Chapter 61

### Chapter 61: How to Steal the Girl from the 60th Chapter Extra (?)

‘Wow...’

[We need to gather more concrete information. Without knowing the strength of the sleep-inducing drink, we might run into serious problems.]

As Armonia said, if the princess wakes up clumsily and attacks me while I'm trying to cast a dream, I could really die. Given her level, she could easily overpower and send me to the other world.

“Do you know exactly what she drinks?”

“It was something like Rev Herb... She brews it and drinks it... But why are you asking?”

As she spoke, she seemed to grow uneasy, perhaps realizing that I was asking about the princess.

Armonia told me:

I approached the kid.

“Ah, are you leaving now?”

The kid, perhaps hoping I would leave, started making assumptions.

My gaze fell on the kid's hand.

It was the key.

The kid noticed my gaze and hid her hand behind her back.

I didn't think she would give it to me easily if I asked.

I muttered, looking at the kid:

“Sleep... sleep...”

“...? What... Uh...?”

Thud.

The kid fell to the floor, closed her eyes, and started to sleep.

“Effective.”

I picked up the kid's key and lay back on the bed.

‘Armonia, will the herb's effect kick in immediately?’

[If she has taken it frequently, she might have developed a tolerance, so the immediate effect might not be as strong. However, if she started drinking it only after moving to the Demon King's Castle, she probably hasn't developed a tolerance yet.]

‘Then, should I wait about 10 minutes?’

[Knocking on the door and checking the response would be the most reliable way to know.]

‘Oh, good.’

If there's no response when I knock, she's definitely asleep.

I said to the kid lying on the floor:

“Hehe, sleep well.”

[Guardian.]

“Hm?”

Armonia raised a question.

I smiled sardonically at the kid.

“Just another weakness to exploit.”

...

...

Knock, knock, knock.

“...”

Click, creak.

The lock opened, and the wooden door creaked as it was pushed open.

The interior was identical to the kid's room.

On the worn-out bed, the princess was sleeping soundly.

‘Hehe, she's sleeping, she's sleeping.’

[This is a rare opportunity to practice dream casting. I recommend using it extensively.]

Armonia, thinking that this dream casting would be useful for future missions, encouraged me to continue using it.

However, Armonia's worried tone came through the communication.

It was understandable, as my actions in the dream might seem like spontaneous sadism to her.

But it was all part of the plan.

‘I wanted to leave a strong impression first.’

[...?]

Would the princess get angry at me for slapping her cheek in the dream?

No, she wouldn't have a reason to be angry at me for something that happened in her own dream.

She might feel a brief surge of anger, but a rational person like the princess would likely blame herself for having such a dream.

And the unexpected appearance of a character in her dream would make her think about that person all day.

‘I did the same with Luna, making a strong first impression. I thought it was important to leave a strong impression first.’

[...Was there no other reason besides that?]

‘You're sharp...’

Not joking, but the princess's cheek was so smooth that I couldn't help but keep slapping it.

Her white silk panties started to glisten with moisture, which is why I stopped.

‘But it seems my technique works even in dreams?’

[It really is an incredible skill.]

‘Not exactly, the princess might just be a wet pervert.’

[...]

I planned to check her reaction to my touch.

I quietly approached the bed.

A cup containing the drink was placed at the foot of her bed.

I confirmed that she had taken the drink.

‘Armonia, you said she wouldn't wake up unless I hit her?’

[It can vary from person to person, but she shouldn't wake up from a light touch.]

‘Good, good~’

I slipped into the bed.

The bed was narrow, and as soon as I got in, her lips were right in front of mine.

I wanted to kiss her right away, but I held back.

I decided to save the real thing for later.

Despite not using any perfume, her subtle scent stimulated my brain.

Given the narrow space, I decided to embrace her.

“Mm...”

She showed a slight resistance but quickly calmed down.

‘This is a win-win situation. I can easily cast the dream and also benefit from the pheromone effect.’

[You really are lucky.]

‘Hehe, I should thank the kid.’

Casting the dream was one thing, but the opportunity to directly influence her with pheromones for a week was rare.

Her warmth could be felt through the thin pajamas she was wearing.

‘Wow, I might get addicted to this.’

[Still, be careful. Aggressive actions might wake her up.]

The act of invading and embracing her without permission was more exciting than I expected.

Just this situation alone was enough to make my penis erect...

I focused and cast the dream.

...

...

“Huh? There's nothing?”

As soon as I cast the dream, I saw a dark place.

In the distance, the princess was standing still, wearing pajamas and with her eyes closed.

“Is she not dreaming yet?”

