After the incident with Ian.
Lina Rosewell’s preferences had changed significantly.
From her s*xual preferences to her minor habits.
There were so many changes that it was difficult to list them all.
One of those changes was preferring a dark environment over a sunlit room.
A dark room with blackout curtains.
Lina reached out and turned on her Kirtos terminal.
[Ian]: Please come to the club room by 7 AM tomorrow.
[Lina]: Sure, I’ll be there!
It was the Kirtos message she received from Ian yesterday.
Now it was five o’clock, so she had about two hours left.
Lina Rosewell held the terminal with Ian’s message against her chest and waited for time to pass.
Thump. Thump.
Her heart beat faster whenever she thought of Ian.
No.
It seemed like her heart only beat when she thought of Ian.
Since that day when Ian scolded her harshly and fought with her while she was contaminated by the blue mushroom, her thoughts about Ian had only deepened.
No matter how much she struggled to break free, she couldn’t shake off the memory of those thick arms and veins that felt endlessly strong.
Her heart thumped so hard that eventually her body would heat up.
At first, she interpreted the excitement as simply Ian helping her break out of her kind persona and grow.
But that excitement alone didn’t explain why her body felt hot.
When she asked a friend who was experienced in romance, pretending it was about someone else, the friend replied:
— Maybe it’s like when someone slaps you for the first time! Isn’t it that kind of effect? Lina, everyone always treated you with a smile. They can’t help but smile when they see you.
“Could that really be it?”
It made sense.
The way Ian looked at her coldly, his gaze was chillier and more bone-chilling than eternal snow.
That chill eventually made Lina reflect on herself and helped her break out of her mold.
In the end, it always came back to the conclusion that Ian was incredibly precious to her, no matter what.
That’s why she wanted to have him.
His gaze.
His breath.
His gestures.
His rough touch.
She wanted them so much that she would settle for even a small part, even if it meant sharing him with someone else.
She felt that way just yesterday.
“Danya smelled like Ian.”
Danya, who had come to her dorm room at night. Even while listening to her story, Lina couldn’t stand the smell of Ian on her.
What had they been doing together so late at night?
She kept fidgeting with her toes and blushing, which made it clear they had made some progress.
But it didn’t seem like they had kissed or gone further.
— Um… Is it better to close your eyes when you kiss?
Judging by her questions about how to kiss and what to do next, it was obvious.
Even while answering her, Lina couldn’t help but be envious of Danya.
If only she had even a slight chance like that.
Lina fiddled with the handkerchief around her neck.
The only thing Ian had ever given her.
She buried her nose in the handkerchief and sniffed.
The scent of him, which she had managed to capture on it, was now fading away.
“… I can’t keep relying on this forever.”
It had been weeks since she had been holding back. Just yesterday, she had found herself hugging Danya, pretending to comfort her, but actually searching for traces of Ian on her.
The guilt was immense, but she couldn’t stop.
“It would be better if Danya and Ian just went to sleep.”
Lina had many rivals she had to overcome to win Ian.
The first was Danya.
A pure girl who even Lina, a girl herself, wanted to stroke and sometimes playfully tease.
She formed a strategic alliance with Danya.
Danya, like Lina, lacked confidence with men, and at the same time, was so desperate to have Ian that she didn’t mind sharing him if it came to that.
The agreement was that if Danya took the first spot, Lina would aim for the second.
Danya was an ally in this battle.
Therefore, the next serious competitor was the following person.
Second, Silvia Laurent.
The esteemed lady of the Laurent Trading Company, which had a significant influence in Lichten and its surrounding areas. The term “lady” was not wasted on her, as she was elegant, graceful, sophisticated, and dignified.
Her hair, which was a blend of silver and gold, flowed smoothly. Her light purple eyes resembled precious gemstones. Her sleek figure looked stunning in fashionable clothes.
Previously, Lina hadn’t noticed, but after gaining interest in “femininity,” Silvia seemed even more impressive.
“… But I have an advantage when it comes to chest size.”
Silvia’s chest wasn’t that big.
Lina had devised a strategy to emphasize this aspect more.
“The problem is that there’s also the princess when it comes to breasts…”
The princess’s figure was, to be honest, disastrous for any competitor.
But Lina hoped that her incredibly busy schedule would mean she wouldn’t have much time.
“And then there’s Master Asilia…”
Asilia.
They claimed to be master and disciple, but they were too close to each other for that.
Come to think of it, there’s also Sharon Pierce.
Lina had vaguely felt it for a long time.
Despite her intense hatred and disdain for Ian, she kept her eyes only on him.
Sharon, who was always so proud, acknowledged Ian as her only rival.
The rarely-speaking Sharon would always talk about Ian when she did.
