CHAPTER 215: COLD WELCOME

Serena’s father stared at me with piercing, ice-cold eyes. His expression was unreadable, but the overwhelming aura of a protective father who was clearly upset about his daughter coming home late was impossible to ignore. I could feel cold sweat forming on my back as if I were standing before a firing squad. His presence alone was suffocating—like the silent fury of a winter storm.

Slowly, with a deep, authoritative voice, he spoke.

"Serena... You told me you’d be home by 7 PM. Do you realize it’s already past 10? Where have you been? And who is this man?"

The weight of his gaze shifted to me, and it felt like being judged by a god of ice.

Serena immediately stepped forward, her voice slightly trembling but still trying to maintain composure.

"I—I was hungry, so we decided to have dinner outside. That’s why I came home late..." She paused for a moment and then looked toward me, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Father... this is Naoki von Blackmore. A hero from House Blackmore. We were classmates at the academy, and now we’ll be fighting together on the battlefield."

Her explanation, while calm, did little to ease the storm building behind her father’s glare. His aura grew colder, sharper, more lethal. I could almost see the frost forming in the air around him.

Then, with a voice barely above a whisper, Serena added shyly, "And... he’s also my boyfriend. We just started dating tonight."

There it was. The bombshell.

She continued nervously, "Naoki, this is my father—Sieg von Winterfell."

At that moment, the cold magic surrounding him flared up. Veins bulged on his face and neck as magical energy poured from him. It felt like a glacier had just erupted in the room.

Ah. So this is how I die.

Then, he stepped forward slightly and said in a deep voice filled with tension and disbelief:

"Is that true, young man? You are the partner... of my daughter?"

I hesitated, frozen not just by his magic, but by the sheer pressure of facing a protective father. But I quickly clenched my fist. No—I had to be brave. I couldn’t run from this. I loved Serena. I truly did. And if I ever wanted to be part of her life, I had to be honest and face her family head-on.

I straightened my posture and declared, voice firm:

"Yes. I, Naoki von Blackmore, am Serena’s partner. It’s an honor to meet you, Sieg-sama—ah, I mean, father-in-law."

Dead. I was absolutely dead. I could feel the temperature drop to freezing.

The moment I accidentally called him "father-in-law," Sieg-sama vanished. Literally disappeared from Serena’s side. A snowstorm erupted instantly. The maids screamed and scattered, running for their lives.

I knew this skill.

"No way... It’s that magic?!"

I activated my skill, [Eclipse Foresight], giving me the ability to sense mana and detect hidden presences. Sure enough—he was behind me, ready to strike with his sword.

[Winter Mirage]—an illusionary technique using ice magic to hide one’s form. Serena had used it once before. Like father, like daughter, huh?

Serena shouted, desperate to stop him, but it was too late. His sword was coming straight for me.

I quickly countered with [Blackmore Katana Style: Kuroi Tsubame], forming a dark purple aura blade around my arm and parrying his attack. Sparks flew as steel met steel—or rather, magic met magic.

Sieg-sama didn’t stop. He kept attacking with relentless precision, testing me, pushing me. I blocked each strike and carefully stepped back toward the entrance—toward Serena.

Then he cast [Winter Embrace]. The snow thickened. My legs were caught. Ice began creeping up my body, binding me from my feet to my waist. I was slowing down, starting to freeze.

Serena screamed, "Father, stop!!" Panic was clear in her voice.

But I remained calm. I had a plan.

Activating [Blessing of Ice and Water], I gained temporary control over the elements of ice and water. The freezing magic around me shattered in a flash of light, melting into harmless mist. The cold no longer affected me.

Gasps filled the air.

Even Serena looked shocked. I hadn’t used any of my signature dark magic. I had matched her father’s power—on his own battlefield.

I walked slowly, confidently, until I stood before Serena once more.

Then, without hesitation, I dropped to one knee, bowed deeply, and said:

"Please forgive my rudeness. I realize I’ve caused Serena to return late and that I didn’t show proper decorum in meeting you, Sieg-sama. I accept full responsibility."

The atmosphere shifted. Suddenly, the snow disappeared. The killing aura vanished. I looked up and saw Sieg-sama, now standing beside Serena again, as if he had never moved.

He stared down at me for a moment, then said calmly:

"At least you know how to apologize and take responsibility. That’s a start."

Relief washed over me.

