia.
“You may tell Erica. She’ll surmise the rest.”
“…….”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
Dropping this bombshell casually, she turned away, smirking.
Now *I* was the one desperate to cling.
Wasn’t *she* the one pestering *me* earlier?
Why even tell me this?
Questions swirled chaotically in my head.
“Ah, one last service.”
Turning back, Cecilia smiled sweetly.
“You’d best craft a weapon. Something to protect yourself.”
With that advice, she left without hesitation.
Her departure left my thoughts in turmoil.
How did things end up like this?
I just wanted to farm peacefully in the countryside.
Then Erica forcibly recruited me into labor exploitation, tying me to nobles.
I attended gatherings of ruling aristocrats and performed elementary piano for crowds.
I even fucked a former ducal heir—my boss’s sister.
Now the *emperor* wants me?
“I’m fucked.”
Why does this keep happening to a commoner?
Should I get an exorcism…?
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