“But Sharon, your path to forgiveness is long and arduous.”
Lina realized that Ian’s heart was like a massive stone wall.
It wasn’t easily affected by outside influences, but at the same time, it wasn’t easy to penetrate.
Lina herself was just clinging to that wall, struggling.
Even if Sharon joined the fray, she would still have to overcome the moat from afar, making her less of a competitor.
“…”
Lina tightened the scarf around her neck a bit more.
Honestly, she didn’t expect much from Ian.
Just occasionally.
Only when she was this desperate and yearning.
She hoped he would hold her again with that firm touch.
To receive praise, she would have to work even harder to assist Ian.
It was time to start getting ready.
As she put on the subtly revealing outfit borrowed from a friend, Lina muttered.
“Come to think of it, there’s also the mating season.”
It might not be a bad idea to push Danya a bit more.
For now, she should start by diligently helping Ian.
◆
Seven o’clock in the morning.
Today was the first demonstration meeting of the dessert research club.
To procure the freshest fruits, the children were gathered early.
Present were Lina and Elena. Ian asked Lina.
“Where’s Danya?”
“She’s still sleeping because she has a fever.”
“A fever? If she’s sick, I should visit her.”
“No. If you go, it might get worse. Definitely.”
Hmm. Was there a possibility that she caught it from me?
It was indeed possible.
By the way, it seemed Lina and Danya had become quite close.
“When did you two get so close?”
“Fufu. Don’t underestimate the charm of Lina Rosewell.”
Indeed. Lina’s charm was undeniable.
Ian briefly explained their destination to the two.
Then Lina raised her hand energetically.
“Oh, that place? It’s faster if we go this way!”
Lina led Ian and Elena through the back alleys of the market.
“Isn’t it a bit secluded?”
“I come to the market every day, so just trust me!”
Since being expelled from the dormitory, Lina seemed to be buying ingredients from the market to cook for herself. It was cost-effective and convenient.
She looked quite cheerful as she walked ahead with her hands behind her back.
Separately, the alley was run-down.
It was somewhat dark and damp.
“Sometimes bugs or animals come out, but it’s only occasionally, so don’t worry.”
“It seems like a slightly scary path to walk alone.”
“Yeah, but this is the fastest way.”
“I see.”
“Besides, since I’m with Ian today, I feel quite reassured.”
Lina gave a sly smile and winked.
Her beauty drew the eyes of the occasional vagrant they passed.
“It’s definitely better to walk this kind of path with a guy.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
“Don’t you have a lot of friends? You could ask one of them to accompany you.”
“Uh, yeah. I guess so.”
Lina seemed oddly deflated.
She mumbled quietly.
“But I don’t have any male friends.”
“What?”
“I mean, in case you misunderstand. I don’t have any close male friends… except you.”
“Really.”
Strange.
It seemed Lina’s social skills were only effective with girls.
At that moment, Elena, who had been walking quietly or half-asleep, suddenly shouted.
“A snake… it’s a snake!”
Sure enough, something was wriggling where she pointed.
“… Kyaa! Kyaaah!”
With an oddly slow scream, Lina’s arm suddenly clung to Ian’s.
It was warm and soft.
“Lina.”
“What do I do, Ian! I’m so scared of snakes.”
Lina clung to Ian’s arm, eyes tightly shut.
Every movement of her chest brought a lively and enchanting floral scent.
Regardless of her intentions, staring at her bouncing chest wasn’t a good idea.
Ian struck the long creature crawling along the wall.
“Calm down. It’s not a snake, it’s a salamander.”
— Sssrrrk
Lina, still squirming, opened her eyes slowly.
“Hehe, I didn’t know.”
“Now you do. By the way, are you going to walk like this?”
“Oh, right.”
At Ian’s remark, Lina let go, though they ended up walking close enough that their clothes brushed against each other.
It didn’t interfere with their walking, so it was fine.
But there was another issue.
The fruit shop, which they reached faster than usual thanks to Lina’s shortcut, was in chaos.
With a crashing sound.
— Bub bub bub!
Red liquid dripped down the window.
The shop was in complete disarray.
— Thud!
A fallen wooden tray.
Fruits smashed and scattered on the floor.
“What the heck is this…”
They stopped in shock.
Then.
— Whizz!
Something red flew through the shop.
Round, red, about the size of a man’s fist, with a bit of green on top.
‘…What is that?’
Ian stared at it blankly.
From behind, Elena threw herself forward.
“No!”
…
..
.
— Splat!
It fell to the ground just in time.
— Drip
The red liquid stained Elena’s white hand.
“My, my tomato… nooo!”
A tear from Elena’s eye fell onto the tomato.