But then, he raised an eyebrow, leaned in slightly, and growled:

"Still... I must ask. Are you absolutely sure

the two of you only had dinner tonight? You didn’t do anything... inappropriate, did you?!"

Serena gasped. "F-Father! What kind of question is that?!" Her face was now as red as a tomato.

I, too, panicked. My mind scrambled.

We hadn’t done anything... right? Wait—wait, we only kissed. Once. No—twice? A long kiss... maybe a little too long...

Wait, is that considered inappropriate?!

My face turned ghostly pale. I couldn’t answer. Sieg-sama noticed my hesitation. His eyes narrowed, and suddenly, his aura flared up again.

"You little—!!" He raised his fist.

I accepted my fate.

But before he could land the blow, a heavy bonk! echoed through the hall.

BAM!

A wooden staff had landed squarely on Sieg-sama’s head.

Everything went silent. Even the snow froze in mid-air.

A woman walked into view, wielding a broom like a weapon of divine judgment.

"It’s already late. People are trying to sleep. Stop causing a scene, you foolish man."

It was Serena’s mother.

She looked to be in her late 40s, elegant yet fierce, with features strikingly similar to Serena, though her hair was cut short. The aura she carried wasn’t magical—but maternal and commanding.

Even Sieg-sama froze. He rubbed his head, muttering something under his breath like a scolded child.

I remained kneeling.

Sonia von Winterfell, Serena’s mother, held a broom with the fury of a general disciplining her troops. She kept smacking Sieg-sama on the head again and again, making the once-fearsome patriarch of House Winterfell look utterly helpless and pitiful.

Thwack!Thwack!Thwack!

Each hit chipped away at his imposing image. I almost felt sorry for the man... almost.

Ah... what a unique family, I thought. Now I know where Serena gets her courage and fiery spirit from.

Serena turned toward me, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I-I’m really sorry about this, Naoki... my parents are just... like this." She gave me a sheepish smile, clearly mortified.

Sonia finally finished her barrage. Sieg-sama now lay on the ground, utterly defeated, his sword fallen from his hand and his once-proud posture reduced to that of a scolded child. His cool, intimidating image had been shattered in a matter of seconds.

Sonia dusted her hands and turned to me with a warm, charming smile.

"I heard everything, dear. Nice to finally meet you—Naoki von Blackmore, wasn’t it? I’m Serena’s mother, Sonia von Winterfell. Please forgive my foolish husband. He tends to overreact, especially when it comes to our daughter, ahaha~"

She laughed heartily, the kind of laugh that could melt away tension.

She had a completely different aura than her husband—more casual, more open. The kind of mother who scolds with love but doesn’t hesitate to put her foot down.

"N-No, it’s quite alright, Sonia-sama," I replied, bowing respectfully. "Besides... I take full responsibility. I shouldn’t have brought Serena back so late."

She waved it off like it was nothing.

"Oh, nonsense. What’s done is done. But it’s very late already. Were you planning to head back home now? Why don’t you stay the night? We have plenty of spare rooms!" she offered brightly.

My eyes widened in surprise.

Stay... the night?

I hadn’t expected that. I was still recovering from being almost killed by Serena’s father, and now her mother was casually inviting me to sleep under the same roof?

I looked at Serena instinctively. She met my gaze shyly, her cheeks turning pink. Then, without saying a word, she gave a soft nod—an unspoken sign of approval.

I felt my heart pound in my chest.

"U-uh... If it’s not too much trouble, I would be honored to accept," I finally answered, trying to hide my flustered state.

Sonia beamed.

"Wonderful! The maids will guide you to your room. Please rest well. Tomorrow morning, we’ll have breakfast together—and we’ll introduce ourselves properly as a family."

She then turned to Serena with a slight smirk.

"Serena, you should get some rest too. She came back earlier and is already asleep."

She?

That piqued my curiosity. Who was Sonia referring to? Another family member? But I didn’t want to ask too many questions tonight. My brain was already overwhelmed.

"Thank you, Sonia-sama. Good night."

"Good night, Naoki." She said it sweetly as she walked away, dragging her unconscious husband by the collar like a sack of potatoes.

Serena giggled watching the whole scene unfold. She then began preparing to retire to her own room.

But before she left, she leaned close to me and whispered mischievously in my ear:

"Good night, Naoki... try not to attack me in my sleep~"

I froze.

My brain short-circuited.

Her words, her voice, that playful tone—it all triggered very inappropriate images in my head. I pictured Serena in her pajamas, crawling into bed, maybe even—

No no no no no—bad brain!