I had used up my mana earlier by casting the dream and sleep.

I had replenished my mana, but considering the risk of mana exhaustion, I didn't have much time.

“Should I manipulate it? A happy ending might not be a good idea.”

Such a dream might feel good for a moment, but the backlash upon waking up could be significant.

I immediately constructed the Demon King's Castle in my mind and proceeded with the dream.

In front of me, the guest room I was staying in was created, and the princess was standing in front of the door, looking blankly.

***

‘...This is...’

When Lena opened her eyes, she saw the guest room.

Her mind immediately established the dream world.

‘Right, I... in the Demon King's Castle... as a guest...’

As soon as she grasped the situation, a man sitting at a table in the center of the room called out to her.

“Come here.”

“Yes.”

Lena approached the man and stood beside him in a proper posture.

As she got closer, his scent began to waft.

‘...It smells good.’

While she was absorbed in the scent, the man spoke to her.

“Do you have any preferences?”

“...I like piano playing.”

“Oh... Why do you like it?”

“My late mother always played it for me, so I've liked it since I was young.”

In reality, Lena wouldn't have answered the man's questions so straightforwardly, but in the dream, she answered honestly without realizing it.

“Play something for me.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As soon as the man gave the order, a piano appeared in the corner of the room.

It was the piano from her memory.

The large brown-striped piano that was always in her room, a memento from her mother.

Lena, despite the sudden command, was delighted to play the piano and sat on the two-person piano bench, placing her hands on the keys.

She started playing the piano.

Despite her talent in swordsmanship and spear skills, Lena's piano skills were average.

She just enjoyed playing the piano because it reminded her of her mother.

The beautiful sound of the piano began to fill the room.

Despite not having played the piano for a long time due to the war, her fingers moved naturally.

‘I feel like I'm playing much better than before...’

After a few minutes of enjoyable playing, she finished with a refreshing feeling.

When she finished, the man was sitting beside her.

‘When...’

She had been so engrossed in playing that she hadn't noticed him sit down.

The man asked her with interest:

“You play well. Can I play too?”

“Yes.”

The man, who didn't seem to need permission, asked for it and started playing the piano beside her.

Lena sat beside him, closed her eyes, and listened to the music.

It was ordinary.

‘But it feels good...’

The scent from the man was pleasant, and the piano he played was exactly the same as the one she had played.

Since coming to the Demon King's Castle, Lena hadn't had a single day of rest.

The people here only relied on her, and she had no one to lean on, which was mentally exhausting.

But just having the man sit beside her and play the piano made her feel at ease.

It was the first time she felt relaxed.

When the music ended, the man asked her:

“Do you know any other songs?”

“Yes. Would you like me to play them?”

Lena asked without realizing it.

She wanted to play immediately, but she felt she should wait for his answer.

“Sure, play them.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lena placed her fingers on the keys beside the man and started playing another song.

After Lena played, the man would play the same song.

They alternated and played the piano for quite a long time.

Lena wanted to prolong this first feeling of peace she had experienced since coming here.

But suddenly, the music stopped.

“Huh?!”

The man who had been sitting beside her had disappeared without a trace.

...

...

“...Where am I?”

In a half-awake state, Lena opened her eyes to see her room, illuminated by the early morning light.

“...Why that man again.”

Lena closed her eyes tightly, recalling the dream she had just had.

The man who had been sitting beside her, playing the piano.

She had been wary of him because of his connection to Gardia.

She hadn't expected him to appear in her dream like this.

The man who had appeared in her dream when she had a brief nap yesterday afternoon had stayed in her mind all day.

The sensation of being slapped on the cheek was so shocking that it was the first time she had experienced it in her life.

Most importantly, both the dream from yesterday afternoon and the one she had just had were incredibly vivid.

While dreams often left some memories, this level of vividness was new to her.

“...But I feel refreshed.”

Since coming here, she hadn't had a single peaceful day.

The man in her dream had provided a brief moment of calm in her life, which had no hope or dreams.

She got out of bed and started changing into her clothes calmly.

But the thought of another day starting made a suicidal impulse rise in her heart.

‘I want to die...’

The naive children continued to talk about hopeful things, unaware of the reality of the world, while the older nobles shamelessly dumped all their responsibilities on her.

At first, she took on the responsibilities of the nobles in the castle out of a sense of duty.

She was confident she wouldn't regret it.

But it was a mistake.

She had been whipped for another child's mistake and had gone hungry.

The other children encouraged her while dumping all their responsibilities on her.

In just a few months, her mental state had started to deteriorate, and she had become a time bomb ready to explode at any moment.

Insomnia had set in