The school bell rang.

“That’s all for today,” the teacher at the podium said as he packed up his teaching materials. “There are only a few months left before graduation. I hope all of you are taking your futures seriously.”

“Ooh—” the students replied, their voices dragging out lazily.

For noble students, their futures were already more or less decided. Either get into a capital school and join the Church, or return home to inherit the family business.

As for Felyn, going home would only mean inheriting debt—so his only option was the first.

The issue of the dungeon was finally resolved for now. Being able to team up with Zervanie was a good thing.

Zervanie mostly used support-type Seals, which meant Felyn would get more opportunities to fight monsters head-on, helping him raise his Divine Affinity faster.

But that would only matter after passing the capital’s entrance exams.

If he couldn’t even get into a school in the capital, then no amount of Divine Affinity would help.

She had something to take care of tonight and had left early, after letting him know over lunch.

Felyn stood at the classroom door for a moment, backpack slung over his shoulder.

Something felt… off. Like he still hadn’t gotten used to this.

He rubbed his temples and stepped out of the school.

Tonight was Adelina’s scheduled contract time.

The noble lady who had just confessed her feelings to him… was probably feeling all kinds of emotions right now.

Shame, regret, frustration—maybe even anger.

Felyn could understand that feeling. Before he came to this world, he had once confessed to a classmate himself.

Not only did she reject him, she also bragged about it to others as if it were some kind of achievement. The whole class found out. He ended up isolating himself for quite a while.

That kind of pain stayed with you.

So even though he had turned Adelina down, he would never flaunt the fact that a noble lady like her had once liked him.

That would be cruel. Shameless.

He didn’t want Adelina to suffer through something like that.

If a client ended up emotionally wrecked because of him, that would reflect poorly on his professionalism.

On the way, he stopped by [Karin’s Witch], a dessert shop in Homhot, and used a limited-edition voucher from the elf clerk Milian.

“Want me to throw in something extra?” Milian asked with a mischievous grin, hands on her hips.

“Just the chef’s love, please. Hold all the actual toppings.”

“Let me guess. You fought with one of your girlfriends?”

“She’s not my girlfriend. And I don’t have multiple girlfriends, thank you.”

The pudding was ready quickly. It was the perfect treat to lift Adelina’s mood.

The lady loved desserts.

Every time she ate them, she would complain about gaining weight—while still happily taking bite after bite.

“Be careful tonight~” Milian called after him with a teasing tone.

Yeah, he did need to be careful—but not for the reason Milian imagined.

This would be Felyn’s first time facing a client who had just confessed to him.

He had no idea what kind of mood Adelina would be in.

Awkward silence? Passive-aggression? Open hostility?

He tried to mentally prepare for every possibility.

No matter her reaction, she was still his client. His job was to make sure she received satisfactory service, even if he had to grit his teeth through it.

Just before sunset, Felyn arrived at the gates of Adelina’s villa, right on time.

He looked up at the building he hadn’t visited in a while and took a deep breath.

Don’t think too much. Just do the job like always.

Warm and courteous—but keep your distance.

Ding dong—

The door opened almost instantly, as if someone had been waiting behind it the entire time.

Adelina stood there with her hair done in elegant princess braids, wearing a pale pink floral nightgown.

The V-neck at her chest looked like the most strained part of the entire outfit.

A pink silk ribbon tied at her left waist created a delicate bow, cinching her figure while keeping the design stylish.

“Felyn… you’re here.”

She didn’t meet his eyes. Her hand kept fidgeting with her hair. She looked nervous.

“Long time no see, Adelina. You look beautiful tonight.”

The moment he said it, he regretted it.

He’d just told himself to maintain boundaries, and yet his very first words were already too familiar.

What if she took it the wrong way?

He immediately saw the effect—Adelina raised her brows slightly, her fingers pausing mid-twist, and a look of subtle delight bloomed on her face.

“…Thank you. Come in.”

Her voice wrapped around him gently, like velvet.

“I got you a limited-edition pudding from [Karin’s Witch]. Not sure if it’s your favorite…”

He noticed her lips press tightly together, her eyes never even glanced at the pudding.

They were completely focused on him.

“I like it a lot.”

Felyn had no idea if she meant the pudding… or him.

She accepted it with both hands and placed it on the dining table.

While Felyn sat at the entryway, untying his shoes, he let out a small sigh of relief.

So far, so good.

At least there hadn’t been any explosive awkwardness like he feared.

He reached down to slip off his shoes—only to realize there were no guest slippers by the door.

Just as he was about to walk in barefoot, Adelina approached and opened the shoe cabinet.

“I got you a new pair. These are more comfortable.”

She pulled out a pair of slippers and crouched down beside him.

“Seraphiel brand?”

Since when did high-end luxury brands start making slippers?

Guess no business opportunity was beneath them.

“I just thought they looked nice. And they suit you.”

Adelina crouched in front of him, then gently helped him into the slippers.

“Adelina? I can do it myself—”

Felyn tried to stop her, but she was already slipping them on for him.

From where he sat, he had a clear view of her neckline.

They were close—so close that only a sliver of sunlight could fit between their eyes.

Her pale gray eyes met his fully for the first time.

It was like staring at a masterpiece in a museum—so stunning it stopped your breath, and when you looked again, you could feel the emotion hidden in every brushstroke.

“…Shall we have the pudding?”

Felyn blinked, pulling away from the moment before it got too charged.

He moved to the table, carefully unwrapped the pudding, and pushed it toward her.

Adelina looked at the pudding, then the utensils… and just sat there. Staring at him.

Alright. It was time for another round of “guess what the girl is thinking.”

Felyn considered the situation. There was only one explanation.

She wanted him to feed her.

He used to do that before she confessed. But now, that kind of gesture had to be avoided.

“Adelina, do you not like it?” he asked.

“…No. I’m just waiting for you to feed me.”

The words tumbled out of her mouth, and she froze in place, lips half-parted mid-sentence.

She’d grown used to his care. His attention.

But now, Felyn doesn't do those things anymore.

(End of Chapter)