I quickly covered my face and muttered, "I-I would never do anything improper like that!"

Serena laughed softly at my flustered reaction and waved me goodnight before ascending the staircase to the upper floor.

Still dazed, I was then led by a pair of quiet, expressionless maids to my room. It was at the far end of the first floor, isolated and quiet.

When they opened the door, I blinked.

Huh? This is...

The room was small. Very small. It didn’t look like a guest room. In fact, it looked more like a storage room—or possibly one of the maids’ quarters.

Was this... punishment from Sieg-sama? Or did the maids just hate me?

I didn’t have the energy to ask. At this point, I was just grateful I wasn’t sleeping in the garden.

I sighed, laid down on the surprisingly firm bed, and stared up at the ceiling.

What a night...

From a romantic dinner with Serena, to a life-or-death duel with her father, to an invitation from her surprisingly chill mother, and now sleeping in the maid’s closet... my emotions had been through a rollercoaster.

Still... despite everything, my heart was warm.

...

I tried to sleep.

The room was quiet, the lights dim, and the distant hum of winter wind outside the window was oddly calming. But just as I was drifting off, something stirred deep within my consciousness.

Suddenly—

"Ughhh!! That punch from Amelia... I felt it all the way into the system realm! What kind of monster is she?!"

A familiar voice echoed in my head.

Envi. The system was back online.

He sounded disoriented, and more than a little annoyed.

"Hey—wait a minute. Nao?! Where the hell are we? This isn’t your bedroom!" He shouted, sounding thoroughly confused.

"I’m... at the Winterfell mansion," I answered flatly, trying to suppress a sigh. "I’m staying the night here."

"WHAT?! HOW?! WHY?! NO WAY!!" Envi’s screech bounced through my brain like an alarm bell. "Nao, start talking—NOW!"

His shrill voice made it impossible to rest. Reluctantly, I sat up in bed and began recounting everything that had happened: from confessing to Serena, to our magical first dinner together, to getting invited to spend the night after facing off against her very scary

father, and then her mom offering me a room.

Before long, Runa—my familiar—also stirred from her slumber.

"Hm? Master... what’s going on? I want to hear the story too..." she said, her voice still sleepy but filled with curiosity.

And so, for the next few minutes, I told them both everything. Every moment, every embarrassing detail, every emotion I felt that night.

When I was done, there was silence in my mind.

Then—

"YOU BASTARD, NAO!!" Envi exploded, sounding both jealous and outraged. "You were out there having the time of your life while I was unconscious?! UNBELIEVABLE!"

"Oh shut up, you glitchy brat!" I snapped back."I only got into this mess because of the chaos you caused in front of Amelia! You have no right to complain!"

There was a long pause. Then Envi laughed.

"HAHAHA, okay, okay! Fair point. That was on me. But seriously, Nao..."

His tone suddenly shifted into something more playful. Dangerous.

"...are you stupid or just innocent? This is the perfect opportunity, you know!"

I blinked, confused. "What... opportunity?"

"Don’t play dumb!" Envi’s voice oozed mischief.

"This is your chance to sneak into Serena’s room and snuggle up next to her! Just imagine it... lying beside that beautiful girl, her soft breath, her gentle warmth... Ahhh~ how romantic!"

He even added a smug emoji in my head.

"E-Envi... that’s inappropriate!" I protested.

"...But it does sound interesting, Master..." Runa chimed in softly, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Wha—?! You too, Runa?! What is wrong with you two?!"

I buried my face in the pillow, trying to will away the blush rapidly spreading across my cheeks. But the image had already formed in my head.

Serena... in her pajamas... maybe hugging a pillow... her soft hair brushing against mine... her breathing, peaceful and calm...

No. No. No. NO! BAD THOUGHTS!

But...

I couldn’t lie to myself. A part of me did want that. I wanted to hold her. To feel her warmth. To sleep with her in my arms.

"Ahem..." I muttered under my breath."I take back what I said. Let’s... hear your plan, Envi-sama."

Envi burst out laughing in delight.

"Now that’s what I like to hear! Alright, soldier—Operation: Cuddle Raid is now in begin!"

[MISSION NOTIFICATION!!]

Cuddle Raid Mission!

1. Sneak into Serena’s room and sleep with her.

Reward: Goddess Point 10

Penalty: If you got caught, you will be executed by Sieg von Winterfell.

--

Damn Envi! I have no choice but to do this!

...

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